EPIGRAMS de SOLE

Epigrams de Sole

This is another favorite recipe of mine from Chef Michel Roux Jnr of the two-star Michelin restaurant Le Gavroche in London.  Chef Roux demonstrated this on the Master Chef UK series.  He said that it is such an intricate dish that his "Chefs hate it when it is on the menu at the restaurant."  Of course, I had to give it a try.  It is simply sole fillets stuffed with a lobster and tarragon mixture, then covered in a pane', and sautéed in plenty of butter and oil.  Not a dish for every day but once in a while a nice treat.  Chef Roux garnishes the dish with the lobster head and tail and adds baby carrots and baby turnips.  A very nice presentation.   Although my lobster head fell apart, everything else was perfect for the first time making it.  However, I did "cheat" and purchased fillets--not a whole fish.  As with several of Chef Roux's other dishes, this was fun and not as challenging as the show portrays.

For the Stuffed Sole:

2 Fillets of soul, about 3-4 ounce portions each
1 1-1/4 # lobster; cooked; lobster meat removed; shells reserved for sauce
1/2 cup fresh tarragon, chopped
1 cup AP flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup bread crumbs, unflavored
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 oz unsalted butter

For the Sauce:

Reserved lobster body
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/3 cup chopped celery
4 oz unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup Brandy
1/2 cup White Wine
1 Roma tomato chopped; about 4 ounces
1 cup fish stock



Lobster Stock

To Make the Sauce:
Add shallots, carrots and celery to pan.  Add lobster shells and butter. Break lobster shells while stirring.  Add bay leaf, garlic and tomato paste.  Stir to cook paste slightly for about one minute.  Add brandy then add and the white wine.  Let alcohol reduce for about 2-3 minutes.  Then add the fish stock.  Simmer until stock is intensified and reduced by half, about 35-40 minutes. When done, pass sauce into a sieve.  Set sauce aside.

To Make the Stuffed Sole:

For the Filling:
Mix the chopped lobster meat with the tarragon.  Set aside.



Lobster/Tarragon Mixture

For the Sole:
On a flat surface, score fillets with a knife.  Then pound between film (clear plastic wrap) concentrating on the thickest part of the fillets to make them uniform in thickness (sort of like pounding on a chicken breast to make it uniform).  Remove film.  Place lobster/tarragon mixture on the lower portion of the fillet and fold the top portion of fillet over.  Trim sides and bottom of fillets to form a "triangle".  (Set scraps aside for another use.)  Press on folded fillet (epigram) to seal.  Dip epigrams in flour, and then dredge in egg yolk mixture, then coat in the unflavored bread crumbs.  Chill in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes so the epigram will seal and not fall apart during cooking.

To Finish:

Heat a sauté' pan with a combination of butter and oil mixture--not too hot.  Sauté' epigrams in pan and continue to spoon the mixture over fish while they are cooking.  When one side turns brown, turn epigrams over and continue to spoon the butter over the other side.  When epigrams turn golden, remove from pan and set on a plate lined with paper towels.  Let epigrams drain, then plate.

Add a dollop of the leftover lobster/tarragon mixture on top to garnish.  Serves 2.

 

 

Squid Stuffed With Wild Rice, or Calamars Farcis aux Riz Sauvage

This is my interpretation of Chef Michel Roux Jnr's Calamars Farcis aux Riz Sauvage, or Squid Stuffed with Wild Rice.  I've never made or eaten squid stuffed with rice--let alone a wild rice--so it was an interesting dish to try and replicate, sans written instructions.  The accompaniment is mussels that are first cooked in white wine, then shocked in an ice water bath and later warmed in butter, garlic and parsley.  Although it looked complicated on the BBC's Master Chef Professionals episode, it wasn't.  However, I did "cheat" and purchased squid bodies that were already cleaned by my fish monger.  I opted not to make the fried tentacles that were a part of Chef Roux's dish; but, nonetheless, it was very good and the flavours were prominent.. All in all...a very good dish and one that I would definitely recreate again...and again...and again.  Chef Roux Jnr would be proud.  I hope. 

For the Squid and Wild Rice Stuffing:
4 oz. white onions, chopped
6 oz. red pepper, chopped
pinch saffron threads, or 0.25 grams
4 oz wild rice
1 quart of lobster stock (32 Volume ounces), preferably home-made
2 egg yolks
3 squid bodies, cleaned

 

For the Mussels:
12-15 mussels, PEI of course
1 1/2 cups White Wine (I always use Mondavi Chardonnay)
1/2 quart lobster stock (or 16 Volume ounces)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons sliced garlic
3 Tablespoons chopped parsley

For the Squid/Wild Rice Stuffing:
First, we make the wild rice--like a pilaf, according to Chef Roux.  Rinse the wild rice, then drain.  Take the chopped onions and red peppers and sweat them for about 5 minutes.  Add to this, the saffron, the rinsed wild rice and the lobster stock..  Let the mixture cook, covered, in the oven at 350 degrees.  Check every 1/2 hour. It does require at least 1 1/2 hours.  When the rice is done, remove from oven and add the egg yolks. Stir.  Now the stuffing is ready.

Fill the squid bodies with stuffing.  Then secure each with a bamboo or stainless steel toothpick. 

For the Mussels:
Steam mussels in the white wine with some garlic (about 1 Tablespoon). After mussels open, remove mussels from pan and purge them into an ice water bath to stop them from cooking.  When cool enough to handle, remove mussel meat from their shells.  Set aside. Add the lobster stock to the pan containing the broth that the mussels were steamed in.  This is now the mixture to steam the stuffed calamari.
To Finish:
For the calamari:  Add stuffed calamari to the mussel/lobster broth combination and let cook for about ten minutes, or until the calamari is soft and the egg in the stuffing mixture is cooked through.   After stuffed calamari is cooked, remove from pan and let rest for a few minutes (about 3-5); then slice the stuffed calamari into 1/2 inch thickness.

For the mussels:  Warm the melted butter, garlic and parsley mixture.  Add the mussel meat to this and warm through.  This is the added garnish to the dish.

To Plate:  Slice the cooked/stuffed calamari..  Add a dollop of mussel mixture and that's it. 

 

 

DUCK, DUCK, DUCK




Duck, Duck, Duck at Morimoto NYC

One of the most famous recipes at Morimoto's restaurant is Duck, Duck, Duck.  It is a dish which consists of the leg and thigh of a duck, a "sandwich" which is sliced duck breast meat and scallions inside a Foie Gras Croissant, and a sunny-side-up duck egg. It is served with a Port Wine Reduction and an earthy Red Miso Sauce for dipping.  I've had the dish several times and it is, by far, a winner.


Since I have Morimoto's cookbook, Morimoto, the New Art of Japanese Cooking which publishes the Duck, Duck, Duck recipe, I have always wanted to try making it.
http://www.amazon.com/Morimoto-New-Art-Japanese-Cooking/dp/0756631238/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368533450&sr=1-1&keywords=morimoto+the+new+art+of+japanese+cooking
One morning after visiting a newly-discovered Asian market close-by, I saw that they were selling fresh duck eggs and fresh ducks.  Only one dish entered my mind:  Duck, Duck, Duck.  And since I had the medallion of D'Artagnan's Duck Foie Gras in my fridge, all I needed was the croissants and a few other produce items.  Also, in lieu of just serving a sunny-side-up duck egg by itself, I opted to make garlic and ginger fried rice with the sunny-side-up duck egg on top.  http://www.cece-corner.blogspot.com/2012/02/ginger-and-garlic-fried-rice-with-egg.html

Here is my own version of Morimoto's Duck, Duck, Duck:

Duck, Duck, Duck My Way

Morimoto's recipe calls for letting the duck sit overnight in the fridge with a dusting of five-spice powder.  The next day it is dipped in steaming water, then sits overnight again for another 24 hours before it is finally roasted.  Since I only had 24-hours, I rubbed the duck with five-spice powder and steamed it for 50 minutes.  I then let it sit uncovered in the fridge overnight.  The next day I roasted the duck at 400 degrees on a rack in the roasting pan for about one hour.   I made both sauces, the Port Wine Reduction and the Red Miso. The Foie Gras Croissants were store-bought croissants with the medallion of foie gras as mentioned above.
For the duck One duck, preferably fresh, about 4 1/2 pounds
6 Tbs. Five-Spice Powder
Port Wine Reduction Sauce (recipe follows)
Red Miso Sauce (recipe follows)
Foie Gras Croissants (recipe follows)
Garlic and Ginger fried rice
Duck egg, fried sunny-side-up

Wash duck and pat dry.  Rub five-spice powder all over the inside and outside of the duck.  Let duck rest for about 30 minutes.  Place duck on rack in a pan filled with about three inches of water.  Cover duck with aluminum foil.  Bring water to a boil and steam the duck for about 50 minutes.  After duck cools down, remove duck and rack from pan and place duck and rack on a sheet pan.  Refrigerate duck, uncovered, overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove duck from fridge about an hour prior to cooking.  Lightly coat the duck with olive oil before placing in oven.  Roast the duck on a rack in a roasting pan in the center of the oven until the juices at the thigh run clear when pierced, about one hour. 

Roasted Duck

Remove the duck from oven and let it stand for 15 minutes.  Carve, reserving duck breast for the sandwiches. 
 

Port Wine Reduction Sauce

I used plum wine in lieu of red wine for this and home-made turkey stock which I had in my freezer.  Also, I added some pink peppercorns.

2 Tbs olive oil

1/4 cup chopped shallots

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 cups ruby port

1/2 cup plum wine

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1/4 tsp black peppercorns

1/4 tsp pink peppercorns

2 cups turkey stock (or chicken stock)

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook until the shallots soften, about two minutes.  Add the port, plum wine, thyme sprig and peppercorns.  Bring to a boil over high heat until the liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup.

Add the stock and boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 30 minutes.  Strain sauce and set aside.  Keep warm.

 

Miso Sauce

Red Miso Sauce

This sauce was thick and sweet; thicker than I recall what the restaurant serves but it was very good and a nice complement to the entire dish.

 

1 cup red miso

3 Tbs. mirin

6 Tbs. sugar

1 egg yolk

In a stainless steel bowl, combine the miso, mirin, sugar, and egg yolk.  Wisk together until well combined.  Set over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from heat. 

 

Foie Gras Croissants

2 store bought (or home-made) croissants

Medallion of D'Artagnan's Duck Foie Gras (duck pate)

2 slices of roasted duck breast

1/2 Japanese seedless cucumber, thinly sliced

1 scallion cut into strips

 

Warm the croissants in the oven, about 5 minutes.  Slice them crosswise with a serrated knife.  Layer a slice of cucumber on each croissant bottom; spread on the duck pate and top with a slice of duck breast.  Top with the scallions and cover with croissant tops.

 

To Finish

Arrange pieces of duck on dinner plates; add a Foie Gras Croissant to each plate and serve with ginger and garlic rice topped with a duck egg and sides of Port Wine Reduction and Red Miso Sauce for dipping.

 

 

  

CALAMARI STUFFED WITH SHRIMPS AND SPINACH

Stuffed Calamari

The first time I made stuffed calamari was several years ago for some friends who make the dish all the time.  It was perfect and since then, I've been making stuffed calamari from time to time.  I like this dish, which is adapted from Chef Anne Burrell's book, Cook Like a Rock Star.  I only use shrimps and fresh spinach for the stuffing.  I then make a light tomato sauce topping and serve the stuffed calamari with pasta. I like to serve it with a black and white spaghetti combination or just plain pasta. Today, I made it with a side of black penne.

Something about calamari and black pasta just does it for me.  I love black pasta, which is made with the ink of the calamari, so the dish works well together.  Back in the day, it was not as available as it is now where it is found in virtually every specialty store.

For the Stuffed Calamari:
1pound clean medium calamari tubes, about 5 to 6 inches long
1/2 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimps
4 garlic cloves, smashed and coarsely chopped
2 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped (no stems)
1 egg
1/2 to 3/4 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
0.125 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Stainless steel cocktail picks (or toothpicks)

Shrimps and Spinach Stuffing

For the sauce:

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup onions, finely diced
0.125 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
0.125 tsp Kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
3/4 cup dry red wine
1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes



Stuffed Calamari in Sauce

To make the stuffed calamari:
Roughly chop the shrimps and garlic. Add to food processor and pulse into a coarse paste. Remove to a large bowl and add the spinach, egg, panko, cheese, and red pepper. Season with salt and stir to combine. The mixture should be a little chunky but moist and holding together. Divide the stuffing among the 4 calamari bodies.  Stuff bodies and secure closed with stainless steel cocktail or toothpicks.

To make the sauce:

Coat a large, wide skillet or saucepan with olive oil and add the onions and the crushed red pepper. Season with salt and put the saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onions until they are soft, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the wine and cook until the wine has reduced by half. Puree the tomatoes in a food processor and add them and 1 cup of water to the pan. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.

Add calamari to the pan and cook for 20 to 25 minutes turning them over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the calamari from the pan and remove the picks. Reduce the sauce to thicken, about ten minutes. Arrange the calamari on a plate and cover with sauce.  Serve with pasta.

 

Black Penne and Stuffed Calamari

 

KITCHARI

Kitchari

Kitchari (or kichdi or kichari) is an Indian comfort food that is made with moong dal (mung beans) and basmati rice and contains a variety of spices including mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, and asafetida* (see note below), to name a few.  It is a staple food of the Indian herbal medicine Ayurvedic and is designed to stimulate the digestion and reduce internal toxicity. This is a basic recipe and makes about five cups.

Some of the Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice, rinsed
½ cup organic whole mung beans, soaked for at least three hours or overnight
2 T organic ghee
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 pinches asafetida
1 tsp black cardamom pods
4 cups water
1/3 cup kombu
1 tsp ginger, freshly grated
½ tsp sea salt
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Rinse the rice.  Rinse the mung beans and soak in water for three hours or overnight. Drain.

In a pot, warm the ghee over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and sauté for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic.

Add turmeric, asafetida, cardamom pods, mung beans, and rice. Then add water, kombu, and ginger. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 40 minutes. If you need to add more water, do so.

Garnish with fresh cilantro and add salt to taste.  An avocado with a sprinkling of pink salt and freshly-squeezed lemon juice or steamed vegetables (such as broccoli, carrots, green beans, asparagus, etc.) is an excellent side dish.

*Asafetida's name comes from the Persian "aza" (mastic resin) and the Latin "foetida," referring to its strong sulfurous odor. Asafetida is used to stimulate appetite and digestion. It helps neutralize flatulence caused by beans and other legumes. It is typically used with turmeric, another standard component of Indian cuisine, particularly in lentil curries, such as dal, as well as in many vegetable dishes.

MUJADDARA

Mujaddara

Mujaddara is a popular comfort food of Middle Eastern origin.  This lentil-based dish is made with rice, spices and sautéed onions.  It is another one of those dishes that has many variations.  I've seen it made with white rice, jasmine rice, brown rice, and basmati rice.  Also, many of the dishes use various spices including cumin, black peppercorns, cayenne pepper and cinnamon sticks, to name a few.

In the past, I made Mujaddara by cooking the lentils, the rice and the onions separately, then combing all into one dish.  However, after perusing the Net for some ideas, I came across several recipes where the lentils are cooked separately and then they are added to one large sauté pan with the onions, the spices and the rice.  As always, the finished dish contains a mixture of various textures and flavors.  The onions are crisp and sweet, the rice is fluffy, and the lentils are smooth and literally pop in your mouth.  The taste lingers long after the meal has been completed.

I like to serve Mujaddara with Tzatziki, a creamy yogurt and cucumber sauce, or with plain yogurt.  Also, a side of pita bread and hummus makes this a complete meal. 

1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed

4 cups water
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, cracked
3 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
3/4 cup basmati rice, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick
Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Tzatziki sauce (Recipe follows) or plain yogurt for serving

In a medium saucepan, add the lentils and water.  The water should cover the lentils by about an inch.  Add more water if necessary.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn down to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Separately, place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. After the oil has warmed, add the cumin seeds and cracked peppercorns, shaking the pan gently until the cumin seeds darken slightly, about one minute.

Add the onions, sprinkle with a dash of salt and cook until they turn dark brown, stirring often.  Add some water to the onions if they start to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the ground cumin, cayenne and the cinnamon stick to onion mixture.  Sauté about one minute.

Add the rice and stir mixture until some rice grains start to brown.  Add the cooked lentils, 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt; bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover pan and simmer for about 30 minutes. The water should be completely evaporated and rice should be tender. Turn off the heat, keep the lid on, and allow the mixture to for about 5 minutes.  Taste for seasoning.  Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Serve Mujaddara with Tzatziki sauce or plain yogurt.  Serves 4-6

TZATZIKI SAUCE

1 cucumber

2 cups of Greek yogurt, strained
3 teaspoons of minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh dill, finely chopped
Kosher salt and white pepper-to taste

Peel cucumber and cut it in half length-wise.  Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds. Chop the cucumber into very small pieces, about 1/8".   Drain. Remove as much liquid as possible.

In a bowl, mix the yogurt with the chopped cucumber, the minced garlic and the chopped dill.  Add the lemon juice and the olive oil.  Mix well.  Add salt and pepper, to taste.  Chill for at least an hour before serving.

LIME NOODLES

Key Limes

This has to be one of my favorite noodle dishes.  I first had it at Spice Market when the restaurant opened in 2004 where I was seated at the Chef's VIP seat and Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten recommended it.  I love the combination of spiciness, sourness, sweetness and herbs in the noodles.  It is then topped with blanched vegetables, including carrots, broccoli, parsnips and red bell peppers, which provide added crunchiness and flavor.  I've made it many times over the years and have always had much success.  It is so simple.  First we make a lime syrup.  (I have yet to try the dish using key limes, which are pictured in photo above). Then an herb paste is made with sautéed garlic, fresh basil, fresh mint and toasted sesame seeds. Vegetables for the topping are blanched and softened slightly.  Finally, the rice noodles are cooked briefly in boiling water to soften.  When done, the noodles are mixed with the lime syrup and herb paste and topped with the vegetables.  Then, a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds is added as a garnish.  This dish is so good that I like to eat any leftovers cold straight from the fridge.  The recipe is adapted from the Chef's cookbook, Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges.  Although I don't have any photos of the dish, neither does the book!
http://www.amazon.com/Asian-Flavors-Jean-Georges-Vongerichten/dp/076791273X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363181181&sr=1-1&keywords=asian+flavors+of+jean-georges

Spice Market New York

 

1 1/2 cups grape seed oil

1/2 cup garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves
3/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
About 1/2 pound assorted vegetables: carrots, parsnips, broccoli, and red bell peppers, peeled and julienned
1 pound 1/4-inch-wide dried rice noodles, softened in hot water and drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter

To make lime syrup:  combine the lime juice and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Set aside.

To make basil mint paste:

Put 3 tablespoons of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic turns golden, about 10 minutes; set aside.

Fill a large bowl with water and ice and set aside.  Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add the basil and mint leaves. As soon as the water returns to a boil, drain the leaves and transfer to the ice water.  When cold, drain again and squeeze dry. Purée in a blender with the sesame seeds, garlic, salt, and 1 cup of the oil. (This herb paste will keep, refrigerated, for 2 days.)

To make the vegetables:

Heat the remaining oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the vegetables and some salt and cook, tossing, just until brightly colored. Keep warm.

To make the noodles:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles until tender, about one minute. Drain and transfer to a large skillet set over high heat with the butter and lime syrup.  Toss noodles until they are mixed well and creamy.  Then drizzle liberally with the basil-mint paste, top with the vegetables, garnish with the sesame seeds, and serve.

Makes 4 servings