ChefCrash
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I have the Stretch-tite Wrapmaster (third item down). I have mine mounted on the wall under a kitchen cabinet. It's great.
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This is best served as an outdoor meal where the chicken is cooked on skewers as Miraklegirl mentioned, or (if you must) indoors, sauteed in a large pan.
3 lbs chicken breast cut into 1/2-3/4" cubes (for skewers) or into strips for sauteing.
Using a stick blender in a jar, blend 1/2 cup corn oil with 4 cloves garlic and drizzle with juice of one lemon to get a creamy but pour able mixture.
Place chicken skewers in shallow tray ( each skewer should have enough meat for one sandwich), season with salt and pepper, pour marinade on top, turn skewers to coat. Marinate anywhere from one hour to overnight.
As Tino27 mentioned, you should ask your client what they like for toppings.
Traditional toppings are:
Shredded lettuce
Lebanese cucumber pickles
Garlic sauce (discussed here)
The easiest way to make something close to this sauce is to add about 5 crushed cloves of garlic to one cup of mayo, mix well.
To serve , have your toppings ready and near the grill, you will have to work pretty fast. Grill the skewers on a hot section of the grill turning frequently, as they approach doneness move them to a warm area of the grill.
Place a piece of sandwich (deli) paper in one hand, lay a round of pita on it, smear some garlic /mayo down the center, grab a skewer and place it in the pita. Cup the bread around the chicken and pull the skewer out (leaving the chicken in the pita
).Place toppings along side of chicken, fold and roll pita so the paper is covering one half of the sandwich.
You can be ready for each of your guests as they help themselves to side dishes like Tabbouli, Fattoush, French fries and the like.
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So, I'm dying to know.
Is chard also "lsayyen"? Not that stuffed chard leaves would be bad, but I am always in the market for a new leafy green.
Sorry don't know what "lsayen" is, but Chard (silq) is always stuffed with a lenten stuffing, no meat no dairy (butter or ghee). Stuffed Chard is delicious, suitable for Lent and vegetarians.
Chick peas
Rice
Tomatoes
Parsley
Mint
Onions
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne
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Well, the sauce doesn't have a name. In fact, they call it "Mustard Sauce" (and it's served primarily at the Hibachi tables, for dipping vegetables and shrimp). But I think the predominant flavor is horseradish, and there's definitely grated onion in it.
2 T mayo
1 tsp yellow mustard (French's)
1 tsp prepared horseradish
thin with red wine vinegar
soy sauce to taste.
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Freek, as we call it, is wheat that has been harvested while the plant is still green and then smoked. The green tops (heads) of the wheat plant are spread on screens over smoking fire until the kernels are dry.
After smoking, Freek kernels remain green in color and have a smokey aroma that becomes more pronounced as it cooks.
In Lebanon the only dish made with this grain is called Freek.
And can be made with Chicken, Lamb or Beef.My favorite is with Lamb but the procedure is the same for Chicken or other meats.
Make a stock using meaty Lamb bones. Cover the bones with water and add:
3 kernels of Cardamom (optional)
1 Cinnamon stick
1 Bay leaf
3 Cloves
Salt
Pepper
Skim and simmer (tasting the stock and correcting the seasoning) until the meat on the bones is falling off.
Remove bones and meat. Pull or shred the latter and set aside.
In a small pot, melt 2 T of butter and add 1 cup of Freek (serves two). Stir to coat all the kernels with butter, sauté for one minute. Add enough hot stock to cover by ~ 1/2 inch, bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover and let simmer.
Check kernels for tenderness and add more stock if needed.
In the end you want the consistency of Risotto.
Add the cooked meat, taste for salt and cook few more minutes.
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.... Poor Kelsey, serving Sloppy Joes to Martha Stewart
.I bet they were better than the "Shit-On-A-Shingle" that pompous ex convict ate in prison. Am I the only one who can't stand this lady?
Lisa is starting to grow on me. She is very chique.
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Lisa, that batshit crazy June Cleaver wannabe in high heels and pearls with the $150 Burberry scarf on her head in the kitchen needs to go next. The pastry chef where I work was watching with me and was livid that someone would try to work in a professional kitchen dressed like Anna Wintour in stilettos. And she so doesn't listen to anything that is said to her. She's in her own little world and the rest of us are just interlopers in it, I guess.
In previews of a future episode, they do show her falling on her ass.
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Hmm.. Who's a cheese head in France? David Hatfield?
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This is how we did it last summer. I asked the meat cutter at Sam's Club for an untrimmed eye of round which had a fat cap across one whole side. It was almost half the price of the trimmed ones in the meat case.
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Lamb liver tastes best and has best texture when eaten raw, with onions, mint, salt and pepper.
We also grill it on skewers along with Lamb fat on super hot coals so the inside is still rare.
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As long as the bag is exposed to atmospheric pressure, the pressure is the same inside and outside the bag. If the bag is exposed to atmospheric pressure, the contents are at atmospheric pressure. It is that simple. If you were dealing with a rigid container, the inside and outside would be at different pressures. But that isn't the case.
May we entertain the idea that cellular structures (along with veins and capillaries) of proteins and vegetation, are semi rigid (elastic)?
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I've got a question about amount of dough an how large (as in inches of diameter) of a pizza I should expect from.
My pizzas are typically pretty puny looking. When sliced, the slices looking a little silly. I made one last night, but didn't take pics. I have one portion of dough left, so when I try this time, I'll take pics.
I *THINK* the problem is that my dough isn't relaxed enough. It's doesn't want to stretch easily, and when it does, it tends to snap back. I make the dough a day in advance. Then it goes in the fridge for close to 24 hours before I actually make a pizza. Pull out the dough, divide it into portions, form one into a ball, then let it rest for at least an hour before shaping.
Do I need to give it MORE time to relax? I suspect the second portion will work better if I were to make it today, since it will have been about 48 hours since the dough was actually made.
But back to the ounces to inches thing. Lets say I wanted a 12" pizza. I think that might be the biggest I could make given the size of my peel. How much dough do I need? I like the crust to be thin,, New York style.
Based on discussion on this thread Pizza Dough, I'd say you need 10 to 11 ounces of dough for a 12" pie.
Regarding the problem you are having with dough elasticity, try these two things:
1) Divide the dough before fermenting. Dividing before forming, you are working the dough and it won't relax easily specially if it's cold.
2) If you must retard, allow the dough to come to room temperature before forming. If it feels cool to the hand, don't work it.
Hope this helps.
We made these today.
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These were chicken wings, deep fried, 8 pieces at a time in 1.5 qts corn oil in a 9.5" wide pot for about 10 minutes. Starting temperature 375*.
I have yet to find a way to deep fry whole chicken pieces without poaching them first so they wouldn't turn too dark in the fryer.
jsmeeker
You can buy cajun seasoning (sometimes labeled as Blackening) such as Zaatarain's.
I find those loaded with salt.
This is my last recipe:
2 T Spanish Paprika
1 tsp dried Oregano
1 tsp ground Thyme
1 tsp Cayenne
1 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp granulated Garlic
I like to add salt separately.
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Chef Crash -- those look amazing! I'm particularly intrigued by your "chorizo spice" rub, as I'm a chorizo junkie! Could you post the recipe for it?
Thanks Emily
It's Acleggs Chorizo seasoning, scroll down to item # 111.
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We made Popeye's Chicken.
Chicken marinating in lots of Cajun spices.
Chicken went into flour/water batter on the left, then into plain flour on the right.
The result
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We made Two kinds.
On the left are Lamb strips marinating in Shawarma spices, on the right, Lamb strips marinating in Mexican Chorizo spices.
Shawarma tacos were toped with tomatoes, pickled Turnips, Tahini sauce (Tarator), and a parsley/onion/sumac salad.
Chorizo tacos topped with tomatoes and parsley/onion/sumac salad.
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This method has not appealed to me only because we always make lots of fries. A single layer of potatoes in a skillet won't do.
I still wanted to see what would happen if we pushed this technique to another level.
We started with 2 lbs of russet potatoes cut into ~3/8" strips, soaked in water for an hour, then drained and left in the strainer to dry for half an hour.
The pot used is 9" I.D., the potatoes were placed in 1.5 quarts of corn oil (1.5") on a 14k BTU gas burner on HI.
After about 20 minutes.
At 25 minutes.
We tried this 3 times (on different occasions) the same way.
The first time, a few potatoes stuck to the bottom and had to be scraped off about 7 minute into frying time. Potatoes were done in 25 minutes.
On the second try we tried stirring the fries more often in the beginning to avoid sticking. Didn't work.
The third time, we left the potatoes on the bottom alone and only moved the top layers around once or twice. The potatoes which were stuck released on their own. Again they we done in 25 minutes.
All three times the fries were great, but not superior. I can make better French fries using other methods. This way however, is the only one that allows us to set-it-and-forget-it and time the main course to be done at the same time.
Best part, there is no splatter and the stove top stays clean.
It's a keeper.
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I think it is something for spice sorting or measure?
it is cool whatever it is
That's very clever hbk. If it's not for that purpose, it should be.
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We can discuss paper v. plastic until we're blue in the face, however it seems to me there's a much more significant solid waste disposal problem at the supermarket: using a million bags.
I've been traveling in the US South for about a week, and every time I go to the grocery store I'm amazed at how many bags are used to pack my groceries. Sometimes just one item -- and not a big one -- is placed in a bag by the cashier or bagger. Other times the cutoff seems totally random: I have eight yogurts, seven go in one bag, the eighth goes in a new bag. In all cases, there's room in any given bag for three times as much stuff as has been placed in the bag.
Not to pick on the South specifically, this seems to happen at suburban supermarkets all over North America. It doesn't seem to be a problem in New York City, where I live, and I imagine that's because people in walkable cities often walk with their groceries -- so they're not going to accept the million-bags approach. Maybe people who shop by car just don't care?
There was a time when you were stealing extra bags. What gives?
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A little professional distance is a nice thing, false bonhomie (and even -- no one who knows me will believe this-- flirting) is annoying, especially when it's being used to as a substitute for competence or to manipulate my tip calculations.
Dang! You mean the waitress who slid in the booth next to me (and across from my wife) rubbing shoulders, didn't want to have my baby?
I'm with Cathrynapple on this.
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Another variation is a Hummus plate with a mound of Shawarma meat on top. Served in most Shawarma joints.
You can do this at home by sauteeing Lamb shoulder (cut into strips). Season with Curry powder*, cumin, salt and pepper.
*Curry powder contains many of the seasonings used in Shawarma.
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For what it's worth, I neither look (in any way) like Brad Pitt or Tom Selleck.
Um.. are you furry?
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Now that my package is here, I have some more questions--
I opened the Lebanese green olives, and they are very fizzy, like spoiled canned fruit. Is this normal for them or have I poisoined myself by trying one? The jar continues to fizz ten minutes after I've opened it. Not like it was shaken, but like it is carbonated.
A second question--how does one serve labna balls in oil? They're very strong and salty.
If the olives are soft and pale in color, or the brine is cloudy they're not good.
Try to find a place where you can taste the olives before you buy.
Labneh balls can be dusted with Zaatar to resemble Shanklish and presented whole next to crackers with a spread knife.
You can make a dip by adding crushed garlic and dry mint.
You can make Fatayer B'Labneh. Mix Labneh with diced onions, chopped fresh mint, some of the olive oil they came with, salt and pepper to taste. Use this mixture instead of spinach in the recipe above.
ChefCrash--how well would the lahm b'ajeen and the spinach pies freeze? I would imagine the falafel would probably freeze well, too, but not the grape leaves.I have some grape leaves I need to use up--would you mind posting your recipe?
The pies can be frozen before baking. I haven't had good luck freezing stuffed grape leaves. I don't like the texture of the rice after cooking.
Grape leaves stuffing:
1 C rice
3/4 lb ground beef or lamb
3 T softened butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste.
If you're using fresh or frozen leaves, you may have to blanch them (less than a minute). Out of a jar they can be used as is. Line the bottom of a pot with lamb fat or bones (slices of potatoes will do to keep the bottom layer from burning), roll as you would egg rolls and stack one layer at a time, cover with water, place a dish (weight) on top, bring to a boil then simmer covered on medium low. The water need not all evaporate. They are done when you try one and it's to your liking.
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I use 400 grams of dough for a 14" New York style pizza. A 14" pizza has an area of 154 square inches.
That equates to 2.6 grams of dough per inch square. For an 18" pizza with an area of 255 square inches, you'll need 663 grams ~ 25 oz.
Pizza dough sticking to the peel
in Cooking
Posted
Can also use parchment paper on the peel.