budrichard

Our Viking and exhaust hood are stainless as well as the Franke Manor House sink and Kitchenaid Pro appliances and fridge, all the rest is John Boos end or edge grain real wood. I know the Franke is made of commercial gauge stainless and has not a single dent in it and that's with using Falk copper pots and pans that will smash fingers if not careful. I suspect the Viking is also of a higher gauge stainless than most home ranges. It and its hood are simply brute's. The stainless must be cleaned and polished periodically as well as the wood sanded and refinished. None of its looks like an advertisement for a magazine but its used for food prep and cooking, not to look at. I marvel at how many individuals expect their kitchens to look like the day they first used them with no wear or upkeep. It just doesn't happen.-Dick

There are a million and one seasonings and rubs on the market. A good palate and a Penzy's and some trial and error can usually duplicate any of them. I purchase Dale's liquid seasoning for steak but I could easily reproduce its flavor, its just mush easier to purchase and keep in the fridge. I usually make all my own spice blends and rubs except for any blends that Penzy's sells.-Dick

Popular in Door County in Wisconsin is the fish boil where Whitefish is the usual main ingredient, although Lake Trout can certainly be used, sort of like a crawfish boil without the spice/heat. Simple to make in principle, I suspect much of its popularity derives from the method of cooking and the spectacle of the 'boil' at the end. Dunking your fish in butter to eat, doesn't hurt either. I didn't mention the 'Boil' because its rather bland and not my favorite prep but it is popular. Ray Radigan's http://www.foodspot.com/Clients/WI/PleasantPrairie/RayRadigans/default.aspx?fs=3&fsp=1430&accid=15965 in Kenosha Wisconsin has made quite a reputation since 1933 and one of the long lived dishes is Lake Superior Whitefish made as I described, in fact I owe credit to Ray for the prep. It's still the best way I know for Whitefish. There are many Asian preps ranging from Japanese to Thai but in general the fish that is used is from the sea and usually a little more suited to those preparations. We usually use Yellowtail for a Teriyaki prep but I can't see why Lake Trout fillets cannot be substituted. Usually for Thai cuisine its Red Snapper because its closer to native species and has big flakes that hold together. -Dick

"with the exception of deep-frying, most of those methods produce fish that is at best OK, and at worst mushy and tasteless." I have a very hard to impossible time believing that statement. Those methods and preps are tried and true and have yielded excellent results for both the restaurant chefs and home chefs. I cannot help you at all determine what the problem is but I do know you won't be able to improve on the tried and true methods. "the piece of whitefish that you put in your mouth and go WOW! I honestly haven't had that." Maybe you don't like fish? For me the standard prep for whitefish is successful and palatable to everyone who has eaten my prep. For trout as I stated, poaching or roasting for larger whole fish has excellent results. Fillets pan fried have universal acceptance. I do use Falk copper pots and pans that heat quickly and evenly to high heat and usually canola or sometimes peanut oil or butter for some preps especially whitefish or a combination of oil for heat and butter for flavor. Have you tried grilling on wood or lump charcoal. You need a fish that will hold together and proper preparation with oil of the rack to avoid sicking so i usually use this technique on whole fish. Good luck.-Dick

"I'm thinking of making it my mission this summer to try to figure out how to cook this stuff in a way that makes it good. Something that preserves the texture, doesn't overcook it, and is tasty. Is it possible? Any suggestions? It's amazing how little innovation is done with this stuff locally. Even the better places just throw it under the broiler until it's mushy. Is there any hope? " First, don't assume all the fish that's sold to you or prepared in a restaurant is fresh and palatable. You need to acquire a knowledge of what fresh fish looks like and smells like and be able to ask your purveyor, where did it come from and when was it caught. Most fish sold in restaurants is frozen and purchased in individual portion controlled packets. As to preparation, not all fish species should be prepared to s standard format. I do find that whitefish fillets are best prepared with a seasoning of salt and paprika, seared in butter and finished in a hot oven. Lake trout is usually good roasted or even poached whole in a fumet. Trout fillets or small trout also stand up well to a saute in butter or bacon fat. Walleye is best coated and fried, the firm large texture of the flakes stands up well to that treatment, same for lake perch. What species did i miss that you may encounter in your local store? Bass and panfish fillets are best coated in crumbs, saute in butter. Sturgeon, smoke as well as chubs and whitefish or lake trout or other large trout. -Dick

Ben is spot on! Wild and pen raised are two different animals even though they are the same species. I get my pen raised birds from a live Poultry supplier in Chicago, processed while I wait into my ice filled cooler for chill. Otherwise a sling shot at what I hope are wild birds or at least that's what it feels like! I also don't cook wild birds whole but breast out and prepare the breasts rare and use the leg/thighs in a braise with the carcass used for a stock and eventually sauce.-Dick

Tenderness. I sear the skin side and put the pan into a 500F degree oven and then rest for at least 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the breast to get a nice rare, not blood raw but pink. Invariably the Pekin duck breast is not anywhere approaching the tenderness of an aged breast of a Muscovy/Moulard. I also choose duck breast quite a lot at a restaurant that I know will cook it correctly and usually the breast is very tender.-Dick

A duck is not always a duck suitable for serving rare duck breasts. I find that usually only the Muscovy or Moulard aged breasts are suitable, notably those sold by Hudson Valley. I have purchased many ducks, most of them the Pekin or Long Island variety and while certainly suitable for roasting whole or cassoulet or such, not for duck breast. I just took apart a 6# free range Pekin sourced from a local farmer with a great fat layer. I get ducks geese, chickens and turkeys, all fresh from this farm for many years. Once in a while I can even get a few real pen raised Mallards. The breasts were served traditionally, seared and roasted rare with the skin on and the rest of the duck skin rendered, the carcass used for stock and the rest in a nice cassoulet. But whether i purchase frozen at some cheap price point or farm raised at an expensive price the Pekin just does not make good duck breast in my experience.-Dick

If this Thread is "All About Skirt Steak", you need to understand that there are two distinct cuts referred to as 'skirt steak', the 'inner' and the outer'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skirt_steak Fresh Farms in Illinois sells both and one can purchase a whole outer at a premium because it is much more tender. It is also USDA Choice Grade. If your skirt steak is tough you are likely using USDA Select inner. I only purchase the outer and only at Fresh Farms where they will trim it for you very nicely. Skirt purchased at many Supermercardos is very tough and needs to be put through the tenderizer machine that most of these places have.-Dick

The best we found are made by Dinec. http://www.dinec.com/products/dpc_zoom.asp?lang=en&cat=7&id=128 You can specify wood, seating surface etc to customize. We have had four of the swivel chairs for about 10 years for use at our bar/pass through and they are bulletproof. We also had Dinec make a matching 'race track' family room dining table with inserts to seat at least 12 comfortably http://www.dinec.com/products/dpc.asp?lang=en&model=1&cat=1&p=7 with matching chairs. The quality is excellent.-Dick

I use no water in the making of schmaltz and the rendering of duck fat. What you do require is a large saute pan. The side height is just right to keep in the fat splatter if your temp is too high. If you use a casserole pan to further reduce splatter, the schmaltz just sits in a water/fat slurry that is hard to get rid of. The saute pan sides are low enough that any water can boil off which is what you want. I strip the fat from whole chickens we purchase and/or ducks and save until I get enough to render. It's very easy to do without water and you obtain very nice cracklins in the bargain. The cracklins go well with a hot sauce such as Crystal.-Dick

The only good softshell is a live softshell as you found out. The internals are very prone to decomposition like a Maine lobster which are not allowed to sold frozen in Maine, at least when I spent summers there. Even supposedly 'live' softshells if they do not exhibit some movement should be avoided. I avoid frozen softshells at all costs and inspect(smell) each one i purchase and confirm some movement.-Dick

For small quantities Penzey's is outstanding but for variety and bulk purchases, the Chile Guy is unbeatable. I've ordered New Mexico Red, dried Jalapeno and dried Habanero in 5# to 1 # or so bags. -Dick

"Oh, it also says to not use it on black top pavement, as it might melt." The real problem is that the blacktop can actually set on fire and once it does it is very difficult to extinguish.-Dick

Brain is still there and it can be eaten. If you boil the head, it does not melt away.-Dick

We get a few whole pigs each year, some too big for the rotisserie with head on and those heads go to make a head cheese ala Pepin's method. Roasting on a rotisserie will yield some crusty skin but the ears go usually but one can break into the brain cavity for some more bites. I would suggest a head cheese for the best use.-Dick

Water in the oven can be used for a number of reasons. A little simple thermodynamics is needed. At Atmospheric pressure water will boil at 212F, unless your oven pressurizes, the water will not go any higher in temperature. The water that does boil is actually turned into steam as its temperature increases above 212F. Steam is invisible to the eye, if you think you see a jet of steam, that is actually water vapor condensing from the steam phase. The steam is used in baking to obtain a harder crust but I don't believe steam/water in your oven will do anything to reduce any splattering and may be just to catch spill over grease and keep the grease from combusting in the bottom of your oven. Electric and gas ovens are different in that a combustion product from gas usage is in fact water whereas in an electric oven there is no water and maybe things will dry more. I don't know because I use a Viking gas range and that is what my experience is with and the only time I put water in the oven is while baking to produce steam. I do at times put water into the bottom of a Weber to eliminate fires from grease accumulation.-Dick

There are no Root Beers or ingredients for Root Beers in the US that use sarsaparilla because "Sassafras albidum--"Sassafras albidum" (roots)--safrole, the oil from these roots, is believed to be carcinogenic, so artificial versions are generally used instead." from Wiki. I drank a lot of Root Beer as a child and I don't have cancer yet. The stuff one can get today is a pale imitation of the real stuff.-Dick

"but when you get done with the special shipping and packaging - it gets up there). " The freight charges for overnight now are routinely as much as the product you order so I try to keep those expenditures at a minimum now and use the local suppliers has much as possible. But I can get whole belly sections of Toro from Browne Trading ( outer skin and inner wall still attached) fresh along with great Akami sections so I stilll use them but not as often. You are correct that 'sushi grade' carries no governmental status but it does carry status in the trade and you need a point to start from in dealing with a fish monger to ascertain if they know and can deliver suitable product.-Dick

First, you need to find a fish monger familiar with the quality needed for sushi/sashimi whether fresh or frozen. Preferably a Japanese market where the fish is labeled sushi grade. All else is for cooking with no raw interior. Tuna are handled differently depending on the final destination and use. Tuna for normal cooking is not processed or kept to the higher standards of sushi grade. It is possible to acquire fresh sushi grade tuna but only from a limited number of suppliers and from Browne Trading which only sells fresh bluefin during the late summer/early Autumn when the bluefin are moving through New England waters. I have purchased sushi grade from Whole Foods that was not frozen but kept in a sterile sort of wrap. It was not bluefin but Ahi probably from Hawaii. Not all tuna sold for consumption is suitable for raw consumption and in fact little of it is. You need to find a source familiar with raw consumption and willing to label as sushi grade. The price differential should be double,i.e. for consumption about $10/#, for raw, upwards from the low $20/#.-Dick

I read all the Replies to the OP and most are probably due to an economic involvement or from lack of experience with fresh caught and properly processed fish. First, there is NOTHING better than fresh caught and properly processed no matter what any interest will tell you as they try to promote their product or method. The best purveyor I know at the moment is Browne Trading and there is not anyhting I know of that is frozen that they sell. Second if you haven't had the experience of truly fresh fish, then you have no standard to set the bar against. Third, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that flash frozen will be better than fish that is in the processing chain for a while. Fourth, more and more producers are using chemical preservatives to enhance the lifetime and add weight to fish. It started with scallops many years ago and I now I have found sellers that deal in 'fresh' fish, selling fish in chemicals. Now gases are added to protect from oxygen and make the product look better but in reality, you now can't tell if the product is bad. Anything that comes in vac packaging and bulges is off limits to purchase today for me. Not all sashimi grade fish is previously frozen, you just have to know your purveyor. Fifth, don't believe what any seller tells you about their fish or shellfish but verify yourself by look, smell and judgment.-Dick

Doesn't matter what you use, a knife, blades in a circle or whatever, the principle is the same. go against the grain of the scales until removed, in the process the scales go everywhere and containment is your biggest problem. As I said I use a knife and ziplock bag. Works great!-Dick

I have hard time believing that anyone would make a point of using a dull knife to fillet fish? On another note, fillet knives and boning knives have a similar shape and may look the same but boning knives are usually stiff to work around the contours of bones whereas fillet knives are flexible to flex over the contours of a fish rib cage. If you remove the ribcage with the fillet from most fish and then remove the ribcage you are wasting time and effort because with the correct knife only the flesh is removed and the rest of the fish is left intact in one piece after the two fillets are removed minus the skin of course.-Dick

One last thought, pliers and tweezers are essentially different in that pliers do not spring apart whereas tweezers do spring apart and tweezers grasp finer objects usually than pliers. If removing the numerous pin bones from a side of salmon, tweezers make for a much faster task.-Dick

My digital scale while calibrated has a 5kg capacity and as such is not as accurate for these measurements. There is only one figure of accuracy so 4gms can be anything up to 4.4 gms and 6gms can be up to 6.4gms. A level teaspoon measure yields as follows: Morton Kosher Salt 6gms Diamond Kosher Salt 4gms It should be noted that the Diamond salt crystals are noticeably larger than the Morton salt crystals and that may explain those who say that professional chefs prefer Diamond. But I also have Course Bailene salt which has even bigger crystals and as I said its the crystal size that leads to that burst of flavor. I use very little salt while cooking and cook with unsalted butter so everything I make must be salted by the person eating. Diamond is courser and Morton finer and that may explain why i and the others I cook for like Morton, its not as gritty for finishing. As a side note I also have a wet salt that we use at table side with a wet salt grinder and when its works its great but its a bear to keep functional. I believe the difference in crystal structure is a direct result of the different methods for refining the salt.-Dick