Dinner 2016 (Part 1)

[Anna N]

53 minutes ago, robie said:

+1...Welcome back RRO

+2.   Your food is always inspirational not to mention extremely enviable.

[Shelby]

10 minutes ago, Anna N said:

+2.   Your food is always inspirational not to mention extremely enviable.

+3  Good to see you RRO!!!

 

I wanted some good deli meats and cheeses to celebrate Fat Tuesday with (making muffalettas) so I used Mr. Google.  Landed on a Polish deli  .  Everything looked good so I ordered an assortment of meats and cheeses, a link of kielbasa and 3 lbs. of their barrel sauerkraut.  If their kielbasa and kraut are an indication of how good their deli meats are, I'm going to be a happy camper.  Soooooo good.

 

 

[ElsieD]

Shelby, I keep lusting after those fries!

[HungryChris]

10 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

Shelby, I keep lusting after those fries!

Me too. I stopped trying to make them because mine disappoint.

HC

[Anna N]

 Shelby, I have stopped even looking at those fries.

[Shelby]

Just now, HungryChris said:

Me too. I stopped trying to make them because mine disappoint.

HC

Oh but they are so easy.  Seriously, if I can do it, you can certainly do it.  Chop your taters up, fill a pot with oil, drop the fries in, turn heat on medium, let 'em sit there and simmer for a bit, turn the heat up a bit higher, let 'em cook until they are as done as you like (my husband likes them kind of crunchy...I like the squishy ones).

[scubadoo97]

Shelby I like how you fry potatoes.  The cold fry method is drop dead easy, no splatter and the texture is excellent 

Edited February 6, 2016 by scubadoo97 (log)

[Smithy]

Quote

Chop your taters up, fill a pot with oil, drop the fries in, turn heat on medium, let 'em sit there and simmer for a bit, turn the heat up a bit higher, let 'em cook until they are as done as you like (my husband likes them kind of crunchy...I like the squishy ones).

 

6 minutes ago, scubadoo97 said:

Shelby I like how you fry potatoes.  The cold fry method is drop dead easy, no splatter and the texture is excellent 

 

 

I'm going to try that.  I saw a video advocating that method but have never tried it.  It might lower my aggravation when I'm frying spuds.

[scubadoo97]

Smithy, you'll never look back.  It works very well

[ElsieD]

So if I read this right, the spuds go into to cold oil, then you turn the heat on what, to medium?  Then after a bit when the potatoes have softened a bit to turn the heat up (to high?) And leave them in until they are brown and hopefully crisp?  Are Idaho potatoes best?  I'm keen to try this.

[Shelby]

23 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

So if I read this right, the spuds go into to cold oil, then you turn the heat on what, to medium?  Then after a bit when the potatoes have softened a bit to turn the heat up (to high?) And leave them in until they are brown and hopefully crisp?  Are Idaho potatoes best?  I'm keen to try this.

Yes, spuds into cold oil.  Just enough oil to cover the top.  We usually do 2-3 taters.  Put heat on medium.  Let taters just sit.  Do not stir them or they will break up.  The oil will start to simmer ....let taters be until they get slightly golden then turn heat up to medium high until they get crisp and brown.  I'm always doing other parts of dinner while these fry.  I'd guess it takes about 45 mins to get them done, but I never rush them so you might be able to do them faster if you want to.

 

edited to add:  Yes, I use Russet taters.  

Edited February 6, 2016 by Shelby (log)

[scubadoo97]

23 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

So if I read this right, the spuds go into to cold oil, then you turn the heat on what, to medium?  Then after a bit when the potatoes have softened a bit to turn the heat up (to high?) And leave them in until they are brown and hopefully crisp?  Are Idaho potatoes best?  I'm keen to try this.

Here is an old egullet thread about the "Robuchon" method.  I know he was not the first to do this but has been given credit for the technique by some

 

 

[cyalexa]

22 minutes ago, Shelby said:

edited to add:  Yes, I use Russet taters.  

Works with Yukon Gold too. 

Edited February 6, 2016 by cyalexa (log)

[sartoric]

3 hours ago, Shelby said:

Yes, spuds into cold oil.  Just enough oil to cover the top.  We usually do 2-3 taters.  Put heat on medium.  Let taters just sit.  Do not stir them or they will break up.  The oil will start to simmer ....let taters be until they get slightly golden then turn heat up to medium high until they get crisp and brown.  I'm always doing other parts of dinner while these fry.  I'd guess it takes about 45 mins to get them done, but I never rush them so you might be able to do them faster if you want to.

 

edited to add:  Yes, I use Russet taters.  

 

Thanks, I'm going to try these too.

[Shelby]

Just to clarify, the oil doesn't have to be cold...like cold from the fridge.  Room temp oil is fine  

 

And, when the fries get brown..or golden...I usually gently stir them around a bit.  You'll be able to tell if they are fried enough to move safely without breaking them up.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Shelby (log)

[sartoric]

Spinach and ricotta agnolotti pasta bake, with tuna, celery and roast broccoli. Topped with fried sage.

Served with baby spinach, shaved parmesan and toasted pine nut salad.

Sourdough for mopping.

 

[FauxPas]

I really wish that I had a better picture of this soup. I've been under the weather and this was the perfect food for both of us for a few meals (I made a big pot). This was loosely based on a Rancho Gordo recipe for Minestrone alla Romagnola, using RG Marcella beans. I had the perfect bit of Parmesan rind leftover to use. So good. And more attractive than this pic suggests, which was taken on the second day. I think the recipe must have been in an email or something, as I can't find it on the RG web site. 

 

Edited February 7, 2016 by FauxPas (log)

[Tere]

Love this. .I might do a chunky soup like this next Sunday after the Valentine's cook fest

[HungryChris]

7 hours ago, Shelby said:

Yes, spuds into cold oil.  Just enough oil to cover the top.  We usually do 2-3 taters.  Put heat on medium.  Let taters just sit.  Do not stir them or they will break up.  The oil will start to simmer ....let taters be until they get slightly golden then turn heat up to medium high until they get crisp and brown.  I'm always doing other parts of dinner while these fry..  

 

Our go-to fries were from Pomme Frites in Manhattan (before their store burned). I tried so many times to replicate their fries with the two fry method, and have so many fry thermometers, you wouldn't believe it but just got so frustrated that I stopped trying. My fish and chips just became  fried fish and salad. I will try this out and hope for the best.

 

HC

Edited February 7, 2016 by HungryChris (log)

[gfweb]

On 2/6/2016 at 8:09 PM, sartoric said:

 

@Captain you are a stirrer !

 

People, we don't eat koalas or dolphins

 

17 hours ago, rarerollingobject said:

Pork belly and pork mince patties, marinated in lemongrass, fish sauce, brown sugar, black pepper, garlic and ginger. Grilled in a copper mesh grill thingy, and eaten with rice vermicelli, rice paper spring rolls, mint, perilla/shiso and carrot quick pickles, and a fish sauce/sugar/garlic/rice vinegar sauce.

 

Which makes the lot a pretty close approximation to the good old Hanoian dish, bun cha.

 

 

Glad you are back!

 

[huiray]

Spicy hot pork cheek tasso [Love Handle], beef tendon terrine [Love Handle], fresh winter spinach [Full Hand Farm, IWFM], part of an epi loaf [Brotgarten, IWFM]. Free-form eggs w/ scallions, rice bran oil & Kumato tomatoes, left "wet" when cooked in a hot pan.

 

 

 

[Host's note: this topic is part of an extended discussion which periodically needs to be split to ease the load on our servers.  The discussion continues here.]

Edited February 8, 2016 by lesliec
Added host's note (log)