Grilled Delights

We had a good crowd around Saturday night. The weather was gorgeous and we got the grill going for each of the three courses. All are Bobby Flay recipes. All were delicious. I have to say, the steak was the highlight for me. It was perfectly cooked and the beef of high quality. One diner remarked that getting into our house for dinner carries with it some level of exclusivity. He said, "It's like if you don't get in when you're invited, you won't get another reservation here for months." Here's everything we made:

Appetizers:
-Guacamole
-Ancho-Red Pepper Sauce

Starter:
-Grilled Squid and Sweet Onion Salad with Green Chile Vinaigrette
-Red Chile Oil
-Cilantro Oil

Main Course:
-Black Pepper-Ancho-Crusted Strip Steaks with Hot-and-Sweet Mint Glaze
-Maple-Glazed Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Dessert:
-Grilled Pineapple with Butter-Rum Glaze and Vanilla Mascarpone

Guacamole
5 ripe Hass avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
½ small red onion, finely chopped
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil, such as canola
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. (The guacamole can be made a few hours in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated.)

Ancho-Red Pepper Sauce
5 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup red onion, coarsely chopped
3 garlic, coarsely chopped
2 cans plum tomato
3 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 ancho chiles, blistered, soaked, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped

First prepare the peppers and the chilies. Preheat the broiler to high and get a small saucepan of water boiling. Do the chilies first, tearing them into flat pieces, discarding the seeds and the membranes inside. In a medium sized skillet over high heat, put the chilies in the skillet (in batches if necessary) and allow the skins to blister and change color. When they are all finished, cover them with the boiling water and put something over the top of them to weight them down. Let them soak for 20-30 minutes.

For the peppers, lay some foil out on a baking tray and drizzle some olive oil on it. I like to slice the peppers into flat pieces first before roasting, so that I can lay them all flat and not have to deal with turning them in the oven. Lay the pepper pieces out on the tray and move them around to coat them in the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place under the broiler (4-6 inches away from the heat source) and roast until the peppers have a fair amount of blackness on the skins, about 12-16 minutes.

Leaving the broiler on, pull the peppers out and, using a paring knife, work to separate the blackened skins from the peppers. Discard the charred skins and roughly chop the peppers. Strain the ancho chilies (when ready) and roughly chop. Now these are ready for inclusion in the sauce.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, red peppers, and anchos, and cook until the tomatoes break down and liquid thickens, 20 to 30 minutes.

Carefully transfer the mixture to a food processor (or blender) and process until smooth. Add the vinegar, honey and chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and pulse a few times just to combine it all.
Grilled Squid and Sweet Onion Salad with Green Chile Vinaigrette
4 plum tomatoes, halved
¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 T
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 lb. medium squid, including tentacles, cleaned
4 ounces arugula
4 ounces frisee, torn into bite-sized pieces
GREEN CHILE VINAIGRETTE (see below)
chives, chopped, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub the tomatoes with the 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 to 35 minutes, until soft. Remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, seed and dice the tomatoes.

Preheat a grill to high or a grill pan over high heat.

Brush the onions and squid with the 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the onions for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until slightly charred and just cooked through. Remove from the grill and coarsely chop.

Grill the squid on each side for 2 to 3 minutes, until just cooked through. Cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces.

Combine the onions, squid, arugula, and frisee in a large serving bowl. Toss with some of the green chile vinaigrette. Transfer to a platter and top with the roasted tomatoes and chives and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.

Green Chile Vinaigrette
2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
4 cloves roasted garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Combine the poblanos, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, 1/4 cup of water, and honey in a blender, season with salt and pepper, and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and blend until emulsified. Add the cilantro and blend for 5 seconds more. There should be flecks of the cilantro in the vinaigrette. This can be made up to 8 hours in advance and refrigerated.

Red Chile Oil
5 guajillo chiles, toasted and seeded
1 cup canola oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Combine the guajillos, oil, and salt in a blender and blend for 5 minutes. Strain into a bowl. This can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

Cilantro Oil
1 ½ cups canola oil
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, stems included
10 fresh spinach leaves
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Combine the oil, cilantro, spinach, and salt in a blender and blend for 5 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer (don't press on he solids, or the oil will get cloudy) into a bowl. This can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Black Pepper-Ancho-Crusted Strip Steaks with Hot-and-Sweet Mint Glaze
FOR THE GLAZE:
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained
6 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE FILETS:
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon salt
4x8 ounce strip steaks
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil, such as canola

GLAZE
Whisk together the mustard, honey, horseradish, and mint in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside at room temperature. (The glaze can be made a few days in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.)

FILETS
Heat your grill to high.

Combine the pepper, ancho powder, and salt in a small bowl. Rub each filet on one side with the spice mixture and drizzle with the oil. Set aside a few tablespoons of glaze to brush on the cooked filets.

Grill the filets spiced side down until the bottom is lightly charred and crusty, about 4 minutes. Turn the filets over, reduce the heat to medium or move to a cooler part of the grill, and brush the top with the glaze. Grill, brushing often with the glaze, until medium-rare, about 4 minutes more.

Remove the filets to a cutting board and brush with the reserved glaze. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Maple-Glazed Grilled Sweet Potatoes
4 large sweet potatoes (do not peel)
¾ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
Salt
¼ cup mild vegetable oil, such as canola

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer the potatoes until soft but not mushy (you should still feel resistance when you stick a small knife through the center), 25 to 35 minutes.

Have ready a bowl of cold water. Drain the potatoes, put them in the cold water, and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel the potatoes and quarter each one lengthwise.(The potatoes can be cooked a few hours in advance, covered, and set aside at room temperature. Don't cut them until you're ready to grill.)

Heat your grill to high.

Whisk together the maple syrup, ancho powder, and salt to taste in a small bowl. Brush the potatoes with oil. Grill until golden, about 3 minutes. Brush with the maple glaze and continue grilling, brushing often with the glaze, until the potatoes are glazed, lightly charred, and heated through, about 3 minutes more.
Grilled Pineapple with Butter-Rum Glaze and Vanilla Mascarpone
1 cup dark rum
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 vanilla bean
8 ounces mascazpone
1 ripe pineapple, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
½ cup fresh blueberries

Combine the rum, butter, and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer, whisking often, until the sugar has melted and the mixture is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. (The glaze can be made a few days in advance, cooled, covered, and kept refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.)

Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise in half and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a sharp knife. Whisk the mascarpone and vanilla seeds together. (The mascarpone can be made a day in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated.)

Heat your grill to high.

Grill the pineapple slices, brushing frequently with the glaze, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Remove the pineapple to a platter or serving plates and top each slice with a dollop of vanilla mascarpone. Garnish with a few fresh blueberries. Serve immediately.

Crab and Cucumber Linguine

Many of you know that I like cutting edge cuisine and that I have a bit of a fascination with it. But aside from foams, gels and "airs", I like simple stuff, too. This dish is a simple, yummy plate of food. It would not have been had I used second-rate crab meat; it's the main ingredient. There is simply nowhere to hide.

I added some garlic and the zest of the lemons along with everything else and finished it with a garlic and chile-infused olive oil. Great interplay between the citrusy and fresh lemon with the chile heat and good crab meatiness. I had leftover dill and used that, which brought an added lift. Quick to throw together, too!

400 g Iinguine
1 teaspoon dried red chilli flakes or 2 fresh red chillies
1 small or 1/2 large cucumber
2 large dressed crabs and 6 large claws, yielding about 250g brown meat and 200g white
juice and zest 2 large lemons
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley or dill
6-8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put a large saucepan of water on to boil. Cook the pasta until it is al dente, then drain and return to the saucepan. Meanwhile, place the chile flakes in an egg cup, just cover with boiling water and leave for a few minutes until soft. If using fresh chillies, trim and split them, scraping away the seeds. Slice into skinny strips and then into tiny dice.

Remove the skin from the cucumber with a potato peeler. Split it in half lengthways and use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds and their watery surround. Thinly slice the cucumber into half moons. In a bowl, mix together the drained chile flakes or fresh chile, garlic, dressed crab, juice and zest from half of the lemons and the chopped parsley (or dill) and season lightly with salt and generously with pepper. Crack the crab claws and scrape the meat off the flat central 'bone', leaving it in big chunks, directly into the mixture. Slowly stir in 4 tablespoons of the olive oil to make a thick but slack mixture.

Stir the cucumber and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into the drained pasta, stirring to mix thoroughly and encouraging the cucumber to wilt slightly. Now add the crab mixture, adding more lemon juice or oil to taste. Serve with forks and spoons.

Brined Pork Chops

What do you think of when I say pork chops? One of two things I bet:

1) A horrible, hockey puck-like piece of grey leather that you used to eat when you were a kid

2) A totally wonderful, amazing, soft and juicy piece of meat that you wish you could have every day

The memory of Option 1 is hard to erase. I am here to tell you it is possible (and easy!) to achieve Option 2 results. The key is using a brine, and using a meat thermometer.

Let's clear something up straight away. Pork SHOULD be pink. It's OK. Now, you wouldn't want to cook it rare, but more of a medium rare (around 140-145F) is fine. In fact, it's perfect. Anything above that, and you're getting into hockey puck land. So get a thermometer and pay attention to the temp for consistent results.

Here's another thing. Vanessa is getting bolder in the kitchen about tackling new things to cook. I didn't touch these. She made these all by herself. And they were amazing. Just a little science and some brine are all that's keeping you from having consistently spectacular pork chops every time.

8 cups water
¼ cup coarse salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 bay leaves
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 garlic clove, smashed
4 loin pork chops (each about 1 1/2 inches thick)
¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
Mix together the water, coarse salt and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and garlic. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

When mixture is at room temperature, strain it over the pork chops (they must be completely immersed in the brine). Marinate chops in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.

When ready to cook. remove chops from brine and dry them with a towel. Place oil in a
heavy saute pan that's large enough to hold the chops in a single layer without crowding; place the pan over moderate heat. Add the chops. After a minute or so, using tongs, shift them slightly in the pan to make sure they're not sticking. Cook until well browned on the first side, about 8 minutes. Turn over and brown on the other side. Cook further, turning occasionally, until the chops reach an internal temperature of 137F. (NOTE: You'll want to let these rest on a plate for 5 minutes or so, as they will continue cooking a bit. The resting helps the juices redistribute and the meat relax so that is REABSORBS the juices). Remove from pan, season and serve immediately.

Grilled T-Bone Steak Tuscan Style (Bistecca alla Fiorentina), Cannellini Beans

Saturday saw some gorgeous weather. It's days like these the cry out for the use of a grill. Fortunately, the weather folks have been fairly accurate around here for the most part, so we were able to put an order in for a giant T-bone steak through our local meat market.

We had Steak Florentine for the first time in Florence, Italy. It was in this little out-of-the-way place that wasn't geared toward tourists. The steak was thick, gutsy and served rare. It was wonderful and simple. This recipe is a reasonable replica, I think. The key here is a steak that is at least 1 1/4" thick. And did I mention that it has to be rare?

Anyhow, we did it up with some cannellini beans that we had soaked and then cooked down in some veggies and herbs, finishing them off in a pan with some butter, olive oil and some more herbs. All served with a fantastic Malbec. Delicious and simple, this serves 4.

2 T-bone steaks, 1 1/2 inches thick
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
¼ cup minced garlic
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat a gas grill to high and leave one burner off. If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn down until the coals are glowing red with a light coating of white ash. Spread the coals in an even bed on one side of the grill. Clean the cooking grate.

Brush the steaks with a bit of the oil and season generously with the garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary.

Grill the steaks over direct heat until marked, about 2 minutes on each side. Move the steaks to the cooler part of the grill and continue to grill over indirect medium heat until medium-rare, another 6 to 7 minutes on each side.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board or a large platter. Drizzle each of the steaks with 2 tsp more olive oil and finish by sprinkling the steaks with lemon juice.

Let the steaks rest for about 10 to 15 minutes before carving into slices. Serve on a heated platter or plates.

Drizzle with good olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Cannellini Beans

2 cups cannellini or other small, dried white beans
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 carrot, peeled and halved
1 celery rib
1 sprig of fresh tarragon
1 sprig of fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

FINISH
2 knobs butter
1 generous glug of olive oil
additonal rosemary and thyme, chopped

Rinse and pick over the beans and place them in a large pot. Add the onion, carrot, celery, tarragon, thyme, salt, and pepper and enough water to cover by 3 inches (about 8 cups). Bring the beans to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook very slowly, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender. (Begin checking after about 45 minutes.)

Remove the beans from the heat and allow them to cool in the cooking liquid. Discard the aromatic vegetables and herbs. Use the beans immediately or store in the cooking liquid in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

To finish, heat the butter and olive oil in a pan until the butter is melted and starting to bubble and foam. Dump the beans in and stir to coat. Season with salt, pepper and the herbs. Serve hot.

Coq au Vin

If you look back through these posts, you'll find a few meals we've done out of the Les Halles Cookbook, by Anthony Bourdain (of 'No Reservations' fame). You might notice a trend with these recipes, namely, that they have all been knockouts. Not just good.....KNOCKOUTS. This one is no exception.

This takes two days to throw together, the first day simply getting the marinade together and soaking the bird. The second day, doing the actual cooking. This dish TASTES like a two-day project. It tastes like your French grandmother made it.

The key to our success here was not rushing anything, using a wonderful free-range organic chicken, using good wines and lastly, using a temperature probe for the chicken. Had we left it in the pot according to recipe directions, it might have gone a bit dry. When the chicken got to 163F, we pulled it out and let it rest a bit while finishing the sauce.

This was absolutely wonderful and easy to produce.

1 liter red wine, plus 1 cup
1 onion, cut into a 1-inch/2.5-cm dice
1 carrot, cut into 1/4-inch/6-mm slices
1 celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch/1-cm slices
4 whole cloves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 bouquet garni
1.3 kg chicken, guts, wingtips and neckbone removed
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon flour
112 g slab bacon, cut into lardons 1/4 by 1 inch
225 g small, white button mushrooms, stems removed
12 pearl onions, peeled
1 pinch sugar

DAY ONE
The day before you even begin to cook, combine the bottle of red wine, the diced onion (that's the big onion; not the pearl onions), sliced carrot, celery, cloves, peppercorns, and bouquet garni in a large, deep bowl. Add the chicken and submerge it in the liquid so that all of it is covered. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

DAY TWO
Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry. Put it aside. Strain the marinade through the fine strainer, reserving the liquids and solids separately. Season the chicken with salt and pepper inside and out. In the large Dutch oven, heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter until almost smoking, and then sear the chicken, turning with the tongs to evenly brown the skin. Once browned, remove it from the pot and set it aside again. Add the reserved onions, celery, and carrot to the pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and golden brown. That should take you about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix well with the wooden spoon so that the vegetables are coated. Now stir in the reserved strained marinade. Put the chicken back in the pot, along with the bouquet garni. Cook this for about 1 hour and 15 minutes over low heat.

Have a drink. You're almost there ...

While your chicken stews slowly in the pot, cook the bacon lardons in the small saute pan over medium heat until golden brown. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain it on paper towels, making sure to keep about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan. Saute the mushroom tops in the bacon fat until golden brown. Set them aside.

Now, in the small saucepan, combine the pearl onions, the pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add just enough water to just cover the onions, then cover the pan with the parchment paper trimmed to the same size as your pan. (I suppose you can use foil if you must.) Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the water has evaporated. Keep a close eye on it. Remove the paper cover and continue to cook until the onions are golden brown.

Set the onions aside and add the remaining cup of red wine to the hot pan, scraping up all the fond on the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper and reduce over medium-high heat until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Your work is pretty much done here. One more thing and then it's wine and kudos ...

When the chicken is cooked through-meaning tender, the juice from the thigh running clear when pricked-carefully remove from the liquid, cut into quarters, and arrange on the deep serving platter. Strain the cooking liquid (again) into the reduced red wine. Now just add the bacon, mushrooms, and pearl onions, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Now pour that sauce over the chicken and dazzle your friends with your brilliance. Serve with buttered noodles and a Bourgogne Rouge.

IMPROVISATION
If you are a bold adventurer, and live near a live-poultry market or friendly pork butcher, you might want to play around a bit after doing this recipe a few times. By cutting back on the flour and thickening with fresh pig or chicken blood, you will add a whole new dimension to the dish. Be warned, though: add the blood slowly. It doesn't take much to make the sauce sit up like a rock. (Blood freezes nicely, by the way, so you might consider keeping a stash in small, individual packets. You never know when you'll need it.)

The Magic of Sous Vide

No big recipes this time. Just dropping in to say that I got out the ol' water bath again over the weekend and had some fun. The first, the 64.4C poached egg, which turned the yolk into a nifty soft spread and turned the whites barely set. Really interesting stuff and a great texture.

Next was a few lamb steaks, which I did at 57.5C, throwing in a few sprigs of rosemary, a pat of butter, salt and pepper and some crushed garlic cloves. After 4 hours, the connective tissues in the steaks had completely broken down and the steak had gone extremely soft and succulent. The lighting wasn't so good in the photo (it was much pinker in real life), but I can assure you, the lamb was cooked a perfect medium-rare, all the way through. The seasonings had worked their way in there and after a quick sear in the pan (basting with butter) and reducing the cooking juices, it was magic.

More sous vide experiments to come! Watch this space......

Pan-Seared Scallop and Black Pudding with Minted Pea Puree

I came up with this idea when we scored some black pudding recently. Black pudding plays really well with scallops, which we now have a totally reliable source for in town. Mint is a nice, fresh, cool herb which really cut through the richness of the black pudding. Bacon is a good idea, just in general.

All in all, this is one of my more balanced dishes. No overpowering flavors, everything seemed to work in harmony. I am proud of this one!

SHALLOT AND BACON FOAM
1 shallot, diced
3 strips bacon, coarsley chopped
2 cups skim milk

PEA PUREE
200 g peas, thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons butter
4 sprigs mint, leaves only
100 milliliters cooking liquid from the peas

SCALLOPS
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 large scallops
salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons butter

BLACK PUDDING
6 slices black pudding, about 1/2" thick

First, make the shallot and bacon foam. Get a saucepan hot over medium high heat. Put the bacon and shallot in there and cook down for 7-9 minutes. Pour the milk over the top and heat until the milk just starts to bubble. Turn the heat off, cover the pan, and set aside to infuse for 30 minutes.

Now, make the pea puree. Get a pot of water to the boil. Dump the peas in and cook for 3-4 minutes, until they are just cooked and are a vibrant green color. Strain, saving some of the liquid.

Put the peas in a blender with the butter, mint, salt and pepper and some of the cooking liquid. Blend thoroughly until smooth. Pass through a sieve into a clean pan. If it is too thin, bring to a low simmer and reduce it down to desired consistency. If too thick, add some cooking liquid or water. It is now ready to warm up just prior to serving.

To finish the foam, strain out the bacon and shallot and put the milk into a clean saucepan. Heat until it just starts to bubble. Pull off the heat and blend it with an immersion blender put just on the surface to get some froth going. You'll spoon this froth off to put on the scallops later.

Get a non-stick skillet hot over medium-high heat. When hot, put the black pudding slices in it and cook for about 3 minutes on the first side (until well-colored) then flip them over and cook the other side for about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

While you are cooking the black pudding, get a skillet (NOT non-stick) hot over medium-high heat. Season the scallops on both sides. Drizzle some oil in the skillet when hot, and add the scallops. Cook each scallop until well-colored on the bottom (about 45 seconds to a minute). Then flip them over (in the same order you put them in the pan), put the butter in the pan, and cook for an additional 30-45 seconds until done, all while basting the scallops with the melted butter. When done, pull them out and set them on some paper towel to drain a bit.

To finish, lay some pea puree down on a plate. Place three slices of black pudding, top them with the scallops. Put some bacon and shallot foam on the scallops and around the plate. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve.

Quick Halibut Seviche with Grapefruit and Chiles

Our springtime food orgy continues with another simple, yet powerfully-flavored dish. Nice fresh cool mint balances the chile and Tabasco heat with a nice blast of citrus from the grapefruit. This couldn't be easier and was yummy.

1 lb. halibut fillet
½ cup lime juice
¼ cup grapefruit juice, plus 2 T
1 whole grapefruit
½ teaspoon garlic, very finely minced
2 tablespoons red chiles, very finely minced
1 tablespoon green chiles, very finely minced
2 tablespoons mint, chiffonade
coarse salt, to taste
hot sauce, to taste
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

With a very sharp knife, cut the halibut into thin, broad slices. Place in a howl and toss with the lime juice and grapefruit juice. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

While the halibut is sitting, cut the grapefruit in half crosswise and, using a grapefruit knife, cur cut pieces of grapefruit. Slice each in half lengthwise.

When ready to serve seviche, drain the liquid completely from the halibut and discard liquid. Add grapefruit pieces to the fish with the garlic, red chilies, green chilies, and mint. Toss gently. Divide among 6 plates, laying our the strips of halibut flatly on each plate. Season with coarse salt, sprinkle with hot sauce, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.

Chile-Marinated Pork with Black Bean Salsa (Puerco en Adobo con Salsa de Frijoles Negros)

Just a quick little throw-together with some leftover pork tenderloin we had in the freezer. The nicer weather has lent itself to a whole host of fresh, zippy springtime food and this one was no exception. The salsa has a wonderful kick and texture next to the juicy marinated pork.
Chile-Marinated Pork with Black Bean Salsa (Puerco en Adobo con Salsa de Frijoles Negros)

1 pound pork tenderloins, trimmed
2-4 chipotle chile peppers, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, or 1/4 small red onion, coarsely chopped
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup lime juice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
salt and black pepper
3 cups BLACK BEAN SALSA (recipe follows)
¼ cup CUMIN-SCENTED SOUR CREAM
1 pomegranate , seeds only

Arrange the pork in a 13 X 9" glass or ceramic baking dish.

In a food processor or blender, combine the chile peppers, garlic, shallots or onions, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, oregano, and allspice. Puree until smooth.

Spoon the marinade evenly over the pork. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours. Turn 2 or 3 times while marinating.

Preheat the grill or broiler to medium-high.

Season the pork with salt and black pepper. Grill or broil the pork 4" from the heat for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature registers 160F on a meat thermometer. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let stand for 3 minutes. Thinly slice on the diagonal.

Mound 2/3 cup of the salsa in the center of each of 4 dinner plates. Divide the pork among the plates, fanning our the slices around the salsa. Squirt or dollop the sour cream over the pork. Sprinkle each dish with the pomegranate seeds.

Black Bean Salsa (Salsa de Frijoles Negros)

2 cups black beans, cooked or rinsed and drained canned
½ small red onion, finely chopped
½ red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 poblano chile pepper or 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
½-1 habanero chile pepper or 1-2 Jalapeno chile peppers, seeded and minced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons lime juice
salt and ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, combine the beans, onions, red bell peppers, celery, poblano chile peppers or green bell peppers, habanero or jalapeno chile peppers, cilantro, and lime juice. Toss to mix. Season with salt and black pepper.

Christening the Grill

Now that I actually have open space, to include a yard and a garage, it was high time I got myself a grill. Those who visited us in the UK know that there was simply nowhere to put a grill. Also, the weather there was rarely nice enough to really do a lot of grilling. So we waited. And waited.

My friend Alex helped me assemble it, a Brinkmann which has a gas side and a charcoal/smoker side (to appease Vanessa) and a side burner. It's a pretty grown up grill.

Well we had some folks around and it was pretty good food. I'll have to work on my technique a bit; I'm going for something a bit less along the lines of throw-it-on-and-hope-for-the-best and more solid grilling fundamentals.

In any case, the recipes delivered. Really classic barbecue flavors, nice and smoky.
Black Jack Chicken Breasts

2 cups apple cider
½ cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
8 chicken breasts, bone in and skin on
2 cups BLACKJACK BARBECUE SAUCE (see next)

To make the marinade: Combine the apple cider, cider vinegar, shallots, garlic, 1 tsp of the salt, and 1/2 tsp of the pepper in a zip-close bag. Add the chicken pieces and seal the bag, pressing out the air. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 and up to 12 hours.

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high; leave one burner off. If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn down until the coals are glowing red with a moderate coating of while ash. Spread the coals in an even bed on one side of the grill. Clean the cooking grate.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting any excess drain off. Season with the remaining salt and pepper.

Grill the chicken over direct heat until marked on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Finish cooking the chicken over indirect heat, covered, turning every few minutes and brushing with the barbecue sauce, until the chicken Is cooked through (165F) and the juices run clear, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Serve on a heated platter or plates.

Black Jack Barbecue Sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, diced small
2 tablespoons minced garlic
¼ cup chili powder
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno, or to taste
1 cup tomato paste
1 cup brewed coffee
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup lightly packed brown sugar
½ cup apple cider or apple juice

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder and jalapeno, and saute for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. Use immediately, or let cool to room temperature before storing in a clean, covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Barbecued Spare Ribs with Apricot-Ancho Glaze

3 tablespoons paprika
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 ½ tablespoons packed brown sugar
¾ teaspoons dried thyme
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 ¼ teaspoons salt
2 ¼ teaspoons ground black pepper
8 lbs. pork spareribs
4 cups APRICOT-ANCHO BARBECUE GLAZE (see below)

Make a rub by combining the paprika, cayenne, sugar, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Rub this mixture generously and evenly over the pork ribs. Place the ribs in a pan, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 and up to 24 hours before barbecuing.

Preheat a gas grill to medium and leave one burner off. If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn down until the coals are glowing red with a moderate coating of while ash. Spread the coals in an even bed on one side of the grill. Clean the cooking grate.

Grill the pork ribs over direct heat, covered, until the ribs are browned on both sides, about 15 minutes per side. (If desired, add wood chips to the grill, either directly onto the hot coals or in a small aluminum pan over one of the burners.)

Bring the glaze to a simmer in a saucepan; reserve 2 cups of the glaze (and keep warm) to pass with the spare ribs. Brush the ribs with a light layer of the remaining barbecue glaze and continue to grill over indirect heat, turning the ribs every 5 to 10 minutes and brushing with sauce after each turn, until the ribs are very tender and a rich glaze has built up on the ribs, another 20 minutes.

Remove the pork ribs from the grill and cut into portions. Serve on a heated platter or plates. Pass the reserved barbecue glaze on the side.

Apricot-Ancho Barbecue Glaze
6 strips bacon, chopped
1 ½ cups yellow onion, small dice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¾ cup ketchup
¾ cup orange juice
¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
⅓ cup dried apricots, chopped
¼ cup malt vinegar
2 ancho chiles, diced
1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
3 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Saute the bacon in a large saute pan over medium heat until almost crisp, about 4 minutes. Add the onions and saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until aromatic, about 1 minute.

Add all the remaining ingredients. Simmer until the apricots are very soft, about 10 minutes. Taste the sauce and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Transfer to a blender and puree until relatively smooth. The glaze is ready to use now, or it can be cooled and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Short Ribs in Barolo (Brasato al Barolo) - featuring KOBE BEEF

I ordered some waygu beef (AKA Kobe) from Snake River Farms online. I also ordered a whole pork belly, which we haven't cooked yet.

In any case, we shelled out for some good Barolo to have with this. Waygu beef is the finest in the world, which has everything to do with how the animals are reared. Check out the fat marbling:


This was amazing. Deep, rich and sexy. Also, dead simple to make. I highly recommend it next time to want to drop some money and some really quality ingredients.

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. boneless beef short ribs, cut into 3-inch cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large Spanish onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium carrot, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cups Barolo or other hearty red wine
2 cups BASIC TOMATO SAUCE (recipe follows)

Basic Tomato Sauce

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, 1/4" dice
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
½ medium carrot, finely shredded
4 cans whole tomatoes
salt

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook until the carrot is quite soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, with their juice, and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer until as thick as hot cereal, about 30 minutes. Season with salt. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for 6 months.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Season the meat liberally with salt and pepper. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, brown the meat all over, turning frequently, until dark golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter and set aside.

Pour the excess oil out of the pot. Add the onions, carrot, celery and pancetta and cook until the vegetables are light brown and starting to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and tomato sauce and bring to a boil.

Add the meat and bring back to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until the meat is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Transfer the meat to a festive platter.

Bring the cooking liquid to the boil and reduce to 2 1/2 cups. Season with salt and pepper, pour over the meat, and serve immediately.

Sweet-and-Sour Pork (tang cu Ii ji)

Fuschia Dunlop is a genius. Her non-Westernized Sichuan food is authentic and amazing. While usually pretty easy to prepare (provided you have a few staple pantry items) they have always been PACKED with flavor. This is one of our favorites and is NOTHING LIKE the gloopy, radiation-orange version found in lesser shopping mall food courts.

PORK
300 g pork tenderloin
groundnut oil for deep-frying

BATTER
2 eggs
50 g potato flour

MARINADE
⅓ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine

SAUCE
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons Chinkiang or black Chinese vinegar
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
2 ½ teaspoons potato flour
3 spring onions, green parts only
3 tablespoons groundnut oil
2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ginger, finely chopped
200 ml EVERYDAY STOCK or chicken stock
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Trim any fat from the meat. Cut it into slices 1 cm thick, and then cut these into 1 cm strips. Place in a bowl. Add the marinade ingredients, mix well and leave for 30 minutes.

Combine the salt, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and potato flour for the sauce in a small bowl. Finely slice the spring onion greens.

Heat oil for deep-frying to 150C. Beat the eggs together. In a bowl, mix the 50g of potato flour with enough beaten egg to make a custardy batter - about 1 1/2 eggs. When the oil is hot, mix the batter with the pork strips. Drop some of the battered strips into the oil, adding them individually to prevent sticking, and stir with long chopsticks to separate. Fry the strips at about 150C for 3 minutes or so, until they are just cooked through. Remove and drain. Repeat with more pork strips until you have cooked the lot.

Reheat the deep-frying oil to 190C, add the pork strips in one or two batches and deep-fry them until they are crisp and golden. Remove, drain and place on your serving dish. Keep them warm while you prepare the sauce.

Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a clean wok over a medium flame. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until they are fragrant. Add all the stock, bring the liquid to the boil and then add the prepared sauce ingredients from the small bowl. Stir briskly as the liquid thickens, then add the spring onions and sesame oil, stir once or twice and pour the sauce Over the waiting pork strips. Serve immediately.

Chicken Piccata

We like a quick-hitting, good-tasting meal during the week... especially since I have been working longer hours. Luckily, Vanessa has started to embrace the kitchen a bit and has really turned out some nice stuff. If nothing else, she has done all of the prep work making the actual cooking a snap. She has also taken on the role of Chief Baker, with wonderful results.

Chicken Piccata is quick and delicious. A squeeze of lime is all it needs at the end to bring it altogether.

2 boneless chicken breasts, in half
salt and black pepper
flour, for dredging, plus 1 tsp
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons butter
½ onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 scallion, chopped
½ cup sweet vermouth, sherry, white wine
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and lightly crushed
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 lemon, thinly sliced (or cut in half for squeezing)

Place the chicken breasts, one at a time, on a sheet of plastic wrap; fold the wrap over to cover. Using the mallet, pound each breast to a uniform thickness 1/4 inch. Season the chicken liberally with the salt and pepper, dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess.

In a heavy skillet just big enough to hold all the chicken, heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. When the oil and butter stop sizzling, add the chicken and cook, turning once, until just brown on both sides. Remove the chicken to a plate. Pour off any grease from the pan and add the remaining tablespoon of butter.

Add the onion to the skillet and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and the scallions and saute 1 more minute. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the flour over the vegetables and toss to combine.

Deglaze the pan with vermouth and the lemon juice. Add the capers and toss to combine. Return the chicken to the pan, cover, and reduce heat to low, simmering until chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary, and serve on warm platter garnished with the parsley and lemon slices.

Fish Fillets with Fresh Tomatoes, Capers and Olives (Pescado a la Veracruzana)

This is a great Rick Bayless recipe, which really tastes of summer. Even though it has been raining like crazy around here recently, this was a nice respite from the crappy weather. While this is a Mexican dish from Veracruz (on the Gulf coast), you really get the Mediterranean influence with the capers and olives. I could have just as easily tossed this sauce with some pasta and been quite happy with it. As it was, we wound up with the some really meaty, lovely halibut fillets.

Easy to throw together and delicious.

FOR THE FISH
1 ½ lbs. fish fillets like red snapper or halibut, boneless, skinless, preferably in 4 pieces each 1/2 inch thick
lime juice
1 pinch salt

FOR THE SAUCE
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, preferably part olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 medium ripe tomatoes, roasted or boiled (page 352), peeled and cored OR 3 cans good-quality tomatoes, lightly drained
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
20 meaty green olives (preferably manzanillo), pitted and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons Spanish capers
2 medium pickled jalapenos, store-bought or homemade (page 48), stemmed, seeded and sliced into strips
1 tablespoon pickling juices from the chiles
1 ½ teaspoons mixed dried herbs (such as marjoram and thyme)
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped, plus a few sprigs for garnish
3 bay leaves
1" cinnamon stick
2 cloves
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns, very coarsely ground
1 cup light-flavored FISH BROTH, bottled clam juice or water
salt, if necessary

1. THE FISH.
Rinse the fillets, lay them in a noncorrosive dish and sprinkle them with lime juice and salt. Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour.

2. THE SAUCE.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium, aid the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 7 or minutes.

While the onion is cooking, cut the peeled fresh tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out the seeds into a strainer set over a small bowl. Cut the tomatoes into 1-inch pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Collect all the juices on the cutting board and add to the tomatoes, along with those strained from the seeds. Canned tomatoes need only be lightly drained, then cut into 1-inch pieces, collecting the juices as you go.

Add the garlic to the lightly browned onion and stir for a minute or so, then add the tomatoes and their juice. Simmer for 5 minutes to reduce some of the liquid.

Divide the olives and capers between two small bowls, and set one aside to use as garnish. To the other bowl, add the jalapeno strips, pickling juice, mixed herbs and chopped parsley. If you don't wish to have the whole bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves or cracked pepper in the finished sauce, wrap them in cheesecloth and tie with a string; otherwise, add them directly to the bowl containing the herbs.

When the tomatoes are ready, add the mixture of pickled things, herbs and spices, along with the fish broth (or clam juice or water). Cover and simmer 10 minutes, then taste for salt (and remove the cheesecloth-wrapped spices).

3. FINISHING THE DISH.
Fifteen minutes before serving, remove the fillets from the refrigerator and rinse them again. Either poach them in the sauce on top of the stove or bake in the sauce, as follows:

STOVE-TOP METHOD: Nestle the fish fillets in the sauce so they are well covered. Set the lid on the pan and place over a medium heat. After 4 minutes, turn the fillets over, re-cover and cook 2 or 3 minutes longer, until a fillet will flake under firm pressure.

THE BAKING METHOD: Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the fillets in a single layer in a lightly greased baking dish. Spoon the sauce over them, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fish just flakes when pressed firmly with a fork at the thickest part.

Serve the poached or baked fillets on warm dinner plates with lots of the sauce, garnished with a sprinkling of the reserved capers and olives and a sprig of parsley.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin a la Rodriguez with Guava Glaze and Orange-Habanero Mojo

This was a great and simple dish. Vanessa gets the credit for putting the components together while I was at work. All it took was cooking the tenderloins in the oven and throwing some arugula on a plate. The simplicity : awesomeness ratio of the guava glaze was amazing. Fruity with the zip of Dijon mustard and a bit of sweetness from the orange juice. Genius. I would have happily just sat there and eaten the glaze, personally.

FOR THE GLAZE:
1 cup guava jelly or apricot jam
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup orange juice, preferably fresh
salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE MOJO:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 small red onion
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups orange juice
½ cup lime juice
½ habanero chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE PORK:
2 pork tenderloins, about 1 1/2 pounds each
2 tablespoons canola oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

GLAZE
Whisk the ingredients together and season to taste with salt and pepper. (The glaze can
be made a few days in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.)

MOJO
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook,
stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes; do not brown. Add the orange juice,lime juice, and
habanero and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half.Whisk in the cilantro and cumin
and season to taste with salt and pepper. (The mojo can be made a few hours in advance
and set aside at room temperature.)

PORK
Heat your grill to high. Set aside a few tablespoons of glaze for brushing the cooked pork.

Brush the pork with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill, brushing often with the glaze, until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Remove the pork from the grill, brush with the reserved glaze, and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle with mojo and serve immediately.

Ad Hoc Dinner

Well, we finally got settled in enough to have a bunch of people around, what, with our big new table and all. The guests included new, recent and old friends, and was a good mix of folks. The theme for the evening's menu was home cooking and everything came out of the Ad Hoc cookbook by Thomas Keller. Readers of the blog have heard me rave on and on about what an excellent chef he is, but you must know that this book contains AMAZING recipes that aren't too hard (a bit time-consuming perhaps) but DELICIOUS.

The clam chowder, I will go on record as saying, is the best I have ever tasted. A few other people told me this, too, so it HAS to be true. I think the key was the bacon. Oh, and a lot of cream and some butter. If you love chowder, you OWE it to yourself to make it.

The chicken and sausage dish was great, with lots of bold, springy flavors with good Italian sausage thrown in. The dish itself had MANY components, but was well worth it in the end. If you have never brined a chicken, I must tell you that the result is wonderful; juicy and flavorful.

We never actually got around to eating dessert, as things ran a little late. The next day Vanessa turned it into some ice cream (with an assist from some peach brandy) and we happy hoarded it for ourselves.

Clam Chowder with Bacon (Sorry no photo! We were too busy eating it!)

CHOWDER INGREDIENTS
8 ounces slab applewood-smoked bacon
canola oil
2 cups leek, coarsely chopped
2 cups onion, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic
kosher salt
2 pounds Yukon Gold potato, 1/2 inch dice
1 SACHET (1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs thyme, 10 black peppercorns, 1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled - all wrapped in cheesecloth and tied up)

CLAMS
4 pounds littleneck or Manila clams
1 ¼ cups kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup shallot, chopped
2 sprigs thyme
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

SOUP LIQUID
4 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup flour
3 cups whole milk
3 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons chives, finely chopped

Cut the bacon into lardons that measure 1 x 1/2".

Heat some canola oil in an 8x10 quart stock pot over medium heat. Add the bacon, reduce the heat to low, and let the fat render for 20-25 minutes, stirring from time to time; the bacon should color but not crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pan.

Add the leeks, onions and garlic to the pan and stir to coat with the bacon fat. Sprinkle with salt, cover with a parchment lid and cook very slowly for 30-35 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Remove and discard the parchment lid.

Put the potatoes, sachet and 2 teaspoons salt in a large saucepan, add cold water to cover, bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are just tender, 10 minutes. Drain and spread on a tray to cool; discard the sachet.

Use a clean souring pad to scrub any sand from the shells of the clams. Put the clams in a large bowl. Mix 8 cups of water and salt in another bowl, stirring to dissolve the salt. Pour enough of the water over the clams to cover, and soak for about 5 minutes, to purge them of any sand.

Lift the clams from the water, drain the water, and repeat the soaking one more time. Drain the clams and rinse under cold water.

When the vegetables are tender, increase the heat to medium and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, stir in the flour to coat the vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes to take away the raw flour taste. Whisk in the milk and cream, season to taste with salt and pepper and bring to a very low simmer.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Ad the shallots and thyme sprigs, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring for about 1 minute, until the shallots are tender. Add the wine, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes to evaporate some of the alcohol. Add the clams, cover the pan and cook for about 4 minutes, removing the clams as they open. Strain all of the clam liquid through a fine-mesh conical strainer into a bowl.

Shell the clams and set aside.

Gently stir the clam liquid to taste into the soup (avoid any sand that may have settled in the bottom of the bowl). Season the chowder with salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in the potatoes, and add about 2/3 of the clams.

Spread the bacon in a small frying pan and crisp over medium-high heat.

Garnish the soup with the bacon, the remaining clams, and the chives.

The Chicken Dish (and all of it's parts - in the order you should make it)

Chicken Brine (enough for 10 pounds of chicken)

5 lemons, halved
24 bay leaf
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch thyme
½ cup clover honey
1 head garlic, halved through the equator
¼ cup black peppercorns
2 cups kosher salt
2 gallons water

Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot, cover and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then chill before using. The brine can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. (Note: the chicken for this recipe brines for 12 hours. While it is brining, you can easily complete the rest of the steps)

Soffritto

3 cups Spanish onion, finely diced
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
1 pound plum tomato
½ teaspoon garlic, minced

Combine the onions, oil and a pinch of salt in an 8-9" wide saucepan and set over medium heat. As soon as the oil starts to simmer, reduce the heat to low and set the saucepan over a diffuser (such as a Flame-Tamer) to maintain an even low heat. The onions should stew slowly but eventually caramelize; adjust the heat as necessary so that the oil continues to bubble gently. As the onions release their liquid, the oil will become cloudy, but once the moisture has evaporated, the oil will clear. Cook for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the onions are a rich golden brown (a shade darken than a golden raisin) and the oil is perfectly clear. Check the pan often; if any onions have caramelized against the side of the pan, scrape them back into the oil.

Meanwhile, for a quick tomato puree, cut the tomatoes lengthwise in half. Gently squeeze the seeds out and discard. Hold the cut side of each half against the large holes of a box grater and grate the tomato flesh; discard the skin. You will have about 1 cup of tomato puree.

Add the tomatoes to the caramelized onions and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours longer, or until the onions and tomatoes begin to fry in the oil; the mixture will sizzle and small bubbles with cover the entire surface. Gently stir the mixture - the tomatoes and onions will separate from the clear oil. Turn off the heat, add another pinch of salt and the garlic, and let the soffritto cool in the pan.

The soffritto with keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Drain it before using. The oil can be used to start another soffritto.

Peperonata Rustica

6 yellow bell pepper
6 red bell pepper
canola oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces piquillo peppers, drained, peeled and seeded
½ cup SOFFRITTO (from above)
1 ⅓ cups CHICKEN STOCK or VEGETABLE STOCK
¾ teaspoon piment d'Espelette
1 tablespoon chives, minced

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut the bell peppers lengthwise in half to remove the stems and seeds. toss the peppers in oil to coat and salt pepper to taste. Arrange the peppers cut side down on the baking sheets, the red peppers on one, the yellow peppers on the other.

Roast the peppers until the skin is blistering, 30-35 minutes for the red and 35-40 minutes for the yellow; do not allow the edges to blacken. Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, or put in an airtight container with a lid.

When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel them. Tear them lengthwise into strips about 3/4 inch wide. Tear the piquillos into strips the same way.

Combine all the peppers, the soffritto, stock and espelette in a medium saucepan over medium heat, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, to soften the peppers completely an meld the flavors.

Transfer to a bowl or platter, sprinkle with chives and serve.

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Sausage and Peppers

2 x 3 pound chickens
CHICKEN BRINE (from above), cold
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
canola oil
3 sweet Italian sausage
1 recipe PEPERONATA RUSTICA, (from above)
extra-virgin olive oil
fleur de sel
¼ cup parsley

Cut the chickens into 8 pieces each: 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breast halves and 2 wings.

Pour the brine into a container large enough to hold the chicken, add the chicken, and refrigerate for 12 hours (no longer or the chicken may become too salty).

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse under cold water, removing and herbs or spices sticking to the skin. Pat dry with paper towels, or let air-dry. Season the thighs and drumsticks with salt and pepper.

Heat some canola oil in a large ovenproof saute pan or Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add the chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin side down and cook for 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until the chicken is golden and the sausage is brown and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes (it won't be fully cooked); once the chicken is browned, turn the pieces over and sear the other side for 1 minute. Transfer the individual pieces and sausages to a plate as they are ready.

Season the chicken wings and breasts with salt and pepper, place skin-side down in the saute pan, and cook until the skin is crisp and golden and the chicken is almost cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Drain any remaining oil from the pan and return to the heat. Add the peperonata to the pan, bring to a simmer, and add the chicken, tucking it into the peppers. Cut the sausages in half and nestle them in the pan. Transfer to the oven and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Drizzle the chicken with olive oil, sprinkle with fleur de sel and top with parsley leaves. Serve directly from the pan.

Peaches and Cream

MASCARPONE CREAM
4 large eggs, separated
½ cup sugar
½ cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream

PEACHES
2 pounds ripe peaches, preferably freestone
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Tondo balsamic

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a bowl. (It is not necessary to wash the bowl or the whisk.)

Add the egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar to the mixer bowl and whisk until pale and thick. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese. Transfer to a large bowl.

Wash the bowl and whisk, using cold water to chill them. Dry and return to the mixer stand. Add the heavy cream and whisk until medium peaks form. Fold one-third of the cream into the yolk mixture to lighten it, then fold in another third and then the remaining cream. Fold in the whites one-third at a time just until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2hours, or for up to 1 day.

Just before serving, slice each peach in half, twist the halves to separate, and remove and discard the pits. Cut each peach half into 4 or 5 slices. Put in a bowl and toss with the lemon zest, lemon juice and balsamic.

Spoon some of the cream into a serving bowl. Top with the peaches and garnish the top with more cream. Serve the remaining cream on the side.

(NOTE: This is how is was SUPPOSED to be served. But we turned it into ice cream. Make the cream as shown above. Cut up the paches into chunks and cook them down in 1/4 cup of sugar syrup and a splash of peach brandy. Let it cook down for 10 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered. Put the cream in the ice cream maker and when the cream hits the 'soft-serve' stage, dump the peaches and liquid in and let it churn until done. I dare you not to have some.)

Fragrant Grilled Chicken

In that I am so tied up at school this week, Vanessa has embraced her inner cook. She made some of our favorite honey-wheat bread; the smell awaited me when I walked in the door. She also made dinner, this simple yet flavorful Thai dish.

The real story here was the sauce, which was sweet and vinegary and a little spicy all at the same time. The dish is meant to make four servings, but we ended up finishing it all. We just threw it on top of some Jasmine rice and away we went.

CHICKEN
450 g chicken breasts, skin on
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cilantro stems, finely chopped
2 small red chiles, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
cooked rice, to serve
lime wedges, to garnish

SAUCE
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small red chile, seeded and finely chopped
115 g cilantro, finely chopped

Lay the chicken breast portions between two sheets of clear film (plastic wrap), baking parchment or foil and beat with the side of a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat tenderizer until the meat is about half its original thickness. Place in a large, shallow dish or bowl.

Mix together the sesame oil, garlic, coriander roots, red chiles, fish sauce and sugar in a jug (pitcher), stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture over the chicken and turn to coat. Cover with clear film and set aside to marinate in a cool place for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce.

Heat the vinegar in a small pan, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the salt and stir until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, stir well, then spoon the sauce into a serving bowl.

Preheat the grill (broiler) and cook the chicken for 5 minutes. Turn and baste with the marinade, then cook for 5 minutes more, or until cooked through and golden. Serve with rice and the sauce, garnished with lime wedges.

Baked Cod Fillets with Fennel and Orange

Things have been a little hectic since school started Monday. We're finding ourselves needing to come up with quick and simple things to cook that don't sacrifice on flavor. I would have liked to use bream here, but the store was out so we used cod instead. Any white fish would do here, honestly.

Citrus, fennel and fish are always going to work, pretty much no matter what. This dish highlights this pairing and worked out rather nicely.

4x150 g cod (or bream or sea bass) fillets, (with skin, if bream or sea bass)
2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed (fronds reserved if intact)
2 large oranges
75-100 ml dry white wine
2 teaspoons caster sugar
sea salt and black pepper
few basil sprigs, leaves only
olive oil, to rub and drizzle
small handful of thyme sprigs

Preheat the oven to 200C. Trim the bream fillets to neaten, and remove any pinbones with kitchen tweezers. Score the skin of each fillet at 5mm intervals. Chill until ready to cook.

Halve each fennel bulb and slice finely, using a mandoline if possible. Scatter the fennel over the base of two lightly-oiled, deep baking trays. To segment the oranges, slice off the top and bottom to just expose the flesh. Stand on a board and cut along the curve of the fruit to remove the peel and white pith . Now, holding the fruit over a sieve set on top of a bowl, cut along the membranes to release each segment. Finally, squeeze the core to extract the juices before discarding.

Scatter the orange segments over the fennel. Trickle over the reserved orange juice, then add the wine. Sprinkle with the sugar and some salt and pepper. Cover each tray with foil it and place in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the fennel is just tender.

Remove the foil and scatter the basil leaves over the oranges and fennel. Rub the bream fillets with a little olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Lay them on top of the oranges and fennel. Drizzle over a little more olive oil and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Scatter over the thyme sprigs.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until the fish is opaque and feels slightly firm when pressed. Divide the fennel and orange between warm plates and top with the fish fillets. Serve at once.

Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds

Well, I can't tell you how nice it is having all of our stuff under the same roof for the first time in almost four years. Among our things is the tagine, a North African cooking vessel whose name is often used interchangeably with the types of dishes cooked within it.

The conical shape of the tagine allows the aromatic steam to be contained within the cooking vessel, and as it condenses, it drips back down onto the food, reintroducing the flavor to the food being cooked. Pretty interesting and often very tasty.

This dish, without the prunes, would have been somewhat average. But WITH the prunes, it brought it to a whole new level. That fruity burst was magic with the richness of the lamb and the spices. I served this with a simple couscous which I put some almonds, cumin, salt, pepper and lemon zest into with a splash of olive oil. I topped it with some parsley, a few more almonds and sesame seeds.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 kg shoulder of lamb on the bone, cut into 6 pieces
50 g butter
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 beef tomato, sliced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon RAS-EL-HANOUT
½ teaspoon saffron strands
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 small bunch coriander
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley
1 large cinnamon stick, halved
250 g dried prunes
40 g blanched almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons lightly toasted sesame seeds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Trim the excess fat from the pieces of lamb and season them well. Heat the oil in a large tagine or flameproof casserole, add the lamb pieces and brown lightly all over. Lift the meat out onto a plate, add the butter and the onions and cook, stirring, until they are soft and lightly browned.

Overlap the slices of tomato on top of the onions, followed by the pieces of lamb. Mix the ginger, ras el hanout, saffron and turmeric with 100 ml water and drizzle the mixture all over the lamb. Push the bunches of cilantro and parsley and the cinnamon stick into the centre of the meat, season once more lightly with salt and pepper, and pour over enough water to almost cover the meat - about another 500 ml. Cover and leave to cook over a gentle heat for 1 1/4 hours until the lamb is tender. Remove the herbs.

Meanwhile, remove the stones from the prunes and replace them with some of the toasted blanched almonds. After the lamb has been cooking for 1 1/2 hours, uncover and skim away the excess fat from the surface of the sauce. Put the prunes in among the pieces of meat and leave to simmer a little more vigorously, uncovered, for a further 15 minutes or so until the meat is almost falling off the bone, the prunes are tender and the sauce is reduced and concentrated in flavor.

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Scatter the tagine with the remaining toasted almonds and the sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Sea Trout Ceviche

Well, we have managed to finally move up to Newport, Rhode Island. It has been a long week, but I am happy to say that we have managed to fully unpack and are finally getting around to the relaxation phase.

This was a quick one we whipped up during the week, which didn't require a lot of prep space, and no cooking at all. Ceviche is wonderful, and generally refers to marinating raw fish in some sort of acidic marinade (in this case, lime juice and spices). The acid "cooks" the fish if you leave it in there for a bit. This has a bit of an Indian twist to it, and comes from Atul Kochhar. It was delicious and simple.

400 g sea trout fillet, skinned
juice of 3 limes (or 3 tablespoons coconut vinegar)
½ tablespoon coconut oil or sunflower oil
1 small onion, finely sliced
1 small red chile, deseeded and finely sliced ~
1 small green chile, deseeded and finely sliced
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted in a dry frying pan and then ground to a powder
1 small pinch garam masala
1 small green mango, peeled, stoned and cut into thin strips
½ teaspoon palm sugar
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
sea salt

Remove any bones from the fish and then slice it across the grain into strips 1 cm thick. Put them in a ceramic, glass or plastic container (don't use metal, which will taint the flavor). Mix the lime juice, oil, onion, chillies, cumin, garam masala, mango, palm sugar and a pinch of salt together. Mix carefully with the fish. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour (but no more than 10 hours). The fish will 'cook' in the marinade and turn opaque.

Correct the seasoning to taste and stir in the chopped cilantro. Serve in chilled small, deep bowls with some of the marinating juices.