Great Green Gobs of Guacamole - Avocado Soup with Shrimp

Have you ever had left over guacamole?  OK, I don't ever have any left over either.  But for the sake of argument, let's just say, hypothetically, that you did.  Wanna know something delicious you can make with left over guac?

A delectable cold Avocado soup which is even better when swirled with Creme Fraiche, dotted with Shrimp and sprinkled with Chives.  Sounds pretty good doesn't it?  Yeah, I thought so too, so I actually had to make a 2nd a batch of Guacamole just so I could make this quick and simple soup.  (Cause the other full batch didn't survive)  Honestly, it worked out better, since I dropped the Tabasco and Cumin from this second batch. 

Chilled Avocado Soup

1 cup Guacamole (about 1/2 batch, minus the Cumin and Tabasco)
1 1/4 cup Buttermilk
4 oz Ice Water
8 oz Clam Juice
1 TB Lime Juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
Creme Fraiche
Sauteed Shrimp
Chives

Simply place the Guacamole, Buttermilk, Ice Water, Clam Juice and Lime Juice in the blender.

Puree until smooth.

Pour into bowls and swirl with Creme Fraiche, then place sauteed Shrimp on top.

Sprinkle with Chives if desired.

Mangia!!
~~

Wordless Wednesday - Shrimp Étouffée

(Click Pic)

Mangia!!
~~

Gettin' Sauced, Again - Sauce Nantua

I realize I am one of the few food bloggers who is not posting something about St. Partick's day.  I also realize, now, that the holiday sort of snuk up on me, and I have not prepared my traditional Guinness dessert this year.  Oops!

So I am going to post about something completely off the topic of the day, even though I am "putting the horse before the cart" on this one.  But I gotta tell ya, it was SO unbelievably delicious that I had to post about it before it graces the Mahi Mahi Mousseline tomorrow.  I am talking about a sauce, of course.  But oh what a sauce it is!  And I have Laura Calder to thank for this saucy revelation.

OK, it's not a complete revelation... I've had Bisque de Crevettesis (Shrimp Bisque) before, which is made by puréeing shrimp, but it was enlightening to find out that there is a sauce made in the same way as Shrimp Bisque.  It makes sense that there would be, but I guess I had just never put it together.   Well, I am glad she connected the dots for me, cause this sauce is so delicious, I could swim in it.

Sauce Nantua

2 TB Unsalted Butter
2 Shallots, thinly sliced
1 medium Carrot, finely diced
8 oz raw Shrimp, shell on (no heads), rough chop (Whole Crayfish are traditionally used)
2 TB Cognac
1/2 cup White Wine
1 1/2 cups Fish Stock
1 Bay Leaf (2 if they are small)
1 spring of Thyme
2 tsp Tomato Paste
1/2 tsp Sweet Paprika
a pinch of Cayenne Pepper
1 cup Heavy Cream
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Melt the Butter in a saute pan set over medium heat.

Add Shallot and Carrot and saute for about 2-4 minutes.

Add chopped Shrimp and saute until they turn bright pink (about 3 minutes)

Deglaze the pan with Cognac.

Add White Wine and Fish Stock, then bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and add Bay Leaf, Thyme, Tomato Paste, Paprika and Cayenne Pepper.

Simmer the sauce for 30 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and fish out the Bay leaf and the Thyme sprig.

Move the contents of the Saute Pan into your blender (shells and all - Don't freak out, it's good trust me)

Blend until smooth. (about 3-5 minutes)
Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean sauce pan (See I told you it would be OK)

Dispose of the solids and place the sauce  pan over medium heat.

Stir in the Heavy Cream and simmer the sauce until it thickens slightly.

Season with Kosher Salt and Pepper.
Serve over your favorite fish, such as Cod, Sole, Flounder or Tilapia.

I will be serving it over Mahi Mahi Mousseline tomorrow (mousseline, for all intensive purposes, is sort of a baked mousse)

It's like adding the flavor of the ocean to your plate.  It's rich and creamy.... unctuously delicious... and just plain wicked good.

Mangia!!
~~

Thai'ing Up Loose Ends - Curried Shrimp Lasagna

I realize I kind of left everyone hanging after my last post regarding Thai Curry Paste.  I have finally had a few moments for finish reducing photos, so here is why I was making Curry Paste.

I have often stated that Lasagna is the worlds most perfect food.  That cleverly layered mix of Tomato sauce, Béchamel, Pasta, Ricotta, Mozzarella and Spinach/Arugula/Chard is the magnum opus of the kitchen.

Little did I know that lasagna could be even more "perfecter" than it already was.

Enter the Thai Curry Paste.

Oh yes my friends, unorthodox though it may be... When you combine a Béchamel made from Coconut milk and a little Curry paste, layer it with Shrimp, Pasta and Ricotta that has been spiked with Galangal and Kaffir lime.  It's Nirvana in a casserole dish.  Seriously, Botticelli's "Madonna of the Magnificat" weeps with joy.

Curried Shrimp Lasagna

3 TB Butter
1 TB Fish Sauce
2 TB Red Curry Paste
3 TB AP Flour
2 cans Coconut Milk
15 oz Whole Milk Ricotta
1 inch Galangal, grated
3 Kaffir Lime leaves, finely slices (or the zest of 1 Kaffir lime)
8 oz Mozzarella, shredded; divided
12 oz Lasagna noodles
1 TB Sesame Oil
1 lb Bay Shrimp (I used precooked this time, but raw works just as well)
2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
(This works equally well with Green Curry Paste and Chicken)

OK, so first we need to start the Thai Béchamel.....
Melt 3 TB Butter in a medium sauce pan set over medium flame.

In a small ramekin, combine the Fish sauce and the Curry paste while the butter is melting.

Once the butter is melted, add the Flour, continuing to cook the roux until it just begins to smell nutty.

Add the Coconut Milk and whisk until everything is well combined.

Whisk in the curry paste mixture, then continue cooking until the sauce begins to bubble and thicken (about 15 minutes)

Meanwhile, bring a tea kettle full of water to a boil.
Lay out the lasagne noodles in a baking dish and pour the boiling water over them, letting them set for about 10 minutes until the begin soften.

While the lasagne are softening, and the Béchamel is continuing to cook, grab a medium bowl and add the Ricotta, 4 oz of the Mozzarella, Galangal and the Kaffir lime, stirring to combine....

(Don't forget the Galangal, like I did... oops)

By now the Béchamel should be thickened, so remove it from the flame and allow to cool for 10 minutes.....
While you remove the now slightly bendable pasta from the water and lay it out on paper towels.

Rub down your 13 x 9 baking dish with a little Sesame oil.

OK, now you are ready for construction, but before you begin...  Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
Spoon about 1/4 of the sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and spread it out.

 Lay down your noodles.

Spread 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles.

Scatter about 1/2 of the shrimp over the Ricotta mixture.

Spoon just enough Béchamel over the Shrimp to cover them.

Add another layer of noodles and repeat (Like washing your hair.... Ricotta, Shrimp, Béchamel, repeat)

Again, cover the last layer of Shrimp and Béchamel with another layer of Pasta. (To recap - Béchamel, Pasta, Ricotta, Shrimp, Béchamel, Pasta, Ricotta, Shrimp, Béchamel, Pasta)
And finally, cover that last layer of Pasta with the remaining Béchamel.

Sprinkle the top with the remaining 4 oz of Mozzarella and the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes (Be sure to put a sheet pan underneath, cause Lasagna ALWAYS stews over)

Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking to get a nice golden brown crust on the cheese topping.

Let it set for at least 15 minutes before cutting into it.

Serve with Gewurztraminer or Riesling.

Mangia!!
~~

Spanish Fare with Italian Flair - Paella Coast to Coast

Cooking Coast to Coast part 2

The Dish today was originally Paella a la Valenciana.

This was an interesting recipe for me in many ways. My approach kept changing. In the beginning I was cooking not only for people who, for religious reasons, cannot eat pork, but also for people who were allergic to seafood. (sigh) As a result, it became a very Chicken-centric dish…

Then as people canceled, I was suddenly able to add pork, (Yay!) but still no seafood (Aw!). With the pork ban lifted, I started hunting for Spanish Chorizo. This presented other issues.

Let's face it, San Diego is awesome for Mexican cooking ingredients; not so great for actual Spanish items though. In the end, I decided to just simply give up and cook what I know... Jamón Serrano became Speck; the Chorizo became Hot Italian Sausage; and the Chicken.... Well, it stayed chicken; and sans ANY seafood.

Then another person canceled and the seafood was back on... SO, with half the ocean in tow... I made a somewhat Italian-esque concoction, even though I DID finally find "Paella Rice" (although I have my doubts, since the bag doesn't actually say what kind of rice it is)

The best part about the Paella is the "socarrat" that forms on the bottom. This is similar to the Grossmutter that forms in the bottom of a fondue pot. Although in this case, instead of crispy caramelized cheese, it's crispy caramelized rice.... YUM!!!! I am SO looking forward to that.

AND I even found a Paella pan. Which was totally AWESOME!!

Because neither my cast iron nor copper skillets were big enough. Paella pans have fairly low sides; as the amount of paella you are making increases, the diameter of the pan increases. Mine has an aluminum core, which I guess is OK, but from what I have read, simple Carbon Steel is the preferred material.

Paella a la Valenciana (alla Italiano?)

Here is the recipe we used, with my changes in Parenthesis... As far as instructions, I have changed them according to what I did, replaced the ingredients... For the original ingredient list and instructions, check out Paella a la Valenciana

Servings: 6-8

6 cups of very strong chicken Stock (4 cups Chicken, 2 cups Vegetable Stock)
1/2 tsp of Saffron threads (Kashmiri not Spanish)
1/4 tsp of Smoked Spanish Paprika
1 small onion, peeled and cut in half

Heat the broth with the saffron, smoked Paprika and the whole onion.

Cover and simmer 15 – 20 minutes.

Remove the onion and strain the broth -- you need exactly 5-1/2 cups.


2 small chickens, about 2-1/2 lbs each (2 1/2 lbs of Chicken Thighs)
1/2 cup dry white wine (Soave – but would have preferred Pummelo or Dancing Bull Sauvignon Blanc)
1/2 cup olive oil (Sicilian Olive oil)
1/4 lb of cooking chorizo, in 1/4 inch slices (Hot Italian Sausage)
1/4 lb piece jamón serrano ham, diced (Speck – Smoked Prosciutto)
1 medium onion, chopped (1 Large Shallot)
4 scallions, chopped (1 Leek)
4 tbsp chopped garlic
2 roasted piquillo peppers (Roasted Red Bell pepper)
1 lb small or medium shrimp, shelled (1 lb Jumbo Shrimp, Cleaned & Peeled but with tail-on)
2 (Optional) Live lobsters, boiled, split and divided into tail sections and claws; discard or keep the head and small claws; or (Nope)
4 (Optional) Lobster tails, split lengthwise; (Nope)
8 (Optional) King crab claws; or (Nope)
8 jumbo shrimp, in their shells, preferably heads on; or (Nopity, Nopity, No)
2 North Atlantic Lobster tails, split Lengthwise.. (Yeppers)
3 cups Bomba or Calasparra rice or other short grain Spanish rice (Mine just said "Paella Rice")
5 tbsp chopped Italian Flat-Leaf parsley
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1/4 lb fresh or frozen peas
18 clams and/or mussels, scrubbed (16 mussels, 8 clams)
Lemon wedges for garnish (Meyer Lemon Wedges)
Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley for garnish

OK, I sliced, diced and chopped everything this time, which I normally don't do, cause I usually kind of wing it a little... There was a lot of stuff on this one and everything happens very quick, I was glad I was fully prepared this time....

Dry the chicken thighs with paper towels and season with salt.

Begin reheating the stock with the wine added to it.

In a metal Paella pan, with about a 15 inch base, heat the oil.

Add the chicken thighs and fry over high heat until golden; then remove to a warm platter.

Add the Italian sausage and speck to the pan and stir fry about 5 minutes.

Add the chopped Shallot, Leek, Garlic, and Roasted Red pepper and saute until the Shallot is wilted.

Add the Shrimp and the Lobster and saute about 3 minutes more, or until the shrimp and lobster barely turn pink (the lobster will cook more in the oven.) then remove the shrimp and lobster to the platter with the chicken.

Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat it well with the oil.

Sprinkle in the 5 TB of chopped parsley and the crumbled bay leaves.

Stir in the hot chicken stock/Wine, peas and salt to taste, then bring to a boil and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, over medium high heat about 10 minutes.

Bury the shrimp and the chicken in the rice.
Add the clams and the mussels, pushing them into the rice, with the edge that will open facing up and place the lobster pieces on, cut side down, then bake at 325 F, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let sit on top of the stove, lightly covered with foil, for about 10 minutes.

To serve, decorate with lemon wedges and chopped parsley. Oh, and I threw a pre-cooked Crayfish (crawdad) on top, just for fun... A tribute to Jambalaya if you will (even though it isn't Italian)

I had to cook mine a little longer... 15 minutes longer to be exact.
I removed the mussels, clams, chicken and lobster and put the rice back in because it was still crunchy after the initial 20 minutes.... and even with the extra time, some of it was still a little crunchy, while other portions had become gummy. More like a badly made risotto than a paella. Which kind of makes me wonder about the rice I was using. The most disheartening thing though, was that I didn't any "socarrat" on the bottom of my pan... :(
I was SO looking forward to that. (sigh) Oh well.

Then again, it's a first try... so we shall see what happens when I try again. Oh yes, let there be NO doubt about that. I am gonna try it again. Sans seafood though, cause it gets a little spendy. But it WAS definitely still tasty even if the texture was questionable. Which only proves the point (Never fear the kitchen, even a "disaster" is more than likely still edible) Although I have discovered that, while I love mussels, I am not fond of mussels and saffron together... Clams, Yes... Scallops, Yes... Mussels, not so much...

Regardless of my somewhat mixed emotions over this dish, I had promised people food. So I boxed everything up.

And put it all in my Thermal Carrier for delivery. ;)


As of yet, I have only heard that it does not survive reheating very well. Mostly because of the seafood.


For many more Paella Permutations, check out what my bloggin' BakeSpace buddies all came up with. Inspiration is just a click away.

Just click a pictures below: (the blog links will take you to their most current posts)

Spryte from Spryte's Place in Pennsylvania


Michele from My Italian Grandmother in Jersey


Danielle from Cooking for my Peace of Mind in California (with Guest Blogger, Cathy in Minnesota)


Moni from Alaskan Dermish in the Kitchen in, well, Alaska of course


And Martha in upstate New York


Mangia!!
~~