Bear Cuisine

Trey Bien

Here's another great recipe from Trey Corkern. These are considered an appetizer, but I think they could make a perfectly splendid meal. Start with a sazerac and go from there.

Oysters Bienville

Oysters Bienville

1. 1/2 cup butter
2. 4 TBS flour
3. 1 small yellow onion, diced
4. 1 red bell pepper,diced
5. 1 cup diced green onion
6. 2 TBS garlic, minced
7. 2 cups gulf shrimp, rough chopped
8. 2 cups shucked oysters, drained and rough chopped (Reserve the liquor)
9. 1 cup mushrooms rough chopped
10. 1/2 cup white wine
11. 1 TBS lemon juice
12. 1/4 cup cream
13. 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
14. 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
15. 1 cup oyster liquor
16. 12 oyster shells
17. 1 tsp cayenne
18. 1 TBS Magic Dust*
19. 1 TBS Black pepper
20. 1 teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
21. 1 tsp salt

 

Melt butter over high heat. Add flour and make a blonde roux.

Add onion bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic and half the shrimp.

Add the seasonings. Cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with wine and reduce.

Add the oyster liquor and reduce.

Add oysters and the rest of the shrimp. Add the cream

Add Panko to the desired thickness.

Remove from the heat and stir in Parmesan.

Stuff the oyster shells, adding little Panko and  Parmesan to the tops.

Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. Turn on the broiler to brown the tops a bit.

* Find the recipe for Magic Dust here.

 

Relatively speaking, these are so easy and sooo good.

 

 

Cooking with Trey Corkern

Louisiana native and chef, Trey Corkern has taught two classes on Cajun and Creole Cuisine at Las Cosas in the past month. His cooking made me want to book the first available flight to the Big Easy. Since that isn't possible,these dishes will help to satisfy my cravings until my next trip to America's best food city.

 Trey Cockern

One of Chef Trey's gigs in new Orleans was at Mister B's Bistro in the French Quarter. Here he mastered BBQ Shrimp. It's an easy dish and makes a great, if messy, first course

BBQ SHRIMP

(2 servings)

1. 16  head-on jumbo shrimp (If you can't find head-on shrimp, use what is available in your area). Leave shells on the shrimp.
2. 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
3. 2 TBS fresh lemon juice
4. 1 TBS cracked black pepper
5. 1 TBS ground black pepper
6. 1 TBS Magic Seasoning*
7. 1 TBS Fresh Chopped Garlic
8. 1 1/2 cups salted butter, cut into pats

Put a large skilled on high heat.

When it is smoking hot, add all the shrimp.

Add the rest of the ingredients except the butter

Turn shrimp when they are pink halfway up.

Cook another minute or two, until they start to curl.

Add the butter and shake the pan constantly, just until the sauce starts to bubble.

BBQ Shrimp after the butter has been added.

Serve with French bread.

 

Cook's Tips

 Add kosher salt to the water when defrosting shrimp. This helps to refresh their taste

Keep the butter cold until you add it to the pan. The shaking is essential to emulsifying the sauce. Stirring will prevent the sauce from forming properly.

 

*CAJUN MAGIC SEASONING MIX

1. 2 Tbs. paprika
2. 1 tsp. onion powder
3. 1 tsp. garlic powder
4. 1 tsp cayenne pepper
5. 1 tsp. smoked paprika
6. 1 tsp. white pepper
7. 1 tsp. black pepper
8. 1 tsp. dried thyme
9. 1 tsp. dried oregano
10. 1 tsp. kosher salt

 

Thoroughly combine all spices in a small bowl. Store in a jar in a cool, dry place.

 

 

Shrimp Curry

This is from Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries. This curry is child's play to make and it is absolutely delicious. You can use  shrimp that have been peeled and deveined for ease of preparation

Prawns with Onions in a Peanut-Coconut Spiced Curry

TOPRAY THI KOLUMBI

(serves 4)

1. 1 pound large shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), peeled and deveined but tails left on
2. 1 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt
3. 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
4. 2 tablespoons peanut oil
5. 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
6. 2 teaspoons Maharashtrian garam masala
7. 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh curry leaves

Place the shrimp in a medium-size bowl, and sprinkle them with the salt and turmeric. Toss to coat them with the spices. Refrigerate, covered, for 15 to 30 minutes, to allow the shellfish to absorb the flavor and color of the spices.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and stir-fry until it is light brown around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the shrimp, arranging them in a single layer in the skillet. Sear on each side to seal in the flavors, about 1 minute per side. Add 1/4 cup water and the garam masala, and stir once or twice to deglaze the skillet, releasing any browned bits of onion. Bring to a boil. Then continue to simmer vigorously, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the shrimp are salmon-orange and tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the curry leaves and serve.

 

MAHARASHTRIAN GARAM MASALA

(makes about cup)

1. 1/4 cup raw peanuts (without the skin)
2. 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
3. 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
4. 1 teaspoon cumin seed
5. 8 to 10 dried red Thai or cayenne chiles, to taste, stems removed
6. 1/4 teaspoon nutmegs shavings
7. 2 to 3 blades mace
8. 1/4 cup shredded dried unsweetened coconut

Preheat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add all the ingredients except the coconut, and toast, shaking the skillet every few seconds, until the peanuts ( in spots) and sesame seeds turn honey brown, the corainder and cumin seeds turn reddish brown and the chiles blacken slightly and smell pungent, 3 to 4 minutes. The chiles' aroma will be masked by the sweet-smelling nutmeg and mace.

Immediately transfer the nutty-smelling spices to a plate to cool.(The longer they sit in the hot skillet, the more likely it is that they will burn, making them bitter and unpalatable.) Return the skillet to the heat and toast the coconut for about 15 seconds; it will immediately start to turn almond-brown. Add the coconut to the pile of toasted peanuts and spices.

Once it is cool to the touch, place half the mixture in a spice grinder or coffee grinder, and grind until the texture resembles that of finely ground black pepper. (If you don't allow the spices to cool, the ground blend will acquire unwanted moisture from the heat, making the final blend slightly "cakey.") Transfer this to a small bowl. Repeat with the remaining batch. Thoroughly combine the two ground batches. The aroma of the light reddish-brown blend will be sweet and complex, very different from that of the pre-toasted and post-toasted whole spices.

Store in a tightly sealed container, away from excess light, heat and humidity for up to 2 months.

This was served over rice with Deep-Fried Cauliflower with Chile and Tomatoes. (Click here for the recipe.)

Okonomiyaki (Stuffed Savory Pancake)

I have wanted to make these ever since watching a Japanese movie which showed,in obsessive detail, a couple making them . I was so hungry by the time the scene was finished that I could barely concentrate on the rest of the movie. So here is Debra Samuels describing this great food and providing the directions for making it. These are easy to make and absolutely delicious. A variety of flavors and textures make for a very satisfying meal. These have quickly become a family favorite.

"Everywhere in Japan there are restaurants devoted to letting customers design their own version of this humble pancake and make it on a griddle at their table. Everyone gets their own blunt edge spatula and starts cooking. Okonomi means "as you like it," so menus are filled with lists of seafood, vegetables and meat that diners combine and add to the standard batter and cabbage. An electric skillet makes a great way to enjoy this as a communal meal at your own table at home."

STUFFED SAVORY PANCAKE

(Makes 2 six-inch pancakes)

Batter

1. 1 cup flour
2. 1 cup water
3. 1 egg white, beaten until foamy

Fillings

1. 2 cups shredded cabbage
2. 10 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails off
3. 2 ounces pork, thinly sliced into 3- inch lengths
4. 1 tablespoon pickled red ginger
5. 4 scallions cut in half, lengthwise and then into 4 pieces
6. 4 large eggs
7. 2 tablespoons oil

Toppings

1. 2 tablespoons dried seaweed shavings (aonori)
2. 2 tablespoons dried shredded bonito flakes (katsuo-bushi)

Sauce

1/2 cup Quick Tonkatsu Sauce

To make the batter, combine the flour, water and egg white in a large mixing bowl, then divide the batter into two medium bowls.

To make the filling, put half the cabbage, shrimp, pork ginger and green onions into each bowl. Make a well in the center and break an egg into the well.

 

Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until just hot.

Lightly mix the egg and filling of one bowl together until just blended. Pour the entire batter into the skillet to make one pancake. Cook on low-medium heat for 3 minutes, until the bottom is golden.

Flip the pancake and press all around to flatten. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Flip the pancake 2 more times, cooking it for 1 minute on each side or until done.

Set the pancake on a plate and brush or drizzle on the sauce. Sprinkle on the seaweed and fish flakes.

To serve, cut the pancake into wedges. Serve with extra sauce. Repeat with the remaining bowl.

 

QUICK TONKATSU SAUCE

(makes 3/4 cup)

1. 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
3. 1 tablespoon sugar
4. 2 tablespoons grated apple (skin on)
5. 1/4 cup water

Combine the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, sugar and apple in a small saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat and cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and simmer another 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the water.

 

 

A Summer Supper

I find entertaining in the summer more difficult than any other season. The intense heat doesn't help, but even more daunting for me is coming up with a menu that's cool. Finding something that people will want to eat in this season  isn't that easy. Some friends rely almost exclusively on the grill, but I find that I tire of the usual grilling fare and  cooking in the sun isn't my idea of a good time. Still, we like to see our friends and break bread with them.

I came up with this menu last week and everyone seemed to enjoy it--a lot. It started out with Shrimp Salad over avocados as the main dish and then I remembered a great sounding recipe for a Cold-Avocado and Cucumber Soup in the most recent issue of Canal House Cooking. That left dessert. What else but Avocado Ice Cream. A symphony of beautiful greens and harmonious tastes. An avocado theme dinner.What a concept!
COLD AVOCADO AND CUCUMBER SOUP

• 3 ripe, unblemished, pitted and peeled Hass avocados
• 1 cut-up unpeeled cucumber
• 2 cloves garlic ( one would have been sufficient)
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 cups chicken stock

Put everything into a blender and puree until smooth. (You may need to work in batches). Season with salt. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a dash of hot sauce. Make this the same day you plan to serve it so that it keeps its pale green color.

SHRIMP SALAD OVER AVOCADO

Shrimp Salad

(serves 6 to 8)

1. 2 pounds cooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail off
2. 1/2 cup mayonnaise
3. 1/2 cup sour cream
4. 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
5. 2 tablespoons capers, with a bit of the juice
6. 1/2 small red onion, minced
7. 3 stalks celery with leaves, diced small
8. 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
9. Juice and zest of 2 lemons
10. Salt and cayenne, to taste 

Chop shrimp into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl with remaining ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning.( I use Old Bay to season the salad instead of cayenne.)

(adapted from Martha Phelps Stamps' Martha's At the Plantation. Seasonal Recipes from Belle Meade)

AVOCADO ICE CREAM

(makes 1 quart)

1. 3 medium-sized, ripe Hass avocados (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2. 3/4 cup sugar
3. 1 cup sour cream
4. 1/2 cup heavy cream
5. 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
6. Big pinch of salt

Slice the avocados in half and take out the pits. Scoop out the flesh and cut it into little pieces.

Puree the avocado pieces in a blender with the sugar, sour cream, heavy cream, lime juice and salt until smooth and the sugar is dissolved

Freeze immediately in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

(from David Lebovitz' The Perfect Scoop.)