Potato salad with chilli dressing

2 lbs. Boiling potatoes

1 Fresh jalapeno pepper chopped

2 small Garlic cloves chopped

1 Tbs Sugar

1 Tbs White-wine vinegar

1 1/2 Tbs Fresh lime juice

1 Tbs Anchovy paste

1 1/2 tsp oliveoil

1/4 cup packed fresh coriander chopped

1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves chopped

2 ribs celery; sliced thin
Cut the potatoes lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces. In a steamer set over boiling water steam the potatoes, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are just tender, transfer them to a bowl, and let them cool to room temperature. In a small bowl whisk together the jalapeno, the garlic, the sugar, the vinegar, the lime juice and the anchovy paste add the oil, and salt to taste and let the dressing stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add the dressing to the potatoes with the coriander, the mint, and the celery and combine the salad well.

Lobster salad with Mint oil and petite greens

I started a conversation with my long lost friend on the net, as we were about to say audios amigo, he reminded me that he was going to the farm in arizona which harvested lobsters. That sparked an idea of posting this wonderful recipe that i tried during my stay at arizona. It is not a time consuming process but a simple and easy one that can be done with ease.

Makes 4 portions

Ingredients

Lobster claws 4ea

Extra virgin Olive oil 2.5tsp

White wine 1.5 cup

Salt to taste

Peppercorns whole 1tsp

Thyme 3stems

Shallots chopped 2tsp

Bay leaf 1ea

For the salad:

Basil leaves 1/2cup

Blood beets petite 1/2cup

Lemon zest 1ea

For the Dressing:

Lemon juice 1ea

Mustard 1/2tsp

Blood orange juice 1ea

Extra virgin olive oil 2Tbsp

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Mint oil:

Water 3cups

Extra virgin oilve oil 3/4cup

For garinsh:

Apple (thinly sliced) 1ea

Method:

• In a shallow pot pour the put the olive oil saute the shallots put the peppercorns and then add the white wine to this.
• Place the lobster claws in the pan with the liquid and add the bayleaves, thyme add salt, cover it and let in simmer the liquid until it is reduced to 1/4th.
• Break the claw and extract the meat and keep aside.
• In a bowl place the mustard add the olive oil and mix thoroughly, gently add the lemon juice and keep whisking and then add in the blood orange juice similarly, saeason and keep it aside.
• To make the mint oil, pour the water in a shallow pot bring to a boil (have ice bath ready before starting), plunge mint leaves into the boiling water for 25 seconds, and immedietly plundge into the ice bath.
• Remove the mint leaves patt it dry on a paper towel and place it in a blender, add the extra virgin olive oil and blend it thoroughly
• Strain it through a cheese cloth or coffee filter.
• Line a tray with parchment paper and spray it with oil, place the sliced apples on top and place another clean tray flat on top and place it on a hot surface and dry it.
• When it is ready for service toss the greens in the dressing and place it on the plate. Place the extracted claw meat on the plate and drizzle with the dressing.
• Drizzle the mint oil around the salad and garnish with the apple slice.

Hors d'oeuvre and appetizers

Hors d'oeuvre and appetizers represent an opportunity for the garde manger to pull together all the various skills and preparations of the entire discipline in a hihg impact way. Just as hors d'oeuvre set the tone for a reception or banquet, so can a well-executed appetizer selection on a menu set the tone for the entire dining experience.

Taking this into consideration, there are different kinds of appetizers, among them the Venison terrine is one that I enjoyed the most, not that i have not enjoyed the rest of the work that i do making pate and terrine, it is just that it was the first time i worked with venison and it was quite different in taste, texture and presentation once it was cooked.

Ingredients

Venison shoulder, boneless or leg meat 2#

Fatback 1#

Seasonings

Red wine 2floz

Ground Clove 1/2tsp

Crushed black peppercorns 1Tbsp

TCM (tinted curing mix) 1tsp

Minced onions sauteed and cooled 1oz

Salt 1oz

Ground black pepper 2tsp

Dried cepes or morels, ground 1oz

Eggs 3ea

Heavy cream 6floz

Chopped tarragon 2tsp

Parsley Chopped 1tsp

Garnish

Golden raisins plumped in brandy 2oz

Brandy 4floz

Mushrooms diced sauteed and cooled 4oz

Thinly sliced ham 8ea

• Dice the venison and fatback into 1inch cubes. Marinate them with the combined seasonings and refrigerate overnight.
• Prepare a straight forcemeat by grinding the marnated venison and fatback into a chilled mixing bowl. Mix in the eggs, heavy cream, tarragon, and parsley on medium speed for 1 minute, or until homogeneous. Fold in the garnish ingredients.
• Line a terrine mold with plastic wrap and the ham, leaving an overhang. Pack the forcemeat into the terrine mold and fold over the ham and plastic. Cover the terrine.
• Poach the forcemeat in a 170*F water bath in a 300*F oven to an inernal temperature of 150*F for 60 to 70 mintues.
• Remove the terrine from the water bath and allow it to cool to an internal temperature of 100*F. Let the terrine rest under refrigeration overnight. The terrine is now ready to slice and serve, or wrap and refrigerate for up to 10 days.

Cured meat and sausages

As our ancestors became herdsmen and farmers, they developed skills necessary to ensure a relatively steady food supply. This started off with domestication of animals and then raised crops and learned methods to preserve the foods. Foods were brined with seawater and dried on the shores. Curing methods have been tracked back as far as 3000 B.C.
Food preservation skills and the necessary ingredients, including salt, sugar, and spices were greatly valued. The romans bought with them their own recipes and formulas for preserving meats and fishes.
Today we enjoy new methods of preserving our food grains and meats. This is one of the many recipes that i found interesting.

Bavarian Bratwurst

Pork butt (70%lean, 30%fat) 10#

Seasonings

Salt 3.5oz
Black pepper 1.5Tbsp
Ground mace 1tsp
Sugar 2oz
Lemon Zest 1/4tsp
Ground Marjoram 1.5Tbsp

(You will need ice about 6-8oz, 22ft hog casings, rinsed and tied at one end)

• Toss the pork withe combined seasonings.


• Grind the pork butt through a medium plate (grinder), grind fatback through a fine plate


• Add the ice and mix until stickly


• Stuff into hog casings and form links by tying every 6 inches


• Poach to an internal temperature of 145*F


• Prepare the sausage for immediate service by sauteing, grilling, broiling or baking just until hot, or wrap and refrigerate for upto 3 days

Anti-pasti

Antipasti can refer to:
in Italian cuisine, a starter course similar to Hors d'œuvre (italian plural of antipasto)
a British band named Anti-Pasti

This is a typical antipasti platter, cosisting of cured meat. The marinated olives compliment the display.
It was a typical busy at our restaurant, a regular guest to our restaurant had bought in some of his collegues and wanted a cold cut platter, to compliment the wine. I was called in by my chef and had a quick rundown of the situation and he wanted it to be instant, as there was no time to waste. I had to rush to the walk-in fridge to check the cured meats. I assembled all the cured meats, sliced it had the olives marinated and had some grilled vegetables with crositni redy and this was the end result.