Tag: technique

Twice Baked Potatoes – They Take Longer, But At Least They’re More Complicated

I don’t do a lot of things in the kitchen purely for
esthetic reasons, but these twice baked potatoes are one of my more beautiful
exceptions to that rule. You can get almost the exact same flavors by just
adding stuff to a regular baked potato, but what you won’t get in that
scenario is the impressive, over-stuffed height, and gorgeous, golden-browned
crust seen here.

Is it worth it? Only you can answer that. For me, once in a
while, for those extra fancy dinners, the answer is a resounding yes. Taste is,
and always will be, the most important aspect of cooking, but when entertaining
guests on special occasions, don’t forget that you’re putting on a
show with the food. And when it comes to starchy side dishes, this is a great
way to express that flair for the dramatic.

Like I said in the video, this is a demonstration of
technique, and not necessarily a recipe I want you to follow verbatim. I will
list what I used below, since I’m required to by food blogger common law, but if there was ever a
recipe that you’d want to experiment with, this is the one.

By the way, since there‘s a certain amount of prep involved
here, you can make these ahead of time, up to the point of the second baking,
and then just finish when it gets closer to service. I hope you give this show
stopping side dish a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 Twice Baked Potatoes:

4 large russet potatoes

3 tbsp butter

1 or 2 tbsp minced green onion

salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

1/2 cup cream or milk

1 egg yolk

Bake at 400 degrees F. for an hour to cook potatoes, and
then 20-30 to brown after stuffing.

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“Quick Cured” Salmon – 3 Minutes? But I Want it Now!

Whenever I hear people criticizing millennials for being self-absorbed, having short attentions spans, and for expecting to get what they want, exactly when they want it, I think to myself, “Hey, that sounds like my generation!” Well, if that’s the case, then they’re (and we’re) going to love this quick-cured salmon technique.

While the process is incredibly simple, the potential variations are endless. Whenever I show a new technique, I usually keep things simple, as to not distract people, but whether you’re talking about the brine, or post-cure seasonings, this is something that begs for adaptation.

Smoked salt, chipotle, or smoked paprika could be used before or after the cure to make things a little loxier, and don’t even get me started on the herbs. After the 3-minute cure, you can sprinkle your slices with dill, tarragon, chervil, and/or thyme, before the refrigeration stage. Speaking of impatient millennials; this is technically ready to eat after the three minute dunk, but you’ll enjoy this much more if you thoroughly chill it first.

Besides the flavorings, you can also play around with how thin/thick you slice the salmon, as well as how long you brine it. For me, if I slice the fish about 1/4-inch thick, three minutes is just about the perfect cure time for my desired texture and saltiness. However, you should experiment. Longer curing times, or thinner slices will result in a firmer, saltier product.

Of course, all that experimenting is going to make you hungry, and you’ll still need to decide how you’re going to serve it. I’ve suggested three delicious directions herein, but I’m fully confident you’ll come up with some stellar spin-offs as well. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

FOOD SAFETY NOTE: Much like rare meat, oysters, and raw eggs, if you’re concerned about the safety of eating homemade, cured salmon, you should do some research, and decide for yourself if it’s worth the risk. This technique works great with frozen salmon, which apparently kills potential parasites, so that’s one option. Anecdotally, I can tell you I’ve done this, and similar procedures, countless dozens of times with fresh salmon (“sushi grade” from a reputable, local purveyor), and have lived to tell the tale. Good luck.

Brine for to cure about 1 pound of salmon:

2 1/2 cups cold water

1/2 cup Kosher salt – I used Diamond Crystal brand

1/3 cup sugar

The Manhattan Filet Project – This New Steak Cut is the Bomb

While I’m thrilled to be bringing you this “Manhattan Filet” demo, I should start by apologizing for waiting so long. I learned this great technique a few years ago on a foodie fieldtrip to Las Vegas, and have been keeping it to myself ever since.

Of course, waiting three years to publicly share things you did in Vegas is always a prudent strategy, but that wasn’t the case here.

Regardless, this simple technique not only provides you with a NY Strip steak that eats like a filet mignon, but as you’ll see soon, the trimmings are going to be used to make a world-class pan sauce. Even if a faux-bordelaise isn’t your cup of tea, you can always save the scraps for a Sunday sauce, or meatballs, and so this method still makes sense no matter.

The overnight “dry-aging” step is optional, but does add a little something extra to the final product. In addition to some nominal flavor concentration, the leathery surface will crust up marvelously. Anyway, stay tuned for the companion sauce video coming up next, and if you want to play along at home, go out and grab some nice fat NY strips, and start your own Manhattan filet project. Enjoy!

Please note: I recommend using at least 12-14 ounce NY Strip steaks!