Few Days

Due to a current bout with some sort of bug (hopefully not of the Swine Flu Variety) it will be a few days until the next post

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Shrimp and Grits

My adventure into the previously unknown continued last week with my first shot at grits. The first time I had grits I thought they were nasty (and in retrospect, whoever made them made them taste like paste). The second time my friend Catherine made them (with shrimp) and I loved them. So I had a 50/50 chance with this meal succeeding. Why not?

Grits are a pretty simple concept, just like polenta. Coarse ground corn and water makes yummy food. Well, at least that’s where you start. In the interest of time/my first time I used quick grits instead of the fancy stone ground ones. Next time I think I will try the latter, mainly for their texture and more than likely better flavor. But for anyone making this dish in a pinch quick grits work just fine. Time investment in this meal clocks in at less than 30 minutes.

This recipe is open to interpretation, it really is. That is the beauty of southern food, everyone makes it differently. I like that about some dishes because they really take on a life of their own. For example, instead of water for the grits, I added the intended amount of water into a pot, added the shrimp shells, a bay leaf, some fresh thyme, and salt and then let it simmer for about 15 minutes to make a quick shrimp stock. Nifty.

Shrimp and Grits

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 T paprika
½ t cayenne
½ t dried thyme
½ t dried oregano
¼ t cumin
2 t salt
½ t pepper
1 T flour
¼ cup chicken (or shrimp) stock
2 T parsley
2 T lemon juice
1 onion, chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 slices bacon, chopped

Grits

½ cup quick grits
2 C water
3 oz cheddar cheese
½ t garlic powder
1 t salt
1 t pepper

For the shrimp, combine the first 8 ingredients in a bowl and mix well, coating shrimp with spice mixture. Let sit for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet or pot over medium heat and add bacon, cooking until browned. Remove bacon and set aside on paper towels to drain. Add the onion and pepper, cooking them both in the bacon drippings about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 2 more minutes. Sprinkle with flour and mix until absorbed. Add the chicken stock and cook until a thick sauce has formed, about 2 minutes. Add the parsley and lemon juice, season with salt, pepper, and cayenne for spice. Add the bacon back into the mix in the end.

For the grits, heat the water (or stock) over medium heat until boiling. Add grits and salt, whisk, cover, reduce heat to medium low, and cook, stirring occasionally until grits are creamy and plump, about 5-7 minutes. Taste the grits to check their consistency, they should be smooth. If gritty, add a bit more water or stock and whisk in. Add the garlic powder, pepper, and cheese, whisking until the cheese is melted.

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Hashing it Out

As promised in my previous post, the roast chicken will more than likely yield some leftovers. This is a happy thing. The idea was given to me (once again by my fiancée's father) to make a hash out of whatever I had leftover. Genius! Potatoes and chicken in a cast iron pan married with some veggies sounded like an idea I wish I had thought of 5 years ago.

The concept is pretty simple. Chop up your leftovers (I had about a pound of chicken and a pound of potatoes left over), add some veggies, season to your liking, and cook. I added a lightly poached egg over the top for some richness, not to mention the runny yolk is great for mixing it all together.

Chicken Hash

~ 1 pound chicken meat, shredded
~1 pound roasted potatoes, roughly chopped
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
Salt
Pepper
garlic powder
1 T butter

Preheat your cast iron skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, the goal being to get the pan seriously hot. Add the butter followed by the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for about 3 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the chicken and potatoes, stirring to combine. Using the back of a wood spoon or other kitchen tool, flatten the hash into the pan so you have a nice even layer. Let this cook for about 3 minutes, then stir it up and press again, cooking for another 3 minutes. This will give the hash and nice crust. Season with salt, garlic powder and pepper. Serve by itself or with a few pouched or fried eggs on top.

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Roast Chicken

Oddly enough, roast chicken was my favorite dish growing up. It beat out lasagna, macaroni and cheese, and whatever else a kid normally goes for. To this day I love nothing more than a roasted bird with some starch and a vegetable, maybe accompanied by a nice gravy. John, my fiancées father and close cooking counterpart (say that five times fast) passed this recipe along to me last week and I decided to give it a whirl. Delicious is the first thing that comes to mind. Juicy on the inside, crisp skin on the outside, this bird pretty much has it all.

Placing a chicken in a baking dish, seasoning it and roasting it for about an hour will give you pretty good results by itself. Add maybe 4 more steps though, and you can make the penultimate bird. First, start with the bird itself. No stuffing, ever. It will only dry out your chicken. But you also do not want all of the fat and goodness to sit inside of your bird and make it soggy. So before you cook it, flip the chicken on its back and cut a few shallow ridges in the fatty underside, this will allow any rendered fat to be released and drain out (don’t worry, we will not waste it). After you cut some channels, take a thin knife or skewer and poke the chicken in its skin and fat layer all over. This will promote more fat release from the bird, giving the end goal of crispy skin.

The seasoning is pretty straight forward with the added benefit of cornstarch, which gives crispiness but no strange flavor. Roasting the bird in a rotational manner gives even browning and equal doneness. As for all that rendered goodness that we let escape? Potatoes underneath the chicken allow for an easy side dish.

Come back next time and see what to do with the leftovers.

Roast Chicken

1 4-5 pound chicken
2 t salt
1 t pepper
2 t cornstarch
1 ½ -2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
2 tsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 475°F. Prep chicken by cutting channels in the bottom and poking some holes in the skin all over (see above). Tuck the wings and legs in to prevent them from drying out. Combine the salt, pepper, and cornstarch and rub all over chicken. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place chicken left wing side up (it will be lying on the side) on a roasting rack and set over the pan. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes and flip over to other wing side. Roast for 15 more minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the potatoes in the oil and season with salt and pepper. When the chicken is done with its wing side roasting, remove the rack and add the potatoes to the pan, tossing them in any accumulated juices. Replace rack with chicken, now set breast side up, and put back in oven. Roast until the thigh registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (about 20 minutes). Remove chicken and let rest on rack (make sure to put a pan underneath to catch any juices). Roast potatoes for about 10-15 minutes more or until browned. Toss with any remaining chicken juices. Enjoy.

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Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise sauce is the bane of my existence. There is no other way to put it. I love it, I love putting it on food, but I hate making it. No, it's not that hard or time intensive, but it breaks. All the time. And I get so frustrated! Probably not a good thing that I mostly make it at breakfast (I'm probably cranky). I tried clarified butter, cold butter, warm yolks, and ancient rain dancing, but nothing worked. But alas, I think I have finally figured it out. Water! Yes, as I was flipping through all of my cookbooks, I found that the Joy of Cooking calls for some water to be added. This thins out the sauce a little bit and relaxes the strain on the egg proteins. And it was amazing. The sauce held quite nicely and even stayed together on the stove for when people came asking for seconds. Success! Now something else can be my bane.

Hollandaise Sauce (adapted from the Joy of Cooking)

3 egg yolks
1 1/2 T lemon juice
pepper
salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1 stick butter, melted
4 T warm water

First step, make a double boiler. Take a glass or stainless steel bowl and find a pot that the bottom just fits into. Fill the pot about half full with water and place it over medium high heat until it is just simmering. If you do this sauce over direct heat I can almost guarantee you it will be a disaster.

In the bowl whisk the egg yolks until slightly light and frothy. Whisk over heat and add 1 T water until the eggs just start to thicken, 3-5 minutes. Add the rest of the water 1 T at a time letting the eggs thicken in between. If you feel the eggs are getting too hot, pull the bowl out of the heat. Add the lemon juice. Remove the bowl from the heat and very slowly add the butter, stirring constantly until all the butter is incorporated (if you need to warm up the sauce while doing this place over the boiler for a few seconds). Leave the white solids from the butter (milk solids) out if possible. Whisk in the cayenne, season with salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, add a few drops of water. Serve immediately. To keep the sauce warm, place your mixing bowl in a larger bowl with some warm water and cover.


Note- If you want to boost the flavor even more, reduce ½ cup white wine to about 2 T and mix with the lemon juice before adding to the sauce.

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Pan Seared Pork Chops

I had a blog post written about hollandaise sauce until I made dinner last night. Then things changed. As I have written before, I make pork chops on a frequent basis because of their ease and consistency in the taste category, but I do not usually venture outside of that recipe. However, in this month's Cooks Illustrated, there is a curious recipe about pan seared pork chops that intrigued me. Intrigue turned out to be a great thing, because these chops were better than Lost last night (and that's saying something).

The key with these chops is the salting. I have spoken before on brining meat, and pork is probably the biggest in need of a good salt water soak. But if you try this with a pan seared chop, the meat does not really develop a crust. So instead it was suggested to salt the meat, leave it sitting on a rack for about an hour, baking it shortly, and then finishing the pork in a hot pan which also yields a pan sauce. Too many steps says you? Suck it up, say I. You can make this dish (and sides) pretty easily as most of the steps involve the meat lying prone on a rack or in an oven.

I altered the recipe very little, because frankly there is no need to. Since I am trying to eat butter in moderation at the moment, instead of using 3T of butter in the pan sauce, I used 1T and instead saved a few tablespoons of the chicken broth and mixed them with 1t cornstarch. I am listing this method in the recipe, but if you would rather the butter, scratch the cornstarch and reduce the sauce a bit further before adding the butter.

Pan Seared Pork Chops

4 1 ½ inch thick pork loin chops (bone in or bone out)
Salt
Pepper
1T vegetable oil

Sauce

1 shallot minced (or ¼ cup finely minced onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 t chopped fresh thyme (or ¼ t dry chopped)
½ cup white wine
¾ cup chicken stock
¼ t white wine or rice wine vinegar
1 T cold butter
1 t cornstarch
Salt
Pepper

Pat chops dry with paper towel. Salt each chop all over with 1 t kosher salt (or ½ t table salt). Place on wire rack over a baking sheet and leave at room temperature for 45 minutes (no less!). Heat oven to 275°F. Season chops with pepper and place in oven to bake, 35-40 minutes or until the middle of the chops reads 120°F on an instant read thermometer. Remove from oven.

Heat 1 T vegetable oil in large skillet over medium high heat until almost smoking. Place 2 chops in pan and sear on each side until browned, about 2 minutes each side. You might have to lift chops once to redistribute oil and prevent burning. Remove chops to plate and repeat with other 2 chops. Reduce pan heat to medium low. Using your tongs (see the picture), sear the chops on their ends until golden brown and the interior of the chops is 140-145°F. Place on plate, cover with foil, and let rest for about 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

Drain off all but 1 t of remaining oil. Return heat to medium. Add shallot and garlic, stirring often until softened, about 1 minute. Reserving 3T chicken stock, add the stock and wine to the pan to deglaze, scraping up any bits on the bottom. Cook until reduced to about ¾ cup remains, abut 5 minutes. Mix corn starch and chicken stock and add to pan. Stir until thickened. If too thin, reduce sauce slightly, and if too thick add a few more tablespoons chicken stock. Turn off heat and add thyme and vinegar. Stir in butter, season with salt and pepper. Serve with chops.

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El Meson

I'm a huge sucker for Mexican food (surprise). Being from Arizona, I am also extremely spoiled. There are more good Mexican restaurants in every town or city than grocery stores. Not doubt.

So I have been somewhat underwhelemed since relocating to the Midwest. Sure, Taco Rico (http://lafayette-eats.com/2008/11/15/taco-rico/) is good, and was my go to place for somewhat authentic cuisine. But it is sometimes hit or miss, and I like consistency. I also like good salsa. And they lack there.

So now we have a new Mexican joint called El Meson (it means big table). Located in the old Burger King/ fish place/ other random restaurants on 52, this place will hopefully be its last tenant and stay there forever. I love it. First off, you can get a darn good lunch for 5 bucks or under. Second, their menu is huge (as all Mexican menus should be) and the food is fantastic. Third, the décor is so loud and colorful it reminds me of actually being in Mexico (I honestly do not understand the American obsession with brown right now, what is wrong with teal and orange?)

The first time I dined there, it was with a large group of coworkers. The service was good, the chips were warm, and the salsa (which is like mine so I'm biased) was fantastic. Making your own salsa in a Mexican restaurant really goes a long way and is akin to a nice steakhouse making their own bread. As far as the food goes, I have never been disappointed. They usually have a lunch burrito for $5 as well as a really good lunch menu. The fajitas can feed two and their enchiladas are quite good (you can get a plate with bean, chicken, beef, and cheese). It is hands down my favorite Mexican food in the city.

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Tuna Puttanesca

I have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with Rachel Ray. When she was Ms. Sunshine-yelling-face, I was not a fan. When she toned it down and stopped using so many damn acronyms and quips, I was a fan. When she told me to roast my pork tenderloin until it tasted like shoe leather, I was not a fan. But when she brought tuna puttanesca to my table, I sat up and listened. And I am happy to say that we are on good terms again.

Let's be honest, what else do you use canned tuna for other than slathering it with mayo and sticking it between bread? Slathering it in mayo and stuffing it in an avocado (which is very, very delicious). Seeing a common theme? Well, thankfully Rachel has provided me with a delicious pasta dish that everyone should try at least once. You can make the sauce in the time it takes to cook the pasta (for some quips on that see here)

Tuna Puttenesca

1 pound penne pasta

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cans (about 5.5 to 6 ounces each) tuna in water, drained well

6 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

A generous handful black olives (kalamata work well), pitted and chopped

3 tablespoons capers, drained

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 (28-ounce) diced tomatoes

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Fresh ground black pepper

Salt

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring up to a boil. Salt the water and cook penne to al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet with about 2T extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cook a minute or 2, then add tuna and break it up with your spoon. Add olives and capers, cook a minute or 2 more, then add white wine; stir and cook down a minute. Stir in diced tomatoes and juice. Add parsley, zest and black pepper, then simmer the sauce a couple of minutes more.

Add a couple of ladles of starchy pasta-cooking water to the sauce. Reduce slightly until just barely thickened. Drain pasta, add to the skillet and toss to coat.

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New Years Revelations Part II: Chicken Pot Pie

Previously on Boilermaker Kitchen. Chicken Three Ways was quite a success for both me and my kitchen methods, yet the pot pie was by far the most complicated (and heavy) of the dishes. So I was looking for a dish that is hearty, comforting, and somewhat healthy.

The following dish takes place between work time and dinner time.

No crazy tricks with this recipe. It's more or less ripped straight from my new favorite practical cookbook, "The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook". It's easy, fun to make, delicious, and it only has 380 calories per serving. I am so there. The only thing I forgot was to take some pictures (smack), but I imagine this dish will be making the rounds again in the near future, so expect an update to this update. This recipe is slightly modified to work easier as well as serve 4 people.

Chicken Pot Pie

Filling

3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 rib celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 t dried thyme (or 1 t fresh)
1 t vegetable oil
salt
pepper
1/8 c dry sherry
2 C low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/8 C cornstarch
1/8 C half and half
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 T minced fresh parsley


Biscuits

2 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 T butter, melted and cooled
1/3 C buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large pot or dutch oven add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, oil, and ~1/2 t salt. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 12 minutes (this is a great way to cook vegetables with less oil). Once soft, stir in sherry, broth and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken breasts into the broth, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook the chicken until done (160°F), about 10-12 minutes. You will probably need to flip the chicken half way through.

Transfer chicken to a plate to cool. Return sauce to a simmer. Whisk cornstarch and half and half together and add to sauce, stirring until thickened, about 1 minute. If you find the sauce not thick enough, add 1T cornstarch to 2T water and add that. Once thick, remove from heat, remove bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Shred chicken and add to sauce. Pour the sauce into 4 ramekins or an 8x8 inch baking dish.

For the biscuits, whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl to combine. In a separate bowl combine the melted butter and buttermilk. Stir into the flour mixture until just combined and wet. If still dry add a bit more buttermilk. Divide dough into four parts and place over filling, spreading the dough out slightly. Bake until biscuits are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

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Dear Pay-Less (and Kroger, and Frys)

The time has come for us to part ways for now. I think you have gotten a little too big-headed for me to hang around in this relationship. I will be honest; I went to Marsh the other day. And I loved it. I enjoyed the better vegetable selection (they actually carry Italian parsley and dried mushrooms), I liked their friendly meat counter which sold more than hamburger and kabobs, and I thought their sushi was great. Fair Pay-Less, I will always remember your fantastic lunch meat and good deals. But the horrible service, the dirty stores, and the dingy fresh food were just too much. I turned a blind eye when I watched you start importing bakery goods from a central hub, and though I was sad, I let it go when you stopped selling good cheese and started providing spreads.

So Pay-Less, it's been a good run, and we had some memories. As I sit here eating this tasty organic apple from Marsh, I am happy of my decision to pursue higher quality and better service, and I hope that some day you can understand.

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