Chapter 20 : Ireland
Chapter 19 : Russia
Chapter 14 : Chile
Chapter 5 : Egypt
Fava Bean Hummus
Chapter 4 : The Indiana State Fair
Deep Fried Cheese
Chapter ? : Mexico
Chapter ? : Bangledeshi
Chapter ? : Jamaica
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Table of Contents : Ireland
Chapter 20 : IrelandChapter 19 : RussiaChapter 14 : Chile
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Clam Chowder
I'm not the biggest fan of clams and oysters. Truth be told, every time I eat them my first thought is that they taste like snot. And my second thought is that that's because they really are covered in snot.This recipe, however, is so delicious I can't turn it away, despite my better judgment.
Clam Chowder
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 lb canned clams (weight including liquid), reserve the liquid, and chopping the clams
1 1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
4 oz bacon, diced
Reserved clam liquid mixed with water to equal 3 cups
1 cup milk
1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
sea salt to taste
2 tbsp chopped parsley
In a heavy pot, add bacon and cook, stirring, until slightly browned. Add onion, and cook until translucent. Add clam juice and water to equal 3 cups and increase to high heat. Add potatoes and simmer until just soft. Mashed some on the side of the pot to thicken the chowder (this should be your primary source of thickening).
Add milk and cream and chopped clams and heat thoroughly.
Let cool. (at this stage it can be stored for serving later, if you should so choose). Reheat gently (do not let it boil), and garnish with parsley and serve with oyster crackers.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Shrimp with Fennel
This recipe is easy and delicious. Ouzo could be replaced by another anise-flavored liquor, although Ouzo is the cheapest one I'd recommend. Shrimp with Fennel (based on this recipe)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
1 small fennel bulb, diced
1 small onion, minced
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
12 grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp Ouzo
3/4 lb shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 oz feta cheese, coarsely crumbed
1 tbsp fresh parsley, mined
grated zest from 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil
orzo pasta (7 oz)
Cooking:
Cook the orzo according to the directions on its package.
Heat a little olive oil in a skillet. Add the onions, and saute 2 minutes. Add the fennel, red pepper flakes, and salt, and saute another 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 2 minutes.
Add wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer 3 minutes, or until liquid is reduced by half.
Add tomatoes, oregano, an Ouzo. Simmer another 3 minutes.
Turn the heat to medium-high, add the shrimp, and fry until pink. Remove from heat, add the lemon zest and parsley and toss to combine.
Sprinkle with feta, and serve with orzo.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Lobster Bisque
Now, I've had a couple of lobster recipes on here, and I note each time the added benefit of making bisque from the waste shells. Bisque is reasonably easy, in the world of soups. It takes little meat to make a bisque- you can set some aside when making other recipes, because the flavors primarily come from those shells.Lobster Bisque
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
2 lobster shells
spare lobster meat (this can be substituted by prawn meat if need be)
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, de-stringed and chopped
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp brandy
4 cups water
1/2 cup white wine
2 oz long grain rice
2 small tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp cream
Break the Shells:
Wrap the lobster shells in a plastic bag, paper towel, towel, or other instrument to prevent pieces from flying, and then beat them, vigorously, with a rolling pin, meat mallet, or any other blunt instrument until they are in small pieces.
Prepare the Stock:
Add oil to the pan, and soften onion, carrots, and celery. Once the onions are translucent, add the lobster shells and water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for thirty minutes.
Strain the stock carefully, using a sieve or cheesecloth.
Cooking:
Use 1 cup stock to cook the rice in.
While the rice is cooking, put the rest of the stock in another pot. Pour the brandy into a ladle and hold it over a burner (or lighter) until it ignites, and pour it into the pot. Add the wine, and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes.
Take the cooked rice and tomatoes, run them through a food processor and blender, and pour it into the pot.
Add chopped lobster meat. Salt and pepper to taste, and mix in the cream.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Lobster Tail Sandwich
There was a day, long ago, when lobster was cheap, considered a poor man's food. Lobster Tail Sandwiches are still sold in shacks along the Maine coast, a lobster salad of mayonnaise and tail chunks.You can make this by steaming fresh lobster (this has the advantage of reusing the claw meat and shells for lobster bisque) or buying canned lobster (if available in your area).
I could not find New England-style hot dog buns in Indianapolis. You might not be able to either, and you can use regular hot dog buns (as pictured) but it is less authentic (and less preferable).
Lobster Tail Sandwich (based on this recipe)
Prep Time: 30 minutes (not including dissasembling of whole lobster)
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1/2 lb lobster meat chunks (or the tail meat from 2 1/2 lbs worth of live lobster), cut into 1/2" chunks
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tbsp fresh tarragon
2 small scallions, finely sliced
sea salt
finely ground pepper, to taste
New England-style hot dog bun (you can substitute traditional hot dog bun if you cannot find these)
2 tbsp butter
pickles and potato chips, a sides
Preparation:
In a large bowl, combine lobster, cucumber, mayonnaise, tarragon, scallions, sea salt, and pepper and mix thoroughly.
In a skillet, melt the butter, and brown outsides of the hot dog buns (unless you're using normal hot dog buns, then brown the inside).
Serve the lobster salad into the buns, then serve with pickles and potato chips.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Chapter 22 : New England
New England might not seem that different for those living in the lower 48, but out of any region the foods are rich with unique ingredients and flavors, be it lobster bisque or moxie cola.
Tomalley is the, er... hepatopancreas? It's a sorta liver-pancreas combination used by lobsters to digest
I'll start off with a couple of odd-lobster related delicacies, in case you feel like steaming a couple.
Lobster Tomalley
Tomalley is the, er... hepatopancreas? It's a sorta liver-pancreas combination used by lobsters to digest food. When you steam a lobster, it turns into a greenish-grey goo that tastes fantastic spread on toast and salted.
Now, they say you shouldn't eat Tomalley every day, since like livers in animals, the epatopancreas absorbs many toxins and heavy metals from the environment, but if you can afford to eat lobster that often you need to diversify your diet into more truffles and foie gras.
Lobster Roe
If you happen to get a female lobster, and she happens to be "expecting" you may get another delicacy if the form of lobster roe.
Now, I won't lie. Much as I love lobster, lobster roe is, like caviar, something less impressive than you might imagine. Sure, it's orange and not bad tasting, but not as good as the more plentiful tomalley.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Pla Sam Rot - Fish with Three Flavors
Fish can be a tricky subject. I admit that I made this recipe with red snapper, which was not only expensive, but at the time I was unaware of how badly overfished red snapper is.
And other snapper varieties will do for this recipe, or better yet Halibut.
Plat Sam Rot - Fish with Three Flavors (based on this recipe)
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 filets fish (snapper or halibut)
sea salt
1 cup oil for frying (peanut, rice bran, or canola)
3 kaffir lime leaves (finely sliced)
Handful of cilantro leaves
thai basil, finely chopped
thai chillies, minced
deep fried shallots (you can buy these in asian grocery stores, or mince up shallots and pan fry them until crunchy)
Sauce:
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 thai chillies, seeded and minced
4 coriander/cilantro roots, chopped
3 tbsp palm sugar
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp oil (canola, peanut, or rice bran)
1 tsp tamarind concentrate mixed with 2 tbsp water
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp water
Substitutions:
coriander/cilantro roots - parsley root
palm sugar - brown sugar
kaffir lime - basil soaked in lime juice
fish sauce - worcestershire sauce
Preparation:
In a food processor, finely chop garlic, chillies, cilantro roots, and salt.
Make the sauce:
In a small saucepan, heat 2 tbsp oil, and add palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind concentrate mixed with water and water. Simmer mixture for five minutes and set aside.
Cut three slashes in the filet.
Heat 1 cup oil in a wok until hot enough to pan fry.
Carefully slide the fish into the oil, and cook for a couple minutes each side or until golden brown. (You may need to cook 1 -2 at a time).
Place onto a plate with a paper towel on it to absorb excess oil.
Plate up with sauce, cilantro, minced chillies, and fried shallots.
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