Baked stuffed tomatoes are a great way to serve tomatoes from your garden. In this image credited to Harry Katz/Missouri Life, I stuffed them with two fillings; creamed spinach, and goat cheese, along with Indian spiced ground lamb and Basmati rice.

Every summer gardeners delight in their harvest of home grown tomatoes. From the hearty beef steak and slicing varieties to petit cherry and grape tomatoes to the flavorful plum tomatoes, they all have their place on the dining room table. No matter how you serve them or what recipe that you use, learning some basic techniques for preparing them is a definite must.

In this blog, I will focus on two techniques that can be used to prep your tomatoes for any number of uses. In the first series, I illustrate a series of steps used to hollow out the tomatoes in preparation for stuffing. When they are finished they can be stuffed for baking or with cold salads such as shrimp or chicken for a tasty light lunch or as a first course for a dinner. I like this way of hollowing out the tomatoes because it is a quick and efficient way to create a cavernous hole in the tomato for maximum filling. Once finished the cores can be used to make a tomato soup or a sauce.

Hollowing out the tomatoes in preparation for stuffing takes three steps:

1. Place the tomato core side down and cut a deep circle (slightly more than 3/4 of the way through the tomato) in the tomato making sure not to cut all the way through the tomato
2.  Insert the paring knife into the bottom of the tomato and slicing with an arching movement release the core (make sure not to cut the initial incision any larger than necessary)
3. Once the core is released pull out the core and reserve it for another use.

The tomato is now ready to be stuffed. See my July blog post for the Indian spiced ground lamb and Basmati rice recipe for a tasty filling.

Hollowing out tomatoes for stuffing is done in three easy steps. Image by Harry Katz/Missouri Life.

The second series involves the steps used for peeling and seeding tomatoes. The tomatoes once peeled and de-seeded can be utilized in many ways for different recipes. One such use is for the classic, tomato concasse,  which is considered to be a foundational procedure in culinary circles and taught to students and apprentices. Tomato concasse is defined as roughly chopped tomatoes that have first been peeled and de-seeded. One of my recipes for peeled seeded tomatoes is as a Smoked tomato relish that I use for grilled steaks or chicken breasts. In the next two series of images are the steps for peeling and de-seeding tomatoes, images by Harry Katz/Missouri Life.

Steps one through four are clockwise from the top left-hand corner:

1. Cut out the core with a paring knife
2. Cut a small x in the bottom of the tomatoes
3. Then  briefly plunge the tomatoes in rapid boiling salted water for about a minute or less (known as blanching)
4. Once the skins start to blister remove the tomatoes and chill quickly in ice water. This helps to release the peel of the tomatoes

The final steps for peeling and de-seeding tomatoes are:

5. Peel the chilled tomatoes with a paring knife
6. Cut in half across the diameter of the tomatoes
7. Using a paring knife scrape out the seeds while squeezing the tomatoes.

Once peeled and de-seeded the tomatoes are ready to be smoked by using the indirect smoking method with wood chips in covered BBQ grill for use in a Smoked Tomato Relish. They can also be used for tomato concasse or other recipes.

Smoked Tomato Relish
Yield 2 1/2 to 3 cups
Ingredients:

1/4 cup                        Shallots, finely diced
1 teaspoon                   Black pepper
1 teaspoon                   Granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons             Fresh basil chopped
½ teaspoon                  Salt
¼ cup                          Balsamic vinegar
¾ cup                          Extra virgin olive oil
5 each                        Medium slicing tomatoes

1. Blanch, peel and de-seed the tomatoes,
2. Indirect smoke with wood chips for 10 minutes,
3. Remove the tomatoes from the smoker and cover with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature,
4. In a large bowl mix the shallots, black pepper, sugar, basil and salt with the balsamic vinegar,
5. Whisk in the olive oil,
6. Dice the tomatoes and mix in,
7. Serve with grilled steak or chicken.

Growing tomatoes and then preparing them in unique and delicious ways for your family and friends always brings twice the satisfaction. Enjoy and keep on cooking!

Grilled rib eye of beef topped with Smoked Tomato Relish is a tasty way to feature tomatoes with steak from the backyard BBQ. Photo Credit goes to Harry Katz/Missouri Life.

 

Toasting the whole spices in a dry saute pan brings out all of the aromatic flavors prior to grinding and sifting to create a flavorful Garam Masala blend

 

Known in India as the “hot spice”, because of the warming qualities that it produces in the body when consumed, Garam Masala has many variations. It can be made with just a few spices or with as many as 30 or more. It is one of the most famous spice blends that hails from India and according to the ancient Indian medical practice of Ayurveda is reputed to have medicinal properties that warm the body when eaten. This ancient spice blend from Northern India is very flavorful but not spicy hot and is used in many different dishes with or without meat. In this post, I use it for a ground lamb and rice pilaf dish.

Chefs and cooks use spice blends for recipes to provide consistency to their dishes and almost all the world’s cuisines have blends that have proven to be popular over the ages. Some of the more famous blends are the French Herbes de Province and Quatre Epices, North Africas Ras el Hanout, and the Chinese Five Spice. From India comes Curry Powder, the most well known along with Garam Masala. From America mixes include BBQ spice blends, Creole Spice, and Pickling Spice. At the University Club kitchen, I use four spices that are commercially blended to my specifications: Mexi Spice, Creole Spice, Blackening Spice and Duck Roasting Spice.

Garam Masala which is a toasted blend of ground whole spices is somewhat like a curry spice blend except that it does not contain turmeric which gives curry its yellow color. According to my research, it is normally used as a finishing spice; however, I like to use it as a base spice to season a basmati rice dish made with ground lamb, peppers and onions, pine nuts and golden raisins. I then use more of the spice blend as a dusted garnish when the dish is served. The main points that I would like to share with you in this post are:

• the toasting of the spices which is done in a dry saute pan
• grinding the toasted spices in a coffee grinder and then sifting through a sieve to yield a finely ground blend
• the technique of using the spice blend first in the cooking process to fully release its flavors and then as a finishing spice to accent the dish along with fresh herbs and toasted pine nuts
• the rice pilaf technique, which is the technique/recipe that is done by browning the rice with the other ingredients, adding a hot stock and then baking the rice in the oven. This technique is used in many rice dishes from Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, North Africa and India.
• lastly, the mise en place (French for everything in its place) which is the act of preparing all of the ingredients and carefully measuring them before the cooking process begins. This a very important so that nothing will be missed and even more important in baking and pastry making! This term is also used in professional kitchens to mean having everything prepped and organized prior to service. This is how service in a commercial kitchen is done efficiently with many meals being served either in an a la carte or banquet kitchen.

Indian Spiced Ground Lamb and Basmati Rice Pilaf
By Chef Daniel Pliska
Can be used to Stuff Tomatoes or blanched Onions for baking 
Yield: 4 portions

1 pound                      Ground Lamb Meat
1/4 cup                        small Diced Onions
1/4 cup                        small Diced Red Peppers
1/4 cup                        small Diced Green Peppers
1 Tablespoon             Minced Garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons         Garam Masala Spice
1 cup                           Basmati Rice
1/2 cup                        Golden Raisins
2 cups                         Chicken Stock
1/4 cup                        Chopped Scallions
1/4 cup                        Chopped Parsley
1/4 cup                        Toasted Pine Nuts
1Tablespoon              Olive Oil
Kosher Salt to Taste

Garam Masala Style Spice:
1 teaspoon                 Whole Cumin Seeds
1 teaspoon                  Whole Coriander seeds
1 Stick                          Cinnamon 1” long broken up
1/2 teaspoon               Whole Cloves
1 teaspoon                   Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon                  Whole Black Peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon                Ground Cardamom
¼ teaspoon                   Ground Mace

1. In a dry pan toast the Cumin, Coriander, Cloves and Cinnamon over medium-high heat until fragrant. Make sure to agitate the spices constantly once they heat up by sauteeing or stirring with a wooden spoon so that the spices brown evenly and don’t burn.
2. Add the Salt, Whole Peppercorns, Ground Cardamom and Mace and grind to a fine powder in spice grinder
3. Sieve through a strainer and use or store in an airtight container for future use.

Lamb with Basmati Rice:

1. Sautee the Lamb with the Garlic, Onions, Peppers and 1 1/2 teaspoons Garam Masala Spice
2. Drain some of the Fat
3. Add the Rice and Brown
4. Add the Raisins and Stock
5. Bring to a boil, cover and cook in the oven 30 to 35 minutes until Rice is cooked
6. Remove and add the Herbs, Pine Nuts (reserve a small amount to garnish the finished rice) and adjust seasoning to taste with more Salt if needed
7. Fluff with a fork and garnish with more Garam Masala, Chopped Herbs, and Toasted Pine nuts and serve or cool and stuff tomatoes or blanched onions in preparation for baking.

Mise en place for Ground Lamb with Basmati Rice. Mise en place is the French term meaning “everything in its place”, and refers to having everything for a recipe prepped and measured before the cooking begins

After the Garam Masala is prepared dice all of the vegetables and measure all of the ingredients. Everything is ready ( Mise en place) to cook.

Brown the lamb with Garam Masala in olive oil and then add the vegetables and then the rice and stir until the rice has browned. This is the first step in the Pilaf technique and can be done with as few as six ingredients (minced onions, rice, butter, stock, salt, and pepper) or more as is in this recipe. The act of browning the rice enhances the flavor of the rice, and by stirring it with the fat and other ingredients the rice becomes coated and keeps it from not sticking together when cooked.

The rice pilaf technique is a way to cook rice by browning the rice with the other ingredients, adding a hot stock, covering the dish and baking it in the oven until done. The name Pilaf comes from the Turkish word Pilav and is a prepared in many countries in the region.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then cover with foil or a lid and bake at 350F until all of the stock is absorbed and the rice is cooked.

 

After the rice is cooked and all of the liquid has been absorbed fluff the rice with some of the toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley, and scallions

 

Add the toasted Pine nuts and the chopped herbs and fluff with a fork. This final step ensures that all of the ingredients are mixed thoroughly and lightens the rice so that it is not too compact. If needed adjust the seasoning with more salt and serve.

The rice can also be used to stuff small or large tomatoes or blanched hollowed out onions and then baked in the oven topped with herb flavored bread crumbs as shown in the following image. Either way, this rice dish flavored with Garam Masala has a unique and flavorful taste that will surely be appreciated by anyone who eats it. Enjoy!

Baked stuffed Campari Tomatoes filled with Ground Lamb and Basmati Rice are ready to be served.

Duck Liver and Apple Paté

 

Three of my favorite patés- Chicken Apricot Terrine, Duck Liver Parfait, and Country Paté- served with Fennel Leek and Orange Relish, Apple Raisin Chutney, and Arugula Radicchio Salad. Image by Madeline Stanley

Patés and terrines are a hallmark of any chef trained in the art of Garde Manger. Dating back to the middle ages in Europe these cold spiced meat loaves, for lack of better term, have stood the test of time and are still served today in some of the finest restaurants and charcuteries in the country. Patés made from meat are basically broken up into these major categories; country paté or paté de campagne, mousse of paté, paté en croute, and terrine. The majority of patés are made with pork, and pork fat, however, many other types of meat are also used. Typically the most popular types are chicken, duck, rabbit, venison, pheasant and quail. Duck liver and foie gras (fatty goose liver) create luxurious patés and terrines as well.

The base for classic patés that are made with meat is divided into four types: straight forcemeat, mousseline, country style and gratin style forcemeat.  Once the forcemeat is made the mix is then put into baking molds called terrines and are often garnished with diced meats, foie gras, nuts and dried fruits. The types of garnishes that are used depends on the type of paté that is being made. The garnishes can be in-layed in a random fashion or in precise layers to give the paté a more unique appearance when sliced.

Duck liver and foie gras are also used often in patés and terrines to give the paté a richer mouth feel and delicate flavor. Duck liver can be used to make a basic delicious paté when blended with sautéed apples and caramelized onions. Easy to prepare at home this paté is not baked in the oven; it is cooked on the stove, chilled and then pureed with butter. The first step to make it is to marinate the duck liver in port wine, sherry and brandy along with spices. After marination, the liver is sautéed along with onions and apples. After this is done the mixture is cooled to room temperature and in the final step pureed with butter to create a delectable spreadable paté as shown in the photo topped with a port wine gelee.

Duck liver and apple paté is an easy  to make at home and makes a dramatic presentation when served with croustades, apple raisin chutney, and sliced figs

Serve with crackers or French bread croustades

1 large duck liver
1 tsp. brandy
1 tsp. port wine
1 tsp. dry sherry
Duck Roasting Spice to taste
¼ cup chopped onions
½ apple peeled, cored, and diced
2 tsp. chopped parsley
2 Tbl cold butter
Rendered Duck fat for cooking (oil or  clarified butter can be substituted)

Duck Roasting Spice

1 TBL ground bay leaves
1 TBL ground thyme
1 TBL rubbed sage
½ tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. ground mace
2 Tbl kosher salt or coarse sea salt
1 TBL ground black pepper

• Blend all together in a coffee grinder and store in a sealed jar. Use for duck liver paté or for roasted duck.

Duck Liver Paté

Method:

1. Marinade the duck liver in the Brandy, Port wine, and the Sherry along with some Duck Roasting Spice for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
2. In sauté pan over medium high heat, sear off the duck liver with a pinch of Duck Roasting Spice, in a tablespoon of rendered duck fat, then remove and chill in the refrigerator.
3. Return the pan to the stove and sauté the onions until lightly caramelized and then reduce the heat to medium and add the apples and cook until tender.
4. Add to the liver and chill slightly.
5. In a small food processor chop the liver with the apples and onions a fine meal is formed.
6. Add the parsley and cold butter and puree until smooth.
7. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed and then fill small dishes and chill until firm.
8. Cover with warm clarified butter (or prepare a port wine gelee and cover the top of the dishes)  and refrigerate until set.
9. Serve with croustades, French bread or crackers.

 

Chicken Apricot Terrine is one of my favorite patés. In it, brine smoked chicken thighs are diced and mixed with a mousseline style forcemeat, diced ham, dried apricots, and pistachios prior to being baked in a terrine mold. Image by Madeline Stanley.

 

Another one of my favorite patés is made with smoked chicken, dried apricots, ham, and pistachios bound with a chicken breast mousseline wrapped in prosciutto ham. It was featured in an article that I wrote for the National Culinary Review (the official magazine of the American Culinary Federation) in the May edition.

A chicken mousseline which is one of the four types of forcemeat is extremely delicate and smooth. It is made from marinated chicken breast with brandy, shallots, and herbs and then ground and pureed with half its weight of the heavy cream and finally seasoning with salt and white pepper. Mousseline style forcemeat can also be made with fish as well to be used in the production of seafood terrines.

Paté en Croute (paté in crust) is one of the most complicated types of patés to prepare because of its different components along with the various procedures used to make them. They can be filled with many different types of forcemeat. This image is of a duck paté en croute made with a straight forcemeat. The forcemeat is made with duck meat, pork, pork fat, duck liver, cognac and spices. The forcemeat is then mixed with diced duck breast meat, foie gras and pistachios. A buttery dough is then prepared and a special paté en croute mold is then lined with the dough followed with thinly sliced pork backfat. The next step is to is to fill the dough-lined mold with the forcemeat and then cover it with a lid of more dough. Prior to baking, small round holes are cut in the top dough so as to allow the steam to escape and to create an opening in the top of the paté so that a gelee or aspic can be poured into the paté after it is cooked and chilled  This is done to fill up the space in the top of the paté and to add an interesting texture profile to the finished  paté en croute.

In this image, I served the paté en croute with a pearl onion and raisin chutney, arugula and pickled carrots.

Paté en croute molds are special molds that come apart after the paté is baked and cooled

Patés and terrines have a long history and there are many types still served today in some of the finest kitchens. In my latest article written for the National Culinary Review, I featured five chefs who create and serve patés in their restaurants. The article can be found at Digital Version of the National Culinary Review

One of the chefs that I interviewed for the article is Brian Polcyn, chef instructor and co- author of the book, Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Curing and Smoking. He is in process of writing a new book due out soon, entitled Pâté, Terrines, and Rillettes: A New Look at the Classics. His first book is excellent and I am sure his paté book will be just as good and I eagerly await it.

Another great resource and one of my favorite books, although published years ago, is Paté and Terrines published in 1984 and written by Edouard Longue, Michael Raffael & Others.

From the simple patés and humble country style terrines to the more elaborate paté en croute these types of cold food masterpieces will always garner praise and be the centerpiece of many cold food displays. I hope you enjoy reading my post about them and try to make some in your kitchen as well. Bon Appetit!

 

Crawfish, Crawdads or Mudbugs, no matter what you call them they are delicious! Hailing from streams and ponds these freshwater crustaceans are synonymous with the American regional cuisine of Louisiana. Immortalized in the lyrics of the song “Jambayala on the Bayou” recorded by Hank Williams in 1952, crawfish are used for dishes such as Crawfish étouffée, Crawfish Boil, Crawfish Dressing, Crawfish Beignets and Crawfish pie, as in the song.

However, long before that, they were cherished in France most notably for the Sauce Nantua. A famous story relating to crawfish is about Chicken Marengo which is said to have been Napoleon’s favorite dish. Chicken Marengo was created by his personal chef Dunand after the victory in June 1800 against the Austrians in Marengo, Italy. According to legend, the chef was having a hard time finding ingredients because the food supply wagons were lost after the battle. He had to search the local area for food and one of the items that he was able to collect from a farm was crawfish. Dunand combined the crawfish with chicken, tomatoes, and other ingredients and served it garnished with fried eggs and called it Chicken Marengo.

Crawfish grow wild in streams and are farm-raised in ponds.  When purchased live they need to be cleaned well by letting them sit in a sink of cool water where the water is changed frequently for at least an hour. Agitate the water between changing it so that enough oxygen is available for the crawfish to breathe. When the water is clear after many changes the crawfish are clean and ready to cook. The two ways that I cook crawfish is by sauteeing or cooking them in a court bouillon.

• In the saute method,  I start with a hot pan and a little olive oil, then I quickly saute the shallots and finely chopped mirepoix. In the next step, I add the crawfish and then flambe them with brandy and cover them briefly until they are cooked.
• In the court bouillon method, which is the typical way to cook large batches of 25 pounds or more, I boil them in a well-seasoned court bouillon made with mirepoix, wine, herbs and spices, lemon and water.
• After they are cooked in either method I briefly shock them in ice water to stop the carryover cooking and to chill them.
• The final step is to remove the meat from the tails.

This is done in three steps:

1. First, twist off the tails from the heads (reserving the heads to make crawfish stock or crawfish butter).
2. Then peel off the outer shell from the tail meat leaving the tail shell intact.
3. Lastly,  pinch the middle of the tail shell and draw out the intestinal tract and remove the tail shell. If it doesn’t come out then pull it out of the cleaned meat from the top (do not wash off the yellow colored “fat” that is attached to the tail meat this adds a lot flavor to any preparation). The tail meat is now ready to be used in any preparation such as the one in the next photo.

After I cooked the crawfish used in this post I prepared this dish as a tasting for the line cooks. It goes well served over rice, pasta or with croustades as an appetizer. To make it I sauteed fine diced onion, celery and bell peppers (known as the trinity in Creole/Cajun cooking) with garlic and some creole spice in olive oil. Then I added a little of the court bouillon that I cooked the crawfish in followed by some chopped tomatoes. After it reduced to thick consistency I added a small amount of cream and then tossed in the tails and finished it with a splash of sherry.

Another way to serve crawfish tails is as a garnish for sauteed salmon with a classic French sauce known as  Nantua sauce, named for the city and a lake in eastern France. The classic Nantua sauce is normally served with a dish of fish dumplings made from pike, called Quenelles de Brochet Nantua. To prepare the classic sauce a base sauce of Bechamel is cooked with a small amount of tomato and then finished with a crawfish butter. My version of Nantua sauce starts with a white wine reduction with shallots, thyme, tarragon and a little tomato paste. I then add heavy cream and reduce to a nappe consistency before emulsifying with cold crawfish butter.

To make crawfish butter I begin by roasting the heads to dry them out and then crush them up. After that, I weigh the heads and then melt an equal amount butter to which I  add the crushed roasted heads. The next step is to clarify the butter by simmering over low heat. The butter is ready to be strained when it is clear and orange colored. When it is ready I strain it and then chill the clarified butter until it is solid. To finish the sauce, I whisked small pieces of the solid butter into the reduced cream sauce, which creates a butter sauce emulsion that has a rich crawfish flavor.

To prepare the Salmon Mignons Nantua I stem some shiitake mushrooms and then cut them into halves and quarters.  I then cut and peel some white and green asparagus tips. Then I cut thin slices of salmon and sprinkle them with chopped herbs (basil, tarragon, and parsley).

In the next step, I rolled up the cut salmon and wrapped them with thin bands of foil that were lightly sprayed with oil so that they would hold their shape when I cooked them. Then I gathered a small amount of the cooked tails to garnish the dish when plating.

To cook the dish I first sear the salmon in a hot pan with olive oil.  Then I flip them over and bake them in the oven for few minutes to cook the pinwheels all the way through. After they are cooked I remove them from the pan and hold them warm while I drain off any excess oil.  I then add chopped shallots, the asparagus (which I blanched while the salmon was cooking) and the mushrooms. I then add the crawfish tails and a small amount of brandy and then flambee it.

To plate up the two portions I  remove the foil bands from the salmon and garnish the plates with the asparagus, shitake mushrooms and crawfish tails, finishing the presentation with the Nantua sauce that I previously prepared. Very tasty!

And with that, as they say in the big easy, Laissez les bon temps rouller!

 

 

It is often said that the act of kneading bread is very therapeutic and calming. That being said, making a good loaf takes more than good dexterity skills. The interaction between yeast, flour, and water at its most basic level is a complex reaction that creates the flavor, texture, and density of any given loaf. In Michael Kalanty’s latest book,

In Michael Kalanty’s latest book, How to Bake More Bread, he thoroughly explains the method of using “wild yeast.” Those strains of microorganisms that are found naturally in flours, grains, vegetables and the skins of fruits.

Michael Kalanty’s technique, as outlined in his book, is to build the starter or mother by capturing the elusive yeast cells. To do this, first soak raisins in water for three days, then mix them with flour and honey. Feed and maintain this starter or mother, as it is called, for seven more days by adding a small amount of flour each day.  This process produces a wild yeast culture the base for the famous flavorful bread known as sourdough. Sourdough bread is a type of bread made all over the world and a specialty of San Francisco where Kalanty resides and teaches.

I met Michael Kalanty in my travels as a chef/author and sampled some of his wonderful breads at a seminar that he taught at the American Culinary Federation National Convention in Kansas City.

Bake More Bread is the sequel to his award winning book, How to Bake Bread, it features the following:

• Three chapters to explain the trio of steps to create a wild yeast culture
• Master formula known as Pain au Levain for use with wild yeast cultures
• Step by step photos of how to form and bake bread
• Recipes and methods for three styles of breads “Modern Breads, Classic Breads and Porridge Breads”
• Innovative flavor wheel for bread
• 290 pages in soft cover book

Michael Kalanty’s books are written for the professional baker, the serious baking aficionado and the baking student alike or for those of us who want to learn more about the science of baking with yeast. He gives an excellent treatise on the study of how to use specialty flours and ancient grains. I highly recommend this book and am confident that it will quickly become a reference book for many a home library.

 

 

Some of my favorite ways to present seafood are: (from top to bottom) Classic Shrimp Cocktail, Thai style Salmon Sates, Olive Oil poached Tuna with White Beans, Sea Bass and Ahi Tuna Sashimi with white Soy and Sesame Oil, Baked Scallops wrapped with Grava Lox on Saffron Tomato Buerre Blanc, Grilled Shrimp with Cucumber and Yogurt, Fried Soft Shell Crab and Royal Red Rock Shrimp in Country Mustard Cream Sauce, Spanish Style Seafood Paella.

Gotta love Seafood! Served hot or chilled seafood with its vast array of types and preparations never fails to impress. Farm raised or wild and sustainable… flat fish, round  fish, crustaceans, and mollusks, the seemingly endless variety takes special care and treatment to serve it at its best. Here are some tips for purchasing, storing, cooking and presenting the fruits of the sea!

• Before buying seafood do some research on where it comes from to see how it was harvested and/or raised. One popular site is Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Food Watch
• Buy the freshest seafood you can find and remember that fresh fish does not smell at all
• If not cooked immediately fish should be stored on ice or marinated as soon as you bring it home
• Shell fish (mollusks) should be closed and are alive when purchased so make sure not to cover tightly so they won’t suffocate
• The best way to clean mollusks is to scrub them with kosher salt and a little cold water. Do this in bowl by rubbing them together briskly with the salt to clean them well and rinsing until the water is clear
• Don’t overcook seafood. Its protein make-up is different from meat and can dry out and become tough if overcooked
• Always trim off the dark blood line of fish; this is where toxins can build up in the fish
• Some fish skin can be eaten and some should be trimmed off, depends on the species

If you like seafood chowder check out my recipe for Fish Market Chowder on my recipe page. It calls for using fish stock, also known as fumet. Fish stock should be made with white fish bones, if possible. The best ones are flounder, turbot, or sole. It should be cooked for a short time (30 minutes with 15 minutes off the stove to let it settle ) and be skimmed well. I make mine with onions, parsley, bay leaves, pepper corns and dry white wine. The poaching liquid  from seafood can be used to replace fish stock if needed in a pinch. That is if it is made properly.

The processes, techniques and recipes are endless since there are so many types of fish and seafood that come from our oceans. Classic recipes and preparations are found in every major cuisine worldwide. If you love to cook and haven’t had much experience with seafood I encourage you to learn to cook seafood and you will soon find out how great fish can be!

Pan fried Bronzini with Little Neck Clams and Gnocchi Parisienne in a Tomato Fennel Sauce with Squash and Egg Plant.

Alaskan Halibut Filet comes from a large flat fish that lives on the bottom of the ocean in the same family of fin fish as Sole, Flounder, and Turbot.

Seafood Napoleon is layered with crisp Puff Pastry. First layer is sautéed Scallops and Spinach and the second layer is Shrimp on Puree of Gold Potatoes. Three sauces are Brandy Shrimp Cream Sauce, roasted Tomato Coulis and Balsamic Vinegar Reduction.

As a working Executive Chef I am often asked advice on culinary schools. If you or someone in your family are considering a career as a chef and are planning to start your training by going to a culinary school then “Welcome to Culinary School” by Daniel Traster is a good book to get you started. It came to my attention when Daniel Traster interviewed me for inclusion in the book along with many other chefs and culinary instructors. The advice given by all of these chefs and educators is a very valuable feature of the book for anyone entering the culinary field. The contents and other features of the book are:

• Divided into three parts – Learning to Succeed in College, Maximizing Your Marketability, Your Graduating: Now What?
• Second Edition published
• 300 pages with useful appendix with professional culinary associations, and job descriptions
• Many interviews with advice from Chefs, Educators, Managers and Students

Daniel Traster should be proud of his latest edition; it will help many students on their journey into the field of culinary and pastry arts. It is published by Pearson and is available at Amazon.com.

 

Raspberry tart made with a sweet sugar crust coated with dark chocolate and filled with pastry cream. Image by  Robert Watson.

Wondering what dessert to make this year for your Christmas dinner? How about a tart. Easy to prepare, tarts can be served in many different ways, both warm or cold. They can be prepared with a few ingredients such as this classic French apple tart or with more elaborate ingredients such as a warm plum hazelnut tart. See my recipes page for the full recipe for the apple tart.

The warm plum hazelnut tart was featured in the National Culinary Review in my article “Tantalizing Tarts” in the September issue of the National Culinary Review, the official magazine of the American Culinary Federation. In the article I included recipes and advice for creating signature tarts from some of the nation’s top pastry chefs and pastry authors along with a brief history of some timeless classic tarts like Tart Tatin and Backwell tart.

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French Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce and Cream Anglaise. Image by Robert Watson.

Warm Plum Tart in a Linzer Crust- Image by Madeline Beyer

Pecans are yet another favorite filling for tarts and pies and when combined with chocolate and bourbon in the filling and covered with a rich chocolate ganache in sweet sugar crust (Pate Sucree) they never fail to please.

Chocolate bourbon pecan tart simply plated. Image by Madeline Bayer.

Lemon tarts are also a classic tart which can be covered with a decadent Swiss or Italian meringue for yet another impressive dessert. In this photo I garnished the tart with caramel and sugar coated dried lemon slices and white chocolate plaques that have been colored green by the use of a chocolate transfer sheet.

Lemon Meringue Tart

In conclusion, my last tart for this post takes me back to the first image shown at the top and is always a great flavor combination: raspberry and vanilla pastry cream. Although raspberries are out of season they are readily available all year long and are the decadent berry that reminds of us of warmer times in mid summer. Note the thin chocolate coating that I brushed onto the crust after it was baked before I filled it with pastry cream. This helps to keep the crust from becoming soggy and also lends another, ever so slight, flavor profile to the finished tart.

With these ideas I hope you make a nice tart for your friends and family this holiday season and make it a tradition for years to come. Happy holidays!

 

 

 

Bring on the meat!  This post is for the serious meat lover, it features a lamb saddle that is stuffed with a beef tenderloin and a ground meat stuffing made with veal and pork. I served this for a private banquet made up of a group of gourmets who enjoy exquisite dining experiences. After the dinner was over the group asked for me to come out into the dining room where they gave me an enthusiastic round of applause. If you prepare this dish you too will receive this type of response; however only the serious home cook or professional chef should attempt this preparation. It is a complicated procedure using expensive cuts. When done it is truly a carnivore’s dream.

Begin with a lamb saddle. Certified American lamb is what I used for this dinner.

This primal cut of bone-in lamb is cut from the carcass between the rack and hind legs, which includes the strip loin and the tenderloin. The first step is to break it down into the usable parts by de-boning the meat by cutting through the inside of the saddle. Basically flip it over and first remove the two rib bones, then the tenderloin and finally the back bone, leaving the strip loins intact. The finished piece should be boneless and in one large square piece. Next trim any excess fat from the skirt (flap below the strip loin) and then use a meat hammer to pound out the skirt on both sides of the loin. Lastly trim the the tenderloins and place them next to the strip loins inside of the saddle and cut up the bones with a large cleaver; then roast them. These bones will be used to make the lamb Bordalaise Sauce. For more on lamb recipes and techniques for cooking go to the American Lamb Board website

The next step is to prepare a stuffing (called a force meat in culinary jargon). To be more specific, this type of force meat is known as straight force meat. It is made from one part lean veal, half a part of fatty pork and half a part of pork back fat, all marinated in brandy, thyme, tarragon, shallots and ground black pepper. Once marinated (preferably over night) the chilled meat is passed through a ice cold meat grinder two times and then pureed in a food processor with salt and a small amount of egg white.

The next step is to fabricate (technical term for cutting or butchering meat into usable portions) a beef tenderloin by removing the fat, chain meat and silver skin. The clean tenderloin is then seasoned with salt and pepper  and seared off in a hot pan. It is then chilled and cut to the length of the lamb saddle.

Once the force meat and tenderloin are ready the next step is to is season the saddle with salt and pepper and then cover  it with a thin layer of force meat. The tenderloin is then in-layed in the center of the saddle; then rolled up tightly and wrapped with caul fat ( the stomach fat from pork). Lastly, it is tied up with butchers twine (the culinary term for this is known as trussing) as in the photo below.

The boneless stuffed saddle is then seared off in a hot pan and placed onto a roasting rack and roasted in a 350 F degree oven to an internal temperature in the middle of the beef tenderloin to 115 to 120 F.

After the roast is cooked make sure to let it rest for at least 20 minutes and then remove all of the butchers twine.

Slice the saddle and serve! For this dinner I served it on a bed of sliced roasted Fingerling potatoes with an array of seasonal vegetables and morel mushrooms on a carrot puree with lamb Bordalaise sauce.

Enjoy!