Sweet and Savory Crepes

Caramelized Apple w/ Vanilla Ice Cream and Candied Walnuts



Chopped Beef Brisket w/ Barbecue Sauce

Making the actual crepes themselves were a lot easier than I thought it would be. The first time I attempted to make the crepes I actually succeeded in doing so (and let me tell you, whenever you're trying a new recipe or technique that's a rare thing). I even bought a new blue steel crepe pan that took me about an hour to season and prepare it to where the batter wouldn't stick to the pan. Sure I could have gone the easier route and bought a non-stick crepe pan, but where's the challenge and fun in that. During my practice session the crepes were made with flour, heavy cream, eggs, salt and sugar. The consistency was a little thicker than normal crepe but it would have been perfect for a sweet dessert crepe. The crepes tasted perfect and you could actually eat them without any filling, which I did, it had a slight sweetness to it but was also perfectly balance with the little salt I added.

On recreation day (the day I attempt to recreate the dishes I've reviewed), my get together of 2-3 people turned out to be an outright party of 11 or so people. Luckily, I bought a full size brisket and just enough apples to make dessert. To make the crepes more universal I decided to dilute the batter by adding 2 parts whole milk to 1 part heavy cream. This worked out perfectly, now the crepes were the perfect consistency for both the sweet and savory crepes.

For the sweet crepe, I decided to use Granny Smith apples (the green ones just in case you're wondering) instead of pears because the apples maintain a slight tartness to them when cooked. To add a little insurance policy on the tartness I added lemon zest and juice to the apples. Don't worry, I also added some sugar to help balance it out. I'm not a big fan of super sweet desserts. The apples were also seasoned with cinnamon and all spice.

I wanted to try something that might take this dish to a different level so I deep fried the crepe in canola oil. I filled the crepe and tied it with butcher twine to ensure that the filling would stay when frying. After letting it cooled a bit, it was topped off with powdered sugar, vanilla ice cream, and candied walnuts.

For the savory crepe I didn't do much to change what Crepes Mille presented. I seasoned the brisket with salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, sugar, and garlic powder and added 2 cups of beef broth and cooked it in a pressure cooker for 90 minutes. The meat came out so tender it was hard to keep it together while taking it out of the pressure cooker. This made it easier to shred and chop to the perfect filling size. The barbecue sauce was an easy combination of sautéed onions and garlic with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, honey, and black pepper. I also added a lot of the barbecue sauce to the inside of the crepes as my major complaint was that the crepe I had at Crepes Mille was too dry.

Ingredients:

Crepes Batter:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 cups whole milk
3 cups all purpose flour
8 large eggs
3 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoons kosher salt

Apple Filling:

8 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4 inch slices)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon all spice

Candied Walnuts:

1 cup walnuts crushed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Brisket:

10-12 lbs brisket (slightly trimmed)
4 tablespoons ground black pepper
4 tablespoons garlic powder
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Barbecue Sauce:

16 ounces ketchup (approximately 2 cups)
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 whole onion chopped (red, white, or yellow)
6-8 large garlic cloves (minced)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

For the crepes batter whisk or blend the flour, milk, cream, eggs, salt and sugar. Make sure there are no lumps and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Heat up a crepe pan or non-stick pan on medium heat. With a ladle, slowly pour the batter in a circular motion and rotate your pan in a circular motion as well. You should have a nice thin layer of batter that's in a circular shape. Let this cook for 1-2 minutes or until the crepe releases itself from the pan. Next, flip the crepe on the opposite side and cook for an additional 30 seconds to a minute. Flip the crepe onto a plate and fill it with your favorite sweet or savory crepe.

I might have gotten a little bit ahead with the crepes as you'll want to have the fillings for the crepes ready well ahead of time.

For the apple filling, combine: the apples, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and all spice all in an oven safe casserole dish and mix well. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and cook the apples covered with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. Remove and let cool.

For the savory filling rub black pepper, salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, and sugar on all sides of the brisket. You can slow cook this in the oven for 4-5 hours at 250 degrees or use the pressure cooker method. In order for me to fit the entire brisket into the pressure cooker I had to break down the brisket into small pieces. The cook the brisket on high pressure cooker for 90 minutes. When using the pressure cooker method, make sure you add some liquid, I chose to use about 2 cups of beef stock. Once the brisket is fork tender you can begin shredding or chopping the meat to your desired size.

The brisket alone can be served and enjoyed as is, but that doesn't mean you can't enhance the flavors with a little bit of sauce. To make this barbecue sauce add the oil to a stock pot on medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until it is slightly translucent. Then add your garlic and continue stirring for 3-5 minutes. Next add your Worcestershire sauce and ketchup and mix well. Add the sugar, honey, and black pepper to taste. Continue cooking on simmer for at least 30 minutes so that the flavors meld together. Let it cool and add to blender and puree into a nice smooth sauce.

When filling your crepes you can fold the crepes in any way you like. You can fold all the corners in to make a square, roll it like a burrito or just simply fold it in half like an omelet. Though presentation is key to a nice looking dish, flavor is the most important part of the dish so make sure there's flavor in each element of your dish.

Lemon Butter Chilean Sea Bass w/ Creamy Crimini Risotto

First, I would like to thank everyone for following my blog last year. I would also like to apologize for not updating it in over 2 months.

However, no need to fear - I'm still cooking but I just haven't had the time to post any blogs. 2011 is going to be a big year for Bistro 331, I've already moved into a new place with new appliances! So hopefully I can do bigger and better things.

Chilean Sea Bass has always been my favorite fish ever since I had my first taste at Eddie V's. Eddie V's serves theirs Hong Kong style steamed in soy sauce and ginger - I'll prepare a variation of that dish in one of my upcoming blogs. The way I've prepare it today is very simple; where you can do this technique with just about any white fish. The risotto I've paired with this dish, pairs perfectly. Personally, I think it enhances the creaminess of the fish itself.

Ingredients:

Chilean Sea Bass
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 lemon (juice and zest)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 cup Arborio rice
3-4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup Crimini mushrooms (chopped)
3-4 tablespoon heavy cream
Parsley (for garnish)
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese (grated and a few thin slices for garnish)

Directions:

You may want to start on your risotto first as it takes 15-20 minutes to prepare. To see how to prepare the risotto follow the link to a previous post.

Now onto the main event - the succulent Chilean Sea Bass. Dry rub your fish by sprinkling a little salt and pepper on all sides. Next, melt 1 stick of butter into the skillet that you will be using to cook the fish. Once the butter has melted, add the lemon juice and zest to the skillet. Place the fish on the skillet - do not try to flip it too soon or it'll break on you. With a metal spoon, take some of the butter from the skillet and begin bathing the top of the fish, you'll continue to do so until the fish is ready to be flipped. To test if your fish is ready to flip or not, take the spatula and gently try to lift the edge of the fish, if it lifts easily, it's ready to be flipped if it's still sticking to the pan then it's not quite ready yet. Depending on the thickness of the fish (this one was about 2 inches thick) you should cook each side for about 4-5 minutes. Once the fish has been cook, you'll want to drain some of the excess butter from the fish by holding the fish on a spatula for a minute or two over the skillet.

Once the fish has cooked, all you need to do now is plate your fish on top of the risotto that you prepared beforehand. Garnish with some fresh curly leaf parsley and a few strips of Parmesan cheese. This is one of my favorite dishes so I hope you'll give it a try.

Demi-Glace Pork Chop with a Napoleon of Egg, Mushroom, and Rice

I received a text shortly after lunch from a friend who asked "what's for dinner?". After just having lunch it's hard to think about dinner already but I replied back "what are you hungry for?". Her answer was either pork or chicken but said she would be happy with eggs and steamed rice. When I thought about making this dish I didn't think it was going to be very complicated but after starting on it, it took a lot more ingredients than I anticipated. What you see from left to right is: a napoleon of eggs cooked over easy, braised mushrooms, and steamed rice. The pork chop was seasoned with salt and pepper and seared before topping off with an apple demi-glace and baked in the oven. The "jus" on the right is the remaining liquid from the braised mushrooms.

Ingredients:

4 - 1 1/2 inch cut pork chops (bone in)
32 ounces or 4 cups beef stock
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 carrot (peeled and chopped)
1 leek (roughly chopped - white parts only)
1 green apple (diced)
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
4 eggs (cooked over easy)
10 button mushrooms (1/4 inch slices)
4 cups cooked Jasmin rice

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Season both sides of the pork chop with salt and pepper. Let this sit while creating your demi-glace.

To start the demi-glace add 16 ounces or 2 cups of beef stock to a stock pot on medium high heat. Wrap the green leafy part of the leak around the thyme and bay leaves and tie it up. Add this to the beef stock.

In a separate pan, add olive oil and turn the heat to medium high. Next, add the carrots, leeks and apples. Sauté this mixture until the leaks are caramelized. Then add the hot beef stock that was previously heated up. Cover and cook on medium heat for 25-30 minutes.

In another stock pot, add the butter and flour and create a roux. Next, using a fine mesh sieve, strain the liquid from the beef stock and vegetable mixture into the stock pot and whisk for about 4 minutes or until it starts to thicken a bit and should have the consistency of light gravy.

Time to sear the pork chops. On a hot grill pan or cast iron skillet, sear each side of the pork chop for about 3-4 minutes. Searing the pork chops will seal in the salt and pepper flavor. Place the pork chops in a casserole dish and top it off with the demi-glace. Place pork chops on the middle rack of the preheated oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or when the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees (If you don't have an instant read thermometer, you should go get one - this is a time where you don't want to guess if the meat is cooked or not and slicing into will release the internal juices.) Let this rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

The prepare your braised mushrooms, add 16 ounces or 2 cups of beef stock to a stock pot on medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 sprig of fresh thyme. Let this cook and reduce to half the amount of liquid you started with (or 1 cup). Separate the mushrooms and the "jus". You'll use the mushrooms for the napoleon and the "jus" to dip your pork chop into.

To create the napoleon I used a round ramekin and layered the bottom with the mushrooms and rice. Make sure you push down so that it is compact and tight, otherwise this may fall apart when removing from the ramekin. When plating, flip the ramekin upside down and give it a gentle tap and the contents should easily come out. Next, place the egg on top of the mushroom (I trimmed the egg whites around the yolk off with a round cutter).

This dish took about an hour and fifteen minutes from start to finish. Like I stated earlier, this may seem  complicated but it really isn't. It just has a lot of ingredients and components but your end result will be delicious.

Crème Brûlée with Raspberry Sauce

Crème brûlée is a simple dessert to make; it's actually one of the first desserts I can say I made successfully. However, this one was a bit disappointing to me because I didn't have whole vanilla beans; I'm not a big fan of vanilla extract- but you have to be resourceful at times.

Ingredients:

4 egg yolks
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean)

Directions:

Gently heat the cream on medium low (do not let it boil) and add sugar. Once the sugar dissolves add vanilla extract (or a split vanilla bean) and refrigerate for about 10 minutes to let it cool. Whisk egg yolks in a separate bowl and set aside. Once the cream mixture cools, slowly pour the cream mixture into the eggs while stirring continually. Slowly add the mixture to the ramekins (4 ramekins that will hold approximately 1/2 cup). Place ramekins on a deep sheet pan and add 2-3 cups of water to the pan (this is called a water bath). In an oven preheated to 300°, bake for 45-50 minutes or before it starts to boil. Pull out ramekins immediately and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving. Before serving add a thin layer of sugar and with a torch begin to lightly melt the sugar until all the sugar melts. Your sugar should have a medium to dark brown color to it.

Raspberry sauce:

1 pint fresh raspberries
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a sauce pan and cook on medium heat until the water is reduced and the raspberries are thick and mushy. Let it cool and serve on top off the crème brûlée or a dessert of your choice.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.9

Parfait of Strawberries and Blackberries with Homemade Whipped Cream and Zabayon Sauce

Tonight was the first official night that Bistro 331 hosted a dinner party, I think I'm going to make this a ritual (attendees must be a follower of the blog). I personally would like to thank all my guests, especially the one that did the dishes, for coming over and hanging out. I prepared a 4 course meal that included spicy cucumber salad, tom yum soup with shrimp and scallops, pad kapow gai (basil chicken), and a parfait of strawberries and blackberries. Unfortunately I was so busy cooking and hosting that I was unable to photograph and therefore write any recipes down. However, if you're interested in any of these recipes feel free to write a comment or send me an email and I'll be more than happy to send you the recipes. Actually, I was fortunate enough to capture a photograph of our dessert and the recipe is pretty simple.

Parfait of strawberries and blackberries

Ingredients:

1 pint strawberries (cut into small 1/4 inch pieces)
1 pint blackberries
4 sprigs basil (finely chopped)
1 pint heavy cream (for whipped cream)
1/2 cup heavy cream (for zabayon)
4 egg yokes
3 tablespoon powdered sugar (for the whipped cream)
2 tablespoon powdered sugar (for the zabayon)

Directions:

Whipped cream -

Add heavy whipping cream to a large bowl, preferably stainless steel. Add 3 tablespoons (or more) confectionist/powdered sugar and whisk until stiff peaks are formed.

Zabayon -

Over a double boiler add egg yokes and 2 tablespoons (or more) confectionist/powdered sugar and whisk until mixture becomes frothy. Slowly add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and continue whisking over double boiler (never stop whisking otherwise you might end up with scramble eggs). Continue whisking entire mixture until it thickens (the mixture is ready when you can create ribbon drippings).

Creating the parfait -

You can layer the parfait anyway you like to. I like to add a layer of whipped cream or zabayon between the fruits. For the one picture above I started with strawberries, then I added the whipped cream (for easier application, use a piping bag or zip lock bag with the tip of one corner cut) then basil, and then a layer of blackberries. I continued this process until I got to the middle of the parfait, instead of adding whipped cream I added the zabayon instead (I tried not to use too much of this because it's really rich and a little heavy).

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.5.2

Tomato Basil Soup and Black Truffle Buttered Grilled Cheese Sandwich

So I'm still trying to clean out my refrigerator and pantry before I go on vacation. That means the tomatoes have to go, the cream had to go and the bread has to go. The soup was inspired by La Madeleine and anytime you have any type of tomato soup you have to have a grilled cheese to dip it with.

Soup ingredients:

1 whole can of Cento Italian style whole tomatoes peeled
1 stick of unsalted butter
2 teaspoon kosher salt
3-4 sprigs fresh basil
1 cup chicken broth
Freshly cracked pepper

Directions:

In a sauce pan, add tomatoes and cook on medium high heat. Add chicken broth, salt and butter. With an immersion blender, blend all ingredients until tomatoes are no longer chunky. Roughly chop the basil and add to soup. Continue to blend again until basil is in very tiny pieces. Give it a taste and add salt as needed. Top off with freshly cracked black pepper before serving.

Grilled cheese ingredients:

4 slices Texas toast
2 slices sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoon black truffle butter melted (or regular unsalted butter)

Directions:

Brush butter on bread and place on sheet pan, add cheese and another slice of bread. Brush top of bread with more butter. Place sheet pan in a 475° oven and bake for about 5 minutes. Flip sandwich and cook for another 4 minutes. Slice sandwich diagonally and serve.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.3