Mussels with Tarragon Cream

Well, I've gone and done it! I joined Lori at RecipeGirl in her Ten in 10 Challenge!


It's really quite a simple Challenge and you can adjust the Challenge to your own needs and schedule. Originally, I thought the Challenge was to lose 10lbs in ten weeks but it's really ten weeks to a healthier life and I need to start working out regularly again. I was so good for almost three years, I worked out four times a week and then sort of fell off the wagon! I've had surgery twice in the past two yrs and being my recovery took a little longer then we expected, I just never could seem to return to my workout routine. Well, I've got another surgery in my future and I have to start now or possibly wait another year or so! I plan to be back at the gym January 4th and will workout, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday of every week until my next surgery! Wish me luck!

Even though I did not join Ten in 10 to lose weight, I'm looking forward to posting at least one Lo-Cal Recipe a week. For my first Lo-Cal Recipe I found one I thought I would like on Weight Watchers, of course I had to adjust it a little to my own taste. The Mussels in Tarragon Cream was good but I thought it was a little too rich. If I was making it again I would still eliminate the Pernod and substitute 2% Milk for the Cream, add 2 tsp of butter and cut down the fresh Tarragon to just 1 TBL.







Mussels with Tarragon Cream
Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers

2 tsp olive oil
4 medium shallot(s), finely chopped (I skipped)
1 small onion(s), finely chopped (I used 4 green onions, including tops)
1/2 cup(s) water, cold
2 fl oz liqueur, Pernod (I skipped)
1 cup(s) white wine
2 1/2 pound(s) raw mussels, in shell
1/4 cup(s) half-and-half cream
2 Tbsp fresh tarragon, minced
1/4 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or more to taste

Weight Watcher Points: 7
Servings: 4

Scrub the mussels with a vegetable brush under running water; discard any with broken shells or that remain opened when tapped.

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add shallots and onions; cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and add water, Pernod and wine. Return to heat; simmer for 1 minute.

Add mussels and cover pot. Increase heat to high and cook, shaking pot once or twice during steaming, until mussels open, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove mussels from liquid using a strainer or slotted spoon; place them in a large bowl. (Remember to throw away any unopened mussels.)

Boil remaining liquid until it’s reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in cream, tarragon, salt and pepper. Pour liquid over mussels and serve immediately. Yields about 2 cups per serving.







All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

A Tale of Two Salmon

Last week I was tweeting with Rebecca of Chow and Chatter and it did not take us long to begin discussing our recent menus. And come to find out both of us had just made Marinated Salmon but with two totally different recipes. We thought it would be fun to swap Salmon pictures and link to each others blogs....Sort of like a game of tag but with fish!

Rebecca's Harissa Marinated Salmon with CousCous is her own original recipe and consisted of Salmon marinated in a fabulously spicy, tomato-based Harissa Sauce and wonderfully served over CousCous! And doesn't it look delicious! I know Mr. Tastebuds would just be in 7th Heaven if I served him this!






On the other hand my Salmon was a much quieter dish, still marinated but in Sake, Soy, Ginger, Garlic and Marin. It was so delicious and definitely a keeper recipe and one I will make again and again! I served the Soy-Lacquered Salmon with Mushrooms that had been sauteed in butter with about 1 tsp of fresh minced Thyme. I just loved the Mushrooms with Thyme!







Pan-Roasted Soy-Lacquered Salmon
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

1/2 cup sake
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1 tablespoon light miso
1 head garlic, halved
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled, halved, and smashed
4 sprigs fresh cilantro
4 (6 to 8-ounce) salmon fillets, skin on
3 tablespoons peanut oil
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish

In a bowl large enough to accommodate the salmon, mix the sake, soy sauce, mirin, and miso until the miso has dissolved. Add the garlic, ginger, cilantro, and salmon fillets. Cover and marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the oil in an ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the salmon skin side down. Put the pan into the oven and roast until the salmon is cooked medium-rare, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve garnished with cilantro leaves and lime wedges.








All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesdays - Mouclade or Mussels in a Wine Cream Sauce

This week for Whisk Wednesdays we were supposed to make Spiced Shrimp Balls. But being on a recession budget and the price of fresh shrimp, I opted to make Mouclade or Mussels in Wine and Cream Sauce.

I made this dish the easiest way possible not the Le Cordon Bleu way, which means tons of steps and many, MANY dishes to wash. And although I have four other Mussel recipes on my blog, this one is so far my favorite. It was fabulous and Mr. Tastebuds loved it! The biggest difference in this recipe was the wonderful flavor the Italian Parsley added. And being I added it towards the end of cooking, you could taste the full flavor which was just so darn good!







Mouclade
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home

3 lbs of fresh mussels (I used a lb per person)
6 TBL butter (I used 1 TBL)
1 large onion, chopped fine (I used 5 green onions including tops, chopped)
1 large shallot (I skipped)
1/2 c. white wine
2 TBL chopped parsley (I used abt 1/2 c chopped parsley)
Fresh ground pepper
1/2 c creme fraiche or heavy cream (I used lite cream or coffee cream)
1 sprig of fresh thyme

My additions:
1/4 c grated Parmesan
1/4 c fresh basil leaves, chopped fine
1/2 c. plus 2 TBL EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
3 cloves of garlic

1. Scrub and de-beard mussels and rinse in cold water.. Discard any mussel with a cracked shell. If the mussel is open just tap it and if it does not slowly close then discard it.

2. In a large pot melt butter. Add green onions and 1 clove chopped garlic and sauté about 3 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer. Add mussels and cover until mussels open, about 4 to 6 minutes. When mussels are all fully open, scoop them out with a slotted spoon. Discard any mussels that didn't open.

3. In a blender add basil, Parmesan cheese, basil, parsley, thyme, olive oil, cream and garlic and whiz until thoroughly blended.

4. Add cream mix to butter/onion mix in the pan and heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over mussels and serve.








All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Grilled Octopus and Cuttlefish!

Cuttlefish (various sources): Cuttlefish as their name suggests are not actually fish but mollusks, which are amongst the most intelligent species. The cuttlefish is found in areas of the English Channel, along the West coast of Africa and also in the Mediterranean Sea. The cuttlefish belongs to the Sepiida class which also includes the Squids, the Octopus and the Nautiluses.

The cuttlefish are also called the chameleon of the sea. They have a very great ability to change their pattern for various purposes. The change of coloration is due to the special cells called chromatophores. The cells change colors when the individual cells expand or contract. Therefore, the cuttlefish are known to blend into many backgrounds with ease. The cuttlefish can therefore change into colors of gold, green, silver, blue etc.


Mr. Tastebuds and I love Octopus and I make it several times a year. Well my market had baby Octopus on sale and then I found some Cuttlefish which I've never tasted nor cooked before. I don't think I need to tell you that this was going to be one visually interesting dish!

I usually marinate Octopus over night and pop it under the broiler. But this time I decided to marinate the Octopus and then try out our new grilling basket! The grilling basket worked out perfectly for both the Octopus and Cuttlefish. I served the grilled Octopus and Cuttlefish over linguine with a light creamy garlic sauce and garnished with green onion. And it was not only an exciting dish to make but delicious as well!







Marinade for Octopus
Recipe developed in the kitchen of Big-Black-Dog

1/2 c or so of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
2 cloves of garlic crushed
2-3 TBL Balsamic Vinegar or 1/2 c. red wine
3-4 large fresh basil leaves, minced
sprig of fresh tarragon

Mix all the ingredients together pour into a shallow covered dish or a secure zip lock bag. Make sure that whatever you are marinating is completely covered with the mix. If there's not enough liquid to completely cover just rotate every few hours.

NOTE: Octopus can be quite chewy, so I usually marinate it over night.





Garlic Cream and Green Onion Sauce
Recipe developed in the kitchen of Big-Black-Dog

1 lb linguine
3 TBL EVOO
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp anchovy paste
3-4 green onions, sliced into 1/8" coins including the tops
6-10 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 c. cream
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, finely grated **See Note
1/2 c. parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Option: 1/4 c. dry white wine

In a large kettle, cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to pkg directions. I add about 1 TBL EVOO to my pasta water too but that's me!

As soon as you put the pasta water on to boil, heat 3 TBL EVOO in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Gently saute the whole garlic cloves until each clove is just golden brown and easily pieced with a fork. Remove garlic cloves and on a cutting board mash cloves with a fork and mix with anchovy paste. Turn burner off.

As soon your pasta water begins to boil and you've added the pasta, reheat the sauce pan of oil. Return mashed garlic/anchovy paste to the warm EVOO and simmer for a minute. Add basil and green onions, gently stir, making sure the mashed garlic is distributed and simmer for about 1-2 minutes. Add cream, Parmesan cheese, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Toss sauce with drained pasta and serve.

NOTE: I like my pasta sauces thin but if you'd like a thicker sauce just add more Parmesan cheese.







Are you game enough to try it?





Gadgets that Work





I bought the grilling basket sometime last year towards the end of the summer and it was in the sale bin. Not being sure if we'd ever use it I did not want to spend a lot of money so the $9 price tag was within my limit.

Well, I finally tried out the basket with the Octopus and Cuttlefish and I LOVE IT!

The grilling basket is very easy to use just place food inside the 2-piece basket and latch the basket together. The 2-piece basket has 3 adjustable settings and holds food firmly in place. And being there's a top and bottom to the basket it's a snap to just flip the basket for even, over-all grilling.

The non-stick finish cleans up quickly either by hand or machine. And the 14 1/2" wooden handle stays cool and is plenty long enough to keep hands at a safe distance from the grill. Also being rather flat it is so easy to store, we just keep ours in the coat closet in our mud room.

I really did like the basket but there is one problem. I wish the grid was a bit smaller so that I could grill shrimp. When it came time to grill some shrimp, I skewered the shrimp first then put them in the basket and the skewers prevented the shrimp from slipping through the grate. Ta-Da...grilled shrimp and it was so much easier to flip the basket then trying to flip skewered shrimp!




All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

TFF- Steamed Mussels

I made Tyler's Creamed Garlicky Mussels last week and they were so delicious that I decided to try Tyler's Steamed Mussels this week!

The Creamy Garlicky Mussels and Streamed Mussels are very similar but the Steamed Mussels recipe does have fresh tomatoes and hot pepper flakes added to the sauce. And while contemplating this recipe I found another wonderful product, Hot Pepper Paste, and it's in a tube! I am thrilled with this product! I don't use much heat in my dishes but I do add a touch of hot pepper once in a while so the ease of the paste being in a tube is wonderful. Again, just squeeze out the desired amount, recap and store in the refrigerator until you need it again.

I enjoyed this meal but Mr. Tastebuds loved it! In fact he said several times that he liked this version over the Creamy Garlicky Mussels. But, I like the Creamy Garlicky Mussels. So the next time I make this dish I will just make the sauce and divide it and add the tomatoes and hot pepper to his half!

Notice how the kernels on the ear of corn are two different shades of yellow, light and dark? In Michigan we called this variety of corn Sugar and Gold. It really is the best corn ever and whenever I find it I always buy enough for dinner that night. I really should go back to the market and buy a few dozen ears and freeze it for this winter. There's really nothing better then a fresh-frozen ear of corn when there's two foot of snow on the ground!







Steamed Mussels
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

4 pounds mussels
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, shaved
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup chicken broth, low-sodium
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and cut in large dice
1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Rinse the mussels under cold running water while scrubbing with a vegetable brush. Discard any with broken shells. Heat oil in a 6 to 8-quart stockpot. Saute the shallot, garlic and thyme to create a base flavor. Add the mussels and give them a good toss. Add wine, lemon juice, chicken broth and red pepper flakes; cover the pot and steam over medium-high for 5 minutes until the mussels open. Toss in the tomato, parsley and butter, recover the pot, and steam for another minute to soften. The tomatoes should keep their shape. Serve with plenty of grilled garlic bread to sop up the broth.







Please visit Tyler Florence Fridays and see what the rest of Tyler's groupies are up too this week.





By the way our tomatoes are slowly starting to come in! YES...YES...YES!







All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

TFF - Creamy Garlicky Mussels

This week my market had Mussels on sale and since I've been craving shellfish I picked up 2 lbs. I thought 2 lbs would be plenty for the two of us. I was wrong.

The recipe suggests serving the Mussels with a crusty French Garlic Bread. We have a wonderful French Bakery right in town and so this morning I picked up a loaf of freshly baked bread. I cut the loaf into thirds thinking that 1-10" piece of garlic bread would be enough. I was wrong.

Tyler's Creamy Garlicky Mussels was fantastic!! Oh how I wish I had bought 4 lbs of mussels and made an entire loaf of broiled Garlic French Bread. While making the dish it smelled so fabulous, my mouth was watering and this does not happen to me very often! Tyler's recipe for Steamed Mussels is very similar and I think I might make that next week!

I made the recipe as written but I did add about 10-12 large fresh minced basil leaves and 2 TBL of minced fresh Tarragon. And this recipe was so easy and took less then 10 minutes to prepare so I am putting it in my "Call-it-Dinner" category!







Creamy Garlicky Mussels
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

4 pounds mussels
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Optional:
10-12 fresh, minced basil leaves
1 TBL minced tarragon

Serving suggestion: crusty French bread

Scrub the mussels with a vegetable brush under running water; discard any with broken shells or that remain opened when tapped.

In a large pot over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter in the olive oil. Add the garlic, thyme, and lemon slices and cook until everything has softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mussels and stir to coat them with all the flavors. Add the wine, then the chicken broth; cover the pot and steam for 10 to 12 minutes until the mussels open.

Remove the mussels from the pot. Take the meat out of 10 of the mussels and put them back into the pot along with the remaining butter. Using an immersion blender, buzz the liquid until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy; taste and adjust seasoning.

Divide the remaining mussels among the serving bowls and spoon over the sauce. Serve with plenty of crusty French garlic bread to dip in the sauce.


Garlic Bread

1 small loaf of crusty French bread
4 TBL soft butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced.

Cut the bread in half, horizontally. In a small bowl mix the butter and garlic. Spread butter mixture over the the two bread halves. Place on a sturdy baking pan and pop under the broiler for 2-3 minutes. Watch this carefully as it will burn quickly.







Please visit Tyler Florence Fridays and see what the rest of Tyler's groupies are up too this week.








All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Crab and Roasted Red Pepper Fougasse

Our July 4th weekend began on Friday and I thought I would make something special to start the weekend off. Earlier in the week I found crab legs on sale and just could not resist! We love crab and I bought 4 bunches, not quite 2 lbs worth which I knew would be plenty. But I needed something else to grace the gorgeous crab and decided that some Roasted Red Pepper Fougasse sounded good!


Crab Legs are such a gorgeous color and so dramatic to serve, really nothing is needed except butter and a few minutes for steaming. Thaw crab legs. Put a few inches of water in a pot and bring to a boil. Insert a drop-in steamer (pictured to the right), layer crab legs, cover and steam for a 4-5 minutes until crab is warm to the touch, careful to not over cook!

If you are looking for something to serve for a special dinner and you want to splurge a bit, crab is an excellent choice. But do take into consideration that eating crab is a long, tedious process. It took me almost an hour to finally savor the last morsel of crab but so worth it!






Drawn Butter
Recipe adapted from just about anywhere

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

Cut butter into TBL pieces. Melt the butter over medium low heat or you can melt the butter in the microwave. Bring to a simmer until the milk solids have separated and sunk to the bottom of the pan. Ladle out the clarified butter that is on the top.






For the Roasted Red Pepper Fougasse I used the Italian Semolina Bread from my very favorite bread baking book "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day". The recipe makes 3 loaves of bread, so I halved the recipe for 1 large loaf of Fougasse. I love Semolina Bread and the recipe and technique from ABin5 is about the best I tasted and it's so easy.





Also I baked the fougasse on the grill and the taste was outstanding and so much better then baking it in my oven! Although I've baked pizza on my grill, click here for a step-by-step, this was my first experience with baking bread and it will not be my last! The above picture was taken just a minute or so after I had put the dough on the grill and it had already tripled in size...WOW!

You can find detailed step-by-step instructions on how to roast the red peppers and construct the Roasted Red Pepper Fougasse here.



All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

TFF - Salmon Potato Hash

This week for Tyler Florence Fridays I decided to make Salmon Potato Hash. My market sells salmon sausage which is a pork casing stuffed with fresh salmon. I bought a package some time ago and Mr. Tastebud's has said, more then once, "when are you going to use up this salmon sausage"! It was time to use it for something.

This was a scrumptiously delicious dish! There was nothing leftover and we nearly licked the plates clean. I would love to make this dish substituting the salmon sausage for salmon fillet or a mild Italian sausage.





Salmon Potato Hash
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

1 (2-pound) center-cut, skin-on, salmon fillet
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh dill, for garnish (I used chopped green onion stems)

Hash:
About 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 russet potatoes, rinsed in water and cut into large dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, thinly sliced (skipped)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (skipped)
Pinch cayenne pepper (skipped)

Egg:
Water
White vinegar
4 to 6 large organic farm fresh eggs

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

For the Salmon:
Place the salmon on a large baking sheet skin-side down. Drizzle salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes until flaky. Transfer to a cutting board.

For the Hash:
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Once heated add the potatoes and shallow-fry for about 8 minutes until evenly browned on all sides. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and place onto a paper towel-lined plate. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a large bowl.

Using 2 forks, flake the salmon, removing it in chunks from the skin, and fold into the potatoes.

Remove most of the oil, leaving only a couple of tablespoons. Place over medium heat and add the sliced onions, sliced peppers and garlic and allow to caramelize. Add the green onions, thyme leaves, paprika and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Add the potatoes back to the pan and stir to combine.

For the Eggs:
Place a large sauté pan with high sides over medium heat and fill with a few inches of water. Heat until just below a simmer. Add a splash of white vinegar and using a wooden spoon, stir the water in 1 direction to create a small whirlpool. Crack the eggs and add, 1 at a time, to the spinning water. Allow to poach until desired doneness. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate.

To Serve:
Place the salmon-potato hash on serving plates or serving platter and top with the eggs. Pour Hollandaise sauce over the eggs and garnish dill (I used chopped green onion stems as garnish). Season with salt and pepper, to taste.



Hollandaise Sauce
Recipe adapted from "Tested, Tried and True" by The Junior League of Flint, MI

3 to 4 egg yolks (I always use 3 yolks)
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBL lemon juice
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
Dash of Tabasco (I usually skip the Tabasco)

Put yolks, lemon juice and seasoning in blender and blend for about 30 seconds. Melt butter in microwave. With the blender on, pour a thin, steady stream of melted butter into the blender. Viola...it's done and delicious!






Please visit Tyler Florence Fridays and see what the rest of Tyler's groupies are up too this week.





All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Huîtres Chaudes au Muscadet Incognito

This week for Whisk Wednesday we made Huîtres Chaudes au Mascadet or Poached Oysters with Mascadet Sabayon Sauce. I was looking forward to making this recipe but when it came time for me to buy the Oysters my market only had teeny tiny oysters which were hardly worth shucking! So I opted to substitute Octopus! I know it's a reach to substitute Octopus for Oysters but it turned out fabulously delicious and we just happen to love Octopus!

This was a fun recipe but most definitely "incognito" being I substituted Octopus for Oysters and it's served in a Clam Shell. But at least I kept my dish to under the sea! I first marinated the Octopus over night in EVOO, Basil, Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar. About 10 minutes before serving dinner I drained the Octopus and put it under the boiler for about 5-8 minutes. The Octopus was so tender and just delicious. I served it in a Clam Shell on a bed of saute spinach with onions and topped with Sabayon Sauce. In total I made 19 shells. I ate 6 and Mr. Tastebuds ate the remaining 13 and he loved it! The Sabayon Sauce was FANTASTIC and I will most definitely be making this again. I did follow the recipe for the Sabayon Sauce except I only used 4 TBL of clarified butter which was plenty.







My initial tasting of Octopus was while on a day trip to Tarpon Springs a large Greek Community on the Gulf Coast of FL. It was on a Sunday and we were attending the annual Tarpon Spring Arts Festival. I kept seeing people with plates of heaping orange, curley-cue stuff. Well, the curly-cue stuff was grilled Octopus. I just had to try it and from my first bite to the last it was delicious.

Tarpon Springs was established around 1905 by immigrants from the Greek Islands of Aegina, Halki, Kalymnos and Symi. By 1936, Tarpon Springs was recognized as the natural sponge capital of the world and there were approximately 2000 Greek immigrants living in the area. The 1953 movie "Beneath the 12-mile Reef" starring a very young, VERY macho Robert Wagner, was filmed in Tarpon Springs and highlights the Greek culture revolving around sponge diving. I remember first seeing the movie on TV when I was a child and oddly enough I just watched it again a few weeks ago!





Huîtres Chaudes au Mascadet
Recipe adapted from "Le Cordon Bleu at Home"

24 oysters (I subbed abt 1 lb of octopus)
2 lbs of spinach, cleaned, stemmed and rinsed
Salt

Muscabet Sabayon Sauce:

2 TBL butter
2 shallots, chopped fine
2/3 c. dry white wine, preferably Muscadet
2/3 c. creme fraiche
Freshly ground pepper
4 egg yolks
1/4 c. water
1/2 lb butter, clarified (I used 4 TBL)

4 TBL butter
Freshly ground pepper

Option: I used fresh spinach leaves to line the platter to stabilize the clam shells








All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Bouchées aux Crevettes and some Poker Chips

This week for Whisk Wednesdays I made Bouchées aux Crevettes or Puff Pastry Shells Filled with Shrimp and Mushrooms. Really Puff Pastry is so easy to make and it is fun..fun..fun!!! But you can buy a package of Puff Pastry and find almost the same results and your food automatically takes on an air of "Gourmet" with a capital "G"!!

Although this recipe was easy and fun to make, I really did not care for this dish. Mr. Tastebud's had some late client meetings tonight but it was no problem reheating the shrimp and filling the pastry shells for him but he too did not really care for it.







I followed the recipe except I did add some green onion. It's difficult for me to make seafood without green onion and it added a much needed flavor and color to the over all dish. I cut out some small disks from the left over puff pastry. I called them poker chips and they worked out well to dip into the extra shrimp and mushroom sauce. If you're confused so was my husband! ;)








Bouchées aux Crevettes
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home


For the Puff Pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups cake flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/3 to 1 ½ cups cold water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
28 ounces unsalted butter
1 egg, slightly beaten, for glazing

For the Shrimp and Mushroom Sauce:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1¾ cups cold milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream (I would use sour cream instead.)
5 ounces mushrooms, trimmed, rinsed, dried, and chopped fine
1¾ pounds small cooked shrimp
3 tablespoons Cognac
Pinch of paprika

Chervil or parsley for garnish

Unsalted butter, softened, for baking sheet




All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Billy Bi aux Paillettes

Somehow I have my Whisk Wednesdays weekly recipes all mixed up. Last week I was so busy with work and Easter prep I totally forgot to post my WW dish which was Frog Legs! I honestly did not even think about it until Saturday and with Easter being the following day, I did not have time to write up the post. The Frog Legs were wonderful and I will post that recipe another day.

I decided to do a recipe rewind for next weeks Whisk Wednesday dish with the Billy Bi, Mussel Soup, but I jumped ahead of myself and made it this week instead. Is this getting confusing? Eventually it will all work out, it's just that I'm a little bit out of sync with our weekly Whisk Schedule.

Any ways for this week I decided to surpass the Le Cordon Bleu recipe and made my own version of Billy Bi. We do enjoy the recipes in Le Cordn Bleu but seafood especially shellfish needs garlic...lots of garlic! And if I do say so myself, my version of Billy Bi was delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed it. I really wanted to make the Cheese Straws but again I was a bit pressed for time due to the upcoming holiday and so opted to serve the soup with my Fennel Seed Breadsticks which I bake every week so always have a fresh supply at the ready.









Billy Bi aux Paillettes
Recipe adapted from "Le Cordon Bleu at Home"

Cheese Straws:
1 1/2 flour
3/4 c. cake flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 -3/4 c. cold water
2 TBL butter, melted
14 TBL butter
1 egg
2 oz Parmesan Cheese, grated (1/2 c)

Mussel Soup:
2 lbs mussels
3 TBL butter
2 medium shallots, chopped fine
1 c. dry white wine
8 c. water
1 stalk celery
Freshly ground pepper
2 TBL flour
2/3 c. heavy cream
2 TBL coarse chopped chives


Billy Bi (Mussel Soup)
Recipe developed by Big-Black-Dog

2 lbs mussels
8 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. dry white wine
3 stalks of celery, chopped
6 green onion, sliced thin, including the green tops
3 cloves of garlic
2 TBL EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
2 TBL butter
3 TBL flour
1/2 c. heavy cream
6-7 large fresh basil leaves, minced
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional: Mushroom, sliced **See NOTE

In a heavy bottomed pot add EVOO and whole garlic cloves. Simmer the garlic until each clove is just soft and golden brown. Remove garlic and mash with a fork. Return garlic to pan and add butter. Add chopped celery and mushrooms and saute for abt 2 minutes.

Add the mussels and just simmer until all the mussels have opened. Remove the mussels with tongs and set aside to cool.

Sprinkle flour over the celery and make a rue. As soon as flour is well mixed, add the minced basil and wine blending the rue thoroughly. Add chicken stock and heat thoroughly. The mussels should be cool enough to handle and remove the mussels from their shells saving several in shell to garnish the soup. Add the cream and blend. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve hot and garnish with the mussels in shell.

NOTE: I had about 8 mushrooms that needed to be used so I added them to the soup.







All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Coquilles Saint Jacques Dieppoise

This week for Whisk Wednesdays we were supposed to make Cuisses de Grenouille aux Herbes (Herbed Frog Legs). I love Frog Legs and my market had some frozen last week but when I went to buy them, they were sold out! I should have bought them last week but for some reason I didn't....my loss! But I could find fresh Canadian Mussels so I made next week's WW's recipe which is Coquilles Saint Jacques Dieppoise (Scallops with Mussels and Shrimp in Cream Sauce). Now I am either a week ahead or a week behind depending on how you look at it!

Although I've lived in Florida where Mussels are a staple, I've never made them before. Compared to other Le Cordon Bleu recipes this was an easy dish to prepare, unfortunately, I did not like this dish at all. And Mr. Tastebuds said it was okay but complained about the scallops and lack of seasoning. The dish was very bland and needed some garlic and basil. Scallops are best seared or sauteed to bring out the sweetness in the meat and just simmering them in a wine sauce did not bring out the best of scallops. Also I used heavy cream and I thinking that I should have used cream fraiche and this would have added a bit more flavor, but I still don't think it would have added enough flavor to make this a fabulous dish.








Coquilles Saint Jacques Dieppoise
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home

2 lbs mussels
2 TBL butter
2 large shallots, chopped fine
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 TBL chopped parsley
Fresh ground pepper
2 TBL butter
1 lb mushrooms
Salt
10 oz medium sized shrimp
18 large sea scallops
1/2 c. creme fraiche or heavy cream (I used heavy cream)
1 TBL chopped parsley







All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

TFF -- Calamari Fritti

I've been keeping an eye out for Calamari every week at my market and this week it was on sale so I bought nearly a lb! Both Mr. Tastebuds and I love Calamari and we've not had it in some time and I've never made it before.

Tyler's Calamari Fritti was delicious and so was the Smoked Jalapeno Aioli. I did make a few changes in this recipe. I thought 1 sauce would be plenty for us so eliminated the Tomato Basil Sauce. And we did not have any canola oil so I fried the Calamari in corn oil which worked out well. And I only used 1 tsp Paprika, I really did not think 2 tsp was necessary. It was a delicious dinner and I'm happy to have finally made Calamari!






Calamari Fritti
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

1 pound whole squid, cleaned
1 cup milk
1 large egg
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Canola oil, for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, for serving
Smoked jalapeno aioli, for dipping, recipe follows
Tomato-basil sauce, for dipping, recipe follows


Smoked Jalapeno Aioli:

1 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 canned chipotle chile in adobo
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Pinch salt


Tomato-Basil Sauce:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 fresh basil leaves, hand-torn
1 (16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Pinch sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the squid under cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the body of the squid into 1/2-inch rings and trim the tentacles as necessary. Combine the milk, egg, and basil leaves in a bowl; mix with a fork until lightly beaten. Put the prepared calamari in the milk mixture and stick it in the refrigerator while getting everything else set up; it fries better if marinated and chilled for about 15 minutes.

Pour about 2 inches of oil in a fryer or large, heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees F. Mix the flour and paprika in a pie dish or plate; season with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Toss the calamari in the seasoned flour to coat. Fry for 1 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and salt, to taste. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to paper towels to drain. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and dipping sauces.

Smoked Jalapeno Aioli: Yield: 1 cup

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend for 1 minute to combine. Set aside to allow the flavors to marry. Serve as a dipping sauce with fried calamari.

Tomato Basil Sauce: Yield: 2 cups

Coat a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of the oil and warm over medium heat. Add the garlic and basil; cook, stirring, until soft. Add the crushed tomatoes and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the remaining olive oil. Serve as a dipping sauce with fried calamari.







Please check out the rest of Tyler's Groupies at Tyler Florence Fridays and see what they've cooked up this week!








All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

TFF --Tyler's Ultimate Fish Tacos

Skate: This odd-looking, kite-shaped fish is also called a ray. The names are used interchangeably, though in some quarters the term "skate" is applied to the members of this species that are used for eating, while "ray" generally refers to those (like the electric ray and giant manta ray) that are fished for sport. Skates have winglike pectoral fins that undulate as the fish meanders along the ocean floor (there are also freshwater rays). The fins are the edible part of a skate. Their delicious flesh is firm, white and sweet-not unlike that of the scallop. Depending on the region, skate is available year-round. Skate can be prepared in a variety of ways including poaching, baking and frying.



Tyler used the correct word for his ULTIMATE Fish Tacos. They were out of this world delicious! I have to admit I was surprised they were so good. I'm not a hot pepper person and frankly a fish taco was not appealing to me. Well, I've been converted and I now kneel down to the great pepper god. And a fish taco is welcome on my table any time!

I did substitute Skate for the Mahi Mahi. I have wanted to try the Skate for some time now and it was on sale this week for $2.99 lb! I was unfamiliar with preparing Skate so watched a video and then was comfortable enough to buy a Wing. The Skate was absolutely delicious and I definitely buy it again. I chose to bake it and it did take a bit longer then I expected, about 30 minutes, but it was perfect. Skate has no bones but has long rib-like cartilage that are easily removed. I shredded the fish so it was easy to build a tacos. And we happily feasted on the fish tacos. In fact the only thing left was the Pink Mayonnaise which I used later in the week for a Cole Slaw Dressing!








Tyler's Ultimate Fish Tacos
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

Taco:
2 pounds mahi mahi (skinned, boned and cleaned) cut into 1-ounce strips
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons water
2 cups panko bread crumbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 head savoy cabbage, finely shredded
1 bunch cilantro, leaves picked
1 bunch chives, chopped
3 limes, cut into wedges for garnish


Pink Chile Mayonnaise:
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
3 chipotles in adobo, plus 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce
1/2 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Mango-Radish Salsa:
2 limes
2 mangoes, diced
4 to 5 red radishes, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prepare the fish. Cut the pieces of fish into 1-ounce strips. Set up a breading station of flour, lightly beaten eggs with water, and seasoned panko bread crumbs. Season all with salt and pepper. Dredge the pieces of fish in flour, egg then bread crumbs. Once all the fish is breaded deep-fry in small batches in (375 degrees F) oil. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Prepare the pink chile mayonnaise. Put the chipotles in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, adobo sauce and lemon juice and continue to process until the mixture is consistent and creamy. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to use.





Prepare the mango-radish salsa. Remove the peel and pith from the limes and cut between the membranes to remove the segments. Put these "supremes" into a bowl and squeeze over the juice from the membranes. Add the remaining ingredients and mix. Season and refrigerate until ready to use. You can also place all of the ingredients into a food processor and puree for a smoother salsa.

To serve, set up the tacos "family-style". Assemble the fish in a pile on a plate; the pink chile mayonnaise in a bowl; and mango-radish salsa in another. Set a pile of shredded savoy cabbage, cilantro leaves, chopped chives and lime wedges next to the fish. Toast the corn tortillas lightly over an open flame (on your stove top) and serve.











Please visit the TFF's Roundup and see what the rest of Tyler's fans have created for this week.




All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Easy Way Scallops

It was a Monday and even though my week from hell had ended, it was still fresh in my mind. Time was not on my side and neither was my stomach. It was approching 5 pm and I was getting hungry but I just did not feel like cooking. So I needed something fast and easy. I rummaged around and decided to use the last of the scallops. As I put the Scallops in the strainer to defrost I knew I did not want to take the time to search for a recipe just to discover I was missing an ingredient or 2. I was going to have to wing it.

For the ingredients, I lined up garlic, dry white wine, butter and green onions. Then I added flour, salt and pepper and EVOO. I had a little bit of fresh parsley so added this to the line up. As I looked at my ingredients I knew the scallops would taste good, but I still did not feel like cooking, not at all.





Easy Way Scallops
Recipe developed by Big-Black-Dog

10-12 sea scallops
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. parsley, minced
2 TBL EVOO
2 TBL butter
3-4 green onion, sliced into thin coins, including the tops
1/2 c. dry white wine
Salt and pepper

Lightly salt and pepper the scallops. Melt 1 TBL butter and 1 TBL EVOO in a heavy bottomed skillet large enough to hold all the scallops without crowding. Flour the top and bottom of each scallop, shaking off excess. Place each scallop in the hot skillet careful to place them so they are not touching. Saute on medium heat until browned about 2 minutes or so. Then flip the scallop over to brown the other side. When the scallops are done, using tongs carefully remove each scallop and put it on a plate.

Melt the remaining butter and EVOO in the pan, careful to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom. Add the green onions, parsley and garlic and saute for a 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and mix it in. One at a time, place the scallops back into the onion/wine sauce and heat for 1 minute. Remove the scallops and place in a serving dish, spoon some sauce over the tops and serve.

This recipe took me, including the prep, less then 10 minutes to make. And it was very good..very VERY good!



All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog