|
|
| Kitchi Gammi Chef's Q & A |
| Have a question? Ask the chef. |
| |
| How do make Wild Pheasant Legs Tender? |
| Cook them "Low and Slow". A flip answer yes, but I will explain in detail. Certain cuts of meat, usually muscles that are used quite a bit, tend to be tough, in some cases very tough. Makes sense, if you feel your biceps after a strenuous workout it will feel tight and firm. If you would feel the same muscle say in me, it would feel soft and squishy. I kid but hopefully I have illustrated the point somewhat.
With these types of muscles the "rule" is to cook them low and slow. Preferably using a braising method. This uses a small amount of liquid and a covered lid to help assist in "breaking down" these tough, sinewy, fatty meats and turning them into "falling off the bone" tender. What, why and how this happens is a lesson in chemistry and perhaps a tad wordy, but for this purpose suffice to say the results, well words may not due justice. Can you say Mmmmmmm.
What follows is a recipe for Pheasant Legs, but any poultry could be substituted, or even other cuts of meat that require this low and slow method. One caveat, if you substitute other cuts other than poultry check a cook book for time and temperature changes, or you could just ask me, the Chef on a little interactive site we call "Ask The Chef". One final note to that effect, use recipes as guides, check your food often, look, listen, smell and taste as you go. |
| |
| We saw the TV show that you were on making Pain Perdue (sp?) aka French Toast to the 10th power. Could you pass that recipe along. Great show by the way. Thanks.
|
Absolutely! I am glad you saw and liked the show.
Chef Tal
Recipe
Pain Perdu
(Lost Bread)
(French Toast)
2 Loaves French Bread- Sliced on a bias and thick, 1 ½ inches, left out overnight uncovered to stale
1 cup Heavy Cream
4 Whole Eggs
½ Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
Zest of 1 Lemon
Pinch of Cinnamon and Nutmeg
2 pans, one larger than the other
weight
butter for frying
Maple Syrup, Fresh Berries, Powdered Sugar, Jam and Jellies…. anything you what to top this with
Method
Arrange bread in a single layer of a deep sided dish. Beat eggs and add sugar, beat until well mixed. Add heavy cream slowly, until mixed. Add rest of ingredients mixing well. Pour batter over the bread turning the bread to cover on both sides. Lay plastic wrap directly on the soaked bread. Place another pan, a little smaller than the one with the bread, on top of the plastic coving the bread. Weight down (canned goods work well). Letting the bread soak overnight is best, turning over once. If you can’t wait for the custardy bread, let soak for at least 15-20 minutes and fry.
Use enough butter to cover the area you are going to cook with. Melt butter over medium heat in a well seasoned cast iron pan, griddle or non-stick pan, until bubbly.
Lift bread out of the custard and let excess drip off. Fry in butter until golden brown, being sure to allow the bread to cook through. You may need to lower the temperature or finish in a 400 degree pre-heated oven for 5-8 minutes to accomplish this. Test the bread by cutting one in half and seeing if the custard is not runny, but soft and firm.
Finish with the topping, flavorings of your pleasure.
Enjoy!
Chef Tal
|
| |
| How do you make roux? And how do you work with it?
Thanks! |
Making Roux
French for "Red," a Roux is a Thickener for Sauces and Soups that Combines Equal Parts Flour and Butter or Oil.
Roux ("Roo") is Used to Thicken Sauces and Soups. Pre-cooking Flour Allows the Starch Granules to Swell and Absorb Moisture, and lets you Thicken a Sauce Base without the Flour Clumping or Forming Lumps. Rouxs are also used to Deepen the Flavor of a Sauce: Browning the Flour gives it a Nutty, Toasted Flavor. You could also Brown or Blacken the Butter for a Double Barrel Infusion of Flavor.
Colors of roux
Roux can be Cooked to White, Blond, Brown, Dark Brown, and even Black Stages. The Color Depends on the Desired Flavor of the Product in the end. You can even Use Different Types of Flour to Add another Level, i.e., Hazelnut Flour, Rye Flour, etc. However All Purpose Flour is the Most Commonly Used Flour for Roux. None of the Types of Roux are Necessarily Better or Worse than any Other; the Color You Choose will Depend on the Flavor and Color You would like your Roux to Add to your sauce or soup, etc. For Example, a Basic White Sauce, Could be Used for say the base for Macaroni and Cheese, or an Alfredo Sauce, And on the other End of the Spectrum, in Cajun/Creole Cooking a Black Roux is Used almost Exclusively. This Gives their Gumbos, Etouffees, Jambalayas, etc., that Extra Depth of Flavor. One Caveat about Using Roux Other than White. Make sure that you are "With" the Roux Throughout the Process. It can Burn or Scorch quite Easily. Use a Heavy Walled Sauce Pan. In fact in Making Deeper Rouxs, I have Spread Out the White Roux onto a Sheet Pan and Put it into a Medium Heat Oven, Watching and Folding the Roux as it Picks up Color.
To Make a Basic Roux;
Use Equal Weights of Fat and Flour. Four Ounces of Fat and Four Ounces of Flour Equal about 8 Ounces of Roux. Butter is the most Commonly Used Form of Fat; Other Fats can be Used, i.e. Oils, Flavored or Plain, juswyt Know that it will have a Different Flavor. One Note on this, I would Not Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Any Oil With a Delicate Flavor for Making anything Other than a White Roux.
Method as Follows;
Melt the Butter Over Medium Heat; Slowly Add the Flour to the Butter, Whisking Constantly. Within 2 to 3 minutes the Roux will have a Consistency of a Cake Frosting. A White Roux is Done when the Flour Loses its "Raw" Smell and Begins to Develop a Toasty Aroma. Darker Rouxs are Cooked, Stirring Constantly, until the Desired Color and Flavor is Achieved. If you're not Adding Liquid, Immediately Remove the Pan from the Heat and Transfer the Roux to Another Container to Cool. Be Very Careful: the Hot Fat-Flour Mixture can Cause Painful Burns. Refrigerated or Frozen Roux will Keep well for up to Two Months and can be Added Directly to Soups or Sauces. Let Thaw if Coming From the Freezer or Room Temperature if Coming from the Refridge.
Note: If Adding the Roux Directly to the Finished Sauce, Soup, etc. I like to Add More Liquid Fat, i.e., Melted Butter or Oil, than the Basic Recipe, until a Consistency like Thin Pancake Batter is Achieved. Then it can be Poured into the Liquid at a Slow Steady Stream Whisking Constantly.
If using the Roux from the “Bottom up”, i.e., Adding the Liquid to the Roux itself, Make Sure that You are Adding the Liquid in a Slow and Steady Steam.
I use this Illustration lots to Describe this Process; Cambells Cream of Mushroom Soup (condensed). On the Can it reads to Add the Milk Slowly and Incorporating all the Milk Before Adding More Liquid. If you have ever Added the Milk all at Once, the “soup” will Slip Around the Liquid and consequently, you get lumps. I Have.
One Last Note; Always Bring the Product You have Roux’ed to a Boil. In doing so it Activates the Entire Strength of the Roux and You can Judge if More is Needed. Remember Start with a Little and go from there. If you Find that the Product is too Thick, just Whisk in Water, Stock, Cream or Wine, really any Thin Liquid and then Bring Back to a Boil.
Cook Well in Good Health and for Good Health!
Chef Tal
|
| |
| I had lunch at the club on Monday and had the 4 cheese asparagus soup
and it was excellent! Can you send me the recipe? Thanks
|
Asparagus Au Gratin Soup
Ingredients;
2 Bunches of Fresh Asparagus- Cut the "woody" ends off and Save the Tips for
Garnish
2 quarts of Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock- unsalted
1/2 of a Sweet Onion- Diced
1 Rib of Celery- Diced
1 Clove of Garlic- Minced
Pinch of White Pepper
Salt- to Taste and to Cook. I would Recomend Either Kosher or Sea Salt. Just
tastes better in my Humble opinion.
1/4 of a Cup or more depending on your taste, of Fresh Thyme "leaves"
1/4 Pound of Butter or 1/4 of a Cup Oil for "Sweating" the Vegetables. Again if
the Oil does Not Completely Coat the Vegetables Add a Little more.
Cheeses; We used Swiss, American, a Powdered Cheese Sauce, for consistency, and I am sure you can find the Powdered Mix at a local store. In fact I seem to remember that Cambells makes a Straight up Cheese Soup in a Small Can. That would work just as well. Lastly we used a Cheese called Fontiago. That is Fontina and Asiago Blended Together. I could certainly Provide you with some, because you will not find it in a store (maybe Mount Royal, They have Great Cheeses. Or you could get the two Cheeses, Asiago and Fontina and blend, that would be just as well. I'd say 1 part of Fontina to 1/4 part of Asiago.
Amounts; I would use about a 1/4 Cup of the Cheeses Shredded and go from there,
as in Cooking it is all to taste. So Add More if you Wish.
1 Cup of Heavy Cream- Room temperature
1 Stick of Unsalted Butter -Room Temperature-Very Soft
1/2 of a Cup? of All Purpose Flour- The Butter and the Flour are going to be used to make a Roux. A Roux is a Thickening Agent. The reason I put a ? make by the amount of Flour is because it would be hard for me get a exact measurement.
Combine the Butter and Flour by Whisking in a Bowl. You want it to be the
Consistency of Pancake Batter in the end, so you may need to tweak this a little. You Could also Melt the Butter and Start with the Flour in a Bowl and Whisk as you go, Adding a Little at a time, until the Consistency is Achieved. Using Roux can be tricky. The Key is to Add the Roux After the Soup is Done, or just about, in a Steady Stream Whisking as you Go. One Illustration would be Adding Milk to a Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup. A Little at a time, if not you get Lumps, and that is what we are trying to Avoid. On to the recipe.
METHOD;
In a Heavy Stock Pot, Over Medium Heat, Melt 1/4 Pound of Butter, or Oil. Let
Butter Melt and get Bubbly and Add the Celery, Onions. Reduce Heat and Let them
Begin to Become Translucent. When they are almost there add the Garlic. Let the
Garlic Become Fragrant and Remove from Heat.
In a Second Heavy Stock Pot, Over Medium High Heat, Add the Chicken Stock or the
Vegetable Stock and the Middle Parts of the Asparagus. Cook until the Asparagus
is Extreimly Soft. Remove form Heat, let Cool for 10 Minutes and Add the
Asparagus and Stock Back into the Stock Pot with the Celery, Onions and Garlic.
Blend, Working in Batches, with a Standard Blender, on a High Setting.
Place "Puree"/Soup back into a Heavy Stock Pot, (I would use the one you sweated the vegetables in) Turn on to Medium-High Heat, Add the Heavy Cream and Let it come to a Boil. Reduce Heat to Simmer.
Adding the Roux: Using a Whisk Add the "Pancake" Consistency Roux Slowly to the
Soup. Use about 1/2 of the Roux and Bring to a Boil. Note: Roux Needs to Come
to a Boil to become Fully Activated.
If Needed Add more Roux Until the Desired Consistency of the Soup had been
Achieved.
Using a Whisk, Slowly Add the Cheeses a Little at a time, making sure that the
Cheese is Melted before Adding more. After All the Cheese is Melted into the Soup, Taste for "Cheesyness", Remember you May Need to Add More. Bring to a Boil and Remove from Heat. Let Cool for 10 Minutes and Add the Fresh Thyme, White Pepper and Salt to Taste. If Needed Add more Roux Until the Desired Consistency of the Soup had been
Achieved. You can always Use Water or Stock or Wine to Thin out if it has become
to thick.
Ladle into Soup Bowls and Garnish with a Turf of Shredded Cheese and Asparagus Tips on top of the Cheese.
Viola!
Enjoy!
Chef Tal
Please don't hesitate to call with any questions!
|
| |
|
