See Weed and Squeed

Plated Calamari and Hijiki Salad

Pickled Hijiki Salad

Fresh calamari is still around the local shops and it is cheap! Sometimes they’ve even cleaned it already for you. A great time saver as this can be an arduous and dirty process. Quick fried and tossed with a hijiki salad. You can kick up one from the seafood shop with some vinegar and spice or soak some dry hijiki and pickle it yourself. We used a hot and sour vinaigrette left from another dish. Let the calamari cool very slightly before tossing the salad. Serve immediately. Good Stuff!

 

Read Full Post »

Hot, Sweet, and Sticky

Plated hot and sour pork belly with garden fresh bells, asparagus, and peanuts.

Getting cold out. Let’s make it warm in. One belly of pork from the market cut into slices, chicharones style. Seasoned heavily with salt and pepper and browned in a dry pan. Cover with milk, a few leaves of rosemary, and one bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover and place in a 300 degree oven for two or three hours. Until tender yet firm enough to handle. Reserve liquor(we used it to make the rice and to season the vinaigrette.) Chill the bellies thoroughly. Slice into portions and crisp them in a 375 degree deep fryer. Bite size is the way to go. The dressing is simply a reduction of mirin, vinegar, hot sauce and stock, carefully balanced. Toss with any crisp vegetables and some scallion. Good Stuff!

Milk braised pork belly with their liquor in the background and hot and sour vinaigrette working screen right.

Read Full Post »

Fishin for the Blues

    Fresh fish right from the front yard! These bluefish offered fierce and determined resistance, but, alas, it was not enough. They made it to our plates through the deep fryer. Flour, batter, panko, hot oil. Good Stuff!

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Egg-cellent!

Scotch Eggs. A birthday treat for my wife’s brother.Hard-boiled eggs, wrapped in breakfast sausage, breaded, deep-fried, and served hot, warm , or cold?! They are a colossal pain in the kiester! In an effort to lighten(?) them a bit, we worked some sauteed onion and celery along with breadcrumb and egg into the raw pork sausage. Don’t know if they were any lighter than ordinary, but they were recieved as the “…best Scotch eggs I’ve ever had,” oh such Good Stuff!

Read Full Post »