Roman Turkey Burgers

There is a seemingly infinite number of turkey burgers out there.  If you search for "turkey burger recipe" on Google, you get 147,000 results.  Not every result is a recipe for a turkey burger.  However, the search produces turkey burgers of every variety inspired by cuisines across the world.  There are southwestern turkey burgers, which usually include some chipotle or ancho chiles in the recipe, and "Greek" turkey burgers, with yogurt, oregano and feta cheese in the burgers.  And, there are quite a few "ultimate" turkey burgers. 

Recently, I wanted to make turkey burgers for my beautiful Angel. I perused page after page of turkey burger recipes but none of them really caught and held my attention.  I eventually decided that I would create my own turkey burger recipe.   A turkey burger recipe raises two questions, one that is easily answered and another one that is a little more difficult.

The first question is what type of ground turkey to use.  One has two choices: ground turkey breast or ground turkey thighs.  Personally, I think turkey thighs are better because they have a higher fat content, which helps to prevent the meat from drying out during the cooking process. If you are looking for a healthier turkey burger, you could use one-half thigh meat and one-half breast meat.  However, given the fact that you are making a turkey burger, as opposed to a regular burger, you are already making something that is relatively healthier.  

The second question is what to add to the ground turkey.  If you don't add anything to the turkey burger, you have a simple meal.  A simple, boring meal.  That is why there are so many different turkey burger recipes.  Many people have experimented with different ingredients that are mixed into the ground turkey to create a more flavorful and delicious burger.  

In the end, I decided to incorporate some Italian ingredients into this recipe.  I started with some sun-dried tomatoes.  I bought a jar of sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, which provided an additional way to add flavor to the turkey.  I also bought some fresh basil and flat leaf parsley, both of which are chopped rather finely.  I rounded out the ingredients with some minced garlic and some grated Parmesan cheese.  All of these ingredients are complementary, working very well together in the ground turkey mixture.  

Overall, this recipe worked out very well.  It is a relatively easy and quick recipe to make during the week.  This means that I will be making it again, probably very soon.

ROMAN TURKEY BURGERS

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground turkey (preferably ground thighs)

6 sundried tomatoes in olive oil, thinly sliced

1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons Italian basil, chopped
1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan

2 cloves garlic, minced

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large tomato, sliced

1 red onion, sliced thinly

Lettuce

Directions:

1. Prepare the burgers.  Place the turkey in a bowl.  Gently add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper.  Mix the ingredients thoroughly.  Then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Mix the ingredients gently.  You can add an additional tablespoon of olive oil, but that is optional.  Form into 4 patties and make an indentation in the middle of each one to help the patties cook evenly.

2.  Cook the burgers.  Pre-heart the broiler.  Broil the patties until firm and brown, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.  Serve on toasted buns with lettuce, tomato and onion. 

ENJOY!

Oysters with a Sun-Dried Tomato and Parsley Mignonette

Sweet Oysters -- or Choptank Sweets -- are "aqua-cultured" or farmed oysters from the Chesapeake Bay.  These oysters are not raised at the bottom of the bay or on reefs, but in floats just below the surface of the water where they feast on algae.  The oysters are also removed at various points in their development to remove barnacles, mussels and other organisms from their shelles.  The result is a meaty oyster that is low in salinity and briny taste.

However, unlike other oysters, like Chesapeake oysters, the shells of Sweet Oysters are more brittle, making them harder to shuck.  (I'm speaking from experience.)  Once they are shucked, you are greeted with a meaty oyster that is actually sweet in taste (hence, the "sweet" in the name).

When thinking of the mignonette for a sweet oyster, I tried to think of flavors or tastes that would provide a contrast.  The first things to come to mind were earthy flavors.  The sweetness of the oysters are subtle and, therefore, the earthiness of the contrasting flavors also have to be subtle.  So, I chose sun-dried tomatoes and flat-leaf parsley for the mignonette.  The result was very good.

OYSTERS WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND PARSLEY MIGNONETTE

A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

12 fresh oysters, shucked (I used Chesapeakes, but any will do)

4 tablespoons of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped finely

2 tablespoons of flat leaf parsley, chopped finely

1 shallot, diced

2-3 tablespoons of white vinegar

Directions:

 1.  In a non-reactive bowl, add the shallot, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley and vinegar. Mix all of the ingredients well. 

2.  Spoon the mignonette over the oysters.

ENJOY!

To learn more about Choptank Sweets, check out Sustained Seas.

Brodetto dei Pescatori di Abruzzo (Abruzzese Fishermen's Stew)

Back in April 2008, I posted the very first recipe on Chef Bolek, which was a recipe for Brodetto alla Pecarese.  This recipe was not just any recipe; instead, it represented a few firsts for me.  It was the first time that I took several recipes for a dish and tried to navigate my way through them -- taking bits from each one -- to create a dish that I could call my own.  It was also the first dish that I "mastered," with some (including myself) calling it my "signature dish."  Finally, it was the first time that I actively researched  a recipe so that I could understand the various ingredients and cooking processes for the recipe (as opposed to simply following a recipe).  Looking back over the past two and one-half years, I've seen that my cooking skills (and blogging skills) have grown a lot.  And, for the first recipe of this new year, I decided that I would return to where it all started.

Generally, a brodetto is a stew made by fishermen along the coast of the Adriatic Sea in cities like Venice and regions like Emilia-Romagna, Le Marche and Abruzzo.  Brodetto was the food of the poor; it was made by fishermen from the catch that was not good enough for the market or by their wives from the fish and seafood that did not sell at the market.  Brodettos were not considered the food of high society or even the middle class.  It was the food of the working poor, and, as is often the case, that food can often rival the food prepared in the finest restaurants.

Perhaps the fact that Brodetto was basically considered "peasant fare" is what attracted me to this dish, but it could also be the fact that Brodetto can vary significantly from region to region.  Fishermen used to use whatever fish, shellfish or other catch was on hand, as well as other local ingredients.  For example, in Abruzzo, fishermen would add a lot pepperoncino or crushed red pepper flakes, because peppers are used a lot in the local cuisine.  Many recipes for Abruzzese brodettos also call for the use of saffron, because farmers cultivated the flower in the fields near the capital of Aquila.  While I usually include saffron in the brodetto, it is to acknowledge a local ingredient.  I recognize that most fishermen do not have ready access to such an ingredient.

When making brodetto, there are a few things to keep in mind.  First, a Brodetto uses a couple types of fish and a couple types of other seafood, such as shellfish or squid; however, when you are only making it for yourself or for a couple of people, I use one type of fish and a couple types of other seafood, usually shrimp and squid.  Second, you can use either whole fish or fillets.  I generally prefer to use fillets because it is easier to cook the fish along with the other seafood.   Finally, I try to use a white wine that from the region in which I am basing the brodetto.  In Abruzzo, that would be a Trebbiano d'Abruzzo; however, that wine can sometimes be hard to find.  So, any dry white wine -- or for that matter -- any white wine from an area close to the region would be okay to use.  When making this recipe, I used an Orvieto, which is a white wine from the neighboring Umbria region.

BRODETTO DEI PESCATORI DI ABRUZZO (Abruzzese Fishermen's Stew)
A Chef Bolek Original

                                                                 Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
1 pound of fish (such as red snapper, bluefish, turbot and/or tilapia)
1/2 pound of shrimp, preferably U-12 or 16/20 count shrimp
1/3 pound of cleaned squid (both heads and body)
1 can of whole tomatoes (canned with tomato puree and basil)
1 can of water
1 cup of a dry white wine (such as a Trebbiano d'Abruzzo or Orvieto)
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 medium sized shallot, diced
1 large onion, sliced
1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme
1 large pinch of saffron stands
1 tablespoon of fresh basil, chiffonade
2 bay leaves
1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of flat leaf parsley, chopped
Sea salt, to taste
Ground peppercorns, to taste
Baguette, sliced

Directions:

1.  Saute onions and garlic.  Pour the olive oil into a pot and heat to medium. Add the onion and shallots and cook for about ten minutes until the onions are translucent.  Then add the garlic. Continue to saute the onions, shallots and garlic for about two to three minutes more.  

2.  Add tomatoes, liquid and spices.  Add the whole tomatoes and, with a potato masher, work to break up the tomatoes.  Then add the white wine and the water.  Mix the ingredients together with a slotted spoon, continuing to break up the tomatoes. Add the crushed red pepper, saffron, bay leaves, salt and ground pepper. Continue to stir until everything is well incorporated.  This is the base of the brodetto and it should simmer for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3.  Add seafood to broth.  Add the fish and allow the fish to cook for about four to five minutes or until the fish begins to become opaque.  Add the squid and continue to cook for about three to four minutes or until the squid starts to becomes opaque.  Add the shrimp and continue to cook until the shrimp is opaque. 

4.  Finish the dish.  Remove the brodetto from the heat. Toast the baguette slices and put a slice at the bottom of each bowl. Spoon the brodetto into each bowl and top the brodetto with flat leaf parsley.

ENJOY!

For more information about Brodetto, check out About.com.

Iron Chef Night: CORN!

Every once in a while, I like to do an "Iron Chef" night, when I pick an ingredient and try to make two or three dishes featuring that ingredient.  For the latest Iron Chef Night, the secret ingredient was ... CORN.  I skimmed the Internet for recipes, which I use for ideas as to what dishes I could make.  After a quick review, I decided on three dishes: Chilled Corn Soup with Tarragon and Sun-Dried Tomatoes; Blue Crab and Corn Salad; and Grilled Black Sea Bass with a Roasted Corn Salsa.  Each of these dishes was made on the spot, from ideas in my head.  I tried to keep it as simple as possible.  I used recipes only as guides, not really following them.  The measurements are sketchy and even if I made these again, they would probably come out different.  Still, it is an exercise in creativity.

CHILLED CORN SOUP WITH TARRAGON AND SUN DRIED TOMATOES
Serves 4

This is a great chilled soup for the summer.  The key is the colder the soup, the better.  So let it rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving it.

Ingredients: 
3 cups of corn (about four ears of corn)
4 green onions (white part only), diced
1 small red chile, seeded and diced
Juice from half a lemon
2-3 teaspoons of tarragon, chopped finely
3 cups of milk
1 cup of yogurt
Sun-dried tomatoes for garnish
A few tarragon leaves for garnish

Directions:
1.  Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the kernels off of the cobs and put into a bowl.  In the food processor, add about 1/2 of the corn, the chopped tarragon and the onions.  Blend until smooth.  Add lemon juice and continue blending.

2.  In a separate bowl, add the milk and yogurt, and whisk until smooth.  Add one cup of the blended milk and yogurt to the corn mixture in the food processor, while the processor is running.  Pour the mixture into a clean bowl.  Whisk in the remaining milk and yogurt mixture.  Add the red peppers.  Chill the soup for a couple of hours.  Garnish with sun-dried tomatoes and a few tarragon leaves.

BLUE CRAB AND CORN SALAD
Serves 4

Ingredients:
16 ounces of jumbo lump crab (pasteurized only)
4 ears of corn
Juice from 1 lemon
4 leaves of basil, chopped finely
A handful of sun-dried tomatoes
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1.  Rub the corn with butter, salt and pepper.  You may also add some red pepper flake.  Wrap the corn in foil with two pads of butter.  Heat grill on high.  Placed the wrapped corn on the grill for 5 minutes and turn.  Cook for another two to three minutes.  Remove and let cool.  Using a serrated knife, remove the kernels from the cobs.

2.  Mix the corn, crab, chile, basil, sun dried tomatoes, and lemon juice.  Salt and pepper to taste.

GRILLED CORN-TOMATO SALSA
Serves 4


Ingredients:
4 ears of corn
1 red chile, seeded and diced finely
Juice from 1 lemon
Juice from 1 lime
1 small red onion, diced
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 avocado, pitted and diced
1 small bunch of cilantro, diced
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Directions: 
1.  Rub the corn with butter, salt and pepper.  You may also add some red pepper flake.  Wrap the corn in foil with two pads of butter.  Heat grill on high.  Placed the wrapped corn on the grill for 5 minutes and turn.  Cook for another two to three minutes.  Remove and let cool.  Using a serrated knife, remove the kernels from the cobs.


2.  Mix the corn, chile, tomato, onion, cilantro, avocado, lemon juice and lime juice.  Salt and pepper to taste.

I served this with grilled black sea bass.

ENJOY!

Maccheroni alla Chitarra con Polpettini d'Agnello

Maccheroni alla Chitarra con Polpettini d'Agnello is a classic dish from the region of Abruzzo. The dish has three components: (1) the pasta, (2) the sauce and (3) the lamb meatballs. This recipe takes several hours to make, principally because of the time needed to cook the sauce and really intensify the flavors within that sauce. This recipe also calls for handmade pasta, using the rather unique "chitarra," which is a traditional pasta maker from Abruzzo. I have made this dish several times and, each time, I tweak the sauce and the meatballs to bring out new tastes and give each meal its own personality.

The Tomato Sauce

The recipe begins wtih the tomato sauce, which is slow cooked for at least three to four hours, but I prefer to cook it five or more hours. The sauce cooks down over the long period of time, concentrating the flavors of basil, oregano, crushed red peppers and tomatoes. It is a simple sauce, based on the recipe handed down in my family. To make the sauce, you need:

1 can of tomato paste

1 can of tomato puree

3 cans of water (use one the paste can for one and the puree can for two)

Dried basil, to taste

Dried oregano, to taste

Crushed red pepper, to taste

Salt, to taste

Crushed black pepper, to taste

2 cloves of garlic, diced

Olive oil

In a large pot, heat the garlic in the olive oil. Saute the garlic and, after a couple of minutes, add the paste, puree and water. Mix the ingredients well. Then add the basil, oregano, onion powder, salt and pepper gradually, tasting it as you go along. Let the sauce simmer for about 3 to 4 hours, checking it occasionally for taste and to ensure that it does not cook down too much.

Lamb Meatballs

The meatballs can be made of beef, pork, or veal; however, I really like ground lamb. When the herbs and spices are added to the meat, it really adds several layers of flavors that complement the lamb. These meatballs can convert anyone who is wary of eating lamb because of any preconceived notions about that "lamb" taste. To make the meatballs you need the following:

Approx. 2 lbs of ground lamb

1 cup of bread crumbs

1 egg

Dried basil, to taste

Dried oregano, to taste

Onion powder, to taste

Garlic powder, to taste

Crushed red pepper, to taste

Crushed black pepper, to taste

Salt to taste

Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly. Take the mixture and form a medium-size ball with your hands. After forming the meatballs, brown the meatballs in a frying pan with a couple of teaspoons of oil. After the meatballs are browned, pat them down to remove the excess oil. Then add the meatballs to the tomato sauce.

Chitarra Pasta

This recipe calls for handmade pasta, no boxed pasta, no electric pasta makers. Although the recipe is simple, it can be difficult in execution.

4 cups of flour
3 eggs

Create a volcano with the cups of flour and break the eggs into the the center of the volcano. Make sure that the "walls" of the volcano are thick enough to hold the eggs in the center. Take a fork and begin to beat the eggs gently. As you are beating the eggs, begin to incorporate the flour from the sides of the mountain, starting at the top. Continue to add flour until you have a consistent paste. As the mixture comes together, form it into a ball.

Clean the workspace and then sprinkle flour over the working surface. Gently knead thedough until it becomes smooth and elastic. Make sure that there are no sticky spots in the dough (as a sticky dough will simply clog the pasta machine). Once the dough has been kneaded, begin to run it through a handcrank pasta machine at the widest setting. Repeat this five or six times. Then run the pasta through each of the other settings on the pasta machine, except for the last setting.

Once you have finished with the second-to-last setting, lightly sprinkle it with flour and set aside for a couple of minutes. Then cut the pasta into segments.

If you have a chitarra, place the pasta on top of the strings. Using a small rolling pin, gently run the pin up and down the pasta until it falls through the strings. Repeat for each segment.

To cook the pasta, place it in a pot of boiling water (with salt added). Cook the pasta for a couple of minutes. When the pasta is done, drain the pasta and add it to the sauce.

ENJOY!