Written by James on 22 January 10
This is an obvious combination of the last two dishes I posted, but the combination is so delicious that it merits its own post! Put together Piperade and Sauteed Chicken, and you get a delicious, healthy meal.
Posts Tagged ‘Deglaze’
Written by James on 18 January 10
I find that sauteed chicken is one of the quickest and easiest ways to cook a chicken. To saute a chicken means to brown it, season it, then cover it. Easy, right? Afterward, you can turn the drippings into a nice little sauce. There are also numerous variations for this dish – you’ve probably seen many at restaurants, where a sauteed chicken breast is the main meat surrounded by other vegetable garnishes and covered in a delicious sauce. One of my favorite variations is with Piperade (red and green bell peppers), which I’ll share in a later posting.
Also, if you prefer a meat other than chicken, you can saute that meat using the same process. Chicken is generally healthier, but can be a bit less flavorful depending on your preference. I recommend chicken as a solid base, but mix things up so you (and your dinner guests) don’t get bored!
Written by James on 10 January 10
This recipe is a variation on something I saw on the Food Network during one lazy winter day. The fennel gives the dish an aromatic, earthy taste similar to anise or to licorice. Fennel can be unsettling at first, and is a bit of an acquired taste. But the more you use it, the more you come to appreciate its unique flavor. Some people use fennel in dried spice form. I prefer the large bulbs with the celery-like protrusions and frond it’s definitely more interesting to use! The bulb is used most often in cooking, the frond for garnish.
In this dish, I use a pecan-smoked sausage not only because I love sausage, but also because I didn’t have time to defrost a thick cut pork loin. If you do use other meat, use a heavy pan to first sear the thick chops to provide some animal fat to fry in the fennel, shallots, and mushrooms. The meat can then be added back in to finish the sauce. I do a similar thing here with the sausage.
Written by James on 14 December 09
This is a really fun and delicious dish that is essentially a main course in itself. The key to its success is being able to multitask successfully. Because I prefer not to prep ingredients ahead of time, because it usually creates more dishes for me to wash (and I’m lazy), you can get yourself into a juggling act. For first time makers of this, I do recommend prepping at least the vegetables before hand. For everyone else, have some fun with this one and see how much you can juggle. It’s a real treat!
Written by James on 27 November 09
You cook up a piece of meat or seafood. It sears/ cooks in your pan and when you remove your protein, it leaves behind a few brown, charred pieces. What do you do? Before you decide to clean these little pieces off with your sponge, stop and think about the delicious sauce you could be making with these non-descript pieces of flavor concentrate.
Deglazing a pan is a delicious way to create a sauce for the meat or seafood dish you just made. This will turn your plain steak, dry chicken breast, or vanilla piece of fish into a scrumptious crowd-pleaser. Although “deglazing” may sound intimidating at first, the process is quite simple.
Posted in : How- To...,Technique
Written by James on 25 November 09
When I first heard about Hanbagu, I couldn’t help but think that the Japanese had chosen poorly for once. They took cars and gave us Toyota. They took baseball and we got Ichrio and Matsui. And they took beef, and we got Kobe. Let’s be honest, they’re very good at beating America at its own game (at least until Joey Chestnut came along). But to supplant the great American hamburger – that’s just too audacious, isn’t it?
Fortunately, this dish doesn’t really complete with our great American classic. It doesn’t sit on a bun, but on a bed of rice. It’s not topped with ketchup & mustard, but instead with a tangy sauce (a Worcestershire & ketchup-based BBQ sauce). Vegetables can sit on the side, or be cooked directly into the sauce.
The Hanbagu is not better or worse than the American burger – it’s just different. But man, is it delicious!
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Posted in : American,French,Pan Fry,Recipes