This seafood sausage recipe is one of those dishes you learn
in culinary school, and then never make in a restaurant, the rest of your
career. Unlike your more common meat-based sausages, which are made from
assorted scraps, and you really don’t want to know, these seafood sausages need
pristine product to shine, thereby eliminating the money-saving incentive of
making sausage.
However, despite their lack of popularity, these really are a
great way to take less than thrilling seafood, like some sleepy sole, and
previously frozen salmon, and make something that seems far more special. The
flavor is lovely, and the texture is similar to a boudin blanc, or white hot
dog, if you prefer.
If you want something with a courser texture, simply make
the sausage mixture as shown, but then fold in a few handfuls of chopped
shrimp, scallop, or any other seafood. Once cooked, and sliced, you’ll see
pieces of whatever you added studding the link. I actually prefer the smooth
style, but it’s fun to experiment. Either way, I really do hope you give these
a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 Seafood Sausages:
8 ounces boneless, skinless sole or other white fish
4 ounces boneless, skinless salmon
4 ounces peeled, deveined shrimp
2 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs
4 large egg whites
1 large whole egg
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or maybe 1 1/4 teaspoon fine salt)
Even though they only require a few of ingredients, and the
technique to make them only takes a few seconds to learn, homemade corn
tortillas do take a fair amount of experience to master, because of all the
variables. But, don’t let that stop you from trying, since the results, even as
produced by a novice, are vastly superior to ones from the grocery store.
They’re also significantly cheaper, but the “vastly superior” part is more than
enough reason.
That’s because a bag of Maseca, which is the most commonly
found brand of masa flour in U.S. grocery stores, and the one I used, is very
inexpensive, and will make hundreds of tortillas. So, the instant corn masa
flour isn’t a variable, but pretty much everything else is. From the amount of
water, to how much salt, to how hot a pan to use, to how long to cook them;
everyone seems to have a little bit different system.
When it comes to the water, you’ll know you have the right
amount, if your tortillas press out to a nice round, relatively smooth-edged
shape. If the outside edge of the tortilla has cracks once pressed, then you
need more water. On the other hand, if the tortilla sticks to your fingers, or
breaks apart getting it off the plastic, then it was too wet. Adjust
accordingly. And like I said, give yourself a few years to experiment.
As far as the pan, I go with a cast-iron skillet, which I
get nice and hot over high heat, and then I’ll back it down to about medium
while I cook my tortillas. I also tend to cook mine a little longer in the pan
than is traditional, but I enjoy that nice, lightly-toasted corn flavor you get
when a little bit of browning occurs. A few extra seconds in the pan is fine,
as long as they are stacked, and wrapped in the towel, which is probably the
most important step in the entire operation.
In fact, eat one of these right from the pan, and then
compare it to one that you’ve let steam together with the rest of the tortillas
in the towel. You’ll be truly amazed at the difference. So, if you enjoy
store-bought corn tortillas, but always wondered what the real stuff was like,
I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!
If I had to pick a favorite color chili, it would have to be
green. And, if I had to pick a favorite kind of green chili, it would be this
chicken and white bean green chili, which, notwithstanding a very minor pumpkin
seed issue, really came out amazing.
A true “chili verde” is made by roasting and pureeing fresh
tomatillos, which is kind of labor intensive, if you can even find fresh
tomatillos, so we’re going with a ready-to-use green salsa from the market. You
should be able to chose from several varieties, but just be sure to read the
labels carefully. Tomatillos must be the first ingredient, followed by onion,
and chilies.
If you never had tomatillo before, I’d describe it as having
a less sweet, slightly more acidic, but fruitier, tomato-like flavor. It’s very
bright, and refreshing, and makes a chili prepared with it especially excellent
for pairing with things like cornbread, or homemade corn tortillas.
Once you find some tomatillo salsa, there’s not a lot that
can go wrong, as we’re simply going to simmer everything until tender, assuming
you’re using the recommended thighs. If you decided to use chicken breast,
you’ll only need to simmer it until it’s cooked through, otherwise, unlike the
thigh, it’ll get dry. No matter what you use, I really do hope you give this a
try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 to 6 portions of Green Chicken Chili:
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, seasoned with
salt
1 bottle (24-oz) tomatillo-based salsa verde, about 3 cups
1/2 cup fire-roasted hatch chilies, or other roasted green
chili
3 garlic cloves
1 large jalapeno, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground chipotle
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 cans white kidney beans (cannellini beans), drained, rinsed
Happy Chinese New Year! It’s the Year of the Dog (and not
the Manatee), and to celebrate I thought I’d show you my take on Chinese scallion
pancakes. These fun-to-make flatbreads are a common fixture on menus around
here, and while they all feature the same few ingredients, they come in a
variety of thicknesses, which really affects the texture.
The thinner you make these, the crispier they’ll be, but you
won’t get that nice, layered, oniony inside. On the other hand, if you make
them too thick, they can be a little doughy inside, so I try to shoot for
something in between. Speaking of inside, feel free to add pepper flakes or
other appropriate embellishments before you roll these up.
Ideally, you leave the dough overnight before using, but I’ve
always had great results with just a couple hours rest on the counter. If you
do leave overnight, you’ll probably get a better flavor, and maybe texture, but
the dough will be more elastic, and slightly more difficult to work with.
As far as the dipping sauce goes, I like to mix equal parts
seasoned rice vinegar, and soy sauce, flavored with a shot of hot sauce, and
maybe grating of fresh ginger. Toss in a few sliced green onions, and you’ll
have yourself a very basic, but perfect condiment for these savory pancakes. Regardless
of how you serve them, I really hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy, and gung
hay fat choy!
Ingredients for 2 Chinese Scallion Pancakes:
one bunch green onions, mostly green parts, sliced thinly
For the dough:
2 cups bread or all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup hot water
- adjust with more flour or water to form a smooth, but
sticky dough
For the oil mixture:
3 tablespoon veg oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon flour
- serve with dipping sauce, as described in the blog post
I usually try to squeeze in one more sexy dessert video
before Valentine’s Day, but instead I opted for this show-stopping, and super-savory
saganaki. What it lacks in chocolate, it more than makes up in being on fire. I
know what you’re probably thinking… what about a flaming chocolate dessert? Maybe next
year.
I really love kasseri cheese for this, since it holds its
shape, crusts up nicely, and melts beautifully. I’ve also done this with a
cheese called haloumi, which is tasty, but doesn’t melt at all, and for me
that’s the best part. Beside those two, you can also use graviera,
kefalograviera, kefalotyri, or even a firm feta cheese. No matter which cheese
you use, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 large portions:
4 ounce slab of kasseri cheese (about 3/8 inch thick), or
other cheeses listed above
I’m calling this Creole crab noodles recipe an “experiment,”
but it didn’t really feel like one, since I was sure it was going to come out
really well, which it did. Crab, and its old friends, the Holy Trinity, are a
classic combo, and so it was no surprise they worked so well in an Asian-style,
rice noodle dish.
If you can get fresh crab meat, by all means use that, but if
not, pretty much every large grocery chain carries pasteurized crab in 8-ounce plastic
tubs, which works perfectly fine for this. And if shellfish isn’t your thing, I’ve
got some great news. This exact same dish can be made with literally any other
other meat and/or vegetable.
You can also do this with your favorite pasta, but like I
said in the video, there are few foods as addictive, and fun to eat as rice
noodles, so I’d advise against it. Besides, you can finally have that
gluten-free friend of yours over to make up for all those pizza-night invites. So,
whether you make this for Mardi Gras or not, I really do hope you give it a try
soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 large portions:
8 ounces crab meat
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup finely diced green onions, plus more for garnish
I don’t remember much about the movie, Amadeus, which isn’t
surprising, since I don’t remember that much about the early eighties in
general, but I do recall the famous “Nipples of Venus” scene. At the time, I
wondered if that was actually a real thing, or just something made up for the
movie, but since there was no Internet yet, I never found out.
Fast forward thirty-plus years later, and inspired by a viewer’s
request, I finally learned that these were in fact real, and very delicious,
thanks in part to star of the show, chestnuts. While not a common ingredient,
chestnuts aren’t that hard to find, and worth the effort, since they work really well in this.
If you must, another nut like almond, or hazelnut, should
work about the same, especially when you consider your guest, or guests, will
be fairly distracted by the eye-opening appearance. Speaking of Netflix and
chill, you could show Amadeus after dinner, with these served as a sexy snack during the
viewing. From there, you’re on your own. Regardless of whether you serve these
on Valentine’s Day or not, I still really hope you give them a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for about 24 Nipples of Venus:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
1/3 cup white sugar
6 ounces dark chocolate
14 ounces whole chestnuts
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup brandy
*8 ounces white chocolate, chopped, divided
1/3 cup powdered sugar
enough milk to make a very thick paste
1 or 2 drops red food coloring
*This is more white chocolate than you need for coating, but that's how this stuff works. Just eat the rest.
Deviled ham isn’t nearly as popular as it used to be, which
even in its heyday, wasn’t very popular, and that’s a shame, since it’s such a
delicious, and easy-to-make spread. By the way, its decline in popularity was a
major factor in the collapse of America’s steamed ham industry. Just ask any
Simpsons fan.
Besides providing a tasty treat, it’s always nice bringing something
that no one else will. That means there’s no added stress wondering if your
[insert popular dip or spread name here] is the best. I’m proud of my
guacamole, but I don’t need it judged against three others. Besides, it's all politics.
I’d be happy to give you some additional tips here, but
there aren’t any. Just be sure to taste and adjust for heat, and salt. The
saltiness of different hams will vary greatly, so just because I didn’t need to
add extra, doesn’t mean you won’t. And, like I said in the video, not only is this a
great spread, but it also make a magnificent sandwich. Regardless of your delivery
system, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for about 4 cups Deviled Ham:
1 1/2 pound smoked ham, cut into cubes
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup chopped celery, with some leaves included
1/2 cup shredded hot pepper cheddar, or other cheese,
optional
