Oysters with Rice Wine Vinaigrette

During my recent trip back home, my Aunt decided to throw a quick dinner party together, and I was told that I'll be responsible for the Oysters.

I thought... Great. I can do Oysters. Au Naturale ... Kilpatrick .... Sorted :)

And then I found out she ordered 10 Dozen Oysters. TEN Dozen...! that's 120 Oysters!!!

My mother's oven would only be able to do 2 dozen Kilpatrick oysters at a time.

So I quickly googled around for something that would be quick and easy to put together (since I still had to whip up the Kilpatricks - my mother's favourites). This one that I came across from Not Quite Nigella stood out from the rest. It looked simple, fresh and very easy to put together.

After tasting the Vinaigrette however, I did kind of twitch the recipe a bit. I added a bit more ginger, light soy and reduced the amount of oil. So you may want to do the same and taste as you go and add or subtract as required. Basically, you want a vinaigrette that doesn't overpower the oysters, but still want to taste the vinaigrette and not just oil.

Oysters with Rice Wine Vinaigrette
As seen in Not Quite Nigella - Tetsuya's Oysters

Ingredients:

• 12 Large Oysters Shucked (I had Coffin Bays - but any large creamy tasting oyster will do)

Vinaigrette:

• 2 teaspoon ginger (finely grated)
• 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (Japanese brand preferred)
• 1 teaspoon castor sugar
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons grape seed oil
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Garnish:

• 4 stalks of Chives (finely chopped)
• 3 tablespoons Salmon Roe

Optional:

• Rock Salt for Oysters to rest on

Method:

1. If using, place rock salt on a serving plate and arrange oysters to top
2. To make the Vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl, taste and adjust the amount of sweetness (sugar), saltiness (light soy) or tang (lemon juice) as required
3. Spoon about a tablespoon of Vinaigrette into each oyster
4. For each oyster, sprinkle a pinch of chive and divide the Salmon Roe between the oysters evenly.

Notes:

• I left the skin on the ginger, and used a lemon zester to grate the inside flesh of the ginger
• The Vinaigrette recipe from NQN was for 12 Oysters, but I found I had more than enough for about 4 dozen oysters.
  
  

Sambal Chilli (Shrimp Paste & Ikan Bilis)

I came across this recipe from The Little Teochew when I was looking around for a sambal chilli recipe. After reading it, I thought .. Ground ikan bilis.. what a great idea ! You get the taste and depth ikan bilis took to the table with the sambal chilli, but without having to constantly be munching on them. Wonderful. :)

I was looking for a sambal belacan type of chilli recipe though. So I omitted the salt and threw in some shrimp paste. And also added some dried chillies for extra heat.

As Ju from the little teochew said.. Its savoury, spicy and sweet at the same time. I think my sambal turned out a bit dry (but still very tasty), so will probably double the amount of oil required the next time.

Sambal Chilli (Shrimp Paste & Ikan Bilis)

recipe adapted from The Little Teochew

• 70g Fresh Chilli
• 1 large red onion
• 10 dried red chilli (soaked in water)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 80g ikan bilis (grounded)
• 1 tablespoon piece palm sugar
• 1 tablespoon sized piece of belacan (dry toasted in foil packet)

Method:

1. Blend fresh chilli, soaked dry chilli, red onion and garlic together in a food processor to form a smooth paste.
2. Wrap the belacan in some aluminium foil and toast it over a hot pan until you start to smell the shrimp paste.
3. To the heated pan, add the oil and stir fry the ikan bilis powder until fragrant. Add the blended chilli paste, toasted belacan and sugar and stir fry for another 15 mins until the oil starts to separate.

Homemade Barbecue Sauce

Where possible I've always tried to avoid using pre-made sauces and packet marinades. You know the added preservatives and so on, plus its always a lot more fun and rewarding when you make your own. With the weekend to play with, I wanted to try and make my own BBQ sauce at home. At first when I saw this recipe and noticed that 11 of the 13 ingredients called either came from a bottle, jar, can or packet, I was a bit reluctant to try it out. However, Deb @ smittenkitchen.com vouched for it and the original recipe is from Ina Garten. With credentials like that, how could it not be good ?!

It was actually deliciously good. We ended up having BBQ two days straight. I think I slapped the barbecue sauce on all the reserved meats which I had defrosted from my freezer. Chicken wings, Chicken Thighs and the pork spare ribs.

I did find the taste of cumin a bit overpowering. The next time I make this marinade, I would probably try halving the amount, or try substituting the cumin with all spice or chinese 5 spice powder. I also didn't think I got the onions down to a fine enough texture. The next time I think I would puree them in my food processor first before using. I did also toss in a couple of bay leaves. I religiously include bay leaves in sauces, soups and stews. So this barbecue sauce was no exception. I'm not actually sure if they actually improved anything, so you can exclude them if you prefer to keep to the original recipe.

Ina Garten’s Barbecue Sauce

Adapted from her Food Network show as seen on smittenkitchen.com

This is a tangy, subtly spicy, delicious mutt of a barbecue sauce. On her show, Ina Garten explained that she had at one point tried to develop different sauces to complement different cuisines — from Asian to various South Eastern regions — but only when she mixed them all together in frustration did she find exactly her barbecue sauce nirvana. I couldn’t agree more. I make this all summer, freeze leftovers in one-cup servings, and sob when we run out.

Makes 6 cups

• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large onion)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves - optional

Method:

1. In a large saucepan on low heat, saute the onions and garlic with the vegetable oil for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 30 minutes. Use immediately or store in the fridge.

Notes:

• Do ahead: This sauce freezes excellently, for months at at time.

BBQ Dry Spice Rub

This is my dry spice rub I use when I want to make BBQ chicken or pork ribs. Its probably best if the meat was left to marinate in the spice rub overnight in the fridge, so that it gets at least 8-10 hrs of marinating (24hrs max). But if its a last minute thing, then try to keep it in for at least 2 hours.

The spice rub not only adds taste, but it helps to tenderise the meat for cooking by drawing excess moisture out. One reason why the Momofuku pork belly tastes so good, yet only requires a salt and sugar rub.

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, just try to keep the ratios the same. I usually make this rub in batches, and keep the excess spice mix in a jam jar to be used the next time.

BBQ Dry Spice Rub

• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon rock sea salt
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Method:

1. In a hot pan, lightly toast the cumin and peppercorns.
2. Ground the cumin, peppercorns and salt in a pestle mortar until its become a fine powdery mix.
3. Transfer to a bowl, and add in the remaining ingredients
4. Stir until you have an even mix. Use immediately or store in a container for later use.

Ponzu Sauce

This is the recipe for the Ponzu dipping sauce I used with the Beef Tataki. Ponzu is actually a good accompaniment to other meat or fish dishes and can also be used in salads as a vinaigrette.

Ponzu is a citrus flavored soy sauce that is simple yet adds another dimension to the item you have it with. It should be perfectly balanced in terms of saltiness and tanginess without overpowering the dish it is paired with. Ponzu can be used as an alternative for soy sauce when eating sashimi.

For best results, try to use fresh lemon and limes for the citrus juice. Grapefruits can be used as well.

Ponzu Sauce

Recipe adapted from In the kitchen with a southern sushi chef

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime and lemon juice (about 1 tablespoon each)
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon bonito granules (dissolved in 2 tablespoons of hot water)

Method:

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients together and cover and let sit in the fridge overnight. Let the ponzu come back to about room temperature before using.

Hollandaise Sauce

What to do with 3 slices of Jamon and about 1/2 a bunch of asparagus leftover in my fridge ?? I think I could just eat the Jamon as it is (they are THAT good) ... but with a little bit of Hollandaise sauce , I might be able to tie both of them together for a quick snack.

After all, this is the perfect sauce for eggs benedict, draping over asparagus or over salmon.

So...For a quick Hollandaise sauce...

The basic recipe portions are for each egg yolk, 1 teaspoon of water, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and approximately 5 tablespoons butter. Then season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

If the Hollandaise gets too thick, then you can get it back down to a pouring consistency by adding a bit of hot water.

Hollandaise Sauce

Portions are for two people, double the recipe as needed

• 1 egg yoke
• 1 teaspoon of water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (may need a bit more depending on taste)
• 5 tablespoons butter

Method:

1. Bring a small saucepan 1/2 filled with water to boil, then reduce to a slow simmer.
2. Using a Pyrex bowl or something similar, gently whisk together the egg and teaspoon of water
3. Place the bowl over the saucepan (do not allow the bowl to touch the simmering water), and whisk in a tablespoon of butter at a time.
4. Add in the lemon juice and continue whisking over the simmering water bath until the sauce thickens.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer the sauce to be a bit more tangy, simply add in a bit more lemon juice.
6. Serve immediately.

Anchovy Dressing

I still had a lot of fancy lettuce leftover from making these burgers. The easiest way to use up a lot of lettuce leaves would be to use them up in a salad. I was thinking of a Caesar salad for lunch. That was until I realised the mayo in my fridge had expired about 8 month ago. Oppps... It still looked ok. But I didn't think I should risk it. So it went straight to the bin.

I didn't feel like walking to the shops, and making mayo from scratch seemed a little bit overboard for what was supposed to be a quick Caesar salad. So instead of making a creamy Caesar salad dressing, I ended up putting together this Anchovy dressing instead. I added in capers and balsamic vinegar for some extra tang. The goats cheese actually worked really well with the dressing.

Anchovy Dressing

• 1 Tablespoon Sage (coarsely chopped)
• 2 Teaspoons Caper (drained, rinsed)
• 4 Anchovy Fillets
• 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Couple grinds of freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad:

• Oak leaf Lettuce (can substitute with any other type of lettuce)
• Goats cheese
• Tomatoes
• Olives
• Poached Egg

Method:

1. In a food processor set to pulse and blend together the anchovy fillets, capers and sage.
2. Scoop out the contents into a bowl and add balsamic vinegar, olive oil and pepper to taste.
3. Mix to combine well. Set aside.
4. Prepare the ingredients for the salad. I used whatever was available in my fridge, so feel free to substitute with what you have.
5. Toss salad with the anchovy dressing. Serve with some extra goats cheese and top with a poached egg.

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Blue Cheese Sauce

I still have 4 burger patties sitting in the freezer, made from this recipe. We opted for burgers for lunch, but I wanted to try something different from the usual lettuce, pickles, cheese and tomato toppings. I was thinking something along the lines of a mushroom or blue cheese sauce. Since I had both of these ingredients leftover in my fridge. Then I found this.. a recipe for Kobe Burgers with Onions, mushrooms and blue cheese sauce. Perfect. I scaled down the recipe a bit and used it to top my juicy burger.

Let me just say.. the sauce was amazing ! I think its because of the Roquefort, which is a creamy and softer version of blue cheese. So although the sauce did have a blue cheese kick to it.. it was a slightly more subtle kick. Even my 'non-blue-cheese-fan' housemates liked it :)

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Blue Cheese Sauce

Enough for about 2-3 Burgers

• 1 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 onion (sliced)
• 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme (chopped)
• handful of mushrooms (sliced)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 splash brandy
• 1/2 cup beef broth (1/2 cube of beef stock dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water)
• 1/4 cup blue cheese (crumbled, I used some Roquefort)

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a pan
2. Add the onion and saute at medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the sliced mushrooms and season with salt and pepper and saute until tender, about 7-9 minutes.
5. Add a splash of brandy and deglaze the pan and simmer until it has reduced by half.
6. Add in the beef stock and simmer until it has reduced by half
7. Remove from heat and stir in the blue cheese.
8. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning as required.
9. Assemble the burger with lightly toasted buns, lettuce, beef patty, caramelized onion and mushroom blue cheese sauce.
   

Pork Satay with Peanut Sauce - Daring Cooks Challenge

The Daring Cooks Challenge for January was hosted by Cuppy of Cuppylicious. The recipe she choose was a Thai-inspired Pork Satay from the book 1000 Recipes by Martha Day. The focus of the challenge was with marinating the meat. There was a long and short version for marinating, and I choose to do the long version. Here are the guideliness she set for the challenge:

1. Use any meat or tofu you like.
2. Serve satay as an appetizer, side dish or main course.
3. Skewer or no skewer, your call.
4. Pan fry, grill, or broil, also your call.
5. Alternative recipe below for faster marinade.
6. Alternative recipe below for peanut allergies.
7. You don’t have to use turmeric if you don’t have it. In the case of satay, turmeric just makes it yellow. Har har.
8. Marinate (verb) – to steep (to wet thoroughly in or with a liquid; drench; saturate; imbue) in a marinade before cooking.
   The required part of this challenge is to marinate. Marinades serve two purposes, to: 1) add awesome flavor and 2) tenderize tougher meats.

What I like to do is take tougher (cheaper!) cuts of meat and marinate them to make them soft and tender. The tougher the meat, the cheaper it seems to be. Think of it as “what part of the animal gets the most exercise?” and you’ll know which parts are the tough (cheaper!) cuts. Anything from the back and belly tends to be pretty tender already, as it gets very little exercise on the animal (haha… I just patted my own belly thinking about that!).

Meat cuts:
http://www.specialtyfoods.com.au/cuts.html

The key to a great marinade is to have an acid (lemon, lime, brine, soy, vinegar, etc) and an oil (peanut, vegetable, corn, olive, etc). If you’re already working with a soft meat (filet mignon) or vegetable (capsicum) or tofu, then you can skip the oil entirely. Potatoes and tofu still need to be marinated for flavor, otherwise you may as well dip French fries in catsup. If you're going to grill, I suggest you include the oil anyway.

Marinade Info:
http://www.bbqrecipesecrets.com/marinades.html

Things you’ll need for the long version:
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Food processor (optional)
Juicer (optional)
Medium bowl w/ lid or plastic wrap (or ziplock bag)

I used Pork Neck instead of the recommended shoulder or loin cuts. Just because I happen to have about 300g of it left in my freezer. Also I guess fattier pork equals yummier satays.. :)

Pork Satay with Peanut Sauce

Satay Marinade

• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 T ginger root, chopped (optional) (2 cm cubed)
• 2 T lemon juice (1 oz or 30 mls)
• 1 T soy sauce (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
• 1 tsp ground coriander (5 mls)
• 1 tsp ground cumin (5 mls)
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (2-2.5 mls)
• 2 T vegetable oil (or peanut or olive oil) (30 mls)
• 1 pound of pork (loin or shoulder cuts) (16 oz or 450g)

Feeling the need to make it more Thai? Try adding a dragon chili, an extra tablespoon of ginger root, and 1 tablespoon (0.5 oz or 15 mls) of fish sauce. (I keep some premature (still green) dragon chili peppers in the freezer for just such an occasion.)

Directions:

1. Cheater alert: If you have a food processor or blender, dump in everything except the pork and blend until smooth. Lacking a food processor, I prefer to chop my onions, garlic and ginger really fine then mix it all together in a medium to large bowl.
2. Cut pork into 1 inch strips.
3. Cover pork with marinade. You can place the pork into a bowl, cover/seal and chill, or place the whole lot of it into a ziplock bag, seal and chill.
4. Cooking Directions (continued): If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak your skewers in warm water for at least 20 minutes before preparing skewers.
5. Gently and slowly slide meat strips onto skewers. Discard leftover marinade.*
6. Broil or grill at 290°C/550° F (or pan fry on medium-high) for 8-10 minutes or until the edges just start to char. Flip and cook another 8-10 minutes.
   
   * If you’re grilling or broiling, you could definitely brush once with extra marinade when you flip the skewers.

Peanut Sauce

• 3/4 cup coconut milk (6 oz or 180 mls)
• 4 Tbsp peanut butter (2 oz or 60 mls) **
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
• 1 tsp brown sugar (5 mls)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin (2.5 mls)
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander (2.5 mls)
• 1-2 dried red chilies, chopped (keep the seeds for heat)

** I didn't have any peanut butter, so added in a handful of crushed peanuts instead.

1. Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add soy sauce and lemon, mix well.
2. Over low heat, combine coconut milk, peanut butter and your soy-lemon-seasoning mix. Mix well, stir often.
3. All you’re doing is melting the peanut butter, so make your peanut sauce after you’ve made everything else in your meal, or make ahead of time and reheat.
   

Pepper Dip (optional)

• 4 tablespoon soy sauce (2 oz or 60 mls)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar (5 mls)
• 1-2 dried red chilies, chopped (keep the seeds for heat)
• 1 finely chopped green onion (scallion)

Mix well. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Tamarind Dip (optional)

• 4 tablespoon tamarind paste (helpful link below) (2 oz or 60 mls)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 finely chopped green onion (scallion)
• 1 teaspoon brown or white sugar, or to taste (about 5 mls)

Mix well. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Thank you Cuppy for the challenge !

Octo Vinaigrette - Momofuku

Octo Vinaigrette... When I first saw this, I thought.. 'Oh.. an eight ingredient vinaigrette ?' Turns out I was wrong, it was a vinaigrette for octopus. But it also works well on most meats including fried chicken.

I've made similar vinaigrettes before for duck salads with soy sauce, lime juice, chilli, spring onion and coriander. This Vinaigrette uses rice wine vinegar instead and does not call for any spring onions or coriander. So I was pleasantly surprised with the depth of flavors when I tasted it. This is definitely one vinaigrette I will be making again. :)

Octo Vinaigrette

From Time Out New York - Makes about 1 Cup

From Kevin Pemoulie, creator of this vinaigrette, one of the world’s finest condiments and food-improvers—a sauce so good it makes anything taste better: So, the “octo vin” is how she’s formally known. I think of it as an interesting flip-flop of a traditional vinaigrette in that the ratio of vinegar to oil is reversed. It’s designed to hold up to the char of the octopus and to dress the seaweed, which, unlike lettuces, requires a very forceful, pungent sauce. I wish my prom date had worn a pungent dress. If we used this to dress a salad, it would probably be too strong. However, it is really fucking delish with meats: grilled or fried. We served it once with whole fried sole. We’ve served it with grilled hamachi collar. And, obviously, the Fried Chicken (page 89).

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons garlic (finely chopped)
• 2 tablespoons ginger (finely chopped)
• 1 fresh bird’s eye-chilli (seeded and chopped)
• 1⁄4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
• 1⁄4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Combine the garlic, ginger, chilli, vinegar, soy, grapeseed oil, sesame oil, sugar, and a few turns of black pepper in a lidded container and shake well to mix. This will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

NOTE :

• When preparing the garlic and ginger for this recipe, make sure to take your time and work your knife skills: small, even pieces of garlic and ginger (not the mush that a garlic press or a ginger grater creates) really make a difference. Big bits of raw garlic can have an acrid sting; chunks of ginger will deliver a too-spicy blast and can be unpleasantly fibrous.

Vietnamese Basic Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)

This sauce is used to add flavor to foods wrapped in lettuce or herbs, grilled meat with noodles or rice. I almost always drench my food in it when I have Vietnamese food. It does seem to heighten the overall eating experience. With this batch I made, I used this as a dipping sauce for my rice paper rolls.

Vietnamese Basic Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)
recipe adapted from Viet World Kitchen

Makes ¾ cup

• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 ½ tablespoons fish sauce

Optional additions:

• 1 small garlic clove (finely chopped)
• 1 bird's eye chilli (thinly sliced)
• Zest of the lime used
  

1. Combine the lime juice, sugar and water, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Taste and adjust the flavors to balance out the sweet and sour.
2. Add the fish sauce and any of the optional ingredients. Taste again and adjust the flavors to your liking, balancing out the sour, sweet, salty and spicy. Aim for something a little stronger than what you'd normally like.

Notes:

• This sauce may be prepared early in the day and left to sit at room temperature.
• Use half lime juice and half Japanese rice vinegar for a less assertive sauce - Some more delicately flavored dishes may require this instead.

Pesto Mayonnaise & BLT Sandwich

With the 2nd batch, I was able to make about 1 cup of the Garlic Mayonnaise (Aioli). Of which, the first few tablespoons I used on top of some toasted bread. The next half of that batch, I used by just dumping it on top of some hot roasted potatoes. Which by the way, was super yummy !

I still had quite a bit left afterwards (about 1/4 cup in fact) and I think I had just about reached my limit with the 'garlic breath' side effects.

So I turned it into a Pesto mayonnaise, and used it in my super BLT sandwich. Which is pretty much just BLT (bacon, lettuce & tomatoes) with anything else thats available in my fridge.

Pesto Mayonnaise

Mince together in a food processor (you can do this by hand if you like):

• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoon lightly toasted pine nuts
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• couple of grinds of black pepper
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup garlic mayonnaise (see this recipe)

If you are using normal mayo from the supermarket, then add in 1 garlic clove into the pesto mix.

BLT Sandwich

Makes 2 sandwiches:

• 6 slices wholemeal bread (lightly buttered)
• 4 slices bacon
• 2 ripe tomatoes (sliced)
• 4 leaves iceburg lettuce (washed & passed through a salad spinner)
• Pesto Mayonnaise (see recipe above)
• salt & pepper to taste

The following ingredients are optional - Its just something I decided to add in (in an attempt to clear out my fridge):

• Mushrooms
• capers
• cheese

I started off with the 1st slice of bread, added in the cheese, and mushrooms (which I quickly cooked in the pan I had used for the bacon) and a slice of bacon. Drizzled on some pesto mayo. Topped that with another slice of bread (wanted to keep the BLT part a bit separate), and added the remaining bacon, drizzle on more pesto mayo then added the sliced tomatoes and lettuce. Sprinkled a few capers over the layer of lettuce and closed the sandwich off with the last slice of bread. Repeat to make the next sandwich.

Slice the sandwich in half and secure with some toothpicks.

I actually think this looks more like a club sandwich than a BLT now. :)

Garlic Mayonnaise - Aioli

I first tried making this in my trusty magimix food processor - Petals. Yes.. she is named Petals. :)

But I couldn't get the egg yoke\garlic mixture to combine with the olive oil. I think I added too much oil too fast. After about 20 mins of blending, I gave up with Petals, and went back to my pestle mortar. I started added in the olive oil this time literally drop by drop in the beginning, and slowly increased it to about a teaspoon every time. The Aioli turned out beautifully this time.

Garlic Mayonnaise - Aioli
based on this recipe from David Lebovitz

• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (maybe more required)
• 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
• 1 cup (250ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoon white wine vinegar (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)

1. Crush the garlic cloves with the salt in a mortar until you have a smooth paste. Transfer to a large glass bowl.
2. Add the egg yolk.
3. Using a fork or whisk, add the oil to the egg and garlic mixture starting very slowly, drop by drop. Continue until all the oil has been incorporated.
4. If it gets too thick you can dilute it slightly with a tablespoon of warm water - don't add more oil, it will just get thicker. Taste, and add more of the mashed up garlic, if desired.
5. I added in some white wine vinegar and a bit of sugar after tasting the mayonnaise. I guess I'm a bit too used to the 'sour' types of mayonnaise available at the supermarkets. :)

P.S. Make sure you have some breath mints handy. :)

Green Peppercorn Sauce

I stumbled across this recipe on green peppercorn sauce (with meatballs) while researching for a sauce to try with our steaks tonight. Green peppercorn sauce with steak is a classic combo. But somehow I had never actually tried it at home... We've always seemed to have gone with either the chimichurri, bernaise or mushroom sauce.

The recipe below does look like it calls for a lot of different ingredients. But I found that except for the sherry wine vinegar, I had pretty much everything already. A quick google search returned some suggestions for sherry wine vinegar substitutions. These were sweeten rice wine or red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, with the preferred being the rice wine. I had some mirin (japanese sweet rice wine) available in my pantry, so I went for the rice wine option.

The sauce turned out great... the spice and tanginess of the peppercorn and mustard help balance what would have been a quite rich and creamy sauce. I definitely would be making this one again.. :)

Green Peppercorn Sauce
adapted from this recipe from Simply Recipes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium shallots
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar (I substituted with Mirin - sweet rice wine)
• ½ cup Cognac
• ½ cup red wine
• 1 cup of beef stock (I used a beef stock cube dissolved in 1 cup of hot water)
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons green peppercorns
• Salt to taste
  

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the shallots and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the mustard and sherry vinegar (in my case.. the mirin) and reduce to half, about 1 minute. Add the cognac and cook to burn off the alcohol, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the red wine and reduce by half, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the stock and reduce the mixture by half again, about 10 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream, butter and crushed green peppercorns.
6. Add salt to taste.

We had the sauce with steak and mash potatoes. :)

Chimichurri Sauce

I first tasted this sauce at an Argentinian steak house in North Sydney. After the steak house closed and relocated (and their prices rose from $32 to $47 for a piece of steak), we've been trying to replicate this at home ... to some success ...with a bit of guidance from some recipes we found online. :)
Chimichurri Sauce

• 1 cup packed of fresh flat-leaf parsley (leaves only)
• 1/2 cup of fresh coriander
• 6 cloves garlic (smashed)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves (finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Place the parsley, coriander, garlic, paprika, oregano, food processor. Pulse until combined. Put the sauce in a non-reactive container (glass or plastic container). Using a spoon to mix in vinegar and olive oil. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Chimichurri will last for up to 1 month, refrigerated. Make sure there is enough olive oil to evenly cover the herb mixture. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

P prefers my chilli version. Which is just by adding a couple of sliced up fresh chillies with seeds removed into the food processor with the rest of the herbs.

I've mostly used the sauce to be served with steak or used in green salads - to give it a bit of a 'kick'... :)

Steak with Bernaise Sauce

By the time I managed to grab the camera, P had nearly devoured about a 1/4 of his steak.



Notes on How to cook the perfect steak:

• Fresh meat from the butcher. Do not freeze it. I'm not sure about you, but the steaks I've cooked even if defrosted 1 day ago from the freezer just never tastes the same.
• Try to get a good thick cut. (I usually go for the Rib Eye or New York Cut).
• Prepare the steak by rubbing it with some olive oil and season with Salt and Pepper.
• Steaks should be at room temperate before cooking
• Heat up a heavy based pan on medium high heat. (I use a Cast Iron grillpan).
• Try to turn steaks only once. For a medium-rare steak cook for 3 mins on each side.
• Once you remove it from the pan, set on a rack and place in a pre-heated warm oven (about 120C), and let the steak rest for about 4-5 minutes.

Bernaise sauce

• 3 Tbl Sp of White Wine
• 2 Tbl Sp of White Wine Vinegar
• 3 Egg Yokes
• 3 Tbl Sp of Melted butter
• A Squeeze of Lemon juice
• Salt & Pepper
• Tarragon or Shallots (finely chopped - if you have it)

Bring the White Wine and Vinegar to a simmer in a saucepan. Simmer until it reduces to about 1/2 the amount. Let it cool slightly. Whisk in Egg yokes. While its blending, add in melted butter and the mixture should start to increase in volume. Add Tarragone or shallots (if using) and season with Salt & Pepper. Taste the sauce and if required, add in some lemon juice.

Serve at room temperature with Steak.