Category Archives: appetizers

Sesame Panko Crab Cakes with Cilantro Lime Tartar Sauce

Posted on by

panko-crab-cakes-7

 

For the crab cakes:

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over
  • 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs, plus ½ cup
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
  • salt and pepper
  • oil, for cooking

For the tartar sauce:

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons chopped pickles
  • 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

Whisk together mayonnaise, scallions, eggs, mustard, Old Bay (you can find it at any major grocery store), and lime juice. Fold in the crab, followed by 1 1/2 cups panko, sesame seeds, and salt and pepper to taste.

 

Pretzels on the Baking Steel

Posted on by

IMG_7571

12 oz warm water (110ish degrees)
1 T sugar
2 t salt
1 pkg active dry yeast
22 oz AP flour
2 oz butter
6 c water
1/2 c baking soda
pretzel salt (coarse sea salt will work as well)

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Combine water, sugar, salt in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top and allow to foam up for about 5 minutes.

3. Add melted butter and flour into mixer, and mix with dough hook for about 4 minutes. The dough will ball up and help clean the sides of the bowl for you, that’s a good sign.

4. Spray a mixing bowl and transfer the dough to that bowl, cover with plastic wrap and proof in a warm environment for up to an hour. You want to see the dough expand a little more than double.

*Chef’s Tip: Spray the top of the dough with pan spray too before wrapping in plastic wrap. This will help you when removing the dough from the bowl and not have any stick to the top.

5. Once your dough has proofed, get it onto a cutting board. At this time, you want to bring water and baking soda to a quick boil to dissolve and turn off. With a bench scraper or knife, portion the dough into 170g for pretzels, 85g for buns. Shape as you wish.

6. Dip your pretzels into the baking soda solution and let sit for about 10-15 seconds. (Traditionally, one would use lye to dip the pretzels in, but we don’t want to poison anyone here). Transfer soaked pretzels onto a baking steel with parchment paper and coat with pretzel salt.

7. Bake for approximately 12 minutes until golden brown and rest for about 3 minutes.

Grab your favorite mustard and dig in, you won’t be disappointed. These didn’t last very long in the test kitchen, believe me.  yields 6 medium pretzels/ 12 buns)

Recipe adapted from Alton Brown’s Good Eats

 

Shou Zhua Bing (Chinese Pancakes)

Posted on by

shou-zhua-bing-7

STEP 1: MAKE THE FLAVORED ROUX:
3 tablespoons oil
4 scallions, white parts only (whole, not chopped)
3 star anise
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon five-spice powder
In a small saucepan over low heat, add the oil. Throw in the scallion pieces, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns. Keep the pan over low heat for about 10 minutes, until fragrant. Pick out all the spices, so you essentially have a pot full of spiced oil. Stir in the flour and five-spice powder to create a thin roux. Set it aside, and let it cool completely.

STEP 2: MAKE THE DOUGH:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cold water
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the flour and add the boiling water. Mix with a fork or a pair of chopsticks. Gradually add the cold water and knead everything together to form a smooth dough ball. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.

STEP 3: ASSEMBLY
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions (optional)
Salt, to taste
Depending on the pancake size you want, divide the dough into 4-8 equal pieces. Lightly brush some oil on a clean work surface. Roll each piece of dough into a long rope, and then use a rolling pin to roll it flat.

Stand the roll upright and press it down with your palm. Lightly roll out the resulting circle until you get a pancake that’s between 1/4-1/2” thick. It’s ok of the outer edges break open a bit. Repeat for each pancake.

At this point, you can cook them, or freeze them by separating each pancake with a layer of plastic wrap or wax paper, and then putting them in a freezer bag. There’s no need for thawing when you want to cook them.

COOKING:
Heat a pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon or two of oil. Place the pancake in the pan. Once the bottom starts to turn a little golden, add two teaspoons of water to the sides of the pan (don’t pour the water on the pancake), and immediately cover with a lid. Cook 3 minutes. Uncover the pan, flip the pancake, and do the same steps with the other side.

To finish, uncover the lid again, turn up the heat slightly, and brown both sides while flipping the pancake occasionally. When it’s golden brown, use a pair of chopsticks to squeeze and pinch the pancake a couple times to loosen the layers (this step is optional), because you ideally want to see the layers when you hand-pull it apart. The cooked pancake should be crispy and slightly chewy.

Snowy Morrison’s hot smoked salmon

Posted on by
  • download200g thick salmon fillets, bones removed but skin left on
  • 1 tbs dark rum
  • 1 tbs soft brown sugar
  • 1 tbs cajun spice
  • 1 tbs salt flakes
  • 1 tbs tomato sauce
  • 1 tbs low-salt soy sauce
1. To make the secret rub, combine the brown sugar, Cajun spice and salt, then mix in the tomato sauce and soy sauce

2. Wash the salmon with the rum and leave to marinate for 30 minutes

3. Massage in the secret rub and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours

4. Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature

5. Prepare a kettle barbecue for indirect cooking, building a small coal fire on both sides of the grill and allowing it to burn quite low until almost out

6. Add 2 handfuls of pre-soaked woodchips to both sides and allow them to start smoking well, with the lid on (temperature should be around 80-100°C)

7. Place the salmon on the grill, away from the heat source. Replace the lid and smoke for 40 minutes. Do NOT lift the lid because if you’re looking, you’re not cooking

8. Check the fish after 40 minutes, when it should be just cooked, and remove from the barbeque and allow it to rest before serving

Soda Crackers from Bernard Clayton

Posted on by

download

1 1/2 cups bread or all-purpose flour (I used White Lily all purpose flour)
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1/4 tsp. salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2/3 cup hot water (120 – 130 degrees)
1/2 tsp. malt syrup (I used 1/4 tsp. molasses)
2 tbsp. vegetable shortening
2 tbsp. melted butter

In a large bowl mix flour, yeast, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Set aside. In a small bowl mix water, malt syrup and shortening. Stir to blend then add to flour mixture. Mix until well blended then knead for about 4 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic. Add more flour if needed. Put the dough into a butted bowl, flip over to coat all sides of the dough, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 18 hours. The longer the better. Roll the dough into a 18″ x 6″ rectangle which is 1/16″ thick. Fold the dough from the short ends, brushing off excess flour, to make 3 layers. Roll again to 1/16″ thickness. Cut into crackers, place on a greased cookie sheet and poke holes in the crackers to prevent them from puffing up. Sprinkle with salt if desired. Bake at 425 for 10-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the crackers with melted butter, sprinkle with salt if desired, then place crackers on a rack to cool.

Variations: For sesame-onion crackers, add to the dough 4 tsp. each sesame seeds and grated onion. For an herb cracker, 4 tsp. each chopped fresh parsley and chives and 1/2 tsp. dried dillweed; also try 4 tsp. caraway seeds or 2 tsp. poppy seeds.

Spiced Blueberry Chutney from anediblemosaic.com

Posted on by
  • IMG_59821 cup frozen blueberries (no need to thaw)
  • 2 tbsp onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) blueberry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 tsp honey
  • 2 tablespoons golden raisins (sultanas)
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground fenugreek
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then turn heat down and simmer uncovered (or with the lid ajar to help prevent blueberry juice from spattering everywhere) until the blueberries and onion are softened but not mushy, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before serving (it will thicken as it cools).
  4. Store refrigerated in a lidded glass jar for up to 2 weeks.

Seaweed Tartare from ‘The French Market Cookbook’

Posted on by

081213-262358-cook-the-book-seaweed-tartare-thumb-625xauto-345149

  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) dehydrated mixed seaweed flakes
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons finely diced shallot
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 rounded teaspoons drained capers
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon walnut oil or untoasted sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

  1. Put the seaweed in a bowl with 1 cup (240 ml) cold water. Set aside to rehydrate for 30 minutes

  2. Meanwhile, combine the garlic, shallot, and lemon juice in another bowl; the acidity will soften the raw edge of the garlic and shallot.

  3. Transfer to a jar, close tightly, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, to allow the flavors to mingle. Eat within 2 to 3 days.

 

Bayless’s Queso Fundido al Tequila

Posted on by

200606-r-queso-fundido
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (3 cups)
1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 tablespoons tequila
Kosher salt
2 medium tomatoes—cored, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Warm corn tortillas or corn chips, for serving

  • In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the diced tomatoes, minced jalapeños, diced onion and a large pinch of salt and cook over moderately high heat, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Pour in the tequila and cook, stirring frequently, until the skillet looks nearly dry, about 2 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to low. Add the cheese and cook, stirring constantly, until fully melted, about 30 seconds. Quickly transfer the queso fundido to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve immediately, with tortillas or chips.

 

 

Spiced Almonds by Ellie Krieger

Posted on by

download
2 cups whole unsalted almonds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a bowl.

In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, garlic, cayenne pepper and salt. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Stir the spices into the oil and cook, stirring until warm, about 30 seconds. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until the nuts are warm and the spices are evenly distributed. Add the hot pepper sauce and stir to distribute. Remove the almonds from the pan and allow them to cool before serving.