Sea Scallop Brochettes with Almond-Chile Sauce

Recipe: Sea Scallop Brochettes with Almond-Chile Sauce
Page: 227
Date Cooked: March 30, 2013

I cannot believe I get to say this..... THIS IS MY LAST RECIPE for this project. I plan on posting an overall experience post, that way I don't take away from this recipe itself. You may recall that I've mentioned snow still on the ground in the last few posts. Accordingly when it warmed up just a bit, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to do this final recipe.

Ingredients: Sea scallops, olive oil, limes, radishes, tomatoes, garlic, raw almonds, jalapeno chile, peanut oil, Kosher salt, pepper, Belgian endive, and cilantro

I tossed the scallops in olive oil, covered, and refrigerated. I also juiced a lime, cut the other lime into wedges, halved the radishes, diced the tomatoes, and minced the garlic.

Left: Scallops toasted in olive oil
Right: Juiced and wedged limes

I spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toasted until they turned golden. I set them aside to cool. I also blackened, blistered, steamed, peeled, and minced the jalapeno.

Toasting almonds

Then it was on to making the almond-chile sauce. I combined the peanut oil, olive oil, garlic, and almonds in a food processor and pulsed to a puree. I then added half the lime juice and the chile, puree-ed until smooth. I added half the diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper and puree-ed again.

Making the almond-chile sauce

I moved on to preparing the brochettes. I used two skewers, side-by-side, and alternatively threaded a radish and scallop on each skewer. I drizzled olive oil, salt, and pepper on all the brochettes. Note: Skewering the radishes was not an easy task and I was weary of injuring myself.

Sea scallop brochettes

I cut the endive lengthwise and poached them in water. I submerged the poached endive in ice water, drained, and patted dry. I coated the endive with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I also combined the remaining diced tomatoes, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, and salt in a small bowl.

Left: Poaching endive
Right: Tomato mixture

I grilled the scallops brochettes until they were nicely charred on both sides. I also grilled the endive (the few leaves that didn't fall through the grid). Then it was on to plating. I arranged the endive on a platter and put the skewers on top. I scattered the tomato and remaining cilantro over the brochettes, decorated with the lime wedges, and served it alongside the almond-chile sauce.

Sea Scallop Brochettes with Almond-Chile Sauce

This dish looked soo incredibly beautiful on the platter. And it tasted equally as good. This recipe had everything - texture, acid, and spice. The radishes paired nicely with the scallops; a flavor combination I would not have thought of. I absolutely loved the almond-chile sauce. The almond balanced the cilantro and lime, and the chile provided some needed heat. Overall, a great recipe and I would definitely make it again.

Enjoy!

Sesame Grilled (or Broiled) Quail with Shoestring Potatoes

Recipe: Sesame Grilled (or Broiled) Quail with Shoestring Potatoes
Page: 154
Date Cooked: March 27, 2013

This is the last of the poultry recipes for this project. I really wanted to invest and use quail for this recipe. But I just couldn't justify spending so much (grad school budget here), and decided to use fresh Cornish game hens instead. I believe this served as a good substitute. I also opted to go for the broiling method since there was still some snow outside.

Ingredients: Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, sesame oil, white wine, olive oil, garlic, shallot, Cornish game hen, russet potatoes, sesame seeds, Kosher salt, pepper, corn oil, basil, sage, and parsley

I combined the mustard, vinegar, sesame oil, white wine, and olive oil to create a marinade for the game hens. I added minced garlic and shallots to the marinade and let it sit at room temperature. In the meantime, I butterflied the game hens and patted them dry. I combined the marinade and hens in a shallow dish, covered, refrigerated, and let marinate for 1 hour on each side.

Game hens in the marinade

I peeled the potatoes and cut them into matchsticks. The potatoes were kept in a bowl of ice water. I also placed the sesame seeds in a skillet and toasted till the seeds were golden brown.

Toasting the sesame seeds

I transferred the game hens to a platter and reserved the marinade. I then proceeded with frying the potatoes. I heated the oil in a cast iron skillet, I patted the potatoes completely dry, and placed a few sticks in the oil. When just golden, I removed the potatoes onto a plate lined with paper towels and lightly salted them.

Frying the potatoes

I also patted the herbs (basil, sage, and parsley) dry and fried them in the oil. Disclaimer: It appears that no matter how dry the herbs are, there is a significant amount of splatter that occurs.

Fried herb leaves

I put the game hens under the broiler skin side up and broiled until the skin appeared crispy. I turned the game hens, basted them with the marinade, and broiled until just cooked through. When the hens were finished, I pressed the skin side into the toasted sesame seeds. I was then ready to plate. I arranged the hens on top a nest of potatoes and scattered the fried herbs over the plate.

Sesame Broiled Quail with Shoestring Potatoes

There is a definite sense of simplicity to this meal. There aren't many components and there isn't too much work either. I enjoyed the game hens. They were cooked perfectly and I could taste hints of the marinade throughout. And really, who doesn't love fried potatoes? But I did feel as if a component was missing. I'm not exactly sure what it is, yet the dish was missing a depth of flavor. All in all, a good dish.

Enjoy!

Gingerbread with Brandied Plums

Recipe: Gingerbread with Brandied Plums
Page: 262
Date Cooked: March 23, 2013

This is the last dessert recipe for this project. The recipe itself sounds perfect for a cold night; perhaps even something during the holidays. Well, winter isn't over here in Central PA and this dessert seemed to be exactly what I wanted.

Ingredients: Walnuts, macadamia nuts, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, eggs, sugar, ginger, molasses, honey, dark rum, almond extract, plums, grappa, and heavy cream

I buttered and floured a 9-x-5-x-3 inch loaf pan. I toasted the walnuts and macadamia nuts, let them cool, and then coarsely chopped the nuts.

Toasted and chopped nuts

I sifted the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In another large bowl, I beat the eggs, sugar, melted butter, grated ginger, molasses, honey, rum, almond extract, and water. I added the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and finally folded in the nuts.

Left: Sifted flour mixture
Right: Preparing the gingerbread batter

I poured the batter into the loaf pan and baked until a skewer came out clean.

Gingerbread batter in loaf pan

In the meantime, I halved, pitted, and sliced the plums. I placed them in a saucepan with butter, sugar, and grappa. I also beat the heavy cream along with a splash of rum until soft peaks formed.

Left: Brandied plums
Right: Whipped cream

Once the gingerbread was done and cooled, I sliced it into sliced. I placed a slice on the plate and topped it with the plum mixture and whipped cream.

Gingerbread with Brandied Plums

This was delicious! The gingerbread was delicious - moist and perfectly spiced. I also loved the addition of the walnuts and macadamia nuts. It had a bit of a banana bread texture, which I enjoyed. The brandied plums provided the perfect amount of acidity. Finally, the whipped cream provided a little fat. Overall, a simple dessert with a great pay-off.

Enjoy!

Squab and Corn Crepes

Recipe: Squab and Corn Crepes
Page: 157
Date Cooked: January 3, 2013

This poultry recipe had a number of components. There was the stock, the crepes, and then the squab itself. It initially looked tedious but actually turned out to be pretty manageable. Unfortunately, I couldn't find squab  and decided to substitute with Cornish game hens. Not quite as flavorful as squab, but I think it did the trick. I also used frozen corn in place of fresh.

Ingredients: Cornish game hen, red onion, garlic, white wine, bouquet garni, poblano chile, russet potato, corn, unsalted butter, salt, pepper, milk, eggs, all-purpose flour, olive oil, chives, and lime

I began by butterflying each of the game hens - removing the backbones and pressing the bird down firmly with my hands. I also sliced the onion. I put the backbones, sliced onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves in the oven to roast.

Roasting the backbones, onion, and garlic

Once roasted, I deglazed the pan with some wine and transferred everything into a saucepan. I covered the bones with water, added the bouquet garni, and let the stock simmer for almost 2 hours. I then strained the stock and set it aside.

Making the stock

Next, I proceeded to make the crepe batter. I minced the chile and diced the potatoes. I put the potatoes in saucepan with water and cooked until the potato was al dente.

Left: Minced chile
Right: Cooking the diced potato

I also sauteed half the corn with some butter in a skillet.

Sauteeing corn

I combined milk, corn, eggs, and flour in a bowl. I stirred in the the diced chile and potato. I also added a few tablespoons of melted butter to the crepe batter. I seasoned the batter with salt and pepper and set it aside.

Corn crepe batter

To cook the crepes, I melted butter in a skillet, added the batter, and cooked them till golden brown on each side. Jonathan Waxman makes a note here regarding the difficulty of flipping these crepes due to the chunky texture (i.e. the potatoes). This is definitely true, so the crepes were a bit tricky.

Cooking the crepes

With all the crepes done, I moved on to the game hens. I salt and peppered both sides and heated olive oil in a skillet. I cooked the hens skin side down at first and then flipped them. This step didn't require cooking the hens completely through, since they would be finished in the broiler. The hens were finished under the broiler till 165 degrees.

Finished Cornish game hens

While the hens cooked under the broiler. I added the remaining corn into the skillet along with some of the stock. I also stirred in some chopped chives into the sauce.

Corn sauce

I was then ready to plate. I placed the crepes down on the plate and put a game hen on top. I then spooned the sauce over the hen and served it all with wedges of lime.

Squab (Cornish Game Hen) and Corn Crepes

This dish looked so fantastic on the plate. The game hens were cooked perfectly and I really enjoyed the sauce that accompanied the dish. But I loved the crepes. It helped balance the dish and I really enjoyed the kick of the chiles with every bite. It was smart to serve this with lime wedges as well, they provided the acid the dish really needed. The recipe itself had a Southwest flair that just truly worked. It was great.

Enjoy!

Grilled Swordfish with Blood Orange Sauce

Recipe: Grilled Swordfish with Blood Orange Sauce
Page:
Date Cooked: January 6, 2013

This is the last of the fish recipes in A Great American Cook and for this project. I had to wait to do this recipe till blood oranges came into season. So once I saw them in the grocery store, I knew exactly what to do with them. Of course grilling outside in the cold wasn't completely ideal, but hey all in the name of good food.

Ingredients: Blood oranges, poblano chile, jicama, red onion, olive oil, salt, pepper, cilantro, swordfish steaks, and unsalted butter

I zested one of the oranges and juiced it. I sliced the tops and bottoms off the rest of the oranges, sliced off the remaining peel, and cut whole segments of the fruit.

Blood orange zest, segments, and juice

I roasted the pepper till blackened and blistered, steamed it in a bowl, peeled, and diced it. I peeled the jicama and diced it. I also sliced the onion.

Left: Diced jicama
Right: Sliced red onion

I combined some of the blood orange juice, olive oil, chile, jicama, and onion together. I seasoned it with salt and pepper. I also added in the blood orange sections along with half the cilantro.

Jicama and red onion salad

I rubbed the swordfish steaks with olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper. I grilled the swordfish steaks, turning once, and until they were cooked through.

Grilling swordfish

I combined the rest of the blood orange juice, zest, and remaining cilantro in a saucepan. I whisked in the butter and added the leftover orange sections.

Blood orange sauce

I was now ready to plate. I put the jicama salad on the plate, topped it with a swordfish steak, and drizzled it with the blood orange sauce.

Grilled Swordfish with Blood Orange Sauce

I loved the way this looked on the plate, all the colors, it was beautiful. The orange sauce incredibly flavor and the swordfish was cooked perfectly. I loved the texture of the salad. The crunch and freshness of the jicama was just great and kind of made me want to eat more jicama. Personally I love raw red onion, but I could see how for other people this could be a bit overpowering. Overall, it was easy to prepare, had complex flavors, and was delicious.

Enjoy!

Chicken Breasts with Poblano Chiles

Recipe: Chicken Breasts with Poblano Chiles
Page: 142
Date Cooked: December 31, 2012

I was a bit skeptical of this recipe. I'm not much of a chicken breast fan. They tend to end up dry and I don't think it's an exciting cut of meat. Also this seemed to be a crazy long recipe. Jonathan Waxman calls for four different kinds of dried beans. Unfortunately, my grocer didn't have a large enough selection of dried beans, so I had to substitute with canned beans. I adjusted the cooking time accordingly.

Ingredients: Black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, garlic, ham hock, poblano chiles, goat cheese, unsalted butter, tarragon, chives, salt, pepper, chicken breasts (skin on, bone-in), olive oil, white wine vinegar, shallot, sherry vinegar, mixed lettuces, and lemon juice

The first component was getting the beans cooked. I separated all the cloves from a garlic head and peeled them. I put all four varieties of beans in a pot, along with the garlic, cilantro stems, the ham hock, bouquet garni, and water. I brought it all to a simmer and let it cook until the beans were tender. Once tender, I drained the beans and let them cool.

Cooking the beans 

In the meantime, I roasted the poblano chiles until they were blackened and blistered. I steamed the poblanos. Finally, I peeled the chiles with my fingers and diced them.

Getting the poblano chiles ready

I crumbled the goat cheese into a bowl and added butter and half the diced poblanos. I then added chopped tarragon leaves, chives, and cilantro leaves o the goat cheese mixture. Finally, I seasoned it with salt and pepper.

Goat cheese mixture

With the goat cheese mixture prepped, I was ready to stuff the chicken breasts. I lifted the skin of the breast and cut a slit in the middle. I salt and peppered the chicken. I then spooned the goat mixture into the slit and pulled the skin back over the stuffing.

Stuffed chicken breasts

I heated the broiler to low and put the chicken breasts skin side up on a broiler pan. I drizzled the chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I broiled the chicken until the skin was crisp and the chicken was cooked through (I made sure to check the temperature with a thermometer). Once the chicken was done, I transferred it to a platter and covered it to keep warm.

Cooking the chicken breasts

I tossed the beans with olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. I then added minced shallots and the juices from the chicken to the beans. Finally, I tossed in the rest of the diced poblanos, olive oil, and sherry vinegar.

Tossing the beans with olive oil, vinegars, shallots, and poblano chiles

I added the beans to a bowl with the torn mixed lettuces.

Bean salad

I then melted some butter and stirred in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. I put the bean salad on a plate and topped it with a chicken breast. Finally, I drizzled the butter mixture over the chicken breast and served.

Chicken Breasts with Poblano Chiles

Hands down, this is one of the best chicken dishes I have ever had in my entire life. I have become a thermometer convert. By keeping an eye on the chicken temp, it ended up beautifully - juicy and perfect. The goat cheese mixture with the chicken was delicious and had tons of flavor. I enjoyed the bit of spice I got from the poblanos as well. And the bean salad was great. It had acid and texture and balanced out the whole dish. Overall it was amazing. I will definitely be making this again!

Enjoy!

Duck Liver and Potato Salad with Chile Vinaigrette

Recipe: Duck Liver and Potato Salad with Chile Vinaigrette
Page: 29
Date Cooked: December 23, 2012

The last time I worked with livers for a JW recipe, I turned out a pretty awesome Apple and Chicken Liver Mousse. This time around, this salad recipe puts the liver component front and center. And with chestnuts in every grocery store right now, it seemed like a perfect winter salad. My grocer doesn't carry duck livers so I substituted chicken livers (which is OK-ed by Jonathan Waxman in the recipe).

Ingredients: Chicken livers, milk, sea salt, black pepper, fingerling potatoes, chestnuts, sesame oil, mache, frisee, poblano chile, sherry vinegar, olive oil, unsalted butter, onion, and pimentos

I began by soaking the livers in milk for a couple of hours. I then drained the livers, patted dry, and sprinkled them with sea salt and pepper. I put the livers on a plate, covered, and refrigerated.

Prepping the livers

I peeled the fingerling potatoes and cut them into coins, placing the potatoes in ice water.

Peeled and coined fingerling potatoes

Then it was on to the chestnuts. I made a cross in the flat side of each chestnut and placed them on a baking sheet to roast. Once the edges of the shells began to curl, I removed the chestnuts from the oven, and peeled them. I put the chestnuts in a bowl with sesame oil, placed them back on the baking sheet to roast. Once the chestnuts were a golden brown, I let them cool, and then coarsely chopped.

Toasted and chopped chestnuts

For the chile vinaigrette, I seeded the poblano and finely diced it. I combined the diced chile with sherry vinegar and whisked in olive oil. I then seasoned the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

Chile vinaigrette

I drained the potatoes and patted them dry. I melted butter in a skillet and added the potatoes. I cooked the potatoes till golden brown and crisp on each side.

Golden brown and crisp potatoes

While the potatoes cooked, I diced the onion and pimentos. Once the potatoes were done, I transferred the potatoes to a large bowl. I then added the onions to the skillet and cooked until they became soft.

Left: Diced onion
Right: Cooking onions till soft

I heated olive oil in a cast-iron and added the livers. I cooked the livers about 1 minute per side.

Cooking the chicken livers

I added the washed and dried greens, softened onions, pimentos, roasted chestnuts, and chile vinaigrette to the potatoes and tossed well.

Potato salad with chile vinaigrette

Finally, I placed the salad mixture on a plate and topped it with the chicken livers.

Chicken Liver and Potato Salad Vinaigrette

This ended up being a pretty tasty salad. I liked the combination of the spicy chile vinaigrette with the smooth texture of the chicken livers. And I really enjoyed the random components of crunch in this salad - the chestnuts and the potatoes. When I first looked at this recipe, I couldn't understand why it was in the "Starters" section rather than the "Salads" section. But as you continue to eat the salad, the liver flavor becomes a bit overwhelming - so a small plate of this salad is about all you want in one sitting. I was a little surprised that the only addition to the livers was salt and pepper. I think in the future, I would use a touch of liquor to cut some of that liver-y flavor. Overall, a hearty salad and a fun way to use livers.

Enjoy!