Ground Lamb and Goat Cheese Pizza

This recipe uses ground colorado lamb, local goat cheese, caramelized onions and golden raisins. The secret ingredient is Koefte spice – a wonderful blend of spices from Turkey (which I scored during a trip late last year).

I added the lamb mixture to fresh pizza dough from Denver’s own Sunflower Market, with which I’ve been very impressed. The, lacking a pizza stone or a wood-fired oven, added the dough to a 12-inch cast iron skillet.

I threw the skillet in the oven while it was heating to 400 degrees. I gave it another 5 or ten minutes then threw the pizza into the pan. 10 minutes at 400 and another 2-3 on high broil. Et Voila.

Another great thing to try…if you’re hosting outdoors and don’t want to use the oven. Throw your skillet onto a hot grill, cover and wait until it’s smokin hot, and then add the pizza to the grill. Keeps the heat out of the kitchen, too. Nice, if like us, you’re trying to use less energy.

Be sure to pair this with Raki or Ouzo and enjoy a little break from the tired old pizza on a hot summer day.

Cheers,
Will

Spicy Crunchy Deliciousness

The Back Story

I first had this dish during a snow storm in a small Japanese restaurant in Burlington, Vermont. I’d been to the establishment before, but on this visit I discovered new ownership and a new philosophy.  The Japanese man who’d bought the restaurant had vowed to move beyond sushi and Teriyaki and serve more traditional, yet lesser known dishes. The first item on the specials list was Broiled Scallops with Japanese Five Spice Mayo. I was hooked. I was slightly concerned about the richness of scallops and mayonnaise, but the addition of the Five Spice, sometimes called Sancho (though this usually refers only to a ground pepper).

I’d had this in my journal ever since, and last night seemed the proper time to break it out. While we’re without snow, it’s cold here in Denver – I wanted something comforting and warming. This dish is both. I presumed it was simple to make without the aid of a recipe. I also envisioned the addition of green onions and Panko to the top of the dish to provide some crunch and acid.

What I used

First, I set about making the mayo. I used:

• 3/4 cup mayo
• 1 heaping tsp of five spice

Mix the mayo thoroughly with the spice, cover and let sit in the fridge.

I used 1 and 1/2 cups of petite scallops. Petites are probably about the diameter of a quarter, and a quarter inch thick — I like them for a few reasons:

1. The cook evenly and quickly

2. Each time you bite into one, you’re consuming an entire scallop.

How I Prepared Them

I gave the scallops a quick rinse under water and then dried them thoroughly. I then heated up a cast-iron skillet and added to medium high and added a small pat of butter. When the pan is hot in the butter is golden brown, toss in the scallops to give them a quick sear on each side – probably about a minute in total depending on the heat of your pan. You don’t want to cook them entirely at this stage.

Remove the scallops and whack the broiler on to HIGH. I arranged the scallops into  two, small Le Creuset oven terrines.

Next, I added the scallops to a bowl and then added the mayo from the fridge. I gave the scallops and mayo a quick toss to coat and then spooned the creamy mixture into the terrines.

Next, I covered the scallop mixture with Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and chopped green onions.

I added the scallops to the oven and broiled them until the Panko was turning brown and the mayo had started to bubble every so slightly.

Now, I served the dish alongside sushi rice, but I think it would be far better to serve the scallops atop the rice. The combination of the crunchy Panko, spicy sancho, creamy mayo and the ever so slightly briny scallops is amazing. The sticky rice cuts the richness of the dish ever so slightly and the green onions provide a gorgeous bit of vegetale acid on the end.

This is a fun dish, and super easy to make. If anyone out there has any variations, I’d love to hear them.

Enjoy.

Will

A simple and savory bread

Wow. It’s been a long time since I’ve added a post. Lot’s of excuses regarding travel and enormous projects, but, dear reader, trust that in my time off I’ve armed myself with a host of new influences, ingredients and recipes.

As my first post back from the long break, I’d like to introduce one of the simplest and most flavorful discoveries I encountered abroad: Zaatar Manakish.

This is a simple bread covered in a mixture of thyme, oregano, salt, savory, mint and sesame seeds – though the variations are endless.

I bought this dry mixture in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but you can make it at home in a snap. Once you have the dry mixture you like, add a glug of olive oil to make a paste. Set aside a few minutes and then spread over your Manakish.

Manakish is a super simple bread, almost like a pizza dough. I’ll add the recipe here tomorrow.
Once the dough is ready, form it into a rough circle, almost like a pizza, and then spread the zaatar mixture over the bread. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 5-7 minutes and voila, you have an amazing starter, side dish, breakfast pastry.

I typically enjoyed mine with fruit, yogurt and arabic coffee – the recipe for which will also appear on this site in the coming days.

But, as an appetizer, try serving the Zaatar Manikish straight from the oven along with a white cheese and fresh melon.

Enjoy.

Kicking off Grilling Season. Photo courtesy of Christina Dugan

Grilling season is back. Despite the spring rain, and the near-constant threat of afternoon storms, the smell of smoke and the char of seasoned steel grates is just too strong to deny.

I love to grill. So much that each season, when winter truly sets in, I go through a little of what I call OSGD, or off-season grilling depression. It’s like seasonal affective disorder, but you’re also hungry for foods you can’t have.

To show you how much I hate NOT grilling, I’ve taken the liberty of altering, ever so slightly, the great B.B. King song, The Thrill is Gone. B.B., plucking away at his guitar as though they were my heartstrings, couldn’t have said it better. Unless, of course, he was singing about Grilling.

The GRILL is gone
The GRILL is gone away
The GRILL is gone baby
The GRILLis gone away
You know you done me wrong baby
And you’ll be sorry someday

The GRILL is gone
It’s gone away from me
The GRILL is gone baby
The GRILL is gone away from me
Although I’ll still live on
But so lonely I’ll be

The GRILL is gone
It’s gone away for good
Oh, the GRILL is gone baby
Baby its gone away for good
Someday I know I’ll be over it all baby
Just like I know a man should

You know I’m free, free now baby
I’m free from your spell (Okay, not true)
I’m free, free now (ditto)
I’m free from your spell (double ditto)
And now that it’s over
All I can do is wish you well

Thankfully, the grill is NOW BACK. And last weekend, to kick of the grilling season, I went with perhaps my favorite grilled chicken dish of all time: Brined Chicken Thighs with Chimichurri.

Although I added in a few breasts for people who don’t like chicken bones (yes, they exist), I LOVE cooking with thighs for a few reasons:

1. They hold up well. The bone inside the chicken acts as a natural conductor of heat, but also helps to keep the flesh moist. So, if you’re distracted, or playing badminton, or whatever, you don’t have to be quite as watchful of the grill in worrying that you’ll make chicken beef jerky.

2. They are CHEAP. I bought what amounted to 34 pieces of chicken thigh for 11 bucks. These were all natural, hormone free birds, too. Not these roid freak water beasts you so often find at grocery stores. So, when you’re cooking for a lot of people, thighs go a long, long way.

3. They are kind of like the mullet of chicken – business in the front, party in the back. In other words, they are like a wing, in that you can serve them and eat them as finger foods (great for a cookout), but those that want to sit down and use a fork and knife will also find enjoyment in the meal.

So, next time you’re grilling, pay special attention to the great grill equalizer that is the chicken thigh.

On to brining.

Brining is something everyone should learn, and a basic brine is a beautiful thing. And, once you’ve found a basic recipe that you like it’s easy to expand on it using different spices. For instance, using Lapsang Souchong, I developed what I believe is the best smoked brine on the planet. Have I tasted all the brines on the planet? No. Which is why I think mine is the best. You can find the recipe, as well as the basic brine recipe for chicken (minus the tea) in my Lapsang Souchong Brine post.

Using the brine recipe, or one that you prefer, brine the chicken for at least 8-10 hours in a large container or cooler surrounded with ice, or in your fridge. A full day is preferable to allow the salt-sugar solution to permeate the chicken meat.

When the chicken is ready, fire up your grill. I add a little veg. oil to the grill when it’s hot and then take the chicken directly out of the brine and place it on the grill. I actually don’t like to rinse the brine from the chicken. But, you should at least pat the pieces dry before placing them on the heat so that you’ll get a nice char on the flesh and won’t cool the surface heat of the grill too much.

I’m always a bit hesitant to provide cooking times, especially for grilling. I can’t possibly know if you’re the slow and steady, indirect charcoal kind of person, or the “I make bullets over my 40,000 BTU gas grill on off days” type. So, I’ll go with a basic recommendation that for bone in thighs, cook the chicken about 15 minutes per side, moving often to avoid flare ups from skin fat dripping into the fire.

On to the Chimichurri. This is a sauce of Argentinean origin, which gauchos favor for use on the country’s beautiful grass fed beef. It’s also quite amenable to sausage – namely chorizo – and chicken.

My favorite thing about this sauce is that you don’t really need a recipe. Below are the base elements, but you should experiment with cumin, curries, red onion, fresh oregano (gorgeous) and other spices. As I know you’ll need at least some place to start, below are the approximations I used to pull it together.

• 2 cups fresh Italian parsley (remove stems)
• 1 cup fresh cilantro (stems removed)
• 1.5 cups extra virgin olive oil
• 1 whole head of garlic (I like a LOT of garlic)
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Just throw all this into a food processor and blend up to a level of your own comfort. I like mine just a little chunky, but also love the fully emulsified sauce.

For this dish, I used the Chimichurri as my grilling sauce, but it’s often reserved for the table, where you spoon it directly onto finished meats. As I use quite a lot of garlic, I like to apply just a bit of heat to it as the chicken nears its final turns on the grill. I find this tempers the heat of the garlic without burning, too much, the parsley and cilantro. I brush the Chimichurri sauce onto the chicken with about 5-8 minutes remaining per side, and, when using a gas grill, turn off one whole side to place the brushed pieces upon so that they don’t burn.

Lastly, I place the finished pieces on a cookie sheet, cover with foil and place into a 350 degree oven. This gives the bone-in pieces a little more time to loosen up and also allows me to move on to more time sensitive dishes for the grill such as vegetables.

Serve with cold beer, grilled asparagus and grilled zucchini.

Enjoy.

If you look closely, you'll see a King Cobra

I don’t really know, is the simple answer. I suppose I simply had to have it.

And I suppose it makes me feel better, in that way that four deadbolts and a weapon might make someone feel better when living in a deadly neighborhood.

This, you see, is no ordinary pepper. The Naga Jolokia or Bhut Jolokia pepper is the Guinness Book of Records world-record holder for the hottest pepper in the world. It’s name, in Sanskrit, means King Cobra as people who’d eaten it said it’s bite was akin to being struck by a deadly snake. This, of course, caused people around the world to immediately seek it out for all manner of ingestion.

But what measurement scale, you might ask, do world-record pepper judges use to measure heat – to measure the venom of this snake-bite pepper? It’s called the Scoville scale. Let’s take a moment to talk about it.

Wilbur Scoville invented his scale in 1912 as a measure of heat in peppers accounting for the amount of capsaicin they contain. Capsaicin is the chemical compound that stimulate nerve endings in our skin and taste buds.

To provide some perspective for the insanity of owning, and considering the use of such a pepper, let’s provide some perspective.

Jalapeno = 2500 – 8000 rating

Habanero = 100,000 – 300,000

Bhut Jolokia = 855,000 – 1,050,000

Law enforcement grade pepper spray = 500,000 to 5,300,000

Re-read that for a moment and consider your experiences eating, at the very least, Jalapenos and Habaneros, peppers that most people have had exposure to and that, given your sensitivity to capsaicin, may have caused you extreme discomfort.

Now consider that the Bhut Jolokia is likely 5 times hotter than your hottest-ever pepper experience.

As Wikipedia says on the matter, they are often used to develop smoke bombs that keep elephants at a distance. Ummm, and I’m thinking of eating this?!

When I first bought these, Dan Hayward, the knowledgeable Co-Owner of the Savory Spice Shop in Denver, Boulder and Littleton, Colorado, opened the bottle for me and told me to hover my nose just above the opening. “Smell that,” he said with a wicked grin, “You can tell something crazy is going on with these things.” Dan’s explanation is probably the better than any I can provide. Even as I sit here writing, I can smell their “craziness” through the two casings of plastic bags in which they reside (I store them inside a jar, as well, in my cupboard.) My nose is twitching slightly and my eyes have the faintest itch. Paint thinner doesn’t have this effect on me at distance.

So, what am I going to do with these – besides turning them into the police? I’d love for you, oh great sages of food-o-sphere, to share some ideas. As Dan said, you’d probably need to make an inordinate amount of curry, and then shave a small bit into the batch to create some seriously deadly heat. I’m not sure I’m up for that. I’m looking for non-curry interpretations, something that will sustain some heat, but not kill me or cause the neighbors to go into convulsions.

So, any ideas that don’t involve wearing a hazmat suit? Fortunately, I don’t have any immediate need to keep elephants at bay, but I would like to try to use these as some sort of harissa maybe in the next few weeks – if it keeps large, stampeding animals from my home, all the better.

Gruyere provides a nice balance for the earthiness of the mushrooms

Listen up, because I’m here to tell you, right now, that few culinary treats are easier to make and more rewarding than the savory tart. Amenable to breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch service; comfortable in the supporting cast as an appetizer before a meal, or in the starring roll, as the main course – the savory tart is the ultimate utility player. The French have know this, well, forever.

I first learned of the beauty of the tart when I was living in Ireland. My friend and roommate Chris, from Nimmos Wine Bar, made a new tart almost daily – using the moreover bits of cheese from the cheese board, and any vegetables that were nearing the conclusion of their freshness. I’d arrive at work in the late afternoons to prepare the bar and would smell the unforgettable, magical scents of cheese and butter co-mingling with pastry.  One afternoon, I finally asked him to show me the secret for making the perfect tart, and, well, there really were none. The tart, like most things, is rooted in some basic fundamentals. Everything thereafter is freestyle – as cooking should be.

At the time, though, and as a novice cook, I did invest in a fabulous tart cookbook; one that I still page through, seemingly every week, for inspiration. It’s called the Art of The Tart by Tamasin Day-Lewis. You’ll find it on page two of the culinary store, and if you choose to purchase it I promise you won’t regret it.

One of the reasons I love the tart, is that it is not, despite its often beguiling looks, a fancy food. It is grounded in the simple principle of comfort. It also so happens to provide this sense of comfort via one of the world’s perfect food delivery mechanisms – the tart shell. Learn to appreciate the savory tart and you’ll save yourself a great deal of angst next time you don’t know what to do with all the leftover or moreover produce in your fridge, because you can make a tart with almost any filling imaginable. For this recipe, I went with the simple combination of Mushroom and Onion.

The foundation of the tart, of course, is the tart shell (I use a nine-inch removable base tart tin). Recently, I asked my friend Jenni from Online Pastry Chef, to talk me through my troubles with pastry. I continually experienced pastry shrinkage during blind baking – and it was pissing me off. Her response to my plea, and her masterfully simple recipe for perfect pie crust, is here. Experiment if you dare, but use this recipe, and this method, if you tend to like sure things, which are about as common as unicorns in the world of pastry.

Let’s talk about the mushrooms for a moment. Most shrooms are composed of approximately 80-90 percent water, meaning that when you heat them, that water is going to want to relocate elsewhere. You, shroom cooker, want to help it achieve its goal.  And as a quick aside, no, mushrooms don’t soak up the water from the washing process, as Alton Brown so eloquently dispelled in an Episode of Myth Smashers.

Mushroom water relocation poses a problem if you’re baking an uncooked mushroom in pastry. So, you’re going to want to pre-cook, or saute them prior to adding to the tart shell. After slicing your shrooms, add a generous tablespoon of butter to the pan at medium high heat. I also like to add a tablespoon of truffle oil to enhance the earthiness of the dish, but it’s optional. Once the butter bubbles and starts to brown, add your mushrooms. It’s important not to crowd the pan, so I work in batches; cooking one package of mushrooms at a time. Once the mushrooms are in the pan, give them two quick tosses to coat them with the butter, add a pinch of salt…and then leave them the hell alone.  Here’s why: Remember how much water is in mushrooms? Yes, alot. If you’re constantly reintroducing the non-pan side (or cold side) water-filled fungus to a hot pan, you’ll end up, in essence, reducing the temperature of the pan surface, which will in turn oppose your efforts to saute the shrooms to a light golden brown. Instead, you’ll end up steaming the shrooms and they’ll come out of the pan gray, watery, and slightly rubbery – not the most attractive facets of edible food stuffs.

When you leave the shrooms alone, first you’ll hear the sizzle, then see increasing amounts of steam rising up out of the pan, and then the water will begin to render out into the pan. This is what you want to see. Resist the urge, I promise, to mess with them as they are ridding themselves of this water.  After 3-5 minutes of this, it will begin to disappear. When this happens, flip the shrooms and repeat. This time, the process will move along at increased pace.

When you’ve cooked your two batches of shrooms, add them to a bowl and set aside.

Approach your half yellow onion and, with the cut side facing down, slice the onions lengthwise – not too thin. Add the onions to a medium high heat pan and cook 10-12 minutes. At about 8 minutes, add chicken stock or water to the pan a few tablespoons at a time so that the onions won’t burn. You want them to be slightly caramelize, but not overly colored. When the onions are done, mix with the mushrooms and add to the fridge until cool – 15 minutes or so.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Beat two whole eggs and set aside.

Grate Gruyere (about a cup’s worth using the larger side of the grater) and set aside.

When the mushroom and onion mixture is cool, mix in, thoroughly, the beaten egg and grated cheese.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and add to a nine-inch tart pan. Push the pastry down into the pan, being careful not to pull or stretch the pastry, as this will cause it to shrink. If you need some extra pieces to fill in the holes, just push them on in with your fingers.

Puncture the base of the pastry with a fork, brush onto the pastry a bit of egg wash, and bake at 375 degrees without the filling for 8-10 minutes. If you have pie weights, great. If not, any type of dried bean will work swimmingly. Next, remove the tart shell from the oven and let it sit for a couple of minutes.

Next, add the mushroom and onion filling with the egg and cheese.

Return to the for 15-20 minutes or until the top is bubbly and the crust is brown.

When you remove the tart from the oven, drizzle a tablespoon of truffle oil over the warm tart and let sit.

Et, voila. A tart is born.

Filling

½ Yellow Onion, sliced
2 packages white button mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
1 cup grated Gruyere (I like Gruyere because I feel it plays well with the earthiness and acidity of the onions.)
2 eggs, beaten
¼ stick of butter
4 tablespoons truffle oil
pinch of salt and black pepper

Pastry (courtesy of Jenni Field at The Online Pastry Chef)
10 oz. all-purpose flour
1 stick, unsalted butter (cold and cut into pieces)
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons ice water

*

The cheddar and leeks make this shepherd's pie

Shepherd’s Pie With Leeks and Irish Cheddar

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The original recipe for this is from Delia Smith, a U.K. food writer. Her recipes are phenomenal and it’s a crime that we don’t see more of her on this side of the pond. For more on Delia, visit her Web site at: www.deliaonline.com

I’ve modified it a bit from the last time I posted it in November to include a blend of meats, peas and a bit more spice. This dish, as outlined below, will easily serve 8 people – perfect for a St. Paddy’s day dinner.

For this recipe, I used 1 pound of lamb and 1 pound of ground turkey as a healthier alternative to beef.  One can of course make shepherd’s pie with any ground meat, but it’s the lamb that makes it; the subtle gaminess that plays through all the spices and toppings – the foundation upon which shepherd’s pie is really built.

1 lb lamb and lb ground turkey

2 tbs olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
3-4 carrots, chopped finely
2-3 medium sized turnips, chopped finely
1 cup peas (add toward the end).
1 tbs Thyme, adding more to taste as the recipe comes together
1 tbs parsley, fresh (dried will work as well, but in that case use double)

1 heaping tbsp cinnamon (The original recipe calls for a half teaspoon, but I really like the cinnamon flavor n in this dish and like to add a bit more. So, I might start with the teaspoon and  add then supplement to taste)

1 teaspoon bay leaf

1 tbs plain white flour
10 oz beef stock
1 ½ tbs of tomato puree (I like to add a small bit of water and the puree to a bowl and mix it up into a lighter paste. It makes it easier to mix to the remainder of ingredients)
salt and pepper to taste (I do this early to give these time to blend in. Use kosher salt if possible)
Apple cider vinegar (this isn’t in the recipe, but I like to add the smallest bit of apple cider vinegar if the above comes out a bit salty. Tough to tell with the meat and stock mixture. If you want to tone down the salt, the vinegar helps. But, this is up to you)

Topping:

2oz Dubliner Irish Cheddar, grated, but not too fine (I like to leave it out for a half hour, or so, before I use it. It opens up a bit)
2 Leeks cut into bits (three if you can only find the small ones. HOWEVER, green onions also work very well. In this case, chop enough to get good coverage on the top of the pie)
2lb mashing potatoes of your choice
2 oz butter (Don’t use too much and don’t use cream or milk as the mash needs to sit on top of the pie.)
Salt and pepper (I like the mash to be very peppery, but this up to you)

Use an oval or large rectangular baking dish.

Heat olive oil in a larger frying pan over medium heat. Fry onions until just colored. Don’t burn the edges. 5-7 minutes.

Add the carrots and the turnip and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring every so often. Pull the veg when they look thoroughly cooked.

Brown meat in the pan. I like to do this in batches so you get good coverage and the pan doesn’t get too cold. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vegetables, cinnamon, thyme, parsley (NOTE: you may need to remove some fat depending on the meat you choose. If it looks overly fatty, remove some, not all, with a spoon. This wasn’t an issue with the turkey).

Add the flour to soak up the juices. Gradually add the stock while stirring. Add the tomato puree. Put a lid, turn the heat down to simmer/low and heat for about 25 minutes.

While this is simmering, make the topping.

Chop the potatoes into quarters, add salt to boiling water and Cook potatoes for 20 minutes until tender.

(If you choose, now is when to give the leeks a quick 2-3 minutes on medium heat just to break them down a bit. Your choice. The green onions won’t need it.)

Pre-heat the oven to 400.

When the potatoes are done, return to pot, covering with tea towel for 5-7 minute to absorb the steam.

Add the butter and pepper and mash to a smooth, but not cream, consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed (you can also add other herbs here, if you like)

Uncover the meat mixture and let some of the liquid cook off for 2-3 minutes (this would be the time to add the peas, if you choose). When it looks like a thick chili consistency, spoon into a buttered dish (a quick spray of pam will do). Level the meat mixture out so that it’s even. Spoon the mash mixture over the top, spreading so that it’s even and covers the meat to the dish rim. Sprinkle the leeks or onions on top of the potatoes and scatter the grated cheese over the leeks.

Bake until the cheese is gold brown with a slight crust and the dish is bubbling.

NOTE: This dish will stay hot for a long time. Give it some time to set outside the oven in the kitchen as it will be too hot to eat immediately out of the oven.

Serve with peas, a bitter lettuce salad with a simple vinaigrette and crusty bread fresh from the oven.

Pair with Leffe Belgian Beer or Irish Stout. This also handles a nice spicy malbec, chianti, or not-too-oaky Cab.

The Pungent, Spice-infused Oil Makes This Dish

A former colleague recently gave to me a fabulous book about Arab cooking called the Arab Table (check it out on Page 2 of the Culinary Store). My favorite part about it is the front-of-the book section highlighting the myriad of spice preparations emanating from various parts of Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. As you know, I really like to play with recipes. It’s difficult for me to take them at face value, considering – especially with world cuisine – that I never have ALL the necessary ingredients to replicate it exactly. So was the case with a fabulous-looking recipe I found in the book for fried fish.

I had Cod, and thankfully this was among the recommended types of fish for the dish.

The recipe called for a measure of Kuwaiti spice, which is composed of black pepper, cayenne pepper, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and ground nutmeg. I didn’t have all of this. So I used:

1 tbsp black and 1 tbsp cayenne pepper, 1tsp of the following: coriander, cumin, all spice and cloves. Note that the measurements are based on ground spices, so you might have to play with your whole spice amounts a bit to get it right. Just go slow and build. I didn’t have ground ginger, so I used a heaping tablespoon of minced fresh ginger.

For the coriander, cumin, all spice, cloves and pepper (all whole) I toasted them ever so slightly, which releases the oils and truly makes the spice come alive. I then ground them in a mortar and pestle. Add to the ginger and ground cayenne and set aside. This became my working version of Kuwaiti spice mix.

The recipe then called for 6 cloves of garlic, mashed, 1 cup of fresh lemon juice. I used 3 cloves of garlic and a half cup of lemon juice as I was cooking for only 2 people.

Mix the lemon and garlic together with the spice mix above and add to a baking dish. Add the fish, turn to coat and use this as a marinade. Cover the fish and whack it in the fridge for a few hours.

When the fish is marinated, remove from the fridge. Lightly dredge in flour and add to a pan with hot olive or vegetable oil. Enough to immerse the fish. Cook about 3 minutes per side. I added the marinade to the oil as well, which caused it to spatter a bit, but really infused the oil with the incredible spice mixture.

Remove the fish from the oil and serve with lemon and chopped parsley.

For the accompaniements above, I used cauliflower and brown rice. The cauliflower was part of the weekly haul from Washington’s Green Grocer.

Blanch the cauliflower in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes. Remove, drain and add cold water until fully cooled. Drain and set aside.

I then added a quarter cup of oil to small sauce pan with tablespoon of curry powder and ground Garam Masala - a wonderful spice in which I recommend you invest. Infuse the oil with the curry and masala and sest aside. Add the blanced cauliflower to a pot and set to medium, when it starts to come to temp, pour the infusesd oil over the cauliflower. It will give the white florets a beatiful yellow-golden color. Cook until heated, add a pinch of salt and a generous pinch of fresh ground pepper and serve alongside the fish.

For the brown rice, I cooked 2 cups of brown rice to 3.5 cups of water and a half cup of chicken stock. Cook for about 20 minutes until the rice if fluffy and not wet.  I then toasted almond slivers in butter and added to the rice to finish.

Serve the fish on top of the rice, with the cauliflower at the outside edges, then drizzle the oil from the fish over the top and serve with the freshly chopped parsley.

NOTE: despite the above instruction, I made the fish LAST, because it came together so quickly once it was in the pan of hot oil.

The spices of this dish were a beautiful, welcome change to the everyday fare. I recommend investing in whole spices, those mentioned above and others, as toasted, and then hand ground – or done in a coffee grinder – they are transformative. Check out The Spice House for an incredible selection of whole spices.

The fish was pungent with spice, with a bit of heat from the cayenne, with a beautiful foundation built on the lemon and garlic.

The cauliflower, while also pungent with spice, was a subtle and welcome addition to the fried fish, but would go well, I’d think, with almost any cuisine from the regions mentioned above, or the Asian and Indian subcontinents.

As for a wine pairing, if you’re into that thing:-) I’d go with a light Gewurztraminer. A bit off the wine lately, I chose Pernod.

Enjoy.

Smoky and light with a touch of heat

I first read about the flat iron steak on Chowhound and was intrigued by the idea of a “new” cut of steak. The first thing that came to mind is, “this is going to become the monkfish of the beef world.” The name comes from the shape of the steak, which looks like a flat iron (surprise). There’s a fabulous description of its origins at Gourmet Sleuth.

What intrigued me the most was legend of its tenderness, despite the fact that it looks to be a cut of meat that would require some sort of artificial tenderizing. But when you see the meat, and see the long tendrils of marbling, you’ll understand why this is not so. The flatiron steak is extremely tender, and to me, one of the most delicious cuts of meat you can buy these days.

The trick is to find it from a local producer and at an affordable price. It ranges. I’ve heard of people paying upwards of 10 bucks a pound for the stuff, while, at D.C.’s Eastern Market butchers, I paid about 5. They’re meat isn’t sourced locally, but they do source from a sustainable beef producer in the mid-west. Tough to hit local, sustainable and organic at all time, but I try to do the best I can to hit one of the three.

But what to do with the flatiron? It looks like a flank, and you can certainly apply the same treatment.

I was in the mood for something, as usual these days, to make me forget about winter. Something spicy and sweet and grilled. So, I decided to try a spicy rubbed steak with some sort of salsa.

I’d purchased some powdered chipotle at world market and decided this was the time to call it to duty. Here’s what I came up with:

Smokey Rub

• 1 TBS chipotle chile powder

• 1 TBS mustard powder

• 1/2 TBS paprika

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp cracked black pepper

• 1 tsp salt

Combine the rub below in a bowl. Then, surprise, rub it into the meat making sure you spread it out evenly. It should take on a gorgeous reddish orange color. I let this sit for about three hours in the fridge.

When you feel that it’s had enough time (it really doesn’t need it, but I’m always one for letting spices sit a bit) I removed the steak from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about half an hour.

Now for the salsa. As always, I was in position of looking over my weekly haul from Washington’s Green Grocers, and I had an abundance of onions and clementines. I also had leftover chayote squash and cilantro from my escovietch recipe, and it desperately needed a home. So, I combined sliced red onion and chayote with the torn cilantro and peeled and chopped oranges to make a salsa. I didn’t want the onion to be too acidic with the oranges, so I actually cooked it down in a pan with veg. oil until they were just translucent. I tossed the hot onions in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients below and let sit.

Clementine, Chayote and Red Onion Salsa

• 8 clementines

• 1 red onion, sliced

• 1/2 chayote squash sliced

• handful of torn cilantro leaves, chopped roughly

• Red wine vinegar to taste

• Vegetable oil (maybe a quarter cup)

• Mrs. Salt

• Mr. Pepper

Now to the stove. Because it’s winter, and I don’t have access to a grill, I rely on a trustee grill pan. If you don’t have one, and you’re a grilling fan, they’re a must for out-of-season grilling – unless if you live in a warm climate, of course.

Heat the grill pan until its smoking hot and add a bit of oil. NOTE, the chipotle in the rub could make you cough if you don’t have good ventilation or a diesel powered oven hood. If you DO NOT, open a few windows, move the children out of the way, and wear a bandanna. Okay, maybe not that last part, but you get the picture. Just be careful with the smoke.

Add steak to the grill pan for about 3.5 minutes per side at the most. Remove from the pan to a cutting board, and let sit, tented with foil, for about 5-10 minutes. Slice on the diagonal into thin slices with a sharp carving knife or electric knife.

Place a heaping tablespoon of the salsa on top of the sliced steak, serve with white rice and black beans.

This is one of the easiest, most delicious dishes I’ve made in some time. I recommend it highly. At the very least, I encourage you to explore the wonders of the flatiron steak.

Will

A pocket full of goodness

• 6-8 dough rounds from a package of La Saltena pre-made empanada dough,
• 1 cup chicken, shredded
• 2 small-medium sized leeks
• 2 Tbsp D’Artagnan White Truffle Butter
• 2 Tbsp White Truffle Oil
• 1 egg yoke, beaten

When in season, I try to use leeks as often as possible. Onion-like, and a distant cousin of asparagus, their texture is delicate and their flavor is subtle yet undeniably distinct.

Here’s a cool entry about leeks on Eat the Seasons

Leeks are also quite versatile. Use them in any recipe that calls for onions for a change of pace, and perhaps a more subtle flavor. I find that they also pair quite well with the earthiness of truffle – in this case truffle butter and truffle oil.

The shredded chicken adds depth of flavor and makes the empanada more of a complete snack or, when paired with a fresh salad, a light lunch.

Cook and shred chicken. You can also use leftover chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Either white or dark meat will work. I had leftover chicken thighs that I’d braised in a touch of white wine and chicken stock. They worked well.

Remove darkest part at the top of the leeks. Wash thoroughly to remove dirt within the leaves. Cut leeks lengthwise down the middle, then dice into quarter inch pieces. Heat truffle butter on low to medium in a saute pan and add leeks, cooking gently until warmed through and ever so crunchy when you bite them. Do not overcook.

Remove from heat and fold leeks into chicken. Add the truffle oil as you go.

Roll out empanada dough on floured surface. Two light turns of the dough should work. brush the upper and lower lips of the dough circle, and add 1.5 to 2 heaping tablespoons of the chicken and leek mixture.

Dip your fingers in water and fold over the dough to seal. Use a fork or the back edge of a butter knife to make small slits (don’t cut through the dough) on the fold all the way around.

Brush beaten egg over the empanada.

Add to a 425 degree oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on the oven.

Remove from the oven and let sit 2-3 minutes. Drizzle a few drops of truffle oil on top and the warm empanadas will emit a heavenly smell.

Serve with salad and a floral white wine.

However, for a wonderful vegetarian option, replace the chicken with cooked potatoes, or, simply use only the truffle butter leeks on their own.

Here’s a link to Foodista’s page on Leeks, including some fabulous photographs:

And, here are a few other foodies’ cool leek recipes:

• In the Making’s Panko Fried Flounder with Caramelized Leeks
• Palate to Pen’s Rose Risotto with Porcini Mushroom and Leeks
• Off the Meat Hook’s Seared Sea Scallops with Melted Ginger Leeks and Crispy Mushrooms