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Feeling Fishy – Try These Classic Fish and Chips

Fish and chips is one of those meals that you probably have at certain restaurants or pubs but never really think about making yourself. The problem with fish and chips is that you may get some that taste really good when you are out and you feel like you can never duplicate that at home or that you get some that are really bad and it can turn you off from them altogether. Add on to the problems by knowing that make fish and chips can be a bit laborious and messy, leading to a big clean up and a whole lot of oil that you need to try to get rid of. We like fish and chips in our house but I do not make them often quite simply because it is a lot of work and a lot of cleanup, even if I use the deep fryer to make them. However, with Michelle away on business, Sean asking me about them and me finding some really nice looking cod on my visit to Hudson Valley Seafood, it all led up to me taking out the deep fryer and trying this Craig Claiborne recipe from the New York Times for fish and chips.

Classic Fish and Chips

For the Beer Batter:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon corn, peanut or vegetable oil

1 large egg, separated

¾ cup beer at room temperature

¼ cup warm water

Salt to taste, if desired

For the Chips:

12 to 16 Idaho potatoes, about 4 pounds

Fat or oil for deep-frying

For the Fish:

4 skinless, firm-fleshed white fish fillets (such as cod), about 1 1/2 pounds

Tartar Sauce, for serving

Lemon wedges, for serving

Put the flour in a mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Put the oil and egg yolk in the well. Add the beer, stirring with a wire whisk. Stir in the warm water and the salt. Cover the bowl and let the batter stand for an hour or longer in a warm place.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into sticks that resemble french fries. Each stick should measure about half an inch thick, half an inch wide and two inches long. As the potatoes are cut, drop the sticks into cold running water. There should be about eight cups of potato sticks.

Meanwhile, cut the fish crosswise into pieces about five inches long and set them aside.

When you are ready to cook, drain the potatoes well and pat them dry.

Heat the oil to 325 degrees in a deep fryer; this heat is for preliminary cooking. Add the potato sticks and let them cook for about four minutes or slightly less. The sticks will not yet be browned and crisp. Lift them from the fat and drain them on paper towels.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Return the potatoes to the deep fryer and cook them until they are crisp and golden brown, about two to three minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oil and drain them on paper towels.

Beat the egg white until it is stiff and fold it into the batter.

Reduce the heat of the fat in the deep fryer to 360 degrees.

Dip one piece of fish fillet at a time in the batter, then drop it into the oil. Cook two or three pieces at a time but don’t crowd the cooker. Cook the fish until one batch is crisp and golden brown, about three minutes, then remove the pieces of fish and drain them on paper towels. Continue the cooking process until you have cooked all the fish and the pieces are done.

Serve the hot fish with the potatoes. In England, fish and chips are traditionally served with a bottle of vinegar – preferably malt vinegar – and salt to be sprinkled on both the fish and potatoes. You can also serve them with tartar sauce (homemade or store-bought) and lemon wedges, if desired.

I chose to try this recipe because it seemed to be the most basic to follow and looked like it would turn out good results. I cut the recipe in half since I was making this for just two of us and it was plenty of fish and chips for two. I used a basic lager for the beer but you could use any type of beer you want. Just remember certain flavors and stronger beers will leave a stronger taste to the batter so you want to consider what you are using. The chips came out perfectly, nicely browned with good flavor and bite to them. The fish was also great and Sean and I really liked the batter. It was perfectly crisp and had good flavor and he fish was cooked well, nice and moist and flavorful. I’m not going to lie – the clean up was a bit of a pain, but it was worth the effort to do this once in a while to make a really nice meal that you may not have that often.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 23, 2016 in Potatoes, Seafood

Tags: classic fish and chips, Craig Claiborne fish and chips', fish and chips, fish and chips in the deep fryer, Hudson Valley Seafood, New York Times Cooking

Steak and Summer Go Hand in Hand – Sirloin Steak with Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

13 Aug

There are always some meals that I immediately associate with the summer. Naturally people think a lot about things like hamburgers and hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato salad, watermelon and all of the great summer fruits and vegetables you can get. One of the things I always associate with summer is steak. Even though I made steak throughout the year and I don’t even have a grill to use, the idea of grilling a nice piece of steak is something I love. Since I need to do next best around here, I very often use one of my grill pans when making steak to get that same feeling. As much as I love steak, the price keeps me from buying it too often. Every once in a while I will treat us to a rib eye steak for dinner or a New York strip, but that’s about it and only if they are on sale. When I last went to the farmers’ market here in Monroe, I picked up a meat package from Bishop Farms, a farm out of Fulton, NY that offers some great beef, pork, lamb, chicken and more that are all-natural, no steroids and antibiotics. I had purchased a few things from them before and got a package of ground beef, short ribs, beef kebabs and sirloin steaks that looked awesome. I decided to make one of the sirloin steaks the other night and used this recipe from Martha Stewart to make a quick and easy meal.

Sirloin Steak with Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus wedges for serving

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large sirloin steak (about 1 1/2 pounds and 1 inch thick), trimmed and cut into 4 equal portions

1 pound red new potatoes, halved (quartered if large)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds asparagus, trimmed

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Place the mustard mixture in a resealable plastic bag. Add the steaks, and rub the steaks to coat them well. Let the steaks marinate at room temperature for about 10 minutes or refrigerate them for up to 1 day.

On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Roast the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then add the asparagus to the sheet pan and toss them with another tablespoon of the olive oil. Season the asparagus with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables until the potatoes and asparagus are tender, about 15 minutes more.

While the vegetables are roasting, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or grill pan over high heat. Remove the steaks from the marinade, allowing any excess to drip off. Cook the steaks for about 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. If the pan darkens quickly, reduce the heat. Let the steaks rest for about 5 minutes. Serve the steaks with the vegetables or slice the steaks into thin slices and serve over the vegetables on a large platter. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

It’s a very simple recipe that comes out nicely. I used Yukon gold potatoes in my recipe because that is what I had on hand to go with the asparagus. I chose to keep the steak as one large steak and then slice it after it rested, but you could certainly do whatever is best for you. The steak was perfectly cooked and the marinade was quite nice with the mustard and garlic. The marinade would be good on other things like chicken or lamb, but I think I might add a touch of soy sauce to it next time to really boost up the flavor. The whole meal only takes about 30 to 40 minutes to cook, which is great for a weeknight and if you have a grill you could easily do it all outside without having to heat up the house.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 13, 2016 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Potatoes, Vegetables

Tags: Bishop Farms, Bishop Farms Fulton NY, Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart sirloin steak, roasted asparagus, roasted potatoes, roasted potatoes and asparagus, sirloin steak, sirloin steak recipe, sirloin steak with roasted potatoes and asparagus

50 Easy Weeknight Summer Dinners, So You Can Relax – Bon Appétit

22 Jul

It’s summer and it’s hot out so avoiding the elaborate dinner becomes almost a necessity for most of us. Bon Appetit is here to help you out with 50 easy weeknight summer dinners so you don’t have to slave in the kitchen to have a good meal. Check it out!

Source: 50 Easy Weeknight Summer Dinners, So You Can Relax – Bon Appétit

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Posted by MikeG on July 22, 2016 in Beef, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Grilling, One Pot Meals, Pasta, Picnic Fare, Pork, Potatoes, Poultry, Produce, Rice, Salad, Sandwiches, Sausage, Seafood, Slow Cooker Meals, Stir Fry, Vegetables

Tags: 50 easy weeknight summer dinners, Bo Appetit 50 easy weeknight summer dinners, bon appetit, dinners to make when it's hot, easy weeknight summer dinners, summertime easy dinners

Whipping Up Some Whiskey Glazed Steak with Grilled Potatoes

07 Jul

If you are a meat-eater then steak is probably at the top of your list of foods that you love to have for dinner. We love steak in our house and while we each seem to have our favorite cuts (Michelle loves New York strip, Sean likes London broil and I like Rib-Eye) just about any type of steak can do really well for a meal if it’s prepared correctly. The big problem with steak of course is that it tends to be very expensive. I try to get it on sale when I can and make the most of some of the less-expensive, lower cuts of meat and make them work, which is why London broil can be such a great choice. If you prepare it right it can be just as tender as any other steak and it costs much less than what you will pay for tenderloin, rib-eye, strip steak or sirloin. Very often when I see steak recipes that I really like I look for ways to adapt it for lesser cuts of beef. That is what I did with this recipe from Guy Fieri of Food Network. The original recipe calls for flat-iron steaks, which can be kind of pricey around here. I decided to give it a try with a London broil I got on sale instead to see how it would come out. Also, since I don’t have a grill to cook everything outside, I had to break out my trust cast-iron grill pan for this one. I think it did just fine.

Whiskey Glazed Steak with Grilled Potatoes

1/2 cup whiskey, such as Jack Daniels ( I used Maker’s Mark myself, but whatever you have is good)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Four 8-ounce flat-iron steaks, filet mignon steaks or other cut of steak ( I used a 2 pound London broil)
1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

If you are cooking on a grill, pre-heat a grill to medium-high heat. Whisk together the whiskey, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil and the garlic. Add the steak, turn a few times to coat the steak with the marinade and let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, quarter each potato lengthwise to form wedges and put them in a medium pot. Cover the potatoes with cold water to cover by 1-inch and add salt until the water tastes like sea water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes well and toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Remove the steak from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. Pour the marinade into a small pot and bring it to a boil. Boil the marinade for 2 to 3 minutes until it is slightly reduced, making sure the sugar does not burn, to make a glaze and sauce for the steak.

Grill the steaks until an internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer reads about 130 degrees F, 3 to 4 minutes per side, brushing with the boiled marinade several times in the last few minutes of grilling time. If you are cooking the filet mignon steaks or another cut of steak , you will need to increase your cooking time to account for the thicker cut of the meat. For the London broil, I cooked it for about 6 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer the steak to a large plate to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. While the steaks grill, add the potatoes to the grill and grill until they are well-marked and crispy, turning to grill all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the potato wedges to a bowl.

Toss the grilled potatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the chives, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Remove the garlic cloves from the remaining glaze and serve it drizzled over the steaks with the potatoes on the side.

Since I used my grill pan, I did the steak first and while it rested I put the potatoes on to grill them up. The glaze for the steak is a little on the sweet side and there is definite dominant flavor of the whiskey so if that’s not your thing the glaze might not be for you. However, I loved the flavor it imparted onto the steak and everyone else seem to really enjoy it as well. The potatoes were the big hit, with all of them getting gobbled up right away. The London broil worked out quite well with this dish so I think you could easily substitute in whatever cut of steak you prefer here to fit the recipe. I served it with some fresh green beans, sautéed onions and corn on the cob to round out the meal.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on July 7, 2016 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Potatoes

Tags: food network, grilled potatoes, Guy Fieri whiskey glazed steak, whiskey glazed flat iron steak, whiskey glazed steak recipe, whiskey glazed steak with grilled potatoes

The Perfect Side Dish – Hasselback Potato Skillet Bake

26 Jun

Side dishes don’t necessarily get a lot of love from people when it comes to the meal, especially during the week when you may be in a bit more of a rush to get a meal on the table for dinner. It’s really easy to just throw a few potatoes in the microwave or use some instant or quick rice and frozen vegetables to complete your meal. I very often use frozen vegetables myself because they are quick, easy and can very often taste just as good as fresh for certain things. When it comes to having some type of starch with a meal though, I want to go beyond the basic baked potato, instant rice or french fries. That is why making this dish can be the perfect compromise. Hasselback potatoes seem all the rage over the last year or so and you can find lots of different recipes and variations on them, but this one I found at Food52 seemed to be the right one for me.

Hasselback Potato Skillet Bake

6 to 8 baby Yukon Gold potatoes (any long and narrow waxy heirloom will work), based on the skillet size you use

8 tablespoons butter, melted

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons finely minced herbs (I used parsley and thyme.)

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Scrub the potatoes thoroughly and remove all the hard bits from the skin since the skins will be left on.

Slice one thin layer off each potato, along the length, then set it aside. This serves as a solid base to rest on while you slice the potatoes. Place a potato flat side-down and use a sharp knife to make slices that are about 1/8-inch apart; slice into the potato but not completely through it — the slices should stay connected at the bottom. (Tip: Place a chopstick on either side of the potato so that you hit the chopstick before slicing all the way through.) Carefully fan out the sliced pieces without breaking them apart. Repeat with each potato.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic, and minced herbs. Set the mixture aside.

Using a pastry brush, brush the bottom and the sides of a cast iron skillet and each potato with the garlic-herb butter mixture. Brush the potatoes generously, making sure to get in-between each slice. Reserve 1/3 of the garlic-herb butter for basting. Nestle the potatoes into the skillet. Sprinkle the potatoes with Parmesan cheese, if using, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Bake for 1 hour — basting the potatoes every 15 minutes with the remaining garlic-herb butter — or until the potatoes are tender on the inside and crisp on the outside.

They are very easy to make whenever you might want them. It might take a little practice in cutting through the potatoes to make sure you don’t go all the way through so you can get that nice, fanned look from the potatoes and they cook well on the inside. You get a really great, crisp outside of the potatoes while still having the creamy potato center you like. I have found these can go well with any type of main dish – steak, pork chops, chicken, lamb – and you can pop them in the oven alongside of whatever protein you are making and they will be done at around the same time. If you have any leftovers, slice them all the way through and you can have great potatoes to have with a breakfast of eggs, sausage and bacon or some hash.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on June 26, 2016 in Breakfast, Cooking, Dinner, Potatoes, Side Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegetables

Tags: Food52, Food52 Hasselback potato skillet bake, Hasselback potato recipe, Hasselback potato skillet bake, Hasselback potatoes, potato side dish recipes

45 Memorial Day Side Recipes – Bon Appétit

26 May

Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner and that means picnics, cookouts and parties start to kick in for the summer. If you are planning your Memorial Day weekend meals now or are going to a party and want to bring something, Bon Appetit has 45 ideas for all kinds of salads, slaws, pickles and all kinds of fantastic side dishes that can be perfect for you. Check it out!

Source: 45 Memorial Day Side Recipes – Bon Appétit

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Posted by MikeG on May 26, 2016 in Appetizers, Beans, Condiments, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Dressings, Pantry, Pasta, Picnic Fare, Potatoes, Produce, Rice, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetables

Tags: 45 Memorial Day side recipes, Barbecue side dishes, bon appetit, Bon Appetit 45 side dish recipes, Memorial Day side recipes, side dishes for cookouts, side dishes for Memorial Day, side dishes for picnics

Cinco de Mayo Taco Recipes – Bon Appétit

05 May

Tacos make a a great dinner any night of the year. They are full of flavor, use fresh ingredients and are pretty easy to make. You can also use any type of protein you like best or go with just vegetables and still have a great dinner. Since today is Cinco de Mayo, it seems like as good a day as any to check out these 25 taco recipes put together by Bon Appetit. You’ll find everything you need to know or want to try right here so you can have a Cinco de Mayo dinner tonight or just have a good taco recipes on hand any time you feel like one. Check it out!

Source: Cinco de Mayo Taco Recipes – Bon Appétit

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Posted by MikeG on May 5, 2016 in Beans, Beef, Breakfast, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Grilling, One Pot Meals, Pork, Potatoes, Poultry, Produce, Rice, Sandwiches, Sausage, Seafood, Turkey, Vegetables

Tags: 25 taco recipes, bon appetit, Bon Appetit 25 taco recipes, Cinco de Mayo recipes, Cinco de Mayo taco recipes, taco recipes, tacos anytime

31 Flavorful Rubs, Brines, and Marinades Slideshow – Bon Appétit

30 Apr

Everyone gets tired of having the same old thing when it comes to chicken, pork chops, steak or fish. A great way to change things up without going crazy is to use a brine, rub or marinade. They can add great flavor to anything you are cooking and make even your most regular meal seem extraordinary. Bon Appetit has put together 31 recipes for different rubs, brines and marinades that you can try. Check it out!

Source: 31 Flavorful Rubs, Brines, and Marinades Slideshow – Bon Appétit

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Posted by MikeG on April 30, 2016 in Beef, Condiments, Cooking, Cooking Tips, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Herbs, Lamb, Pantry, Pork, Potatoes, Poultry, Produce, Rice, Sausage, Seafood, Side Dishes, Soups & Stews, Spices, Stir Fry, Turkey, Vegetables

Tags: 31 flavorful rubs brines and marinades, Bon Appetit 31 rubs, brine recipes.marinades, rub recipes, rubs and marinades for meat

easter recipes Recipes – NYT Cooking

21 Mar

Easter is less than a week away and if you are planning on hosting Easter dinner this year, you want to have some good recipe ideas on what to make. NYT Cooking has put together everything you might be interested in making this year, from ham to lam to side dishes, brunch recipes, desserts,what to do with those hard-boiled eggs and much more. Check it out!

Source: easter recipes Recipes – NYT Cooking

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Posted by MikeG on March 21, 2016 in Appetizers, Breads, Breakfast, Brunch, Cakes, Candy, Cookies, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dessert, Dinner, Dressings, Eggs, Fruit, Holidays, Lamb, Pie, Pork, Potatoes, Produce, Salad, Seafood, Side Dishes, Vegetables

Tags: Easter brunch recipes, Easter dessert ideas, Easter dinner, Easter recipes, Easter side dishes, ham recipes, Ideas on what to make for Easter, lamb recipes, Making Easter dinner, NYT Cooking

Breakfast Recipes – NYT Cooking

20 Mar

Even though everyone tells you breakfast is the most important meal of the day, many of us end up skipping breakfast because we feel too rushed, too tired and just want something easy to start the day. That might be excuse for most of us during the week, but on the weekends it can be your time to relax and have a good breakfast with the family. NYT Cooking has put together all kinds of great breakfast recipes so you can make different pancakes, eggs, smoothies, frittatas, breakfast sandwiches and more for everyone to enjoy. Take an idea and make something this morning. Check it out!

Source: Breakfast Recipes – NYT Cooking