Dinner! 2012

[ScottyBoy]

Haha Eat-O-Vision

[ElsieD]

I had 6 portions of the same size and only need 3 tablespoons of oil. This fish was so clean and sweet I'm sure he would love it.

It doesn't have a high oil content so that fishy thing doesn't happen much as long as it's fresh. Lends so well to an oil poach, it's my method of choice.

Sorry, one last question. You did cook it sous vide, right? I just had a look at your web site. Stunning plates, just gorgeous.

[C. sapidus]

I'm digging all the beans lately

Gai yang (barbecued chicken): Marinated with garlic, ginger, white pepper, cilantro stems, whiskey, coconut milk, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Baked until nearly done and then finished over charcoal. Yeah, we make this a lot.

Pad pak (mixed vegetable stir-fry): Napa cabbage, snow peas, and mushrooms, stir-fried with mashed garlic, fish sauce, fermented soybean paste, and black pepper.

Coconut rice

[patrickamory]

Loving the brick-like look of those ribs robirdstx

[heidih]

I'm digging all the beans lately

Gai yang (barbecued chicken): Marinated with garlic, ginger, white pepper, cilantro stems, whiskey, coconut milk, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Baked until nearly done and then finished over charcoal. Yeah, we make this a lot.

Pad pak (mixed vegetable stir-fry): Napa cabbage, snow peas, and mushrooms, stir-fried with mashed garlic, fish sauce, fermented soybean paste, and black pepper.

Coconut rice

Bruce - as always I wish was an invited guest. Can you review how you do the coconut rice? I have done it just subbing half the liquid with canned coconut milk in a rice cooker.

[C. sapidus]

Thank you very much, Heidi, let me know when you are in the neighborhood . . .

Bruce - as always I wish was an invited guest. Can you review how you do the coconut rice? I have done it just subbing half the liquid with canned coconut milk in a rice cooker.

Jasmine rice, rinse and drain, 1.25 parts liquid to 1 part rice, half chicken stock and half coconut milk, sometimes add a little sugar and/or salt, bring to a boil, cover and simmer on lowest heat for 16 minutes, remove from heat and let steam for a few more minutes.

It is pretty forgiving – tonight I got distracted, nearly boiled the pot dry, added a little more chicken stock, and estimated how much longer to simmer. Tasted about the same somehow . . .

[Paul Bacino]

Nothing Glamorous..but simple and my kids favorite.

Paul Bacino

Chicken Fried Steak-- This is a cube steak that gets tenderized run through a jaccarding device.. I flour the first time.. Heavy in blk pepper, fire salt, Cajun seasoning and flour--into an egg milk wash then back into the flour.. really rubbing to get the flour in side the cuts.. this helps create a crispy crust. Gravy is a blk pepper pork gravy!!

I prefer to dip to keep the crust intacted.. sorry I was out of potatoes

[ScottyBoy]

Sorry, one last question. You did cook it sous vide, right?

Yup

[SobaAddict70]

Last night:

Watermelon, feta cheese and tomato salad

A variation on my usual "watermelon and feta cheese salad", this has grape tomatoes and the addition of scallions as a substitute for the usual red onion. Dressing consists of 2 tablespoons watermelon juice, 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar, a pinch of sea salt, a pinch of black pepper, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and some chopped Italian parsley.

Penne puttanesca

[Prawncrackers]

After my eel smoking adventure last weekend, i think i may have created one of the most awesome combinations ever - salt cod and smoked eel. At first I made Spanish style croquettas with crispy panko breadcrumbs:

It was muy bueno, but I got a bit fed up with making them half way through because it was quite a loose mixture and they're a bit fiddly to form. I had some flour and egg left so mixed it in and dumped it in the fridge. The next day I folded in some beaten egg white and deep-fried them as fritters, served on top pureed beetroot and creme fraiche with caraway, and good glug of aberquina olive oil. This may be the best tapas style dish I've ever made, if not eaten:

If you can get your hands on some smoked eel, I urge you all to try this. There is something amazing about the combination, especially the hint of caraway which marries Northern and Southern European flavours into one dish. To further boost the rich flavour I scraped the eel fat from the inside of the skin and added it to the mix. The fish equivalent of Iberico ham fat!

[robirdstx]

Loving the brick-like look of those ribs robirdstx

:-) I should have positioned the ribs at a better angle for the photo. I had cut the slab into 3-rib sections prior to baking so that it would fit in my roasting pan.

[ScottyBoy]

After my eel smoking adventure last weekend

That looks awesome!

Did local albacore tartare with avocado, quail yolk and heirloom gazpacho.

Edited September 20, 2012 by ScottyBoy (log)

[Franci]

Prawncrackers, I saw your eel smoking project and I thought that it was great.

And these croquettas. I could have dinner once more!

[robirdstx]

Fall is finally in the air! A cold front came through last night and we woke up to 65 degrees this morning! We had one of my favorite fall meals for dinner tonight:

Roasted Turkey Thigh, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy and Green Peas

[mm84321]

Lamb shank

[SobaAddict70]

Pane, burro e acciughe

Spaghetti con le sedano

It's not so strange. Once you learn a few tricks, you can pair pasta with just about any vegetable imaginable.

The celery was simmered in lightly salted water, then fried in olive oil along with garlic, red onion, sea salt, black pepper and Italian parsley.

[nickrey]

Lamb shank

Your dishes always look spectacular and the photography is exemplary. But I look at the dishes and think that I'd be looking for a few other courses to make sure my hunger was satiated. Do you cook extra and serve it on the side?

[Keith_W]

Prawncrackers, your post had me drooling. What a wonderful idea! Thankfully I don't have to smoke my own eel ... I can buy it pre-smoked! Smoked eel croquettes, here I come!!

[mm84321]

Lamb shank

Your dishes always look spectacular and the photography is exemplary. But I look at the dishes and think that I'd be looking for a few other courses to make sure my hunger was satiated. Do you cook extra and serve it on the side?

This was just how I chose to present one of the shanks at the table. There was more garnish served (leeks, carrots, radish) as well as some swiss chard and mashed potatoes on the side.

[rotuts]

robirdstx: Yar! turkey/potas/gravy etc is the best! I had my first fall dinner, just like that about a week ago. another tonight!

I SV the turkey thighs at 160 for 24. how about you? I have about 8 in the freezer and more to be done!

[Blether]

After my eel smoking adventure last weekend, ...

Great stuff, PC !

[robirdstx]

robirdstx: Yar! turkey/potas/gravy etc is the best! I had my first fall dinner, just like that about a week ago. another tonight!

I SV the turkey thighs at 160 for 24. how about you? I have about 8 in the freezer and more to be done!

rotuts, I pan roast the thighs at 350 degrees F for about an hour and a half, basting occasionally.

[avaserfi]

Two recent dinners. First, breakfast for dinner.

monkey bread french toast, brown butter solids, peaches and cream, bruleed bourbon candied peaches

Then another attempt at pulled noodles, plated two different ways.

pulled noodles, pickled mushroom, ox tail broth, quail egg, bok choy, lotus root

[FrogPrincesse]

Simple stuff for a weeknight meal: Grilled sirloin burger with heirloom tomato, arugula, "Toscano" cheese, aioli garlic mustard. The "fries" (roast acorn squash with thyme and rosemary from the patio) were delicious. All the vegetables were from my CSA; mustard and cheese from Trader Joe's.

Edited September 21, 2012 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Prawncrackers]

Cheers guys, preparing eels is still somewhat outside of my comfort zone so it's nice to make something really good out of them. It's been quite a fishy week, I roasted some bream at the start of week. It was filleted and smeared with a black olive tapenade and wrapped in prosciutto. Served with heirloom tomatoes, basil, figs and some plain orzo pasta:

Some steamed lemon sole with lap cheung and mushroom behind this big plate of dried fried green beans and pork:

and finally some Lobster Thermidor tonight: