What's Cooking (Take Three!)

[Jenise]

Getting set up for a wine and cheese party at 5:00. I'm serving a cheese fondue, a tray of nifty hard cheeses with crackers, a brie topped with sundried tomatoes parsley and pine nuts (very holiday looking), artichoke/ham/parmesan palmiers, cheese and dijon mustard potato chips, pickled things, and some roasted pork loins with chinese mustard a friend made. Super easy entertaining!

Sounds like catering for a home wedding!

[Jenise]

It was one of those get-togethers where you don't know how many people are coming, you want everyone to feed themselves and most people will eat enough to make it their dinner. So the cheese theme was perfect.

I was admiring an eye round in the store but, of course, it's hard to make a roast beef when I eat rare and Pumpkin eats well.

It was heresy but I thought if I could cut it in half and cook each part appropriately. But I doubted I could mange that in an oven. On the other hand I can control a pan more carefully. Hm...

I cut the roast in half, marinated it for a couple of hours (fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, bay leaf, crushed garlic, s+p, EVOO), then put it in a hot cast iron pan. I seared one side good and dark, then rotated the pieces every few minutes, removing mine at quick-read 125* and his at 145*. After resting, mine was between rare and medium-rare, his was medium-well. Both juicy. Lots of traditional beef flavors. Sliced thinly on the bias, served with sauteed mixed vegetables and some rich porcini polenta. Sunday supper. A glass of Sperino Uvaggio went nicely.

North Africa this week.

Meyer lemons only show up around here for a limited time, so I grabbed a bunch when they appeared in the local supermarket. Sure enough--they're now all gone. Tonight I'll be turning them into Moroccan preserved lemon.

For dinner tonight I'll be using some of last year's preserved lemon crop in a tagine-style braised chicken seasoned with harissa, ras el hanout, green olives, and preserved lemons. I'll also be making a Moroccan-style sweet potato, carrot, and red lentil soup.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

What a great solution, Jeff. I've never roasted eye of round, would have thought it too tough, and sawdusty if cooked more than rare. Not a problem, apparently?

What a great solution, Jeff. I've never roasted eye of round, would have thought it too tough, and sawdusty if cooked more than rare. Not a problem, apparently?

I don't think it's tough at all; it's actually rather silky, in the direction of the grain or cut thinly across it.

Sawdusty, of course, is in the chew of the beholder.

I’ve come to terms with the fact that for my everyday shopping my protein choices will be determined by the pack sizes in the meat case at my local store. I will only buy enough for my own needs for one or possibly two meals, and after a few months of noticing there is no way to predict I have decided to go with the flow. I’ll find a steak, a small chicken breast, a 3-4 pt rack of lamb etc and challenge myself to then deal,with it.
So a pack of 6. Chicken wings, chef google and voila
Crispy oven baked buffalo wings. The makings ofCaesar salad at hand.
I think Jenise posted an oven baked “fried” chicken and I’ll check that.
These were so crispy and just tossed in a tiny amount of baking powder, salt pepper and garlic powder (like total of 2 teas for a kilo of wings) then Baked at 230c for 50 minutes turning half way
Tossed in melted butter, honey and hot sauce then served with Blue cheese dip.
Definitely a keeper. Good party food, and great crispness without added fat and no deep frying.
Could easily be prepped and cooked in quantity. I cut the wings in two for ease.

Is baking powder a regular part of making them crisp?

Is baking powder a regular part of making them crisp?

It would seem so Jeff. There are lots of references to using it out there here is a bit of a blurb from. PureWow.com (which I just came across)

Chicken Wings or just one thigh, this technique makes for the crispiest, crackliest skin imaginable.

What you need: Skin-on chicken, baking powder, kosher salt, black pepper and a baking sheet.

What you do: Combine one part baking powder with three parts kosher salt. Add a dash of black pepper and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the skin. Transfer the chicken to the baking sheet and let it rest uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. Then roast as you normally would.

Why it works: OK, quick science lesson. Baking powder is alkaline. It raises the skin’s pH, breaking down the proteins more efficiently and making for browner, crispier results. Simultaneously, the baking powder combines with the bird’s natural juices, creating carbon dioxide. So as the bird chills out in the fridge, a tiny layer of bubbles forms all over its skin. The skin’s surface area increases, so it Chicken Wings or just one thigh, this technique makes for the crispiest, crackliest skin imaginable.

What you need: Skin-on chicken, baking powder, kosher salt, black pepper and a baking sheet.

What you do: Combine one part baking powder with three parts kosher salt. Add a dash of black pepper and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the skin. Transfer the chicken to the baking sheet and let it rest uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. Then roast as you normally would.

Why it works: OK, quick science lesson. Baking powder is alkaline. It raises the skin’s pH, breaking down the proteins more efficiently and making for browner, crispier results. Simultaneously, the baking powder combines with the bird’s natural juices, creating carbon dioxide. So as the bird chills out in the fridge, a tiny layer of bubbles forms all over its skin. The skin’s surface area increases, so it develops an extra crispy coating.

Thanks, Barb! I did not know this.

[Jenise]

Jeff, I didn't either. If I didn't have pork ribs that are DUE, if possibly even overdue, I'd be playing with that chicken tonight. The crispy skin thing talks to my deepest longings.

Last Friday night was the Christmas pot luck supper for the New Hampshire Astronomical Society. My contribution was fried wontons. This gave me the opportunity to retake the missing photo from my wonton recipe post, which I'll be revising.

While I was shopping for wonton skins in Boston's Chinatown, I also bought two pounds of spareribs cut by the butcher crosswise into three segments, so they're all ready to be cut into individual, chopstick-friendly sections. I have a hacksaw that I use for doing this, but I appreciate the convenience of buying the spareribs with this procedure already done. Tonight's dinner will be Jenise's recipe for Chinese spareribs in black bean sauce.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Paul, our Costco is now selling trimmed halves of St. Louis ribs so I no longer have to dust off the hacksaw!

Jeff, I didn't either. If I didn't have pork ribs that are DUE, if possibly even overdue, I'd be playing with that chicken tonight. The crispy skin thing talks to my deepest longings.

I am making more Chicken/40Cloves but I admit to having taken the skin off some of the thighs and I am making cracklings as we speak.

Jeff, I didn't either.

Look what I found: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=50898&p=417725#p417725

Slightly different but still....

[Jenise]

Jeff, I didn't either. If I didn't have pork ribs that are DUE, if possibly even overdue, I'd be playing with that chicken tonight. The crispy skin thing talks to my deepest longings.

I am making more Chicken/40Cloves but I admit to having taken the skin off some of the thighs and I am making cracklings as we speak.

Made that again Friday myself. Used mostly boneless/skinless (I'm trying to do better). Tonight I'm going to repurpose the generous leftovers into chicken & dumplings. Mmmmmm!

[Jenise]

Jeff, I didn't either.

Look what I found: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=50898&p=417725#p417725

Slightly different but still....

Check out Barb's separate post three days before yours...

Fishmonger at market Sat had 2 things that are no usually on their menu - black cod and ankimo. I did the cod in a miso marinade and had Sat night. I soaked the liver in sake Sat, then rolled into a cylinder in aluminum foil. Steamed late Sat with scallions, then put in fridge to firm. Took some to a party Sun- sliced on a rice cracker, topped with a ponzu/soy sauce, a little shichimi togarashi,and scallion. I love ankimo, but first time I've ever made myself.

DAle that sounds really interesting, and amazing to attempt at home. I have never seen fish liver in any fish market or on any Japanese menu here. But then monkfish is not often seen either.
I’ll look out for it.

[Jenise]

Wow, monkfish liver. Very bold, Dale! I had it once, at Masa, then in Beverly Hills but now somewhere in Manhattan. Was very interesting!

Today I'm creating a Vegetable Wellington. I actually went through a bunch of recipes on the internet and all were essentially carb bombs or heavily dependent on mushrooms--basically, the Wellie would be all duxelle, sans meat, and both seem to me highly unappetizing and unfair, like the whole purpose was to make something brown in order to fool one's brain into thinking it's meat. Boy food. Something only a non-vegetarian would think, frankly. WHERE'S THE GREEN?

So I'm out there on my own on this. I bought asparagus, fresh long skinny carrots, riced cauliflower and spinach. The carrots will get roasted, as will the cauliflower, and the asparagus will go in raw. I'm going to use the asparagus trimmings and spinach to combine with a few dabs of sour cream, lemon juice and dill which will be a flavored paste that glues the asparagus to the carrot layer. Above and below all the vegetables, a thin layer of absorbent chestnut stuffing. I'm also considering a layer of grated zucchini--dessicated with salt, so concentrated flavors and no moisture. Maybe combined with a little cheese--my vegetarian customers aren't vegans. I cooked some grand puy lentils, too, just in case they'll be useful for color or delineation. And from that I'll make a test version for tonight and then be ready to go final on Saturday. The Wellingtons will be finished with a black truffle bechamel. They'll be very good.

Sounds interesting, Jenise. Take pictures for us!

[Jenise]

Sounds interesting, Jenise. Take pictures for us!

And thanks again to you for giving me the idea!

[Jenise]

So Saturday night was the big Christmas Bash. 92 people, 112 bottles of wine, five courses.

I'm not interested in cooking today.

Tomorrow night, classic English prime rib:

Amuse bouche of seared scallop on "mushy peas", then a salad with Stilton/walnuts/shaved fennel and a lemon/roasted walnut oil dressing, finally the roast with creamed spinach and yorkshire pudds, then port with chocolate chip cookies. Then on Christmas Day I'm going to stay in my jammies and watch old movies.