Resurrection / Chicken with Artichoke Cream Sauce

I called this port "Resurrection" because I've been behind on my posts and you deserve for me to present something that you can create and knock the very socks off whomever you're trying to impress.  This is a long post, it's very detailed, and if you follow every step, your efforts will be returned to you ten fold.  This is, without a doubt, one of the most in depth posts I've ever presented, so grab a cup of coffee and enjoy.

In last weeks episode, I talked about a chicken dish that I wanted to build before I released it to the public.  I had the chance to make it last night for some friends that came in on their way to Florida.  The story gets more interesting in that about 4 hours North of my little Burg lives a man that we went to high school with and it turns out he's a mighty fine Hash Slinger in his own right and, on the return trip, my traveling friends will be stopping to sample his culinary talents as well.  Although this wasn't officially labelled a "Contest", I found out that Mr. Sean was regarding it as such.....just the same as I was.  So, it's on, of a sense.  There really isn't any way calculate a winner of this little foray but it makes it fun and forces two great cooks to put out their best.

My contribution to this little bit of fun is one of the best dishes I have ever prepared and is as follows:

Chicken with Artichoke Cream Sauce
Potato Souffle

I know I normally present three dishes or recipes but you will quickly see that the chicken is going to be in depth.  Not so much complicated, however, it will require dedication to make this dish the right way, the way it should be made.  Without wasting any time, I present.....

Chicken with Artichoke Cream Sauce

This recipe is for two persons.  Double it as needed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
1 whole Chicken (medium to large) to be cut up
2 cups All Purpose, Unbleaced Flour as a dredge
1 Tbsp Fine Sea Salt
1 Tbsp fresh ground Pepper
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 cup canola or other light oil plus another 1/4 cup for reserve
1 medium Shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup quartered Artichoke Hearts
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 cup Chicken stock that you're about to make (you heard me right)
Sea Salt and fresh ground Black Pepper to taste.

When you start, your bird will look like this.  I really do wish I had taken enough pics to show you exactly how to dissect this beast but the simple fact of the matter is that I had no motivation to wash my hands every 34 seconds to take a picture.  For the sake of getting this job done, lets separate this into the following steps.  You will have to know how to destroy a bird to understand the following:

• Split the bird in half with a cleaver or heavy knife.
• Separate the the breast quarter from the leg quarter.
• Debone the breast, removing the keel, ribs, and wishbone but leave the wing attached to the breast.
• Leave the Peg leg attached to the breast but cut off the remaining portion of the wing at the joint

The end result of this will be a boneless, skinless chicken breast with the Peg leg of the wing still attached, with the bone in it.  Believe it or not, the small bone that remains will add a great deal of flavor to the breast as it cooks.

Now, you will be left with the leg quarters that you can save and use for something else.  For me, I'm going to use them for Chicken and Rice.  However, you'll need to take the remaining wing portions, all the bones, skin, the back, and leftover portions of meat and throw them in a pot, cover them with water, add a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper and set it to boil.  Boil and bubble, toil and trouble, add water if needed throughout he process, and after a couple of hours, you'll have a stock that is stupid rich, very flavorful, and oh so good.  When this is done, you should end up with about 1 1/2 cups of stock that is a bit more concentrated than a regular stock, but that's OK since you will be adding cream to this as well.  I would say that you could add bouillon or chicken base but one of the main points of this dish is to use the bird itself for as much as you can without letting anything go to waste.

Place the flour in a zip top bag and add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, ans cayenne pepper, and blend well.  Add the chicken breasts to the bag and coat the breasts well. Add canola oil to a large skillet, heat to a medium high, and add the breast, presentation side down.  Don't move them around too much in the first few minutes as the dredge will tend break away until the flour has locked on.  When beautifully brown on the first side, flip and repeat, frying for about 5 minutes and place in the preheated oven.

As a side note, when I say presentation side down it means that which ever side you're going to presents to your guests, that's the side that goes down first in the fry..  The skillet is going to be at its hottest and will give the most uniform sear.

Using a meat thermometer, pull the skillet from the oven when the core temp reaches just over 170 degrees and place the breasts on the server (plate, platter, etc.)..  It's not quite done yet but the residual heat will finish the cooking, quite literally, on the plate.  If all of the oil has been soaked up, which is quite likely, add the reserve oil to the pan over a medium heat.and add the shallots, garlic, and artichoke and give them a quick saute until just translucent with a few brown edges.  Add 2-3 Tbsp of the dredge flour to the oil and whisk in completely, breaking up all the lumps.  Turn the heat up to high and whisk in one cup of the stock you made before until the sauce is smooth, making sure to scrape all the tasty bits off the bottom of the pan, then add the heavy cream.  Now, roux can be a funny thing (see the post "Roux" for some technical explanations) and it may not be as thin as you like.  Use the remaining stock to get the sauce to your preferred consistency.


Now, just a moment about plating your bird, if you will indulge me.  As you can see, I was serving something that I wanted to appear as rich and hearty. I arranged the plate to center the chicken with the sauce/gravy flowing over into the middle of the plate while offsetting the Parmesan Green Beans (from last weeks post) and the Potato Souffle to frame the main part of the dish.  If I were to serve this to a group of potential restaurant investors, customers, or any other upper end presentation, I would strain the sauce, splash it on a straight white plate, stack the artichokes on the breast, and place it in the middle of the splash.  Food is 60% what you see.  Make this dish beautiful, you've worked hard on this.  Make it yours.

Potato Souffle

Some souffles can be a real bear to make as the threat of having them collapse, or "Fall", is something I remember hearing about as far back a Brady Bunch episodes in the 70's.  However, there are some that are as easy and care free as can be imagined and present standard foods in a new light.

4 cups cut and boiled potatoes, cooled to room temperature (I used Yukon Gold for color but any spud will do)
1 large Shallot, finely diced
2-3 cloves Garlic, finely diced
1/4 cup Butter
4 farm fresh Eggs, separated
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup finely chopped Speck or Prosciutto
Sea Salt and fresh ground Black Pepper to taste

Sweat shallots and garlic in the butter over a very low heat until just translucent and allow to cool.  If you have a stand mixer, it works great for the next few steps.  If not, add the potatoes, shallots, garlic, egg yolks, heavy cream, speck, and salt and pepper to a large bowl and mix well until thoroughly combined.  In a separate metal or ceramic bowl,do not use plastic, whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.  Plastic bowls have a nasty habit of holding onto fats no matter how well you clean them.  Any fat in egg whites will not allow them to whip into stiff peaks.

Add about 1/3 of the whites to the potatoes and slowly fold in.  When almost incorporated, add the remaining whites and fold in until almost completely mixed in.  The point of a Souffle is to have the egg whites expand and set, making a fluffy consistency of whatever you're making.  Take the time to fold properly and not to push the air out of the whipped egg whites as this is the key to success with any Souffle.

Put mixture in a well buttered Souffle dish and place in an oven that has been preheated to 375 degrees and bake for about 1 hour.  When the Souffle has risen and begins to brown slightly on top, you're done.  Carefully remove from the oven and let stand for about 10 minutes for the eggs to set completely and you're Souffle should be safe from deflation and ready to serve.  If you have a little sauce left over, maybe drizzle just a bit over the potatoes on the plate.

What topped this off was that I finally got a good loaf of bread out of my oven (it's taken more than a few tries) which just added to one of the best dishes I've ever pulled off, and I did it for friends that know how to live life, have a few cocktails, and enjoy good, rich foods with camaraderie and laughs.

As I finish writing this and proof reading it, I am well aware of what it took to get this post written.  So what do I do while happily typing away?  I make French Toast from the leftover, homemade bread.....and it was great.

Party Well, Eat Better
Rob

Valentines Dinner Out

Just took Gina out for a great dinner at a local steakhouse and, whenever I throw caution and my cash card to the wind, I rediscover my true loves, remember flavor profiles that I had forgotten, and I always seem to discover something new.  Most of the things we encountered tonight were stand by's, things we've had before and enjoy, yet, Gina ventured off to an all natural chicken dish that was quite impressive.  I'll bring that recipe to you soon as I have to replicate it then serve it to friends to make sure it's what I thought it should be.  For now, however........

The night starts with a waiter that we've had before and that was both a good and a bad thing.  To keep this short and sweet, our service was decent, perhaps a tad slow at times (I hate it when I'm drinking Makers Mark and Coke and my glass sits empty for more than a few minutes), but nothing worth fussing over and the fact that I was having dinner with My Girl helped the time pass well.  At one point, I did ask if he was having an OK night.  "You seem kind of tense", I said kindly.  Gina suggested I leave a larger tip so he could buy a shot.  Maybe it would help.  Anyway.........

I'll sample things from both plates for this weeks recipes, and they are:

Simple Seared Salmon
Parmesan Green Beans
Port Wine (Not a recipe.  More of an explanation.)

Last week, I lit off on a tirade about.........some stuff, but I lead off the story with having completed a perfectly seared salmon fillet.  Having salmon two weeks in a row isn't really that big a deal for me.  It's actually better for me than the normal "Two Steaks for Dinner and One for Dessert" mentality that I have.  The cool thing was, the spice prep they used for the salmon was very close to my own.  When you sit down at one of the towns finest eateries to find that they have the same approach to a dish as you do, you leave with a certain sense of accomplishment.  The good news is, the preparation is very simple and can be altered to carry many different tastes.

Simple Seared Salmon

One, very nice Salmon Fillet
1 cup Organic Evaporated Cane Juice Sugar (This is a MUST.  See Below)
3 Tbsp fine grain Sea Salt
3 Tbsp fresh ground Pepper
1 Tbsp Granulated Garlic
1 Tsp Sweet Paprika

Salmon is a fatty fish, very moist, and the worst possible thing that can happen to to let it dry out.  The beauty of this rub is that the sugar and the salt draw out surface liquids in the same way a "Cure" for lox or Scottish Smoked Salmon would which, when seared, helps lock in the moisture.  Apply this rub about 15 minutes before you're ready to cook and you will notice it turn from a dry component to a wet coating.  Make sure to apply it to every fleshy surface.  If it doesn't have skin on it, it has rub on it.

At this point, either grill the salmon over nice. medium high bed of coals or pan sear it on the stove over medium high heat.  Always put the flesh side down first as this is the "Presentation Side".  When searing something, you always want to put the side that you're going to present down first.  The cooking surface is at it hottest and will create the best sear...and the best look.  Also, make sure to sear all fleshy surfaces well so there is no escape hatch for fats and moisture. If you are working with the tail portion of the fillet, there will be only one end to sear.  Body portions will have two sides to work on.

About the sugar: I usually tell people that I prefer they use the organic, cane juice sugar anyway but In this case, it's a must.  White sugar carries no flavors, it's just an acid, and is really bad for you anyway.  Cane juice sugar carries a slight caramel taste which intensifies during the sear and helps the garlic keep from becoming too bitter, as happens when it burns.

The great thing about the above mixture is its simplicity.  It creates a beautiful crust on the fish, doesn't over power it with too many flavors, and it can be very easily altered to change the flavor profile completely.  Try adding these to the above base:

Traditional Salmon Flavor
1 Tsp fresh lemon zest, very finely chopped
1 Tsp Fresh Dill (1/2 Tsp dry)

Bourbon Bee Salmon
3 Tbsp Quality Bourbon
2 Tbsp Wildflower Honey

In this case, you're adding liquids to a dry base.  You will need to mix it very well which means breaking out he Kitchenaid with the whisk attachment, food processor, hand mixer, etc.  One way or another, you'll need to blend it very well and you'll come up with something that resembles a brown sugar consistency, but not quite as sticky.

The combinations are endless and you should try whatever suits your likes.  It's nearly impossible to go wrong as long as you don't overpower or dry out the salmon.

Parmesan Green Beans

Ah, the lowly Green Bean.  Most of the poor unfortunates around my age grew up with green beans from a can which should be regarded as either an ingredient for Green Bean Casserole with those crunchy onions on top (which I do enjoy) or, when served straight from the can and microwave, as a crime against Humanity.

Fresh green beans are available at nearly every supermarket and organic, locally grown ones are (of course) the best.  A quick saute and treated right, they will be the light of your life and define most dishes you serve them with.  No matter the recipe for fresh, sauteed Green Beans, you always want to hit them hard and fast with olive oil and a high heat.  The trick is very lightly browning the beans just a bit then adding whatever flavors you like after the fact, and letting the beans absorb them as they cool.  Try this on for size.

1 lb. Fresh Green Beans
1/2 Tsp. fresh Lemon Zest divided in half
Course Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
Olive Oil to saute (about 3-4 Tbsp)
1/4 cup grated Grana, Parmesan, Romano, Asiago or other nutty, hard Italian cheese.

Heat the olive oil to a low heat and add pepper and half the lemon zest to extract the oils.  Let this go for a few minutes but try not to burn the zest as it does put the flavors off a bit.  Make sure to get all of the zest out before proceeding. The pepper can stay as long as it wants.

After clearing the debris from the olive oil, bring to a medium high heat and throw the beans in, let them sit for a moment to brown in a couple of spots then toss quickly until the heat of the pan comes down a bit.  You can finish these to your desired level crispy but I let them get juts a bit wrinkled and I know they're done.

Immediately place on paper towels to drain while shaking them around a bit.  You want to remove excess oil while still keeping the beans as hot as possible.  Quickly place in a bowl and toss with the grated cheese and remaining zest until the cheese begins to melt and stick to the beans.  Hard Italian cheeses of the Grana family tend to be saltier than most, so you'll want to taste one before adding salt.  If you do have to add salt, try adding a Smoked or Black Lava salt.  The dark colors make a great contrast.  If you like a bit more lemon flavor, squeeze just a few drops over them as they cool but don't let that flavor overwhelm the rest.  You'll be left with a beautiful contrast in colors and a crisp, fresh flavor that compliments steaks, chicken, or whatever you line them up next to.

Port Wine

I wanted to take a minute and step outside my normal realm to introduce some folks to Port Wine.  By now, everyone should know that I am a self described "Good Time Party Boy" and I make no secret of my love of cocktails.  However, I have mos certainly evolved over time to know that what you drink, it's lineage, and its place in your meal are way more important than the end result of multiple toddies.  That's where Port comes in.  On this night, I found a Port that even Gina liked (she's quite fussy about her wine) and I will admit that it took me quite by surprise.

Port is simply a fortified wine that originally came from a very small region of Portugal (aptly called Port) and, when discovered, the British fell in love with it.  The problem was that it took to long to get back to England with the wine and some enterprising soul decided that adding brandy made from the wine itself would, indeed, keep it long enough to get it back to England.  Its intention is to be served as a dessert wine as a finish to a meal and I promise, this is a tradition you want to find yourself adhering to.  No matter what you've decided to enjoy for a meal, a cordial of Port will ensure that your meal came to a proper close.

I'll not take the time to explain Tawny's, Ruby's, LVB's, and so on right now.  However, I would like to encourage you to start this exploration on your own.  You will find it a very rewarding journey as I have.  As a matter of fact, I have been thinking for years about a collection of different wines, liquors, and beverages but could never decide where to begin.  The decision has been made and my Port collection begins next week.

As Always, Party Well, Eat Better,
Rob

P.S. It's nice to be back.

Technique / Good Riddance

**Writers Note:  Since publishing this article it has gained an enormous amount of views and, given that some people have altered the way they are presenting themselves, they have read it as well.  I will say that in everyday life, people make mistakes without thinking.  The problem that enters the equation is when people make mistakes AFTER thinking.  However, forgiveness is a quality that lies within all of us and I prefer to forgive people for actions they knowingly engaged in as opposed to holding grudges.  Having said that, everyone that does make these decisions, even after having thought them over first, must live with their own choices.  I said I can forgive.  I will not forget...nor offer aid and comfort to those that clearly know they missed the boat.  RAD** 

I just spent ten minutes holding a salmon filet on its edge to make sure that the crust was perfect.  When it was done, the salmon was crusty on the outsides and still running with juices on the inside.  Do you know why?  Because that's what it took to make sure the food was fucking perfect, that's why.  It's called Passion.

I haven't written in a while and I understand the point of a Blog is to have followers.  I get that.  But I have been working my ass off to try to help someone else's business in the hopes that I could finally create a situation where I was working in or close to the food industry, which is the goal, it's what I love, and it's where I would love to be.  Needless to say, because the title of this post pretty much says "Fuck Off", it didn't quite work out.  But that's fine.  I really don't want to come back to my readers with foul language and a nasty, pissed off attitude, but I have a point to make and I will, By God, make my fucking point.

It's fine because the people that come to my house ask me how in the name of God I came up with the things I have.  At my table, I hear things like "Holy Shit" and "Oh, My God" and so on and there is no other reason for it than the fact that I love what I do in my kitchen and I want people leaving thinking they're heading to the electric chair because the meal was that good.  That's me, it's what I do, it's why I'm here.  If you live to work on cars, that's cool.  It's not my bag but I can seriously respect your motivation because I have my own.

Now, why am I so pissed?  It comes back to that point of motivation and why we do what we do.  I suggested numerous ideas.  They were rejected out of hand.  I suggested numerous changes and those that were rejected again were immediately enacted, with a case of the Screaming Thigh Sweats no less, when someone else suggested them.  Fine. That's cool and I can live with that. I mean, after all, what the Hell do I know about food?  I only have an online spice company, I only do four of five cooking demos a year, I only get called on to come up with unique and creative foods every fucking week during Farmers Market Season. The winner, in this case, came up with a tired-ass egg recipe which, in the end, was shameless self promotion to the point of pandering.

In this case I am the loser and I, unlike Mr. Originality, sat down and thought about what to do with the things in my fridge and came up with deep frying green beans wrapped in Smoked Speck (a prosciutto style cured pork).  Seriously, who does that?  I got a duck on sale when a supermarket nearby went out of business.  Did I roast it?  No.  As a matter of fact, I de-boned it, trimmed and cut it up, rendered the fat from it and used that to make a brick roux (very dark brown roux), with which I made gumbo...and it rocked.  Since making brick roux is a long, drawn out, pain in the ass of a process, I took the opportunity to make a LOT of it and now I have enough duck fat brick roux to last me for some time.  That's called giving a damn about what and how you cook, I wouldn't have it any other way and I don't give a rat's furry ass what people think of it.  I have a crowd that loves what I do and they are what matters.

Angry?  Maybe.  Passionate about what I do and how I do it?  You bet your ass I am and the people that eat my food, watch me cook, and talk to me about what I do, bloody well know it.  Being passionate about what I do makes sure that everything that leaves my kitchen in a close to perfect as I can get it.  I may fall short of that goal, and sometimes I do, but at least I know that I gave it my all, I wasn't kissing anyone's ass or blowing sunshine up someones skirt, or even worse, just pandering to people who couldn't recognize it dripping from the ceiling.

I cook.  It's what I do.

That's my rant.  I'm back to writing about food and having a few cocktails while we're at it.

Party Well, Eat Better.
Rob

A New Direction

Blog Readers:  Back Porch Spice: The Blog! will be shifting gears in the near future.  Every so often, I will post recipes and stories regarding the good times and great food we have here.

However, most of the writing will now be dedicated to Locally Grown Foods, Locally Owned Farms and Restaurants that produce these foods, and their economic benefits to the Community.  Hopefully, you'll stay tuned.  I promise, it will be worthwhile.

Party Well, Eat Better,
Rob

Happy Thanksgiving

From My Family to Yours.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's the Little Things

I have to start on a bit of an unusual note.  I have a lot of readers and tons of traffic to this blog but I only have a few followers so I notice when I get new followers.  I would like to take a moment to welcome my latest follower, Quay Po Cooks.  I haven't had time to fully explore her blog yet but she travels, is a great writer, and has some very interesting recipes.  Check her out if you have a chance.

So....................

After launching the Online Store (www.bpspice.com) and three weeks of back problems, the LSU-Bama is tonight and I haven't posted in a while, sooooooo.... I guess it's time to feed the Herds, tinker in the kitchen, and write a little.  Also, a very good friend of ours has just learned that her Father is very, very ill.  As it is our habit to cook for those that are in need of a break, I decided to put a few things together to help out.  No one wants to be saddled with cooking for themselves, let alone, cooking for a family.  In my usual fashion, I went straight for the comfort food.

Pig and Potato Soup
Bacon Pate
Asparagus.

Pig and Potato Soup

This recipe is quite large as I was making it for our friends Father.  It was dinner for us but I needed to make sure it was dinner for a few others as well.

Potato Soup goes so far back for me that its hard to find it's roots in my culinary digest.  My Father made it for us kids, my Step Dad made it for my Mom and I, and it has always been a staple of Northern Folks since time immemorial.  The best thing about Potato Soup is that it is simple, to be sure, but it offers the serious chef and the most basic cook the chance to sign their work.  Potato Soup is a blank canvas that allows for the addition of simple, complex, tasty, and odd combinations that express a persons culinary desires as well as being so simple as to be nearly impossible to screw up.  This is simply my version of it.  As always, my version does NOT define the recipe.  Take, add, alter, and arrange this to be yours and yours alone.

Pig and Potato Soup

1 large Shallot, very finely diced
5 cloves Garlic, chopped fine or pressed
6 tbsp bacon drippings or butter
1/2 cup (give or take) Potato Flour
1/2 gallon Whole Milk
1/2 Vegetable Stock
4-6 cups diced Potatoes
1 lb ground Breakfast Sausage
1 1/2 lbs. diced Ham
Green Onions and Bacon crumbles for garnish
Salt and Pepper to taste

Quite the list, right?  Let's get to work.  In a large, heavy bottom pot sweat the shallot and garlic until translucent.  At the last minute, turn the heat up and caramelize the edges just slightly.  Add potato flour and whisk to combine.  If it's a little thick, add just a touch more fat (see the "Roux" post).to loosen it up.  Let this cook for just a minute and slowly add the milk to thicken, whisking as you go.  As always with these things, you may need a little more flour or you may need a little more liquid to get it to your desired level of thickness.  The texture of expanded potato flour does, admittedly, look a little grainy compared to the same product with wheat flour.  To defeat this, I like to puree the soup (before adding the meat, of course) with a stick blender.  It also eliminates the texture of the shallots and garlic, leaving behind a thick, smooth soup base.

While the saute was going on was the perfect time to brown the sausage and crumble it up fine.  When done, drain off most of the grease leaving about 3 tbsp behind to brown the cubed ham.  Make sure all sides are browned.  Add sausage and ham to the pot.  The sugars from the ham will have caramelized on the bottom of the frying pan.  Deglaze this with the vegetable stock, scrape all the tasty bits up, let reduce by half, and add to the soup.  This step isn't critical but I can promise that it takes a creamy, milk based soup and launches the flavor.  You don't have to do this step, but you definitely WANT to.

When it comes to adding the potatoes, I take a bit of a different path than most.  I like to fry the diced potatoes like french fries.  This accomplishes a couple of things:  1) The potatoes are cooked when they go into the pot so there is no waiting. 2)  I've always had trouble with the potatoes sticking to the bottom and this defeats that.  Fry the potatoes and drain on paper towel and when lightly cooled, add them to the pot.  The fried potatoes will float on top for a bit but after about 15 minutes of simmering, they will begin to settle in.

Finish by sprinkling crispy bacon crumbles and fresh chopped green onion on top.

Bacon Pate

In getting ready for any good football game, one must make sure to have quality snacks.  Just so happens that I am a Cheese and Crackers kinda guy and I had a small rasher of bacon left over.  Time to get creative.....

10 strips crispy fried Bacon (get the good stuff for this)
1/2 Shallot, finely diced
1 clove Garlic, finely diced
6 tbsp Bacon drippings
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1 pack quality Cream Cheese, soften to room temperature
1/4 cup crushed Pineapple, well drained on paper towel to remove all extra moisture
1/4 cup finely chopped Green Onions (green ends only)
Salt and a heavy pinch of course ground Black Pepper to taste

Saute the shallots and garlic until translucent in bacon drippings.  Add bacon, shallots and garlic (including the bacon fat), and cream to a food processor.  Pulse a few times to break up the large bits then turn on high and puree.  Add the cream cheese and continue to puree until there are no detectable chunks left.  Remove from food processor and add green onions and pineapple and mix in well.

This mixture is going to be quite loose and will need to spend some time in the fridge.  You can put it in a form or, do as I do, place the mixture on a sheet of cling wrap, make a ball, and place it in the fridge.  After a couple hours, the flavors will have come together and the ball will have solidified to a spreadable consistency.  The bacon fat may seem a bit over the top but it lends to the stiffness when cold.

Asparagus

The friend I spoke of earlier asked her Father "What do you want to eat that you never get?"  Given that we live in the South, we were both surprised to learn Asparagus was the answer.  There really isn't much to making good Asparagus as long as things are done in a particular order.

1 bunch Asparagus
3 Tbsp Quality Olive Oil
1 clove Garlic, thinly sliced
Heavy pinch course ground Black Pepper
Heavy pinch course Sea Salt

Saute the garlic for just a few minutes to flavor the oil, then remove.  Turn heat up to medium high, add pepper, and toss asparagus in the oil.  Let sit for a minute or two so that some scorch marks develop, then cover with a lid and let steam, tossing occasionally.  When the asparagus has softened just a bit, remove from the pan, plate, and sprinkle with course sea salt to finish.

Ok, sounds really simple, right?  There are a couple of reasons I posted this in all of its simplistic splendor.  One reason is that I have told people how to do this and everyone comes back to me claiming they just can't get it right.  The trick is to add the salt as the absolute last step as it does soften the asparagus.  To me, it should be somewhat soft yet remain crisp and somewhat crunchy.  Mushy asparagus has all the personality of an under cooked french fry.  The salt also lends to the crunchy texture.  If I can, I like to finish it with a course Himalayan Pink salt or even Black Hawaiian sea salt.

LSU won last night.  I'm told this because after a day of cleaning, cooking, and more than one bottle of wine, I was off to bed.  The funny thing is that I did a great deal of cooking for our friend and her Father but her husband is a Die-Hard Bama Fan.  It was good to see her, tell some stories, and laugh a bit...because her husband probably won't allow her to come back to our house until the pain wears off.  Oh well, that just gives me time to come up with new stuff and get my wine act together for when they do return.  Oh, and I'm told the soup was a hit with her Father...and the nurses...and our friend since she snuck some out of the bowl before delivering it.

Party Well, Eat Better
Rob

Roux

I've had it in my head for years that I'm going to write a cookbook.  Over the years, I have collected, written, and/or commented on recipes for people and it never seems to fail that I come back to a few solid points and a few base ingredients.  For this reason I always intended, and will still, make one of the first chapters "Roux: The Base of Good Things to Come" just because it is so true.

For those of us that each rich, unhealthy foods and for those that grew up in the Deep South, gravies are a part of life and any good gravy will start as a Roux.  There are many ways to make a gravy or sauce but fat, flour, and some form of liquid to "Fluff" it out will never fail you as long as you do it right.  For today, I want to feature a few favorites that could not happen without the God Given Gift from Heaven:  Roux.

Today's sampling are as follows:

Simple Gravy
Tomato Bisque
Alfredo

Simple Gravy

The rules for a basic roux gravy are very simple:  1 tbsp fat, 1 tbsp flour, 1 cup of liquid.  Melt fat, add flour and whisk to break up lumps, cook flour for just a minute or two and, if desired, brown flour to color needed, and liquid and quickly whisk and bring to a boil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  This will be called the "Cup Method" from here on out.  If the recipe requires 2 cups, it is the "2 Cup Method".  Ok?  Good.

Now, there are a few things to keep in mind when applying this methodology.

• The fat is a base requirement and if you use a little more, it doesn't effect much other then floating to the top when it sits for a few moments.  However, additional flour will mean additional liquid.  Too much liquid means additional flour is needed, etc.
• The flour has to be cooked for at least a short time.  If flour is added directly to a sauce or gravy, it will have a certain "Raw" flavor to it.  Taste a pinch of flour right out of the bag and you will see what I mean.  Keep in mind that browning the flour to varying degrees of brown will lessen the thickening power, which somewhat throws the above rules out the window.  
• If you're going to make roux, you may as well make a stash of it.  I always make more than I need and after the excess has cooled, I have a little jar in the fridge where I keep it.  This will keep for a very longtime in the fridge and it can always be added back to the pan to be darkened to suit your needs
• If you live in the South, you might even be able to find Roux base in a quart jar on the Grocery Shelf.
• As with any recipe, there is nothing definitive.  The will always be some need for adjustment.  A little extra liquid, maybe a bit more base, etc.  I heard a great quote recently:  To follow a recipe exactly is a guaranteed failure.  

This recipe is truly the base of very good things and, once you have it down, it's very easy to see why this is a staple is so many cultures and their foods.  Very simple things, such as:

• Use a 4 cup formula, use bacon grease as the fat, and use milk as the liquid.  Salt, Pepper, a pinch of Cayenne, and 1 lb. browned sausage and you have Sausage Gravy.
• Use a 4 cup formula, use butter as the fat, and use 3 cups milk and 1 cup vegetable broth and use as a Chowder Base
• Use a 4 cup method, use butter as the fat, and use 3 cups milk and 1 cup cream and you have a base for "Cream of Whatever" soup.

I realize this may be horribly simplistic to an experienced cook.  For me, learning about roux was something I wish I had learned early on as the applications are nearly endless.  Gumbo, Chowder, Holiday Gravies, etc. all would not exist in the absence of roux.  Last nights quick cheater dinner is a great example.......

Tomato Bisque

By the time we got home Saturday night, it had already been a full weekend.  Tired and not wanting to spend too much time over the stove I did a quick Tomato Bisque.

3 Cup Method using Butter, 2 cups Milk and 1 cup Heavy Cream

1 16 oz can Del Monte Garlic and Onion Pasta Sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

Make the roux and boil to thicken, add the tomato sauce, bring to a simmer, salt and pepper to taste, and in the case of what I made last night, fry about 1/3 to 1/2 pack quality bacon and whiz into the bisque with a stick blender.  You might want to save some for garnish as well.  Chopped green onions adds a great fresh taste and adds texture as well.

So, you see where this is going.  The French, for as much of a pain in the ass as they have been over history, invented modern cooking and use roux as the base for 3 of the 5 "Mother Sauces", which makes it quite important in the annals of Cooking History.  The Italians figured this out as well and, in typical Italian fashion, took very simple ingredients and created one of the best known sauces in the World.

Alfredo

Often regarded as "Heart Attack on a Plate", Alfredo is the quintessential Italian sauce that stands alone with its base ingredients or can be modified with simple additions to take it to another level.

One Cup Method using butter and Heavy Cream

1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

Dash of Lemon Juice

Make roux and bring to a simmer.  Add lemon juice and add Parm sheds until the the desired consistency is reached.  You might have to make some adjustments with cream, cheese, etc.  The reason this recipe is so short is because it is just that simple.  Seeming complex, the real difference in Alfredo sauces is ingredients...Pure and Simple.  The best organic, farm fresh creams and butters should be used if possible.  If you follow the food scene you'll here this a lot: "Taking good ingredients and not screwing them up".  That's all your trying to accomplish.  Now, if you're not he Alfredo Purist, you might try adding the following:

• Saute some sweet onions and garlic until just slightly browned and whizzing this is with a stick blender (I usually do this in my Alfredo).
• Drop in 2-3 Portabella Mushrooms and let them simmer in the sauce for a while to extract the mushroom flavors.  Leave them in for appearance.
• If making Alfredo for seafood, gently fold in Lump Backfin Crab Meat for incredible flavor and texture.

As I sit here on a windy, Fall, Sunday afternoon, happily typing away, I try to think of how I want to close this out and I realize that there really isn't a need.  So many good things start with a little flour and butter in the bottom of a sauce pan and end up becoming someones signature.  Gina and the kids are constantly after me to make Chicken and Rice...it starts with Roux.  A stand out that is always on my catering menus is Smoked Chicken Chowder...it starts with a Roux.  So on and so forth.  Get creative and figure out a sauce that has a roux base and make it your "John Hancock".

Now, as always, I had a few glasses of wine and a shot or two while I was cooking last night which always makes for a slightly lazy Sunday.  Since I have already done something productive today and given that I have wings to do later (I already did a Blog Post on those...check it out), I think I will finish my tea and get into the leftover Tomato Bisque, which will surely be better since it is the day after.

Party Well, Eat Better

Rob