Tag: side dish

Oriental Pak-choi Recipe | The Italian kitchen – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

Known as Chinese cabbageThe pak choi it is a vegetable originating, in fact, from China. Its leaves are fleshy, crunchy, rich in water, fibre, mineral salts and vitamins.

How to cook it? Pak-choi can be made in many ways, steamed, grilled, baked, pan-fried. In the recipe of oriental pak-choi, we first blanched the cabbages and then grilled them for a few minutes, flavoring them with rosemary and sesame seeds. To accompany them we prepared a dressing based on tamari sauce (a Japanese condiment based on soy sauce), lemon, mirin (a sweet sake) and bergamot.

To cook this ingredient, try these recipes: “Scarpazzone” with pak-choi, Fennel, shallots and pak-choi with balsamic sauce, Grilled vegetable skewers, red onions and pak-choi.

Duck Fat Steak Fries – There’s a New Fat in Town

You know a potato side dish is going to be good when 75% of the name refers to fat or meat. These super-crusty, oven-fried potato wedges, or “steak fries” as they call them where I’m from, are done with rendered duck fat, and while I’m a big fan of ones done with olive oil and/or butter, these really are better.

Not only does this fat help create a great texture, but it also adds a layer of richness and meatiness to the potatoes that’s nothing short of magical. Back in the day, you had to work or eat in a restaurant that served duck to enjoy this special treat, but happily, those days are over.

Thanks to evangelizing celebrity chefs and apparently smarter marketing people in the duck industry, this rendered fat is now pretty easy to find. My neighborhood Whole Foods stocks it, and I’ve seen it at many of the higher-end grocery stores.

By the way, if you’re concerned about that next cholesterol test, relax; duck fat is surprisingly healthy, and a quick Google search should explain why without me having to type any more. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

2 large russet potatoes

2-3 tablespoons duck fat

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of cayenne

1 tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves

– 325 F. for 40 minutes

– 450 F. for about 20 minutes or until done

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Bourbon-Glazed Carrots – An Easter Side Dish that Really Shines

Before all you cardiologists out there start a petition
drive to have my channel removed from YouTube, let me add the following
disclaimer: These butter-soaked, bourbon-glazed carrots should be enjoyed no
more than twice a year.

Okay, now that we got that out of the way, I can go
ahead and tell you that this is, in my humble opinion, the greatest,
special-occasion carrot side dish of all time. Sweet, savory, and oh so glossy.

And yes, as unreasonable as it sounds, you do need bourbon
to make bourbon-glazed carrots. What happens if you just make this recipe and
use water instead of the whiskey? You get glazed carrots. Close, but no cigar.
By the way, in related news, bourbon also pairs very well with cigars. Anyway,
if you’re looking for a stellar, and very shiny vegetable side dish for your
Easter celebration, I hope you give these bourbon-glazed carrots a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6-8 Portions:

1 stick (4-oz) butter

2 or 3 pounds carrots, peeled, cut into equal-sized pieces

1/2 to 1 tsp fine salt, or to taste

1/2 cup bourbon or any kind of whiskey

1/3 cup brown sugar

freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste

fresh thyme leaves to garnish, optional