LtDan'sKitchen.com

Monday, May 20, 2013

Fishcakes

I had to cook something for the white fish I bought which was sold to me as a Jack O Trevally but as it turned out, was actually a Red Snapper. It came in cheap for just about $6 for 4 pounds of fish so I bought it. I made a sour soup with a third of the fish but I always get this not so pleasant fishy smell whenever I cook a snapper and I never really understood how they are so well loved by a lot of people I know. I tried frying the second third and it was a disaster even my dog would not eat it. My fault in part for not heating the oil to the proper temperature. But for my dog not to eat my cooking, that stung a bit. Thus, I had the last third to contend with and I eventually decided to try the fishcake recipe from my new Danish book. At this point, my expectation level is fairly low so I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the dish was actually quite good in its simplicity. I added some Herbes de Provence hoping to mask the fishy smell but there was no hint of it actually which was a welcome surprise indeed.

Fishcakes - Adapted*

1 lb meat of white fish, deboned and diced
4 tbsp flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
dash of black pepper
1/2 tsp Herbes de Provence
1/4 cup milk
oil for frying

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

2. Combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Take two tablespoons of
    the patty and fry in the pan.

3. Fry for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown and flip. Cook for another 2
    minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve with your favorite condiment.

*Forlag, N.N.; Busck, A., Dining with the Danes, Denmark:2011.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Black Risotto with Squid

I wanted to make this dish the minute I saw it on Nigella Lawson's show the other day. I was actually surprised to realize that I have the Cooking Channel on my local television cable network together with the Lifestyle Network. It was like Christmas in May. Anyway, this was something she cooked in her show along with a crunchy chocolate bar but I'm not going for a dessert recipe at the moment so I'm sticking with the Black Risotto. I simplified my own version since I did not want to use fish stock but I also forgot to pick up a vegetable broth for the dish. I basically used a variety of dried herbs which I think might work and it came out quite good. Overall, it is a bit of work (as always) for a simple dish while the flavor is just okay. I think this is not a dish for everyone although I did splurge on one thing: Black truffle oil. I used the truffle oil to saute my rice (gasp!) and the squid topping as well. I could just feel a number of unknown people cringing at what I did. Sorry, but I had one bottle lying around that needed to be used up so there. Anyway, I liked the dish enough but I think I prefer cooking my squid by itself swimming in its own ink and eating it with steamed rice on the side.

Black Risotto with Squid

Broth:
8 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp Herbes de Provence
salt and pepper
Heads of 2 lbs of squid with the inc sac, beak removed

To prepare the broth, add the dried herbs to the water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Once boiling, add the squid head with the inc sac and lower the heat to a simmer.

Risotto:
2 cups short-grained rice
1 onion, diced
4 tbsp truffle oil
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Squid topping:
2 lbs squid mantle, pens removed and cut into rings
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
2 tbsp garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp truffle oil
salt and pepper

1. In a deep pan, heat the truffle oil over medium high heat and add the
    onions. Saute until softened. Add the rice and cook until the rice is coated
    with the oil.

2. Slowly add the broth a cup at a time waiting for the broth to be fully
    absorbed before adding more broth. Continue to cook until the rice is
    al dente.

3. When the rice is almost ready, cook the squid topping. Heat the truffle oil
    in a small pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and red chili flakes
    and cook for about a minute. Add the squid and cook quickly until the
    squid has turned opaque. Season with salt and pepper and remove from
    heat. Set aside.

4. When the rice is ready, spoon a good amount into a plate and top with the
    sauteed squid rings. Garnish with the chopped parsley and a good drizzle
    of extra virgin olive oil.

Ham Hocks Ragout

This is one of the Danish recipes that I wanted to try out from the new book my Danish friend sent me for my birthday. This is actually my third recipe from the book and while the first one is already posted, the second one unfortunately was not completed since I deleted the pictures I took of the dish even before I could post it. It will have to wait for a bit. This third one actually is a modified version of the original dish since I'm using ham hocks and not oxtail. The local butcher shop will not sell just the ox tail but it has to come paired with the beef hocks. I know they are available in specialty meat shops in the city but I don't have the time nor the courage to go around town looking for oxtail in the middle of summer. I'm already suffering from heat rashes in the comfort of my house more so if I went walking under the scorching heat of the sun. It was my Dad who finally made me decide to use ham hocks instead of oxtail since he wanted a dish with pork legs despite the fact that he is not supposed to be eating pork. I'm enabling him but I'm sure he'll blame me for any discomfort he will experience later today after eating this dish. I think this substitution will work since both cuts of meat are fairly similar. If you do have access to oxtail, just make sure that you cook it long enough so that it falls off the bone by the time you are done cooking.Very very yummy!

Ham Hocks Ragout - Adapted*

2-3 lbs ham hocks
1/4 cup flour
2 large onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
4 carrots, peeled and quartered
2 tsp Spanish paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp celery powder
6 tbsp tomato paste
12 cups beef broth
1/3 cup unsalted butter
salt and pepper
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Dredge the hocks with
    the flour and fry until browned on both sides. Set aside.

2. In the same pot, increase the heat to medium high and saute the garlic
    and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Once softened, add the paprika,
    bay leaves, celery powder and thyme. Saute for another minute.

3. Return the browned pork pieces and pour in the broth. Bring to a boil and
    cover. Lower the heat and simmer for an hour.

4. Add the carrots and cook for another 30 minutes uncovered. Stir in the
    tomato paste and increase the heat to medium high. Continue to cook
    until the sauce has thickened and the meat is very tender.

5. Check for seasoning and add the parsley. Serve with steamed rice or
    mashed potatoes.

*Forlag, N.N.; Busck, A., Dining with the Danes, Denmark:2011.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Kansi - A Local Dish

Kansi, or to aptly describe it is a soured beef stew. It has been praised to high heavens by almost everyone I know and I have tried it a few times to say that is does taste good but it was not until I decided to make my own version did I realize that I have been eating this dish ever since when I was little. It is actually something my Mom used to cook on Sunday lunches but I never really knew it by name, just by taste. Sadly, this realization brought down the novelty of the dish to something very mundane. Still, this is one tasty dish and is definitely worth a try.


Batwan Fruit Copyright 2013 LtDan’sKitchen blogs

In essence, the dish is similar to the Tagalog Sinigang (Soured Stew) except for a few key ingredients. The souring agent for Kansi is a fruit locally known as batwan instead of the often used tamarind fruit. The batwan fruit gives the stew a mild sour flavor which is balanced by the citrus aroma of fresh lemon grass. Also, the vegetable used is unripe langka or jackfruit which adds to the simplicity of the dish. The dish is finished off with annatto oil which gives the signature orange tinge to the broth.

Unripe Jackfruit

Looking at online recipes, I combined a recipe using ginger in the broth and Market Man's version which invloves pre-cooking the beef shanks to remove any debris formed when parboiling the meat (bone-in). I hope that in a couple of hours, my family will be enjoying a hot bowl of Kansi despite the summer heat. I'm sure a cold bottle of Coke will be enough to bring balance to this steaming hot dish.

Kansi

4 lbs beef shanks
2 onions, diced
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
4 stalks of lemon grass, tied into a bundle
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
6 cups beef broth
2 lbs fresh batwan fruit
2 lbs unripe jackfruit, sliced
2 Asian chili peppers
salt and pepper
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp annatto seeds + 4 tbsp vegetable oil

1. In a large pot, boil the beef in enough water to cover them. Season with a
    tablsepoon of salt and cook until the beef has released most of the debris
    from the bones. Remove the beef pieces and wash with water. Set aside.
    Pour the broth into a large pot through a sieve.

2. In another large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat and
    saute the garlic and onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook until
    softened. Return the meat pieces and brown. Add the ginger and the
    lemon grass and pour in the beef broth.

3. Add enough of the boiling broth to cover the meat and bring back to a
    boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium low and simmer covered
    for 2 hours or until the beef is tender.

4. Set aside the pot of beef and ladle about 4 cups of the broth into a small
    pot. Add the batwan and cook until softened. Once softened, mash with
    a fork or potato masher and pour the liquid back into the large pot over a
    sieve. Add more broth if necessary to extract all of the soured broth and
    pulp from the batwan. Check for flavor and add the sugar to balance the
    sourness.

5. Return the big pot into the flame and add the jackfruit and the peppers.
    Cook uncovered until the jackfruit is cooked. Check for seasoning and
    adjust with salt and pepper.

6. In a small pan, extract the annatto oil by frying the annatto seed in the
    vegetable oil over low flame. Cook for 2 minutes and set aside.

7. To finish the dish, add the annatto oil into the stew and serve steaming
    hot with steamed white rice.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Sailor's Stew

This is definitely something for those who want to try their culinary prowess and wow their friends. Based on a Danish cookbook sent by my good friend Tania, this simple stew is definitely something you can make if you are short on time and you want something simple yet hearty. This is probably the most basic stew I've come across in terms of preparation. It even tells you not to brown the meat which seems to be the cardinal rule for any pot roast or beef stew I've ever cooked. The seasoning is very simple but you do need a ton of onions. I did want to amp up the flavor so instead of using water to cook the meat, I used beef broth instead. The final touch to this dish are balls of butter before serving it family style. I actually did away with this step but overall, this is one simple tasty dish.

Sailor's Stew - Adapted*

2-3 lbs beef, diced into 1-inch cubes
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced
3 large onions, diced
3 garlic cloves
8-10 cups beef broth
4 bay leaves
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4 tbsp vegetable oil
chopped parsley to garnish
4 tbsp unsalted butter or more if desired

1. In a deep pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the
    onions and garlic and saute until softened. Season with salt.

2. Add the bay leaves and black pepper and mix well. Add the beef and toss
    with the sauteed onions.

3. Pour in the broth and cook the meat for 20 minutes.

4. Add the potatoes and bring back to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and
    simmer until the beef is tender.

5. Check for flavor and correct with salt and more pepper if needed. Garnish
    with the chopped parsley and top with butter if using.

*Forlag, N.N.; Busck, A., Dining with the Danes, Denmark:2011.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Chicken Stew with Banana Core and Mung Beans

I came home this week only to find out that my Dad bought ubad (banana core) in the hopes of making this stew. There was one problem however: somebody took the chicken I bought for my Dad and stored in the freezer for his weekly food consumption. I finally went to the market today to buy the rest of the ingredients that are needed to make this hearty stew including the chicken since my Dad was constantly asking me about it. Truth be told, I was looking forward to making this stew again despite the fact that it has mung beans in it. I'm just hoping my gout will not act up.

My Mom used to make this stew for Sunday lunch. I'm just glad I paid enough attention to actually recreate her masterpiece. The dish requires some prepping prior to the cooking step. It is a bit involved due to the fact that you have to prep the banana core and cook the mug bean separately. Similar to heart of palm, the banana core renders the plant useless and it gets killed to obtain this ingredient. Still, bananas grow like a weed in the Philippines so there is always a new shoot ready to spring up when needed. The core is diced finely and pressed with coarse salt to get rid of the stringy sticky bits. The salt also helps extract any bitter taste the core may have which you definitely do not want in the stew. I'm quite sure it will be hard to find an alternative for the banana core but I just want to present this dish which is typical of the region where I grew up. Hearty, simple and delicious.

Chicken Stew with Banana Core and Mung Beans

2-3 lbs chicken, cut into small pieces*

1 cup dried mung bean

2 cups, banana core, diced, salted and pressed

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 stalk lemon grass, fold into 3-inch lengths and secure with a knot

4-6 cups chicken broth

salt and pepper
3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)

1. In a deep pot, cook the mung beans in 4 cups water over medium heat
    until cooked and the skin has separated. Set aside.

2. In a larger pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat and saute
    the garlic and onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook until
    softened.

3. Add the lemon grass and saute for a minute. Add the chicken pieces and
    season with salt and pepper.

4. Pour the broth and the cooked mung beans (including the liquid) into the
    pot with the chicken pieces and bring to a boil.

5. Once boiling, add the diced banana core and lower heat to low and
    simmer covered for 30 minutes. If it gets too thick, add some water.

6. Check for flavor and add fish sauce if using. Continue to simmer until the
    chicken pieces are fully cooked and the mung beans are cooked to mush.

7. Check seasoning one last time and correct accordingly with salt and
    pepper.

*For the stew, the best cut of chicken to use is a mixture of the backbone with the white meat. The bony cut brings out the chicken flavor while the breast cut are for those who like a meaty stew. I prefer the bony parts but to each his own.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Lemon Vinaigrette

This is probably now my regular salad dressing and there are surprisingly quite a number of request for the recipe. The truth is, I just followed the basic recipe for a regular raspberry vinaigrette that I loved. I made some changes to the recipe by adding any flavor I want the dressing to impart depending on the type of greens or fruits I want to incorporate into the salad. The ingredient I play around with the most is the vinegar component. If I plan to include a citrus wedge into the salad, I usually cut the amount of vinegar in half and compensate for the difference with the citrus juice. This I think brings the whole dish into harmony in terms of flavor and texture.

As such, I present a basic recipe that recently got a request so I had to go back and make the dressing with the proper measurements. For this recipe, lemon was incorporated since it is what I have in my fridge. You can definitely add the juice of an orange for a sweeter flavor if that is your preference.

Lemon Vinaigrette

juice of 2 ripe lemons + white wine vinegar to bring the volume to 1/2 cup
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp dried thyme (or Herbes de Provence)
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Mix the first four ingredients together. Stir well until the sugar has
    dissolved and the mustard is incorporated well.

2. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to help emulsify the dressing.
    Check for flavor and season with salt and pepper.

3. Store in the fridge if not using right away. This will keep for about a week
    in the fridge. Thaw to room temperature before using.

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