Trip to Oregon

Going to be leaving tomorrow to visit Eugene, see U of O, and setting up formal preparations for law school in the fall. Not quite sure when I am going to be back (probably no later than middle of next week).

Here's the game plan....

North on I-5 starting in Sacramento and moving up to Corning --> Stop off at the Olive Pit --> Continuing up I-5 with a planned stop in Redding.

Continuing up from Redding --> (*possible stop depending on time) one of these small towns --> continuing on to Ashland --> home stretch to Eugene.

Duck Confit, Artichoke Heart, Piquillo Pepper Sandwich

Since I am moving up to Eugene, I thought it would be best to start clearing out the fridge. Still have 2 vacuum sealed duck confit packages that I had cooked earlier that I wanted to use up.


Picked up a baguette on the way home with roommate so I could make a sandwich. 


Game plan: Duck Confit Sandwich
The ingredients:
1 Sousvided Duck Thigh- See previous entries
1 Jar Roasted Pequillo peppers (Trader Joes)
1 Jar Marinated Artichoke Hearts (Trader Joes)
1 "Rustic Sweet Baguette" section cut in half and toasted with duck fat (Raleys- was on the way home)

Turn into....

Verdict- Awesome....Nommnomnom.  

Beer Tasting

We had a blind beer tasting last night. You can follow along and see our scores for the respective beers. I think for any future tastings we will stick to a particular style of beer (i.e. not really valuable to compare a Rogue Chocolate Stout to a Paulander Hef). Still was fun. See the "Blind Beer Tasting" collection in my Flickr stream for more specific photos

Spring Duck Confit Salad

Name says it all. Click on the photos for greater descriptions

New iPhone app

Just testing to see if it works ;)

Bill to Tail Cooking

So after butchering chickens for Easter, I realized how much cheaper and easier it is to buy whole carcasses and then process them yourself (that way you get everything - bones, fat, light meat, dark meat, etc).  I had one duck left from my trip out to the Asian supermarkets (of the original 3). I decided to use everything.

You can follow along in my "Bill to Tail" Flickr set.

****AMPLE WARNING-  NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH****

I start out with a great quality muscovy duck purchased from a local Vietnamese market and process it into two perfect breasts, 2 legs, and a remaining carcass that I roast in the oven and use for stock (or rather roasted duck jus).

I practiced prior on 2 other ducks and decided to make a duck ragu with the 4 other legs. I cooked the sauce low and slow for 4 hours with the intent to sous vide it another 12 - 14 so the thighs are insanely tender and there is no large deposits of fat. The duck thighs were joined by some louisana style sausage from a local butcher shop (Morant's is amazing), pinot grigio, san manzano tomatoes, and duck stock, sun-dried tomatoes (rehydrated in stock) and blended with garlic. Once the pot was bubbling- I stuck it in the oven at 225 for 4 hrs. You can see how tender the meat is. Look at those clean bones- no tools needed. I use the bones in the stock with the roasted carcass, the heart, and the head and  neck.

Finally - as I was butchering I was cutting off huge quantities of fat and fatty skin, I used a water rendering method of basically boiling them until all of the fat had rendered. I then strained it. Once in the fridge the fat will rise to the surface and thicken up to the consistency of warm butter. I'll just add it to my duck fat container (the small plastic one that looks like it is filled with Tahini in the photo set). The small amount of stock underneath will be added to the larger batch and then frozen.

Here you can see those "Italian Style Confit" Duck Thighs cooled in their own juices/fat in a vacuum seamed bag. Insanely delicious...

Duck Fat Facts

http://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/science_of_cooking/cooking_with_duck_fat.htm

Interesting online article.

Change of plans- Gumbo!!!!

I realized that French style duck preparations are probably not going to be worth it considering my palate. So, I think I am going to use the remaining duck in my fridge to make a gumbo instead.

One of my biggest culinary revelations that I received from living in Texas for 4 years (aside of Texas BBQ Brisket, Sichuan peppercorns, and soul food) was eating gumbo at Goode Seafood Company. Their gumbo wasn't actually even the best I had (damn good nonetheless), but they made it in a certain way that was sort of unique.

All of the components of the dish are cooked independently and then composed on the opposite side of the pass in view of the diners. Basically, they add the cooked meat and veggies on top of some rice and then poor the stock thickened with dark roux over everything. The result- everything is brilliantly cooked and it is a whole helluva lot easier to customize each bowl to order then trying to manage gallons of the fully mixed soup.

Granted- this method isn't as theatric or traditional, however, it is easier to control the relative doneness of fickle components (like okra and the seafood) that can become overcooked easily. And if you mess up one component, the whole recipe is compartmentalized so you can just throw out what was ruined and remake that component without having to start everything over again.... And what do I find while reading through the French Laundry Cookbook? Thomas Keller advocating this very same method for assembling/creating soups!

So change of plans for the remaining duck and the legs- going to make gumbo (deconstructed and then reconstructed for serving):

Current list of stuff going in:
Veggies:
- Cajun mirepox- carrots, onions, bell peppers
- Okra
Meat:
- Shrimp
- Duck breast & legs
- Andouille sausage
Stock/Roux
- I have about 2.5 Quarts of duck stock that I made up + a bunch of duck fat for the roux. Apparently duck fat is one of the best fats for you (nutritionally) because it naturally contains large levels of omega 3s.
- I also have one more duck in the fridge that will likely contribute to stockpot in short time...

Here's a photo for those who have never had the opportunity to try it (looks like this one only has shrimp and some tiny scallops as proteins)...

Sous Vide Duck Breast

Broke down the ducks and sous vided the breasts at 140F (slightly above medium rare). Pulled one out of the vacuum bag and finished in in a cast iron skillet to get some color on the fat side. The duck itself was OK- ended up just pulling the fat layer off to eat it. I think I am going to roast the remaining duck I have in the Chinese style (But I still plan on making confit with the 4 legs I have left in the fridge)....

Liquid Gold

After finishing off some errands, I swung by SF Market to pick up a few ducks. This is one of the most treasured culinary delicacies that the average cook can collect for him/herself- DUCK FAT! Oh boy, veggies are going to taste good this week! Sous viding up the breasts at the moment, will try to snap a picture of dinner before I dive in.....

Duck Confit Part 2

So I have been lazy about making the trip out to South Sac- since it appears as if the Asian markets are going to be the only place where I am going to be able to find some ducks... Maybe I should just bring a giant burlap sack to the park along with a loaf of bread?

Duck Confit

Always wanted to try it, going to give it a shot tonight I think (or at least start the process tonight). Debating whether to cure it in the fridge before Sous viding. We shall see. Now, if only I could run across that annoying AFLAC  spokesman... >=)

http://www.thecitycook.com/cooking/advice/general/000032

I think I might also try a slow-roasted Chinese style duck just for kicks as well. Definitely going to have to figure out a good way to store the rendered fat since it is apparently a favorite among professional chefs everywhere (and who better to take cooking advice from?)...

[Edit 6:00PM] Slight game plan change- probably going to try to this out tomorrow instead ;) 

Pork belly slice

Always wanted to try porkbelly. Flipping through David Chang's Momofuku cookbook, I spotted 2 different recipes for pork belly. They basically boil down to curing the pork belly over night, then roasting it in an oven at 450F for an hour, then roasting it at 250 for another hour.

I modified it since I wanted to cook the thing tonight, and just coated it with a little salt and soy sauce. I kept the same cook times. Already had my meal for the night, but couldn't resist cracking into it.

The exterior skin crisped up great. I got out my Chinese Chef's knife and hacked off an end piece. LOL at the boston butts that I was cooking for 7+ hours when I could have pulled off one of these in 2hrs with an even cheaper cut of meat! Definitely going to become a regular in my arsenal.

Leftovers

Figured I should finish off what I have in my fridge (and if anything needs a little love- it is leftover products). I also wanted to try making a soft boiled egg (David Chang's 5:10 method- you set the egg in boiling water for 5 minutes and 10 seconds and then shock it in an ice bath to stop the cooking process). The porkchop was from my sousvide experiment and most of the other ingredients were left over from the smoked salmon pizza. Really happy with the results. You can follow the stream along to see what I did. I snacked on the asparagus when it just came out, so I had a bunch left over (but I polished off the rest) :)

Smoked Salmon Pizza

Took a crack at a pizza with smoke salmon and the standard accompaniments.

- Whole Foods pizza dough w/ some thyme and rosemary added
- Spread a little sun-dried tomato pesto across the top

Par- baked in a BBQ on a non-stick metal pizza pan on high (hotter the better) for about 4 minutes .

- Took it out, added 1/2 provolone, 1/2 mozzarella cheese shredded mixture
- Goat Cheese
- Diced shallots

Back into the grill for 6 minutes
*I would probably cook it longer in the future - or just do my best not to open the lid and check it as much*

Added some fresh snipped leaves of basil once it was out of the BBQ.

Topped it with some capers, wild arugula, lemon juice, olive oil, and some shaved smoked wild salmon.

The combination actually worked really well. Definitely something to repeat in the future.

Green tea on an overcast day

I love taking trips out to the Asian supermarkets in Sacramento. Not only are they some of the better places to purchase meat and fish, but they also typically have a great selection of cookware. It's an added bonus when you can share the experience with a truly awesome person.

Cala Blanca Old Vine Garnacha '08

I wanted to try and start a digital wine journal so I can easily check on the wines that I have personally tried.

Tasting Notes:
Cala Blanca Old Vine Garnacha '08
Color: Deep purplish lightening into raspberry
Nose: Spicy
Taste: Smooth, tart finish, black and blueberry,
Thumbs up! Very drinkable.
.................
92 PTS WILFRED WONG. One of the best red wines in the world at this price point, the ripe raspberry '08 Cala Blanca Garnacha Old Vines stand full bodied and proud.

Random Thursday Night Dinner

Well, I think my very first run with the Souvide Supreme was a great success. I present my thought process for the night….

I wanted to test it out hardcore- so that means meat + eggs.  I have some pork chops from my trip up to Swingle Meats chillin’ in my freezer, ready for some action. An added bonus- they are a perfect pairing w/ poached eggs because the porkchops themselves don’t have a whole lot of fat (so that runny lovely cholesterol laden yolk is going to add the main fatty component to the dish). I then thought, “Well, this is kind of boring, how do I complete the dish???…

1.       I needed a textural component … and  ZOMG I find the Korean style pickled cabbage that I made last week awaiting use in my fridge! BAAAAaaaammm! Emril Style (but of course- you can’t have pickled cabbage with out toasted sesame seeds).

2.       Then I am like- hmmmm pallid pink pork chop, green pickled cabbage, egg whites, yolk … needs some red (and I forgot to salt the pork chops before going into the bag (but they were presumably seasoned by the stock cubes I added). This sundried tomato spread I randomly picked up at the store is red and delicious.

So right now I am doing some sort of weird Korean style pork chop thing with a dollop of red Mediterranean flare- so I am like “Screw it” I’ll infuse the pork chops with sort of Tuscan- American flavors (that… and I had a left over bag of some fresh herbs).  

So, In a bag I vacuum sealed the pork chops + sprigs fresh rosmary + fresh oregano + two cloves of garlic and 4 ice cubes of a combination pork and chicken stock I had frozen in the fridge. Vacuum sealed and into the water oven.

I set the temperature at 156F (because for some reason I remember reading some blog about a great chef saying that was the perfect temperature for a poached egg).  I know that was going to bring the pork just a hair below well done, but  I figured since the bones were on the chops and I was going to be checking constantly- it wouldn’t be too bad. And I made sure to pasteurize the packet at 130 for about 40 minutes.

Then I kicked the temperature up to 156F and dropped in 2 eggs directly into the water on top of the bags. After about another 30 minutes, I took everything out, and this was the final product….

*I poured the liquid that was in the bag into a small pot and tried boiling and skimming out the impurities. I didn't have cheese cloth so I ran it through a mesh strainer we have and poured it directly onto the pork chops... and I made sure to wash the impurities and herbs off before plating*

And this is what it looked like after I cut into it. The egg yolks were just a hair over cooked so they weren't as runny as I would have liked. Not quite the effect I wanted- next time will cook longer at a lower temperature.  

Final verdict: Pretty delicious. Pork was perfectly moist and everything seemed to meld well together. It sort of evolved in my mouth, where certain bites were punctuated by the toasted nuttiness of the sesame seeds and the tangy crunch of the cabbage or a bright flash of tomato. I could only eat one of the pork chops- the remaining one and his 2 other friends that were still lounging in the original cooking bag were promptly vacuum sealed and stuck into the freezer. 

Pickled Asparagus...

We ended up chomping down on the pickled asparagus over easter.

Verdict: B- 

Pickling the asparagus helps to mute its grassy flavor and also gives it a much more snappy as opposed to fibrous texture (almost like a raw green bean). Unfortunately, despite making the packaging look very appealing, the garlic, pepper, and lemon really didn't seem to add a whole lot of flavor. I'm going to have to play around with them a little more before the season ends. 

Easter dinner over...phew...

Menu for the night:

Appetizers:

- Toasted Lavash crackers w/ sesame seeds

- Lebanese & greek olives

- French Style Feta with Olive Oil

- Lebanese Pickles

- Humus and Baba Ghanoush

Salad:
- Pickled salad of asparagus, carrots, red onions, and spring mix w/ lemon vinaigrette

Main Course:
Chicken two ways:
- Light meat -poached in roast chicken jus with melted/caramelized feta, fresh basil, sun-dried tomato and garlic tapenade.
-  Dark Meat- poached in same jus (just at a much higher temperature) & with lemon, pepper corns, and fresh thyme, oregano, and rosemary.
- Roasted Asparagus w/ Parmesan cheese and lemon juice.
- Haricot Verts with country style bacon, caramelized onions, red wine vinegar, and some combo chicken/pork stock that I had frozen from a previous meal.

Dessert:
- Sourdough bread pudding (though it came out like French toast) w/ cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, topped with toasted almonds, macerated strawberries and blackberries (with sugar, mint, and lemon), whipped cream, and frozen Lindt Mint Dark Chocolate square.

Sucks that my camera was dead for the whole process... And that I managed to burn the inside of my forearm on the inside of the oven at the end of the meal checking on the dessert. But overall- great success and everyone seemed extremely happy with their meal. Ironically, the "French Toast" turned out to be the favorite of the night, and it was probably the one dish that had the most things go wrong with it (including me managing to burn my arm on the inside of the oven door). The fresh roasted and cooled whole almonds on top really added a lot of texture and deep nutty flavor. Next time I am probably going to to try blending up the almonds into a coarse meal to coat the top.

The advanced planning and cooking helped, but I definitely need to work on streamlining the process... I was really impressed with how simple and great the chicken actually turned out. Will definitely be playing around with it more in the future.

Now I can finally sleep.... 

Greatest Lunch Plate Ever?

http://www.yelp.com/biz/international-market-sacrament
This Middle Eastern Grocery Store makes the most amazing lunch plates for $9. Pick up a package of fresh of fresh pita and you are good to go for lunch and dinner.
Plus the people that run the store are all really funny guys.

Going around the plate- Starting in the left hand corner and moving to the right, we have Humus w/ olive oil, pickled lebanese radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce in a mediteranian flavored vinaigrette, spicy middle eastern style pickle, Juicy BBQ chicken chunks, and a Beef/Lamb Kubideh. On the left side we have a side of some Greek style yogurt with dill, and underneath everything, we have a bed of Persian style Basmati rice... 

Great Article Introducing Souviding

http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/11/in-videos-cooking-thanksgiving-sous-vide-turkey-with-grant-achatz-alinea.html

And that goofy Grant Alchatz is the Executive Chef at http://www.alinea-restaurant.com/

I encourage anyone to follow the story as far as they find it interesting

SousVide Supreme

https://www.sousvidesupreme.com/
Just ordered my unit. Next week is going to be awesome...