WORTH SHARING A MILLION TIMES: MISO AND MAPLE SYRUP GLAZE

I think of this blog pretty much every day but I’m a terrible friend to it. I neglect it and don’t really take care of it. But today is a day I decide to make an effort to make it happy… to make it smile!

Be prepared, this terribly simple recipe is super delectable and your entire family will love it, including kids and babies… I’ve tried it and it works. You want a nice fast and healthy dinner? This is the best recipe you’ll have tried in months!! I made mine with nice jasmine rice and garlic spinach. The fish took 12 minutes to make (4 to prepare, 8 to cook), which is less than the rice, which took 20! Try to beat that Jamie Oliver with your 30 minutes meal!!!

Picture taken for Ricardo's website... I didn't have time to take a picture myself!

MISO AND MAPLE SYRUP GLAZE

Makes 2 large fillets or 4 fish steaks

(Good for salmon, trout, pork and chicken)

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup maple syrup

2 tbsp miso paste

2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or olive oil)

2 green onions or 1 shallot, finely chopped

1 tbsp sambal olek (or an asian hot sauce)

1 tsp curry powder

½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns, crushed

PREPARATION

Sauce

Blend together all of the ingredients.

Cooking the fish

Place 4 fish steaks or 2 large fillets of your choice on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (the sauce will caramelized once cooked) and generously brush with the miso and maple syrup glaze. Bake in the center of the oven, under the broiler, for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the type of fish, or until cooked (be careful not to overcook your fish). Serve hot with rice and a nice green vegetable!!

Master Chef, Season 2 Starts On Monday June 6

If there’s one reality cooking show you don’t want to miss, it’s Master Chef, another one of Gordon Ramsay’s success TV shows. This one is particularly good because the contestants could be any of us. The ultimate goal is to find America’s best home cook. The competition is serious and the best part of it is that you’ll probably relate to it if you’re a serious cook; what you’ll see will inspire you. If ever this show comes to Canada, you can be certain that I’ll try out… and that I’ll take a few of my friends along with me (I’ve got a couple of them who can cook a seriously damn good meal!). Last year, a 21 year old won the honors. If she can do it, a lot of us could do it too. Just make sure you know how to perfectly season your food.

The new season starts on June 6^th and is aired on Fox. You don’t have Fox yet? Make sure you get it, it’s really worth it and it’ll keep you foodies entertained on those hot summer nights.

To get a sneak peak of the new season, go to the following link. Master Chef - Season 2 Preview

Easter Treat: Chocolate Fondant

Happy Easter to all of you! I hope you’re enjoying a magnificent day and that you’re totally indulging in chocolate decadence. After all, it’s one of the little pleasures of this day, isn’t it?

As you’ve read before, I’m not chocolate’s number one fan. Although I cannot deny its goodness, I don’t think it’s the best thing in the world (please don’t hate me for this statement). But I have to admit that there are a few chocolate deserts that do get me going and excited. Today, we’re having friends over for dinner and I don’t think I can make them food without baking a great desert. And one of my personal favorites is, indeed, made of chocolate. It’s a chocolate fondant. A decadent piece of melting, hot chocolate. If I can’t resist it, I don’t think many can.

The best part of this desert is that it takes absolutely no time to make, and hardly any effort. I made mine in 10 minutes and I’ll bake the little goodies for 10 minutes right before serving them. I may not be the best baker in the world but this desert is honestly the easiest thing you’ll ever make. The only thing that you can worry about is cooking time. If you cook it too much, it won’t be melting. And if the center isn’t melting, well, then, the purpose of these little pieces of art is completely lost. So get your hands on a good timer and you’ll see, things will go really smoothly!  

CHOCOLATE FONDANT

Make 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs

2 egg yolks

3 tbsp sugar

115 g (4oz) semisweet chocolate (your best choice would be 60-65% cocoa)

½ cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup flour

PREPARATION

Butter and flour 4 ramekins (size of ½ cup).

In a bowl, beat the eggs and the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. About 3 minutes should do.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over very low heat. Add the chocolate and stir until it’s completely melted.

Add the chocolate preparation to the egg mixture. Once everything is well blended, fold in the flour. Divide the mixture between the 4 ramekins.

When you’re about ready to serve your desert, preheat your oven at 375˚F. Put the ramekins in the center of the oven for 10 minutes. Immediately turn over on a plate and unmold. Decorate with icing sugar. Serve hot with small berries.

Note: You can prepare your ramekins a day ahead, cover them and keep them in the fridge. Take them out of the fridge for about 1 hour before cooking them.

Addicted to Maldon Sea Salt Flakes

I’ve said this before and I’ll repeat myself; I love salt! There’s something about salt that makes my tongue go wild! Yet I know we keep on reading everywhere that salt is not good for you. You’ll get your arteries clogged if you have too much of it. But what is too much? Really, when you think about it, if you buy all your food in boxes, prepared and precooked for you, then maybe you’re in trouble. Read the labels. You’ll see that you eat a hell of a lot of salt in a day… and it’s probably a type of salt that’s not too good for your health either. On the contrary, if you prepare all of your food yourself and add a few good pinches of salt here and there, I’m sure in the end you’re using a lot less salt than what they put in those boxes. So really, who eats more salt? The one who buys the prepared foods or the one who cooks his own?

I was raised on salty foods. If you ask me to chose between a salty dish and a desert, I’ll pick the salty dish way before the desert, without even thinking about it! Which is why my cooking is always enhanced with a touch a salt, with a dash of those brilliant crystals.

If you start looking around, you’ll find that there are a whole lot of finishing salts you can choose from to enhance your dishes. Lately, I discovered my personal favourite salt at a friend’s house. I liked it so much I was adding it everywhere… So I went hunting for it, looking for that crunchiness, that perfectly balanced saltiness, those huge crystals that look so beautiful on top of my food. This salt is called Maldon Sea Salt Flakes. The crystals are bigger and better than the standard sea salt, they’re super tasty and crunchy yet not too hard when you bite into them! To me, this is the perfect salt!!

If you’re in Montreal, you can find the Maldon Salt at Les douceurs du Marché (Atwater Market), at Alexis le Gourmand or any other fine food store. Enjoy!

Add Maldon Salt  to a simple tomatoe and fresh mozzarella salad. 

The French Laundry

I haven’t been posting any new recipes in the last few days, and I’m sorry for those who were in search of inspiration. And I have to admit, I haven’t been cooking either. Yes, this does happen once in a while! Instead, I was on a short escape to a great city, San Francisco, California. Although I was not behind the stove, I was certainly enjoying some good times and some amazing food… And I was really spoiled. I was taken out to the French Laundry in Napa Valley.

Chef Thomas Keller

For those unfamiliar with the French Laundry, it’s one of the world’s most renowned restaurants. Opened in 1994 by famous Chef Thomas Keller, it won best restaurant of the world both in 2003 and 2004. Since 2006 it even has 3 Michelin Stars. For many years now, it’s been figuring on the world’s top 50 best restaurants list.

The Restaurant's Front

The food consists of two unique nine-courses menus, none of which offers the same ingredient twice, and none of which are featured for more than one day. Add to that a few extra ‘surprises’ and you’re bound to walk out of this restaurant drunk from all the greatness. Trust me, it happened to me and I only had a ‘splash of champagne’, as the maître D’ said it. The bread is prepared at the local Bouchon bakery (also owned by Keller), the herbs are grown in the backyard and the cheese, butter, salts come from all over the world. Not one detail is left aside. And only the best work in the kitchen.

French Laundry Garden

My purpose here is not the offer a critic of this restaurant but to share an amazing food experience with you. To me, this meal was everything food perfection should be, and more. The service was impeccable (there is a 1:1 staff per client ratio) and the setting is simple yet majestic. If you ever are in the San Francisco area and have a few extra bucks to spend, then you should go here. You won’t regret it! I still dream of all those flavours I got to savour during my meal. And I consider myself privileged to have had an exclusive visit of the kitchen where I got a glance of the tall Thomas Keller who so happened to be gardening in the back that day (no, he’s not the one in charge of the kitchen anymore!).

Cauliflower "Panna Cotta"
with Island Creek Oyster Glaze and
California Sturgeon Caviar

Moulard Duck "Foie Gras au Torchon"
Pickled Asian Pear Relish, Celery Branch, Parsnip Purée,
Black Winter Truffles and Vanilla Sented Sauternes

Sautéed Fillet of Atlantic Black Bass
Manila Clams, Chick Pea "Croquette", Fennel,
Arugula and Saffron-Pepper Reduction

Sweet Butter-Poached Scallop
Roasted Cilantro Shoots & Chanterelle Mushroom "Pierogi"
and Hobbs' Bacon Reduction

Liberty Farm Peking Duck
Duck Confit "En Feuille de Bric", Couscous, Nantes Carrot,
Curried Sultans and Cilantro Shoots

Elysian Fields Farm Lamb Rib-Eye
Ribettes, Pole Bean "Cassoulet", Braised Mustard Greens,
Parsley Oil and Dijon Mustard

"Beets and Leeks"
"Boho Bel", King Richard Leeks, "Pommes Maxim's"
and Red Beet Essence

Marshall Farm's Wildflower Honey Sorbet
Chilled Hibiscus-Pink Peppercorn "Consommé" and Poached Rhubarb

"Délice aux Pistaches"
Shiso Gelée, Lemongrass "Crémeux"
and Granny Smith Apple Sorbet

And I most certainly have some inspiration for a few recipes to come…

Special treat: Balsamic Vinegar

I love salad, especially for its crunchiness. There’s something about lettuce that makes me (and my taste buds) feel fresh! But what I like the most about a good salad is the dressing. You could give me a bowl of plain lettuce with amazing vinaigrette and I’d think it’s the greatest thing in the world; I never really need the extra toppings. Those are just secondary pleasure to my taste buds! Still, really good vinaigrette, in my opinion, is all about the vinegar. If you’ve got the tanginess of great vinegar, you’re most likely to be in for great salad dressing.

The other day I felt like a little special treat. I was tired of the vinegars in my cupboard so I headed to the market, went to my favorite specialty store and said: ‘I’m ready to spend (although not too much!) for great vinegar, something special and different. What do you recommend?’ Obviously, I wasn’t ready to spend 75$ for an aged vinegar… that’s just a little too much for my wallet these days. So the owner of the store, without a split second of hesitation, pointed me to the Gocce di Reggio balsamic vinegar, sold for 29.99$.

 

This vinegar is absolute pleasure! It’s thick and sugary, like expensive old aged balsamic vinegar. Aged for a really long time (!) in wooden barrels, it’s got just enough kick, enough sweetness and not too much acidity, to give your lettuce the great help it so desperately needs. This vinegar is so good you could lick it from your plate or eat it right from the spoon. Oh yeah! And this vinegar doesn’t need the help of its good friend Mrs. Olive Oil! Simply sprinkle it over any vegetable (or fruit) and the job is done. I highly recommend the splurge. The 30 bucks spent are well worth it!

I found my Gocce di Reggio at the Douceurs du marché, at Atwater Market, for 29.99$. If you find it somewhere else, please share the info with us!