catdaddy

This dish looks fabulous.

It was like a rock ,so I didnt even try,The outside is skin and fat and its really hard,I am planning to get out serated knife tomorrow to see If I can clean it up,I may have to resort to the bandsaw,later on inthe project ,the pot I have it in will go on the stove ok ,so that will be planB, so thanks for the guidance,and I will report back... Bud It seems to me that by baking the whole ham without opening up the skin, it would keep more moisture, and therefore be more tender after the bake! I just received my FIRST Johnston County country ham, and I'm getting ready to "pull the trigger." I was going to scrub the skin clean, use an open roasting pan with that "V" shaped rack, and turn 'er loose. 17# at 15 minutes is 4 1/4 hours. Now, y'all, I'm gonna wait for about 10-15 minutes to see if any of you kind folks are on this board, and have any PERSONAL, from YOUR OWN experience, good advice you could share. I haven't seen a ham look like this since I was back in Texas in the mid 70's. I hope it comes out just like a baked ham should. BTW, AFTER it is cooked, I was going to skin it, and then use a rub mixture of a good ol' guy named Obie makes. The three flavors I'll be mixing and rubbing is "Sweet and Heat", "Yankee Blaster", and "Gator Breath." Wish me luck! "I'm Goin' In!" Hope it turned out like you want.

I'm thinking steamed with piles of fresh ginger and rice wine and a hot oil bath just before service.

Have to work service that night so maybe a braised tofu/eggplant thing a la Bittman for lunch. Collards and black-eyed peas at work. Very low carb diet at home.

Think I read about this in some Farley Mowat books.

This is excellent advice. Unless you are doing huge sales numbers stick with the smaller suppliers.....they are hustling as hard as you to be successful and would love to have your business.

It's important that your kids see you go to work and know why. Earning money to pay for important things like food and shelter but also that you love what you do for work. And don't forget you are still on your own journey....it's far more complex than theirs but just as important.

It would make a great stuffing for pasta, too.

Paper coffee filters are a good alternative to paper towels.

RIP.

Those are interesting flavors. Tell us about the banana and how the sweetness worked with the duck. The sweetness of the bananas gets toned down with their caramelization and the earthiness of the lentils. The confit offers richness and depth. Creme fraiche pulls it all together and allows it to stand up on the plate. The slight bitterness of the arugula is a good foil. Pared with a French viognier it's an unexpected success.

Sand Dab, I'm thinking. The fish, I mean.

This photo is downright pornographic.

Today at work I used duck confit. The dish is SousVide duck breast over banana flavored lentils, confit, creme fraiche, and with arugula pesto. The duck legs are cured with salt, citrus zest, and an in-house spice blend (mostly coriander seed and fennel seed) then poached in duck fat for 4 hrs. The bananas get browned in butter before the rest is added. Pesto on top. Very tasty.

Marmite is a great idea and it points towards other solutions..........fermented soy products like miso, black beans, tamari, and etc. The trick would be to balance favors correctly. Kim chi, too.

I am wondering where people will be getting the fat(s) necessary for successful confit?

I was once given an entire breast from a swan shot near the Outer Banks of NC. It was huge and the meat was quite dark. As I recall we brined the whole thing. Made skewers with half of it and battered and deep fried small pieces of the other half. If eaten just this side of medium it was juicy and tasted much like Canada Goose. Cooked past medium it got gamey, dry and chewy. Not sure what species it was but the hunter needed a 10 gauge shotgun to bring it down.

I often add a bit of burned-off brandy to mushroom stock. It seems to intensify the mushroom flavor.

This looks fantastic. And kudos for jumping off into the deep-end.

This astonishes me! Why do they not eat? Time will shrink like a wool sweater in a hot dryer. Get the money shots with the photog but make time to hangout with all those great folks you invited. Eat if you can, sounds like a great menu, but spend time with your peeps.

....Fascinating. Thank you.

Ming Tsai also has a really good website. He has lots of video linked to recipes and ingredients.

I grew-up in North Carolina in the sixties where my best friends mother used to feed me insipid orange spread between slices or Wonder bread. If I never saw pimento cheese again it would be too soon.........mostly mayo and red peppers from small cans bought from the grocery store. Fast forward to the mid 80s when I was taught re-imagined low country pimento cheese by Bill Neal of Crooks fame. White Vermont cheddar, real Parm from Italy, house made mayo, charred and skinned red bells; touch of Worcestershire, cayenne, black pepper, and bourbon. Texture was stiff but still spreadable. We served it with house made crackers and raw veg. Good stuff. I love the stuff now. Use whichever peppers you like best. If the skins get to you go with skinless. Make it tasty and everyone else will love it too.

Good stuff in between the ads. Love the story about the great Seattle octopus controversy.

Yes, that would be a great idea, alas we have no oven available. We spent a couple days in Vancouver, BC where the butter tarts are ubiquitous then came here. Bakers in Seattle look at us like we have 3 heads when we mention them.