recipes

Easy Does It # 38 – Slow Roast Crispy Duck, Creamed Spinach, Pommes Croquettes & Red Wine Jus

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When you read the title of this post and then see the final dish, you might wonder – whats easy about this ? 🙂
Let me assure you, everything is ! 🙂
The total preparation time is only about 20 minutes, although the total cooking time is more like 4.5 hours, give or take a few minutes.
How can this be, you ask ?
Well, I prepared this meal on Christmas day just for Bella and myself, so I took some shortcuts which I usually might not have taken, namely using frozen creamed spinach, which I enhanced with some additional heavy cream and a pinch of nutmeg. The result was VERY yummy.
I also used frozen pommes croquettes, which turned out surprisingly delicious, especially when paired with the wonderful duck sauce. (I always have demi glace of pork, poultry and veal in my freezer, so it is easy to produce excellent sauce in a relatively short time. 🙂
Actual prep time was approximately :
10 Minutes – unpacking, washing, drying, salting the duck, and, at the end, portioning the duck.
5 Minutes – unpacking the spinach, adding to a small sauteuse, adding cream and nutmeg.
3 Minutes – unpacking the croquettes, placing on the grill in the oven.
The most difficult thing was to wait for all these hours until we could finally dig-in, while the aroma coming from the kitchen made us hungrier by the minute. Of course, I started the duck for dinner right after lunch, so it was bearable for me, while Bella experienced four hours of nearly going nuts in front of the oven 🙂
I, on the other hand, had things to do, so, for me, the time went by fast.
At the end, this was a superb meal with very little effort. Bella and I loved all of it. I am sure that if we would have had visitors, they would have been impressed by all the skills and effort and hard work I have spend for them with this dish. 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Pommes Croquettes Recipe
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Easy Does It # 38 – Slow Roast Crispy Duck, Creamed Spinach, Pommes Croquettes & Red Wine Jus

Serving Suggestion #1 – Slow Roast Crispy Duck, Creamed Spinach, Pommes Croquettes & Red Wine Jus

Serving Suggestion #2 – Slow Roast Crispy Duck, Creamed Spinach, Pommes Croquettes & Red Wine Jus

Easy Does It # 38 – Slow Roast Crispy Duck, Creamed Spinach, Pommes Croquettes & Red Wine Jus

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: Large Raw Duck

: Demi Glace

: Frozen Creamed Spinach ( 20 oz)

: Frozen Croquettes

: season duck inside and outside with kosher salt

: place on a rack over a rimmed tray (to catch the fat and juices, place into a 400F (205 C) degree oven, turn down temperature to 300F (150C), roast for 3 Hours/45 Minutes, turning every 30 Minutes

: after 3 H/45 M, turn the temperature to 420F (215 C) remove the duck with the rack to another tray (I used a cast Iron pan) roast breast-side up for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the skin is very crisp and golden brown, remove from oven and let rest for 10 Minutes before carving

: resting pretty………

: add 1/2 cup heavy cream and a pinch of nutmeg to the spinach, simmer until thick and creamy

: add the croquettes to the oven, bake according to the package instructions

: pls note that, because of the low temperature, even without adding any liquid during roasting, the fond is dark brown and not burned

: add 2 cups good quality red wine, simmer until all the fond has loosened from the bottom of the tray

: add 1 cup demi glace, simmer another minute

: strain the sauce, check/adjust the seasoning

: well rested, ready to carve

: because of its large size and plenty of side dishes, I only used 1 breast and one leg, the rest was for next day´s “Duck Soup With Noodles & Spinach” (post coming up)

: Bellas wing at bottom left……

: Serving Suggestion # 1 – Slow Roast Crispy Duck, Creamed Spinach, Pommes Croquettes & Red Wine Jus

: Serving Suggestion # 2 – Slow Roast Crispy Duck, Creamed Spinach, Pommes Croquettes & Red Wine Jus

: Easy Does It # 38 – Slow Roast Crispy Duck, Creamed Spinach, Pommes Croquettes & Red Wine Jus

: Easy Does It # 38 – Slow Roast Crispy Duck, Creamed Spinach, Pommes Croquettes & Red Wine Jus

: Easy Does It # 38 – Slow Roast Crispy Duck, Creamed Spinach, Pommes Croquettes & Red Wine Jus

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Not Your Mama´s Chicken/Noodle Soup – “Chicken Pho” (Phở Gà)

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If you have followed ChefsOpinion for a while, you might be aware of my passion for soups, especially for chicken noodle soup, prepared any-which-way.
Without a doubt, the soup featured on this page is by far the best chicken noodle soup I have ever tasted.
The combination and the amount used of the special chicken and all the veggies, as well as the seasoning/aromatics and the six hours of cooking resulted in a heavenly broth, for which only the wide rice noodles and garden-fresh cilantro was needed to transform these simple ingredients into a wonderful, immensely satisfying culinary delight. 🙂
( The plate prepared for the original photo shoot already was all that – but then, the plate I prepared later on with all the “secondary cuts” (neck, wings and dark meat), which was originally not intended to be included in this post, was even better and “hit it out of the park” ) 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
To prepare the best tasting chicken broth, one must use “Suppen Huhn” (Boiling Fowl, which needs to simmer between three to six hours to be sufficiently tender for the meat to be enjoyed.
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Not Your Mama´s Chicken/Noodle Soup – “Chicken Pho” (Phở Gà)

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And later on, the second helping looked like this :
(Originally, these photos were not intended to be published 🙂
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Not Your Mama´s Chicken/Noodle Soup – “Chicken Pho” (Phở Gà)

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: Chop Stick Holder

: The Good Stuff…..

: 1 ea 3 lbs “suppenhuhn”, 2 lbs chicken backs, 3 lbs “suppengemüse”

: simmer in 10 qt lightly salted water (the stock will reduce to about 2-3 qt, so take it very easy with the salt at this time)

: after 2 hours, the chicken is still extremely tough

: at this point, add 8 ea star anis, 3 ea cinnamon sticks, 2 tblsp szechuan pepper, 1 tblsp ginger/garlic paste, 1 tblsp brown sugar and 21 tblsp lemon juice and a inch of cayenne pepper

: simmer until the chicken is tender (between 3 and 4 hours more)

: after 6 hours of slowly simmering

: remove the chicken, cover with a damp clothe to avoid discoloring of the meat

: strain the soup, discard the solids (there should be 2 qt soup at this point, if not, adjust bey reducing or adding liquid), recipe makes 2 generous main courses or 6 appetizers

: remove the fat to the amount (or none) you prefer, check/adjust the seasoning

: liquid gold

: cover the rice noodles with very hot water, let them steep according to the instruction on the packeging

: remove the meat from the bones, separately remove the skin, wings and neck optional) keep the white and dark meat separate (optional)

: white meat only

: white meat, dark meat, neck, wings, skin

: add rice noodles to a bowl,

: top with white meat

: top with broth, sprinkle generously with cilantro

: Not Your Mama´s Chicken/Noodle Soup – “Chicken Pho” (Phở Gà)

: Not Your Mama´s Chicken/Noodle Soup – “Chicken Pho” (Phở Gà)

: Not Your Mama´s Chicken/Noodle Soup – “Chicken Pho” (Phở Gà)

: Not Your Mama´s Chicken/Noodle Soup – “Chicken Pho” (Phở Gà)

: Not Your Mama´s Chicken/Noodle Soup – “Chicken Pho” (Phở Gà)

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Hans’ Delicious Tandoori Chicken

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Traditional Tandoor (This is NOT Hans) 🙂

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Modern Tandoor

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Hans’ Delicious Tandoori Chicken

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When I was a chef it was essential for me to teach my cooks, then later my students at Le Cordon Bleu, recipes of dishes which were as authentic to their classic origin as possible.
Especially during my many years as a teacher and program chair at Le Cordon Bleu Miami, I taught meticulously what I had learned many decades ago back in the Black Forest of Germany – Classic French Cuisine.

I also taught classic German Cuisine and many other cuisines from around the world which I had enjoyed, studied and learned during my many years as Executive Chef living and working in dozens of countries. (Cuisines of China, Russia, Japan, Mexico, Fillipines, Italy, Spain, India, Brazil, Sweden, and many more.
While I am only an expert of French, German and Italian cuisine, I do have good knowledge and personal experience of the cuisines of the aforementioned countries and I was therefore able to teach international cuisine with authority. Unlike many (most ?) “teachers” and “chefs” nowadays, who will read a recipe, practice (maybe) a bit, then “teach” what they just read on sometimes questionable (at best) sources. Mostly, even the folks who write the syllabus for a class have only the “experience” of reading about things, never having cooked it, eaten it or visited the country of origin of a dish.
While this might work for certain professions, it is certainly a disaster for our beloved trade.
No wonder real food becomes more and more the stuff only wealthy people can enjoy in the few excellent restaurants left in most places, while the rest of us is being served mediocre fare for unreal prices.
However, even at that time, while trying to teach original, and classic recipes and methods from specific cuisines, I tried to teach tips and tricks which might not be original, but are more practical, economical and sometimes even result in better food (Not often, but sometimes) 🙂
But one MUST ALWAYS POINT OUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL AND THE VARIATION !
In a restaurant, the Guests should also be informed about the difference, which, in my humble opinion, MUST be made clear in the name of the dish on the menu, for example:

” Pesto” – basil, olive oil, garlic, PINE NUTS, pecorino, parmigiano reggiano.
” Walnut Pesto” – same ingredients, same method, but replace the PINE NUTS with WALNUTS.
or
” Wiener Schnitzel” – thin, breaded, VEAL cutlet
” Pork Schnitzel Wiener Art” – same ingredients, same method, but replace the VEAL with PORK.
” Turkey Schnitzel Wiener Art” – same ingredients, same method, but replace the VEAL with TURKEY.

Wow, this became a long entry to what I want to clarify here – ChefsOpinion is a blog that celebrates real food that tastes good, looks good and is simple enough that the average beginner of home-cooking, as well as a top professional and everybody in between can find inspiration, tips and other useful information to be able to prepare wonderful food at home, be it a simple soup or salad, an elaborate roast or stew, or whatever I feel like cooking at the moment and share with you, be it classic/original or not.
At this stage of my life, I don´t find it necessary to prove that I can cook, that I was a decent professional or that I have mastered “original and /or classical dishes from around the World in my more than 50 years of being a cook.
My goal at this time is to remind old chefs from around the Globe about the food we once studied, cooked, taught and enjoyed, and to help the “youngens” to be able to enjoy the same food even now, when some of it is not “IN” anymore and one has a hard time to find well-loved, classic dishes in restaurants, where one now finds mostly second-class food, tasteless and pointless, but dressed to the hilt to impress the folks who don´t know better.
To this end, I try to simplify many dishes while keeping the original flavor and texture as close to the real thing as possible, simply to give everybody the chance to prepare certain dishes at home, which they otherwise would find too difficult, expensive, complicated and daunting to try.
A typical example of this philosophy is the dish on this page. Just google the word TANDOORI, or CURRY, or GOULASH and you will know what I mean. Or choose the word of a dish and add the word ORIGINAL or CLASSIC before it.
The result are usually thousands of recipes, seldom the actual CLASSIC recipe (The definition of ORIGINAL or CLASSIC is a whole different chapter) 🙂 , while most others range from slightly off to downright nasty and ridiculous. 😦
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How to make Tandoori chicken without a Tandoor

Tandoori Chicken is one of the most popular dishes from northern India. It is grilled chicken rubbed with a blended spice marinade, identifiable by its red coloring. Tandoori is Indian style of BBQ. The marinade has garlic, salt, coriander, tamarind, cumin, ginger, lentils, and oil.
Tandoor is an Indian style oven, which one cannot buy in an appliance store like you can with a traditional grill or oven. Basically, the tandoor is made entirely of clay and is 3-4 feet tall. Charcoal is placed at the bottom of the tandoor and allowed to burn for several hours. Then the meat is placed on long skewers and cooked inside till roasted. Tandoor is also used to make, among other dishes, naan, kebabs, and tandoori rotis.
It is not practical to build your own tandoor. In fact, most homes in India do not have one. Indian restaurants generally special order tandoors (from restaurant equipment sellers) which can cost upwards of thousands of dollars
So, if you want to enjoy tandoori chicken at home, what do you do?
Here is a very simple tandoori chicken recipe that does not require any special equipment. The chicken retains its juices and is fully cooked while keeping a nice crispy bite on the outside. It has only 2 ingredients, but the cooking technique is very important. Once you follow this recipe, you will realize how simple and delicious this recipe is!

Tandoori Chicken Recipe
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Prep Time: 5 mins (24 hours); Cook Time: 45 mins

(Serves 4 )

4 ea skin less chicken legs,

8 tablespoons tandoori paste (see picture below for brand example)

Thoroughly rub the tandoori paste into the chicken.
Place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate 24 hours

When ready to cook, preheat broiler on low. Once the temperature is attained, place the chicken pieces on a rack with a drip pan under it.

Broil on low for 30 minutes, turning the chicken once. Then turn the broiler to high and cook for another 15 minutes, turning once so that the chicken is crisp on both sides. You will see that the marinade will start to dry up and the chicken will start getting a crust.

Remove from oven and transfer to a plate. Serve immediately with naan, sliced onions, quartered lemons, chopped cilantro and mint chutney or condiments of your choice (or follow the suggestion on this page)

Click here for Indian Tomato Chutney Recipe

Hans’ Delicious Tandoori Chicken

steamed rice, tomato chutney, curried chickpeas, spicy cucumber salad – this alone would be a great meal

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: from 4 ea large chicken legs remove the skin

: deeply score the chicken on both sides

: sample of commercial tondoori mixture

: marinade the chicken overnight

: 1 medium de-seeded cucumber, cut into cubes, 2 tblsp chopped cilantro, 1 tblsp garlic paste, 3 oz greek yogurt, 1 tsp chili sauce, i pinch garam masala, jice of 1 ea lime, kosher salt to taste

: cucumber salat

: saute 1 ea medum size julienne onions in 4 oz butter

: add 1/2 tsp garlig paste, 1/4 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp madras curry powder, 1 tsp kurkuma, 1/2 tsp garam masala, 174 cup cilantro, saute 1 minute, add 16 oz cooked chick peas and 2 tblsp water and kosher salt to taste, simmer one minute

: fresh steamed rice

: steamed rice,tomato chutney, curried chick peas, spicy cucumber salad – this alone would be a great meal

: Hans’ Delicious Tandoori Chicken

: Hans’ Delicious Tandoori Chicken

: Hans’ Delicious Tandoori Chicken

: Hans’ Delicious Tandoori Chicken

: Hans’ Delicious Tandoori Chicken

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Cannellini Beans & Ravioli, Gratinated In Chilli/Tomato Cream

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Traditionally, in Southern Germany (Swabia and Bavaria), we serve our classic Ravioli (Maultaschen) in beef broth, with potato salad on the side. Then, if there are leftovers, we saute them the next day in butter with onions and eggs, accompanied by leaf salad.
Since I moved back to Germany, I have Maultaschen three to four times a month. They are easy to prepare at home and even available frozen in most supermarkets, nowadays the majority of brands a VERY good quality. ( I usually make my own, since I love a bit of veal liver in my stuffing – the ones on these pages are homemade). Alas, I buy them just as often ready made. 🙂
This time, when I was ready to reheat or saute the leftover Maultaschen from the previous day, I did not feel to go with the usual suspect of a recipe, so I came up with this wonderful variation. It is so good and delicious that it is now one of my standard recipe for leftover Maultaschen (and other types of ravioli)
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Cannellini Beans & Ravioli, Gratinated In Chilli/Tomato Cream

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: saute 1 ea large,juliennednion in 4 oz salted butter until translucent

: add 1 tsp garlic paste, saute 1 minute

: add 2 tblsp tomatopaste, saute another minute

: add 1 1/2 cup heavy cream, kosher salt and sriracha sauce to taste

: simmer until sauce has nape texture

: add 12 oz cooked cannellini beans

: simmer another minute, check/adjust seasoning

: cut 4 ea ravioli/maultaschen into thick slices

: spread the sliced ravioli/maultaschen slices atop the beans, sprinkle with freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano

: drizzle with 2 tblsp EVO, gratinate until golden brown, ca 20 minutes at 360 F ; serves 2 – 4 main course

: Cannellini Beans & Ravioli, Gratinated In Chilli/Tomato Cream

: Cannellini Beans & Ravioli, Gratinated In Chilli/Tomato Cream

: Cannellini Beans & Ravioli, Gratinated In Chilli/Tomato Cream

: Cannellini Beans & Ravioli, Gratinated In Chilli/Tomato Cream

: Cannellini Beans & Ravioli, Gratinated In Chilli/Tomato Cream

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Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

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While Bella and I eat pork shank/knuckle/trotter quite often, veal shank, because of it´s price, is more of a “once in a while” treat.
As I mentioned before one these pages, veal named “Milk Veal” in Germany can only be from an up to 6 months old calf, therefore it carries a hefty price tag.
Nevertheless, at my age, there are not that many treats left to enjoy or afford, so this one seemed well worth the price. (Bella agrees fully.) 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: 4 lb veal shank

: season with kosher salt, sriracha and granulated garlic to taste

: roast at 320 F for 4 hours, baste every 20 minutes with beer of your choice

: deglaze the roasting dish/pan with red wine, strain the jus, check7&adjust the flavor

: saute 4 oz of sliced bacon in 2 oz garlic/herb butter

: when the bacon is crisp, add 8 oz cooked brusseel sprouts, saute until heated through, check/;adjust seasoning

: Veal Shank and Veal Jus

: ready to carve

: Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

: Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

: Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

: Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

: Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

: Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

: Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

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Cheese & Tomato Salad – Heirloom Tomatoes, Gouda, Radish, Onion, Basil And Scallion In Herb Vinaigrette

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Originally, I named this salad “Summer Salad” when I prepared it in August. But now, summer has passed around here and we are in deep autumn. Most tree leaves have changed from bright green to a golden brown, and the temperatures at night have dropped to a chilly 5 °C .
However. I just skyped with my friends Carlos and Gladis in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the temperature was a toasty 32 °C, the perfect temperature to enjoy this summer salad on the terrace overlooking the pool and garden. 🙂 To see more about Carlos’ and Gladis’ beautiful place, click here “My Trip To Argentina”
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In the meantime, enjoy this wonderful salad anywhere, anytime, and in any weather 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Cheese & Tomato Salad – Heirloom Tomatoes, Gouda, Radish, Onion, Basil And Scallion In Herb Vinaigrette

Cheese , Scallion, Radish & Onion in Herb Vinaigrette

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: dice 2 ea small onions and 12 oz gouda,, slice 1 lb heirloom tomatoes, 5 ea radishes and 1 ea scallion

: dress the gouda, onion, scallion and radish with herb vinaigrette

: marinate for one hour

: drizzle the sliced tomatoes with herb vinaigrettem top with the cheese salad ; serves 2 meincourse or 6 side salads or appetizer

: Cheese & Tomato Salad – Heirloom Tomatoes, Gouda, Radish, Onion, Basil And Scallion In Herb Vinaigrette

: Cheese & Tomato Salad – Heirloom Tomatoes, Gouda, Radish, Onion, Basil And Scallion In Herb Vinaigrette

: Cheese & Tomato Salad – Heirloom Tomatoes, Gouda, Radish, Onion, Basil And Scallion In Herb Vinaigrette

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“Pigs Trotters” (Part 1 – Caribbean Souse)

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Pig’s feet  are not everybody’s cup of tea, but for those of us who love them, they are a special treat.
I prepare them quite often, in stews, steamed, braised, Asian style, Latin style, German style; any which way is fine with me 🙂
The following dish is Caribbean Style Souse, as I enjoyed it many moon’s ago a couple of times in Trinidad, at the home of my friend Lyron’s mother.
Very spicy and lightly acidic, with lots of vegetables, it was the perfect food on a hot day by the beach, spend in wonderful company and washed down with a few bottles of Carib Beer – nothing else was needed in those moments to feel happy and content 🙂
These meals (and times) are now in the distant past; all that’s left are the happy memories, vividly recalled by preparing the meals we enjoyed together then – Lyron and his wife Dorsey, my wife Maria, myself and Lyron’s mother, whose name eludes me after all these years but whom I always remember when preparing this particular souse………….
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !

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“Pigs Trotters” (Part 1 – Caribbean Souse)

Caribbean Souse

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: pigs trotter, kosher salt, sriracha, lemon juice, grated ginger and garlic paste to taste

: simmer until very tender, but NOT ! falling part, 2-3 hours, remove the trotters and rinse, strain the broth

: hot, spicy pork broth with ginger and garlic – better than tea or coffee

: hot, spicy pork broth with ginger and garlic – better than tea or coffee

: for the garnish . lime or lemon (I prefer lemon, but original its lime), cilantro, onions, chillis, scallions, garlic paste

: put the trotters in a non-reactive bowl, add water, lime juice (I used lemon), kosher salt, cayenne pepper and garlic paste to taste (the flavor should resemble ceviche)

: add the garnish, mix, let marinade overnight

: “Pigs Trotters” (Part 1 – Caribbean Souse)

: “Pigs Trotters” (Part 1 – Caribbean Souse)

: “Pigs Trotters” (Part 1 – Caribbean Souse)

: “Pigs Trotters” (Part 1 – Caribbean Souse)

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Stir-Fried Chili Black Tigers With Cucumber Salsa On Iceberg Hearts In Lime Vinaigrette, Tzatziki

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Now that I am back in Germany, seafood is much harder to come by for me than back in Miami, and the variety does not even come close. At least, some of the folks who complained in the past about too much seafood on ChefsOpinion can now be more entertained with a wider variety of meat dishes, since the variety of dishes prepared with meat is so much larger here than there 🙂
However, just like I lusted over the past few Decades for familiar meat dishes from my original home, I now miss the seafood that was so readily available to me on my travels through the Caribbean, South East Asia, South America, the Orient, Alaska, Florida and so many other places along or close to the coasts´ of the World, especially at my other home Florida, where one can always count on ones friendly ?? neighborhood Asian market with their endless fresh/ live seafood selections.
So now, every so often, I will still splurge on a big portion of good-quality seafood for Bella and me, to make sure we don´t lose our touch with that part of happy eating. 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Tzatziki Recipe
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Stir-Fried Chili Black Tigers With Cucumber Salsa On Iceberg Hearts In Lime Vinaigrette, Tzatziki

Tzatziki

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Bellas Portion
Initial portion I should say, of course she got more of my tigers (and lettuce with tzatziki, which she loves) 🙂
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: after removing the cooked shrimp, I added a bit of chicken stock to deglaze the pan with the shells

: to serve, she got another tiger on top of the shells

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: 16 oz headless fresh black tigers

: peel (tail on), remove black vein,

: season with sweet Thai chili sauce, garlic paste, kosher salt to taste

: stir-fry in 2 tblsp very hot peanut oil until tigers are nearly cooked through, remove tigers, drizzle with lemon or lime juice (finish Bellas portion according to the instruction below)

: for the salsa, mix 1/2 cup diced cucumbers with 1 tblsp chopped onions, 1 tblsp cilantro, chili flakes, garlic paste, kosher salt and lime or lemon juice to taste

: spread some iceberg hearts on a serving plate

: drizzle with Lime Vinaigrette, to with the tigers ; Serves one mein course or 3 appetizers

: Stir-Fried Chili Black Tigers With Cucumber Salsa On Iceberg Hearts In Lime Vinaigrette, Tzatziki

: Stir-Fried Chili Black Tigers With Cucumber Salsa On Iceberg Hearts In Lime Vinaigrette, Tzatziki

: Stir-Fried Chili Black Tigers With Cucumber Salsa On Iceberg Hearts In Lime Vinaigrette, Tzatziki

: Stir-Fried Chili Black Tigers With Cucumber Salsa On Iceberg Hearts In Lime Vinaigrette, Tzatziki

: Tzatziki

: after removing the cooked shrimp, I added a bit of chicken stock to deglaze the pan with the shells

: to serve, she got another tiger on top of the shells

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A Rare Occasion – “Entrecôte Saignant, Avec Salade Verte À La Française” (Rare Strip Steak With French Style Green Salad)

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A Rare Occasion – “Entrecôte Saignant, Avec Salade Verte À La Française” (Rare Strip Steak With French Style Green Salad)

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Usually, I don´t fancy my red meat cooked rare. Medium rare is more to my liking.
However, today I woke up with a craving for a rare steak. This craving stayed with me until noon, and when it was time to prepare lunch, I decided to give-in and have a rare steak. To my dismay, there was no steak in the fridge, so I had to walk to my neighborhood butcher to get the fine steak pictured here. Its only a 10 minute walk each way, so normally that´s not a problem, but the longer I had to wait to dig in, the bigger the craving grew 🙂
Since the steak was big enough, I thought the only side I needed was a green salad, so that was it. A few slices of bread below the steak to soak up the juices and there it was – the perfect solution to satisfy my hours-long craving 🙂
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As for the salad – “Salade Verte À La Française” sounds rather fancy, but it is really just a green salad with a dijon/garlic dressing. This is the classic French salad, the one that invariably appeared whenever you wandered into a bistro and ordered une salade. It consists simply of lettuce and dressing – no cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes or other embellishments. It doesn’t need them. For it is perfection in its simplicity – light and packed with flavor. The lettuce most often used in France is what Americans call Boston lettuce, and what the French call simply salade . Another favorite is escarole (Scarole in French). Rarely were other types of lettuce used in the old days, but now one may encounter innovations like feuille de chêne, literally oak-leaf, a variety of lettuce with scalloped leaves. As for the dressing, in previous times salade verte was almost always served with vinaigrette à la moutarde – a vinaigrette of Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, sunflower or peanut oil, salt, pepper and shallot or garlic. In Paris, at least. In southern France, olive oil was used, sometimes with lemon instead of vinegar. Now there are variations throughout the country, with balsamic vinegar and other upstarts making an occasional appearance.
The tragedy today is that it’s next to impossible to find a classic salade verte in a French bistro, much less anywhere else in the restaurant World. The lettuce may be the same, but bottled dressings have largely replaced the homemade vinaigrettes that gave this salad such distinction. The newfangled sauce is runny, white and – perish the thought – can be sweet.
(Part of this description of french salad is an excerpt from “The Everyday French Chef”)
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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A Rare Occasion – “Entrecôte Saignant, Avec Salade Verte À La Française” (Rare Strip Steak With French Style Green Salad)

Salade verte à la française

grilled sour dough bread

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: New York Strip Steak, size of your choice (this one was 30 oz) season with kosher salt to taste

: since the steak is fairly thick, grill on all four sides

: trim, wash and dry a small head of butter lettuce, add 1 tsp dijon mustard, a pinch of garlic paste,kosher salt, red wine vinegar and pepper to taste, 2 tblsp EVO, 1/2 small, finely julienned onion, 1 2 tblsp of chopped herbs (I used chives and parsley), whisk the dressing until emulsified before adding to the salad

: cook the steak to your desired doneness, remove to a warm plate, let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing

: meanwhile, grill some bread of your choice (I used sour dough)

: grilled sour dough bread

: top the bread with the just sliced steak, sprinkle with sea salt

: Salade verte à la française

: A Rare Occasion – “Entrecôte Saignant, Avec Salade Verte À La Française” (Rare Strip Steak With French Style Green Salad)

: A Rare Occasion – “Entrecôte Saignant, Avec Salade Verte À La Française” (Rare Strip Steak With French Style Green Salad)

: A Rare Occasion – “Entrecôte Saignant, Avec Salade Verte À La Française” (Rare Strip Steak With French Style Green Salad)

: A Rare Occasion – “Entrecôte Saignant, Avec Salade Verte À La Française” (Rare Strip Steak With French Style Green Salad)

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Red Wine-Braised Veal Shank Slice, With Tagliatelle & Yucatan Cebolla En Escabeche On A Crispy Noodle Pillow

Yucatan Cebolla En Escabeche

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While traditional Osso Bucco is one of my favorite meat dishes, this version of braised sliced veal shanks is, in my humble opinion, far superior.
First, the crispy noodle pillow adds great texture to the soft texture of the meat.
Second, the marinated onions add great umami to the normally quite one-dimensional flavor of an original osso buco.
Third, and most importantly, the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, star anise and red wine (instead of white wine) make a great improvement to the regular, traditional seasoning of osso buco.
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Pls note, this is in no way a negative judgment of a great osso buco, but rather a testament to the fact that I love my food on the spicy, flavorful side. Let me live, please ………. 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Red Wine-Braised Veal Shank Slices With Tagliatelle & Yucatan Cebolla En Escabeche On A Crispy Noodle Pillow

Crispy Noodle Pillow

Red Wine-Braised Veal Shank Slices With Tagliatelle & Yucatan Cebolla En Escabeche On A Crispy Noodle Pillow

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Yucatan-style marinated onions are one of my go-to condiments to (almost) everything. (Sandwiches, roasts, braises, bbq´s, veggies, potatoes, salads, etc, you name it – I slap on a few Yucatan Cebolla En Escabeche. 🙂
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: Cut red onions into fine slices, add apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, grd gloves, Mexican oregano, cumin, galic paste, kosher salt and chili flakes

: mix well, marinade overnightt

: Yucatan Cebolla En Escabeche

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: 2 thick slices of veal shank

: carrots, celery root, carrots, onions, red wine,

: hoi sin sauce, dark soy sauce, sriracha

: gloves, star anis, bay leaves, oregano, parsley, chives

: dredge the veal in a/p flour seasoned with black pepper and kosher salt to taste, saute the veal and the veggies with garlic paste and grated ginger in peanut oil until the veggies have caramelized and the veal has browned

: add 1 qt of red wine, kosher salt, the seasoning sauces and the dried herbs to taste

: add 1/2 qt of tomato passata

: bring to a simmer, cook until meat is tender but NOT falling apart

: Red Wine-Braised Veal Shank Slices With Tagliatelle & Yucatan Cebolla En Escabeche On A Crispy Noodle Pillow

: saute 1 1/2 cup cooked, dry noodles in 2 tblsp clarified butter, season with white pepper and kosher salt to taste, when crispy, repeat on other side