Showing posts with label –. Show all posts
Showing posts with label –. Show all posts
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Beef Guinness Stew – Drinking AND Eating Beer on St Patricks Day
Besides, you only need one can for this St. Patricks Day-inspired stew, and since they’re sold in 4-can packs…well, you can do the math. This would normally be the point in post where I’d make my annual Irish drinking joke, but I’m not doing one this year.
Not only is it inappropriate, but it’s culturally insensitive, and I’d like to think I’ve matured past the point of going for such cheap laughs. Besides, my Irish joke writer, Paddy OSullivan, was on a binge this week, so I never got one from him anyway. Oh well, like I said, probably for the best.
Anyway, if you’re looking for a gorgeous and incredibly delicious Irish stew recipe for your St. Patricks Day menu, this one comes highly recommended. I served mine with some green onion mashed potatoes, and while I usually encourage you to serve things like this on whatever you want, not this time. You must serve this with some form of potato. And that is no joke. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 large servings:
4 strips bacon, sliced into small pieces
2 1/2 lb. beef chuck, cut in 2-inch pieces (tossed with black pepper and at least 1 tsp salt)
2 onions, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.0-oz) Guinness beer, or other dark beer
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, or as needed
1 tsp sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 cups mashed potatoes, optional (not really)
- Simmer stew on very low heat, covered, for about 2 hours, or until fork tender
- Uncover, raise heat to med-high, and reduce, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens to your liking
- Taste and adjust seasoning!
Monday, April 14, 2014
Fresh Peach Chutney – A Sunny Sauce for Summer
I cant think of many cold sauces that are as versatile as this fresh peach chutney. Whether its used to top a ham and cheese snack cracker, as seen in the video, or brushed on grilled pork chops, or used as a topping for vanilla ice cream (true story), this easy fresh peach sauce will help make your summer entertaining a little sunnier.
This recipe is part of a series of eight snack videos I did for Kelloggs Snackpicks.com. When you click on the video player below, youll be taken to their website to view the videos and get the written instructions. If you have questions or comments, please come on back and post them here. Thanks, and enjoy!
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Beef Short Ribs Braised with Wild Mushrooms and Tomato – I Sure Hope Youre Having Bad Weather
This video recipe for beef short ribs braised with porcini mushrooms and tomato is so comforting, so satisfying, and so deeply warming that when I make it, Im actually disappointed if its not storming outside.I mean, why waste a dish like this on a nice day? I havent quite mastered controlling the weather yet (although, from what I hear, many of my old habits have raised the globes temperature a little), but this time of year you can usually count on Mother Nature blessing you with some cold, wet weather in which to enjoy these ribs.
The short ribs are slowly braised with easy-to-find dried porcini mushrooms (for real, ask someone at the fancy grocery store and theyll find them for you!) until they turn into a triumph of fork-tender goodness.
I love these short ribs over mashed potatoes, but the rich tomato and mushroom gravy is fantastic over soft polenta as well. I really hope you give this cool weather wonder a try. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried porcini mushroom
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef short ribs (about 8-10 pieces)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried rosemary
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Stovetop Sous Vide Episode 2 NY Strip Steaks – Pretty and Pink
The duck breast we did in Episode 1 of our stovetop sous vide series last month was so spectacular, I couldnt wait to give it a try with some nice thick steaks. I had no doubt that it would work (thanks to the laws of physics), but would the extra time and attention be worth the payoff?Well, that depends. As far as the taste and texture of the meat goes, it was pretty much the same as any perfectly cooked steak Ive ever had. Not to sound all braggy, but thanks to having done thousands of them, I can produce a pretty decent, medium-rare NY Strip steak in about 15 minutes.
It will be nicely browned and crusty outside, warm and pink in the middle. So for me personally, Im not sure the extra wait is worth it purely for the textural advantages is provides. Dont get me wrong, the results were fabulous, but do I really need to wait 2 1/2 hours to get my beef on?
The real advantage to this technique is not a superior-quality final product (like it was for the duck), but the fact that youre guaranteeing a perfect medium-rare (using 130 degrees F. water, or 140 for medium, or 150 for medium-well, etc.). So, if youve never had any luck getting large, expensive hunks of steak cooked to your idea of perfection, then this is the way to go, for sure.Since we went over the basics of this procedure in the previous post, I wont rewrite all the background info about what sous vide is, and how it works. For that kind of scintillating background information, please check out, "Episode 1: The Best Duck Breast Ever." Enjoy!
NOTE: For LOTS more information about doing sous vide steaks, check out Sous-Vide 101: Prime Steak Primer by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, posted on Serious Eats.
Ingredients for Stovetop "Sous Vide" NY Strip Steaks:
2 (12-14 oz) NY Strip Steaks
1 teaspoon grape seed oil , or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter, divided
handful of trimmed mushrooms
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
View the complete recipe
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin Medallions – Half the Fat All the Inauthenticity
Whenever you see those headlines like, "Worst Take-Out Food Choices Ever," on the various websites, you can be sure that sweet and sour pork will be near the top of the list.
Thats because its usually made from fatty pieces of pork shoulder, cut into cubes, dipped in a thick batter, deep-fried, and finally coated with a super-sugary, thick, starchy sauce.
Im no shrinking violet around high-calorie food, but classic Chinese-American take-out sweet and sour pork is basically deep-fried, sugar-coated, fatty pork chunks. And yes, once in a while, its pretty damn awesome (like twice a decade).
For a more reasonable way to enjoy the same basic flavors, I think this pork tenderloin version is a nice alternative. As I say in the video, pork tenderloin is lean, very easy to cook (as long as you can get past those ridiculous fears about slightly pink pork), and the sauce takes about two minutes to prep.
By the way, this is not simply fake Chinese food; its actually fake, fake Chinese food. The aforementioned death nuggets we call sweet and sour pork are not even remotely close to any kind of authentic sweet and sour preparation in real Chinese cuisine. Or at least that’s what I heard Anthony Bourdain say one time. Now thats research.Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this plate of florescent food, and if youre a fan of the Chinese take-out version, I believe you will too. Also, I would suggest tossing in some green onions (the white parts) along with the garlic, and save the green tops to garnish with as I did with the chives. Enjoy!
Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
reserved pineapple juice from can
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped green onions, white parts, optional
2 teaspoons Asian hot chili sauce (sambal or sriracha), or to taste
1/4 cup water or chicken broth to thin sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce, or to taste
For the pork medallions:
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut, flattened into four medallions
salt and fresh ground black pepper as needed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon butter
1 can (8-oz) pineapple chunks, drained, juice reserved
4 cups cooked white rice
2 tablespoon chopped green onion tops or chives to garnish
View the complete recipe
View the complete recipe
Friday, March 21, 2014
Cottage Fries – America’s Forgotten Fry and Most Delicious Roofing
While they don’t get the same love as French fries, home fries, or steak fries, cottage fries more than hold their own against their potato side dish fraternity bothers.
And, unlike their French cousins, these easy cottage fries actually crisp up quite nicely in the oven, and as I described in the video, resemble fat, succulent potato chips. I don’t know about you, but to me there’s nothing about “fat, succulent potato chip” that doesn’t sound good.
And, unlike their French cousins, these easy cottage fries actually crisp up quite nicely in the oven, and as I described in the video, resemble fat, succulent potato chips. I don’t know about you, but to me there’s nothing about “fat, succulent potato chip” that doesn’t sound good.
They’re called cottage fries because they supposedly look like the shingled roofs on those cute little houses you see in the movies and on travel brochures. Appearances aside, I find serving and eating something associated with “cottages” to be just a little more relaxing and civilized than other less vacation-y potatoes.
I used Yukon gold potatoes, which as you’ll see, worked fine, but I do prefer the slightly starchier russet. I would avoid any of the red varieties, as they have a much waxier texture, and don’t get as crusty as other types.
I also used a silicon mat to cook mine on, but you’ll get even crispier edges if you use foil, or put the sliced potato directly on a non-stick baking sheet. Of course, the seasoning options are only limited by your imagination and self-control.
I love Herbes de Provence in this, but literally any fresh or dried herb will work here. Keep in mind, these chips are great just seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper, so you’re cooking from a position of power – don’t try and do too much. I hope you give these great change-of-pace “fries” a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
russet potatoes, sliced into 3/8-inch thick rounds (about 4-oz per portion)
russet potatoes, sliced into 3/8-inch thick rounds (about 4-oz per portion)
enough olive oil to coat
cayenne, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to taste
View the complete recipe
View the complete recipe
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Creamed Spinach – King of the Steakhouse Side Dishes
While in Vegas, I had a marvelous steak lunch at the Strip House, located in the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Along with the beautifully aged steaks, we enjoyed two stellar sides.
One was a potato dish called Potatoes Romanoff, which Executive Chef John Schenk says he learned from his mother back in Buffalo, NY. Ive posted the written recipe for Potatoes Romanoff on my American Foods site, in case you want to give it a go.
The other was my favorite non-potato steakhouse side dish, creamed spinach. Since creamed spinach is one of the side dishes I have to do for the cookbook, and since I haven’t had a new video up in a while, I decided to film this recipe while its creamy deliciousness was still fresh in my mind.
There is only one real secret to great creamed spinach…you have to really squeeze out all the water after you wilt it. If you do, the buttery béchamel sauce coats the spinach to form a thick, satisfying pile of greens that you can almost stand a fork up in. If you don’t, you will be amazed at how the water from the spinach turns your thick, tasty sauce into a pool of pale green disappointment.Creamed spinach is an easy recipe, but it used to require quite a commitment to make, since washing and picking spinach is tedious and really no fun at all. Nowadays, big bags of pre-washed, baby spinach are common at the supermarket, which makes this recipe a snap. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
24 ounces baby spinach
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 whole clove
4 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper, to taste
large pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Miso Maple Glazed Salmon – Canadian Japanese Fusion Cuisine at its Finest
While Canadian Japanese fusion cuisine may not actually be the most popular dining trend right now, this tasty combination of cultures suggests maybe we should explore this further. The salty and very savory miso paste is a perfect match for the sweet Canadian sap. The rice vinegar marries the two, and a few drops of hot sauce are all you need to complete this incredibly easy, yet sophisticated preparation.
Cooking fish this way is virtually foolproof, and will take less than 15 minutes start to finish. As you’ll see, by searing the fish briefly in the pan before going under the broiler, the filets will cook much faster and more evenly. This is the perfect recipe for beginners to get over their fear of cooking fish, and will work with a wide array of seafood.
Below you’ll note that I’m encouraging you to taste and adjust the ingredient ratios. Keep in mind that the glaze should taste fairly intense, since you are counting on such a thin layer on the surface to flavor the whole filet. This is one of those things that doesn’t necessarily taste great by itself, but once caramelized on the salmon, really is amazing.
By the way, just because my maple syrup was from Canada doesn’t mean you can’t substitute something from New England. Japanese-New English fusion cuisine is very similar. Enjoy!
For the glaze (make enough for 1 large rounded tablespoon per piece of fish):
1 part yellow miso paste
1 part seasoned rice vinegar
1 part real maple syrup
hot sauce to taste
*you should taste and adjust these proportions to your liking
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Minute Steaks with Barbecue Butter Sauce – They Only Take a Few Minutes
There is something comforting about the minute steak. Its probably the fact that the name of the recipe is also the recipe. You take piece of sirloin, pound it thin, and fry it for a minute per side. Thats it. Simple, faster than fast, and easily repeated under pressure.Of course, everyone knows that a minute steak is only as good as the pan sauce, and here we offer an ultra-simple barbecue butter sauce. Actually, theres only a very small amount of butter, but the way it emulsifies into the beef broth and tangy BBQ sauce somehow amplifies the effect.
Be sure to use a great barbecue sauce. The SFQ I used is a rich, classic American barbecue sauce with a touch of chocolate, hint of coffee, and balanced with aged red wine vinegar. Its subtly exotic spices and sweet heat made it a perfect choice here.Ideally, youll follow the link below and order some, but if not, make sure the sauce you choose has some personality to it. Youll also want to taste the sauce plain beforehand, so that you can adjust the seasonings in the pan. I hope you find the time to make this soon. Enjoy!
Give the Gift of Barbecue! Order Some SFQ – The Original San Francisco-Style Barbecue Sauce
As many of you may already know, my wife, Michele, makes what I think is a fantastic, and very unique barbecue sauce. Some of you actually got to sample it last year as we offered to all those loyal viewers who were able to make a donation to the site.This year we aren’t doing any such fundraisers, but that doesn’t mean you cant experience the SFQ. Michele just launched her website, and I invite you to head over and take a look! By the way, if you order by December 18th, your order will arrive in time for Christmas. Thank you for your support!
Ingredients:
2 (5-oz) minutes steaks
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon grapeseed or vegetable oil
For the sauce:
1/2 cup beef broth
1 1/2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 or 2 teaspoons cold butter
hot sauce to taste
freshly ground black pepper
View the complete recipe
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Bolognese Sauce – Hip Hip Hazan!
One thing that always surprises people making this recipe for the first time is the absence of garlic. Hazan railed against the common belief that garlic should be added to any and all Italian recipes. She once wrote, “the unbalanced use of garlic is the single greatest cause of failure in would-be Italian cooking,” and “Garlic can be exciting when you turn to it sporadically, on impulse, but on a regular basis, it is tiresome.”
Anyway, I really hope you give this classic bolognese a try, and if you do, and there’s some extra wine around, please raise a glass, and toast the “Nonna” of Italian cuisine in America. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 6 portions:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 cup finely diced onions
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups white wine
1 can San Marzano plum tomatoes (28-oz), about 3 cups
2 cups water, or as needed
Monday, February 17, 2014
In Defense of Food An Eaters Manifesto – A Lecture by Michael Pollan
This lecture by author, and 
This lecture filmed at Google, focuses mostly on Michaels new book, In Defense of Food. I highly recommend that if youre interested in what he is talking about, you buy these books and read about where our food comes from, and how it gets to us. I like to think Im doing some good in the world, showing people how easy it is to cook fresh food at home, but thats only part of it. What theyre buying and cooking is just as important. Enjoy.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Wasabi Dipping Sauce – How much can you take
This very simple (and fat free) dipping sauce is a great all-purpose condiment for many things. I love it with the spring rolls I made yesterday, but it’s also good with many Asian dumplings, pot stickers, etc. As I mention in the video clip the amount of Wasabi you add is completely up to you and your pain threshold. I ended up with 3 teaspoons worth, but I think most of you will be fine with one or two. By the way, I know full well that “I’m over-powering the flavor of the fish.” I’m fine with that. For me the spring rolls were just an excuse to catch a Wasabi buzz.This sauce can be varied in many wonderful ways by adding lemon, lime, cilantro, garlic, green onions, ginger, etc; well, you get the idea. Happy dipping, and enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 to 3 tsp Wasabi powder
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp Shiracha hot sauce
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
Bonus Wasabi Video Clips: Damn you Budweiser!
In the clip I joked about people that still do the “Waaassssaaaabiiii” greeting from the Budweiser commercial that ran ages ago. Like I said, it was funny for about 2 days. Then it was just annoying. Now it’s actually painful to hear. Please, I beg you, stop doing it! Believe me, your friends (if you have any left) will really, really appreciate it. Here’s the original commercial that started the insanity.
And here is a clip of someone still actually using it! I sent her a message on YouTube asking her to please stop. She was a good sport about it but replied “never!” She said her friends “loved it.” Sure they do.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
So You Can Use Real Food to Lose Weight Without Dieting – I Knew It!
Genetically predisposed appearances to the contrary, I live a relatively healthy lifestyle (or “healthstyle” as it’s referred to in the book). I’m quite active, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and generally stay away from processed foods. At this advanced age, I know what makes my body and mind feel good, and I try to eat as many of those foods as possible.
Of course, I’ve based most of my personal eating theories on intuition and anecdotal evidence, so it was nice having someone who actually understands all this stuff explain the science behind it. Besides learning why all those diets you tried didn’t work (spoiler alert: it wasn’t your fault), the smartly organized book is chock full of great tips and techniques, presented in an entertaining, often irreverent style.
I really did enjoy the book, and despite my complete lack of objectivity, I would enthusiastically recommend it to others. For more information, you can follow this link to Amazon, where the book is getting rave reviews (by people who actually paid for it). Enjoy!
Friday, January 31, 2014
Chicken Caesar Springrolls – The Ultimate Low Carb Wrap
There are certain magical food products that are just too good to be true. Rice paper, or springroll skins, is one of them. While many of you have enjoyed these at various Asian restaurants, I bet most of you have never tried to use these at home. There’s no need for a long winded post today. What you see, is what you get. Simply dampen the rice paper and roll up some lettuce, and strips of meat and/or veggies.These are very easy to make once you get the hang of how long to soak the paper. Since these translucent “skins” are so cheap, it’s ok to practice on a few to get the technique down. Once you do, you have an incredibly versatile wrapper for an infinite number of fillings. These are easily found in the Asian section of any large chain super market. As far as low-carb alternative to tortillas and flatbreads, these rice paper skins are like a millionth of an inch thick, and as I joked in the clip, I’m not even sure you can measure the carbs! Although, I’m sure someone will, and post a comment on the site.
If you are making a bunch of these, you can store them wrapped in damp paper towels. Just don’t stack too many on top of each other and you can keep them in the fridge for a few hours and they should be fine.
Ingredients:
rice paper springroll skins
baby romaine leave
strips of cooked chicken breast
strips of red bell pepper
Sagu Jaava SaguBiyam – a Healthy Drink
Sagu Jaava (not Java Techies :-) ) is a healthy and nutritional summer drink. This drink reduces heat in the body and it is a great remedy for tongue inflammation ( doesn’t make any difference for java Programmers :-) ).
My mom used to prepare this drink regularly in summer and it tastes delicious.
Sagu Jaava is very simple and prepared by using Sagu or Sabudan, water, milk, sugar and salt.
Ingredients:
Sabudan/ Sagu biyam/Sago – 3 to 4 tsps
Water – 4 cups
Sugar – ½ cup
Salt - a pinch
Salt - a pinch
Milk – ½ cup
Cardamom powder – a pinch
Preparation
- Soak Sabudan in water for 30 minutes.
- In a cooking vessel take water and boil it.
- Add only sabudan by straining water from it to the boiled water.
- Cook for 5 minutes add sugar, salt to it.
- Stir well and add milk to it and boil it for another 5 minutes.
- Cool and serve it.
Sending this to Fun N Sun hosted by Radhika, Series Summer Coolers hosted by Sukanya, Only Coolers and Mocktails hosted by Simplyfood orginally started by Pari , Serve it - Chilled hosted by Denny and Kids Delight - Coolers hosted by PJ orginally started by srivalli.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms – So Good You’ll Have Them Standing!
I try to stay as seasonal as possible when choosing which food wishes to film, so I’m pushing it a little bit here with these goat cheese stuffed squash blossoms.
They’re generally thought of as more of a springtime thing, but are available into fall. In fact, if I’m remembering my past zucchini growing experiences correctly, the hearty vines seemed to produce blossoms right up until the first frost.
You can substitute cream cheese for the goat if you’re one of them fromage wusses, but the tang of the goat cheese makes it for me (at least use mascarpone if you’re going to desecrate my recipe). I like to add a little of another melty-type cheese just for fun, and here I went with a Arti Gasna, a Basque sheep’s milk cheese. It was amazing.
The batter is ultra-light and absorbs virtually no oil. You are welcome to use club soda or a light beer for the batter, but I had neither and think cold water works perfectly anyway.
You’ll notice me using self-rising flour, because I had it, and it really does work beautifully. If you need to make your own it’s: 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
This is one of those recipes that is best eaten standing in the kitchen at a party. This needs to be done in small batches to be enjoyed in all its glory. You can stuff them ahead of time, of course, and then in the middle of the party, heat up the oil and start frying. Serve a few guests at a time as they wander in and out of the kitchen, and see what happens. Spoiler alert: people love them and think you’re awesome. Enjoy!
For the batter:
2 parts self-rising flour
1 part cornstarch
enough cold water to form a pancake-like batter consistency
For the blossoms (for 12):
12 squash blossoms
3/4 cup soft goat cheese
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup shredded gruyere, cheddar, manchego, or any other firm cheese
black pepper and cayenne to taste
vegetable oil for frying
View the complete recipe
View the complete recipe
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Classic Chicken Noodle Soup – Thank Goodness We Had Roasted Chicken Broth Around!
In case you haven’t been following along, let me catch you up. On Wednesday we made a gorgeous roasted chicken broth for the expressed purpose of making this soul-warming soup. Here, we used that wonderfully flavorful broth to complete the recipe, and let me tell you, it was incredible.
You know how much I hate to complicate a recipe, and Ill always err on the side of too few ingredients vs. too many, so when I make this chicken noodle soup it’s a constant battle to not add other “stuff.”
Not that’s there’s anything wrong with stuff, per se, but if properly made, this soup is just too amazing in its pure and natural state for any distracting, supercilious additions. By the way, a little advice to you young up-and-coming food bloggers; never use “per se,” and “supercilious” in the same sentence.
Yes, other than the mirepoix, and a tiny pinch of fresh thyme, the rest of this soup is basically chicken and noodles. Speaking of the noodles, I’m hoping you go with the wide ones I used. I was only half-kidding about this soup being a meditation, and egg noodle wrestling is half the fun.
Like I said in the video, this will work with regular chicken stock, but if you do decide to make this, I sincerely hope you go ahead and make the roasted chicken broth first. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4-6 servings:
1 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp rendered chicken fat
1 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp rendered chicken fat
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves or pinch of dried thyme
2 quarts roasted chicken broth
1 pound cooked chicken breast, cubed
4 oz dry wide egg noodles
cayenne, salt and black pepper to taste
Monday, January 13, 2014
Pan seared Spring Asparagus with Lemon Balsamic and Parmesan – “Foiled” Again!
It’s spring, when a young mans thoughts turn to two things; the other one is cooking delicious fresh asparagus! This is an easy method for cooking this delicious spring veggie, and NO we are NOT going to blanch them first. Why the all caps? Well, Day 1 of vegetable cookery in most old school Culinary Academies begins with a lecture on how and why to blanch vegetables. It’s boiling salted water, cook until tender-crisp, “shock” in ice water…or die. Those old-time Chefs really do love to boil vegetables before using them in various recipes. Now, I’m not saying to never do this. For many things like green beans it’s a great idea. But, I’m saying don’t always do it for every fresh vegetable – especially beautiful spring asparagus.What you’re about to see in this video recipe is closer to what you’d get if you grilled raw asparagus and then drizzled over a nice lemon, balsamic dressing. But, we’re not grilling. We are simply going to pan-sear the raw spears in a VERY hot pan until they just start to get tender. Then, we’ll wrap them up tight in foil with our dressing, and wait for 5 minutes as the residual heat finishes the cooking process, and the asparagus is completely “favorized” (I’m trying to invent new words so I can get one in the dictionary like that Stephen Colbert – “truthiness?” Are you kidding me?).
There is a magical moment of doneness for asparagus; if undercooked they are bitter, if overcooked they are soft and fibrous, but if cooked until just tender…they are sweet and absolutely sensuous. Did I just say asparagus was sensuous? It must be spring. Enjoy!
*Note: I say near the end of the clip, when the asparagus is wrapped in the foil, to “toss” them half way through. What I meant was just to turn over the foil package after a few minutes, so the dressing get re-distributed. Don’t open the foil and mix them or you’ll lose the heat. This note will make was more sense if you’ve seen the clip!
Ingredients:
1 bunch trimmed and washed asparagus
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbl olive oil
2 tbl balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
shaved Parmesan cheese to top
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)