Last Night’s Dinner

I’m not sure but I think the excessive heat we’ve had the last two days has impaired my ability to successfully put a meal together. I didn’t even attempt it on Monday night (we ordered a pizza), but since Mike had installed the air conditioner, I figured I’d give it a shot last night. After all, we had a package of Bomster Scallops thawed in the fridge, and I was anxious to see what the fuss is all about. I figured they’d be a good option for a quick dinner anyway, as scallops really take just minutes to cook, and they wouldn’t heat up the kitchen too much.

I decided rather than searing the scallops, I’d give them a brief soak in buttermilk before coating them in cornmeal. The first problem I encountered is that our buttermilk had frozen in the back of the fridge (as did our crème fraiche, which is why the lemon-savory cream I planned to serve with the scallops didn’t materialize – strike two).

I pressed forward, figuring the buttermilk slush would re-liquefy soon enough (it did). But then I used the wrong pan. Now, you all know how much I love our cast iron skillet, and I use it for darn near everything, but the thing just got too nuclear hot for these scallops – my first batch stuck to the pan, leaving charred cornmeal in the bottom, the scallops still raw.

I quickly grabbed our nonstick pan and got that heating for the next batch, and it worked better, though the crust itself was pretty unsuccessful – the scallops gave off so much liquid after I pulled them out of the pan that the crust was soggy by the time I plated. They were tasty, but not at all what I had intended.

I was more successful with the accompaniments – black rice cooked with shallot and lots of fresh summer savory (already chopped for the lemon-savory cream that was not to be), and blanched shaved asparagus, all dressed with a healthy squeeze of lemon juice. It was light and fresh tasting, not to mention lovely to look at, and I’ll likely revisit the combination in the future. I’m betting it would be great with a poached egg on top.

I wouldn’t call this meal a complete disaster, but it was disappointing. The scallops themselves were, as advertised, really delicious, and I look forward to picking up more at the farmers’ market this weekend and giving them another go next week. But I’ll skip the cornmeal crust.

(On an unrelated note, check out Mike’s first contribution to the Tales of the Cocktail blog, up today.)

In another lifetime, I was all about celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. There were far too many black and tans at the Gaelic League, “shaking my shamrock” with my best girl at the Old Shillelagh, big boiled dinners of corned beef, cabbage, carrots and turnips, but honestly, I’m just not that into it anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of Irish food, drink and music, but I prefer my celebrations on the quieter side these days.

Still, I decided to cook up something green, a simple potato and leek soup with fresh watercress just wilted in and the whole thing pureed right before serving. It was inspired by the soup on Suzanne Goin’s St. Patrick’s Day menu in Sunday Suppers at Lucques, and I had originally planned to serve it with her “Gentleman’s Relish” toasts but in the end I went simpler and made cheddar and chive toasts instead.

I’m not sure if it was because I’m fighting off the cold that my darling husband is trying to share with me, but this didn’t quite hit the mark. I kept adjusting the seasoning, adding a bit more salt, a splash of wine vinegar, and finally whisking in a blob of sour cream (which, of course, decided to separate), and while the end result was okay, it wasn’t delicious. That being said, I’m having some of the leftover soup for lunch today – hopefully the flavors will have improved overnight.

While this dish helped me to use up three party leftovers (3/4 lb. chicken and red pepper sausage, a pint of cherry tomatoes and a pint of fresh mozzarella bocconcini), I wasn’t entirely pleased with the end result. I mixed these ingredients into a bread pudding, made with cubes of ciabatta and my basic custard recipe, but the end result was a little bland. I definitely under-salted the dish, and while the addition of a handful of shredded fresh basil leaves in the custard was nice, it needed a little more oomph – perhaps a stronger herb or some red chile flakes would have done the trick. Still, this wasn’t a bad meal – it was easy and filling, and it helped me clear some space in the fridge for other things.

Some people find it tedious, but I think there’s something very relaxing about shelling peas. Sitting with a couple of bowls in front of me, paring knife in one hand to nip off the stems, pulling the strings down, then gently prying open the pod and working the little peas out – it’s meditative. We’ve generally got a bag or two of frozen peas in the freezer year-round, but in springtime, when sweet fresh peas hit the market, I can’t get enough of them and I look forward to the shelling.

I whipped up my basic risotto last night, stirring in about a cup and a half of fresh peas and an equal amount of chopped asparagus with the last addition of liquid. I also added the zest of a lemon, but the flavor didn’t pop like I wanted it to, so next time I do this dish (which should be soon – Mike has requested a do-over in a week or two), I will likely add some fresh lemon juice in addition to the zest. A generous grating of salty Pecorino Romano provided a nice counterpoint to the sweet peas and earthy asparagus.

I try to make our meals as visually appealing as they are tasty, but sometimes things just don’t work out as I had hoped they would. On those occasions, I usually just don’t write up the meal or post the photos, but Mike has encouraged me to do so – it’s a truer representation of what really goes on in our kitchen, and putting it out there is a good way for me to talk about what worked and what didn’t, as well as to work out what to do differently next time.

When I was surfing around yesterday trying to gain some new ideas for the black sea bass we would be having for dinner, I came across this recipe for Black Sea Bass en Papillote on Leite’s Culinaria. We had leeks and some gorgeous heads of baby cauliflower at home, so I decided to use those along with some artichokes to accompany the fish.

I decided against packeting the fish and vegetables; I love the skin of black sea bass, and I wanted to get it really crispy, so cooking it in a really hot pan was the way to go. Our filets were on the small side, so I decided to give them a very light dusting of flour before putting them into the hot pan, hoping this would help them hold together better. I scored the skin, seasoned the filets on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper, and set them aside for a bit while I worked with the veggies.

I sliced and cleaned two leeks and placed them on a foil-lined baking sheet. I quartered three of the heads of assorted baby cauliflower (leaving the outer leaves attached), and added a box of thawed frozen artichoke hearts (next time I am definitely using fresh ones, but we can’t get them in our neighborhood, and I had these on hand). I seasoned the vegetables with salt and pepper, tossed them with a bit of olive oil, and placed them into the oven to roast – 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

We generally use our cast iron skillet for searing just about any sort of meat, fish or fowl, but I decided to try searing the fish filets in our nonstick skillet instead. I got it really hot, added a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, and added the fish filets (which were lightly coated with flour) skin-side down. The fish cooked for about 3-4 minutes on the first side, then for another minute or two on the second side, and they did get gorgeously crispy.

I drained the excess oil from the pan and deglazed it with a cup or so of white wine and a blob of Dijon mustard; I added a couple of tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves and whisked in a tablespoon of butter off the heat. I plated the black sea bass filets on a bed of the roasted veggies and spooned the sauce on top. I was incredibly pleased with the flavors and textures here, but unfortunately, everything looked sort of… brown.

Now, I’m not a huge fan of boiled or steamed vegetables, but I think one of those methods might have been the best way to keep the vibrant colors of the cauliflower intact. However, I was so happy with how the fish turned out that I will probably use this method for cooking delicate filets going forward; and though the little mustard-wine pan sauce I made was tasty, I’m not convinced the fish needed it – perhaps just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some chopped fresh herbs will work better. Live and learn!

I saw a food and travel show over the weekend that inspired me to try a lighter take on chiles rellenos for our meatless Monday dinner. Chiles rellenos are one of my favorite Mexican dishes, but they can tend toward the heavy side with their coating of batter and rich cheese or pork fillings. The dish I saw wasn’t battered at all – the chile was just beautifully roasted and charred, stuffed with a light filling and served atop a smooth sauce. It looked lovely, and I couldn’t wait to try my hand.

This dish needs a bit more tweaking; it was really good, but I think it’s going to be even better in the summer months, when our garden is producing loads of fresh produce and I can char the veggies over hardwood charcoal on the grill. We lucked out and were able to get some really tasty hothouse stem tomatoes at Marlow and Sons, but if you can’t get good fresh tomatoes or if they’re not in season, I think fire-roasted canned tomatoes would work well in the sauce. All in all, I was very pleased with how this turned out, and I look forward to playing with this recipe again.

Black Bean and Roasted Vegetable Chiles Rellenos

4 large poblano chiles
6 medium sized fresh tomatoes, halved
6 whole peeled cloves garlic
Juice of one lime
2 teaspoons good quality chile powder
1/2 teaspoon each ground coriander, ground cumin, and smoked chipotle powder
1/4 cup water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1.5 cups chayote squash cut into 1/2 inch dice (you can substitute zucchini or yellow squash)
1/2 red onion, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 red or orange bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1.5 cups corn kernels (I used frozen, but use fresh when corn is in season)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Cotija cheese (a salty, aged Mexican cheese that is similar to Feta)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line two small baking sheets with foil. On the first, lay the tomato halves cut-side down, scatter the garlic cloves around them, season liberally with kosher salt and drizzle with olive oil, rubbing it on all sides of the tomatoes with your fingers. Place squash, onion, bell pepper and corn on the second sheet, season with kosher salt and drizzle with olive oil, and toss through to coat. Place both baking sheets into the oven and allow the vegetables to roast for 25 minutes.

Roast the poblanos over an open flame or under the broiler until the skins are blistered and charred. Using tongs, place them into a sip-top bag, seal it and set aside for a few minutes; the steam will soften the chiles and make them easier to peel.

Spoon the roasted tomatoes and garlic, as well as any accumulated juices, into a blender. Add chile powder, coriander, cumin, chipotle powder, lime juice and water and puree until smooth.

Remove the roasted diced veggies from the oven and add the black beans to the mixture. Toss gently and set aside.

When the poblanos are soft enough to handle, peel them, cut a slit lengthwise from the stem to the bottom of each pepper, and carefully remove the seeds and membranes. I don’t mind bits of the charred skin, but some people don’t like the taste or texture. I find that it’s easiest to peel them and remove the seeds in a bowl of water – it also helps keep those hot pepper oils from clinging to your skin. Set each cleaned pepper aside on a tray or platter and wash your hands well after discarding the skins/seeds.

Ladle a bit of the tomato-chile sauce onto 4 plates. Spoon about 1/4 of the roasted vegetable and bean mixture into each chile, and carefully transfer the stuffed peppers to the center of each plate. Grate a bit of cheese over each pepper and serve.

Wine Pairing: People generally think of beer or margaritas to accompany Mexican cuisine, but I like Karen MacNeil’s suggestion of pairing a peppery Zinfandel with it. Mike picked up a bottle of Ravenswood Lodi Old Vines Zinfandel, and its spicy and rich fruit notes worked really nicely with this dish.

It was a beautiful day yesterday, but I wasn’t able to get out of the office to enjoy it, so when I got home, Mike mixed us up a round of Aviations and we took them out front to the stoop to take advantage of the evening’s waning warmth.

I had some local wild cod filets and a bunch of escarole that I wanted to cook up for dinner, so I did a quick search on foodandwine.com and found a recipe for Caponata-Style Escarole and Cod. It sounded quick, easy and tasty, so while I generally don’t cook from recipes, I thought I’d give this a go.

I have cooked a lot of fish fillets (cod included), and I think I can say I’m pretty good at it, but in this instance the cod began to break up about as soon as it hit the oil, and by the time I flipped the fillets and cooked them through, we were left with this:

Not pretty, and not a good sign of things to come.

Despite the fact that the fish had pretty much disintegrated, I had high hopes for the sauce. We love olives, capers, anchovies and tomatoes, and we love escarole and all manner of bitter greens - the combination sounded awesome. However, in the finished dish, we thought that the bitter and salty flavors were almost overwhelming. They definitely overpowered the fish, and it just didn’t taste balanced to us. I pulled out the cooked olives and added some uncooked whole olives hoping that their fruitiness might help, but it didn’t. The dish wasn’t inedible, but it was disappointing.

As Mike said, this has a lot of potential, but it needs some work. I do think that I’ll attempt the dish again, tweaking it to maybe add a bit of heat or acidity, and maybe try it with a different fish that will hold up better to the cooking. Not a bad dish, but I hope I can turn out a better version next time around.