More details, recipes and photos to come, but just wanted to share this moment!
Showing posts with label Catering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catering. Show all posts
Tea Smoked Chicken in Lettuce Cups
- My first time smoking anything! Used jasmine rice in a metal tiered steamer like in the photo below. It was quite an experience. A little on the scary side, but really exciting seeing what it really means to smoke something. I never thought of it, but over the stove it's like dry steaming something.
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Inactive Prep Time: 4 hr 30 min
- Cook Time: 16 min
1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercornsToast the Szechuan peppercorns in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Cool slightly, and then crush in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle with the salt and five-spice powder until very fine. Rub seasoned salt all over the chicken thighs. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup white rice
3 tablespoon Chinese black tea
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Shao-sing wine or medium-dry sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably dark (See Cook's Note)
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 T brown sugar
5 scallions (white and green), thinly sliced
mint leaves, chiffoned (optional)
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
Sriracha sauce or other Asian chili sauce, to taste
Juice of 1/2 lime
Bring the chicken to room temperature about 30 minutes before cooking.
Line the bottom of a wok, skillet or heavy pot with a double layer of aluminum foil. Mix the rice, tea and brown sugar together and mound on the foil. Set a steamer on top, and evenly space the chicken on the rack. Cover and cook over high heat. Hot smoke the chicken until smokey-brown colored and cooked through, about 12 minutes.
While the chicken cooks, whisk the Shao-sing wine or sherry, soy, ginger, and sesame together in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes. Brush over cooked chicken.
To serve: Dice the chicken into very small pieces. Toss with the scallions and peanuts in a medium bowl. Cut the lettuce leaves into 40 squares or triangular scoops. Place a drop of Sriracha on top of each lettuce cup, and top with about 2 teaspoons of the diced chicken. Squeeze lime juice over the top, and drizzle the remaining soy-ginger sauce over the chicken. Serve.
Makes about 40 cups, from Foodnetwork.com
Can't tell, but the smoke under the lid was curling and churning in dark, threatening waves. SO FUN!
Can't tell, but the smoke under the lid was curling and churning in dark, threatening waves. SO FUN!
Mango-Curry Shrimp Salad in Wonton Cups
48 wonton wrappers in a package about 3x3"Preheat oven to 325°F. Place wonton squares on work surface; brush both sides lightly with oil. (Or with a can of oil, spray both sides.) Press each into miniature muffin cup, oiled side down. Bake until wonton cups are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool completely in tins. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Remove cups from tins and store airtight at room temperature.)
Vegetable oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
5 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons mango chutney (mango, ginger from Trader Joe's)
3/4 teaspoon Thai green curry paste, not sauce or curry but paste.
12 ounces peeled cooked medium shrimp, coarsely chopped
1-2 stalks of celery, minced
Fresh cilantro leaves
Whisk mayonnaise, chopped fresh cilantro, lime juice, chutney, celery and curry paste in medium bowl to blend. Stir in shrimp. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. (Salad can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Place wonton cups on serving platter. Spoon 1 teaspoon shrimp salad into each cup. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Bacon, Leek & Cheddar Mini Quiches
3/4 lb. bacon, cut into medium diceIn a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until browned and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Pour off all but 1 to 2 Tbs. of fat in the skillet. Set the skillet over medium heat and cook the leeks, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.
3 cups medium-diced leeks, washed and drained (about 3 leeks, white and light green parts only)
1-1/4 cups half-and-half
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar (4 oz.)
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Cooking spray
2 1.1-lb. packages frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed according to package directions (preferably Pepperidge Farm brand)
Flour as needed for rolling out the dough
While the leeks cool, combine the half-and-half, Cheddar, eggs, egg yolks, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add the cooled leeks and the bacon and stir to combine.
Lightly spray four mini muffin tins (or two if your tins have two dozen cups) with cooking spray.
Working with one sheet of puff pastry dough at a time, use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 10- by 18-inch rectangle. Stamp out 3-inch circles of dough with a cookie cutter and gently press the rounds into the mini muffin tins, making sure that each round is centered and that the dough extends up to the top of the tin. Fill each with about 1 Tbs. of filling—you can fill right to the top of the dough. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling until all the filling is used. You may not need all the dough; save leftovers for another use. You can bake the quiches immediately or freeze and bake them later (see Make-Ahead Tip, below).
To bake
Heat the oven to 400°F and position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Bake the quiches, switching the position of the tins halfway through baking, until the filling is puffed and the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 400°F and position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Bake the quiches, switching the position of the tins halfway through baking, until the filling is puffed and the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
To Make Ahead
Unbaked quiches can be frozen for up to a month. Freeze the quiches in the muffin tins for about 2 hours, or until set. Remove them from the tins and transfer them to an airtight container, setting parchment or plastic wrap between layers, or seal them in a plastic bag. To bake, transfer the quiches back to the tins and bake immediately, without thawing. Baking time for frozen quiches will be about 30 to 35 minutes.
4 dozen mini quiches, from Finecooking.com
Spinach, Feta & Sun-Dried Tomato Phyllo Triangles
Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, feta, mint, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, eggs, garlic, lemon juice and zest, pepper, and salt. Mix well.2 10-oz. packages frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups crumbled feta cheese (about 12 oz.)
3/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint (I omitted)
1/2 cup roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed and drained)
1/2 cup pitted and roughly chopped Kalamata olives
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbs. chopped garlic
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1-lb. package phyllo dough (preferably a twin-pack), thawed according to package directions
1/2 lb. (1 cup) melted unsalted butter, plus more as needed for baking, unconventionally, I used a bottle spray of oil. I haven't baked them yet to see if they'll turn out as crisp and brown as the butter
Unroll the phyllo and lay it flat on a clean, dry surface. Cover completely with plastic wrap. Working with one sheet of phyllo at a time, and keeping the rest covered with the plastic wrap to keep it from drying out, place a sheet vertically in front of you. Brush the phyllo with butter and cover with another sheet. Butter the top sheet and cut the phyllo lengthwise into equal 3-inch-wide strips. Spoon 2 tsp. of filling on the lower end of each strip as shown in the left photo below. Fold up the phyllo strips as you would a flag to create a neat triangle, being careful not to roll too tightly or the triangles will crack when baked. Transfer to a baking sheet and cover with plastic. Repeat with the rest of the phyllo and filling until you run out of filling.
Butter two sheet pans. Arrange the phyllo triangles on the prepared baking sheets in a single layer. Brush the tops of the triangles with melted butter and bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes, switching the positions of the pans halfway through baking.
Assembled, unbaked phyllo triangles can be frozen for up to a month. Freeze the triangles on the baking sheet. When frozen, transfer them to an airtight container, setting parchment or plastic wrap between layers if needed, and return to the freezer. Bake as directed above (do not thaw the triangles first); baking time will be 20 to 25 minutes.
Ham, Gruyere & Honey-Mustard Palmiers
Heat the over to 425°F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry to a 10x14-inch rectangle. Using the back of a spoon, spread the pastry evenly with the mustard. Sprinkle on the Gruyère and Parmigiano in an even layer.1 sheet (about 9 oz.) frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 Tbs. honey Dijon mustard
3 oz. (about 1 cup) shredded Gruyère
1/4 cup (about 1 oz.) finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
4 oz. very thinly sliced baked ham
Arrange the ham in a single, even layer, tearing or cutting pieces to fit. Lay a piece of parchment or waxed paper on top and gently roll and press with the rolling pin to compress the layers. Gently peel off the paper without disturbing the ham.
Cut the rectangle in half widthwise to make two 10x7-inch bands. Gently roll one long edge of a band into the center and then roll the opposite edge in so the two rolls meet in the middle and resemble a double scroll. Press lightly to stick the two rolls together. Repeat with the second band. (The rolls can be assembled to this point and held in the refrigerator for several hours or frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to 1 month.)
With a very sharp knife, slice each band into about 22 pieces, just under 1/2-inch each. Arrange the palmiers on two parchment-lined or nonstick baking sheets and bake until deep golden brown and no longer doughy in the center (break one open to be sure), 10 to 12 minutes. Be careful not to burn the bottoms. Let cool on a rack and serve just slightly warm or within an hour if possible.
Makes 44 palmiers, from Finecooking.com
Peach Nectar Punch
I never get pictures of drinks...but this turns out to be a light and pretty tangerine color.
Use equal parts of peach and white grape juice and then 1.5-2 bottles of ginger ale. If you're feeling particularly festive, throw in some frozen peach slices. Do not add ice to the bowl.
Peach Juice ($3.69 for 64 oz. @ TJ's)
White Grape Juice ($1.50/64 0z @ Von's)
Ginger Ale ($1/64 oz @ Von's)
Use equal parts of peach and white grape juice and then 1.5-2 bottles of ginger ale. If you're feeling particularly festive, throw in some frozen peach slices. Do not add ice to the bowl.
About 20 12oz. servings
Prosciutto, Goat Cheese and Date Wraps
12.21.08 I made it with blue cheese for Yifan's wedding and it turned out very good! I also learned the difference between really good prosciutto (thin, fatty and not salty--when cooked, it's really crisp and tasty. $13.99 for 24 slices at costco) and bad prosciutto (the smoked kind from Trader Joe's that's much cheaper...$3.69 for 10 slices...). If you use the good stuff, you can wrap all you want and not have to worry about it being too salty, but really, one wrap over it and you're good.
To save room in the tray, we stabbed the date only through one side so that the date could be the base, but it cooks better if you can put the toothpick all the way through and rotate the date in the pan.
Also, if you use the fatty good stuff, make sure to work the prosciutto in batches so they don't get all melty and fatty.
Dates, pitted and halved ($4 something/pound at Henry's)Stuff date halves with either crumbled blue cheese or crumbled coat cheese. With the widest part of the prosciutto slice facing you, cut into about 4-5 1x1" pieces. Wrap each date, long ways with the prosciutto; there should be enough meat to wrap the date at least once around. Secure with skewer or toothpick.
Goat cheese (or blue cheese $7.89 for a tub at Costco)
Prosciutto ($13.99 for 24 slices @ Costco of good stuff, $3.99 for 6 oz @ TJ's)
Toothpicks or bamboo skewers
Grill or heat in an un-greased cast iron skillet for 45 s on each side or until browned and drizzle with balsamic vinegar if desired.
Cranberrybob Fruit Punch
The mixture comes from my crazy mind, the crazy name comes from Jolene's. Looks like light fruit punch. Very pretty, but scary to see Giulia hold a glass of it while in her white wedding dress.
2 bottles Ginger ale (64 oz.)Puree the defrosted fruit with an immersion blender. Add the juice and ginger ale.
1 bottle Cranberry Cocktail Juice (64 oz.)
frozen peaches defrosted (1/2 pound)
frozen strawberries defrosted (1/2 pound)
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