cia – Page 190 – Writing With My Mouth Full

Grilled Lamb Chops with Corn Pudding and Balsamic Mint Jus

Adapted from Chefs A’Field

Ingredients:
For the chops:
8 lamb rib chops
2 tbsps fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tbsps fresh thyme, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the corn pudding:
vegetable oil, for greasing pan 2 1/2 cups corn kernels (from 2 or 3 ears)

2 cups heavy cream
5 large eggs
1/2 cup finely diced onion
3 cloves garlic, sautÃ©ed slowly in oil until soft but not browned
3 large egg whites
salt

For the jus:
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup strong veal stock or beef broth
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, julienned
salt and pepper

1. To marinate chops: In a large bowl or plastic storage bag, combine lamb chops, rosemary, thyme, garlic and olive oil. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 24 hours.
2. To prepare corn pudding: Heat oven to 325Â°. Lightly oil an 8-inch-square baking pan and set aside. Place 1 1/4 cups corn in a food processor, and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add cream and process until corn is purÃ©ed. Transfer to a large bowl and add remaining 1 1/4 cups corn, eggs, onion and garlic.
3. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites to medium peaks. Fold whites into corn mixture, and season with salt to taste. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until set and golden on top, about 1 hour. While pudding is baking, prepare jus and chops.
4. To prepare jus: Place vinegar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Boil until reduced by half. Remove from heat and add veal stock and mint. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and keep warm.
5. To finish and serve: Heat a grill to medium-high. Lightly grill chops to taste. Place a serving of corn pudding on each of four plates. Lean 2 chops against pudding. Drizzle balsamic jus around plate and serve.

Buddhai Bodai

5 Mott Street at Worth, New York City
212/566-8388
about $60 for two, without drinks, without tip
â™¥ â™¥

I never thought I’d say this but I love vegetarian food! That is, if it’s from Buddha Bodai. They specialize in both kosher and Buddhist vegetarian meals, so during a busy day, the restaurant is abuzz. Sundays are a scene when the Jews and the Chinese are in one room eating dim-sum. Service is efficient and fast, but don’t expect all of them to warm up to you; it’s nothing personal.

Most people get turned off with gluten because the fake meat does not sound appealing to them. I’m an omnivore, so I tend to agree, but Buddha Bodai does vegetarian really well. The lettuce song is crispy rice, fried noodles and pine nuts. You put some plum sauce on a piece of lettuce, scoop some of the filling and wrap it and eat it like a roll. I love the texture of this dish and it’s one of their best appetizers. The barbecue is a must-have. It’s actually the dish that changed my mind about vegetarian food. It’s so tasty, I could even be convinced that it’s not gluten but real meat.

I love the mushroom with black bean sauce. The mushroom flavor is so intense even the thick brown sauce can’t cover it. The crispy duck is really paper-thin tofu skins that taste even better when dipped in duck sauce. At Buddha Bodai, you’ll also have the best broccoli of your life. They’re bright green and perfectly tender flash-fried in garlic sauce. I wish parents would introduce their children to their version of broccoli as I’m sure any one, no matter what age, will love them.

Don’t skip the ginger pine nut fried rice or the house special congee especially if you go with a big group of people. The servings are more than enough and everything is so much better to share with your friends, dim-sum style.

Miso Roasted Duck

I cook duck more than I cook turkey because I can easily buy it fresh from Chinatown. There’s something about roasting your own duck and waiting for its skin to turn into that right shade of golden brown–mahogany, even.

Ingredients:
1 whole fresh duck, excess fat trimmed, giblets removed
1/4 cup miso
1 cup honey
2 cups soy sauce
1 cup cold black coffee
1/4 cup ginger, finely chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 orange, halved
1 lemon, halved
1 lime, halved

1. Wash duck and dry with paper towels. Using a fork, pierce the duck skin all over to allow the flavor of the marinade to penetrate and the fat to drain.
2. Prepare the marinade. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl except for the citrus. Stir well until miso and sugar are dissolved. Squeeze the citrus juice into the marinade then stuff the cavity of the duck with the citrus halves. Marinate the duck on a plate, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
3. When ready to roast the next day, preheat oven to 450Âº. Place the duck on a rack in a roasting pan. Fold the wings back and tie the legs together. Roast the duck for 20 minutes to caramelize the sugar and set a rich, mahogany color. After 20 minutes, drop the temperature to 325Âº and roast for another hour.

Stuffed Flank Steak

I’ve watched the boy make this stuffed flank steak for me before. When I wanted to try it at home, I called him for the recipe. All I got was, “Stuff it, roll it, fry it.” Simple instructions for a meal that looks like a hundred bucks. I used everything I found in my fridge before I went away for the weekend. If the flank could have talked, it would have begged for me to stop.

Ingredients:
1 flank steak, butterflied and tenderized
small red bell pepper, julienned
small green bell pepper, julienned
1/2 pound of crimini mushrooms, sliced
several slices of prosciutto and soppresatta
4 cloves of garlic, crushed, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
a handful of parsley, finely chopped
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350Âº. In a hot skillet, heat olive oil and sautÃ© garlic and onions. Add peppers and mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until mushrooms are soft. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper.
2. Lay steak out flat and add a layer of prosciutto and soppresatta. Top with the bell pepper and mushroom mixture. Slowly roll the steak up like a big sushi roll, pulling at the ends so it’s not too thick in the middle. Tie with kitchen string to pack the stuffing in. Brush with oil.
3. In a hot skillet, heat more olive oil and brown all sides of the stuffed flank steak for some color. Do not over fry to avoid hardening the meat. Transfer to a shallow baking dish. Brush with more oil and bake until medium-rare. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Cut strings off. Slice into 3/4-inch pieces and serve.

Related post/s:
How about stuffed vegetables?

Baked Stuffed Peppers

These baked stuffed peppers were a good start to jerk chicken.

Ingredients:
2 small red bell peppers, halved lengthwise through stem, seeded
1 small box of cherry tomatoes, halved
crumbled feta cheese
10 leaves of basil
a handful of fresh thyme
pepper, olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400Âº. In a large bowl, toss tomatoes, feta, basil and thyme. Season with pepper.
2. Place bell peppers on a baking dish. Fill each with tomato and feta mixture. Drizzle with olive oil.
3. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an extra 15 minutes or until tomatoes burst and feta looks a little browned. Serve warm.