21 Days (pt2) Wickedly Delicious Shrimp & Pancetta Pomodoro

"I got in 10# or so of pancetta for you to play with. Have fun!"
Hhhmmmmm...

4# of cubed & rendered pancetta later I'm wondering what to do with a quart of Bacon Bits Deluxe and and the reserved fat. I LOVE a quick fresh tomato basil sauce with extra virgin olive oil and the rendered pancetta fat seemed an excellent substitute for the EVOO, but I kinda wanted to take it to the next level. The fat was still good and hot but cooling...

"You've got 20# of shrimp just came in, too..."

Then this happened:

Yup, that's a baker's dozen worth of sliced lemons infusing the pancetta fat for an hour or so in a nice warm spot on the back of the stove. In the meantime, I very roughly pulsed 2 quarts of grape tomatoes in a food processor, did a fine chiffonade of fresh basil, and gathered up some fresh chopped garlic, salt & pepper. I ran the lemonfat through colander, gently pressing on the lemon pulp to harvest as much flavor as possible and in doing so released a heady and intoxicating aroma that had me momentarily woozy not unlike catching the vapor from booze deglazing a saute' pan. 

With all my mise en place, I grabbed a couple of good saute pans and a squeeze bottle of Annointing Oil to supplement the fat and cranked up the fire on the stove top. Were I serving this by the plate I would make the sauce in the pan with the shrimp as needed, but this was for a quick-fire buffet so I started by splitting the 3c of infused fat between the pans and adding about a 1/4c of oil to each bringing it all to just the edge of smokepoint. Once good and hot I kill the fire for just long enough to add 1 quart of the cherry tomatoes to each pan and toss them several times to coat everything well. The heat and rolling sizzle will emulsify the oil and tomatoes. Then I turned the flames back on, medium heat, and added 3tbls of crushed garlic to each pan as well as splitting the cooked pancetta between them. 

I reduced the flames to low and let this simmer briefly, to stew the garlic and pancetta a bit and end up with: 

In this case, I finished everything by tossing together roasted shrimp, basil chiffonade, and this sauce with just a bit of salt & pepper. 

5 Star Sacrilicious Rating

21 Days (pt1) Caldo 21 & The Smoked Chicken Bar-B-Jus

A LOT can happen in 3 weeks. Thankfully, I took a few pictures...

Occasionally, we'll do whole smoked chickens and pull the meat for BBQ. This here is 21 of those carcasses, and about 7 pounds of aromatics (onions, carrots, celery, garlic, jalapeno, tomato, herbs, random bits and pieces, etc.) tossed in the oven together for a bit, then scraped off into the biggest pot I could scrounge up (about 20-25 gallons) and filled to the brim with cold water. That Saturday afternoon before I left for the day I put it over a steady bit of fire until the barest of simmers began. In as dainty a manner as could be achieved (I struggle to maintain my girlish figure at 6'4", 370#) I transferred the pot to the top of our char-grill (like the song says "...beans don't burn on the grill. Took a whole lottta tryin'..."), turned the dial to low heat, and walked away.

The above picture is what remained at the end of the next day, a little thing I like to call Caldo 21. I use a very similar stock when I make Little Stevie's Ass-kickin' Wicked Chicken Elixir during the cold and flu season, but once I tasted the way the smoke played into the flavor I knew that this stock was destined (DESTINED!!!) for something greater. So began one of the Great Labors of Stevecles, The Clarification of the Smoked Chicken Stock.

The first part was simple. Gently,(any disturbance in the Force at this point just muddles the clarity) separating the solids from the liquid and transferring it (the liquid) to vessels for cold storage, the wider the better. I used two, six inch deep, full hotel pans. Chilling the stock this way overnight allowed bits to settle to the bottom and the fat to rise to the top and solidify in an easily removable "sheet". The stock underneath the fat layer had achieved a nice jello-like consistency, making it much easier to separate from the sediment that had settled in the bottom of the pans. With roughly 5 gallons of chicken-jello on hand, the next stage of the journey was ready to begin.

Back into a pot goes the chicken-jello!
Back onto the fire goes the pot of chicken-jello!
Back to a simmer does rise the heat of the pot of chicken-jello!
Back to the back corner of the stove goes the pot of simmering chicken-jello, now bubbly and liquefied!
Aback was I taken at the sight of my sadly still too cloudy stock!

Now, it had been many moons since I'd clarified stock to the degree which I desired, and the occult mysteries of using egg whites/albumen/ground protein "boats" were obscured by indistinct visions of long ago causing me to prematurely add them before I'd achieved a rolling boil. Mistakes were made but collateral damage was kept to a minimum and ultimately resulted only in the loss of an obscene number of industrial sized coffee filters and everything within a three foot radius of me & the strainer being coated in a tacky film of drying stock. Thus ended this labor of the mighty Stevecles...

Armed now with a beautifully clarified stock, I returned to the scene of the "Egg Boat Failure" and brought what was now about 4.5 gallons of stock once again to a simmer, shifting it a final time to the back corner of both the stove and my mind, places to be seldom frequented over the next few hours. As I wrapped up my evening I slid the pot from stove to counter to discover:

What had once been a brimming 25 gallon pot was now roughly 3 quarts of smokey chicken goodness with a rich deep amber color and lightly syrupy body I've decided to call Smoked Chicken Bar-B-Jus which upon cooling became Chicken Crackrock as pictured below:

I slipped a chunk (it is an EXTREMELY firm gel) into the filling for a batch of Buttermilk Biscuit Topped Roast Chicken Pot Pie, but I'm saving the rest (in deep freeze) for something special. I'll have to get back to you on that one...

We call it crunch for a reason...

...aaaand, three weeks later:
Have I mentioned how erratic my schedule can be? Not that I haven't been working, mind you, but that I've been working enough that leaving this unattended like a ginger-haired stepson lost in the clothing racks at the mall was really my only option. Sadly, I've misplaced several of my menus that I jotted down since last time. My lifestyle being non-conducive to short term memory retention, those menus have been caught in the madly rushing currents of time to be flung far and wide, never to be seen again. That being said I did some nice work earlier this week.

BoP Y2W5D1
Szechuan Flank Steak & Bok Choy Stir-fried Rice
Homestyle Kettle Chips with Blue Mornay, Anchor Bar Buffalo Sauce, & Grilled Chicken Breast
Crisp Pancetta & Shrimp with Lemon, Grape Tomato, & Fresh Basil 
Roasted Vegetable Couscous Pilaf
Caramelized Belgian Endive
Saute of Baby Kale & Asparagus Tips with Braised Garlic Cloves & Charred Red Peppers
Snap Peas & Beans with Caramelized Onions & Carrots

Pizzeria (All pies are oven-fired and finished on the char-grill)
The Laredo Express - Hand-Stretcehed Thin Crust, Roasted Tomato Salsa, Sharp Cheddar & Monterrey Jack, Seasoned Ground Beef, Poblano & Lime Creama

Melange de Trois

Crunch time makes it a bit difficult to keep up with this I'm finding, so to play a bit of catch up...

BoP Y2W2D1

Meatball Stroganoff 
Egg Noodles with Fresh Lemon Zest, Parsley, and Parmesan Cheese
Roasted Halibut Steak with Charred Tomato Salsa
Grilled Vegetable, Rainbow Quinoa, & Basmati Rice Pilaf
Saute' of Fresh Grape Tomatoes, Baby Spinach , and Crushed Garlic  

BoP Y2W2D2

Almond Crusted Gulf Black Grouper with Coconut Lime Curry Lump Crab
Mo' Rockin' Spice Roasted Potatoes
Fire Roasted Broccoli with Melted Grape Tomatoes and Braised Garlic Cloves
Stir Fried Cabbage, Carrots, and Scallions with Kefir Lime, Ginger, and Chili Garlic Sauce

Pizzeria (All pies are oven fired and finished over a char-grill)
Butcher's Delight 
-Tomato Basil Sauce, Mozzarella, Asiago, Parmesan, Boar's Head Sandwich Pepperoni, Chopped Grilled Ribeye Steak, Ground Spicy Italian Sausage, Applewood Smoked Bacon Bits

BoP Y2W2D3

Grilled  Bone-In 12oz Lollipop Pork Chop with Caramelized Shallots & Candied Applewood Smoked Bacon Bits
Pan Seared Carolina Wreckfish with Sweet and Spicy Cider Slaw
Jumbled Basmati & Himalayan Red Rices
Fresh Roasted Corn, Grape Tomato, & Pink Lady Pea Succotash
Fried Okra with Toasted Almond Cornmeal

Way of the Fudge II & III coming soon!

Way of the Fudge pt.1

So, those happened...

...and while they may look a bit like chocolate drizzled bewbs with pert chocolaty nipples, they are actually  the second step on the path to be known as the Way of the Fudge. First, there was:

Uncle Al's Organic Peanut Butter Fudge

Admittedly, this is adapted from Alton Brown's (I love that guy) super simple recipe. Given that I was using organic peanut butter I was making some adjustments to combat textural dryness and increase the sweetness a bit. Luckily, I also have access to institutional-grade equipment which makes this whole process a bit easier. To begin:

78oz Organic Peanut Butter - about 7.5 cups by volume (which in this case included the separated oils)

3# Unsalted Butter

-These guys went into a large roasting type pan (a 400 hotel pan for those in the know) covered tightly with foil, and then into a steamer. I'd take this out and give it a good whisking every 20 minutes or so (for about an hour) to blend everything together. Then it was off to the stand mixer. Ours is a 5 gallon Hobart whose paddle attachment was perfect for the occasion. Along with the peanut butter butter sludge went:

1/4 c GOOD, REAL, PURE vanilla extract 

8.5# 10x powdered sugar

...both of which I added while the paddle spun on low. Had I been more mindful at this stage and only dumped in 1/2-3/4 of the sugar and gradually adjusted for consistency I may have not ended up with the somewhat crumbly texture of my finished product. I was a bit impatient. Lesson earned. 

I lined several pans with baker's paper and poured the mixture out spreading it to the edges and stowed it away in our walk-in cooler for the next day. Now that I'd made somewhere in the neighborhood 15-20# of crumbly (yet delicious) peanut butter fudge what was I going to do with it all, you ask?

...candied bacon. Tune in next time True Believers, for Way of the Fudge pt.2.

Just a li'l mornin' quickie.

Remind me to tell you all about monkfish some time... peanut butter pie today, and then on to the Peanut Butter Fudge Lolli of Doooommm. For those of you just joining our regularly scheduled broadcast feel free to wander around and pick up a clue...

Birds of Prey Y2W1D4
Char-Grilled Monkfish with Zesty Bloody Orange Ginger Glaze
Golden Fingerling Potatoes Smashed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Lemon Zest, Parsley, & Sea Salt
Fire Grilled Zucchini, Summer Squash, & Carrot "Steaks" with Sriracha & Ginger Butter
Toasted Rainbow Quinoa & Fresh Kale Saute'

Pizzeria (All Pies are Oven-Baked and Finished on the Char-Grill)
Classic Pepperoni & Three Cheese
-Pomodoro Tomato Sauce, Asiago, Parmesan, Mozzarella, & Deli Sliced Boar's Head Pepperoni, 
Santa Fe Grilled Chicken
-Three Pepper Pesto, Grilled Sliced Chicken Breast, Black Bean and Roasted Corn Relish, Mozzarella & Cheddar, finished with Sriracha, Fresh Lime & Cilantro
Char Sui
-Szechuan Peanut Sauce, Bulgogi Style Ground Beef , Parmesan and Asiago, finished with Sriracha, Sesame Teriyaki-Que, Fresh Lime & Grated Ginger, Toasted Sesame Seeds, Fresh Basil Chiffonade
Spinach Mushroom Alfredo
-Spinach Alfredo Sauce, Sliced Baby Bela Mushrooms, Fresh Baby Spinach, Asiago, Parmesan, & Mozzarella finished with Fresh Basil Chiffonade & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Drizzle

Oh my gosh? Ganache?!

     There were these jars of organic peanut butter. Big suckers, too. Not just one or two either, a whole armload. Can you do any thing with all this? I'm asked... heh, so tomorrow or maybe Friday there will be Oreo Bottom Peanut Butter Pie with Peanut Butter Fudge Chunks mainly because I made a ton (not hyperbole, I swear) of said peanut butter fudge yesterday which turned out delicious, if a trifle crumbly around the edges (perfect pieces to stir off into the aforementioned pie). I was able, in the end, to portion out quite a number relatively squarish bits.
     After a round of sampling and communal discussion it was readily agreed that I would have no choice but to freeze a number of those tasty little squares, mount them ceremoniously on bamboo skewers, dip them in nothing less than some exquisitely tainted (hmmmmm... booze maybe?) variant of funnel cake batter, bury them at sea in the deep fryer for a short time, and finish them half-dipped in dark chocolate ganache. This is my mission. I choose to accept it.

Birds of Prey Y2W1D3

Menu
Key Largo Lump Crab Fritters with Yumyum Sauce
Two Pepper & Cashew Pesto Grilled Turkey Breast Steaks
Fire Roasted Vegetable Couscous Pilaf
Campfire Pinto Beans with Chilis & Sweet Onions
Saute' of Fresh Baby Spinach & Caramelized Shallots with Balsamic & Blood Orange Reduction
Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chili Cilantro Butter


...and now that I've read over that I'm pretty sure minced bits of candied bacon will be forcefully tossed in the general direction of the freshly dipped and cooling evil lollipop things. I'll keep you updated.


P.S.
I almost forgot!
The Great American Bacon Cheese Burger Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza with Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms
Char-grilled Pizza Margherita with Cherry Tomatoes, Asiago, Fresh Basil served with Two Pepper Cashew Pesto