Tag: dish

Because Oyster Rockefeller Sounds Rich

There’s much debate over how many of America’s greatest
recipes got their name, but that’s not an issue with Oyster Rockefeller. Thanks
to the rich, money-colored butter sauce, this decadent creation’s name pretty
much wrote itself.

Besides the obvious, superficial reasons, associating your
new shellfish appetizer with the most affluent family of the day was a stroke
of social media genius. Hey, just because Twitter wouldn’t be invented for
another 107 years doesn’t mean people didn’t “retweet” things.

When Jules Alciatore invented the dish in 1899, he wasn’t
trying to create a classic, new American shellfish appetizer; he was simply
trying to replace snails in his diet. That’s right, what would become America’s
greatest seafood appetizer (sorry, crab cakes) was just a delicious work-around
for a serious shortage of French snails in New Orleans.

To say the customers of Antoine’s were happy with this local
substitution would be a huge understatement. They went crazy for it. The dish
quickly gained national attention, with the most famous celebrities,
politicians, and foreign dignitaries of the day stumbling over each to get a
plate or three.

The original secret recipe really is a secret; so all
versions, including mine, are just guesses. There is agreement among foodies
who study such matters that spinach was not part of the formula, but the much
spicier and more flavorful watercress was used.

Neither were mushrooms, bacon, ham, cheese, garlic, or any other
later day add-ons. Not that those ingredient aren’t good baked on top of
oysters, but that just wasn’t how Mr. Alciatore rolled. So if you are looking
for a special occasion appetizer that tastes, looks, and makes you feel (and
sound) rich, then I hope you give this oyster Rockefeller recipe a try. Enjoy!

Makes enough for about 3 dozen oysters Rockefeller:
1 stick butter (1/2 cup) room temp
2 tbsp minced green onions, white and light green parts
2 tbsp diced celery
2 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon
2 tbsp fresh chopped Italian parsley
1 cup chopped watercress leaves
salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste
2 tbsp Pernod liquor
1/4 cup bread crumbs
3 dozen oysters on the half shell

Bonus How to Open Oyster Video!

My friend Tamar, from Starving Off the Land, does a much better job of showing how to open oysters, but that’s only because she raises them and gets a lot more practice! That, and she’s better at it. Also, a special thanks to Sky Sabin Productions for their fine work on this.

For some additional shucking info, and tons of oyster recipe links, you can also check out this article on Allrecipes.com. Enjoy!

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Gordon Ramsay’s Sea Bass with Pepper Sauce

This wonderful looking Sea Bass dish was prepared by Gordon Ramsay on his hit show The F Word^[1]. Read through my estimated ingredients quantities and instructions, then feel free to watch the video at the end to get a clearer idea of how to prepare this delightful meal.

Ingredients:

Filet of Sea Bass
Bell Pepper – 1 large red and 1 large yellow, or several of both
Shallots – 3
Star Anise – 3
White Wine Vinegar – 1 1/2 Tbs
Vermouth – 2 Tbs
Olive Oil
Fresh Thyme Sprig leaves
Salt
Fresh Basil – 1 very large sprig, or two smaller ones
Water

Directions for the Sauce:

Julienne the bell pepper, do the same with the shallots. Heat olive oil in a hot pan, then add the peppers and shallots, add star anise and a pinch of salt. Stir well and cook for several minutes until the peppers are beginning to soften up. Add the basil whole, and pour in the white wine vinegar and vermouth. Reduce for several minutes over moderate heat until liquid is mostly absorbed. Add enough water to the pan to cover the peppers half way. Bring to a boil and simmer until liquid is about half gone. Carefully add all of the ingredients to a blender and liquify. Be sure to hold the lid on the blender. Many of my readers discovered when making another Chef Ramsay dish which required a blender that it’s helpful to hold the lid on with a dry towel (no burns, no messes).

Directions for the Fish:

Lay the fish on a cutting board skin side up. Score the fish every half inch along the length of the filet. Add salt and thyme leaves to the inside of each score, then drizzle with olive oil. You can now lovingly hold and caress the filet in your hands if you’re as crazy as Chef Ramsay about food, if not, you can skip the caressing (see the video if you want to know what I mean, that man loves food!).

Heat olive oil in a hot pan and add the fish, skin side down. Hold the fish down with your fingers for 30 seconds to prevent curling. Ninety percent of the cooking will take place with the skin side down. Watch the fish and turn it when most of the meat has turned a bright white. Finish up cooking and remove from heat.

Serving Instructions:

Pour the sauce onto a plate with a large enough lip to hold the sauce – fill the bottom of the plate. Add cooked Sea Bass, skin side up. Drizzle olive into the sauce circling the fish. DONE.

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References

^{^} F Word (www.amazon.com)
^{^} »crosslinked« (gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)

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Food Glorious Food

We’re very excited about the new TV show Food Glorious Food. With presenter Carol Vorderman and judges Loyd Grossman, Tom Parker Bowles, Anne Harrison and Stacie Stewart on the panel, plenty of eager contenders competing for the winning crown and lots of delicious British food, we’re sure this show is going to be right up your street.

Setting out to find Britain’s best dish, ITV have teamed up with Simon Cowell and M&S for a show-stopping prize. Not only will the winner’s dish will be sold in M&S, they will also win a whopping £20,000!

The judges will travel around Britain and the competitors will come armed with their one star dish to present to the panel. They will only have one shot to impress the judges and will get a thumbs up or a thumbs down for their dish.

Not just for professionals, home
bakers can enter too and we can’t wait to see all the sweet and savoury creations. The show will be visiting plenty of locations up and down the country and will reveal some national treasures which is sure to get you craving treats – so fill up the fridge in advance!

Now it’s time to meet the judges…

Loyd Grossman

Who? Loyd Grossman is a 62-year-old food connoisseur who’s been a restaurant critic, presenter and journalist. He has his own food brand, which is one of the UK’s leading brands, was the first presenter of MasterChef in 1990, which he worked on for 10 years, and he’s even received an OBE for his services in improving the quality of food in NHS hospitals – wow!

Loyd says: He is looking forward to meeting people who have the same taste. Let’s hope he won’t be disappointed!

Stacie Stewart

Who? Stacie Stewart is a 30-year-old former MasterChef finalist (Series 6) who owns a very successful bakery called the Beehive Bakery. She is a self-taught cook from Sunderland who has always had a passion for baking and has many blogs and websites showing off her talent. She’s recently published a new book, Stacie Bakes, and is known locally for her 34-inch high beehive-style hair.

Stacie says: She joined the show to find the ‘wow’ factor, something special and what other shows miss out on. We hope you find what you’re looking for, Stacie!

Tom Parker Bowles

Who? Tom Parker Bowles is a 38-year-old food historian and critic, who is also the son of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (so everyone should be on their best behaviour in the presence of royalty!). He has been rather successful in the publishing business and has many cookbooks including E Is For Eating – An Alphabet of Greed.

Tom says: He decided to join the show for one simple reason – he just loves food – especially food that has been perfected over years and years and this show is all about that. He loves the history of the food too – so we think being a judge on Food Glorious Food is sure to tick all his boxes.

Anne Harrison

Who? Anne Harrison is a 69-year-old Vice Chair of the Women’s Institute. The W.I. is a British, community-based organisation which was first established in 1915 during the First World War which encouraged women to produce and grow their own food during this hard time. Anne is now one of the leading ladies in keeping this tradition alive and is a very passionate foodie and avid baker.

Anne says: She is more than excited about joining the show. She says she’s going to be a fair judge and not hurt anyone’s feelings to their face – we’ll hold you to that, Anne!

Food Glorious Food starts on Wednesday 27th February, ITV1 at 8pm.

Where to next?

– British recipes

– Loyd Grossman recipes

– Baking recipes

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