Fish and Chips with Homemade Tartar - Recipe #43 Stirring the Pot

There are 88 recipes in Stirring the Pot and I am almost halfway through! Next week will mark the halfway point for me and I will be sharing my top ten Stirring the Pot favorites. Will Tyler's Fish and Chips with Homemade Tartar make this list? Not this time around, but maybe with some tweaking.

Fish and Chips with Homemade Tartar - adapted from Stirring the Pot by Tyler Florence
4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed
Vegetable oil, for deep- frying
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus about 1 cup for dredging
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 egg yolks
1-1/2 cups club soda
1 pound halibut fillets, cut into strips or pieces
Fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish
2 lemons, halved for serving
1 recipe Homemade Tartar Sauce (listed below)

Preheat oven to 350F. Prick potatoes all over with a fork. Place potatoes on a baking tray and bake for 30-45 minutes, until knife-tender. If you like, this can be done the night before and potatoes can be refrigerated until ready to fry. Cut each potato into 6 or 8 wedges, depending on the size. Pour about 4 inches oil into a large heavy pot and heat to 375F. Fry half of the potato wedges at a time for 4-5 minutes, until crispy and brown. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. Set aside and keep warm.

In a large bowl, combine the 2 cups flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt. Make a well in the center and add egg yolk. Gradually whisk in club soda, working your way from the center to form a smooth batter.

Season about 1 cup floru with salt and pepper. Dredge the fish fillets in seasoned flour, coating both sides, then dip in batter. Fry a few pieces at a time in 375F oil for 4-5 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.

When fish is done, place parsley leaves in hot oil. Fry leaves for 15 seconds, until just crispy and slightly translucent. Remove from oil with slotted spoon, drain on paper towels. Serve fish with lemon halves, crispy fried parsley leaves, and Homemade Tartar Sauce.

Homemade Tartar Sauce
In a small-medium sized bowl combine 1/2 cup store-bought mayo; 1/2 cup sour cream; 2 tablespoons caper, chopped; 1/4 cup chopped cornichons; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley; 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon; and 1/2 lemon, juice only. Set in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes b efore serving to let the flavors come together.
Notes/Results: Tyler hits it out of the park with this recipe for batter. You will want to coat everything in this batter, I promise! In fact, you will probably start looking around for all kinds of things to fry so that you can use up this batter. It really is that good. The homemade tartar sauce is also delicious and worth making.

The problem was with the potatoes. Tyler's recipe says to scrub and rinse them, prick them with a fork, and then place them on a baking sheet and bake. Well, this resulted in a very hard shell on the outside of my potatoes. Normally, I would prick my potatoes, give them an olive oil or butter coating, sprinkle with some kosher salt, and wrap them in foil to be baked. This method always yields good results for me. In hindsight, I wished I would have went along with my method of baking these potatoes, but I figured that I would follow Tyler's directions. Mistake!! My chips, or fries, were hard no matter how thin I cut them or how long I fried them. With the potatoes being so hard, they didn't really have a chance. Next time, I will use my method for baking potatoes.

I also wanted to note that you will probably find yourself using more than 1 and 1/2 cups club soda to make a smooth batter. Club soda has so much carbonation in it, it is hard to get an exact measurement. Make sure you have extra if you want to try this recipe.

Also, when you add the parsley to the frying oil.....stand back!! In fact, stand way back. It will pop all over the place!

All in all, this is a great recipe and has great potential to be very delicious! I will make it again, using my method for baking potatoes!

I am submitting this recipe to Tyler Florence Fridays. Stop on by there this weekend to see what everyone else cooked up!!

Beef Cutlet Milanese with Caper, Roasted Pepper, and Tomato Butter Sauce

It's no secret that I am completely taken with my copy of Carmine's Family-Style Cookbook. I have been cooking a lot of recipes from their book lately. This beef cutlet milanese was interesting to me because I have never butterflied a steak before, nor had I breaded a steak before. Generally speaking, when we have steak it is in the traditional way. We loved all the components in this recipe, so I decided to go for it. I was glad I did. This dish was fun to cook and beautiful to serve. Very colorful on the plate.

Beef Cutlet Milanese with Caper, Roasted Pepper, and Tomato Butter Sauce - adapted from
Carmine's Family-Style Cookbook
Two 8-ounce, thick boneless sirloin steaks, butterflied
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
2 cups Carmine's breadcrumbs
grated zest of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
5 tablespoons Carmine's marinara sauce
2 tablespoons chopped roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and drained
pinch hot red pepper flakes

Using the flat side of a cleaver, a mallet, or a small heavy frying pan, flatten each piece of steak until it is 1/4 inch thick. To make it easier, cover the steak with plastic wrap before flattening it.

Spread the flour on a plate. Whisk the eggs together in a shallow bowl. Combine the bread crumbs and lemon zest in a small bowl and mix them well. Spread the bread crumbs out on a shallow plate.

Lightly season the steaks with salt and pepper.

Coat the steaks on both sides with flour and shake off any excess. Dip the steaks in the egg and let the excess drip off. Coat the steaks completely with the breadcrumbs and press them into the meat to adhere. Set them aside on a tray or large plate.

In a large nonstick pan, heat the oil over med-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the steaks and cook them for about 2-3 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Turn the steaks over and cook the other side for about 2-3 minutes or until it is golden brown. Transfer the steaks to paper towels to drain. Transfer them to a baking sheet and set them aside.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 teaspoon of the butter, add the shallots, and saute them for 1-2 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Add the wine and cook the sauce for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, bring it to a boil, and cook it for 1 minute.

Reduce the heat to low. When the sauce is simmering slowly, use a small whisk to whip the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter into the sauce and cook it for about 2 minutes. Add the marinara sauce, roasted peppers, basil, capers, and red pepper flakes. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Remove it from the heat and set it aside.

Transfer the steaks to the oven and bake them for 3-4 minutes or until they are hot. Ladle the sauce onto a large platter, place the steaks on top of the sauce, and serve.


Notes/Results: This is a flavorful recipe with a lot of components and we really enjoyed it. The tomato butter sauce is robust and beautiful on the plate. This recipe was a learning experience for me and I had a lot of fun cooking something different. This is something that I will serve again, when we are craving steak, but not the "traditional steakhouse dinner".

The Incredible Food Show & Suggestions

The Incredible Food Show was sponsored by Kentucky Proud, a "buy local" initiative created by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. Inside of the convention center there were over 100 booths and tables set up with local suppliers. There were so many different foods to sample and they were all local creations.

There were local wines; cheeses; chocolates; local dairy barns with ice cream; bakeries with cupcake buffets; barbecue stations; gourmet sea salts and spices; fishmarkets, beef, lamb and goat farmers; jams, jellies & preserves; gourmet foods; and of course everything made with Bourbon. After all, if there is one thing that Kentucky is famous for, it would be bourbon. What is your area famous for?

There were also local restaurants and caterers with stations set up like this for food demonstrations. I went to one presentation on cheesemaking, which was really interesting. It was put on by Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese. I was hoping it would be more about the process of making cheese, but the owner shared some interesting stories of how he got started. He also said that dairy farmers are really having a hard time right now. Evidently, when the milk goes to market, it is selling for the same price it sold for back in the 70's. Because of the low prices for milk, he is converting even more and more of his milk into cheese products and is thankful that there is such a huge market for cheese.
I loved these Halloween-themed wines. They were $15 a bottle, but I didn't buy any. I am slapping myself for that now. Aren't they cute?
After much shopping around, I bought these two products below from Bourbon Barrel Foods. Their foods are aged in bourbon barrels, leaving a slight hint of bourbon in the products. The Bourbon Vanilla Sugar smells so good and is made with demerara (raw cane sugar) and vanilla beans. The Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt smells slightly smoky.

I would love to hear your ideas and thoughts about how I can use these two products. I definitely want to make a steak and serve the bourbon smoked sea salt on top. Besides the steak, I can't think of how else to use the bourbon smoked sea salt. I'm looking forward to some great suggestions.

One-Pot Wonders for I Heart Cooking Clubs: Spanish Omelette

I decided to take a break from my Food Show posts, and post about this week's theme for I Heart Cooking Clubs. This week's theme is one pot wonders, dishes that can be made in one pot. What's not to love about that concept? I knew instantly that I wanted to make Nigella's Spanish Omelette. Although the recipe does not call for it, I had some Spanish chorizo leftover that I've been wanting to use up. Additionally, my husband had off this past weekend. He has been working seven days a week for almost three months now and we have missed having breakfast together as a family. What man doesn't love an omelette stuffed with meat and potatoes?

I am really enjoying cooking from Nigella's recipes, mainly my copy of Nigella Express. Each new recipe truly is an adventure in the kitchen. Each week I am making something I haven't made before, or cooking with a new ingredient. I had never tried Halloumi before and found I loved it. I never thought to make risotto with cheddar cheese, but how familiar and comforting. And, while I always wanted to make rice crispy treats, I never got around to it until Nigella. The Croque Monsieur Bake was easy and delicious and great to throw together for a quick breakfast/brunch. I even worked with phyllo dough for the first time while making my version of Nigella's chocolate croissants.

This Spanish Omelette is another fun recipe for me. I had never bought Manchego cheese and cooked with it at home before. A quick trip to the Mousetrap, a fantastic local cheese shop, and I was ready to go. The Manchego was quite inexpensive. I was able to get about a quarter pound of El Trigal Manchego for under three dollars. Twenty dollars later, I left the cheese shop. I think that was using constraint, don't you? I bought the Manchego, some great 5-year aged Cheddar made in Quebec, and some fantastic hand & body lotion by The Naked Bee scented with Orange Blossom Honey. That lotion is terribly addictive and smells like the most brilliant and sunny oranges. I could bathe in it. You know you're really into food when you walk around smelling like it all day long :D

Spanish Omelette - adapated from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson
8 oz. baby new potatoes, halved
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated Manchego or Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped roasted red peppers from a jar (I subbed my Spanish chorizo for the red peppers)
3 scallions, finely sliced (I subbed fresh chives for the scallions)
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon butter
drop of oil

Turn on the broiler and let it heat up while you start off the omelette. Cook the new potatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes until cooked through, then drain. (In the spirit of one dish wonders, I had some boiled potatoes left over). Whisk the eggs in a bowl and then add the cheese, pepper, and scallions and season with salt and pepper. Heat the butter and oil in a small skillet, and once hot pour in the omelette mix and cook gently for 5 minutes. By this time, the bottom of the omelet should be set and rather than turn it, simply sit the skillet under the broiler for a few minutes to set the top. Turn the omelet upside down onto a plate to let cool. Don't worry if it feels a little wibbly-wobbly in the middle, as it will carry on cooking as it cools. Once cool. slice into 4 large or 8 smaller wedges.

Serves 4 or more, depending on what else is available to eat at the same time.

Notes/Results: If served alone, with no other accompaniments, it will be happily gobbled up by two people! This was a quick and simple breakfast that was delicious and unique at the same time. We really enjoyed it, all on it's own, for breakfast Sunday morning. I would make it again, especially if I had Spanish chorizo or Manchego on hand.
Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs this week to see what other one pot wonders everyone else came up with. You are sure to find something quick and easy to suit your palate!! Better yet, join us and make your own one pot wonder. Next week's theme is Midnight Sneaks. How fun! I love those episodes of Nigella where she is sneaking downstairs at night, in her robe, eating straight from the fridge.

Bobby Flay Loves to Talk With His Hands

I thought it was the Italians that were known for talking with their hands? Maybe it's the Irish that love to talk with their hands. In fact, this was one of the first things I noticed about Bobby Flay. The man loves to talk with his hands. I thought it was rather cute. He was very animated and all, but I really wanted a picture of his face. In addition to talking with his hands (a lot), he is also a very quick mover. I did manage some better pics, that I will post tomorrow. In the meantime, I thought these were cute.

I also wanted to say thanks to everyone for all your sweet comments yesterday! I love reading my comments and yesterday's were filled with very kind words. I treasured them all!
In both of these pictures (above and below) Bobby is extolling the virtues of Jif peanut butter. He used peanut butter in a glaze/sauce for some ribs that he made. Bobby shared with us that Jif was his favorite brand. He likes creamy in recipes and chunky on his sandwiches. He also said that you could use natural peanut butter, but that he doesn't like the way it separates. He said he prefers the stabilizers in Jif. Everyone in the audience laughed when he said that.
In the picture below, Bobby is talking about his visit the night before to Malone's. Malone's is a very popular steakhouse in Lexington. It's a very nice restaurant, but one that most people can afford to go to here and there. Nothing super duper fancy. He was telling us that they made him wait in line to sit down. He seemed to like that. Later on, he asked the waiter for a specialty aged bourbon that had been aged six years. He was visited by the chef a couple of minutes later. The chef apologized that they were all out of the specialty bourbon. Instead, the chef offered Bobby some 25 year aged specialty bourbon that he kept in his car!! Bobby really enjoyed the fact that this chef kept 25 year aged bourbon in his car. He did end up having some of that bourbon. This picture is him laughing about his experience at Malone's.
In the picture below, Bobby is busy making my apple dessert. I took this picture while I was standing in line to talk to him. An eleven-year old boy had just asked him what his favorite foods were while he was growing up. He explained that he LOVED deviled eggs, pudding, and lamb with mint jelly. Moments later, he laughed and said that was the "entire extent of his mother's cooking repertoire". Bobby turned the question around and asked the young boy what his favorite foods were. The boy replied salmon and artichokes, which made Bobby laugh. He teased the young boy, telling him that he had just learned what an artichoke was this year. He followed that up by saying how great it is that everyone was interested and learning all about food. He said he hoped that the Food Network had played a big role in that. I was the next person up in line and I shared that I had been watching him on the Food Network for years. I have to say that the Food Network has taught people a lot about food and how to cook. It was their cooking shows that inspired me to get in the kitchen. I, myself, have learned a lot watching the Food Network channel.

Don't you just love the way he's using his hands in every picture? There is a lot I could say about this, but I'll stop here. You know where I'm going anyway:D I'll have some more pictures tomorrow, along with some stories that Bobby shared with us.

I didn't get around to making this week's My Girl Paula selection. My weekend was too busy, and my hubby was sick. This week's selection was Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle and I bet it was delicious!! Head on over to see how everyone else enjoyed it. I'll be back to My Girl Paula next week with Mini Mummies, a great Halloween recipe for the kids!!

My Conversation with Bobby Flay....

As I type this post, I'm shaking with excitement. In fact, I think I need a chill pill. The Incredible Food Show in Lexington was a complete blast. I had an incredible and amazing day perusing all the goodies, meeting local chefs, and watching cooking demos. But, the very best part (and the highlight of my year) was Bobby Flay's cooking demonstration!

Bobby came on stage to a screaming audience. He is even more attractive in person. In addition to his looks, he carries himself extremely well. He is one of those people who are both impeccably dressed and well-groomed. On top of all that, he is completely charismatic, charming and full of raw sex appeal. Let's not forget that THE MAN CAN COOK! All you ladies out there know that this is a winning combination!! I had to pick my jaw up off the floor just to concentrate on the cooking :D Bobby is a real people person. He was chit chatting with the audience and made everyone feel right at home. He is a prankster and practical joker. He kept cracking jokes throughout the show. He also talks with his hands, alot. This made it difficult to get good pictures of him, but I did manage some. I'll be posting more later this week.

Towards the end of the show there was time for a Question and Answer period. Guests were invited to go up to the microphone and ask questions. If you had the chance to meet me you would notice very quickly that I am TERRIBLY shy. I have been shy my whole life. It must have been Bobby's looks that caused me to climb out of my shell today!!

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT I DID?

Picture an arena full of people, all ages. Then there's me, and about 10 other people in line. I don't know what I'm going to say, but gosh darn it...I'm gonna say something. The question and answer period is going on while Bobby is making an apple dessert. The show is winding up and I am the VERY LAST PERSON to ask a question, or I guess I should call it a statement : O

Me: Hi Bobby! I am a huge fan of yours and I have been watching you on the Food Network since it began.

Bobby: Well, it's always nice to hear about fans from way back.

Me: I have had a crush on you since back then and I just wanted to tell you that you're gorgeous!!

What happened next is something I'll never forget! Bobby blushed and smiled, really big!! He asked me if I liked apples. I, of course, said yes. Then he gave me my very own dessert, made completely by him and told me thank you!! He was over his time limit and ran off stage after that. Mind you, I'm standing in front of the stage with my dessert in hand and 500 hungry people behind me! I was one big ball of nerves. My adrenaline was pumping and I was all hopped up. I quickly found a place to take a picture (or 50) of my handmade Bobby Flay dessert. Some of the other audience members wanted to take a picture as well. And, everyone wanted to know how it tasted.

Onto the dessert. I believe it was from his Mesa cookbook. It was a Caramel Apple Shortcake with Apple Cider Reduction and it was PERFECT (just like Bobby)!! I only wish that my adrenaline wasn't running so hard because it was really hard to calm down and enjoy it :D
We watched Bobby make it all from scratch on stage. His shortcake biscuits were so light and flaky. They were better than any I've ever had before. It was almost like a pie crust, but the best pie crust imaginable. Everything was cooked perfectly and tasted delicious.

I walked out of that arena with a huge smile on my face and I was kind of laughing to myself. This is exciting stuff for a housewife!! Here I am a married woman, with two kids, in my mid thirties telling a married man that he's gorgeous. It's not something I would normally do, but it was totally what I was thinking and IT SURE FELT GOOD TO TELL HIM!! In the end, it paid off well :D

It all reminds me of what my Grandpa used to say whenever we were lucky, doing well, or things were going our way. He used to always say "You must be livin' right". On the other hand, if we weren't winning and were having bad luck then we "weren't livin' right". My Grandpa loved to see people "go for it" and today reminded me of him. Tonight I can hear him telling me that I'm livin' right!!

Grilled Brie and Tomato on Crusty Bread - Recipe #42 Stirring the Pot

While cooking my way through Stirring the Pot, there have been a couple recipes that I have underestimated. This was one of them. I kept thinking that it would be alright, but nothing earth-shattering. Wrong! These little open-faced sandwiches are delicious. The Brie cheese totally puts this over the top!

Posting for Tyler Florence Fridays is due by noon on Fridays and as of this morning I had not made these yet. So, after I took my daughter to school, I returned home and got started. I can't say I was really craving Grilled Brie and Tomato on Crusty Bread for breakfast, but welcome to the world of a food blogger, right? I took these out of the oven and snapped the pictures. They sat around for a little bit while I was on the phone. I tasted one and then I went back for the other one! I enjoyed the first two so much that I made two more :D Yes, you counted right. I happily scarfed down four of these baguette-style toasts this morning. That darn Brie cheese is addictive and so darn creamy - yum!!

I'm not going to post the recipe because it is pretty easy to see how this goes together. You can either grill or toast some bread. I chose a baguette I had in the freezer. After the bread is grilled on both sides, you top with pesto, tomato slices, and brie. Tyler throws his toasts back on the grill to melt the cheese, but I put mine under the broiler for a minute until the cheese got melty. Absolutely delicious, garlicky, cheesy, and zesty. A perfect way to start the day, enjoy in the middle of the day, or as a midnight snack!!

On another note, I am happy to say that I'm attending the IncrEDIBLE Food Show tomorrow in Lexington, KY. The celebrity guest is Bobby Flay and I couldn't be more excited!! While I enjoy Tyler's recipes, I enjoy looking at Bobby more :D I was a senior in high school when the Food Network first aired in 1992/1993. I have had a crush on Bobby since back then! I can't wait to see him in person doing a live cooking demo! I bought a special ticket for his cooking demo and have front row seats! Afterward, he will be autographing copies of his Mesa Grill cookbook. I am really hoping to meet him and get some pictures. I'm praying camera are allowed in to the arena.

The rest of the Food Show should be fun too. There will be an emphasis on Kentucky growers and farmers and all sorts of local food purveyors will be there. The local culinary school will be doing live cooking demonstrations. There is even a local cheesemaker doing a demonstration on cheesemaking! Can you tell I'm excited? I'll be posting about the show this weekend, so stay tuned! I wish I could take all my foodie friends with me!!

Don't forget to head on over to Tyler Florence Fridays to see what all the other folks made this week!!