Archive for Appetizer Recipes
Bacon madness and bacon wrapped shrimp!
Posted by: | CommentsBacon heaven! Watch as Chef Leanne Wong prepares Chef Tre Wilcox’s winning dish from season 3 of Bravo Tv’s Top Chef. This decadent meal is bacon wrapped shrimp over grilled corn and cheddar grits with a chipotle tomato sauce.
While you’re on a bacon kick, also feel free to watch chef Eric Ripert prepare bacon wrapped figs!
Recipe courtesy of Bravo Tv
18 pc black tiger shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2T Kosher salt
9 bacon slices
2t cracked black pepper
Grapeseed oil for searing
For the Grits:
2qt chicken stock
1qt milk
1/4 stick unsalted butter
1qt instant grits
2 cups grilled corn kernels
1 cup poblano peppers, small diced
2 cups aged white cheddar cheese
3T chopped cilantro
2T Kosher salt
2T cracked black pepper
For the Chipotle-Tomato Butter:
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2T chopped garlic
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
3T chipotle peppers (in Adobo)
1t black peppercorns
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 lemon, juiced
2t Kosher salt
Wrap each shrimp with a half piece of bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Sear each shrimp in grapeseed oil till crispy on both sides.
Using a deep saucepot combine chicken stock and milk. Bring to a simmer, add butter, and allow time for it to dissolve. Slowly whisk in grits a little at a time. When grits begin to thicken, lower heat. Switch to a spatula and fold in the rest of the ingredients. Adjust for addition seasonings if needed. If grits are too thick, add more chicken stock or milk.
In a saucepot, sauté onions and garlic over medium heat. Next, add tomatoes, chipotle peppers and peppercorns. Continue to cook for another three minutes. Deglaze with chicken stock and lower heat. Cook for 5 minutes then place in a blender; blend till smooth. Place liquid back in saucepot and over low heat mount with butter, whisking in a little at a time. Add cilantro and season with lemon juice and salt. Turn off heat and allow 5 minutes to steep cilantro. Strain through fine mesh strainer and reserve warm till time to serve.
Place small amount of grits in the center of a large plate. Drizzle sauce around grits. Place three pieces of shrimp around grits, and serve.
Here’s an afterthought: bacon has hit the big time lately, achieving hipster status. Bacon bourbons and vodka, bacon ice cream, bacon popcorn, and even bacon bloggers, are just a few of the bacon candidates adoring the spotlight. Dan Phillips, CEO of the Bacon of the Month Club, says “Bacon is the chocolate of the new millennium”. We all agree that bacon is delicious, but, what do you think of this bacon bonanza? Overplayed or well deserved? Let us know in the comments!
Cheese Appetizer Plates, the Secret to Success
Posted by: | CommentsSavory Tv loves cheese as an appetizer. Are you planning a cheese tray for your holiday party, and looking for tips beyond the ordinary as we are? We love this helpful video from cheesemonger and author of The Cheese Primer Steven Jenkins, as he discusses the perfect cheese appetizer plate with Serious Eats, which includes a combination of sheep, goat, and cow cheeses. He recommends staying fairly mild to please all of your guests, and to choose no more than 3 to 4 cheeses, and ensure that all are different from each other in both texture and flavor. Steve says to opt for cheeses that are unique, primitive, or rustic in appearance. In the video, he chooses a few of his favorites, including a Poitu Chevre (goat – France), a Tomme de Cabrioulet (raw goat – France), Torta del Casar (sheep – Spain), Serpa (raw sheep – Portugal), and a Smokey Blue (cow – US) from Oregon’s Rogue Creamery that has been smoked with hazelnut shells.
What is a cheesemonger exactly? Basically a cheese expert. Although not having the strict educational requirements as a sommelier has for wine, cheesemongers often are top experts in their field, and are well respected and appreciated in the culinary world. In our world of chain stores and the sad decline of Mom and Pop, cheese mongers can be tricky to find if you are not in a large metropolitan area. Our best advice is to Google “cheesemonger” (or “cheese shop”) and the name of your city, and to search the message boards at Chow.com. You can also ask your favorite restaurant chef if he has suggestions for a reliable source. The best shops will encourage tasting and help you with wine pairings.
For more cheese suggestions, absolutely check out these great cheese plate tips and recipe ideas from chef Michael Chiarello. Michael recommends soft and aged goat cheeses, Teleme, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gorgonzola, Camembert, to serve with bread, and offers wine pairing and plating suggestions.
Do you have a favorite cheese that your party guests love? Let us know please in the comments section!
Holiday Appetizers: Salmon Pizza with Jacques Pépin
Posted by: | CommentsJacques Pépin is truly one of our favorite chefs of all time. Author of 25 cookbooks and host of over 300 cooking shows on public television, his elegant recipes and detailed instructions command a deep level of respect from both home cooks and culinary experts throughout the world.
In this video from Food and Wine, Jacques and his daughter Claudine prepare a 10 minute recipe of cured salmon gravlax pizza, a quick and delicious appetizer that would bring holiday cheer to your Christmas party with minimal effort!
What is gravlax you ask? Scandinavian in origin, gravlax literally translates to “salmon dug into the ground”. In the middle ages, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Estonian fisherman had a special technique to cure their freshly caught salmon. They salted it and fermented it (to preserve the fish) by burying it into the sand for several days. Modern preparation of gravlax is much simpler, thinly sliced salmon is simply cured with a dry rub of salt, sugar, and often dill.
Jacques Pépin’s recipe for salmon gravlax pizza calls for the following ingredients: thinly sliced raw salmon, kosher salt, pepper, brown sugar, sour cream, horseradish, a cooked thin pizza crust (you may use a frozen pizza dough to prepare this), thinly sliced red onion, black olives, capers, and basil.
