Dinner 2016 (Part 5)

[ProfessionalHobbit]

So tonight, we tried a new version of pollo alla cacciatora that doesn't involve tomatoes or peppers which is how most Americans seem to know this dish.

 

B pronounced it a "keeper" and I agree.  We'll still make cacciatora the other way, but for now, this recipe will probably be the one we turn to the most.

 

 

Clockwise from center: 2 sprigs worth of rosemary; a container of pitted Kalamata olives; 4 minced garlic cloves; 1 cup pinot grigio; 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar; a pinch of red chile pepper flakes. Not shown are 4 chicken legs and 4 chicken thighs that were seasoned with salt and black pepper an hour in advance.

 

 

 

Warm 5 tbsp. olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, place chicken in pan, skin side down, and fry until a golden crust forms. Turn pieces over and repeat.

 

 

 

Long, slow browning is the key. This process will take at least 20-25 minutes. If you don't brown the chicken long enough, it'll carry over to the finished dish in terms of color and flavor. Don't rush it.

 

 

 

When the chicken has browned, sprinkle the garlic, chile pepper and rosemary, then pour over the wine. Cover the pan, then reduce heat to low and braise for 45 minutes or until the thighs are easily pierced with the tines of a fork. Every so often, check the pan and turn the pieces over with tongs. If the liquid in the pan has reduced too much, add more wine.

 

 

 

Once chicken is done, sprinkle red wine vinegar over, then add olives. Serve.

I added some chopped parsley for color.

Pollo alla cacciatora, adapted from "My Kitchen in Rome" by Rachel Roddy, pages 195-197.

 

Rachel's book is amazing ... hmm, maybe I should start a thread on it.  This is the fifth or sixth thing I've made from it; all have been smash hits.  Her blog is here:  https://racheleats.wordpress.com/ -- worth bookmarking when you have the time.

[rarerollingobject]

Another winner recipe from ladyandpups.com; Hong Kong curry fish balls. Fried till crisp and then simmered for an hour in red and yellow curry pastes, coconut milk, lemongrass, darkly browned shallots, kaffir lime leaves and palm sugar. On noodles. With bok choy greens on the side. 

 

[Shelby]

Venison steaks that were unearthed from the freezer.

 

[rotuts]

@rarerollingobject  

 

that looks so delicious.  in Indian restaurant Ive found to be on the Tastier Side, the best dishes  ( for my taste ) had gravy just like what you have in that bowl.

 

some fat separated from the sauce itself.  of course that might not be the 'finest' sauce, but its always suited me.

 

Im wondering why the fish balls were simmered for so long.  do you think that's related to getting the sauce 'just right?'

 

and not cooking the FB's so much ?

Edited June 27, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[rarerollingobject]

3 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@rarerollingobject  

 

that looks so delicious.  in Indian restaurant Ive found to be on the Tastier Side, the best dishes  ( for my taste ) had gravy just like what you have in that bowl.

 

some fat separated from the sauce itself.

 

Im wondering why the fish balls were simmered for so long.  do you think that's related to getting the sauce 'just right?'

 

and not cooking the FB's so much ?

 

Yes, the fish balls are already cooked with the frying, so it's a long cook time purely for the sake of the sauce. But I liked how the fish (actually cuttlefish) balls became fat and swollen and engorged with the sauce flavour, so I think that's the benefit of the long simmer time as far as the balls themselves are concerned.

[HungryChris]

Fried shrimp po boys, dressed.

HC

 

 

[rarerollingobject]

13 minutes ago, rarerollingobject said:

 

Yes, the fish balls are already cooked with the frying, so it's a long cook time purely for the sake of the sauce. But I liked how the fish (actually cuttlefish) balls became fat and swollen and engorged with the sauce flavour, so I think that's the benefit of the long simmer time as far as the balls themselves are concerned.

 

Incidentally, I've always cooked with the theory that sauces (curry, bolognese, etc) aren't ready UNTIL the fat separates from the sauce; that's the telltale sign that it's ready, no matter what the kitchen timer says.

[huiray]

6 hours ago, rarerollingobject said:

 

Incidentally, I've always cooked with the theory that sauces (curry, bolognese, etc) aren't ready UNTIL the fat separates from the sauce; that's the telltale sign that it's ready, no matter what the kitchen timer says.

 

Yes, that's what I do too and what I understand is the correct expectation for those cuisines. If I were served a Thai or Indian/S Asian curry, for example, with non-separated oil (even though the flavor profiles are very different), I would consider the dish not quite done properly. Thai cuisine regarding the treatment of coconut milk/cream, as just one example in this regard, requires (or at least prefers) that one cracks the cream/milk so that the oil SEPARATES from the rest of the stuff. Ditto when I make curries from the Indian sub-continent, in most cases that I can think of off the top of my head in the appropriate cases I WANT the oil to separate out and rise to the top before I consider the dish done. Ditto various iterations of my Italianate-style meat sauces.

 

It is French cuisine (as the dominant example) that treats sauces where oil has separated out as "broken sauces" and lambasts such sauces. That's fine and dandy for French cuisine, but it may be an error to apply French standards to distinctly NON-FRENCH cuisines.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

16 hours ago, sartoric said:

 

I googled, but got no help to my understanding. What is carbonated kimchi please ?

 

Since the original poster has not replied -- my guess is kimchi methode rotuts.  Simply place kimchi in an iSi or similar pressure vessel (as shown in the photograph) and charge with carbon dioxide to taste.  I even have some old kimchi in the back of the refrigerator...hmm.

[Anna N]

5 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Since the original poster has not replied -- my guess is kimchi methode rotuts.  Simply place kimchi in an iSi or similar pressure vessel (as shown in the photograph) and charge with carbon dioxide to taste.  I even have some old kimchi in the back of the refrigerator...hmm.

 I guess you are correct. I know @zend is usually very happy to answer questions so I'm guessing he/she hasn't seen  any of these queries.  

[sartoric]

19 minutes ago, Anna N said:

 I guess you are correct. I know @zend is usually very happy to answer questions so I'm guessing he/she hasn't seen  any of these queries.  

Thanks to both for your replies. I'm not sure liquid kimchi would appeal (maybe with a shot of vodka)...

[Martin Fisher]

Yes...

and

Siphon or dry ice.

Edited June 27, 2016 by DiggingDogFarm (log)

[sartoric]

Chicken, bacon and mushroom pasta bake, or how to use leftover roast chicken number 83.

I sautéed bacon, garlic and mushrooms in butter, made a cheese sauce with buttermilk and tasty cheddar, shredded chicken and a few Brussels sprouts, cooked pasta and bunged the lot into an ovenproof dish for 20 minutes at 200 C.

 

The mix.

 

Pre oven.

 

Post oven.

 

Plated.

[rotuts]

Extra Kudos your way

 

@sartoric  

 

I might tale my CSB outside and bake up a few of these as its a bit hot here, and going to get Hotter !

 

i take it you pre-cooked the pasta ?

 

I do have the Fasta-Pasta.  might come in handy in the heat.

 

boiling wise.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

59 minutes ago, sartoric said:

Thanks to both for your replies. I'm not sure liquid kimchi would appeal (maybe with a shot of vodka)...

 

There is a misunderstanding.  Carbonated kimchi would not be liquefied, only having extra fizziness.

 

On the other hand, if one wanted liquid kimchi, carbon dioxide supercritical fluid extraction might be the way to go.  But to my knowledge one cannot do that at home just yet.

[ProfessionalHobbit]

Oh I see.  I was thinking "carbonated" = "soda".  

 

But the actual explanation makes more sense.  D'oh!

[chefmd]

Pork schnitzel with roasted new potatoes.  

 

 

[sartoric]

3 hours ago, rotuts said:

Extra Kudos your way

 

@sartoric  

 

I might tale my CSB outside and bake up a few of these as its a bit hot here, and going to get Hotter !

 

i take it you pre-cooked the pasta ?

 

I do have the Fasta-Pasta.  might come in handy in the heat.

 

boiling wise.

Thanks @rotuts, yes I cooked the pasta. It's bloody freezing here, so I'd do anything to turn the oven on.

What's a CSB ?

[rarerollingobject]

Two observations on the carbonated kimchi: old kimchi gets fizzy anyway. I have a couple of jars in my fridge of various ages, one nearly 2 years old - and it's fizzy. I love it, and kimchi aficionados crave the fizz; it's a very desirable quality that people specifically age kimchi to achieve. The carbonation practice may be a way of speeding that up, to get the coveted fizz - take new kimchi and make it old again! If so, great idea, @zend, love your work and may try it myself.

 

Secondly, pureed liquid kimchi would be a great addition to a Bloody Mary if you ask me!

 

 

Edited June 28, 2016 by rarerollingobject (log)

[rotuts]

CSB = Cuisinart Steam Oven

 

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSO-300N-Convection-Steam-Stainless/dp/B019XOZYEA?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B019XOZYEA&linkCode=as2&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&redirect=true&tag=gosale-20

 

that's a remarkable price.  maybe not down under

 

there are several threads    it what one needs / wants etc  maybe a bit bigger etc.

[Smithy]

45 minutes ago, sartoric said:

Thanks @rotuts, yes I cooked the pasta. It's bloody freezing here, so I'd do anything to turn the oven on.

What's a CSB ?

 

CSB = Cuisinart Combination Steam/Convection Oven. It's spurred its own topic(s) (start here) in the last couple of years. A few of its devotees have taken to calling it the Cuisi Steam Boy (CSB) or the Cuisi Steam Girl.

[rotuts]

for sure, it not just a Boy, but a Hyper-Boy

 

Ive studied and posted my findings re : the plug.

 

light, small, works very fine outside on the Deck in the Hot Humid Summer

 

check Intellicast re the radar for ThunderStorms in your area first.

Edited June 28, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[Anna N]

 So I dug a little deeper into my freezer and retrieved a duck breast. There was still just a little braised red cabbage left. The breast got a little overcooked as I dodged my son-in-law who was attempting to MacGyver my air conditioner before I succumbed to the heat.  

 

 

He  is now researching a replacement unit  but this one is running for the time being.  

[blue_dolphin]

1 hour ago, sartoric said:

What's a CSB ?

 

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

 

CSB = Cuisinart Steam Oven

 

 

Most excellent for toasties, @sartoric!

[sartoric]

29 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

 

Most excellent for toasties, @sartoric!

 

Ha ha, I do sometimes feel a tad guilty turning on the 90 cm oven for what is a few slices of bread. Currently banned from buying any new kitchen equipment, will have to work on that.