The UnTourist

Here is something I dreamed up and tried a good while back. Still play with it every time I try it. Some of the measurements are very approximate, as I was (and am) winging it.

Hardware:
covered container large enough to hold whole chicken
cutting board
knife
roasting pan
boiler
skillet
spatula

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
.5 to 1 gallon orange juice
Basmati rice
mushrooms, assorted types
butter
olive oil
honey (sourwood if available)
2 bulbs garlic
slivered almonds
.25 to .5 cup frozen/fresh green peas
chipotle
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
truffle oil (optional)

The night before you want to cook the chicken, place it in the container, pour in orange juice to completely submerge, put on cover, and put in refrigerator. Roast the garlic bulbs whole, unpeeled. Easy method is to put bulbs on aluminum foil, coat with olive oil, wrap well in the aluminum foil, and put in toaster over at app. 350 degrees for a few hours. You can also go ahead and prepare 1 cup of dry Basmati rice per directions, store in refrigerator. I used white truffle oil in the rice.

Before cooking, clean, slice or chunk, and saute mushrooms in olive oil and butter. Add some of the mushrooms to the rice, along with slivered almonds (anywhere from a few to .5 cup) and peas. Cut tops of roasted garlic bulbs and squeeze roasted garlic into the mixture. Add pinch of salt and some fresh ground pepper. Use this to stuff the chicken. Pull the chicken from the orange juice, stuff, and place in roasting pan.

Combine app. 1 cup of honey with .5 cup of the Grand Mariner and 1t – 3T of good chipotle powder. Mix well, and brush this on the chicken. Cover, and cook for one hour at 350 degrees. Uncover, brush more mixture on (or pull up from bottom of roasting pan and baste), and cook app. one more hour until temperature at the center of the chicken/stuffing is at least 160 degrees, basting often.

An interesting option is to put loads of slivered almond in the bottom of the roasting pan, and let them cook in the juices and glaze.

Enjoy!

Sorry for the lack of posting, but between work and trying to file for 501(c)(3) status life is busy.

That said, last night brought about a treat to end the day. Some morel mushrooms unexpectedly arrived in my kitchen, so I decided to:

1. Roast two bulbs of garlic at 300 degrees for a couple of hours. Easy to do, just cut the tops off the bulbs, coat with olive oil, wrap in foil, put in the oven, and cut it on. Set time, walk away.

2. Already having a smoked pork chop for dinner, I cooked up some potatoes and mashed them with roughly one bulb of the roasted garlic, some cream, a bit of smoked salt and sea cream salt, and some sweet butter from Normandy.

3. Cleaned and sauteed the morel mushrooms in sweet butter from Normandy, sea cream salt, and a small amount of ultra-light flavor olive oil. These were fresh and at least semi-local, and the flavor was magnificent even before cooking. The goal is to enhance, not cover.

4. Carefully reheated some asparagus that I had wrapped in Prosciutto ham and grilled (froze the leftovers, what few there were, and saved for a time like now).

5. Enjoyed with a glass of Boggle Old Vin Zinfandel.

That’s the way to end a long day of a long week. More soon I hope.

Friday evening had me stopping by Village Bottle Shop in West Lafayette, IN (@VillageBottle on Twitter) to grab a bottle or two of Night Stalker to try. When I walked in, I found that the North Shore Distillery was there doing a tasting: how could I resist?

I was greeted with a nice Moscow Mule made using their vodka, and was intrigued. While a grain vodka (and I admit a bias towards potato), it was made with grain from the midwest, so gained a leg up with me there. Had I been thinking clearly (long day), I would have gone straight to tasting the vodka by itself, but…

Their #6 Gin is a delightful modern presentation, with a very aromatic nose that favors citrus over the juniper and spice. On the first sip, the juniper dominates at first, but begins to fade into the background as the tongue is coated with spice coming out. A second sip brings out lemon and spice, and it was unsurprising to learn that fresh lemon peel is a component of this fine gin. The finish is good, smooth, somewhat tart. This is a gin that could be put at cellar temperature and sipped almost as a liqueur to savor the components and enjoy the floral nose. As it is, it should make an excellent component to any number of mixed drinks.

The #11 Gin is old school all the way. Heavy juniper greets the nose, with just a bare hint of spice and no floral to speak of at all. Upon tasting, the juniper jumps up and slaps you before retreating into a nice clean taste. The follow brings out more of the spice and the finish is quite nice. Don’t expect any floral here, just an outstanding old school gin to enjoy.

It is easy to see why the gins are award winning, and receive excellent reviews. Nor are the gins the only product to receive critical acclaim.

Sirene Absinthe Verte is the single best Absinthe I have ever tasted. It is brewed by a very traditional recipe, and brings out the best parts of what this drink should be. Anise dominate the nose and the first taste, but you quickly pick up on more. Mint, spice, and floral notes fill the nose and mouth, providing a balance and richness that far too many modern Absinthe brands lack. Rich, complex, and well worth trying if you are a devotee of this much maligned drink.

I hope one day soon to try their vodka plain, and to try their Aquavit as well. They also do single batch limited releases that I hope to be able to sample one day soon as well. This small-batch distillery is well worth watching and sampling.

Recommended.

I got started doing these a while back with a vegetarian ex, and have continued to refine them because, frankly, they taste good. Here is the current iteration.

Hardware:
Grill or Skillet and Oven
Bowl, small
Half pan or sheet pan for oven (if needed)
Knife
Cutting board
Brush

Ingredients:
1-6 large portabella mushroom caps
Olive oil
Bacon drippings
Garlic
Dill
Kosher salt
Pepper, fresh ground
Balsamic vinegar
Real Mozzarella cheese
Smoked real Mozzarella cheese (optional)
Truffle oil (optional)
Whole wheat extra-large hamburger buns

Clean mushroom caps as needed and remove stem. Fine chop fresh garlic, and fine chop any fresh herbs — it is okay to use dried on these. Slice fresh/real Mozzarella so that you have enough to cover the inside of each cap. Mix together olive oil, bacon drippings (melted if need be), garlic, dill, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Brush mixture onto mushroom caps and then grill face down for a bit, then flip and brush on a dab more of the oil/spice mixture. Drizzle a little bit of Balsamic vinegar (crema would be wonderful) into the caps, then place cheese to cover. Cook until cheese melts, then serve on whole wheat extra-large hamburger buns. If you don’t have a grill, cook in skillet cap side down, then flip and cook a bit longer. If cooking multiple, slip onto a baking sheet and bake at 250 degrees until the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

It’s the right time of the year, and if you have a good grill (with side smoker is even better), then here is a good way to do some lamb. I cook to rare, as overcooked lamb and mutton is not to be tolerated much less eaten.

Hardware:
Grill
Aluminum foil
Knife
Cutting board
Tongs
Charcoal
Smoke chips/blocks

Ingredients:
Boneless leg of lamb
Olive oil
Truffle oil (optional)
Garlic
Fresh rosemary
Fresh ground pepper

Start hardwood charcoal in the grill on one side. Put the leg of lamb out on the cutting board and trim as needed. Using the knife, make slits in the meat and insert peeled cloves of garlic into the meat. Coat the meet in olive and other oils as desired, sprinkle with pepper, and place fresh rosemary on top. Wrap the lamb in aluminium foil and place on the cool side of the grill, dumping and spreading coals on the other side. Place chips, and replenish hardwood charcoal and chips as needed. Cook until the center of the roast reaches 140 degrees. Let stand at least 15 minutes, then serve.

Enjoy!

No photos as things disappeared too quickly, but wrapped some fresh asparagus with prosciutto ham (and a few with Serrano) and cooked on indirect heat on the grill yesterday.

The hardwood charcoal plus some wood made for a good cooking temperature and a nice flavor addition, while the indirect heat made for what I regard as perfectly done asparagus. While the Serrano trial was a good try, the prosciutto was amazing and added moisture and flavor to the whole.

I also did a few plain spears, with a touch of orange-flavored olive oil on the tip, and extra light flavor on the rest. It was delicious, and I wish I had some lemon olive oil to add to it.

This is a side that could be an entree all on it’s own. You get vegetable and a protein, and a great tasting dish no matter how you classify it.

A sweet “hot” treat for a cold winter day, originally posted elsewhere on 18 December 2005.

Pepper Jelly has been an important part of Christmas for as long as I can remember. In the summer, Dad raised bell pepper and hot peppers in our garden, and come the fall he (and later we) would make pepper jelly — usually two or three cases of it — to give at Christmas. To say that family and friends looked forward to it is an understatement, and so did we. It was not unusual for Dad and myself to polish off a jar (along with a block of cream cheese and most of a box of Ritz crackers) “testing” it to be sure it was good.

Dad’s recipe has been semi-guarded for some time, but I have decided that now is the time to share it with the world lest it be lost. One of the things that has helped make this year a good Christmas for me is that I grew hot peppers (the drought was not kind to the bell peppers) and made a batch and have shared it with family and friends. It is good to continue some traditions, and so I share this one with you.

Hardware:
Large pot
Cutting Board
Knife
Food gloves
Large pourable container
Strainers (I use at least two, one medium one fine)
Jelly Jars
Measuring cup
additional container
Jar funnel
Canner

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped hot peppers
1 cup finely chopped bell peppers
13 cups white sugar
3 cups apple cider vinegar (use only real!)
Green food colouring
1 box Certo

Dad used, and I use, a mix of hot peppers. Usually about half a cup are home-grown jalapenos and the other half are home-grown small Thai peppers. This year, I used home-grown Thai, jalapeno, habanero, and one home-smoked jalapeno. It is not necessarily the heat, but the flavors that count. That is also why you need to be sure to use real apple cider vinegar and not the artificially flavored stuff that so many places try to pawn off. Always read the label…

Trust me: use food gloves while handling and chopping the hot peppers…

Prepare jelly jars and lids per directions. I run my jars through the dishwasher with heat-dry on, and it is an excellent sterilizer.

Put all ingredients except Certo into a large saucepan/stockpot. Bring to a rolling boil, cut off the stove, and let cool for 10 minutes. Strain into pourable container, add about three drops of food colouring and the packets of Certo. Stir well without adding a lot of air, then pour into the jelly jars. A uniform green colour lets you know that everything is well mixed. There is usually a bit left over, so pour into spare container to let set and serve as your “proof” batch for taste-testing. Seal. Dad could always get them to seal as is, but I never have so I bring a canner to the boil and can for about 10 minutes.

As yet another blizzard hits the East Coast, thought it was a good day to put up one more hot and delicious meal for those in need of some heat (and flavor):

Carne Adobava

Hardware:

LARGE mixing bowl
Food processor or blender
Large spoon
Knife
Oven, preheat to 375 degrees

Ingredients:

1 lb dried hot NM red chili pods
1 lb dried mild NM red chili pods
20-40 peeled cloves of garlic (Go High)
2 large onions, cut into wedges
4T Mexican oregano
2t Kosher salt
Water

Working in batches, place dried pods on a half-sheet pan or cookie sheet and warm for a couple of minutes in the oven to make them pliable. Remove stems and place in food processor or blender along with a small amount of water, some garlic and onion, and a bit of the spices. Pulse until smooth, adding water as necessary to get a slurry the consistency of heavy cream. Combine all batches in a very large mixing bowl and divide into thirds for freezing. Sauce should keep for six or so months frozen. This should make 1-2 gallons of sauce.

Take one third of the sauce and place in a pot/crockpot. Add in 3-4 lbs. cubed pork, recommend loin, about .5 inch to 1 inch cubes. Simmer for 3-8 hours.

While I mentioned a couple of variations yesterday, I also have a special version I do on occasion. So, in honor of yet more snow falling down, here is my version of Road Kill Grill chili for your consideration.

2 pounds sirloin, in cubes
2 pounds pork, in cubes
3 large onions, chopped small
8 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
2 freshly chopped jalapeno peppers
1 freshly chopped habanero pepper
2 chipotle peppers, chopped
1 T smoked paprika (use regular hot if no smoked)
6 T chili powder
1T cumin
1 t mexican oregano
15 ounces tomato sauce
1 t chipotle powder
sea or kosher salt to taste (start with 1t, go from there)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
pinch cinnamon (use up to 1t)
1 cup water
5 T Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco™ to taste

Brown meat. Add rest of
ingredients and simmer for at least 3 hours. To increase heat, increase fresh peppers.

Sorry for the delays, but between the day job and other delights, I’m behind. Given that we have yet another winter storm on its way, I thought it was time to post a good chili recipe. I was given this one years ago, and love it.

Beanies are for Weenies, Not for the Faint of Heart, No Guts No Glory, Feel
the Fear and Eat it Anyway Road Kill Grill Chili (submitted with permission)

1/4 cup Castrol GTX 10W/40
1 pound freshly flattened opossum
1 pound aged armadillo bellies
1/2 pound squashed skunk
1/4 pound pulverized jack rabbit
1/8 pound finely ground crow
1/8 pound minced little old lady (When doubling the recipe, continue to
use 1/8 of pound; little old ladies are a little tough, stringy, and gamey.
If gamey, soak in a little Jim Beam.)

OR 3 pounds sirloin or top round, diced into 1/4 inch cubes
3 large onions
5 cloves garlic
2 freshly chopped jalapenos
1 tablespoon paprika
6 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon extract of sweaty gym socks (cumin)
1 teaspoon oregano
15 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup rainwater
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Freshly crushed black pepper
Tabasco™ to taste

Brown meat. Add rest of
ingredients and simmer for at least 3 hours.

These days, I substitute chipotle in place of cayenne, smoked paprika for plain, and some hickory smoked salt for some of the amount called for (and kosher for the rest). I also put a small amount of coffee in as well, but that’s just me. Also, if you are not making your own chili powder, you really need to be — less expensive and a LOT more flavor.