Asian Mignonette

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As I mentioned in the classic cocktail post, an Asian Mignonette is an interesting and delectable variation for an oyster topping.

Having only tried it a few times at the schmanciest of restaurants, I was intrigued to see how the homemade version would stack up. Turns out: really darn well.

This particular blend has a depth of flavor that lends a whole new element to the oyster, but it still brings the tang you’re looking for with an oyster garnish. Again, if you’re working with quality oysters, I say go naked: splash of sauce and slurp.

1/2 cup of sake
2 shallots, minced
1/4 cup of minced ginger
1/2 cup of rice wine vinegar
3 teaspoons of soy sauce
3 tablespoon of chopped cilantro
3 green onions, chopped

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Let sit for 30 minutes.
3. Serve.

Burlison’s Roasted Acorn Squash with Parmesan Bacon Stuffing

The flood of fall recipes here at Nummy has taken a turn toward all things autumn, specifically squash.

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While there is no doubt I think squash and gourds look totally adorable as fall table decorations, I really couldn’t care less about eating the little yella fellas most of the time. So I have been delightfully surprised to receive squash recipes that actually look pretty darn delicious.

For example, if I must stuff something with healthy foods like barley, Imma need you to sneak me in some pig and parm as well. And this recipe from Burlison does just that.

Plus, acorn squash is a lovely orangey color, and with only 21 days until we have to restart the countdown to Halloween for the year, you gotta get that fall festivity in wherever you can.

1 acorn squash, split in half and seeded
1 cup prepared pearled barley
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 pieces bacon, chopped into bits
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup grated parmesan
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Coat squash lightly in olive oil and salt and pepper.
3. Roast squash for 30-45 minutes, until almost fork tender.
4. While squash is roasting, cook bacon. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the grease and ) and shallots. Saute for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add garlic and saute for 1-2 more minutes.
6. Add barley and thyme to pan and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
7. Turn off stove and add cheese, mixing all of the stuffing thoroughly.
8. Remove squash halves from oven, fill with stuffing and bake for 10 more minutes. Voila.

Provencal Chicken

As RipleyPickles mentioned, fall is in the air.  Down here in NOLA that means it is a cool high 80’s/low 90’s, so I think a nice comfort chicken dish is needed.  Provencal Chicken has all the right ingredients- shallots, butter, wine, rosemary, and garlic.  Unless you serve this chicken raw, it is impossible to ruin.  This is easy, delicious, and will impress any dinner guests.   This recipe comes from Pierre Franey’s “Cooking In France.”
Chef’s note:  the secret to making this the perfect chicken dish is cooking the chicken skin-side down for at least ten minutes.  The crispiness is key.  As always, using homemade chicken broth changes a dish completely and is highly recommended. -ts

3-4 pound chicken cut in pieces (ask your butcher to chop it) or use 2 pound chicken pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth

1. Season chicken pieces on both sides liberally with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in heavy skillet large enough to hold pieces comfortably until butter foam has subsided. Add chicken pieces skin-side down and cook undisturbed until skin is crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes.
2. Turn chicken pieces over and add garlic and rosemary to skillet. Continue to cook for 10 more minutes.
3. Remove chicken to rest and carefully remove all but a few tablespoons of fat from skillet. Add shallots and cook for 30 seconds, then add wine and chicken broth. Scrape up pan juices from surface and reduce sauce by half
4. Return chicken pieces to pan skin-side up and cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through. Add remaining tablespoon of butter to skillet to finish sauce. Serve chicken immediately with sauce draped around it.

Chicken Liver Mousse

Time to get fancy at NummyNumNum!  I love chicken livers in all forms.  Having moved to New Orleans, I am extremely lucky to have access to fried chicken liver poboys pretty much at every restaurant.  I probably need to chill out on the NOLA eating as it is bikini season.  Anyways, I love chicken livers, and a mousse version is always welcome in my recipe box. This recipe is so amazing and surprisingly easy.   My good friend Chef Kim made this and gave away in cute mason jars for Christmas gifts.  Chef John and I ate the whole thing in one sitting.  Beware if you are cooking this in an apartment, your place is going to smell.  Keep windows open!  Serve with slices of bread or crackers and cornichons.-ts

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup Cognac or other brandy
6 oz chicken livers, trimmed (3/4 cup)
5 large egg yolks
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
Several bay leaves (only fresh; see note, below)

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cook shallot in oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from heat and carefully add Cognac (use caution; if Cognac ignites, shake skillet), then boil until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Transfer to a blender and add livers and yolks, then purée until smooth. Add milk, flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and allspice and blend until combined. Pour into crock, skimming off any foam.
4. Put crock in a larger baking pan and bake in a water bath until mousse is just set and a small sharp knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
5. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes.
6. Arrange bay leaves decoratively on top of mousse. Skim froth from butter, then spoon enough clarified butter over mousse to cover its surface, leaving milky solids in bottom of saucepan.
7. Chill mousse completely, uncovered, about 4 hours. Bring to room temperature about 1 hour before serving.

The bay leaves are decorative, if fresh ones are unavailable no need for using dried.

Chicken Picatta

I have been neglecting m’boy Wikipedia for a while now, and that stops here. The ‘pedia tells me that “picatta” just means “to be pounded flat” in Italian. And I like that.

Not only because these little suckers will fry up right nice because they are flat and even all over but also because you get to use that tiny little mallet to work out some of your aggression. That little hammer is somehow adorable and violent all at once, and I always imagine a furious little Leprechaun-lumberjack using it. And that clearly makes me happy.

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 oz of olive oil
seasoned flour
2 teaspoons shallots, minced
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
4 oz white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tsp of chopped parsley
2 tbsp capers
1 oz of lemon juice
2 tbsp butter

1. Lightly pound chicken breast and then dredge in seasoned flour.
2. Heat the oil in a saute pan. Cook the chicken until golden brown.
3. Remove from pan, add shallots and garlic and cook until translucent.
4. De-glaze pan with wine. Add chicken stock, parsley, capers, and lemon juice.
5. Let it reduce for 2 minutes and then finish the sauce with butter. Salt and pepper it to taste and serve with your favorite pasta.

Citrus Steamed Mussels

Alright, alright we know – this is the fifth mussel recipe we have posted. The Chef thinks this is a problem but I, as a person who used to buy the same pair of shoes in 3 different colors, thinks it’s just dandy. Good is good no matter how many different ways you use the same ingredient, and the Brantley-Grosshans crew said these were not just good but awesome.

Contrary to our usual M.O., this recipe has no cream and is pretty light stuff, so let it never be said we don’t give you idiots who want to be healthy some choices.

5 lbs of mussels
2 shallots, minced
4 leeks, diced small
1/2 bottle of white wine
5 garlic cloves, sliced
3 oranges, (2 zested, 1 sliced)
3 lemons (2 zested, 1 sliced)
3 limes (2 zested, 1 sliced)
1 tablespoon of oil
few sprigs of thyme
3 tablespoons of butter

1. Heat a big pot on medium high heat and add oil.  Add leeks, shallots, and garlic. Cook until caramelized and then add thyme.
2. Add mussels and citrus slices. Add wine, turn heat to high and cover.
3. Once mussels are all open, remove with slotted spoon and cover with foil.
4. Remove citrus slices. Add butter to sauce, zest and citrus juice.  Serve up. Crusty bread of course.

Mushroom Ragout over Creamy Polenta

I have never tasted this one, but I love mushrooms and The Chef billed this recipe as “insane.” I’m assuming he means “insanely good” rather than Charlie Sheen insane, however I would totally enjoy it either way.

BTdubs, “ragout” just means “main dish stew.” The French always manage to make things sound so complicated.

1 cup shallots, halved and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp olive oil
2 8 oz pkgs sliced baby portabello mushrooms (you can use button also if you prefer)
2 3.5 oz pkgs fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 ⁄2 cup port wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 ⁄4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 tbsp butter
11⁄2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
3 ⁄4 tsp salt
1 ⁄2 tsp pepper
freshly shaved Parmesan cheese
fresh thyme sprigs for garnish
Creamy Polenta

1. Sauté shallots and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes.
2. Increase heat to medium-high, add mushrooms, and cook, stirring constantly, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in wine; cook 2 minutes.
3. Stir in broth and next 5 ingredients. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
4. Serve over Creamy Polenta with shaved Parmesan cheese. Garnish with thyme sprigs if desired.

Barrett’s Green Curry Sauce

Chef says: “This seems like a s— load of ingredients, but its well worth it. This stuff is unbelievable.”

Well alright then. Barrett suggests you make a large batch of the paste, use a few tablespoons to make the sauce, and freeze the rest for future use (the recipe makes about 2 cups). As we learned on the food network, you can freeze portions of this in ice-cube trays and use them one-at-a-time. My inner Martha loves that time-saver crap.

2 1/2 Thai chilies
1 tbsp cumin seed
2 1/2 tbsp coriander seed
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems
1/2 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric (ginger-ish flavor: warm, bitter, spicy)
2 tsp of galangal, minced (citrus-pine-earthy flavor)
1 tbsp of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp of lemongrass, minced, white part only
4 kaffir lime leaves, minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup shallots, minced
1 cup peanut oil
hot coconut milk

1. Place all the dried spices (chilies through salt) in a saute pan and toast over medium heat. Once toasted, grind in a spice grinder.
2. Blanch and shock (meaning boil for a sec and then plunge into cold water to stop the cooking) the cilantro, basil, and mint in a salted water. Squeeze dry.
3. Place all ingredients except oil in blender and puree until smooth.
4. While the blender is running, slowy drizzle in oil. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Mix a few tablespoons with hot coconut milk until sauce reaches desired consistency.
6. Serve with mussels or scallops over risotto or use as a soup base. If you’re looking for a full recipe, swap out the red curry in this mussel recipe for this green one. Bellissimo!

Caramelized Shallots

I do not think we discuss shallots enough on here.  They are incredible, and I tend to use them for all recipes even if they are not called for.  This is an amazing recipe from Ina Garten. -ts

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 pounds fresh shallots, peeled, with roots intact
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

1. Melt the butter in a 12-inch ovenproof sauté pan, add the shallots and sugar, and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the shallots start to brown. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper and toss well.
2. Place the saute pan in the oven and roast for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the shallots, until they are tender. Season to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.

Chipotle-Sherry Vinaigrette

I kept scanning my Inbox and seeing this recipe and thinking ‘Ugh, I hate cherries. But I guess I’ll post that anyway.’ Obviously I need to go to the Derrick Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can’t Read Good because this is Chipotle (which is spicy and awesome) and Sherry vinegar (which is an alcohol-based vinegar, so obviously fantastic). In short, this must be a winner despite my adult-onset dyslexia.

3 tbsps sherry vinegar
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp minced shallots
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 canned Chipotles, drained and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp maple syrup
3/4 cup of olive oil
salt and pepper as needed
1 tbsp chopped parsley

1. Whisk together all ingredients except the olive oil.
2. Gradually whisk in the oil until it has all been added and the vinaigrette is smooth and has thickened.