Reconsider the Trout

Reconsider the Trout


Living in a land locked state, we rely on seafood that is flown in.  In these times of eating local, and worry over the "carbon footprint" created by shipping all that fish, it is time to reconsider the trout.  Once a star on many menus, trout has been pushed aside and bullied by lunks of tuna, steaks of swodfish, and sexy branzino.  Here I'm presenting an updated version of the classic "Trout Amondine" and a simple grilled trout with Lemon Rosemary Butter, but trout is so versatile you can easily adapt it to your favorite tuna, swordfish, or branzino recipe.

Trout Amondine

2 boneless trout, leave whole or cut into fillets
1/4 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
4 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons of Amoretto or other almond liquer
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
minced fresh parsley

Pat the fish dry and dredge in the seasoned flour.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saute pan,  saute the fish for 2 to 3 minutes per side (depending on the size and thickness of the fish) starting with the flesh side down.

Wipe the pan clean and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, as the butter melts and begins to sizzle and brown add the almonds and brown slightly.

Add the Amoretto and turn off the heat.  Add the lemonjuice, zest and parsley.  Pour the almonds and sauce over the fish and serve with lemon wedges or wheels.


Grilled Trout with Lemon and Rosemary Butter

 

 

 

Four trout

 

Sauce

3/4 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh Rosemary

6 tablespoon butter, cutinto small cubes and chilled

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice and pinch of lemon zest

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Thoroughly clean the grill grate and brush liberally with oil.

 

Grill the fish 2 to 3 minutes per side over medium-hot coals, beginning with the flesh side down.  After the first 1 1/2 minutes,carefully, with a fish spatula (they are longer and wider to better support the whole fish), rotate the fish 1/4 of a turn clockwise to create the crosshatch grill marks, grill an additional minute to minute and a half.  Flip the fish to the skin side down and finish the cooking.

 

For the Sauce:

In a Saute pan add the wine and shallot, reduce to a glaze.

 

Swirl the butter into the wine reduction off heat to creat a "butter mounted" sauce.  Add the juice and zest, salt and pepper to taste.

 

Pour the sauce over the fish and serve with additional lemon.

 

 

 

 

Fifty Shades of Grey Dinner

My Valentine Class at Kitchen Conservatory this year was inspired by the steamy novel-eventhough I did not read it-way too steamy for this old man.  I read enough about it on Wiki to write a menu.

Asparagus and Mussel Salad with Remoulade
Spanish Sweet Pepper Soup Spanked with Almond Cream and Toasted Almonds
Splayed and Stuffed Tenderloin of Beef in Bondage
Spring Vegetables with Leek Restraints
Timbale of Rice, Peas, and Lardon
Red Velvet and Honey-whipped Goat Cheese Tiramisu with Berries and Silver Balls

 

 

 

Here is the beef recipe

 

4 eight ounce beef tenderloin fillet mignon steaks (center cut)

8 ounce ball of fresh moaazrella, cut into 4 slices

4 thin slices of proscuitto

4 lenths of string to tie the steaks after stuffing

Canola or vegetable oil as needed

 

 

for the Sauce:

4 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 tablespoon minced garlic

4 tablespoons of flour

2 cups of veal stock

1/4 cup sweet marsala wine

1/4 cup tomato sauce

 

Wrap each slice of mozzarella with a slice of proscuitto.  Make a cut in the side of each steak large enough to accomodate the wrapped cheese, and insert the cheese into the steak.  Tie with the string which will help the steak hold its shape.

 

Heat a heavy bottomed skillet with a light film of oil.  Sear both sides of the steaks for 3 minutes on each side over high heat.  Sear the sides slightly as well.  Remove the steaks to a baking sheet and place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes (for medium rare).  The internal temperature should be around 122-125 degrees-let the steaks rest at leat 5 to 8 minutes befor cutting into it.

 

While the steaks finish cooking and are resting, make the sauce.  Add butter to the skillet the steaks were sauteed in.  Add the shallot and garlic and stir cook 1 to 2 minutes-do not brown.  Add the flour and continue to stir cook until you make a caramelly colored light brown roux. 

 

Add the wine and reduce by half, add the stock and tomato sauce and continue to cook and reduce until you reach sauce consistency.  Taste for any kind of seasoning adjustment.

 

Snip the strings off the beef and serve with the sauce.

 

Tenderloin with Bacon-Onion Jam and Blue Cheese Butter

This was last night's steak special.  It didn't sell so well, and the restaurant was pretty busy.  We only sold 3 out of about 200 covers.  Usually the special will sell between 15 and 20 orders.  In spite of this, I am publishing and keeping this recipe-it really is delicious, smokey bacon, sweet caramelised onions and salty pungent blue cheese a perfect compliment to boring tenderloin.


Bacon-Onion Jam

4 rashers of bacon
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons sherrry
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste-very light salt because the bacon is already salty

Crisp the bacon in a saute pan.
Remove the bacon, and crumble.
Put the onion slices in the bacon drippings and stir to coat.
Cook over low heat to soften the onions-about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with the sugar and raise the heat a little to caramelise the onions.
After the onions turn a rich golden color, add the sherry and vinegar.
Reduce until the onnions are syrupy, add the bacon, and combine.
Taste for seasoning.

Blue Cheese Butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup blue cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a stand mixer, paddle the butter and worcestershire until well combined.
Fold in the blue cheese and pepper.
Chill until ready to use.

Assembly

Grill or saute your steaks to desired doneness-for tenderloin I recommend medium rare.  Spoon some bacon jam on your plate and place the tenderloin on the jam, slice a couple tablespoons of butter to melt on top of the steaks.

This should be enough for about 4 steaks.

Patti Page - Old Cape Cod-RIP Patti

"..if you like the taste of a lobster stew..."      I just love the dreamy images this song evokes, it makes me think of one of my favorite old-fashioned lobster dishes-Lobster Thermidor.  Why not whip up your own favorite lobster dish, put on some Patti Page tunes and wish Patti farewell.

3 or 4 lobster tails
2 cups lobster stock, fish stock, or clam juice
1 cup white wine
2 Tablspoons minced shallot
1 cup heavy cream
Salt, white pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
cooked pasta
sauteed mushrooms
1/4 cup sherry or a couple tablespoons brandy

Combine the stock, wine and shallot and bring to the boil, lower the heat to barely a simmer.

Remove the tail meat from the shell, reserve shell for presentation, and poach both the meat and the shell in the stock mixture.

Remove the lobster and shell-cover them to keep warm.

Bring the stock back to the boil and reduce by 1/2.  Add the cream and continue to reduce by 1/2 again or until it reaches sauce consistency.  Taste for seasoning, add the sherry or brandy and cook off the alchahol.

Heat the pasta and toss with some of the sauce, place sauced pasta in a pasta serving bowl, top with the shell, filled with the lobster meat coming out of the top.  Garnish with sauteed mushrooms and a bit more sauce spooned over the lobster.

Christmas Tree with Tons of Presents HD

Here is the tree and decorations my partner Dan set up for his office's Christmas party-the food buffets surrounded the tree at the event.

Mole Amarillo with Game Hens

Oaxaca, Mexico is known for its moles.  Most people are familiar with the dark brown one served with chicken in lots of mom and pop Mexican restaurants-the one flavored with bitter Mexican chocolate.  In actuality there are 7 traditional moles from Oaxaca.  Mole Amarillo or Yellow Mole is one of them-the sauce turned out a shade of dark red, so I'm not sure why they called it amarillo. 


It might not be yellow, but it is tasty just the same.  Moles are mysterious and complicated recipes-they are ancient concoctions which require patience and time to prepare.  One exception is one of our favorite dips-Guacamole-that's right, Guacamole is a mole-so I recommend you approach any mole recipe just like you're going to mix up a bowl of Guacamole and the task will just fall into place.  I modified this recipe from Saveur magazine.

I roasted game hens, rubbed with lemon and oregano, but the real star is the mole.

10 dried guajillo chiles, seeded and washed
1/2 tsp of ground achiote
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp saffron
2 tbs oil
1 head of garlic, all cloved peeled
1 medium onion, peeld and roughly chopped
8 tomatillo, husked, washed, and roughly chopped up
1 ripe tomato, roughly chopped up
1 tbs yerba santa, ground
salt to taste and a pinch of sugar
Chicken stock as needed

Toast the peppers in a dry cast iron skillet, add the annatto and cover with 2 cups of hot water.  Let the mixture seep for 20 minutes.

In a separate pan, heat 1 tbs of the oil and saute the onion and garlic over medium low heat until the vegetables are soft and begin to turn golden.  Add the cloves, cumin, oregano, saffron, and yerba santa.

Add the toasted peppers, reserve the water, tomatillos and tomato, continue to saute until soft and browned. Add the reserved chilie water.

Puree in small batches and press through a strainer.  This should be a fairly thick paste.

Saute the paste in the remaining tbs of oil for about 20 minutes, thin to sauce consistency with the chicken stock and simmer for up to 2 hours before serving.  Add the salt and sugar to taste.



I ladled some of the mole into a deep soup plate and placed a split game hen on top.  I served an herb green rice with peas from a Rick Bayless cookbook on the side.

Sigma Aldrich Iron Chef

Last Sunday the Sigma Aldrich corporation hosted an Iron Chef competition at the Kitchen Conservatory.  It was part of a team building activity for a group of their managers.  There were people in from all over the world, Great Btitian, France, Brazil, Switzerland were represented on my team.  There were 5 teams of 5 managers, assigned to a Kitchen Conservatory Chef.  Each chef had been assigned a cuisine beforehand.

Here is a list of the chefs and some of their stand out dishes.

Chef Anne Cori and her team won with their Italian menu.  The shrimp ravioli in lobster sauce were amazing.

Chef Clara Moore and her team got Mexican and they made an unusal and delicious grilled pineapple tamale.

Chef Christie Maggi got Moroccan, her team's great dishes included mini Bastillas, a lamb tajine and almond cookies.

Chef Naam Pruitt ( author of Lemongrass and limes:Thai Flavors) and her team presented a marvelous curry, Jasmin rice, and shrimp skewers.

These are only some of their dishes I remember. 

I got French and was lucky enough to get a team that included two men who knew how to cook-and one was French, and the other and experienced pie baker.

Some of our best dishes included Coquilles a la Nage (bay scallops in a wine cream sauce), Entrecote au Vin Sauce (Steaks with red wine sauce), and tarte Tatin (upside down appe tart with caramel).

Our afternoos started with our team van-yes, each team got their own van-taking us to the Dierberg's in Brentwood to purchase the things for our menu.  Here is my team at the check out.

Once we were back in the kitchen it was a mad fight for the burners, ovens, ice cream makers-did I mention that three of us did ice cream-my team made my favorite ginger ice cream to top the tatre tatin.


What a terrific company and what a terrific bunch of people to work with.

Sassy Sauce at the Kitchen Conservatory

I used four meats and four sauces for a small class at Kitchen Conservatory this week.  Grilled Veal Chops with Salsa Verde, Gaucho Steaks with Chimi Churi, Southern Fried breast of Chicken with Orange Bearnaise, and Lobster fra Diavolo.  The Gaucho Steas with Chimi Churi was the favorite, with the chicken with orange Bearnaise a close second.

 

Veal Chops with Salsa Verde

Gaucho Steaks with Chimi Churi

Lobster fra Diavolo

Sage Battered Southern-fried Breast of Chicken with Orange Bearnaise

Green Tomato and Cabbage Chow Chow

Green Tomato and Cabbage Chow Chow


The cabbages are just coming in, the tomatoes won't have enough sun to ripen, and the peppers are still abundant, so if you chop them all up, sweeten it and spice it up, preserve it with vinegar you have a tasty chow chow to brighten the upcoming winter meals.


I hesitate to give recipes and advice on canning, because I'm such a novice, so if you're unsure about preserving food, consuslt an expert-which I am not.  That said, this is the second time I've canned this relish.  The nuber one rule is keeping things clean, this means sterilizing the jars, lids, and utensils (a dishwasher can do this for you);  clean and sanitized work surfaces and clean wiping towels.



Start by chopping your vegetables and cooking them in the pickling solution.

 

 

 

1.  
2. 6 green tomatoes, cored and finely or coarsely chopped (I like mine chunky)
3. 1 medium cabbage, chopped
4. 8 Bell peppers-I used a mixture of colors
5. 2 hot peppers-optional if you you don't like heat
6. 3 Tablespoons mustard seeds
7. 2 Tablespoons celery seeds
8. 4 cups white vinegar-cider vinegar would be nicer
9. 2 cups sugar-I used sugar substitute
10. 3 Tablespoons kosher salt
11.  
12.  
13. Cook over medium low heat for about 2 hours, stirring often and skimming any foam or scum from the top.
14.  
15. Ladel the hot relish into the sterilized jars, running a thin knife around the inside of the jar to release any air bubbles, place the sterilized lid on the jar and secure with a ring.
16.  
17. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.  I use a steam canner, for 10 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have no idea how why the numbers 1 through 17 appeared on the recipe, bu I can't get ride of them so ignore them please.

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Pumpkin

Here are a couple of other ideas for roasted pumpkin I was working with this past week.  First up is Bucatini with roasted pumpkin and sage brown butter sauce.  Bucatini is a fat, hollow noodle which resemble a fat spaghetti with a hole in the middle.  They are a chewey, hearty noodle to soak up the sage butter and compliment the sweet pumpkin.  Salty parmesan cheese is a perfect fit with the sweet of the pumpkin and the richness of noodles in butter sauce.


Bucatini with Sage Brown Butter and Parmesan

1 pound bucatini, cooked according to package directions
1 1/2 cups roasted pumpkin cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups of butter, browned and strained-discard the solids and return the clarified browned butter to a clean saute pan
2 tablespoons of minced fresh sage
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Parmesan cheese-as much or as little as you like
Freshly ground blackpepper

Heat the clarified butter and add the sage, it should sizzle for about 20 to 30 seconds, add the pepper flakes and the pumpkin.  Heat the pumpkin, being carefule not to break up the chunks too much.

Add the cooked noodles and heat through.

Serve with the grated parmesan cheese.




Pumpkin Risotto


1 small pie pumpkin, roasted according to the recipe I gave last week.
2-3 tablespoons neutral oil-canola or vegetable
1 tablespoon butter
2 shallots, minced
3 cups Arborio rice
1 cup Riesling wine
1/8 teaspoon each ground allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup for the risotto and additioanal for garnish-as much as you like

Cut the roasted pumpkin into 1" chunks and divide in half.

Add the spices to the stock and bring it to just the point of simmering.

In a heavy bottomed pan-I like a dutch oven or similar kettle-heat and add the oil and butter.  Stir fry the minced shallot over low heat for a couple of minutes until it is soft and fragrant.  Add the rices and coat with the butter-oil-shallor mixture.  Continue to saute the rice until it turned an opaque shade of white.

Stir in the wine and cook until the wine is reduced.  Add 1/2 of the pumpkin chunks and begin adding 1/2 cup of the spiced stock, stirring the rice until it is absorbed.  Continue cooking the rice and pumpkin this way until it is tender and a little creamy-adding more stock as the rice absorbs it and the pumpkin falls apart into a puree-probably about 20 to 25 minutes, stir in 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese and taste for seasoning.  Do not over cook the rice or it will become mushy.  It may not require all 8 cups of stock.

To serve heat the remaining pumpkin and carefully fold into the risotto, trying not to break up the chunks, drizzle the top of the rice and pumpkin with some of the sage brown butter (same recipe from the Bucatini posted above).
Sprinkle on more parmesan or serve it separately.

I have to thank Josh and Jordan-from the restaurant kitchen-for helping with this recipe.  First of all Josh suggested it as a seasonal special and then all three of us worked on getting recipe developed.

Sacred Music and Sunday Dinner

Music is always a big part of my Sundays.  Classical Sacred music is always a good choice for Sundays, but also I like some gospel-both country and black spiritual styles.  Sometimes I play old church hymns on my own piano.  Today I thought for something different I would share this vidoeo of Valentina Lisitsa playing Ave Maria with my Sunday dinner of Roasted Quail and Grapes.

I discovered Valentina on You Tube.  She was born in Ukraine and emigrated to the US.  In the middle of a lackluster career her husband posted some videos of her playing to You Tube-and they went viral.  She now has a recording contract and plays the great concert halls around the world to sold out crowds.  And I, like so many others, am totally enchanted with her.  She plays with such passion and urgency.

She also usually plays a Bosendorfer rather than the more expected Steinway-she has said that she gats a more "rumbling bass" out of the Bosendorfer.  I play the considerably more modest Wurlitzer in the second picture and am lucky to get something remotely musical out of it-I keep trying anyway. 

 

 

 

 

Roasted Quail and Grapes with Roasted Pumpkin

 

 

4 large quail-4 to 5 ounces each

4 cloves of garlic

4 rosemary sprigs

4 bay leaves

1 orange, quartered

Salt and Pepper

2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 celery stalk, cut into sticks
1 carrot, cut into sticks
1 small onion quartered
1 cup grape juice
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 pound red seedless grapes, cut into four clusters
1/2 pound green seedless grapes, cut into four clusters


Rub the birds with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, salt and pepper the birds and the cavities.  Stuff the bird's cavities with a clove of garlic, a sprig of rosemary, a bay leaf, and an orange quarter.  Truss the legs.

Let the seasoned birds rest at least 1 hour, or overnight in the refrigerator.  Let the birds return to room temperature before roasting.

In a roasting pan just large enough to hold the birds, place the celery, carrot, and onion, toss with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper.  Roast the vegetables for 15 minutes in a pre-heated 425 degree oven.

Place the quail, breast side down on the vegetables and return to the oven for 15 minutes, add the grape juice and vinegar, return to the oven and roast for 15 minutes.

Turn the birds breast side up, add the grape clusters and baste with the juices; return the birds to the oven for 15 more minutes, basting the the birds every 5 minutes with the juices.

Serve the birds with some of the roasted vegetables, a slice of roasted pumpkin,and the pan juices.

Roasted Pumpkin

1 small pie pumpkins
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper

Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds.

Place the pumpkin on a rimmed baking sheet, cut side down.  Add 1/2 cup water to the baking sheet and place the pumpkin in a preheated 425 degree oven for 1/2 hour.

Turn the pumpkin cut side up and brush the surface with the melted butter, sprinkle the brown sugar across the surface.  Season with salt and pepper and return to the oven until the pumpkin is totally soft and the edges are caramelised-about 15 minutes.

Cactus and Corn Salsa

Cousin Kevin from Plano Tx sent me a recipe link last week that just seemed too perfect for the season.  The original recipe comes from Simply Recipes. 


Olive oil to grease baking sheet
2 Nopales cactus paddles, spines removed
2 to 3 tomatillos
1 small white onion, quartered
2 hot peppers
2 cloves of garlic
1 ear of corn
1 bunch of cilantro, minced
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Roast the cactus, tomatillos, onion, peppers, and garlic in a 400 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Puree the roasted vegetables.

Grill the corn in a grill pan until some of the kernals are browned.  Cut the corn from the cobb.

Fold the corn kernals into the cactus puree, and stir in the remaining ingredients.


I did change some aspects of the recipe-so it's not exactly the same as the one on Simply recipes, but close.
I served the salsa along side some roasted pork tenderloin and some crispy corn chips.  Thanks cuz its a really delicious and unusual salsa.

Keralan Beef Short Ribs

I've really been enjoying Food and Wine magazine lately.  In the September issue they had a story about Asha Gomez who is from Kerala, the Southwestern Province on India's tropical coast.  She operates Cardamom Hill, an Indian restaurant in Atlanta. 

Apparently they eat eat beef in Kerala-I must confess to being pretty ignorant about Indian food.  The recipes are usually so long and require so many spices I don't have that I usually pass.  These recipes seemed so approachable with simpler ingredients that I already had in my spice cabinet that I gave them a try and was rewarded with some marvelously flavored dishes.  Of course I was familiar with yellow curry powder-which is a blend of several spices, but Asha's recipe for Fragrant South Indian Beef Curry contains another popular spice blend called Garam Masala.  I went to the Asian market and purchased an intriguing looking tin of this spice mixture.  It came with a small cookbook written in English and Arabic-I will try some of them sometime.  Asha's recipe calls for boneless short ribs and a cooking time of 1 1/2 hours, simmered over very low heat.  I changed the recipe to used bone in short ribs, tripled the sauce ingredients, and started the ribs on the stove top, but ended up braising them in the oven at 300 degrees for 3 hours.

Fragrant South Indian Beef Curry


2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
12 fresh curry leaves-I used bay
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
3 Tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 1 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground tumeric
4 small dried hot chiles-I used 1 tablespoon asian chili paste
4 star anise pods
2 cinnamon sticks
6 meaty beef short ribs
Salt to taste

In a medium enameled dutch oven, heat the oil until shimmering hot, add the onion and bay leaf, lower heat slightly and caramelise for about 7 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and ginger and stir cook for 1 minute until they are fragrant.

Stir in the dissolved tomato paste, coriander, garam masala, cayenne, tumeric, chili paste, star anise, and cinnamon.

Add the ribs and salt, stir until the ribs are coated with the spices.  Cover the pot and finish cooking in a 300 degree oven for 3 hours, stirring occaisionally.

Spoon off excess fat and remove the cinnamon sticks, star anise pods, and bay  leaves before serving.

Asha also presented a Red Cabbage Stir-fry with Coconut.  I made this a couple of times and it was really delicious, but the color of the red cabbage turned an unappetising color, so I tried the recipe with green cabbage and liked it much better, the tumeric turns is a beautiful shade of gold.  I also eliminated the coconut since I didn't have any on hand and forgot to get it at the Asian market.


Cabbage Stir-Fry


2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
10 fresh curry leaves-I used a couple bay leaves
2 pounds chopped cabbage
1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
Salt to taste
3/4 cup chicken stock
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano chile, semmed and chopped

In a large deep skillet, heat the oil.  Add the mustard and cumin seeds-cook until fragrant and seeds begin to pop-about 30 seconds.  Add the cabbage, bay leaves, and tumeric, season with salt.

Stir cook for 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the stock and simmer the cabbage until it begins to soften.

In a food processor or blender, puree the garlic and chile.

Scrape the chile-garlic paste into the cabbage mixture and blend well, continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer-remove bay leaves before serving.

I garnished things with cilantro which is always complimentary to curries.