I get asked often how to cook shellfish. There is a certain amount of trepidation that swims around the cooking of shellfish. Truth is, it could be easier to cook shellfish than some other meats you may cook frequently.
Take mussels for example. It takes minutes to cook mussels and it is as easy as it gets. Heat up some wine, add garlic and tomatoes. Add mussels and cover for five minutes. And for less than five bucks, you got mussels for two. What can be simpler than that?
Fish stew comes in many varieties: Cioppino from California, Acqua Pazza from Italy, Caldeirada from Portugal, Bouillabaisse from France to name a few. You have fishermen (sorry, fishers) who have some leftovers from today's catch, put it in a pot with some veg and you have cheap meal. Peasant food for lack of a better word. Thing is, these stews are now considered to be high end where for the longest time some seafood was never touched by the bourgeois. Lobster for example, was considered so plentiful and common that only peasants would eat it. Ironic. Anybody who buys lobster knows that it is a rare treat since it usually costs ten to fifteen bucks a pound these days.
So fish stews have a great amount of respect now. Bouillabaisse is now a classic because it offers great taste when made properly and with fresh ingredients, high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids and it usually takes little time to prepare.
This isn't new stuff. There are references of the soup that date back to the Ancient Greeks and is even referenced in Roman Mythology! Apparently, Vulcan was making a candlelit dinner for Venus with fish stew long before any mortal got their greedy hands on it.
What must be stressed is that you can do what you want with fish stews. Add what you got, stir it up and have fun with it.
A Humble Chef's Stew with the Fishes
1 lb. Bag of Mussels
1 lb. 16-20 Shrimp (P & V'd [peeled and deviened])
1 lb Baby Scallops
1 Filet of Tilapia or Catfish, cut into 3 oz. portions
4 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 Green Pepper, diced
1 Red Pepper, diced
250 ml white wine
12 - 15 Capers
500 ml Fish or Vegetable Stock
8 or so Sundried Tomatoes (SDTs), julienne
15 - 20 (about a pint) Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
10 Kalamata Olives, halved
Small Bunches of Parsley, Basil and Tarragon, chiffonade or chopped
Juice of a Lemon
Drizzles of Oil of Choice
100 g A.P. Flour
Salt and Pepper to Taste
In a large saute pan, heat drizzle of oil on medium-high heat. Sweat onions and peppers until soft. Add garlic and continue to cook for two minutes. Add capers and wine and reduce by half. Add olives, SDTs and tomatoes and stock. Bring to a slight boil then simmer. Add tarragon and basil.
Meanwhile, dredge fish and sear in hot frying pan with drizzle of oil. Add a ladle fish stew broth to fish and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 5 - 7 minutes.
Bring stew to a boil and add shrimp, scallops and mussels. Cover with a lid and cook for 4 or 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
In a large bowl, scoop stew first then top with cooked fish. Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley.
Serves 8ish.
A Humble Chef's tip: more of a necessity than a tip; remove any unopened mussels and discard. Do not eat any mussels that you have to open up ever.
Variation: turn this right up Decadence Alley by adding some crab, lobster and maybe even some oysters. Then take a left to Carbohydrate Lane with some Orzo pasta. Just don't get lost getting there!
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Sunday, 22 March 2009
Number One On the Poppy Chart!
Too make up for some lost time, here is a new recipe just in time for Spring.
In the last post, I mention that we are often restricted in being creative in baking. Well, this is true to a degree but you can make slight changes in the flavour as long as you stick to the basic recipe.
There are some staple recipes in baking that I'm sure if you're willing, you can adjust to seasonality or availability. Today is the perfect example. This is a fairly standard recipe that I have taken and tweaked it a little to call it my own. You can do the same.
Lemon-Cranberry Poppyseed Loaf
350 g (1.5 Cups) A.P. Flour
2 Pinches (2 tsp) of Baking Soda
1 Pinch of Salt
250 ml Plain Yogurt
200 g Sugar
200 ml Canola Oil
2 Eggs, cracked
Splash of Vanilla Extract
Small Handful of Poppyseeds
Small Handful of Dried Cranberries
Finely Grated Rind of 1 Lemon
Dusting of Icing Sugar
Preheat oven to 350.
Butter loaf pan (approx. 1.5L) and dust with icing sugar.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, combine yogurt, sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, poppyseeds and lemon rind.
Add wet mixture to the dry and fold in until combined. Add cranberries and fold in.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 - 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Makes 8 - 10 slices.
A Humble Chef's tip: use a toothpick and insert in the middle to check to see if it is cooked. If it comes out dry, you're awesome!
Variation: try with a lime or an orange. It is virtually the same but still different.
In the last post, I mention that we are often restricted in being creative in baking. Well, this is true to a degree but you can make slight changes in the flavour as long as you stick to the basic recipe.
There are some staple recipes in baking that I'm sure if you're willing, you can adjust to seasonality or availability. Today is the perfect example. This is a fairly standard recipe that I have taken and tweaked it a little to call it my own. You can do the same.
Lemon-Cranberry Poppyseed Loaf
350 g (1.5 Cups) A.P. Flour
2 Pinches (2 tsp) of Baking Soda
1 Pinch of Salt
250 ml Plain Yogurt
200 g Sugar
200 ml Canola Oil
2 Eggs, cracked
Splash of Vanilla Extract
Small Handful of Poppyseeds
Small Handful of Dried Cranberries
Finely Grated Rind of 1 Lemon
Dusting of Icing Sugar
Preheat oven to 350.
Butter loaf pan (approx. 1.5L) and dust with icing sugar.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, combine yogurt, sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, poppyseeds and lemon rind.
Add wet mixture to the dry and fold in until combined. Add cranberries and fold in.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 - 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Makes 8 - 10 slices.
A Humble Chef's tip: use a toothpick and insert in the middle to check to see if it is cooked. If it comes out dry, you're awesome!
Variation: try with a lime or an orange. It is virtually the same but still different.
Saturday, 21 March 2009
Hip! Hip! Purée! Hip! Hip! Purée!
For many cooks and chefs, some of our best creations come either by accident or by utilizing up some stuff in your fridge that has to be used up. The latter is more common and is the case for this recipe.
Last night I taught a class in Ottawa. Most of the people attending were friends and colleagues of my Savoury Student also known as my wife. Because of that, I felt like treating them to something that wasn`t on the menu. And so I made an extra recipe using up a vegetable stock I had made from the trimmings of the vegetables and using leftover vegetables the cooking school had in their fridge from a previous class.
That's the great thing about cooking: thinking on the fly and being creative. You see, in baking, you'd have to be very experienced and confident to simply whip somthing up using leftovers. I find that when dealing with breads and pastries, you are usually following a recipe fairly stictly. In making a soup on the other hand, it actually improves your culinary skills because it forces you to learn what ingredients that have an affinity with others. Further, it increases your confidence in cooking without a recipe. Try it and don't be discouraged by the results of your first few times. This is how cooks and chefs increase their skills: combining ingredients you`re unsure about together and taking risks. And when they work and you`ve created something you`re proud of, then you understand one of the reasons why some people become chefs: the gratification of creating a new and different dish.
Carrot and Cantaloupe Purée
8 Carrots, peeled and chunked
Half a Small Cantaloupe, chunked
3 Small Cooking Onions, roughly chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chrushed
Half a Red Pepper, chopped
A Few Pinches of Dried Ginger
3 l Vegetable Stock
Drizzle of Oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste
In a stock pot, heat oil. Cook onion until slightly golden. Add garlic and peppers and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add carrot and dried ginger and sauté for 2 minutes. Add stock and cantaloupe and bring to a boil. Cook thoroughly until carrot is tender. Using a blender, carefully purée soup until desired consistency. Season to taste while hot.
Serve with desired garnish. e.g. chives, parsley, goat`s cheese wrapped in phyllo, whatver
Serves 12
Variation: I`m sure this would work well with some other type of juice. I you have leftover cranberry, blurberry or fruit cocktail, use up some in this recipe for some added sweetness and depth.
A Humble Chef`s tip: I`ve used this tip in the past but I`ll use it again, if you don`t feel like peeling and chopping all your carrots, feel free and use the baby carrots for added convenience.
Last night I taught a class in Ottawa. Most of the people attending were friends and colleagues of my Savoury Student also known as my wife. Because of that, I felt like treating them to something that wasn`t on the menu. And so I made an extra recipe using up a vegetable stock I had made from the trimmings of the vegetables and using leftover vegetables the cooking school had in their fridge from a previous class.
That's the great thing about cooking: thinking on the fly and being creative. You see, in baking, you'd have to be very experienced and confident to simply whip somthing up using leftovers. I find that when dealing with breads and pastries, you are usually following a recipe fairly stictly. In making a soup on the other hand, it actually improves your culinary skills because it forces you to learn what ingredients that have an affinity with others. Further, it increases your confidence in cooking without a recipe. Try it and don't be discouraged by the results of your first few times. This is how cooks and chefs increase their skills: combining ingredients you`re unsure about together and taking risks. And when they work and you`ve created something you`re proud of, then you understand one of the reasons why some people become chefs: the gratification of creating a new and different dish.
Carrot and Cantaloupe Purée
8 Carrots, peeled and chunked
Half a Small Cantaloupe, chunked
3 Small Cooking Onions, roughly chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chrushed
Half a Red Pepper, chopped
A Few Pinches of Dried Ginger
3 l Vegetable Stock
Drizzle of Oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste
In a stock pot, heat oil. Cook onion until slightly golden. Add garlic and peppers and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add carrot and dried ginger and sauté for 2 minutes. Add stock and cantaloupe and bring to a boil. Cook thoroughly until carrot is tender. Using a blender, carefully purée soup until desired consistency. Season to taste while hot.
Serve with desired garnish. e.g. chives, parsley, goat`s cheese wrapped in phyllo, whatver
Serves 12
Variation: I`m sure this would work well with some other type of juice. I you have leftover cranberry, blurberry or fruit cocktail, use up some in this recipe for some added sweetness and depth.
A Humble Chef`s tip: I`ve used this tip in the past but I`ll use it again, if you don`t feel like peeling and chopping all your carrots, feel free and use the baby carrots for added convenience.
Thursday, 19 March 2009
In The Pommes of Your Hand
This quick and easy post is here because I promised a class today that I would post this immediately. It is quick and easy recipe for a quick and easy dinner. The only drawback is you need to deep-fry it. It can be baked but it is so much better in oil.
If you do not own a deep fryer, you can use a sauce pan to deep fry. The drawback is that is can be difficult controlling the heat of your oil without a thermometer. I have a deep fryer that I rarely use for a few reasons: very unhealthy way to eat, annoying to clean, wasteful on oil and it stink up your house and clothes. If you use a sauce pan to deep fry, you won't use so much oil and the clean up is considerably easier.
This basic of basic recipes can be fun and interesting to make. The cooked pastry is called Choux. This simplified version should turn anybody nervous in the kitchen turn into a confident chef. Choux can be made sweet or savoury. Here, it is savoury.
Be sure to dehydrate the potatoes after they have been cooked in a sauce pan. The less water the better.
Finally, for those who read my blog, you will know that I prefer to roast my potatoes for making mashed. This is no different, if you have the time. It takes ore than a hour to roast through a Yukon Gold Potato. If you boil them, drain well and dehydrate in the sauce pan.
Pommes de Terre Dauphine
250 ml 2% Milk
250 ml Water
1 Stick of Butter
500 g Flour
4 Eggs
5 Large Yukon Gold Potatoes
Seasoning to Taste
In a deep fryer, heat oil to 350 degrees.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook potatoes in oven for at least one hour;longer if the potatoes are really large. After they are cooked, remove from oven and let cool. After the cooled, using a serrated knife slice potatoes in half. Scoop out innards into a bowl. If still wet, place in sauce pan over low heat to dehydrate further.
In a sauce pan, combine milk and water over medium high heat. Add butter.Once butter melts, remove from heat and add flour. Mix vigorously until dough comes off the side cleanly.
Fold potatoes into choux. Add seasonings. Shape and deep fry until golden; about 7 minutes.
Makes about 20 balls.
If you do not own a deep fryer, you can use a sauce pan to deep fry. The drawback is that is can be difficult controlling the heat of your oil without a thermometer. I have a deep fryer that I rarely use for a few reasons: very unhealthy way to eat, annoying to clean, wasteful on oil and it stink up your house and clothes. If you use a sauce pan to deep fry, you won't use so much oil and the clean up is considerably easier.
This basic of basic recipes can be fun and interesting to make. The cooked pastry is called Choux. This simplified version should turn anybody nervous in the kitchen turn into a confident chef. Choux can be made sweet or savoury. Here, it is savoury.
Be sure to dehydrate the potatoes after they have been cooked in a sauce pan. The less water the better.
Finally, for those who read my blog, you will know that I prefer to roast my potatoes for making mashed. This is no different, if you have the time. It takes ore than a hour to roast through a Yukon Gold Potato. If you boil them, drain well and dehydrate in the sauce pan.
Pommes de Terre Dauphine
250 ml 2% Milk
250 ml Water
1 Stick of Butter
500 g Flour
4 Eggs
5 Large Yukon Gold Potatoes
Seasoning to Taste
In a deep fryer, heat oil to 350 degrees.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook potatoes in oven for at least one hour;longer if the potatoes are really large. After they are cooked, remove from oven and let cool. After the cooled, using a serrated knife slice potatoes in half. Scoop out innards into a bowl. If still wet, place in sauce pan over low heat to dehydrate further.
In a sauce pan, combine milk and water over medium high heat. Add butter.Once butter melts, remove from heat and add flour. Mix vigorously until dough comes off the side cleanly.
Fold potatoes into choux. Add seasonings. Shape and deep fry until golden; about 7 minutes.
Makes about 20 balls.
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
I Never Quiche And Tell
I apologize about the converter . . . working on it.
I did a class today and I told the class that I would post the recipe and so here it is. Apparently, I do quiche and tell, but only this once!
I was amazed by how many people why don't know how to make quiche. Well, actually, many simply haven't tried. It is a type of meal that we forget about. I'm not entirely sure who but I have some theories: fear of making the pastry (although, most cooks don't bother making the crust anymore, they purchase them), it takes a little bit of time to cook for breakfast, it's just as easy to make an omelette. However, as I talked about it to the class, it clicked in that quiche has all your basic food groups: protein in the eggs (or meat if ant), dairy in the milk (and cheese if any) and grain in the flour of the crust. It's very well rounded!
I think it's a perfect Sunday brunch item myself. It takes a little more time to cook than scrambled or over-easy eggs, but if you're not in a rush, then there's no problem.
Quiche is also great because it is so adaptable. You have leftover spinach? Heat it with some garlic and clove and poof! Quiche Florentine. Or, leftover roast beef? No problem: heat some chopped onions, mushrooms and a few drops of horseradish and . . . oh. My. God. Prime Rib Dinner Quiche complete with built-in Yorkshire Pudding.
Point is, it's great. You eat it.
Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche
2 Broccoli Crowns, washed and cut into florets
200 g Cheddar Cheese, grated
6 Eggs
250 ml 2% Milk
1 Large Pie Crust
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Ice for Ice Bath
Preheat oven to 328 exactly.
Just kidding. It's actually 329 exactly.
In a bowl, whip eggs with milk and seasonings and place into a picture. Well, that might be messy. Maybe try a pitcher. Let come to room temperature.
In a pot of salted water, cook broc in water for 1 minute and shock in ice bath.
Place the broc in the crust, cover with egg wash and top with cheese.
Cook in oven for 30 - 35 minutes.
Let rest for 5-6 minutes.
Serves 6ish.
Leek and Peameal Bacon Quiche
1 Leek, rinsed well and julienne
2 Pieces of Bacon, cut into squares
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
1 Small Red Onion, finely diced
150 g Oka, grated
6 Eggs
250 ml 2% Milk
Pinch of Dried Sage and Thyme
1 Large Pie Crust
Drizzle of Oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Preheat oven to hot.
In a bowl, whip eggs, milk and seasoning. Place in a jug and let come to room temperature.
In a saute pan, heat oil on high heat. Sweat leeks and onion for 1 minute. Add garlic and herbs. Add bacon until opaque.
Place filling in crust, top with egg wash and top with Oka. OK?
Cook in hot oven, preset at 325 for about 30 to 35 minutes.
Let rest for 5-6 minutes.
Serves around 6 Grandmothers.
A Humble Chef's Tip: make sure you dehydrate the filling as much as you can on the bacon recipe. Let it evaporate for a minute or two to dry out. It can get soggy if it's too wet.
Variation: are you kidding me? There are so many that there are some restaurants that have quiche of the day! Go nuts!
I did a class today and I told the class that I would post the recipe and so here it is. Apparently, I do quiche and tell, but only this once!
I was amazed by how many people why don't know how to make quiche. Well, actually, many simply haven't tried. It is a type of meal that we forget about. I'm not entirely sure who but I have some theories: fear of making the pastry (although, most cooks don't bother making the crust anymore, they purchase them), it takes a little bit of time to cook for breakfast, it's just as easy to make an omelette. However, as I talked about it to the class, it clicked in that quiche has all your basic food groups: protein in the eggs (or meat if ant), dairy in the milk (and cheese if any) and grain in the flour of the crust. It's very well rounded!
I think it's a perfect Sunday brunch item myself. It takes a little more time to cook than scrambled or over-easy eggs, but if you're not in a rush, then there's no problem.
Quiche is also great because it is so adaptable. You have leftover spinach? Heat it with some garlic and clove and poof! Quiche Florentine. Or, leftover roast beef? No problem: heat some chopped onions, mushrooms and a few drops of horseradish and . . . oh. My. God. Prime Rib Dinner Quiche complete with built-in Yorkshire Pudding.
Point is, it's great. You eat it.
Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche
2 Broccoli Crowns, washed and cut into florets
200 g Cheddar Cheese, grated
6 Eggs
250 ml 2% Milk
1 Large Pie Crust
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Ice for Ice Bath
Preheat oven to 328 exactly.
Just kidding. It's actually 329 exactly.
In a bowl, whip eggs with milk and seasonings and place into a picture. Well, that might be messy. Maybe try a pitcher. Let come to room temperature.
In a pot of salted water, cook broc in water for 1 minute and shock in ice bath.
Place the broc in the crust, cover with egg wash and top with cheese.
Cook in oven for 30 - 35 minutes.
Let rest for 5-6 minutes.
Serves 6ish.
Leek and Peameal Bacon Quiche
1 Leek, rinsed well and julienne
2 Pieces of Bacon, cut into squares
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
1 Small Red Onion, finely diced
150 g Oka, grated
6 Eggs
250 ml 2% Milk
Pinch of Dried Sage and Thyme
1 Large Pie Crust
Drizzle of Oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Preheat oven to hot.
In a bowl, whip eggs, milk and seasoning. Place in a jug and let come to room temperature.
In a saute pan, heat oil on high heat. Sweat leeks and onion for 1 minute. Add garlic and herbs. Add bacon until opaque.
Place filling in crust, top with egg wash and top with Oka. OK?
Cook in hot oven, preset at 325 for about 30 to 35 minutes.
Let rest for 5-6 minutes.
Serves around 6 Grandmothers.
A Humble Chef's Tip: make sure you dehydrate the filling as much as you can on the bacon recipe. Let it evaporate for a minute or two to dry out. It can get soggy if it's too wet.
Variation: are you kidding me? There are so many that there are some restaurants that have quiche of the day! Go nuts!
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