Menu and recipes

[Penn]

Butternut Squash Soup, Toasted Cinnamon

Sautéed Wild Scottish King Salmon, Organic Braised Cabbage

Molten Chocolate Cake

Stock
2 minutes

Cut a small mirepoix and place in a stock pot with the squash peeling, add thyme, rosemary, sage, garlic and shallots and sweat with butter, until the aroma and mirepoix are tender

add water and bring to a boil. (for those of you with those high tech grill thermometers, now is your chance to calibrate …that’s 212^F in chef land)


Butternut Squash Soup, Toasted Cinnamon

Step 1
Prep 10 MINUTES

1st method
1. Wash, peel and split the squash in ½, head to toe.
a) If you do not want to peel the squash, you can still roast it in its husk/shell.

2. Remove seeds and core threads. Oil the squash with your hands (Think of sun tan lotion)
Place a piece of butter in the seed hole along with one spoke of Star Anise, a pinch of power ginger,
ground allspice, cinnamon, and cardamom. If you have access to it, also add Garam Masala.

3. For those that did not peel, Place the squash on a sheet pan or cookie sheet and roast @ 350 - 400^F until fork tender.


2nd method

1. For those that peeled, cut the squash into 2” sorta sq. and place in a large mixing bowl and toss with the spices and oil.

2. Remove and place in a stock/soup pot.

3. On a medium flame sauté/roast the squash until tender and Caramel colored.
(Do not burn; and its ok if the pot is accumulating residue, because we can deglaze it with the stock, as it will reinforce the flavor of the soup)

Step 2
Remove the cooked squash from the shell or pot and puree in the Cuisinart (this is your base)

Step 3
Strain the stock (this is your medium)

To finish: Place the some of the pureed squash in a blender add the veg stock till you have the consistency you want. Most squash soups are made too thick for my taste, I shoot for a smooth silk finish. Once you have the texture you like, season with Salt (KOSHER ONLY) and pepper to taste. Remember, only put half the amount of salt in that you think it needs. You can always add, but never subtract.

Garnish with (just a touch) of pan-roasted cinnamon.


Sautéed Wild Scottish King Salmon, Organic Braised Cabbage

When I get a side of salmon in, I prepare one of two ways. I either cut it into Pave’s, which are squares, or into Supremes, which are rectangles. Either way, I leave the skin on, as it protects the flesh while cooking. I also cook at a very low heat once I’ve seared the skinless side.

Method for the cabbage 2 minutes: Cut some bacon into lardons (small rectangles). Saute them, once cooked remove and save along with the fat. Cut the cabbage, blanche the cabbage in some of the veg stock till tender, remove and drain. Cook the cabbage with the bacon in the bacon fat with some thyme and garlic, season with salt and pepper.

Method for the fish 4 minutes: regardless of shape, size or weight. Season the fish with Salt (KOSHER ONLY) and pepper, and DUST the fish with wondra flour (this is muy importanta). If you don’t, the fish will stick to the pan. Sear the fish on the flesh side first!!! Once you have a golden sear(about 2 minutes at med heat), turn the fish and finish cooking on the skin side. I tend to cook it rare, to medium rare.

Things you can do. Place a sage leaf on the salmon before you sear it, it will remain in place and add flavor, when turned you can place a piece of butter in the pan and baste it before removing to the plate.

Plating: you’ll love this, I’m a centrist!!! Place the cabbage in the center on the plate, and the Salmon on top, after you have removed the skin. Leave a lot of negative space around the cabbage, this creates eye appeal. If you want a sauce, all you need to do is, deglaze the salmon pan with some veg stock and swill in bits of butter and bit of the cabbage juice and S&P and Voila!!!

Mirepoix= A dice of celey, carrots. onion. Equal amounts
Bacon. I use slab bacon, not sliced, Lardons are 1/4" rectangles
When combining the cabbage and Lardons add some butter this will give it some silk.
Also, the Jus( Pronounced Jew) or juice of the mixture can act as tha sauce for the dish.

Rather then using butter; here is a great butter based sauce thats very easy to make and is a mainstay in every french kitchen. It Known as a Burre Monte or Mounted Butter

1 oz. water
1# Butter - cut in small cubes

In a sauce pan, bring water to a boil, remove from the heat or lower the flame to 1/8 power. Begin adding the butter, and mixing while you do so, with a hand whip. What you want to accomplish, is to incorprate the melting butter with the water. To a sauce consistancy. To much heat the butter breaks, too little -nada. It's balance between working with liquid and solid matter. you want thicker that water and opaque.

[Gypsy]

Good grief these recipies sounds fantastic, and seem pretty simple to make. Thank you!

Looking forward to the Molten Chocolate cake recipie when you have the time to post that as well.

[Razor]

What type of knife do you use to remove the kilt from the salmon?

[Penn]

It depends on how well hung that kilt is.

[CPTAUSRET]

Originally Posted by Penn

It depends on how well hung that kilt is.

Touche!

[Roguish Lawyer]

Awesome! Thank you, Penn!

[echoes]

I deleted my post.

[Penn]

TR, what info do you need.

[Penn]

low heat, is temp that allows the product to cook slowly. The best results in cooking are always long, slow controlled. on a scale of 1-10
1-2 VS
3-5 S-m
6-8 med H
8-10 H

[echoes]

...

[Penn]

TR,
Wondra flour is super refined flour. Like fine grain sand. Comes in Blue 13.5 oz tall cans. A Gold Medal product, may say Sauce and Gravy on the label
I use it any time I cook fish. I also, only cook in heavy duty cast iron pans. Like the one’s our mothers used. And I never use soap on them once they are seasoned.
All spices are ground, except the star anise.
Jersey, I raised my children in Summit, NJ. Great town & great schools.

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by Penn

TR, what info do you need.

Just kidding, amigo. I spent 20 years cooking (sort of) for myself before I got married and now my wife does most of the cooking (minus grilling). She was up in Jersey recently and took the kids into the City. Will have to send her and the in-laws to dine with you next time they are up visiting.

I love to learn, and of the recipe you posted, you explained Pave’s, Supremes, Mirepoix, and Lardons well enough for this old Neanderthal to get it. Hell, I thought the Supreme's broke up back in the 70s.

I still needed to look up power ginger, cardamom, Garam Masala, and wondra flour.

Like learning a foreign language, first step is the vocabulary.

Sounds delicious though. Thanks for sharing.

TR