New World Cuisine pt. 2

So the last few days in class were pretty interesting! I got to learn differnt techniques and can be ready to whip up a dish at home! On Tuesday I grilled Mahi Mahi and made a Mojo sauce to go with it. I never grilled fish before and was a little nervous I was going to overcook it or something! I was actually proud I had pretty good grill marks and cooked it well. The mojo sauce was good too. This one I made with onions and garlic, cooking them in a saucepan and then deglazing with vinegar and grapefruits and their juice. I then processed it all and stirred in the cilantro. It tasted yummy. We served that with crab rice pilaf and honey roasted baby carrots. I was happy that day because not only did I learn how to grill and fillet another kind of fish, I also learned the basic technique of making rice pilaf.

On Wednesday I had my practical. Our homework assignment for this class was to research a New World Cuisine (somewhere in the Americas) and write a 3 page paper on it. I chose the Midwest…I wonder why? haha But yeah so I did a paper about that and then we had to find recipes that relate to that type of cuisine and come up with a dish the portrays that region. I did a brown sugar grilled pork chop with pan-roasted corn and french fries! Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that we had to use all three cooking methods (Grilling, Roasting, and Deep-frying) in our dish. So here is how it turned out! (The Chef rearranged how I presented my food in this picture to give it more height and a professional look).

 GRILLED BROWN SUGAR PORK CHOPS

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 boneless pork chops

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
2. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, apple juice, oil, soy sauce, ginger, salt , and pepper. Bring to boil. Combine water and cornstarch in small bowl, and whisk into brown sugar mixture. Stir until thick.
3. Brush grate lightly with oil before placing pork chops on the grill. Cook over hot coals for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once. Brush with sauce just before removing chops from grill. Serve with remaining sauce.

Pan-Roasted Corn Kernels with Bacon and Rosemary

Ingreedients

6 ounces bacon (4 slices)

2⁄3 cup finely chopped onion

4 cups corn kernels, cut from cobs

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Fry the bacon until crispy in a large skillet over medium flame. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels.

1. Discard all but 1 1/2 tablespoons of fat in the pan. Stir in the onions and cook until tender. Add corn and rosemary; cook, stirring often, 3-5 minutes. Crumble and stir in bacon. Stir in cream cheese until it dissolves into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Perfect French Fries

Ingredients

• 4 large russet or kinnebec potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 by 1/4-inch thick batons
• 2 quarts peanut oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Rinse cut potatoes in a large bowl with lots of cold running water until water becomes clear. Cover with water by 1-inch and cover with ice. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.

In a 5-quart pot or Dutch oven fitted with a candy or deep-frying thermometer, (or in an electric deep fryer), heat oil over medium-low heat until the thermometer registers 325 degrees F. Make sure that you have at least 3 inches of space between the top of the oil and the top of the pan, as fries will bubble up when they are added.

Drain ice water from cut fries and wrap potato pieces in a clean dishcloth or tea towel and thoroughly pat dry. Increase the heat to medium-high and add fries, a handful at a time, to the hot oil. Fry, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are soft and limp and begin to turn a blond color, about 6 to 8 minutes. Using a skimmer or a slotted spoon, carefully remove fries from the oil and set aside to drain on paper towels. Let rest for at least 10 minutes or up to 2 hours.

When ready to serve the French fries, reheat the oil to 350 degrees F. Transfer the blanched potatoes to the hot oil and fry again, stirring frequently, until golden brown and puffed, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper lined platter and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.