Dinner! 2014 (Part 3)

[Dejah]

Ann_T: I would love some of your mini-baguette with my coconut chicken soup...with ANYTHING really! Baking is not my forte, but Sobeys have some fairly nice mini loaves. Naan would be good too, but we have 2 days of thunderstorms, lightning, etc - not great for using the Big Easy in a downpour...

[Franci]

Ann_T, I had to google French dip sandwich to know more about it, I still don't know much about American food, it's interesting.

Also Shelby chef salad I had to google. Instead I don't need to look for Mozartkugeln, like the idea very much Nina.

[C. sapidus]

Pan-fried Cuban snapper – Whole snapper trimmed (to fit the pan), fried, and deboned. Separately fried garlic paste with black pepper, chile flakes, and orange zest, and then simmered the sauce with freshly-squeezed orange juice, lime juice, and cilantro.

 

Cuban yellow rice – Jasmine rice fried with onion and annatto, and then steamed with bay leaf and smoked turkey stock.

 

[Ashen]

Instead of breaking down and stopping a McD's on the way home.. Beer and a Burger. 

 

[Anna N]

Ashen

That puts a McD burger of any sort to shame. Burgers rarely call out to me but yours surely does. And if the burger turned out to be not to my liking then that toasted bun would do the trick. Of course the beer wouldn't be wasted either.

[scubadoo97]

Instead of breaking down and stopping a McD's on the way home.. Beer and a Burger.

Good decision. That burgers looks delicious!

[liuzhou]

Rabbit with Chillies - Sichuan Style.  辣子兔 (là zi tù)

 

The Sichuan people are fond of a bit of bunny. So, with half a rabbit in the fridge, that was the direction in which my mind wandered.

 

What follows is basically Fushsia Dunlop's recipe for Chicken with Chillies with rabbit replacing the chicken. The only other significant change is that I leave out the sugar. I find it unnecessary.

 

First, I went out and bought some spankingly fresh Sichuan peppercorns. I always try to buy fresh each time I use them or use as quickly as possible. Fortunately, the market trader sees the sense in that and is more than willing to sell them in 2.5g bags. In fact, that is what she recommends. I can smell her stall from miles away. As I was on the bus home, an old woman remarked to me that she could tell I had bought them, as she could smell them, despite them being in a sealed bag, which was inside a plastic carrier bag which was inside my small backpack which I use for market trips.

 

 

I also grabbed a 50g bag of dried Sichuan 'Facing Heaven' chilli peppers. I used them all in the dish. But first the boring part.

 

The whole dish is very simple to make, but you do have to half all those chillies and, so far as possible, de-seed them. It took me about half an hour. It does seem an effort preparing something which doesn't even get eaten, but their presence in the dish is essential.

 

 

The bunny was chopped into bite size pieces (in true Chinese style, on the bone) and marinated in Shaoxing rice wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and salt for about an hour (Dunlop suggests half an hour).

 

 

 

The dish was completed as per the recipe and served with rice and a side of stir fried water spinach (not pictured) 

 

 

 

It went down well and there are leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Thank you, Ms Rabbit.

Edited June 6, 2014 by liuzhou (log)

[Smithy]

liuzhou, that looks really good, as do most of your posts and most of the posts on this topic. With regard to the peppers: is snipping them in half and removing the seeds the fastest and most efficient way? I suspect the answer is 'no' and that the use of scissors is necessary for the best presentation.

[liuzhou]

 

liuzhou, that looks really good, as do most of your posts and most of the posts on this topic. With regard to the peppers: is snipping them in half and removing the seeds the fastest and most efficient way? I suspect the answer is 'no' and that the use of scissors is necessary for the best presentation.

 

I would say it is partly for presentation, but more so because the heat of the chillies is in the seeds (and the membrane holding them) and leaving them in would result in an overpowering heat.

 

The idea is to get the flavour of the chillies, but not be punched unconscious by the heat. Much as the Sichuan people love their chilli, they are not on a macho 'who can eat the hottest' trip. In fact, the chillies and the peppercorns in this dish are not even eaten*.

 

The dish is only mildly spicy compared to many Sichuan dishes, but the flavour of the chillies and the peppercorns is a thing of wonder.

 

*I know that one unsuspecting foreigner in a local Sichuan restaurant was told that the chicken shouldn't be eaten, but only the chillies. He ended up being hospitalised. Someone's sick idea of a joke.

[dcarch]

--------------------------

The idea is to get the flavour of the chillies, but not be punched unconscious by the heat. Much as the Sichuan people love their chilli, they are not on a macho 'who can eat the hottest' trip. In fact, the chillies and the peppercorns in this dish are not even eaten*.

 

The dish is only mildly spicy compared to many Sichuan dishes, but the flavour of the chillies and the peppercorns is a thing of wonder.

 

*I know that one unsuspecting foreigner in a local Sichuan restaurant was told that the chicken shouldn't be eaten, but only the chillies. He ended up being hospitalised. Someone's sick idea of a joke.

 

I don't remember where I was one time I was traveling in China.

 

On a sunny day, people would take out bushels of chilli pepper from storage to sun dry so they wouldn't go moldy. 

 

Man! it was like some one had dropped teargas bombs in the neighborhood.

 

 

dcarch

[liuzhou]

 

Man! it was like some one had dropped teargas bombs in the neighborhood.

 

I am fortunate to have a second home in the Chinese countryside. I don't get to spend as much time as I would like. 

 

About half a mile away, there is an area of wasteland where, at the appropriate time of year, all the local farmers (and there are thousands of them) turn up to sell their chilli peppers to the middle men and wholesalers. Huge truckloads of chillies are hauled away all day, every day for about two weeks.

 

I've often thought about taking some photos, but I just can't breath there. I'd need scuba diving equipment or similar, but it's hard to focus an SLR when wearing a full scuba kit. Allegedly.

[mgaretz]

My first ever brisket!  Smoked at 225F for 9.5 hours with a 3 hour rest.  Came out very tender and a little juicy.

 

 

 

Side was potatoes, onions and carrots braised in butter:

 

Edited June 6, 2014 by mgaretz (log)

[scubadoo97]

Well damn Mgaretz, that is the reddest smoke ring I've ever seen. Looks great and nice showing on your first try

[Kim Shook]

Soba – the fish and pea potage dish is just lovely.  Your photography is just getting better and better!

 

Anna – that noodle soup looks delicious.  I wish I could think what to do with all the seasoning packets I discard!  I toss at least half of one every time I use the noodles!

 

Ninagluck – those lamb shanks and potatoes look wonderful.  Would you share the potato recipe?

 

Shelby – great minds (see below).  But yours is MUCH prettier than mine.  And I didn’t think of it early enough to have the oh-so-necessary boiled eggs!

 

Norm – Cassie decorates a heck of a cake!  Would you mind asking her for a quick explanation of her method (including which decorating tip she used)?

 

Dejah – that chicken soup looks really good.  And I had to laugh at your mosquito appetizer.  Last night I posted on FB that I have so many mosquito bites that shaving my legs has become hazardous  .

 

Ann – ooooooohhhh!  French dip  .  My favorite sandwich in all the world.  I have NO hope of getting such fabulous bread here, but would you share your jus method?

 

Bruce – your fish and rice dish looks gorgeous.  And now that I can eat rice, I’m not nearly as jealous!

 

Mark – fantastic smoke ring.  Mr. Kim is ready to tackle brisket again and you’ve made me hungry for it.

 

Dinner last night was a chef salad, some cream of shrimp soup that my mother made and toasted pumpernickel:

 

 

[Anna N]

When nothing seems right with the world but you can't put your finger on exactly what is wrong then you know the comfort food you crave is poached eggs on toast.

At least that's the way it is with me.

[mgaretz]

 

Mark – fantastic smoke ring.  Mr. Kim is ready to tackle brisket again and you’ve made me hungry for it.

 

Thanks Kim.  I followed the procedure here, almost to a T.  http://amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/texas_brisket.html  His rub recipe used to have salt in it, and that's the version I use.  Now he advocates leaving out the salt and salting (dry brining, essentially) separately.  I also reduced the pepper by 1/3.

 

If Mr. Kim doesn't know about this site, it is fantastic!

Edited June 6, 2014 by mgaretz (log)

[rotuts]

AnnaN:

 

exactly right.  re the eggs

 

i have 2 doz eggs in the frig.

 

Ill SV them up for Poached

 

and put them back in the frig

 

for just that time.

 

thanks.

[patrickamory]

I may be hungry, but I'm blown away by a few of the recent posts...

 

Ann french-dip sandwiches are one of my favorite things on earth

 

Bruce do you make a lot of Cuban food? and if so what is your information source or do you just make it up? Gran Cocina?

 

Ashen that looks like a perfect burger of its type….. juicy but with the nice sizzled crunchy bits on the outside of the patty

 

liuzhou I would not need to be sold on a Dunlop recipe, even sans sugar, but I love rabbit even more, and yes those peppercorns look perfect. Now what about those chiles? I find it hard to locate good fresh dried Sichuan chiles and I need an equivalent. They're bright red but comparatively mild in the scheme of things, right? A certain smoky fruitiness, certainly you would die if you ate them (but you eat around them), and they lend a bright spiciness rather than killing you? Or?

 

mgaretz your first time? gorgeous brisket, gorgeous smoke ring

 

Anna yes poached eggs on toast is the ultimate comfort food. My mom used to make it for me when I was sick, as a child.

 

OK - just 2 boring weekday meals from me. 

 

Chicken thighs marinated in salt, herbes de provence, toasted ground Sichuan peppercorns, and paprika, then browned in ghee. Deglazed the pan with rice wine for the sauce. Served with Carolina rice and leftover Filipino cucumber salad.

 

and - spaghetti made with that Il Casale tomato sauce I posted recently.

 

 

 

[liuzhou]

 

liuzhou I would not need to be sold on a Dunlop recipe, even sans sugar, but I love rabbit even more, and yes those peppercorns look perfect. Now what about those chiles? I find it hard to locate good fresh dried Sichuan chiles and I need an equivalent. They're bright red but comparatively mild in the scheme of things, right? A certain smoky fruitiness, certainly you would die if you ate them (but you eat around them), and they lend a bright spiciness rather than killing you? Or?

 

That about sums it up. Sorry, I wouldn't know what to suggest as a substitute.

 

Ms Dunlop suggests "longer, milder Indian chillies (6-8cm)."

[mm84321]

Navarin of lobster

[C. sapidus]

Bruce do you make a lot of Cuban food? and if so what is your information source or do you just make it up? Gran Cocina?

 

Hi Patrick - I know very little about Cuban cooking. This was a sorta-followed recipe from The Catch by Ben Sargent, a gift from a friend. I have been quite happy with the handful of dishes I have cooked from this book so far - it has a "New England meets the Carribean" vibe. "Surfer's Snapper Chowder" was particularly outstanding.

 

Your chicken looks and sounds fantastic, and has most of the known world covered with its ingredients.

[merstar]

Salmon filets with a sauce/glaze of lemon juice, dry white wine, olive oil, Dijon mustard, chili powder, cumin powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Served with basmati rice and steamed broccoli.

Edited June 7, 2014 by merstar (log)

[cyalexa]

First of the season Copper River Sockeye, hot smoked. Yum.

[nakji]

mm84321, that looks divine, what with the tourneéd veg and all. I confess ignorance to what a navarin is, though.

 

The temperature hit 30 degrees Celsius today, which called for something light and refreshing. I had a cabbage in the crisper left over from a student's biology experiment (turns out she only needed one cabbage, not two), so I made a Vietnamese-style salad with chicken, herbs, and carrot, with a chill-lime dressing.

 

Edited June 7, 2014 by nakji (log)

[rotuts]

nakji

 

looks delicious.  Id be interested in more details on the salad if you care to share