butter

Potatoes Gratiné

/ Ren

A slightly different take on a classic dish, these Potatoes Gratiné forgo the usual cheese and cream in favour of bacon, onions and fresh tri-color sage..

Potatoes Gratiné

Serves 2-3 as a side dish

approx. 18-20 fingerling potatoes, quartered
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 pound un-cured bacon or fresh pork belly, diced
1 small bunch tri-color sage (Salvia officinalis Tricolor)
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground smoked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
2 pieces of stale bread
1 tablespoon pastured butter
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Sauté bacon or pork belly in a heavy skillet until about half cooked, then add potatoes.  Cook, stirring often, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender and the bacon is nearly crisp.  Add onions, garlic and sage and cook until onions are translucent.  Pour of excess fat then season potatoes to taste with sea salt and smoked pepper. Transfer to a small casserole and set aside.

Cut or tear stale bread into small pieces and combine with chopped parsley and melted butter.  Scatter the gratin over the top of the potatoes then place the casserole 8 inches under the broiler until toasted.


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Slow-Roasted Wild Salmon with Genmaicha, Fried Capers and Caramelized Lemon

/ Ren

Wild Alaskan salmon is marinated in genmaicha-infused olive oil before being slow-roasted and served with a pan sauce of caramelized lemons, shallots, garlic, capers, parsley and butter..

Wild Salmon

Slow-Roasted Wild Salmon with Genmaicha 玄米茶, Fried Capers and Caramelized Lemon

For the Salmon

2 wild Alaskan fillets
6 oz extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons genmaicha brown rice tea
1 teaspoon paprika
coarse sea salt and freshly-ground pepper

Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it reaches 185 degrees.  Remove pan from heat and stir in genmaicha.  Allow to steep until the oil reaches room temperature, about 30 minutes.  Pour cooled oil over salmon set in a shallow dish and marinate 1 hour.

Remove salmon from oil, drain briefly and place in a heavy skillet (skin side down) and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Roast in a 225 degree oven until it is brilliant red and flakes easily with a fork, about 12 minutes.

For the Sauce (adapted from a recipe by Michael Symon)

2 tablespoons pastured butter, divided
4 thick slices lemon
1 teaspoon capers
1 1/2 tablespoons shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, coarsely chopped

Heat half of the butter in a heavy skillet over moderately high heat until the bitter begins to foam.  Add the lemon slices and cook until they begin to caramelize, about 3 minutes.  Flip the lemons over, add the capers and sauté 30 seconds.  Add the shallots and sauté another 30 seconds.  Add the garlic, parsley and the remaining butter and cook until the lemons begin to lose their shape, about 1-2 minutes.

To Serve

Spoon sauce in the center of a plate.  Place roasted salmon on top and garnish with lemon slices.  Serve immediately.

Chili Cheese Grits

/ Ren

Tonight’s challenge was to make something nourishing, tasty and inexpensive using mostly SOLE foods (sustainable, organic, local and ethical).

These chili cheese grits, made from local grass-fed beef and stone-ground yellow grits succeed on all points, I think..

Chili Cheese Grits

Chili Cheese Grits

For the Grits

1/2 cup organic, coarse yellow grits
2 cups fresh whole milk
1/4 teaspoon organic turmeric (optional)
1/4 teaspoon organic annatto powder (optional)
1 small jalapeño, finely diced
1 tablespoon pastured butter
1 cup raw cheddar cheese, grated
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
sea salt and freshly-ground pepper
filtered water

Slowly bring the milk to a slow boil over medium heat.  Add grits in a slow, steady stream while whisking vigorously.

Add jalapeño (and turmeric & annatto if using), reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until grits are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Stir in butter, cheese and cilantro.  Thin with water if necessary and season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Chile

1/2 pound 80% lean ground beef
1 tablespoon beef tallow
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 small dried New Mexico or Ancho chile, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1/2 small white onion, diced
1 plum tomato, diced
1 tablespoon chile paste
1/4 cup filtered water
sea salt and freshly-ground pepper

Toast cumin seeds in tallow.  Add ground beef, dried chiles and onions and cook until browned.

Add tomatoes, oregano, chili paste and water and simmer 10 minutes.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.

To serve, spoon chili into a bowl.  Make a well in the center, spoon in the grits and serve piping hot.

This post is part of The Nourishing Gourmet’s Pennywise Platter

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Rosemary Chicken Liver Skewers

/ Ren

(you might also like this recipe)

Local, pastured chicken livers pan-fried on rosemary skewers with garlic smashed purple potatoes and mushroom & onion gravy..

Rosemary Chicken Liver Skewers

Rosemary Chicken Liver Skewers

For 2 servings

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

3 medium purple potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1-2 cloves Chesnok or other strong garlic, minced
1 tablespoon pastured butter
2 tablespoons fresh whole milk
sea salt and cracked pepper

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Pour off all but 2 ounces of water and keep hot until 5 minutes before ready to serve.  To finish, pour off any remaining water and stir in butter and garlic.  Mash with a flat-faced potato masher and thin slightly with milk.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mushroom and Onion Gravy

1 tablespoon pastured butter
1 palm-full pearl onions
1 palm-full large brown mushrooms, quartered
1 oz Armagnac or brandy
4 oz roasted chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons roux
sea salt and cracked pepper

Sauté mushrooms and onions in butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat until well browned.  Off-heat, de-glaze the pan with 1 oz Armagnac or brandy.  Return to heat and add chicken stock.  Reduce slightly, then whisk in a little roux to tighten.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Whisk in a knob of cold butter just before serving.

Rosemary Chicken Liver Skewers

12 oz fresh, pastured chicken livers, cleaned, rinsed and patted dry
4 6-inch rosemary skewers
1 tablespoon rendered chicken fat
1 tablespoon pastured butter
sea salt and cracked pepper

Thread 2-3 plump chicken livers onto each of 4 6-inch rosemary skewers.  Set on paper towels and pat dry.  Season with salt and pepper.

Sear livers on all sides in chicken fat and butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until nicely browned and medium-rare to medium doneness.  Add 2 tablespoons chicken stock and allow to sit 2 minutes.

To serve, mound smashed potatoes in the center of a large plate.  Place 2 skewers on top of the potatoes then spoon gravy over the top.  Garnish with bits of herbs and greens.

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This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays


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Loin of Rabbit with Pancetta, Porcini and Wild Onions

/ Ren

Loin of rabbit with pancetta, porcini, wild onions, garlic and sage..

Sauté pancetta in a teaspoon of clarified butter until most of the fat has been rendered.  Turn the heat up to medium-high, then add thick pieces of porcini mushroom and continue to cook until golden brown.

Season strips of rabbit loin with sea salt and freshly-ground pepper and add to the hot pan with garlic, onions and sage. Let the rabbit brown, but keep it to no more than medium doneness.

De-glaze the pan with an ounce of Armagnac and stir up all the brown bits with the edge of a wooden spoon. Add 1/4 cup of chicken stock and reduce slightly.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add a couple of ounces of fresh cream and a good spoonful of coarse mustard.  Stir until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.  Toss in some coarsely-chopped curly parsley and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve over rye spaetzle or egg noodles.


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This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays