Starters | culinary flights of fancy

April 22, 2015
by Craig Leave a comment

Salt Cod Fritters with Spicy Pimenton and Roasted Garlic Aioli

Salt Cod combined with potatoes, onion, and parsley

Fritters are fried at 350 degrees in safflower oil. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil.

Salt cod is a rare treat around here. In fact, I don’t think I had cooked with it since culinary school. Salt cod, as the name implies, is simply cod that has been heavily salted and dried. It can then be rehydrated and used in a number of dishes including traditional fritters from both Portugal and Spain. Another favorite is a salt cod and potato dip or sorts called brandade that is also extremely good. Anyway, you can find salt cod on the Internet available for order or I’m sure you can ask your local butcher shop to order it if you prefer to go that route. Either way, I would definitely recommend giving this a try at some point. It’s great for a Saturday night with the family or a few friends.

One thing of note: when frying, use a pan big enough to accommodate the amount of oil called for in the recipe while still having plenty of room left in the pan because the oil will bubble up. That’s a good thing. It’s a bad thing if it bubbles up and the pan isn’t big enough because it will bubble over and, best case, cause a mess and, worse, cause a really bad burn.

Another note and this is sort of a pain, but you have to plan ahead with this as the rehyrdation process involves soaking it for a 12-48 hours depending on just how salty it is. Plan on a full 48 hours just to be safe!

Pimenton is simply a smoked paprika from Spain. It really is something special and definitely worth getting. it imparts a really unique flavor that isn’t captured by other smoked paprikas. Of course, if you need to, feel free to substitute smoked paprika or regular paprika in the aioli. It will be tasty either way. Trust me, though…get the pimenton. You won’t be disappointed!

The recipe for the salt cod fritters can be found here.

The aioli can be made by making a basic mayonnaise. I used a whole egg and one egg yolk as the whole egg gives it a creaminess that is better suited for dips. Otherwise, it’s pretty straight forward. The recipe for the aioli follows after the jump… Continue reading →

March 18, 2015
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Pioppini Mushroom Salad with Watercress, Soft Boiled Egg, and Pickled Red Onion

This is a great little salad that can be used as either a starter or a main dish. Pioppino mushrooms have a mild flavor with a long stem and small button on top and are light to dark brown in appearance. They can be found in farmer’s markets and at specialty food stores. If you have difficulty finding them, simply substitute your favorite mushroom. The watercress with its pepper flavor and almost vine like appearance provides a nice balance in color and flavor to the mushrooms. The pickled red onion simply adds a bit of color and a touch of acidity. If you don’t like pickled onions or simply do not feel like making them, chives or green onions would work well too. Finally, the soft boiled egg adds color and protein and brings a creaminess to the salad. It also adds another level of heartiness to the meaty mushrooms. If you prefer, hard boiled eggs would work as well, though I think the creaminess of a soft boiled egg or even a poached egg adds a nice touch that would be missed if you go that route. .

All of this produce (except the onion) came from Just Farmed…I believe they are accepting new participants for this year (which starts in May. Do yourself a favor and inquire as the service is very good! If you live locally in New Jersey, it’s a great way to bring farm fresh produce right to your door every week. Recipe follows after the jump… Continue reading →

March 4, 2015
by Craig Leave a comment

Ground Pork Lettuce Wraps with Vietnamese Caramel Sauce, Mixed Vegetables, and Radish Ginger Vinaigrette

Assembled Lettuce Wrap

This dish, though Asian influenced, does not really hail from any particular country or region. However, the caramel sauce is distinctly a sauce from Vietnam. The sauce both simple and complex imparts a subtle sweetness with hints of smoke and bitterness. There’s really only one way to make a classic Vietnamese caramel sauce and directions for creating it can be found here. It takes about a half hour to make but a little of it goes a long way and can be stored in a glass jar in your pantry indefinitely, so if you make it once, it will last a pretty long time. In addition, there is a ton of different things you can do with the sauce beyond this recipe so, go ahead and make it and experiment with it!

The pork and vegetable base can be used in many different ways. Here I simply used leaf lettuce as a wrap and garnished it with a few vegetables. However, this mixture would be great with steamed buns, as a filling for dumplings, tossed on top of rice, or simply combine all the vegetables and pork and add more lettuce for a hearty Asian influenced salad.

There are a lot of ingredients with this recipe, but don’t let that be intimidating. Beyond making the caramel sauce all the ingredients can be found at any grocery store and the whole thing should pull together in around an hour or so. Also I used ground pork but this basic recipe/technique would work with diced or ground chicken, turkey, or even shrimp.

As an aside, Tara told me this was one of her favorite things that I’ve made in a very long time. So, she really liked it. We both really enjoy Asian influenced food and perhaps I need to make more of it since it was such a hit with her! I thought it was great for dinner or you can certainly use it as an appetizer. Enjoy…Recipe follows after the jump. Continue reading →

February 25, 2015
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Classic French Onion Soup

I made homemade baguettes. You can find a good quality baguette at Biagio’s or Kings (they sell an organic version that is pretty good).

There are a couple of keys things to consider when making French onion soup. One, using a combination of beef and veal stock adds a depth of flavor that’s tough to beat. Two, the onions need to caramelized for quite a long time to really develop the flavor of the onions and to provide an even deeper flavor to the stock. With such a simple soup, it becomes really important to develop the flavors of the few individual components. Traditionally, the soup is accented with some fresh thyme and usually a splash of either Cognac, red wine, or dry sherry to finish. Personally, I’ve tried it with all of those and though they do add a punch of background flavor at the end, I really feel that it’s not all that necessary. However, if you try the finished soup and feel it needs a little extra something, certainly feel free to throw in a bit of one of those.

Note: This soup is better when prepared a day or two ahead of time, giving the combined flavors a chance to meld together prior to final serving.

I apologize for this taking so long as I promised this recipe a while ago but once again time got away from me as I juggled not feeling super well with leaving for a few days to meet Tara in Phoenix. In the middle of that, I tried a basic Asian pork belly recipe and thought that would be ready to roll but it turns out that it’s not really ready for prime time so I will have to play with that particular dish a bit more and post the resulting recipe once I arrive at one I think is both doable and delicious. So, stay tuned for that at some point soon! Recipe and more photos follow after the jump… Continue reading →

February 18, 2015
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Classic Spanish Tapas: Shrimp with Garlic and Garlic and Tomato Toasts

Shrimp with Garlic served on Classic Garlic Tomato Toasts.

Shrimp with Garlic in a classic cazuela or Spanish earthen ware bowl.

Classic Spanish Shrimp with Garlic with Garlic and Tomato Toasts:

I love Spanish cuisine and one of the great things about it are the various Tapas or small plates that are available at most Spanish restaurants. Not only do they taste great individually but they also allow you to sample a few different things which affords the opportunity to get to know the cuisine a little faster. This shrimp dish is very simple with just a few flavors taking the driver’s seat. The bread is prepared very similarly to classic Italian garlic bread but with tomato dredged across it at the last minute. Placed together, you get a tasty garlicky toast with which to sop up all the great tasting olive oil and garlic from the shrimp dish. Pair this with a few tossed greens and you can make a meal of the whole thing or simply make them a tapas and enjoy the two together with friends or family as small plates. Recipe and more pictures follow after the jump… Continue reading →

February 12, 2015
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Valentine’s Day Menu: Start with Roasted and Blanched Vegetables

Blanched Broccoli and Cauliflower. Serve with a shallot and tarragon mayonnaise dip or apple cider vinegar honey mustard vinaigrette.

Roasted mushrooms with olive oil and fresh tarragon. Serve while warm or at room temperature.

Let me forewarn you that I will be posting multiple recipes for Valentine’s Day today and likely tomorrow. Let me apologize in advance if Valentine’s Day isn’t your favorite day. However, Valentine’s Day is just a few days away so let’s make a nice meal to celebrate. Who’s staying in? If you live locally in the Jerz, then you are probably aware that it’s supposed to snow. So, even if you plan on going out for a nice dinner, you might need a plan B. Either way, this is a great tasting and healthy starter for any special meal. More after the jump… Continue reading →

culinary flights of fancy

Home Cooking Adventures in Berkeley Heights

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