Lemon Jalapeño Marinated Mussels – Definitely My First or Second Favorite Way to Eat Mussels

I might give you a different answer in the middle of February, when there’s nothing better than a hot bowl of mussels, swimming in some kind of garlicky, winey broth, but this time of year, chilled and marinated are my favorite way to go.

You can dress these anyway you want, but no matter how you flavor them, you’ll want to follow the same basic technique. By cooking the mussels with a minimum of moisture, and then reducing the liquids for the base of our marinade, we get an even more intense flavor, as well as an extra little kick of salinity.

By the way, I completely forgot to strain the cooking liquids before making the dressing, which can mean some grit, or tiny pieces of shell getting into your final product, so after everything is reduced, press the onion and juices through a mesh strainer before proceeding.

Most mussels sold at the grocery store are fairly well cleaned, but if yours aren’t, be sure to scrub well, and remove any beards. To ensure top quality, depending on proximity to the store, you can cook a couple when you get home, chill them, and then give them a test taste.

Mussels should have a fresh, sweet, mild, tastes-like-the-ocean flavor, and if yours don’t, or are gritty, or odd in any way, simply take them back, and get a refund. Anyway, that’s the worst-case scenario. The best-case scenario is what you see here, and I really do hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 pounds of Mussels:

2 pounds black mussels

1 tablespoon olive oil for sautéing onions

1/2 onion, finely diced

pinch of salt

For the marinade:

reserved reduced cooking liquids (about 1-2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 lemon juiced

2 tablespoons finely diced jalapeño

2 tablespoons champagne, rice, or white wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil, or to taste

extra pinch of salt if needed

red Fresno chili to garnish optional

NOTE: Serve on ice or a cold plate, and not on salt, unless it is very large grain, and won't stick to the shells.

Korean Barbecued Rack of Lamb – That Other Rack of Ribs

While less popular than beef and pork, lamb was the original barbecued meat (Google barbacoa for details), and may be the best suited for cooking over smoky coals. That’s especially true when paired with this very simple Korean-inspired marinade. This really did taste every bit as good as it looked, and that’s saying something.

Lamb has a slight, subtly sweet gaminess, which works perfectly with the funky goodness of our gochujang chili paste, and if you let it soak overnight, you’ll be rewarded with a juicy interior as well. I love using rack for this, since it’s more tender, and easier to work with than leg, and a little more user friendly than chops.

You should find gochujang at any grocery store where the cool kids shop, but if not, it’s available online. Here is the one I used, just in case that matters. If you do happen to splurge for a jar, trust me, you’ll use it all by the end of summer.

By the way, the ingredient amounts below will only allow for a few tablespoons of sauce, once reduced. If you want more, just double the amounts, and save half to add to your reduction. A little more sauce probably isn’t a bad idea, especially if there’s going to be rice around. Either way, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 Portions:

2 trimmed racks of lamb (about 1 pound each)

2 tablespoons gochujang chili paste

6 cloves crushed garlic

1/4 cup finely minced green onions

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Romesco Sauce – Cold Sauce Monte Rushmore for Sure

It’s not unusual for me to get requests for recipes I’ve already done before, but over the last few years, I seemed to be getting an abnormal number of requests for romesco sauce. Knowing I had already filmed it, I’d reply with something polite, like what don’t you understand about using Google?

Well, I’d like to apologize to all those people I blew off, since while it’s true I posted a video for romesco, it was actually many years ago, on About.com, which has ceased to exist. In fairness, I’ve done over 1,800 videos, as well as lived over 54 years, so hopefully a little recipe related forgetfulness would be forgiven.

Anyway, it was high time to update this Spanish classic, since it’s one of the all-time great summer sauces. It’s pretty much perfect with anything off the grill, especially vegetables and seafood, and that’s how we usually enjoy this, but there’re so many other places where this can shine. It makes for an unbelievable sandwich spread, as well as perfect “secret ingredient” for your favorite potato or pasta salad dressings.

Like most sauces and condiments, this begs for personalization; whether we’re talking the level of heat, or ratio between the ingredients, or how smooth or course you grind it, you shouldn’t hesitate to adapt this to your tastes. But, no matter how you tweak this, or what you serve with it, I really do hope you make some soon, and then keep making it all summer. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 3 cups:

3 large red bell peppers, fire-roasted, seeded, and peeled

1/2 cup olive oil

8 cloves peeled garlic

1 cup cubed stale bread

3/4 cup roasted almonds

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Spanish Garlic Shrimp (Gambas al Ajillo) – Top of the Tapas

If you ever find yourself in a Spanish restaurant, and they don’t have some version of this garlic shrimp recipe on the menu, immediately get up from your table, and leave. This would be the equivalent of a French bistro that doesn’t serve steak frites. What about vegetarian Spanish restaurants and French bistros? That’s a trick question, since those aren’t a thing.

Anyway, the point here is that every Spanish restaurant serves this, and for very good reasons. It’s fast to make, gorgeous to look at, and, if you’re into garlic, one of the most delicious things you’ll ever eat. Just be sure to use nice fresh, frozen shrimp. Allow me to explain.

Unless you live in a few choice locations, it’s rare to find true fresh shrimp at the market. All they do is thaw some frozen, and put it in the case, where it sits until you buy it, which is why it really makes a lot more sense to purchase frozen. Of course, not all frozen shrimp is created equal, so I encourage you to research the best sources, but the point is you don’t want something already thawed.

Speaking of which, I thaw mine by running cold water into the bowl of frozen shrimp, let it sit for about 10 minutes, before draining, and repeating once more. After that it should be fully thawed, at which point the shrimp can be drained, and prepped.

The last tip I’ll give, is to make sure you have all your ingredients together before you head to the stove, since start to finish, this only takes minutes to complete. This is another reason it’s so great for a party, since you can prep everything ahead of time, and finish it whenever you’re ready to serve. But, whether you feature this at a party, or not, I really do hope you give this amazing Spanish garlic shrimp recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 Spanish Garlic Shrimp Portions:

1 pound peeled and *deveined shrimp (look for the 21-25 per pound size or larger)

kosher salt to taste

1 teaspoon hot, smoked paprika, optional

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves peeled garlic, slice thin

2 tablespoons dry sherry wine (or white wine and a pinch of sugar)

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

* This video from Allrecipes shows how to properly devein shrimp. 

Beet-Cured Salmon Gravlax – Easier and Slower Than You Think

Even though I only do it once every few years or so, making salmon gravlax at home is a fun weekend project, and with very little effort, you can produce some very impressive results. I’ve always done this with the traditional fresh dill sprigs, but after enjoying a beet-stained version at Plaj, I decided to try my hand. And, also stain my hand.

If you’re just doing a small tail piece like I did, these times and measurements should get you close to what you see here, but if you're feeling adventurous, and want to do something larger, then you may have to do some research for techniques that work better when doing a thicker piece of fish.

Those slightly more complicated methods involve turning, draining, and basting, to account for a longer curing time. So what I’m trying to say is, you can avoid all that by just doing a smaller piece, which, unless you’re hosting a large party, should be plenty. Speaking of large parties, and the litigious people that sometime attend them, please be sure to get your salmon from a reliable source.

I think a brick works great for a press, but anything that weighs a few pounds would be fine, as long as it’s large, and flat enough to distribute the weight evenly. A book with a few cans of soup on it would do the trick. Regardless of how you press yours, once unwrapped, sliced, and served on a toasted bagel, I think you’ll agree it was worth the wait. So, I really do hope you give this gravlax technique a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 to 10 ounces of Gravlax:

8 to 12 ounce tail section of fresh salmon with skin on (scaled)

1/4 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup white sugar

cayenne and/or freshly ground black pepper to taste

enough grated beet and/or fresh dill springs to thickly cover fish

- Press with something heavy, and let cure in fridge for 1 1/2 days, or until salmon is firm, and translucent when sliced. You can carefully unwrap, and poke to test, and then rewrap, and let cure longer if need be.

Bourbon Pepper Pan Sauce – Learning a Skill That Always Thrills

Mastering pan sauces is one the easiest things a home cook can do to raise their culinary game, since it allows one to produce dishes most people only see in restaurants. And not just any restaurants. The really good ones.

By the way, if you’re still looking for a Father’s Day gift, a nice bottle of bourbon, with a little splash going to finish a home-cooked steak, would make quite the one-two punch of manly goodness. And, even if your dad isn’t a sitcom stereotype, who doesn’t enjoy a well-executed pan sauce?

If you’re making this for meat that’s coming off a grill, you can still do the sauce separately, and just keep it warm until the main course is ready. Start with the sautéing garlic in butter step, and finish as shown. Of course, you’ll have to add some coarsely ground black pepper to the sauce, but that’s about the only adjustment.

Like I said in the video, this sauce’s rich, sweet, peppery flavor profile also works wonderfully with pork chops, and grilled chicken. You can also switch up the Bourbon for another liquor, since this really is just a technique video. Regardless of what you use, or what you serve it with, I really do hope you give this great pan sauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for two portions:

1 clove minced garlic, sautéed in 1 teaspoon butter

1 ounce bourbon

1/2 cup chicken broth or veal stock

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons cold butter

salt and cayenne to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Frangipane Tart – Have Your Cake and Eat Pie Too

Not only is this simple frangipane tart a perfect way to enjoy fresh summer fruit, but it’s also great for those times when you can’t decide whether you want cake or pie. This sort of seems like both to me, and unlike many fancy looking pastries, this one is not at all complicated to make.

Even made free form, with pieced together leftover puff pastry, this was a fairly simple operation. As I mentioned, most people use pie dough for this, and if you do, simply follow the exact same procedure for the pre-baking. Once whatever crust you’re using is baked about halfway, and cooled, it’s ready to fill, top with fruit and bake.

Another great reason to make this is that there’s a good chance one of your guests will ask you which bakery this came from, which will give you the opportunity to say, “Bakery? No, I made this.” But say it really casually, like it was no big thing. This travels well, so don’t be afraid to fish for compliments with this at the next picnic. Either way, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Fresh Fruit Frangipane Tart:

For the filling:

1 1/2 tablespoons soft butter

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon white sugar

1 large egg

3/4 cup almond flour, or very finely-ground blanched almonds

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

For the tart:

enough puff pasty or pie dough for a 9 or 10 inch shallow tart pan

enough fresh fruit to do the job

For the glaze:
3 tablespoons apricot jam 
2 teaspoons water
Bring to a boil in small pan or microwave. Let cool to just warm before brushing on.

- Pre-bake pastry shell at 400 F. for 15 minutes or until it starts to get golden-brown.

- Fill, top, and bake at 375 F. for 30-40 minutes, or until browned and the almond filling is set.
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Whole Chicken Pie – Finally, a Great Pie with Bones

There’s a restaurant up the street that serves a whole chicken wrapped in brioche, and ever since I saw it, I’ve wanted to do that video. I’ve never actually had it, since it’s $100, and you have to order it a day in advance. I love chicken, but I think I’ll save my hundred dollar bills for more sensible things, like lighting Cuban cigars.

Anyway, I was planning on doing a bread-wrapped bird, when I saw a photo for what looked like a pie crust wrapped chicken. Suddenly, I remembered doing something similar in culinary school, except they made us call the pie dough, “pate brisee,” for some reason, but same idea. That’s when plans changed, and the brioche went bye bye.

When bread’s used, you usually have to peel the soft, flabby skin off before enjoying the meat, but that’s not as big an issue here. Pie crust doesn’t insulate nearly as well, and so the skin gets cooked more thoroughly. This was very noticeable on the breasts, where the skin and crust fused together into some sort of marvelous hybrid. The thicker skin around the thighs didn’t render out quite as well, but even if you do pull off the skin, the meat is moist, tender, and very flavorful.

If you use a 3 1/2 pound chicken for this, then the roasting/resting time should work out, but if your bird is larger, you’ll have to add more time, and should probably use a thermometer to check your work. By the way, this is a technique video, and everything from the stuffing, to the pan sauce ingredients should be adapted to your tastes, but no matter what you use, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

*This was inspired by the chicken photo from this article about Chef Barbara Lynch.
Ingredients for One Whole Chicken Pie:

1 whole chicken, between 3 1/4 and 3 1/2 pounds

kosher salt as needed

1 recipe buttercrust pastry dough (this was just barely enough)

1 egg beaten with 2 teaspoon of water

For the veggie stuffing:

1/2 yellow onion, small dice

1 small carrot, small dice

1/2 rib celery, small dice

1 to 2 tablespoons minced rosemary or other fresh herb

kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste

2 teaspoons olive oil

For the sauce (this is for 4 portions, I only made 2):

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup veggies from inside chicken (pull out while chicken rests, but replace the crust)

salt to taste

2/3 cup white or rose wine

1/3 cup pan drippings and/or splash of stock

4 tablespoons cold butter cut in cubes

Note: This is a rich butter sauce, but a gravy, so you only get a few tablespoons

Homemade Italian Sausage – I Was the Uncle Bill of My Slow Casing Fill

The last time I remember making sausage was with my Uncle Billy many years ago, who was doing his famous dried Italian sausage for Christmas Eve. By the way, I said “making,” but for the record I actually meant mostly watching. Anyway, this fresh version is inspired by those, and while we loved how they came out, I’m kicking myself for not saving a few to dry. That’s how Uncle Bill did them, and they’d be fried after Midnight Mass, and served on bread with roasted red peppers. 

They were incredible, and one of my earliest and most vivid food memories. If you’re going to make your own sausage on a regular basis, you’ll want to get a little more professional sausage-making set-up than I suffered through here.

It did the job, but was slow, even after I figured out what was holding me up. You can also grind meat in a food processor, and there are plenty of videos out there showing how, but then you’ll have to get a sausage stuffer. Speaking of videos, I know I said I’d try to find a link to a more detailed demo using better equipment, but just head over to YouTube and watch literally any other sausage video. Besides, the actual recipe is the hard part.

For a little nicer flavor, you can toast the fennel seeds in a dry pan just until you begin to smell them. This goes for any other whole spices you may want to grind and toss in. Also, if you can manage not to eat them right away, I think letting them dry for a day or two really deepens the flavor, and firms up the texture as well. So, with a wink heavenward to Uncle Billy, I'll close by saying, I really do hope you give these homemade Italian sausages a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 8 to 10 Italian Sausages:

3 pounds pork shoulder

28 grams kosher salt (1 ounce)

4 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons whole fennel seed, toasted

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon anise seed

2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon marjoram

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice berries

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon white sugar

2 tablespoons cold water