recipe: burgers espagnole

Typically, when one makes hamburgers they simply slop together some ground meat and plop it on the grill. Mayhaps, they add some veggies and some seasoning to them and maybe then use what is called a filler to help bind it. However, there are some really deep flavors you can add to a burger recipe if you have people that enjoy rare to at best medium meat and don’t need ketchup as their primary topping.

This might seem like a lot but it builds on two principles of the typical mother sauces, the Espagnole and the delta cooking idea, I’ve blended the two and taken several liberties so you will have to accept it for what it is. Delta cooking, built upon a mixture of cultures and flavors is probably one of the truest forms of American cooking. The French influence in Cajun cooking is especially prominent and as all the Delta styles come together one of the most influential veins in it is Franco-American. Typically, this would be off a veal stock to be a real espagnole, but in this case, a solid beef stock or broth will do more than enough. If you are a really good meat worker you won’t need an egg to help in the emulsification nor will you use bread crumbs in the thickening process because a great roux and some really sweet cooking techniques for people that appreciate burgers done rare (do NOT try to serve these well done) you’ll enjoy.

the espagnole:
red wine, burgundy is good, merlot on the lighter end works ok too, the better “quality” wine the better it should turn out, never cook with something you wouldn’t first drink
stock (beef or veal)
bay leaf
crushed rosemary
onion, garlic flakes
dried celery leaves
black pepper
flour
butter

Combine the wine and stock (1:1), bay, rosemary, onion, garlic, celery, black pepper allow all of the above to cure for between 2 and 24 hours
Combine equal parts, by weight, of flour and butter. Begin to brown them over low heat, do not allow to burn. Continue to mix until the mixture becomes between a dark peanut butter and light brick color.
Add the wine/stock and seasoning combination, mix thoroughly, bring up to a boil and then back down to a simmer and reduce by at least half.
Allow to cool, reserve some of it for sauce for the burgers if you’d like. *remove the bay leaf!

the burgers:
garlic cloves
peppers either a poblano or large Anaheim
celery stalks
onion
cilantro
black pepper
ground beef
Andouille sausage (de-cased – or other ground or shredded similarly spiced pork)
the espagnole
large mixing bowl

Above mixed veggies all finely chopped (finer the better, use a food processor if you’d like)
Put the veggies with the ground beef, sausage, cilantro in a mixing bowl and slowly add the espagnole. Do Not over-mix / overwork the meat. Only add enough espagnole to gain a wet consistency where the meat still sticks together itself.
Spit the meat into fist sized balls and lightly press the balls between your palms to form burger patties. Do not press the patties to be too thin. Season both sides of the patties with black pepper (and house seasoning).

You can grill the burgers or sear them off on a cast iron skillet. I suggest, either way, cook the first side 2/3 of the way and flip only once to complete the cooking for the balance of the time. Do no press the burgers while cooking, allow them to cook and keep the juices in, pressing the juices out just dries the burger out, it doesn’t really reduce the fat content or anything. Before serving allow the burgers to rest a few minutes for the juices to redistribute. Reheat the remaining the espagnole while the burgers are cooking, add Crystal Hot Sauce while it reheats to give it a little extra kick.

recipe: green rice with mahi mahi

There is actually a reason I did not name this arroz verde… it is because, if I were going to do this as a true verde sauce, in my mind, should probably include some tomitillios, of which this recipe does not include (see my chili verde recipe). It is closer to perhaps a riz vert insomuch as it is built on a base of the color green and is rice based in a Delta cooking style. This version includes steaming the mahi mahi over the top of the cooking the rice. The fish (as well as some of the other ingreds) are interchangeable, as usual, but this was truly inspired by the fact that there were all these pretty colors of green in my fridge to draw from along with the fresh fish I picked up. I have fresh made veggie stock at home that has this great deep green brown color that came from some really nice veggies I had and has a brilliant flavor to help set the base flavors (being it was born out of them), but a fish stock or broth might work well too. I am not a huge okra fan, but it adds to the green, and it helps give the rice a nice, thick, sticky consistency. These are always the best reasons to invent new dishes and always my faves in the way they come out.

Poblano pepper
green bell pepper
yellow onion
garlic
jalapeno pepper
celery
okra
chicory
collard greens
brown rice
cilantro
mahi mahi
fresh cracked pepper (black and white corns if possible) and / or house seasoning
stock pot
veggie stock
butter

Chop all three pepper types, garlic, celery, onion and okra
Combine the veggies in the stock pot over low heat and sweat to combine flavors
While the flavors meld, coarsly chop the cilantro, collard, chicory (and/or other dark leafy greens)
Add a bit of butter to the pot and add the rice. All the rice to become translucent
Add stock to the rice, typically about a 2:1 ration, bring to a boil and back down to a low simmer.
Season with pepper, house seasonings.
Season both sides of the fish filets with house seasoning
Allow the rice to cook 15-20 minutes then add the chopped greens to the pot and mix.
Once the greens are integrated with the rice place the fish filets on top of the rice.
Add any additional liquid necessary at this point, cover and allow the filets to cook through and the rice to finish cooking until it is completely tender.
Remember, the rice should have a sticky and thick consistency around it, it should not be dry and separated.

I serve with a leaf or two of the greens on the play, with the rice then piled partly over and the fillet of fish offset on the rice, maybe a leaf or two of cilantro for good measure.

recipe: garlic-tarragon flounder

Fancy this, back-to-back recipe posts. After returning from a long, exhausting hike up north, there wasn’t much energy left to cook and this is a super easy, super quick meal. Any white fish will work with this, flounder was just how I came up with the basic recipe and it is still my preference for cooking it. It is important when working with a delicate tasting fish like flounder not to go too heavy on the complimenting flavors, however, feel free to get a little more potent with it if you opt for cod or other more bold white fish. As for the peas, I highly suggest the frozen ones over canned, or even really, fresh. Believe it or not, they seem to keep that sweet flavor much better when flash frozen than when sent to the market “fresh” – if you have to use canned, be forewarned, there’s no cooking, just re-heating so be careful timing things.

flounder fillets
butter
garlic
shallot
tarragon
white wine
black pepper
skillet
peas (frozen)
small pot
metal collenar or steamer insert

Finely chop the garlic and most of the shallot cloves, coarser chop and reserve the rest of the shallot
Begin boiling water in the small pot
Place the finely chopped in a skillet with a small pad of butter and melt over low heat allowing butter to melt and the flavors of the garlic and shallot to combine
Place the peas and the shallot in the collenar
Pepper one side of the fillet, place in the skillet, pepper the other side of the fillet
Place the collenar over the boiling water and begin to steam the peans and shallot
Turn the fillet only once during the cooking to cook through, do not allow the garlic / shallots to burn!
Remove the fillet from skillet and set aside
Deglaze the skillet with white wine
Add the chopped fresh tarragon to the skillet
Add additional butter as necessary to achieve consistency while reducing the liquid by at least half
Remove the peas and shallots from the steamer when the peas are warmed / cooked through and the shallots are soft
Serve the fillets with the sauce over the top, peas on the side… I found it a nice touch of flavor to include few tarragon leaves with the peas

recipe: blackened bluefish

When I was younger I used to go bluefishing off the Jersey shore all the time. Blues are an amazing fish, but anyone with a color aversion might avoid them because raw, they live up to their name. We used to fish for two kinds… the traditional lunker (generic term for any big ol’ fish) and what was called sandwich blues. See, blues will eat almost anything and because of their voracious appetites they ingest a lot of “stuff.” The general rule of thumb is, if you plan on eating them, take home the smallest of the slot lengths or the smallest overall fish in general because they had the least amount of time to eat junk. I have many fond memories of bringing home way too many filets from each trip for my mom’s freezer.

I’ve always been a big fan of blackened fish and it is among my favorite ways to enjoy Blues (next to grilling them, where they are amazing too). It is one of the single fastest ways too cook fish, which generally, cooks pretty fast to begin with. Do it right and you get a spicy, crispy exterior with a super moist and flaky fish, the fish will not burn, the outside will not “char” in the traditional sense like if you over-toasted a piece of bread. In the case of blues, it is completely your call if you want to remove the skin of the filet. If you scale it lightly the skin is edible and grilled, that is always the way to go, however blackened you can go either way. This recipe, I leave the skin on and only go heavy with the blackening spice on one side of the fish, since the skin adds to the texture and they were really thin filets so I wanted to keep them with the skin. I go skin side up first because i actually find I can control the sear on the flesh side better when it goes down first, especially on thinner filets. By the way, any meatier fish like catfish, redfish, halibut, stripped bass, swordfish, tuna, mahi mahi, etc work well with blackening, though I’ve learned with being careful too with other fish like tilapia.

The blackening seasoning is something I made at home myself with ground cayanne and black pepper, onion and gariic powder, paprika, dried thyme, dried finely crushed rosemary, cumin, and a touch sea salt

Bluefish
Blackening seasoning
cast iron skillet
butter

butternut squash (frozen cubed, thawed)
onion
garlic
red pepper flakes
black pepper
cilantro
frying pan

Heat the skillet over a high flame
Coat the bluefish, both sides, with blackening seasoning, concentrating heavily on the flesh side
Dice the onion and garlic
Add the onion and garlic to the frying pan and saute over medium heat
Add the butternut squash to the frying pan and season with black pepper, red pepper flakes and dried cilantro flakes
Add the bluefish to the skillet skin side up first and sear for 1 minute or until it appears to be about 1/3 to 1/2 cooked (blues turn color from blue to white as they cook.
While the bluefish sears toss the butternut squash
Flip the bluefish and cook the skin side of the blue until the skin is crispy and the fish cooked through
Serve

recipe: prawn etouffee

In North America the prawn is regarded as the crawdad, crayfish, mudbug, etc. It could be construed by most passerby as a freshwater shrimp, however there is a distinct difference between shrimp and lobster-esque species, and that is what and how you eat them. I always giggle at the menu item “shrimp scampi” (as you will see in soon to be published recipes) because a scampi is crustacean NOT a sauce and true scampi are Nephrops norvegicus, a species to their area. The North American version is a closer cousin to the lobster than the shrimp that it is most often substituted for in recipes. I suppose this is both out of laziness and out of availability, but none the less… it is painful to hear people refer to dishes using names that don’t fit. Anyway… I was out today and overheard etouffee, a personal favorite, referred to not as the dish which is all about the sauce, as a afterthought, as in the sequence “I would like my shrimp, well done, with rice and etouffee, oh and no garlic, I’m allergic to garlic.” I’m not only floored but possibly insulted. you can have your shrimp etouffee but you can’t have etouffee shrimped! And, Damned, Nor Should You! Don’t even get me started on the asininity of the garlic comment! Eat it the way the chef prepared it or don’t order it in the first place. Seriously! HA. Good to note, the word etoufee is actually French for smother. This is a more robust version, but I’ve seen (and usually make) a much more stripped down version that does not include the trinity in the base veggies, doesn’t include most of seasonings and other parts which is more authentic to the bayeau, but if you include them it brings a much deeper flavor set to the dish.

prawns (tails cleaned, but having a few whole for plating is always nice too)
prawn liquor (fish stock will work, but the fatty water that comes from cleaning is what is better so save it if you can)
celery (with leaves)
onion (vadellia but yellow will work)
Cubanella pepper
garlic
oil and butter combo
flour
bay leaf
dried rosemary
parsley
black pepper
cayenne pepper
coffee
chicory
tomato paste

If you are doing this over rice, begin the rice now. I prefer my rice with bay, rosemary, coffee, and chicory steeped thoroughly. **

Coarsely dice the celery, onion, Cubanella pepper and garlic and set aside
Begin the roux by combining equal parts by weigh of the lipids (oil and butter) and the flour in a large skillet over low heat. Do not allow the roux to burn, work it over low heat until it is a reddish brick color.
Add the prawn liquor or stock and coffee (about 2:1) as well as a heaping tablespoon of tomato paste and combine until the roux and paste is dissolved into the liquid.
Add the diced veggies and season with bay leaf, dried rosemary, black pepper, cayenne pepper
Bring up to a boil and then down to a low simmer (in order for the roux to achieve it’s truest thickening power, always bring to that quick boil)
Allow the entire mixture to simmer 20-30 minutes minimum allowing the liquid to reduce and flavors to meld completely.
When sauce is done to desired thickness, add prawn tails (and a couple of whole prawns to steam on top), cover with lid.
Cook 5-8 minutes, do NOT overcook.
Re-season again, to taste, and finish with shredded celery leaves and the parsley
Serve over rice with a whole prawn over each dish or better serve family style with the prawns arranged over the top of the main dish **

** I actually really like this over grits, believe it or not. It also works over pasta, mixed warm greens and a new one I just found, molasses oats – trust me sounds crazy, it was one of the more brilliant concepts I’ve come across, though, it does require a nice thick sauce and nothing too wet and watery!

Recipe: salmon with spicy brown sugar rub

Normally, my daily eating habits revolve around a well plotted routine. If I eat a weekday breakfast, it’s usually yogurt, followed by steamed mixed veggies for lunch, an afternoon snack of Cheerios and then, come home and make dinner. There’s usually a few cups of coffee in there and a lot of water. Hence, why almost all the meals I post are dinner meals. I don’t post most of my dinners though, just because fish and veggies are not necessarily the most exciting things to write about (or read for that matter). I always have a good stockpile of frozen fish and veggies in the house and once a week or so, I’ll get fresh of both and treat myself to something really special. Most of the dishes are very simple and I usually spicerub the fish or use light salad dressings to make a really simple sauce and match the fish and veggies and accouterments. Till now, I typically only write about good inventions or more thought provoking meals, which provoked a thought from a friend regarding some recent recipes: “yo, you’re one of the healthiest eaters I know, but I read your recipes and scratch my head, these are damned good but I wonder sometimes how good for me roux and sausage can be.” True, very true observation. So, I’ll jot down a few more that are maybe less exciting but a the other part of the representation of what I try to eat.

I use a pretty good variety of fish in my cooking but the defaults usually are salmon, flounder, cod, catfish and tuna (not from a can!). Tonight’s meal is with wild caught salmon. You can tell wild caught from the farm raised stuff pretty quick just on the color, with the pinkish color usually wild and the more orangery shade being the less flavorful farm version. The first time I made it it was with long line caught arctic char and absolutely beautiful piece of fish and every time I see it available I always take the opportunity to buy it. The next few times trying to perfect the recipe, I did it with salmon and it works with several other fish with a little imagination. By the way, in this case, leave the skin on, the skin is edible, if you do the recipe right, it’ll crisp up really nicely under the fillet as it chars off giving you a great contrast in textures and really in flavors too. The original version was with pure molasses and although I enjoyed it, people wanted a dry rub version or were to skeeved out with the hot/bitter or thought they didn’t like molasses and wanted a more bitter/sweet balance, so yes, this has sugar in it and that’s not tip top healthy, but there are so many variations in this idea that the fish, the type of “rub” etc with a little imagination does good things.

main dish:
salmon fillet
brown sugar
minced garlic
black pepper
red pepper flakes
crushed rosemary
onion powder
celery powder
black pepper
skillet (cast iron)

Combine the brown sugar, minced garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes , crushed rosemary, onion powder, celery powder, black pepper in a bowl. If the dry rub is too dry add a little bit of olive oil or molasses.
Take the fish fillet and rub the spice mixture into the flesh – if possible allow the mixture to meld with the fish 20-30 minutes
Set up the skillet over medium to medium high heat and add the fish to the skillet (if not using cast iron you may want a very very light coating of oil over the fish skin before hitting the pan, depends on the pan)
Allow the fish to cook with a cover for several minutes under a cover (depending on thickness of the fillet) until the thickest part of the fish is mostly cooked by the residual steam
Remove the top, increase the heat and allow the fish to finish searing
Once the fish is done (flakes easily with a fork or on a slight touch at the middle portion no longer feels squishy) remove from heat and allow to rest

The sides:
asparagus
shallots
butter
large fry pan or griddle

Rinse the asparagus and snap off the ends
Finely dice the shallots and place with butter in a saute pan over medium heat
Grill or pan fry the asparagus until cooked through, do not overcook
Lightly drizzle the butter and shallot mixture over the asparagus and serve

recipe: gumbo aux charise et okra

Cajun (Canadian outcasts from Acadia in the 1800s) and creole (the combination of French and Iberian and African descents) is as much a part of the American landscape of food as many of our traditional “other” dishes and influenced our cooking well beyond what most people understand or comprehend, yet often overlooked. Often thought as a niche style, these prolly laid more into what most dishes are and especially in Italian-American or German-American recipes that the original Italian or Germanic origins were when made here, and yet are oft’ written off because of heritage and idealism. The cajuns flight from no’reastern Canada redefined North American culture, and is NEVER taught, and by the time they settled in their Louisiana home they not only affected and effected culture, it is now almost impossible to define how they redefined original cooking styles than even some of their drawing sociological functions…

Ask me in a month about gumbo aux herbes… maybe, if i get enough prodding i’ll do that lentil version… for tonight though.. the French bouillabaisse divided among the Iberian trinity with local fish (the only way to REALLY do any dish) there’s no reason to really get all stupid about the idea. Speaking of Iberian, I was able to procure some wondeful fresh charise (chorizo sausage) and as one might do with andouile, I decided the fresh pork flavor was too good to not include (actually it was the inspiration…)

This is a quick, and dirty no’eners version of the concept, yeah, I know, but I am just that, a Jersey kid, and in the true form, I am cooking it at the concept of it’s devise, not by they creation of what restaurants are trying to give you, maybe this is more to the concept that helps you enjoy what i’ve always loved… i know there is tradition (and argument) about thickeners, it is winter and i’m going to use okra (backwards as I’m sure I will be told), but it is what I have and, of course, being good at making great roux for all other dishes that’s the true foundation of the stew…

flour
butter
onion
bell pepper
celery
garlic
okra
charise (chorizo sausage)
pork shoulder
chili powder
cumin
black pepper
stock pot

Chop coarsly the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, okra
In the stock pot combine the 1:1 combo of butter and flourand bring it together Add the chopped the veggies to the mixture
Season the meat with the
Once the roux begins to darken and take on a tan to redish color and the veggies are softened add the meat with chili powder, cumin, paprika, black pepper
Allow the meat to begin to sear and keep it moving among the roux and veggies
Once the pork and sausage have seared off add the beer to the mixture, reseason with the cumin, pepper, chili powder, crushed rosemary and pepper, add the bay leaf
Bring up to a boil and then immediately back down to a very very low simmer
Allow to simmer and reseason as necessary till the meat is almost ready to fall apart with a fork and the sauce is thick and rich from redection and the roux

recipe: stuporbowl faves

Normally, when you see the typical Super Bowl grub it is predictable finger foods that truly reflect the breath of diversity of culinary impressions that make up the breath of the American melting pot. For me, the Superbowl has always been a time to really bring out some unique and special creations which I adapt from year to year depending on what I’m typically cooking around that time and some of my more all-time faves blended together to share with my friends. Despite the lack of a big party this year, I would have broke out the following experiments to share among friends, I came back from my hike down at the Jersey Shore to bring together these dishes to enjoy during the game. These are comfort foods to me, and in as such, the represent some of my favorite interpretations of food as I enjoy it. During the game, I was sharing thoughts with my fellow blogger Bobby (you can see the eclectic conversation we had: http://nyphillycombine.wordpress.com/)

There are a couple of courses to the SB meal so scroll through them

Beer and Cheese Soup
Anyone can bust out the canned quesso or some cheese wiz and then try and ‘doctor it up’ into something, but why go though the hassle when you can have it done right the first time and really bring some flavor to the party. Besides… beer and cheese, c’mon you totally weren’t going to do that with the canned crap anyhow!

Ingreds:
butter
flour
milk (or heavy cream)
onion
garlic
chipolte pepper
celery
extra sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
beer (a nice amber lager or light ale works best)
stock (pork is preferable, beef will work too)
chorizo sausage (pref portuguese charise, however a linguica will work too)
soup pot

Tip:
the liquids are going to be done in parts so please note the beer will be used throughout the recipe to maintain consistency so the final amount will vary. The beer and stock when combine will be about 1:1 to 2:1 beer to stock. The creme should be about 2:1 to the beer and stock to creme (the creme really is just to help set the roux as the thickener like making cheese sauces)

How:
Very finely dice the onion, pepper, celery and garlic and dice the chroizo (cut small pieces not big slices)
Add the butter and the flour to the pot (1:1) and allow to begin to combine over low heat
Once combined add the veggies and continue to work the mixture until the veggies soften and the roux to begin to brown
Do not let the roux or the veggies burn, but allow the roux to get to between a dark blond and light brick color while the veggies begin to break down
Add chorizo and the creme and combine until the creme is integrated with the roux to form a mother sauce
Add the beer and stock mixture and the cheese and stir lightly to combine
Bring the mixture up to a boil and immediately back down to a simmer stirring constantly
Allow to simmer watching the consistency so it remains thick and rich, do not allow the mixture to burn to the bottom (heat is too high) or begin to chuck (heat might be too low)… add beer as necessary during simmering to maintain consistency.
When the soup is ready there should be almost no veggies left to feel in the soup (you can use a blender to thin them out if absolutely necessary) and it should be a creamy and rich combination with balanced flavors
Serve with finely chopped flat leaf parsley and additional grated cheese as desired

Note:
I actually have made this without the charise and with veggie stock, so it is possible to do it other ways, but the charise and pork stock make a nice pairing to the cheese. I’ve also done this with a blended cheese mixture, so feel free to experiment with the cheeses as long as they maintain the consistency of the soup.

Pork and Poblano Chili
Nachos ’supreme’ are so cliche and chili and chips can be pretty plain (besides, the kidney beans make the beer drinking guests fart more). This isn’t my chili verde recipe, but the color and the flavors will definitely turn more than a few heads and tantalize a few tastebuds who probably had one too many hamburger helpers lately.

Ingreds:
onion
poblano peppers
green jalipino or other hot pepper
celery
garlic
bay leaf
cubed pork (very small cubes)
andouile sausage
green chili powder (ancho or other red will work too)
cumin
white pepper
rosemary
beer (a nice amber lager or light ale works best)
olive oil
flour
stock pot

Tips:
because this is a poblano chili, you will need about 2:1 poblano to the rest of your veggies. it isn’t supposed to be super hot. Most poblanos are fairly mild so if you have a batch of mild ones, use the jalipino to give it some bit, otherwise, if you have good, bold polbanos, let them do their business alone. I strongly suggest charring the polblano too to bring out the earthy flavor and really give the dish some depth. Take the whole cooking process SLOW. Like most long cook meals, you can do 30 minutes cook time, but trust me, 3 hours is a much better minimum, set it up and after the first 15 minutes of cooking just check it at regular intervals and go about the rest of your business.

How:
Coarsely chop onion, poblano peppers, jalipino celery and garlic and place it in a large stock pot
1:1 oil and flour should be added to the pot and set the heat to medium, stirring constantly so the veggies begin to soften and the roux begins to form
Dust the pork with the cumin, white pepper, chili powder, crushed rosemary and white pepper
Once the roux begins to darken and take on a tan to redish color and the veggies are softened add the cubed pork and sliced sausage
Keep the whole mixure moving lightly and slowly sear off the pork and sausage
Once the pork and sausage have seared off add the beer to the mixture, reseason with the cumin, while pepper, chili powder, crushed rosemary and white pepper, add the bay leaf
Bring up to a boil and then immediately back down to a very very low simmer
Allow to simmer and reseason as necessary till the meat is almost ready to fall apart with a fork and the sauce is thick and rich from redection and the roux
Nicest to finally serve with chips and let people dig in or with collard lined bowls with shredded cheese, shredded poblano peppers and cilanro

Catfish Cakes
So, you wanted to serve chicken fingers. Ahem, lame! C’mon really? Deep fried, breaded chicken with a collage of lame “dipping” sauces? I’m not only Portuguese and grew up with spectacular codfish cakes, but I grew up in MD and have an inherent love of crab cakes. This recipe combines what I love of both into an invention that encompasses another great white fish for the experience. Trust me, it’ll turn a head and it’s not the greezy serve of those bock bocks you were gonna serve

What:
Catfish filets
whole black pepper corns
rosemary
cumin
garlic
house spice
cilantro
corn meal
large skillet

Tips:
Fresh, fresh, fresh… catfish can be realy cheap and not even the farm raised ones, but go with what you can get and it’ll really add to the experience the fresher it is. Also, for “dipping” sauces, there are a tonne of great ones, from a garlic and clarified butter, to a nice coarse ground mustard, to a chili paste, to molassase and then some… the house spice, which is a lynchpin in this recipe, could be anything from say a storebought blackening seasoning to your own personal house spice, but it is a mixture or combination of the flavors you “love” and that’s what is most important.

How:
Cut up the catfish filets into pieces (I strongly suggest not buying “catfish bits” on sale, you’ll spend too much time removing skin and “fat” and not enjoy the experience, trust me, nice fresh filets will go a long long way)
In your deep skillet put garlic, the bay leaf, rosemary and the pepper corns and bring up to a boil with water that covers at least 1/3 the depth
Once the aroma begins to exude, add the catfish filet and let it poach till it’s just about flaking
Set the fish aside and once “cooled” crumble it in a large mixing bown with rosemary, cumin, garlic, fresh cilantro and house spice to the corn meal and then coat the fish totally pressing it together against itself as necessary into palm sized balls
Keep the skillet super hot and then re-add the coated catfish
Do not let the catfish to burn to the dry skillet, keep the pan moving and the catfish searing over the high heat rolling through the pan
If necessary add a little bit of oil the the skillet to keep from burning and let the coating begin to brown before removing from heat

Note:
If necessary, you can add a nice heavy starchy mashed potato to the mixture, boil it cubed into small pieces with the fish and then mash it and combine it with the flaked fish at the same time as the spices before you hit the high heat. You may actually need a light coating of oil if you use the potato, but you’ll have to feel out your pan to decide. The potato will strech the same amount of fish twice as far, but do not over potato and for every one you add per big filet remember to reduce the corn meal by the same amount or you’ll have a dry starchy mess.

Hush Puppies
No no, not those shoes you hated as a kid, and i’m sure, if not positive that this recipe is probably a last choice but it’s designed to be a good pairing to the rest of these ideas… remember, i suck at making dough and other baking goods and I’m not typically a fryer guy either, but this, could be worth it, if you can figure out my stupidity

What:
1/2 cup finely grated veggies (onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic in “equal” parts)
flat leaf parsley
2 cups sifted fine stone ground corn meal
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
cold water
mixing bowl
deep skillet
oil

How:
fill skillet 1/2 deep with oil and bring up to under a simmer, no more than 375 degrees
Stir corn meal, sugar, soda together in mixing bowl
Add egg, shredded veggies and parsley and buttermilk and beat until frothy in mixing bowl
Pour wet ingreds into dry and stir lightly to mix in bowl
Add just enough of the cold water to make dough a good dropping – the dough should hold its shape in the palm of your hand
Drop by palmfulls into hot oil, keep turning until golden brown on all sides

Recipe: Cottage Pie

I’ve always been a huge fan of craftily prepared pub food – real pub food not the double deep fryer that some bars call an after-hours kitchen. After a couple of trips to “Irish Pubs” that left me somewhat flat on the food front I was craving one of those faves from the menu. Traditionally, Shepherds Pie is a lamb based dish and Cottage Pie is the beef version that in many American kitchens receives the misnomer Shepard’s Pie. None the less, apart from the protein component, they are essentially the same dish, cobbled together from leftovers.

Many recipes of American Shepard’s Pie call for ground or minced beef. This can certainly work, but so can stewed beef (which is what I used) or other beef leftovers. I’ll also note, in advance, this is my version of cooking it, not an attempt at recreating something authentic, so take some of the suggestions as being a loose interpretation of the original. I took a couple of liberties in the recipe strictly because it is a leftover meal and these were some of the leftovers I had on hand to work with.

beef
yellow onion
garlic
russet potatoes (or other high starch variety)
milk
egg
water
flour
butter
beef stock (about 1/2 cup per lb of meat)
carrots
peas
whole small pearl onions
* other veggies
skillet
stock pot
mixing bowl
oven safe deep sided dish (such as corningware)

* in my case, i used celery, bell pepper and cabbage greens

Preheat oven to 350
Coarsely dice the potato, carrots, yellow onion, garlic and any other veggies you need to dice
Begin a blond roux in the skillet by combining equal parts flour and butter and allowing them to come together over medium heat and keep the mixture regularly stirred, do not allow it to burn
Place the potato in a stock pot of water and bring to a boil.
As the potato cooks also blanch the carrots, whole pearl onions and any *other raw veggies you have that might need blanching (do not overcook them)
Once the carrots and *other veggies are blanched set them aside, it is good to chill them in ice water to stop the cooking process if you have the opportunity
Add the diced yellow onion and garlic to the skillet and begin to brown them while working the roux
Add the beef to the skillet, combine with the other elements and allow to begin to brown
Once the beef has taken to the heat, slowly add some beef stock and combine, allow the mixture to come to a boil and then back it off to a low simmer
While the skillet reduces the potato should be finished cooking, remove from the water (but retain the water) and allow to cool slightly
Place the potato in the mixing bowl and add the milk and begin to mash, add the egg during the mashing process and combine thoroughly but do not overwork the mixture
Set the mashed potato aside
Add some of the starchy water to the meat as necessary to achieve the right consistency. the meat and sauce should be thick and rich, not soupy and not dry.
Transfer the meat to the corning dish, then layer the veggies and then top with the mashed potato
Cover with the grated cheese and bake for 30-45 min depending on the size of the dish till it is warmed through and the cheese browns
Let stand 5 minutes or so to set and serve