canola oil

Don't be Scared of Ghost Chilis: Flatiron Steak Sandwich

29 Nov 2011
Flatiron Steak Sandwich With Cucumber, Ginger Relish & Ghost Chili Aioli

Ghost Chilis are (supposedly, arguably, possibly) the hottest pepper in the world. In 2007 The Guiness Book of World Records deemed them 401.5 times hotter than Tabasco sauce. Since then, the Naga Viper Pepper, Infinity Chilli, and the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T Pepper have been bred to (supposedly, arguably, possibly) surpass the ghost pepper on the Scoville scale, which (supposedly, arguably, possibly) measures the heat level in chili peppers.

Not that the semantics matter when you taste one– because they are hot. Damn hot. Too hot for me (supposedly, arguably, possibly). But that doesn't mean I can't find a way to cook with them. Take this Flatiron Steak Sandwich With Cucumber, Ginger Relish & Ghost Chili Aioli. I took a great sandwich recipe from Tom Colicchio and adapted to include this Ghost Chili Aioli.

I have been wanting to do something with Ghost Chilis for about a year. You see Marx Foods sent me some dried Ghost Chili samples and they have sat in my pantry this past year zinging me with the promise of a heat so hot as to be (supposedly, arguably, possibly) inedible.

Inedible. Heat so Hot. Those are fightin' words in my house. I'll eat anything, and I'll scar my tongue just to prove it if I have too.

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Flatiron Steak Sandwich With Cucumber, Ginger Relish & Ghost Chili Aioli

Steak Sandwich
By jgreghenry Published November 16, 2011
Prep time: 20
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 dried ghost chili
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 10 oz canola oil
  • 1 lb flat iron steak
  • 1 pn each salt and pepper
  • 1 t olive oil
  • 4 ciabatta rolls
  • 1 c seedless cucumber, cut into 2-inch julienne
  • 2 T fressh ginger, peeled and cut into 2-inch julienne
  • 1 c cilantro leaves
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

Directions

In a small bowl cover the chili with very hot water. Let sit about 1 hour until softened. Discard water, dry the chili, remove the seeds (optional) and roughly chop it. Be careful as this chili is very hot.

In a blender, add egg yolk, egg, lemon juice and chili (these little peppers pack a lot of heat, so add as much as you can stand). Blend until fairly smooth. While the blender is on, drizzle in canola oil until the aioli emulsifies and thickens to your liking (you might not use all the oil) then add a pinch of salt to taste.

Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet set over high heat, until very hot. It must be an iron skillet to retain as much heat as possible.

Place steak in the hot pan. Let sear for 2 to 3 minutes until well browned. Flip to the other side and let sear for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the steak continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the steak. 120°F for very rare, 125°F for rare, or 130°F for medium rare. When the desired temperature is reached, remove the steak from the pan to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice the meat against the grain.

Slice the ciabatta rolls in half, scoop out some of the soft interior bread, creating a well. Spread some of the ghost pepper aioli onto the top halves of the rolls. Layer the sliced meat on the bottom halves of the rolls followed by a generous amount of the cucumber, ginger and cilantro. Drizzle with lime juice. Close the sandwiches and serve with more aioli and lime wedges.

Source: adapted from Tom Colicchio

Visit Norway- Pickled Mackerel & Ramson Recipe from Oslo's Maaemo Restaurant

15 Jul 2011
Mackerel Appetizer

I hope you've been following along with my Visit Norway series. Up until now I have been presenting mostly broad information about the cuisine of Norway, as well as fun things to do (and eat) in Oslo. I even did a post about the nightlife in Oslo.

But today I want to get very specific. There's a new restaurant in Oslo. It's called Maaemo. Though it's been open since December 2010, I say "new" because Norway has seen nothing like it before. Maaemo (Finnish for Mother Earth) is one of just a very few (only?) Norwegian restaurants that uses 100% organic, biodynamic or wild produce, coming almost exclusively from Norway. Their philosophy is groundbreaking, and the story is fascinating. Worthy of a post all its own– so I asked Nordic Nibbler to come with me to Maaemo. Tomorrow, he'll have a very in-depth interview in a guest post.

The time I spent with Maaemo's chef Esben Holmboe Bang and co-owner and sommelier Pontus Dahlström was probably the most exciting 2 hours of my entire stay in Norway. They took me into the kitchen. The chef taught me to make my own vinegar powder. Previously I bought vinegar powder to use as a super-charged sour element in some of my cooking. It adds so much flavor (especially as a garnish) without adding any liquid. So it's possible to use it in ways traditional vinegar could never be used. So I was already a fan of the ingredient– but the commercial stuff doesn't even come close to the intense flavor of what can easily (I learned) be made at home. I promise to share the technique soon.

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Mackerel & Ramson from Maaemo Restaurant in Oslo, Norway

Mackerel appetizer
By jgreghenry Published July 14, 2011
Prep time: 60
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 2 small filets (about 4-inches long) of very fresh mackerel, trimmed & cleaned
  • 4 c brine (1 part sugar, 2 part vinegar, 3 part water, salt to taste)
  • 150 g garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
  • 100 g cream
  • 300 g ramson greens, roughly chopped (see note)
  • 200 g sunflower oil
  • 90 g canola oil
  • 50 g balsamic apple vinegar
  • 6 wild ramson flowers (see note)
  • 6 wild viola flowers (see note)

Directions

Bring a small saucepan half-filled with water to a boil. Add the garlic and blanch about 1 minute. Discard water, reserving the garlic. Then refill the saucepan with fresh water and repeat blanching one more time. Empty saucepan and reserve garlic. Add the cream to the saucepan along with the blanched garlic. Simmer the garlic in the cream until it becomes quite soft. Using a blender purée the mixture to a completely smooth texture. Push it through a fine-meshed strainer back into the small saucepan and set aside. In a clean blender purée the fresh ramson greens with the both the sunflower oil and canola oil, then strain it into another small bowl; pressing the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much of the oil as possible. Set aside. Pour half of the reserved ramson oil into a small, clean saucepan. Add the apple balsamic vinegar, whisk to emulsify. Add the remaining ramson oil to the saucepan with the garlic purée, mix until well incorporated. Pickle the mackerel in the cool brine for 11 minutes. Gently heat the ramson vinaigrette sauce and the garlic ramson purée separately, stirring each the whole time, to just about body temperature. Serve a dollop of the purée next to a room temperature mackerel filet. Garnish with the wild flowers and then spoon the ramson vinaigrette sauce onto the plate while tableside. Enjoy!

Notes:

True Norwegian ramson will be difficult to find in North America, the greens from ramps, chives and/or green garlic could be substituted. Chive blossoms could replace the ramson flowers. The small honey tasting viola called for in this recipe is a small European wildflower that is called Johnny Jump Up in North America. Source: Adapted from Chef Esben Holmboe Bang, MAAEMO Restaurant- Oslo, Norway

Belligerent Bean Balls in Crisis (Polpette di Fagioli Rossi in Salsa Picante)

31 May 2011
Polpette di Fagioli Rossi in Salsa Picante

Red Bean Balls. Sounds delish, huh?

Well how about Polpette di Fagioli Rossi in Salsa Picante? That sounds a bit more appetizing, or at least a bit more glamorous, yeah? Because this is a blog, right? Aren't I supposed to make things sound appetizing? Yeah... in theory I suppose.

Still, no matter how you slice it– Polpette di Fagioli Rossi is just a fancy name for Red Bean Balls. You can call them what you like. You don't need me to make them sound delish. They ARE delish. Besides, does what I say really make one whit of difference? You see lately I have been feeling like calling things as they are. Red Bean Balls in a Spicy Sauce. There I said it, in plain English.

Let me also say that I am aware of my belligerent attitude. I am sure you've noticed it too. I think I am having a mid-life crisis– and by "me" I don't mean ME. I had my mid-life crisis at age 12. Gay people are forced to look reality hard in the face at a very young age. Even before they fully understand what it is that makes them different. So gay kids have two choices (or at least gay kids from my generation). These choices are simple and they contain a lesson that applies to so many aspects of life. These choices are put up or shut up.

Sippity Sup Continues »
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