Whole Branzino fish

No recipe. This is a me dish.

Whole Branzino varies from .75-1.25 pounds. One fish is enough for two people if you have vegetables or side dishes. The cost is about $10.00 a pound.

Ingredients
1. Whole Branzino
2. Lemons
3. Parsley
4. Kosher salt
5. Pepper (optional)
6. Olive oil
7. Garlic
8. Onions (optional)

I don't like pepper. Yes, gasp. But Mr. likes it and I sometimes oblige. Onions are not needed but if I have some old dry onion in the fridge, I toss it in for the fish to rest on. Shove the cavity with lemons (half crescent), parsley and salt and top with more lemon and salt. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. I don't like overcooked fish so feel free to poke at it with your finger at 25 minutes. If the guy is over 1 pounds, I would count on 30 minutes or more.

Roasted duck, pate, and duck fat

Roasted duck, pate, and duck fat

http://www.thehungrymouse.com/2009/02/11/the-best-way-to-roast-a-duck-hello-crispy-skin/


I am not posting the recipe as it is quite elaborate. Click on the link to Hungry Mouse for details.


As we this year did not celebrate Thanksgiving (we were in Argentina), we postponed a big bird dinner until the spring. As spring approached, we no longer wanted frozen turkey, but fresh duck! Ducks are very small, about 5 pounds a bird, two would suffice for a party of 5. We picked up two fresh birds from the "Let's Meat on the Avenue" in Alexandria, VA. It was about $25 each.





We wanted duck liver pate for appetizers, which require liver, garlic, salt, pepper, butter or duck fat. All we needed was a couple of tablespoons. The tail was the perfect place to get it.





Our fear was that we would have difficulty identifying liver amongst other organs. We performed a "that is NOT a liver, and that could be a liver" method of separation. Our second step was to smell it. I think we did OK.



I regret not having photographs of the pate, but as you can imagine, it looks like bile. I must say that it tasted delicious and it was incredibly easy to make. I am confident I can get livers from the local butcher and whip up a great appetizer for the next dinner party. Note that we increased the ratio of fat to liver to prevent it from tasting too 'livery'.


We then cut off loose fatty skin and rendered it with a bit of water.



With extra skin from two birds, we yielded about 1.5 cup of duck fat. We store it in the freezer and use it to flavor roasted vegetables for a little extra kick.




To make sure we really got the skin crispy, we utilized the heat gun, which also doubles as a embossing heat gun.

Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pappardelle-with-lamb-ragu

This was very elegant and the pappardelle made the difference. Harris teeter did sell it for $6.99! It was imported from Italy. Only could afford one box. Due to the costs I now am looking into making pasta myself and since the noodles are so wide, I can use the roller without the pasta cutter. That will be a separate project at a later date. I used local lamb from the farmer's market. Everything else sadly is not from the local market, unless HT counts. It was very easy to make and it was a bit strange to have crunchy texture from carrots in the dish. I substituted oregano for thyme (dried), but that was a mistake on my part.

Pappardelle with Lamb Ragù

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 celery rib, finely diced
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 1/4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
3/4 pound pappardelle
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped mint

In a large cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the carrot, onion and celery and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 5 minutes. Add the lamb, coriander, fennel, cumin, rosemary and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the stock and bring to a boil. Cover partially and cook over moderately low heat until the liquid is slightly reduced, 25 to 30 minutes.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, shaking well. Add the pasta to the sauce. Add the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and toss over low heat. Serve the pasta in bowls, topped with the ricotta and mint.

Smoky Shrimp and Grits

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/smoky-shrimp-and-grits




This was easy to make and very delicious. Not as much cheese as regular shrimp and grits. I would like to try this with white grits next time. I also did not use quick cooking grits, but stone grind ones that take 27 minutes. I might experiment with shrimp stock but it could be overpowering.

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup quick-cooking grits
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup snipped chives
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4 cup dry white wine
DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Gradually add the grits and a generous pinch of salt. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the grits are thick and porridge-like, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper and stir in the cheddar cheese, baby spinach and chives; stir until the cheese is melted and the spinach is wilted. Cover the grits and keep warm.
In a large skillet, heat the canola oil with the garlic over high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and paprika, season with salt and black pepper and cook until the shrimp are opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until the shrimp are white throughout and the garlic-paprika sauce is slightly reduced.
Spoon the grits into bowls, top with the shrimp and sauce; serve.