For The Love of Pizza
Homemade pizza, that is. Roasted fresh red peppers, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and heirloom garlic, thinly-sliced Soppressata di Puglia, fresh mozzarella and Texas-grown Albahaca basil, all on a thin, crisp cornmeal crust. Sea salt and cracked black pepper..
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Shrimp à la Creole
A classic dish of wild-caught Gulf shrimp with lots of fresh celery, onions, garlic and green peppers in a base of tomatoes, shrimp stock, fresh thyme, parsley and oregano, cayenne, black pepper and sea salt..
Shrimp à la Creole (adapted from a recipe at nolacuisine.com)
2 pounds fresh shrimp (save shells to make shrimp stock)
2 tablespoons pastured butter
1 tablespoon bacon grease
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons creole seasoning
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2-1/2 cups very ripe fresh tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups shrimp stock
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 fresh bay leaves
cayenne to taste
sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 teaspoon freshly-ground white pepper
1 bunch fresh thyme
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
2 tablespoons Tabasco
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup green onions, green tops thinly sliced, white part sliced into 1/4″ thickness
1/8 cup flat leaf parsley, minced
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan with the bacon grease over medium high heat. When the butter begins to froth, add 1/2 cup of the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown. Add the remaining onions, celery, and bell pepper, reduce the heat to medium and season with 1 tbsp creole seasoning and a healthy pinch of salt. Sweat the vegetables until soft.
Add the tomato paste mixing well, and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste begins to brown, then add the fresh tomatoes and another healthy pinch of sea salt (this will help the tomatoes break down). Stir well.
When the tomatoes start to break down into liquid add the white wine and bring to a low boil. Add the shrimp stock, remaining creole seasoning, garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne (to taste), oregano and thyme. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.
Add the hot sauce and Worcestershire and season to taste with sea salt.
Reduce the heat to low and add the shrimp, simmering until just cooked through.
Serve with boiled rice and garnish with the remaining green onions and parsley.
Our Gulf friends are still struggling to recover from last summer’s devastating oil spill. Please support them at every opportunity!
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Mediterranean-Style Olive Oil-Poached Grouper
Inch-thick filets of fresh grouper are gently poached at exactly 120 degrees in top quality Spanish olive oil, thinly-sliced Meyer lemon, fresh Italian parsley and imported caper berries. Freshly-ground black pepper and crunchy sea salt top off this Mediterranean-inspired, velvet-textured dish..
Deceptively simple, the key to success in poaching fish this way lies in ensuring that the olive oil is kept at a constant temperature throughout the entire process (about 15 minutes to pre-heat, and another 10-15 minutes to cook over low heat). Use an instant-read thermometer to keep the temperature as close to 120 degrees as you can; if the oil is too hot the fish will be tough and the flavors will lose their delicate balance.
“…Groupers, widely distributed in warm seas, are characteristically large-mouthed, rather heavy-bodied fishes that tend to remain in discrete areas. Some are very large fishes, attaining a length and weight of about 2 metres (6 feet) and 225 kilograms (500 pounds)—in some instances reportedly much more. Groupers are often dully coloured in greens or browns, but a number are brighter, more boldly patterned fishes. Some, such as the Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus), are noted for their ability to change from one to any of a number of other colour patterns. Also, in many species, such as the blackfin and yellowfin groupers (Mycteroperca bonaci and M. venenosa), individuals inhabiting deeper waters are much redder than those living near shore. Groupers are protogynous hermaphrodites; that is, they first function as females and later transform into males. Groupers are prime food fishes and also provide sport for anglers and spearfishers…” –Encyclopedia Britannica
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Mac & Cheese with Smoked Ham and Roasted Poblano
Classic comfort food on cold and rainy day.
Organic macaroni, extra sharp Vermont white cheddar, extra sharp Wisconsin yellow cheddar, caramelized onions, heirloom garlic, smoked ham, roasted poblano peppers and local, pastured half & half. Seasoned with sea salt, black pepper and Piment d’Espelette, topped with fresh breadcrumbs and baked until golden brown and bubbly..
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Southwestern Pork and Pozole
Similar to the traditional Pozole Rojo, this thick stew features leftover roast pork shoulder that has been cubed and simmered in stock with heirloom pozole, toasted cumin, cracked coriander, canella and Mexican oregano, with roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic and fresh chilies. Topped with crispy fried corn tortilla strips..
1 pound (more or less) leftover roast pork (including some fat), cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 cups homemade smoked pork/chicken stock
1-1/2 cups fresh yellow pozole (hominy)
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds, toasted and cracked
1 teaspoon whole cumin seed, toasted and cracked
1 2-inch piece canella
1 large Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
2 large fresh tomatoes, cored and wedged
3-4 large, fresh Anaheim peppers
1/2 head of garlic, unpeeled
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon finely-minced lemon peel
1/4 cup New Mexico chile powder
2 teaspoons granulated piloncillo
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Heat stock to a low boil, then add cubed pork, cumin, canella and coriander and simmer 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, roast tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic in a 500 degree oven soft and charred. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then squeeze out the garlic, chop the vegetables and add to the simmering pork along with the cooked pozole, dry spices (except s&p) and tomato paste.
Partially cover and simmer until the pork is very tender and the pozole has just begun to break apart, about 30 minutes.
Add cilantro, stir and simmer another 5 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, then ladle into clay bowls and serve hot with fried tortilla strips.
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Old Fashioned Split Pea Soup
Split green and yellow peas simmered in vegetable stock with smoked pork neck bones, garden carrots, onions, celery and green beans, fresh bay leaves, thyme, sea salt and black pepper. Served with homemade croûtons and a dollop of crème fraîche..
For the Crème Fraîche
6 oz fresh heavy cream
2 oz cultured buttermilk
Gently heat heavy cream to 105 degrees (use a thermometer), then remove from heat and stir in buttermilk. Transfer to a glass jar, cover with a napkin and allow to stand at room temperature until thick, about 24-36 hours. Transfer to the refrigerator and age for 24 hours. Use within 7-10 days.
For the Vegetable Stock (recipe adapted from Gourmet magazine)
1/2 lb portabella mushrooms, caps and stems cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb shallots, left unpeeled, quartered
1 lb carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs (including stems)
5 fresh thyme sprigs
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves (not California)
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 qt water
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Toss together mushrooms, shallots, carrots, bell peppers, parsley and thyme sprigs, garlic, and oil in a large flameproof roasting pan. Roast in middle of oven, turning occasionally, until vegetables are golden, 30 to 40 minutes.
Transfer vegetables with slotted spoon to a tall narrow 6-quart stockpot. Set roasting pan across 2 burners, then add wine and deglaze pan by boiling over moderate heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes. Transfer to stockpot and add bay leaves, tomatoes, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Pour through a large fine sieve into a large bowl, pressing on and discarding solids, then season with salt and pepper. Skim off fat. Use within 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.
For the Soup
1 cup split green peas
1 cup split yellow peas
2 quarts homemade vegetable stock
1/2 pound smoked pork neck bones, meat attached
1-1/2 cups yellow onion, diced
1-1/2 cups celery with leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh green beans, coarsely chopped
1 cup carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons pastured butter
3 fresh bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Bring vegetable stock to a boil, add pork neck bones and bay, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, skimming occasionally. Remove pork bones and allow to cool enough to handle. Add peas and thyme to the stock and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pull the meat from the pork bones, dice and add to the pot.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy-bottomed pan set over medium heat. Add carrots and cook until almost soft, about 5 minutes. Add celery, onions, green beans and garlic, stir and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add to the pot, partially cover and simmer until the peas are tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir lemon juice into soup to brighten, then season to taste with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Discard bay leaves. Serve soup piping hot with croûtons and crème fraîche.
