Bouillabaisse for Your Soul

Wow, these past 30 days have flown by; I can't believe we have been in our new apartment now for one month.  Thankfully most of the boxes are done (only 3 meaningless ones left), the kitchen is in the order I like and all of our new living room pieces were finally delivered yesterday (thank God).  I will be on a mission to pay more loving attention to my blog, lol.

The past couple of days that Chris has been home from work, I made tacos and carne guisada so today I was in the mood for something along the line of a more lighter fare like seafood.  The weather today was cool and crisp which made it perfect soup weather so I decided I would make Bouillabaisse. 

You may be asking yourself, "What is this Bouillabaisse?" Bouillabaisse is really a fish chowder; whole small fish or large fish cut into serving pieces are boiled in a deliciously aromatic fish broth.  It is a traditional Provencal fish stew originating from the port city of Marseille.  

Ingredients:

Rouille (recipe below)
1/2 lb sea scallops
1 dz littleneck clams
1 dz mussels
1/2 lb shrimp, shelled, deveined & tails removed
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 lg leek, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp saffron threads
1 can (14 1/2 oz) San Marzano tomatoes
1 lb cod fillet, cut into chunks
1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

Let's talk about your leeks; make sure to submerge your sliced leeks in cold water to remove all the grit and sand.  Place leeks in a colander and submerge in a large bowl of cold water; let sit for about 5 min, swishing occasionally to help remove all the dirt.  Pull the colander out, give a few shakes and set aside.  You will notice your bowl has a lot of dirt.

If for some reason you are unable to find any cod in stock, ask for scrod or red fish which will work equally as well in this dish.

Rinse scallops under cold water to remove any sand.  Slice each scallop horizontally in half.  

Make sure to scrub your clams and mussels under cold running water to remove any sand; remove any beards from the mussels.

In a Dutch oven, heat 1 cup of water to boiling over high heat.  Add clams and mussels; heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook about 5 min, stirring occasionally until shells open.  Discard any clams or mussels that do not open.

With a slotted spoon, transfer cooked shellfish to a bowl.

Transfer broth to a measuring cup or small bowl and let stand until sand settles to the bottom.  Carefully pour through a sieve into another measuring cup or bowl making sure to leave behind any grit or sand that was settled in the cup; set broth aside.  

Dry your Dutch oven.  Heat oil over medium heat; add leeks and garlic and cook until tender.  

Add salt, thyme, saffron, tomatoes with their juice,  clam broth and 1 cup of water; heat to boiling over high heat, breaking up tomatoes with the back of your spoon.

Add cod, shrimp and scallops; heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, 8 minutes until seafood is opaque throughout.  

Add the clams and mussels, and heat through.  

So what is Rouille?  Rouille is a French word for rust!  It is a sauce made of  bread or breadcrumbs, olive oil, garlic, saffron and cayenne pepper and is served as a garnish.

To make the Rouille:

1 slice firm white bread, crusts trimmed

1 red pepper

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat your broiler; line a pan with foil.  Cut your pepper lengthwise in half; discard any stems and seeds.  Place peppers, skin-side up, on the pan.  

Broil at closest position to the heat source, about 10-12 min or until charred all over.  

Wrap in foil, and let stand 15 min.  

Remove foil, and peel off skin.

Soak bread (I use sourdough) in water to cover 5 min; squeeze out water.  

In a blender or food processor, puree bread, roasted and peeled red pepper, olive oil and cayenne pepper.  Create a paste with the salt and finely chopped or minced garlic; stir into the bread mixture.

Ladle into bowls, and sprinkle with parsley.  Top each serving with a dollop of Rouille.

Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

Well I'll be on a very long, well deserved and seriously overdue vacation really soon so hopefully I will have more tasty posts coming.

Until next time, Happy Eating!!

What the Phở?

So let's do it, let's talk Phở.  Dare I give a little history on this dish for those unfamiliar it? Phở is a Vietnamese dish made of broth, rice noodles, meats & herbs.  There are two main kinds: beef and chicken.  Ok, I think that about sums it up about what it is & where it is from.

Now, I did lots of research on this dish because it is a favorite in our household; both Christopher & I are fans of the dish and are always up for a good bowl of Phở.  After what I felt to be sufficient research, I came up with my take on the dish.

The first thing I did was go directly to Viet Hoa which I like to refer to as a city within a store.  If you have not been there, go because they have everything imaginable plus then some.

This is what I had after my first trip to Viet Hoa; notice I even bought the right bowls, tea cups, tea ball infuser & strainer.  (the small bags to the left are meatballs)

Here is a better view of all my main ingredients from the second time around. On the left back are beef bones, then oxtails, thinly sliced sirloin (that they kindly sliced paper thin for me), beef tendon & chuck.  In the middle the herbs are Thai basil, mint, cilantro and those little hot things in the front are Thai chilies.

These are the necessary spices and are best toasted first.  Starting clockwise from the top we have: star anise, cloves, cardamom pods, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, fennel seeds & cinnamon sticks in the middle.

So here go the actual ingredients:

5-6 lbs beef bones
4-6 lbs oxtails
1 lb chuck (or you can also opt for brisket)
2 lbs beef tendon
1/2 lb sirloin, sliced paper thin
3/4 - 1 cup fish sauce
1 pkg meatballs (these are in the frozen section)
1 rock Chinese yellow sugar
2 large yellow onions, unpeeled & cut in half
2 medium-sized ginger roots, split down the middle
Tea infuser ball -OR- mesh herb bag (I liked the bag better, size wise)
8 star anise
1/2 tsp cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
4 cardamom pods (smashed)
2 lbs rice noodles
2-4 sprigs green onions, chopped
1-3 limes cut into wedges
Thai Basil
Mint
Cilantro
Bean Sprouts
Thai chilies or jalapeños, sliced
1 onion, cut in half & sliced paper thin
Sriracha
Hoisin Sauce

Preparation:

Place your onions & ginger, cut side up, on a baking sheet and broil in your oven until nice and charred (black is good).  Prep your spices by toasting each individually in a pan until the start to smell nice; and crush slightly using a mortal & pestle (or as we latinos say, molcajete) & place in your bag or tea ball (except the cinnamon sticks).

You will need a very large stock pot to boil your bones & build your stock.  Rinse your beef bones add to the stock pot along with your oxtails and your chuck or brisket, and fill the entire pot with water; bring to a boil.  Don't get freaked out but a whole lot of nasty scum will accumulate at the top which you will need to skim.  After 15-20 min, drain your bones & meat, rinse very well and also wash your stock pot to clean all the mess out of it.  Return the bones & meat the pot, fill with water, add your onions, ginger, fish sauce, herb bag or tea ball, rock sugar and cinnamon sticks.  Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer; cover and simmer for 8-10 hours (yes, very long but so worth it).  Periodically skim off any scum and/or fat; make sure to keep at a simmer or you will lose a lot of broth.  ***Remove the chuck after 2 hrs, let cool down & refrigerate***

Here is a very important thing you need to know about beef tendon: it is hard and if not cooked properly will be hard and chewy.  My trick is to boil for 2 hours in my Dutch Oven with a piece of ginger & 1/2 onion.  After 2 hrs, turn off the heat and put the lid on and leave it alone for 3-4 hrs.  I then come back, rinse it very well and am now able to get my knife through it; I cut it to the size I want and return to the pot with water and boil, with the lid on, for another hour.  This makes for an incredibly buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture to the tendon!

Once your are done boiling, strain your broth into another pot; I use a cheese clothe in a strainer to make sure I have an extra clean broth.  Remove the meat from your oxtails and put aside.  (keep your broth on a very low simmer because it needs to be hot when you serve).  At this point, do a taste test: you made add a touch of salt but mostly we have found that a tad bit extra fish sauce may or may not be needed.

Prep your herbs:

For the onion here, slice paper thin and place in a bowl with water and ice for 30 min; this will ensure nice, crispy onions.  For the rice noodles, follow the directions on your package; for the meatballs, boil in the broth to heat through, remove & set aside.

What I do is set small bowls out with the tendon, cut chuck chunks, shredded oxtail meat, meatballs and the raw, paper thin sirloin (your broth must be super hot so that it will poach the meat cooked; trust me it will cook and be super tender)

To serve:  place about 1/2 cup noodles into a bowl, allow each person to add the meats they prefer, and ladle broth on top to cover the meats.  Top with your favorite toppings.  Oh yeah Sriracha is a must add!!

My babe is a super happy camper!

This is how I like my bowl!

Phở party with family and what a success it was!

I totally hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do; it was fun getting the ingredients down to exactly the flavor we liked.

If you're ever in Houston, you really must try out Phở Saigon in Midtown on Milam street; they have by far the best Phở we have found in Houston so far.

Phở Saigon

Les Givral's is pretty decent also, but they have super awesome Banh Mi!!

If you're in Pearland, you definitely need to head over to Pho Anh Asian Bistro on Broadway.  They have kick ass Phở, spring rolls and a wide variety of flavored teas.

                                          Enjoying the Phở at Pho Anh

                                                      I love their Phở Ga

Okay enough about Phở.  If you love it, try these places out and the recipe; if you've never had it, try it cuz you'll love it!

Until next time, Happy Eating!!!

Ok, so I think I will start off this by telling you all a bit about me:  I am 39 yrs old, live in Houston, work in the Medical Center, live with my sweetie, and albeit, love of my life, Christopher and have an absolute love of cooking.  How did it start?  I cannot really pinpoint the exact moment in my life that caused this spark: perhaps, it is the memories I have of my late father making his famous fish soup that only he & I loved or of his making BBQ almost every weekend or the occasional treat of his buñuelos, or the memory (very funny indeed) of his & my bro-in-law's attempt at making tamales (picture our kitchen covered from ceiling to floor in newspapers and completely covered in masa by the time they had finished! LOL).  Then again, perhaps it is the fact that my mom always cooked everything in LARD (omg, let's not go there).

My first memory is being around 8-9 & taking care of myself during the summer months, home alone, and making eggs and what not.  By the time I had reached the age of 16, I started experimenting and using oils because I had always seems to have some kind of stomach issues for as long as I can remember.  (Turns out I had been suffering with gallstones for years....even as a young child!)

Once I left home, at 25, I began to experiment more and more with food and cooking.  I do not have a fear of food so I will just about try anything which in turns sparks my curiosity and interest in cooking.  I have been told by many that I should open my own place, and perhaps one day I will, but for now I want to concentrate on my new family unit: my boyfriend & myself and of course my family.  I do not want to lose that love & passion I have for cooking and cooking for those I love.  Don't get me wrong, I would love to open my own place (I even have a concept that was extended through some suggestions by Chris) but maybe in like 10 yrs; but only time will tell.  

Plus I must brag that I met one of my idols:

TYLER FLORENCE

Yes, I nearly died and thankfully I follow him on Twitter or I would've never known he was going to be in Houston the next day!  Next goal is to meet my other idol Giada DeLaurentiis.  (I admire other chefs but that can wait for another day)

Today just may end up being a 2-part blog since it is Sunday, and I had great plans laid out for our meals today. 

This is Spicy Shrimp Noodle Soup

I found this recipe and decided, I would tweak it just a bit because we love our food with added flavor and punch so here it goes:

3 cups Beef Stock (I love Kitchen Basics)

1 cup water

1 Tbs Sambal Oelek (I found this in the international aisle at HEB next to the Sriracha)

2 Tbs minced garlic (approx 4 large garlic cloves)

2 tsp fish sauce

1-1/2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

2 cinnamon sticks

1-8 oz bottle of clam juice

1 oz dried shittake mushroom caps, chopped (I found them at Central Market in the
         pasta aisle on the very top shelf above the sauces.

1 thich 1-1/2 inch piece of peeled fresh ginger root; cut in half

2 star anise

1 lb large shrimp, peeled & deveined

4 oz uncooked flat rice noodles

Toppings:

1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts

1/2 cup green onions, cut on the diagonal

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

12 Thai Basil (you can use regular Basil as well)

Lime wedges

Preparation:

Combine the first 11 ingredients in a large pot or Dutch oven.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat & simmer until reduced to 3-1/2 cups (about 12 min).  Add shrimp & cook about 4 min or until done.  Remove cinnamon, anise & ginger; discard.  Cook the rice noodles according to the package direction and drain.  Place 1/2 cup noodles in each of the 4 bowls, and top each serving with 1 cup stock mixture and about 5 shrimp.  Sprinkle with desired toppings.  I think the lime elevates the flavor to a whole other level!  **If you like it spicier, you may add Sriracha or more Sambal.

The good thing about this recipe is that is is low-cal also:

Calories: 287
Fat: 2.1g
Protein: 26.7g
Fiber: 4g

I am planning on roasting an entire Red Snapper for dinner (hence the 2-part post) that I will post on here later tonight.  Until then, Happy Eating!!