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Stock and Noodles

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:15:11 -0400

I don’t like to be without good stock. Once I made my own there is no turning back. I make dishes that don’t involve stock if I am out rather then use a base, bouillon cubes or canned grocery store varieties.
I use to store stocks in the freezer in those plastic take-out quart containers but now I can my stock in 1 quart jars. It is much easier to store it in the pantry, I never have to thaw it and it doesn’t fall out onto your wife’s toe breaking it, her toe not the stock container.
I use stock differently then I used too. In the past I pretty much only used stock for making sauces, rich reductions, made to be paired with your entree. I don’t do that as much anymore. I have made my food simpler relying on the quality of the product rather then lots different components. I leave the multi-component dinner to the restaurants these days.
That shouldn’t imply I don’t eat well and this is where a good, well flavored and rich stock can make you look like a superstar in your kitchen. It is so simple it will make Rachael Ray look like a founding member of slow food. But this is all under the assumption you have done your due diligence and made and stored a proper stock in advance, so, it is sort of a slight of hand the dish that does take longer to make but the work(stock) is made when you have time and now when you don’t you have a quick meal.
I have heard of people reducing their stock to a syrup, freezing it as ice cubes and then reconstituting it. I don’t know if it works or not. I do know if you reduce stock to far it can become bitter, some say from the celery, and it can develop a funky mouthfeel.

For the stock:
Makes 1 gallon
10 to 12 pounds bones, all one kind don’t mix, have the butcher cut them into small pieces if needed
a few chicken feet, a calves foot halved (gives the stock gelatin)
10 to 12 quarts of water
1 lb. onions, chopped
8 oz. carrots, peeled and chopped
8 oz. celery
1 lb. tomatoes
1 bouquet garni

1. Place the bones onto a sheet tray leaving plenty of room to add the veggies later. You may need to put the bones on two trays. Brown the bones in a 400˚F oven this could take up to an hour. About 30 minutes into the roasting add the vegetables.
2. When the everything is nicely colored remove it from the oven. Place all the remaining ingredients into a stock pot. Place over high heat and bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer for 8 hours skimming the surface to remove the impurities that rise to the top.
3. If the stock reduces to quickly and the bones are sticking out add some water as necessary.
4. Leave the stock undisturbed and ladle the stock through a strainer being careful to leave behind all the impurities that should be down at the bottom of the pot. Cool the stock in a container set into an ice bath. The quicker you cool it the better.
5. Degrease the stock. If you have refrigerated it there should be a fat cap that can easily be removed.

Noodle Soup:

1 lb rice noodles
stock
minced herbs, cilantro and chives
ginger, finely minced
garlic, finely minced

1. I never boil my rice noodles but instead pour hot tap water over them to cover and let them steep for 15 to thirty minutes until they are tender.
2. Remove the noodles from the water, drain them and divide them equally into serving bowls. Add the herbs, ginger and garlic in quantities you like.
3. Ladle hot broth over the top. Serve.

Tonic Syrup

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:11:44 -0400

I declared it the summer of tonic, the gin and tonic, tequila and tonic or vodka tonic. In doing so I thought I might want to look up a tonic recipe since this old man doesn’t like store bought tonic although back in the day I would drink it all the time with or without gin but always with a twist of lime.
What I found was this dynamite mix, the real deal an actual tonic in the true sense of the word. So I ordered in the requisite chincona powder or quinine and the rest was easily picked up at my local grocery.
I came across the recipe at imbibemagazine.com. I didn’t make a lot of changes to the recipe but when I make this syrup again I will try it with less citric acid, which can be found in the canning section of most well stocked groceries. The citric acid is used as a souring agent so it is important to use some I just won’t use as much.
In the end though this is a world class tonic syrup and all you have to do is add sparkling water, gin and a lime. It makes a lot. You should know it only takes about a teaspoon of syrup per drink so you may want to halve the recipe which is easily done.
When I sit on the porch sipping one of these cocktails I usually wind up somewhere in a Hemingway novel, in Key West or Cape Code, in my mind, although if I have had to many maybe literally.

Makes a fifth of syrup:
4 cups water
1/2 cup chopped lemongrass
2 kaffir lime leaves
6 tablespoons citric acid
3 tablespoons chincona powder
3 limes zested, and maybe more for juice if they don’t have lots of juice
1 lemon, zested
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 1/2 cups cane sugar
4 allspice berries
1. Combine all the ingredients in a pot. Place the pot over medium heat and bring it almost to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. One of the biggest problems I hear about this mix is straining it. So after after it is done simmering remove it from the heat and let it sit. Wait until the sediment has settled to the bottom of the pan and then use a ladle and carefully ladle the liquid through a coffee filter that you have made damp with water and then set into a strainer and placed over a bowl.

To make gin or vodka tonic:
2 oz. gin or vodka
1/2 oz. tonic syrup
sparkling water or soda
lime wedges
ice

1. Mix, stir and drink

White Beans and Ham

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:54:22 -0400

I like ham and beans. Really good ham, nice white beans, a little garlic and lots of black pepper kind of beans. The kind you grew up with and not the muddled chicken base overcooked kind you find these days so often at mom and pop joints.
I made fried catfish and white beans several months back which is a Cajun dish. It reminded me how simple beans could be, kind of like when I made bean soup of the Kentucky variety with just onions, pintos and black pepper. Deeply satisfying are the words that came to mind especially with a side of southern cornbread.
Nevertheless I am picky about my beans. I like mealy potato like beans and, I think, that comes from two things. The kind of bean and how they are cooked. There is lots of science out there about beans and, honestly, not only can’t I keep track of it I don’t want too.
Here is why. People won’t eat beans because they say it makes them gassy. I was in this category, or as I call it the Violet Beauregard syndrome( think Willy Wonka blueberry girl), and it took a while to figure out why. Basically one of the things that bothered me was cooking beans in lots of pork, beef or some sort of animal fat and second I firmly believe if you can’t eat beans you have an unhealthy intestinal tract of some sort and you might want to get that checked out.
The beans I used are runner cannelloni beans. It is a new bean to me and I am glad I found them. They are wonderful. Starchy tender and potato like. By all means if you come across these beans by them they are really really good.
So I was looking at some risotto recipes thinking I wanted risotto for dinner and this is what came to the table. It is a nice combination, very rich and while the cheese is a great addition I tasted the dish several times before adding the cheese. In the end I like it both ways, with and without the cheese, and next time I will make it without to see if I feel the same.

Makes 4 servings

For the beans:

12 oz. runner cannelloni beans
half an onion, peeled left whole
pinch of fennel seed
fresh ground black pepper
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
3 sprigs of thyme

1. Place the beans in a large pot along with the other ingredients. Add water to cover the beans by three to four inches.
2. Place the pot over high heat and bring it to a boil. When it comes to a boil reduce the heat and let it bubble vigorously for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover it and let it sit for two to 3 hours.
3. At the end of the rest remove the lid and see how much water is in the pot. If it is more then an inch over the beans pour out some of the water if it is less then an inch add water to make it so. Place the pot back over high heat, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
4. After a half hour test the beans by biting into one. If it is still hard let them cook longer. If it is al dente, maybe even a little firmer add salt to season. I like the beans to absorb some of the salt. If the bean water is level with the beans add some water to cover by a half inch or so.
5. Cook the beans till tender.

For the risotto:

3/4 cup ham, diced
1 cup cannelloni runners, cooked per above
2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups risotto rice
5 cups broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced parsley
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Place a 12 inch skillet with 2 inch deep sides over medium heat. Add half the butter and the ham. Let the ham lightly crisp and render.
2. Add the garlic and sauté it until it is fragrant, just a few seconds. Add the rice and stir it around letting it become coated in the butter.
3. Season the rice with a few pinches of salt and a couple of grinds of pepper. Add two cups of stock.
4. The stock should cover the rice by a half inch so add more if you need too. It should come to a boil quickly. Stir the rice gently but continually.
5. Let the liquid absorb until it makes little bubbling holes between the rice.
6. Add broth a half cup at a time until it just cover the rice. Keep repeating this process until the rice is tender and the stock is absorbed. This should take around 19 minutes.
7. Add the butter and cheese. Stir to incorporate then taste for seasoning and adjust the salt and pepper as necessary. The end result is a creamy rice that should slowly spread on a plate when ladled onto it so it needs to be juicy not dry. If you have no stock left you can add some water if needed.
8. Serve immediately.

Jacque Pepin’s Shrimp Gratin

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:33:04 -0400

I had never seen a version of this recipe until recently when I looked it up on line. I have made it a lot but all based on the memory of how Jacque Pepin made it on his show. So this recipe is based on his recipe.
This is a great dish for entertaining. It is really quick to make and I have made it ahead of time leaving everything separate and tossing it together just before I put it into individual gratins and pop them into the oven.
You will notice a pound of shrimp serves four people. That might not seem like a lot, a quarter pound of shrimp per person, but you will be adding mushrooms, breadcrumbs and parmesan which will bulk it up. Not only that but you will want to serve a side vegetable and a salad too, which will equal plenty to eat. If you are worried and have big eaters make the shrimp portions six ounces.

Makes 4 servings
1 pound of raw shrimp, 26-30 size is great, peeled and deveined
2 cloves of garlic, minced finely. You want it to cook so really mince it.
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup white or cremini mushrooms, wiped of dirt, and julienned
3/4 scant cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
kosher salt and fresh ground white pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine

1. Preheat you oven to 400˚F.
2. Place bread crumbs and the parmesan into a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of melted butter and season the mix with salt and pepper. Mix everything really well to distribute the butter this will help a great deal in getting the top to brown evenly.
3. Put the shrimp into another mixing bowl and add green onions, mushrooms and garlic. Toss to combine, season with salt and pepper then combine this mixture with half the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with the white wine and toss again.
4. Fan the shrimp out in individual gratins or one large gratin or casserole. Top with the remaining breadcrumbs.
5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the top is brown and the shrimp are cooked through. If you have over lapped the shrimp a great deal it might take longer to cook and you may need to back the oven down to 375˚F so the topping doesn’t brown to quickly. Serve.