BLACK AND WHITE GARLIC SOUP WITH FROG LEGS

Whenever I see frog legs, I always think about a dish that I had at a four-star restaurant in NYC, which was the first place that I've ever eaten them.  They were part of a tasting menu at the time and served alongside a creamy garlic soup.

Recently, when I was at the fish market and passed the freezer containing frog legs, I decided to add some to my basket.  I know.  Frog legs?  I have to say that it is a different protein.

While garlic soup was on my mind and since I had black garlic on hand, I thought about a black and white garlic soup--to be served with the frog legs, of course.

Rocambole Garlic

Black Garlic

Since I used both black and white garlic, the color was darker than a typical creamy garlic soup.  The taste was sweet but still had an underlying garlic flavor. 




For the frog legs, I dusted them with AP flour and then sautéed them in unsalted butter.  I served them as a side that could be added to the soup or not at all.  The soup is fine by itself.  The legs are an added garnish or a treat or don't even have to be used, or made.


Black and White Garlic Soup
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
40 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
6 cloves of black garlic, sliced
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
6 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 eggs
1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar

Frog Legs
1/4 cup AP flour, for dusting
4 frog legs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Put oil into saucepan and turn the heat to medium.  Add garlic and thyme sprigs.  Cook until garlic softens and has a translucent appearance.

Add chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and stir occasionally until the liquid is reduced by half and the garlic is tender, about 15 minutes.


Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper and reduce heat. Remove thyme sprigs. In a separate stainless steel bowl, whisk the eggs with the vinegar.  Take a ladle full of the soup and add it to the egg/vinegar mixture in the bowl. Whisk to warm up the mixture (same process as making ice cream).  After tempering the egg/vinegar mixture, slowly whisk this into the hot soup.  

I ladled the soup into bowls containing a bed of chopped greens.  Preferably, the same greens that the frog legs are served on. 





Frog Legs
Dust frog legs in flour.  Melt butter and sauté frog legs until golden brown.  Add chopped garlic, salt and pepper.  Sprinkle on lemon juice and add parsley.  Serve on a bed of greens as a side with the soup.  Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as an appetizer (not a typo).

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES, CHICKPEAS, AND MINT

Tagine

This is a version of a tagine, a classic Moroccan stew. Although I have an authentic tagine, I prepare this dish in my Dutch oven.  I use only the dark meat because it stays moist when braised and absorbs the variety of spices really well.  This is delicious served over couscous (preferably tri-colored).

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups onion, thinly sliced
6 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon peeled ginger, minced
1 tablespoon Hungarian sweet paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup water
2 cups diced tomatoes drained (28 ounce can)
2 cups canned garbanzo (chickpeas) beans, drained (two 15-ounce cans)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro stems, chopped
3 preserved lemons*, thinly sliced and seeds removed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 chicken thighs with bones, skin removed
8 chicken drumsticks, skin removed
¼ cup chopped mint
*available at specialty markets.

Heat oil in heavy large pot (preferably a Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger. Cover and cook until onion is tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add paprika and next 6 ingredients; stir 1 minute. Stir in water, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, cilantro, preserved lemons, and lemon juice. Bring to boil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; add to pot in a single layer and simmer for 15 minutes.  Turn chicken over, cover and simmer until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes more.  Season with salt and pepper and more lemon juice, if desired. Sprinkle with mint.

Serve over couscous, preferably tri-colored.  Serves 4

Moroccan Chicken

 

RED SNAPPER ROASTED UPRIGHT

Whole red snapper is marinated with a combination of lime juice, garlic, ginger and cilantro then roasted, upright, in an oven. The key here is to keep the fish standing upright so both sides of the fish cook evenly at the same time.  This is a take on those "beer can" chicken standing upright  recipes.

Ingredients:

One whole red snapper – about 2 pounds, cleaned and scales removed

Marinade:
¼ cup of freshly squeezed lime juice
6 cloves of garlic
2” piece of fresh ginger peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup of cilantro leaves
Dash of salt
½ cup of olive oil
Combine above ingredients in food processor to make a marinade

To Prep and Cook the Fish:

First, score each side of fish with a knife to make 3-4 incisions on each side.  Spread marinade on both sides of fish and inside cavity.  Place fish in fridge marinade for about an hour.

Remove fish from fridge and stand “upright” using stainless steel round cutters or cans.  The key here is to keep the fish standing upright, so both sides could roast at the same time (one side not flat on its side).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Let fish rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes prior to placing in oven.
Let fish roast for 20-25.  Remove from oven.  Let rest for 5-10 minutes.  Pour additional marinade on fish and serve standing upright.  Serves 2

This goes well with pearl couscous, jasmine rice, mashed potatoes, or whatever you like as a starch.

BLACK SPAGHETTINI IN WHITE CLAM SAUCE WITH GARLIC

While visiting my local fish monger yesterday (Tuesday is a good day to visit the market—other than a Friday), I saw beautiful littleneck clams. Typically, I’m not very fond of clams because, many times, at restaurants, they could be a bit chewy.  Since the price was only $5.00 for a dozen of the beautiful mollusks (about 1 ½”- 1 ¾”  in diameter), I opted to give it a try and purchased a dozen in addition to the salmon and scallops that were on my list.  What should I do with them? I decided to make a pasta dish with a clam sauce – or clam sauce with pasta.  Since there was a package of one of my favorite pastas from the Italian market (spaghetti nero di sepia from PASTIFICIO F.LLI SETARO) in my pantry (squid ink spaghetti), and since I’m a lover of garlic (lots) I opted to create a dish with black spaghetti and a clam sauce simmered in white wine with lots of garlic.  Okay, nothing new from the traditional classic “linguini with clam sauce recipes” but with a (slight) twist.  I ensured to watch over the clams as each one opened up, sort of like a mother cat watching over as giving birth to each kitten.  Well… Let’s get back to the clams.  I shook the pan constantly and as each clam opened up, removed it and kept it in a warm stainless steel bowl, covered with aluminum foil.  When done, not only were the clams juicy, plump, succulent and melt-in-your mouth, the garlic flavor was there but not overpowering as one would think, considering how much garlic I used (about 20 cloves).  The squid-ink spaghetti added more flavor to the dish.  Probably, the best clams I’ve ever eaten.  And, I’ve tried making them before from time to time.  Was it the product or the cook?

Ingredients:

4 weighted ounces black spaghetti or linguini

1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
¾ cup chopped garlic (about 20 cloves chopped in the food processor)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine (chardonnay)
1/4 cup water
12 littleneck clams, scrubbed
½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Boil the pasta until tender but still firm.

While the pasta cooks make the clam sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the wine and water and increase the heat to high. Add the clams, cover, and cook, shaking the pan constantly.  As each clam opens, remove place in a warm stainless steel bowl. Continue until all clams are opened, about 4-5 minutes total.  (longer for more than 12 clams).

Add parsley to clam sauce; season with salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste.  Drain the pasta and plate in heated bowls.   Divide clams evenly among bowls.  Drizzle clam sauce on pasta and clams. Serve immediately.

GINGER AND GARLIC FRIED RICE WITH EGG

I’ve adapted this recipe from JGV’s book, Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges.  It has become one of my favorite ways to serve a take on fried rice, and I’ve enjoyed making it with several varieties of rice—jasmine, red jasmine, bamboo, long grain, short grain, etc.  Every time, it always turns out to be a very tasty dish.   I always serve it with a fish protein.
 
¼ cup grape seed or canola oil
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
Pinch of Kosher salt
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 cups of day-old cooked rice (jasmine, bamboo, red – whatever you have on hand), at room temperature
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
¼ tablespoon grape seed or canola oil (must be neutral)
1 large egg
Sauté half of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the minced garlic and ginger and season (very) lightly with salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and browned (see photo).  Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a large deep skillet over medium-low heat.  Add scallions.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Ensure they are tender but not browned. 

Add rice to the scallion mixture and cook, stirring well, until heated through.  Season to taste with salt.  Remove from heat.  Remove rice from pan and place into a bowl about 5 inches in diameter.  Invert bowl onto a serving plate.  The rice will unmold into a dome.  Drizzle the sesame oil and soy sauce around the mound of rice.

Put the canola oil in a non-stick skillet and fry the egg, sunny-side up, until the edges are set, but the yolk is still runny*.  Put the egg on top of the mound of rice.  Top the mound of rice and egg with the garlic and ginger crisps and serve immediately.

*If you’re not comfortable with the “sunny side up” raw egg yolk, then, as the egg is cooking, break up the yolk to cook to make a “scrambled egg”.  Put this fully-cooked egg on top of the rice mold and add garlic and ginger crisps.  Serves 2