Recipes: The week of November 28th – December 4th, 2022
Rissois de Camarao [ Portuguese-influence ]
Ingredients: Shrimp, flour, egg, AP flour, water, milk, butter, onion garlic, cayenne pepper, cilantro, hot sauce, a slurry of cornstarch, hot pepper sauce, and nutmeg.
Directions: Shrimp empanadas Portuguese style. This is an empanada that is fried after being crusted (flour, egg wash, panko). I chose to brush the Rissois with an egg wash and baked them instead for a lighter version.
The Rissois dough is a combination of butter, salt, AP flour, and either water or milk. It is a hot dough concept meaning, you heat the water or the milk (if milk is used, simmer it and don’t allow it to boil), and add the butter. Stir vigorously the flour into the hot milk or water using a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Place the dough on a floured surface and gently knead till the dough comes together and is workable. Let the dough rest and cool, wrap, and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Crust: 2 cups AP flour, 2 cups milk, 2 oz (4 tbsp) butter, 1 tsp salt)
The filling is: chopped onion and garlic sautéed in butter till lightly golden, shrimp is added and cooked in the mixture just right. Add chopped cilantro or parsley, salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne pepper or if available hot sauce. Add milk, bring to a simmer where bubbles form on the edges of the pot, and add a slurry of cornstarch and water. Let it cook, and stir gently so that the cornstarch does not stick to the bottom and scorch. Once the sauce has thickened, allow it to cook for a further 3-4 minutes and remove it from the heat.
The filling has 2 Tbsp butter, ¼ c onion, 1 c. milk, 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley or cilantro, a dash of hot pepper sauce or a bit of cayenne pepper, salt, white pepper, nutmeg ½ pound shrimp.
Slurry: 2 Tbsp cornstarch stirred in 2 Tbsp water
Kjøttkaker Med Brun Saus [ Norwegian & English fusion-influence ]
Ingredients: beef-venison/pork sausage Italian style,, egg, bread, milk, beef stock, stout beer and onion made into a gravy, potatoes, and green beans.
Directions: Hand-shaped beef-venison-pork meatballs (grass-fed, free-range New Zealand ground venison), and spices (black pepper, all-spice, nutmeg, and ginger). An egg and bread with milk are added to provide moisture to the mixture and act as a binding agent.
I prefer to shape the meatballs and semi-bake them in the oven versus pan-searing them. Place the meatballs in a mixture of beef stock, stout beer and caramelized onion. Allow to simmer till the meatballs are cooked through and the liquid reduces. You can thicken the sauce lightly with a cornstarch slurry. Serve on garlic-mashed potatoes.
Thai Tamarind Chicken [ Thailand-influence ]
Ingredients: Chicken, soy sauce, cornstarch, tamarind paste, chicken stock, grated ginger, lime juice, serrano chilies, cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, honey, and fresh orange juice.
Directions: Thai food is known for its balance of sweet, sour, and spicy. Chef Widad combined the ideas of a sticky tamarind chicken (in terms of sauce) that is roasted with Thai Tamarind chicken that is stir-fried. Marinate the chicken breast in a mixture of soy sauce and cornstarch (corn starch creates what we call “velvetting”).
Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing: tamarind paste, chicken stock, grated ginger, zest and juice of 1 lime, sliced chili (I use serrano), OR use cayenne pepper Or red pepper flakes (for a bite) bit of honey, and fresh orange juice
Heat the wok with oil, add chopped garlic, followed by the strips of chicken, cook, add the vegetables (sticks of carrots, slices of red bell pepper, mushroom, and small floret of broccoli), stir fry the vegetables and add the sauce, bit at a time til all is cooked through.
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