Apr 05

Spicy Mexican Gazpacho Recipe

Gazpacho is a chilled Spanish tomato based soup from the south of Andalucía and is a refreshing alternative to hot soup during the summer months. Another way to think of gazpacho is as a liquid salad rather than soup. The most likely origin of the word ‘gazpacho’ is that it is derived from the pre-Roman Mozarab word ‘caspa’, meaning ‘residue’ or ‘fragments’, which could means the pieces of vegetables in the soup. The history of the soup itself has been lost in time, but there are clues that it may have arrived in Spain via the Moors and that there may have been Roman influence.

Andalucían gazpacho typically contains tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt and stale bread, but since it spread to other parts of Spain and the world, especially Portugal and Mexico, there are variations without tomatoes, but containing other vegetables such as avocados, chillies, grapes, and watermelon as well as seafood and stock, to name a few.

Spicy gazpacho was one of the first things I made when coming to the US, because the tomatoes were so fresh, Hatch chillies were just in season and I needed something to cool down with. However I had lost the recipe and it wasn’t until last week when I made a Mexican Gazpacho that I found the original recipe. Doh! Anyway here are both recipes. They are both equally tasty and refreshing, but completely different in character.

Mexican Gazpacho

Mexican Gazpacho

Mexican Gazpacho

Ingredients

  • 0.5 cups (120ml) of water
  • 1.5 lbs (680g) of chopped ripe tomatoes
  • 1 medium finely chopped white onion
  • 075 lbs (340g) fresh tomatillos
  • 2 chopped serrano chiles (remove ribs and seeds if you want less heat)
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Cilantro (fresh coriander ) and / or chopped avocado for garnish

Method

Place the water, garlic, chillies,  half the tomatoes, half the tomatillos and half the onion into a food processor and purée until very smooth. Add water if required. Put the remaining ingredients into the food processor and blend until mixed, but still chunky. Chill the soup for a couple of hours in the refrigerator, and then garnish with cilantro (fresh coriander) and / or chopped avocado to serve. Enjoy with some crusty bread.

 

Hatch Chilli Gazpacho

Hatch Chilli Gazpacho

Hatch Chilli Gazpacho

Ingredients

  • 2 Hatch chillies
  • 1 large skinned tomato
  • 1 small seedless, skinned cucumber
  • 1 green onion (spring onion)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Juice of a small lime
  • 1 tbsp of  olive oil
  • 1 tbsp of tomato paste
  • 1 cup (240ml) of chicken stock
  • 1 tsp of smoked paprika
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Cilantro (fresh coriander) and / or slices of Hatch chillies for garnish

Method

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and purée until very smooth. Chill the soup in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Serve the soup with ice cubes and garnish with cilantro (fresh coriander) and / or slices of Hatch chillies. Enjoy with crusty bread.

Note: that there are two types of Hatch chillies, hot and mild  or you could substitute for Poblano (mild) or Anaheim (hot) chillies instead.

 

Apr 05

Sea Scallops with Vermouth

Sauting Sea Scallops in Vermouth

Sauted Scallops finished off with Vermouth

Sauted Sea Scallops with Vermouth on a Bed of Warm Italian Salad

Sea Scallops with Vermouth on a Bed of Artichokes, Shallots and Capers

Sea Scallops with Vermouth may invoke images of  fancy, decadent, complex upscale dining, but it is simple, easy and can be made in your own kitchen in less then ten minutes.

Traditionally, Italian-Americans of southern Italian descent eat the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. The reasons and cause for this tradition are disputed, but as with many Italian-Americans, I am what I am and therefore I celebrate the tradition. As my sister and I grew up, mom introduced more and more of the traditional dishes. However, there was a point where mom migrated away from the traditional dishes and began to introduce novel interpretations of the seven fishes. Sea Scallops with Vermouth was one of these adopted dishes.

Despite being introduced during the holiday season, there is no need to relegate this dish to Christmas Eve. It is too flavorful, too tasty and really easy to prepare to only enjoy it once a year.

Ingredients:

  • 16 Sea Scallops
  • 1 x TBSP of Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Cup of Dry Vermouth

 

Preparation:

  1. I always served my Sea Scallops with Vermouth on a bed of warm salad made from Artichoke, Shallots and Capers. After preparing the warm salad, I wipe out the skillet and return the skillet to the stove top.
  2. Raise the heat to Medium-High
  3. When the skillet is very hot, add one tablespoon of Olive Oil to the skillet.
  4. Immediately place the Sea Scallops in the skillet for two minutes so the Sea Scallop is seared and caramelized.
  5. Flip the Sea Scallops over and cook them for another two minutes.
  6. Pour the Dry Vermouth into the skillet and turn over the Sea Scallops.
  7. After one minute, turn over the Sea Scallops and turn off the heat and cook for less then a minute more. The alcohol in the Dry Vermouth will have cooked off.
  8. Plate four Sea Scallops on a bed of warm Artichoke, Shallots and Caper salad and serve.

The inherent sweetness of tender seared Sea Scallops finished off with Vermouth and served on a bed of Artichokes, Shallots and Caper warm salad with its simplicity and bursts of briny mustard flavor is an amazing experience that makes my mouth water even now as I write this post. Whether served as a simple quick meal for two or for a dinner party with friends, you cannot go wrong with this meal.

Apr 04

Waste not, Want Not – Crawfish or Shrimp Stock

After the crawfish boil last weekend, I asked if I could put aside a bowl or two of the crawfish heads and tails as I had an idea for making crawfish stock and it looked such a waste to just through away all that potential flavour. Just think about the tons of crawfish eaten at crawfish boils and how much potential stock could be made with a little effort.

I sealed up the crawfish shells into plastic containers and put them in the freezer when I got home for making the stock another day. When researching how to make the stock, it looked as though it would be very similar to making shrimp stock from shrimp shells, but with the added step of rinsing the crawfish shells since to remove the crawfish boil seasoning. I did this a little at a time using a colander, outside to prevent stray pieces of crawfish going all over the kitchen.

Rinsing the crawfish
Total time: 1 hour 15 min

Ingredients

  • Crawfish heads & tails or Shrimp shells (the amount depends on the size of your stock pot. Mine is 8 quarts or 7.8 litres)
  • 3 large carrots
  • 1 large onions
  • 3 stalks of celery
  • 10 whole black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves

MirepoixMethod

If using crawfish shells from a crawfish boil, first rinse them under lots of clean, fresh water to remove any of the crawfish boil seasoning and any last remaining debris from the legs. Add the crawfish or shrimp shells to a large stock pot, leaving about a couple of inches head room. Add the mirepoix (carrots, celery and onions) along with the peppercorns and bay leaves. Add enough cold water to just cover the crawfish, boil on high for about 2 mins and then lower to a gentle simmer for an hour. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer, leave to cool for a couple of minutes before transferring to zip lock freezer bags and then place in the freezer. As with all fresh stock, boil the stock for 2 mins before using in a dish.

Crawfish Stock cookingThere are hundreds of delicious ways to use the crawfish stock including fish soups such as bisque, risotto, etouffée, gumbo,  jambalaya or even some Thai dishes.

Crawfish Stock

Apr 04

Artichokes, Shallots & Capers a Versatile Warm Salad

Warm Salad of Artichokes, Shallots & Capers

A Warm Salad of Artichokes, Shallots & Capers

All I can tell you is that this warm salad of artichokes, shallots and capers is sub component of a recipe that my mother originally made many years ago on Christmas Eve. As to where or who gave her the recipe I have no idea. What I do know is that whether served on the side, top or bottom of the accompanying meat (fish, chicken, or a pork cutlet) this warm salad is perfect match.

The salad is light, flavorful and where there is a subtlety of the artichokes the primary component of the dish, the capers are perfectly proportioned providing a burst of briny mustard like flavor with each bite.  Just as important as the flavor and versatility of this salad is the simplicity of the preparation.

Ingredients:

  • 2 x TBSP of Olive Oil
  • 1 x Shallot (large) Sliced Thin
  • 2 x 14 Oz. Cans of Quartered Artichokes (packed in water, not marinated) Drained
  • 1/4 Cup Chopped Italian Parsley
  • 2 x TBSP of Capers
  • Salt (pinch)
  • Black Pepper (a dash or a few cranks on the fresh ground pepper mill)

Preparation:

  1. Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add the Olive Oil.
  2. Once the Olive Oil is hot, add the sliced Shallot and saute for two minutes.
  3. Add the drained Artichokes, thoroughly mixing them with the shallots. The Artichokes should be warmed all the way through. This should take about two minutes.
  4. Add the remaining four ingredients (Capers, Parsley, Salt and Black Pepper) and mix well.
  5. Transfer the warmed salad to a serving dish.

Even with the preparation time required for the slicing of the Shallots and the opening of the cans of Artichokes, this warm salad requires less then 15 minutes of preparation. It will take you longer to shop for the ingredients then to actually prepare the dish. As mentioned, whether served on bottom, top or on the side this salad will serve four people.This recipe can easily be doubled to increase the serving size or number of people being served the meal.

Apr 03

The best Guacamole recipe IMHO

The secret to making the best Guacamole is to use the freshest ingredients you can find. The main ingredient avocados, should be firm but still give a little when pressed, which means you might have to purchase them in advance and let them ripen close to some other fruit for a day or so before using. The size and variety of avocados will vary between countries and seasons, and though there are hundreds of varieties of avocado, the Hass is the most popular commercial variety worldwide and in the US it accounts for more than 80% of the crop. Every Hass avocado can be traced to a single tree grown by Rudolph Hass, an amateur horticulturist, in California in 1926. The avocado, avocado pear or alligator pear is fruit (technically a berry) native to Central American and belongs to the same plant family as cinnamon. The word ‘avocado’ comes from the Spanish word ‘aguacate’, which in turn comes from an Aztec word ‘ahuácatl’, meaning testicle, which put with their word molli, meaning sauce, gives us guacamole.

Hass avocadoIngredients

  • 2 large ripe Hass avocados
  • The juice from 1 large lime
  • A big handful of cilantro (fresh coriander), chopped finely
  • 1/3 of a red onion finely chopped
  • 1 Serrano chili (remove the ribs and seeds if you want it milder, or replace with a Jalapeño)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mashing the guacamoleMethod

First run a small, sharp knife all the way around the avocado, starting at the top and cutting right in until the knife touches the pit. Gently twist the two halves apart in opposite directions. Using a large chef’s knife strike the heel into the pit, being careful that it doesn’t slip and hit your hand. Twist the knife and the pit will come right out. Use a large spoon and scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl. Quickly add the lime juice, add the rest of the ingredients and mash using a potato masher until the avocado is creamy, but there are still lumps. If you aren’t using the guacamole straight away you need to cover the it with plastic wrap to reduce contact with air to prevent browning. It is great just by itself with tortilla chips or even spread on a sandwich.

The best Guacamole