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For those of you who haven’t seen this yet, it’s definitly worth a look. The premise is simple: Take common packaged snacks (candy, chocolate bars etc.) and make gargantuan recreations. It takes supersize to a whole new level.
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Some critics wince at the thought of seeing seared scallops on a menu. citing them as tired and passe. How can something that tastes and looks so good ever go out of style?
Here’s what you’ll need:
12 sea scallops
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Lobster stock (I had some from a previous recipe of bisque, recipe to come)
½ cup heavy cream
splash of cognac
The side of the scallop has a small muscle that gets very tough and chewy when cooked [photo 1]. Pull it off with your fingers. Place the scallops on some paper towel and pat dry [photo 2]. Add the oil and butter to a saute pan and get it smoking hot. Salt and pepper the scallops, don’t do this before you are ready to place them in the pan or the salt will bring too much moisture to the surface. Add the scallops to the pan, don’t over crowd. Sear the scallops for a minute or two on each side [photo 3+4], turning them only once. Once cooked, place them on a very hot plate as you’ll need a couple of minutes for the sauce.
Turn the heat down to medium. Using the same pan add the stock and cream, cook this down to a sauce like consistency. You can add a little butter to speed things up. Drizzle some sauce over the scallops and garnish with some chopped chives [photo 5].
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This one nearly didn’t make it. At one point in this recipe I had all but given up. If you’ve ever had anything “break” on you while cooking you know how frustrating and hopeless it can make you feel. Rarely do these stories have happy endings. Thankfully this was a one of those rare occasions.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Other stuff you’ll need:
Start by separating your eggs. I crack them then pour the yolk in my hand letting the white slide into a bowl beneath, I find I break less yolks this way. Keep both the whites and the yolks separate (you only need one yolk), you’ll need them.
Place the two egg whites in mixing bowl and add 2 tablespoons of sugar. Beat them until they are stiff.
In a second bowl add the cream, Baileys and 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat until it forms into whipped cream.
Break the chocolate into the bowl that sits over hot water and add the butter. Melt them together stirring frequently [photo 1+2]. Once the chocolate and butter are melted and incorporated add one yolk, beat well. This is where things literally broke down for me. I didn’t even take a photo to show the results as I had all but given up on the gritty, nasty mess. Fear not, the meringue like beaten egg whites are about to perform magic that would make Alton Brown himself applaud. Gently pour the egg white mixture into the chocolate disaster and stir. Keep stirring until you get a beautiful solid chocolate mixture. Once they are well incorporated fold in the whipped cream [photo 3], reserving a tad to top off the dessert and voila, mousse au chocolat [photo 4].
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I stopped by Meat on the Beach, my local butcher, the other day to satisfy a red meat craving I was having [map below]. I saw an absolutely amazing t-bone under the glass. It was about 1⅔ inches thick and had perfect fine marbling of fat through the striploin side. The tenderloin side was a little small but I’m not a huge fan of it anyway. I ordered it up and brought it home. I excitedly unwrapped it so I could get it curing in salt (thanks simone for the tip, though I too couldn’t wait 24 hours for the full cure). Setting aside the butcher paper revealed two striploins. I had fallen victim to an honest mixup at the butcher shop. They looked okay. A little too red, as if they hadn’t been aged enough. The marbling was a little weak too – but whatever, it would still surely satiate my hankering.
We go on holidays next week so my fridge was starting to look a little barren. I did however have some fresh asparagus and bell peppers which I thought I would grill up to accompany the beef.
I apologize in advance as I took little mental note as to the quantity for the following ingredients so you’ll have to use your best guess along with the photos if you’re interested in this one – though it’s tough to mess up.
Here’s what you’ll need: [photo 1]
Start by salting the steaks on both sides [photo 2]. If you have the time try leaving it salted for 24 hours in your refrigerator. I was only able to do so for about 3 hours. Regardless of how long you salt the beef for pat it dry before doing any more prep work.
Get your grill going. The hotter the better (mine was about 550˚F – i can’t get it much hotter in the winter). Make sure the grill is nice and clean – don’t oil it.
If you don’t have a plate warming drawer preheat your oven and put a couple of plates in there. Set it as low as it will go. Usually around 170˚F.
Clean and cut the vegetables. Leave them really big as you’re going to be placing them directly on the grill, the bigger they are the less chance you’ll lose any. Place them in a large bowl and cover them with the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame seeds, olive oil and fresh ground pepper [photo 3]. Incorporate the ingredients well. use your hands so you don’t damage or bruise any of the vegetables [photo 4].
Make sure your steaks are dry. Drizzle and rub some olive oil onto them and place on the grill. Just before the steaks are done put the vegetables on the grill. Try not to stack them, and try not to take too long – you want the heat that has built up in the BBQ to stay there. Cook the steak to your desired doneness.
When the steaks feel done place them on the hot plates and tent some foil over them. Let rest for 10 minutes. While your steak is resting check on the vegetables, they’ll need to be turned once or twice. The are done when they have a nice char. Plate it all together and bon appetite [photos 5+6].
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With Mardi Gras coming to a close I thought I’d pay tribute with one of my all time favorite dishes. I first experienced this dish in Vegas a few years ago with a colleague. The restaurant was Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House at the MGM. We had our doubts about the experience – with Emeril being a Food TV celebrity chef and all. The restaurant was located in what is best described as an indoor mall of shops and restaurants – most of the restaurants in Vegas hotels are architected this way. The actual restaurant itself was rustic and cozy. It juxtaposed nearly everything else around it as most of the places embrace a clean, sleek and modern decor (interestingly, it’s been remodeled to be just that). The meal was so good I remember precisely what I had. To start, Creole BBQ Shrimp with a Rosemary Biscuit. The main, Baked Lobster Stuffed with Wild Mushrooms and Tomatoes accompanied by Tempura Asparagus. It was crazy good. The Lobster was great but the appetizer was one of the most memorable dishes I’ve ever eaten. I must also mention that the waiter we had matched our meals with one of the best white wines I’ve ever had. It’s a shame I can’t remember the wine, nor his name, but this combination easily made this one of the best meals I’ve had in Vegas. We make a yearly trip there for CES and Emeril’s is one of the first things I book.
I pretty much nicked this recipe from an Emeril recipe at Food TV. I should also note that I’ve made this before at home and I went through the laborious process of making the BBQ sauce base. In this particular example I’m using a frozen batch – so no photos for that part.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Peel the shrimp, leaving only their tails attached [photo 1]. Reserve the shells and set aside. Sprinkle the shrimp with 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning and fresh cracked black pepper. Use you hands to coat the shrimp with the seasonings [photo 2]. Refrigerate the shrimp while you make the sauce base.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the reserved shrimp shells, the remaining Creole seasoning, the bay leaves, lemons, water, Worcestershire, wine, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove from the heat, allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Strain into a small saucepan. There should be about 1½ cups. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, and cook until thick, syrupy, and dark brown, for about 15 minutes. Makes about 4 to 5 tablespoons of barbecue sauce base.
This sauce base kept very well in the freezer for me. I simply thawed it out and started the recipe from here so it was quick and easy.
Drizzle some olive oil on the sliced baguette and add a little chopped rosemary and some crushed black pepper. Toast until lightly golden [photo 3].
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the seasoned shrimp and saute them [video 4], occasionally shaking the skillet, for 2 minutes. Add the cream and the barbecue base, I didn’t use the whole batch as this was a smaller shared appetizer [video 5]. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a warm platter with tongs and whisk the butter into the sauce [video 6+7]. Remove from the heat. Mound the shrimp in the center of a platter. Spoon the sauce over the shrimp and around the plate. Arrange the rosemary toasts around the shrimp [photo 8].
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I have a week spot for chinese food. Yes, the north american stuff. I do enjoy more authentic stuff as well but there are times when all I want to do is tuck into a little beef chow mein, chicken fried rice and an egg roll.
There are also times that i wish some of my local chinese haunts would come correct and use decent quality ingredients. I’m not saying that what they cook with is bad. It certainly isn’t. The produce always seems fresh and the beef, seafood or chicken is always good, but it’s certainly a lower quality product.
This got me thinking. What if I take the food style I love and use some really great ingredients. Well, aside from a fairly expensive dish you get one hell of an egg roll.
Here’s what you’ll need [photo 1]
Other stuff you’ll need
Prep the crab by removing the meat from the shells (I reserve all of the shells in freezer bag for making stocks). Julienne the avocado, celery and onion. Very thinly slice the jalapeño, remove the seeds. [photo 2]
Take an egg roll wrapper and lay it on a flat clean surface at 45˚ so you have a diamond [photo 3]. Arrange the vegetables in a rectangle on the center of the wrap and spoon over some oyster sauce [photos 4+5]. Place a healthy amount of crab meat on top of the vegetables and add some fresh ground pepper [photo 6]. Dip you finger in the cornstarch mixtures and spread a small amount around the perimeter of the wrap. Fold in the two sides, then fold the top down, then the bottom up [photos 7,8+9]. This is likely confusing to understand so it’s best to refer to the photos.
Take a couple of paper towels and make them damp, not wet. Drape one over the egg rolls as you finish them and another over the unfinished ones so they don’t dry out [photo 10].
Heat the oil to 375˚F. Place a few in at a time making sure not to overcrowd them. Turn them once or twice and ensure they are golden and delicious. When they’re done place them on a rack covered with a sheet of paper towel – this will keep them nice and crispy [photos 11+12].
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I really don’t think I can get enough red meat. Whether it’s a steak or a roast I love how simple the prep and cooking of it is – In my opinion the value far exceeds the effort.
I hesitate to even call this a recipe because it involves so few ingredients, such little technique and so little prep. It’s basically a seared steak that’s finished in the oven. However, the cut of beef and the temperatures at which it is cooked make or break the end result.
I found an absolutely amazing strip-loin [photo1 ] at Witteveen Meats in the St Lawrence Market [photo 2]. Though I didn’t measure it, it was well over an inch thick, likely closer to two. The final weight of this beauty was a shade over 20oz. It was well trimmed, well marbled and aged 21 days.
Without further ado…
Here’s what you’ll need [photo 3]
Other stuff you’ll need
Preheat your oven to 550˚F (500˚F if that’s its max). Crank your burner to high and get the skillet really hot. Don’t put oil in the skillet.
Put a liberal amount of salt and a moderate amount of pepper, too much pepper at this high a heat and it will burn. Do this to both sides of the meat [photo 4]. Oil the meat on both sides [photo 5] and begin to sear it [video 6+7]. This is healthy size steak so you can leave it for a couple of minutes on each side – careful not to disturb it.
After the meat has been seared on both sides transfer the skillet to the oven. The time it takes will depend on you oven’s settings and how thick the steak is. An instant read digital thermometer will work or just push on the meat with your finger. the firmness will tell you how done it is, more on this below.
Once it’s “done” place it on a warm plate and tent it with foil [photo 8]. This will allow the pressures trapped inside the steak to distribute the juices evenly. If you’ve cut into it or excessively poked the steak you’ll be left with a fairly dry piece of meat sitting in a pool of juice. You don’t want that until you start to eat this [photo 9+10].
I must admit this turned out tasty but it was overcooked for my liking. I’ve never used this method on a steak this thick so hopefully I’ll learn from my mistakes. Namely, thinking it was done before it was, which meant taking it oven of the over, testing it, then placing it back in. I think this was giving me false readings on my thermometer as the meat had time to cool slightly.
Here is an excerpt from Culinary Institute of Smoke-Cooking book by Charlie & Ruthie Knote
bq. You use both of your hands. The muscle between your left hand’s thumb and first finger becomes the “meat” (this is for right-handed people). Hold the left hand very relaxed with its first finger and thumb drooped and parallel to each other. Use the first finger of your right hand for your “doneness tester.” Push against the “loose” muscle (not the loose skin) between your thumb and finger on your left hand. This soft feel compares to the center of your meat if it is raw up to rare. Next, straighten your thumb and finger out straight, push against the same muscle. This springy feel equals meat cooked medium. Next, make a tight fist; test the same muscle area. This firmness equals meat cooked well-done.
As for temperatures here is what you can look for:
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A few days ago a friend asked me if I had a good recipe for bouillabaisse. I didn’t. In fact, I’ve never even made it before. I had preconceived notions that it was incredibly difficult to make and that the ingredients were somewhat unobtainable. I was wrong on the first count.
Before I set out to buy an assortment of produce and seafood I did my research. It seems there is a good deal of debate over what seafood comprises an authentic bouillabaisse. Tony Bourdain explains disagreements over what fish to use and whether or not lobster is a part of this dish. Further reading uncovered there was such debate that a charter signed by 11 restaurants (La Charte de la Bouillabaisse Marseillaise) dictates ingredients of an authentic bouillabaisse. It seems as though they were able to agree on everything except for the inclusion/exclusion of lobster.
My recipe is a conglomeration of recipes I’ve perused (Including Tony Bourdain’s) while researching this dish. It doesn’t include the impossible to find fish that the charter outlines but it does include lobster and a few other tasty eats.
Here’s what you’ll need: [photo 1]
Other stuff you’ll need:
Boil a large pot of water and submerge the lobster head first. Cook for 3 minutes [photo 2]. Remove the lobster from the water and let it cool. Once it’s cool enough to handle twist off the tail, claws and legs. Halve the tail lengthwise, crack the knuckles and claws with the back of your bad-ass knife and set aside. If it still looks a little rare that’s good – we’ll be finishing it later [photo 3]. Take the small legs and use a rolling-pin to extract the meat [photo 4]. Grab a small spoon and dig out the guts from the lobster’s main body cavity – reserve the hollow body and what’s left of the flattened leg shells.
Slice the leeks using only the white part, slice the anise bulb and coarsely chop the garlic. Heat some olive oil in a large pot and cook the mixture down for 5 minutes [photo 5]. Dice your seeded tomatoes, add them to the pot with the blood orange peel and cook it down for another 3 minutes [photo 6]. Add the stock, lobster shells, bouquet garni and saffron [photo 7]. Put the heat on low and let it simmer for about an hour [photo 8].
Remove the lobster shells making sure there are no liquids hiding inside. Strain the soup base through the sieve making sure to press every last drop from the spent vegetables [photo 9]. Set aside.
Boil the fingerling potatoes until cooked, it’s okay if their on the firm side – they’ll be simmering later for another 15 minutes.
Prep the seafood by cutting the crab leg into 1½ inch sections leaving the shell on. Cut the fish fillets into large pieces (I regretfully cut mine into bite size cubes, but think it would have been better with larger pieces) [photo 10].
Place the fish on the bottom of the pot and season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Make sure you pot is big enough so the fish aren’t sitting on top of each other. Add the potatoes in and amongst the fish. Depending on the size of your potatoes you may want to cut them in half. Ladle enough of your delicious liquid to cover the fish and potatoes. Bring it to a simmer and let it cook for about 15 minutes. While that is simmering slice off some rounds from the baguette and brush liberally with extra virgin olive oil. Toast them until crispy and golden brown. While they are still hot grab a clove of garlic and rub it over the bread – make a few extra these things are delicious.
When the fish is nearly done add the shrimp, lobster, crab and the remaining liquid. Simmer it until everything is cooked through [photo 11].
Get out some nice big bowls and place a healthy amount of seafood and potatoes in them. Ladle the hot liquid over and serve with the fresh croutons [photo 12].
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Seeing as I made a gigantic portion for two, I was curious about how this would reheat. The next night I slowly brought it to a simmer and de-shelled everything (I was feeling slightly less rustic). My wife couldn’t do another night of garlic croutons so I oiled them up and sprinkled them with some Hawaiian red salt. it was equally tasty.
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It was -12°C today in Toronto, that’s 10°F for those of you resisting to adopt the metric system. Either way it’s bloody cold. To compensate for this I’ve decided to post one of my favorite things to cook and eat, though I could do without the prep.
The thick mahogany broth, the velvety caramelized onions, the crisp toasted baguette and the sharp gooey cheese work in perfect harmony in this near fool-proof recipe. I’ve tried so many variations of this, but I keep coming back to this one. I’d say it is loosely based on sound advice from Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook and a recipe I experienced at Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain in New York last fall.
Ingredients you’ll need: [photo 1]
Other stuff you’ll need:
Cut the ends off the onions then peel off the first couple of layers. Thinly slice them from end to end. Over medium heat, melt the butter and begin adding a layer of onions – enough so you can no longer see any of the bottom of the pot and sprinkle with a little bit of salt. Add another layer of onions then a dash more salt, do this until you’re out of onions [photo 2]. Resist the urge to stir until the onions REALLY start to caramelize – don’t worry about a little burning. Sweat the onions down for about 20 minutes then you can stir occasionally [photo 3]. This next part takes awhile, open the wine and have a glass, keep it handy because it’s the next ingredient. What you are looking for is a dark mahogany colour. It should take about an hour and requires occasional stirring. Again, don’t fret if it burns a little bit, and don’t worry if it takes more than an hour – just wait for a nice even dark colour [photo 4].
Once your comfortable with the colour add enough white wine to cover what’s left of the onions and stir. Now is a good time to take the wooden spoon and scrape up all the delicious little bits that have stuck to your pot. Reduce the wine down to a syrup [photo 5]. Add the stock and bouquet garni. Set the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. [photo 6]
Slice a few rounds off the baguette and brush a little olive oil on them – toast lightly.
Place the garlic cloves in some tin foil and drizzle them with olive oil. Roast them at 260°C (500°F) until soft to the touch, about 15 minutes. Finely chop the parsley and roasted garlic, incorporate into 100ml of olive oil.
Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Splash a little cognac in. Ladle the soup into crocks, but leave a little space at the top. Place your toasted baguette round on top of the soup and top with the cheddar. I suggest thin slices that overlap the edge of the crock. That way you get the sticky goodness on the outside of the crock and it prevents the cheese from submerging in the soup. Broil the crocks until cheese is bubbly and golden. Spoon on a little of the garlic, parsley pesto before serving [photo 7].
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Quick, easy and delicious – this is the perfect storm of appetizers.
Ingredients you’ll need: [photo 1]
* 1 beef tenderloin (about 1½ inches thick)
Other stuff you’ll need:
Generously brush each baguette round with olive oil. Bake or toast until slightly golden. Rub the garlic onto the tenderloin [photo 2]. Put enough olive oil in the skillet to to cover the surface area of the tenderloin and set the burner to high. Once the oil is nearing it’s smoke point, place the tenderloin into the skillet. When the garlic starts to brown flip it over, remove the browned garlic and reserve (Make sure the garlic doesn’t burn, because there’s no saving it). Do this for the other side as well. Once all the garlic is browned and removed you’ll want to focus on browning the beef – this may take another minute or two a side [photo 3].
Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the tenderloin until it reaches desired doneness (120˚C – 130˚C for rare). Remove the tenderloin to the cutting board and tent a piece of tin foil over it for about 5 minutes. Thinly slice the beef [photo 4] and place on top of the bread rounds. Garnish with thyme, browned garlic, kosher salt and pepper [photo 5].
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