Monday, February 26, 2007

Panda Express Orange Flavored Chicken

Tender, juicy chicken pieces lightly battered and fried, sautéed in a sweet and mildly spicy chili sauce with scallions.
1 lb chicken breast meat
1 egg white
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
4 c vegetable oil for frying
1 c cornstarch

Orange Sauce:


1 c water
½ c ketchup
½ c sugar
1/8 c vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
4 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp grated orange peel
2 tbsp chopped scallion
1. Cut chicken breast into ½ - inch cubes, set aside.
2. To make marinade, combine egg white, salt and sugar in a bowl and stir vigorously
until ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Add chicken cubes to marinade and stir to coat well.
3. To make orange sauce – combine water, ketchup, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, 4 tsp
cornstarch and sesame oil; stir and set aside. Place a pot over high hear. When pot is hot,add the 2 tbsp vegetable oil and heat. Add orange peel and scallion and stir for about 20 seconds, taking care not to burn the orange peel.
4. Pour combined sauce ingredients into the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened, about 12 – 15 minutes.
5. Preheat 4 cups oil to 350-375F. Meanwhile, put marinated chicken in the plastic baggie containing the cornstarch. Shake off all excess cornstarch and fry chicken in hot oil until golden brown, approximately 2-1/2 minutes. Remove chicken from oil with a slotted spoon, drain well and set aside. Add fried chicken to pot with heated orange sauce, stir for about 30 seconds, then serve immediately. Serve with steamed rice.
Serves 4
PF Chang Chicken Lettuce Wrap

Quickly cooked spiced chicken served with cool lettuce cups. Makes a great appetizer.
8 dried shitake mushrooms Cooking Sauce
1 tsp cornstarch 1 tsp Hoisin sauce
2 tsp dry sherry 1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp water 1 tsp dry sherry
Salt and pepper 2 tsp oyster sauce
1-1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken 2 tsp water
5 tsp oil 1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp fresh minced ginger 1 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp cornstarch
2 green onions, minced Iceberg or Bibb lettuce leaves
2 small dried chillies (optional)
8 oz bamboo shoots, minced
8 oz water chestnuts, minced
1 pkg cellophane Chinese rice noodles, prepared according to package
1. Cover mushrooms with boiling water, let stand for 30 minutes, then drain.
2. Cut and discard woody stems. Mince mushrooms. Set aside.
3. Mix all ingredients for cooking sauce in bowl and set aside.
4. In medium bowl, combine cornstarch, sherry, water, soy sauce, salt, pepper and
chicken. Stir to coat chicken thoroughly.
5. Stir in 1 tsp oil and let sit 15 minutes to marinate.
6. Heat wok or large skillet over medium high heat.
7. Add 3 tbsps oil, then add chicken and stir fry for about 3 – 4 minutes. Set aside.
8. Add 2 tbsp oil to pan.
9. Add ginger, garlic, chilles (if desired) and onion; stir for about a minute or so.
10. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts; stir fry an additional 2 minutes.Return chicken to pan.
11. Add mixed cooking sauce to pan. Cook until thickened and hot.
12. Break cooked cellophane noodles into small pieces and cover bottom of serving dish with them. Then pour chicken mixture on top of noodles. Spoon into lettuce leaf and roll.
PF Chang Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

Slices of chicken, stir-fried in black bean sauce.
4 whole chicken breasts
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
2 tsp fermented black beans
3 tsp minced scallion (white part only)
4 oz Peking Stir Fry Sauce (see recipe below)
12 oz unseasoned chicken stock
½ tsp minced garlic
½ tsp sugar
Dash of white pepper

Peking Stir Fry Sauce

½ c water
2 tsp Shaohsing wine or sherry
2 tsp mushroom soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1. Cut whole chicken breasts in half so you have 8 breast filets. Cut all breast filets on a bias. Marinate with one egg, 2 tsp canola oil and 1 tsp cornstarch.
2. Heat wok until hot. Add oil, then chicken and cook until opaque all over.
3. Strain and remove excess oil from wok.
4. Add ginger, scallion and stir fry. Add chicken and garlic. Then add Peking stir fry sauce and add chicken stock. Add sugar, then a dash of white pepper.
5. Thicken with a thin paste of cornstarch and water to your liking.
6. Peking Stir Fry Sauce Mix ingredients together until cornstarch is incorporated. Stir well before using.
Serves 4
Planet Hollywood Captain Crunch Chicken

Another great theme restaurant focusing on move and Hollywood memorabilia. This
unique dish actually uses cereal breaded against the chicken to make it tasty and
crunchy.
2 c Captain Crunch Cereal, crushed
1-1/2 c Corn Flakes, crushed
1 egg
1 c milk
1 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp black pepper
2 lb chicken breast – boneless, skinless, cut into chicken tenders (long slices)
Vegetable oil for frying
1. Beat the egg with the milk and set aside.
2. Stir together the flour, onion and garlic powders and black pepper. Set this aside.
3. Dip the chicken pieces into the seasoned flour. Move around to coat well, then shake off the excess flour. Dip into the egg wash, coating well, then dip into the cereal mixture,coating well.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet to 325F.
5. Drop coated chicken tenders carefully into the hot oil and cook until golden brown
and fully cooked, 3 to 5 minutes depending on size.
6. Drain and serve with Creole mustard sauce.
Serves 2
Planet Hollywood The Terminator

A popular alcoholic drink at this restaurant chain. It’s very strong but goes down smooth. Please drink responsibly.
½ oz vodka
½ oz white rum
½ oz gin
½ oz Grand Mariner
½ oz Kahlua
2 oz sweet and sour mix
1 oz cranberry juice
1 splash beer
Combine crushed ice with all ingredients, except beer, in a tumbler. Shake. Pour a splash of beer on top and serve with a straw.
Makes 1 serving
Outback Steakhouse Marinated Steak

4 beef steaks
1 c beer
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tsp seasoned salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
1. Place your favorite cut of steak in a shallow pan, pour beer over and marinate for 1 hour in refrigerator.
2. Remove steak from beer.
3. Combine dry ingredients and rub over steaks.
4. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes in refrigerator.
5. Preheat a grill to medium high heat.
6. Grill steaks over a medium high flame until desired doneness.
Serves 4
Tip: For best results, let steak marinate in dry ingredients overnight.
Outback Steakhouse Honey Wheat Bushman Bread

1-1/2 cups water – warmed
2 tbsp butter – softened
½ c honey
2 c bread flour
2 c wheat flour
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp instant coffee
1 tsp salt
2-1/4 tsp yeast
1 tsp caramel color (optional)
3 tbsp cornmeal – for dusting
1. Place all of the ingredients in the bread machine and process on dough setting. The dough will be a little on the wet and sticky side, but if it seems too wet add more flour. When dough is done let it rise for 1 hour.
2. Remove from pan, punch down and divide into 8 portions. Form portions into tubular
shaped loaves about 6 – 8 inches long and 2 inches wide.
3. Sprinkle the entire surface of the loaves with cornmeal and place them on 2 cookie
sheets. Cover and let rise for 1 one hour.
4. Bake at 350F for 20 – 25 minutes. Serve warm with whipped butter.
Makes 1 loaf
Olive Garden Sangria

Sangria is a refreshing party drink that was created in Spain. Every restaurant has its own twist to this fruit drink. We selected this one for its unique taste. Sangria’s appeal is all about taking your favorite red wine, your favorite fruits, and experimenting with them.

1.5 liters of your favorite dry wine
10 oz Grenadine
16 oz cranberry juice cocktail
12 oz sweet vermouth
10 oz sugar water (5 oz sugar diluted)
Strawberries,Oranges, Crushed ice
1. Mix all ingredients except for ice in a nice size pitcher. Pour sangria in glass and then add ice.
2. Serve each glass with fruit.
Makes 1 gallon Tip: You could use orange juice and brandy instead of grenadine and sweet vermouth. Sangria is best served chilled, and goes well with just about anything.
Olive Garden Salad Dressing

½ c distilled white vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp beaten egg
1/3 c water
1/3 c vegetable oil
¼ c corn syrup
3 tbsp grated Romano cheese
2 tbsp dry, unflavored pectin (optional)
1-1/4 tsp salt
½ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ tsp dried parsley
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1. Mix all the ingredients in a blender on low for about 30 seconds.
2. Chill in refrigerator for 90 minutes.
3. Serve over your favorite salad.
Makes 1-1/2 cups
Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli

3 tsp oil
2 lb ground beef
12 oz onion – chopped
14 oz carrots – sliced thinly
14 oz celery – diced
48 oz canned tomatoes – diced
2 c cooked red kidney beans
2 c cooked white kidney beans
80 oz beef stock
3 tsp oregano
2 tsp pepper
5 tsp parsley – chopped
1-1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
48 oz spaghetti sauce
8 oz dry shell macaroni pasta
1. Sauté beef in oil in large 10-qt pot until beef starts to brown. Add onions, carrots,celery and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes.
2. Drain and rinse beans and add to the pot. Also add beef stock, oregano, pepper,
Tabasco, spaghetti and noodles.
3. Add chopped parsley. Simmer until celery and carrots are tender (about 45 min).
Makes 9 quarts of soup.
Serves 10
Macaroni Grill Shrimp Portofino

16 medium mushrooms
2 tsp chopped garlic
½ c butter, melted
16 large shrimp, cleaned
½ tsp pepper
3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed, peeled, minced
¼ c fresh lemon juice
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
4 slices lemon
2 tbsp parsley
1. Saute mushrooms and garlic in butter until almost tender.
2. Add shrimp and sauté until shrimp is cooked, about 3 minutes (be careful not to
overcook).
3. Add the rest of the ingredients except lemon and parsley and heat through.
4. Serve over pasta or rice. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley.
Serves 4
Olive Garden Breadsticks

1 loaf frozen unbaked bread
Pam or cooking oil,Garlic powder,Dry oregano
1. Allowing bread to thaw at room temperature in a greased large mixing bowl.
2. When bread is soft enough to knead, break off pieces and shape into cigar-sized pieces.
3. Place these 3” apart on Pam-sprayed cookie sheets. Let rise in a warm place until
doubled – about 1-1/4 hours.
4. Holding can of Pam about 8” from bread sticks, lightly spray top of each and dust with garlic powder.
5. Bake at 375F about 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Cool in pan on rack a few minutes before serving.
Serves 4 – 6
Tip: Tastes great with an Alfredo or Marinara dipping sauce.
Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo

1-1/2 c white milk
1-1/2 c heavy cream
½ c imported parmesan cheese – grated
½ c imported romano cheese – grated
6 egg yolks, fresh jumbo eggs
Salt and black pepper
½ tsp parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
6 oz dried fettuccine
1. Heat the milk and cream in a heavy bottom saucepan until it comes to a simmer.
2. Slowly whip in the cheeses and then remove from heat.
3. In a separate bowl, place the egg yolks and slowly whip in a portion of the hot milk and cream mixture.
4. Slowly add the egg yolk mixture back into the remaining cream mixture.
5. Season to taste with the salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
6. Cook fettuccine according to package directions.
7. Add cooked fettuccine to saucepan. Sprinkle in garlic powder and stir until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency.
8. Sprinkle with parsley flakes. Serve immediately.
Serves 6
Olive Garden Lasagna

¼ c butter or margarine ½ c grated Romano cheese
¼ c all-purpose flour ½ tsp salt
2 c milk 1 tsp black pepper
¼ c oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, minced 12 lasagna noodles
1 tsp minced garlic 4 c shredded mozzarella cheese
3-1/2c ricotta cheese 1 c fontina cheese
3 eggs Marinara/spaghetti sauce to top
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
1. Melt butter over medium heat in 1-quart saucepan.
2. Add flour and stir until well blended; cook until frothy.
3. Add milk, stirring constantly with wire whisk as mixture comes to a simmer.
4. Cook and stir until thickened (3-4 minutes).
5. Drain and mince tomatoes and place in 3 quart mixing bowl.
6. Add garlic, ricotta eggs, Parmesan, Romano, salt and pepper to bowl.
7. Add 1-1/2 cups of cooled cream sauce and mix until well blended.
8. Place 3 lasagna noodles in a 9” x 13” x 2” lightly oiled baking dish, overlapping
slightly.
9. Spread 1-1/2 cups cheese filling over noodles; sprinkle with one cup mozzarella and ¼ cup fontina cheese.
10. Repeat pasta and cheese layering three more times; top with remaining lasagna
noodles.
11. Spread ½ c of reserved cream sauce over top and cover lightly with aluminum foil.
12. Bake in a 350F oven for 1 hour.
13. Remove from oven and keep warm at least 30 minutes before serving.
14. Serve topped with hot marinara and Parmesan cheese.
Serves 5
McDonald’s Big Mac

“Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.”

1 sesame seed hamburger bun
Half of an additional hamburger bun
2 100% ground beef patties
Dash of salt
1 tap finely diced onion
½ c chopped lettuce
2 slices American cheese
2 to 3 dill pickle slices

Secret Sauce:


¼ c Kraft Miracle Whip
¼ c mayonnaise
2 tbsp heaping Wishbone deluxe French salad dressing
½ tbsp Heinz sweet relish
2 tsp heaping Vlasic dill pickle relish
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried, minced onion
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp ketchup
1/8 tsp salt
1. Mix secret sauce ingredients well in a small container. Microwave for 25 seconds and stir again. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour before using.
2. Cut off the top of the additional hamburger bun leaving behind a flat bun to be used as the middle section for the Big Mac.
3. Cook hamburger patties in pan on medium high until done. Add salt to taste.
4. Spread the sauce on both sides of the middle bun. Stack the burger as follows: bottom bun, burger, additional ingredients, middle bun, burger, additional ingredients, top bun.
Makes 1 hamburger.
Junior’s Famous No.1 Cheesecake

Commonly known as New York’s best cheesecake. It’s really that good. Experience this
historic dessert from Brooklyn, NY. Junior’s cheesecakes can also be ordered online and delivered to your door anywhere in the US – www.JuniorsCheesecake.com .
Thin Sponge Cake Layer for Cheesecake
½ c cake flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 extra-large eggs, separated
1/3 c plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1. Preheat oven to 350F and generously butter a 9-inch springform pan. Sift the cake
flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
2. Beat the egg yolks together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for 3 minutes. Then with the mixer still running, gradually add the 1/3 cup of the sugar and continue beating until thick light yellow ribbons form in the bowl, about 5 minutes more.Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
3. Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand until no more white flecks appear. Then blend in the butter.
4. In a clean bowl, using clean dry beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar
together on high speed until frothy. Gradually add the remaining 2 tbsp sugar and
continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites should stand up in stiff peaks but not be dry). Stir about 1/3 cup of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites – don’t worry if a few white specks remain.
5. Gently spoon the batter into the pan. Bake the cake just until the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched, only about 10 minutes (watch carefully). Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack while you continue making the cheesecake filling. Do not remove the cake from the pan.

For Cream Cheese Filling:


4 (8-ounce) packages regular cream cheese at room temperature
1-2/3 c granulated sugar
¼ c cornstarch
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs
¾ c heavy whipping cream
1. Preheat the oven to 350F and generously butter a 9-inch springform pan. Make the
batter for the sponge cake as the recipe directs. Evenly spread the batter on the bottom of the pan and bake it just until set and golden, about 10 minutes. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool (don’t remove it from the pan).
2. While the cake cools, make the cream cheese filling: Place one 8-ounce package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Then beat in the remaining 3 packages of cream cheese.
3. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat in the remaining 1-1/3 cups of the sugar, and then beat in the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating the batter well after adding each one. Blend in the heavy cream. At this point mix the filling only until completely blended (just like they do at Junior’s). Be careful not to over mix the batter.
4. Gently spoon the cheese filling on top of the baked sponge cake layer. Place the
spring-form pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake the cheesecake until the center barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 hour.
5. Cool the cake on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then cover the cake with plastic wrap and
refrigerate until it’s completely cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the sides of the springform pan. Slide the cake off the bottom of the pan and place it on a serving plate. If any cake is left over, cover it with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Serves 12 to 16
KFC Honey BBQ Wings

2 c Bullseye BBQ Sauce
¾ c honey
1 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
20 chicken drumlets
1. Combine flour, salt, and black pepper in a dish and coat chicken in flour mixture.
2. Heat BBQ sauce and honey in a saucepan. Once warm, reduce heat to simmer.
3. Add oil to deep fryer and heat to 375F. Fry chicken 6 – 8 pieces at a time for 15
minutes or until cooked thoroughly.
4. Drain chicken and smother with BBQ sauce mixture.
5. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Serves 5
KFC Original Recipe Fried Chicken

What’s the secret behind Colonel Saunders’ famous 11 herbs and spices? To this day his secret recipe has never been revealed leaving curious minds to speculate. I’ve tried many different combinations, but there was one that came out tasting exactly like the original.
6 c Crisco cooking oil
1 egg – beaten
2 c milk
2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp black pepper
1-1/2 Accent flavor enhancer
2 frying chickens with skin – cut into 6 pieces
3-1/2 tbsp salt
1. Pour the oil into a pressure fryer and heat on medium to 400 degrees.
2. Combine the egg and milk in a bowl.
3. In a different, bowl, combine the remaining four dry ingredients.
4. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg and milk mixture until fully moistened.
5. Roll the moistened chicken in the flour mixture until completely smothered.
6. Drop in 4 pieces of chicken in the oil and lock the lid in place. Be careful not to burn yourself with the hot oil.
7. Cook for 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.
8. Once cooked, release the pressure according to manufacturer’s instructions and remove the chicken to paper towels or metal rack to drain.
9. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Makes 12 pieces.

Tip: Make sure the oil is at 400 degrees before frying chicken. To avoid making a mess,use utensils when dipping chicken. Quickly lock the lid on the pressure fryer once all pieces of chicken have been added.
Macaroni Grill Insalata Florentine

Fully loaded salad with spinach, orzo pasta, grilled chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, capers,pine nuts, black olives, garlic lemon vinaigrette and Parmesan.
3 oz julienne-shredded fresh spinach
3 oz grilled chicken, sliced and chilled
1 oz ripe Roma tomatoes, diced
½ oz pine nuts, lightly toasted
½ oz sun-dried tomatoes, julienne cut
½ oz capers
½ oz black olives
½ oz julienne-cut radicchio
5 oz orzo pasta, cooked and chilled
3 oz roasted, garlic lemon vinaigrette
¼ oz shaved Grana Padana Parmesan
Fresh cracked pepper, for garnish
1. In the order listed, place all ingredients, except Parmesan cheese, in a chilled mixing bowl.
2. Toss and serve in a bowl. Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese and fresh cracked
pepper.
Macaroni Grill Pasta Ganberetie E Pinoli

Shrimp, mushrooms, pine nuts, spinach and lemon butter with pasta. Retail price - $12.99
per plate. Our version of the recipe serves 2.
2 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp chilled unsalted butter
2 tsp garlic, minced
12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
¼ c dry white wine
½ heavy cream
1/3 c fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Salt and white pepper to taste
2 tbsp plain dry bread crumbs
5-1/2 c fresh spinach, washed
1 (6 oz) box angel hair pasta
1 tbsp toasted pine nuts
1. In a large non-reactive skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds.
2. Add the shrimp and sauté about 30 seconds or until the shrimp is just half cooked.
3. Add the wine and, using a wooden spoon, stir to loosen any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Let cook 2 minutes, stirring, to finish cooking the shrimp and reduce the liquid. Remove the shrimp to a warm plate and cover with foil.
4. Add the heavy cream to the pan and let cook 3 minutes to reduce. Stir in the lemon
juice. Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining chilled butter, 1 tbsp at a
time, stirring in the next piece after the one before it has just melted.
5. Season with the salt and pepper and stir in the bread crumbs. Return the pan to the heat, add the spinach and cook, stirring, 1-1/2 minutes or jut until the spinach has wilted.
6. Add the shrimp and stir to coat and heat through.
7. To serve, divide the angel-hair pasta between two warmed serving dishes or bowls.
Arrange the shrimp on top, spoon the remaining contents of the pan equally over the tops and sprinkle with the pine nuts.

To toast the pine nuts:


1. Spread nuts in a single layer on a baking pan and bake in a preheated 350F oven 6-8 minutes or until slightly browned. Shake the pan once or twice to toast the nuts evenly.
Serves 2

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Frank’s Catfish Frangelica

The perfect broiled catfish filet. . .the drippings from the pan. . .tantalizing parsley and thinly sliced green onions sprinkled over the top. . . and Italian hazelnut liqueur thickened into the sauce. That’s how it’s all got to come together if you want. . .

Ingredients:
8 catfish filets
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. steak salt
3 Tbsp. lemon pepper
2 Tbsp. paprika
½ cup Chardonnay or Chablis white wine
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/3 cup minced parsley
1/3 cup butter
1 Tbsp. gravy flour
2-4 Tbsp. Frangelica

Instructions:
The basis for this entire recipe is "perfectly broiled fish filets." So the first thing you want to do is to set your oven to "broil" and arrange the top oven rack so that it rests about 4 inches from the heating element, whether it be electricity or gas.
While the oven is preheating, take the catfish filets, lay them out on a piece of waxed paper on the countertop, and pat them dry on both sides with a couple of high-absorbency paper towels. Then with a pastry brush, lightly brush on the olive oil so that it completely coats each filet—this is the base to which the seasonings will adhere.

Next, lightly but evenly sprinkle each filet with onion powder, garlic powder, steak salt, lemon pepper, and paprika. When all the seasonings are on, take you hand and rub them into the filets. When all the filets are done, turn them over and repeat the entire process on the other side.

At this stage, the filets are ready to be placed in the broiling pan. But before they are. . .

First spray each pan with a light coating of Pam or Vegelene.
Then take a sharp knife and cut diamond-shaped diagonals in the top of each filet, slicing so that the depth of the cuts goes about halfway through (this allows the fish to broil quicker and more evenly).
Then carefully place all of the filets in the pan—but be sure that they don’t touch!
Then liberally drizzle each of the filets with about a tablespoon of the white wine.
And finally slide the pan under the broiler!
When the fish have cooked for about 6 to 8 minutes (or when they flake easily when tested with a fork), they’re done. At this point, immediately pour off into a sauté skillet the pan drippings from the filets (but go ahead and cover the filets with a sheet of aluminum foil, reduce the oven temperature to low, and temporarily slide them back into the oven to keep them warm).

Then, over medium heat on top of the stove, bring the drippings to a gentle boil and whisk in the butter. When it completely melts, stir in the parsley, the green onions, the gravy flour, and the Frangelica liqueur. Then—continually stirring—simmer the resultant sauce for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it turns silky smooth.

When you’re ready to serve the dish, place a filet or two on a warm dinner plate and spoon a little of the Frangelica sauce over each filet. I find that the recipe goes best with pan-roasted creamer potatoes, a cold Caesar salad, bread sticks, and a chilled glass of Chardonnay!


Chef's Notes:


1. The quantity of seasonings in the ingredient list is only a guideline. They’re going to be sprinkled on, so if you need more use more, and if you need less use less.
2. Steak salt is a coarse seasoned salt packaged by Trader’s Choice. If you can’t find it where you shop, go ahead and eliminate it and lightly increase the lemon pepper.

3. Not only Frangelica but practically any liqueur you like—Amaretto, Triple Sec, Herbsaint—can be used in this recipe to create a gourmet topping sauce. I suggest you stir in whatever liqueur you use a little at a time. If you want a lighter flavor, use less; if you want a heavier taste, use more. It’s always easy to add more.

4. Don’t over-broil the fish! First it will toughen the filet, but more importantly it will evaporate the pan drippings and you won’t have a baseline for the sauce.

5. If you need to extend the sauce, you can add extra wine or chicken broth to the sauté pan. But you shouldn’t have to do this if you broil the fish properly!

6. To make this dish low-fat, substitute "I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter" spray for the olive oil at the beginning and substitute about half a can of fat free creamed soup (Cream of Shrimp, Cream of Mushroom, Cream of Chicken) for the butter in the sauce
Frank’s Slap-Yo-Momma Boiled Brisket

Instead of baking, broiling, grilling, or barbecuing your brisket, try fixin’ it this way. It’s the epitome of simplicity, the flavor is phenomenal, and—if that don’t beat all!—it’s good for you and healthy too! Of course, once you go slathering on the creamed horseradish sauce and drizzling on all that melted butter over the potatoes and green beans that come with it. . .well, forget I even brought it up!
6-8 lb. beef brisket, trimmed
1 gallon bottled water
3 Tbsp. pickling spice
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
3 tsp. salt
4 bay leaves
3 small onions, peeled and quartered
6 cloves garlic, whole
4 ribs of celery, chunked
1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
10 medium size red potatoes, peeled and halved
6 carrots, peeled and chunked
2 small cabbages
1 bunch broccoli
2 lbs. fresh green beans
2/3 cup creamy horseradish
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tub soft margarine
12 hot-baked Pee Wee French Breads
First, wash the brisket thoroughly under cold running water. When all of the “slick” has been removed from the surface (and you can feel the difference on your hands once it’s gone), set the brisket aside so that you can prepare the poaching broth.
Start by pouring a full gallon of bottled water into a large oval roaster and setting it over a medium-high flame. Then drop in the pickling spice, peppercorns, salt, bay leaves, onions, garlic cloves, celery, and parsley and stir everything together completely. When the water comes to a boil, reduce the fire and allow the broth to simmer for about 15 minutes (covered) so that a flavored poaching stock develops.
When the simmering time is up, place the brisket into the roaster, cover it again, and allow it to cook over a low heat—actually a very gentle bubble—for about 4 to 5 hours until tender. It will be necessary to skim the broth occasionally to remove the “beef scum” that forms periodically. When doing this, though, it’s also a good idea to check the level of the poaching broth for evaporation—ideally you want the liquid to just barely cover the meat.

I suggest you remove the lid from the roaster about a half-dozen or so times during the total cooking time to taste the flavor of the broth, adding whatever it takes as the cooking process continues. Depending on the quality of the beef, it could take extra salt, or pepper, or onions, or whatever. Let your personal preference be the determining factor.

Now, to do a complete one-dish meal (actually, a one-pot meal is probably more like it!), I recommend that you add potatoes, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, and green beans to the oval roaster on top of the brisket during the final 30 minutes of cooking. Then replace the cover and allow the veggies to simmer until they become tender crisp.

When you’re ready to eat, serve the beef and vegetables piping hot together. To do this easily, first remove the vegetables from on top of the brisket and place them into a large Pyrex bowl. Then with two large meat forks (because the brisket will be so tender at this point it will fall apart if you try to use only one), lift the beef from the roaster and place it on a cutting board. For best results, carve it into thin slices across the grain while it is still hot.

Finally, place several slices of meat into each serving bowl, top them with an assortment of poached veggies,and pour on a ladleful of the pot liquor. A hot buttered French bread peewee roll, a tablespoon or so of creamed horseradish sauce, and a frosty glass of iced tea rounds out the meal.
------------
Chef’s Notes:

To make the creamed horseradish sauce, whisk together with a wire whip the creamy horseradish and the heavy whipping cream, along with a tad extra salt to taste.
For this recipe, you can choose either a plain raw brisket from the meat department of your supermarket or opt for the pre-seasoned “corned beef” style brisket. Whichever one you choose be sure to wash it thoroughly under cool running water before putting it into the poaching pot (especially if you selected one that has been
pre-cured). Make sure you trim away as much of the fat from the brisket as possible before placing it into the poaching stock. As it cooks, you might also take time to skim off the “scum” and the excess fat that collects from time to time on the surface.

If you buy a pre-seasoned brisket—corned beef style—reduce the amount of salt you put into the poaching broth. You might also want to cut back slightly on the pickling spices.
Applebee's French Onion Soup

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 medium white onions, sliced
8 cups good quality beef broth
1 cup water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 hamburger buns
10 slices provolone cheese
10 teaspoons shredded parmesan cheese
Heat vegetable oil in a large soup pot or saucepan over medium high
heat. Add the sliced onions and saute for 20 minutes until the onions
begin to soften and start to become translucent. Add the beef broth,
water, salt, garlic powder and black pepper to the pan and bring the
mixture to a boil. When soup begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer
for 45 minutes.

To make the croutons, separate the bottoms from tops of the hamburger
buns. Set aside the bottoms, and cut the crown of the tops to make them
the same size and shape as the bottoms. This gives you 10 BIG croutons.
Preheat oven to 325F. Place the bread in the the oven directly on the
rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until each piece is golden brown
and crispy. Set aside.

When the soup is done, spoon about 1 cup into an oven−safe bowl. Float
a crouton on top of the soup, then place a slice of provolone cheese
on top of the crouton. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of shredded parmesan cheese
over the provolone. Place the bowl into your oven set to high broil.
Broil the soup for 5 to 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted and
starting to brown (you may need to broil longer if you are making more
than one bowl at a time). Sprinkle an additional 1/2 teaspoon of shredded
parmesan cheese over the top of the soup and serve. Repeat for the
remaining bowls.

Applebee's French Onion Soup 3
A&W Chili Dogs

1 Sabrett brand 2 ounce beef frankfurter (7 1/2" long)
1 regular hot dog roll
3 Tablespoons A&W Coney Island Sauce (see recipe below)
1 Tablespoon chopped white onion
1/2 Tablespoon Kraft shredded mild cheddar cheese (optional)

A&W Coney Island Chili Dog Sauce:

1 pound ground chuck
1 − 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 Cup water
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 Tablespoon dried, minced onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (heaping)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
In a 2 qt. saucepan, brown the ground chuck, breaking into very
small pieces. Salt and pepper lightly while cooking. Do not drain
the fat. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, 30−45
minutes until it thickens. Stir occasionally. Allow to cool, cover,
and refrigerate until ready to use.
Bring a 2 qt. saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Remove the
saucepan from the heat, and add the desired number of frankfurters
to the water. Cover and let sit about 10 minutes. After the franks
are done, microwave the desired amount of chili dog sauce until
steaming. Then microwave each roll 10 seconds, just enough to warm.
Remove the cooked franks with tongs, and place on the microwaved
hot dog roll. Add about 3 Tablespoons of your prepared sauce and
the chopped onion. Grated cheddar cheese is optional.

A&W Chili Dogs 4
Bob's Big Boy

1 pound ground chuck
8 jumbo sesame seed buns
1 cup shredded lettuce
4 slices real American cheese ,salt

Sauce:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons sweet relish
2 Tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons water
In a small container, combine the mayo, relish, ketchup, and water.
Set aside. This is your Big Boy sauce.
Carefully form the beef into eight equal sized, round patties about
4" in diameter. Do this on waxed paper. Discard the top half of four
of the eight buns. Toast the the buns until golden. The extra bottom,
or "heal" is your middle bun, or "club".
After the buns are toasted, grill your freshly formed beef patties.
Salt liberally. Cook for about two minutes, then turn and add another
dash of salt. Cook for about another two minutes.
While the beef is cooking, dress your Big Boy buns as follows:
Put half the sauce on the toasted bottom, and the other half on the
middle, adding 1/8 cup of lettuce to each. The slice of cheese goes
on top of the lettuce on the true bottom bun.
When the beef is done, drain excess fat by tilting the patty to the
side while holding it to the spatula with your free hand. Put one
patty on each dressed bun, stack the center (non−cheese) patty/bun
on top of the bottom (cheesed) patty/bun. Finish by placing the
toasted crowns on top.

Bob's Big Boy 5
Bob Evan's Cheddar Baked Potato Soup

1 can Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 can chicken broth
1 pound grated Cheddar Cheese
4 cups whole milk + 1 soup can
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
Salt, Pepper, Onion powder and Garlic salt − 1/2 teaspoon each
7 medium potatoes, diced to 1" and boiled Add soup, 1/2 can broth, 1 can milk, and stir. Add in cheese, and milk. Stir in cornstarch with rest of broth, add to soup. Add spices and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15−20 minutes.
Add boiled potatoes, and simmer 15 minutes more. Top with chives and bacon bits. For the best taste, let cool and reheat.
Burger King's Breakfast Sandwiches

For the eggs, you will need to create a ring to make them
perfectly round (same as with an Egg McMuffin). Just cut both
ends off tuna cans, clean thoroughly, and you will have a mold
to use. Be sure to use non−stick spray around the sides that
touch the egg. When they're time to flip over, left the can
up and loosen the egg from the can with a knife.

For The Biscuit Sandwich:

Use Pillsbury "Grands" Buttermilk Biscuits (Five biscuits per can)
1 Egg per biscuit
2 oz. ground breakfast sausage per biscuit, or two slices bacon
1 slice American cheese per biscuit
Prepare biscuits according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, cook bacon and/or sausage. Flatten the sausage out
to be about the same diameter as your tuna cans, and cook.
Beat each egg individually and fry using the molds. Salt and
pepper to your taste.
To assemble, slice biscuit in half; on the bottom, place the egg,
then sausage/bacon, topped with a cheese slice, and then top half
of biscuit. Microwave for about 30 seconds to melt the cheese.

For the Croissanwich:

To prepare the large croissants, use 1 − 8 ounce can of Pillsbury
Original Crescent Rolls (normally, 8 rolls). Open the can and
separate the dough into four squares (two rolls per square). Take
one square, separate the pieces and turn one 180 degrees around to
form a large triangle. Pinch the dough in the middle to seal, and
roll up starting with the wide end. Then, take both ends and bring
together to form a tight circle. Repeat with others and cook
according to instructions. Top in the same manner as biscuits.

Burger King's Breakfast Sandwiches 8
El Pollo Loco (Pollo Asada)

1 whole chicken
1 c white wine vinegar
1 c olive oil
½ c white wine
Dash of oregano
Dash of thyme
Dash of salt
10 mm garlic – minced
1-1/2 tsp hot sauce
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add chicken to the bowl, cover.
3. Marinate several hours in refrigerator – overnight works best.
4. Grill chickens slowly until done.
5. Serve with Mexican rice and beans or in a soft tortilla.
Serves 4
El Pollo Loco Chicken

El Pollo Loco, pronounced “L-Po-yo Lo-co” is Spanish for “The Crazy Chicken”. This
restaurant started out in 1975 as a roadside chicken stand in Mexico. Its success spread rapidly throughout Mexico and into the US. Billed as “a wholesome, delicious alternative to traditional fast food fare.”

1 whole frying chicken – quartered
2 c water
1 tsp lime juice
2 tbsp pineapple juice
1 clove garlic
4 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 pinch of ground saffron
1. Combine water, garlic, salt, pepper and saffron in a blender on high speed for 15 – 20 minutes. Add lime juice and pineapple juice to the mix and blend for an additional 5 seconds.
2. Place mixture in a bowl. Add in chicken and let it marinade for one hour.
3. Preheat grill to a low flame.
4. Cook chicken on the grill over a low flame for about 45 minutes or until the skin is golden and crispy. Turn the chicken frequently as it cooks and try not to let the flame blacken the chicken before the center is cooked.
Serves 4 - 6
Dairy Queen Health Blizzard

2 Heath candy bars – frozen
½ c milk
4 c vanilla ice cream
2 tsp fudge topping
1. Bash candy into small pieces before removing it from wrapper.
2. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until it’s mixed nice and creamy.
3. To increase thickness, place in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.
Makes 2 – 3 servings
Tip: You can also make this delicious dessert with: Butterfinger candy bars, Oreo
cookies, and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. For a reduced fat treat use vanilla frozen yogurt and low fat milk.
Cinnabon Cinnamon Buns

Warm dough, filled with cinnamon, topped with freshly made sweet glaze frosting. A
delicious and irresistible treat.
1 cup 110 degree water 8 cups all-purpose flour
(2) .25oz pkts active dry yeast 3 tbsp ground cinnamon
2-1/2 cups + t tsp granulated sugar – divided 1-1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup warm milk 4 cups powdered sugar
2-1/3 cup melted margarine – divided 2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tap salt 1 tsp maple extract
2 eggs – slightly beaten 6 tbsp hot water
1. Dissolve yeast and 1 tsp sugar in warm water; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix 2/3 c sugar, milk, 2/3 c margarine, salt, and eggs; stir and add to yeast mixture.
3. Add half the flour and beat until smooth.
4. Stir in enough of the remaining flour until dough in slightly stiff.
5. Turn out onto a well-floured board and knead for 8 minutes.
6. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 – 1-1/2 hours.
7. Punch down dough and let rest for 5 minutes.
8. Roll out dough on floured surface into a 15’ x 20’ rectangle.
9. Brush ½ c melted margarine over dough.
10. Mix together 1-1/2 c sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough.
11. Sprinkle with nuts, if desired.
12. Roll up dough and pinch edge together to seal.
13. Cut the roll into 12 – 15 slices.
14. Coat bottom of 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan with ½ c melted margarine, then sprinkle with 1/3 c sugar.
15. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in pan – cover pan and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
16. Bake in a 350F oven for 25 – 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
17. Stir together 2/3 c melted margarine, powdered sugar and extracts.
18. Stir in hot water, 1 tbsp at a time, until glaze reaches desired spreading consistency.
19. Spread prepared icing over slightly cooled rolls.
Serves 12 – 15
Tip: If you don’t have granulated sugar, substitute with 1 c packed brown sugar or 2 c sifted powdered sugar which equals 1 c granulated sugar.
Chili’s Southwest Chicken Chili

¼ c vegetable oil
½ c diced onions
1-1/3 cup diced green bell pepper
2 tbsp diced seeded jalapeno pepper
3 tbsp fresh minced garlic
4-1/2 c water
8 tsp chicken base
2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp sugar
3 tsp cornstarch
3 tbsp ground cumin
2-1/2 tbsp ground chili powder
4 tsp ground paprika
4 tsp dried basil
2 tsp freshly minced cilantro
1-1/2 tsp ground red pepper
½ tsp ground oregano
½ c crushed canned tomatillos
1 can diced green chilis (4oz), drained
2 cans navy or small white beans (15oz ea)
1 can dark red kidney beans (15oz) drained
3 lb diced cooked chicken breast
Garnish – shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips
1. In 5-qt or larger pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté along with bell peppers, jalapeno and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender.
2. In another container, combine water, chicken base, lime juice, sugar, cornstarch and seasonings. Add to vegetable mixture.
3. Add tomatillos and diced green chilies to pot; bring to boil. Add beans and chicken,simmer 10 minutes.
4. Serve with topped shredded cheese and sour cream if desired, with tortilla chips on the side.
Serves 4

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

IHOP Pancakes

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, stirred or sifted before measuring
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 egg – slightly beaten
1-1/4 c buttermilk
2 tbsp melted butter
¼ c granulated sugar
1.Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, combine egg and buttermilk. Add to flour mixture, stirring only until smooth.
3. Blend in melted butter and sugar.
4. Cook on a preheated, greased griddle, using about ¼ cup of batter for each pancake. Drop batter on griddle in 5 inch wide segments.
5. Cook until brown on one side and around edge; turn and brown on the other side.
Serves 4
Hard Rock Café Shrimp Fajitas

1 lb medium shrimp, shelled
1 c chopped cilantro
2 cloves minced garlic
1/3 c lime juice
4 (9-inch) flour tortillas
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
½ c sour cream
1. Stir together shrimp, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil and place in a 350F oven until hot (about 15 minutes).
3. Heat oil in a wide nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until limp (about 10 minutes). Remove vegetables and keep warm.
4. Add shrimp mixture to pan, increase heat to high and cook, stirring often, until shrimp are opaque in center; cut test (about 3 minutes). Return vegetables to pan, stirring to mix with shrimp.
5. Spoon shrimp mixture into tortillas, top with sour cream, and roll up.
Serves 4
Hard Rock Café Potato Soup

8 slices bacon
1 c diced yellow onions
2/3 c flour
6 c hot chicken stock
4 c diced baked potato – peeled
2 c heavy cream
¼ c chopped parsley
1-1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1-1/2 tsp dried basil
1-1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp red pepper sauce
1-1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
1 c grated cheddar cheese
¼ c diced green onions
Garnish – grated cheese, chopped parsley and bacon bits
1. Fry bacon bits until crisp. Chop bacon and reserve drippings. Cook onions in
remaining drippings over medium-high heat until transparent, about 3 minutes.
2. Add in flour. Stir frequently to prevent lumps. Cook for 3 – 5 minutes or until mix becomes golden.
3. Gradually add in chicken stock and let cook until liquid thickens.
4. Reduce heat to simmer and add potatoes, cream, chopped bacon, parsley, garlic, basil,salt, pepper sauce and black pepper. Let simmer for 8 – 10 minutes.
5. Add in grated cheese and green onions and simmer until cheese melts smoothly.
Garnish each serving as desired with bacon bits, grated cheese and chopped parsley.
Serves 8
Hard Rock Café Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This traditional chicken noodle soup is a classic American dish. Cut the chicken pieces to your desired thickness to make it more or less “chunky”. Serve with soup crackers.
1 lb chicken breast fillets
1 lb chicken thigh fillets
Vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter
1 c chopped onion
½ c diced celery
4 c chicken stock
2 c water
1 cup sliced carrot
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp minced fresh parsley
2 c egg noodles
Minced fresh parsley for garnish
2 c of soup crackers
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil. Add the chicken and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven – set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and lightly sauté for 4 minutes.
4. Dice the chicken into small pieces and add it to the pot along with the remaining
ingredients, except the noodles.
5. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Add the noodles and simmer for an additional 15 minutes, or until the noodles are
tender. Serve with a pinch of diced fresh parsley sprinkled on top and with soup crackers.
Serves 6
Hard Rock Café BBQ Beans

Hard Rock Café was started in 1971 in London as a “specialty theme” restaurant
catering to Rock & Roll lovers worldwide. They have become the world’s leading
collector and exhibitor of Rock & Roll memorabilia which can be seen on display in their restaurants. All this and great food as well.

2 (15oz) cans pinto beans (with liquid)
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp cornstarch
½ c ketchup
1/3 c white vinegar
¼ c brown sugar
2 tbsp diced onion
1 tsp prepared mustard
½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp coarse ground black pepper
½ c cooked bacon
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Pour entire contents of the can of pinto beans into a casserole dish.
3. Dissolve the cornstarch in a small bowl with the 2 tbsp of water. Add this solution to the beans and stir.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the dish, stir well and cover.
5. Bake for 90 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Stir every 30 minutes. After removing the beans from the oven, let the beans cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 6

Monday, February 19, 2007

Joe’s Crab Shack Etoufee

1 tsp chopped garlic
¾ c diced onion
¼ c diced celery
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp ground mustard seed
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
12 oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup
½ c condensed cream of celery soup
1 c water
½ lb crawfish meat of ½ lb cubed chicken or ½ lb raw, peeled shrimp
3 tbsp sliced green onions
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 c Rice Pilaf
1. Saute garlic, onion, celery, and green pepper in butter until soft.
2. Stir in spices, soups, water, and meat of your choice.
3. Bring to simmer and continue cooking until meat is cooked through.
4. Stir in green onion and parsley.
5. Scoop ½ c rice pilaf into center of 6 bowls or soup plates.
6. Pour Etoufee over rice.
Serves 6
Tip: The literal translation of the French word “Etoufee” (pronounced AY-too-FAY)
means “smothered” – as in smothered in lots of rich sauce.
Joe’s Crab Shack Stuffed Shrimp Enbrochette

20 jumbo raw shrimp – peeled, deveined
½ c Seafood Stuffing like Joe’s Crab Shack (SEE BELOW)
10 jalapeno slices – halved
2 slices Monterey Jack cheese – cut into 20 equal-size pieces
1 lb raw thin sliced bacon
1. Slice shrimp down the middle of the opposite side you deveined.
2. Lay shrimp cut side up and press 1 tsp prepared stuffing into each shrimp.
3. Place a piece of cheese over the stuffing on each shrimp.
4. Wrap each stuffed shrimp in a strip of bacon.
5. Thread 5 shrimp on a bamboo skewer; repeat with remaining shrimp.
6. Deep fry shrimp in 400 degree oil until bacon is browned or grill shrimp over a high flame, turning once, until bacon is browned or broil shrimp, turning once, until bacon is browned.
Serves 4
Tip: If you like scallops, you can substitute the shrimp with scallops minus the seafood stuffing. The bacon gives this recipe such a wonderful flavor.

Seafood Stuffing like Joe’s Crab Shack

¼ c margarine 1 oz shrimp base
½ bunch celery – trimmed, diced ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
3 large onions – diced ¼ tsp white pepper
1-1/2 tsp minced garlic 2 cups unseasoned croutons
½ lb Pollock fillets ¼ c seasoned bread crumbs
½ lb salad shrimp – chopped ½ lb crab claw meat
-Saute celery, onion, and garlic in margarine until translucent.
-Add Pollock and cook for 5 – 7 minutes.
-Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes.
-Drain most (but not all) of liquid from pan.
-Stir in shrimp sauce and peppers.
-Fold in croutons and breadcrumbs.
-Fold in crab meat.
Serves 8
Joe’s Crab Shack Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms

16 large mushroom caps
1-1/4 c Seafood stuffing (recipe below)
1 c Alfredo sauce
¼ c grated Parmesan cheese
Garlic toast for dipping
1. Place mushroom caps (stern side up) in an overproof baking dish.
2. Spoon 1 tbsp hot stuffing into each cap.
3. Pour Alfredo sauce over stuffed mushrooms.
4. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.
5. Broil for 8 – 10 minutes, or until top is browned.
6. Serve with garlic toast for dipping.

Seafood Stuffing like Joe’s Crab Shack

¼ c margarine 1 oz shrimp base
½ bunch celery – trimmed, diced ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
3 large onions – diced ¼ tsp white pepper
1-1/2 tsp minced garlic 2 cups unseasoned croutons
½ lb Pollock fillets ¼ c seasoned bread crumbs
½ lb salad shrimp – chopped ½ lb crab claw meat
-Saute celery, onion, and garlic in margarine until translucent.
-Add Pollock and cook for 5 – 7 minutes.
-Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes.
-Drain most (but not all) of liquid from pan.
-Stir in shrimp sauce and peppers.
-Fold in croutons and breadcrumbs.
-Fold in crab meat.
Serves 8
Joe’s Crab Shack Rice Pilaf

1-2/3 c water
1 tbsp butter
1 bay laf
¼ tsp white pepper
1-1/3 c rice
1 tsp butter
¼ c chopped celery
¼ chopped onion
¼ c chopped red bell pepper
½ tsp minced garlic
1. Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in saucepan.
2. Add rice, cover and cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
3. Sauté celery, onion, peppers and garlic in butter until tender.
4. Stir sautéed vegetables into rice.
Serves 6
Joe’s Crab Shack Crab Cakes

A must have recipe for seafood lovers. Serve as an appetizer
with tarter sauce or Dijonaise sauce for dipping.
1 egg yolk
1/3 c mayonnaise
2-1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp black pepper
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
¼ tsp Old Bay seasoning
¼ tsp salt
1-1/4 c fresh breadcrumbs
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 lb crab meat
Flour – to coat
1. Beat together first 9 ingredients.
2. Fold in breadcrumbs and parsley.
3. Fold in crab meat.
4. Form into 4 – 6 patties.
5. Lightly coat patties in flour on both sides.
6. Deep-fry crab cakes in 350 degree oil until browned.
Serves 4 - 6

Saturday, February 17, 2007

MawMaw-Made, Back-O-Town Gumbo

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 lbs. smoked sausage, small diced
2 lbs. frozen cut okra
2 cups onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. small mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup parsley, minced
1/2 to 3/4 cups prepared roux (as needed)*
2 qts. chicken broth + 2 qts. water (as needed)
1 can tomato sauce, 16-oz.
6-8 skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and washed
2 Tbsp. Kitchen Bouquet
2 Tbsp. Frank Davis Complete Seafood Boil
3 Tbsp. Frank Davis Seafood Seasoning
1 tsp. ground thyme
2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
5 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. salt (if needed)
1 Tbsp. coarse-ground black pepper
1 dozen crabs, raw and cleaned
3 lbs. whole shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb. crawfish tails, pre-cooked
1/4 cup parsley, minced
6-8 cups long grain rice, cooked
Gumbo File for garnish
1 box saltine crackers

Experience has taught me over the years that a good gumbo always comes together best when you prepare everything in advance. For example, you should totally defrost the okra in the sink in a colander; clean, wash, and crack the crabs; have all the seasoning vegetables chopped and measured out; and cut up the sausage, butterfly the shrimp, and prep the chicken long before you ever put a skillet on the stove top. Doing this before you begin cooking will keep you from rushing around the kitchen while you're building your gumbo.

So okay, assuming you got everything ready to go, the first thing you want to do is select the right size pot. It should be nothing less than 10 quarts in capacity. A big spaghetti cooker or a canner is ideal for gumbos because they give you room to stir ingredients without crowding them.
One more thing. Procedure here is important. So to get quality, be sure not to skip or short-cut any of the steps.

First off, put the pot on a high fire, add the quarter cup of cooking oil, and toss in the smoked sausage. Fry this really well-it's the base for browning the okra.

Next, without removing the sausage add all of the okra and fry it well too. Plan on this taking you about 20 minutes-it's going to require about that long to cut the amount of "rope" (slime) which will be secreted by the okra. But note: when you add the okra, reduce the heat to medium so that the vegetable doesn't burn. And keep stirring constantly!

When the okra is ready, add to the pot the onions, celery, garlic, mushrooms, parsley, and about half of the prepared roux.

Once they're totally combined in the mix, pour in the chicken broth along with one quart of water, the chicken thighs, and the tomato sauce, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the mixture-stirring occasionally-for about 10 minutes.

At this point it's time to stir in the seafood boil, seafood seasoning, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper, and the bay leaves. Then once more thoroughly blend the ingredients, cover the pot, and simmer again for another 10 to 15 minutes.

At this point, add all the remaining ingredients except the parsley and the rice-the cracked crabs, the peeled shrimp, and the crawfish tails.

Then one more time, stir everything again; you want to create the perfect blend in the pot. Note that at this stage the gumbo liquid should be brownish in color with a reddish tinge, and the okra should be broken up and suspended in solution.

Now cover the pot and continue to simmer the gumbo on low heat for about 20 more minutes (you can stir in a little extra prepared roux any time you want to if you'd like the consistency to be thicker). During this period stir the liquid about 3 times to keep the contents uniformly mixed and re-adjust the salt and black pepper content to your taste.

When the gumbo is done, take the pot off the fire and set it aside but leave the cover on for 20 more minutes. This will allow the seasonings to blend fully-remember the gumbo won't taste like MawMaw's homemade stuff unless you let it set.

Finally, after it has cooled slightly, you can either toss the steamed rice into the pot and stir it all together or ladle the gumbo over separate bowls of steamed rice (which is my favorite way and the traditional way to do it).

I suggest you serve it piping hot alongside a plate of multi-grain saltine crackers. A little parsley and some file` sprinkled over the top makes a nice garnish.

=====

Chef's Notes:


1-To make a prepared roux, whisk together over medium heat in a heavy skillet 1/4 cup vegetable oil and 1/3 cup all purpose flour and cook the mixture until it transforms to a silky smooth lustrous deep tan color. Prepared roux can be kept in the refrigerator for about two weeks or so.


2-Just like etouffee, jambalaya, and red beans and rice, gumbo is always better the next day. Of course, it's awfully hard to get folks to wait 24 hours to eat when you got something this good!


3-If you'd prefer to use canned okra instead of frozen okra, it's okay. Just substitute 3 cans of drained okra for the 2 pounds of frozen counterpart.


4-To clean the crabs, remove the top shell, cut out the eyes and mouth, scrape away the gills, brush away the innards , and cut off the back flap. Then wash the crabs thoroughly under cold running water. They're ready at this point to be dropped into the gumbo. Note: you can either leave the legs on or snip them off-the choice is up to you.

5-Oh, and you want to be careful not to make the gumbo too watery at the outset, because you got to remember that once you add the shrimp and the crawfish the moisture rendered from the seafood will thin out the base.
Frank's Seafood Gourmet Gumbo

A couple pounds of shrimp, about a pint or two of crawfish tails with the fat, maybe a dozen or so cracked and cleaned blue crabs right from the bayou, and a whole bunch of spicy Cajun country sausage-drop all that into a richly seasoned stock made with a dark brown roux, simmer it slowly over low heat, serve it piping hot in deep bowls filled with steamed rice, top it with a sprinkling of home-ground file, and you got one of the best South Louisiana gumbos ever.

Ingredients:
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup all purpose flour
1-1/2 lbs. country sausage, precooked
2 cups onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ lb. mushrooms, chopped
2 quarts heavy chicken stock
2 quarts heavy shrimp stock
2 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
14 small blue crabs, cleaned and halved
2 lbs. medium shrimp, cut in chunks
2 lbs. crawfish tails with fat
3 tsp. Frank Davis Seafood Seasoning
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
Salt and black pepper to taste
6-8 cups steamed rice
½ cup parsley for garnish


Instructions:
First. . .you make a roux! Take a heavy-bottom stockpot, combine the quarter-cup each of oil and flour, and whisk them together over medium-high heat until the flour turns a rich dark brown—but don’t let it scorch! This is one of those culinary processes that requires your constant attention. Do not leave the pot! Do not talk on the phone! Do not go to the bathroom! Just keep whisking "figure eights" into the hot roux until you get the color you’re looking for!!

Then, when the roux is "right," drop in the sausage, the onions, the celery, the bell pepper, the garlic, and the mushrooms and uniformly stir everything together. This mixture should cook—stirring every so often—for about 10 minutes to soften the veggies. Note that the temperature of the roux will drop as the vegetables cook in the residual heat. The dropping temperatures also stop the browning effect of the roux. So it is important not to stir in the vegetables until you have the roux color you want.

Next, it’s time to start building "gumbo."

With the pot still on the stovetop, one at a time pour in both the chicken stock and the shrimp stock and work the broths into the roux and vegetable base. If you did everything right up to this point, the gumbo base should not be watery, but it should not be thick and pasty either. Now drop in the Kitchen Bouquet, the bay leaves, the red pepper flakes, and the cracked crab pieces.

Once again, stir everything together. Then reduce the fire to medium-low and simmer the crabs for about 20-25 minutes or so. This is also the time when you should adjust the liquid in the gumbo. If the roux has thickened the base too much, simply add extra water or chicken stock to lighten it up; if the roux hasn’t thickened the base enough, just leave the cover off the pot and allow some of the stock to evaporate.

At this point, add the remaining ingredients to the pot—the shrimp, the crawfish tails, the seafood seasoning, and the green onions. Then after stirring everything one more time, put the lid on the pot and simmer the gumbo for about 15 minutes more. About five minutes before you’re ready to serve, re-season the mixture with salt and black pepper to taste. And when you’re ready to eat, generously ladle the gumbo into deep bowls filled with steamed rice. All that’s left is to garnish each serving with minced parsley and a sprinkling of ground file.

Chef's Notes:
1. It's best to use "fresh" sausage (as opposed to pre-smoked sausage) when making this gumbo. To precook the sausage, place the links into a baking pan, pour about a cup of water over them, and bake them uncovered at 375 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or until the sausage is a golden brown. You can make this gumbo with country sausage, Italian sausage, or even hot sausage.

2. To make heavy shrimp stock, take the heads and shells from the shrimp you peeled for the gumbo, place them into a 3-quart saucepan, cover the shells with water, and gently boil them (adding water from time to time) for about 30 minutes until the resultant stock becomes rich in flavor. To ready the stock for the gumbo, simply strain out the heads and shells through a layer of cheesecloth or a find-mesh sieve. The greater the reduction the greater the intensity of the stock.

3. To clean the crabs, remove the top shell, cut out the eyes and mouth, scrape away the gills, brush away the innards , and cut off the back flap. Then wash the crabs thoroughly under cold running water. They're ready at this point to be dropped into the gumbo. Note: you can either leave the legs on or snip them off-the choice is up to you.

Oh, you want to be careful not to make the gumbo too watery at the outset, because you got to remember that once you add the shrimp and the crawfish the moisture rendered from the seafood will thin out the base.
Trout Napoleon with Schirling Sauce and Steamed Rice

Ingredients:

6 fresh speckled trout fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
12 oz. Hellman's Dijonnaise
6 large, vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced in halves vertically
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. Durkee's Garlic Bread Sprinkles (or garlic powder)
3 tsp. Frank Davis Seafood Seasoning
2 heads garlic, roasted and creamed
1/2 cup warm brandy
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp. Frank Davis Garlic Cayenne Hot Sauce
2 Tbsp. tomato paste (optional, but recommended)
6 cups steamed long-grain rice


First, thoroughly wash and pat dry the speckled trout fillets. Then, after laying them out on the countertop on a sheet of freezer wrap, lightly sprinkle them on both sides, front and back, with the Kosher salt and the fresh ground black pepper. Then immediately brush each fillet again on both sides liberally with the Dijonnaise (a pastry brush does this most effectively).

Now gently cover the fillets with a sheet of plastic food wrap and allow them to "rest" in the refrigerator for an hour and a half (which just so happens to be the same amount of time it is going to take you to roast the tomatoes).

And speaking of the tomatoes. . .

First, pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees and place a sheet of parchment paper into a cookie pan. Then cut the thoroughly washed tomatoes vertically into halves and remove their cores. When they're all done, place them cut side up onto the parchment paper in the cookie sheet and brush each one liberally with olive oil. Then season each half first with the garlic bread sprinkles and then with the seafood seasoning (plain salt and pepper will suffice if you have no seafood seasoning on hand). Now slide the tomato halves into the oven and let them bake-fully uncovered-for a full hour and a half.

In the meantime, when it's almost time for the tomatoes to come out of the oven, take the trout fillets from the refrigerator, drop them into a hot skillet, and bronze them on both sides over a high fire until flaky and tender. But try not to break up the fillets too much as they cook. When they reach just the right color, place them side-by-side next to each other in a large, buttered, Pyrex baking pan. Momentarily, set them aside.

At this point, remove the tomatoes from the oven and set them on the counter on top of a couple of hot pads (careful! the pan should be really hot!). Next take the roasted garlic you prepared in advance, remove all the little pods from the main head, and drop them into the pan-in other words distribute them evenly throughout the tomatoes. Also be certain to incorporate into the dish the caramelized tomato juices-just scrape them away from the pan with a bit of water as they cook. Now return the pan to the oven for yet another hour.

At this stage of the recipe, it is time to remove the pan from the oven and mash the tomatoes with a potato masher, scraping the bottom and sides of the dish to get all the brown bits into the mix. Then stir in the brandy, the Worcestershire sauce, the balsamic vinegar, the basil, the rosemary, and the garlic cayenne sauce. If, after everything is thoroughly mixed together, the tomato sauce appears too thin, or it seems like it will separate too easily, then whisk in the tomato paste to thicken it slightly.

Finally, gently ladle the tomato reduction over the pan of trout and place the pan back into the oven again (for 15 minutes at 350 or so) to re-warm and finish. Then when you're ready to eat, spoon the sauce, along with a generous serving of trout, over freshly steamed jasmine rice. A frosty glass of richly brewed iced tea and a chilled Romaine and raddicchio salad covered with balsamic vinaigrette will complete the meal!

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Editor's Note:
This sauce not only serves as an appropriate cover for speckled trout and other tender-flesh fish, it also works very well with zucchini, eggplant, or veal Parmesan. But since it has a tendency to separate easily when used with these liquid producing mainstays, I recommend that you heat the sauce separately, add it to the specific dish as a topper, then run it under a broiler to re-heat as quickly as possible.
To keep the sauce from "breaking" or to thicken it slightly for various applications, you can also whisk in a couple of tablespoons of prepared butter roux. The best way to make your own is to gently cook equal amounts of unsalted butter and all purpose flour over low heat until totally combined into a smooth paste. A butter roux will keep in a Mason jar in the refrigerator for several weeks.

If you don't have trout on hand, this recipe works just as well with sheepshead, redfish, tilapia, snapper, catfish, or whatever else you have. And it is even super-fantabulous served simply over pasta and crowned with either Romano or Parmesan cheese.
Frank's Cajun Stew

Ingredients:

2 lbs. lean boneless chuck, cut in chunks
2 lbs. lean pork, cut in chunks
1 tsp. Frank Davis Beef Seasoning
1 tsp. Frank Davis Pork Seasoning
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 lbs. extra fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 whole head garlic, peeled and cloved
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet
1 bunch green onions
1/3 cup Italian flatleaf parsley, finely minced
2 bay leaves
3/4 stick butter
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
2 lbs. Louisiana shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 lbs. white or brown steamed rice


First, place the beef and pork cuts on a sheet of waxed paper on the countertop and sprinkle them liberally with the seasonings.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil to "high" in a 5 quart cast iron or heavy aluminum Dutch oven.

Then when the oil is up to temperature, begin searing the seasoned meats—a few pieces at a time—until until they're all uniformly browned.

Take special care not to crowd too much meat into the pot all at once though—the temperature of the oil will fall and all the juices will render out of the beef and the pork, leaving them stringy and dry.

When the meats are done, remove them from the pot with a strainer spoon and place them into a deep bowl, leaving the oil in the Dutch oven.

Now drop the mushrooms into the pot (again, not all at once!) and quickly stir them around to coat them with the oil.

When the whole batch is in, reduce the heat to medium, put the lid on the pot, and let the mushrooms cook for about 10 minutes to soften and "sweat."

Note—it’s the juices from the mushrooms that will form the flavor base for your stew, so take your time with this step.

Now you're ready to start putting the rest of the dish together.

Without removing the mushrooms, drop in the garlic cloves (all of them—whole).

Then, one ingredient at a time, stir in the wine, the mustard, the chicken broth, the Kitchen Bouquet, the green onions, the parsley, and the bay leaves.

Then when everything is thoroughly mixed, put the beef and pork pieces back into the pot (along with all the drippings that rendered out while they were resting in the bowl) and stir the pot once again.

At this point, reduce the fire to "low," put the lid back on the pot, and simmer the stew for at least an hour.

Do not look in the pot! Do not stir the stew! Leave it alone—I promise you it won't burn!

In the meantime, in a small saucepan, make a light French roux with the flour and butter.

Then when the meats are "fall-apart tender" (which should take about an hour or more of slow simmering), remove them—and the mushrooms—from the pot again with a strainer spoon and place them briefly back into the large bowl.

Now bring the remaining liquids in the Dutch oven up to a slow boil and stir in the milk.

All you do now is begin whisking in as much of the roux as you need to thicken the gravy.

Remember, though, you have to let the gravy cook for about five minutes or so to actually reach its "thickened peak."

Now this is the time when you drop in the shrimp and stir them around in the hot gravy.

It is also the time when you add your salt and pepper and make your final seasoning adjustments.

One note here: As the shrimp cook (which won’t take but a few minutes) they will sweat out some of their natural juices, thereby thinning out the gravy a little. But that’s what you want them to do.

Finally, when you think the shrimp gravy is just right, stir the meats and mushrooms back into the pot and uniformly mix everything together one more time.

When the stew is piping hot, ladle it generously over a plate of rice and serve it alongside a piece of buttered French bread, a cold tossed green salad, and a glass of your favorite chilled red wine.

I done made you hungry, huh?

============================

CHEF'S NOTES:

1--If you'd like to "spice up" the stew a bit, about halfway through the meat simmering process, sprinkle in a teaspoon or two of red pepper flakes.

2--If you happen to add too much roux and your gravy turns out too thick, simply stir in a little additional milk or chicken broth to get back to the consistency you desire. Once again, though, remember that the shrimp will also thin out the stew a little bit, so don’t make the gravy too watery at the outset.

3—If you don’t have any of my beef and pork seasonings on hand, you can simply use 3-4 teaspoons of your favorite Cajun all purpose seasoning instead.
Crab and Crabmeat Gumbo

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Crisco oil
1/4 to 1/3 cup all purpose flour, as needed
2 cups prepackaged seasoning mix
4 quarts bottled water
2 quarts concentrated chicken broth
1 tsp. sweet basil
4 bay leaves
2 cans Rotel diced tomatoes, chopped with liquid
2 medium overripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 slices of lemon rind
1/3 cup minced parsley
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 dozen cracked gumbo crabs
4 tsp. Frank Davis Seafood Seasoning
1 Tbsp. Frank Davis Seafood Boil
1 lb. unpeeled shrimp, heads-off
2 lbs. claw crabmeat
8 cups cooked long grain rice
3/4 cup green onions for garnish, thinly sliced
1 bottle file gumbo for thickening
4 sleeves saltine crackers
Margarine or butter for topping


Instructions First, in a heavy gumbo pot or stockpot, heat the oil over a medium-high heat just to the point of it beginning to smoke. Then, with a wire whip in one hand and a third cup of all-purpose flour in the other, begin sprinkling and whisking the flour into the hot oil to make a roux.

Now here's the trick—never stop whisking once! Continue to swirl the two ingredients together as you add the flour to prevent them from scorching and burning. Then, when the roux takes on the consistency of a heavy pancake batter, stop adding flour—at that point it will be all you'll need. But keep whisking and cooking the roux until it becomes a rich dark brown color.

When that happens, immediately toss in the seasoning vegetables. This action reduces the temperature of the roux and serves to thoroughly combine the veggies and the roux. At the same time take the pot off the fire to stop the cooking process. Set it aside temporarily so that you can prepare the cracked crabs. To do this, wash them (pre-cleaned with top shell removed) under cool running water, taking care to pick away all the debris from the belly section and gills. Then with a sharp knife split them into right and left halves and set them aside too.

When the roux has cooled down sufficiently (remember you never want to add liquids to a hot roux!), put the pot back on a high fire and add half the water and half the chicken stock. Then immediately stir everything together well to blend in the flour and create a smooth "gumbo base." Continue to pour in additional liquids a little at a time (first the chicken stock, then the water) as the base develops and thins out—keep in mind that you want the final gumbo stock to mirror the consistency of melted ice cream.

Now, when the stock reaches this stage, it's time to drop in all the remaining ingredients except the crabmeat—put in the basil, bay leaves, Rotels, fresh tomatoes, lemon rind, parsley, red pepper flakes, cracked crab halves, seafood seasoning and seafood boil and stir them all together well. Then put the lid on the pot, lower the fire to simmer, and allow the gumbo to cook for 30 minutes (stirring periodically). Note: depending upon how well the roux turned out, you may need to stir in additional small amounts of either chicken broth or water as the dish simmers so that it doesn’t thicken too much.

Then after the allotted cooking time, and about 10 minutes before you’re ready to eat, you’re going to do something that sounds rather strange—you’re going to drop in the de-headed but unpeeled shrimp, along with the crab claw meat, and stir everything together one more time. Then, after putting the lid back on the pot and making sure that the fire is still set at a low, let the gumbo simmer once more for 10 minutes before it’s served in deep soup bowls over a mound of steamed white rice.

I like it best adorned with a sprinkling of both green onions and file powder and dished up next to a stack of buttered saltine crackers. Ummmm—talk about mouth-watering! This is its true definition!





Chef's Hints

1. If you can’t find the packages of precut seasonings where you shop, you can always chop up a couple of cups of an onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, green onion, and parsley mix. Just blend it in amounts to your liking.

2. Because of the delicateness of crabmeat, bottled water doesn’t give this gumbo a harshness likely to be found in everyday tap water. After all, if you’re striving to pique the unique flavor of crab you want to keep the base as neutral as possible.

3. You can use either homemade or canned chicken broth in this gumbo. If you decide to use your own, just be sure to de-fat it before adding it to the pot. By the way, for a thinner gumbo you can add an additional cup or two of either water or chicken stock.

4. The easiest way to strip off a slice of lemon rind (and you really don’t want to make crab gumbo without it!) is to use a potato peeler. It gives you just the "zest" and leaves the pith on the lemon.

5. The unpeeled shrimp actually accent the subtleties of the crabmeat. And like the crab halves, all you do is just pick them out of the gumbo bowl with your fingers and eat them very informally (which is the way we do dishes like this down-South anyway).

6. Crab gumbo contains no okra, even though that sounds like it would be a contradiction in terms. File powder, instead of okra, is used as a topical thickener in this recipe. And of course, the file should always be added at the table as a condiment, never put into the pot on the stove.

7. Finally, if crabmeat is a little pricey where you live it’s okay to use only one pound of crabmeat instead of two in this gumbo. Just don’t, whatever you do, substitute imitation crabmeat! It’s nothing but a gelatin and will dissolve into a gooey mess in your gumbo!

8. Oh, yeah—like all gumbos, this one too is unbelievably better the next day (or so I’m told, since the pots I always cooked up never made it to the next day).
Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

In the Gumbo Pot:

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
6 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 cup coarsely diced onions
3/4 cup coarsely diced celery
1/2 cup coarsely diced bell pepper
2 tsp. finely minced garlic

In the Skillet:

6 strips thick-sliced bacon, cut in small pieces
2 lbs. frozen okra, cut and thawed
2 cans Rotel Diced Tomatoes with chilies (12-ounce size)

Later, In the Gumbo Pot:

6 cups homemade shrimp stock (or chicken stock)
3/4 cup white wine
2 cups water as needed
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. sweet basil
1/2 tsp. powdered thyme
1 tsp. red pepper flakes, if desired
2 tsp. Kosher or sea salt
2 tsp. Frank Davis Seafood Seasoning
4 lbs. peeled and deveined shrimp (36-40 count)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 lb. long grain rice (cooked al dente)





Instructions

Start off by placing the gumbo pot on the stove top, turning the fire up to medium-high, and heating the vegetable oil until it begins to sizzle. Then, a little at a time, briskly whisk in the flour until it has all been added and it begins to brown. Keep moving the flour around in the pot until it reaches a deep tan color (but be careful not to let it burn or scorch).

At that point, drop in the seasoning vegetables (onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic), reduce the fire to low, and incorporate all the veggies into the darkening roux. In other words, mix, mix, and mix again! Then immediately move the gumbo pot off the fire and set it aside for a while.

In the meantime, in a 12-inch, high-sided skillet over medium high heat, cook down the bacon pieces until they wilt and render out their pan drippings and become crunchy and crusty. Then, without reducing the heat, stir in the cut okra and begin pan-frying it, stirring continually, until the edges of the okra begin to toast lightly (expect this to take about 12 minutes or so). One note here: don't worry about cooking out the okra "slime." That will take care of itself later in the cooking process.

When the okra begins to toast evenly, stir into the skillet the Rotel tomatoes and cook them into the mixture until thoroughly blended. And yes…use the liquid the tomatoes come packed in, too!

At this time,everything gets transferred to the gumbo pot. The bacon, drippings, okra, and tomatoes now get stirred into the tan roux and the seasoning vegetables you cooked in the gumbo pot. And while you're at it, go ahead and add the next nine ingredients-the stock, the wine, the water, the bay leaves, the basil, the thyme, the red pepper flakes, the sea salt, and the seafood seasoning.

Keep in mind that it is important to stir thoroughly at this stage-(1) you want to completely dissolve and smooth out the roux to keep lumps out of the gumbo, and (2) you want to fully disperse the ingredients into the liquids to cause them to blend and balance the overall flavor. When this is done, reduce the flame to low, cover the pot tightly, and simmer the gumbo base for about 20 minutes to get all the ingredients to marry.
Then when the flavors have combined and peaked, toss in the raw shrimp and stir the entire pot once again for continuity. Remember that the shrimp will be ready to eat in just a matter of minutes, so be careful that you don't overcook them (about 5 to 6 minutes should be all it takes!)

Finally, just before you plan to serve the gumbo, once more check the thickness and texture (and the seasonings). Add extra water, wine, or chicken stock if the gumbo has become too thick; or work in a little extra roux if it has turned out too thin. All that's left to do, then, is to sprinkle on the green onions and the parsley and fold everything together one last time.

This gumbo is best when ladled over steaming hot rice in deep soup bowls, surrounded by either sesame-studded bread sticks, multi-grain saltine crackers, or hot buttered French bread right from the oven.


Chef's Hints
1. Once again, don't overcook the shrimp. The moment they turn a rich pink, they're done! Overcooking makes them tough and rubbery.

2. The worst thing you can do to this gumbo is to thicken the liquid to resemble a heavy sauce. The broth should barely have body, and only enough of it to coat the shrimp and rice. Let's put it this way--if you're satisfied that what you have is a "semi-thick soup," you're right on! Not all gumbos have to boast heavy gravies.

3. If you' like the gumbo to be a tad darker than the roux caused it to be, feel free to stir in a little Kitchen Bouquet to color the stock. It adds flavor without altering the integrity of the dish.

4. A real culinary trick-want to get a richer, more shrimpy flavor in the gumbo? Fry down a handful of sun-dried shrimp in the bacon drippings when you do the okra. The hot oil (in this case, bacon fat) releases the essence of the shrimp and intensifies the locked in flavor. Later, as the stock simmers and cooks, the dried shrimp virtually disappear into the liquids.

5. To make homemade shrimp stock, wash the shrimp shells and heads thoroughly under cold running water, then place them into a stockpot and simmer them over a low flame for about an hour. The final flavor will be intense. Try not to let the shrimp water boil-the stock will remain clear that way. And for an even richer taste, toast the shells and heads in a 450 degree oven before making homemade stock.
Shrimp Creole

Ingredients:

4 lbs. medium-size fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Canola oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups onion, finely chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped
3/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 large green pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and small diced
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies, undrained, chopped, (10-1/2 oz)
1 can tomato sauce, (8 oz)
1 can tomato paste, (12 oz)
3 tomato paste cans of water (or chicken stock when it's not Lent)
½ cup sherry wine
3 tsp. Frank Davis Seafood Seasoning
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice + zest of one lemon
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Dash Frank Davis Cayenne/Garlic Hot Sauce
2 Tbsp. sweet cream butter
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
6 cups hot boiled long-grain rice

First, using a flexible wire whisk, combine the canola oil and the flour in a heavy 5-quart Dutch oven and cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking continually, until it transforms into a golden colored roux.

Figure that this should take you about 15 to 20 minutes.

Next, drop into the pot the onion, celery, green onions, green pepper, and garlic. Then blend this into the roux and cook everything together, stirring often, for about 15 minutes or until the seasoning vegetables are fully wilted and tender.

Then stir in the all of the tomatoes-the fresh diced, the tomato sauce, the tomato paste, and the Rotels-as well as the water and the sherry wine.

When everything is fully blended, begin adding and whisking into the mixture the seafood seasoning, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, thyme, lemon juice, lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.

Now bring the contents of the Dutch oven to a full boil and stir everything around briskly.

Then immediately cover the pot and reduce the heat to nothing harsher than a gentle simmer. At this point, you allow the "Creole" to simmer for a full 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Finally, when you're ready to eat, gently stir in shrimp (along with the 2 tablespoons of butter, and simmer everything once more for about 10 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and tender. All that's left is to whisk in the minced parsley and serve the Creole over a big bowl of hot, steaming rice alongside a glass of chilled white wine.

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Chef's Notes:

If you want to extract a number of other recipes from this "base recipe," you merely follow the directions to the letter until you arrive at the signature ingredient-in this case it's shrimp, but it can also be crawfish, crabmeat, calamari, lobster meat, etc. Of course, outside of the Lenten season you can also re-fashion this base recipe into Chicken Creole, Pork Creole, Sausage Creole. . .it's limited only by your imagination.
Frank's Crabmeat Au Gratin Deluxe

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup all purpose flour plus
1 can evaporated milk, 13 oz. size
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tsp. kosher or sea salt
1 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp lemon juice, fresh squeezed
2 Tbsp. cocktail sherry
1/2 cup green onion tops, thinly sliced
1 lb. lump crabmeat, picked for shells
2 cups Zapp's Original Potato Chips, crushed
8 oz. mild cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup parsley
12 French bread pistolettes

First thing you do is take a heavy, high-sided skillet and sauté the onions, the celery, and the garlic in the butter that you've melted and very lightly browned (but not burned!). Then when all the veggies are wilted, soft, and tender, immediately whisk in the flour until it is totally combined.

Next, pour in the evaporated milk (but do it gradually to create a silky smoothness in the sauce). Then temper the egg yolks gently so that they do not curdle and stir them into the mixture. At that point, it's time to add in the salt, the red pepper, the lemon juice, and the sherry. Best advice is to thoroughly blend all the ingredients together and cook them into a sauce mixture for 5 to 7 minutes or until velvety.


All that's left to do now is to fold in both the green onion tops and the crabmeat, pour the concoction into a lightly greased casserole pan (or individual ramekins), evenly sprinkle on the potato chips, and liberally top with copious amounts of cheddar cheese. The dish is done and ready to eat after you bake the pan for 10-15 minutes in a 375-degree oven until brown and crusty.


I recommend you serve the au gratin piping hot with a garnish of minced parsley, a cold tossed salad, and couple of hot, buttered crispy pistolettes.

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Chef's Notes:

IVariation: Make the sauce portion of the recipe in a large skillet. Then evenly lay out the crabmeat in the greased casserole or in individual ramekins and pour the au gratin sauce over the top. Complete the recipe by baking it as directed.

You can use either lump crabmeat or crab claw meat in this au-gratin dish. But do not use canned crabmeat! And whatever you do, never use imitation crabmeat!!

The proper way to temper eggs is to gradually add small amounts of the hot liquids to the egg yolks as you whip them to bring up the temperature. This process keeps the eggs from "scrambling" when they are then whisked into the hot sauce.

You can use either mild or sharp cheddar cheese for making an au gratin. Personally, I prefer an equal part mixture of both.

Once again, remember that the term "au gratin" doesn't mean "cheesy," as many folks believe. Instead, it means "with a crust." In this deluxe recipe the combination of potato chips and richly baked cheddar cheese provides that crust. So don't take it out of the oven until it gets crusty!!
Almost Famous Buffalo Hot Wings

Ingredients:

To Do The Wings…
5 lbs. chicken wings, fried for 10-12 minutes until done
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
2 cups all purpose flour or Frank Davis Chicken Fried Mix for dusting
Peanut oil for frying
Roll paper towels or Kraft brown bags for draining

To Make The Hot Sauce Mixture: (Use medium size saucepan)
1 stick Fleischmann's margarine, softened
1 bottle Frank Davis Garlic Cayenne Hot Sauce
1 Tbsp. premium white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
Hunt's BBQ sauce to taste (optional). Do not use hickory flavored BBQ sauce!
First and foremost, in a heavy high-sided frypan, heat the peanut oil to between 375 to 400 degrees. Some recipes say you can bake, grill, or broil the wings, but you really don't have "authentic" Buffalo wings unless you deep-fry 'em in small batches. Hot wing lovers know that this is not a heart-healthy recipe!

It is important that you first wash the wings in cold running water. Then with a super-sharp knife split them at the joints (discard the wing tips), pat them well with paper towels, and air dry them on a rack in the refrigerator. This procedure alone will ensure crispy wings once they are deep-fried.

Next, simply dust them very lightly in the flour or the chicken-fried mix-do not dip them in an egg wash and coat them with a batter. The only reason you even want them floured is because the light coating helps to keep the sauce on the wings. I also recommend that if possible you separate the drumettes from the mid-wing sections and fry them separately-the drumettes will take a few minutes longer to cook than the mid-wings.

When you're ready to fix 'em, drop about 15 wings at a time into the hot oil (each wing piece should be submerged in the oil-you want to deep fry 'em, not pan fry 'em). Then fry the batch for about 12 to 14 minutes, stirring them occasionally. You can figure they're done when the rapidly bubbling oil subsides significantly in the skillet. A couple of batches and you'll get the hang of it!

In the meantime, while the wings are frying, make the hot sauce mixture.

In a 3-quart saucepan, first melt the margarine. Then briskly stir in the hot sauce, the vinegar, the paprika, and the cayenne.

But once everything is totally combined, remove the pan from the fire right away! Cooked too long over the flame, the sauce will break!

When it's time for the wings to come out of the hot oil, simply lift them out either with a slotted spoon or a pair of tongs and place them immediately on either paper towels or brown grocery bags to drain. Then put them into an extra-large stainless steel bowl, ladle the sauce over them, and toss them briskly to liberally coat each wing part thoroughly.

The trick to getting them "just right" is to toss them with "just the right amount" of hot sauce mix. You don't want them dripping with sauce-you're not marinating them. And the more sauce you use the hotter they will become.

All that's left to do now is place the wings on a shallow baking sheet, slide them into a preheated 400-degree oven for about 5 minutes or so to bake on the sauce, and then serve them with celery sticks, carrot sticks, and a big bowl of Roquefort dip. This sho' is some fine vittles!

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Chef's Notes:

1-Just in case you want to make your own gourmet Roquefort Wing Dip, here's the recipe:

½ cup high-quality bleu cheese chunks
1 pkg. Philadelphia Cream Cheese, 3 oz.-size softened
½ cup Blue Plate Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1 Tbsp. premium white wine vinegar
½ cup sour cream

Put everything into a non-reactive bowl (preferably glass) and combine thoroughly. Then cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least three hours. This keeps well in the refrigerator for about 10 days.

2- The basic formula for hot sauce is x amount of margarine to x amount of hot sauce (with a little BBQ sauce tossed in to tone down the heat a little if so desired). But to increase the heat intensity of the sauce, simply do the following:
For mild sauce, use equal parts of hot sauce and margarine.
For medium sauce, use twice the amount of hot sauce as margarine.
For killer sauce, use three times the amount of hot sauce as margarine.
For kiddie wings, just splash a few drops of the hot sauce into the margarine.

3-If you don't have a large stainless steel bowl, you can put the wings into a large container with a cover, pour on the hot sauce, and shake the container briskly until each of the wings is thoroughly coated.

4-For the ultimate in Buffalo Hot Wings, try to buy what are called "grinders," extra meaty, extra large, unfrozen chicken wings. They are, however, sometimes hard to find.

5-Just for the record, the word is that the old Anchor Bar and Grill still serves over 1,000 pounds of hot wings every day!