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  1. Cheesecake muffins Ingredients (6 muffins) 1 lemon jelly 10 big strawberries 200g of vanilla fromage frais grated skin from half a lemon Dissolve the jelly in 250ml of hot water. Leave to cool down (not to set). Wash the strawberries, remove the shanks and blend them. Mix half of the jelly with the strawberries. Put it into the silicon pastry cases. Leave it to set in the fridge. Mix the rest of the jelly with the vanilla fromage frais. Put it on the strawberry jelly. Leave it to set in the fridge. Immerse the silicon pastry case in hot water for a while to get the dessert out of the dish. Enjoy your meal!
  2. Herby mini tarts with broad beans and sausages All year long I wait impatiently for two summer treasures. The first are strawberries and the second are broad beans. I know that I can buy both of them frozen, but the flavour of fresh products is incomparable. We like cooked broad beans. Regardless of how many we cook, we are able to eat them all. My daughter also loves broad beans, but she used to eat a good deal more. Many times I have used broad beans in salads. Today I would like to share with you a recipe for shortbread mini tarts with broad beans and slices of sausages. The dish smells of rosemary and thyme and it is excellent as a not so substantial dinner or a slightly richer supper. Ingredients (for 3 people) dough 150g of flour 1 egg 75g of butter 1 tablespoon of minced rosemary 1 tablespoon of minced thyme a pinch of salt stuffing 100g of sausage 3 fistfuls of broad beans 10cm piece of leek 1 tablespoon of minced rosemary 2 tablespoons of minced thyme 1 tablespoon of butter 3 eggs 150ml of milk salt and pepper Mix the flour, salt, rosemary and thyme in a bowl. Add the butter and eggs and quickly knead into a smooth dough. Cover with a plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for half an hour. Prepare the ingredients of the stuffing. Cook the broad beans, drain and peel them. Slice the sausages and leek. Melt the butter in a pan. Lightly fry the leek. Mix the eggs and milk, rosemary and thyme in a separate bowl. Spice it up with salt and pepper. Heat the oven up to 180C. Smooth some small casserole dishes with butter. Cover them with the dough, leaving the edges slightly raised around the sides, prick them with a fork and cover with baking paper. Put some dried peas on top of the paper. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and bake for another minute. Take the dishes out from the oven. Don't turn off the oven. Arrange the slices of sausage, leek and cooked broad beans on top of the mini tarts. Put the milk-egg mixture on the top. Bake for 25 minutes. Enjoy your meal!
  3. Recently, I prepared another version of my most summery soup. Creamy cold radish soup with a hint of garlic and thyme was refreshing and very tasty and only takes a moment to prepare. It is the best with new potatoes liberally sprinkled with dill. It is an excellent dish for a quick and easy dinner on a hot summer day. And it is only a little bit pink ... The recipe comes from "Smaki życia" ("Flavour of Life") by Agnieszka Maciąg. Ingredients (for 4 people) 2 bunches of radishes 1l of natural yoghurt 2 cloves of garlic 2 tablespoons of minced thyme 4 tablespoons of minced chives salt and pepper Clean the radishes and grate them. Crush the garlic. Mix the radishes in with the garlic, chives and thyme. Add the natural yoghurt, spice it up with salt and pepper and mix it in. Serve with hot new potatoes with dill.
  4. Ingredients (for 4 people): 3 long sticks of rhubarb 250g of strawberries 4 tablespoons of xylitol 4 tablespoons of butter 150g of desiccated coconut Heat the oven up to 180C. Wash the rhubarb, peel it and cut it into 1 cm pieces. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of xylitol, mix it in and leave for half an hour. Wash the strawberries, remove the shanks and cut them into small pieces. Drain the rhubarb from the juice and mix it in with the strawberries. Melt the butter. Mix the desiccated coconut with the rest of the xylitol and butter. Smooth some small casserole dishes with a bit of butter. Put the rhubarb and strawberries into them. Sprinkle with the desiccated coconut crumble topping. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Serve with strawberry or vanilla ice cream.
  5. Today we had fresh fillets of red snapper on our table. Raw red snapper is light red, but after baking the meat is white and mild. I served it with green asparagus spears and an interesting tasting salsa with low-salt cucumbers. A big asset of this dish is its flavour, spectacular looks and that it only took 30 minutes to prepare. I like this kind of dish! Ingredients (for 4 people) 800g of red snapper fillets 6 sprigs of thyme 3 sprigs of rosemary 4 cloves of garlic (unpeeled) salt, white pepper salsa 4 low-salt cucumbers half a red pepper half a chili pepper 2 cloves of garlic (peeled) 4 tablespoons of minced chives 2 teaspoons of honey the juice from half a lemon other ingredients: 2 bunches of asparagus spears Firstly, prepare the salsa. Dice the low-salt cucumber and red pepper. Chop the garlic and chili pepper. Mix in the cucumbers, two kinds of pepper, garlic and chives. Spice it up with the lemon juice and honey. Leave in the fridge for 20 minutes. Heat the oven up to 180C. Cover a casserole dish with some baking paper. Sprinkle it with some olive oil. Cut the fillets of fish into pieces (whatever size suits you) and spice them up with salt and white pepper. Put them and the rosemary, garlic and thyme on the baking paper. Bake for 20 minutes. Wash the asparagus spears, remove the lignified parts and boil them al dente for 8-10 minutes in lightly salted water. Arrange the asparagus spears, two tablespoons of salsa and the pieces of fish on a plate. Decorate with a bit of salsa and the thyme sprigs.
  6. Goulash soup – an excellent and satisfying meal You can prepare it with your favourite meat: beef and pork are perfect. I think that the one of kind of meat I don't use for goulash soup is chicken, but maybe I should think again? Recently I experimented and made this soup with turkey leg. It was excellent and cooked more quickly than with pork or beef. Ingredients (for 2 people) 500g of meat of turkey leg 1 onion 2 cloves of garlic 2 carrots 1 parsley root half a red pepper 5 potatoes 5 sprigs of rosemary 2 teaspoons of sweet paprika 1 teaspoon of hot paprika 2 tablespoons of flour 4 bay leaves 4 juniper beans oil salt and pepper Cut the meat into small pieces and spice them up with salt, pepper, sweet and hot paprika, and three chopped sprigs of rosemary. Sprinkle with flour and mix it in. Leave in the fridge for half an hour. Peel the potatoes and cube them. Peel the carrots and parsley roots and cut them into slices. Cut the red pepper into small pieces. Chop the onion and garlic. Fry the meat in the oil and put it into a saucepan. Don't clean the pan, and fry the onion and garlic in it. If necessary add a bit of oil. Put the onion and garlic in with the meat. Add the bay leaves and juniper beans and the rest of the rosemary. Pour enough water to cover the meat and boil for 30 minutes. Add the carrots, parsley root and boil for 15 minutes. Add the potatoes. If necessary pour in more water. Boil until the potatoes are soft. Spice the soup up with salt and pepper. Enjoy your meal!
  7. I prepared two versions: the first one with desiccated coconut and blueberries and the second with dark chocolate and strawberries. Choose your favorite dessert or go crazy and make your own version. Bright dessert Ingredients (for 2 people) 200g of white chocolate 100g of blueberries 200ml of 30% sweet cream 200ml of mascarpone cheese 2 tablespoons of desiccated coconut Melt 150g of the white chocolate in a bain-marie. Draw six 8 cm circles on a sheet of baking paper. Put 2-3 tablespoons of chocolate on each of them and smear it around to cover the whole circle. Leave them at room temperature to congeal and then put them in the fridge for 2 hours. Melt the rest of the white chocolate in a bain-marie. Whisk the cream. Add the mascarpone cheese after whisking. Add the white chocolate and the desiccated coconut and stir thoroughly. Wash the blueberries and drain them. Put the first chocolate circles onto a plate, then a layer of the cream and a couple of blueberries and once again chocolate, cream and blueberries. Put the last chocolate circle on the top. Decorate with the rest of the cream, fruit and peppermint leaves. Serve chilled. Dark dessert Ingredients (for 2 people) 200g of dark chocolate 1 tablespoon of cocoa a couple of strawberries 200ml of 30% sweet cream 200ml of mascarpone cheese Melt 150g of the dark chocolate in a bain-marie. Draw six 8cm circles on a sheet of baking paper. Put 2-3 tablespoons of chocolate on each of them and smear it around to cover the whole circle. Leave them at room temperature to congeal and then put them in the fridge for 2 hours. Melt the rest of the dark chocolate in a bain-marie. Whisk the cream. Add the mascarpone cheese after whisking. Add the dark chocolate and the cocoa and stir thoroughly. Wash the strawberries and remove the shanks. Leave 3-4 nice bits of fruit for decoration, and cut the rest into small pieces. Put the first chocolate circles on a plate, then a layer of the cream and a couple of strawberry pieces and then once again chocolate, cream and strawberries. Put the last chocolate circle on the top. Decorate with the rest of the cream, fruit and peppermint leaves. Serve chilled.
  8. I posted this recipe last year (or the year before?) in the dinner thread. I have been asked to re-post it here so it is easier to find. I'm glad so many people like it. Slow Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce 1/2 cup olive oil, divided 1 large red or yellow onion, diced 6 cloves garlic, minced 18 basil leaves, sliced plus 1/4 c. basil, sliced 1/8 t. red pepper flakes 50 (or more) cherry tomatoes 1 t. salt 2 t. sugar Preheat oven to 250. Heat 1/4 c.olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender - about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 18 basil leaves and red pepper flakes. Place cherry tomatoes in roasting pan large enough to hold tomatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle with sugar and 1 t. salt. Spoon onion mixture over tomatoes and drizzle with remaining 1/4 c. olive oil. Roast tomatoes in preheated oven 3 hours, stirring once. Serve toped with 1/4 cup basil leaves. (This recipe is wonderful but, I think, overly precise. Exactly 18 basil leaves? 50 tomatoes? I use what amount looks good. I also like it with a mix of different colored tomatoes.)
  9. What should a Sunday dessert be like if it is to disappear as soon as it has been served? In my home we need two things: chocolate and fruit. These ingredients usually ensure my culinary success. Recently I used them to prepare muffins with blueberries and white chocolate. They were yummy, fluffy inside and crunchy outside, and it was possible to smell the sweet, chocolate fragrance in the corridor outside our flat. As usual, some of them were packed in boxes for my children's packed lunch. Ingredients (12 muffins) 300g of flour 3 tablespoons of cocoa 150g of butter 170ml of milk 160g of brown sugar 2 eggs 2 flat teaspoons of baking powder ½ teaspoon of baking soda 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence 12 bars of white chocolate blueberries Heat the oven up to 190C. Put some paper muffin moulds into the "dimples" of a baking pan for muffins. Melt the butter in a pan. Leave to cool down. Mix together the dry ingredients of the muffins: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa. Mix together the milk, vanilla essence and eggs in a separate bowl. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and mix them in. Add the melted butter and mix it in again. Put the dough into some paper muffin moulds up to 1/2 of their height, and put 3-4 blueberries and one piece of white chocolate on top. Add some dough on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
  10. Today I would like to share with you a recipe for a slightly different sandwich. Instead of traditional vegetables, I recommend strawberry salsa, and rather than a slice of ham – a golden grilled slice of Halloumi cheese. Only one thing is missing – a fresh and fragrant bread roll. Halloumi is a Cypriot cheese made with sheep's milk or a mixture of sheep's, goat's and cow's milk. It is semihard and so flexible that it is excellent for frying and barbecuing, and it is great fresh too. Ingredients (for two people) 2 fresh rolls of your choice 2 big lettuce leaves 4 slices of Halloumi cheese 2 teaspoons of butter salsa: 8 strawberries half a chili pepper 2 tablespoons of minced peppermint leaves ¼ a red onion 2 tablespoons of chopped almond without the skin 1 teaspoon of honey 2 tablespoons of lemon juice 2 tablespoons of balsamic sauce Start by preparing the salsa. Wash the strawberries, remove the shanks and cube them. Dice the onion and chili pepper. Mix the strawberries with the onion, chili pepper, peppermint and almonds. Spice it up with honey and lemon juice. Leave in the fridge for half an hour. Grill the slices of Halloumi cheese until they are golden. Cut the fresh rolls in half and spread them with butter. Put a lettuce leaf on each half of roll, then a slice of the Halloumi cheese, one tablespoon of salsa, another slice of cheese and two tablespoons of salsa. Spice it up with balsamic sauce. Cover with the other half of the roll. Prepare the second sandwich in the same way. Serve at once while the cheese is still hot. Enjoy your meal!
  11. Strawberry dessert with chia seeds Ingredients (for 4 people) 300g of strawberries 300ml of milk (it may be coconut milk or whatever you prefer) honey or maple syrup 4 tablespoons of chia seeds fruit and peppermint leaves for decoration Clean the strawberries and remove the shanks. Add the milk and one tablespoon of honey or maple syrup. Blend it thoroughly. Try it and if necessary add a bit more honey. Add the chia seeds, mix them in and leave in the fridge for 4-5 hours. Stir once again. Put the dessert into a small bowl and decorate with the fruit and peppermint leaves. The inspiration for this dessert comes from "Smaki życia" ("Flavour of Life") by Agnieszka Maciąg
  12. Plum tart with almonds Starting from the first half of August, in the shops and on stands appear the first domestic plums. In September there are so many of them that I have a problem deciding which kind I should choose. Small and big, round and more ovate, violet, red and yellow. You can eat them fresh or make a lot of preserves (jams, plum stew, stewed fruits, pickles, liqueurs, plum brandy). Our favorite are big and round greengage plums, or slightly firm violet plums. Plums have a lot of valuable attributes. They regulate digestion and protect us from free radicals. Dried plums are more valuable regarding vitamin and fiber content, but they have five times more calories than fresh fruits. Plums have quite a lot B vitamins, so for a long time they have been well regarded for having a soothing effect on the nervous system and improving our frame of mind. That's why you simply have to make a plum cake. Either now or when the dreary autumn days arrive. Their benign impact on the nerves could be a good excuse for putting another piece of cake on your plate. I don't like complicated cookery. In this recipe you will find a lot of ingredients, but even so, preparing this delicious cake is very simple. Ingredients: Dough: 250g of flour half a teaspoon of baking powder 8g of vanilla sugar 3 tablespoons of sugar 150ml of 18% cream 150g of butter Filling: 600g of plums 1 egg white 3 tablespoons of minced almonds 2 tablespoons of brown sugar 200g of plum stew 1 teaspoon of cinnamon Crumble topping: 50g of butter 3-4 tablespoons of flour 3 tablespoons of brown sugar 8g of vanilla sugar 1 egg yolk Mix together the dry ingredients for the dough: flour, baking powder, sugar and vanilla sugar. Add cream. Mince the butter and add it to the dry ingredients. Quickly knead into smooth dough. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for half an hour. Heat the oven up to 200C. Cover a baking pan (e.g. for a tart) with the dough, leaving the edges slightly raised around the sides. Whisk the egg white and cover the dough with it. Sprinkle with the almonds and brown sugar. Bake for 14 minutes. Take it out of the oven. Don't turn off the oven. Make the crumble topping when the dough is in the oven. Melt the butter, cool it a bit then add the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar and egg yolk. Mix it with a fork until you have lumps. Clean the plums, cut them into halves and remove the stones. Cover the baked base with plum stew, add the plums and sprinkle with cinnamon and the crumble topping. Bake for 20 minutes.
  13. Pineapple and coconut – the ideal couple Today, inspired by the recipes from the book "Zielone koktajle. 365 przepisów" ("Green cocktails. 365 recipes") I prepared a light coconut-pineapple dessert. You may make it without sugar if you have enough sweet fruit. If your pineapple isn't very ripe, add a bit of honey to your dessert. Ingredients (for 4 people)fruit mousse 1 pineapple 300ml of coconut milk 1 banana 150ml of orange juice 2 tablespoons of desiccated coconutdecoration 50g of butter 1 tablespoon of caster sugar 4 tablespoons of desiccated coconut 4 slices of orange fruit Blend all the ingredients of the fruit mousse. Put it into some glasses and leave in the fridge. Put the desiccated coconut, sugar and butter into a pan. Fry constantly, stirring on a low heat until the butter is melted. Leave to cool down a bit. Put 2-3 tablespoons of it on top of the desserts. Decorate with a slice of orange, fruit and some peppermint leaves before serving. Enjoy your meal!
  14. Consider making this if you have some late tomatoes that need to be used, or live in a part of the world where it's summer. If you don't have ripe fresh tomatoes, canned ones work very well. In Israel, shakshuka is most popular as branch or breakfast, but it can also make a lovely dinner. This serves four. The sauce can be made ahead, portioned and kept refrigerated for a few days, or frozen. Base souce: a little oil (1/2 tablespoon) 700-750g ripe red bell peppers (3 large), cut to roughly 1cm (1/2") 650g of very ripe tomatoes (5 large), optionally peeled and roughly chopped (about 3cm, 1") 1-2 hot green chilies of your variety of choice (preferably vegetal and not bitter), thinly sliced into rings 3.5 teaspoons salt (to taste) about 1/2 teaspoon black pepper A few tablespoons of chopped parsley A couple of tablespoons of chopped cilantro (optional) Spice paste: about 2 tablespoons of good olive oil 8-9 cloves of garlic, minced 3 teaspoons of ground cumin (freshly ground if possible) 1/2 teaspoon of ground or whole caraway (optional) 2-2.5 tablespoons of Moroccan sweet paprika (more earthy and less sweet/herbal then hungarian. I think spanish style will be good as well) If you like extra hot, or if you don't use fresh chili, then sub hot paprika for some of the sweet paprika Tahini sauce (makes more then needed): 1/2 cup good tahini (seek one which is pale, nutty and naturally sweet) 1/2 cup very cold water 3 tablespoons lemon juice (+ more to taste) salt to taste 1-2 cloves of minced garlic (optional) -- Mix all of those, add more water if it is very thick. Can be kept up to 4 days. To finish: about 8 eggs (assuming 2 per serving) more salt and pepper, to season the eggs some more parsley about 2 tablespoons of the tahini sauce To serve along: A crusty bread with a soft crumb, unsliced (I usually opt for challah or french style bread) - make sure to slightly heat it in the oven so that it gets crisp and warm More of the tahini sauce Extra hot sauce - Filfel chuma is the best if you can buy, or make it (very easy to do so) Olives (or pickles) Process: Prepare the spice paste: in a small pan, heat oil, garlic, cumin, caraway - until aromatic and lightly sizzling, about 3 minutes. Add paprika and stir. Cook a minute or so and remove from heat. Prepare the sauce: In a shallow wide pot, or a deep pan, saute the bell peppers with a little oil over medium-high heat. Add a generous tablespoon of the spice paste and stir with the peppers. Cook until the peppers soften, roughly 10 minutes, being careful not to burn the spices. Add the tomatoes. Lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for another 30 minutes or so, until thickened slightly (it will get thicker with the eggs). Add remaining spice paste. Add salt, pepper and herbs. At this point, the sauce can be portioned and refrigerated. If portioned, transfer the sauce to a pan of suitable (smaler) size. Lower the heat. If cooking 4 eggs or more, break them ahead of time onto a plate. Using a spoon, create a shallow indentation in the sauce for each egg (this will keep them from sliding). Place an egg in each indentation. Gently stir the egg whites with the sauce around them, only a little - do not break the yolks. Season the top of the eggs with some salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and cook on a bare simmer, until the eggs are just barely cooked (like poached eggs) - consider that they will cook some further from the residual heat of the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley, drizzle with tahini. Shakshuka is served in the pan it was cooked in! If you eat alone (or comfortable with your companion), eat directly from the pan. Otherwise, gently transfer to a plate. The bread is best left unsliced, rather teared and dipped into the sauce and eggs (The Hebrew language has a term for tearing of bread - לבצוע Livtzo'a). Add more tahini and hot sauce as pleases you.
  15. How to Make Rye Sourdough Bread I don't know what it is about bread, but it is my favorite thing to make and eat. A freshly baked loaf of bread solves a world of problems. I was lucky enough to get to be one of the main bakers when I worked at the Herbfarm. We baked Epi, Baguettes, Rolls, Pretzels and so much more. Rye Sourdough Wood Oven Baked Bread My fondest memory when I worked there was our field trip to the Bread Lab(wait something this cool came out of WSU, of course!) here in Washington. They grow thousands of varieties of wheat and have some pretty cool equipment to test gluten levels, protein, genetics and so on. I nerded out so hard. What came out of that trip was this bread. Now I can't recall the exact flour we got from them, but using a basic bread and rye will do the trick. We used to get a special flour for our 100 mile menu. This was where we were limited to only serving food from 100 miles away. So finding a wheat farm that made actual hulled wheat in 100 miles was a miracle. The year before...the thing we made, was closer to hard tack. Now if you don't have a starter, I recommend starting one! It is a great investment! Rye Sourdough 1000 g flour (60% Bread Flour, 40% Rye) 25 g salt 75 g of honey/molasses 200 g of Rye starter 650 g of water, cold Equipment Baker Scale (or other gram scale) Bench Cutter Bread Razor (you could also use one of those straight razors) Start by taking the cold water, yeast and Honey and mix together and let sit for 10-15 minutes I know, some of you just freaked out, cold water? Won't that kill the yeast. Nope, the yeast just needs to re hydrate. I prefer using cold water to slow the yeast down. That way the lactobacillus in the starter has a good amount of time to start making lactic acid, and really get to flavor town! While that is sitting, I mix the flour and the salt together(How many times I have forgotten to salt the bread). Now mix the two products with a kneading hook for 3-5 minutes, only until thoroughly mixed but not yet at the window pane stage of kneading. Instead, place into a bowl and set a timer for one hour. Then when that hour is up, push the dough down and fold all the corners in Repeat this step 2-3 more times, pending on the outside temperature. If you happen to have those cool bowls to shape round loafs! Awesome, use them. I would break the boules into 3 balls of about 333 grams If not then just put the dough in the fridge and do the steps below the next day. Once you have bouled the bread, can put it into the fridge and let it sit over night Again, this lets the bacteria, really get to work(misconception is the yeast adds the sour flavor, nope, think yogurt!) Now on the next day, heat up whatever form of oven you plan to use. We used a brick oven but if you just have a normal oven, that is fine. Crank it to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have not bouled your bread yet, go back and watch the video and break the dough down into three balls of abut 333 grams. Then place the balls on a lightly greased sheet pan. Let sit for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you have used the fancy bowls then turn the the bread out on a lightly greased sheet pan, without the bowl and let temper for 15-30 minutes. If your oven is steam injected, build up a good blast of steam. If not, throw in a few ice cubes and close the door or put a bath of hot water inside. The steam is what creates the sexy crust! Let it build up for a few minutes! Right before you put the bread into the oven use a bread razor to slice the top of the bread. Place the dough balls into the oven and douse with another blast of steam or ice and close the oven. Let them bake for 13 minutes at 450 degrees. Then turn the loaves and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove when the crust is as dark as you want and the internal temperature exceeds 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Now pull out and make sure to let cool off of the sheet pan with room to breath underneath. You don't want your crust steaming! Now here is the hardest part, wait at least 20 minutes before getting into the bread. Also, cutting into bread to early really seems to come out poorly. I would rip the bread until 1-2 hours has passed. Now serve it with your favorite butter, goat butter or whipped duck fat!
  16. Where do Chefs get most of their ideas from(besides Sunday night projects!)? Honestly, a combination of books and leftover products. Duck fat is either in over supply or high demand in most kitchens. It depends on how many ducks you have broken down, how much time you spend rendering fat and if you are currently doing duck fat potatoes on your menu. When I worked at the Herbfarm, we would often have large vats of duck fat and pork fat. This brought about the question. What do we do with all this duck fat/pork fat? Well, you can confit everything in duck and pork fat. It tastes great. However, we were the Herbfarm. We had to try to add a twist. Now this dish may have come from Heston Blumenthal originally, I can't recall. To me, in a kitchen, what's new is old and what is old is new. Or as King Solomon said "There is nothing new under the sun" (ironically, I am sure he stole that from someone). So this dish is simple and really requires very little prep, minus the cracklins. What you will need: 8 oz of Duck/Pork Fat 2 Bunchs of Chives, slice extra thin(make sure you have a sharp knife!) Salt to taste Any leftover duck skin from rendering If you don't have that 1-2 oz of crisped and crumbed bacon will work Equipment: Cube shaped molds Butchers Twine Piping bag Whipped Version - BETTER Tasting: Now there are two ways to approach this "dish", not really a dish, product. I prefer the whipped version. It just tastes so airy. It is like whipped cream vs. cream. Let you duck or pork fat soften at room temperature. You don't want to break your kitchen aid. Once it has tempered, place all 8 oz in a mixer and beat on high for a few minutes with a few good pinches of salt. You should see the color start to brighten up. After that, let it beat for another 2-3 minutes. Then when it looks very airy, use a spatula to fold in the chives and crispy skin or back. Now make sure you have the butchers twine cut into several inch pieces. It is ok if they are too long, you can cut them later. Place the whipped fat in a piping bag. Now here is the only reason I don't like the whipped method. It produces a better product by far! However, it can be a little messier. I usually put the twine in and pull one end to a corner. Pipe the fat into the cube mold till it fills it slightly above the top. Pull the string towards the middle, and flatten the top using an offset spatula. Once all your molds are filled and wicked, place into the fridge until you need it. Then pop it out! Melted Version: Alright, this is not my preference, but it is way faster and easier but the chives and cracklins tend to settle at the bottom. Lightly warm your duck or pork fat. No need to bring it to anything above 150 degrees. Let it cool if it gets too hot Then while it is still fluid, mix in the chives and cracklins. Now using the cube molds and the wicks, put the wick in first. It will be easier, trust me! Same idea, pull the wick to the side and then pour in the fat. Obviously, way easier and cleaner than piping, but again, think whipped cream vs cream. Now once they are all wicked, place in fridge till firm. Serve with a nice slice of Rye Sour dough bread! Or maybe another bread from Tartine's Bread Book!
  17. **The top portion is a little more story, but if you don't want to read that, skip on down to the recipe!** Black Sesame Seed Gelato Black Sesame, Douglas fir Granita and toasted chocolate One of the recipes I loved from Cafe Juanita was the Gelato recipe. One, it was easy to memorize and two every time I have used it and in every kitchen I have been asked for the recipe. Oh, and I forgot the best part. So this recipe is called "Black Sesame" but really I will give you the base and from there you can make any flavor you want! I have made Smoked Caramel, Douglas fir, Cardamon, Pistachio, Olive oil and 31 other flavors (actually more!). So you can make a huge batch of this and take it from there! The key to the recipe is understand how Gelato and Ice Cream works. Frozen custards relay on various variables to reduce the amount of ice crystal that from in the custard. Higher fat, higher hydrocolliods, faster sheering of a blade, etc. Each of these decrease the ability for ice crystals to form. So when considering making a flavor fat, protein, sugar and churning levels all have to be taken into account. These all play a role. Not only that, sugar, fat, and protein play a huge role in not only texture, but stability at room temperature. For instance, have you ever had chewy ice cream and I am not referring to Turkish Ice cream. I am referring to overly stabilized ice creams. Whether this is with carrageenan or guar gum. All stabilizers are double edged swords. If you have 500 hundred quenelles that you have to do. Stabilizers are a life saver. Yet, your texture suffers. **Warning***If you want to to go straight to the recipe, skip the next three sections! Fat Let me tell you a horror story about high fat gelato. One such night, the first night I went from being an Intern to a paid employee at Cafe Juanita we had to serve a 30 top down stairs. I was in charge of the dessert. A nectarine tart with Olive oil gelato. One key with high fat ice creams and gelatos is proper tempering. If you haven't tempered an ice cream with high fat, and have to scoop 30 quenelles. You are screwed. I still remember that night. Holly came down, and she didn't yell, she didn't scream. Her words still cut like a hot dagger through my young self-esteem. I told you I just started getting paid, after 3 months of interning. Her first question was "Why am I even paying you". Instant shut down, me a 17-year old kid who had plenty of imposter syndrome to deal with, was broken. I couldn't even respond.#cheflife..but that doesn't have too much to do with Gelato. It is more just to make the point that high fat means a harder freeze. Also, sometimes it makes it more like frozen butter. This is not a pleasant texture and you should think about the final fat content. If I am making a pure nut gelato, I often just use a nut butter and simple syrup. There is no need for cream, whole milk or egg. You actually want to reduce fat. Sugar Now where high fat makes ice creams more stable. Increasing sugar does quite the opposite. The sugar molecule decreases the temperature required for a hard freeze. I learned to hate the Burnt sugar gelato at Cafe Juanita. If it was even close to 80 degrees outside, the little freezer we had upstairs couldn't handle being open and closed all service. I would be able to server maybe 3 servings before I just had to say we were out. If you happen to make this recipe and have any questions about flavor adjustments, feel free to send me an email! Hydrocolliods If you don't like nerd talk, you should skip to the recipe now! If you like knowing random facts about things to "impress" people at parties. Then keep reading. The word has two parts. The hydro referring to water and the collid referring one product that is microscopically dispersed insoluble products in another substance. What this translates to, is small particles floating around in water. In particular, these products often create a matrix that suspends fluid. This would be xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, egg yolks, and many others. If you have ever looked at the ingredients in store bought ice cream, some of these may be familiar. These help maintain the structure of the ice cream. Some of them can even withstand a decent amount of sitting at room temperature. Too much does make your ice cream rather chewy... But enough of that, let's get to the recipe! Recipe 1 Gallon of Whole Milk 900 g egg yolk 1000 g sugar 500 g black Sesame(toasted) 1 tbsp of salt Equipment needed Vitamix or other blender! Ice Cream Machine 2 Gallon Pot- or double the size of your final proportion 2 Gallon Bowl Whisk Alright, this recipe is pretty simple. Have you ever made custard or creme anglaise? Well, that is all you are going to do here. Start by taking the whole milk and heating it on the on a medium high heat. Make sure you watch it so it doesn't over boil (trust me, I have had to clean plenty of stove tops because of my one track mind). In a bowl that can hold two gallons! mix the egg yolks, sugar and salt, and beat until thick. Once your milk has come up to a boil, take it off the heat. Make sure you have a ladle and a whisk ready and clean(more important for cooks...). Then slowly ladle in the hot milk and whisk. This is called tempering, it protects the egg yolks from scrambling. You want to make sure you bring the egg yolks up slowly and whisk constantly. Otherwise you will end up with egg chunks! Once mixed, you will more than likely have to put this mixture on the stove top again at low heat(10% of the time it might cook to the right temperature and you won't have to do this step). Bring the mixture up to 160-165 degrees. This should be at what is called the "Nape" stage. This refers to being able to stick a spoon in the custard base, pull it out a scrape a line down the center. As in the picture below. ****Warning***** be mindful of the bottom of your pan. You have to keep mixing constantly, maybe even with a heat proof spatula. Otherwise, you will get scrambled eggs at the bottom. A little is ok, and can and should be strained out! Set up a bowl that will fit your final custard over a bowl with ice water. This will just help cool down your product faster, and if by chance you were getting too hot, save you from having scrambled eggs. Once your custard has reached the proper stage of Nape. Strain your product through a fine sieve or other strainer into your two bowl combination. That was your base. From there, you can take your base and make any flavor you want! Again, let me know if you have any questions! Black Sesame Starting with the base, take half your toasted black sesame and enough liquid to fill 1/2 of your blender. Don't over fill your blender...that is my job...I have seen blenders explode more than once... Place the sesame seeds and base you have from the previous step into your Vita-mix. Blend for a few minutes, its ok if it is not super smooth. We will be straining later on. Repeat this step until all your sesame seed is pureed and mix both of the batches with the rest of your custard. Allow this to sit over night. The next day, strain the product through a fine sieve. Season to taste with more salt if necessary. Honestly, salt in this makes it! From here, it depends on what kind of ice cream maker you have. When I did this dish, we actually used dry ice to make the ice cream. If you are curious on the steps, feel free to ask! No ice cream maker required!
  18. For 3 medium pizzas (4 large-ish slices each) or 2 large pizzas (I recommend that you stick to medium sized ones). 425g (15oz) high gluten (bread) flour 272g (9.6oz) room temp water (based on hydration percentage: 272=425*0.64) 10.5g ( 0.4oz) salt 16g (4 tsp, 0.53oz) sugar 17g (1.5 tbsp, 0.6oz) olive oil 6.5g (2 tsp, 0.25oz) instant yeast (or 2.5g dry) If you have non-diastatic malt powder, adding a little will add a nice flavor Note: edited 2020, since my recipe changed since 2016. The original version called for 6.5g salt, 21g olive oil, 12g sugar. If using dry yeast, dissolve it in the water, instant yeast can be mixed with the flour. Mix all dry ingredients, pour in the water. Using a mixer, knead 5 min, let rest 10 min, knead 5 min more, or until well developed. If you use your hands, it's better to knead more times, for shorter periods and shorter rests in between. Put the dough in the fridge at least overnight, preferably 2-3 days and up to 6 days. Once the dough is risen, Take it cold from the fridge and place it on a dusted surface. Divide into as many pieces as you want pizzas. Shape into tight balls. Use semolina or flour as needed, try not to overuse it, but it's better than having it stick. Place the balls on a generous dusting of semolina or flour so it won't stick to the surface. Keep it covered. I use an upside down bowl, but a dusted towel will work. Let it rise for 1 to 2.5 hours (1 in summer, 2.5 in winter). Don't forget to preheat your oven at least 40 minutes before it's time to bake (even more time if you use a stone instead of steel). You want as high as your oven will go (mine gets to ~270C). When the dough is risen, puffed and slack - Place a parchment over a peel or upside down oven sheet. I like to cut the corners of the parchment so to not risk it burning. Shaping takes a little practice and is up to personal preference. There are good videos online. Take a ball and dust lightly. Flatten it gently, don't remove much air. Do pinch any large bubbles. Put the dough on your closed fist and gently shake to extend the dough edges downwards. Hold the dough with two hands, using your finger to grab it slightly inside from the rim, as to keep the air in it. Let gravity stretch the dough downwards, as you rotate it in the, much like a steering wheel, gently stretch the dough sideways between your hands as you do so (I hope this description made sense). When the dough inside the rim is thin and almost, but not yet allowing light through, place the dough on the parchment. Lift the edges and stretch it to its full size and restore its circular shape. Top as desired. Use cold ingredients, especially the cheese, which is also better cubed than grated. I'll use apx. 90g (3.2oz) of mozzarella per medium sized pizza. Set the oven to top broiler/grill on maximum power for one minute, then slide the pizza and the parchment together into the oven and . Bake until getting slightly charred, but avoid browning the cheese. Let the oven reheat a little (back in regular, non grill setting) before baking the next pie, and turn the broiler back on a minute before inserting it. A note about baking - you want the baking steel to preheat as much as you can before inserting the pizza. You want to make sure the broiler is on for a minute before inserting the pizza, but not too long ahead so that it won't be stopped by the thermostat. Please tell me if there is something you'd like me to clarify. My favorite toppings: All are for medium sized pizzas, scale by 1.5 for a large pizza. The amounts are in grams, but that doesn't mean it needs to be precise at all. All toppings should be fridge-cold, especially the cheeses. Classic NY style: 5 large ripe, sauce tomatoes (like roma or san-marzano) either fresh or canned - peeled , chopped, salted , drained and crushed (500g / 17oz) 100g cold semi-dry mozzarella (3.5oz), chopped Fry some garlic in olive oil. Add the tomatoes and cook until slightly thickened but still bright tasting. Add salt to taste and some basil, chili, etc. Spread the sauce and sprinkle the cheese. Pesto-ricotta: 90-100g ricotta (3.5oz), mixed with some salt and pepper 50g cold mozzarella (1.8oz) 100g pesto, semi frozen or at least fridge-cold (3.6oz) 5-6 cherry tomatoes, halved Spread the mozzarella evenly, drop chunks of pesto and ricotta. Scatter the halved tomatoes. Eggplants and mushrooms: 1 small eggplant, sliced and baked, grilled or fried about 5 button mushrooms, sliced and sauteed. 80g ricotta (2.8oz), mixed with a minced clove of garlic 90g cold mozzarella (3.2oz) - optionally smoked mozzarella Some salt, pepper, oregano and thyme Margarita 4 large ripe, sauce tomatoes (like roma or san-marzano) either fresh or canned - peeled , chopped, salted , drained and crushed (400g / 17oz) 110g cold fresh mozzarella (3.9oz), teared by hand (or roughly chopped) basil leaves Some sharp EVOO Salt the crushed tomatoes to taste, spread it and place the cheese. Place the basil and drizzle olive oil immediately after baking. Ricotta & figs 100g ricotta (3.5oz), mixed with 1/3 tsp salt and some pepper, and optionally, 1/3 tsp of ground anise or fennel seeds 80g cold mozzarella (2.8oz) 4-5 large ripe figs, sliced. The narrow top-most slices are the cook's treat Bake until the figs gets caramelized. Goat cheese and olives About 5 tablespoons of cooked tomato sauce - enough for e thin even spreading Dry chili to taste 55g cold mozzarella (2oz) 75g cold soft goat cheese, salted (2.6oz) About 7-8 of olives of your choice, chopped About 5 cherry tomatoes, sliced (using multiple colors looks better) Apples and blue cheese About 5 tablespoons of cooked tomato sauce - enough for e thin even spreading 65g mozzarella (2.3oz) 65g strong blue cheese (2.3oz) 150-170g tart apple (I used Granny Smith), cubed (apx 1/2") Some salt, depending on your cheese of choice
  19. It's that time of year again, and these are some of the cranberry recipes I've been using for the holidays over the past few years. They are simple to prepare, easily transported, and a little different and fun to eat. Perhaps you'll try one or both. My Cranberry Salsa "The Tropics meet New England" 1 12-oz bag of fresh cranberries 1 clove garlic 1 or 2 jalapeno or serrano chilies (I usually use one of each) 4 TBS finely chopped cilantro (I like cilantro, others don't - adjust to taste) 3 scallions, minced Juice from 3 limes (about 1/3 cup) 1/2 cup sugar (I often use less - adjust to your taste) salt and freshly ground pepper to taste   Boil cranberries for about a minute in one quart of water. Drain well. Mince the garlic and seed, devein (if you like - probably a good idea if you want to keep the heat down) and mince the chili peppers. Combine with chopped cilantro, scallions and the cranberries in a mixing bowl, and mix by hand, squeezing some of the cranberries to a pulp and leaving the rest whole or in large pieces. Add the lime juice, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. The salsa should be a little sweet, a little sour, and nice and spicy.     Cocodrilo Cranberry Citrus Salsa makes approx. 4 cups 2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen) 1 cup chopped yellow or red onions 1/2 cup fresh orange juice the zest from 1 orange 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and chopped 1/2 tsp. ginger 2 Tbs + 2 tsp brown sugar 1 tsp. honey 1 1/2 Tbs rice wine vinegar 1 Tbs hot sauce (I like this or this or this best) 2 T. chopped cilantro   Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove it from the heat and let it cool while stirring carefully - try not to split the cranberries! Chill before serving - or serve the sauce hot.  
  20. Shel's Version of Bishop's Hush Puppies These are called "Bishop's Hush Puppies." Bishop was a maintenance man at Texas A&M and became somewhat of a celebrity for his hush puppies. It was said that he'd often have friends and co-workers over for a feast of catfish, beans, coleslaw and, among other things, his famous hush puppies. Latecomers were in danger of missing out on the 'pups, so the guests always arrived on time for Bishop's parties. I got the recipe back in the late 1980s while on a several month driving trip around the US, following, in part, William Least Heat-Moon's journey as documented in his book Blue Highways, and stopping in Dime Box, TX. just because the name sounded interesting. Texas A&M is nearby, in College Station, and, through the recommendation of a local friend, found myself at Bishop's place where I sampled his puppies and was able to get some idea of his recipe. Ingredients 1 cup each water ground white corn meal (140 grams) and AP flour (120 grams) 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (Texas 1015's are great when in season) 4 scallions, including tops, finely chopped 1 or 2 jalapenos, seeds removed, diced fine 1 roasted and skinned sweet red pepper, finely diced 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 2 large eggs frying oil   Directions Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl stir together the buttermilk and eggs until well mixed, and then add to the dry ingredients, stirring well. Pour some oil (1/2-inch or so) into a heavy cast iron skillet (I guess you can use your deep fryer) and heat until almost sizzling. HOT! HOT! HOT! Drop batter into oil by tablespoonsful and cook over moderate heat until browned and puffy then, if using a skillet, which is what Bishop used, turn and brown the other side. When done, remove with slotted spoon, drain on newspaper or paper towels. Keep oil hot and, if using a skillet, add more oil as needed to maintain depth. These are very good with catfish or 'cue and Terry Bryant's Carrot-Cayenne Coleslaw.
  21. While travelling around the US over the past years, I've come across many similar salads, most with prepared dressings and poor ingredients. Here's my take on what some would call the American standard salad. Shel’s Middle America Salad with Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing   Some hearts of romaine or iceberg lettuce wedges fresh tomato wedges rinsed, drained, and dried red kidney beans (optional) thin slices of red onion (optional) a few thick sliced bacon slices (optional) 1 Tbs best quality mayonnaise 1 Tbs good quality sour cream 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice or about 1 Tbs lemon zest, or combination About 1 cup or more rich buttermilk 4 ounces Maytag or similar blue cheese ½ tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher salt dash or two of dry mustard (optional)   Divide the blue cheese into three pieces. Take one piece and chop it very fine. Take another piece and chop it medium fine, and chop or crumble the third piece in larger chunks.   If using bacon, lay the bacon strips on a roasting rack over a cookie sheet and bake in a 375-degree oven until crisp, about 20-25 minutes. Remove when cooked to your liking, and set on several layers of paper towels to compete draining and to cool further. Cover with a few more layers of paper towels, and pat bacon dry, letting the towels absorb as much grease as possible. You can also put the bacon into a cold oven, and the slower heating will render a little more fat. Of course, some people enjoy a fattier bacon, so skip some of the drying/draining steps.   Put the mayo, sour cream, and the very fine pieces of blue cheese together, along with the salt, into an appropriately sized glass or stainless steel bowl (preferably one that comes with a tight fitting lid, but you can use plastic wrap to cover - try not to use plastic bowls as plastic can sometimes impart a taste to whatever is stored in it, especially if you’re storing the dressing overnight or for a couple of days) Using a fork or small whisk, mix together well. If you like you can put the mixture and about ½ cup of buttermilk in a blender or food processor for a few twirls or pulses to incorporate and smooth the mixture, but it’s not really necessary to do that, plus it makes more mess to clean up.   When all of the above is nicely combined (don’t over mix) add the rest of the blue cheese and optional dry mustard (start with just a pinch or two) and gently mix together very well by hand. Add more buttermilk a little at a time, mixing well with each addition. When you get the taste and texture to your liking (you may want to add a little more salt, a pinch or two more of dry mustard) cover the bowl and refrigerate at least four hours or, better yet, over night or a couple of days to let the flavors meld. The mixture may thicken up a bit when refrigerated, especially over night, so don’t be afraid to make it a little thinner than you may ultimately prefer.   Before using, let the dressing warm a little, stir the mixture, adjust seasoning, maybe add more buttermilk, mayo, or sour cream to adjust taste/texture, and dollop on your salad, ideally wedges of iceberg lettuce or, second choice for authenticity, the hearts of romaine (with any soft tips cut off)with nicely sized wedges of fresh tomatoes and the optional drained and dried canned kidney beans and a few slices of red onion. If using, break up and crumble some bacon over the salad.   When eating the salad, close your eyes and it will be easy to imagine that you’re in a diner in Omaha, Nebraska<LOL>   Notes: Ideally, you want the lettuce to be firm enough to stand up to the dressing, that’s why it’s suggested to cut off any soft tips. It’s your choice, of course. You might want to seed the tomato wedges depending on how moist and runny the tomatoes are. My preference is for thick sliced bacon. You can sometimes find slab bacon which you or the butcher can cut for you to whatever thickness you like. I look for meatier slices of bacon. The Maytag blue cheese is a true, mid-American cheese, made in Iowa. The Rogue Creamery in Oregon makes some nice blues, too.
  22. Updated Nov 1st 2020. Best served warm, with labneh and vegetables. I enjoy making a sandwich filled with of labeneh, finely chopped tomato and parsley. Also great served with scrambled eggs cooked with tomatoes and onion, and of course, labneh Ingredients for one not very big bread or 10 muffins, a 20cm frying pan (as flatbread) or a small loaf pan. dry: 85g AP flour (you can use a cake flour if you have it on hand) 1/2-1 teaspoon salt (some zaatar mixtures contains various amounts of salt, so add to taste) 2/3 teaspoon baking powder 15-20g zaatar mixture (I encourage you to also try other spices) wet: 2 eggs 1 teaspoon sugar 90g-100g thick yogurt 20g flavorful olive oil optional: 1/2 a tomato, cut into small dice optional: a handful pf chopped cheese such as mozzarella or feta (reduce salt if using feta!) Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a second larger bowl, beat together the wet ingredients well. To make a flatbread in a frying pan: Preheat the frying pan over medium heat, and oil it well. Fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Do not over mix. Pour batter into the hot frying pan. Spread batter evenly. Cover the pan and cook until cooked through, the bottom is brown and crisp, and the top is not sticky. About 10 minutes. Avoid over cooking. Gently flip and briefly cook the second side. re-fry the browned side to get it crisp again if needed. To bake as muffins: Pour into greased muffin tin. It should make about 10-12 small muffins or 6-8 large ones. Bake at 200dC just until a toothpick comes out clean, apx 15-20 - they won't brown much so be careful not to over bake. If you want them prettier and a bit crisp, under bake them by a couple of minutes. Remove from tin, and cool a little. Brush with oil and bake at high heat until browned, apx 5-8 minutes.
  23. Hi, I'm looking for a recipe that uses already cooked and shredded ham hock meat, mainly because I need to know the quantity of the ham needed. The only recipes I can find call for the whole hock to start with.
  24. Beef with Bitter Melon - 牛肉苦瓜 The name may be off-putting to many people, but Chinese people do have an appreciation for bitter tastes and anyway, modern cultivars of this gourd are less bitter than in the past. Also, depending on how it's cooked, the bitterness can be mitigated. I'll admit that I wasn't sure at first, but have grown to love it. Note: "Beef with Bitter Melon (牛肉苦瓜 )" or "Bitter Melon with Beef (苦瓜牛肉)"? One Liuzhou restaurant I know has both on its menu! In Chinese, the ingredient listed first is the one there is most of, so, "beef with bitter melon" is mainly beef, whereas "bitter melon with beef" is much more a vegetable dish with just a little beef. This recipe is for the beefier version. To make the other version, just half the amount of beef and double the amount of melon. Ingredients Beef. One pound. Flank steak works best. Slice thinly against the grain. Bitter Melon. Half a melon. You can use the other half in a soup or other dish. Often available in Indian markets or supermarkets. Salted Black Beans. One tablespoon. Available in packets from Asian markets and supermarkets, these are salted, fermented black soy beans. They are used as the basis for 'black bean sauce', but we are going to be making our own sauce! Garlic. 6 cloves Cooking oil. Any vegetable oil except olive oil Shaoxing wine. See method Light soy sauce. One tablespoon Dark soy sauce. One teaspoon White pepper. See method Sesame oil. See method Method Marinate the beef in a 1/2 tablespoon of light soy sauce with a splash of Shaoxing wine along with a teaspoon or so of cornstarch or similar (I use potato starch). Stir well and leave for 15-30 minutes. Cut the melon(s) in half lengthwise and, using a teaspoon, scrape out all the seeds and pith. The more pith you remove, the less bitter the dish will be. Cut the melon into crescents about 1/8th inch wide. Rinse the black beans and drain. Crush them with the blade of your knife, then chop finely. Finely chop the garlic. Stir fry the meat in a tablespoon of oil over a high heat until done. This should take less than a minute. Remove and set aside. Add another tablespoon of oil and reduce heat to medium. fry the garlic and black beans until fragrant then add the bitter melon. Continue frying until the melon softens. then add a tablespoon of Shaoxing wine and soy sauces. Finally sprinkle on white pepper to taste along with a splash of sesame oil. Return the meat to the pan and mix everything well. Note: If you prefer the dish more saucy, you can add a tablespoon or so of water with the soy sauces. Serve with plained rice and a stir-fried green vegetable of choice.
  25. Stir-fried Squid with Snow Peas - 荷兰豆鱿鱼 Another popular restaurant dish that can easily be made at home. The only difficult part (and it's really not that difficult) is preparing the squid. However, your seafood purveyor should be able to do that for you. I have given details below. Ingredients Fresh squid. I tend to prefer the smaller squid in which case I allow one or two squid per person, depending on what other dishes I'm serving. You could use whole frozen squid if fresh is unavailable. Certainly not dried squid. Snow peas aka Mange Tout. Sugar snap peas can also be used. The final dish should be around 50% squid and 50% peas, so an amount roughly equivalent to the squid in bulk is what you are looking for. De-string if necessary and cut in half width-wise. Cooking oil. I use rice bran oil, but any vegetable cooking oil is fine. Not olive oil, though. Garlic. I prefer this dish to be rather garlicky so I use one clove or more per squid. Adjust to your preference. Ginger. An amount equivalent to that of garlic. Red Chile. One or two small hot red chiles. Shaoxing wine. See method. Note: Unlike elsewhere, Shaoxing wine sold in N. America is salted. So, cut back on adding salt if using American sourced Shaoxing. Oyster sauce Sesame oil (optional) Salt Preparing the squid The squid should be cleaned and the tentacles and innards pulled out and set aside while you deal with the tubular body. Remove the internal cartilage / bone along with any remaining innards. With a sharp knife remove the "wings" then slit open the tube by sliding your knife inside and cutting down one side. Open out the now butterflied body. Remove the reddish skin (It is edible, but removing it makes for a nicer presentation. It peels off easily.) Again, using the sharp knife cut score marks on the inside at 1/8th of an inch intervals being careful not to cut all the way through. Then repeat at right angles to the original scoring, to give a cross-hatch effect. Do the same to the squid wings. Cut the body into rectangles roughly the size of a large postage stamp. Separate the tentacles from the innards by feeling for the beak, a hard growth just above the tentacles and at the start of the animal's digestive tract. Dispose of all but the tentacles. If they are long, half them. Wash all the squid meat again. Method There are only two ways to cook squid and have it remain edible. Long slow cooking (an hour or more) or very rapid (a few seconds) then served immediately. Anything else and you'll be chewing on rubber. So that is why I am stir frying it. Few restaurants get this right, so I mainly eat it at home. Heat your wok and add oil. Have a cup of water to the side. Add the garlic, ginger and chile. Should you think it's about to burn, throw in a little of that water. It will evaporate almost immediately but slow down some of the heat. As soon as you can smell the fragrance of the garlic and ginger, add the peas and salt and toss until the peas are nearly cooked (Try a piece to see!). Almost finally, add the squid with a tablespoon of the Shaoxing and about the same of oyster sauce. Do not attempt to add the oyster sauce straight from the bottle. The chances of the whole bottle emptying into your dinner is high! Believe me. I've been there! The squid will curl up and turn opaque in seconds. It's cooked. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of so of sesame oil (if used) and serve immediately!
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