WHEN IT'S OK TO FEEL CRABBY

One of the most profound and welcome food rituals I have acquired since coming to California is that of cracked Dungeness crab at least once every two weeks when they are in season. Crab season for the Dungeness breed runs from early November through April, although down at San Francisco's wharves, you can still buy crab after this - although they will be imported flash-frozen crustaceans.

There is nothing quite like local fresh crab accompanied by warm sourdough bread, melted butter, cocktail sauce, mayonnaise and a chilled glass of chardonnay to ease it down with good company. The Californians will classify you depending on your strategy to get through the meal. You will be either a "piler" or "non-piler" the former group being those who are patient enough to build a crab mountain before indulging.

I have to confess I am in the latter group, opting for immediate gratification after battling to get the flesh fully out of the claw for the previous 45 seconds. I'm sure many psychology books could be written on eating practices around the cracked crab table, but regardless, this custom is one of the best of many good things in the Bay Area!

I tend to serve it all up with a great caesar salad, try the Briannas brand dressing - it is amazing, rich and cheesy. Good wines are Chalone or Jordan varieties of Chardonnay. Lay the table with newspaper not cloth due to the pungent nature of the crab and allow at least one large crab per person for a feast.

Still a month or two until season dwindles so go for it and enjoy!

EVERYBODY'S SALAD DAYS

Early spring is just about here, well it is in Northern California at any rate, and as it becomes milder it's good to focus on fun and of course nutritious salads. Here are three of my favourites:

1. Spring Chicken salad

Serves 4

1/2 large stick celery diced or finely chopped

Flesh from 1/2 large Petaluma chicken (skin on)

1 large red bell pepper sliced longitudinally

2 green onions

2 tsp finest balsamic vinegar
ample sea salt and coarse black pepper

2 tblsp olive oil

1/4 lb cubed butterneu squash (1/2 inch cubes)

whole butter lettuce

squeeze lemon juice

2. Watermelon and arugula salad

Serves 6

1 large watermelon cubed and de-seeded

1/4 lb of feta cheese crumbled

1 large bag arugula

3-4 tblsp finest balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

3. New twist nicoise salad

Serves 6

2 large cooked yams

6 eggs (boil for 6 minutes)

1 large can tuna chunks (or 3/4lb tuna steak if you have the time)

1 tblsp mayo and lemon juice (for tuna)

1 1/2 butter lettuces

1/2 onion sliced large and thin

1 large avocado, thin slices

WALKING THE TALK ON PORK

I'm looking forward to some pork tonight. I've bought some great pork chops from my friends at Bassian Farms who use an excellent packer, Coleman. If you are looking for that authentic pork taste without any artificial ingredients or preservatives, Coleman pork chops are perfect for any occasion. I've been marinading them in Woody's BBQ sauce for many hours and cannot wait to fry them up and serve them with some candied yams, apple sauce and broccolini.

I was fortunate enough to be shown how to butcher a pig by a top man Joe Rueter (pictured above), the Windsor GreenGrocer, up in Sonoma. Joe was a sous chef at the French Laundry and chef at a michelin-starred restaurant in New York. A nicer man you could not wish to meet and I was amazed by the way he took off cut after cut with a little dexterity and gravity.

You need to know what pork to select, it is a great animal to take cuts from but probably the most 'treated' and 'unpleasant' meat if you skimp or just make the wrong choice.

Always buy fresh, correctly stored pork. There should not be any excessive moisture in the package and any residue liquid should be clear. Avoid dark or blemished areas on the flesh. Look for moist meat, not slimy or sticky and there should never be any discernible odour with pork. Fat should be well trimmed, any leftover should be white and smooth.

Unlike beef, the top grades of pork are numbered: USDA 1 is the best quality, USDA 4 the lowest. These grades are based on how much lean meat is produced per carcass with the top grade having the highest proportion of lean to fat. Fear not of you are getting confused, good supermarkets and butchers will only offer grade 1 pork.

Best buys tend to be a fresh leg of ham, pork tenderloin, picnic ham or ham hocks for stews and soups. Don't overlook country spare ribs for when the weather improves enough for BBQs or belly of pork for slow cooking.

Make sure you cook the pork meat to at least 145F. It will be medium and still a little pink but not too dry and it will be free from the harmful parasite trichinosis at anything over 138F in the centre.



Smothered Pork Chops Recipe


1 – 4 pork chops, 3/4 to 1 inch thick
1 – Vidalia or sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 - teaspoons seasoned salt
2 - teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 - teaspoon black pepper
1/2 - teaspoon paprika
1/2 - cup self rising flour
1/2 – cup vegetable oil
2 – cups water

Cookware and Utensils:
1 – large heavy or cast iron skillet
1 – measuring spoons

Recipe Instructions:
As always the key to great cooking is to be prepared and to use quality ingredients.

This recipe calls for 4 pork chops because that's about what you can fit into a standard frying pan. I recommend you double the recipe because smothered pork chops are so delicious that you will definitely want to eat leftovers.

Start off by giving your pork chops a good rinsing in cold water. Next pat your pork chops dry with paper towels and set aside.

In a small bowl form your seasoning mixture by combining and mixing together seasoned salt, garlic powder, black pepper and paprika.

Rub about 3/4 teaspoon of seasoning on each pork chop. Next thoroughly coat each piece of meat with flour and set aside. Save all leftover seasoning for later use in onion gravy.

Heat vegetable oil in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot enough add pork chops and brown on each side for about three minutes. Once your meat is browned remove it from the skillet and allow to cool on a plate covered with paper towels.

Now it's time to form the onion gravy. Without removing any dripping add sliced onions to the skillet and cook until browned. Add remaining flour to the skillet and a very small amount of water if necessary. Stir the onions and flour together until golden brown, paying careful attention not to burn the gravy.

Add two cups water to the onion gravy and stir. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Return pork chops to skillet, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for about 1 hour. The meat is done when it’s tender. Add additional season to taste if necessary.

Serve the smothered pork chops over cooked rice with your favorite vegetable side dish and cornbread.


Big Party Cooked ham
Ingredients: (serves 12)
12-14lbs cooked leg ham or picnic ham
2 tbs whole cloves
Juice of 2 lemons
1 bunch bay leaves
handful juniper berries
1 cup of honey
1 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup Dijon mustard



Method
Using a sharp knife, score a zig-zag pattern around shank end of ham. Starting at the bottom of ham, slide your fingers under the skin and work them up between skin and fat, loosening the skin as you go. When you reach the scored shank end, gently pull skin back in one piece and discard.

Preheat oven to 350f. Using a sharp knife, trim fat layer, if necessary (this is more likely on a picnic ham), so that fat is no more than 5mm deep. Score a shallow diamond pattern in fat, at 1/2 inch intervals, without cutting into meat. Stud the point of each diamond with a clove. Place ham in a large roasting pan. Pour orange juice over ham then pour 1/3 cup water into base of pan.

For glaze, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Crush juniper berries wwith mixture and brush thickly over ham. Bake ham for 50-55 minutes, basting with juices occasionally.

Push an uncooked clove into each of 12 bay leaves and press into ham. Brush ham with pan juices then bake for a further 15 minutes or until glaze is deep brown. If juices in pan evaporate too quickly, add a little more water.

Bake for around 18mins per pound, so a 12lb ham would be 12 x 18mins (about 3 and a half hours) but don't forget to take off the 50mins cooking you have done! Check meat temp in the middle every 20mins of the last hour.

Transfer ham to a platter.

To carve, remove cloves and bay leaves. Steady the ham with a carving fork (or use a regular dinner fork) then use a long, thin carving knife to carve thin slices away from the bone, following the grain of the meat. Using the fork, transfer slices to a platter. Continue slicing in the same manner, working around the bone, then turn ham over and repeat on the other side. Serve warm or at room temperature with remaining bay leaves, tomato relish and honey mustard.

To speed things up, you can score and stud the flesh 24 hours ahead of time then cover with the removed skin. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to glaze and cook.

FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD

Hello again,

I have a couple of President's Day weekend experiences to recount and a fabulous recipe to share from them.


Last friday Cindy and I spent a couple of hours at Michael Mina's restaurant at 335 Powell St., San Francisco. It was one of those memorable meals with the service so unobtrusive and slick. There were many highlights, notably the 1997 Harlan Estate Napa Cab gifted to us by Gretchen De Baubigny but if I had to pick a foodie 'moment' it would be the Maine lobster pot pie.




So, here is the recipe for a dish richer than Fort Knox for 4 people:

Times:
Prep: 30 min
Inactive prep: 30 min
Cook: 1 hr 30 min
Total: 2 hr 30 min

Lobster:
4 live lobsters or 1 1/4 lb fresh cooked lobster

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large onion)
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 pound unsalted butter
1/2 bulb fennel
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups fish stock or clam juice
2 tablespoons sauvignon blanc
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons heavy cream
3/4 pound cooked fresh lobster meat
1 1/2 cups frozen peas (not "baby" peas)
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

Pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons cold fresh lard, diced (1/4 pound)
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water or heavy cream, for egg wash

Directions:
Saute the onions and fennel with the butter in a large saute pan on medium heat until the onions are translucent, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the flour and cook on low heat for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, wine, salt, and pepper and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add the heavy cream.

Cut each lobster (shell with meat) at the claws, the body and tail into 4 equal pieces meat into medium-sized cubes. Place the lobster, frozen peas, frozen onions, and parsley in a bowl (there is no need to defrost the vegetables). Pour the sauce over the mixture and check the seasonings. Set aside.

For the crust, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the lard and butter and pulse 10 times, until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out on a floured surface and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the dough in half and roll out each half to fit a 9 1/2-inch round by 2-inch high ovenproof glass or ceramic baking dish. Place 1 crust in the dish, fill with the lobster pieces, and top with the second crust. Crimp the crusts together and brush with the egg wash. Make 4 or 5 slashes in the top crust and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.


North Bay Farmer's Market (Sundays)
On Valentine's Sunday, my love and I went down to the Marin County North Bay Farmer's Market at the Civic Centre, San Rafael. It isn't perhaps as large and varied as the Ferry Building market in San Francisco, but there are still myriad stalls of fresh produce.


Amongst seemingly several hundred weight of produce in paper bags, I also bought a shoulder of grass-fed lamb, a sadly under-used meat in the US. Only 1.5% of meat sales under Uncle Sam's watch are of lamb, which as a European, is a statistic that flabbergasts me.




Lamb has such richness and delicacy of taste, yet is strong enough to stand up to and prevail through the strong spices of sub-continental and North African cookery. I stuffed mine with garlic cloves and fresh thyme and slow cooked the 3lb boneless joint for 2 hours at 220 F. I would have bought bone-in lamb - whether it be rack of lamb, tandoori lamb chops or bone-in deigi ghost, the French, Indians and Pakistanis have all taught me how much more flavourful bone-in lamb. I also picked up some parsnips that I seasoned and roasted with yams and some broccolini which we steamed and served with melted butter.


Salad fit for a President!

This was Monday's lunch. I'll post the recipe midweek when I'll be covering great seasonal salads. Stay tuned and please feel free to share any food highlights you have enjoyed.

CHICKEN - KEEPING ABREAST OF WHAT'S AFOOT

By the time you have read this post, I am hopeful that you will think more carefully about selecting chicken. What you may consider the best isn't necessarily superior when it comes to cooking and flavour.

I thought I had all the bases covered regarding the most popular of poultry, but after a visit to my friends at Bassian Farms, I learned about what good chicken really amounts to.

Worthy chicken, like some of the range supplied by Petaluma Poultry (Rocky the Range) are not organic or strictly free range but taste great (their chicken feed contains no antibiotics and they have a vegetarian diet of corn with soybean and are sustainably farmed).

These Petaluma chickens grow from day one to maturity in a stress-free environment - spacious poultry houses that have natural daylight. They roam freely throughout these barns; the earth floor is covered with a layer of rice hulls, a natural bedding.

Most consumers think that 'Free range' is the holy grail when it comes to poultry - the phrase is bandied about as a 'superior' culinary definition. However, the USDA are not very stringent when it comes to this area, so a bird that has access to even a foot of concrete outside its barn can have a USDA free-range certification.

Also, chickens generally are lazy and like warmth when they are being fattened so they are much happier and less stressed to lie and cluck where it isn't windy and where shelter abounds. And if they want to move around, they move around a barn with natural light. If the barn is spacious and isn't overcrowded, these are the ideal growing condtions for tasty chicken.

Organic Better?
Did you know that sick organic birds can be given antibiotics if they're very sick? Organic poultry feeds on cereals, vegetable protein, a small amount of fish meal, and a vitamin/mineral supplement. However some organic chickens may have been subjected to feed which is not free from genetically modified feedstuffs (GMOs). To be fully organic, chickens must be fed a diet containing grain which has been grown organically, without artificial fertilisers or sprays. Such feed is expensive, and therefore organic chicken is considerably more expensive as well.

Petaluma poultry also sell organic chicken in their Rosie range

After consumers buy a chicken product, they relate the quality of that product to its texture and flavor when they are eating it. Whether or not poultry meat is tender depends upon the rate and extent of the chemical and physical changes occurring in the muscle as it becomes meat. When an animal dies, blood stops circulating, and there is no new supply of oxygen or nutrients to the muscles. Without oxygen and nutrients, muscles run out of energy, and they contract and become stiff. Eventually, muscles become soft again, which means that they are tender when cooked.

Anything that interferes with the formation of rigor mortis, or the softening process that follows it, will affect meat tenderness. For example, birds that struggle before or during slaughter cause their muscles to run out of energy quicker, and rigor mortis forms much faster than normal. The texture of these muscles tends to be tough because energy was reduced in the live bird. A similar pattern occurs when birds are exposed to environmental stress (hot or cold temperatures or windy conditions) before slaughter.


Whole mature chickens are marketed in the United States as fryers, broilers, and roasters. Fryers are the smallest size, and the most common as chicken reach this size quickly. Most dismembered packaged chicken would be sold whole as fryers. Broilers are larger than fryers. They are typically sold whole. Roasters, or roasting hens, are the largest chickens sold and are typically more expensive.

When poultry is cooked, flavor develops from sugar and amino acid interactions, lipid and thermal oxidation and thiamin degradation. These chemical changes are not unique to poultry, but the lipids and fats in poultry are unique and combine with odor to account for the characteristic "poultry" flavor.

Few factors during production and processing affect poultry meat flavor. This means that it is not only difficult to produce a flavor defect, but it is difficult to enhance flavor during production and processing. Age of the bird at slaughter (young or mature birds) affect the flavor of the meat. Minor effects on meat flavor are related to bird strain, diet, environmental conditions (litter, ventilation, etc.) however, these effects are too small for consumers to notice.

The most important aspect of poultry meat is its eating quality - a function of the combined effects of appearance, texture and flavor. Live production techniques and sustainable care affect poultry meat quality by determining the state of the animal at slaughter. Poultry processing affects meat quality by establishing the chemistry of the muscle constituents and their interactions within the muscle structure. The producer, processor, retailer and consumer all have specific expectations for the quality attributes of poultry but the ultimate authority will always be you the consumer.

So, buy organic or sustainably-farmed barn chickens - avoid the conventionally-farmed brigade and try the good stuff in these two stunning recipes:


Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
Serves 4

Marination:
2.2lbs. Boneless chicken pieces
1/2 cup Yoghurt
5 tsp. Ginger, chopped
5 tsp. Garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. Cumin powder
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Green cardamom powder
1/4 tsp. Chilli powder
1/4 tsp. Turmeric
3 Tbls. Lemon Juice
4 Tbls. Oil

Gravy Sauce:
300 grams Tomato Paste
4 tsp. Ginger-Garlic pastes
1 Tbls.. Red chilli powder
5-6 Cloves
2 inch Cinnamon Stick
8 Green cardamom
100 gram Butter
50 ml. oil
100 ml. Cream
1 tsp. Dry Methi leaf
Salt to taste

Mix all Marination ingredients with chicken pieces. For best results marinate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake chicken for 5 minutes. Baste with little oil or butter. Bake for another 5 minutes.

While the chicken is baking, prepare the sauce.

Heat oil in a pan, Add cloves, cardamom, Cinnamon Stick and Star Anne seed.

After it becomes light golden, Add ginger-garlic paste.

Add tomato paste/puree, red chilli powder, salt, and fenugreek stirring in between until the sauce becomes thick.

Add Baked Chicken, lightly stirring for 2-3 minutes.

Add 4 cups of water. Mix and bring to a boil.

Now add butter and cream, simmer for a few minuets on slow heat.

Garnish with cream and butter on top and serve hot.

Roast chicken with lemon and rosemary roast potatoes
Serves 4

A good roast chicken recipes is a comfort food favourite to be cherished wherever home is. I have a lemon chicken dish too which involves boiling of the carcass but I'll post that another day. However years of practising this opened my eyes to how good lemons could be to flavour the spuds too.

Its good to parboil the potatoes, washed and peeled with half a lemon for about 15 mins. Then when you're done with the lemon put the potatoes in a tray laden with goose fat or lard.

Season the chicken skin with rough salt crystals, a little extra virgin olive oil and ground black pepper. Do this the night before and refrigerate if you are a good time manager, otherwise it doesn't matter.

Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Drain the tatties and allow to steam dry for 1 minute (this will give you crispier potatoes), then remove the lemon and garlic. Toss the potatoes in the roasting pan while they steam – this will make them succulent and crispy when they roast.

Now take the chicken, add garlic cloves and thyme into the fleshy carcass, then put in the preheated oven for around 40 minutes. Remove. Some delicious chicken fat residue should be languishing and swilling around the pan, so place the potatoes into this with the rosemary leaves and mix. Shake the tray around, then make a gap in the centre of the potatoes and put the chicken back in.

If using the bacon, lay the rashers over the chicken breast and cook for a further 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are nice and golden.

Remove garlic cloves from the chicken when cooked and then use a thick knife to smear the soft hot garlic into the meat.

If you have some great chicken recipes, please reciprocate and I'll try them and take some pictures and post them.

COLD COMFORT

There is a great scene in Woody Allen's film 'Love and Death' where, on the Siberian front, his wife serves him the same old plate of snow and ice for dinner. Well, it doesn't have to be that bad!

I have just returned from a dog-sledding adventure on the wilderness trails and frozen lakes of Northern Minnesota. I experienced long, cold days driving and trying to control six huskies and had to function (and eat) in tempreratures below zero fahrenheit (minus 18C).

I was expecting the food too be all blubber and over processed, but with a bit of ingenuity and flair, you can start looking forward to your mealtimes as well as long johns and arctic sleeping bags. Hope you enjoy the photos and the recipe ideas.

Ok, it's hard to go 'non-processed' every day out here, but cheddar frankfurters cooked by a camp fire on the end of a branch with a little mustard really hit the spot.

Here we are at four below, preparing the fire and the grill above it to accommodate our flame-grilled chuck steaks!

Don't burn your fingers now....

The next morning in the yurt saw a splendid bell pepper and spinach frittata (above), with optional sausage meat and bun.

My nutrient-starved body was more impressed with the organic wild rice stir-fried with dried fruit and pecan than I was the following morning:


The potato, spinach, cream and oregano bake was warm and 'total comfort' washed down with hot coffee before braving the blizzard.







By Friday, I will have warmed up sufficiently to tackle chicken in the same way I tackled beef on an earlier post.

Bye for now.

WINTER WARMER - Nani Connie's PERFECT MINESTRONE SOUP

I will be away for a winter's sojourn - dog mushing in northern Minnesota. Back on Monday the 8th of Febuary when I'll blog about my experiences with fine foods in sub-zero temperatures and I'll post some pictures of how I got on with the huskies and other natives up there.

In the mean time, if the thought of minus 5 fahrenheit gives you a chill, try the recipe below to warm yourself through again in a most delectable way! See you all in Feb.

Darren




















Serves 6

3 Large red onions, chopped
4 Celery ribs, chopped
2 Large carrots, chopped
1/3 Cup extra-virgin olive oil
Large handful of Swiss chard
1/2 lb Trimmed french beans
4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1lb Fresh vine tomatoes
2 tbls Tomato puree
1/2 lb Fresh peas
1/2 lb Fresh corn kernels
1/4 lb Shell-shaped pasta
7-8 Cups hot water
3 Cups coarsely chopped Savoy cabbage
1 Large piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
1/2 lb Choice of beans - borlotti, kidney and lima work well (if time is short use tinned beans)
Serve with extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling, small and extra, fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Stir-fry french/string beans, onions, celery and carrots in oil in a large pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, while preparing the chard.

Remove stems from the chard and chop them coarsely, reserving the leaves. Stir chard stems and (pre-soaked for 1 hr) borlotti beans into sauteed vegetable mixture with garlic, 1 tsp sea salt and 3/4 tsp pepper and continue simmering vegetables until they start to become tender, about 30-35 minutes.

In a separate pan fry fresh tomatoes for 2-3 minutes, then add tomato paste, stirring constantly, until it starts to caramelize, about another 2 minutes. Stir paste and tomatoes into vegetables and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes. Add cups of hot water.

Bring to a simmer. Stir in cabbage and Parmesan rind. Simmer, covered, until greens are tender, about 40 minutes.

Now chop chard leaves and stir into soup along with the shell pasta, corn and fresh peas. Simmer, partially covered for about 12-15 minutes.

Discard rind. Season soup with sea salt and fresh ground pepper and serve.

The best thing about this classic Italian dish is that it will keep for days in the fridge and will taste better after each re-heat. If you are meat-stock mad, you can always fry in some chopped pancetta in the early stages but I prefer it as a vegetarian dish.

Serve with a hot thick slice of country rustic or sourdough bread melting with butter or drizzled with sea salt and finest olive oil.