Spent all day Saturday making stock...

Click the read more for way too many pictures and the full post...gear up, it's going to be a long post, dial-up not friendly, get with 2008.

So, fall is upon us and since Laurie and I love soups so much, we figured we'd spend a day making stock and freezing it. Some of our favorite soups are French Onion, Tomato Basil, Pasta Fagioli...and we make a great turkey chili. Not to mention, risotto with boxed stock is a little too salty. Well, we are all ready for fall.

First, I have to say, it pays to have an Asian grocery near you. I picked up some "good" stock parts for pretty cheap. Things you just "don't find" at the regular grocer.

Let's start with the beef stock since that's what's going to take the longest. I followed the recipe from the CIA bootcamp cookbook, and some advice from Boar D. Laze. My only real change was adding the mirepoix after the first hour, not just putting it in for the last.









rinsed all the meat, and put in a pre-heated (at 425) canola oil coated roasting pan. For 15 minutes, then 325 for about 40 minutes...




in the mean time, I took out my dutch oven and browned the mirepoix in some canola oil, then added some tomato paste and browned(rusted)






Also stopped for a lunch break somewhere in there...Laurie made a good capicola (hot), salami and ham sandwich for me.


I turned the meat/bones a couple of times in that 40 minutes....now it's done.


put it in a pot with cold water, and bring it to a lllooww simmer slowly (takes longer than you'd expect) skimming off the fat.


In the meantime, I did my chicken stock.

Again, thank god for the Hong Kong Supermarket...1$ each for chicken carcases (with necks) and some chicken feet. rinsed well.







and in a pot of cold water...brought to a boil slowly, while skimming the top. At the advice of Boar D. Laze, I did not add the mirepoix and sachet of herb to the pot until after the first 45 minutes or so.


also, since chicken stock is much easier to make, I opted to make more beef stock (i have 2 big stock pots, one bigger than the other)



after a while I added the mirepoix to both and let them low simmer....for the chicken about 4-5 and the beef 8-9


in the mean time I made some braised pork belly not worth really blogging about but I'll post a picture or two. I stole the recipe from Jean-Georges Asian cookbook.






back on the ranch....the chicken stock was done first...ice bath and a pot in the sink, and strained into the pot. You need to cool it down as quick as possible.
then I put i the fridge overnight....

about 10pm, the beef stock was also done...


sweet. In the fridge you go, and tomorrow you get jarred!

So after a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs...I pulled the stock from the fridge expecting lots of fat. On the chicken, not so much. Probably due to my constant skimming.







Yielded ~5 quarts. I'll tell you how much I spent total a little later.

The beef stock had a nice layer of fat...






and the money shot!


Yielded ~9 quarts of beef stock.

Made some room in the freezer and now I'm "stocked" up. Total cost was around 35$...and I yielded roughly 14 quarts...which turns into 2.50 quart which is what you can expect to pay at the store, but...it's home made. I didn't do it to save money. I also bought stock material that was a little expensive that I probably could have saved in the freezer from leftovers from previous dishes(chicken carcasses, beef bones, etc)...but I never do.

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Made some simple pasta and gravy last night and watched an "eh" documentary called Eat This New York.



Click the little "read more"


The "main" story is not too interesting at all. the interviews with some of the big chefs were good though. Sirio Maccioni's interviews were worth a netflix queue if you have netflix (pretty funny quotes this guy)....I wouldn't buy the DVD or rent it from blockbuster for 499$ though.

All those "names" listed, really had nothing to do with the documentary other than some little interviews...and the main story....just was not interesting. 2 guys opening up a bistro/restaurant in "hipster" Williamsburg (Brooklyn)...didn't get much deeper than that other than the "almost bailing at last minute" and "taking the jump" feelings...

Took another Boar D. Laze recipe for some simply gravy (with a little kick!)

Sugo for Paisans:

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbs tomato paste
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 28 oz can plum or (preferably) San Marzano tomatoes, whole, peeled and seeded; or, 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (see Note.)
3 tbs sugar, divided
1 glass red wine
2 tsp instant coffee
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano or marjoram
1 tbs salt, divided

Drain the tomatoes, reserve the juice, and rough chop the tomatoes.

Saute the onions on medium high heat in olive oil until sweated and just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, two minutes at most. Add the tomato paste, and move the vegetables through it. Cook until the paste darkens, another three or four minutes.

Add the tomatoes, half the juice, reduce the heat to medium, and bring to a simmer. Adjust the flame to hold a medium simmer. Add 2 tbs sugar, the wine, the instant coffee (or a shot of espresso) and the pepper flakes. Simmer 15 minutes, until wine is cooked.

Taste and adjust for sugar and wine. Add the herbs, crumbling them into the sauce. Let simmer another 15 minutes.

Taste and adjust for herbs, and salt. It may not need any salt, depending on the type of tomatoes ues. Continue to simmer until the tomatoes are almost, but not completely melted. Probably another half hour, altogether. If sauce is too thick, thin with the remaining juice, water, and/or wine as desired.

This sugo is as unadorned as can be, add anything that tickles your fancy.

Note: This sauce will be slightly chunky. It may be milled, sieved, processed, blended or otherwise pureed to smooth it. Alternatively, it may be made with crushed tomatoes instead of whole.

With this menu, beer or cheap red. Think juicy -- Chianti, Barolo, Zin, Barb, "Big House Red," and other wallet-buddies.

for an under 5$ meal, it was great!

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Because I can't replicate the Gnocchi dish at Nicholas.


Although...

...Although I've come DAMN close to ALMOST getting something as good. I'm not actually sure if Nicholas uses potato in his gnocchi,on the menu it's "Parisienne Gnocchi" and from my research that just uses the ol' Pâte a Choux method....but I came up with my own, using potato, that I just need to tweak a little for it to be one of my best (simple) dishes.

3 russets, baked, peeled, then riced into a bowl, left to get to a tepid temp
1 large egg yolk
a teaspoon or two of butter
1 cup flour (I think too much flour was my problem though, so I think next time I'll cut that by 1/3, or JUST enough flour to hold it together)

Combined, then rolled out and sauteed in duck fat they were awesome.



I'm just curious now, should I attempt a Pate a Choux method in my attempt to replicate....or continue on this track as I can see it being almost a little better (albeit different, no discredit to an amazing chef from this silly home wannabe).

That's my story on how I'm a sucky cook who came up with a great dish trying to replicate an even better dish! So yes...still need to frequent Nicholas.

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...Magazine, doesn't mean it's going to taste good. However, I should have known as the title was "New Coq Au Vin". Here is the recipe...but don't make it.

Looks good, I guess...but tasted "eh"

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In NYC, any lunch recommendations near Grand Central?

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In a continuation of the last post's frying extravaganza, and a continuation on saving up some dough for a new chef's knife, I used what I had and made some beer-battered onion rings and a grilled chicken sandwich with roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, and local jersey tomato.

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This week has been "use what you got, and save up for that new chef's knife" week for ol McMurphy here. So I've been emptying the freezer, and using what I have for dinner.

I still have tons of been left over from my 4th of July party, so, I've been "using" it a lot....beer can chicken, poured some in my rib foil,

Yesterday, I defrosted some homemade turkey burgers that I had in the back of the freezer and I had a zucchini in the fridge about to go bad.

I scrounged for some oil and had a little bit of Canola and a little big of veggie (both Wesson brand)

I whisked 1 part beer with 1 part flour, and let it sit for an hour...then I took the cut zucchini, and dredged in seasoned (S&P) flour then in the batter mix and into a pot I had with hot oil (temp from my thermometor read about 400, so i turned off heat to let it to 375ish before putting a few sticks in....then turned on the heat again to regulate for the temp drop when dropping the sticks in...they were in for about 4-5 minutes..(I did 3-4 batches).I didn't get the golden brown that I expected though....tasted great and texture was ok, but the batch of last ones were much better than the first ones.....oil temp? length of time? I felt that any longer would have made them mushy.

Feedback? thoughts? I wanted to beer batter onion rings tonight with the same oil.

(also made a tomato cucumber salad from Fiance's grandparents garden)










I expected them just a LITTLE darker (notice the ones in back are even lighter)

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My Labor Day weekend in review...

Found a great new restaurant
Shoved a beer can up a chicken's ass
Mastered pancakes
Played mixologist
Finished "The Wire"
Ribs......



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Saturday morning we, made blueberry pancakes...using Alton Brown's Recipe.
It is the perfect recipe...use good eggs. Also, don't whisk too much or too fast...just stir...leave really lumpy. (trust me) Also, use GOOD maple syrup....organic grade B! (trust me)
Also, keep them warm using a tortilla warmer!


You'll notice we have been eating in front of the TV...I'll get to that later.

Found a good restaurant...well...didn't really "find" because it's been there a little while now, and I've know about and even been to the bar of Catherine Lombardi's in New Brunswick, but Saturday night we went and had a great time, good food, amazing service, fair price, great little (real)cocktail bar.

Sunday, decided on a beercan chicken from Weber's Real Grilling cookbook. It's the end of summer and we wanted to take advantage of the weather and grill before....well...we can't. Say all ya want about sticking a beer can up a chicken's ass, it tastes great. Aside from good ol' BBQ chicken, it's the second best way to cook a chicken on a grill IMO. Left my good camera's memory card at work, so no good pic's only a few with my point and shoot. sorry.

I can cut up and butcher a chicken, cooked or uncooked like no ones business now....



This thing was kind of useless, peppers kept falling out and the bottoms cooked more (as in burnt), but they still came out good and we used up some leftover scraps of cheese and cream cheese. Still tasted great though.





Played Mixologist and made this summer cocktail.





VERY good, also the mix is freezable forever(or close), and is good with Vodka too.

Monday, mastered pancakes some more and finally got them so they are better than any NJ diner's. So fluffy...





again, in front of the TV!

and then sloowwww grilled some ribs...
The recipe I used can be found here...
the sauce can be found here...
the pictures are...










Now...again in front of the TV. Lately we've gotten heavy into "The Wire" and decided we were going to finish up the DVD's this weekend....we did...and it was a GREAT series. Omar is my favorite character.

That is all...

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