Parsley Fingerling Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 lbs fingerling potatoes

1 tea fresh lemon juice

1 T kosher salt

1/2 cup olive oil

2 T fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Wash potatoes well. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Cook potatoes for 30 minutes. While potatoes are in the oven, chop the parsley and place in a mixing bowl along with the lemon juice and salt.

After potatoes have cooked for 30 minutes, remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Place potatoes in the parsley mixture and add the olive oil. Combine very well.

Place potatoes back on to sheet pan and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Check potatoes after 20 minutes - they are done if you can stick a knife cleanly through them with very light resistance.

McDonald's Cheeseburgers

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chuck (80/20)

6 generic plain hamburger buns 

6 dill pickle slices - extra thin (Heinz original sour dill or Vlasic original dills – not Kosher)

French’s mustard

Hunts ketchup

6 slices American cheese (must be from deli counter, not processed fake cheese)

6 tsp dried chopped onions

For the seasoning mix:

1 T salt

1/2 T Accent MSG

1/4 tea ground black pepper

1/4 tea onion powder

Place dried onions in a small bowl and cover with water.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Combine seasoning mix ingredients in small bowl, stir well, and set aside.

Lay sheet of wax paper on counter.  Place ground beef on wax paper, cover with another sheet of wax paper, and then use a rolling pin to flatten meat to a 1/4 inch thickness.

Use a cookie cutter or cup to cut out 6 patties about 6 inches in diameter.

Preheat a large cast iron skillet on medium.  Toast the buns on skillet for 30-60 seconds until nicely browned.

Slice pickles extra thin.

After buns are done toasting, cut out 6 squares of wax paper and lay each set of buns on a square.  Increase heat on skillet to medium-high.  Cook patties on one side for approximately 1-2 minutes until they are nicely seared.  Press down on patty with a spatula for 3-5 seconds while cooking to ensure you get a good sear.  Just before you flip them, add a small pinch of the seasoning mix to each patty then flip and continue cooking on other side fo 1-2 minutes until cooked through and juices run clear.

While patties are cooking, begin to assemble the buns.  Place 5 small squirts of mustard on the top bun in a circular pattern, and repeat with the ketchup.

Remove the onions from the refrigerator and drain very, very well.

While burgers are still cooking, place a teaspoon of the onions on each patty.

Move burgers onto the buns and place one pickle slice on each patty.

Top each patty with one slice of cheese.

Flip burgers upside down onto the wax paper squares and fold them up to make a small package.

Place 3 burgers on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 20 seconds.  Repeat with the other 3 burgers. This step will help to make sure all the flavors meld together.

Lobster and Crawfish Bisque

Ingredients:
2 lobster tails, 5 oz each
1 lb steamed crawfish
3 T olive oil
2 T unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery rib, diced small
1/2 cup unbleached a.p. flour
4 bottles clam juice, 8 oz each
1 can diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz (drained)
1 sprig fresh tarragon
1 cup heavy cream
1 and 1/2 cups white wine
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 tea cayenne pepper
4 T sherry (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut lobster tails in half and remove the meat.  Cut meat into bite-sized pieces and place in refrigerator.

Place the lobster shells in a large bowl.

Remove the tail meat from the crawfish (as well as any claw meat you can extract). Store the crawfish meat in the fridge as well.

Place the crawfish heads, claws, and shells into the same bowl with the lobster shells.

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it starts to smoke.  Place the shells/heads/claws into the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes (stirring every minute or so) until the lobster shells start to turn orange

Place the shells into a food processor.

Make sure your food processor is powerful enough to handle crushing shells before attempting.

Process the shells in the food processor for 20-30 seconds until it is ground up nicely and there are no more big pieces of shell.

In a Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium heat.  Add the celery, carrots, shallots, garlic, and ground shells.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the wine to the Dutch oven; using a wooden spoon, deglaze the pot by scraping all the brown bits that are stuck to the bottom.  Add the clam juice and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, then cover pot and reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir frequently.

Strain the soup into a large bowl using a fine mesh strainer (very important not to get any bits of shell into the bowl).

Press the solids through the strainer with a large spoon or ladle and try to extract as much liquid as possible.

Wash out and dry the Dutch oven.  Place the strained bisque back into the pot and add the heavy cream, cayenne, tarragon, and lemon juice.

Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Add the lobster meat and cook for 3-4 minutes until lobster is tender. (If you are using raw crawfish this would be the time to add it as well).

Add crawfish tail meat and cook for another minute, until crawfish is heated through.  Remove the sprig of tarragon, add salt and pepper to taste, and ladle into bowls.  If desired add 1 T of sherry to each bowl.

Croûte au Fromage

Ingredients:
6 thin slices French bread or baguette
1/4 stick unsalted butter
1 cup shaved Iberico cheese (or any hard/semi-firm cheese such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Gruyere)
fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven broiler.  Place slices of bread onto foil-lined pan or cast-iron skillet.

Place in oven and toast one side, then flip bread over and very lightly toast the other side.

While bread is toasting in the oven, thinly shave the cheese and melt the butter in the microwave.

When the bread is finished toasting, take it out and brush butter on each slice.

Layer the cheese on each slice.

Brush an additional layer of butter on top of the cheese.

Place back under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and beginning to brown on top. Sprinkle with black pepper.

Kalbi

Korean Grilled Short Ribs (a.k.a Galbi)


Ingredients:
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 cup plus 2 T water

1 and 1/2 T sugar

1 T minced garlic

1 tea sesame oil

1 tea ground ginger

1/2 tea black pepper

1/2 cup sliced onion
2 T chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

1 lb short  ribs, cross-cut 1/3" thick

 Whisk soy sauce, 2 T water, sugar, sesame oil, and black pepper together in mixing bowl.  Reserve half of the mixture in a small saucepan.  

Add garlic, ginger, and onions to mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Cut short ribs in half.

Place marinade and short ribs in a sealable plastic container and shake to coat the meat.  Place in fridge and allow to marinate for at least 3 hours (no more than 12 hours).

Heat grill to high.  While grill is heating up, add 1 cup water to the marinade that was reserved earlier.  Bring this sauce to a light boil then turn heat down and let simmer very gently.

Place ribs on grill and cook for 3 minutes until cooked side just begins to develop a char.

Flip ribs over and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until done.

Take ribs off grill and plate them.  Cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.  When ready to serve, pour the sauce over the ribs and serve with rice.