• Hi Guest - Come check out all of the new CP Merch Shop! Now you can support CigarPass buy purchasing hats, apparel, and more...
    Click here to visit! here...

What's on your plate today?

I learned about pickling in a Master Class I'm taking from Thomas Keller. I made a second attempt at it and pickled a bunch of stuff a couple of weeks ago. It's a basic pickling recipe: water, vinegar, sugar, thyme, mustard seed, a bay leaf, and the vegetable of your choice. I made almost a dozen different things at once, each in a separate pint jar. I used some of those items to whip together some chow-chow when we had friends over for a winner roast: radish, cauliflower, red onion, asparagus and sweet peppers. It's basically a relish made of different veggies. Hot dogs may never be the same without chow-chow!

2020-06-07 13.06.58.jpg
 
I saw a picture of this on the internet and decided to give it a whirl. It's definitely something that will go into my favorite recipe book: Watermelon & Goat Cheese Salad: Watermelon cubes, diced cucumber, red onion and mint. A touch of salt, and topped with crumbles of goat cheese.

2020-06-18 13.21.46.jpg

It's really good and super simple to make. I made this a few nights ago with everything except the cheese, and put it all in the fridge to macerate. I scooped it into bowls for lunch today, and topped it with some goat cheese and a sprig of mint.
 
I saw a picture of this on the internet and decided to give it a whirl. It's definitely something that will go into my favorite recipe book: Watermelon & Goat Cheese Salad: Watermelon cubes, diced cucumber, red onion and mint. A touch of salt, and topped with crumbles of goat cheese.

View attachment 31712

It's really good and super simple to make. I made this a few nights ago with everything except the cheese, and put it all in the fridge to macerate. I scooped it into bowls for lunch today, and topped it with some goat cheese and a sprig of mint.
It seems you masticated and enjoyed this!
 
Pan-roasted Peking Duck Breast a la Orange, with Braised White Endive, courtesy of Thomas Keller's Master Class. I watched his class on pan-roasting duck breast early Friday morning before the wife woke up, and I decided I'd give it a try. I had two duck breasts in the freezer, so I thawed them and set them in the fridge to dry for three days. (Yes, I know, but that was the key to this dish!)

After work today, I braised the endive in orange juice, then slow pan-roasted the duck in a frying pan, and seared the endive after the duck was done. I made a sauce from honey, orange juice and beef broth (the recipe called for veal stock, but the missus couldn't find any at the grocery store). Aside from drying the duck, it took about 90 mins to cook everything.

2020-06-22 19.44.50-1.jpg

The skin was so crisp, my wife heard me cutting it from the dining room. I think it was the best duck I've ever cooked, and aside from the Peking Duck I had in Bejing (Peking), it was the best duck I've ever had.
 
Top