This recipe for Roasted Carrot Hummus, inspired by Gov’t Taco’s “Magna Carrot” taco, is a fun and simple twist on something that’s delicious, nutritious and impressive. If you’re looking to spice up your hummus life (and you should be) – this recipe will be a hit!
This hummus is savory, but slightly sweet at the same time thanks to the natural sweetness that the roasting brings out in the carrot. The Jay D’s Coffee/Chile Rub compliments the slightly sweet carrots, while adding a unique, spicy twist that in turn adds to the depth of flavor. Try it out and let us know what you think!
Roasted Carrot Hummus
vegan, gf
Ingredients: 1 15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed well
1 cup carrots, thinly chopped ½ cup tahini ½ cup lemon juice 2 Tbs olive oil 1 Tbs tumeric powder 1 Tbs Jay D’s Coffee/Chile Rub 2 tsp garlic powder Sea salt Pepper
Directions: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat chopped carrots in olive oil, sea salt and pepper then lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast the carrots for 15-20 minutes or until they're soft. In a food processor, pulse and blend all ingredients until smooth. Enjoy!
We always try to show the versatility of the Jay Ducote line of products. Jay Ducote’s Spicy & Sweet Rub, which was released earlier this year, has been a favorite among customers and it is a favorite of mine in the kitchen. Not only can it be used with any grilled meats, it adds a nice balance and spice for vegetables as well. The salt content is very low, but it is packed with flavor for those looking for a low sodium seasoning blend. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Smoky, Roasted Veggies
Tri-colored carrots and Brussels sprouts roasted with Jay D's Spicy & Sweet Rub
Toss vegetables in olive oil and Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub. Between three sheet pans or working in batches, pour the vegetables on sheet pan, leaving room for even roasting (and prevent steaming). Roast for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
I knew very little of the Rio Grande Valley when Trisha Watts, a representative of the McAllen Convention and Visitors Bureau, invited me to go there for a media trip. These days, I find myself more and more on the receiving end of invitations to travel for food and beverage while at the same time being less and less available to make those trips happen. Sometimes I truly don’t have the space on my calendar, and sometimes I just don’t feel like it will be worth my time. But McAllen felt different from the beginning.
Shishito peppers, sweet onions, toasted garlic, sea salt, aioli at Bodega Tavern & Kitchen in McAllen
In 2014 I emceed the Great American Seafood Cook-off at the convention center in New Orleans along with Chef Cory Bahr from Restaurant Cotton in Monroe and TV star Anthony Anderson. While there, fighting back a hangover from the pre-party the night before with a microphone in my hand, I had the pleasure of meeting chefs from around the country who were competing for the seafood title. One of those chefs, representing the State of Texas, was Larry Delgado. His Texas Gulf shrimp tostada took home second place in the cook-off, but even more appetizing was the way he genuinely seemed happy to be there, bringing friends and family with him to have a good time, soaking in the experiences and representing his state with honor.
Jay, Cory and Anthony at the Great American Seafood Cookoff
Larry’s restaurant, Salt: New American Table, is in McAllen, Texas, and despite growing up in Texas, I had never been to or even heard of McAllen.
I had to do some research to find it on a map: in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Mexican border, and about an hour drive inland from the place they locally refer to as “The Island,” South Padre Island. I was raised at deer camps around Cotulla, a few hours drive south of San Antonio. I thought that was south Texas.
Carrot-rita: jalapeño cilantro infused tequila, carrot juice, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice and cilantro simple syrup
The Rio Grande Valley occupies vast, flat lands of deep south Texas, on the fertile flood plains of the region’s namesake river. It is a cradle of culture, as American as apple pie yet as Mexican as menudo. People are genuine, friendly, and passionate.
McAllen, the second largest city in the valley after Brownsville on the coast, sits near the Rio Grande River across from Reynosa, Mexico. The influences of Mexico are present at every turn. The population, largely hispanic, clearly has ties to the other side of the border.
There are taco stands on most corners, especially since one of the more well-known taco chains operates out of gas station convenience stores called Stripes. A few years back, the Laredo Taco Company ran a promotion to come up with a new breakfast taco by having local radio stations compete to come up with the best recipe. The Q, 94.5 (KFRQ) in Harlingen, Texas, won, and the Q-taco was born. The combination of potato, egg, cheese, and refried beans on a soft flour tortilla proved to be a hit. Still, locals will advise you to order your Q-taco with the addition of bacon. So I did just that. For a gas station taco, that thing was legendary.
Breakfast tacos from Tortilleria Emmanuel in McAllen, TX
On a breakfast taco tour of McAllen, Trisha brought Blair, my Chief Confusion Coordinator and Spin Doctor, and I on a gastronomically challenging journey to the best taco spots. We inquired about whether there existed a definitive guide to the best tacos in the valley, and upon hearing nothing like that existed, we volunteered for the job. However, that would have to be saved for a later trip. On this excursion, we visited Ms. G’s Tacos & More, Laredo Taco Company inside Stripes, El Pato Mexican Food and Tortilleria Emmanuel. We ate too much, undoubtedly, but it was worth it.
Many places throughout Texas stake claim to the breakfast taco. Most notably, Austin and San Antonio almost go to war over it. If you’re interested, read this article from Texas Monthly. However, if you read deeply even in that article, you’ll see McAllen mentioned. Deep south Texas, right at the Mexican border, also claims to be the originator of the breakfast taco. The originals include beans and eggs. Everything else such as bacon, cheese, sausage, and more, are lagniappe.
Hangar steak, fingerlings, hominy, manchego crisp, jammy tomato vinaigrette, local greens from Bodega Tavern & Kitchen
Blair and I ate at several restaurants in McAllen that impressed us. Blair previously documented her favorite bites of food from the trip on the blog. Beyond the restaurants themselves, perhaps what impressed me the most was the sense of culinary community in the Rio Grande Valley. Many chefs really view it as their mission to raise the bar for cuisine there, to elevate from their rustic heritage to modern American cuisine that is still true to its south Texas roots.
One of those chefs is Adam Cavazos, owner and executive chef at Bodega Tavern & Kitchen. Adam is from the area and is on a mission to create a culinary identity for the Valley. Bodega is a new, beautifully built out restaurant with an open area patio out front despite being in a shopping center. On the inside there’s a massive window looking into a charcuterie aging room that used to be an aquarium. Adam’s menu reflects his pride in being local and seasonal.
Like several other places I visited in McAllen, Bodega boasted a nice selection of Texas craft beer as well as specialty cocktails. The drinks utilized seasonal ingredients while celebrating the spirit of local libations. We undoubtedly drank some good margaritas in the Valley, but the adult beverages didn’t stop there. Whiskey and vodka focused cocktails were also very popular, and the Texas Ruby Red grapefruit played a key role in the citrus offerings.
Panna Cotta from Chef Marcel at Lunchbox on 10th
Over at Lunchbox on 10th, Dutch Chef Marcel Fortuin cooks inspired food. Part cooking instructor, part fine dining chef, and part nourisher of souls, Chef Marcel has a way with food. His panna cotta is one of the most divine dishes to ever lace my taste buds. The perfectly creamy gelatin-molded vanilla cream played music on my tongue. Never have I tasted anything quite like it.
On our last day in McAllen my trip came full circle, bringing me back to Chef Larry Delgado. The chef I’d met a year before in New Orleans represented why I wanted to visit McAllen in the first place. That particular Wednesday in February was dubbed Larry Delgado Day as I tried to convince Blair of the amazing food journey we were about to enjoy. Larry has two restaurants in McAllen; his first, House Wine and Bistro, started as a wine bar with food and developed into a restaurant with wine. There, Blair had her first taste of escargot and, after stuffing myself with an endless array of dishes, I couldn’t help but devour an amazing apple tart with cheddar ice cream.
For dinner we ate the meal I had eagerly awaited. The more I look forward to some dining experiences, the more they have a chance to disappoint. On this occasion, there was a slight concern that I’d overhyped Larry Delgado Day to Blair and in my own head.
Chef Larry Delgado (left), Jay Ducote, and Chef Adam Cavazos
We arrived at Salt, a gorgeous restaurant with natural wood, brick, stained concrete and lighting that evokes a sense of place and comfort. We sat at a long table underneath portraits of nearby farms adorning a dusk-blue wall. I looked out over the restaurant to the open kitchen with a team of talented young culinarians running the restaurant without Chef Delgado in site. He was running a bit behind, but he wouldn’t be going to the kitchen upon his arrival. His plan was to sit at the table and have dinner with us, along with his wife, Jessica, Trisha from the McAllen CVB, and Gaby Jones, a local craft beer rep.
Compart Duroc bacon wrapped sweet breads, habanero glaze, fingerling potatoes, morels, chanterelles from Salt
The kitchen sent out dish after dish. With a round of appetizers at the table including the above pictured bacon wrapped sweetbreads with a habanero glaze, fingerling potatoes, morels and chanterelles, I quickly discovered I had no need to fear disappointment. This meal would live up to my expectations. After a few cocktails and the appetizers, Chef Larry and Jessica joined the party. They had been at a meeting with the City of McAllen talking about branding the city into the future. The Delgados don’t simply run their restaurants, but they are also leaders in the community and directors of the Rio Grande Valley chapter of the Texas Chefs Association.
We continued to eat, drink and be merry while chatting about the food of the Valley and how Larry’s restaurants came to be. We dined on the single best pork chop that I’ve ever had in my life, steak that melted in my mouth, and fried chicken that had been deboned and sous vide. Salt impressed the hell out of me, and given my lofty expectations, that blew me away even more.
My tour of the Rio Grande Valley and specifically McAllen felt authentic. People were genuine, happy to see me, happy to be seen, and sincere in their appreciation of home. I drank beers with great people, ate some of the best value tacos I’ve ever had, and enjoyed several truly memorable meals. McAllen delivered everything I’d want to make me want to go back. Next time, though, I’ll be prepared to do even more research on the best tacos, and I’ll keep some tricks up my sleeve for Gov’t Taco!
by Jay D. Ducote
Sometimes I just need to eat a salad, and thus, two years ago I created the Month of Salads on Bite and Booze. The idea is two-fold: first, I need to eat more salads and this seemed like a good way to trick myself into feasting like a rabbit. Secondly, salads CAN be good, and we here at Bite and Booze need to focus a little more on them. So now every August on the blog that's what we do.
Recently on a trip to Destin for the Beer Industry League of Louisiana's annual convention, I enjoyed several meals with beach views at Barefoot's, a poolside bar and grill at the Hilton Sandestin. For one of those meals, as the Month of Salads is designed to encourage me to do, I ordered a salad.
I went with a blackened grouper salad, served with an adequately spiced fish over a bed of organic mixed greens with spiced pecans, roma tomatoes, carrot strings, and a citrus vinaigrette. The tartness from the lemon added a nice balance to the blackening spices on the fish. The rest of the salad did its job as the pecans added a delightful textural balance. And the other good news: I felt pretty light and chipper for the rest of my day at the beach!
So far during my Month of Salads I've had lump crab meat, duck hearts, and fried crawfish tails. I guess today's salad fits in pretty nicely. Restaurant IPO's Sweet Potato Tuna Salad definitely hit the spot when I visited there recently for lunch to chat with Chuck P. and Chef Chris Wadsworth (who you may recognize on the right side of the screen at about the 19 second mark in the video below... oh, and that is BREAKING NEWS). The yellowfin tuna is dusted in sweet potato flour then lightly seared and placed atop mixed greens with some heirloom tomatoes, shaved carrots, and boursin. It is a great, refreshing salad that I could eat over and over again. Maybe I'm starting to get used to this whole idea of salads for lunch!
Chef Chris Wadsworth took on a new challenge with the attitude of an expert who had been there before. Actually, he had. In 2010, while serving as the Executive Chef at Nottoway Plantation, Chef Wadsworth won the annual WYES Cooking with Community Coffee contest. He created a five course meal using ten different Community Coffee roasts. Invited to cook again in 2012, Chef Wadsworth, who now runs the kitchen at Baton Rouge's latest smash hit, Restaurant IPO, decided to one up himself. Or maybe two up. He created a seven course tasting menu utilizing fourteen different Community Coffee roasts. Since tomorrow, September 29th, is National Coffee Day, I thought I'd share the meal with you. Chris decided to title the meal "A Day at the Office" in reference to The Office Bar that sits upstairs as well as the incessant need for coffee during a routine day at the office. The dinner also came paired very well with wines from Republic National. All of the pairings were fantastic despite me not really getting into them here.
Warm Up
Cleverly naming his seven courses by activities in one's daily grind, we began with the Good Morning: creamy Louisiana grits accented with Breakfast Blend roasted grillades and garnished with a sunny side up quail egg and French Roast drizzle. These may have honestly been the best grits and grillades I've ever had. The pork had plenty of flavor and bolstered the grits with its fork tender form. The use of the coffees came in huge as the drizzle had an elegant bittersweet combination that played well off the richness of the egg. After this course, I couldn't wait to see what would come next.
Course two quickly came to be known as the warm up. It featured a soup of garden carrots pureed in a blend of mirepoux and local honey laced with Cinnamon Roll Roast and highlighted by a Colombian Roast infused oil. The soup brought about a sweetness from the carrots and honey in a refreshingly clean and palate pleasing way. After the richness of the first course, this soup definitely warmed us up for what was still to come.
Getting Dressed
During any day, one of the first things we do is get dressed. The Getting Dressed course rightly had a unique salad dressing of its own. The dish featured baby mixed greens with baked Hazelnut goat cheese and pears tossed in an Almond Amaretto dressing. The coffee balance had to be very delicate with the salad an Chef certainly pulled that off. The goat cheese was crusted in ground up coffee that actually worked extremely well to deliver a unique flavor while not being overpowering. The pears and greens worked very well with the dressing that had just a hint of the nutty sweet coffee roast.
Off to Work
After getting dressed it was off to work for the patrons at the WYES Cooking with Community dinner. Our fourth course consisted of Pecan Praline smoked duck breast accompanied by a Medium Roast berry compote and crispy duck cracklins. While the duck had been cooked past the ideal medium rare stage, it didn't present a problem with this dish because of the smoked flavors. The duck didn't dry out and combined with the berry compote, made one heck of a dish. Not to mention any time you have duck skin cracklins, you can't complain one lick!
Lunch Time
Lunch time came during the day at the office, and it most definitely did not disappoint. This course tied with the grits and grillades as my two favorites, and it's not hard to see why. The plate had a prime beef medallion rubbed with Cafe Special and topped with a 5-Star Hotel Blend demi. It came served over a sweet potato hash and garlic braised spinach. The steak's magnificent medium rare center cut apart with a butter knife. The charred coffee rub on the outside lit up the steak with flavor while the sweet potato hash, cooked up with bacon, and the spinach were excellent choices with which to surround such a prize piece of beef. I could eat this every day.
Break!!!
Our break came with a little play on a palate cleansing sorbet. The Chocolate Almondine popsicle was one of Chef Wadsworth's more daring creations, but it certainly worked. It had plenty of chocolate and coffee flavors in a frozen treat. I only wish it would have served in between the duck and the steak courses to further accentuate the play on a sorbet rather than as a second dessert. While it may not have cleansed the palate like a smooth fruity sorbet would have, it also would have broken up the two protein rich courses and the two sweet desserts. Despite that, the popsicle worked brilliantly as a risky play to serve at a seven course wine dinner, and I applaud the chef for pulling it off!
The Drive Home
The meal ended with the way a day at the office ends: the drive home. The Chicory and chocolate molten lava cake overflowed with Vanilla Nut ganache and came topped with Irish Cream ice cream scooped table side. The cake had a moist brownie batter type center with chocolate and vanilla flavors, but the real highlight was the ice cream.
The entire dinner seemed like a huge hit for everyone in attendance. Chef Chris Wadsworth made a bold and daring dinner with seven courses and fourteen coffee roasts. His attitude is refreshing for a chef that is new to Baton Rouge but really trying to make an impression. He ended the dinner by saying he didn't cook this dinner to win the Cooking with Community contest. He cooked this dinner to win it again. After eating it, I'd be surprised if he doesn't.
Some chefs just get it. Marcus Day is one of those chefs. His cuisine is uncompromising. Food and flavor before all else. No shortcuts. Handmade pastas, sauces from scratch, and creativity daily. The story becomes even more remarkable because Chef Day does it all out of a vintage Airstream trailer. And he has a name that came out of local literature: Ignatius Reilly's Gourmet Street Food. For anybody living under a rock, Ignatius Reilly is the name of the main character in John Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces. Ignatius Reilly is an educated, eccentric, but often slothful 30 year old living in uptown New Orleans. And he loves to eat. To know more, read the book.
Bolognese with Fresh Pasta and Parmesan
Marcus also clearly gets the overall Food Truck movement. The idea of a concession stand on wheels is as old as traveling carnivals. However, gourmet mobile eateries slinging restaurant quality grub at affordable prices... well that's what turns a trend into a revolution.
Chef Marcus Day's Ignatius Reilly's Gourmet Street Food
Social media has played a large role in the surge of meaningful mobile food vendors. Chef Day has been on top of his branding from the beginning, posting pictures of dishes of Facebook and interacting with his customers on Twitter. He also uses the channels to tell his fans where he is set up for lunch, dinner, and even brunch on the weekends.
Carrot Ginger Soup with Mint Creme Fraiche
Ignatius Reilly's concept is fresh and local, to every extent possible. His signature items are handmade pastas, carefully crafted soups, and specialty sandwiches. The top photograph of the bolognese is perhaps Chef Day's signature dish. Ever on the menu, the pasta with beef sauce and layers of Parmesan lives up to its permanent place on the menu board. After one bite you can taste the freshness of the homemade noodles and the unique bolognese. The latest dish that I've tried from Marcus is the above carrot ginger soup. The delicious and nutritious soup is finished with a little butter to add that wonderful extra richness and then topped with a dollop of mint creme fraiche to just take it over the top.
As I mentioned earlier, Ignatius Reilly's sets up for weekend brunch around Baton Rouge as well. Make an effort to track him down any weekend and you won't be sorry. The Eggs Cancienne represent a fantastic all around dish that would be worthy of any brick and mortar joint. Chef's Day own spin on the classic Eggs Benedict, the tasso hollandaise is bright and rich and is simply superb with the cheese grits on the bottom.
Creme Brulee Pain Perdu: NOLA French Toast, Steen's Cane Syrup, Candied Pecans, Powdered Sugar
Not to stop there, also found on the brunch menu at times is a French toast dish with some Louisiana favorites. I could eat this creme brulee pain perdu for breakfast or dessert at any time and be completely content.
Everything that Ignatius Reilly's serves comes in containers made from recycled products which just furthers the notion that Chef Day has it figured out. Next time you see his stainless steel Airstream around town, make sure to stop by, order some great food, and tell him hey. You won't be sorry!
I'm never really one to turn down free beer or good food, so when a box of beer from the Lewis Bear distributors in Florida arrived at my doorstep for a little Virtual Potluck, I figured the proper Bite and Booze thing to do was cook with some, and drink the rest! My assignment was to cook with the Pensacola Brewery's porter, so my brain started to spin about what I could make with it, and what I had available in my fridge!
The results: some Alaskan Halibut that we caught on a fishing trip out of Homer, AK, and some arborio risotto rice that looked like it could pack plenty of flavor! I got started right away.
I decided that I would poach the halibut in the oven in a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice. I also sprinkled each side of the fish with salt and pepper. I preheated the oven to around 325 degrees and then switched my attention to the risotto. When the timing felt right I stuck the halibut in the oven for about 12 to 15 minutes until the fleshy began to flake apart while still holding moist and firm in the middle.
The key to any risotto is the stock used to create it. Risotto is an Italian rice dish whereby the liquid is slowly added to the rice and allowed to absorb instead of the simple boil and simmer method commonly employed elsewhere. The flavor of that liquid, or stock, is what builds character in the dish itself. For this risotto I used some homemade turkey stock and added some fresh carrot, onion, celery, kosher salt, black pepper, a few sprigs of parsley from my Harb's Oasis herb garden, and about half a cup of the Pensacola Brewery Porter.
As soon as the stock seemed ready to roll, I toasted off my rice just a tad in a hot pan and began ladling the stock over a scoop at a time, stirring between ladles until the moisture had been taken in by the sponge-like grains. I continue this process until the rice had the appropriate texture. I followed that up with pureeing the carrots and a bit of the onion and celery that I skimmed from the stock pot then adding that back to the risotto to give it a lovely orange color and an even deeper flavor.
Poached Halibut Over Pensacola Porter Risotto
To serve the dish I plated the risotto on the bottom and topped it with some freshly grated Parmesan, followed by a halibut filet and a few parsley leaves. And I also had the rest of the beer!
Want to win something? The Lewis Bear Company will be shipping out to the winner some beer-inspired t-shirts, hat, and other cool swag. Entry is limited to residents of the US, 18 or older. Contest ends at noon, Eastern time, on Sunday, February 5.
To enter, comment on this post and tell me what's your favorite craft beer or favorite way to use beer in your kitchen. For more chances, make sure to tell me if you:
Go to our party host site, 30AEATS and leave a comment there.
In an effort to get back on track after my not-so-successful Tuscan white bean soup, I decided to tackle some American comfort food once again with a Southern staple: Chicken and Dumplings. I had never previously made dumplings although it turned out to be pretty similar to biscuits in the whole scheme of things (at least the dough making part). As for the chicken, well, it was pretty standard... and very delicious.
After getting all of my ingredients from Calandro's Supermarket in place I began to get the stock going. I submerged the chicken quarters in chicken stock (I've got to start making my own!) and water and added aromatics such as onion, celery, carrot, peppercorns, thyme, and parsley.
Once the stock came to a rolling boil I lowered it to simmer and turned my attention to the dumplings. Some flour, salt, baking powder and chopped herbs were mixed together with vegetable shortening and then even more so with whole milk. After that I kneaded the dough and cut it into thirds.
From there the dumplings had to be rolled out fairly thin and then sliced. I'm sure this could have been done in a pasta machine almost as easily but I did it with an old-fashioned rolling pin. Once I got the dough flattened out I cut into squares and rectangles and then moved them to the refrigerator until it was time to drop them in the boiling broth.
The stock had to go through a straining process. The chicken was also removed. Fat, skin and bones were discarded and then I waited to drop it back in. I got a fresh batch of carrots, onion and celery ready to go before adding my strained stock back to the pot. Once that got to a boil I added my dumplings. A little later I added the chicken back along with the peas and then left everything to simmer for a little while.
My dumplings finished really nicely, plumping up into a chewy flavorful pillow of dough. The chicken came out beyond fork tender and full of flavor. I added a little heat to mine because I like food a little on the spicy side, but other than this recipe was right on the money. I think I've cooked about all the stocks and soups and such that I can handle for now though. The next recipes I make from Emeril Lagasse's Sizzing Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders will be a little different!
Oh, and see that serving dish featured above? Stay tuned to an upcoming blog post because you're going to get a chance to win a set of them!
While participating in Emeril's blogger party by joining 20 other bloggers from around the world in cooking recipes from Emeril's new book "Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonder," I made a commitment to myself to step out of my comfort zone with a few of the recipes. While I've made plenty of recipes where I've had to soak beans over night (red beans and rice, for example), I had never experimented with Tuscan style white bean dish that was also (outside the chicken stock I guess) vegetarian. That's a whole realm of cuisine that is truly outside my comfort zone, so I thought I'd give it a try.
My white beans plumped up after soaking them over night
After a trip to Calandro's and another stop at Southside Produce, I still was unable to find any broccoli rabe which the recipe calls for. Broccoli rabe is actually a green, not broccoli at all, but since I couldn't find it, I made an executive decision to just try regular old broccoli instead. I wasn't impressed. I should have done a little research to find something more similar, but oh well! For the beans I used half baby lima beans and half cannellini beans. That combination worked a little more to my favor.
Ingredients for my Tuscan White Bean Soup other than the beans!
All of the fresh and wonderful vegetable and herb flavors were there in the soup but I couldn't help but think there was something missing. It needed some bacon fat or a ham hock or something to the next level. This is the first of Emeril's recipes that I've cooked that I haven't been completely inspired by. I know it may have had a lot to do with not being able to find the broccoli rabe, but I still just was not impressed by the soup. That's okay though. I still have a book to give away and more recipes to cook!
Finished Tuscan White Bean Soup with Broccoli
Now, about that extra book copy that I have!
For participating in the blogger party I received a free copy of the book and also a copy to give away to a loyal Bite and Booze reader. To win? Make sure you follow Bite and Booze on Twitter or like my page on Facebook and leave a comment on this blog post telling me what you think about Emeril. I'll take entries until September 27th and then I'll inform the winner about their new book that will be arriving!
Having been on a Gordon Ramsay reality show, I found it a little absurd that I had never actually been in charge of cooking a risotto before this dish. Sure I had seen them done before on TV and even in person, but I had never actually be responsible for ladling the broth into the rice with precision. When I saw the Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto recipe in Emeril Lagasse's new book Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders, I got excited about giving it a try!
I set my sights on a creamy rice with deliciously seasoned Gulf shrimp in hopes that this would be a meal to remember. Like all the recipes for Emeril's Blogger Party, this one again started with a trip my locally owned Calandro's Supermarket to stock up on fresh produce, Gulf shrimp, specialty ingredients, and even some wine.
The first step after the mise en place was to peel and devein the shrimp. After that I retained the peels to make a shrimp stock. The peels were cooked off in a little olive oil and then I added water, onions, carrots, parsley, celery, salt and whole peppercorns. Once the stock came together I strained it and then put it back in a pot to keep warm. A flavorful stock is the key to a wonderful risotto as all of that flavor will transfer into the rice!
The shrimp were seasoned with Emeril's Original Essence and a little extra salt then sauteed in butter and reserved for later.
I started the rice in the pot after I cooked down some shallots and garlic in a little butter. I let the rice toast for a bit before pouring in some wine. The rice soaked up the wine quickly and then I began to ladle in stock a cup at a time and allowing it to absorb before adding in more.
Towards the end I added in some finely chopped basil, thyme and chives as well as some lemon zest and juice. The rice had a wonderful nearly creamy texture and an amazing flavor from all the layers of deliciousness that were added throughout the process.
Once the rice was ready I added in the blanched asparagus and shrimp and let everything cook a little more until the shrimp and asparagus were brought up to temperature. To serve I added a generous portion of freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the top. The end result looked stunning and tasted even better. I'd have to say that I am pretty proud of my first ever risotto!
Stay tuned to Bite and Booze because on my next post I'll giving you a recipe for a Tuscan White Bean Soup and a chance to win one of Emeril's new cookbooks: Sizzling Skillets and other One-Pot Wonders!
For my second recipe based on Emeril's Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders (my first posted featured deep dish pizza!), I decided to make a perfect recipe for the Bite and Booze side of me: Red Wine and Port Braised Short Ribs. Braising is a classic French technique that usually takes a cheaper and not-so-tender cut of meat and simmers it at a reasonably low temperature for a long time until a lot of the fat and connective tissue has broken down, leaving you with fork-tender protein. One of the keys of braising is definitely to have a a flavorful liquid that will impart layers and depth of tastes as you cook. For this recipe I once again started at Calandro's Supermarket where I stocked up on supplies including shallots, turnips, herbs and, of course, Port!
The next step to cooking this kind of meal is to take care of the mise en place. The French culinary term literally means "everything in place". Basically it means you get all of the ingredients out and prepared before you start cooking. For me, that meant to peel and chop the carrots, shallots and turnips, measure out some flour, garlic and black peppercorns, and be ready to rock. Since the recipe called for beef stock and I didn't have any homemade stock on hand, I picked up some of Emeril's beef stock at Calandro's. I figured that's probably what he would have wanted!
After seasoning the beef short ribs with salt and pepper and then browning them in a cast iron pot with some olive oil, the next step involved flavoring my braising liquid. I cooked down the vegetables with a little more olive oil until they started to caramelize and then I added the flour. After letting it toast and begin to stick to the bottom, I deglazed the pot with red wine and let that cook down a little more. I soon added the thyme, bay leaves, parsley and whole peppercorns followed by the Port and beef stock. After coming up to a boil, I had a very flavorful braising liquid that I knew would work extremely well with the short ribs.
Once the liquid got to that rolling boil I removed it from the stove and add the the short ribs back to the pot. I got them all as submerged as possible and then transferred everything to the oven where I let it sit for about 2 and a half more hours. I opened it up once to mix the ribs around and then removed the lid for the final time. The fragrance from the pot filled the entire house and I knew that this would be an amazing meal. However, the work hadn't quite finished there. I first needed to strain the liquid to remove the herb stems and bay leaves. I separated the vegetables and beef as well in order to get a gravy left in the pot. After letting it simmer for a little while longer, the remaining liquid coated the back of a spoon and I returned the beef and veggies to the pot one more time so they could soak up more flavor and come back up to temperature. I also used that time to make a batch of yellow corn grits to serve the ribs over!
The final product: an extremely tender and flavor-packed beef short rib served over yellow corn grits with carrots and turnips. I couldn't be happier!
For doing these blog posts from Emeril's new book I received a free advance copy. It is available in stores in late September. I'll also be giving away a copy of the book in an upcoming blog post, so stay tuned to see if you can win one! Also of note, this recipe actually called for parsnips instead of carrots but I couldn't find any. Carrots worked very well though!
