Tuesday, December 9, 2008

polonaise ... another great idea for hard boiled quail eggs ...


today i decide to make a favorite of mine that i have not made in months, polonaise, bread crumb, herb and egg topping. this particular polonaise is a made from fresh bread crumbs, chopped hard boiled quail eggs, curly parsley, grated parmesan and gouda goat cheeses and seasoned with fresh milled black pepper, fresh milled sea salt, english mustard powder, garlic powder, shallot powder and the finest of hungarian medium hot paprika. i have left out the drizzle of melted butter trying to mitigate the cholesterol and fat implications. typically this is a topping for vegetables such as steamed broccoli and cauliflower, but today I will put it on fish. a fillet of white snapper I got at the thai fresh market down the street.

i first remove the crust form a “sturdy” white bread slices (a sour dough baguette is also good for this purpose but not wheat or grain breads) and cut them into small 1 inch squares. i then put them into the bowl of a food processor (follow this link and you will see a model i have had for 18 years and it still runs great, even after using it in a restaurant for many of those years) that has a basic s-knife blade installed. i then pulse the processor until the crumbs are fluffy. be careful to use a good white bread, and to make certain you do not over process the crumbs to the point where they become gummy and stuck together.

i remove the bread from the processor and then put in the quail eggs. note: they should be chilled so they too do not get over processed and pureed. pulsing the processor is best for this application. remove the eggs and add them to the breading.

next, finely chop your parsley, and grate both your cheeses. add them to the bread and egg mix and stir with a fork lightly making certain not to over work the mix and make it gummy.

now add your seasonings and mix again. if you wish to add melted butter, now is the time to drizzle that into the mix and give it a final turn. set it aside.

now get out an oven proof casserole dish and either moisten the bottom with a bit of oil, margarine or butter so the fish will not stick. you may also use a bit of tomato sauce if you choose; it goes quite well with the polonaise. place the fish in the casserole and top with the polonaise mixture. bake/broil until the fish is done and the polonaise is golden brown.

waa-laa, it be ready to eat. today I had mine with a small side of pesto pasta and sautéed zucchini squash.

note: dried bread crumbs are not good for this unless they are very large and started out like the breading described here.





bag of polonaise topping



baked and then broiled fish fillet with polonaise topping.

make certain the casserole dish is wiped clean of finger prints and oil residue so that it will not discolor when baking (also a good preventative measure if you intend on hitting someone over the head with the casserole before washing it). you can see i neglected to do that here on the inside of the casserole. that is what happens when you make lunch and work on the computer at the same time.

enjoy!

Sunday, December 7, 2008

still yet another version of cajun stew ...


i have been making this concoction since 1985. and if i am not producing it for consumption in a restaurant or venue where it needs to be consistently the same every time, IT ISN'T! that is what i like about it most, it is totally convertible to whatever my mood may be, what i have on hand, or what is available (but really try your best to get the okra in there, it makes a big difference to the viscosity of the dish).

sometimes i moisten it up with stock and cream and then shuck oysters and clams into and eat it like a soup with a big chunk of garlic bread. at other times i put it on pasta or rice, and then at other times i use it for a sauce to garnish blackened fish or meat, preferably baby lamb chops (topped with a nice soft chevre and jalapeno chili jelly). and many times i simply stuff a big baked potato with it.

sometimes i dice everything very small, and other times i cut the pieces very large, and still at other times i puree it. sometimes i will flambe the veggies with pernod before adding the tomatoes and other wet ingredients, and, as i said before, i like to lighten it up with heavy cream. a good dollop of pesto is nice to finish it off, or simply a fresh grating of a good parmesan or grana cheese. cheddar will suffice if that is all i have.

the bottom line - this stuff is bullet proof, all purpose, all weather, anything goes cuisine. i think the only thing i have not put it on is breakfast cereal.

here is a slide show of me making a huge batch that i latter bagged up and froze (note the very handy thai style funnel shown in the last pictures - awesome gadget if you can find it). on this particular day i used chicken thigh meat and chorizo sausages. i think that no matter what is used, poultry, meat or seafood - you gots to have a good sausage in there to impart its special character to the mix.

like many tomato based foods this stew does well in the deep freeze, and it actually improves if not left for too long to hang out waiting to be defrosted and consumed.

following the slide show is the recipe for the cajun spice that i season it with.







this spice is also good for blackening ANYTHING, and also makes a great dash to put on some fresh popcorn along with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. right, fusion popcorn. note: have a lot of napkins handy.

you will notice in the slide show a picture of the spices used that day. the bag of taco seasoning contains many of the same spices and so i used it that day in lieu of the full compliment shown in the recipe below. whatever you choose to do, i am sure it will be just fine if you have most of the spices and herbs listed. experiment and come up with your own blend. i have recently gotten into adding chicken masala spice to do a sort of quick tikka with it. i blacken the meat or fish with the cajun/masala combo and then use a prepared curry sauce to moisten the dish.

as promised here is the spice and dry herb proportions to prepare a massive amount of cajun spice blend. i use this stuff for everything, so i make a lot at one time. i usually prepare the list in the right column, the one on the left is for when i am working in a restaurant. this is a great item to bag or bottle up and give to friends, i have met few people who do not like it.


Cajun Spice Blend


Onion Powder

50

Grams

25

Garlic Powder

50

Grams

25

Paprika Powder

50

Grams

25

USA Chili Powder

100

Grams

50

White Pepper

35

Grams

17

Black Pepper

20

Grams

10

Cayenne Pepper

30

Grams

15

Salt

20

Grams

10

Basil Leaf

10

Grams

5

Thyme Leaf

10

Grams

5

Mustard Powder

10

Grams

5

Cumin Powder

25

Grams

12


store it in air tight containers or tightly sealed plastic bags.


KEEP IT DRY!