Dinner! 2014 (Part 1)

[Baselerd]

A recent seafood dinner. I started out with some Blue point oysters on the half shell with some yuzu-pear mignonette (yuzu juice, champagne, diced pears, minced shallots, chives, olive oil, pickled mustard seed).

For the main course, I adapted this recipe from Food Arts. Nothing too fancy here, but a tasty combination that worked well: pan-seared bay scallops with charred zuchini, pears, brown butter sauce, braised Maitake mushrooms, and watercress.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Baselerd (log)

[Paul Bacino]

A Patient brought me in a couple nice Rainbow Trout Filets, caught this spring!!

Did a Cashew crust filet, arugula with sherry vinaigrette, taters cooked in butter and Schmaltz

[Ann_T]

Baselerd, your photos are spectacular.

Homemade bread and pasta (fettucce Ricce 2) with Bolognese Sauce.

[nickrey]

Would you believe that in almost six years of sous vide cooking, I've never done a rack of lamb?

Tonight was the night. I double bagged the lamb with tough plastic from the original packaging over the bone to stop it from ripping the bag.

Lamb was cooked at 52C (125.6F) for 52 minutes.

I then dried the lamb and then rubbed grapeseed oil onto it and salted the meat.

The lamb was seared over a cast iron frypan that had been on the top heat of my wok burner for five minutes. You can see the sear and the cooking that this led to as a band on the right hand side and bottom (top part) of the meat in the picture.

It was quite possibly the best lamb I've ever had. Will be doing this again. It was served with some charred vegetable ratatouille.

Edited January 24, 2014 by nickrey (log)

[Blether]

A Patient brought me in a couple nice Rainbow Trout Filets, caught this spring!! ...

That looks great ! (as does everything on the page so far). Cashew nut as in, all cashew nut ?

Edited January 24, 2014 by Blether (log)

[rotuts]

very nice trim on that lamb BTW

[Paul Bacino]

A Patient brought me in a couple nice Rainbow Trout Filets, caught this spring!! ...

 

 

 

That looks great !  (as does everything on the page so far).  Cashew nut as in, all cashew nut ?

No--- Thanks btw

This was a bit of panko, that I processed just a bit more, it helps the cashews from turning into a butter, fresh parsley, and some homemade Italian dried seasoning. I put the coated fish into a frig for a few hrs to set, covered, then just at bake time 450f...I spritz..a butter spray my wife has onto the nut crust.

I brushed the filets with a light layer of whipped egg white..then placed the coating on.

Cheers

"x". = "Bacino in Italian. Means the little kiss"

[Dejah]

Made soy sauce chicken in the crock pot last night. Made up the aromatics, soy sauce and let it cook for 2 hours on high. Seemed to have been the right temp. as it just sent out lovely aromas without a bubble breaking the surface. It produced that silky chicken texture that my Mom always loved.

[Meredith380]

Made soy sauce chicken in the crock pot last night. Made up the aromatics, soy sauce and let it cook for 2 hours on high. Seemed to have been the right temp. as it just sent out lovely aromas without a bubble breaking the surface. It produced that silky chicken texture that my Mom always loved.

Whole Soy Sauce Chicken0299.jpg

Soy sauce chicken0301.jpg

My husband does a version of this with chicken thighs and garlic cloves. It's even better the next day!

[Toliver]

Regarding broccoli stems...

My local grocery store sells bags of a produce product consisting of shredded broccoli stems. The bag is labelled "Broccoli Slaw". I have made an actual slaw with it in the past but found it doesn't hold up well (IMHO) after the initial dinner. Plus, sometimes eating it just seems like I'm eating wood chips because they're so fibrous and I tire of it quickly. I think they might work better if they're cooked/steamed. They'd work well in soups, casseroles and stir frys (after a quick steam).

[BeeZee]

Regarding broccoli stems...

My local grocery store sells bags of a produce product consisting of shredded broccoli stems. The bag is labelled "Broccoli Slaw". I have made an actual slaw with it in the past but found it doesn't hold up well (IMHO) after the initial dinner. Plus, sometimes eating it just seems like I'm eating wood chips because they're so fibrous and I tire of it quickly. I think they might work better if they're cooked/steamed. They'd work well in soups, casseroles and stir frys (after a quick steam).

I agree, I've never had an actual stem as fibrous as what I've had in the slaw mix at times...and I did try using it for stir fry, which was reasonably successful. Except the wood chips, which were never going to soften up.

[Dejah]

Meredith: I had a small piece of the breast leftover (had unexpected company) and put it in my watercress salad to lunch. It's lovely, moist and flavourful. You are right...it just might be even better the next day.

As for broccoslaw, I love it. One supermarket here sells the MANN brand and it's never woody. I just use Kraft Mango Chipotle dressing , throw in some cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and coconut flakes, and even my husband will eat it - and he hates broccoli.

[mm84321]

Artichoke soup with truffles

Scottish langoustine with chervil, meursault and coral nage

[rotuts]

' meursault '

got to like that !

[C. sapidus]

Chicken with sautéed spinach: Marinate chicken thigh chunks with pureed cilantro, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, coriander, cumin, and garam masala. Sautee chopped spinach and remove. Sautee chicken and toss with the spinach. Garnish with sautéed tomato wedges and garam masala.

Turmeric and peppercorn rice: Soaked basmati rice steamed with black cardamom and finished with chopped mint

[Dejah]

Supper tonight: Steelhead trout sandwiched between layers of cilantro, scallion, ginger, jalapeno peppers, lime slices, lemongrass, and Kaffir lime leaves, wrapped in foil and baked in the oven for 45 minutes. Sides: mixed vegetables "sauteed" in chicken stock and pan seared firm tofu.

[Ann_T]

Would you believe that in almost six years of sous vide cooking, I've never done a rack of lamb?

Tonight was the night. I double bagged the lamb with tough plastic from the original packaging over the bone to stop it from ripping the bag.

Lamb was cooked at 52C (125.6F) for 52 minutes.

I then dried the lamb and then rubbed grapeseed oil onto it and salted the meat.

The lamb was seared over a cast iron frypan that had been on the top heat of my wok burner for five minutes. You can see the sear and the cooking that this led to as a band on the right hand side and bottom (top part) of the meat in the picture.

It was quite possibly the best lamb I've ever had. Will be doing this again. It was served with some charred vegetable ratatouille.

lamb.jpg

Nickrey, Usually Sous Vide meats do not appeal to me. Something about the texture "looks" off to me. But your rack of lamb looks just perfect. Mouthwatering.

Dejah, your chicken looks so good. And that Steelhead trout, wow, great seasoning.

Bruce, another one of your meals I would love to eat.

Chicken Fried Rice

Roast Pork Sirloin

With roasted Brussels Sprouts finished with a dusting of grated Parmesan.

Edited January 25, 2014 by Ann_T (log)

[kayb]

Dejah -- intrigued by the soy sauce chicken. Do you cook the bird whole in the crock pot? Was that the two hours on high you mentioned? If so, do you stand it on its head (or where its head would be), or do you have one of those oval cookers which allows it to be laid flat? And how do you finish the skin -- I am presuming in the oven to dry and crisp? I'd like to try this.

Lovely meals, all!

One night recently, as it had been positively frigid all day, I decided it was time to warm up with some carbonnades a la flamande. About a 3-pound chuck roast, cubed, salted peppered, browned.

Braised in the oven with four thin-sliced yellow onions, some rosemary, and a bottle of Green Flash Double Stout. Served over creamy grits.

[Paul Bacino]

I feel like I'm replying to a rap artist--- Hey M and M

Welcome back...where did you get those bowls?

Awesome all around as usual

[rotuts]

Wow

your Chuck should be My Chuck !

[mm84321]

Langoustine with sesame and curry

[Franci]

Spanish mackerel

[robirdstx]

Petite Crab Cakes

[Baselerd]

I've been on an oyster binge recently - this topping was inspired by some oysters I had a local restaurant recently. Some more Conneticut Blue Point oysters, topped with a Thai Nam chim sauce, crispy shallots, and chives. This was pretty good - the sauce was made by reducing soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and water with ginger, garlic, coriander, and Thai chilies until it was almost syrupy.

Edited January 26, 2014 by Baselerd (log)

[Dejah]

Thanks, Ann_T and kayb re-comments on the chicken and trout. They were both enjoyed:-) Had some left over from both to add to a lunch salad.

Love the looks of your fried rice, Ann_T, and that carbonnades will be perfect on the lousy winter days we've been having...

robirdstx: Beautiful crust on those mini crab cakes!

kayb: Yes. I do have an oval crock pot and big enough for the chicken to lie lengthways I cooked it mostly breasts down, turned it around once onto its back, then back onto the breasts. The skin wasn't crisp...just looked that way once it "dried" off a bit. We didn't eat the skin as it wasn't crispy like when I cook them in the Big Easy!

Was in a bit of a hurry tonight after spending too long shopping. Cubed up a chicken breast and a couple of thighs and made Thai Basil Chicken. Had some mini bell peppers and grape tomatoes and these went under the broiler. I also made cauliflower fried rice.

This would have been much better if we had REAL rice...