Roasted Marrow Bones with Pickled Shallots

Serves approximately 4

Ingredients

6 shallots, trimmed, quartered lengthwise with some root attached

1 cup of champagne vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon pink peppercorns

1 dried bay leaf (preferably Turkish)

1 dried chile de arbol

4 to 5 marrow bones

¼ cup parsley, roughly chopped

¼ of a lemon, sliced

flaky salt, such as Maldon’s

8 or more fresh slices of baguette, preferably homemade, toasted

 

For the Pickled Shallots

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Remove from heat and let cool for about 30 minutes.  Once cool, slice the shallots into julienne and place in a bowl with some of the pickling juice.

 

For the Marrow Bones

Preheat the oven or toaster oven for 450°.  Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil.  Stand the marrow bone upright with the widest end of the bone on the bottom.  Roast for 15-20 minutes.

Scoop out the marrow onto toasted baguette.  Sprinkle with flaky salt, lightly dress with lemon and top with  pickled shallots and parsley.

 

 

Sushi 101

 

Steve and I have been having some fun with experimenting with homemade sushi and sashimi;  we’ve been reluctant in the past to do so, having had access to some pretty amazing sushi restaurants in Santa Barbara that would be difficult to replicate.  Well, we found out that ‘sushi masters’ we are not, but our fish was fabulously fresh and tasty and our presentation….we’ll skip that part.  As with all dishes, your end results are only going to be as good as your ingredients.  So a little plug for our fish source, Catalina Offshore Products in San Diego, is worth some serious recognition.  We don’t know anyone there or have stock in the company, but we give them 2 big thumbs up.  They have a nice variety of things from the sea, their products are guaranteed, packed very well and they have great customer service.  Thanks Greg (brother in-law) for giving us the heads up on these guys.  Catalina Offshore also have little sushi 101 starter kits, which for most people may not be necessary as the items are often found in the Asian section of most supermarkets.

What’s equally critical – making properly seasoned sushi rice.  A rice that has worked well for us is Nishiki brand – we just follow the package directions.  After the rice is cooked it’s placed in a large wide bowl and fanned until your hand says ‘enough’!  Once the rice has cooled to room temperature, you add a sushi su seasoning that has been dissolved on the stove.  The seasoning is basically 3T sugar, 1T salt, and 1C rice vinegar. For each batch of rice add about 1-2 ounces of the seasoning  and stir well to combine.  Wet your fingers and have a go at making a sushi roll or tekka maki.  Kanpai!!

It’s the journey…

I have to say overall I don’t travel well…or smart.  I’m definitely not one of those people that seem to stay mysteriously fresh looking throughout their travel experience.  I really envy those who dress smart and look perky and seem to know where their gate is via some internal GPS system.  I, on there hand, look like a train wreck, feel half dead, normally lost, drink way too much caffeine followed by beer, wine, champagne, followed by way more caffeine while I manage to food crawl through hours of layover.  I need to learn how to spend down time more productively no doubt.

On the brighter side, the 12 weeks at Ballymaloe Cooking School has ended and some students have found employment!  Well done for them.  Others have accumulated some valuable culinary knowledge that they will impart in one form or another throughout their lives.  I’m looking forward to seeing how much information from this experience will stay in my noodle and for how long.  The most enjoyable part of my time abroad was meeting so many fantastic people and working with them (and playing with them) in a very unique and intense environment.  I’ve made some new friends and that in itself was worth the journey.  Please stay in touch and look for posts from the green isle and other places in the near future.  Cheers!

Dingle Pie

I made this tasty pie as per the recipe, but I can’t see why one couldn’t shortcut by putting the ingredients in a casserole dish and making only enough dough for the top crust.  The dough is actually fairly simple and quick; however, there are a few steps involved for the filling as all savory pies are guilty of.  This is a great weekend cold weather comfort food!

serves 6

1 pound of boneless lamb

9 ounces yellow onion, small dice

9 ounces carrots, small dice

2 rounded teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground

10 fluid ounces of stock (quality chicken stock is fine)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

salt and pepper to taste

Hot Water Crust Pastry

12 ounces all-purpose flour

6 ounces butter, salted

4 fluid ounces water

pinch of salt

preheat the oven to 400°

Trim the lamb of fat, if necessary, and cut into 1/2″ cubes.  Place the trimmed fat (or a tablespoon of oil) in a hot saucepan.  Render the fat and remove the remaining pieces.  Add the onion and carrot to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove vegetables and toss the meat in the remaining fat (if there is none, add olive oil).  Cook meat until browned on all sides.

Heat the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan just until fragrant.  Crush or grind into a rough powder.  Add the flour and cumin to the browning meat stirring for  2-3 minutes.  Add stock gradually and bring to the boil.  Stir occasionally.  Add the vegetables back to the pot and season with salt and pepper.  Simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until lamb is tender.  Cool.

Meanwhile make the pastry:  Sieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and make a well in the center.  Dice the butter, put it into a saucepan with water and bring to the boil.  Pour the liquid all at once into the flour and mix together quickly; beat until smooth.  At first the pastry will be too soft to handle – place in the fridge for approximately 1/2 hour.  Once the pastry is cool.  roll out to 1/4 inch thick to fit an 8 inch tart tin.  Set some pastry aside for the top and any decoration.  Line the tin with the pastry while trimming the edges.  Fill the pastry lined tins with the meat mixture.  Brush the edges of the pastry with the water and place 1/4 inch thick pastry top on sealing the edges all the way around the tin. Decorate with any trimming and pierce a hole in the center of the pie to allow steam to escape.  Brush the top with egg wash.

Cook the pie for approximately 40 minutes.

Malaysian Coconut Milk Soup

BEAUTY FROM THE BEAST

before and after

No time to angle and fillet one the ugliest eating fishes available?  Not a problem…this a deceptively easy seafood soup, especially if you purchase a firm white fish or prawns from your grocery store.  This recipe is also versatile in that it can be served as a canapé such as above, or in a soup bowl with rice.

 

serves 4-6 as an entree

 

4 pounds of firm white fish, or 20 prawns

1 stalk of lemon grass

1 shallot, finely chopped

1/4 – 1/2 red chilli, finely chopped

1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

pinch of saffron

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1/2 cup of coconut milk, well stirred

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1-2 teaspoons Nam Pla or other fish sauce

lime or lemon juice to taste

Cilantro rough chopped

rice (optional)

 

Remove tough outer leaf of the lemon grass and grate or chop finely.  Place lemon grass, shallots, chilli, ginger, garlic, spices and oil into a bowl with choice of seafood.  Let marinate for an hour in the refrigerator if you have time.

Place a pot over medium heat.  Add marinated seafood and cook until just fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.  Add coconut milk, salt and pepper.  Bring to simmer and cook until just cooked.  Add fish sauce and citrus to taste stirring to incorporate.  Garnish with cilantro.

Whew at Ballymaloe!

It has been a whirl wind lately.  I finally made it to Ballymaloe Cooking School in Ireland!  Last time I tried to make it over for their 3 month course a volcano erupted in Iceland – that little devil Eyjafjallajökull – yes, it is now a curse word in many parts of the world.  I made a pact with myself that I would faithfully update my blog and emails daily, but have failed miserably. Unfortunately there’s no internet in my cottage and we’ve been going flat out at the school.  We have survived the first hectic week which has been packed with information from short pastry making to fire safety.  I hope to get a little more organized and include some of the amazingly delicious recipes soon, but for now a very brief glimpse of arriving, learning and cooking:

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Jailhouse Jambalaya

bedraggled and ready to eat

We have been working hard on the farm lately. Our weather is beginning  to turn toward Autumn and soon all outdoor work will come to a halt – so we’re kicking it into high gear.  We have the scintillating task of clearing a large field…of all rocks, all rose hips, all by hand.  In my previous life I was a suburban girl; I don’t remember all this manual labor being in the brochure.  I call Steve ‘The Warden’ now – he works me like a dog.  An upside is my pants fit a little better AND I can eat tasty, meaty dishes without as much guilt –  Such as this streamlined, bastardization, Pacific Northwestern version of a creole classic.

jailhouse jambalaya

serves 4-6

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 links of cooked sausage, such as Hempler’s, cut on the bias

6 bell peppers, seeded and rough chopped

1 large yellow onion, rough chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced

1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced

1 tablespoon coarse salt

1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or fresh minced)

2 tablespoons butter, unsalted

2 cups cooked brown rice

In a large heavy saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot add sausage and brown on all sides.  Remove with a slotted spoon.  Add onion, peppers, spices and herbs to the pan (add additional oil if needed).  Saute vegetables until soft but snappy.   Add the sausage back to the pan and cook until heated through.  Turn off the heat and add butter, stirring until melted.  Serve with brown rice.

Brain Food

it's alive

For many, a new year has started.  The need to dust off our tranquil state of mind and focus on things far more cerebral than who has more distinguishable tan lines – has arrived.  It’s back to school time!  Time to rev up those synapses and dendrites.  If you’ve never thought of PIZZA as brain food, it’s really a simple adjustment of the toppings.  Slap those ingredients that are heavy on the Omega-3’s and you’ve got pizza brain food (proof!).  Having spent far too many years in school (mostly remedial no doubt) I will top mine with salty, meaty, fatty, anti-brain-enhancing deliciousness.

thin crust hawaiian pizza

The dough is made using a stand mixer so it comes together relatively quickly.

For the Dough:

1/2 cup warm water (between 105° and 115°)

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups ’00’ flour or bread flour

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for greasing container

With your warm tap water running, place an instant read thermometer under the flow.  When you have dialed in the temperature within the degrees mentioned above, rinse a measuring cup a few times to reach that temperature then fill the measuring cup to 1/2 cup.  Add the yeast, sugar and salt stirring to combine.  Let this rest for about 5 minutes.  The yeast should foam, if not consider buying new yeast.  Place the flour and oil in the bowl of the mixer.  Add the yeast mixture and stir on medium speed for about 7 minutes; wait until all the dough has collected together.  Grease a large, clean container lightly with olive oil.  Pat the dough into a ball and place it in the greased container making sure the dough is coated on all sides with the oil.  Cover the container with plastic wrap or lid.  Let the dough rise for 2 hours in a warm place.

Once the dough has risen, pat it into a ball and place back into the container for another 20 minutes at room temperature.  On a flour dusted cutting board begin dimpling, stretching, and tossing into a thin disc.

work from the center outward

let gravity work for you

try a little toss!

For the Pizza:

1/2 cup marinara or pizza sauce of your choice

1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup ham, chopped

1/2 cup pineapple pieces, drained

1/2 cup feta, drained and chopped

1/4 cup black olives, sliced

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

olive oil for drizzling

Preheat oven with pizza stone to 450°.  Flour a pizza peel lightly.  Place the formed dough on the peel and add sauce and toppings.  Give your peel a little wiggle to make sure the pizza will easily slide onto the pizza stone.  If there’s lack of movement, try to loosen the pizza with a spatula and shake the peel again.  If it’s really stuck gently remove the pizza back onto the floured cutting board and add more flour to the peel.  Transfer the pizza back to the peel and give it a wiggle.  Carefully slide the pizza from the peel onto the preheated pizza stone.  Bake pizza until browned, about 14-16 minutes.  Remove from oven and place on cutting board.  Cut into pieces and drizzle with olive oil and basil.

less sauce = less soggy

easy on the cheesy

any pre-cooked meat will work

hawaiian pineapple

olives for color and flavor

more cheese!

Mom’s Tasty Tacos

Growing up, we always loved Mom’s tacos.  Part of reason we would request them so often is she used a secret ingredient to make them extra tasty.  Well, maybe it isn’t so secret but it sure adds a lovely flavor to this very Americanized dish!  The secret ingredient…..Parmesan!

serves 4

8 corn tortilla shells

vegetable oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 package taco mix (or your own spices)

1 1/2 pound ground beef

generous amounts of grated Parmesan such as Kraft®

garnishes: chopped tomato, lettuce, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, and left over chimichurri sauce (see post: 8/23/2010 for sauce)

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a saute pan over medium-low heat.  Cook onion until soft.  Add packet of taco seasoning and stir until fragrant.  Add beef and cook until brown, drain fat.  Pour in a cup of water and stir to combine.  Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile in a non-stick skillet add enough oil to submerge tortillas, about an inch, over medium heat.  To determine your oil’s temperature, tear a small portion of an extra shell and place it in the heated oil.  The torn tortilla should instantly simmer and begin cooking.  When oil reaches temperature fry one tortilla at a time turning and folding into a taco shape.  Drain each tortilla on a plate lined with paper towels and shake Parmesan all over the outside of the shells.  Fill with beef and desired garnishes. ¡Sabrosos!

onions and spices

secret ingredient - parmesan!

garnishes

Basil Chicken, Basil Corn, & Basil GG Salad Dressing – Go Basil!

This is the best grilled chicken we’ve enjoyed in a very long time.  The recipe comes from a popular restaurant in Pennsylvania called JohnJJeffries and was recently posted in the Epicurious RSS.   This flavorful dish is brined, marinated and served with a chimichurri sauce. The process is a little lengthy, but worth it.

Allow for 1 hour brining and 4 hours marinating.

Serves 4

CHICKEN:

1/4 cup fine sea salt

2 teaspoons pickling spice (buy fresh if it’s been around a long while – this brine is only as good as your pickling spice!)

2 tablespoons honey

4 1/2 pounds of chicken pieces, or whole chicken backbone removed

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large shallot, chopped

1/3 cup fresh basil, rough chopped

1/3 cup flat parsley, rough chopped

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

CHIMICHURRI SAUCE:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh flat parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/2 garlic clove, minced

pinch of red pepper flakes

FOR THE CHIMICHURRI SAUCE:

Put all the ingredients in a processor and puree until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and refrigerate.

FOR THE CHICKEN:

If you are using a whole chicken, removing the backbone as well as spliting it in two makes handling much easier (to ‘flatty’ a chicken see previous post: Roasted Flatty Chicken with Compound Butter 7/17/2010)

Boil 2 cups of water with pickling spices and 1/4 cup of fine sea salt in a large pot.  Stir and heat through until salt has dissolved.  Let cool on stove top.  Add 6 cups water and honey stirring until combined.  Place chicken pieces in pot and let brine for an hour.

Meanwhile mix 1/2 cup olive oil, shallot, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme and garlic in a processor until finely chopped.  Place herb mixture in a 13x9x2 inch glass dish.  Rinse chicken in cold water, pat dry and place in herb mixture.  Turn all the pieces coating all sides.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or more.

Prepare barbecue for medium heat.    Remove excess marinade from chicken pieces and place on a baking sheet.  Salt and pepper all sides.  Grill the chicken covered until cooked through turning about every 30 minutes.  Watch for flare-ups!  Move the chicken to cooler locals if necessary.

Alternatively, pre-heat oven to 325°.  Bake chicken for an hour and 40 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165F.  

Serve with the chimichurri sauce.

Basil Lemon Corn on the Cob

This  version comes from the September issue of Food Network magazine.  We excluded the flavored oil side, because we think the water the corn cooks in is flavorful enough.

Serves 4

1/2 cup basil, whole leaves

1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt

4 ears of corn, cleaned

Bring 4 cups water, basil, lemon, oil and a pinch of salt to a boil.  Carefully add corn and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain and enjoy!

creamy basil green goddess dressing

This salad is from Ina Garten with only a few tweaks.  The dressing is very creamy and a little goes a long way, however it tastes very herbaceous and light because of the citrus, basil and tarragon.

serves 4

1 cup mayonnaise

4-6  green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup fresh basil, rough chopped

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons tarragon, rough chopped

2 teaspoons anchovy paste

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoons fresh black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 cup sour cream

2 heads of bibb or butter lettuce, cleaned and dried and chopped

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

You will likely have far more dressing than required to dress your salads, but it also works well with baja fish taco, salmon sandwich or fajita, tartar sauce substitute and countless other applications.

Place the first 9 ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth.  Add sour cream and blend briefly.  Serve with tomatoes and lettuce.  We found that fresh croutons added a much needed grounding for this very rich dressing so you may want to cube some bread up, toss it with some olive oil, salt and pepper and bake approximately 15 minutes at 350°.