Mark's Trout in Sage Browned Butter with Baby Artichokes

Mark's Trout in Sage Browned Butter with Baby Artichokes

This dish is all about bringing out the rustic goodness of the ingredients. It seems simple, but pay attention and you'll be surprised by the depth of flavor. This recipe is "Paleo-Friendly".

Figure on one 10"-14" trout and 3 baby artichokes per person.

For two Trout:
4 sage leaves per trout
2 Tbs butter
salt and pepper
1 small shallot


For the Artichokes
3 Baby Artichokes (p.p.)
1 T salted capers, rinsed and drained (you can substitute brined capers, but be sure to rinse them)
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
a squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper to taste.


Start your fire, and when the coals are hot, arrange them on one side of the grill. While the fire is getting ready, blanch the potatoes for 4 minutes, then drain, and add oil and salt and pepper. Toss to coat. When the grate is hot, add the potatoes, flat side down, directly over the coals (if the fire isn't too hot for you). When they start to brown, turn and move them off the main fire, and cover (vents open). Cook for 10 minutes while you prep the trout and artichokes.

Pluck off the outer petals until you get to very pale leaves. You want them to be quite tender as you eat the entire thing. As I get well into pulling the leaves off, I'll bite into a leaf every so often (they are edible raw). If it is tender at lest half way up the leaf, then I've gone far enough. Cut the tops off the baby artichokes and any brown part of the stem. Keep them in acidulated water to keep them from turning brown until you're ready to cook, then dry them briefly, and halve.

Rinse and dry the trout. Salt and pepper inside and out. Stuff a sage leaf or two, as well as a couple slices of shallot inside each trout. Melt butter in a large non-stick pan with one or two sage leaves over medium-medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the trout to the pan.

While the trout are cooking, heat olive oil in a pan with a lid. Saute' garlic for a moment, then add capers and saute' until the garlic is just beginning to brown. Add the artichokes, toss, add salt and pepper to taste, and cook for another minute, then toss again. Repeat for a couple more minutes, then cover, and lower heat to medium low.

When the trout are browned and the skin is crispy, turn and add the shallot and remaining sage. You may want to chop the sage in order to get it in contact with the butter more easily. The idea is to lightly brown the shallot and crisp the sage while the trout finishes cooking (perhaps another 5 minutes.

Right before the trout are done, take the lid off the artichokes, raise the heat, and arrange them so they are evenly browning, and cook off any excess liquid. Add a squeeze of lemon and plate with the trout.

Serve with a dry pinot grigio or perhaps a sauvignon blanc. You can (and we did) serve with a light red and the fish is more than a match.

Country Ribs with Apples and Roasted Root Vegetables

This recipe is my own creation. It's really very easy and the flavors are both complex and comforting. The end result is comfort food that's not totally over-the-top. Country ribs aren't actually ribs, but rather a cut of blade steak or similar. They're both cheap and exquisite when slow cooked or braised. I used both a saute' pan and a chef's pan for this dish rather than a large roaster and I found both cooking and clean up to be much easier. Basically, you want a larger skillet for vegetables and a smaller, stove-top-safe pan for the pork.

Total cooking time 2 hours, 30 minutes. Active cooking time about 30 minutes.
Serves 2

Ingredients
2 large "country" ribs (I selected slightly thicker cut "ribs")
3 medium parsnips, peeled, cut into 3" pieces

2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 3" pieces

1 large onion, peeled, cut into 2" wedges

1 winesap apple (or granny smith), cored and cut into 6 wedges

4 small sprigs fresh rosemary

1/2 cup dry white wine

12 oz. home made chicken stock, divided

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tsp arrowroot in 3T water, stock or white wine.

3T olive oil



Pre-heat the oven to 350'F. Lightly oil both pans. Salt and pepper the country ribs and place bone-side down (if there is a bone side), or with the fattiest side up in the smaller pan. Arrange the rosemary on, under and around the pork. Place a few of the carrot, parsnip, and onion pieces around the pork. Add white wine and about 6 ounces of chicken stock to the pan. Heat on the stove until the liquid is hot and then place in the oven. Set your timer for 1 hour.
Toss the remaining vegetables with oil, salt, and pepper in the saute' pan. Lightly oil the apple wedges. When the timer goes off, add the apples to the pork pan, turn the pork, and place on the top rack. Place the vegetable pan on the bottom rack. Set the timer for 1/2 hour and increase the temperature to 375'. After 30 minutes, toss the vegetables so that they brown evenly, and turn the pork again. Return to oven and increase temperature to 425'. Set timer for another 30 minutes (Note: the timing is not critical. The idea is to move the meat and vegetables around so that they brown evenly and/or stay moist. I just find that the timer helps keep me on task so I don't forget).

Warm the plates (I use the microwave for 2 minutes). When the pork and vegetables are done remove pans from the oven. Keep the vegetables in the pan to stay warm. Place the pork pan on a burner and place the country ribs on plates along with the cooked apples and vegetables that were with the pork. There may be some sticking. Plate what you can, leave what you can't. Pour or spoon off any excess fat. Turn the heat up to high-medium and add the remaining stock. Bring to a boil and scrape the bottom of the pan loosening any brown bits and remaining apple or vegetable pieces. When the stock has reduced to about 6 tablespoons (about 5 minutes), add the arrowroot slurry. Stir and simmer for 10 seconds.

Plate the remaining vegetables and spoon the sauce around the pork.
Serve with a fruity zinfandel or Pinot Noir.

(BTW, if you are new to this blog, we have a fairly robust collection of recipes interspersed with our how-to projects. Find them here.

Recipe: Gorgonzola Bunny

(photo courtesy of MaslowskiWildlife.com)

Last night, we enjoyed this wondeful dish during an extended power outage. It is even better with candle light on a cold blustery night.

Gorgonzola Bunny
(takes 1/2 hour to prep, and 2-2 1/2 hours to cook.) For 4 people:

2 large rabbits
2 T Tarragon, divided
1 cup flour
ample salt and pepper to taste
2 T olive oil (as needed)


2 cloves garlic, peeled and whole
2 bay leaves
3-4 springs of fresh thyme
2-3 onions (based upon taste and size/room)
2 large turnips
3/4 lb carrots (less or more to taste)
2 cups Chicken broth (enough to cover--best quality made with feet*)
1 cup of dry white wine.
1/3 lb Gorgonzola (Italian is better, if it's not really sharp, try Danish Blue instead)
Fresh Tarragon for garnish or to add to sauce (optional)


First, bone the rabbit. I separate the back legs and then simply cut the meat off each in as large pieces as possible. Then I cut the meat from the front legs, and slice the saddle off both sides. I then cut the loins off by running a sharp blade down either side of the back bone. This is tricky and a bit like filleting fish, pulling the meat out with your thumb and scraping along the spine and ribs with the knife. It's worth the effort however. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, you can cut the whole loin section apart from the ribs and worry about pulling the meat once it's cooked. If you REALLY don't want to bone the rabbit at all, you can have the butcher cut it into pieces, but your guests will have to eat the meat from the bone and some may be squeamish.

Once boned, dredge the rabbit pieces in flour seasoned with 1/2 of the tarragon and ample salt and pepper. lightly brown in a non-stick pan and place in your dutch oven or covered pan. I like to add a half tablespoon of the seasoned flour to the pan with a little more olive oil, to cook for a few minutes. This will act as a thickening agent. De-glaze pan with wine and a bit of stock and pour into the dutch oven with the rabbit pieces.

Peel and coarsely chop the carrot, onion, and turnips. Add to the pot with the rabbit. Add remaining tarragon, thyme, garlic, and bay leaves. Cover with best quality chicken stock, bring to a simmer, and then place in a 350' oven for 1 1/2 hours. Add about 1/3 of the Gorgonzola to the pot, in small pieces. Return the pot to the oven for another 10 minutes or so.

Serve on plates or wide bowls. Arrange the rabbit and vegetables so that you can place small pieces of Gorgonzola on each bit of rabbit. Pour hot broth from the pot over the pieces of rabbit so that it melts the Gorgonzola into a glaze. Serve with a nice pinot noir and a salad of bitter greens with a Dijon vinaigrette.

Note 1: if you bring the sauce back to a simmer it will help the Gorgonzola melt when you pour the sauce over the rabbit. Note 2: on herbs, I've found that one can omit the thyme without much ill effect and if you don't have fresh, don't add thyme at all. Also, the tarragon need not be fresh. Dried seems to work quite well and should not be omitted.

*chicken feet are available at better poultry sellers. They impart a velvety mouth feel to stock and hence the sauces made from the stock. If feet are unavailable when you are making chicken stock, you can come fairly close by including a generous number of chicken breast bones along with backs and necks.

Flageolets Salad with Goat Cheese and Bread

This is a very nice, complex, satisfying salad and it's very good for you too. Adapted from an old Bon Appetite recipe and something I read on the splendid table.
Flageolets Salad with Goat Cheese and Bread
(serves 4)
Beans

• 1 cup flageolets or other white bean (flageolets are best, trust me), soaked in cold water overnight
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 yellow onion, halved
• 1 rib celery
• 1 carrot, halved
• 2-4 sprigs parsley
• Water to cover
• Salt and pepper to taste

Drain the beans and place them in a covered pot with the onion, bay, celery, carrot, and parsley. Cover with water by 2" and cook 2 hours. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. You can do this days in advance and just keep the beans in the fridge.

• Herb Dressing and Salad:
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
• 1 cup Cerignola olives, cut from the pits
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 4 large fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 clamshell fresh field greens

The dressing is for both the beans and for the salad. To make the dressing, whisk the 2 T. EVOO and 1 T. of lemon juice together. Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and half the parsley and whisk in. Taste for balance and adjust with more olive oil or lemon. Toss half of the dressing with the greens and Cerignola olives.
To finish the beans, in a small skillet, a heat the remaining dressing for a few minutes, until the herbs and garlic sizzle a bit. Add the bean cooking liquid and the beans, increase the heat to high, and boil for 30 seconds or until warmed through, then simmer until the liquid is absorbed. Add the remaining lemon and remaining olive oil, if any and salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange the greens on plates, and mound a half cup of beans atop. Scatter the remaining parsley and basil over the salad. Serve with fresh goat cheese on toasted French or Italian bread. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Bachelor's Blackened Chicken Salad

Those who know me, know that virtually all my cooking is from scratch, especially sauces and dressings. Not this one. This dinner is super fast, and super simple. I use the mildly sexist term "Bachelor" as a metaphor anyone who has limited time for or interest in cooking and who's cooking skills pretty much end at the grill

This is a perfect summer dinner with a lot of flavor, and not too many calories. Prep time should be less than 30 minutes

Feeds two.

Ingredients

1 t. paprika (use a bit more if sweet, less if hot)
2+ t. salt
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1 t. black pepper
1/2 t. dried thyme
1 t. dried oregano
1 split (i.e. both halves!) boneless, skinless Chicken breast.

1 summer tomato, wedged or 2 "Campari" tomatoes out of season.
1 head romaine (fresh from the garden is great, but hearts from the store are fine).
4T. Best quality jarred blue cheese dressing (or to taste).
1t. red wine vinegar

Start the fire. It should be hot and on one side of grill (a.k.a. "indirect grilling method"). Mix the spices together with a fork on a large plate. Lightly salt the then coat the chicken breast with the blackening rub. Be generous. Tip: If the chicken breasts are quite large, or if you have very little time, cover with plastic wrap on a cutting board and pound down to a uniform 3/4" thickness.

Quick version: Grill the chicken until done.

Long version: Grill the chicken over direct fire for 3-4 minutes on one side, then turn and grill another 3-4 minutes. The breasts should be just barely charred. If they are firm to the touch, move off the fire or even off the grill to a warm plate. If the chicken is still resilient to the touch, turn and move just off the fire, and grill indirectly for another 3 minutes. If firm, move to a warm plate to rest. If not, turn and repeat until done. A pounded, thin breast will grill much more quickly. A very cold, large breast is going to take more time. Don't rush it.

While the chicken is resting, arrange your lettuce and tomatoes on the plates. Drizzle with the vinegar and the blue cheese dressing. Slice the chicken breasts across the grain and plate atop the lettuce. Serve.

Serve with a pinot noir or any red that can handle spice. I suspect that a vino verde will work well for white wine fans.

Recipe: Mark's Sage Chicken

Mark's Sage Hen

(I know, how wise can it be if it's dinner...)

This is REALLY, really good, and relatively simple (despite the tedious-looking instructions--it's really just "put garlic and sage under the skin, oil and season"). The clean up is pretty simple, too, if you deglaze the skillet.

For the Chicken:

• 1 Fryer
• 1 lemon
• generous salt and pepper
• 2 large sprigs fresh sage (about 16 leaves)
• 5 large cloves garlic
• 1 T. olive oil
• 2 cups unsalted chicken stock (preferably homemade)
• 3 T. white wine or vermouth

Bring the chicken up closer to room temperature by leaving it (wrapped) on the counter for 1-2 hours (no more). Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and dry your bird (any size will do, really, just adjust the time up or down a bit with size). Peel and halve the garlic cloves. In a skillet (something that will take fond), add a little olive oil and then add your bird, breast down and add a little olive oil, rubbing into the skin. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the back of the bird, then inside. Then turn the bird breast side up and add a bit more oil, making sure the breast is well oiled, then salt and pepper. Loosen the skin around the breast so that you can slide a finger under the skin and then around the outside of the legs. Slide 1 or two half cloves of garlic along with 2 safe leaves under the skin of each leg and thigh, and then slide 2-3 cloves and 3-4 sage leaves under the skin of each side of the breast.

Put the remaining sage and garlic into the cavity and then, with a fork, poke the lemon several times, over the chicken until it will drip a little juice and spritz some of the lemon oil onto the bird. Put the lemon in the cavity. Tie the legs with cotton twine. Place skillet and bird inside the pre-heated oven. Set your timer for 1 hr. 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, clean and rinse your green beans.

For the green beans

• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 T. unsalted butter
• 3 cloves chopped (not minced!) fresh garlic

When the timer goes off, check the bird. It should be golden brown and the leg should move easily. If it's not ready, give it another 15 minutes or so. When done, pull the skillet out and let it cool just a bit (1-2 minutes to reduce spattering grease) on the stove. Carefully move the bid to the cutting board and tent with foil. I use a sturdy spatula and tongs to move the bird, which helps me not leave any skin in the pan.

Pour off as much of the fat as possible and then put the skillet over medium high heat. Add the wine, simmer, and scrape some of the bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and bring back to a simmer and reduce to roughly four tablespoons.

Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, melt butter and add chopped garlic. As soon as it's just lightly browned, add the green beans and a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Toss or stir to coat and saute the beans for 1 minute, then toss again, repeating this process 3 more times. Reduce heat to medium. Toss occasionally to brown some of the beans and to make sure all are tender. Pre-heat your plates.

When your sauce has reduced (about 6 minutes) your green beans should be done. Turn the heat down on both and carve your bird. If the bird is small enough, I'll often just halve it. You can either sauce the plate and place the chicken on it, keeping the skin crispier, or spoon the sauce over the chicken. Next, plate the green beans, making sure to get the garlic nubblies as well as the beans.

I can usually skip the starch, but there's a strong argument for a bit of polenta here, if only to soak up any left over sauce. If you were to add a little sauteed leek, I suspect that your guests wouldn't hate you for it.

A Pinot Noir, or even a Primativo pairs well with this, but really many lighter reds or dry whites (Pinot Grigio comes to mind) will do well.

A note on the chicken and the stock:

Firstly, the fresher and less factory raised your bird, the better. I buy mine from a small grocer that sources his from Tewes Poultry just 5 miles south of me. The results are very worth while. Also, it really helps to keep the breast moist, while getting the thighs tender if the cooking is gentle and even. This is why I let the bird sit out for an hour or two and only cook it at 350'. Chicken stock can actually make or break this dish. Cheap, salty broth is not good. The best is homemade, with chicken feet, backs and necks. The mouth-feel of a sauce made with this stock is unmistakably velvety and rich without being heavy. Trust me, it is well worth the effort of making and freezing a large batch of stock some weekend.

Recipe: Mark's Salad Nicoise

Mark's Salad Nicoise
(serves 2)

NOTE: Most Nicoise salads use green beans and egg. Those are fine additions to this salad, but they add time and the benefit is limited. This one is really about speed, ease, and the fresh herbs. If you can't get them, you may want to go with a more complex recipe.


Ingredients
Fresh from the garden romaine (one large head) or field greens (2 good handfuls).
1 can tuna in olive oil
1 can tuna in water.
6 ripe Campari tomatoes (or whatever is ripe and sweet).
1 can peeled new potatoes (I know, "CANNED?!?!?!" You can peel and boil fresh, if you like. I just found this to be tasty.
1halved and sliced cucumber
2 small handfuls Picholine olives
Salt and Pepper, to taste

For the dressing:

1T Dijon
Juice of 1/2-3/4 lemon
dash of salt and pepper
2-3T+ olive oil.
1T minced fresh Italian parsley
1T minced fresh chive
1-2t minced fresh tarragon.


In a small non-stick skillet, brown the potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper. If you use fresh, you'll still want to peel, boil, then brown them, tossing occasionally.

While the potatoes are browning, wash and dry your greens.

For the dressing, in a large bowl, add the Dijon, salt, pepper, and lemon. Then, whisk in olive oil until the dressing is emulsified and taste. Keep adding oil until balance is right for your taste. The drier the lettuce, the less acidic you'll want your dressing. Add in the minced fresh herbs and stir. Reserve 1/2 of the dressing.

Toss greens in remaining dressing.

Plate the greens. Assemble the tuna, tomatoes, potatoes, cukes, and olives atop the lettuce. Drizzle the reserved dressing over the top. Salt and pepper the cukes and tomatoes. A squeeze of lemon over the tuna is optional, but tasty.

If you'd like to go really over the top, you may add a soft boiled egg to each.

A great kitchen gadget

I (again) need to thank my in-laws. They got me one of the best holiday gifts ever.

In our heavily used kitchen, DH tends to be the cook, and I like to be the prep cook. I absolutely love the entire process and concept of mise en place. (A few years ago I got a set of 1" glass prep bowls for spices, wasabi, salt & pepper mixes... I love them.)




















This is my job, and I like it.
Except for cutting onions.

When I'm wearing my contact lenses, I have little or no problems. The lenses effectively block the tear-producing agents from getting to my eyes.

Oh, and just in case you're curious as to why onions cause tears... it's all chemistry:

Onions are Alliums (includes onions, garlic, shallots) and is actually a member of the lilly family. Alliums absorb sulfur in the soil as they grow. This in turn develops amino acid sulfoxides, called
Propanethial S-oxide.

Propanethial S-oxide is a lachrymator, an irritant that causes your lachrymal (tear) glands to kick into high gear to get rid of the irritant, which in this case, once combined with the eye, reacts to form sulfuric acid, causing the burning and itching sensations that accompany the tears.

In a word, "OUCH."
Sulfuric Acid in eyes = not good.

Here's the solution: onion goggles.
















They're clear glasses with padding around the lenses (like swimming goggles without the strap) and it blocks the Propanethial S-oxide from making contact with your corneas. They're in the picture above next to the heaping pile of onions that had absolutely no effect on me whatsoever. I actually leaned into the pile of cut onions and took a deep sniff, too. No reaction.

No vapor contact, no sulfuric acid.

It's a beautiful thing.
They also come in pink.

Anniversary Dinner

Next week is the anniversary of our first real date. I'm of the opinion that oyster stew may be the single best way to bag a life-long mate.

There are one or two cute stories from that night, and perhaps a few more private tales, but I think that the deal-maker was this dish.

Oyster and Chanterelle Mushroom Stew

1 pint freshest oysters with liquid
1/4 lb cleaned chanterelles mushrooms chopped
1 sweet onion, diced
1+T sweet butter
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1 generous pinch fresh grated nutmeg
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 dashes Worchestershire
1-2 oz. dry sherry
dash of cayenne or to taste
salt and pepper to taste

In a large sauce pan over medium heat (I use my chef's pan) saute' the sweet onion in butter, for a moment, then add the chanterelles. Saute' until the mushrooms are tender. A sprinkle of salt and pepper helps move this along. A bit of caramelization is fine, but you don't want too much. Don't burn the butter.

Once the mushrooms and onions are soft, add the liquid from the oysters, cream, nutmeg, cayenne, and pepper, Worchestershire, and thyme. Bring to a simmer for a few moments, then add the sherry, and simmer for another minute. Add the oysters, and bring back to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings. You shouldn't be able to taste much alcohol from the sherry. If you do, simmer for a moment more. Fish out the thyme sprigs. Serve in warm bowls with crusty bread and butter.

A bitter green salad with a mustard vinaigrette works well with this.

Serve with a dry, minerally white Burgundy or perhaps a Sancerre, or other dry stoney white wine.

Tips: Find the best sweet butter you can. It makes the bread work best with the stew. It's the sensual surprise that most folks don't expect. The sherry is much more key to this stew than you'd think. You can't skip it as it's an imperative note, but it can be too much if you don't cook it off enough. Be judicious with the sherry at first. If you can't find or afford chanterelles, button mushrooms are not a bad substitution. Most importantly, make sure you've got really fresh oysters. You'll be glad you did.

Oh, yeah. Remember candle light.

DH

Diablo Chicken

Mrs. OrDie made me promise to get this fast and easy recipe for an exciting two pan dinner up on the blog. So, here it is.

Diablo Chicken with Garlic Green Beans

For the rub:

• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chipotle powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
  
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp cumin
  

For the Chicken:

• 1 Fryer
• 1 lemon
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1tsp dried)
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 cup unsalted chicken stock
  
• 2 T. white wine or vermouth
  
  

Mix the rub ingredients together and pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a skillet (something that will take fond), add a little olive oil and then add your rinsed and dried chicken (anything from a game hen to a roaster will do, just make more rug and extend cooking time as the bird gets bigger). Sprinkle some of the rub inside the bird. You may want to add a little extra salt, but use care. We'll be making a pan sauce with the juices.

Place the bird breast side down and add a little olive oil, rubbing into the skin. Sprinkle more of the rub on the back of the bird. When well covered, turn the bird breast side up and add a bit more oil, making sure the breast is well oiled. Sprinkle more rub until it's well seasoned and rub into the skin.

Put the thyme into the cavity and then, with a fork, poke the lemon several times, over the chicken until it will drip a little juice onto the bird. Put the lemon in the cavity. Place skillet and bird inside the pre-heated oven. Set your timer for 1 hr. 10 minutes. Baste once at 45 minutes and once at 1 hr.

Meanwhile, clean and rinse your green beans.

For the green beans

• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 T. unsalted butter
• 3 cloves chopped fresh garlic

When the timer goes off, check the bird. It should be golden brown and the leg should move easily. If it's ready, pull the skillet out and let it cool just a bit on the stove. Carefully move the bid to the cutting board and tent with foil. I use a sturdy spatula and tongs to move the bird, which helps me not leave any skin in the pan.

Pour off as much of the fat as possible and then put the skillet over high heat. Add the wine, and scrape some of the bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and bring to a simmer and reduce to a roughly four tablespoons.

Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, melt butter and add chopped garlic. As soon as it's just lightly browned, add the green beans and a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Toss or stir to coat and fry the beans for 1 minute, then toss again. Reduce heat to medium. Toss occasionally to brown some of the beans and to make sure all are tender. Pre-heat your plates.

When your sauce has reduced (about 6 minutes) your green beans should be done. Turn the heat down on both and carve your bird. You can either sauce the plate and place the chicken on it, keeping the skin crispier, or spoon the sauce over the chicken. Next, plate the green beans, making sure to get the garlic nubblies as well as the beans.


You can easily add a starch by cooking peeled new potatoes in the chicken skillet, but I usually don't bother.

Serve this with a pinot noir or something that will stand up to the robust seasoning and rich-tasting sauce.

Note from the missus: To warm up we cracked open a box of BOTA Box red zin. Not the best choice for the bird, but a great deal at $16/box where 1 box=4 bottles of wine!!






Delicious.

Dry Curried Scallops with couscous, peas and scallions.

Dry Curried Scallops with couscous, peas and scallions.

First, a note on "Dry" Scallops: Buy them.

“Wet” scallops have been treated with a sodium tripolyphosphate in order to keep the scallops fresher looking and to help keep them moist. Most of us have only had "wet" scallops. We thus don't know what scallops really taste like. After trying "dry" scallops, I know. They taste jump-up-and-smack-me-in-the-mouth-GOOD. Like the sea, but sweeter.

Right now, they're available at Luken's down at Findlay Market (Downtown Cincinnati, OH) for just $9/lb. This is an incredible value.

To the recipe:

Curried Scallops Over Saffron Couscous

For two

1 lb. Medium dry scallops

1 T. Curry

1 tsp. Cayenne pepper or to taste

1 tsp. Salt or to taste

1 T. Grape seed oil

2 T. Butter

1 cup Heavy cream

6 scallions cleaned and sliced

For the Couscous

1 cup Couscous

2+ cups Chicken stock
1/2 tsp Turmeric

1 dzn Saffron threads or a pinch to taste

1 generous pinch Salt

1-2 cups frozen peas

Rinse and dry the scallops (or not, I just season them and cook), and lightly salt both sides. Sprinkle a little cayenne on each side, being careful not to over-do it. Generously sprinkle curry on both sides of the scallops. A curry crust is fine.

Bring stock up to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Add salt, turmeric, and saffron, then add couscous. Lower the heat and cover for 3 minutes. Stir in peas and add more stock if necessary. Cover and keep warm. Taste for seasoning and make sure peas are hot. Correct if necessary.

Heat a large non-stick skillet to high. Add grape seed oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter stops foaming, add the scallops, largest first in the center of the pan, then smaller around the outside. They will cook quickly. As the scallops brown lightly, turn them to cook the other side. Each side can cook, depending on how well you like them done, from 90 seconds-to-3 minutes. No more. They'll start getting chewy like shoe leather if you over cook them.

If in doubt, buy a few more than you plan on serving and test them as you cook them. You can always cook a scallop longer by adding more heat, you can't UN-cook a scallop.

Pre heat bowls in the microwave. Put the couscous in the warm bowls. As the scallops finish cooking, place the cooked scallops directly on the saffron couscous in each bowl.

Then add 1Tb butter to the hot pan and add half the scallions. Stir briefly until wilted, then add the cream. Bring to a boil, scraping any brown bits of scallop and spice off the bottom of the pan, and when the cream coats the back of a spoon, pour the sauce over the scallops and couscous. Garnish with scallions.

The whole process from flicking on the heat under the pan until you pour the sauce over the scallops should take about 15 minutes.

Serve with a bone-dry reisling or perhaps a pinot grigio.

If you came here from Julia's, here's a link back to the Blog Party

Brook Trout for Dinner

Brown trout caught and captured by David French.







Brook Trout image courtesy of the Ohio DNR.

The other night we had a brace of trout (one brown and one very pretty brookie) that my father caught that morning. It was so exquisite that I thought I'd share the recipe/menue with you all.

Grilled Brown Trout with New Potatoes and Braised Baby Artichokes

Figure on one 10"-14" trout and 3 baby artichokes per person.

For the Trout:
two sprigs fresh tarragon per trout
2 Tbs rendered bacon fat
salt and pepper
Kitchen twine

For the Potatoes
3-4 medium new potatoes p.p. peeled and halved
1 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.

For the Artichokes
3 Baby Artichokes (p.p.)
2 tsp salted capers, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic, sliced
1-2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chicken stock
a squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper to taste.

This dish is all about brining out the rustic goodness of the ingredients. It seems simple, but pay attention and you'll be suprised by the depth of flavor. Real fire is better than gas and real wood is better than briquettes.

Start your fire, and when the coals are hot, arrange them on one side of the grill. While the fire is getting ready, blanch the potatoes for 4 minutes, then drain, and add oil and salt and pepper. Toss to coat. When the grate is hot, add the potatoes, flat side down, directly over the coals (if the fire isn't too hot for you). When they start to brown, turn and move them off the main fire, and cover (vents open). Cook for 10 minutes while you prep the trout and artichokes.

Cut the tops off the baby artichokes and any brown part of the stem. Pluck off the outer petals until you get to very pale leaves. You want them to be quite tender as you eat the entire thing. Keep them in acidulated water to keep them from turning brown until you're ready to cook, then dry them briefly.

Rinse and dry the trout. Salt and pepper inside and out. Brush the interior of the trout with bacon fat, then stuff the tarragon inside. Tie with 2 lengths of cotton twine. This makes them easier to manage. Brush with a modest amount of bacon fat. Pre-heat your oven to 200'. Check on your potatoes.

If the potatoes aren't golden brown, move them back over the fire for a few moments. When done, place them on foil or a plate and keep them warm in the oven. Bring the trout out and place on the fire. If the fire isn't too hot, you can grill directly over the fire, turning after 4 minutes and basting with bacon fat. Cook another 4 minutes, turn, baste again, cook 2 minutes turn again. When the skin is brown and crisp, you're done. If the fire is terribly hot, you'll want to cook them indirectly for 6 minutes, then baste and turn and cook for another 4 minutes, baste and turn and finish over the flame if needed. (cooks note: if you don't have bacon fat, you can substitute butter and it will still be quite good) Pre-heat your plates.

While the trout are cooking, heat olive oil in a pan with a lid. Saute' garlic for a moment, then add capers and saute' until the garlic is lightly brown. Add the artichokes, toss, add salt and pepper to taste, and cook for another minute. Add stock and cover. Lower heat to low. Right before the trout come off the grill, take the lid off, raise the heat, and cook off any excess liquid. Add a squeeze of lemon and plate with the potatoes and trout. Cut the twine off the trout.

Serve with a dry pinot grigio or perhaps a sauvignon blanc.

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Forgive Me...

...For I have sinned.

Last week, I was shopping for dinner late, and (forgive me) I saw a pretty ribeye on sale at (I'm so sorry...) Kroger's. I was tired and not thinking straight, so I bought two.

I guess you have to wander every once in a while to realize just how good you have it. You see, my butcher is Bessler's Market. I have bought my best steaks there, over and over. The beef is raised locally and they age it. They also source their poultry from just down the road, as well. But I digress. I'm talking about beef and how I screwed up.

So, anyway, I bought a steak from Kroger's. What a mistake. It looked fine, but the texture was off and the flavor was bland. Fortunately, I had a good rub with it. For the same price, I could have had a steak to remember from Bessler's. Give them a try. Tell them Mr. Inch-and-Three-Quarter-Porter sent you.

As part of my penance, I'm going to give you my recipe for cowboy steaks and watercress salad. I ripped this off from Bobby Flay, and changed it modestly. Here's what you need:

(serves 2)
1 1.75" Porterhouse steak
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1tsp finely ground espresso or Italian roast
2 tsp salt
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp chipotle powder (hot paprika, ground smoked anchos, or even chili powder will work)
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp olive oil to finish

Mix the ingredients for the rub (except oil) together and taste for heat. This should be on the high side of spicy. It will mellow on the grill. Rub into the meat, both sides. I like to add the olive oil to both sides to activate the spices a bit more. You can do this up to one day in advance, but at least 1 hour before cooking. If it will be more than one hour or so, cover and refigerate. If you can't get a porterhouse, a good thinck ribeye works too. Bone in is great, too, but you'll want it 1 3/8" not 1 3/4".

One hour before cooking, pull the meat from the fridge and allow to come up to room temperature. If it's on a cold plate, switch to one that's room temperature. After 40 minutes, start a fire in the grill. I prefer the lump hardwood style charcole. I also prefer using a charcole chimney--it makes for cleaner tasting food and lights fast. When the coals have mostly developed white edges, dump onto one side of the grill and place to cooking grill back over the coals to heat. Make sure both sides of the grill should be clean and hot

Grill steak for roughly 6 minutes per side. The fire should be hot so keep an eye on the steak. A little flame is good. Inferno, not so much. If it flares too much, move it off the fire to the other side of the grill for a moment. After you've given the steak 12 minutes, if you think it was pretty cold when it went on the grill, stand it up on the bone end, over the fire for 2 minutes. Then move the steak to the over side of the grill, bone facing the fire side. Feel for doneness. It should be very rare at this point. Let the steak sit for another 4-6 minutes on the cooler side of the grill turning after 2 minutes. Test for doneness after 4 minutes. You may want to give it another minute per side to crisp up the crust but that's up to you. Let the steak rest for 5-9 minutes on a warm plate.

I like to serve this with a watercress salad with tomatoes, blue cheese and a dijon-shallot-sherry vinegarette. I also like to grill some new potatoes that I blanched, then seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil.

This is a keeper. Trust me.

And if you're anywhere near Covington, try Bessler's Market. If you want my custom cut from the butcher, make sure you get there before 4:30.

If you came here via Julia's Blog Party, welcome! If you've not visited Hooked on Houses, give it a gander.

Recipe: Gnocci and Truffles

So, truffles are special to me. You might be able to tell that from the only other recipe on the blog.

Truffled Hen

Last night we did Jacques Pépin's Gnocci with Eggs and Truffles. Madisons had frozen truffles a couple weeks ago so I had them on hand and they work wonderfully in this dish. I have to say, Jacques has not failed me yet. This recipe is from his PBS Series, "More Fast Food, My Way".

This recipe makes 2-4 servings. Two if you're making a dinner out of with with a salad, and 4 if it's a side or hors d'oeuvre.

You'll need:

4 eggs
16 ounces potato gnocchi
About 1 cup water
About 1½ tablespoons olive oil
1-1½ tablespoon unsalted butter
salt and black pepper to taste
6-8 chopped green onions
A large dollop of sour cream
freshly grated Reggiano
a drizzle of truffle oil

First, lightly season and beat the eggs in a bowl and reserve. Heat oil and butter in a non-stick skillet until the butter just melts and add the gnocchi. Give them a toss and add the water. Simmer for a moment and cover and cook for about 3 minutes. The gnocci ought to be fairly fluffy and soft and there should only be a bit of water left.

Throw in the green onions and give them a toss. Cook it all over medium heat, uncovered a few minutes, just until most of the moisture is gone and the gnocci are just barely beginning to brown.

Add the eggs and stir often for just a minute or less. Just enough for the eggs to start to set up. The eggs should be very loose but not quite runny. Turn off the heat and quickly shave truffle over the gnocci. Quickly add the sour cream and mixe it in to stop the cooking. If in doubt, add the sour cream first, then shave the truffle in.

Place the gnocci and eggs on a bed of bibb lettuce on each plate. Shave a bit more truffle on top, grate the Reggiano parmesan over the top, and drizzle a bit of truffle oil (optional).

Serve with a nice Italian Rosso or Barbera d'Asti

Check out the entire episode below.

Any Time Now

I was speaking with someone about insulation and somehow the subject got around to food. Go figure.

Then to truffles. It's almost time, folks.

Soon. Madison's Market is checking on them. I'm hoping for another decent season.

Last year's was something else.

For those who are interested, here's the article and recipes

More house stuff soon. We're very busy and a lot has happened on site.

OT: Foodie Alert

We spend a lot of time in the kitchen, when we're not working. As such, we tend to be hip to food and seasonality. Folks, the Pacific Northwest truffles are in and they are the best I've seen in years. Madison's produce at Findlay Market carries them all season long. If you've never had the black truffles, they are utterly amazing. I didn't even know we had them in this country until 9 years ago.



I bought two fairly large truffles on Friday for abut $17 bucks. That's enough for 3 meals, but we'll only use them in two. . So, $8.5 per is pretty reasonable.

I have to tell you, a truffled hen (or better yet, a capon) is something to experience. What I do is start with an unglazed roasting pot (romertopf), but you could probably use any covered roasting pot. I then get the best quality bird I can find. Fresh and Amish is my preference, but free range is a good call too. I season the cavity and stuff it with a couple shallots, a little garlic, fresh sage, and a few bits of truffle, usually end slices. Then I tuck two cloves of garlic under the breast skin and four slices of truffle. I'll also tuck a little truffle under the leg skin. You should have a half truffle left. Reserve this for later. Brush the bird with oil or melted butter, and season with kosher salt and pepper. Place the bird in the pot.

Peel and quarter a small onion and place around the bird in the pot. Peel and roughly chop a carrot and arrange around the bird. Add 4 peeled cloves of garlic, and 6-8 small, peeled, oiled and seasoned new potatoes. A few peeled shallots and extra sage leaves are nice too. Add enough DRY sherry or white wine to the pot to bring it up to 3/4" above the bottom. Cover and place in a cold oven. Set the temperature at 475 and roast for 1 1/2 -2 hours (depending upon your oven and the size of the bird). You may want to uncover at 90 minutes to brown the skin and potatoes more. If you do, check it after 15 minutes.

When the bird is tender and brown, pull it and let it rest only 5 minutes. Keep the pan juices hot. Preheat plates and add potatoes, whatever carrots and garlic you might want from the pot. Carve the chicken, then thinly shave truffle slices over the top of the meat. Spoon the hot pan juices over the truffled meat. The room should become infused with the perfume. You can serve this with buttered and dilled green beans. If you want to go over the top, an endive gratin works really well with a capon for Christmas dinner.

A fine red wine is called for here. I like a good, velvety (not tannic or acidic) Rosso. I'm thinking that a Corbieres might work well too.

If this isn't one of the finest dinners you've had, I'll be amazed.

Addendum:

Endive Gratin

Wash and trim endives. Halve, length-wise. Place in acidulated water while you work. Blanche the endives in lemoned and salted water (2 per peson, I think) for 2 mintues. Gently drain and dry. Wrap each endive half in a thin slice of prosciutto. Arrange in a buttered gratin dish or lasagna pan as they are just touching. Sprinkle fresh chopped thyme (about a teaspoon) over and around. Top with a little grated Gruyeres cheese, a little (1 Tb) parm, heavy whipping cream to cover 1/2" of the endives, and top with bread crumbs and dot with butter. Bake it in a 350 oven until golden, the cheese is melted and the cream is bubbling, about an hour, but check it often.

You'll probably want a crisp frissee' or bitter greens salad to finish this meal off and cleanse the palate. Maybe some pears and St. Andre cheese for dessert with a Moscato d'Asti.