Post: #1

Since I'm too lazy to do a bunch of photo-entries like my steak thread, I figured I'd start one sharing all the recipes I use. Many of these are original that I formulated myself, some of them are ripped out of cookbooks, but they're all what I use at the restaurant and they're tried and true. I'll do my best to explain or walk through any confusing parts.

Edit: for many of the recipes, I use weights, which is standard in restaurants. I highly recommend getting a scale and following recipes by weight, it is far more accurate than any other method. A good digital kitchen scale runs about 30 bucks. I also keep a gram scale for measurements that are less than 2 grams, and also making sure I never get ripped off while buying cocaine for the holidays.

Post: #2

Humus:

Humus

Cooked Garbanzos 100%
Garbanzo cooking liquid 13.33%
Yogurt 10%
Olive oil 10%
Cumin, ground 1.33%
Garlic 1.33%
Salt 1.33%


I formulated this recipe based on baker's percentages so it's scaleable depending on the quantity of humus you want to make. So if you have 1 kilogram of cooked garbanzos, 10 percent of that is 100g, so that's how much yogurt to use.

In this recipe I use yogurt instead of tahini, but you can use tahini instead (though I would take the percentage down to 5 percent). Yogurt is a Turkish based recipe rather than the traditional.

Buzz all ingredients in a food processor according to how smooth you want it. I like it somewhat grainy, others like it completely smooth.

Post: #3

This is one of my favorite recipes, and one I'm pretty proud of. It's based on an Italian style salsa verde, not Mexican. It's commonly served with grilled meat or fish, but it can be used interchangeably as a pesto with a pasta. Also good over grilled vegetables, over mozzarella and burratta. Pretty awesome stuff

Salsa Verde

Extra virgin olive oil 150g 100%

Parsley leaves 30g 20%
Mint leaves 15g 10%
Scallion greens or chives 7.5g 5%
Oregano leaves 7.5g 5%
Tarragon leaves 7.5g 5%

Salted Anchovy, soaked and cleaned 7.5g (about one fillet) 5%
Salted Capers, soaked and rinsed 7.5g 5%
Garlic, whole 3.75g (about one clove)2.5%

Lemon juice 25g 16.67%
Salt 3g 2%

Pound the anchovy, capers, and garlic in a mortar and pestle until completely smooth. Set aside in a food processor. Coarsely chop all the herbs and put them in the food processor with the rest of the ingredients except the oil. Process for 1 minute, occasionally scraping down the sides. Add the oil and let process for several minutes until a smooth consistency is achieved. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Post: #4

Crab Cakes

1 pound backfin Blue crab meat or other lump crab meat
8 saltine crackers (or 2 slices white bread)
1 egg beaten
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp Worcestershire
1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
salt to taste


Combine all the ingredients EXCEPT the crab in a food processor and buzz until smooth. Pour out into a bowl and fold in the crab by hand, just until the mix holds together. The crab should be slightly broken up but not overworked. Form little cakes however big you want by hand (but they shouldn't be thicker than 1", ideally 3/4" thick) and then roll in Panko aka Japanese Bread Crumbs (any bread crumbs will work but panko is best) Chill for 1 hour. Fry in about an inch of oil until golden brown on both sides and drain on paper towels.

People freak out over these, and it's based on an old-school east coast recipe. No tricks here. We serve these with a yuzu aioli but just some mayo with a little bit of Old Bay and lemon juice mixed in works well too.

Post: #5

Gazpacho

6 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
½ cucumber, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ C EVO
2 T sherry vinegar
1 1/2 T salt
8 strawberries, hulled and chopped (optional)
1 T tarragon leaves (if using strawberries)

This is an awesome summer recipe. I highly recommend using the strawberries and tarragon even though it may sound weird. Couldn't be easier too; just blend everything together. Strain through a china cap or chinoise if you want a finer consistency. We garnish it with chopped marcona almonds and tiny little diced vegetables that are in the recipe (peppers, cucumbers, tomato, strawberry)

Post: #6

Tandoori Chicken Marinade
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 inch piece of ginger, chopped
1 C yogurt
1 lemon zest
3 T lemon juice
2 T champagne vinegar
1 tsp paprika
1T turmeric
1 fresno chili, no seeds
2 tsp garam masala (recipe follows)

Garam Masala
8 cardamom pods
2 dried bay leaves
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin seed
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 inch piece of cinnamon
1 tsp cloves

This is a recipe I've tweaked a few times, kind of a hodgepodge of many different tandoori recipes I've seen. Buzz everything in a food processor and let the chicken marinate in it overnight. Grill over charcoal or under a broiler until the chicken is cooked, it's pretty goddamn tasty stuff.

Post: #7

Could you broil the crab cakes instead of frying?

Nice recipes by the way. Much appreciated.

Post: #8

You could but it won't be the same. To broil, lightly oil the surface first and then put under a medium broiler until brown.

Post: #9

Thanks for sharing these great recipes.

I have an unrelated cooking question. I've recently been trying to get most of my protein from meat instead of protein supplements. So when I cook for the day, I would be cooking around 800g of meat.

When I cut all the meat up for stir fry in my iron wok, I have found that the amount of meat releases too much water, and my stove can't keep the wok hot enough to get a satisfactory Maillard reaction to happen.

I just tried boiling the meat quickly to get some of the water out first, but that's another step and one more pot to wash at the end.

Wondering if there are other tricks maybe I don't know? I suppose I could brown the meats in small batches....

Post: #10

Totally legit question, and a common frustration with household burners.

You really can't stir fry at home unless you have a wok burner and a proper ventilation system. You're just not going to get the same flavor that comes with that insanely high heat.

If you flash meat in a hot saute pan, it will contract the meat result in the release of its water. So what you could do is heat up a small amount of oil, smoking hot in a pan or wok, and get a batch of meat in there for literally 20 seconds, remove it, and set aside on a plate. Since that meat got a flash of heat, it's going to contract and then relax, releasing much of its water, but it should still be pretty rare depending on how you cut it. Do this in batches until you have all the meat flash-seared, clean out your wok and THEN start the stir fry recipe.

But that's a lot of work, something I personally wouldn't go for. Stir fried vegetables work well at home because they don't release their liquid as quickly as meat does. The heat from the pan evaporates the moisture faster than the vegetables can release it. But not so with meat. IMO you'd be better off getting a nice sear on a solid (not sliced) piece of meat, be it skirt steak, flank, flatiron, hangar, strip, and getting a nice crust and cooking it to medium rare. While that's resting, stir fry your veg. To serve, slice the steak thinly and toss with the veg. It's not true stir fry, and kind of a "French"-ified version, but you'd probably be happy with the results.

Post: #11

This is kind of an interesting recipe. A bit of work involved but very worth it. This is an adaptation I came up with for a very old Roman recipe that is thought to be the precursor to the modern day Tapenade, or olive paste. It calls for an herb called Rue, which was commonly used in ancient Roman cooking, but is rarely used today. There's a woman at the Hollywood Farmer's Market that has it if you ask for it; she doesn't advertise it. She's the only woman there that just sells herbs so you'll know it's her. It's got a very distinct flavor that tastes like a combination of sage and mint but totally different, and worth seeking out.

Green olive tapenade

1/2 leek, green part only
Sprig of rue
3 mint leaves
1 whole rib of celery
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
60ml olive oil
150g whole green olives, preferably castelvetrano (green cocktail olives will not be very good in this recipe. If you can't find castelvetranos look for lucques or other gourmet olives)
1 clove garlic
Pepper

Boil the leek greens in salted water until they are very tender, and then shock in ice water. Blend everything except the green olives in a blender to get a smooth consistency. Add olives and finish the mixture by pulsing the puree and olives together in a food processor, but not too much. The olives should still be somewhat chunky. This is awesome served with any kind of seared or grilled fish, but would be good with chicken as well. Would also be good just served on grilled toast with some fresh anchovies or a mild sheeps milk cheese.

Post: #12

@thedude

That's great! I'm surprised I didn't think of that. I actually had cooked whole steaks on the wok and they turned out really well. Didn't think of cooking a whole steak, cutting it up, and then stir frying the veggies. Thanks!

Post: #13

Great thread thedude3737. If you have a recipe for ratatouille/pisto, I'd love to see it.

Post: #14

(09-21-2013 07:40 PM)Art Pimp Wrote:  Great thread thedude3737. If you have a recipe for ratatouille/pisto, I'd love to see it.

While I've made many a ratatouille and pisto manchego, my preference for that type of thing goes toward sicilian Caponata. I've seen many versions of Caponata both here and in Italy; some being large and chunky, others pureed, and everything in between. I've seen some that are stewed, and others that are fried in batches in olive oil. I'm actually a huge fan of the fried-then-stewed method.

4 small japanese eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/4C olive oil
1 medium onion, medium dice
2 stalks celery, medium dice
3 large garlic cloves, sliced thinly
2 red bell peppers, medium diced
1 pound ripe tomatoes, crushed into chunks by hand (if you cant get good tomatoes, canned tomatoes work really well)
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped pitted green olives
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 T pine nuts
2 T dried currants

Heat up the olive oil in a pot until hot but not smoking. Fry the eggplant over medium high heat until it browns lightly. Add the rest of the ingredients, lower the heat to low/medium, cover with a lid, and simmer for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, check the consistency of the stew and the texture of the vegetables. Everything should be very tender and the stew should be thick. If it's watery, reduce it down until it thickens, it should be the consistency of a relish. Season with salt and pepper, and optionally add a few leaves of chiffonade mint at the very end.

Post: #15

Should be selling this shit on Amazon, yo

Post: #16

Just a warning:

Rue isn't readily sold because it is thought to induce abortion, and is also an unknown allergent for many people. If it touches your skin and then the skin is exposed to ultra-violet light, it can cause 'Lime Disease', including the risk of permanent pigmentation change in exposed areas:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytophotodermatitis

Post: #17

(09-22-2013 01:57 AM)AnonymousBosch Wrote:  Just a warning:

Rue isn't readily sold because it is thought to induce abortion

As if the flavor alone wasn't a good enough reason to use it, now I'm sold!

Post: #18

(09-22-2013 01:57 AM)AnonymousBosch Wrote:  Just a warning:

Rue isn't readily sold because it is thought to induce abortion, and is also an unknown allergent for many people. If it touches your skin and then the skin is exposed to ultra-violet light, it can cause 'Lime Disease', including the risk of permanent pigmentation change in exposed areas:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytophotodermatitis

Arruda! Never tasted it as a condiment but i've seen the tea and it does not smell well

Post: #19

I kinda feel left out.

Post: #20

Ranchero sauce recipe? I love the stuff on eggs, tortillas and carne asada.

Post: #21

(09-20-2013 08:56 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  Tandoori Chicken Marinade
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 inch piece of ginger, chopped
1 C yogurt
1 lemon zest
3 T lemon juice
2 T champagne vinegar
1 tsp paprika
1T turmeric
1 fresno chili, no seeds
2 tsp garam masala (recipe follows)

Garam Masala
8 cardamom pods
2 dried bay leaves
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin seed
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 inch piece of cinnamon
1 tsp cloves

This is a recipe I've tweaked a few times, kind of a hodgepodge of many different tandoori recipes I've seen. Buzz everything in a food processor and let the chicken marinate in it overnight. Grill over charcoal or under a broiler until the chicken is cooked, it's pretty goddamn tasty stuff.

Are these two different marinades? Also how many chicken breasts should I use? Also, can I use my ovens broil setting?

Post: #22

Never mind I got it!

Post: #23

(09-22-2013 12:20 PM)JimNortonFan Wrote:  Ranchero sauce recipe? I love the stuff on eggs, tortillas and carne asada.

Alright, not gonna lie, this one is a pain in the ass, but it's what we use at the hotel. Now looking at the recipe, break it down conceptually as follows:
Dried Chilies
Fresh Chilies/vegetables
Herbs/Spices

You want to re-hydrate the dried chilies in hot water for 1 hour.
Roast the fresh chilies and vegetables until well caramelized
Blend everything together with herbs, spices, and seasoning

So using that conceptual template you can formulate your own ranchera salsa. You don't need to use 4 different kinds of dried chilies like this recipe calls for. You can stick to arbol chilies if you want something strongly bitter and spicy. Dried chipotles are just smoked jalapenos, so that's your smoke flavor. Guajillos and Pasillas lend a bit more sweetness. But come up with your own dried chile combination as you see fit. You can make a simple ranchera salsa with simply arbol chilies, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and water. It's just going to be a little flat.

All that said, here's the recipe we use. It produces something like 2 quarts, so freeze whatever you don't use or just cut the recipe down by 1/2 or 1/4.

Salsa Ranchera “seis chiles”
Roma tomatoes 20 ea.
Poblano chiles 4 ea.
Onion 1 ea.
Jalapeno chiles (green or red) 4 ea.

Arbol chiles 6 ea.
Passilla chiles 6 ea.
Guajillo chiles 2 ea.
Chipotle chiles 2 ea.

Garlic cloves 2 ea.
Cumin, toasted and ground 1 tsp
Coriander, toasted and ground 1 tsp
Cilantro 1 bunch
Salt 3 T

Quarter the onion and separate the quarters into leaves. Split the poblano and Jalapeno chiles and remove the seeds. Lay the onions, chiles, and whole tomatoes in a roasting pan, coat with 1T grapeseed oil, and roast in a 400 degree oven. After 15 minutes, stir the roasting vegetables so they cook evenly. Repeat this every 15 minutes using a timer 5 more times, so there’s a total of 90 minutes cooking time. While the vegetables are cooking, clean the arbol, guajillo, passila chiles by cutting off the stem, splitting the flesh, and removing all the seeds. Stem the chipotle chiles and put all the dried chiles in a pan and cover by ½ inch of boiling water. Put a small plate on top to weigh down, and cover with plastic wrap.
Once the roasted vegetables are done, put them and their cooking juices in a blender and add the soaked dry chiles, the raw garlic, the toasted ground spices, the cilantro, and the salt. Add enough of the chile soaking liquid plus extra water if necessary and puree until smooth and proper consistency.

Post: #24

Sounds like a lot of work but delicious.

Dude, you seriously should consider:

Book
Website
Private classes
Your own TV show
Your own line of sauces, foods, etc.
Your own supply store
Your own restaurant
Two or more of the above in one place

Plenty of guys would buy to buy from a Red Pill guy, even blue pill guys would want to for reasons they can't quite grasp. Would give local fame and lots of $$$$.

Would watch a TV show about cooking with manosphere type dialog and I don't watch TV.

Post: #25

Thedude what about Thai curries. Is it possible to make with the pastes sold in the stores? I can't get the meat to taste like it does in a restaurant.