History:

Yx and I prepared this stew 1 day in advance for an LHE gathering on 20 March 2007, together with a Smoked Salmon & Honey Lemon Muffin (recipe coming soon!)

The materials (Recipe for 10):

The main stuff
Beef ribs (1kg)
Beef (2kg) - cheaper cuts will be great, as stewing tenderises them like mad. So stuff like shoulder and harder cuts are suitable.
Green zucchini
Yellow zucchini
Potatoes (1 kg)
Large onions (3)
Carrots (3 large ones)
Parsnip root (1)
Pearl onions

Bouquet garni
Parsley (3 stalks) - I used only the bottom-most 2 inches of stem
Bay leaves (8, dried)
Basil (1 teaspoon, dried)
Thyme (4 stalks, fresh) - I used mainly the leaves and discarded most of the stem
Marjoram (1/2 teaspoon, dried) - use VERY sparingly!
Saffron (1 teaspoon)

To complete the broth
Good red wine (1 cup)
Canned oxtail soup (1/2 can)
Corn flour
Salt & pepper to taste

The method:

• Fill a large pot with 5 litres of water and bring to a boil
• Add chopped onions to boiling water, and herbs. Traditional bouquet garni can be made by tying the herbs into a bundle, but if just added loose they will be fine too. Add beef ribs to make a broth, and let it boil under low heat for 15-20 minutes
• For the beef, trim off gristle and fat, and cube. Add to the pot of broth, and continue boiling under low heat until tender. I stewed this mix for 1 full day on charcoal, but if using a gas stove this can also be achieved in 2-3 hours.
  
  
  
  
• Peel potatoes and pearl onions, cube the potatoes and add both potatoes and whole pearl onions into broth. Add carrots, and stew for another 30 minutes-1hour.
  
• Finally, cube the zucchini and parsnip and add to broth, and stew for another 30 minutes.
• Add wine, canned oxtail soup, and cornstarch solution to thicken the stew.
  
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
  

The process Yx and I used was very much longer and complicated than this, but obviously for a stew the longer you let it stand, the better the flavours develop! Once again, beware of fathers who steal unfinished broths. =)

Posted by R. at 7:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

Background:

Had to cook dinner for myself this CNY, since everyone's off in Malaysia. Happened to have the terragon in preparation for a bouquet garni-based dish for tomorrow, and bought the salmon while shopping for chicken breasts for Brownie.

The materials:

Salmon fillet, at least 1" thick
Shallots, peeled and sliced thickly
Fresh terragon
Fresh parsley (optional - just a sprig of it will do)

For toppings:

Plain honey
Tabasco sauce
Fresh ground pepper
Cooking wine (Chinese cooking wine is fine)

The method:

1. Prepare the salmon by rubbing with salt, and washing the salt off.
   
2. Grease a shallow pan, and heat at high heat for a minute or so, then add the sprig of parsley.
   
3. Turn the heat to the LOWEST POSSIBLE. This is very important!!
4. Sauté the salmon fillet under low heat, until more than half the thickness turns the usual powdery pink colour.
   
5. Add sliced shallots and fresh terragon sprigs to the side of the pan, leave until shallots are soft.
   
6. To cook the side of the salmon that has skin on it without damaging the skin, remove the fillet temporarily from the pan. Spread the shallots out in a thin layer over the pan, then flip the fillet over and cook - still at low head - skin-down.
   
   
7. Test for doneness at the thickest portion of the fillet, place on dish with shallots scooped onto the top.
   
8. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of honey, 1/2 teaspoon of tabasco, 1/2 teaspoon of wine and a dash of freshly-ground pepper.
   
9. Serve warm with a sprig of terragon and side dish (I used fish fingers) for garnish*

*Note: If you intend to eat the fresh terragon later, make sure you strip the stem off and eat only the leaves - the stem's flavour can become overpowered easily.

Posted by R. at 7:09 AM | Permalink | Comments