So, where were we.....Tortilla Espanol?
So....I don't have a picture of the next few things, but the Food Pimp made this next one. It's like a dipping sauce. And he also garnished the Tortilla Espanol with this too. It's so yummy!
Romesco Sauce
3 roasted red peppers peeled
5 cloves roasted garlic
1 onion diced
4 soaked new mexico chilis, seeded
1/4 c almonds
french bread - about 1/4 a baguette
1 c extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c sherry vinegar
So, basically,you toast the bread in some of the olive oil. Then it's a blend kind of recipe. Blend everything. Start with the peppers, garlic, onion, new mexico peppers and almonds and vinegar. Get it nice and pureed, add the bread and olive oil. It will turn a nice pretty orange color.
Let's say this is a picture of Metal Flip enjoying the romesco sauce on cracker bread.
Harissa
4 anaheim peppers rehydrated
1/2 onion
1 T garlic
1 t coriander
1 t ginger minced
salt
1/4 c vinegar
1/2 c olive oil
So, similar recipe - blend it all. This is a north african hot sauce.
Pickled Zucchini
2 zucchinis, sliced on the bias (this means not lengthwise, not straight cross cut, but diagonal)
1 1/2 c white vinegar
1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c salt
1 t red pepper flakes
1 t coriander
So, basically, you put all the ingredients in a pot and bring it up to a boil. Let it simmer for a few minutes, then take it off the heat and let it cool to room temperature, then refridgerate it. It's not really vinegary, but it's pretty pickled.
So then we had cous cous, lamb tagine and seafood tagine as the main course. Above is a picture of Metal Flip helping himself to the bounty of deliciousness that our dining room table had to offer.
The cous cous was with saffron, almonds, parsley, and other various whatnots.
Seafood Tagine
1 1/2 red onion, diced
3 serrano peppers, minced
2 T minced garlic
4 tomatoes diced
1/2 zucchini, diced
2 bottles clam juice
1 pinch saffron
2 bay leaves
1/2 c vinegar
1/2 c pickling liquid from zucchini
1 lemon, sliced
1 T cumin
1 T coriander
salt and pepper
2 lbs cockles
3 lbs manila clams
3 lbs shrimp
1 snapper filleted and large diced
So a tagine is a north african stew. Basically. Don't call me on this shit. I'm try to simplify it, not teach a class on gastronomy.
So what I did, was I made the base ahead of time. I sauteed the onion, serrano and garlic. Then I added the zucchini and tomatoes. After that cooked for a bit, I added the clam juice, saffron, bay leaves, vinegar, pickling liquid, cumin, coriander and lemon. I let it cook for about 20 minutes. I added salt and pepper, tasted it, and let it sit until time to "pick it up". Which means finish cooking for "service" - which means dinner.
So then I reheated the "base", then I added the seafood, then I served it. It was pretty delicious. I have to admit. Except I forgot one ingredient. The snapper. THE SNAPPER!!! The FP had "prepped" it - that means cut it up for use - the night before and put it in a Gladware container - no, that is not an ad for Glad - I'm not on Top Chef or anything. Anyhoo, maybe because I didn't "fabricate" - that means "prep" the snapper, I forgot it. I didn't notice until the next day, either. That was a bummer. But it still tasted good.
Lamb Tagine
1 leg of lamb, cut for "stew"
1 T cinnamon
2 T coriander
1 T cumin
2 onions, diced
1 oz garlic
1 can tomato puree
2 bell peppers, diced
2 inches ginger, minced
1/4 c honey
1 eggplant, diced
water
1 bunch cilantro chopped
So this is the FP's recipe. Coat the leg of lamb with cinnamon, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Get your pot hot. I mean hot. The FP will yell at you if it's not smoking. Then you put your oil in. Get that hot. Sear the leg of lamb. Let it sit. Then mix it. Then let it sit. Then mix it. Then add your ginger, garlic, onion and bell peppers. Let them cook. Then add your eggplant, tomato puree, honey, water to cover. Bring it to a boil, twist the heat down, let it cook nicely. When the lamb is tender and it's nice and stewey, it's done. Garnish with cilantro to serve.
That, my friends, is leche frita. One of the FP's signature desserts. He invented it. Okay, he didn't invent it, but he wishes he did. I suggested to coat it in cookie crumb, but he didn't. I'm sure he doesn't remember that one time in Boston when I tried to make it, way back when. I didn't know how to cook. I didn't thicken the custard enough, of course. And I tried to coat it in... I think oreo cookie crumbs or something. It didn't work, of course, and it was a big mess. We've come a long way, baby!
Leche Frita
1/2 c cornstarch
3 c milk
vanilla
cinnamon
1/2 c sugar
1 egg yolk
2 c flour
4 eggs whisked
2 c breadcrumb
veg oil
whipped cream
berries
So you put milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar and cornstarch in a pot. Bring it up to a boil. Whisk it, let it thicken. Then you whisk an egg yolk in at the end. Pour it in a sheet pan to cool, put it in the fridge or freezer to set.
When it's set, cut it into triangles. Coat it with flour, egg, then breadcrumb. Get your saute pan hot, and heat up your oil. Fry the triangles on one side til golden, flip them, and let the other side get golden too.
Serve these beauties with whipped cream and berries, or whatever fruit is tasty at the time.
So....I don't have a picture of the next few things, but the Food Pimp made this next one. It's like a dipping sauce. And he also garnished the Tortilla Espanol with this too. It's so yummy!
Romesco Sauce
3 roasted red peppers peeled
5 cloves roasted garlic
1 onion diced
4 soaked new mexico chilis, seeded
1/4 c almonds
french bread - about 1/4 a baguette
1 c extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c sherry vinegar
So, basically,you toast the bread in some of the olive oil. Then it's a blend kind of recipe. Blend everything. Start with the peppers, garlic, onion, new mexico peppers and almonds and vinegar. Get it nice and pureed, add the bread and olive oil. It will turn a nice pretty orange color.
Let's say this is a picture of Metal Flip enjoying the romesco sauce on cracker bread.
Harissa
4 anaheim peppers rehydrated
1/2 onion
1 T garlic
1 t coriander
1 t ginger minced
salt
1/4 c vinegar
1/2 c olive oil
So, similar recipe - blend it all. This is a north african hot sauce.
Pickled Zucchini
2 zucchinis, sliced on the bias (this means not lengthwise, not straight cross cut, but diagonal)
1 1/2 c white vinegar
1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c salt
1 t red pepper flakes
1 t coriander
So, basically, you put all the ingredients in a pot and bring it up to a boil. Let it simmer for a few minutes, then take it off the heat and let it cool to room temperature, then refridgerate it. It's not really vinegary, but it's pretty pickled.
So then we had cous cous, lamb tagine and seafood tagine as the main course. Above is a picture of Metal Flip helping himself to the bounty of deliciousness that our dining room table had to offer.
The cous cous was with saffron, almonds, parsley, and other various whatnots.
Seafood Tagine
1 1/2 red onion, diced
3 serrano peppers, minced
2 T minced garlic
4 tomatoes diced
1/2 zucchini, diced
2 bottles clam juice
1 pinch saffron
2 bay leaves
1/2 c vinegar
1/2 c pickling liquid from zucchini
1 lemon, sliced
1 T cumin
1 T coriander
salt and pepper
2 lbs cockles
3 lbs manila clams
3 lbs shrimp
1 snapper filleted and large diced
So a tagine is a north african stew. Basically. Don't call me on this shit. I'm try to simplify it, not teach a class on gastronomy.
So what I did, was I made the base ahead of time. I sauteed the onion, serrano and garlic. Then I added the zucchini and tomatoes. After that cooked for a bit, I added the clam juice, saffron, bay leaves, vinegar, pickling liquid, cumin, coriander and lemon. I let it cook for about 20 minutes. I added salt and pepper, tasted it, and let it sit until time to "pick it up". Which means finish cooking for "service" - which means dinner.
So then I reheated the "base", then I added the seafood, then I served it. It was pretty delicious. I have to admit. Except I forgot one ingredient. The snapper. THE SNAPPER!!! The FP had "prepped" it - that means cut it up for use - the night before and put it in a Gladware container - no, that is not an ad for Glad - I'm not on Top Chef or anything. Anyhoo, maybe because I didn't "fabricate" - that means "prep" the snapper, I forgot it. I didn't notice until the next day, either. That was a bummer. But it still tasted good.
Lamb Tagine
1 leg of lamb, cut for "stew"
1 T cinnamon
2 T coriander
1 T cumin
2 onions, diced
1 oz garlic
1 can tomato puree
2 bell peppers, diced
2 inches ginger, minced
1/4 c honey
1 eggplant, diced
water
1 bunch cilantro chopped
So this is the FP's recipe. Coat the leg of lamb with cinnamon, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Get your pot hot. I mean hot. The FP will yell at you if it's not smoking. Then you put your oil in. Get that hot. Sear the leg of lamb. Let it sit. Then mix it. Then let it sit. Then mix it. Then add your ginger, garlic, onion and bell peppers. Let them cook. Then add your eggplant, tomato puree, honey, water to cover. Bring it to a boil, twist the heat down, let it cook nicely. When the lamb is tender and it's nice and stewey, it's done. Garnish with cilantro to serve.
That, my friends, is leche frita. One of the FP's signature desserts. He invented it. Okay, he didn't invent it, but he wishes he did. I suggested to coat it in cookie crumb, but he didn't. I'm sure he doesn't remember that one time in Boston when I tried to make it, way back when. I didn't know how to cook. I didn't thicken the custard enough, of course. And I tried to coat it in... I think oreo cookie crumbs or something. It didn't work, of course, and it was a big mess. We've come a long way, baby!
Leche Frita
1/2 c cornstarch
3 c milk
vanilla
cinnamon
1/2 c sugar
1 egg yolk
2 c flour
4 eggs whisked
2 c breadcrumb
veg oil
whipped cream
berries
So you put milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar and cornstarch in a pot. Bring it up to a boil. Whisk it, let it thicken. Then you whisk an egg yolk in at the end. Pour it in a sheet pan to cool, put it in the fridge or freezer to set.
When it's set, cut it into triangles. Coat it with flour, egg, then breadcrumb. Get your saute pan hot, and heat up your oil. Fry the triangles on one side til golden, flip them, and let the other side get golden too.
Serve these beauties with whipped cream and berries, or whatever fruit is tasty at the time.
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