Dinner! 2014 (Part 4)

[mm84321]

Mm84321, it is a huge thank you from me, as well as from many others here for continue posting your amazing dishes and meals.

 

The sophisticated combination of fascinating ingredients, the artistry of sculptural plating, the craftsmanship of details, the drama of ambient setting ----------- all are to be admired.

 

There is always something new from you to be learned, imitated, may be to be stolen.

 

When I stuff a fish I have always stuff from the belly, but your red snappers(?) are stuffed from the spine, which makes interesting presentation. For sure I will plagiarize the idea.

 

 

dcarch

 

Thank you. That is so kind. I feel fortunate to have a community here to share my cooking with. I truly appreciate it. 

 

The fish are rouget from the Mediterranean. They have many pin bones that need to be removed. The stuffing is a mixture of swiss chard, onion, chanterelles, truffle, red pepper, confit tomato, ground calamari a rouget/lobster bouillon reduced to a glace, egg yolks and parmesan. A lot of work to put together, but very well worth the effort. 

[huiray]

Thank you. That is so kind. I feel fortunate to have a community here to share my cooking with. I truly appreciate it. 

 

The fish are rouget from the Mediterranean. They have many pin bones that need to be removed. The stuffing is a mixture of swiss chard, onion, chanterelles, truffle, red pepper, confit tomato, ground calamari a rouget/lobster bouillon reduced to a glace, egg yolks and parmesan. A lot of work to put together, but very well worth the effort. 

 

I second dcarch's commendation.  I appreciate seeing your posts here.

 

Is that chap in that photo you?

[mm84321]

Yes. That chap is me.

[huiray]

Aha.  Thanks for the pic(s) and the peek into your world.

Edited August 17, 2014 by huiray (log)

[FauxPas]

Hard to post this simple meal after some of the lovely ones that go before! Still, it's a nice dish and we really enjoyed it - World's Best Braised Green Cabbage, based on a recipe from Molly Stevens' All About Braising. I followed some suggestions included in a variation of this recipe at Kitchen Riffs. Some nice fresh veggies and garlic from the local farm markets. 

 

 

I wouldn't normally be doing much braising during the summer but I used the little Cuisinart Steam oven to cook this on Bake Steam, so it didn't heat up the house too much. 

[huiray]

FauxPas,

 

Nah, don't sweat it.  I would like to think that we all all have days when we put out an amazing highly detailed and sumptuous meal and days when we do something simple and/or simply heartwarming or whatever.  In a home environment I would expect more of the latter, and it is none the less as valid a post as any other. I for one benefit from seeing all of them.

 

huiray.

[BonVivant]

Finger food today. Lamb mince with kofta spice mix thing (and the other half of the mince with sumac as well). I use the gorgeous Turkish pepper paste on the ciabatta.

 

 

 

 

[Anna N]

FauxPas

huiray said it all. Your simple meal is exactly what I crave right now after a day spent cooking and sampling food at an Eggfest. I admit to being a dyed in the wool carnivore but even I have had more than my fill of meat today. There is cabbage in my crisper drawer, carrots and onions in my cabinet...... Thank you for sharing.

[lesliec]

Sometimes - often? - simple is really good.  Such as last night:

 

 

There's a new butcher at the Wellington City Market on Sundays.  In keeping with the ethos of the market, Michael's meat is superb quality and he can tell you which farm it came from.  I missed his first market appearance last week, when he rapidly sold out of his 'no filler' sausages; this week he had some fantastic-looking pork, lamb and beef - all free-range, grass-fed, everything you might want.  I didn't take a photo of his market stall, but the Hereford Scotch fillet looked so good it persuaded me we had to have some for dinner.  Michael cut two nice pieces to the thickness I wanted.

 

Nothing special in the cooking, just a bit of oil, salt, pepper and dried marjoram sprinkled on the steaks beforehand and a good hot pan.  These may have been the best steaks I've ever done!  Seriously tasty, tender, juicy.

 

Because of the late decision about what dinner was going to be I didn't have time for a full triple-cooked chips process, but I managed a pre-boil and a few hours' drying in the fridge before the final deep fry.  Still pretty good.  The beans were blanched in boiling water then tossed with butter and fresh garlic.

[CatPoet]

 

 

We had Spanish pasta sauce , the recipe is from 1960  and this dish has most likely  only seen Spain on a postcard  and how ever it is a lovely meal and  lovely break from the normal Spagbol.

[Norm Matthews]

Tonight I tried a couple new recipes. I don't know why it's called BBQ shrimp. It isn't BBQed or even grilled. It's cooked in a saucepan and then stuck in the oven for a few minutes. I tried a new baked potato topping: Mascarpone, blue cheese, butter and chives with mushrooms. I don't think I'll try it again. We also had Korean spinach. For dessert it was strawberries and pound cake. It's attractive to bring to the table but messy to serve.  I should make it in individual serving sizes.

 

Edited August 19, 2014 by Norm Matthews (log)

[heidih]

Norm I have seen the BBQ shrimp recipes and wondered. Looking at Emerille's recipe here http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/new-orleans-bbq-shrimp-recipe.html   it sort of makes sense as he describes the process. BBQ sauce not grilled. I have also seen it with just butter and lots of seasoning....

[Paul Bacino]

This is a deconstructed stuffed pepper w/ Ceci --made into a soup

I used a scorpion pepper infused rice, with 4 different peppers from my garden--bell, cherry bomb, Mancini and a banana type/ topped with a pretzel bun crouton with Thia basil infusion.. in a veggie broth

— with Bacino's Cucina.

 

 

 

 

 

[Norm Matthews]

I know heidih that BBQ has a lot of different interpretations. Being from Kansas City, around here BBQ usually means long and low smoking and grilling means cooking hot and short.  Sometimes the two are called Country BBQ and City BBQ and for some it just means soaking something is some kind of tangy sauce after it is cooked.  I was being kind of contrary when I said it wasn't real BBQ.  Here are the ingredients.  They were simmered then the shrimp was added and partly cooked, then finished in a hot oven.

 

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

                1/2 cup olive oil

                2 teaspoons finely minced garlic

                4 whole bay leaves, finely crushed

                2 teaspoons finely crushed dried rosemary leaves

                1/2 teaspoon dried basil

                1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

                1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

                Cayenne pepper, to taste

                1 tablespoon paprika

                1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

                1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

                2 pounds large shrimp, in the shell and preferably with heads 

                Crusty baguette, for serving 

Edited August 19, 2014 by Norm Matthews (log)

[Dejah]

Spent the day at the farm house, trying to store the "unnecessaries". Didn't get back to the city until 9 pm, so I was glad I had ingredients prepared in the fridge for a quick supper:

 

Wonton Soup with shrimp, shrimp flavoured noodles, baby bok choy, green onions, wontons filled with ground pork, waterchestnut, and shrimp. Drizzle of sesame oil and a dab of chili oil made a most satisfying supper.

 

 

Edited August 19, 2014 by Dejah (log)

[heidih]

Dejah can you elaborate on shrimp roe noodles?

[Dejah]

Sorry, heidi...I may be misleading in saying shrimp roe....they are maybe just shrimp flavoured egg noodles?

[Anna N]

Braised duck leg, mashed sweet potato, home-made ciabatta bread.

[huiray]

Comfort food last night.  Stuff I do (especially the pasta) as "regular dishes" nowadays.

 

• Pasta (Thin spaghetti this time) w/ fresh tomato sauce (Hazan-style). Pecorino Romano.

• Pan-fried/"stir-fried" wong nga pak heart w/ just salt & oil.

 

[huiray]

Anna N, how did you do your braised duck leg?

[Shelby]

Salsa made from garden tomatoes and peppers.  It was sooooo good.  I had a bit of taco salad with my salsa

 

[huiray]

Shelby, your salsa looks very good, and I think would be a nice sauce for various kinds of pasta or noodles. (I can just visualize that with Angel Hair pasta or even min6 sin3, as just two examples; plus some salad on the side) Care to give us some details?

[huiray]

Or spooned over wild rice.

 

Or tossed w/ gnocchi, or as a spread on toasted buttered Baguette slices, or spooned on top of a bowl of tomato soup or creamy artichoke soup, or or or...

[Shelby]

Shelby, your salsa looks very good, and I think would be a nice sauce for various kinds of pasta or noodles. (I can just visualize that with Angel Hair pasta or even min6 sin3, as just two examples; plus some salad on the side) Care to give us some details?

Thank you, Huiray!

 

It's the garden tomatoes that make it great.  I chop everything in my food processor.

 

Yellow or white onion

Peeled tomatoes

Bell pepper

Anaheim pepper

Jalapeño pepper

Cilantro

Garlic

Cumin

Salt

Pepper

 

Nothing fancy...but very good

 

You're right about all of the different uses.  I especially am drawn to putting it on toasted bread and in tomato soup.

[Anna N]

Anna N, how did you do your braised duck leg?

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/3501678903/crispy-braised-duck-legs

More or less. Had no celery, whizzed some fading grape tomatoes in Thermomix (it's on the counter; the blender isn't).