Author: cia

Baked Cod with Prosciutto and Lentils

Growing up in Manila, I grew up eating fish one way: fried. I liked making this dish a lot because it gave my parents a new way to eat cod.

Ingredients:
2 skinless cod fillets
half a stick of unsalted butter, melted for a few seconds in the microwave
6 slices of prosciutto

For the lentils:
2 cups of brown lentils
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, peeled, finely chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
3 bay leaves
salt, olive oil

1. Heat oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Brush cod fillets with butter and wrap each in a two slices of prosciutto, leaving the ends open. Brush with butter again. Bake fish until firm and white for about 20 minutes.
3. In the meantime, heat a large skillet and add oil. Sauté garlic, onion and carrots with a little salt.
4. Using a rice cooker, cook lentils like you cook rice but with an extra 2 cups of water. Add your sautéed vegetables, thyme and bay leaves.
5. Serve cod on a bed of lentils.

Fennel Salad

I can never ignore a fennel and cheese salad on a menu. It’s so easy to make your own version at home. I like to make this salad before I start cooking because it ties me over until the main course is done. The key is to use lemon juice so that the fennel doesn’t change color. A good quality Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is the default but I rather like it with a golden Pecorino.

Ingredients:
1 bulb fennel, sliced thinly
Pecorino cheese, or any other hard cheese, shaved
juice of half of lemon
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. In a small bowl, toss fennel with lemon juice. Toss in the rest of the ingredients and transfer to a serving platter.

Related post/s:
Where to buy good cheese

Braised Spareribs with Cabbage

I’m not a big fan of cabbage unless it’s for Korean pickles, or kimchi, so when this recipe from The New York Times called for Savoy cabbage, I used Napa instead because it gets tender faster especially when braised.

Ingredients:
2 pounds of beef spareribs, cut into individual ribs, excess fat removed
1 Napa cabbage, chopped
1 cup of dry white wine
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 bay leaves
3 dried red chilis
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. Heat a big casserole. Add oil. Add garlic and chilis until they sizzle nicely.
2. Add ribs, meat side down and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown both sides of the ribs. Remove to a plate.
3. Pour off excess fat and add cabbage. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Cook cabbage until slightly brown and then add white wine, stirring to release brown bits stuck to the bottom of the casserole.
4. Return ribs to the pot and adjust heat to simmer slowly. Cover. Cook for at least 45 minutes checking and stirring occasionally to make sure the mixture does not dry out. Add a little water if it starts to; use chicken stock instead if you have some handy.

Bar Jamon

125 East 17th Street on Irving Place
212/253.2773
about $125 for two, with a few drinks, without tip
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Jamon is Spanish for ham and Bar Jamon is the most recent translation in the New York City scene. Mario Batali’s latest digs is right next to Casa Mono, his fifth restaurant in New York City. The space is good for fifteen couples at most, but more than thirty were inside, even on a Tuesday night. We squeezed ourselves in to eat tapas and drink Spanish wine and new guests jumped to the next stool that freed up. A little jazz and a little Wilco were playing when we were there, but the music was so faint compared to the collective noise of those who had the same idea as we did.

With two bottles of Tempranillo, we shared two plates of ham cured for fourteen months. We also got the sardines en escabeche and marinated anchovies with migas de chorizo or sausage crumbs. We snacked on a plate of two kinds of cheeses and enjoyed their bread with some good olive oil. We didn’t think we’d stay past 9pm because of the crowd but as soon as we snatched the stools in the back, we ended up staying for two more hours.

Bar Jamon is a scene all right, but it’s a New York City scene and that you can’t pass up.

Stir-Fried Oyster Mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms are incredibly cheap in Chinatown. They’re usually white or of a light brown color and they look more like fans than the familiar capped mushrooms. You can add a little cornstarch when making the sauce to thicken it, but I left it out. I prefer thickening the sauce by simmering it until it has the consistency I’m happy with.

Ingredients:
1 pound of fresh oyster mushrooms, cleaned and wiped with a paper towel, sliced in smaller pieces
half a pound of string beans, destringed, cut in half
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 bunch spinach, thoroughly washed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
a small knob of fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
2 tbsps rice wine
salt

Sauce:
3 1/2 tbsps oyster sauce
1 1/2 tbsps rice wine
1 1/4 tbsps sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 1/2 tsps canola oil

1. Prepare sauce by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a large skillet, add 1 tsp of oil and heat until hot. Add string beans, garlic, onions, rice wine and salt. Toss until beans are tender. Add a little water and cook until dry. Remove from the skillet to a serving plate.
3. Using the same skillet, add another tsp of oil and heat until hot. Sauté garlic, onions and ginger. Add mushrooms and toss with heat-resistant spatula for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the sauce and toss slightly to thicken, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Serve on top of the beans.