Cajun-Style Spicy Seafood Boil

Spring is here, and it’s time to pump out the seafood dishes! Living in NYC I do not get to eat Crawfish aka “Mudbugs” a lot here. After a trip to Louisiana a few years back, I have come to love these fresh water crustaceans. Recently I found some at my local market and decided to do a tasty seafood boil. My girlfriend Emily and I just returned from Memphis,TN,  after attending the 3 day Beale Street music festival. It was a weekend filled with great music and food…lots of food. We even drove down to Clarksdale MS and ended up at the famous Abe’s BBQ, which boast some of the best ribs in the Delta. We consumed so much barbecue and fried food that upon returning to New York; we decided that we should take a break from eating red meat and fried foods for a little while. So we have been eating seafood and veggies since arriving home; which really isn’t  a problem. You see, I have a love affair with cooking and eating seafood. I just wonder how long it will be before I start to crave a juicy steak…wish me luck! Enjoy the recipe for this spicy boil, Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

2 lb live or cooked crawfish
1 lb large shrimp ( split and leave the shell/tail on)
4 large blue claw crabs cleaned and split in half
4 andouille sausages sliced (I used chicken andouille)
1 whole bulb of garlic cut in half crosswise
2 onions quartered
4 celery ribs cut into 3 inch pieces
2 lemons= 1 halved 1 quartered
6 medium red potatoes
3 ears corn on the cob halved
1/2 cup Old Bay seasoning
1/4 cup creole seasoning
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs cayenne pepper
10-15 whole pepper corns
2 Tbs kosher salt

Directions:

Pour 2 gallons of cold water into a large stockpot. Add the garlic, onions, halved lemons, creole seasoning, old bay, cayenne, Worcestershire,corn, and potatoes to the stockpot; Bring to a boil.Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are just tender about 12-15 minutes. While the potatoes cook, heat up a heavy bottomed skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the sausage slices until browned on both sides.
Add the crab, shrimp, crawfish, and sausage to the stockpot; cook covered until seafood is cooked through, about 7-10 minutes more. Drain the liquid from the pot and discard the lemon halves. Transfer potatoes, corn, seafood, sausage, onions, and celery to a serving platter. Garnish with the remaining lemon wedges and serve with cocktail/hot sauce.

Oriental-Style Sesame Chicken

Reblogged from Gourmet De-Constructed:

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

For the sauce:

3 Tbs toasted sesame oil
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp chili paste
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 Tbs sherry vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbs soy sauce
Peanut oil, for deep-frying
Salt
1-2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
2 Tbs chopped scallions, for garnish…

Read more… 225 more words

Shrimp & Broccoli In Black Bean Sauce

Shrimp & Broccoli Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb large shrimp in shelled and deveined
1 – 1 1/2  lb broccoli florets
3 tablespoons rice wine
3 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and Julienned
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 fresh red chile pepper w/seeds, sliced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons fermented black beans, rinsed and chopped
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste (just remember soy sauce has a lot of salt)

Directions:

Combine broth, rice wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until cornstarch is dissolved. Trim the stems from the broccoli and cook  in a 6 quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well, then transfer to a clean paper towel and pat dry. Transfer to a large dish and keep warm. Heat a wok or heavy skillet over high heat until a drop of water vaporizes instantly. Pour peanut oil around side of wok, then coat the entire pan . When oil just begins to smoke, add ginger and stir-fry 5 seconds. Add black beans, garlic, and chile pepper and stir-fry 1 minute. Quickly, add shrimp, spreading in one layer on bottom and side of wok. Then stir-fry for about 3 minutes, or until shrimp are just pink on both sides. Stir the broth mixture well, then add to shrimp and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle with sesame oil, then stir to combine. Best served with white rice. Bon Appetit!

It’s All In The Game… Are Roo Ready?

Elk Tenderloin with Lingonberry Sauce

Grilling Abalone at Sik Gaek Restaurant

If you have been following this blog, you know that I love preparing different types cultural cuisine and experimenting with game meats. I have prepared more than a few dishes consisting of game that were made available to me from my good friends at Fossil Farms. They specialize in farm raised game & all natural meats and I often take the hour and fifteen minute drive from NYC to purchased their products. Since I discovered this place I have been able to purchase meats such as elk, antelope, ostrich, wild birds, alligator, yak and quite a few more interesting proteins. I am an adventurous food person and not scared to try game. I either dislike it and will never eat it again, or I love it, and it becomes part of my game menu rotation. I really enjoy taking classic recipes, and turning it them into a wild game experience. But I also have my limits of where I draw the line on which foods I wish to try, or at least I thought.

Alligator & Andouille Étouffée

I have been on an interesting culinary adventure over the last 3 weeks. It all started at a Korean restaurant named Sik Gaek in Queens, NY which specializes in seafood. This is where I crossed my own culinary line for the first time. I noticed that on the menu there was abalone (which I’ve always wanted to try) and ” live” octopus, WHAT?! I have watched people eat it on TV and it always made me say “I would never eat that”! First the waiters bought out this really good drink called Watermelon Soju; which was a whole watermelon cut 3/4 of the way and filled with some type of alcohol mixed with the watermelon flesh. The live octopus actually started to sound really interesting after I had a few cups of this drink. Amazingly, it was not bad at all! It had a sort of texture like raw clams but a little more slippery. They gave us these cool chili sauces that made it taste really good, I would do this again!

Live Octopus!

Sautéed Pheasant

The fun continued at home, since I just made a recent trip to Fossil Farms and picked up some goodies. In addition to the game meats I usually purchase, I also grabbed some venison Osso Buco, wild boar Osso Buco, pheasant, and Iberico tenderloin. I don’t eat pork, but hey, this will be my year to try and being more adventurous and experimental with food. The acorn fed black Iberian pig is a premium pork product and is indigenous to the Mediterranean area. I simply stuffed the tenderloin with a homemade apple and chestnut stuffing, yum!  But the most interesting meat I picked up this time was ground kangaroo. One day about a year ago my girlfriend Emily and I had a conversation about different types foods that we have no desire to try. Kangaroo just happened to be amongst our undesirable foods we swore we would not try, wrong again.

Iberico Tenderloin Stuffed with Apples & Chestnuts

After doing some reading about how this meat is becoming a really popular and how it is an up and coming protein used by chefs all over the world, I figured I’d give it a try. It is a lean and healthy like most game, and the taste was not bad at all. I decided to use the kangaroo meat in a gourmet Shepard’s pie, since it was a day before St.Patrick’s Day when I prepared it. I infused the potatoes with Vasterbottensost cheese from Sweden and added some corn to the meat stuffing to give it a sort of Australian/Irish/Swedish/U.K./Americas connection. The dish was simple and delicious and I must say that kangaroo meat is definitely something I would try again. Maybe this time I can grab some steaks! I have now decided that I will never say never when it comes to food and cooking.

Because It’s all in the game…

I have added some of the photos of a few of my game dishes over the last few weeks, enjoy! If you are in the tri-state area, get on over to Fossil Farms at 81 Fulton street in Boonton NJ and see how adventurous you are when it comes to food and cooking. Bon Appetit!

Gourmet Shepard’s Pie made with Kangaroo

Venison Osso Buco

This tasty Osso Buco dish can be served with risotto, polenta, or pasta. I chose to pair it with Orecchiette pasta with black truffle oil, garlic and rosemary, which perfectly complimented this dish. If you cannot get your hands on venison, feel free to use veal or wild boar osso buco. Enjoy! Venison Osso Buco is a product of http://www.fossilfarms.com

Venison Osso Buco

Ingredients:
Two 2 1/2 to 3 inch thick venison shanks, tied with cooking string
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 medium-sized carrots chopped
1 large celery stalk  chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup chopped tomatoes (if from can,drain)
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup dry red wine
Salt & fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325. Heat the olive oil in a large enameled cast-iron casserole. Season the venison shanks with salt and pepper and pan sear over moderate heat until browned on both sides, about 6-8 minutes per side. Transfer the shanks to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
Add the carrots, onion, celery and garlic to the casserole. Reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring, until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a simmer over high heat.
Return the shanks to the casserole, making sure to center them in the middle of the vegetables, and add any accumulated juices from the plate. Cover the casserole and braise the shanks in the oven for 1 hour. Turn the shanks, cover and cook for about 1 hour longer, until the meat is very tender. Transfer the shanks to a plate and cover. If necessary, reduce the sauce over high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the strings off the shanks. Spoon the sauce on top and serve with your side of choice and a glass of full bodied red wine. Bon Appetit!

Venison Osso Buco braised in Red Wine & Orecchiette Pasta With Truffle Oil, Garlic and Rosemary

Easy Shrimp Scampi

shrimp scampi

This quick and easy to make shrimp dish is a great option for a weeknight dinner. You can even add seared scallops, which go really well with this dish as seen below.  Enjoy

Ingredients:

1 pound large or jumbo shrimp, shelled and de-veined
4 garlic cloves, sliced very thinly
4 tablespoons olive oil divided
4 tablespoons  unsalted butter divided
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 shallot diced
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
salt, to taste

Adding seared scallops to this dish really works!

Directions:

Boil large pot of water on the stove over high heat . When it has come to the boil, add some salt and the pasta. Stir to make sure the pasta separates and cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 8 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta. Stir well and season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Bon Appetit!

Citrus & Rosemary Cornish Hen

Ingredients

two cornish hens 1 1/2 lbs each
2 medium carrots sliced
8-10 small new potatoes Whole (or buttercream potatoes which are used here)
1 lemon quartered
2 garlic cloves
1 small onion quartered
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 Tbs paprika
1/2 Tbs salt
1 Tbs garlic powder
1/2 Tbs black pepper
1 Tbs onion powder
1/2 Tbs cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tablespoon dried thyme
fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish

Directions

In a bowl, mix all of dry spices thoroughly. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place hens (breast side up), potatoes, and carrots in a roasting pan. Season the hens inside and out with the dry spice mix, you should also loosen the skin around the breast and rub spices underneath it (you will have some spice mix left over, save it). Squeeze lemon juice on the outside of the hens and stuff the remains of the lemon along with onion, garlic, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprigs inside the cavity of both. Add the stock to the bottom of the roasting pan, which will assist with cooking the vegetables.
Roast hens,rotating pan halfway through, until skin turns golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees, about 50 minutes to an hour. Let stand 10 minutes. Place in serving plates with vegetables and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs. Bon Appetit!

 

A Taste Of Sweden…. Baked Salma Salmon w/ Creamy Dill and Parmesan Sauce Recipe

Cuttin’ Chris & Eatin’ Ehrlund on the set of Neighborhood Chefs

I hope everyone had a great time bringing in the New Year. I will kick off 2013 with a great tasting and easy to prepare salmon dish. It actually ended up being a Swedish/Italian fusion of flavors. But before I give you the recipe, let me tell you about some of the fun things I did last month and what inspired me to cook this dish.  December was a very busy month for me filming the online cooking show “Neighborhood Chefs“, which I am executive producer of. I often get to meet many interesting chefs and home cooks during our tapings and December was no different. While on Facebook I became good friends with Mats Melander, a cook from Sweden who competed in the Swedish TV version of “Masterchef”. He introduced me to two more great cooks from his country, Christer Söderberg & Per Ehrlund. These guys were set to pay a visit to Brooklyn to compete in a food competition. How could I pass up a chance to have them cook in our NC’s kitchen?

The chefs arrived bright and early with a ton of enthusiasm and plenty of jokes. They seemed to enjoyed their stay in NYC, heck, Per Ehrlund even got married while they were here!  They also arrived with some gifts for me from Sweden, Salma salmon and Vasterbottensost cheese. The cheese was some of the best I have ever tasted. It had a taste similar to a high quality Cheddar cheese. The cut of fish here is the belly loin, and it was so good that I could not stop eating slices of it before it was even cooked! Anyway, the chefs did not disappoint, as they went on to cook some fabulous food and kept us in stitches with their comedy while doing so.

Chef Eddie G, Chef Shehu Fitzgerald, and Justice Stewart

I also got to see another great chef make his second appearance on the show, Chef Shehu Fitzgerald from Staten Island, NY. Shehu is a well-traveled cook with a skill level much higher than your average chef. He proved this on the popular Food Network TV show “Chopped”.  He blew away the competition in all three rounds to become one of the show’s champions. He has opened a restaurant in his neighborhood called “The Phunky Elephant” which I have also visited. For the taping he quickly prepared 5 dishes from his new menu. Wow, I was impressed! We were also visited by Chef Eddie G from Coast2Coast cuisine. Chef Eddie G and his partner JR travel the country filming at different Locations. They often take over local restaurants and create coastal dishes from around the world in an entertaining and educational food show, it is a high quality program focusing on travel and brand recognition. Although we did not get to see him cook on the show this time, Chef Eddie and I look forward to working together in the future, so stay tuned! And as if this wasn’t food overload already, the next day I attended the food competition at the Brooklyn Brewery.

Brooklyn Brewery Food Experiment

This competition was called “The Food Experiment World Wide Tour” and it is sponsored by the Brooklyn Brewery. This was the day the championship round was being held, so I knew we were in for a treat. They toured 15 cities such as Brazil, Berlin, Mumbai, London, Madrid, and Casablanca just to name a few, and it came down who could make the best “Bite” in Brooklyn, NY. One thing that caught my eye when I got there was, “All you can drink Brooklyn beer” Woohoo, I am in heaven! The competitors were all set up at different stations and putting out those “bites” fast and furiously. I managed to taste most of them (except the pork)  and they were all very good. We had the opportunity to interview quite a few of the contestants that afternoon, and the fun I had there that afternoon was amazing. We also had a chance to interview the two guys that put this event together, Theo Peck and Nick Suarez. In the end, my Swedish friends did not win the big award, but Per took home the Spirit Award and a lot of love from American foodies, which was evident by how busy their station was throughout the day. The big award went to One World One Kitchen with his  “Jewel Crusted Shrimp”. I must say that I bought in 2013 with a bang, and I am looking forward to a great year in food. Thank you to everyone I have had the chance to meet and work with last year!

Now, on to the recipe. Keep in mind you don’t need to use Caviar for this dish, I used the Lumpfish roe because it was something I purchased from a Swedish specialty shop. This recipe can be paired with anything from pasta to steamed vegetables. I chose to pair it with spinach fettuccine tossed with fresh spinach and mini San Marzano tomatoes & Lumpfish roe. Bon Appetit!

Baked Salma Salmon with Dill/Parmesan Sauce served with Spinach Fettuccine Tossed with Fresh Spinach and Mini San Marzano Tomatoes & Lumpfish Roe.

Ingredients:

4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, also, an additional a few sprigs for garnishing
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Lumpfish roe (for Garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly oiled broiler pan, place salmon fillets. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and Place in oven and bake for about 15 minutes or to your desired doneness. Salmon will turn reddish-pink when it is done.

While that is cooking, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter until it melts. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and whisk in the mustard, dill, pepper, parmesan cheese, and the remaining salt. Remove from heat.

Cut the remaining butter into pieces, add to the sauce, and whisk until incorporated and creamy. Place the salmon on individual plates, spoon the sauce over the top, and sprinkle with additional dill and Lumpfish roe and serve.

Sweet & Spicy Walnut/Chili Chicken

Sweet & Spicy Walnut/Chili Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless chicken breast cut into 2-3 inch strips
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup vegetable oil
2 green chili pepper (or jalepeno), seeded and finely sliced
2 red chilis seeded and finely sliced **note** If you want to tone down the heat use red bell pepper
2 Tbs finely chopped walnuts
salt & pepper, to taste

Marinade:

3 Tbs dry white wine
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 shallot finely chopped
3 crushed garlic cloves

Sauce:

1 tsp chili paste
1/2 tsp Sriracha chili sauce (optional)
1 Tbs chili oil
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs pineapple or orange juice
2 Tbs pure maple syrup
1 Tbs sugar
12 peeled garlic cloves (whole)

Direction:

Combine all of the marinade ingredient in a bowl and mix well. Add the chicken and mix well, coating all pieces with the marinade mixture. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour
Heat up a heavy skillet or wok over high heat and add enough oil for deep-frying. Give the chicken a light dusting of cornstarch, covering each piece evenly. Deep fry the chicken until golden brown on both sides about 5 minutes per side.
Set chicken aside and allow the oil to drain on paper towels. Combine the sauce ingredients in a large saucepan and simmer over medium heat. Once the sauce begins to bubble add the fried chicken pieces and mix well, making sure you coat all of the chicken.
Allow it to simmer and continue mixing until the sauce thickens and forms a sticky glaze on the chicken. Then add the sliced chili peppers and mix well. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with the cooked garlic cloves and chopped walnuts. Serve with white rice. Bon Appetit!

 

 

Grouper Confit

Grouper Confit

Ingredients:

4 grouper filets 6oz each
2-3 large garlic cloves crushed
2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
3/4 cup of olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
1 Tbs vodka
1 Tbs light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Using a bowl, mix together the thyme, salt, pepper flakes, and garlic and rub the mixture all over the fish filets. Place the fish in a single layer in a shallow baking dish in which the fish can fit snugly together without the filets overlapping. Pour in the olive oil so that it completely covers the fish. If your dish is too large, line it with foil and bring the foil up so you don’t use too much oil. Cover and refrigerate 12-24 hours.

Preheat your oven to 350 F, and bake the fish for about 30-40 minutes until fish is cooked through. Carefully remove the fish with a slotted spatula or spoon and place on a warm plate and cover. Mix the lemon juice, parsley, sugar, vodka and 4 tablespoons of the cooking juices in a small saucepan and whisk them together. Re-heat the mixture gently while whisking, then spoon it over the fish to serve. Bon Appetit!