Blistered Shishito Peppers with Gomasio

While I was strolling through a local supermarket, I came across a bag of shishito peppers. These small green peppers are a Japanese ingredient, as "shishito" translates into "lion's head" in Japanese. I have previously used these peppers in my cooking (you can check it out here). They are a quintessential simple ingredient. All you need to do is roast them or saute them, and they are a tasty snack. (They are also a game, as most - but not all - of the peppers are usually mild; however, every once in a while, there will be a spicy one in the bunch.)

It seems somewhat obvious that a simple ingredient should be paired with another simple one. And, I had just the ingredient in mind ... gomasio. For those who may follow this blog, gomasio is a Japanese condiment that consists of two ingredients: toasted sesame seeds and salt. I had recently made the recipe and had a nice supply in the kitchen. All I needed was a recipe that uses the Japanese spice mix with shishito peppers. (Actually, given the simplicity of what I was about to do, a recipe is not really required.) 

Nevertheless, I found a recipe that combined shishito peppers and gomasio, along with a couple of other ingredients, namely lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt. Five total ingredients produced a simple dish. Yet, this dish could be served as an appetizer or small plate. A simple tapa or meze (or pintxos if it had a toothpick skewered through it). 

Making a simple recipe every once in a while provides a nice balance to the many more complicated recipes that are still vying for my limited time and, if they get made, working their way through the post-writing queue. It also does somthing more. I often joke about how one could measure my level of stress by the dishes I make. The more complicated the dish, the higher level of stress. Yet, making a series of small dishes is perhaps a better way of dealing with stress, as the success of each dish builds upon the next one, helping to keep my focus off of what stresses me and helping to feel more accomplished. I need to keep this in the back of my mind more often, especially during these times. 

BLISTERED SHISHITO PEPPERS WITH GOMASIO

Recipe from Bits of Wellness

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 cups of shishito peppers

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 lemon juiced

1 tablespoon Gomasio

Flaky sea salt

Directions:

Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook peppers, turning occasionally, until they begin to blister on all sides. Remove from heat and squeeze the lemon over the peppers. Plate the peppers and sprinkle with Gomasio. Serve immediately. 

PEACE.

Advieh

Longtime followers of this blog may (or may not) remember a dish that I prepared 11 years ago -- Advieh-e Spiced Chicken Kebabs. That dish was my attempt to use an iconic spice mix from Iran in one of my favorite preparations, namely, kebabs. In that effort, I talked about the spice mix. I also ended my post by noting one truly special ingredient: dried rose petals. At the time, I did not have that ingredient and I decided to substitute a few drops of rose water. Improvisation that worked, but it was not truly Advieh. 

Time has passed and I now have dried rose petals among the many herbs and spices at my disposal. So, it was time to return to Advieh, to prepare it properly and to learn more about its place in Persian cuisine. 

Although no one has been able to trace the history of advieh to its origin, the use of this spice mix, or one very similar to it, can be found in recipes that can be dated as far back as 2,000 years ago. It should be noted that the history of the spice trade routes dates back as far as 1,000 B.C.E. One of the routes of the spice trace wound its way through what is now northern Iran. That trade route most likely provided the cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, and cardamom used to prepare advieh. Over time, this spice mix has become what one described as a "cornerstone" or a "bridge" for Persian cuisine. 

As for the ingredients used to prepare advieh, there is no one definitive recipe. Like most recipes, there are variations that have developed over time and with different cooks. I tried to find a typical advieh recipe that includes the most commonly used ingredients. Each ingredient has a purpose: cinnamon, for its "sweet warmth"; cardamom, for its "minty undertones"; cumin, which adds earthiness; coriander, which supplies citrus notes; nutmeg, which gives a "spicy sweetness"; and, of course, rose petals, which provide a floral scent to the mix. Other recipes may add ingredients such as black pepper, cardamom or even saffron. 

I used this spice mix to prepare some roasted halibut for my beautiful Angel. Fortunately, because I had rose petals, she was able to experience advieh as it truly should be made. She loved the dish very much; and, I have some leftover mix to use on something more traditional, like chicken kebabs.

ADVIEH

Recipe from Meljoulwan

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 geaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon grond nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground rose petals
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions:

Combine all of the spices in a small bowl and mix well. 

PEACE.

Smoked Chicken with African Spice Rub

The creative process at Chef Bolek is rather unique, as this recipe demonstrates. I recently saw some really good friends were at Walt Disney World. They just noted that they were getting ready to go to Animal Kingdom, which happens to be probably my favorite park (although Epcot is probably a close second because of all of the international pavilions). Whenever we visited Animal Kingdom, we would usually end up at a restaurant at the Animal Kingdom lodge. That restaurant is Boma, which serves up a buffet of African foods that I would just gorge upon every time we went there. Thinking about my friends being there got me to thinking I should make something influenced by African flavors. That brought about this recipe and this blog post ... Smoked Chicken with African Spice Rub. 

As with any Chef Blog post, there is a larger question. That question revolves around the rub. What exactly is an "African Spice Rub" or, put differently, what makes the spice rub "African"? 

Let's start with what exactly is an African Spice rub? Many people would probably answer that question with Ras en Hanout, Harissa or Baharat. Those are African spice rubs, but they originate in northern Africa.  Others may answer the question with Berbere (which happens to be one of my all-time favorite spice rubs). That spicy rub comes from the Horn of Africa. Indeed, much of the talk around "African" spice rubs focuses on blends that come from those two regions. Don't get me wrong, they are African rubs. But there is a lot more of Africa than the Maghreb or the Horn.

It is that simple point that becomes the focus of my thoughts. What are some sub-Saharan spice rubs? Truth be told, I have already dabbled in at least one of those rubs, the iconic Suya. I have made a version of the rub from both Ghana and Nigeria. (The Rago Suya from Nigeria stands as perhaps my favorite kebab to make.)  The key to that spice mix is the use of peanuts, along with ginger and chiles.

There are no peanuts in this recipe. Instead, it draws from other spices that can be found across the continent. These spices include mustard, fennel seeds, fenugreek and, of course peppers. I decided to use this recipe on a chicken that was destined for the smoker.  However, while the recipe called for the temperature of the smoker to be somewhere between 225 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit, I decided to smoke it at a higher temperature - around 300 degrees. It cooked a lot faster, but I thought it would be a little more reminiscent of street food. (To be truly reminiscent, I should have probably just grilled it, but I went for something in-between smoking and grilling.)

In the end, this recipe was a success. The spice mix actually shined through the smoke, with the fennel seeds - along with the pepper - clearly making its presence felt. This recipe will have me spending more time trying to answer what makes a spice rub African. Until next time ...

SMOKED CHICKEN WITH AFRICAN SPICE RUB

Spice rub recipe adapted from Food Fidelity

Serves 2-4

Ingredients (for the spice rub):

• 3 tablespoons smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 tablespoon fenugreek
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Ingredients (for the chicken):

• 1 whole chicken (between 3-4 pounds), spatchcocked
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 3-4 chunks of oak wood (soaked for 1 hour in advance)

Directions:

1. Prepare the spice rub. If you are using ground spices, combine all of the ingredients together well. If you are using whole seeds, lightly toast the mustard, fennel and fenugreek seeds in a skillet over medium heat. Remove once you small the aroma. Place the seeds in a spice grinder and coarsely grind.  Add the ground spices to a bowl and mix with the remaining seasonings and sugar. 

2. Marinate the chicken. Apply the spice rub to all sides of the chicken, both on the skin and underneath it. Refrigerate the chicken for at least four hours or overnight.

3. Smoke the chicken. Prepare the smoker and get the temperature to at least 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the chicken and then the wood for smoking. Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thighs. Spray the chicken breasts with the apple cider every twenty minutes after the first hour of cooking. 

ENJOY!

Five Spice Smoked Beef Ribs

It is known as the "wonder powder," a concoction whose five ingredients bring together the five flavors: namely, sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty. It is a fixture of Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine, finding its way into many of the dishes.  it is Chinese Five Spice powder.

I have always had a jar of the spice mix, but it has rarely found its way into any of the dishes that I have cooked.  To be sure, I used it when I make Larb (which I love) or Crispy Salt and Pepper Squid (which is good too).  I just measure out an amount of the five spice, or I eyeball it, but I never gave much thought as to what makes up the wonder powder or how that powder even came about.

Those questions gave rise to this blog post.  The post is a story about five spices brought together to help propel some beef chuck ribs into a tasty dish.

It all began with a desire to smoke some beef chuck ribs.  I had made smoked beef ribs a few weeks earlier, and, I liked the result so much that I wanted to make them again.  And, this time, I wanted to try some thing different.  I purchased a couple packages of ribs and headed home.

The first effort at smoked beef ribs kept it simple.  Just a rub of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  I needed a new rub. Something that would work with beef ribs.  I started looking through jars of different spice mixes for ideas.  That is when I saw it, the jar of Chinese five spice powder.  The eureka moment so passed and I put the jar back.

Picture from Instructables

But, that was not the end of the story.  I then went to the Internet to do some research.  Simple is great, but I did not want this to be easy.  I began researching recipes to make my own Chinese Five Spice powder, and, in the process, learn about the sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty aspects of this mixture. The "sour" and "salty" comes, presumably, from the Sichuan peppercorn.  The peppercorn is not actually a peppercorn at all.  (The Sichuan peppercorn is unrelated to black peppercorns or chiles; instead, it is the pinkish, outer husk of a prickly ash shrub of the genus Zanthoxylum.) The bitterness comes from star anise and fennel seeds, both of which also provide a slight licorice note to the powder.  The sweetness comes from cinnamon sticks, which are ground and added to the powder.  Finally, the pungency comes from cloves, which are perhaps one of the strongest spices that provides a definite sense of warmth the powder.  Together, those five spices and the powder they create is known as Chinese Five Spice Powder.  

Just like that jar of Chinese five spice powder, I set aside the internet recipes.  I decided to use a recipe from a tried and true source: Steven Raichlen.  His book, Barbecue Sauces, Rubs and Marinades, contained a recipe that followed those I read on the Internet, bringing together star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds and Szechuan peppercorns.  So, instead of one jar of five spices, I pulled out five jars of individual spices and created my own mix.

There is something to be said about making your own spice.  Apart from the fact that you can tweak the recipe, as many do with Chinese Five Spice (making it six or seven spices), it just seems to always taste better than the pre-made stuff.  The homemade spice definitely made these Five Spice Smoked Beef Ribs a great success, one that, lasted long after eating them (thanks to the slight numbing properties of the Szechuan peppercorn, but that will have to be left for another post). 
  

FIVE SPICE SMOKED BEEF RIBS

Rub recipe from Steven Raichlen's Barbecue Sauces, Rubs and Marinades, pg. 43

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 pounds of beef ribs

3 star anise

2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches each)

3 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
Sesame seed oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Vegetable oil

Few chunks of alder or apple wood

Directions:

1.  Prepare the rub.  Heat a dry skillet over medium low heat.  Add the spices and toast until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.  Transfer the spices to a bowl and let cool completely.  Break the star anise and cinnamon sticks into pieces, grind the spices into a fine powder in a coffee grinder or spice mill.  

2.  Prepare the ribs.  Brush all sides of the beef ribs with a little vegetable oil.  Apply the five spice rub to all sides.  Cover the ribs with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to a few hours. 

3.  Prepare the grill.  Soak the wood chunks in water for about 1 hour.  Prepare the fire and coals in the smoker until you have a temperature of around 250 degrees Fahrenheit.  Oil the grate and place the ribs in the smoker.  Cook until you get an internal temperature of about 185 degrees Fahrenheit, about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.  Remove the ribs from the smoker and let rest for 10 minutes.

4.  Finish the dish. Using a brush, dab the top of the beef ribs with the sesame oil.  Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the ribs.  Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Spiced Shrimp

Sometimes, simple is best. This can be especially true when one is talking about shrimp. The crustaceans cook so quickly and can be overcooked so quickly.  For this reason,  a simple boil in beer, water and some spices can produce a quick and tasty appetizer.

I learned this many years ago when I worked for a seafood restaurant. At that restaurant, there was always a pot on the stove with water, beer and the restaurant's version of Old Bay.  Drop a dozen shrimp in and in a couple of minutes (at most), you pulled them out and put them in a basket.  It was that simple. The hardest part was making sure that the pot was filled with the right mix of beer, water and spice for the whole night. A lot of shrimp would get that 2 minute bath every night, throughout the night.  Spiced shrimp -- or, as the restaurant would call them "barbecued shrimp" -- were very popular. (And, before anyone says anything, I know that authentic "barbecued shrimp" is not prepared in this fashion, it was just a thing for this particular restaurant. What did they know ... they were a crab house ....)

There are a couple of things about this recipe that you should keep in mind.  First, use a lager beer.  If I recall correctly, the restaurant used Yuengling for its spiced shrimp.  I don't like Yuengling.  Period.  The best beer in my humble opinion for this recipe is a pilsner. I love Pilsner Urquell, but other pilsners, like Victory's Prima Pils also work well. Second, you need a great spice mix. Old Bay works well. But, if you happen to be somewhere with a market that has good selection of shrimp, fish and crabs, you should see if they also have their own spice mix. Often times, it is Old Bay, but, every once in a while, you come across a small seafood market who actually makes their own spice mix, and it is very good. For this recipe, I found such a seafood market in the Outer Banks, who make their own spice mix.  Third, save some of the spice mix to sprinkle on at the end, like a garnish.

You can serve it with cocktail sauce, hot sauce or something else.  Or, you can do what I do and just eat them. 

SPICED SHRIMP

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 pounds of fresh shrimp (21-26 count)
4 cups of lager beer
6 cups of water
Approximately 3/4 cup of Old Bay or similar spice mix

Directions:

1.  Prepare the boiling liquid.  Combine the beer, water and spice mix in a pot, but reserve some spice mix and set aside.  Bring to a boil over high heat.

2.  Boil the shrimp.  Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp is opaque, about 2 minutes.

3. Finish the dish. Remove the shrimp from the boiling liquid and divide into servings.  Sprinkle some of the reserved spice mix over the shrimp.

ENJOY!

Advieh-e Khoresh Spiced Chicken Kebabs

If there is one thing that amazes me about cooking, it is spice mixes.  I have made many recipes with different spice mixes that are as varied as the countries from which they originate.  Hawayil from Yemen.  Baharat from Egypt. Bzaar from Libya. Berbere from Ethiopia.  Creole spice from Louisiana.   Those are just some of the many spice mixes that I have made over the years.  

What is so intriguing about spice mixes is how they can represent a culture and its cuisine.    For example, there is Advieh.  It is a spice blend that is used primarily in Persian cuisine.  The mix traditionally consists of cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, cardamom and cumin.  It also contains a unique ingredient that I have not seen in a spice mix before ... dried rose petals.  That is definitely an ingredient that I have never worked with before.  (And, as explained below, I still have never worked with.)

Advieh is used by Persian cooks in a wide range of dishes, from rice dishes to chicken and bean dishes.  There are two traditional types of Advieh: (1) Advieh-e polo, which is sprinkled over a rice dish after the rice is cooked; and (2) Advieh-e Khoresh, which is a spice rub that is used for grilled or roasted meats.  I decided that I would make Advieh-e Khoresh and use it in a quintessential Persian dish ... chicken kebabs. 

Advieh represents what is great about spice mixes.  It is used in dishes from the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea; and, across that expanse, there are an endless variety of Advieh mixtures.  The mixtures contain all or most of the traditional ingredients listed above, but some may include cloves, turmeric, ginger, coriander, saffron, black pepper and/or mace.  The variations mean that you can make the mix several times and have a different result, with each result being as intriguing and tasty as the last one.

One final note.  The unique characteristic of Advieh is the use of dried rose petals.  That is not a very common ingredient in western stores.  If you can find a Mediterranean market, you might be able to obtain those petals.  I was not so fortunate.  Still, I wanted to make the recipe; so, I decided that I would make a substitution.  Rose water for rose petals.  I added a few drops of rose water (the stuff is pretty potent) in the oil when I prepared the marinade for the kebabs.  While I don't think it is the same as using rose petals, I think it is an acceptable effort to recreate the final result ... which was very delicious. 

ADVIEH-E KHORESH SPICED CHICKEN KEBABS

Spice Mix recipe from The Clothes Make the Girl

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the spice mix):

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground rose petals

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Ingredients (for the kebabs):

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into even size pieces

3/4 cup of olive oil

Directions:

1.  Make the spice mix.  Combine the cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, cardamom, rose petals (if you have them) and ground cumin.  Blend well with a fork or a spoon.

2.  Marinate the chicken.  Place the chicken in a storage bag.  Add the oil (and the drops of rose water, if you are using it as a substitute for rose petals).  Add the spice mix gradually, mixing it into the chicken and the olive oil.  Continue until all of the spice mix has been added to the storage bag.  Close the bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight.

3.  Prepare the kebabs.  Soak the skewers for at least an hour (this is not really necessary).  Skewer the chicken pieces, making sure each skewer has the same amount of chicken on it.

4.  Grill the kebabs.  Heat a grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Oil the grates and place the kebabs on the grill.  Grill for about seven to ten minutes on each side total, but rotate and turn the kebabs occasionally.  Remove from the heat and let rest for five minutes.

When you serve the kebabs, it is best to serve them with rice and a side, like Salad-e Shirazi, which is what I did for this meal. 

ENJOY!

Savage Boleks' Smoked Turkey

When people think of barbecue, thoughts turn to pork shoulders, ribs and beef brisket.  My thoughts turn to a wide range of meats when it comes to smoking.  Many of the more interesting barbecue projects have been done in collaboration with my father-in-law, Frank.  These projects include our smoked salmon fillets and smoked mullet spread.  

Recently, I collaborated with Frank on another BBQ project: smoked turkey.  My beautiful Angel eats turkey at Thanksgiving, and, more recently, has eaten some of my turkey dishes.  So, we decided to smoke a turkey so that everyone -- Clare's parents, Clare and myself -- could have something to eat.  

The meat was chosen, which then raised several questions.  First, do we smoke a whole turkey or just parts of a turkey (like a turkey breast, or turkey thighs)?  We seriously considered smoking an entire turkey.  This posed some serious issues, given the white meat and dark meat cook at different speeds and need to reach different temperatures.  There is also the secondary question of whether to cook the bird as is, or spatchcock the bird (that is, remove the backbone so the entire bird lays flat).  If we spatchcocked the turkey, we would have to cut it into two halves in order to fit into the smoker. All of these questions became moot, however, because I could not find a good sized, fresh turkey.  The best turkey was a whopping 21 pounds, which was way to big for our endeavor.

A couple of the smoked turkey thighs.

Thus, we decided to smoke a turkey breast and turkey thighs. The use of cut turkey parts would definitely shorten the cooking time, which would allow us to speed up the cooking time and allow us to enjoy the meat sooner rather than later.

Second, there is the question of using a brine.  A brine is a solution of water and salt.  Placing meat into this solution for a period of time helps to add moisture to the meat.  This added moisture is particularly helpful when it comes to cooking or smoking meats that have a low fat content, like turkey.  We decided to use a brine and, because we were using cut turkey parts, we decided to brine the turkey for about an hour.

The smoked turkey breast.

Third, there was the question of the rub and/or sauce.  We decided to do just a rub.  Frank searched for various turkey rubs, and, then he came across one that had a list of rather unusual ingredients ... at least for turkey.  Cardamom, ginger, turmeric, allspice, cloves, coriander and fenugreek.  All of those ingredients sounded like the perfect components of a rub.  After all, I have previously experimented with spices and turkey, making turkey thighs rubbed with an Egyptian Baharat spice mixture.  So, we decided to use the rather unusual combination of spices as the rub for the turkey.  This was perhaps the best decision we made in our preparations, because that spice mixture produced an amazingly, flavorful meat.

Finally, there was the question of the two additional flavor elements.  There are three elements to consider: wood, liquid and basting sauce.   When it comes to wood, the general rule calls for fruit woods, like apple or cherry.  So, we chose apple wood. When it came to the liquid bowl (that is, the bowl that is between the meat and the coals), we used a combination of apple juice and water, along with some keffir lime leaves.  The leaves were inspired by the ingredients in the rub.   The basting sauce also was very simple: just some apple juice.  We began the basting after the meat had been in the smoker for two hours.

In the end, the turkey turned out perfect.  The turkey thighs were delicious, with the rub providing an interesting array of flavors.  As for the turkey breast, the use of the brine ensured that the breast meat did not dry out during the cooking process and remained juicy with a lot of moisture notwithstanding the hours of smoking.   This barbecue project worked out so well that I have since smoked some more turkey thighs using the same brine and rub process.  The results were the same: delicious, flavorful and juicy turkey, which did not need any sauce.

SAVAGE BOLEKS' SMOKED TURKEY

A Chef Bolek Collaboration

Serves Many

Ingredients (for the Brine):

16 cups of water

1/2 cup of salt

Ingredients (for the Spice Rub):

3 tablespoons of ground cardamom

3 tablespoons of ground ginger

2 tablespoons of ground turmeric

2 tablespoons of ground coriander

1 tablespoon of ground allspice

3 tablespoons of ground black pepper

2 tablespoons of ground cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon of ground cloves

3 tablespoons of ground fenugreek

Ingredients (for the turkey):

8 pounds of turkey (1 four pound breast and 4 pounds of thighs)

Kaffir lime leaves

2 cups of apple juice

Chunks of apple wood

Directions:

1.  Brine the turkey.  Add the water to a large pot.  Add the salt and stir until it dissolves.  Add the turkey breast and thighs.  Allow the meat to brine for one hour.  After an hour has passed, remove the meat, rinse well, and dry thoroughly.

2.  Prepare the rub for the turkey.   Add all of the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl.  Apply the rub to all surfaces of the turkey. 

3.  Prepare the smoker.  Get a fire going for the smoker.  Once the coals are ready, add the liquid bowl, which should be filled with water and kaffir lime leaves.  Add the grates.

4.  Smoke the turkey.  If you have two levels, place the breast on the lower level with the skin side up.  Place the thighs on the higher level with the skin side up.  Smoke until the white meat reaches 160 degrees Fahreneheit and the dark meat reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit.  It will take approximately one half hour for every pound of meat.  After about two hours, baste the turkey with some apple juice.  Once the meat reaches the desired temperature, wrap the meat in foil and allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes but preferably 30 minutes.  During that time, the meat should cook another 5 to 10 degrees and be ready for slicing or pulling.  Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Blackened Catfish with Maque Choux

An important aspect of my cooking hobby is education, an effort on my part to learn from others.  I strive to achieve that goal in many different ways.  I  have taken cooking classes, I read cookbooks, and I follow websites of people who share a love of cooking.  One of the websites that I follow is Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook.  It is the website of Hank Straw; and, in some ways, his story is one that I quite admire.  

As you can tell from his website address, Hank Straw and HAGC is all about "honest food."  But, it is his efforts to walk the "less-traveled path" that have me checking the website on a regular basis. Hank does not purchase packaged and processed foods; he hunts for his meat or buys it from people who raise animals in a humane way; and he focuses his attention on, in his words, "those meats and veggies that people don't eat much any more."  It's that less traveled path.

Recently, I made one of Hank's recipes ... Blackened Catfish with Maque Choux.  You can read his post about the history of blackened fish, which is a very interesting one, especially considering the sustainability issues.  What got my attention was the Maque Choux, a dish that incorporates the cooking of the Acadians (i.e., the Cajuns) and Native Americans in southern Louisiana.   The recipe incorporates corn, green peppers, onions and tomatoes.  Due to the time of the year, I had to use frozen corn, but I think that the dish would be infinitely better with fresh corn.  I will definitely be making Maque Choux in the summer.

Finally, one note about the blackened catfish.  Hank suggests that you use a cast-iron skillet to cook the fish.  When I worked in a seafood restaurant, we used a large cast iron skillet to cook blackened catfish and blackened tuna.  While I do have a cast iron skillet, I decided to try using a regular, non-stick pan.  While a certain aspect of the "blackened" character of the fish is lost with a non-stick pan, it is easier to clean up and I don't have to worry about cracking any pans. 

BLACKENED CATFISH WITH MAQUE CHOUX

Recipe from Hunter, Angler, Gardener Cook

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the catfish):

4 catfish fillets

1/2 cup melted butter

Ingredients (for the blackening rub):

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon celery seed

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon of dried oregano

Ingredients (for the Maque Choux):

2 tablespoons of butter

1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 green pepper, chopped

4 cups corn kernels

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Salt, to taste

Tabasco sauce, to taste

Directions: 

1.  Make the maque choux.  Heat the butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat, then add the onion. Saute the onion for 1 minute, then add the green pepper. Sprinkle salt over everything and saute for about 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add the corn kernels and cook for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover while you make the fish.

2.  Prepare the pan.  Get a cast-iron frying pan hot over your hottest burner.  Turn the stove fan on high, and open the windows nearby, as this creates smoke. Let the frying pan get hot for a good 3-4 minutes. (Alternatively, you can heat a non-stick pan on high for a couple of minutes).  

3.  Prepare the catfish fillets. While the pan is heating up, melt the butter and pour the Cajun spices into a shallow dish.  Dip the fish fillets in the melted butter, then dredge in the Cajun spices. Shake off any excess spices. Do this for as many fillets as will fit in the frying pan, which is usually about four fillets. 

4.  Cook the fillets.  Lay the fish down on the hot pan. It will sizzle up fiercely and smoke. This is normal. Let the fish cook this way for 2-3 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, carefully flip the catfish fillets and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes.  

5. Finish the maque choux.  When you flip the catfish, add the tomatoes and the Tabasco to the maque choux.

6.  Plate the dish.   Plate one fillet on a dish, add the maque choux, and serve with rice and a good beer.  (I suggest anything from Abita Brewing.)

ENJOY!

Chicken Hawayil

One of the most interesting aspects of my personal culinary adventures is the exploration into different spice mixes.  Over the past couple years, I have made several spice mixes.  These blends include Egyptian Baharat, Libyan Bzaar, Keralan Panni Ularthiyathu and two different versions of Berbere, Ethiopian and Eritrean.  Recently, I was looking for a new spice mix to try in connection with grilling a whole chicken.  I decided to make my search more interesting by focusing upon those blends or mixes that incorporate cardamom.  This focus basically narrowed my search to spice mixes used in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking.

As I conducted my search, I fully expected to find and use an Indian spice mix.  I was very surprised when I came across a few recipes for Hawayil, which is a traditional spice mix used in Yemeni cuisine.  Although the recipes varied in terms of the ingredients used to make the mix, the core spices are black peppercorns, cardamom seeds, saffron, cloves and turmeric.  Some other recipes include other spices, such as cumin seeds and coriander seeds.  Ultimately, I decided to make a Hawayil spice mix using the core spices, although I used both green and black cardamom pods, and I added cumin seeds.  (For some reason, I did not have any coriander seeds in my spice drawer; however, I added the coriander to the recipe below for future reference.) 

The recipes also differed as to the preparation of the spice mix.  Some recipes called for toasting the seeds, which is usually done to help release the aromas and flavors.  Other recipes omitted this step.  From what I can tell from my research, toasting the seeds is part of the traditional method for making Hawayil.  Therefore, I adapted the recipe for Hawayil to provide for the toasting of all of the seeds (black peppercorns, cardamom seeds, cumin seeds, cloves and coriander seeds).  The toasted seeds are then added to the spice grinder, along with the saffron and turmeric. 

Overall, this is a very good spice mix.  It worked very well with chicken; and, I think it could also work well with lamb or goat.  I will definitely try this mix with other meats.

CHICKEN HAWAYIL

Hawayil recipe adapted from Ya Salam Cooking

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the chicken):

1 whole four pound chicken, rinsed and spatch-cocked

Salt, to taste

Ingredients (for the Hawayil):

6 teaspoons of black peppercorns

2 teaspoons of cumin seeds

3 teaspoons of caraway seeds
1 teaspoon of green cardamom seeds

1 teaspoon of black cardamom seeds

1 teaspoon of saffron threads

2 teaspoons of whole cloves

2 teaspoons of coriander seeds

2 teaspoons of ground turmeric

Directions:

1.  Prepare the Hawayil.  Heat a small pan on medium heat.  Toast the black peppercorns, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, cardamom seeds, cloves, and coriander seeds for a couple of minutes, moving the seeds to prevent burning.  Once the seeds become fragrant, remove them from the heat and add them to a spice grinder with the turmeric and saffron.  Grind the seeds until they are a powder.  Season the chicken with some salt and add the hawayil rub to all sides of the chicken.  Let the chicken rest in the refrigerator for about one-half hour.

2.  Grill the chicken.  Heat the grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the chicken, skin side up.  Grill for about twenty minutes.  Flip the chicken and grill for fifteen minutes.  Return the chicken to skin side up, and continue to grill for about five minutes more. Let the chicken rest for ten to fifteen minutes.

3.  Finish the dish.  After the chicken has rested, break the chicken down into pieces:  2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs and 2 wings.  Serve on a platter. 

ENJOY!

Baltimore Pit Beef with Tiger Sauce

My latest barbecue project takes me to a place where "barbecue" is not barbecue.  There is no low and slow, smoking large cuts of pork or beef over carefully selected woods until they are cooked through and fork tender.  There is no application of thick tomato-based sauces or thinner vinegary sauces.  Yet, in this place, the residents still embrace what they believe to be barbecue.  The place is Baltimore, Maryland and the "barbecue" is known as pit beef.

I did some research into the history of pit beef, which appears to have originated in the working class neighborhoods of eastern Baltimore city.  The recent tradition of pit beef, according to Baltimore Pit Beef History, can be found along "Pit Beef Row" on Route 40, also known as Pulaski Highway.  The "big three" are Chap's Charcoal Restaurant, Big Al's and Big Fat Daddy's.  Of the three, Chap's is perhaps the best known because of its appearances on shows such as Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and Adam Richman's Man v. Food.

When it comes to explaining pit beef, it may be best to draw upon Adam Richman's Man v. Food.  I do so because I am a big fan of his show.   A little introduction, and, then on to the pit beef:

If you think about it, pit beef is the exact opposite of barbecue.  Cuts of beef are grilled over higher heat, with the grillmaster opening the grill often to turn the meat to ensure a crunchy crust develops on all sides of the cut, while ensuring that the meat remains between rare and medium rare on the inside.  Pitmasters from western Texas to eastern North Carolina would label it "heresy" if pit beef were to be called "barbecue."   

Heresy or not, I have wanted to make pit beef ever since I saw Adam Richman eat that sandwich.  During my research, I came across a few recipes for pit beef.  I decide to use a recipe from the professor of "Barbecue University," Steve Raichlen.  As it turns out, Steve grew up in Maryland, although he never had pit beef while he lived here.  Steve based his recipe based on Big Fat Daddy's recipe for pit beef.  This recipe was easy, but I had a problem.  Steve's recipe called for the use of top round.  I went to a couple of supermarkets, but I could not find any top round.  All that was available were eye round and bottom round.  The Man v. Food video above was taken at Chap's, which uses bottom round.  So, I decided that I would substitute bottom round. It was a sizable cut, weighing in at four and one-half pounds. 

The only other thing I needed is the sauce.  A pit beef sandwich is a very simple construction ... beef, white onions and the sauce ... a mayonnaise/horseradish combination sometimes called "Tiger Sauce."  While Steve Raichlen included a recipe for a white sauce from Big Fat Daddy's, but I wanted to find a recipe for the Tiger Sauce used by Chap's.  (After all, I was using a bottom round like Chap's rather than a top round like Big Fat Daddy's).  After a little more research, I found a recipe from a website called Food So Good Mall.  Although I could not verify that it was a recipe for Chap's Tiger Sauce, it was still very good.  

BALTIMORE PIT BEEF WITH TIGER SAUCE

Pit Beef Recipe adapted from Big Fat Daddy's by Steven Raichlen and 

printed in the New York Times; and, the Tiger Sauce recipe

adapted from Food So Good Mall

Serves several

Ingredients (for the rub):
2 tablespoons seasoned salt
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Ingredients (for the sandwich):
1 3-pound piece top round
8 kaiser rolls or 16 slices of rye bread
1 sweet white onion, sliced thin

Ingredients (for the Tiger Sauce):
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 cup of prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons of dry mustard
2 tablespoons of sour cream

Directions:

1. Marinate the beef.  Combine ingredients for the rub in a bowl, and mix. Sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons all over the beef, patting it in. Place in a baking dish, and cover with plastic wrap. You can cover the beef with the rub for a few hours, but for maximum flavor, leave it for 3 days in the refrigerator, turning once a day.

2.  Make the Tiger Sauce.  Combine the mayonnaise, horseradish, mustard and sour cream. Mix all the ingredients well. Set aside in the refrigerator.

3. Grill the beef.  Prepare a hot grill (my estimate is about 400 to 450 degrees). Grill beef 30 to 40 minutes, or until outside is crusty and dark brown and internal temperature is about 120 degrees (for rare).  Times will vary depending upon the cut used and its size.  Still, turn beef often. Transfer to a cutting board; let it rest 5 minutes.

4. Plate the dish.  Slice beef thinly across grain. Pile beef high on a roll or bread and slather the beef with the Tiger Sauce. Garnish with white onions.

One last thought ... given the cut of beef, pit beef should be, at most, medium rare.  Bottom round (or top round) cooked to medium or well is better used as leather than served as a sandwich.  When you grill the bottom round according to the times, it is very likely that you will end up with part of the round being rare or even bordering on raw.  The solution is easy ... just slice off the medium rare slices and put the round back on the grill for one or two minutes.  You can then continue slicing the meat.  I provide this information with one caveat: many people like the rare slices and often request the "rare" when they order pit beef sandwiches whenever they visit one of those shacks on Pit Beef Row. 

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

Given the pit beef sandwich is a quintessential Baltimore food, it needs to be paired with the quintessential Baltimore beverage ... beer.  I would suggest a beer from one of Baltimore's craft brewers, such as Heavy Seas.  Some of the Heavy Seas beers that could pair well with this recipe include the Classic Lager and IPA, or even some of the Pyrate Fleet Beers, like the Small Craft Warning Uber Pils or Loose Cannon IPA.

ENJOY!

Abruzzese Style Pork Barbecue Sandwiches

With football season now in gear, I have decided to devote one day each weekend (when I can) to barbecue.  For the first weekend, I decided to make a Texas Barbecue Brisket.  I tried to meld Central Texas and Western Texas barbecue, by using a salt/pepper rub and smoking the brisket over mesquite.  Now, I have moved onto pork shoulders.  I have previously made Big Bob Gibson's Eight Time World Championship Pork Shoulder or my own Raging Pig Pulled Pork. I decided that, for this barbecue project, I would try a spin on pork ... Abruzzese style pork barbecue sandwiches. 

This recipe draws its inspiration from the Italian roasted pork sandwiches.  As I thought of this recipe, I had thoughts of the DiNic's Roasted Pork sandwich that I had at the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  My goal was not to replicate the sandwich, but to let it inspire me.  I decided that I would prepare a rub using some classic Italian herbs -- sage, rosemary and thyme -- along with garlic and onion powders.  I also decided to use a liberal amount of crushed red pepper, a favorite ingredient in the Abruzzo region of Italy, to provide a spicy kick.  After the shoulder marinated overnight, I smoked the pork shoulder using wood charcoal and apple wood.  Once the shoulder was cooked, I pulled it out of the smoker, allowed it to rest. 

I had a little difficulty with the toppings.  I wanted to keep it simple and fresh.  A slice of tomato, onion and some lettuce.  It worked out well.

ABRUZZESE STYLE PORK BARBECUE SANDWICHES

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves many

Ingredients:

1 boston butt pork shoulder, around 4 to 5 pounds

1 tablespoon of onion powder

1 tablespoon of garlic powder

1 tablespoon of dried thyme

1 tablespoon of dried parsley

3/4 tablespoon of dried sage
1/2 tablespoon (or to taste) of crushed red pepper

1/2 tablespoon of ground dried rosemary

3/4 tablespoon of ground black peppercorns

3/4 tablespoon of kosher salt
Olive oil

Toppings (lettuce, tomato, onion, etc.)
Hoagie buns

Directions:
1.  Marinate the pork shoulder.  Combine the onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, parsley, dried sage, crushed red pepper, rosemary, pepper and salt.  Mix well.  Brush olive oil on every side of the pork shoulder.  Sprinkle the rub on every side of the pork shoulder and gently rub the mix into the pork.  Refrigerate the shoulder overnight.

2.  Prepare the fire.  Place a few chunks of apple wood in a bucket full of water. Start a chimney and prepare a fire in the bottom of the smoker.  Once the temperature reaches the range between 225 degrees and 250 degrees Fahrenheit, add a couple chunks of apple wood.

3.   Smoke the pork shoulder.  Add the pork shoulder, fat side up, and close the smoker.  The shoulder is going to cook for 1 1/2 hours per pound, until the shoulder reaches approximately 195 degrees Fahrenheit.   I used a four and one half pound pork shoulder, so I was looking at about six hours total.  After about four hours, I basted the shoulder with just some water.

4.  Rest the shoulder.  Remove the shoulder from the smoker and wrap it in foil.  Allow the shoulder to rest for half an hour to an hour.  Pull the pork or slice it.

5.  Make the sandwiches.   Slice the hoagie bun.  Place some of the pork in the sandwich, top it with onions, lettuce and tomatoes (or any other toppings you like).

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

As with most barbecue recipes, beer is often the first choice for a pairing.  Any pale ale or pilsner will work with this recipe.  If you want to think about wine, a friend suggested an Italian syrah or negramaro.  In addition, a good Montepulciano d'Abruzzo could work as well.  

ENJOY!

North African Merguez Sliders

I love to barbecue and grill food, and I follow a lot of chefs, BBQ pitmasters, and professional grillers, always looking for ideas and inspiration.  One of my favorites is Steven Raichlen, whose television shows -- BBQ U and Primal Grill -- are always interesting to watch.  When I recently came across Steven Raichlen's recipe for lamb sliders, I thought it would be a great dish for a Super Bowl party.

Raichlen's recipe called for the use of ground lamb and his Planet Barbecue North African Rub.  I did not have any of the rub.  So, I began to think about what I could use as a substitute.  If Steve Raichlen was drawing inspiration from the flavors of North Africa, from countries like Morocco or Algeria, then I needed to focus on a substitute spice mix.  The first thought was Merguez, the mix used to make the sausage of the same name. 

Merguez is a type of fresh sausage (as opposed to dry sausage) that is common throughout Northern Africa and the Middle East.  It is usually made with mutton or beef, with a spice mix that draws from a range of interesting and flavorful ingredients.  A Merguez spice mix typically includes paprika, along with fennel, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and chile powder (or cayenne pepper).  The best part is that Merguez sausage is typically grilled, just like Steve Raichlens' recipe for the lamb sliders. 

So I found a couple recipes for a Merguez Spice from About.com and MarxFoods.com and set about to make the spice.  The recipe below produces a lot of the spice mix; and, in the end, I used about 2/3 to 3/4 of the mix with the meat.  I tried to eyeball how the spice was being incorporated into the ground lamb to make sure that it was not too little or too much.  I would suggest adding about half of the mix (a little at a time while mixing with your hands).  After that, continue to add a little of the mix, a tablespoon at a time, until it seems like there is enough of the spice mix throughout the ground lamb. 

NORTH AFRICAN MERGUEZ SLIDERS

Recipe is adapted from Steven Raichlen's Planet Barbecue and

About.com and MarxFoods.com

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the Sliders):

1 1/2 pounds of ground lamb

1 small onion, minced

2 tablespoons of Merguez spice mix

Greek yogurt

Sliced tomatoes

Slider buns or mini-pitas

Ingredients (for the Merguez Spice):

1/4 cup sweet paprika

2 tablespoons of ground fennel seeds

2 tablespoons of ground cumin seeds

1 tablespoon of ground coriander seeds

2 tablespoons of salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

3/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper

Directions:

1.  Make the lamb slider patties.  Combine the ground lamb, onion and Merguez spice mix.  Form two inch patties.

2.  Grill or cook the patties.  Grill or cook the patties either over high heat on a grill or under the broiler of a stove, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side.

3.  Plate the dish.  Spread a thin layer of Greek yogurt on the bottom of the slider bun or the mini-pita.  Place one slider on the bun or pita. Top with sliced tomatoes.

This dish turned out really well.  The lamb burgers actually had the spice and the consistency of Merguez sausage.  Although making your own spice mix generally takes more work and a lot more guesswork when it comes to adding it to the ground meat, the end product is often that much more rewarding.

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

The lamb sliders are spicy, both in terms of piquancy and in terms of flavor.  The use of cayenne pepper provides the heat, but the combination of coriander, cumin and fennel also provide a different type of heat.  Given the different types of heat, a lighter, refreshing beer or wine would be best paired with this dish.  With respect to a beer, a pilsner beer would work very well, providing a refreshing break from the spice.  One such pilsner is the following:

Dogfish Head Ales -- My Antonia
Czech Style Pilsner
Milton, Delaware, USA
Aroma of hops, lighter body with hop taste

If you are looking for a wine, fruity wines like Pinot Grigios and Pinot Gris, as well as Vinho Verdes, will probably not stand up to the trifecta of the coriander, cumin and fennel.  Still, a white wine like a Vouvray, which has honey and floral notes, would work well to complement the flavors of the sliders.  I have not reviewed any Vouvray wines, but, when I do, I will add it to this recipe. 

ENJOY!

Baharat Turkey

I am a big fan of spice mixes and have dabbled a little with Middle Eastern spice mixes, such as the Bzaar and Hararat mixes used in Libyan cooking.  Now, I cross the border, so to speak, to dabble with an spice mix called Baharat, which is used in Arab cuisine.  Baharat may have anywhere from four to nine ingredients, including any of the following: allspice, black pepper, black cardamom, cassia, cloves, coriander, cumin, nutmeg and chiles (or paprika).  Some countries, like Turkey and Tunisia, have their own, patricular type of Baharat. Turkish Baharat includes mint, while Tunisian Baharat includes dried rosebuds and ground cinnamon.

For this recipe, I am using an Egyptian version of Baharat.  The spice mix uses paprika, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, cardamom, ginger, allspice and chiles. I chose the Egyptian version of Baharat for a reason, viz., I was trying to pair a dish with a beer.  A little reverse pairing.  I bought a beer brewed based upon an ancient Egyptian recipe -- look for the beer below and the review to come -- and I needed a dish.  I chose the Baharat rub because I wanted to create a more modern dish to pair with that beer.  

With the rub in hand, I had to decide what protein to use.  The easy choice would have been lamb or maybe chicken.  But I wanted to try something different, so I went with turkey.  That's right, turkey.  I thought the texture of the turkey would provide a different contrast for the spices.  I choose a turkey thigh, headed home and began to create a Chef Bolek Original.

BAHARAT TURKEY

Baharat recipe adapted from JaimeOliver.com

Serves 2-3

Ingredients (for the Baharat Spice Mix):

2 teaspoons of paprika
2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon of ground allspice
1 teaspoon of ground dried chilli (optional, I used Aleppo pepper)

Ingredients (for the Turkey):
1 boneless turkey thigh, about 1 pound
Salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Prepare the baharat mix.  Combine all of the spice mix ingredients together.  

2.  Prepare the turkey.  Rub the mix all over the turkey thigh.  Using some kitchen twine, tie together the thigh like you would a leg of lamb.  This will help keep parts of the turkey from cooking faster than other parts. 

3.  Cook the turkey thigh.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cook the thigh for 30 to 35 minutes.  Cooking times will vary depending upon the size of the thigh. 

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

As I noted above, I made this recipe because I needed a dish to pair with a specific beer.  The beer was based upon, and drew inspiration from, an ancient Egyptian recipe for making beer.  

Dogfish Head Brewing -- Ta Henket

Ancient Ale

Milton, Delaware, USA

Flavors of za'atar, doum fruit and chamomile

If you cannot find Ta Henket, there are other beers or wines that could work this this recipe, like the following.

Bergström Winery -- Dr. Bergström Riesling (2007)

100% Riesling

Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA

Flavors of apples, pears and melon

Baying Hound Aleworks -- Lord Whimsey's Mild Pale Ale

Mild Pale Ale

Rockville, Maryland, USA

Flavors of bread and malt

ENJOY!