Around the World in 80 Dishes: Myanmar

This is not just any challenge.  For years, I have been trying to cook my way around the world.  I try to focus very hard on the cuisine of each country, usually steering away from politics or world events. That all changed when Myanmar became my next challenge.

From afar, Myanmar (formerly Burma) would ordinarily present a very interesting challenge.  The country has over 135 distinct ethnic groups (officially recognized by the Myanmar government).  This means that there is a wide range of cultures within the borders of the country. Different cultures usually translates to a variety of approaches to the use of ingredients, the preparations of dishes and, in the end, food traditions.

However, this challenge is about the 136th ethnic group, the one that is not officially recognized by the Myanmar government.  The one that has been the subject to a history of discrimination and exclusion, which in recent years has been marred by terrible violence that has degenerated into ethnic cleaning. Thiat ethnic group is the Rohingya.  A people who call Myanmar their home, but whom Myanmar won't recognize as its citizens.

So, this culinary challenge is not so much about the country, but the people who have been abandoned by that country.

The Rohingya have lived for centuries in the northern regions of the Rakhine State of Myanmar, which is located along the Bay of Bengal.  The Rohingya trace their history to Arab traders who sailed along the coastline and settled in the area during the 8th and 9th centuries A.D.  At that time, the region was known as Arakan.  The Arab traders settled among the Buddhist peoples already living in the area. Over time, the Muslim population grew in the region, bolstered by the influence and control of the neighboring Bengal Sultanate. Arakan eventually achieved its independence from Bengal control; and, for a couple of hundred years, there was an Arakan kingdom. As with all kingdoms, they raise and fall.  Arakan was eventually conquered, first by the Burmese Empire in 1784 and then by the British Empire in 1826. After the Second World War, Burma gained its independence, and, the Arakan region became a part of the new country.

Rohingya refugees.

Since the establishment of Burma or Myanmar (as it became known in 1989), history has not been kind to the Rohingya people. In 1982, the Burmese junta enacted a nationality law. The law recognized individuals who belong to an "indigenous race," and it recognized 135 of those ethic groups.  That did not include the Rohingya. The law thus left the Rohingya -- a Muslim minority living in a Buddhist majority country -- without a state. This unfortunate outcome disregarded the fact that, as noted above, the Rohingya have lived in the northern parts of the Arakan state for centuries.  To add insult to injury, Myanmar changed the name of the area in the 1990s from Arakan to Rakhine, which is the name of the ethnic Buddhist majority who live in the area.

Over the past decade, the Rohingya have been the victims of ongoing violence, that has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. The violence ostensibly began with an attack by a Rohingya milita upon the Myanmar border police.  The government's response was not simply directed at the militia, but the Rohingya people.  The military went through Rohingyan towns, and, according to accounts, the soldiers murdered innocent civilians and burned down homes. It is estimated that more than 6,700 Rohingya were killed in the month following the start of the violence. Nearly a year later, the number of Rohingya killed in the violence climbed to more than 24,000.  The number of Rohingyan villages that have been destroyed totalled 288, out of 578. That is nearly half of the Rohingyan settlements.

As their homes burned, hundreds of thousands of Rohingyans were forced to flee.  They left not just their homes, not just the Rakhine state, but Myanmar.  More than 900,000 Rohingyans fled to neighboring Bangladesh, where they are referred to as the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals or FDMN. Multiple refugees camps have been set up in the southeast of the country.  As the graphic to the left shows, some of these refugee camps are huge in size. While the World Bank announced nearly $1 billion in aid for the Rohingyan refugees, the conditions in such camps are not good. Disease is a major issue, with poor sanitation and water quality contributing to the spread of infectious diseases through the refugee camps.  Malnutrition is another issue, with nearly 25% of Rohingyan children being malnurished. In March 2019, Bangladesh announced that it would not accept any further refugees.  Other countries - such as Pakistan, India, Malaysia and Indonesia -- have accepted Rohingyan refugees.

While more than 1 million Rohingyans have fled Myanmar, there are perhaps 500,000 Rohingyans still living in the Rakhine State.  While a treaty was reached to provide for the repatriation of the Rohingya, no one is returning to what is left of their homes.  In the end, the Rohingyan remain a stateless people living in more than 1 state.

MAIN COURSE

This challenge is particularly difficult because there is very little information about the cuisine of the Rohingya people. I started with some research about the cuisine of the Rakhine State, but there was little to no differentiation between the cuisines of the ethnic groups who live in that state. I tried to focus my research on the Rohingyan cuisine, but I was only able to find one dish.  It is called Durus Kura, a traditional fried chicken that can be served with either eggs, potatoes, rice and/or chapatti. As one would expect, there were different ways to prepare this dish.  I gathered those different recipes  and tried to merge them into one preparation.

Rohingyan cooks prepare Durus Kura with what is easily available to them, starting with the chicken.  Typically, in the Rakhine State, it would start with an Ayam Kampung, or a free range chicken.  Free range chickens take on a yellowish hue from the food that they eat, which sets them aside from factory farmed chickens. As with anything, care should be exercised in selecting the chickens.  As it turns out, some farmers in China have taken to dipping their chickens in yellow dye to fool unwary customers.  I was able to find a free range chicken (or at least a chicken tha was labelled as "free range") in a local grocery store.

The recipes call for the chicken to be marinated in a green chile mixture.  For the chiles, I used a combination of Anaheim chiles and serrano chiles.  The larger Anaheim chiles provided the base for the mixture, while the serrano chiles provided a little heat or kick.  I made the mixture with the rest of the ingredients (onions, ginger, etc.) as well as the spices. I also followed the recipe in terms of first boiling the marinated chicken. After I removed the boiled chicken, I tried to create the sauce, although I was not able to get a consistency that I liked.  I also fried the chicken as called for by the recipe. The resulting dish, which was very tasty, is pictured below.

DURUS KURA

Recipe from The Stateless and the Rohingya Learning Center

Serves many

Ingredients (for the chicken):

2 inch piece of ginger, grated

2 tablespoons ground turmeric

1 tablespooon of garam masala

5 small red onions, grated 

1/5 tablespoon green chile paste

1 kampung chicken (or regular chicken)

4 cups of water (or more if using a regular chicken)

3/4 cup of vegetable oil for frying

Salt

Ingredients (for the green chile paste):
7 green chiles
Water

Directions:

1.  Make the green chile paste.   Bring the water to a gentle boil in a pot and add the chiles.  Boil the chiles over low heat for five minutes.  Remove from the heat, set aside to cook before placing the chiles in a blender.  Process the chiles until you have a thick liquid paste.

2. Marinate the chicken.  Pound the ginger and garlic until you have a thick rough paste.  Add the turmeric and garam masala with some salt.  Add the grated onions and green chile paste.  Stir until it is all well incorporated.  Cover both the inside and outside of the chicken with the paste. Marinate for one hour.  Once fully marinated, truss the chicken by cutting small incisions in each skin flap either side of the cavity and tuck in each leg tightly on the opposite side.

3.  Cook the chicken.  Place the chicken in a large pot and add the water.  Cover and boil over moderate high heat for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Depending on the size of the chicken, the cooking time will vary and you might need to add some more water.

4. Complete the boiling of the chicken.  When ready, you will have a thick gravy like sauce.  Remove the chicken from the pot onto a plate and set to the side.  Reserve the sauce in the pot.

5.  Fry the chicken.  Heat the vegetable oil in a large deep frying pan or wok over a high heat.  When the oil in a large deep frying pan or work over high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully place the chicken and fry on all sides until it has a crispy skin and golden.

6.  Finish the dish.  Place the reserved sauce on the bottom of a serving plate. Plate the chicken on top and serve with steamed rice or chapatti.

*     *     *

As I mentioned above, the chicken was very good.  The flavors of the marinade (the onions, ginger, garam masala, etc.) could be tasted in the chicken, although I think with a longer marinade, those flavors could have been more present in the dish.  Still, it was a very good effort and kindled an interest in learning more about the Rohingyan people, their history, culture and, of course, their cuisine.  Until next time ...

ENJOY!

Lobia Masala

It is well known that black eyed peas are supposed to bring good luck when served and eaten on New Year's Day.  In the United States, black eyed peas are often served on their own, or as part of Hoppin John.  While I have made Hoppin John in the past, I wanted to try to make something different.  That led to a very long search across the Internet for a recipe.  The search resulted in a recipe for Lobia Masala or black eyed pea masala. (Lobia is the name for these peas in Punjabi and Hindi.)

This particular recipe comes from the Punjab region of India. The spice mix of ginger ,cumin, coriander, fenugreek, chile, and turmeric. As with any recipe, there are many different versions of Lobia Masala.  Some recipes have a tomato onion base; and, others vary from a creamy gravy to a dry masala. 

In the end, I found a recipe in perhaps the one place that I would never have thought about: Birmingham Magazine.  That is Birmingham, Alabama. There was an article about three different black eye pea recipes, with the third one being a Lobia Masala.  I have to admit that I was a little wary about this recipe, especially given there was no provenance (that is, any reference to its origin). Nevertheless, the recipe produced a very tasty masala.  It reminded me once again why Indian food of my favorite cuisines to cook and eat.   

LOBIA MASALA

Recipe from Birmingham Magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup onion, diced
1 tomato, chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 teaspoons cumin seed, divided

1 tablespoon coriander seed

2 teaspoon fenugreek powder

1/4 teaspoon red chile powder

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon mango powder (optional)

1 tablespoon cooking oil

3 cups water

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

Directions:

1. Prepare the peas.  Soak the peas.  After the peas have been soaked, fill a large pot with water, add the peas, cover and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, tilting the lid slightly to allow steam to escape and leave to cook for up to an hour, or until tender. 

2.  Prepare the masala.  Puree the tomato, onion and ginger in a food processor. Set aside.  In a mortar or spicemill, grind 1 teaspoon of cumin seed and all coriander seed into a powder.  Combine with fenugreek, chile powder, turmeric, salt and optional mango powder.  Set aside. 

3.  Continue to prepare the masala.  Add oil to a large skillet or pot on medium heat.  Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon of cumin seed and lest sit until seeds start to pop.  Stir in reserved puree.  Stir in spice mixture and cook 7 to 10 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent scorching. 

4.  Cook the peas.  Mash 2 tablespoons of cooked peas.  Add remaining peas to the pot and stir in the mashed peas.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in garam masala at the last minute.  

5.  Finish the dish.  Serve with steamed basmati rice or an Indian bread like naan or chapati.  

ENJOY!

Elvis Juice

Born in Scotland.  Brewed in Ohio.  That is the Brew Dog.  The brewery started over thirteen years ago, in an industrial park in northeastern Scotland. The brewery has taken a rather unique path, fighting against the massive brewing conglomerates while opening up some of its ownership to the people who drink its beer.  And, as Brew Dog carves out its own path, the journey has taken the brewers to the United States, where they have opened first a brewery and then a beer hotel, both of which are located in Columbus, Ohio. 

The opening of the brewery meant that Brew Dog beers could find their way throughout Ohio and the Midwest.  My father loves their beers; and, when we come to visit, Brew Dog finds itself in the fridge.  Most recently,  it was the Elvis Juice, the brewer's nod to a grapefruit infused IPA with natural citrus flavors.  

The Elvis Juice is brewed with Extra Pale and Caramalt malts, as well as Amarillo, Citra, Magnum, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops.  The product is a grapefruit IPA that has a 6.5% ABV and 60 IBUs.  The 60 IBUs falls within the range of American IPAs, which range from 55 IBUs to 70 IBUs.

The Elvis Juice pours a golden, hazy color, which suggests more of a New England IPA or hazy IPA. Any suggestion tha tthis beer is something other than a grapefruit IPA is quickly dispelled by the aroma.  This beer has perhaps the best aroma, because it is the one grapefruit beer where I can truly pick up a distinct grapefruit in the aroma.  That aroma carries clear through to the taste, as if the glass has a full grapefruit in it. While the brewers also added some orange to the beer, that citrus is not as present in either the aroma or the taste of the beer.   As bitter as this beer is from the citrus, one can also find some of the malts around the edges of the palate of the beer. 

The brewers call this beer "the absolute king in a world of wannabes."  As far as grapefruit IPAs go, I have to agree that this beer sets itself apart from its peers. 

Blackbeard's Breakfast

From a culinary and historical perspective, one might conclude that "Blackbeard's Breakfast" may have been something slightly better than what pirates typically ate while sailing the high seas in the 17th and 18th centuries.  For the average pirate, a meal might have included hardtack or a ship biscuit, a hard square of flour and water.  If there was meat, it usually took the form of salted and dried beef, which, after the curing process was complete, resembled bark off of a black oak tree. 

While pirates may have carved that "black oak" into belts or buttons, the brewers at Heavy Seas produced a thick black porter called "Blackbeard's Breakfast." The brewers describe it as a "robust porter with a new world twist." The beer is brewed with UK Pale, UK Amber, Vienna, Light Crystal, Dark Crystal, Chocolate and Dark malts, along with Target and East Golding Hops. The twist is that it is aged in bourbon barrels and brewed with Dark Sumatra coffee from a local roaster, Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company. The beer is then finished with house made caramel and salt.

Blackbeard's Breakfast pours pitch black, like that salted beef that would have been handed out to pirates as food.  The aromatic elements were a little difficult to ascertain, but there was definitely a hint of the roasted coffee.  

When it comes to the taste of the porter, the brewers describe strong notes of caramel and slight nut character.  With each sip, the character comes forward.  It is definitely worthy of a pirate, as the bourbon is very forward in the beginning, receding slightly as the beer warms (or as the pirate becomes more soused).  The roasted coffee notes become more pronounced as the bourbon recedes, with even a slight note of black pepper in the background.  

Blackbeard's Breakfast is an Imperial Coffee Porter that is brewed by Heavy Seas as a limited release.  The beer is usually available in February of each year. 

ENJOY!

Mushroom Bisque with Yellow Oyster Mushroom Garnish

Ludwig von Beethoven once remarked, "anyone who tells a lie has not pure heart and cannot make good soup."  So, I should be honest when I say that I don't really make a lot of soups. There are approximately two dozen recipes on this blog, but that is over several years.  Much of my cooking has been focused more on main courses, and, in particular, my interest in barbecue.

Nevertheless, I think soups are important.  For many people, a soup may be a main course. It may be the dish that is served to the family because, for whatever reason, there is not enough money to go to the market and purchase expensive ingredients, like most proteins. It is far more economical to scrounge around for or use one's money to purchase a few, cheaper ingredients. 

Yet, he use of simple, cheap ingredients can be combined together to produce something almost magical.  A dish that can nourish people, providing the sustenance or fuel for the hard work that they do, day in and day out. That is what I would like to think that the combination of mushrooms, onions, garlic, and rice can do when combined together to produce a mushroom soup. 

I found a recipe by Martha Rose Shulman on NYT Cooking, which served as the starting point for this recipe. While I could make a cucina povera version of mushroom soup, I wanted to use my creative skills to elevate the dish a little.  Those skills were primarily focused on the yellow oyster mushroom garnish. I came across the yellow fungi in a store and wanted to try to use them with this soup.  Hence, the fried mushrooms became the garnish.

MUSHROOM BISQUE WITH 
YELLOW OYSTER MUSHROOM GARNISH

Recipe adapted from NYT Cooking

Serves 6-8

Ingredients (for the soup):

1 1/2 pounds of  mushrooms (white or cremini) sliced 

1 leek (white and light green part only, 

     cut in half, cleaned and sliced)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup medium grain rice

4 1/2 cups of vegetable stock or broth

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons of dried thyme

1 Parmagiano Reggiano rind

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

2 tablespoons sherry

1/2 cup milk or additional stock

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Ingredients (for the garnish)

Fresh yellow oyster mushrooms

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Directions:

1.  Saute the vegetables.  Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, leek and a pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Do not brown the onions or the leek.  Add the garlic and another pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring, until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring until they begin to sweat and smell fragrant, about 5 minutes. 

2.  Cook the soup.  Add the rice, stock, bay leaf, thyme, Parmigiano Reggiano rind and soy sauce.  Salt to taste.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and the rind.

3.  Blend the soup.  In batches, blend the soup until smooth.  Fill the blender less than half way and cover the top with a towel pulled down tight rater than airtight with the lid because hot soup will jump and push off the top if the blender is closed airtight.  Return to the pot, taste and adjust salt, add pepper and the sherry. Add the milk and another cup of stock and heat through, stirring.  If the soup seems to thick, thin it with a little more water or stock, but check the seasoning.  

4.  Make the garnish.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.   Line a baking sheet with foil and place in the oven as it preheats.  Remove the oyster mushrooms from the main stem.  Toss the mushrooms in a bowl with the oil and garlic powder. Remove the baking sheet, spray with non-stick cooking spray Spread them onto the hot baking sheet so that there is one layer.  Bake in oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until all mushrooms are brown and crispy to taste.  

5.  Finish the dish.  Pour the soup into a bowl.  Add the crispy oyster mushrooms garnish in the center of the bowl.  Sprinkle the parsley around the crispy oyster mushrooms. 

ត្រីខ្ញីកម្ពុជា (Cambodian Ginger Catfish)

Fish plays an important role in Cambodian cuisine, it is one of the primary proteins in the diet of the Cambodian (or Khmer) people. Located in Southeast Asia, Cambodia has a large system of waterways (including the Tonle Sap and the Mekong Rivers) that provide access to freshwater fish, as well as a 280 mile long coastline along the Gulf of Thailand, which provides access to saltwater fish. In all, Cambodians have access to a large variety of fish species, including snakeheads, gourami, and carp. 

Yet, demand for fish is very high in Cambodia. One estimate is that this demand has increased from 52 kilograms (115 pounds) per year to 63 kilograms (139 pounds) per year. This increased demand presents a threat to the native populations that swim through the rivers or can be found in the Gulf of Thailand.  

The Cambodian government has responded to the increase in demand for fish by encouraging the growth of a domestic aquaculture industry, specifically fish farming.  The government has looked at creating incentives for domestic fish farms, such as lowering energy costs or cutting imports on fish feed (as Cambodia does not have its own fish feed production sector).  The focus on aquaculture has resulted in an increase in farmed fish, from 74,000 tonnes or about 11% of total fish production in 2012 to 172,500 tonnes or 22% of total fish production in Cambodia. 

One of the fish cultivated in Cambodian aquaculture is the catfish.  For example, there is a project in the town of Koh Khorndin, which is located in the Stung Treng province. The goal was to establish a fish farm for African catfish, which would provide a food source for the local population of about 100 families, as well as water storage for their crops. After the first round of fish farming was completed, it was determined that 35 families showed the ability to pursue a profitable business of selling fish and vegetables, with enough to feed their own family members.  

In some sense, this recipe reflects the increased emphasis on sustainable aquaculture.  The catfish is the protein, surrounded by ingredients that are central to Cambodian cuisine, such as ginger and fish sauce.  I prepared this recipe for the Savage Boleks' New Year Open House; and, it appears to have been the most popular dish of the event.  Perhaps it will also serve as the springboard for a Cambodia challenge as part of my quest to go Around the World in 80 Dishes. 

CAMBODIAN GINGER FISH

Recipe from AllRecipes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 pound peeled, matchstick-cut fresh ginger

4 catfish fillets (about 4 ounces each)

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 large yellow onion, sliced

1/4 red bell pepper, cut in thin matchsticks

1/2 bunch green onions, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Directions:

1. Prepare the fish. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook and stir ginger in the hot oil until slightly softened and brown, 5 to 7 minutes.  Add catfish fillets, cook until firm, about 3 minutes per side.  Remove fillets from the skillet to a plate and set aside.  

2.  Finish the dish.  Stir fish sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce together in the skillet.  Add onion and red bell pepper.  Cook and stir until softened, about 4 minutes.  Return catfish fillets to the skillet and spoon sauce and vegetables over the fillets.  Continue cooking until the flesh of the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 3 minutes more.  Garnish with green onions and serve immediately. 

ENJOY!

Turkey in the Arista Style, with Tuscan Bread Stuffing

For this holiday season, I decided that I would try something different.  Christmas Eve dinner is a well established tradition in my family, with the antipasta plate and wedding soup, followed by pasta with meatballs and sausage. That tradition has produced many great memories for me going back to my childhood. 

Traditions are good, in fact, they are great.  But, at least for me, I felt that I could be missing something if I didn't take a chance and try something different. There was only one question: what to make?

Recently, my beautiful Angel's parents traveled to Italy, spending time in Lazio, Tuscany and Liguria.  I too spent time in Tuscany, which provided me with the inspiration for the dinner.  I spent a lot of time researching main courses, but I wanted to make something that everyone could enjoy.  I ultimately decided to do an Arista, which is a dish that I previously made. Arista is a roast pork dish that is quintessential Tuscan cuisine. The problem with an Arista is that it is roast pork, and, my beautiful Angel does not eat pork.  My Angel does eat turkey, so I decided to apply the ingredients and cooking techniques of an Arista to a turkey.

To be sure, there are not very many turkeys gobbling around Tuscany. (Although, interestingly, there is a highly challenged study that says the ancient Etruscans, who called the area of Tuscany their home around 900 B.C. came from Anatolia, which is currently known as Turkey.) But, the use of a rub of rosemary, garlic, fennel seed and clove pretty much made this turkey smell like a Tuscan pork roast. 

Additional Tuscan flavor and character was added to the bird with the stuffing.  I searched far and wide  on the Internet for a "Tuscan stuffing."  I came across one recipe for a Tuscan Bread Stuffing. This recipe incorporated many classic Tuscan ingredients, such as rosemary, sage and chestnuts.  The use of pancetta is also key, as its fat provides flavor at every level and stage of preparation.  

Overall, this is perhaps the best turkey that I have ever made; and, according, to my beautiful Angel, the stuffing is the best that she has ever had.  This recipe is now the Savage Boleks' standard for a stuffed turkey dinner.  This may be the beginning of a new tradition ... for now.

TURKEY IN THE ARISTA STYLE

WITH TUSCAN BREAD STUFFING

Turkey recipe adapted from Reinhardt Hess & Sabine Salzer, 

Regional Italian Cuisine, pp. 148-49

Tuscan Bread Stuffing Recipe adapted from Tasting Table

Serves many

Ingredients (for the turkey):

1 whole turkey (about 12 pounds)

4 lemons, zested

8 to 10 sprigs of rosemary

10 cloves of garlic

4 teaspoons of fennel seeds

4 pinches of ground cloves

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

1 stick of unsalted butter

Ingredients (for the stuffing):

1 1/2 pounds ciabatta bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

8 ounces pancetta, small dice

1 package turkey liver and gizzards (from 1 large turkey)

2 medium carrots, peeled and small dice

2 celery stalks, small dice

1 large yellow onion, small dice

2 sticks unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

3 cups turkey stock + 2 cups of turkey stock

1 cup roasted chestnuts, roughly chopped

1/4 cup minced sage

1/4 cup minced rosemary

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Prepare the turkey.  Rinse the turkey well.  Pat the turkey dry.  Separate the skin from the turkey so that you can apply the rub directly onto the meat. Combine the lemon zest, rosemary, fennel seeds, ground cloves, garlic, salt and black pepper into a small bowl.  Mix well.  Add enough olive oil to create a paste.  Continue to mix.  Once the paste has the desired consistency, apply it to all parts of the turkey, including under the skin.  Reserve some of the rub for basting. Allow the turkey to rest for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

2.  Prepare the stuffing.  Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lay out the bread on a baking sheet and bake until dry, about 25 to 30 minutes.  Transfer the bread to a huge bowl.  While the bread is baking, heat the pancetta in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook, stirring often until the pancetta is crispy and the fat has rendered, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to the bowl with the bread.  Drain the fat into a separate bowl.  Add back 1 to 2 tablespoons of the fat to the pan and add the liver and gizzards.  Cook the ingredients, turning as needed until golden and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes for the liver and 8 to 10 minutes for the gizzard.  Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop, then add to the stuffing bowl.

3.  Continue to prepare the stuffing.  Add a little more of the pancetta fat back to the pan.  Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pan.  Sweat the ingredients until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.  Transfer the vegetables to the stuffing bowl.   Add the butter to the pan and cook until it begins to brown and has a nutty aroma.  6 to 8 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in the cream to warm through.  Add the butter mixture to the stuffing bowl with the remaining ingredients (namely, the turkey stock).  Using your hands, mix the stuffing to incorporate.  Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. 

4.  Prepare to roast the turkey.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Stuff the turkey's cavities with the stuffing, and place the remaining stuffing in a baking dish.  Roast the turkey for about 3 hours or until the turkey's internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Baste the turkey approximately every hour with melted butter that has some of the rub mixed into it. Fahrenheit. Once the turkey reaches that temperature, remove the turkey from the oven and cover it.  Place the baking dish full of stuffing in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes to 45 minutes, or until the stuffing begins to crisp on the surface.  Remove the stuffing and set on the stove to cool.

5.  Prepare the au jus.  Drain the liquid from the roasting pan into a separator.  Pour the juices into a pot, along with 2 cups of the turkey stock. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper if necessary.  Bring to a boil under medium high heat and reduce to a simmer.  Allow to simmer until you are ready to serve. 

6.  Finish the dish.  Spoon the stuffing into a serving bowl.  Slice the turkey and place on a serving dish.  Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Roasted Tomato Relish

Side dishes are a rare post on this blog.  It is not that I don't cook sides to go with the main course.  It is just that most of the side dishes that I make are not, in my opinion, blog-worthy.  However, given that I have not been cooking as much recently as I have in the past, and in light of the resulting lack of blog posts because of that fact, I have begun to write some posts about some of the better side dishes that I make. 

This recipe, Roasted Tomato Relish, is one of those side dishes that merits a blog post. Roasted tomatoes -- especially small ones -- are, by themselves, a very delicious side.  The addition of some red wine vinegar and sugar provides elements of tartness and sweetness that works well with the acidity in these little fruits. Add some additional flavor elements, such as garlic, shallots and mustard, then that side dish takes on a little more complexity.   

This is not just a tasty side dish, it is also a very easy dish to make.  In other words, this is a side dish that may become a go-to on Chef Bolek's house menu.

ROASTED TOMATO RELISH

Adapted from Recipe in CSA Cookbook, page 38

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes

2 shallots sliced

6 garlic cloves, unpeeeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

1 bay leaf

Directions:

1.  Roast the vegetables.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, shallots, garlic oil, salt and pepper.  Spread the vegetables across a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 15 to 20 minutes until the tomatoes burst and begin to caramelize.

2.  Saute the vegetables.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven and peel the garlic.  Combine all of the roasted vegetables with the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds and bay leaf in a medium saucepan.  Simmer on medium heat and stir occasionally until the volume is reduced to almost half, 30 to 45 minutes.  The relish should be very thick, syrupy and chunky.  Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf.  Serve warm or chiled.

ENJOY!

Big Creek Vineyard's Frontenac (2017)

"Frontenac is what you grow when you can't grow Cabernet Sauvignon."  That is what the nice person at the tasting room for Big Creek Vineyard told me as I sampled Big Creek's wines with my beautiful Angel.  She tried to explain that, given Big Creek's vineyards are in Pennsylvania, which is slightly too far north for Cab Sauv grapes to grow well, the winemakers have cultivated Frontenac to produce a wine that could stand side by side with a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Frontenac is a truly American varietal, because it is a hybrid grapevine produced with Landis Noir grape with a native Vitis Ripara grape that is more resistant to the cold.  And, it can get very cold at the University of Minnesota, where the varietal was first crossed and tested. After successfully creating the hybrid varietal,  the vines made their way to vineyards, where winemakers used the grapes to produce dry sweet wines or rose wines. Some winemakers have even used Frontenac to make port (as I note below, I can totally see that). 

Located near Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, Big Creek Vineyards takes the Frontenac grape and produces a single varietal wine that, as I note above, is intended to stand on its own like a Cabernet Sauvignon wine.  The tasting was very interesting, and, I have not seen Frontenac wines around where I live (perhaps because Cabernet Sauvignon grows a little better around where I live), so I decided to buy a bottle and do a review. 

The Frontenac pours a solid crimson, almost burgundy color.  The color is very deep, almost impenetrable, suggesting a bold wine.  The wine's aromatic elements are expected, with cherries being front and center. I had some difficulty pulling other aromatic elements from the wine, and, my research did not produce much in the way of descriptors for the Frontenac grape.  (There was a lot about Frontenac Gris, but that is a white grape.)

As for the taste, I can totally see why this grape would make a great grape for port wines.  It is a solid wall of cherries, but not any cherries.  The types of cherry flavor one would expect from a port, just without the aguardente or, in cheaper versions, everclear. The fruit is so forward, that one cannot really discern any other taste elements, such as earthiness, in the wine. 

As the first Frontenac wine that I have ever tried, I have to say that Big Creek Vineyard hit it out of the park.  I would never expected a wine like this being produced in the State of Pennsylvania, as opposed to Maryland or Virginia -- or, for that matter, California or Washington. If you happen to find yourself in the Poconos, or, more specifically in Jim Thorpe, check out Big Creek Vineyards and this Frontenac wine. Until next time...

ENJOY!

Chef Bolek's Oyster Stew 2019

A little more than one year ago, I first encountered the Oysterfest.  A festival surrounding the oyster, the iconic shellfish of the Chesapeake Bay (and, yes, elsewhere, but as someone in the Delmarva, there is only the Bay). The very first thing that I did was serve as one of 500 judges in a taste testing of oyster stews.  I did a post about that experience, which you can find here.  I had such a great time trying the different entries of oyster stew, that I decided to make my own Chesapeake Oyster Stew.

One year later, I returned to the Oysterfest, ready to serve as a judge at the oyster stew competition.  There were only four contestants this year.  Oyster Stew A was very good, but it was lacking a little something in my opinion, although it is hard to explain what exactly was that "something."  Oyster Stew B was very good, and, it helped that I got a few full oysters that I was able to enjoy along with a slight kick in the background of the stew.  Oyster Stew C was good, in that it had the smoky notes that one can get using bacon.  The big drawback was that no one skimmed off the grease, which left a reddish film on the top of the stew. Oyster Stew D was somewhat avant garde, relying upon the flavor of the oyster liqueur than the oysters itself.  Overall, I decided that Oyster Stew B was the best.  As for all of the other judges, a majority chose Oyster Stew A.

After that event, I was inspired to create a new oyster stew for 2019.  I decided to draw from the avant garde nature of Oyster Stew D, but to use actual oysters.  I wanted to make an oyster stew without cream or milk.  That is truly thinking out of the box as that cream or milk is a fundamental characteristic of this type of stew.  The substitute came in a triumverate of liquids.  First, I decided to use white wine, and, in this case, a Chardonnay. The best wine would be an unoaked wine or a slightly oaked wine (which is what I used).  Second, I decided to use clam juice, which gives a taste that works well with seafood soups. (It is great when one cannot find seafood stock.)  Third, I did what every self-respecting cook does when making oyster stew, I used the oyster liqueur. 

The one other major change that I did is to use ham hocks, as opposed to bacon.  The difference is significant because, due to the high salt content of a ham hock, there is not as much grease in the pan as with bacon.  I crisped up the pieces of ham hock to provide some texture elements in the soup, but I had to add a little oil to prevent everything from simply burning.  

In the end, this so-called "avant garde" style of oyster stew was a great experiment.  The only thing that was missing is what I love in oyster stews ... that slight hint of smokiness that comes from the use of bacon.  Perhaps it will find its way back into the Chef Bolek's Oyster Stew 2020. 

CHEF BOLEK'S OYSTER STEW 2019

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 4

Ingredients:

16 ounces of oysters, with liqueur reserved

1 cup finely diced onion

1 cup finely diced celery

1 cup of red potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cup of clam juice

1 cup of white wine, such as Chardonnay

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
2.5 ounces of ham hock (wiping off most of the salt), diced
3 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
1.  Saute the ham hocks and vegetables.  Add the oil and heat a medium sized pot on medium high.  Add the ham hock and saute, stirring occasionally, until it begins to crisp.  Add the onions, celery, potatoes, bay leaves and thyme.  Continue to saute until the onions become translucent, and the celery and potatoes begin to soften, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add more oil if the bottom of the pot becomes dry to avoid burning the ingredients.

2.  Add the liquid.  Add the wine and stir the ingredients.  Then add the clam juice and the oyster liqueur and stir again.  Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat.  Continue to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

3.  Add the oysters.  Add the oysters to the stew.  Cook for about three to five minutes until the oysters are opaque.  If your guests want their oysters cooked a little more, let it go for an additional minute or two.

4.  Finish the dish.  Pour the stew into individual bowls.  Add a few oysters to each of the bowls.  Serve immediately.

ENJOY!