The Gooey!

So I had my first BBQ of '09 on Saturday.  Twas a blast and good times were had and a delicious discovery was made.  I created a new sandwich called the gooey.  Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to photograph it but this is what it consists of: a grilled hamburger the caramelized onions and cheddar, a split grilled hot dog, carolina pulled pork, pickled red onions, fresh tomato and arugula.  Freaking delicious but very difficult to fit in your mouth.  Will have to work on that.

Wild Ramp Risotto

Okay so here is the recipe I made tonight, actually I'm going to give you the version I should have made.

You will need:

-1/4 lb. ramps, washed, pink and white stems removed and coarsely chopped and greens thinly sliced 

-1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage, casing removed (I used hot, I would not recommend it)

-1 clove garlic minced

-4 T. butter 

-1 1/4 cup Arborio* rice

-3 1/2 cups chicken stock plus extra, homemade is best, low sodium will do in a pinch

-1/2 cup dry vermouth

-3/4 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano

-kosher salt and fresh ground pepper (throw away your pepper shaker and buy a grinder)

-the zest and juice from half a lemon 

Melt 2 T. of the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat.  In a separate saucepan heat the stock to a simmer and leave on the heat.  Ad the sausage to the melted butter and brown it all breaking it up as you go.  Add the the white part of the ramps and cook, stirring , for about 2 minutes.  Stir in the rice and cook for another 90 seconds.  Pour in the the Vermouth and deglaze** the pan.   Once the vermouth is absorbed pour in about a cup of the stock and stir in.  Continue to cook over low heat adding stock as needed until rice is al dente, about 20 minutes

Add the ramp greens and stir in, once they have started to wilt add in Parmesan and butter.  Take this opportunity to throw in a good pinch of sat and about six grinds of pepper.  Squeeze in the lemon juice, add the zest and plate immediately.  Top with a bit of parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.  

Enjoy.

*Arborio rice is an Italian short grain rice; risotto must be made with short grain rice, there are a bunch of different varieties but I find Arborio is the most affordable and easiest to find.  Oddly enough, Whole Foods bulk foods section is one of the cheapest places to find it. DO NOT try and make do with a medium or long grain rice, the result will be shit.

*Deglazing is a fancy way of saying, get the little burned off bits off of the bottom of the pan using a liquid.  Water would work but why not bring some flavor to the party.  If you don't have vermouth use dry white wine.

   

Guess what kids, Ramps are in season! Huzzah!

So Ramps are in season now and I am pumped.  I love ramps, it's like a little taste of home even though I never ate them at home.  Go figure.

For those not in the know a Ramp or Ramsom is a wild leek that grows in Appalachia.  Primarily West Virginia and Northern Virginia and the flavor is similar to a normal leek with a bit more piquancy.  Awesome in risotto, soup, cereal, anything.  They are freaking delicious.  

Tonight's recipe: Ramp and Sausage Risotto.  Depending on how it turns out I'll post the recipe later.

Awesome dinner at Kanella

So I have to send a huge thanks to Konstantinos for the spectacular meal he prepared for us at Kanella Tuesday night.  To the left you see our featured dish of the night.  Roasted lambs head in its own sauce with white beans.  He even had the courtesy to take it back to the kitchen and crack the skulls open so we could get to the

brains.  And I will admit, I'm not a huge brains fan but these were delicious.  Rich, custard like, just plain good.  The eyes were also excellent.

The game game birds he served us were also most excellent. Wood pigeon and  pheasant with chickpeas and green beans.         

 

All of the entrees were fabulous.  Goat Stew with fried okra and pork with spring onions and potatoes.   Will post more later.

Brussels sprouts

So he is one of my favorite recipes.  You will need:

-1 lb Brussels Sprouts (should be bright green and firm)

-4 strips of bacon

-Salt and Pepper

-That's it!!!

To begin wash sprouts and cut in half lengthwise, if they are really small you don't need to cut them.  Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil then drop in the sprouts.  Cook for 2 minutes then strain out and put in an ice bath to shock.  You can now dry them and keep them for a few days or continue right now.  Dice the bacon and throw into a 12 inch saute pan and brown.  Strain out the bacon and put the pan back on the burn and turn the heat to high.  Also turn your broiler on.  When bacon fat is really hot throw in the sprouts.  Throw on a good pinch of slat and fresh ground pepper.  Sear them for about a minute and then flip them and do the other side.  Now put the pan under the broiler for about 2 minutes until sprouts are nicely caramelized.  Eat immediately. 

My Last Ditch Effort for Winter Food

Okay it's warming up so your chance for those hearty, sexy winter dishes are disappearing.  In honor of the end of winter here is my favourite winter recipe.  I know it seems a bit daunting but it is really easy but takes time.  You can actually spread it over a couple of days.  If you can't find Duck confit ask your butcher or you can order it online.  D'artagnan is a good purveyor.  Or if you are really up to it you can make your own. 

 To do that you just mix together 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1 T. Thyme, 1 T. ground white pepper, and 2 ground bay leaves.  Rub that all over 12 12 whole duck legs (including thighs) and place in a large zip top bag with 15 crushed garlic cloves.  Place in fridge for a whole day.  Here the fun part, heat 3 pounds of rendered duck in in a large saucepan.  Meanwhile scrape the salt mixture from the duck legs and rinse off.  Place in a large roasting pan and pour the hot duck fat over.  Cover this with foil and place in a 325 degree oven for 3 1/2 hours till crazy tender.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  It will keep for a couple of months.  Or freeze it and it will last even longer.  Oh and don't throw that duck fat away.  Cook everything in it.  Add it to cereal, ice cream, anything is better with duck fat.  Duck fat rules. 

  Cassoulet

(Serves 8 as an entrée)

 

Ingredients

For cassoulet

-1 ½ lb great northern beans, soaked overnight in 4 qts of water

-10 c water

-2 c beef or veal broth

-2 sprigs of parsley

-5 sprigs of thyme

-1/2 t black peppercorns

-2 garlic cloves crushed

-2 cloves

-1 bay leaf

-1 smoked pork shank

-4 duck confit legs

-2 medium onions, diced

-1 large carrot, peeled and diced

-1 celery stalk, diced

-2 minced garlic cloves

- 1 can (14 oz) stewed tomatoes, chopped

 -1 T salt

-3/4 t black pepper

-4 good German sausages, bockwurst, bratwurst, knockwurst, weisswurst, etc.

 

For garlic crumb topping

-2 minced garlic cloves

-1 ½ c fresh bread crumbs, from a baguette

-1 t salt

-1/2 t pepper

-2 T olive oil

-2 T fresh chopped parsley

 

Directions

1.   Remove all skin and fat from duck legs and cut skin and fat into ¼ inch slivers. Separate duck meat from bones, leaving it in large pieces, and transfer meat to a bowl.  Then in the bottom of a large Dutch oven cook the skin and fat until the skin is crispy and the fat is rendered.  Remove skin crackling’s to a separate plate.

2.   Brown sausage in batches in fat in skillet, then transfer to bowl with duck meat, reserving skillet.  When cool cut the sausages into 1 inch pieces.

3.   Transfer beans to the Dutch oven bring to a boil with water, broth, onion, pork shank, confit bones and 2 cloves garlic. Put celery, thyme, bay leaf, cloves, parsley sprigs, and peppercorns in cheesecloth and tie into a bundle with string to make a bouquet garni. Add bouquet garni to beans, and then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until beans are almost tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in tomatoes with juice and simmer until beans are just tender, about 15 minutes more.

4.   Remove bouquet garni and duck bones from beans and discard, and then stir in sausage, duck meat, remaining salt and pepper.  Ladle cassoulet into casserole dish, distributing meat and beans evenly. (Meat and beans should be level with liquid; if they are submerged, ladle excess liquid back into pot and boil until reduced, then pour back into casserole dish.)

5.   Sauté all of the topping ingredients in a frying pan until golden and then toss with the crackling’s.

6.   Preheat the oven to 350°F and spread the bread crumb topping evenly over cassoulet and bake, uncovered, in lower third of oven, until bubbling and crust is golden, about 1 hour.