Photo from geekstinkbreath
Listen to Chef John Ash as he explains the difference between real wasabi, and the not-s0-real green mound we often get with sushi.
To learn more about American grown wasabi, visit Pacific Farms in Florence, Oregon.
Enjoy!
January 4, 2010
Notable Trends in Food in 2009
I’m sure everybody has an opinion and here are my observations:
- The rise nationally of street food in every form and via every kind of conveyance: trucks, carts, bicycles. Examples include a Soup Cycle in Portland, Waffle Truck in San Francisco, Kogi Korean BBQ truck in Los Angeles, etc.
- DIY (do it yourself) urban farming including bee keeping, chicken raising, and more.
Photo from Darrin Barry
- Wood-fired everything (followed by coal-fired) including pizzas, fish, desserts, breads, etc.
- Belgian Beers often referred to as sour beers made with wild indigenous yeasts, funky infections like brett, aged for years. Flavors that you’ve never experienced.
- Underground Restaurants done in private spaces below the radar of health departments, tax and license agencies, etc.
- Everything Old is New Again like canning, urban hunting clubs, butchering, eating offal.
Photo from Rick
- Bacon flavoring everything from chocolates to salt to ice cream.
- Food Magazines in a state of flux: venerable Gourmet ends publication while Sandra Lee’s semi homemade is birthed. What can this mean to the future of civilization? One bright note: Saveur one of the few success stories.
- Social Networking with Twitter and Face Book has gone amok: @ ruthreichl, @ bittman, @ marthastewart
- Coffee goes to new heights with micro roasters of organic coffee like Blue Bottle in Oakland. Also stores with high-tech machines that resemble Jules Verne space ships.
- Going Green: Organic,Local, Sustainable definitely becomes main stream driven by the success (among others) of Michael Pollan’s books. Organic now available at Wal Mart for goodness sake! Locally grown meats an example of consumer desire to know where their food comes from, how it’s grown and harvested.
- Formal, white tablecloth restaurants in decline in favor of informal, communal, family style spots at more affordable prices.
- Death of newspaper food critics with the rise of Yelp and Chow. Real concerns about the slippery ethics of the former.
- Food TV explodes with Top Chef, Chopped, Next Iron Chef, Cake Boss, Gordon Ramsey Cook Along Live, even Top Chef Junior which is rumored to be offered next.
- Food Movies: Julie and Julia, The Ramen Girl, Cloudy with Chance of Meatballs. Even the Fantastic Mr. Fox turned out to be a food movie.
- Terrior (the place where it’s grown) foods will continue to proliferate. We’ve seen it w
ith coffee, now chocolate, next produce and meats grown by celebrity farmers in special places around the world. - Enough of already: Bacon in everything, recipes from on-line sources that aren’t tested/don’t work, flavored salts, Sandra Lee!
John Ash
December 19, 2009
Holiday Kitchen Help
Happy Holidays!
This time of year we’re often spending more time in the kitchen and as a result more questions come up. Here is a couple I’ve received recently that I thought I’d share with you.
What to Do If You’ve Added Too Much Salt to the Soup or Stew
OK . . . here’s the scenario: The recipe called for a teaspoon of salt but you misread it and added a whole
Photo from Nate Steiner
tablespoon. What do you do?? Don’t despair – - you don’t have to throw the whole thing out. To rescue an over-salted soup or stew here’s what I do: I take a raw potato, wash it then quarter it and drop it into the soup or stew. I don’t know exactly what goes on – - ya’ know the chemistry of it? But somehow the potato actually
tempers the salt and makes it much less apparent. It seems to actually absorb some of the brininess. Be sure then to discard the potato before serving.
A couple of other things that seems to help when you’ve added too much salt are adding a bit of sugar, also adding a bit of tomato paste and finally adding a bit of fresh citrus juice like orange or lemon can all help gently reduce the salt in an overly salted soup or stew. The first choice for me however is to grab a potato!
Buying and Storing Cheese
Photo from cwbuecheler
Storing cheese seems to be a universal problem for all of us. Here are a few pointers:
Store cheese away from the fan. The vegetable drawer is ideal. Don’t use the “cheese compartment” that is built into the door of many refrigerators. The constant temperature change that comes from opening and closing the door isn’t good for cheese.
Don’t wrap young, soft cheeses like Jack or soft ripening (bloomy rind) cheeses like Brie in plastic. Plastic literally suffocates them. Instead use parchment, waxed or butcher paper.
Hard cheeses like Parmesan, Cheddar, Swiss, which got that way because they have less moisture, should also be wrapped in breathable materials. If however they are as dry as you like them then plastic wrap is recommended to prevent further drying. However, remember that plastic can change flavor, so re-wrap in fresh plastic every couple of days if you have it around that long.
Fresh cheeses like Ricotta, Crème Fraiche, fresh goat cheeses and those packed in water like Mozzarella or Feta should be packed in a sealed plastic or glass containers.
Finally, don’t freeze cheese. The results are almost always disappointing.
November 25, 2009
Bean Appetit!
Photo from The Ewan
On my weekly radio show, The Good Food Hour on KSRO in Sonoma County, we recently hosted a recipe contest featuring beans. I am amazed and thrilled about the creative entries we recieved!
I have to admit, I’m a bit of a “bean head” and find this nutritionally perfect ingredient a true joy to work with in cooking. People have been eating beans for thousands of years, and in that time thousands of varieties have been created in every color, shape and size imaginable.
I love to use them to make a flavorful hummus, which is much healthier than mayonnaise as a spread on sandwiches or used in dips. I also love to puree them and add them to soups for a creamy texture without all of the fat. Of course, one of the traditional standards and a big favorite of mine is a warm pot of baked beans. My new way to create this is in the slow cooker which is easy and gives the beans great texture.
Bean Crepes with Chorizo Sausage & Potato Filling
Below is the winning recipe for the KSRO recipe contest, created by Bill Ardizoia. His Pinto Bean Cakes with Meyer Lemon Mayonnaise were really flavorful and shows you how a humble can of pinto beans can be transformed into a great dish. I was also a fan of our 2nd place winner’s recipe, Bean Crepes with Chorizo Sausage and Potato Filling from Kimberley Fetzer. Her recipe as well as all of the top picks are posted on KSRO’s website if you’d like to try them for yourself. And take a look at some of the fun we had during the contest judging.
What are your favorite ways to enjoy beans?
Pinto Bean Cakes with Meyer Lemon Mayonnaise
Pinto Bean Cakes with Meyer Lemon Mayonnaise
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Recipe by Bill Ardizoia
1/2 cup chopped onion, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil plus additional for brushing
1/2 cup bulgur
1 cup water
1 cup canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted, or hazelnuts, toasted and skins removed
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup packed cilantro sprigs
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper
Bread crumbs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon grated Meyer lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh Meyer lemon juice
4 slices multi-grain bread, toasted
PREPARATION: Cook half of onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt in oil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add bulgur and water and cook, covered, over low heat until water is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and stir in beans and soy sauce.
Pulse bulgur and bean mixture, walnuts, garlic, cilantro, cumin, cayenne, a rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and remaining onion in a food processor until finely chopped.
Form rounded 1/2 cups of mixture into four (3-1/2-inch-diameter) patties.
Chill at least 10 minutes. While patties chill, stir together mayonnaise, zest, and juice.
Cakes can be cooked on the stove. Dredge the bean cakes in bread crumbs to form a nice crust when frying. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook cakes, carefully turning once, until golden brown, about 8 minutes total.
Serve bean cakes open-faced on toast with Meyer lemon mayonnaise and some baby greens or lettuce.
Uncooked cakes can be chilled, covered, up to 4 hours.
November 22, 2009
An Alternative Thanksgiving Menu- My Grandmother’s Pumpkin Pie
Over the last few days, I’ve given you some alternative recipes to make for Thanksgiving if you’re looking for a break
Photo from Aric Riley
from the traditional dishes. I will end this series, however, with a traditional, tried and true favorite. My Grandmother was an amazing intuitive cook, always experimenting and trying new twists on recipes. What makes this recipe interesting to me is the lightening of the typical pumpkin pie by folding in beaten egg whites. Sort of like a souffle and even when it cools it has a lovely, light texture that reminds me of her. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
MY GRANDMOTHER’S PUMPKIN PIE
Makes one 9 inch pie serving 6 – 8
My Grandmother always roasted fresh pumpkin for her pies which is better (in my opinion) than canned. You could also substitute freshly roasted butternut squash for the pumpkin.
For the Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ground pecans
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) sweet butter, chilled
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
Drops of ice water as needed
Mix flour, pecans, sugar and salt together. Cut butter into 1/4 inch bits and with a mixer quickly mix into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Mix in egg yolk and enough water so that dough just begins to come together.
Form into a smooth cake, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Roll out dough on lightly floured surface and fit into a 9 inch pie pan. Pinch and flute the edges decoratively. Chill while preparing the filling.
For the Filling:
2-1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger (1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dark rum
2 tablespoons melted sweet butter
3 large eggs, separated
Garnish: Lightly sweetened whipped cream
Mix the pumpkin, sugar, spices, cream, rum and butter together in a bowl. Beat in egg yolks.
Separately beat egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Carefully fold into pumpkin mixture and pour into prepared shell.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 – 45 minutes or until center is set and puffed. As pie cools it will deflate somewhat. Serve at room temperature garnished with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 15, 2009
An Alternative Thanksgiving Menu- New Twists on Old Favorites
We continue with some recipes you may want to try for Thanksgiving and other upcoming holiday meals. It’s always fun to shake things up a bit, so here are a couple of new twists on some traditional favorites. Let me know if they work for you!
FRESH CRANBERRY RELISH WITH TANGERINE AND MINT
Photo from vieux bandit
This fresh, uncooked relish is excellent with roast turkey and also ham, pork, and game. Try it with smoked meats and sausages too!
12 ounces (3 heaping cups) fresh or frozen cranberries
2 unpeeled mandarins or tangerines, scrubbed
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
1-1/4 cups sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 – 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
1/2 cup chopped, lightly toasted walnuts (optional)
Wash and pick over the cranberries. Cut the tangerines into eighths, peel and all, and remove and discard any seeds. Place all of the ingredients (except walnuts) in a food processor and chop relatively finely in short bursts. Be careful not to over process, you still want some texture. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar if desired. Stir in walnuts just before serving, if using. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Can also be frozen.
PERFECT MASHED POTATOES
It would seem that nothing could be simpler than mashed potatoes. They are simple, but here are a few basics that will help make sure yours are the best:
Photo from Vic Lic
1. Pick the right potato! Russets from Idaho and Washington are the standard. My favorite are Yukon Golds which have a thin skin but starchy meat which is what you need for good mashed potatoes. Don’t use new potatoes (red or white) or fingerlings. Because of their texture and water content these are great for steaming, boiling and frying but not for mashing.
2. I like to cook potatoes whole with the skin on so they don’t absorb so much water. As soon as they are tender, immediately drain and then peel as soon after as you can handle without burning yourself.
3. My favorite tool for mashing is the food mill, which yields a nice texture. Second choice would be a potato ricer that looks like a giant garlic press and after that the good old hand masher. If using a mill or ricer, press the potatoes right back into the pan over low heat and stir to evaporate any excess moisture. If using a hand masher then drain potatoes well and mash them in the pan over low heat. Never, never use a food processor! It’s too powerful and will quickly turn the potatoes to glue.
4. Stir in seasonings and serve mashed potatoes as soon as possible. If you’re adding milk or cream, heat it in order to keep the potatoes warm. Some great restaurants actually make mashed potatoes to order because they feel they lose subtle flavors even sitting just a short time.
5. If you need to hold mashers for a while, do it via the double boiler method, that is with a stainless or glass bowl over barely simmering water. Don’t cover with plastic or foil. This creates condensation that drips back into the potatoes making them soggy and creating off flavors.
STORING POTATOES
How potatoes are stored also makes a big difference in the final product. Make sure you store potatoes in a dark, well-ventilated space. Stored in the light they will sprout and turn green which for some can cause a toxic reaction. You can cut out and discard the green but the flavor will still be affected. Cool room temperature (around 60 degrees) is best. Don’t refrigerate mashing potatoes, especially russets. Refrigeration causes the potatoes to convert their starch to sugar, softens them and they lose their potato flavor. Finally potatoes are sensitive to ethylene gas. Many fruits (like apples, melons and tomatoes) naturally give off ethylene, which is an odorless, colorless gas that promotes ripening resulting in sprouting and deterioration of the potato. Keep them separate!
Here’s a mashed potato recipe my Grandmother used to make for special occasions.
MASHED POTATOES AND PARSNIPS WITH CRISP BACON AND ONIONS
Serves 4 – 6
1 pound peeled Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, cut into 2 inch cubes
1 pound peeled parsnips, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons or more crème fraiche or sour cream
Cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 pound bacon, crisply fried, drained and chopped
1 medium onion, thinly sliced and floured and then deep-fried till crisp and golden
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Add potatoes and parsnips to a saucepan with lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and return to pan over low heat to dry them out. Mash adding butter, crème fraiche, drops of vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately topped with bacon, onions and chopped chives.
November 6, 2009
An Alternative Thanksgiving Menu
A quick note to let you know tomorrow (Saturday) I’ll be at J Winery in Healdsburg at 2 p.m. for a book signing. Feel free to stop by and say hello. They’ll also be serving tastes of the Crab Gratin from my cookbook, “From the Earth to the Table”. Hope to see you there.
This week I am in Medford, Oregon at The Willows Cooking School in the beautiful Rogue Valley. I am teaching students to create an alternative Thanksgiving Menu with recipes that offer some new twists from the usual fare but still deliver on the traditional indulgence of flavors and seasonal ingredients.
Over the next few days I’ll include recipes from the entire menu. For now, I thought I’d start with the main event:
CIDER BRINED AND SMOKED GAME HENS
Serves 6
This brine works well with chicken or turkey. Brining is a magical process that adds both flavor and moistness to the meat. In this recipe I’m using a covered barbecue to both cook and smoke the birds. You want to make sure to use the indirect heat method (described below) in the barbecue and monitor both temperature of the barbecue and the birds with a thermometer. The objective is to cook the birds slowly enough so that they can pick up a rich smoky flavor and to be sure they are cooked through before removing them.
For the Brine:
1 quart apple cider
1/2 cup sodium reduced soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup kosher salt
6 cups water
2 medium oranges, sliced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped ginger
3 whole star anise
2tablespoons chopped garlic
3 whole bay leaves
6 whole game hens, split with backbones removed
Olive oil
Woods chips for smoking
Add the apple juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt and water to a saucepan and bring to a simmer stirring all the time to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add the oranges, ginger, star anise, garlic and bay leaves and simmer for a minute or two then remove from heat and cool.
Add the game hens to the cooled brine making sure they are completely covered. Refrigerate for at least 4 – 6 hours, turning occasionally.
Prepare the grill using the indirect heat method (see below) and also the smoking wood of choice according to the grill manufacturer’s instructions. Remove the hens from the brine and pat dry. Brush hens liberally with the olive oil, place on grill and cook/smoke until done. Birds should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees in the thickest part of the meat. Depending on heat of barbecue it should take approximately 40 minutes. Let birds rest loosely covered in foil for at least 5 minutes before carving.
The Indirect heat method
With this method you want to cook the food with the heat source off to the side. It’s essential that you have a grill with a good tight fitting lid so that so that the heat, as it rises, can bounce off the lid and the inside surfaces of the grill to slowly cook the food evenly on all sides. It’s the preferred method for cooking large cuts of meat and whole birds. The method is simple. You first put a drip pan in the center of the charcoal bed and then arrange hot coals on either side. The cooking grate goes over and then you arrange the food (in this case the hens) over the drip pan. This method prevents flare-ups and the drip pan allows you to capture the juices to make a sauce or gravy.
October 23, 2009
The Low Carbon Diet
One of the food service companies that I greatly admire is Bon Appétit Management Company. They provide café and catering services to corporations, colleges and universities, and specialty venues such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which I’ve been involved with for a number of years in their Seafood Watch program. They provide food service to over 400 locations in the U.S.
One of their initiatives is called the Low Carbon Diet: Food choices to Reduce Climate Change. They’ve created an on-line calculator http://www.eatlowcarbon.org that allows you to drop menu items into a virtual pan and see how food choices contribute to climate change. It’s very ingenious and enlightening. If this is something you care about definitely check it out.
Their top five low carbon diet tips:
1. You bought it, you eat it – - don’t waste food.
When you waste food, you waste the energy used to grow, transport and cook it. In landfill food waste releases methane gas, a highly potent greenhouse gas. Buy and prepare only the food you expect to eat. If you don’t finish it all in one sitting, save the leftovers (your Mom would be proud!).
2. Make “seasonal and regional” your food mantra.
Foods that are in season in your region are generally lower carbon choices. Those should be your first choice. Be careful not to buy produce grown in green or hot houses heated with non-renewable energy even if they are close to you. Ask!
3. Mooove away from Beef and Cheese
Livestock creates 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. If you eat meat and cheese, consider reducing portion sizes, selecting these items less frequently and only eating those products you really LOVE.
4. Stop flying fish and fruit – - don’t buy air-freighted food
For seafood and out of season produce, “fresh” often means “air-flown” which is 10 times more emission-intensive than transporting products by ship. The best quality seafood is usually ‘processed and frozen at sea’ and produce in season tastes better.
5. If it’s processed and packaged, skip it
Snack Foods, most juices, even veggie burgers (prepared, boxed, frozen and transported) consume a lot of energy. We eat this stuff mindlessly. When you need a treat or an “easy grab”, choose fresh local fruit, small quantities of nuts and delicious home made alternatives.
Not bad advice!
John Ash © 2009
October 18, 2009
A Fraiche Look at an Old World Favorite
I’ve recently been working with Sadie Kendall and her wonderful Kendall Farms Crème Fraiche. Her farm is 
in Atascadero, CA south of Paso Robles. If you aren’t familiar with crème fraiche, it’s a very old product whose roots go back to the Normandy region of France which is famous for all things milk. It is sometimes confused with sour cream which is similar, but not nearly as rich and complex in flavor. The big advantage in using crème fraiche is that, unlike sour cream, it can be heated and will not “break” or separate. If you’ve ever tried to make a stroganoff with sour cream and heated it too much, you know what I’m talking about.
Sadie says most commercial sour cream is made by direct acidification rather than the slow, old-fashioned fermentation process. Direct acidification is fast and cheap. It results in a product that has one-dimensional flavor and breaks when heated. The butterfat content of commercial sour cream is just under 20% whereas Kendall Farms Crème Fraîche has a minimum butterfat content of 40%.
Besides being ideal for quick warm sauces, it can be whipped and sweetened and used as whipped cream. In fact, crème fraiche can be used in many places where heavy cream is called for. Here are a few of my recipes using Sadie’s crème fraiche. Let me know what you think, and let me know YOUR favorite uses for this delicious decadence.
PAN SEARED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH WHITE WINE, MUSTARD AND CRÈME FRAICHE SAUCE
Serves 4 as a main course
This is a simple recipe based on the classic French pan sauce technique. You could substitute some crushed green peppercorns for the mustard and any fresh herb of your choice for the tarragon.
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Kendall Farms Crème Fraiche
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
Heat the oil in a sauté pan over moderately high heat. Add the chicken breasts in a single layer, season with salt and pepper and cook on both sides until chicken is golden and just cooked through about 4 minutes depending on thickness. Set aside and keep warm tented with foil.
Add the shallots to the pan and cook over moderate heat until softened but not brown. Add the wine, stock and mustard and cook for 2 – 3 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half. Whisk in the crème fraiche and tarragon along with any juices from the chicken. Serve the chicken on warm plates topped with the sauce.
CURRIED SHRIMP WITH CRÈME FRAICHE
Serves 4 as a main course
Thai curry pastes are available in Asian markets. Mae Ploy is a favorite brand. Basmati or Jasmine rice is a nice addition to this dish.
1 pound large (21 – 25) size shrimp, peeled, deveined and shells reserved
1 cup fruity white wine such as Riesling, Gewürztraminer or Muscat
2 cups low or no salt chicken stock
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt plus more if desired
1 large onion cut in large dice, about 2 cups
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
1 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into large dice
1 tablespoon Thai green or yellow curry paste, or to taste
8 ounces Kendall Farms crème fraiche
1-1/2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup each sliced scallions and lightly packed cilantro sprigs
Combine the shrimp shells, wine and stock and bring to a simmer in a deep saucepan for five minutes. Strain into a large glass measuring cup and discard shells. Rinse out saucepan.
Meanwhile, combine shrimp, lime juice and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Over moderate heat add oil to the saucepan and add the onions, garlic, ginger and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook for a minute more. Add 2 cups of your shrimp stock and crème fraiche and bring to a simmer. Add shrimp and simmer until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Thin if desired with a bit more stock or water. Stir in tomatoes and season with salt to your taste. Serve in warm bowls and sprinkle scallions and cilantro over and serve immediately.
October 2, 2009
BRINING AHEAD: THE SECRET TO MOIST GRILLED FISH AND MEATS
Living in California gives me lots of opportunities to use my charcoal grill. I love the smoky, caramelized flavors that grilling contributes. There is one drawback however: you must be constantly vigilant to not overcook and dry out whatever is on the grill. Shrimp, in my experience, are perhaps one of the most difficult to get right. Even in restaurants they tend to be over cooked, tough and dried out. I’ve given up ordering them in most places. Even if they are cooked properly, a couple of minutes under the heat lamp can ruin them.
My secret for flavorful, moist and juicy shrimp is to brine them ahead. This is a technique that works equally well for other fishes and poultry. Basically a brine is a salt-water solution. Other things can be added for more flavor, but salt water is the starting point. You’d think that adding salt in any form would dry things out, but here’s what happens, (you may remember this from your high school science class!). The action of osmosis comes into play. Things like salts will, over time, equalize on both sides of a semi-permeable membrane. In this case, the membrane is the cell walls of the fish or poultry. The salt on the outside migrates into the cell bringing along with it the water from the brine and so when you cook them, there is actually more moisture in the meat than if it had not been brined at all. The end result is meat that is a lot more moist, juicy and succulent!
The only caution with brining is that leaving it in too long will give you too much salt flavor. You CAN rectify this by soaking in changes of unsalted water to reduce the salt content. An important caveat here: Use either sea salt or kosher salt. Ordinary table salt is just too sharp and “chemical” tasting to make a good brine. Here is one of my favorite grilled shrimp recipes that starts with a brine.
GRILLED BRINED SHRIMP WITH A GRILLED CORN SALSA
Note that we’re cooking the shrimp in the shell. This, in addition to the brining, also keeps them moist plus the shell imparts a lot of flavor to the shrimp meat. You want to use good hardwood charcoal to impart a sweet smoky flavor. Avoid briquettes if you can because they often contain petroleum products.
Serves 6
For the Brine
1/3 cup each sea or kosher salt and brown sugar
1 quart water
For the Marinade
1/4 cup light olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped or pressed garlic
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 ¼ pounds large shrimp (16 – 20 size) or enough for 4 shrimp per person
Grilled Corn Salsa (recipe follows)
Garnish: Avocado slices and sprigs of cilantro
Prepare brine by stirring salt, sugar and water together until dissolved. Add shrimp in their shells and refrigerate for 1 and up to 4 hours. With a pair of scissors cut the shrimp down the center of the back all the way to the next to last tail section. With a sharp knife, butterfly the shrimp in their shells making an incision along the length on the back where the shell is cut. Remove sand vein and rinse. Combine the marinade ingredients and coat the shrimp. Grill shrimp on both sides over medium hot coals until they are just cooked through and shells are slightly charred, about 4 minutes total.
Place shrimp on plates and top with prepared grilled corn salsa, avocado slices and cilantro sprigs. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Grilled Corn Salsa
Makes approximately 3 cups
2 large ears sweet corn
1 each large red bell and poblano peppers, halved with stems and seeds removed
1 small jalapeno pepper; halved, seeded and stemmed
1 medium red onion, peeled and halved
4 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice (or to taste)
2 teaspoons honey (or to taste)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro or basil leaves or a combination
Brush the corn, peppers and onion with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place vegetables on a medium hot grill and cook on all sides until just beginning to color. Remove, cool and cut corn kernels from cob and place in a bowl. Pull as much of the skin as possible from the peppers, chop and add to corn. Chop onion and also add to corn along with rest of ingredients including remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Stir and allow flavors to marry for at least 30 minutes before using. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
