This recipe is adapted from a description my father gave me of a dish he'd eaten at Outback Steakhouse. Apparently they do a salmon dish involving a honey-balsamic vinegar glaze, and he wondered if I could do something like that at home. This was a twist on what I imagined that recipe would have tasted like, though I used chicken since it was what I had in the freezer and added bacon because everything is better with bacon. Fast, simple to make, and really good flavors here.
Chicken With Bacon And Honey-Balsamic Vinegar Sauce
4 thin sliced chicken breasts (what I actually do here is take 2 whole chicken breasts and butterfly them)
4 slices of bacon
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, very finely minced
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, very finely diced
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
To make the sauce, measure out the balsamic vinegar then add the honey, ginger, rosemary, and 2-3 Tbsp water to the measuring cup. Whisk thoroughly to incorporate the honey, then set sauce aside for a moment.
Slice a shallow cut down the center of each chicken breast. Lay a slice of bacon on top of this little channel for each breast. Heat a non-stick pan with just a very small dash of olive oil -- you won't need a lot, since the bacon will contribute its own fat to the process. When the oil is hot, lay the chicken breasts in the pan bacon side down and turn the heat on the pan down to medium. Salt and pepper the exposed non-bacon sides of the chicken. Shake the pan occasionally to make sure that nothing sticks, and allow the chicken to cook until there's a nice sear on that side and the bacon has cooked through and started to crisp at the edges. Flip the chicken breasts, and give them another 3-4 minutes to cook through. Remove to a plate and pat with a paper towel to take off any excess fat or oil.
Drain the grease from the pan you cooked the chicken in, and set it back on medium-high heat. Whisk the sauce again to make sure that the honey hasn't settled to the bottom, then pour it into the pan. Reduce for 3-4 minutes or until sauce thickens somewhat, then pour sauce over the chicken. Serve immediately.
Serves: 4
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Blackened Tilapia and Creamy Grits
This is my take on a Southern staple concept: you mix spicy fish or seafood with creamy grits, and trust the grits to cut the spice on the meat and turn the whole thing into something flavorful and delightful. It's down-home cooking at its simplest and best.
The blackening mix is what I call my "teaspoon of everything" mix. You take one teaspoon, and then add about half your spice cabinet to the bowl. Amazingly enough, it's really tasty and doesn't overwhelm the fish. This is not a burn-your-mouth-out hot blackening mix, you're still going to get the fish flavor in here nicely with this recipe. I'm more about the flavors than I am about dead heat, so it's meant to be flavorful with a definite kick, but not kill-your-tastebuds hot. If you like things hotter, add a tsp or two of cayenne or even a tsp of dried ghost peppers to the mix to kick up the pepper-heat on it.
I served this with slow-cooked collard greens for an AMAZING meal. No really, this one will make your tastebuds stand up and shout. Just fantastic flavors. The only thing I'd caution is that if anyone among your diners doesn't like spicy or hot foods, then blackening is not for them. Just hold a piece of fish in reserve and simply salt and pepper it before pan frying, so that they can have the fish with none of the spices. I personally think they'd be missing out, but to each his own, and this is an easy compromise to make. Blackened fish and grits, though. Trust me, it's MM-mm good.
I should also note: this makes for really spectacular leftovers. So if you're the type with a family that can eat the same meal twice in one week, it's worth doubling this. The fish and grits get better with age, and if you serve them with collards, the collards will too.
Blackened Fish
Blackening Mix:
Fish Fillets:
4 tilapia fillets. completely thawed (Any white fish will do, here. Catfish is great, flounder would be fantastic, whiting would be fine, you could even use salmon or swordfish if you adjust the cooking times for a thicker fish. Tilapia, catfish, or flounder would be my go-to fish for this one, though.)
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Mix all the blackening mix spices together in a small bowl, stirring thoroughly. Yes, it looks like a lot for only 4 tilapia fillets. It's not. Trust me on this. In a wide but shallow dish, coat the tilapia fillets with at least 1 tbsp of the mixture per fillet. Rub it in on both sides. You want a generous coating here, the fish should look like it's turned dark red. Let the fillets sit for 15 minutes while coated as you do other things (like mix up the grits).
After 15 minutes is up, heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan until the oil is hot but not smoking. Drop in two or three fillets (depending on the size of your skillet, don't crowd them), and cook 2-3 minutes per side, or until the fish is white and flaky. The blackening seasonings should turn dark and look a little charred; it's okay, this is desirable. When the fish is finished, use a spatula to remove it from the skillet and sit it on paper towels to absorb any oil, then drop in the next batch of fillets to cook. Tip: if you have someone who doesn't want their fish spicy, cook the non-blackened fillets in the first batch so that the oil won't have seasonings mixed up in it.
When all fish is cooked, serve immediately with creamy grits.
Serves: 4
The creamy grits aren't just good for serving with fish. This is my personal favorite way of making grits, and it's really flexible. If you don't have heavy cream on hand, substitute milk. If you want a little more flavor, grate some cheddar cheese to melt in or add a teaspoon or so of dried basil. This is a really good staple grits recipe, thick and delicious and not-quite-sweet when you taste it. Plus, it goes with EVERYTHING. Collards, spicy stuff, black bean soup, cheese, omelettes, bacon, shrimp, hot hamburger steaks, grilled corn. You really can't go wrong here, it's the kind of 'momma cooked like this' recipe that makes everything good.
Creamy Grits
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup water
1 1/4 cups quick grits
2 tbsp unsalted sweet cream butter
Salt
Pepper
Mix the cream and the water, then bring the mixture to a slow boil. Add the grits slowly, stirring to avoid lumps. Add the butter. Turn the heat down to very low (below a simmer), and stir frequently for 10-15 minutes to allow the grits to thicken. Taste, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a little milk if the grits are too stiff when you go to serve them, you want these fairly creamy.
Serves: 4
The blackening mix is what I call my "teaspoon of everything" mix. You take one teaspoon, and then add about half your spice cabinet to the bowl. Amazingly enough, it's really tasty and doesn't overwhelm the fish. This is not a burn-your-mouth-out hot blackening mix, you're still going to get the fish flavor in here nicely with this recipe. I'm more about the flavors than I am about dead heat, so it's meant to be flavorful with a definite kick, but not kill-your-tastebuds hot. If you like things hotter, add a tsp or two of cayenne or even a tsp of dried ghost peppers to the mix to kick up the pepper-heat on it.
I served this with slow-cooked collard greens for an AMAZING meal. No really, this one will make your tastebuds stand up and shout. Just fantastic flavors. The only thing I'd caution is that if anyone among your diners doesn't like spicy or hot foods, then blackening is not for them. Just hold a piece of fish in reserve and simply salt and pepper it before pan frying, so that they can have the fish with none of the spices. I personally think they'd be missing out, but to each his own, and this is an easy compromise to make. Blackened fish and grits, though. Trust me, it's MM-mm good.
I should also note: this makes for really spectacular leftovers. So if you're the type with a family that can eat the same meal twice in one week, it's worth doubling this. The fish and grits get better with age, and if you serve them with collards, the collards will too.
Blackened Fish
Blackening Mix:
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
Fish Fillets:
4 tilapia fillets. completely thawed (Any white fish will do, here. Catfish is great, flounder would be fantastic, whiting would be fine, you could even use salmon or swordfish if you adjust the cooking times for a thicker fish. Tilapia, catfish, or flounder would be my go-to fish for this one, though.)
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Mix all the blackening mix spices together in a small bowl, stirring thoroughly. Yes, it looks like a lot for only 4 tilapia fillets. It's not. Trust me on this. In a wide but shallow dish, coat the tilapia fillets with at least 1 tbsp of the mixture per fillet. Rub it in on both sides. You want a generous coating here, the fish should look like it's turned dark red. Let the fillets sit for 15 minutes while coated as you do other things (like mix up the grits).
After 15 minutes is up, heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan until the oil is hot but not smoking. Drop in two or three fillets (depending on the size of your skillet, don't crowd them), and cook 2-3 minutes per side, or until the fish is white and flaky. The blackening seasonings should turn dark and look a little charred; it's okay, this is desirable. When the fish is finished, use a spatula to remove it from the skillet and sit it on paper towels to absorb any oil, then drop in the next batch of fillets to cook. Tip: if you have someone who doesn't want their fish spicy, cook the non-blackened fillets in the first batch so that the oil won't have seasonings mixed up in it.
When all fish is cooked, serve immediately with creamy grits.
Serves: 4
The creamy grits aren't just good for serving with fish. This is my personal favorite way of making grits, and it's really flexible. If you don't have heavy cream on hand, substitute milk. If you want a little more flavor, grate some cheddar cheese to melt in or add a teaspoon or so of dried basil. This is a really good staple grits recipe, thick and delicious and not-quite-sweet when you taste it. Plus, it goes with EVERYTHING. Collards, spicy stuff, black bean soup, cheese, omelettes, bacon, shrimp, hot hamburger steaks, grilled corn. You really can't go wrong here, it's the kind of 'momma cooked like this' recipe that makes everything good.
Creamy Grits
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup water
1 1/4 cups quick grits
2 tbsp unsalted sweet cream butter
Salt
Pepper
Mix the cream and the water, then bring the mixture to a slow boil. Add the grits slowly, stirring to avoid lumps. Add the butter. Turn the heat down to very low (below a simmer), and stir frequently for 10-15 minutes to allow the grits to thicken. Taste, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a little milk if the grits are too stiff when you go to serve them, you want these fairly creamy.
Serves: 4
Collard Greens
Collards are a staple of the South. Unlike kale or more delicate greens, these stand up well to the long-low-slow cooking mantra that permeates much of staple Southern cooking. Here's the recipe for collards that works for me. One thing to note: with collards, you want to go from field to pot as quickly as possible. If you're buying them out of somebody's truck because they picked them that day and you'll cook them that night, you're doing it right.
Collard Greens
1 medium videlia onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 smoked hamhock
1 qt. low-sodium chicken stock
3-4 lbs collards with stems included (after the stems are removed and the greens are chopped, these will reduce down to about 2 lbs of raw greens for the recipe)
1/4 -1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (Eyeball it.)
2 tbsp sugar
Pickled whole jalapeno (more peppers if you like more heat to your greens)
Salt
Pepper
Begin by heating the olive oil in a 4 qt or larger pot over medium-high heat (I use a 4 qt cast iron dutch oven, but a large stock pot will do just as well, you'll just have to stir more often to keep things from sticking). Slice the onion in half from root to tip, then into thin half-rounds. Add the onion to the warm oil. Smash the garlic, then add that too. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add the hamhock, the chicken stock, and 2 cups water. Stir, and leave over medium-high heat until the stock begins to simmer. Turn the heat down until the whole thing is just at the edge of a boil, then cover the pot and let simmer covered for 45 minutes. Stir it once or twice, but in general just leave it alone.
In the meantime, you can be prepping the collards. Collards often are quite dirty, which means you need to wash them. I like to rinse them under water, then cut the thick stems out of the large leafs. Slice the leafs into 1 1/2 inch ribbons, and then further into fork-manageable pieces. After slicing, run a decent quantity of water into a large bowl or a sink and dunk your collard pieces. The collards will float, the dirt will sink. Leave them to sit for a few minutes, stirring very gently. This will get the rest of the dirt possibly left over from the fields off your collard leaves, and keep your dish from feeling gritty. After a few minutes, skim the collard leaves off the top of the water, leaving the dirt and grit on the bottom of your sink/bowl. Place your clean leaves in a colander to drain while they wait for the hamhock to simmer.
After 45 minutes, add the collard greens to the hamhock and stock mixture. Pour in the sugar, the vinegar, and a little salt (I usually go for about a generous teaspoon here. Don't oversalt it, you can correct the seasonings later). Add a pickled whole jalapeno or two depending on how much bite you like with your greens. DO NOT COVER THE POT. You want some of that liquid to evaporate, to concentrate the pot liquor. Wait until the mixture resumes a low boil, and leave it at that temperature for at least an hour. The timing here is not precise, you can go for up to two or even more hours depending on how large/old your greens were, how much greens you're cooking, how tender you like your collards, etc. Cook them for at the very least an hour, though, until the stems are tender and melting and there's no trace of bitterness in the greens. Taste, and adjust for salt and pepper about ten minutes before you intend to serve. You can add more vinegar or sugar here too, if the tang of the greens needs adjusting.
To serve, fish the hamhock out of the pot and pull the meat off it with a fork, throwing the ham in small chunks back into the greens. Discard the rest of the hamhock. Stir to mix the ham bits evenly with the greens, then use a slotted spoon to fish the ham-and-greens out of the pot liquor and into a serving dish. Serve with a bottle of pepper vinegar and hot sauce on the table, so that diners can adjust their collards to their preferred tang and heat.
Serves: 4-5
Collard Greens
1 medium videlia onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 smoked hamhock
1 qt. low-sodium chicken stock
3-4 lbs collards with stems included (after the stems are removed and the greens are chopped, these will reduce down to about 2 lbs of raw greens for the recipe)
1/4 -1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (Eyeball it.)
2 tbsp sugar
Pickled whole jalapeno (more peppers if you like more heat to your greens)
Salt
Pepper
Begin by heating the olive oil in a 4 qt or larger pot over medium-high heat (I use a 4 qt cast iron dutch oven, but a large stock pot will do just as well, you'll just have to stir more often to keep things from sticking). Slice the onion in half from root to tip, then into thin half-rounds. Add the onion to the warm oil. Smash the garlic, then add that too. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add the hamhock, the chicken stock, and 2 cups water. Stir, and leave over medium-high heat until the stock begins to simmer. Turn the heat down until the whole thing is just at the edge of a boil, then cover the pot and let simmer covered for 45 minutes. Stir it once or twice, but in general just leave it alone.
In the meantime, you can be prepping the collards. Collards often are quite dirty, which means you need to wash them. I like to rinse them under water, then cut the thick stems out of the large leafs. Slice the leafs into 1 1/2 inch ribbons, and then further into fork-manageable pieces. After slicing, run a decent quantity of water into a large bowl or a sink and dunk your collard pieces. The collards will float, the dirt will sink. Leave them to sit for a few minutes, stirring very gently. This will get the rest of the dirt possibly left over from the fields off your collard leaves, and keep your dish from feeling gritty. After a few minutes, skim the collard leaves off the top of the water, leaving the dirt and grit on the bottom of your sink/bowl. Place your clean leaves in a colander to drain while they wait for the hamhock to simmer.
After 45 minutes, add the collard greens to the hamhock and stock mixture. Pour in the sugar, the vinegar, and a little salt (I usually go for about a generous teaspoon here. Don't oversalt it, you can correct the seasonings later). Add a pickled whole jalapeno or two depending on how much bite you like with your greens. DO NOT COVER THE POT. You want some of that liquid to evaporate, to concentrate the pot liquor. Wait until the mixture resumes a low boil, and leave it at that temperature for at least an hour. The timing here is not precise, you can go for up to two or even more hours depending on how large/old your greens were, how much greens you're cooking, how tender you like your collards, etc. Cook them for at the very least an hour, though, until the stems are tender and melting and there's no trace of bitterness in the greens. Taste, and adjust for salt and pepper about ten minutes before you intend to serve. You can add more vinegar or sugar here too, if the tang of the greens needs adjusting.
To serve, fish the hamhock out of the pot and pull the meat off it with a fork, throwing the ham in small chunks back into the greens. Discard the rest of the hamhock. Stir to mix the ham bits evenly with the greens, then use a slotted spoon to fish the ham-and-greens out of the pot liquor and into a serving dish. Serve with a bottle of pepper vinegar and hot sauce on the table, so that diners can adjust their collards to their preferred tang and heat.
Serves: 4-5
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