Posts

Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Pollo Asada Pizza

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pizza Dough (I made 9 oz balls)
Cilantro Pesto (recipe follows)
oil for the grill
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 stick melted butter to brush on pizza dough
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
1 poblano or Anaheim chile, roasted (I cut it and then roasted it. The result was dry which was good for the pizza)

Garnish:
fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 cup diced tomatoes

Pollo Asado
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Marinade
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
½ cup olive oil

Instructions

  1. Mash together the garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper to make a paste. Put the paste in a glass jar or plastic container.
  2. Add the lime juice, orange juice, vinegar and olive oil. Shake it up really well to combine.
  3. Place the chicken in a large baking dish and pour the marinade over it. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 8 hours, so the flavors can sink into the meat. Don’t marinate the chicken for more than 8 hours though or the fibers will break down too much and the meat gets mushy.
  4. Preheat an outdoor grill or a ridged grill pan over medium-high flame (you can also use a broiler). Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking.
  5. Pull the chicken out of the marinade and season the it on both sides with salt and pepper.
  6. Grill (or broil) the chicken for 7 to 10 minutes per side, turning once, until cooked through; no pinkness.
  7. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to settle.
  8. Dice the chicken.

Basil Pesto
2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup pine nuts
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Do not make the pesto too far in advance, it will turn a brownish color.

  1. Combine the cilantro, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
  2. Add ½ cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.

Pizza Dough
Prepared Pizza Dough, enough for two 9 inch pizzas
or1 box Hot Roll Mix

If using the hot roll mix, prepare according to the package instructions for pizza dough. The Pollo Asado is spicy, so I like using the hot roll mix as apposed to regular pizza dough because it has a slight sweetness that goes well with the spice.

  1. Divide the dough into two equal portions and form into two balls. Pat oil on the top of the dough, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise.
  2. Punch down the dough and roll out with a rolling pin into two 9 inch circles.
    Place dough on a greased cookie sheet.

Assemble the Pizzas

  1. Brush dough with melted butter. (called for 1 stick total)
  2. Drizzled pesto over the dough. (I think we had a thick layer which was too much)
  3. Dice the chicken and spread evenly between both pizzas.
  4. Cut the chiles in half and remove the stem and seeds. Cut into thin strips.
  5. Spread the chiles and sliced onions over the pizzas.
  6. Top the pizzas with grated Monterey Jack cheese. (calls ½ cup per pizza)
  7. Season with salt and pepper.
  8. Bake until dough is cooked through and the crust is golden brown.
  9. Garnish with minced cilantro and diced tomato. (I forgot the tomatoes)

 

Posted on » by Dino » Theme:

San Francisco Clam Chowder

Notes

Recipe from The Gourmet Gourmand

Prep Time: 20 Mins
Cook Time: 40 Mins (closer to 60)
Serving Size: 4–6 People

Ingredients

  • 10 oz Canned Clams, chopped
  • 3 cups of bottled Clam Juice
  • 2–3 slices of Bacon, diced (I used Turkey Bacon which I cut into lardon strips)
  • 1 Onion, diced
  • 3 medium-sized Yukon Gold Potatoes (about 1 lb), peeled, and diced into 1 inch cubes
  • 2 cups Heavy Cream
  • 1 cup Half & Half
  • ¼ cup Cooking Sherry
  • 2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh Thyme (½ teaspoon dried)
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • ½–1 teaspoon Salt (to taste)
  • Black Pepper, to taste (I used White Pepper instead to be more visually appealing)
  • A few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce, to taste
  • A few dashes of Hot Sauce, to taste
  • Sourdough Bread (hollowed out for bowls, or diced into 1 inch cubes)

Instructions

  • Saute diced Bacon in a heavy bottom stock pot, or dutch oven, stirring often, until browned. (I used Turkey Bacon, so I added a tablespoon of red palm oil since it’s much leaner)
  • Add diced Onion to the Bacon and saute until Onions become translucent.
  • Add Flour to Onion and Bacon mixture and mix until well-coated.
  • Add Clam Juice to mixture and stir to dissolve flour. Allow mixture to come to a boil for approximately 5 minutes. The mixture should become slightly thickened, approximately the same thickness as cream. If it is too thick, add additional water. (this took more than 5 minutes, probably about 15!)
  • Add Thyme and Bay Leaf to stock.
  • Add chopped Potatoes and simmer, covered, for approximately 15 minutes or until Potatoes are fork-tender (took me about 20 minutes in a cast iron dutch oven).
  • Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring Cream and Half & Half to a simmer. Add chopped Clams and cook for about 5-8 minutes.
  • Once Potatoes are fully cooked, combine with Cream and Clam mixture.
  • Bring entire soup to a simmer for about 1–2 minutes.
  • Add Sherry, Salt, Pepper, Worcestershire, and Hot Sauce to taste.
  • Ladle into heated Sourdough Bread bowls, or serve bead cubes on the side.
Posted on » by Dino » Theme:

6º Dry Rub Wings and Ranch Dressing

Dry-Rub Recipe provided by the head chef at 6 Degrees Of Separation in Ossining, NY (now closed).

Dry Rub Ingredients

  • 1 part Onion
  • 1 part Garlic
  • 1 part Cumin
  • 1 part Smoked Paprika
  • ½ part Cinnamon
  • Black Pepper, to taste
  • *Baking Powder (see note)
  • †Salt (see note)

Instructions

  1. Combine all dry rub ingredients in a bowl except the Baking Powder, and add Black Pepper to taste.
  2. Pat the wings dry with a paper towel and put them in a large bowl
  3. *Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp Baking Powder (per 10 wings) and mix well by hand
  4. Sprinkle on the dry rub and mix well by hand
  5. Preheat broiler on highest setting
  6. Line bottom of broiler pan with foil (for easy clean up)
  7. Add a small amount of water, about 1/4 cup (optional)
  8. Arrange chicken wing segments, top side down, on wire rack
  9. Broil for 10–12 minutes
  10. Remove from oven and flip wings over, then broil for another 10–12 minutes
  11. †Salt the wings immediately after taken out of the oven

Ranch Dressing Ingredients

  • ¼ cup Mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup Sour Cream
  • 2 Tbsp Dill Pickle Brine
  • 1 Tbsp Buttermilk
  • ⅛ tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp Dried Parsley
  • ¼ tsp Onion Powder
  • ⅛ tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 dash Freshly Ground Pepper
  • 1 drop Worcestershire Sauce

Ranch Dressing Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving.