Roasted Onion, Seared Steak, and Onion Rings

Recipe: Roasted Onion, Seared Steak, and Onion Rings
Page: 44
Date Cooked: January 20, 2012

Let's just say that this recipe isn't for the onion fearing people out there. There is roasted onion, onion in the crème fraîche, and onion rings - a trio of onion flavor. It definitely makes for one pretty looking starter though.

Ingredients: Red onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, all-purpose flour, lager, eggs, white onion, milk, corn oil, sea salt, filet mignon, crème fraîche, and cumin seeds

Roasted onion is the first term in the recipe and so that is what I worked on first. I coated the unpeeled red onions with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I put them in the oven to roast until the onions were tender. Afterward, I set the onions aside to cool.

Roasting whole unpeeled red onions

In the meantime, I began prepping for the optional onion rings. I whisked flour, salt, beer, and egg yolks together to create the batter. I set the batter aside till I was ready to fry. I sliced the white onion into rings, placed them in milk, and put the bowl aside.

Left: Onion ring batter
Right: Onions in milk

I proceeded to slicing the filet mignon and coating each piece of meat in olive oil. I placed the meat between two sheets of plastic wrap and pounded out till thin. I put the meat on a plate and into the fridge it went until cooking time.

Pounded out filet mignon

I peeled the roasted onions and popped out the center. I chopped the center of the onion and combined it with crème fraîche. While I chopped, I had cumin seeds roasting lightly in pan. I ground the cumin seeds and added it to the crème fraîche mixture.

1. Hollowed out roasted onion 2. Toasting cumin seeds 3. Crème fraîche mixture 

I heated a dry cast-iron skillet and seared the beef over medium-high heat for just a few minutes. I also beat the egg whites into the beer batter and proceeded to make the onion rings. With the oil heated, I removed the onions from the milk, coated them in the batter, and deep-fried until golden brown. I salted the onion rings with sea salt.

Searing the beef

Finally, I rolled the slices of beef and placed them into the hollowed out roasted onion. I then spooned the crème fraîche mixture on top of the beef. I then served it alongside a few onion rings.

Roasted Onion, Seared Steak, and Onion Rings

JW's onion rings - flawless. Perfectly crispy, perfect amount of seasoning, and cooking times were on point. And oh my goodness... that crème fraîche mixture - amazing! I love the taste of cumin and it just went so incredibly well with the beef and the roasted onion. I couldn't get enough of that crème fraîche mixture. I will say it was a little more difficult than I though to pop out the center of the roasted onion. Also, I couldn't get the beef into a perfect roll and may have needed to pound it out a little more. But, all in all, a pretty good starter. And it looks pretty cool too.

Enjoy!

Spicy Swordfish Salad Sandwich

Recipe: Spicy Swordfish Salad Sandwich
Page: 107
Date Cooked: January 16, 2012

When you're cooking every recipe in a cookbook, you have to got to be strategic. Seeing if a specialty ingredient is required in multiple recipes or if one builds off another is essential. One thing JW likes to do is create sandwiches with leftovers from other recipes. Previously, I made a Roast Chicken and Scallion Sandwich with Warm Mayonnaise with leftovers from Perfect Roast Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Spinach. This particular sandwich uses the swordfish leftovers from Spicy Swordfish. Had I not realized this before, it would have been unlikely that there would be any spicy swordfish leftovers to even make this sandwich!

Ingredients: Left-over swordfish, green bell pepper, aioli from page 102 (not shown), capers, dill pickle, chives, iceberg lettuce, olive oil, Hass avocado, sea salt, and rye bread

The aioli that Jonathan Waxman calls for this recipe has actually been utilized in two previous recipes (Warm Squid Salad and Soft Shell Crab and Aioli Sandwich). Those aioli making experiences were without a doubt sub-par. And since I have had mayo making success since then, I had high hopes for myself this time around.

I put egg yolks and garlic into a blender and pureed. I then added some salt. As the blender ran on a medium level speed, I slowly dribbled in the olive oil until the sauce began to emulsify. And you wouldn't believe it......aioli making success!!! I got the perfect consistency! It almost makes me want to re-do the other two recipes just to see if my verdict on those recipes would change at all.

Aioli making
1. Egg yolks and garlic 2. Aioli beginning to emulsify 3. Finished product - check out that consistency!

With the aioli out of the way, I began sandwich prep. I crumbed the fish into flakes and stemmed, seeded, and diced the bell pepper.

Left: Flakes of swordfish 2. Diced green bell pepper

I combined the aioli, capers, pickle, chives, and fish in a bowl. I covered the mixture and let it stand in the fridge.

Spicy Swordfish Salad mixture

In the meantime, I tossed the lettuce with olive oil and salt. I also pitted, peeled, and sliced the avocado.

Left: Slicing avocado Right: Lettuce tossed with olive oil and sea salt

I then toasted the bread and began putting the sandwich together. I spread the swordfish mixture onto one slice and topped it with the lettuce and avocado slices.

Spicy Swordfish Salad Sandwich

Yum! This was one tasty fish sandwich. Note: JW says any mild fish will work here. I really liked the sandwich. The crunch of the bell pepper and pickle was a perfect textural contrast. The avocado provided the right amount of fat. And this sounds so minor, but I think there is something to tossing the lettuce in olive oil and sea salt - you essentially get flavor from every single component of the sandwich. This was a winner in my book. I can't wait to have leftover fish in my future!

Enjoy!

Cod and Calamari Stew

Recipe: Cod and Calamari Stew
Page: 65
Date Cooked: January 15, 2012


It sounds strange saying that cod has an interesting place in my heart, but it does. I went to Portugal a few years ago and went a little cod crazy. Salted cod, or bacalhau, is a staple in Portugal and I ate it in many forms. So whenever I see cod on a menu (or in this case, a recipe), I fondly recall my trip and remember why I like this fish so much.

Ingredients: Fish bones and head, cleaned squid, garlic, red onion, cilantro, orange, olive oil, red pepper flakes, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, dry white wine, tomato, cod fillet, salt, and pepper

I have never gone to the seafood counter and asked for fish bones before. Never really thought about getting them. Well, that just added to another "first" for this project. I even decided to get more than the recipe required to keep in my freezer for later. I rinsed the fish bones and removed any gills. I used kitchen shears to cut the bones and head into smaller pieces. While I would normally put a picture right about here, I'm going to pass. I'm not particularly affected by it, but it isn't the prettiest picture.

With the mess of the fish bones out of the way, I proceeded to mince the garlic, chop the onion, and remove cilantro leaves while keeping the stems. I also zested and juiced the orange.

Left: Minced garlic
Right: Chopped onion

I sauteed the garlic with some olive oil in a pot, until the garlic softened. I added the onion and cooked that for a bit. I stirred in the red pepper flakes, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, white wine, orange zest and juice, and the cilantro stems. Finally I added the fish bones and enough water to cover all the ingredients. I brought the broth to a boil, and reduced the heat to simmer for some time. After said time, I strained the broth.

The makings of fish broth

While the fish broth simmered, I diced the tomato, cut the cod into cubes, and sliced the squid bodies into rings. I want to make note here that JW advises to definitely and only use fresh squid. His exact words are "fresh squid is essential here, so if you can't find it, either leave it out or try another recipe."

1. Diced tomato 2. Squid rings 3. Cubes of cod

I heated some olive oil in a Dutch oven and tossed in the squid and cod. I then added the strained broth, cilantro leaves, and tomato. 

Squid + Cod + Broth + Tomato + Cilantro leaves

The stew simmered gently until the cod was cooked through. I seasoned the stew with some salt and pepper and it was ready to be eaten...

Cod and Calamari Stew

At first I was a bit taken aback. When you hear the word stew you expect something on the heartier side and this definitely was not that. But, it was delicious. The fish broth had an incredibly depth of flavor. I really enjoyed the citrus notes and loved the coriander flavor coming through. I can see why JW makes a big fuss about using fresh squid - the texture and taste were just perfect! In the future, I would just add more seafood - either more cod and squid or even experiment with other seafood in general. It was a pretty simple and straightforward recipe. I'm pretty sure I will be making this one again. And it did make me miss Portugal...

Enjoy!

Spicy Swordfish

Recipe: Spicy Swordfish
Page: 217
Date Cooked: January 14, 2012

There is something really wonderful about a great piece of fish cooked in a simple manner and paired with a great sauce. This recipe calls for a sauce with a crème fraîche base - and in my book, I'm not sure how that can taste bad. Just for some fun background, crème fraîche is pretty much a fancier sour cream. But, it isn't as sour, has higher viscosity, and a higher fat content than sour cream.

Ingredients: Jalapeno chile, red bell pepper, swordfish steaks, olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, parsley, chives, rosemary (I used rosemary instead of thyme - my grocer was out), garlic, and crème fraîche

Step One: Blacken and blister the jalapeno and red bell pepper. At this point in the project, I'm pretty sure I could blacken and blister any kind of chile or pepper with my eyes closed (not sure how safe that is, but you get my point). Once the jalapeno and red bell pepper were significantly blackened and blistered, I put them in a bowl and covered it with plastic wrap for 15 minutes. I then peeled them by hand, stemmed and seeded them, chopped them, and placed them on a side.

1. Blackened and blistered red bell pepper
2. Blackened and blistered jalapeno chile
3. Steaming bell pepper and chile
4. Chopped pepper and chile - post peeling, stemming, and seeding

While the pepper and chile steamed, I rubbed the swordfish steaks with olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper. I also chopped the basil leaves.

Left: Swordfish steaks with olive oil, salt, and pepper
Right: Chopped Basil

On to the sauce... I placed the jalapeno, bell pepper, parsley, rosemary, chives, garlic, crème fraîche, and olive oil in a food processor and pureed. Upon tasting, I seasoned the mixture with a bit of salt and pepper.

 Crème fraîche based sauce

Finally, I heated the broiler and placed the swordfish on to a pan to broil for a few minutes on each side. 

Swordfish ready to be broiled

I put the sauce on the plate, topped it with the broiled swordfish and it was ready to serve....

Spicy Swordfish

Incredibly simple and easy with a big flavor payoff. The swordfish steak has a meaty texture which makes it quite filling. And how much easier can it get just sticking it under the broiler for 6 minutes max?! The piece of fish was great, but the texture and flavor you get from the sauce is pretty amazing. I didn't find the sauce to be all that spicy - but I also have a high spice tolerance. Nonetheless, the flavor was all there. Simple, easy, and tasty dish. It worked for me.

Enjoy!

Deep-Fried Squid with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Recipe: Deep-Fried Squid with Chipotle Mayonnaise
Page: 38
Date Cooked: December 9, 2011

Fried seafood is one of those items that if done right tastes pretty damn amazing. You could eat it on its own, put it in a sandwich, and even put it in nachos (something I most recently discovered). All in all, given my last experience with JW's fried seafood recipe (Fried Shrimp with Caper Mayonnaise), I was pretty excited about this one.

Ingredients: Squid, milk, olive oil, canned chipotle chiles, eggs, lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley, lime, corn oil, cornmeal, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper

My grocer carries cleaned squid, so I didn't have to bother with the cleaning. I cut the squid bodies into rings  and placed them into a container. I covered the squid with milk and put the container in the refrigerator.

Left: Rings of squid
Right: Squid covered with milk

In the meantime, I proceeded to make the chipotle mayonnaise. I pureed the canned chipotle chiles and put them into a bowl. I whisked in the egg yolks and lemon juice. I then continued to whisk as I slowly dribbled in the olive oil. And voila...I got mayonnaise. I seasoned it with some salt and pepper and put it in the fridge. So my trick in mayo-making has been to use an immersion blender rather than a whisk. Ever since I switched to this method - I have been successful in the mayo-making department!

Chipotle mayo-making process

Luckily, there wasn't much prep work required for this recipe. So with the squid soaking in milk and mayo out of the way, I pulled the parsley leaves off the stems and sliced the lime.

Left: Parsley leaves
Right: Sliced of lime

While the corn oil heated, I began coating the squid. I put the cornmeal into a container, drained the squid, and tossed the squid with the cornmeal. I fried the squid in batches until they achieved a golden brown, removing them with a Chinese mesh skimmer.

Fried cornmeal battered squid

Once all the squid had been fried, I added the parsley into the oil. Jonathan Waxman warns about splattering, and he was not joking! I got hot oil everywhere. Luckily, I was somewhat prepared. I fried the parsley for just a few second and removed it with the mesh skimmer.

Fried parsley

Finally, I was ready to put all the items together. I put chipotle mayonnaise into a small ramekin. I put the squid onto a plate and garnished it with the lime slices, fried parsley, and minced red and green bell peppers. And it was ready to eat....

Deep-Fried Squid with Chipotle Mayonnaise

The chipotle mayonnaise was super delicious. Definitely had a kick to it, but I like spicy and therefore enjoyed it thoroughly. The rest of the dish however felt somewhat one note. I ended up getting more lime because the dish felt like it lacked acid. I wish I had more of the fresh red and green bell peppers because every other component felt heavy. Also, the only seasoning going on in the dish was the chipotle mayonnaise. And when I think about it, much of it has to do with the fact that the squid had no seasoning what-so-ever. If I did it again, I would probably add salt and pepper to the cornmeal.

There is no doubt that the dish was visually pleasing but I kept comparing it to the Fried Shrimp with Caper Mayonnaise, which had a lot of flavor and didn't feel soo heavy. All in all, this recipe may have to go into the not so great bucket. However, its one saving grace was the mayonnaise - which I ate on sandwiches for a number of days afterward.

Enjoy!

Venison Stew with Goat Cheese Johnnycakes

Recipe: Venison Stew with Goat Cheese Johnnycakes
Page: 190
Date Cooked: November 28, 2011

Of all the recipes in "A Great American Cook," this I think is by far the most daunting. I remember flipping through the cook book when I first got it and thinking, "Wow! That is a lot of ingredients for one recipe AND a whole lot of steps." However, I think I am always up for a bit of a challenge.

Unfortunately, my grocer didn't have any venison in stock. But perhaps it was somewhat fortunate, because it goes for $20/lb - which is a bit out of my price range, being a grad student and all. But no fear, JW gives the option of using boneless beef chuck or pork shoulder as a substitute - so pork shoulder it was.

Ingredients: Garlic, pork bones, onions, carrots, olive oil, bouquet garni (not pictured), Kosher salt, pepper, pork shoulder, serrano peppers, leeks, butter, Cabernet Sauvignon, rosemary, thyme, carrots, new potatoes, turnips, parsnips, celery root, bacon, eggs, milk, all-purpose flour, cornmeal, soft goat cheese, and parsley

There are three main components to this stew: the stock, the stew, and the johnnycakes.

The Stock

I put horizontally halved garlic heads (which had been peeled) along with the pork bones, whole onions, and carrots into a roasting pan. I drizzled the ingredients with olive oil and placed the pan in the oven to roast.

Roasting stock components

I transferred the bones and vegetables to a pot and deglazed the roasting pan with some water. I poured the liquid along with some more water into the pot and brought it all to a boil. I then reduced the temperature down to a simmer and added the bouquet garni. The stock simmered for a few hours.

The stock simmering

A quick side note about the bouquet garni. It is simply a herb bundle used to flavor stocks and stews. It includes items such as - bay leaves, parsley sprigs, leek greens, ginger, and black peppercorns. As you can see in the picture above, I used the aforementioned ingredients and tied them up into cheesecloth and put it right in the stock.

Once the stock was ready, I stained it into a bowl, covered it, and allowed it to chill. I then skimmed any fat off the top of the stock (which this had very little) and poured the liquid into a pan and reduced it down. The stock was then seasoned and set aside.

Left: Taking large components out of pot before straining
Right: Strained stock

The Stew

First, I cut the pork shoulder into 2-inch cubes and seasoned with salt and pepper. I roasted the chiles under a broiler until blackened and blistered. I put them into a bowl, covered it with plastic wrap, and allowed the chiles to steam. While the chiles steamed, I quartered onions, peeled garlic cloves, and sliced leeks. Then, I peeled with chiles with my fingers; stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced them.

1. Pork cubes 2. Quartered onions 3. Peeled garlic cloves 4. Sliced leeks

1. Serrano chiles 2. Chiles, blackened and blistered 3. Steaming chiles 4. Thinly sliced chiles

I added butter and olive oil to a Dutch oven over medium heat and browned the meat in batches. As it browned, I transferred the meat to a plate with a slotted spoon. 

Browning meat in batches

Once all the meat had been browned, I cleaned out the pot, and melted some butter. I added the onions and cooked until soft for a few minutes. I then added the garlic, chiles, and leeks. All items cooked slowly. Finally, I put in the meat back in, poured in the Cabernet, the reduced stock, chopped rosemary, and thyme leaves. I covered the pot and brought the stew to a simmer. The stew simmered for a hours until the meat was really tender. 

Stew simmering for hours

The Johnnycakes

While the stew simmered, I made the batter for the johnnycakes. I beat melted butter and milk into a bowl of eggs. I then whisked in the flour and cornmeal. Finally, I crumbled the goat cheese into the batter. I covered the bowl and put it in the fridge. 

Johnnycake batter

Back to the stew...

Finishing the stew meant including all those root vegetables. I peeled and cut the carrots, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, and celery root. I placed the vegetables into a bowl of cold water and set aside. 

1. Carrots 2. Potatoes 3. Turnips 4. Parsnips 5. Celery root

I also cut the bacon into lardons and fried them in a skillet until golden brown. I removed the bacon with a slotted spoon and drained them on paper towels

Frying up lardons of bacon

Once the meat in the stew was tender, I brought a large pot of water to boil, reduced it to a simmer, and added in all the root vegetables. I cooked the vegetable just until tender. I took heed to JW's warning... "Many people overcook their root vegetables when they make stews. Don't be one of them!"

Cooking root vegetables. I forgot about the carrots initially, but cooked them separately later on.

I then added the root vegetables and bacon to the stew, checked for seasoning, and kept the stew warm.

Finished stew

Back to the johnnycakes...

Finally, I whisked the johnnycake batter and some salt and pepper. I melted butter into a skillet, added some of the batter to the pan and cooked the pancake till golden brown on each side. I transferred them all to a plate and kept warm. 

Cooking the johnnycakes

Ready to eat...

I spooned the stew into bowls, draped a johnnycake over the bowl, and sprinkled it with parsley.

Venison Stew with Goat Cheese Johnnycakes

So if you're actually still with me, I can go ahead with the verdict. It was damn good. Flavors - check. Texture - check. Heartiness - check. Freshness - check. Everything was there. The stew was cooked to perfection. And I think I know what Jonathan Waxman is saying about people overcooking root vegetables. The vegetables were obviously cooked but had that al dente bite to them which worked so well alongside the tender pork shoulder. 

The surprising component of the stew was without a doubt the johnnycakes. They were amazing! The goat cheese played nicely with the cornmeal pancake. I found myself just taking one off of the stack and eating it on its own. It was soo freaking good. 

Overall, lots of ingredients. A good amount of work. But at the end of the day it made enough for several meal and is super easy to freeze. So...yeah...I think it was a good one.

Enjoy!

JW Fries

Recipe: JW Fries
Page: 243
Date Cooked: November 12, 2011

The ultimate French fry, an elusive item many of us seek. And I don't think I am alone in saying that it appears almost impossible to achieve the perfect French fry at home. It's as if no matter what I do I can't seem to get it to taste like a restaurant fry. Well Jonathan Waxman claims that his recipe is well, "a pain...but well worth it to achieve the ultimate French fries." As suggested by JW, these French fries are a perfect accompaniment to Grilled (or Broiled) Chicken.

Ingredients: Organic russet potatoes, corn oil, and sea salt

Let me just start off by saying, these French fries really are a pain and require two days, not of actual work, but of planning. First, I peeled the potatoes, placed them in a bowl of ice water, and refrigerated overnight. The whole idea behind potatoes in ice water is to get rid of a lot of the starch that is on the surface of the potato.

Peeled potatoes in ice water

The next morning, I cut the potatoes lengthwise into fries that were about 1/2 inch wide. As I cut the potatoes, I put them in cold water.

Left: Slicing potatoes
Right: Soaking wedges in cold water

In the meantime, I heated the corn oil in a heavy pot. Once the oil was hot enough, I drained the potatoes and patted them dry. I was then ready to simply blanch the potatoes in the hot oil for just a few minutes. Since the potatoes are actually fried twice, I didn't want the potatoes to achieve any kind of color. After blanching, I drained and cooled the fries on paper towels.

Left: Blanching potatoes
Right: Drained and cooled potatoes on paper towels

After I blanched all my potatoes in batches, I spread them onto a baking sheet and refrigerated for almost 6 hours, uncovered.

Blanched potatoes on baking sheet

Finally, the last step was upon me. I brought the French fries to room temperature and also heated the corn oil. I fried the potatoes in batches until they achieved a crisp, golden brown.

Frying potatoes for the second time

I drained the potatoes on a brown paper bag, sprinkled with sea salt, and they were ready to serve.

JW Fries

JW Fries involve a number of steps and heck almost two full days. So the ultimate question is: Was it worth it? ....... Well, I can tell you this...the fries were amazing. I have never been able to achieve that good of a fry at home...ever! They were crispy and yet still had a lot of potato (I'm not the biggest fan of just pure crunch and no potato). There is no doubt that it yielded restaurant quality ultimate French fries.

However, it DID take quite some time to prepare. Regardless of the point that actual cooking time was minimal. Planning this out was a bit of a pain.

So, would I make them again. Honestly, I can't say yes or no. I just don't know. I will say one thing, they did taste damn good with that Grilled (or Broiled) Chicken.

Enjoy!