Had to go shopping today, rego on the car runs out Friday and tomorrow is a public holiday. I spent AU$582.45 and refilled the cupboards, my first shopping in two months. This weekend I'm having roast lamb and vegetables.
The diet is suspended for the next few days, I got too hungry.
The diet is suspended for the next few days, I got too hungry.
Catalan cuisine uses pine nuts... this is typical...
https://www.thespruceeats.com/chicken-catalan-style-pollo-a-la-catalana-3083360
Pine nuts are also very common in flat breads and cookies.
I made a couple of chicken breasts for me and mamselle this evening via a NYTimes recipe. A dozen sage leaves are "crisped" in butter and canola for a few minutes and reserved.
The "skin-on breasts" are marinated with another dozen sage leaves, half dozen squashed garlic cloves, salt and pepper for a few hours. Cooked in 3 tbsp canola oil and 1 tbsp butter for 20 mins skin side down. Flipped for another 5 minutes until they had reached 165F.
The pan in which the chicken was cooked is de-glazed with 1/4 cup GIN (Tanqueray in this case) for a half minute, then added 3/4 cup chicken stock, 2 tsbp butter and remaining sage leaves until reduced by 50%
Was great!
The "skin-on breasts" are marinated with another dozen sage leaves, half dozen squashed garlic cloves, salt and pepper for a few hours. Cooked in 3 tbsp canola oil and 1 tbsp butter for 20 mins skin side down. Flipped for another 5 minutes until they had reached 165F.
The pan in which the chicken was cooked is de-glazed with 1/4 cup GIN (Tanqueray in this case) for a half minute, then added 3/4 cup chicken stock, 2 tsbp butter and remaining sage leaves until reduced by 50%
Was great!
Fresh cucumbers, Korean BBQ beef and pork in their own reduced sauces ( de-glaced drippings with sake, reduced ), basmati rice, fresh artisan soft tofu with gari, green onions and ponzu, good cabbage kim chee and a 9% IPA.... cookies and chocolate with Chartreuse for desert.
Just another typical dinner Chez Tony.
Didn't power up the main stereo today.. just used the one in the home office while I worked.
Just another typical dinner Chez Tony.
Didn't power up the main stereo today.. just used the one in the home office while I worked.
Small brown lentils. We had roasted a chicken a couple of days before, so chopped a bit of the skin and sauteed it in olive oil for a few minutes, then added diced carrots and fried until they were starting to soften. Added finely sliced leek and fried on low heat until soft and starting to get some colour. Added a cup of lentils, stirred in a splash of white wine, a cup of chicken stock (might have actually been turkey stock), and two cups of water. Brought to boil, added a sprig of fresh thyme and a bay leaf plus salt and pepper. Reduced heat and simmered about an hour. Very nice except I could have powered a small gas appliance the next day.
Soak the lentils at least an hour and throw away the water.
A pinch of asafoetida prevents gas.
A pinch of asafoetida prevents gas.
Instant pot overrides the need to pre soak any of the pulses. Wish they were invented sooner.
The soak water, when thrown away, carries away some impurities as well, less froth and gas in the food cooked this way.
Aa suggestion for roasting chicken (or other fowl). Place the legs to the hotter rear of the oven. Second, a shallow roasting pan will yield crisper skin.
Convection ovens don't have hot spots.
Instead... butterfly the chicken, salt it nicely, I like a bit of Spanish smoked paprika and garlic powder... put it in a vacuum bag... overnight.. then cook it for 5 hours at 165F in a sous vide. Finish it on a very hot grill (gas BBQ) or under the broiler. Use the drippings for sauce.
You will never go back to cooking chicken any other way.
While the chicken is cooking, you have plenty of time to warm up those FETs and play a bunch of music. ;-)
Instead... butterfly the chicken, salt it nicely, I like a bit of Spanish smoked paprika and garlic powder... put it in a vacuum bag... overnight.. then cook it for 5 hours at 165F in a sous vide. Finish it on a very hot grill (gas BBQ) or under the broiler. Use the drippings for sauce.
You will never go back to cooking chicken any other way.
While the chicken is cooking, you have plenty of time to warm up those FETs and play a bunch of music. ;-)
I am a fan of spatchcocked chicken. Remove the backbone and spread the bird out, so the legs are on the outside where they get more heat and they protect the breast. The chicken cooks faster and more evenly, and it works in the oven or on the grill.
While I don't doubt that sous vide makes a tasty chicken, I will never cook a chicken for 5 hours.
While I don't doubt that sous vide makes a tasty chicken, I will never cook a chicken for 5 hours.
At 165F you are not really "cooking" the chicken in the way you'd think... you simply bring it up to temp and VERY SLOWLY trigger the chemical reactions that normally would take minutes at 350F or so.. And it doesn't dry out at all: tender and juicy beyond belief!
It works great on meats, eggs and fish. My favorites are braised thick steaks (about 1 1/2 hour per inch at 129F), prime rib (about 5 hours also at 129F) and beef ribs (three days at 132F).
Read on it... it is truly a game changing experience. You can do things with eggs and fish that would be unimaginable otherwise.
It works great on meats, eggs and fish. My favorites are braised thick steaks (about 1 1/2 hour per inch at 129F), prime rib (about 5 hours also at 129F) and beef ribs (three days at 132F).
Read on it... it is truly a game changing experience. You can do things with eggs and fish that would be unimaginable otherwise.
I've had great success doing roast pork shoulder this way too.
220C for 10 minutes at the start to seal the roast.
Many hours at 80C
220C for the last 15 minutes to crispy up the skin.
Simply superb.
220C for 10 minutes at the start to seal the roast.
Many hours at 80C
220C for the last 15 minutes to crispy up the skin.
Simply superb.
220C in a sous vide?
You can't go over the boiling point in the sous vide.
Do you mean as in roasting in the oven or in a covered grill?
When I do that, I'll go 550F to start, for half an hour and then turn it OFF and let it sit for three to four hours until the thermometer shows 140F. Time depends on size.
But, today, I prefer doing all of that in the sous vide... I do it in the vacuum bag for 48 hours at 140F then finish on the grill or broiler.
BTW, I also got a torch with a very cool 3 inch wide attachment. It's a cool way of doing it, very foody, but slower than the grill/broiler.
You can't go over the boiling point in the sous vide.
Do you mean as in roasting in the oven or in a covered grill?
When I do that, I'll go 550F to start, for half an hour and then turn it OFF and let it sit for three to four hours until the thermometer shows 140F. Time depends on size.
But, today, I prefer doing all of that in the sous vide... I do it in the vacuum bag for 48 hours at 140F then finish on the grill or broiler.
BTW, I also got a torch with a very cool 3 inch wide attachment. It's a cool way of doing it, very foody, but slower than the grill/broiler.
Two schools of thought. Yours is one of them.
Nez, You have to try before saying never. The others have it bang on. You've heard me go on and on about immersion cooking. That's only partly for my benefit. 😉
Tony when he said 'this way too' I think he was simply offering an alternative. 🙂 Personally both of your ways works well with regular dry heat.
Yes, the fan tip is important if you are using a standard propane 'plumbers' torch.
"Honey, when will that chicken be done?"
"Oh, just another two or three hours"
It's a chicken, which I can cook to perfection in an hour or less. Perhaps when I am retired and have hours to fill I will think about sous vide, so I can can start cooking dinner before I have breakfast. Until then it is a non-starter.
"Oh, just another two or three hours"
It's a chicken, which I can cook to perfection in an hour or less. Perhaps when I am retired and have hours to fill I will think about sous vide, so I can can start cooking dinner before I have breakfast. Until then it is a non-starter.