Starting Early, and Working in Batches

The heatwave that passed through the Southland has mostly broken, but I've been keen to find ways to do nice cooking without using the oven. This may seem like an obvious thing to do, but one our main methods of roasting meat and vegetables is by starting them in hot oil over the range-top and then sliding them into a super hot oven. That's how you get sexy grub.

But recently this has been hard, so I started early, and resigned us to eat some of the food chilled.

I started some beats in the oven, roasting them for later use (like the next day). That took nearly an hour in the oven. I used my four quart sauce-pan, put he trimmed beats inside, tossed them with olive oil, salted and peppered them, and put a half-inch of water in the bottom. I put the whole thing, covered, into the oven, and checked it later. You can smell when they're mostly done. I took them out, set them on the counter to cool, and put a that night's starch into the exact same sauce-pan, added some salt and pepper, and returned it to the oven.

They were cute little sweet potatoes. Both the sweet potatoes and beets, and the following zucchini and carrot are all from our organic CSA, so we knew we were getting good, healthy food.

Once the beets were cool enough to handle (see: still pretty hot) I peeled them with a towel, as is the best way dealing with beets. They're beautiful beets: a pink one, a pink and white one, and a large white one.

Once the sweet potatoes finished, I did the same thing: setting them to cool, now I turned off the oven, waiting a few minutes, then peeling them. Starch was done. I put them into the fridge to chill.

Next I worked on the vegetables. I waited until I knew the missus was heading home, then got a frying pan nice and hot with some olive oil. In a mixing bowl I had my zucchini and carrot and some roughly chopped garlic. I tossed this to evenly mix the vegetables. Once the oil was very hot, I put in the first batch of vegetables. What you're looking for is for the vegetables to be in a a single layer, and not too crowded.

Why? If it's too crowded or densely loaded, you'll end up steaming the vegetables instead of getting some nice color and flavor on them. You're trying to keep the mush-level as low as possible.

With the burner on high, the first batch will will get color before they're done. That's what you want. They should still be kinda hard. Remove them and put them on a plate to rest. They'll continue cooking for a time as you do the next batch. Just add a touch more oil and some more vegetables. Keep this up until you have no vegetables left.

On the last batch, as it's getting color, return the rest of the resting vegetables and toss the set vigorously. After a minute or two, return them to the resting plate, and reserve to serve. They're done and not mushy.

Here's a picture of the batching. Notice the vegetable resting on the counter in the background.

For the protein, I had, after buying whole chickens and carving them appropriately, a bunch of chicken wings left over. I had them marinating overnight, and then roasted them in the oven, the second time I had it turned on during the day, but since they were so far apart, it didn't turn the apartment into a sauna.

Here's a picture of the plate, with the vegetables, the wings, and the coolly smashed and seasoned sweet potatoes:

Breakfast of Champions

I don't mean a shot of whiskey, a cup of coffee, and a cigarette, I stopped those breakfasts some years ago.

Since I've been laid up with the broken leg, the missus and I go back and forth making breakfasts. Actually, she makes it most of the time, and we're talking about the weekends only. It's always something fresh and quick and easy. Take a look:

So good, so quick. Set the water on the stove in a small pot with about a quarter cup vinegar to keep the white attached. That's how long this breakfast to take to prepare: time it takes to bring water to a simmer + two-and-a-half minutes.

Our nonstick pan died some time ago, and busting out the wok every time you want to fry and egg is a pain in the ass, so we just started poaching the eggs. You can keep the yolks nice and runny while the white stays solid and isn't snotty, and eliminate the grease from the dish.

After you put on the water, slice and dress some lettuce, add cherry tomatoes if you have them---these are our organic babies from our CS--- and one half of the plate is ready for the egg. On the other side add some fresh fruit; here we had strawberries and blueberries. And the water wasn't even boiling yet.

Once the egg goes in, you want to make sure the water isn't a rolling boil, and check it often using your finger. When you decide it's at an acceptable level of soft-/hard-ness for you, take it out, set it on the lettuce bed, and season.

When poaching an egg, a few notes will help out: unlike blanching water, do not salt the poaching water. This is mostly for eggs, and not for fish or chicken. The salt will pock the eggs and take their smooth edge away. You want to put salt and pepper on them after they come out. Also, you'll want to put some vinegar into the water. I've tried all kinds, and regular distilled white vinegar seems to work best. This will keep the white intact, for the most part.

Also: strawberries and blueberries as a combo is awesome.

Cooking on Crutches

I couldn't stay away from the kitchen. Missus Chef Gonzo has been doing an awesome job with the cooking since I've been jacked up, but lately I've been wanting, nay, needing, to get back in there and do something. I've been cooking little things, here and there, but the other night I made something a little bit more involved, and even had the camera with me.

I'd have to say that dishes are probably my least favorite thing to do while on one leg. Prep work keeps me focused, as does the actual cooking part, but dishes are just a sweaty, purple-footed shenanigan.

So...I used our spiffy La Creuset pot and made some of the dish I called Bronx Sofrito. The first time I made it I used our oval La Creuset baking dish, but that dish, as nice as it is, can't be put on the heat. The new round one we have can, as it's one of the cast-iron covered in porcelain editions.

I also had very limited supplies, and had to forego the olives and tomatoes that give it the Spanish-feeling.

This first picture is the first half of my work station. The bowl in the back has the diced onions and carrots (my mirepoix), the cutting board has finely diced garlic and some butter (the butter will be tossed in to add flavor to the rice when it's browning), and the plate where I seasoned the chicken thighs. Also, the ever present salt and pepper.

Here's the rice, a mixture of wild long grain and regular white, the oil and behind the towel, the hard to see chicken stock. I eventually filled that stock container up with water just to have enough liquid for the rice.

Here are the thighs working. You have to brown them so when they cook for the time in the oven they'll retain the flavor. Also, as they brown they shrink, and here you can see that in action. I started with two thighs, t5hen they shrank enough for me to add the third, and eventually I added that fourth. Always start skin-side down.

After you remove the chicken, you add the mirepoix and let it go for a minute or two. Then add the garlic and red chili flakes, and let it get aromatic. Then add the rice. As this toasts, add the butter, and smell the goodness. Here's the rice toasting with the butter, oil, and rendered chicken fat 9it may sound like a lot of grease, but surprisingly is not):

After about thirty to forty minutes in your oven, this is what it will look like:

The chicken falls off the bone, and the rice is rich and delicious. Even without the tomatoes and olives, this meal turned out great, and it was truly Gonzo.

It felt good to be doing something productive again.