Nov 24

Homemade Roast Turkey Soup

Preparing a turkey soup from the remains of Thanksgiving has become the second most important dish after the pot pies from the remains of the turkey for me. Unfortunately, most people are so stuffed after the Thanksgiving Dinner that the turkey carcass is discarded and that is a true shame. If you still have your turkey carcass regardless of whether you have picked the remaining meat off the bones for a pot pie, the next step is to make homemade roast turkey soup.

Remains of Thanksgiving

Turkey Carcass on Cutting Board

To make homemade soup from the remains of the roasted turkey is one of the simplest activities in the kitchen with the result being a soup that is wholesome, full of nutrition and after the gorging of the Thanksgiving Dinner a perfect way to go a little healthy before the next round of holiday feasting festivities.

Turkey Drumstick and Thighs Stripped of Meat

Turkey Leg and Thigh Bones with Giblet Stock and Drippings in Bowl in Background

The main ingredient for homemade roast turkey soup is the carcass itself. To make the base for the soup, you first must create the stock. This is simply done by placing the turkey carcass (this includes any remaining wings, drum sticks and turkey skin) into a large pot, covering it with water, seasoning with salt, black pepper and a couple of bay leaves. If there are any remaining vegetables from the dinner, you can also add these to the pot. I also like to add a whole peeled onion and a couple of whole garlic cloves crushed to the pot.

Homemade Roast Turkey Stock

Homemade Roast Turkey Stock

Allow the water to come to a boil and simmer the contents of the pot for a couple of hours. If you have to add water as the broth evaporates, then add water as needed. A few hours of simmering will have extracted all of the goodness and flavor from the turkey carcass and additional ingredients added to the pot. Once the broth has cooled, pour the contents of the pot through a strainer / colander to separate the turkey stock from the solid contents of the pot. You now have a simple roasted turkey stock.

Simple Ingredients to Add to Homemade Turkey Soup

Sliced Celery and Carrots for the Turkey Soup

You can then pick through the boiled carcass to add any remaining meat to the turkey stock or dice up a cup or two of remaining turkey meat stored in the refrigerator. I like to add a cup of thin sliced carrots and celery to the turkey stock to give the broth some additional flavor, color and texture. You can also add a cup of cooked rice or pasta to provide a little more substance to the soup. Regardless of what you have added, taste the soup and add more salt and black pepper as needed. Bring the contents of the pot to a quick boil and you now have a pot of homemade roasted turkey soup from the leftovers of your holiday dinner.

Turkey Soup Made from Scratch

Homemade Roast Turkey Soup with Carrots and Celery

 

 

Nov 23

Chiles y cebollas flambeado – Flambéed Chiles and Onions

This side dish is inspired by a one we regularly have at a restaurant we visit. When they serve it at the restaurant, it is flambéed at the table, but when I do this at home I use the stove, just in case. It is a very simple dish of strips of onion, peppers and chiles, cooked and then flambéed with either dark rum or cognac.

Chiles y cebollas flambeado tableside

Chiles y cebollas flambeado tableside

Though this side dish is very simple, the addition of flambéing the vegetables adds a sweet, smoky flavour that comes from the burning of the alcohol and also helps sweeten up the vegetables themselves. The vegetables go very well with any type of main dish and it is something fun to liven up a dinner party.

You may want to keep a fire extinguisher on hand just in case, but as long as you don’t go over board with the alcohol, the flames should be okay. Just make sure you aren’t wearing anything flammable or hair products when doing this.

Chiles y cebollas flambeado ingredients

Chiles y cebollas flambeado ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, French cut (cut into thin strips)
  • 1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips
  • 2 jalapeños (or 1 poblano pepper) cut into thin strips
  • 0.5 cup (120ml) of dark rum or cognac
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Cut the onions and the peppers into long strips, roughly the same size.

    Onions, chiles and peppers cut into strips

    Onions, chiles and peppers cut into strips

  2. Heat the dark rum or cognac in a small pan just a simmer.
  3. Gently sauté the onions and the peppers in a large skillet for a few minutes just to soften them.

    Sauteing the onions and peppers

    Sauteing the onions and peppers

  4. Pour the alcohol over the onions and peppers and light it. Using a couple of spoons, lift the onions and peppers to thoroughly combine with the flaming alcohol.

    Flambeing Peppers and Onions

    Flambeing Peppers and Onions

  5. Once the alcohol has burned off, then serve immediately.

    Flambeed Chiles and Onions

    Flambeed Chiles and Onions

Nov 22

“His” & “Hers” Individual Sized Poultry Pot Pies

Whether you have turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner or chicken from a Sunday Roast, there few better uses of the leftover meat then a pot pie. I do love a good pot pie and in a previous post: Nothing Better Than a Homemade Chicken Pot Pie I went into detail on how to make a pot pie from leftover chicken, gravy with carrots, potatoes and celery.

The problem that I do have with a pot pie made from either chicken or turkey using a standard 9 inch pie deep dish is that I am basically unable to exhibit any self-control and will eat the pot pie until I am uncomfortably stuffed. My mission after the last chicken that I roasted was to find a smaller casserole, pie or a ramekin dish that was large enough to be a filling meal, but no so large that the end result was a meal that might as well have been baked in a standard 9 inch pie deep dish.

Pot Pie for Her

Pot Pie Individual Serving

Off to the kitchen stores I went in search of a smaller oven safe dish that was larger than a ramekin. I had this notion that I was going to find a “his” and “her” sized dishes. After going through a few stores and not finding what I was looking for in my mind, I ended up finding dishes that were close enough to the size that I had imagined in my mind.

To prepare the filling, I used the standard ratio of ingredients for deep dish pot pie that I normally make:

  • 3 Cups of Diced Leftover Chicken or Turkey
  • 2 Cups of Gravy (Giblet Gravy if possible)
  • 1 Cup of Diced Boiled Potatoes
  • 1 Cup of Diced Boiled Carrots
  • 1 Cup of Diced Boiled Celery
  • 2 Pie Shells
  • Salt & Black Pepper to taste

I knew that I was going to have more filling then I needed, but my initial intention was to make a third and even a fourth pot pie and freeze them for a later meal.

My greatest concern when making these smaller, individual serving pot pies was that I did not want the pie crust to be too dominant. So I made an extra effort to roll out the pie shell thinner then I normally would on the kitchen counter dusted with flour. I was also hoping to be able to use one pie shell for two individual pot pies.

Pie Crust Rolled Out with Small Pot Pie Dish

I was successful in rolling out the pie shell thinner, but I was not able to make two pot pies from one pie shell. The result was the excess rolled out pie shell being discarded.

Small Pot Pie Dish with Rolled Out Pie Shell

Once the pie shell had been rolled out and placed into the small casserole dish, I then topped the bottom pie shell with the pot pie filling.

Small Pot Pie Dish with Filling

Then, the pie shell was folded over and crimped as you typically would with any pie. I repeated these steps for the second individual serving pot pie.

Pie Shell Folded Over Small Pot Pie Dish

Once the pot pies had been crimped, steam holes pricked into the top and basted with milk, the pot pies went into a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

His & Her Individual Pot Pies Ready To Bake

The result was two perfectly baked “individual” sized “his” and “her” pot pies. The reality is that my eyes were larger then my intention and the larger pot pie could have served two people comfortably and the smaller pot pie would have been the perfect size for “him”, but a little too much for “her”. Despite not judging the size of the dishes used to make these smaller, portioned controlled pot pies, I considered the overall intention to be a success. It is possible to make a smaller sized pot pie. Whether it is a meal for one person with the leftovers given to you after a meal with friends and family, the desire to prepackage tomorrow’s meal for a friend or relative who came for the holiday dinner, this is a practical alternative to making a full sized pot pie.

His & Hers Individual Baked Pot Pies

 

 

 

Nov 21

Comforting Slow Braised Beef Heaven

Even though I do say so my self, I made a dish this weekend that is worthy of a place in my top dishes ever. Simple ingredients and long, slow cooking produced a beef dish that was like a warm hug. Before I describe what the dish was, I have to say that some of you may turn you noses up at the main ingredient, but trust me, the resulting dish will be the best beef dish you will have ever eaten.

Slow cooked beef cheeks on mashed potato

Slow cooked beef cheeks on mashed potato

I recently bought myself a cast iron Dutch oven, and I’ve been looking for a dish that would be worthy of its first use. I have seen beef cheeks for a while now in the supermarket for really low prices, and knew that because they were a potentially tough piece of meat, that long, slow and low cooking would help turn them into something amazing. Somewhere in the last 50 years or so, modern cooks have turned away from cheaper cuts of meat, because of the ‘icky’ factor, but with the cost of meat today, cheaper cuts cooked in the right way are not only help with the monthly budget, but deliver flavour that is wholly missing from today’s table.

The best beef dish you will have ever eaten

If like me you are using a metal oven dish e.g. a cast iron Dutch oven, you can start the dish on the stove, otherwise use a large pan and then transfer it to a pre heated oven proof dish. Or if you have a slow cooker, I’m sure this dish would work as well.

Ingredients

Marinade Ingredients

Marinade Ingredients

Marinade

  • 1.5lbs (680g) of trimmed beef cheeks
  • 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 0.5 cups (120ml)  of olive oil
  • The zest of an orange
  • 3  bay leaves
  • 3 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 tsp of juniper berries, crushed

Cooking Sauce

  • 0.5 cups (120ml) port or dry sherry
  • 2 cups (475ml) of red wine
  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 large carrots, roughly chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
  • 10 large mushrooms, halved
  • 2 cups (475ml) of beef stock
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Trim the beef cheeks to remove any excess fat and gristle.

    Trimmed Beef Cheeks

    Trimmed Beef Cheeks

  2. Add all the marinade ingredients to a bowl, mix well, cover and leave in the refrigerator overnight.

    Beef cheeks marinading

    Beef cheeks marinading

  3. Add some oil to the pan and brown the meat on each side over a medium high heat. Remove the meat from the pan. Add the port to the pan to de-glaze it, scraping the bottom of the pan.

    De-glazing the pan with port

    De-glazing the pan with port

  4. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook for a couple of minutes. Return the meat back to the pan, add the wine, beef stock, tomato paste and oregano. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a simmer, place on the lid and put it in a pre-heated oven at (120C) for 5 to 6 hours.

    Bringing the cooking sauce to a boil

    Bringing the cooking sauce to a boil

  5. For the last 1.5 hours add the mushrooms and remove the lid from the dish for the rest of the cooking time.
  6. Remove the meat from the dish and wrap in some foil to keep warm.

    Meat resting in foil

    Meat resting in foil

  7. Sieve the cooking liquid into another pan and reduce it to about a third over high heat to make a thick gravy.

    Reducing the gravy

    Reducing the gravy

  8. Place the meat on a plate and pour over the gravy. Serve with mashed potatoes and green vegetables.

    Slow braised beef cheeks

    Slow braised beef cheeks

Nov 20

Jamie’s Italian Restaurant in Leeds: Appetizer Review

I can count on less than one hand the number of restaurants owned and operated by famous television chefs I have eaten at in my lifetime. There was Nola’s by Emeril Lagasse 1998 and…I am thinking, thinking, well Jamie’s Italian in 2012. I think that I have made it clear that I am not a groupie for television chefs. Despite not being known to try restaurants operated by television chefs, I will admit that if it was not for the fact that Jamie Oliver owned the restaurant Jamie’s Italian in Leeds, England I probably would not have even considered trying the food. Dare I say Roman culinary influence on the British Isles ended over fifteen hundred years ago?

I walked in and for whatever reason; it was exactly laid out the way that I expected. It was a combination of communal bar tables, a kitchen partially open to the diners to view the activity and then a portion of the restaurant with tables set close together. If one was to describe the décor, you could say that it was modern rustic, with a lot of wood being used.

Moretti Beer

Moretti Beer at Jamie’s Italian

Recently I have been focused on sampling a variety of appetizers offered by a restaurant versus taking all of my chances with ordering a single entrée. In some ways, I am creating my own tapas experience by sticking with the appetizers regardless of the type of restaurant I have chosen. For the first appetizer, it has been recommended to me that I start with the Meat Plank.

The Meat Plank is selection of quality cured meats sliced thin served with a small sampling of Italian cheeses, a variety of pickled vegetables and a small useless crunchy salad. Overall it was enjoyable with the cured meat being exceptional and the pickled green chili being great.

Meat Plank Appetizer at Jamie’s Italian

I also ordered a “basket” of bread for no bread was included with the Meat Plant. In my opinion, this was a low point of the evening. I understand the need to charge for bread, but to charge $6 for slices of bread that were not all that good is just fleecing the customer.

The next appetizer that I ordered was the Brixham Bay Sardine Bruschetta; thick pickled sardine fillets with pine nuts, sultanas, served with a parsley and mint salad. Wow! This was an amazing appetizer. I am not sure if there was a parsley and mint salad served with the bruschetta, but the pickled onions that topped the sardines were perfect. I would order this appetizer again and again and will even try to make it at home. Brixham Bay is located in southwest England in the county of Devon for those interested.

Brixham Bay Sardine Brushetta Appetizer at Jamie's Italian

Brixham Bay Sardine Brushetta at Jamie’s Italian

Since I thought I was not completely full, I selected the Crispy Stuffed Risotto Balls which were described as a smoked mozzarella and porcini arancini (fried rice ball covered in bread crumbs). They were pleasant and enjoyable, but as a third plate of appetizers to sample it was too heavy. The small dish of marinara sauce that came with the risotto balls was a total waste. Too acidic, too strong and when tried with the risotto balls, complete overpowered the subtlety of the smoke mozzarella and mushroom.

Smoked Mozarella and Porcini Arancini Appetizer

Crispy Risotto Balls at Jamie’s Italian

With the meal I enjoyed two Moretti beers. It does appear to be difficult to impossible to order a local or even a British beer in restaurants in Leeds. Overall, I am glad that I went to Jamie’s Italian at 35 Park Row in Leeds, but I can honestly say that I am not sure if I would go back again on my own. Yes, the Brixham Bay Sardine Bruschetta was amazing, but the overall experience was not exceptional enough for the price of the meal at $48 for one person.

Jamie's Italian Restaurant Sign in Leeds

Jamie’s Italian in Leeds