Turduckin-Complete

The day was finally here!!!  All they hype about cooking and preparing of a turduckin was coming to fruition.
I had spent about four hours total getting the birds de-boned, stuffed and sewn up.
The turduckin took nearly five hours to cook.  In that time I was constantly basting it to get it golden brown and keeping it moist.
Once the turduckin was done we still had some waiting to do, about twenty minutes was needed to let it rest before cutting it.  This allows the juices to be pulled back into the meat.  You slice to early and your left with a piece to dry turkey giving you cotton mouth.  I removed all the strings that i could find and alerted folks that they may encounter a piece our two of string.  I began to slice and it just fell apart, it was just heaven with pieces of stuffing on the side.  The gravy on the stove was just about done and we were all ready to eat.

It was a great day of feasting over some great food, friends and family.  The only thing that would have made it better was having my own family here to enjoy such a great meal.

Canning Bounty 2012

Now that the holidays are over, I can show you a picture of all of jars and cases of goods that I had pickled over this year.  I did pickles a bunch of different ways, pickled tomatoes, eggplant and I even made some of my own salts.
I am looking forward to a great 2013 with some new ideas on some things to can, thanks to Renee and the books she got me for Christmas.  To those of you family on the East Coast, I will be bringing some with me the next time I am out!!!

Recipe-Homemade Truffle Salt

This salt is amazing on so many levels.  the versatility alone will send you on a adventure of what next can i sprinkle this amazing, dank smelling salt on???  Well....everything from popcorn to a simple salad.

Please be aware however this recipe will set you back 60 -70 dollars.  Good truffle peelings are key to this recipe.  You will be able to find them at Whole Foods and other specialty markets.

Homemade Truffle Salt

Yields: 5#

5# kosher salt

1 can of truffle peelings

Method:

1.  Drain the peelings, saving the liquid for other applications; lasts for about two weeks in the fridge in a air tight container.

2.  Chop up the truffle peelings and place on a sheet tray and place in the oven to dry by just using the pilot light.  This process is fairly quick, just overnight does the trick.  

3.  Place half of the dried, chopped peelings into a Molcajete   Add four spoon fulls of kosher salt and grind. Grind until the salt starts to brown a little from the truffle powder.

4.  Repeat process until all of the dried truffles are ground up.

5.  Mix with the remaining salt and store in a air tight container.

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My Christmas book gifts

Thank you Renee for the books for Christmas, I got Get Jiro for myself today with Christmas money.

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Turducken-Phase 3

Not only is making the turduckin a labor of love, the making of stock from the bones is also.  I have a big pot that i use for pickling that i had to use for making the stock. I turned on the burner, added some oil.  In the meantime I broke down the carcasses down to fit better in the pot, added 12 chopped carrots, a bunch of celery and four chopped onions.  The key here is to chop your vegetables around the same size of the bones, this insures even cooking and a more pure stock by not having the vegetables break down into much in the stock.  Anyway i added some peppercorns, bay leafs, fresh thyme and rosemary to the pot and browned them.  I then added about four and a half gallons of water to the pot, brought it to a boil and reduced it to a simmer.
When all said and done I have been left with about a gallon of good demi glace that will in-turn make up to four gallons of good stock.

Turduckin-Phase 2

 I have all three of the birds!!!  I have also de-boned the turkey except the turkey legs which will stay.  I have removed the legs from the chicken and will skewer them next to the turkey legs.  The duck legs were to small so i just de-boned them, seasoned each with my homemade seasoning.  Here are a some photos....

pictured above:  Turkey, herb salt.

pictured above:  Chicken, starting the process.

pictured above:  Chicken done with the legs to attach to outside of the turduckin, smoked herb salt.

pictured above:  Duck deboned, truffle salted.

pictured above:  pressing to help achieve even cooking.

Turducken-Phase 1

Thanks to Julie i have a whole duck and chicken in my fridge, ready to be de-boned and made into a mouth watering experience.  I am getting the turkey Wednesday after work.  Thursday I will be starting the process, so stay tuned!!!!  What are your thoughts?  Should i put the leg bones of each one on the out side?  How cool will that be....

Recipe-Pickled Red Tomatoes

This is one of my new favorites.  These pickled tomatoes are out of this world.  A must make at least once even if you are not a fan of tomatoes and or pickled tomatoes.  This recipes balance of tartness with sweetness is absolutely ravenous.

Pickled Red Tomatoes
Yields:  6 pints

Ingredients:

5# roma or plum tomatoes
3 cups white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons pickling salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 each large shallots, large diced
12 each garlic cloves, sliced (2 per jar)
3 each bay leafs ( 1/2 per jar)
60 each peppercorn melange (10 per jar)

Method:

1.  Sanitize all jars and lids.

2.  Start a water bath with enough water to submerge the jars in when we are done filling them.

3.  Bring a pot of water to a boil for the tomatoes.

4.  Core all the tomatoes and make a criss-cross slice on the bottoms of them so we can concasse them.

5.  Place a few tomatoes into the boiling water at a time and leave them in the water until you start to see the skin peel away from the tomatoes.  Remove from the water and place into a ice water bath to cool.  Repeat this step until all tomatoes are done and cooled.

6.   Once cooler, removed skin from each tomatoes and cut them into quarters, set aside.

7.  In a pot, put the vinegar, sugar and salt and bring to a boil.

8.  Place above ingredients that you have prepped in to your dry and sanitized jars.  Layer by adding some onions, peppercorns every two tomatoes.

9.  Once jars are full but not packed tight, began to carefully pour your liquid over each jar.  Fill to just the lower lip of each jar.  Take a butter knife and gently place it into the jar on the sides to remove air bubbles.  Add more liquid if needed and remove air bubble again.

10.  Wipe the lids dry and place on the tops and screw each top on hand tight.  Place each jar carefully into the water bath for thirty minutes at a constant 180 degrees.

11.  Remove from water baths and let them cool, the tops will pop.  That is a good sign, they are sealing.  Make sure all of the seal, if they do not, no worries, refrigerate once cool and use withing 2-3 weeks.

Homegrown Garlic

Check it out, I am growing garlic indoors!!!  Its in a flower pot.  I had some garlic that was sprouting, I said to myself, "what the hell, lets see if it grows".
Sure enough one has really come along, check out this picture below....

Tap House-Westmont-Networking Reception

After a long afternoon of participating in planning for 2013 at the hotel i work for we all went to the Tap House to enjoy some good appetizers  drinks and network within the group, which was fourteen people..  I have never been to Tap House before and was surprised how the inside looked compared to the outside.  Once entering to your left they have a private room with a pull down screen were you can have parties and or business meetings.
The bar was positioned to the right of the building, leaving the left side open to booths around the side and a gas fireplace with a couch and chairs.  That  is were we all migrated until the food came, then we just got up and went to the tall boys and stools to eat.
The Executive Chef had ordered the tables apps and we had the following:  chicken fingers, fried pickles, chicken wings spicy and sweet, deep fried bacon, loaded tots, beef sliders, pulled pork sliders just to name a few.
It was a feast to say the least.  the loaded tots were awesome, so awesome we ordered another one for the table.  The fried pickles were good, could of had more of a dill flavor.  The ranch dipping sauce was a nice touch.  i was excited about the deep fried bacon, however after trying it, i was not impressed.  The bacon tasted raw and had way to much batter.  To pull this off you need thick bacon that has been almost fully cooked, then dipped in batter, then fry it up!!!
If you are into craft beers, this is the place to go as well.  The list changes often with a great variety for all types of beer lovers.
Overall the food was ok, the beer was good, and the networking and being in a environment with my peers out of work was refreshing.  A great way for others to connect and or reconnect.

TurDucken

This Christmas Eve I am in charge of the main course if you will.  I will be taking on the task, well i would not really think of it as a task but more a labor of love.  I mean its not everyday that you decide to stuff a chicken inside a duck in-which you then stuff that into a turkey.  Yeah i know sounds amazing, i am salivating just writing this.  I will be posting later in the month on creating this masterpiece that will soon have everyone unbuckling there belts and snoring after dinner.....

Late Night Snack-Vermont Peanut Butter Sandwich

I am a peanut butter fanatic!!!  My brother and his wife got this for me for my birthday, its delish guys, thanks!!!

Recipe-Homemade Herb Salt

Below is my recipe for a homemade herb salt. It is a labor of love and takes a few days to get the final product but it is so worth it!!!

Herb Salt
Yields: About 4#

Ingredients:

1# Fresh Rosemary
1# Fresh Thyme
1# Fresh Sage
3# Kosher Salt


Method:

1. Remove the rosemary and sage from there stems and spread the herbs on the sheet tray. Place the thyme on a separate sheet tray still on the stems.

2. Place the sheet trays of herbs into your oven and let them dry by just your pilot lite. This process depending on your oven with take 2-3 days for them to dry. Do not leave them in the oven for to long. If the herbs start turning black, remove from the oven and let them air dry.

3. Once the herbs are completely dry place small amounts in a Molcajete and grind the herbs to the consistency that you want for your salt.

4. Once they are all ground up, let them air dry for another day.

5. The next day, place small amount again into the Molcajete and add some salt and well, about 3 tablespoons and grind to help infuse the flavors into the salt.

6. Do this process for 4-5 times and mix with the remaining salt.

7. Place in a air tight container. I use mason jars.

-Use herb salts for many applications like mixing in mashed potatoes, sprinkle over veggies, salads and much more, enjoy!!!

Whole Fish Roasted with Potatoes & Thyme-Recipe #3

I have been wanting to make this dish for a while now. Of course the day i choose to make it i had troubles finding some whole fish. I drove to a few markets with no success unless i wanted to put a order in and they could have it for me the following day. After hearing this it really made sense. There is not a high enough demand in smaller markets to carry whole fish for sale.
I came back home to make a few calls and ended up driving to Standard Market. On the phone the gentleman said they had some nice whole golden trout. I made this dish for two, so i purchased two fish gutted and deboned.
This dish is in my eyes a quick recipe, prep to cook to plate in about a hour. So please enjoy this recipe below, then put your own twist on it. Enjoy!!!

Whole Fish Roasted with Potatoes and Thyme
Serves: 2 people


Ingredients:

6 each medium sized yukon potatoes, quartered
1 each large white onion, large julienne
2 each shallots, quartered
3 each garlic, sliced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 each thyme sprigs
2 each Whole Golden Trout, gutted, deboned
1 lemon, half thinly sliced, the other half for squeezing
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste


Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

2. In a bowl, toss the potatoes, onion, shallot, garlic and a tablespoon of the olive oil. Add 2 each rough chopped thyme sprigs and season with salt and pepper

3. Place in a baking dish and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes. You want the potatoes to be half done when removing pan from the oven to put fish in.

4. While the pan is in the oven prepare the fish by rubbing with olive oil, salt and pepper. Stuff the cavities with the lemon slices and and remaining thyme.

5. Still the potatoes when you remove them from the oven and push some of the potatoes to the side. Set the fish in the middle of the roasting pan.

6. Roast the fish in the oven for another 30 minutes until potatoes and fish are fully cooked.

7. Transfer the potatoes, onions and garlic to a large platter. Using a fork remove the skin from the fish very gently. Place the fish on top of the potatoes and onions.

8. Squeeze lemon juice over the dish, drizzle with a good quality extra virgin olive oil and garnish with the chopped parsley.