Archives for January 2011

Bacon Wrapped Cod

January 27, 2011 By Steve Dunn 22 Comments

This is another Jaime Oliver inspired dish, that although it may cause certain types a bit of trouble, is so delicious that I predict you’re going to make it again and again. I’ll be the first to admit that this dish is not exactly seasonally pure, and understand that those of you who will ONLY cook what is locally and seasonally fresh may fight back on this one a bit. I am of course talking about the inclusion of asparagus in this dish, because let me be clear, in my book there is never a season where something wrapped in bacon isn’t appropriate. Are in agreement on this point?

Good, then let’s move on.

Shepherd’s Pie with Caramelized Onions and Cheddar Smash

January 23, 2011 By Steve Dunn 12 Comments

Our weather has been so cold and raw here lately, with day after day of what our local meteorologists call a “wintry mix” falling from the sky, that only the heartiest of meals will do. This delicious shepard’s pie made with ground lamb, and topped with a mix of mashed potatoes, caramelized onions, and cheddar cheese, is a textbook example of the kind of comfort food that is a perfect foil for this kind of weather. In case you’ve been wondering, your childhood lunch-line memories of a dish like this made with ground beef is properly called a “cottage pie”, only a true shepard’s pie is made with lamb…….there, now you know.

Carrot Cake

January 17, 2011 By Steve Dunn 22 Comments

Those of you who have been with us for a while know that we make a pretty big deal about birthday cakes here. I try hard to make good on birthday cake wishes, regardless of how challenging or esoteric they may be. So….when my birthday rolled around recently, my wife promised to do the same, and bake me the cake of my choice…what she ended up doing was to bake me the cake of my dreams.

Yeah, this one’s a keeper!

Ming Tsai’s Pork Tenderloin with Five Spice Apples

January 14, 2011 By Steve Dunn 15 Comments

This is the first Ming Tsai recipe I ever cooked, and it remains my favorite.

Why? Three reasons.

First, it is absolutely delicious and requires no hard-to-come-by ingredients. Second, with the exception of the brining which takes a little advance planning, the meal is very quick to put together. Third, with just a little extra effort it can be quite gorgeous on the plate. For a weeknight family meal, a dollop of the pureed potatoes, a couple of slices of pork, and a spoonful of apples and you are good to go (don’t feel like making the apples, put a little Chinese Five Spice Powder into your favorite applesauce, and you’ll have an easy substitute). For a dinner party or special occasion, plate it as I have in the photo above, and its a real stunner.

"Baked" Brownies

January 10, 2011 By Steve Dunn 24 Comments

There are days when I feel that I am just seconds away from renaming this blog “Oui, Chef – The Chronicle of Teaching My Kids How to Fuel Their Chocolate Addictions”, what with all the attention we’ve given brownies, bouchons, cakes, meringues, ice creams, cupcakes, sauces, and cookies that feature the freakin’ stuff.

In our never ending quest to discover the ultimate brownie (see Ad Hoc, and Killer KA), and with the help of a tip from one of our readers, Lauren, we’re here today to talk about these most fabulous “Baked” Brownies. Here, “Baked” is not a reference as to how the brownies are cooked, but rather the name of the world renowned bakery in Brooklyn that gave birth to these lovelies. After Lauren had tried the Ad Hoc brownies that we posted, and given them high marks, she asked if I had ever tried the “Baked” brownies, and was kind enough to forward a link to a story about them.

Sautéed Chicken Thighs with Orange-Soy Sauce

January 5, 2011 By Steve Dunn 20 Comments

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

I hope your holidays were filled with delicious food, and lots of love and laughter. After weeks of elaborate, and some might say rather decadent holiday feasts, we’re back today with a perfect, easy weeknight meal that is not just healthy, but is loaded with great flavors.

If you use a quick cooking rice, this entire dish can be on the table in under 1/2 hour, if you cook brown rice as we do, it’ll take you about 40 minutes. BTW – If you are someone who has always struggled with brown rice, finding it a rather unappealing gelatinous mass in the bottom of your pan when finished cooking, try this method the next time you make it. It is foolproof and yields delicious results.

Cook the rice as though you would pasta. Pour however much rice you want into a large pot of boiling water, give it a quick stir and let it gently boil for 30 minutes. At the 30 minute mark, pour the rice into a strainer and count to ten. When you’re done counting, pour the rice back into the now empty pan, cover with a tight fitting lid and set it aside for 10 minutes (untouched) to finish cooking in its residual steam-heat. After 10 minutes, fluff it with a fork, season with salt and pepper and add any ingredients you wish to toss in, in the picture above you’ll see we’ve added some sauteed pistachios and fresh thyme.

Arthas, our resident saucier joined me in the kitchen a few nights back to work his magic with the orange-soy sauce, and could be found over the ensuing days pouring the left-over sauce on just about anything that wasn’t moving….it’s that good. The sauce is made quickly as the chicken cooks on the stove-top, simply steam some veggies at the last minute, and you’ve got a well balance meal that the whole family will love.

Cheers – Steve

Sautéed Chicken Thighs with Orange-Soy Sauce

by: adapted from a recipe by Dawn Yanagihara-Mitchell - Fine Cooking Magazine

yield:

Cooking Mode Print Recipe

Ingredients

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbs. mirin
1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
2 Tbs. fresh orange juice
1-1/4 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Season the chicken thighs on both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper. Pre-heat the canola oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over a medium flame. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the chicken, skin side down into the pan. Work in batches if you need to, you don't want to overcrowd the pan here. If the chicken pieces are too close together, the chicken will stew rather than sauté and the skin won't crisp the way you want.
Cook until the skin is a beautiful golden brown, then flip and lower the heat slightly. Continue to cook the chicken until an instant read thermometer inserted in a thick part of the biggest thigh registers 165°F, about 15-20 minutes total depending on the size of the thighs (the chicken's, not yours!). Remove the chicken to a platter or cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm.
While the chicken is cooking, combine the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and orange zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.   In a small bowl, stir the orange juice and cornstarch; add this mixture to the saucepan. Return to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and glossy, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm until ready to use.
To serve, transfer the chicken to individual plates, spoon some sauce over and around each thigh (again, the chicken's, not yours!), and sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds. Serve with rice and your favorite Asian inspired veggie side.

Archives for January 2011

Sautéed Chicken Thighs with Orange-Soy Sauce

Ingredients

Instructions

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