Pan Seared Fish with Gazpacho Sauce and Black Olive Tapenade

Every once in a while, I have a dish that turns out perfectly.  It is a dish that fires on all cylinders and, from start to finish, everything falls into place. It is a dish that, once plated, makes me actually look like a chef. This is one of those dishes ... Pan Seared Fish with Gazpacho Sauce and Black Olive Tapenade.

The recipe comes from a cookbook that I bought several years ago.  My beautiful Angel and I visited the Little Inn of Washington for a brief vacation.  We had dinner there, which was perhaps one of the best meals that I have ever had.  The kitchen, and, indeed, the entire inn, is run by chef Patrick O'Connell.  We had the opportunity to meet the chef and, before the trip was over, I had purchased a book of his recipes.  The book is Refined American Cuisine.

That book sat on my cookbook shelf for a very long time.  I have to admit that many of the recipes seemed daunting.  A kind of culinary intimidation, looking at something that I thought was unattainable given I lacked the skills and experience of a chef, let alone a chef of Patrick O'Connell's stature.

I have come to learn that there are emotions more powerful than fear.  One such emotion is love.  My love for my Angel propelled me to open that cookbook and search for a recipe to make for her.  I decided to make Pan Seared Fish with Gazpacho Sauce and Black Olive Tapanade. This dish combines the simplicity of a pan seared fish with the brightness from a gazpacho.  The crust created by the salt and pepper in the pan provides a flavorful start and an interesting contrast to the silky, smooth gazpacho.  The fresh vegetables provide a second contrast to the gazpacho.  All of which is topped off by the earthy black olive tapenade.

It is amazing what one can accomplish when fueled by their inspiration.  My inspiration is my beautiful Angel and it produced a wonderful dish.  Until next time....

PAN SEARED FISH WITH GAZPACHO SAUCE

AND BLACK OLIVE TAPENADE

Recipe adapted from Patrick O'Connell, Refined American Cuisine

Serves 6

Ingredients (for the gazpacho sauce):

3 1/2 pounds red ripe tomatoes, cored and 

     coarsely chopped

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 sweet onion, coarsely chopped

2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Ingredients (for the gazpacho salsa):

1 tablespoon peeled, seeded and minced tomato

1 tablespoon  peeled, seeded and minced cucumber

1 tablespoon seeded and minced red bell pepper

1 tablespoon seeded and minced green (or orange) bell pepper

1 tablespoon seeded and minced yellow bell pepper

1 teaspoon seeded and minced jalapeno pepper

1 tablespoon minced red onion

1 teaspoon minced shallot

1 teaspoon very finely chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Ingredients (for the croutons):

2 pieces thinly sliced white bread

2 tablespoons black olive tapenade

Ingredients (for the fish):

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

6 fish fillets, about 3 ounces each, skin on

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Ingredients (for the garnish):

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1.  Prepare the gazpacho sauce.  In a blender or food processor, puree the tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion, celery and garlic in batches until smooth.  Strain the mixture.  Add the olive oil, Tabasco, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, cumin, and celery salt.  Mix well and refrigerate.  When the puree is thoroughly chilled, season to taste wtih salt and pepper.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve and allow to come to room temperature before serving.  (Note: this makes about 5 cups of sauce but you will only need 1 cup for the recipe.  The rest can be served as soup on the following day.)

2.  Prepare the gazpacho salsa.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the tomato, cucumber, bell peppers, jalapeno pepper, red onion and shallot.  Stir in the parsley, tarragon, celery salt, extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate.

3.  Prepare the croutons.  Preheat the broiler.  Cut out six rounds of bread, about 2 inches in diameter, and place them on a baking sheet.  Toast the bread rounds under the broiler on both sides.  Spoon the olive tapenade on the toasts and set aside.

4.  Prepare the fish.  In a non-stick skillet, heat the oil over high heat.  Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper.  Cook the fish, skin side down, for about 2 minutes or until the edges are crisp and golden. Flip the fillets and cook them on the other side for about 30 seconds.  Keep warm.

5.  Finish the dish.  Pour 2 tablespoons of the gazpacho sauce into each of 6 serving bowls.  drizzle a small amount of extra virgin olive oil around the sauce.  Place 1 tablespoon of gazpacho salsa in the center of each bowl.  Place 1 hot fish fillet on top of the salsa and lay 1 crouton of black olive tapenade on each one. 

ENJOY!

Shrimp Stew from Puglia

Every recipe can tell a story, if you are willing to listen to it.  This recipe tells of small fishing villages along the coastline of Apulia or Puglia. Villages such as Molfetta or Monopoli.  Walking along the docks early in the morning, one would watch as the small fishing boats head out into the Adriatic Sea, searching for the freshest catch available.  The catch could be mackerel or anchovies.  It could be squid or octopus.  And, for some, it could be shrimp.  As the boats return to the harbor and the docks, one waits to survey the catch.  And, if possible, one could select the freshest seafood, and take their "catch" to a nearby restaurant to be prepared in the local style.  Local seafood prepared by local chefs. 

This recipe -- Shrimp Stew from Puglia -- comes, not from a local seafood restaurant in either Molfetta or Monopoli.  Instead, it comes by way of Mario Batali in his book America Farm to Table.  The recipe was provided by Mariquita Farm, which is located in Watsonville, California.  The farm does not cultivate or raise shrimp.  Rather, it grows a variety of produce, including sweet peppers.  Those peppers provide a nice contrast to the briny shrimp, which is what makes this dish shine.  

Shrimp sauteing in the pan.

When it comes to the shrimp, Mario Batali suggests that one look for American gulf shrimp. The reason is that buying American helps to support local fisheries; and, there is no doubt that the shrimping fishery in the Gulf Coast region definitely needs our support.   

There are also other reasons to buy American shrimp.  One major reason is that there are grave issues with respect to shrimp that is harvested in certain areas of the world.  For example, there are numerous reports and stories about slave labor being used by Thai fishing boats. Those same vessels also do not use sustainable fishing methods, which leads to overfishing and damage to the oceans.  

Fortunately, I was able to find some wild caught shrimp from the United States.  When you look for shrimp, you should buy shell-on shrimp, so you can make the shrimp stock called for in the recipe.  You should also look at large shrimp, such as U-12 (twelve shrimp to a pound), but no smaller than 16-20 count (sixteen to twenty shrimp per pound).  Smaller shrimp would simply get lost in the stew.  

Although there is no mention of it in the recipe, I would suggest that this dish be served with a good piece of crusty bread.  The stew is very good and the bread works well to get every last drop of its sweetness.  We did not have any bread when I made this dish for my beautiful Angel.  That was the one missing ingredient.

SHRIMP STEW FROM PUGLIA

Recipe from Mario Batali, America Farm to Table, pg. 167

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the shrimp stock):

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Reserved shells from 2 pounds of shrimp

2 tablespoons of sweet paprika or pimenton

4 cups of water

Kosher salt

Ingredients (for the shrimp stew):

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 red onion, cut into 1/8 inch dice

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/8 inch dice

2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/8 inch dice 

1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon of sugar

1/2 cup basic tomato sauce

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds (16/20 count shrimp), peeled and deveined,

     shells reserved for stock

3 cups of shrimp stock

1/3 bunch fresh chives

Directions:

1.  Make the shrimp stock.  In a 3 to 4 quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the shrimp shells and toss well.  Allow the shells to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often.  Add the sweet paprika and cook for 3 minutes more.  Add the water and bring to a simmer, pressing down on the shells with a spatula or large spoon to extract maximum flavor.  Cook until reduced by one-quarter.  Season with a little sauce to taste.

2.  Saute the vegetables.  In a 10 to 12 inch saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over high heat until just smoking.  Add the onion and bell peppers and saute for 5 minutes.  Add the red pepper flakes, sugar, tomato sauce, and salt and black pepper to taste and cook over low heat until tender, about 10 minutes.   Remove from the heat and set aside.

3.  Saute the shrimp.  In a 12 to 14 inch saute pan, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat until smoking.  Season the shrimp with salt and black pepper on both sides and cook until very red, 1 to 2 minutes.  Turn carefully with a wide spatula and cook on the other side for 1 minute.  You may need to cook the shrimp in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.

4.  Make the stew. Remove the shrimp, add the bell pepper mixture and the shrimp stock to the pan and bring to the a boil.  Cook for 3 minutes, then return the shrimp to the mix and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer for a few minutes more.  

5.  Plate the dish.  Ladle the stew into deep bowls and garnish with chives and and a drizzle of good olive oil.

ENJOY!

Ratatouille, Disney-Style

Anyone can cook.  Those three words define the Disney movie Ratatouille.  As someone with a love of cooking, it seems only natural that I would also love the movie about a rat who can cook in a famous and fancy French restaurant.  I have watched that movie several times, and, each time, I become particularly entranced with the scenes where the characters are actually cooking.  Now, I am not sure whether I am prepared to make Sweetbreads a la Gustauve, but I did decide to try making Ratatouille in the style that Remy did to win over the critic Ego.

It helps to have a recipe and I found a recipe for Ratatouille, Disney Style on Allrecipes.  This recipe begins with an immediate problem, one that is never addressed in the movie itself.  The recipe calls for the use of eggplants, red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, and zucchini.  All of these ingredients will make a fine ratatouille; however, the key to the Disney ratatouille is ensuring that the individual slices are all the same size.  If you go back and watch the movie, as I did when I made this dish, the slices are identical in size.  This makes for great Hollywood, but it presents an obstacle in a real kitchen.  To overcome this obstacle, I cut the bell pepper slices in half and arranged them in a way that it appeared they were the same size as the eggplant. I also used two slices of zucchini in an effort to make it appear larger than it really was.

These modifications worked, to a certain extent.  However, the final product did not look anything like the ratatouille in the kitchen.  The end result was still a very eye-pleasing array of colors that could be somewhat stacked on a plate for service.  The dollop of marscapone at the end adds a richness to the dish that would otherwise be lacking.  

RATATOUILLE, DISNEY-STYLE

Recipe from All Recipes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 can of tomato paste (6 ounces)
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 tablespoon of olive oil
3/4 cup of water
1 small eggplant, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1 zucchini, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored and very thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, cored and very thinly sliced
3 tablespoons of olive or to taste
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves, or to taste
3 tablespoons of mascarpone cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare the ratatouille.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spread the tomato paste into the bottom of a 10x10 baking dish. Sprinkle with onion and garlic and stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil and water until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and black pepper. Arrange alternating slices of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, and yellow bell pepper, starting at the outer edge of the dish and working concentrically towards the center. Overlap the slices a little to display the colors. Drizzle the vegetables with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with thyme leaves. Cover vegetables with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside.

2.  Bake the ratatouille. Bake in the preheated oven until vegetables are roasted and tender, about 45 minutes. Serve with dollops of mascarpone cheese.

ENJOY!

 

Bourbon Oak Smoked Ribeye with Rogue Blue Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Bell Pepper Salad

A few years ago, I got a stovetop smoker for a gift.  I lived in an apartment at the time.  Although living on a high floor had its advantages, the major drawback was that I could not own, let alone use, a real smoker.  I was very happy and excited to use the smoker. I bought several containers of "wood chips," which are really more like wood shavings or wood dust.  Still, I had all the necessary woods ... oak, alder, pecan, cherry, apple, and, of course, bourbon oak.  

I used the stovetop smoker several times while I lived in the apartment; however, once I moved to a house and got my own yard, I got a bullet-style smoker.  I began using that to smoke meats and the stovetop smoker began to sit on the shelf.  (It also did not help that the one time I did use it in my new home, I set off the smoke alarm.) 

While I really like to use my bullet smoker, it has its limits.  It is inefficient and unwieldly when it comes to smoking just a small piece of meat, like a steak.  This is where the stovetop smoker still serves a purpose.   I can use it to impart a slight smoke flavor to a small piece of meat, which I can then just finish under the broiler or in the oven. 

Recently, I decided to use the stovetop smoker just to smoke a ribeye.  I pulled out the Bourbon Oak chips, got the stovetop smoker working and used it to provide that steak with a slight smoked flavor.  I also made a small salad of roasted onions and peppers and a side of mashed potatoes with Rogue blue cheese.  Everything was delicious, although the mashed potatoes needed a little more liquid to make them a little creamier.  I usually eyeball the amount of milk and butter, but I figured out how much I used and just increased the amount in the recipe.

BOURBON OAK SMOKED RIBEYE WITH ROGUE BLUE

MASHED POTATOES AND ROASTED BELL PEPPER SALAD

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

1 pound, grass-fed ribeye

1 green bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into big pieces

1/8 pound of Rogue Blue Cheese, cut or broken into pieces

1 tablespoon of butter

1/4 cup of skim milk

Sea Salt

Freshly ground black pepper 

Equipment:

Cameron's Stovetop Smoker

Cameron's Bourbon Oak Chips

Directions:

1.  Prepare the mashed potatoes.  Fill a small pot half way with water and add the potatoes.  Turn heat to high and boil the potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes or until they can be easily pierced with a fork.  Drain the potatoes, add the butter, half of the cheese and milk.  Using a hand masher, mash the potatoes until they are the desired consistency.  Add the remainder of the cheese and stir it into the potatoes.

2.  Prepare the bell peppers.  While the potatoes are boiling, use the elements of your gas stove to roast the bell peppers.  Turn the bell peppers as each side blackens until the peppers are charred on all sides.  Set aside for five minutes.  Once the bell peppers have cooled, run them under cold water, using your fingers to remove all of the blackened skin.  Dry off the bell peppers and thinly slice them.

3.  Prepare the ribeye.  Liberally salt and pepper the steak.  Heat a pan over high heat.  When the pan is really hot, sear the steak for a few minutes on each side.  Remove the steak from the heat.    Follow the directions on the stovetop smoker and smoke the ribeye for about ten minutes or until it is done to your desired temperature.  (I like my steaks between medium rare and medium.)  Remove the steak from the smoker and let it rest for five minutes. 

ENJOY!

Moqueca Baiana

Recently, I was looking for a new fish dish to make for my beautiful wife, Clare.  I wanted a recipe that was easy, but, at the same time, was interesting enough to grab my attention.  More specifically, I was looking for a dish from another country, one which has a little story behind it.  I found that dish ... and it comes out of Brazilian cuisine.

The dish is called Moqueca or Muqueca.  Although generally referred to as a "seafood stew, " many recipes actually produce a fish stew.  The recipes call for the use of white fleshed fish as the principal ingredient and, inevitably, at the end, they suggest that as "variations," one could use or add lobster shrimp, scallops, or other seafood. 

What makes this dish fascinating is that there are two versions -- Moqueca Capixaba and Moqueca Baiana -- and each of the versions is a nod to the different influences upon Brazilian cuisine.  The Capixaba version is made principally in Southern Brazil, in the state of Espirito Santo.  This version features the influences of Brazil's indigenous peoples.  It is the simpler of the two Moquecas, with fish roasted on banana leaves over hot coals.  By contrast, the Moqueca Baiana is the version made in the northern state of Bahia.  This version is heavily influenced by the African populations in Brazil.  It uses palm oil and a base of coconut milk, which create a flavorful broth for the mixture of vegetables (onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic and chiles) and a nice buttery flavor that complements the fish. 

I decided to make Moqueca Baiana, although I changed the recipe in a couple small respects.  First, I did not have any dende oil (or palm oil), so I just omitted that ingredient.  Second, I did not have any the requisite chiles.  The recipe calls for malagueta peppers, which are fiery, red peppers that are widely used in Portuguese-influenced cuisines, which includes the cuisines of Brazil and Mozambique.  The peppers actually go by separate names, depending upon their maturity when they are picked.  If the peppers are a small size when picked, they are known as malaguetinha in Brazil or "piri-piri" in Portugal.  If the peppers are allowed to mature and reach a larger size, they are called malaguetão in Brazil or malagueta in Portugal.  Given the recipe calls for malagueta peppers, I presume that the larger peppers are supposed to be used.  However, I did not have any fresh or dried malagueta peppers, I only had ground piri piri peppers.  I decided that I wanted to use fresh chiles and keep the heat in check since I was making the dish for my wife.  I went with a couple of serrano chiles, which have a lower rating on the Scoville Scale than the malagueta peppers.  I also chose serrano chiles because I thought that the diced chiles would add a nice green fleck to the combination of red tomatoes, orange bell pepper and yellow bell pepper.  For once, I was thinking of the presentation.

Finally, the dish calls for "white fleshed fish."  This general description covers a wide range of fish, including cod, haddock, hake, and pollock.  The local store had limited options for white fish, offering only hake.  Generally speaking, populations of hake in some areas, such as the in the northern Atlantic Ocean, are doing okay, while they are overfished and struggling in other areas, such as in the Atlantic Ocean around the Carolinas.  Of course, the store did not specify where the fish was caught; instead, it just stuck a yellow fish sticker on the sign.  I begrudgingly bought some hake, which worked especially well with this dish. 

MOQUECA BAIANA

Recipe from Whats4Eats

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of white-fleshed fish, cut into chunks

2 limes, juiced

1 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of oil

2 onions, diced

2 bell peppers, diced

2-3 garlic cloves, diced

1-3 chile (malagueta) peppers

3 cups of tomatoes, peeled and seeded

2 cups of coconut milk

2 tablespoons of dende oil (optional)

Directions:

1.  Marinate the fish.  Toss the fish, lime juice and salt together in a large, non-reactive bowl and set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.

2.  Saute the onions, peppers and tomatoes.  Heat the oil in a medium sized pot over medium flame.  Add the onions and peppers.  Saute until hte onions are translucent.  Add the garlic and chile peppers, saute for an additional minute.  Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes more to cook them down.

3.  Add the coconut milk and fish.   Stir in the coconut milk and the fish with its marinadse.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.  Simmer gently for about 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.  Adjust the seasoning.  Stir in the dende oil.  

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

If you are looking for a good pairing, one website suggests an oaked Chardonnay wine (that is, a Chardonnay that has been aged in oaked barrels) pairs well with dishes that use coconut milk.  I have reviewed one Chardonnay that was aged in oak barrels, which may go with this recipe (although I have to admit that I am not sure):

Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard -- Chardonnay (2010)

100% Chardonnay

Comus, Maryland, USA

Flavors of pear and apple

ENJOY!

Chef Bolek's Catfish "Curry"

My experience with curries comes primarily from eating them, not cooking them.  I love Indian curries and one of my personal culinary goals is to learn how to make various types of curries and to learn the differences between the curries of the different regions of India, as well as learn the differences between curries of India and other countries, such as Thailand and Malaysia.

For this particular recipe, I drew from my limited experience in making Lamb Korma.  I bascially borrowed the spice ingredients, with a few tweaks.  I made this dish for my beautiful Angel, who does not eat meat.  This led to the first change ... I made it with catfish instead of lamb.  The Lamb Korma recipe I made called for two masalas ... a curry masala and a garam masala.  For the second change, I used the garam masala, but used a sweet curry powder (with fenugreek and turmeric powders) instead of the curry masala.  The third change was the addition of some vegetables, like eggplants and bell peppers.  Finally, I decided to use Sanaam chiles, which are chiles from India, to provide a little heat to the dish.

Overall, this dish turned out well, but it falls short of being a curry.  It is more like a "Chef Bolek-ized" curry. Still, I have to start somewhere.  And this was a tasty starting point.

CHEF BOLEK'S CATFISH "CURRY"

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 pound of catfish, cut into even sized pieces
1 small eggplant or 1/2 of a large eggplant, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 large shallot, diced
1 cup of bell peppers, diced or thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 tomato, diced
1 teaspoon of garam masala powder
1 teaspoon of sweet curry powder
1/4 teaspoon of fenugreek powder
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
2 dry Sanaam chiles, ground into a powder
1 teaspoon of minced ginger
2 cups of water
3 tablespoons of non-fat yogurt

Directions: 

1.  Saute the vegetables.  Heat the vegetable oil in a deep skillet.  Add the onions and the shallots, sauteing the vegetables for about ten minutes.  Add the garlic and continue to saute for a minute.  Add the bell peppers and the eggplant, along with the garam masala and sweet curry powders.  Continue to saute for about eight minutes.

2.  Add the tomato and liquid.  Add the tomato and 1 cup of water.  Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for eight minutes.  Add the remaining cup of water, cover, and simmer for twenty minutes.

3.  Add the fish.  Add the catfish and continue to simmer for about five minutes or until the catfish is cooked.  Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt.

ENJOY!

Lamb Spiedini with Sicilian Couscous and Yogurt Sauce

Sicily has a long, interesting culinary history.  One of the most interesting periods in that history is the period of time in which the Saracens (Arabs) controlled a good part of the island.  The Saracens brought advanced irrigation techniques, which improved the ability to grow fruits and vegetables.  The Saracens also brought a wide arrange of foods and ingredients, including peaches, melons, dates, rice, sugar cane, oranges, lemons, and raisins.  They also brought cloves, cinnamon and saffron.  

However, the one of the most influential ingredients introduced by the Saracens during the time they controlled western Sicily is couscous.  Like many types of pasta, couscous is made from semolina.  Unlike those pastas, the semolina is not ground fine, but left coarse so that, when water is added bit by bit, little clusters begin to form.  The clusters ultimately become the couscous. 

Generally, couscous would be served as a primi or a first course.  However, in this dish, it is served alongside spiedini (skewers) of grilled lamb.  In many Italian regions, families could not afford or did not have access to beef.  For protein, they would raise lamb or pigs.  This recipe calls for the use of boneless leg of lamb, which is marinated for at least one hour or overnight (I chose overnight) in olive oil, basil, rosemary and garlic.  This marinade provided a lot of flavor to the lamb, as well as helping to curb the gaminess that turns off many people. 

Personally, I love lamb and I really liked this recipe, which comes from Frank Stitt's Bottega Favorita.  The lamb turned out very well and so did the couscous.  I made one alteration to the recipe.  Instead of using red and yellow bell peppers, I also used orange bell peppers.  The the color of peppers, along with the red onions, which actually had a purplish hue after cooking, provided a lot of color to the dish. And one last note: I forgot to make the yogurt sauce.  I guess I have to save something for the next time....

LAMB SPIEDINI WITH SICILIAN COUSCOUS AND YOGURT SAUCE

Recipe from Frank Stitt's Bottega Favorita at 178

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the lamb):
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 rosemary sprigs
3 basil sprigs
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds of boneless leg of lamb, cut into 2 inch cubes
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

Ingredients (for the Sicilian Couscous):
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups of Israeli couscous
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and sliced into 2 inch pieces

2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and sliced into 2 inch pieces
1 red onion, cut into 1 inch dice
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 rosemary sprig
1 basil sprig
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained
Scant pinch of cayenne pepper
1 bunch basil, leaves removed and torn into pieces

Ingredients (for the Yogurt Sauce):
1 cup of plain yogurt
1 tablespoon of mint, chiffonade
Squeeze of lemon juice
Kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper
Minced scallion or garlic

Directions:

1.  Combine the garlic, rosemary, basil and olive oil in a shallow bowl.  Add the lamb, massaging the marinade into the meat.  Refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight.

2.  To make the rosemary skewers, remove most of the leaves from each sprig, leaving 1 to 2 inches of leaves at the very top.  Cut off the very bottom of each sprig on an angle to create a sharp point.  Thread 4 to 5 cubes of lamb onto each skewer and set aside on a platter to come to room temperature.

3.  To prepare the couscous, combine the water and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Meanwhile, toast the couscous in a large dry skillet over medium heat until nutty brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl.

4.  Prepare the grill.

5.  Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add the red and yellow bell peppers, onion, garlic, rosemary, basil and cinnamon.  Saute until the vegetables are soft and slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl with the couscous and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, chickpeas, cayenne and torn basil.  Toss well, then taste and adjust for seasoning. 

6.  Season the lamb spiedini with salt and pepper.  Grill, turning occasionally, for 6 to 7 minutes total for medium rare.  Transfer to rank to rest.

7.  Meanwhile, prepare the yogurt sauce by combining the yogurt, mint, lemon juice, salt to taste, and white pepper or Tabasco in a small bowl.  Transfer to a serving bow, and sprinkle with the scallions or garlic if desired.

8.  Spoon the couscous onto one side of the dish and place the skewered lamb on the other side, flanked by a bowl of the yogurt sauce.

ENJOY!

For more about the culinary history of Sicily, as well as the role of couscous in that history, check out Foodmaven and Recipes4Us.

Dungie Cakes with a Yellow Pepper Saffron Sauce

Having lived near the Chesapeake Bay for many years, I have a particular fondness for crabcakes.  Every chef in this region has his or her own recipe that, as a general rule, is a closely guarded secret.  I have previously posted a Crabcake Sandwich - Italian Style;. however, that is not my personal recipe for crabcakes.  I have yet to post that recipe and, for now, I do not intend to post it.

Still, I experiment with crabcakes, using different ingredients and, in this case, a different species of crab. Typically, crab cakes are made with blue crabs; however, I recently made crabcakes using dungeness crab meat.  Unlike blue crabs, which are an endangered species (especially in the Chesapeake Bay), dungeness crabs are considered a sustainable choice.  The dungeness crab fishery is well managed, limited to fishing male crabs of six and one quarter inches or larger.  Certain traps are used that allow for undersized crabs to escape and that minimize the bycatch.  Fishing is altogether prohibited during the molting season, thereby ensuring the continued propagation of the crabs.  For these reasons, dungeness crab is considered a "best choice" by Seafood Watch and has been certified as "sustainable" by the Marine Stewardship Council.

This recipe is one that is under development.  I wanted to push these crabcakes beyond a typical crabcake.  There is no Old Bay.  There is no mustard, Worcestershire sauce, or mustard.  The binding used consists simply of a cage free egg and unsalted butter, along with panko bread crumbs and finely diced peppers.  This recipe creates about six medium sized cakes, which can be served as two servings of three cakes or three servings of two cakes.

DUNGIE CAKES WITH A YELLOW PEPPER SAFFRON SAUCE

A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 2-3

Ingredients (for the crab cakes):

2 pounds of dungeness crab clusters, picked

1/3 red bell pepper, diced finely

1/3 orange bell pepper, diced finely

1/3 yellow bell pepper, diced finely

1/2 sweet onion diced finely

2 cloves of garlic, diced finely

4 tablespoons of butter, melted

1 egg

1 cup of panko bread crumbs

Ingredients (for the Yellow Pepper Saffron Sauce)

2/3 yellow pepper

1/2 sweet onion

1 small clove of garlic, diced

1 healthy pinch of crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme 

1 pinch of saffron

1/4 cup of olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Directions:

1.  Make the crab cakes.  Add the red, yellow and orange peppers to a bowl.  Add the onion and garlic.  Add the bread crumbs and mix well.  Add the crab meat and mix again.  Add the egg and the butter and mix thoroughly.  Make six balls of the crab mixture, working the mixture to ensure that they are compacted well.  Cover and refrigerate for about twenty minutes. 

2.  Make the sauce.   Saute 2/3 of the yellow bell pepper with the 1/2 onion and small clove of garlic.  Add the crushed red pepper and the thyme.  When the vegetables are translucent, which should be about five minutes, then remove from the heat and add to the food processor. Use the "food processor" function and add about 1/4 cup of olive oil by a slow steady stream.  Warm the saffron in hot water and then add to the food processor.  Once fully blended, add to a sauce pot and keep warm.

3.  Saute the crab cakes.  Heat about two to three tablespoons of olive oil in two pans over medium high heat.   Remove the crab cakes from the refrigerator.  Using your hands, press each ball into a cake.  Add the cakes to the oil and saute for about four to five minutes on each side.  

4.  Plate the dish.  Remove and plate two to three cakes on each plate.  Spoon the sauce over the cakes and serve immediately.  

ENJOY!

Smoked Mussel Salad

Recently, both Clare and I were shopping at a relatively new grocery store when we encountered smoked mussels for the first time.  Having worked as a cook in a seafood restaurant, where I steamed many a bucket of mussels, I am quite familiar with this particular species of bivalves.  Yet, neither Clare nor I ever tasted smoked mussels.   There was a little demonstration booth set up in the store where customers could try smoked mussels, along with other smoked seafood, such as smoked salmon and halibut.  Both Clare and I tried a couple and moved on.  However, we found ourselves going back to the booth for me to try some more and to buy a package of smoked mussels to eat at home. 

As we were driving home, my thoughts turned to how could I incorporate smoked mussels into a dish.  I quickly decided to use them in a salad.  Not just any salad, but a salad that also incorporates flavors that complement the smokiness of the mussels.  The salad would include roasted peppers and roasted garlic, both of which provide roasted flavors that work well with the mussels.  I also added fresh Vidalia onions (which can be substituted with sweet onions) to provide a little crunch to what are otherwise soft ingredients.   Add a little cilantro, salt and pepper and the dish is complete. 

SMOKED MUSSEL SALAD

A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 package of smoked mussels

1 red sweet pepper, roasted, diced

1 orange sweet pepper, roasted, diced

1 yellow sweet pepper, roasted, diced

2 cloves of roasted garlic

1/4 Vidalia onion, diced finely
1 teaspoon of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Roast the peppers.  Roast the peppers using the gas elements of your stove.  Blacken all sides of the pepper.  Let it cool and then pull off the blackened skin under running water. 

2.  Roast the garlic.  Roast the garlic by cutting a head of garlic horizontally.  Put it in a sheet of foil, salt and pepper it, and sprinkle some olive oil.  Bake in a 450 degree oven for about fifteen minutes.

3.  Prepare the salad.  Once you have all the roasted components, dice them finely.  Add the diced onion and the mussels.  Mix thoroughly and serve immediately. 

ENJOY!

Rockfish with a Trio of Sauces

Recently, I was inspired to create a dish for Clare that brought together three different sauces, each with its own flavor.  I should say at the outset, that, as an amateur cook, I still have a lot to learn, particularly about presentation.  However, the only way to learn is to try and keep trying.

In this case, each of the three sauces is built around a pepper -- a red pepper, a yellow pepper, and a green pepper.  Beginning with the pepper, I added a couple of ingredients to give each sauce a unique flavor.  The red sauce is the hot one, with garlic and hatch chilies added to the red pepper.  The yellow sauce is flavored with curry powder, providing a different kind of spice.  Finally, the green sauce is a pepper basil sauce, with flecks of basil permeating through the entire sauce. Thus, a trio of sauces that are kind of like a traffic light -- red, yellow and green.

The sauces are served cold, and the idea is to take a forkful of the rockfish with a little of the sauce with each bite.  The idea is to alternate between the sauces so that each taste of rockfish is different.  This dish is a work in progress and, if I can make some refinements, I will post an updated recipe.

ROCKFISH WITH A TRIO OF SAUCES

A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 pound of rockfish

1 red bell pepper

1/2 tablespoon of ground red hatch chiles

1 clove of garlic

1 yellow bell pepper

1/2 tablespoon of curry powder

1 green bell pepper

8 large basil leaves

16 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Make the red sauce.  Puree the red pepper, garlic and ground red hatch chile powder.  Strain the mixture to remove the excess water.  Return it to the food processor and then add about four tablespoons of olive oil slowly while working the processor.

2.  Make the yellow sauce.  Puree the yellow pepper and the curry powder.  Strain the mixture to remove the excess water.  Return it to the food processor and then add about four tablespoons of olive oil slowly while working the processor.

3.  Make the green sauce.  Puree the green pepper, ground black pepper, and basil .  Strain the mixture to remove the excess water.  Return it to the food processor and then add about four tablespoons of olive oil slowly while working the processor.

4.  Cook the fish.  Heat four tablespoons of oil in a saute pan on medium heat.  Add the rockfish with the flesh side down and saute the fish for about six minutes.  Flip the fish and continue to saute for about six minutes more.  Flip the fish once again and check to see if it is finished.  If the fish is not cooked through, continue to cook it for a few more minutes.

ENJOY!