Pan Seared Perch with Fried Capers and Roasted Tomato Balsamic Vinaigrette

The most common request I get for recipes are “easy fish recipes.” Well, here’s one that’s not only easy, but healthy and very tasty. I’m using Perch here, but almost any thin, flaky fish will work. I am a big fan of the “fresh-frozen” fish case at the market. The fish is frozen as soon as it’s caught on the boat, and stays that way until I decide to cook it. Many times what you are buying as “fresh” at the market is not so fresh. Sure, it’s never been frozen, but it traveled from the boat to the processor, to the market, and then maybe sat in the case for a couple days. So don’t confuse fresh with always better.

This video recipe clip is only the fish with the fried capers and brown butter. The sauce, Roasted Tomato Balsamic Vinaigrette, and the cold salad, Stellette Pasta with Spring Peas and Lemon, will both be demonstrated on the site this week. Sorry for the tease, but today, it’s all about the Perch. The key pre-searing technique to pay special attention to is the small cuts or “scores” I make on the Perch’s skin. This keeps the fish from curling up and also allows the flavor of the butter and capers to really get into the filet. The small filets I used only took a couple minutes on each side, so you’ll have to adjust if you used another fish like sole, or tilapia, etc. Bye the way, even though I use a good amount of butter in the pan, very little actually makes it on to the plate. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
boneless Perch filets, skin-on
2 tbl butter
2 tbl capers
salt and pepper to taste

View the complete recipe

Served with Roasted Tomato Balsamic Vinaigrette, and Stellette Pasta Salad with Spring Peas and Lemon. Recipes for both to follow this week, so stay tuned!

Happy Mother’s Day Weekend!

As most visitors to this blog well know, I do not show myself during these cooking video clips. Why? Is it my “face for radio?” Is it my incredible shyness? Am I trying to be the complete antithesis of the FoodTV Chef? Is it part of the terms of my witness relocation program? I cannot confirm or deny any of these reasons, but I will say that this is my Mom’s number one complaint with the site. While she loves the site, and is very proud of all the hard work that has gone into it, she is tired of her friends constantly asking her, “What does your son look like? “Why can’t we see your son?” “What the hell is wrong with your son?” Well, you get the idea.

So, while all the other video bloggers are filming and posting touching Mother’s Day tributes, sadly I am forced to use someone else’s. Anyway, Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms that enjoy this site, especially my Mother-in-law Peggy, and sister Valerie! And, from her anonymous son Chef John…Happy Mother’s Day to my mom Pauline! I love you, and miss you, and hope to see you soon. Enjoy the clip.

Chicken and Biscuits, Chicken Pot Pie, and Chicken and Dumplings – It’s a Chicken 3-way!

I get LOTS of requests. In fact, I did a post regarding all these requests, and how I try to organize and satisfy them. Recently I received requests for Chicken and Biscuits, Chicken Pot Pie, and Chicken and Dumplings. So, I thought I would kill three birds with one stone (now that’s a pun!), and do all three dishes as one delicious Chicken Biscuits/ Dumplings/ Pot Pie hybrid…or hybird if you prefer.

The base for this “Ménage à Trios au Poulet” is a pretty basic stewed chicken recipe. I used plain water to stew the chicken in the first step, but if you want a richer result, go ahead and use chicken broth. Also, as I mention in the recipe clip, you can pretty much use any vegetables you want. I went with the classic carrot, onion, and celery (mirepoix), plus I had a few mushrooms around which found their way into the pot.

Some of you may be shocked to see me use a store-bought buttermilk biscuit dough. Don’t be. I have no problem with the occasional convenience product, and the Pillsbury Grands are actually a pretty good product. Of course it's better with homemade biscuits, so if you have time go for it. If you want an easier version of this recipe, just make the chicken stew part, baked the biscuits separately and serve together. Now, I don't want to ignore our Chicken and Dumpling fans. You folks already know what to do; that's right, drop that dumpling batter, spoon, by sticky spoon, on to the hot chicken stew and go crazy.



Ingredients:
1 large chicken (about 4-5 pounds)
2 quarts water or broth
1 bay leaf
4 cloves garlic
1 whole clove

3 carrots, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
3 ribs celery, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
6 mushrooms, quartered

2 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tbl herb de Provence
3 tbl fresh tarragon, chopped
2 tbl fresh rosemary, chopped

1 stick butter (4oz)
1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup milk or cream
8 buttermilk biscuits

Spanish Manchego Cheese and Membrillo Quesadillas - Making a Point with Spain's Most Perfect Pair

What’s the one thing everyone knows how to make (besides toast)? The ubiquitous quesadilla. Even the most culinarily-challenged among us can throw a tortilla in a pan, with some grated cheese, and 5 minutes later are enjoying a warm and satisfying snack. In today’s video recipe clip we will give the common quesadilla a delicious twist by using a classic Spanish fruit and cheese combination.

The cheese we are using is called “Manchego.” Manchego cheese, from the La Mancha region of Spain, is made from sheep's milk. It is aged for at least 3 months, but can be aged much longer for a firmer texture and stronger flavor. It is classified as a semi-firm cheese, which means it grates beautifully and melts nicely. The flavor is a bit tangy, slightly salty, and amazingly delicious paired with the Membrillo.

Membrillo is a very firm fruit paste made by cooking down a fruit called Quince with sugar and sometimes lemon. In the raw form, Quince is too hard and sour to eat. But, as it cooks the fruit’s light yellow flesh turns a sexy reddish ruby color. By the way, the seeds are poisonous, which has absolutely nothing to do with today’s recipe, but just another tidbit of culinary trivia you food geeks can use at a cocktail parties to annoy others.

As far as finding these “exotic” ingredients, I don’t think you are going to have much trouble. Any cheese shop will have several varieties of both Manchego and Membrillo. And, any of the upscale chain grocery stores will also stock these two wonderful products. If you can’t find them where you live, I will try to find some online resources for you and link them here, so stay tuned. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
large flour tortilla
2-3 oz of shredded Manchego
2 to 3 tbl of diced Membrillo
1 tsp olive oil

Fresh Cherry Tomato Relish – A Reduction Production

Photo Note: All the decent photos of this recipe were lost in a tragic beer-related editing mishap. The thumbnail you see to the left is the only survivor, and not the best quality. I considered “borrowing” a photo from some unsuspecting online source, but then realized that would not be ethical (and coincidentally didn’t see any I liked) and so I decided to use the one I had. OK, on to the recipe.

Here’s the idea; we take the liquid that’s produced by marinating fresh cherry tomatoes in salt, pepper and vinegar, and strain it into a pan. We then take this already delicious juice, and make it even more so by reducing it over heat thereby evaporating most of the water. This intensified liquid is poured back into the tomatoes and we have a great fresh tomato relish, or tomato vinaigrette (if you want to be all fancy) that we can top some grilled meat, chicken, or fish.

This is an extremely common culinary technique that Chefs have used since the beginning of time to improve the flavor of all kinds of things. A “Reduction” is one of those Chef secrets that most home cooks don’t bother with, or maybe don’t even know about. Most of you have made a basic tomato salad or relish and simply eaten it as is, or topped whatever. That’s fine, and it tasted great, I’m sure. But, by reducing the water content from sauces and dressings, you can produce even more impressive results.

By the way, I suggest ALWAYS using cherry tomatoes for this recipe. Large ripe tomatoes are just too hard to find, even in the summer (unless you have some in your garden of course), and most markets have an almost year-long supply of decent cherry tomatoes available. Look for “Sweet 100’s,” “Red Grape,” and “Sun Gold” varieties, which all are pretty consistently sweet.



handful of cherry tomatoes
clove of garlic
splash of olive oil
splash of red wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Smoked Trout Spread with Watermelon Radish – Who needs talent when you have cool ingredients?

I like smoked salmon. I really do, but I’m bored with it. Been there, done that…although I decided not to get the t-shirt. So, while shopping last weekend I put down the smoked salmon and picked up a smoked trout filet. In almost any store that sells smoked salmon, you’ll also most likely see a package of smoked trout. This under-used product produces quite a nice smoked fish spread, and can be used in any way you’d use smoked salmon. In fact, many prefer the slightly sweeter and more subtle flavor.

I think you’ll also enjoy the interesting watermelon radish garnish I came up with. This radish is very common in the better produce markets in California, and I hope you are able to find some. Now, I’m not saying I’m the only chef that has thought of using black sesame seeds to make it look like slices of watermelon, but since I haven’t seen anyone else do this, I’m taking credit!



Ingredients:
4 oz smoked trout
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
1/2 lemon
1 cup cream cheese
black pepper and cayenne to taste
watermelon radish (or regular radishes)
black sesame seeds

Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chop with Fresh Mint Jelly

Growing up, one of my favorite “special occasion” meals was grilled lamb chops, and of course the always present, bright green, jar of mint jelly. What a great combination! Now, this just wasn’t my Mom’s secret combo, every restaurant we ever dined at, that served lamb chops would always serve the same green (artificially colored of course) jelly, just like at home. So, you can image my surprise and confusion, when arriving in San Francisco to start my culinary career, discovering that there was no green mint jelly.

I remember talking about a lamb special that was going on the menu of a Café I was working, and the Chef and a few of us cooks were throwing around ideas for a sauce. I said something like, “what about a classic green mint jelly?” Wow, they all looked at me like we were at a heavy metal music convention and I just suggested throwing on some Bee Gees. Apparently green jelly was something only housewives still served with lamb and we were way too culinarily advanced to consider such a clichéd pairing. How embarrassing! I learned that day that it’s not enough that certain foods taste good together, but you also have to consider the fashion of the times.

By the way, if you still use the green jelly right out of the jar – stand proud! There’s nothing wrong with you. But, in certain circles (like the entire state of California) you just can’t pull out a jar of mint jelly, so today’s clip is a fine solution to avoid any embarrassment with the food snobs among us (they're everywhere). You’ll see me do a new take on the classic mint jelly, and turn an old cliché into a great, and flavorful, and socially acceptable sauce. Also, I’m grilling lamb shoulder chops, which are a nice, and much cheaper, alternative to the more popular lamb loin chops.



Ingredients:
2 lamb shoulder chops (8 oz each)
3 sprigs rosemary
4 cloves garlic
2 tbl pomegranate juice
olive oil
salt and pepper

For the Sauce:
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1 tbl white wine vinegar
1 tbl water
1/2 bunch fresh mint
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

The Greatest Hamburger Commercial Ever Made…and NO it’s not that creepy “where the beef?” lady!

This weekend’s filler clip is a priceless relic from the early eighties featuring Jason Alexander, pre-George Costanza, singing and dancing about McDonalds greatest invention ever…the McDLT. Of course, put the lettuce and tomato in a separate compartment than the hot burger! Genius! Finally, the fatal flaw of fast food burgers was solved. No more limp and soggy veggies as the burger sat waiting for you to order it. Well, so much for that, apparently we like our burgers all wrapped up in one hot wilted bundle since the McDTL lasted about as long as Jason Alexander’s post-Seinfeld sitcom. The 2 pounds of Styrofoam it took to package it didn’t help much either. Enjoy!

Chicken Caesar Springrolls – The Ultimate Low-Carb Wrap

There are certain magical food products that are just too good to be true. Rice paper, or springroll skins, is one of them. While many of you have enjoyed these at various Asian restaurants, I bet most of you have never tried to use these at home. There’s no need for a long winded post today. What you see, is what you get. Simply dampen the rice paper and roll up some lettuce, and strips of meat and/or veggies.

These are very easy to make once you get the hang of how long to soak the paper. Since these translucent “skins” are so cheap, it’s ok to practice on a few to get the technique down. Once you do, you have an incredibly versatile wrapper for an infinite number of fillings. These are easily found in the Asian section of any large chain super market. As far as low-carb alternative to tortillas and flatbreads, these rice paper skins are like a millionth of an inch thick, and as I joked in the clip, I’m not even sure you can measure the carbs! Although, I’m sure someone will, and post a comment on the site.

If you are making a bunch of these, you can store them wrapped in damp paper towels. Just don’t stack too many on top of each other and you can keep them in the fridge for a few hours and they should be fine.



Ingredients:
rice paper springroll skins
baby romaine leave
strips of cooked chicken breast
strips of red bell pepper

Buttermilk Fried Chicken - Why didn’t the chicken cross the blog?

A loyal, and observant, reader informed me that my almost famous buttermilk fried chicken recipe had not made the move over to this new blog. I was shocked and appalled. But, I recovered quickly, and so here you go. As you’ll see, the secret is getting the spice mix into the marinade, and into the chicken, instead of just the flour.

We’ve made this Southern favorite a lot faster and easier by using boneless/skinless thighs instead of the traditional whole cut-up chicken. The thighs cook much faster and more evenly than the usual array of chicken parts. The buttermilk marinade and spice mix is fairly traditional, but hey, why mess with perfection!

I’m assuming you’ve seen the mashed potato recipe video, but just in case, I linked it here. You can't serve these beautiful thighs with some water-logged,lumpy mashers! Also, I've included a very basic chicken gravy recipe video below.

Ingredients:
8-10 boneless/skinless chicken thighs
2 cups low fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
flour, for dredging
vegetable or peanut oil, for frying

Homemade Chicken Gravy

Help us bring down the powdered gravy mix industry! It’s just about as easy as making gravy from a mix anyway. You know that we usually use the de-glazed pan to make most of our sauces, but since we don't have that luxury, this will work for you. So, back away from that powdered gravy mix! This is a VERY basic recipe that you’ll want to jazz up with things like garlic, onions, peppers, etc. Make sure to use a really good chicken stock or broth… any sauce is only as good as the stock used!



Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup Flour
1 Quart Chicken Stock Or Broth
1/3 Cup Cream
Salt And Pepper

Crab, Artichoke and Potato Croquettes – Three of my favorites go Dutch

The croquette is originally a French concoction, but thanks to a Dutch baker named Kwekkeboom it was introduced to the Netherlands where it grew in popularity. He fell in love with the crisp French version, and began producing croquettes filled with beef and other meats and vegetables. In fact, Croquettes are so popular in the Netherlands that McDonalds sells a version in a bun: called the McKroket. No, I’m not Mc’Kidding.

This version is incredibly easy to make and you will love its crisp, crunchy outside and the soft, tasty inside. The secret to the crisp coating is the Panko Japanese breadcrumbs. You can get these at the supermarket, and they really make a big difference. If you can’t find them (well, quite frankly, you didn’t try hard enough), you can use regular plain breadcrumbs and still get a nice result.

There is no secret to the delectable filling inside; you take potato, crab and artichoke, smash it all together. Three ingredients that are certainly terrific alone really enjoy each others company in this satisfying recipe. Of course, you don’t have to keep your mix so simple; adding lemon, garlic, herbs, and/or other exotic spices wouldn’t be a bad idea at all.

We served this under our Olive Oil Poached Tuna, but it makes a great main course all by itself. You can even do small half-dollar size and serve them as passed appetizers at that swanky holiday party.



Ingredients:
1 large cooked russet potato
1 can artichoke bottoms (14 oz)
8 oz crab meat
1 egg
Salt, black pepper and cayenne to taste
olive oil
Panko or plain breadcrumbs
fresh lemon optional

Olive Oil Poached Tombo Tuna – Do you have the courage to submerge?

Most people think of poaching as simmering something in a stock or wine, but today I’m going to show you a new way to poach; in an infused olive oil. There are countless combinations of times and temperatures for the oil and tuna. You can use my video as a general guide for the procedure, but it may take some experimenting to get “your” version perfect. As you’ll hear me say in the demo, this is more of an idea, than a recipe. After watching, I want you to try this with different combinations of oil flavorings and spice rubs, and of course, report back to the rest of the viewers.

The method is basic. Infuse some garlic and herbs in a nice olive oil, and then gently poach the spice-rubbed tuna in this delicious bath. I cooked mine sort of medium-rare-medium, so there was a bit of pink inside. But, if you like you tuna cooked all the way through, that’s OK, you’re not a bad person. As you watch this recipe don’t worry about all that oil, since it’s just used to cook the fish in, and very little actually makes it onto the plate.

Another trick with this method is to add the tuna to the hot oil, and then just turn it off and let it cool in the infused olive oil. You can then store the tuna and oil in the fridge and use it to crumble over a salad. You may never use canned tuna again! This is referred to as “tuna confit” by some. By the way, Tombo tuna is also known as Albacore, which is the type of tuna most commonly canned. It’s also easier to find, and cheaper, than Ahi, which is that dark red fleshed tuna you’ve seen me use before.

Also, I served this simple tuna preparation on some amazing Crab, Artichoke and Potato Croquettes, which I will also demo. If fact, the tuna was really just an excuse for making the Croquettes, and when you taste them you’ll know why. Finally, if you haven’t seen Citronette video recipe clip, check it out, as it made for the perfect light sauce for this dish,



Ingredients:
2 tuna steaks cut in half (will give you four 3-4 oz pieces)
extra virgin olive oil (enough to cover, about 1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, smashed but whole
8 sprigs fresh aromatic herbs (anything you like)
salt
black pepper
smoked paprika