Dim Sum for dinner...Bison and Bleu Cheese Potstickers

Call it Fusion, East meets West, Eclectic, whatever you will, I love it all. I like mixing things up, and adding my own twist as well.

We've been VERY busy at the shop lately, and going into 3 straight 7-day weeks was not too attractive. I took a half day off today to hopefully regroup...cooking is usually therapy, and as the lunch at the office today was pizza, I figured something light was in order...that thought lasted only as long as it took to get to the market.

I've been dying to use my new dumpling press, so why not tonight?

I found a 1lb. package of ground bison and it touched me somehow, it seemed so...lonely. It needed a home, care, it needed ME. I adopted it. A few sundry items later, and it was on its way to a bright new future.

I thought this dish up on the way to the register, and on the way home. The result -- well, I'm happy! Savory, smoky, sweet, spicy and rich...theme and variation, I love this experiment! I employed two cheats - I used packaged skins, and employed a dumpling press (for the purists, I am appending a dough recipe as well, and I'll use it next time).

Potstickers use a combination of two traditional cooking techniques, pan frying and steaming, to arrive at their classic browned-on-the-bottom look. I have finished my version with a Westernized take on the classic vinegar dipping sauce.

THE RECIPE:

1/2lb. ground bison meat
1/4 small onion, minced
2 in. ginger, grated
4 cloves garlic, grated
Corn / peanut oil for sauteeing
8 leaves basil, finely chopped
1 bunch scallion ends, chopped into pea-sized pieces (this is where you can tell the difference between a Western and an Eastern recipe - we always use the green and perhaps include the white ends, and Eastern recipes use the white part, and occasionally include the greens. But I digress).

1/2t smoked paprika www.myspicesage.com
1/4t cayenne powder
1/4t five fragrance powder (5 spice)
1T Shaoxing cooking wine
Dash soy sauce
Sea salt and ground white pepper to taste
2 oz. bleu cheese crumbles
Gyoza / potsticker skins

1 glass wine (Chef's choice)

2oz. water for sealing dumpling skins

2T peanut / corn oil for frying
1/4 cup water


Heat a non-stick skillet, add oil and sautee onion, ginger and garlic until translucent. Add and brown bison; add spices, basil, wine and soy. Combine and remove from heat. Cool to just above room temperature.

Place a scant teaspoon in the center of a gyoza skin; top with a few cheese crumbles. Dip the tip of your finger into the water, and run along the edge of one half of the skin. Press edges together with your fingers or a dumpling press. Press down to form a flat bottom to the dumpling. Continue to fill skins, and sip on the glass of wine. (This recipe yielded 20 pieces, less the filling I was snacking on.) Sip liberally from the wine and refill as needed.

Heat a wide, shallow skillet over medium heat; add frying oil. Place the potstickers in the oil and fry until the bottoms of the dumplings are browned (approximately 5 minutes). Add water, cover, and steam for approximately 2 minutes more.

I figured with such a complex little dumpling, I would want a neutral bed of vegetables, so here we have

Wok-seared baby bok choy:

3-4 bunches baby bok choy, cross-cut into 1 inch slices
Peanut or corn oil
12 leaves basil, thinly sliced
1/4 onion, thin half slices
Dash sesame oil
1 oz. dry sherry

Heat a wok over high flame; add oil, and sear the bok choy stem pieces. Sear one side, flip, then add bok choy leaf ends, basil leaves, onion, sesame oil and sherry. Flip over high heat to combine and remove from heat.

Of course, we will need a dipping sauce for the guys:

2T champagne vinegar
1T Chinkiang dark vinegar
1T ponzu sauce
1/8th t ginger powder
snipped scallion greens

Combine above ingredients in a serving bowl.

Arrange bok choy on a plate; set potstickers on this and serve the dipping sauce on the side. This worked out well! FLIGHT - epic win on flavor, presentation. FLUB - I cheated on the skins. For those who want to do these from scratch, see below.

POTSTICKER DOUGH:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
Mix the flour with water and knead it for about 20-25 minutes or until the dough gets soft. Separate the dough into two equal portions and roll them into cylinders (about 1 inch in diameter). Cover with wet towel and set aside. To prepare the skin, cut the dough into 1/4 in. length and use a rolling pin to flatten it until it becomes a round skin about 3 inch in diameter.
Give these a shot - let me know what you think!

Until next time,
CEM

Kale: it's not just a garnish!

I always eat my garnishes, whether at home or when I dine out; that's half the reason they're on the plate! Kale has been no exception, but all along it's been given a bad rep. I have been intrigued by recipes of eclectic Chefs I've read up on recently who have been putting this underutilized beauty onto the center of the plate in many presentations. I chose to try my hand at a marinated salad, which features a sweet / savory vinaigrette and my old friend, the beet.

OK, naysayers, I get it -- kale has a bitter quality; it looks weird, it's tough. But it has great nutritional value, and is high in antioxidants: See below.


http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Health-Benefits-of-Kale&id=136177

OK, it's on the internet, so it must be true, right? *sarcastic smirk*.

But seriously, the marinade cuts the bitter edge, softens the leaves, and imparts a bright, wonderful flavor. I used Lacinato, or Dinosaur, kale for this one, and some of the wonderful free Bristol Farms golden beets.

This is where my "cooking without recipes" technique comes into play. I am going to set out some basics, and you just have to adjust based on taste, volume of the kale, and how many portions you prepare. Play with it, and see what works for you.

THE RECIPE

1 bunch Lacinato kale, washed, center ribs removed, chopped into 2in. strips
2-3T good quality EV olive oil
1t white truffle oil
2-3T Champagne or white wine vinegar
2T fruit juice, orange or grapefruit
dash lemon juice
1 medium shallot, minced
1 clove garlic
Leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme, roughly chopped
dash white pepper
gray Fleur de Sel or sea salt to taste

Toss kale and oils to coat leaves, then mix remaining ingredients in a bowl; adjust liquid and seasonings to taste. Keep in refrigerator for 2-4 hours, tossing on the half hour.

Meanwhile, trim beet(s), being careful not to nick the root end. Boil in lightly salted water until tender; cool and peel. Slice as you wish to top the salad. Slice one Roma / heirloom tomato as well. I did a really stripped-down salad this time, but be creative - add whatever other vegetables / croutons you want.

When kale has become tender, drain and plate. Top with beet and tomato. Voila!

Salade Rouge

More beets...this was a few months back. I found some great produce in the Julian area and decided on this salad for a starter to that night's dinner. I like composed salads, and this presentation came together nicely. Simple, just a few ingredients and farm-fresh goodness.



THE RECIPE

(Per salad)

1 large beet
1 medium tomato
6-8 basil leaves
3-4 thin Bermuda onion slices
1 slice chevre
1-2T EV olive oil
2t red wine vinegar, divided
Sea salt, cracked pepper to taste

Pour 1t red wine vinegar over the onion slices; set aside and turn over after half an hour. Trim the beets, being careful not to nick the root end. Boil until tender in lightly salted water. Cool and peel the beets. Slice beets and tomatoes approximately 1/4 inch thick. Layer slices of beet, tomato, onion and a basil leaf; drizzle with a few drops of olive oil. Top with the chevre slice. Drizzle the balance of the red wine vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Cuban Hamburgers

This a recipe I have seen on a few sites recently; I HAD to try it as I need to finish off the dry-cured chorizo left over from the recent "Cassoul-aint" project. I am (as I often do) creating a hybrid of a couple recipes while inserting my own preferences. I used a shortcut, as I didn't have too much time - I fired up the cast iron grill pan rather than charcoal in the grill.

Grilled meat, fried potatoes, ham and swiss cheese -- what's not to love?

THE RECIPE

1/4 lb. ground beef
1 lb. bulk sausage, spicy
1/4 lb. chorizo, casing removed
1/2 small onion, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t dried oregano
1/4 t dried cumin
1/4 t cayenne powder
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
2T seasoned bread crumbs
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1 large russet potato
Your favorite hot sauce, to taste

Work above ingredients together; do not overmix. Form into 4 patties; press a hole through the center of each with your finger. Allow to rest and come up to room temperature.

Meanwhile, peel and grate one large russet potato; pat dry excess moisture with a paper towel. Heat 4T oil in a skillet. Fry the potato until golden brown. Remove from heat, drain on a paper towel and season with hot sauce.

Grill burger patties (well done).

4 bakery buns or torta rolls
mayonnaise
HP sauce (try to find it; it's worth the search) or barbeque sauce
8 thick slices of deli ham
8 thick slices of swiss cheese
dill pickle slices (I had a survivor from the super garlic homemade batch)

Toast buns lightly in oven; slather the bottom pieces with mayo and add pickle slices. Coat the top bun pieces with HP sauce, lay 2 slices each cheese and ham on these and broil quickly. Layer patties and potatoes on bottom pieces. Finish with the bun tops, settle back and call your doctor to schedule an angioplasty!

This is almost a Primanti Brothers sandwich -- next time I'll have to add some slaw!

Until next time; enjoy!

CEM

Wild Alaskan King Salmon with phenomenal root vegetable relish

Okay, we'll start with the cover photo...This is a case of the cart before the horse. I built this dinner around the side dish. I ADORE beets, and found some great organic beets at Bristol Farms. Jackpot -- there were some beautiful red and gold ones loose in one of the bins. When all was said and done, the checker could not verify the pricing (as they were not in bunches, with their little official sticker) for them. SO, she sent over the bagger to investigate. The line lengthens...I grow impatient. No luck. She called the produce manager (I grow more impatient, my temper approaching a Krakatoa-like level) who could not verify the pricing either. RESULT: my beets were FREE, because for whatever ungodly reason they had been snipped from their stalks??? Which is just as well because of the BF pricing structure...but I digress.

Once I saw my red and gold beauties, I scooped up some herbs, fennel and parsnips, checked over the meat / seafood cases, and landed upon a beautiful fillet of wild Alaskan King salmon. Here's the plan: grilled salmon (I prefer charcoal; fruit wood chips or a cedar plank can enhance the flavor as well) with a root vegetable relish.

FLIGHT - it was all wonderful. FLUB - I should have gone with all golden beets (and gone back after that Cashier ended her shift to buy up the rest of the loose beets)! The red beets dyed the rest of the ingredients and I lost presentation points.

THE RECIPE

Grilled salmon:

2 - 8oz. wild salmon fillets
As needed EV olive oil
To taste grey Fleur de Sel (or sea salt)
To taste fresh cracked black pepper (as in mortar and pestle)

Root vegetable relish

2-3 red beets
2-3 golden beets (use 4-6 golden to avoid my blunder, or cook the red ones separately)
3 parsnips, 1/4 in. dice
1/2 small onion, 1/4 in. dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bulb fennel, 1/4 in. dice
3 sprigs basil, leaves cut into chiffonade
1 sprig tarragon, chopped
As needed, EV olive oil
2T seasoned rice vinegar
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Trim beets, being careful not to nick the root end. Boil beets and parsnips in lightly salted water until soft when pierced with a fork. Allow to cool, then peel beets and dice into 1/4 in. pieces. In another pan, sautee onion and garlic 5 minutes, until softened. Transfer vegetables to a bowl, cool, then toss with herbs, enough oil to coat ingredients, vinegar and KSP. Taste, adjust seasoning and refrigerate.

Greens for garnish:

1 cup baby greens (I had a bag of baby ruby reds)
Dash lemon juice
Drizzle of truffle oil
Toss and place in one quadrant of dinner plate

Preparation:

Season salmon and allow to come up to room temperature. Grill, cavity side first. After approximately 2 minutes, turn 90 degrees for a nice cross-hatched pattern. Flip after another 2 minutes, repeat for the other side. Cook to a medium - medium rare temp for best flavor (whichever works for you, just don't cremate this beautiful creature!). Serve over greens alongside the root vegetable relish.

You can serve the salmon right off the grill, or at ambient temperature. Enjoy!

"Viand" defined

vi·and (vī'ənd)
n.
1.

An item of food.
2.

A very choice or delicious dish.
2.

viands Provisions; victuals. (Source: Dictionary.com)

So there it is in a nutshell. Some efforts are merely provisions; others are a wonderful amalgam or twist on the ordinary and can be considered choice. Food is art, so let's exercise our palettes as well as our palates!

Welcome to Viand! Currently under Construction ~~

Well, the Job has us all busy right now (it's the height of wedding season, if you haven't noticed). But I am excited to get this project underway, thanks to the suggestions of and help from some friends.

It all started off simply enough, with increasing photos and documentation of my hobby and sharing with friends.  But I've never been really good at documenting my recipes or remakes.  SO, here's to fixing that.

I would like to thank all the people who have taught me along the way; I appreciate your patience, and all of the pointers!

I will be working on this in my spare time, and will announce the "official" unveiling on my Facebook page.

Thanks for stopping by!

CEM
Craig E. Martin