In my family, there are at least a dozen variations of this dish. It’s a dish that has lived on my family’s Christmas Eve (Feast of the Seven Fishes) table for longer than I’ve been on this planet. This is a version I make if I don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen, but, I want to remember my grandmother. It might seem an odd dish to define comfort food. But, I think it’s safe to say my family would say it does. Countless happy Christmases filled with beautiful memories and giant tables jam-packed with family eating this dish, how can it be anything else?
This dish can be made in about an hour. And, it’s worth the effort. When I have a bit more time, I like to add freshly shucked clams and mussels. If you choose to make this dish, share it with someone you love. And, make your own beautiful memories.
Seafood Pasta
serves 6 hungry people
1 large can of the best quality DOP whole tomatoes you can find
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 – 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 small octopus, cleaned and sliced
1/2 lb calamari, cleaned and sliced into rings
1/2 lb shrimp, raw & shelled
Saute onion in a generous swirl of olive oil over moderate heat. While the onion sautes, puree the tomatoes in a food processor. Set aside.
Add garlic to the onions and saute another minute or two. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, black pepper, and crushed pepper. Bring to a boil. Add octopus and calamari. Simmer gently for 40-45 minutes.
Start your pasta water at about the 25 minute mark. Salt the water when it boils and add linguine to the boiling water. (at about the same time, the 35 minute mark, add the shrimp to the sauce) Gently boil pasta for roughly 6 minutes or until your pasta is al dente. Drain pasta and add it to your simmering sauce. Turn off the heat and let it sit for about 5-6 minutes. Stir gently once or twice.
Mangia… mangia!!
Using Alton Brown’s brownie recipe for inspiration once again, this adaptation deviates even further from the original. By cutting the butter in half, I solve the too buttery (bordering on greasy) issue. But, I lose most of the delicate super-thin flakes that make a perfect brownie crunch ever-so-slightly under your bite. There is still a hint of that flakiness… a very tiny hint. This might be a sacrifice I’m willing to deal with considering the near perfect flavor of this brownie. The real genius in this version was a result of quality ingredients. My use of Scharffen Berger (my favorite brand of cocoa) is blatantly obvious. The high quality beans used in their cocoa give the raw batter a flavor reminiscent of milk chocolate. When baked, the finished brownie is dense and distinctively brownie-like (moist, crumbly, mildly cake-y and at the same time rich & fudgy). Every bite was bursting with complex layers of dark chocolate flavor. Sweet chocolate flavor is provided by the Scharffen Berger cocoa. While, dark chocolate bitterness and complexity comes from the black cocoa.
Simple recipes allow the true quality of each ingredient to shine through. This recipe is pure indulgence… make it worth the indulgence. You won’t regret it.
Black Cocoa Brownie
makes one 8 x 8 square baking dish full of brownies
1 stick of Irish butter
2 cups super-fine sugar
1/4 cup tupelo honey
1/2 tsp finely ground kosher salt
4 jumbo eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup Scharffen Berger unsweetened organic cooca
1/4 cup black cocoa
1/2 cup AP flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt butter and pour into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, honey and salt. Cream well. Add 4 eggs and vanilla extract. Beat vigorously until well-combined and fluffy. Roughly fold in cocoa powders and flour, stirring as little as possible. Pour batter into a buttered 8 x 8 square baking dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Test for doneness with toothpick at the 45 minute mark.
The use of Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa produced a truly dark brownie with a soft, cake-y texture that had a touch of chew to it. Compared to the smudge of nutella on the plate (above), it’s easy to see just how dark. Loaded with bittersweet chocolate flavor and extremely buttery from the use of Irish butter, only a small wedge is needed to satisfy a chocolate craving. The batter had a great fluffiness that led to a tender buttery crumb. But, the butter flavor was a bit overwhelming for my taste. I’ll be working on a fix for that.
Special Dark Cocoa Brownies
adapted from Alton Brown’s Cocoa Brownie
8 ounces unsalted Irish Butter, melted ( 2 sticks regular butter)
4 large eggs
2 cup sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp vanilla extract (try 1 tablespoon next time)
11/4 cups Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup flour, sifted
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square pan.
Melt butter. Add sugar, salt and vanilla. Stir vigorously. Beat in the eggs.
Combine flour and cocoa. Stir vigorously with a fork.Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 55 minutes. Check with toothpick.
8 ounces unsalted Irish Butter, melted
4 large eggs
2 cup super-fine sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt, finely ground
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup flour, sifted
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F
Butter an 8-inch square pan. Melt butter. Add sugar, salt and vanilla. Cream well. Beat in the eggs.
Combine flour and cocoa. Stir vigorously with a fork. Add dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. Roughly fold the flour and cocoa into the butter/sugar mixture until it’s just barely combined. Pour the batter into buttered 8-inch square pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. Check with toothpick test at the 45-50 minute mark.
Note the delicate flake to the crust. (One of my favorite brownie traits.)
We love the good color and char this marinade provides. It’s quick, simple and almost no fail, if you know how to use a propane grill. (Yes, we grilled steaks tonight. It was a lovely (frigid) 33 degrees. My honey did a lovely sprint for the door to keep our steaks hot off the grill.
Simple Port Marinade
1 cup port, your choice
1/4 tsp powdered basil
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
pinch of freshly ground fennel
Mix port and spices in a measuring cup. Pour into a small shallow dish. Flip steaks in marinade and baste (or flip) every 15 minutes that the steaks marinate. (We like to marinate the steaks for 1 hour.)
Turn on the grill 15 minutes prior to grilling. And set it to the hottest setting. Grill times will vary. Our filets took 4-5 minutes on one side and 3-4 minutes on the other side.
The Finished Product
P.S. I wouldn’t recommend this process if your filets are under 1 inch in thickness… unless you like your steaks well-done.
The dark roasted peanuts give this soup incredible rich, dense flavor that rounds out with the sweetness of the coconut milk and sweet potatoes. A squeeze of lime adds a much needed burst of fresh flavor to brighten up the richness.
Sweet Potato Soup
makes 10 cups
1 onion, diced
2 large sweet potatoes, diced
7 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 tsp celery seed, finely ground
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 cup Dark Roasted Peanuts
salt, to taste
lime wedges, seeded to finish
Saute onion to a rich golden brown in a splash of olive oil. Add all remaining ingredients (except peanuts) and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree to the consistency you desire. Add dark roasted peanuts and an additional 1 cup of water. (or more, if needed) Simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes.
Serve with lime wedges and buttered toast strips or in a pinch, wheat thins.
This vanilla porter adds a tiny hint of sweetness to the shrimp, while the crushed red pepper adds heat. A splash of sweet & spicy Tiger Sauce makes the perfect condiment. Or, a simple dip can be made with sour cream, mayo, Tiger Sauce, sriracha hot sauce, black pepper, and salt.
Vanilla Porter Poached Shrimp
serves 4 snackers (2-3 as a meal)
1 lb shrimp (in the shell, no heads)
1 bottle Vanilla Porter
1/4-1/2 tsp red crushed pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
1/4 tsp Old Bay
Bring approximately 5-6 cups of water, one bottle of Vanilla Porter, and spices to a full boil in a small stock pot. Add the shrimp. Bring back to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for an additional 4-5 minutes. Or, until the shrimp are thoroughly cooked.
Serve the shrimp in a stainless steel bowl lined with parchment.
To make it a meal, serve with a bread basket & salad (or platter of raw vegetables).
Salmon roe, wasabi flying fish roe, Korean salt-cured seaweed, & Japanese seaweed salad (deli/market variety), pictured above, are a small sampling of the deluge of snacks we indulged upon for the two day eating extravaganza that is the New Year holiday. It’s a tradition that has evolved over the years. It’s a New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day tradition we can truly call our own.
It started simply with my parents. They would lay out a buffet of crackers, chips, cheese, pretzels, and a few New Year’s Eve indulgences. Over the years (as I got older), the snacks went from standard convenience store fare to pricey deli treats & splurges. My mother’s version of this feast stopped evolving. She continues with her tradition of high-end cheeses, dips, chips, crackers, and a wide assortment of all things smoked. She’s particularly fond of smoked fish, oysters and mussels. We, on the other hand, have a revolving door of snacks, treats, one-bite appetizers, and salads. We purchase pastries and chocolates, but, they never seem to hit the table. My favorite this year was a Korean dried squid preparation that included finely shredded dried squid, seaweed, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds and a splash of soy. We served this on a bite of white sticky rice. (I’ll be turning this into a meal… soon. A bowl of sticky rice, veggies and a sprinkle of the shreds on top. Hopefully, I’ll remember to take a picture of it. I forgot to get a shot for this post.)
Buckwheat pancake, cream & flying fish roe
These two separate bites work together with a shot of ice cold green soju. The first bite is a shrimp cracker with sour cream and salmon roe. Drink a bit of soju. Then, eat the second bite of seaweed salad. The shocking sweetness of the seaweed salad is a jolt after the salty salmon roe.
Green tea cracker with flying fish roe
More salmon roe
Traditionally, blini require a yeasted dough. So, this is a buckwheat pancake with wasabi flying fish roe. This batter was so lovely to work with… gorgeous density, texture, and a nice puff when cooked. The perfect, nutty flavor makes them edible straight off the griddle (no gilding required), if you use a good quality European butter. Good pancakes demand good butter. I can’t wait to make these again. And, I’ll be making them soon.
A cast iron griddle makes this task easier.
Buckwheat Pancakes
1/2 cup AP flour
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt, finely ground
1 large egg
2-3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 – 3/4 cup whole milk
Super simple. Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Stir vigorously with a fork. Make a well and add the wet ingredients (start with 1/2 cup of whole milk). Stir the wet ingredients, drawing in the dry ingredients. Combine them with a few quick beats of the fork adding additional milk if you need it. (Try not to stir more than 15-16 strokes. The less you agitate the flour… the better.)
Heat the griddle to a moderate heat and butter the griddle. For silver dollar pancakes, drop 1 tablespoon of batter on to the griddle and swirl gently to make a nice circle, if needed. Watch for large bubbles to appear in the top of your pancake. Flip your pancakes gently and cook an additional minute to a minute and a half.
Devour with salmon roe and cream.
The leftovers were eaten later with cream and a tiny dollop of nutella.
Dark Roasted Peanuts
Peanuts, fresh & raw (approx. 1-1 1/2 lbs)
sugar
salt
black pepper, ground
cayenne, ground
Tightly pack one layer of peanuts into a cookie sheet with raised sides. Roast in the oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove a portion of the nuts… roughly 40-50 percent. And, stir the remaining nuts. Return the remaining peanuts to the oven and continue roasting for 15-30 minutes. Or, until the peanuts have reached the level of dark roasted goodness that you prefer. Return the reserved nuts to the oven for the last 5 minutes of roasting.
Dust roasted nuts with the spice mix while the nuts are still hot. I like to use approximately 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 table kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp cayenne. (Ground in a spice mill until finely ground) Finely ground spices tend to stick best. But, without a binder, the spices still tend to fall to the bottom of the jar.
A mysterious and unusual smell surrounds these wok-roasted nuts. I seem to be more sensitive to the aroma than my hon. He eagerly ate his small serving of nuts. I was done after one. I doubt I’ll be rushing to buy these nuts anytime soon. It’s amazing that such a noxious odor can emanate from such a pretty little nut. For me, the unusual scent turns rather foul… quickly.
This nut contains a neurotoxin that can cause seizure activity. If you are on any medication, have any health issues, or have any concerns regarding your own personal reaction to this nut, you should consult your doctor prior to consuming this nut. Additionally, they should be consumed in small doses. A normal serving should be no more than 5 or 6 nuts.
|
|
