Saturday Night (cooking) Live 2

Last Saturday night was good food night :)

It started with salmon 2 ways - on the left side is pan fried salmon, encrusted with black sesame seeds, topped with crispy skin, dressed with soy, mirin and wasabe. The other side is ceviche-style, marinated with kaffir lime and lemon juice and their respective zests. All served on a bed of rocket.










Cross section (don't look if you like your salmon cooked all the way through!)










The main meal was a three mushroom risotto (enoki, oyster mushroom and shiitake)







And it all ended with a bang with a dark chocolate orange cake with vanilla ice cream and candied orange, garnished with orange powder and chocolate mint leaves.










The best part - all the above was enjoyed at home. The spring onions, rocket leaves, kaffir lime and lemon used in the starter were from the garden, the risotto was perfumed with thyme and bay leaves also from the herb patch, the orange in the dessert was from the backyard (the orange powder was made from the zest dried in a low oven, and ground with a bit of caster sugar) and the candied fruit was from a previous harvest. The chocolate mint was also from the herb patch (a variety of mint, i got it from Bunnings).

 archive photos of previous candied peel (grapefruit and orange, harvested from the garden)

Oh and let's not forget the wine! D'Arenberg 2009 The High Tree cabernet sauvignon.







So far the above has been one of the best meals we've done ourselves so far. Yes, we were pleased!

----

Cook's notes:
Dark chocolate orange cake
Melt 100g of dark chocolate (85% coco), a tablespoon of honey, 50g butter, zest of half an orange and juice of 1 orange, over a bain marie. Meanwhile whip 2 eggs and a teaspoon of caster sugar until thick and pale. Fold 1 tablespoon of plain flour to the egg mixture. Fold in chocolate. Spoon into greased ramekins. Bake for 10 min at 200C and let cool.

Orange powder
Spread the remaining zest (half an orange) on to a baking tray lined with baking paper, place into 90C oven for around 35minutes. Mix in about a teaspoon of caster sugar and lightly grind together in a mortar and pestle.



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Homemade Squid Ink Pasta

It was just one of those things that I've always wanted to try to make, so when I saw some whole squids at the fishmonger, I declined the offer to have it cleaned so that I can harvest the ink myself and make some squid ink pasta.

Growing up, I would bear witness to all the cleaning of fish and seafood in our kitchen, so I didn't need to google how to extract the ink. You need to gently pull the tentacles away from the body and above the eyes, there is a little sac that looks somewhat silver-ish... That's where it is. (see photo below - that little sack dangling in front of my pinkie).




I had 500grams of squid in total and about 6 small squids. With the patience that I didn't I know I had I managed to get maybe a teaspoon's worth of ink. Or less!






After that, I cleaned the casings, scraped leftover skins, removed the backbone and chopped them into rings. I used squeezed half a kiwi over them to tenderize the meat - believe me it works! (my mom can perfectly cook squids without making them rubbery at all - I on the other hand need a bit of a cook's trick to pull this off, heheh).

For the pasta, I used 300 grams of type 00 flour, 3 small eggs, a good glug of olive oil and the ink, mixed and kneaded into a ball, wrapped in cling film and left in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling it.













The pasta was cooked in boiling water for around 3 minutes or until they rise to the top, then drained.

I minced 3 cloves of garlic, half a red onion, 1 green chili. A hot pan, evoo, and a couple of seconds for the garlic to turn golden brown (not burnt!) ensures a deeper taste. The onions and chili went in next, then squids for just a minute or until they turn the translucency disappears, then the drained pasta tossed into the mix.

This was served with cavollo cheese shaved generously on top, finished with cracked black pepper.






Our brains think that food which is black or grayish is not very appetizing! But give it a go, and see how good it can be!



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Onion, 3 Ways

If you don't like onions, this post is not for you :)

*

One day I found myself in possession of a big sack of onions. Not a big bag, but a big sack. Ten kilos of big brown onions, sold for around $3 for the lot. Who would not buy it?

So now I had to find some use for a big sack of onions. :)

Not that there is a scarcity of recipes for onions. There's always onion rings, onion bhaji, french onion soup...and I can go on and on like that guy Bubba in Forrest Gump describing how shrimp can be cooked...

I started with onion jam. I once made a batch and it can be slathered on to almost anything like steak, burgers, sandwiches... and it can surely make something very simple a lot more tasty. Then when I started chopping... I just didn't stop, and ended up with onion and potato soup and stuffed onions as well!

My onion jam was made of around 5 large onions, chopped and cooked slowly over medium low heat until wilted and almost caramelized, then a teaspoon of hot mustard, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a slosh of balsamic vinegar, a teaspoon or so of honey, 2 bay leaves and salt and freshly cracked black pepper went into the mix and proceeded to cook, still slowly. I used a wide cast iron pan and kept my eye on it, stirring until the desired consistency was reached. It eventually found its way into a clean jar.



While letting the onion jam simmer slowly, I found a recipe from Larousse Gastronomique about stuffed onions. 'Well that's a first!", I thought, and proceeded to read. I did not have all the ingredients required but had sufficient alternatives. Stuffing onions required a bit of fussy preparation, I later realized - scooping the insides wasn't as straightforward as I thought.

The recipe called for large onions to be peeled gently so as not to break the outer shell, stalks cut off so that the onion is  reduced to 2/3 of its size. The onions are to be boiled in water for around 10 minutes, then the insides scooped, minced and mixed with the desired filling. In this case it was cooked rice fried in oil where pancetta was rendered, and finely minced garlic. (Anything with pancetta is always tasty!). This was spooned back into the onion shells, some gravy** spooned on top, and baked in a 200C oven for around 20 minutes.

onions the size of my hand

 peeled ever so carefully, the top chopped off. i also trimmed the bottom to stabilize them a bit

boil for around 10 minutes or until slightly softened

 scoop the insides out and mince

fry some bacon (or salami and pancetta in this case), saute the minced onions and add cooked rice

season to taste 

stuff rice mixture back into onion shells, baste with some sauce and bake for around 20minutes on 200C

Now - the "gravy" was actually part of the potato and onion soup that I was also making.

I saved some of the water where the onion was boiled ("onion water"), and in a separate pan I heated some extra virgin olive oil and threw in around 4 chopped onions, and cooked them in high heat until caramelized. I let some pieces get a darker color than usual, then I added 4 cloves of finely minced garlic, and 3 sprigs of fresh thyme (from the garden of course), minced. I let them all cook together for a couple more minutes, then tipped the contents into around 2 cups of "onion water". I deglazed the pan with cooking sherry, and the tasty bits also went to the pot. Four medium sized potatoes (cubed) also went in, and about 2 cups of homemade chicken stock, and 2 bay leaves. This was brought to a boil, the heat lowered, and then simmered gently until the potatoes were cooked thoroughly. I wanted a slightly thick soup, so after some of the liquid was reduced, the mixture was blitzed in a food processor. It is ready to serve!

So, the soup was then ladled on to soup bowls. I had some old homemade focaccia (remnants of a get together with the neighbors!). I sliced the crust off and cut them into squares and drizzled with olive oil to make some sort of croutons. Into a 200C oven it went for around 10 minutes. (At this same instant, the stuffed onions also went into the oven). When the croutons are golden and toasted, sprinkle on top of the soup and add a tablespoon of the onion jam. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and get ready to get your mind blown away.

another use for stale bread

Meanwhile, serve the stuffed onions with some greens (in this case, rocket and young silverbeet from the garden). They were moist inside and the natural sugars very obvious to the palate...the pungency is gone and all that's left is the flavor of a tasty lunch.

I hope to be able to replicate this again, especially the soup, as it had received rave reviews! (I had forgotten what I used for the chicken stock as I tend to use whatever is in the kitchen at that very instant, so the taste might vary the next time!)

Hot Cross Buns

Easter is fast approaching and a classic (English) treat during this time are hot cross buns. To be honest I've only heard of these when I arrived here in Oz, growing up we would have had rice-pudding type treats during Easter :) so I thought I'd give it a go and bake some to see what they're like. 

I found a recipe from the Good Food magazine and they turned out quite nicely. 

3 cups plain white flour

1.5 tsps instant dried yeast

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 tsp ground  cinnamon

1/2 tsp mixed spice (which was made of ground ginger, ground cloves and allspice)

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2/3 cup dried currants

1 tsp salt

150ml warm milk

50ml warm water

1 egg, beaten

50g unsalted butter

1/4 cup plain flour

2 tbsp white sugar

I just had the wonderful opportunity to mix them all together in my magical Kitchenaide, tested the consistency and texture of the dough and added a bit more flour when I found it too wet.

In the absence of this toy one can mix dry ingredients, make a well in a center and add the wet ingredients. Mix to form a dough and knead until smooth. Transfer to a clean, lightly greased bowl and let rise until doubled in size.

Place greaseproof paper on baking tray. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 balls. Shape into a  nice round and place on prepared tray, allowing some room for each rising. Using a sharp knife score a cross on top of each bun then cover with a tea towel and let rise again until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 180C. Combine remaining flour and some water to form a thick paste. 

Spoon into piping bag (I used a sandwich bag, tip snipped off) and pipe crosses on top of buns. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until buns are golden. 

While still warm, heat white sugar and about a tablespoon of water until sugar is dissolved (I just microwaved them until it bubbled). Brush over buns and serve immediately; or serve toasted the next day with a dollop of butter.

The same dough can be pretty much used for a lot of things... I liked this a lot, it's sweetly spiced buns, can't go wrong with that!

Fig and Prosciutto Salad

Today's artwork :

No cooking here, just assemble fresh figs, slices of shaved prosciutto and serrano ham (or other cured meat that you might fancy) from the local deli, bocconcini, cherry tomatoes, parsley, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar. And freshly craacked black pepper. No salt needed as the cured meats and cheese should provide enough saltiness.

The flavors are unbelievably perfect.

Especially with a glass of cold James Squire Golden ale.

Life is good :)

Coq au Vin

I was inspired to make this dish after seeing a TV show where the host got a bit emotional, saying that coq au vin has always brought memories of her childhood. (I can relate to this notion - everytime I come home with a headache I always remember how my mom's freshly cooked sinigang or sinampalukang manok  (my all time favorites) with hot steaming rice would make it all go away.) It did remind me of our previous trip to Paris, and we just had to order one, for that 'authentic coq au vin experience' :)

This was my first attempt at cooking coq au vin - literally 'rooster in wine' - which was traditionally made of rooster marinated in wine, mainly to relax the tough meat. If using chicken, this step may be skipped as the meat itself will not really need to be tenderized, but won't hurt if you're after a more intense flavor. I made the quicker version and based the recipe from this link  at Gourmet Traveller.

Coq au Vin
serves 8

olive oil

90g softened butter

1 whole chicken (around 1 kg), jointed

bacon or pancetta, diced (i used speck)

16 small brown onions or pickling onions

1-2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

24 button mushrooms (or a combination of different mushroom types)

1 bottle of red wine (i used Chemin de Papes)

4 sprigs parsley

3 bay leaves

6 sprigs thyme

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp flour

6 sprigs parsley, minced

I like to use a whole chicken because other than the joy of butchering (*evil laughter*) the carcass can be used to make chicken stock. Once you get used to jointing a chicken, you'd find it's a quick and easy process. You can also trim as much of the excess fat as you like.

before

...and after

Heat the olive oil and a quarter of the butter and brown the chicken pieces. Transfer on to a plate and drain excess fat, keep warm.  

the brown bits make a huge difference in flavor!

In the same pan, add the speck (or bacon/pancetta, whatever you have) and render the fat. Add the onions and cook for around 5-7 minutes, until slightly golden or caramelized. 

Add chicken back to the pan, pour the wine (almost the entire bottle, but leave a glass' worth for the cook!), stock, herbs, garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 45min.

i tied the herbs with kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni, making it easier to fish out later!

Meanwhile, cook the mushrooms in olive oil. Set aside.

When the chicken is cooked, sieve the cooking liquid into a clean saucepan and set the chicken and onions aside and keep warm. Cook over medium heat and let simmer until around a third of its amount has been reduced.

keep warm!

Make a paste out of the remaining butter and flour (a french technique for thickening sauces, called beurre manie) and whisk it into the sauce until it has thickened and coats the back of a spoon.

just mash em up!

Now to bring it all together!

Return the chicken and onions into the sauce, add the mushrooms and let them all heat through. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes, or fondant potatoes, or rice, or polenta... and maybe some more wine ;)


The dish received rave reviews from my official reviewer! :p

the coq au vin at Saint Michel restaurant, along the Seine, in Paris

(related previous post here)

Breakfast in Bread

This was inspired by last night's episode of The Cook and The Chef where the chef (Simon) made mushroom dumplings and Maggie made an omelet using a new approach - the eggs weren't fully scrambled together, simply 'mixed' (sort of). You can still see traces of the egg whites and the yolks aren't fully incorporated. She added a touch of cream and salt and pepper.

Mushroom is one of M's favorite things in this planet, so after seeing the show he started drooling over mushrooms. I have a couple of packets of dried mushrooms (shiitake and black mushroom) stashed in the pantry so I sneaked out and started hydrating them with the intent of using them in the morning.

I sauteed the shrooms (excess water drained and saved, it is full of flavor!) in a some extra virgin olive oil and a couple of cloves of garlic, finely minced. After around 8 minutes of moving it around on high heat, I set it aside.

I wanted to see what Maggie's omelet recipe would be like, but I am not a huge fan of using cream in cooking our usual meals, except for baking (the calories are shared!) :p so I just added a tiny dash of milk and followed her style. I used 5 eggs for 2 decent sized omelets and topped it with the sauteed mushrooms. And a bit of fresh thyme for an extra heavenly scent.

The omelet was surprisingly fluffy!

Luv-A-Duck and No Bake Cheesecake

And so it was 14 Feb...
And to join the rest of world in celebration of love  - we decided to give some love to a duck from Luv-A-Duck.

It's a store right next door to our office and they specialize in... you guessed it! DUCK!

This was a particular dish that I wanted to try out after making a batch of plum sauce. It was the perfect excuse :) And because the store really has good produce, there wasn't much needed to make the meat a lot more tastier. A very simple yet tasty meal  - and if you like your duck meat still slightly pink in the middle, you've come to the right spot!

Best part is that you only get to use 1 pan for cooking all 3 components. Winner!

5 Spiced Duck Breast with 
Wilted Silverbeet and Chickpeas
Served with a Homemade Plum Sauce


2 medium sized duck breasts, skin slightly scored
1.5 teaspoons five spice
salt and pepper to taste
a bunch of silverbeet, chopped
a tin of chickpeas, rinsed
juice of half a lemon
1 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 tablespoons of plum sauce
dash of cherry brandy

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

The five spice was also a homemade spice mix and echoes the spice used for the plum sauce. The silverbeet and lemon were from the garden.

Season the duck breast with the five spice mix and place skin side down on a hot pan, searing it for 3-4 minutes, then turn to the other side and let sizzle for another minute, then place it straight into the oven for 10 minutes. It should still be slightly pink in the middle if you press it and it still feels a bit firm but slightly springy.

There should be a lot of duck fat after this exercise. Let the duck breasts rest on a separate plate. Drain some and leave about a teaspoon's worth or so in the pan, and then add the garlic and onions and place back over medium heat. Stir until wilted. Toss in the silverbeet and chickpeas, and when the silverbeet is almost done (not overcooked!), finish off with lemon juice and a touch of salt and pepper.

Serve the silverbeet and chickpeas on a plate and place the duck on top. On the same pan, heat about 3 tablespoons of the plum sauce and add a dash of cherry brandy. Let sizzle a little bit.

The duck would have rested a fair bit after this time. Place the duck on top of the silverbeet and then spoon over the plum sauce. Serve immediately.

 just a touch of pink

And we also got dessert!

This dessert was also a fairly simple thing to make. It's a no-bake lemon cheesecake, inspired by another Nigella recipe. 

biscuit base :

125g Arnott's chocolate biscuits

75g soft butter

300g cream cheese

60g sifted icing sugar

250g double cream

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare a springform tin by greasing and lining the base and sides with greaseproof paper.

Blitz the biscuits until crumbled, then add the butter until it is like soft sand. 

Press evenly on to the base of the springform tin.

Refrigerate for 15minutes or so.

Meanwhile, whip cream cheese, icing sugar, double cream and vanilla extract together until well incorporated and smooth. Add lemon juice and zest, it will thicken up a bit more. Pour on to the prepared biscuit base and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

And that's it! Very simple and tasty!!

You can either top it with cherries or blueberries...

or maybe serve with some bubbly?