Ingredients: Piquillo Peppers 16 oz Goat Cheese 2 Tbs Heavy Whipping Cream 2 Green Onions Pine Nuts Sel de Gris Salt Olive Oil Piquillo peppers are small tangy peppers only native to the rural village of Lodosa in Navarra. They are fire-roasted then hand-peeled and packed in their own juices. The piquillo pepper's tangy nature combines well with seafood, fish and mushrooms, and their firmness makes them perfect for stuffing. My favorite way to eat them though is to stuff the peppers with high quality goat cheese. Start with getting peppers from Spain. These brilliant red peppers have a sweet, tangy flavor with a touch of smokiness and a bit of spice. And the texture is amazingly firm yet tender, allowing you to enjoy each bite. Also get good goat cheese with a lot of flavors. If not, the piquillo peppers might overpower the goat cheese. Drain the peppers after you have removed from the jar. Slice the green onions and then mix goat cheese, cream, green onions an a food processor. Mix until smooth. Add salt if needed. The piquillo peppers are quite sweet so your mix can be slightly salty to compensate. Pour the cheese mix into a piping bag and if you don't have one, use a freezer bag or ziplock bag. Press all of the air out of it and then cut a 3/4 inch hole in one corner. Squeeze the softened cheese mixture right from the bag into the peppers. Don't fill the peppers, leave 1/2 inch so you can close the peppers when you pan-sear them. You can either broil the peppers in the oven or pan-sear them. I prefer the latter - it is faster and gives the pepper a great flavor. Add olive oil to a medium-hot sauté pan, and quickly sear the peppers 1 minute on each sides. Plate the peppers and sprinkle some pine nuts on top. Serve immediately .
0 Comments
Korean seasoned raw beef (yukhoe) is a delicious variation of steak tartare. Raw beef is fantastic but has a bad reputation. A lot of people think that eating raw beef will make you sick. Like with any food, you have to be careful but if you follow these two rules, you will be safe: 1. Buy fresh, good quality beef that’s tender and has almost no fat. Talk to your butcher directly and tell him that you will be eating the meat it raw, so the butcher can recommend the most suitable and freshest cut. 2. Make sure everything is cold. Keep the beef in the freezer for an hour or two before and try not to handle it too much with your warm hands when you cut it, so it stays cold. This recipe is adapted from Maangchi, and it is really easy to make and even more tasty to eat. Start by freezing the beef for 1 to 2 hours. While you wait for the beef to be ready, making the liquid mix for the Yukhoe. Slice the green onion thinly and mince the garlics. Make sure that you mince the garlic finely. You can also microplane the garlics. Next, prepare the pears. Mix 2 cups of cold water and 1 tablespoon sugar in a bowl with a spoon. Peel the pears and cut it into matchsticks. Soak them in the sugar water for about 10 minutes. Drain the pear sticks and dry with paper towel. Put them on a plate, clearing out a spot in the center to put your Yukhoe. After two hours, start preparing the tenderloin steaks. Move fast so that you don't heat up the meat too much. Take the beef out from the freezer and rinse it in cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Trim off fatty parts and the silver skin. You want lean and tender beef without any fat. Cut the beef into thin matchsticks and then slice them to small beef cubes. Smaller is better but remember to move fast or chill the meat again before you continue. Make the seasoning sauce by combining garlic, green onion, soy sauce, agave honey, ground black pepper, sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a bowl. Mix it well. Mix the cut beef with the seasoning sauce. Mix it well again. When mixed, place the Yukhoe in the center of the plate of pear matchsticks. Sprinkle with pine nuts and add the egg yolk in the center of the Yukhoe. Serve right away.
Ingredients: 9 oz Tahini 10 Medjool Dates 5 Mint leaves 3 Cauliflower heads (yellow, purple and white for nice colors) Pistachios Dill sprigs 2 Tbs Olive oil 2 Tbs Soy sauce This is wonderful vegan course, either to be served by its own as a nice appetizer or as a side to a good steak or chicken. It has a nice creaminess to it that compliments the charred flavor of the roasted cauliflower. Start by pitting the medjool dates. Mix the dates with the Tahini and the mint leaves. Puree at high speed until it reaches a fine puree texture. Set aside in the fridge while the cauliflowers are roasting. Trim the cauliflower so you get nice florets. In a large metal pan, toss the cauliflower with the olive oil and the soy sauce. Make sure that the oil and the soy sauce is evenly distributed amongst the cauliflowers. In an over-proof pan, place the cauliflowers on a silpat sheet or baking sheet. Set the oven for Roast at 350 degrees. Put the pan in the oven and roast for 40-50 minutes . While the cauliflowers are roasting, crush the pistachios and tear the dill sprigs. Make sure that the pistachios isn't too fine in texture. You want some small pieces and chunks in there. Don't chop the dill sprigs, tear the sprigs by hand. When the cauliflowers are finished, toss them in the Tahini mix. Plate the cauliflowers and then sprinkle some crushed pistachios over the cauliflowers and place sprigs of dill. Serve hot.
Start with the black garlic, peel and finely mince. Put garlic, rice wine, hoisin sauce, honey, sugar, bean sauce, and spice in a blender and puree. Simmer the mixture in a large saucepan over medium heat for 10 minutes until it bubbles and sauce begins to thicken. Alternatively, cook in Thermomix for 10 minutes, 212 degrees, speed 1. Set aside and start preparing the Sunchokes. Set the smoker at 350 degrees and use fruitwood for flavor. While you wait for the smoker to heat up. scrub the sunchokes thoroughly. Make sure that you rinse of all the dirt. When clean, cut the sunchokes in half. Pour 3 Tbs of Olive oil into an over-proof pan. Place sunchokes cut-side down in the pan and insert into smoker. Smoke the sunchokes for 20 minutes until they have softened slightly and browned. Turn and smoke for another 15 minutes. After about 35 minutes, remove pan from smoker. Dip the sunchokes into the BBQ sauce and make sure that they are covered in sauce. Place them in the pan again and smoke for 5 minutes. Repeat this procedure one more time. Cut the thick stalk from dill and chop. Sprinkle dill over sunchokes. Serve while hot. This is a perfect appetizer or a side dish for Asian short-ribs, pork-belly or even steak. The smoky flavor, together with the sweet sauce and the crispness of the dill makes this an all-time favorite. And it is 100% vegan!!
Ingredients:
Japanese flavors are amazing and if you combine it with fresh vegetables you can create some amazing tapas with almost no effort at all. Most ingredients are available at any asian market. How to make the Shishito Peppers: Rinse the peppers and toss them with the olive oil - make sure that they are evenly covered. Set the grill on high. Use a vegetable tray so the peppers dont fall through the grill grates. Grill on high until the peppers are roasted and browned, about 5-6 minutes. Take the peppers of the grill and toss them with the Ponzu sauce. Season with the flaked sea salt. Serve immediately and sprinkle the bonito flakes on top of the peppers. If you want to make the Japanese tapas completely vegan - skip the bonito flakes. How to make the Asparagus: Rinse the asparagus and cut the hard bottom part of the asparagus off. Pour the olive oil in a large sautepan and heat on medium high. When the pan is hot, add the asparagus. Saute for 5-6 minutes on medium-high until the asparagus are nicely browned and has softened. When ready, pour the Chuka dressing into the pan. The dressing will start caramelize almost instantly so be careful so you don't burn the dish. Toss the asparagus in the dressing, add the sesame seeds and then quiuckly toss one more time. Remove from the burner and serve immediately. How to make the Brussel Sprouts: Rinse the Brussel Sprouts and remove the harder outer leaves. Also remove the hard stalk at the bottom of the sprouts. Quarter the Brussel Sprouts. Add oil to large saute pan on medium heat. Slowly saute the Brussel Sprouts until they are slightly browned, make sure that you dont burn the leaves. This will take about 4-6 minutes. When slightly browned, add the vegetable stock. The stock should just cover the base of the ban up to 1/16 of an inch. Give the pan a good stir and then allow to steam-fry until all the liquid has cooked off and the sprouts are tender. While the Brussel Sprouts are slowly steam-frying, mix the Dijon Mustard and the Wafu dressing together. When the Brussel Sprouts are soft and cooked through, add the Mustard-Dressing mix and stir thoroughly. MAke sure that the Brussel Sprouts get covered evenly. Serve immediately. This is a great trio of appetizers to serve together. The Shishito Peppers adds sweetness and acidity to the dish, the asparagus with the Chuka dressing adds some heat and finally the Brussel Sprouts adds richness and creaminess. Enjoy!!
Everybody sometimes want to make a fancy appetizer, that will have the guest in awe. You can never go wrong with caviar to achieve this. The salty, irony tasty and the pop when you bit into them is simply amazing. Here is a great recipe inspired by Eleven Madison Park and Daniel Humm. Start with the buttermilk gel. In a smaller saucepan, whisk together the buttermilk, agar-agar and salt. When it begins to boil whisk constantly for two minutes. Let it cool and refrigerate for two hours. After two hours cut into smaller pieces and puree in a blender on high speed until shiny and smooth. Set aside in a cool place. Start preparing the Buttermilk gelee next. Start by blooming the gelatin in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. While you are waiting, heat 1/2 cup of the buttermilk, but don't bring it to boil. Squeeze the gelatin to remove excess water. Stir into warm buttermilk to dissolve and then pur in the rest of the buttermilk. Season with salt to taste. Put a Silpat on a oven tray and pour the buttermilk, yielding a 1/16-inch thick gelee. Zest the lemon with a microplane grater evenly over the gelee. Refrigerate for at least one hour, until set. When ready to serve, cut gelee into 1/2 by 3/4-inch strips. Cut bacon in small bits and quickly saute for a couple of minutes. Make sure that don't burn them. Boil the fava beans for two minutes and then quickly dip in waterbath. Poach the egg by sous viding them in 145.4 degrees Fahrenheit (63 C) for 30 minutes. Now you are ready to assemble your appetizer. For each serving, spoon a tablespoon of the buttermilk gel on a plate and pull it to the left with a spoon. Place a quail yolk on top of the dollop. Season with some fleur de sel. Arrange some Fava Beans on the plate alongside the gel. Lay a tablespoon of caviar by the yolk and then lay a strip of the buttermilk gelee crossways over the yolk. Place 5-7 pieces of bacon bits on the gelee. Garnish with some edible flowers.
Ingredients: Skinless Chicken breast Whole chickens Your favorite chicken BBQ rub Butter - tons of butter RM Transglutaminase - I use Moo Gloo Dipping sauce - 1/3 BBQ Sauce 1/3 Honey 1/3 Apple juice Real men don't eat sushi - I remember this slogan from an old Chevy commercial back in my native Sweden. I happen to love sushi - but if you want to make something more meaty - well, maybe you should try Smoked Chicken Rolls. Moist and flavorful rolls of chicken wrapped in chicken skin. Too conduct this little neat trick you will need Meat Glue - Transglutaminase. Transglutaminase is an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of an isopeptide bond between a free amine group (e.g., protein- or peptide-bound lysine) and the acyl group at the end of the side chain of protein- or peptide-bound glutamine. In plain English - you can glue different cuts of meat together without any strange flavors. Start with trimming the chicken breast so that they are similar in size. Sprinkle richly on the sides you will connect with each other with Meat Glue. Place the chicken breast opposite each other - so the thin end in one breast connects with the wider end on the other breast. Roll them up so they get a nice log shape in some plastic wrap and keep in refrigerator for at least 8 hours. That is enough time for the meat glue to connect the tissues. Carefully tear the skin of the whole chicken and trim the skin so it fits nicely around the chicken breast roll. Sprinkle your favorite chicken rub on the chicken roll and then sprinkle the backside of the skin with more meat glue. Wrap the skin around the chicken roll and put back in refrigerator for another 8 hours or so. When done, inject breast with some brine and sprinkle outside of skin. You are now ready to start cooking. Place the rolls in an aluminum pan on a bed of butter. Think 8 tablespoons of butter per roll. Cover the pan with foil and place in smoker on indirect heat 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook covered for about 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, open the pan and turn the rolls. Cover again with foil and cook for another 30-45 minutes. In order to get some smoke into your rolls, uncover the pan and smoke the chicken rolls for another 20 minutes at the same temperature. I use a light wood like apple or pecan. When the chicken rolls are getting to the right temperature - prepare your dipping sauce. I use 1/3 BBQ sauce, 1/3 Honey and 1/3 Apple Juice. Dip the rolls in dipping sauce. Put them back one final time on the smoker to caramelize the sauce.
When they rolls have a nice orange shine, take them off the smoker, slice and serve!! Ingredients: Turkey Wings Turkey Brine Butter Smoked Sea Salt Sage Dried Cranberries Here is a modern twist on the Thanksgiving Turkey, it is variation from Modernist Cuisine slightly simplified when it comes to ingredients. It is a bit-sized appetizer - perfect as a little taste teaser before the big bird gets carved up. And here is how you do it. First, use the middle part of the wing and chop off the joints to expose the two bones inside the wing. This is hard work and you might have to use a bone cutter. Next step, cure the turkey wing segments in a dry rub of salt and sugar for 24 hours. After being brined for 24 hours, rinse the cure off of the wing and vacuum seal it with some butter. Then cook it sous vide at 58 °C / 136 °F for 12 hours. When done, immediately pull the bones out of the wing while its flesh is still warm. If the wing has been properly cooked, the bones should just slide right out. Once the wings have cooled down, dust them in potato starch. Once we have a crispy and tender piece of turkey, its time for the gravy. Baste the wing in gravy - use a thickener to make the gravy a little bit stiffer. Finish off the wing with smoked sea salt, bit of diced cranberry and picked sage.
This recipe is a wonderful way of creating a nice little twist on an often very traditional Thanksgiving. Ingredients: 1.5 lbs fresh or frozen prawns (shrimps) 1 Cup Mayonnaise 1 Cup Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche 2 Medium Red Onions 4 oz Dijon Mustard 4 oz Whitefish or Salmon Roe Salt and freshly ground white pepper 5 Tbsp Dill finely chopped Slices of white bread 2 tbsp butter Dill sprigs for garnish Prawns (shrimps) on toast (toast Skagen) is a Swedish classic and it was created by a popular Swedish restaurateur, Tore Wretman, just after the second world war and named after a fishing port in Denmark. It is a great appetizer and features a mayonnaise-based shrimp salad on the buttered toast, garnished with caviar. Begin with chopping the two onions into small pieces. Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, and mustard together. Add salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste. You can also add some brandy or some horseradish if you want to. Keep the mixture cold until required. You should use small or extra small shrimps for the Toast Skagen. It is better to get the shrimps will their shell on since they are more flavorful. If you don't want to go through the work with cleaning and trimming the shrimps you can buy them without shells as well. Clean the shrimps and add to the mayo mix. Finely chop the dill and add as well. Stir and keep chilled. The Skagen mix is now finished. It will taste better if you let it sit on the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Taste and add salt, white pepper or more dill. Ten minutes or so before serving, melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the bread slices and fry until golden brown on both sides. Use white bread or sourdough - for a better presentation, cut off the edges and cut bread in half diagonally. When ready to serve, pile the shrimp mix on top of the fried bread and garnish with a dollop of roe, a sprig of dill and a lemon wedge. You can also garnish with some chives or green onions. Best served on warm bread and cold shrimp mix. It's a recipe that lends itself to experimentation. It is extremely easy to make but so rewarding. Sweden has a long food tradition and Toast Skagen is a wonderful little gem and is definitely worth trying out!!
Seared Foie Gras is one of the easiest things to make, the flavors are divine and still, surprisingly few has tried making it at home. Here is a wonderful recipe adapted from Michael Ginor's book Foie Gras - A Passion. The original recipe calls for an Almond Phyllo Pastry, but I simplified it by using toasted Raisin and nut bread instead.
Start with making the blueberry sauce. In a small bowl combine blueberries and Armagnac and let sit for 15 minutes. Heat the duckfat in a small pan over medium heat . Dice the onion finely. Add onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the onions are just beginning to brown. Add blueberries and Armagnac. Let simmer for a couple of minutes and then add stock, salt an pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer until liquid has reduced to a cup, about 25-30 minutes. Add rice vinegar and honey. Puree mixture and strain through a fine sieve, Put aside and keep warm. Slice the pineapple into thin slices and cut into even rounds. Vacuum seal at high to compress the pineapple and change the texture. Place the pineapple slices on a heatproof pan. Sprinkle each slice with sugar and caramelize using a propane torch. Sprinkle additional sugar while torching the slices to ensure an even coating. Trim bread and cut into triangle. Toast over medium heat. Set aside. In a saute pan set to medium, heat the butter. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring constantly for 10-15 minutes, until the onions become dark brown but not burnt. Set aside and keep warm. Season the foie gras slices with salt. Heat a grill pan or saute pan until very hot. Sear the foie gras about 30-40 seconds on each side, making sure the livers remains pink in the middle. Put the bread at the bottom, and place pineapple brulee slices on top of the bread. Carefully place the seared foie gras on top of the pineapple and finish with some caramelized onions on top of the foie gras. Drizzle the blueberry sauce around the plate. This is a great appetizer, most of the ingredients can be prepared in advance and when it is time to serve the dish the foie gras only takes 2 minutes to get done. It is rich, bold and very flavorful. Foie gras with Sauternes is considered to be the classic pairing. You probably can’t go wrong with this pair no matter how the foie gras has been prepared but the sweetness of the Sauternes works really well with this dish.
|
Cooking at home
In this section you will find recipes and food experiments that I have tried at home. Some successfully. Archives
January 2018
Categories
All
|
Cooking at home |
Web Hosting by FatCow