Claw and Order

Every so often, it's good to spend a little extra on food. It's an area most people try to save money on during hard times. Yet, we often forget to treat ourselves to a nice meal from time to time. When was the last time you cooked a tender Chateaubriand for yourself? Shucked fresh oysters? Compiled a decadent cheese platter for your family? Yes, these are expensive. So, everything in moderation.

A Court Bouillon is a poaching liquid that is used only to poach foods. It is not advised to use a court bouillon as stock since you add things to a court bouillon that you would not to a stock. A Fish Stock is strictly made with bones, bay leaves, peppercorns, onion, celery and leek trimmings (no carrots in this one). And it only takes about forty five minutes to make this stock (unlike beef stock which takes forever). With fish stock you can make a soup like Bouillabaisse, or a seafood risotto or use it in a sauce like beurre blanc or creamy shrimp pasta sauce. Whatever you like.

I discovered several weeks ago that many major grocers do not have fish stock in their inventory. Either it's frozen in the fresh soup area or not available at all. So, whenever you get a chance to make a stock, you may want to try it then freeze it until you need it. I find stocks can last a few months in your freezer, but once it gets freezer burnt, thaw and use quickly.

Anyways, I don't why I rambling about stock when in this recipe I use a Court Bouillon.

Poached Lobster with a Garlic Clarified Butter

1 Whole Live Lobster, named Yummy
1 Cooking Onion, roughly chopped
1 Celery, roughly chopped
A Few Black Peppercorns
1 Bay Leave
100 ml White Wine
Juice of a Lemon
100 g Butter, melted
2 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
Pinch of Sea Salt

In a tall stock pot, heat some oil and add onion and celery. Cook for one minute, add white wine and half of lemon juice. Add water to almost fill the pot. Add bay leaf and peppercorns and bring to a rapid boil. Do Yummy a favour by cooking him or her in rapid boiling water and not simmering water.

In a small pan, saute garlic in melted butter. Sprinkle with sea salt. Remove any milk solids at the top and keep warm.

For a 1.5 lb. lobster, cook for 12 - 15 minutes. Let cool for 1 minute and let the fun begin.

I usually remove the claws from the arms and crack them. The arms are a pain to eat from but considering the cost of it, you better take everything you can. Then pull the tail off, squeeze it to crack the shell. Pull it apart and the tail comes out pretty easily.

This process is so much easier to show than to write. One day, buy a lobster and just go for it.

Dip lobster into butter and enjoy.

Serves 2.

A Humble Chef's tip: keep it simple! Don't try grilling live lobster or something silly like that. Steaming live lobster can be messy too. Trust me and cook it in a Court Bouillon.

Variation: of course, the meat can be used in so many ways. In a salad, or a soup, or a pasta or even in an hors d'ouvre.

In One Spear, Out The Other

I am a big fan of asparagus. I already posted a great soup that really celebrates this singular speared vegetable. It looks wonderful on a plate and it is so easy to cook. Quite simply blanch in salted water and voila! A wonderful side dish to any meal. Whip up some hollandaise, reduce some balsamic vinegar and create a wonderful little salad.

Harvested in spring, expensive in winter, asparagus should be used in season as much as possible. If you like the white asparagus more than the original, be prepared to spend for it. It is a little more labour intensive to create the the white asparagus. Which is done by denying the asparagus any sunlight.

I like the green variety myself; especially for this recipe. A simple pasta served in a light broth. I think it is a shame that many home cooks feel like they have to have a sauce for pasta. That is simply not true. In fact, "alla olio" refers to a style of pasta that is lightly tossed in oil.

Keep it simple and the results just may amaze you.

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Baby Scallops

12 Asparagus Spears
2 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
1 Cooking Onion, finely diced
Juice of 2 Lemons
1 Small Red Pepper, finely diced
1 Pint of Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
200 ml White Wine (I've used rum and it works too)
Small Bunch of Chives, chopped
About 30 Baby Bay Scallops
Box of Fettuccine
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Dab of Butter
200 g Parmasan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to Taste

In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta as per manufactuer's instructions.

In a medium sauce pan of salted water, cook asparagus until tender. Cooking time varies depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Remove and shock in cold water.

In a large saute pan, heat oil and cook onion and garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add peppers and tomatoes and continue to cook for 3 - 4 minutes. Add scallops and wine. Bring to a boil and let simmer for one minute. Add lemon juice and asparagus. Bring up to heat and season to taste.

Toss with pasta.

Serves 8.

A Humble Chef's tip: if making right away, don't bother shocking the asparagus and toss in broth. If you like a little more liquid, hold back on seasoning and add a small ladle of pasta water.

Variation: Shrimp, white asparagus, rose sauce. Wonderful.

I Yam What I Yam. A Sweet Potato.

Now that the weather is warming up, it is time to leave the kitchen and start burning propane. When comfortable, you can cook more than burgers and chicken on a stick on your outdoor grill.

Generally speaking, there are three overall methods of cooking: dry heat, moist heat and n0-heat. Within those are all the ways we cook. For instance, dry heat is roasting, grilling, sauteing, deep frying (yes, deep frying is considered a dry heat method) and broiling. Moist cooking is blanching and braising. No-heat would be curing and pickling and these sort of things.

If you can remember that the BBQ is just an oven that is outside, then sky's the limit. Once you have the mindset, you can do braises on your BBQ, or roast beef or chicken or whatever, standard grilling foods like meats and vegetables and even some starches. Heck, desserts aren't even out of the question if you're brave enough. If you have some cedar planks, then you can really treat your BBQ like any oven.

It is unfortunate that sweet potatoes aren't as popular as they should be. Not to be confused with the yam, sweet potatoes are a distant cousin of the common potato we all know and love. Yet, sweet potatoes are high in fibre and complex sugars. Virtually opposite to the delicious cousin. So, why don't we eat more of it? I'm not sure why but I do know that many people I talk to about cooking are often afraid that they are higher in carbs than other potatoes which couldn't be further from the truth.

So stop being a Sweet Potato hater and make the switch. It is brilliant mashed, in a soup, roasted and, of course, grilled. Yum.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes with a Honey Tarragon Glaze

2 Large Sweet Potatoes, cut into 3 cm slices
50 ml Liquid Honey
Small Bunch of Fresh Tarragon, chopped
Juice and Zest of 3 Limes
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Drizzle of Oil

In a sauce pan, combine honey, tarragon and lime juice. Reduce by half to a glaze. Remove from heat.

On your BBQ, heat one side to high and the other to medium low. In a bowl, toss sweet potatoes in oil, salt and pepper and zest. Grill potatoes on hot side and grill for 3 - 4 minutes. Turn sweet potato one quarter to make cross hatches and grill for another 3 - 4 minutes. Flip and repeat. Transfer potato to other side of BBQ and using a silicone pastry brush, glaze potato with reduction. Cook until tender. Usually 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the sweet potato.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

A Humble Chef's tip: you can lay down some foil on your cooler side of your BBQ to prevent burning.

Variation: Sweet Potatoes have an affinity with spices like cinnamon and clove and these sort of things. You can make a sweet glaze using the same method except omit the tarragon and substitute whatever spice you often use in apple pie.

Don't Worry. No Poblano!

Despite the fact that yours truly is of Guatemalan descent, there aren't many Latin American recipes on my blog. Truth is, my training is classical and the places where I've worked prepares mostly traditional cuisine.

Growing up, fresh tortillas and refried beans was certainly a staple for weekend mornings. My mother takes pride in the simplicity of this style of cooking. On top of that, it is comfort food for myself and my brothers since it transports us to our childhood.

Yet, my mother never really showed me all the unique flavours and techniques Latin cuisine has to offer. We did do some staples like fried plantains, tamales, frijoles, fresh tortillas, fajitas and burritos. We even did pupusas with spiced coleslaw from time to time. For the most part, my mother cooks very simple North American foods like anybody else. And so even though I have a base knowedge of Latin foods, much of what I know of this type of cuisine is either self taught or through expirementation.

Mole Poblano is a classic sauce that hasn't really become too known outside Mexico. Yet, Mole Poblano sauce is nothing new. In fact, it has roots in Aztec culture. The thought of adding chocolate to savoury dishes seems unsavoury to many people but whenever I offer my chili to guests with the secret ingredient of chocolate, I get nothing but raves.

It can be a little off putting for some palates, but in time I'm sure you will appreciate the unique flavour and density of this sauce. If the sauce tastes a little bitter to you, a little sugar can offset that unwanted flavour.

For the adventurous, there many more Mole sauces: Amarillo, Negro, Rojo, Verde and Cacahuate. I'm sure there are more but this gives you an idea how many types there are.

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Mole Poblano Sauce

1 Cooking Onion, chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic, whole
Small Handful of Sesame Seeds
Small Handful of Almonds
1 Ancho Chile (if available)
Small Blend of Spices: cumin, cinammon, nutmeg, coriander, chili powder
2 Roma Tomatoes, chunked
100 g Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
Dab of Butter
6 Chicken Breasts
100 g Pecans
Salt, Sugar and Pepper to Taste
Preheat oven to 325.

In a sauce pan, heat butter until a little brown. Add onion and garlic and cook until golden. About 7 - 10 minutes. Add spices and continue top cook for another minute. Add seeds, almonds, chocolate, tomatoes and ancho chile and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Let simmer and puree. Adjust to seasonings.

Using a frying pan, heat oil until very hot. Sear skin side of chicken until golden. Remove from pan and using a pastry brush, spread a layer of sauce on top of chiken. Roll in pecans and place on cookie sheet with a rack. Cook in oven for 15 minutes or until internal temperature of 160 degrees. Let rest five minutes and serve with sauce.

Serves 6.

A Humble Chef's tip: if the onion caramelizes enough, you may not need to add sugar. Taste the sauce at the end and add what your instincts tell you.

Variation: there are many interpretions and variations to this sauce but before you change it, I would stick to one classic recipe and make changes when you're more comfortable. This works well with pork chops and really well with turkey.

Disco Stew Doesn't Advertise

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!

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.

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.