Cookingrehoboth.com

Chicken with Beer or Cider (Poulet à la Bière ou Cidre)

Serves 2.

Time requirement: about an hour. But half that time is the chicken cooking in the oven while you can be doing other things.

What you will need:

Two chicken legs and thighs, skin on, bone in.
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
1 medium onion chopped.
6-8 white button or brown cremini mushrooms, cut in half or quarters.
2 carrots washed peeled and sliced into ½ inch rounds.
1 bouget garni of a strip of celery, a sprig of parsley, a sprig of thyme, and a bay leaf: all held together with cotton twine.
2 tablespoons light olive oil.
2 tablespoons butter.
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour.
¼ cup heavy cream.
Beer, 12 ounces of a strong brown beer. I use Celebrator, a dark malty rich Bavarian double bock. OR a very dry hard apple cider.
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2 warm serving bowls.

Preparation:

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Set it on a plate and sprinkled with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set the chicken aside while you prepare the onion, carrots, mushrooms, and bouquet garni.

Heat a 4–5-quart Dutch oven over a medium meat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil.
When the oil is hot add the chicken, skin side down, and brown well. Turn and brown on the other side(s). Depending on the pan and the heat this will take 5-8 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a plate. Lower the heat a little, add the butter to the pan, when the butter foam subsides, add the onions, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Add the carrots and mushrooms. Stir these and cook them for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the bouquet garni, cover the pan, and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Uncover the pan, sprinkle the whole with the flour and give it a good stir. Add the beer to the pan and heat until it simmers. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up. Place the pan (uncovered) in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, remove the chicken from the pan. Set the chicken on a plate and cover with foil. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Bring the contents of the pan to a simmer on the stove top, reduce the cooking juices into sauce, add the cream, stir it well into the sauce.
Divide the sauce and vegetables between the two warm bowls and top with the chicken. Serve it forth!

BTW: the photo is Chikcen with Cider, beer produces a darker sauce.

Chicken Normandy (Poulet à la Normande)

Serves 2.

Time requirement: 25-30 minutes.

At it base this is chicken cutlet breaded and sautéed as if one were making Chicken Milanese, but it is finished with a classic sauce of cream, mushrooms, and calvados (apple brandy); these are the three elements that give the dish is Norman identity. It is very easy to prepare and delicious.

What you will need:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves.
Spray oil.
8 ounces of button mushrooms.
½ teaspoon salt.
2 eggs.
2 cups panko breadcrumbs.
½ cup heavy cream.
½ cup chicken stock.
2 tablespoons white wine.
¼ cup calvados or apple brandy.
3 tablespoons of clarified butter or a neutral oil like a light olive oil.
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F. and warm 3 plates in the oven
Chopped parsley as an optional garnish.

Preparation:

Clean and slices the mushrooms. Spray some oil in a 12-inch nonstick fry pan and warm the pan over a medium heat, add the sliced mushrooms: Spray the mushrooms with a little oil, sprinkle the salt over them, and toss. Cook the mushrooms over a low heat for 12-15 minutes, tossing them from time to time. The purpose of this low heat, long cooking method, is to avoid the use of a lot of oil that the mushrooms would otherwise absorb. When the mushrooms are done remove them to plate. Wipe out the pan with some paper towels.

Place the plates in the oven to warm.

While the mushrooms are cooking, flatten the chicken breasts by placing them between two sheets of wax paper and pound them with the bottom of a heavy pan. Don’t be too rough. You do not want to break the countertop. Season with a touch of salt and pepper, and if you want, a hint of garlic powder (the garlic, is not customarily but I like it.)

Crack the eggs on a plate and beat them thoroughly to combine the whites and yolk.

On another plate place the breadcrumbs.

Combine the cream, stock, and wine in a bowl and mix them thoroughly.

Measure out the calvados and set aside.

Now it’s time to cook the chicken. To the pan that you cooked the mushrooms, add 2 tablespoons of clarified butter, and if you do not have that use a neutral oil like a light olive oil. Heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the chicken to the egg and turn it several times.

When the oil is hot, lower the heat to a medium low.

Acting quickly, dredge the chicken in the breadcrumbs, then again in the egg, then again in the breadcrumbs and then slip the chicken into the plan. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side. You want to achieve a nice even brown crust from the bread crumbs.

Remove the chicken to one of the warming plates in the oven.

Add the calvados to the frypan and deglaze the bottom of the pan, add the mushrooms to the pan along with the cream mixture. Gently cook until the cream sauce reduces to the thickness of an uncooked egg yolk.

Divided the sauce between the two warm plates and top each with a chicken cutlet. Add some chopped parsley as a garnish if so desired.

Chicken Breast with Ginger Sauce

Serves 2.

Time requirement: 30-40 minutes.

What you will need:

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, each sliced in half, so they are thin.
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons cornstarch.
A piece of ginger, about 1 ounce, peeled and cut into julienne strips.
1 onion, 5-6 ounces, peeled, cut in half from top to root, sliced, and each slice separated into julienne strips.
2 garlic cloves, chopped.
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
3 tablespoons oyster sauce.
3 tablespoons soy sauce.
3 tablespoons water.
5 tablespoons of a neutral oil, such as light olive oil.
1 teaspoon roasted sesame seed oil.
An additional tablespoon of neutral oil.

Preparation:

Prepare the chicken. Cut the breasts into squares: about 1¼ inch by 1¼ inch. Do not worry about odd sizes: there will be odd sizes because the breast has an irregular shape. Set aside.

Create a batter of egg whites and cornstarch: Place the egg whites in a bowl and whisk them for one minute or until they are frothy. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, whisking the whole time. Continue with the second tablespoon of cornstarch. To the batter add the chicken, mix, and set it aside.

Prepare the ginger, onion, garlic, and pepper: set each aside separately. Measure out the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and water. Set each aside separately.

Also have your chives or green onion tops ready as a garnish.

Heat a wok, or carbon steel pan*, over a medium high heat. When it is hot, add the oils to the pan.
When the oil is hot, remove the chicken from the batter and add chicken to the pan. Cook the chicken 3 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Add the one tablespoon of oil to the pan along with the onions and slowly cook the onions over a low heat, covered (aluminum foil is a fine cover). Shake the pan or stir them regularly. After 5 minutes add the ginger. Cook covered but shake/stir the contents of the pan frequently. Continue to cook until the onions are very soft and start to caramelize. Add the garlic and pepper to the pan. Stir everything well. Raise the heat to high. Add oyster and soy sauces and water. Bring everything to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. That’s it. Serve it forth with the chive or green onion tops as a garnish.

*If you use a nonstick pan, add the oil to the cold pan then begin to heat the pan and oil together.

A Real Pantry Challenge....

Chicken with Curry and Lime

Serves 2.

Time requirement: 25 minutes.
What you will need:

This recipe is a challenge because it asks for items that may not be in tour the pantry. Besides a nice curry powder, you need ground asafetida, ground combava (kaffir lime powder), and pomegranate molasses. If you acquire these items, I am certain will find other uses for these flavor building ingredients.

12-16 ounces of boneless, skinless, chicken thighs or breast cut into long thin strips suitable for stir fry.
2 tablespoons of light olive oil.
1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil.
½ teaspoon ground combava. See note at the end of the recipe to replace this item.
½ teaspoon ground asafetida.
½ teaspoons ground roasted cumin.
1 ½ teaspoon of curry powder. (There is a recipe for curry powder in the chapter Building Blocks).
A garlic clove put through a garlic press.
½ cup plain yogurt.
2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses.
Boiled rice to accompany. (There is a recipe for boiled rice in the chapter Building Blocks).

Preparation:

Place the olive and sesame oils in a 10-inch frypan. Add ½ teaspoon each ground asafetida, combava (kaffir lime powder), ground roasted cumin, and 1½ teaspoon of curry powder. Heat until the spices are fragrant and sizzling in the oil. Add the chicken. Toss, stir, and otherwise move the chicken in the pan for 5 minutes. Add the garlic. Add yogurt and pomegranate molasses. Toss and stir for 2 minutes.

Turn off heat. Cover and let rest 2 minutes. Serve over rice.

While different, but equally good, if there is no combava powder, replace it with the zest of one lime.

Salmon Crudo

Serves 2.

Time requirement: 25-30 minutes to prep, plus 4 or more hours to marinade and cure.

What you will need:

6-8-ounce skinless salmon fillet.
1 lemon.
2 tablespoons chopped dill.
1 teaspoon chopped tarragon. (An alternative is fresh marjoram.)
3 spring onions thinly sliced.
2 tablespoons of soy sauce.
1 tablespoon citron vodka (optional).
½ teaspoon fleur de sel.
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Preparation:

Crudo is the Italian word for raw. I am sure you have seen on many sushi menus a note that eating undercooked or raw food can be harmful to your health. Yes, it can be. As a result, make sure you are using pristine fresh salmon. Also make sure your work surface, knives, and the dish in which you prepare the salmon are clean.

Rinse the salmon under cold running water. Pat dry the paper towels. Set it on a clean work surface. Using your knife that has the thinnest blade, and which is sharp, slice the salmon as thinly as you can in the direction of the width.

Put the salmon slices in a shallow dish; a small Pyrex ® baking dish is great option.

Zest ½ of lemon. Squeeze the juice from the lemon. Combine lemon zest, juice, dill, tarragon, onion, soy sauce, and vodka. Add a fleur de sel and pepper. Pour this marinade over the salmon. Rotate the dish to evenly distribute the marinade. Cover the dish with cling wrap, or other plastic film. Place in the refrigerator for 4-24 hours.

If you like serve on buck wheat blinis! Otherwise, whole wheat saltines work for me.

Chicken Meatballs with Ras El Hanout Seasoning

Serves 2-4

Time requirement. About 30 minutes to prep and cook plus 30 minutes of resting time.

Ras El Hanout seasoning is used in Moroccan cuisine. It is to Morocco what Baharat is to the Levant, it is everywhere. It is a mix of coriander, turmeric, cardamom, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. You can find options imported from Morocco online, an alternative is the brand “Frontier Coop” available on amazon.

What you will need:

1 pound of ground chicken.
8 large basil leaves very finely chopped/minced.
Lemon zest. See note below.
1 teaspoon kosher salt.
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
1 teaspoon Ras El Hanout seasoning.
¼ cup vanilla favored yogurt.
½ cup all-purpose flour.
¼ cup olive oil.
½ cup white wine or a combination of white wine and chicken stock.

Preparation:

For the lemon zest: use a vegetable peeler to remove two strips of lemon peel, without any white pith, each the size of your small finger. Mince it as finely as possible.

In a bowl combine basil leaves, lemon zest (finely minced), salt, pepper, Ras El Hanout seasoning, and vanilla favored yogurt. Mix these well together. Add the ground chicken, a quarter pound at a time, until everything is well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes to firm the mixture.

When you ready to cook the meatballs, place the flour on a clean flat work surface. Place the olive oil in a frypan and heat it while you prepare the meatballs.

Use a soup spoon to scoop up some ground chicken. In your hands, roll chicken into a ball and roll the ball in the flour. Repeat until all the meat mixture are flour coated meatballs. You will have 16-20 meatballs. Add these to the hot oil. Sauté the meatballs for 5-6 minutes, turning them frequently, to brown them on all sides. When the meatballs are browned and firm, it is time to add the wine and deglaze the pan. Simmer covered for 5 minutes. Then uncover and cook until wine combines with the olive oil and flour to make a sauce. That’s it.

Chicken Kofte

Serves 4

Time requirement: about 15 minutes to prep, minutes to cook, but you want to prepare the meat mixture 6-24 hours in advance for the favors to develop.

What you will need:

1 pound of ground chicken.
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro.
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint.
1 medium onion finely chopped or grated.
¼ teaspoon ground coriander.
¼ teaspoon ground paprika.
¼ teaspoon ground cumin.
½ teaspoon kosher salt.
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
1 whole egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour.

Sauce to accompany:

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce.
1 tablespoons fish sauce.
2 tablespoons mirin,
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar.
½ to 1 teaspoon of garlic chili sauce depending on your tolerance to chili.

Preparation:

Place all the ingredients, except the chicken, in a bowl and mix well to combine well. When all the ingredients are combined, start adding the ground chicken ¼ pound at a time. Mix well as you add the chicken. When all the chicken is incorporated, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6-24 hours.

Traditionally, Kofte is placed on a skewer and grilled over a fire. My experience is ground chicken will not cling to a skewer. Rather make patties and cook in a frypan or griddle over a moderate heat, turn them occasionally for even heat transfer, until nearly cooked (medium/medium well). Then leave them to rest in the pan to finish cooking. This is a gentle means of cooking that will not dry out the chicken.

Here is a good sauce to accompany:

Mix 2 tablespoons each of low sodium soy sauce, fish sauce, mirin, and rice wine vinegar. To this add ½ to 1 teaspoon of garlic chili sauce depending on your tolerance to chili.

Festive!

Truffled Stuffed Game Hen

Serves 2.

Time requirement: It is a commitment. Preparation takes about 15 minutes. Plus, another 1½ hour to cook. You must be near the kitchen the entire time the ballotine cooks. Like the Ballotine of Rabbit recipe, you are its prisoner. It is worthy of the effort. It is an impressive dish.

What you will need:

A 2 to 2½ pound game hen.
½ teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
15 grams sliced truffles. You can purchase 25-30 grams jars of sliced truffles online. (Freeze what you do not use.)
3-4 chicken livers. Plus, the liver that came with the bird. (if it did).
The gibbets that came with the game hen, except the liver, but remove any skin from the neck. This is optional sometime no giblets come with the bird.
2 tablespoons olive oil.
1 garlic clove peeled.
2 cup white wine or chicken stock or a combination of the two, plus a little more in reserve.

Cotton twine.

Preparation:

Rinse the game hen under cold running water. Thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Place the salt and pepper inside the cavity of the bird.

From the neck (wishbone area) use your fingers to loosen the skin on the bird’s breast. Insert sliced truffles between the skin and the flesh.

Run the chicken livers through your fingers and identify and remove any hard bits with a knife. Chop the remaining truffles, reserve ½ teaspoon, mix the rest of the truffles the chicken livers and stuff the livers and truffles into the bird.

Truss the bird by tying its legs together with cotton twine. Then using another piece of twine wrap it under the neck and of the bird, come up around the wings, and tie it tightly onto the breast.

Heat a 4-5-quart Dutch oven on top of the stove over a medium heat. When it is hot, add the oil and the garlic clove. When the garlic clove begins to sizzle, add the bird to the pan breast up. Brown the bird on all four sides being careful not to tear the flesh: the best way to do this is to leave the bird until it naturally releases itself from the bottom of the pan each time before turning it. When brown on all sides, turn it breast side up.

While you are browning the bird, be careful not to burn the garlic. It should just brown. Remove if it begins to overcook.

Add ½ cup white wine, the giblets, and the garlic clove (if you removed it) to the pan. Place the cover on the pan slightly ajar. Lower the heat to low to maintain a simmer. The wine should just intermittently simmer. Cook 1¼ hours. As the wine cooks it will reduce, as it does add a little more wine (or water or stock) to keep pan moist. Check in every 8 minutes while it cooks. (I told you that you are its prisoner.) After 1¼ hour cooking, use a meat thermometer to test for doneness at 165 degrees F the bird is cooked. But also test the liver in the center of the bird. It too should be at least 145 degrees.

When it is done, add the reserved truffles to the pan juices. Turn off the heat. Cover the pan. Allow the bird to rest ¼-½ hour in the pan before cutting it in half and serving it. If it was a little underdone, it will finish cooking during this rest. Remove the bird to a cutting board.

Reheat the pan juices. Slice the bird in half, place each half on a warm serving plate with the pan sauce.

This makes for a memorable meal. Serve with a well-chilled champagne.

Steak Au Poivre, A Second Look

Serves 2.

Time requirement: 15-20 minutes. Plus, time to soak the green peppercorns in cognac.

At the risk of repeating myself, a avoid this dish because it is usually prepared with the beef fillet, which is too mild for the accompanying sauce. Also, the sauce is usually to peppery because it consists of whole green peppercorns. So after too many attempts to be good for my lipid panel, I recommend this version.

What you will need:

Four to 24 hours in advance, grind 1 teaspoon dried green peppercorns and set them to soak in ¼ cup cognac.
2 chuck eye steaks about 6-ounces each and 1 to 1¼ inch thick. (Alternatively, choose a single ribeye or New York strip about 12-16 ounces and 1 to 1 ¼ inch thick. I select the chuck eye because is a good size 5-6 pounces each), it has a portion of the tender ribeye plus some chewier tasty bits of the chuck, and plenty of marbling. It holds up well to the pepper sauce.
¼ to ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
2 tablespoons finely diced or chopped shallots
1 tablespoon clarified butter (or ½ tablespoons refined (not extra virgin) olive oil and butter.
¼ cup veal stock (or use an unsalted beef stock from the store).
¼ cup heavy cream.
A dash or two of Worchester sauce.
Warm serving plates.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 250 degree F and place in it a pan for the steak(s) to rest while the sauce is prepared.

As noted, grind 1 teaspoon of green peppercorns and add to ¼ cup cognac, preferable 4-24 hour in advance.

Pat dry the meat with paper towels and sprinkle with the salt. If time allows, let the meat rest on the counter 30-60 minutes.

Select a frypan that will accommodate your steak(s). Heat it over a medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the clarified butter (or the butter/oil combination). When the oil is hot slip your steak(s) in the pan and cook for two minutes on each side. This should allow for a nice even browning on both sides. Remove the steaks to the pan in the oven.

Add the shallots to the pan, lower the heat to medium-low and cook until they are soft and take on a little color.

Pour the combination of green peppercorns and cognac to the pan. Stir and let the cognac burn off. Add the veal stock to the pan and worchester sauce. Reduce by half. Add the cream and reduce my half. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust for salt.

Place you steaks on warm serving plates and divided the sauce between them.

Because the quantity of peppercorns is muted, but because they were ground and soaked in the cognac, I find this to be the perfect mix of peppery fire and the taste of good beef cooked perfectly.

Shrimp and Grits with Sauce Américaine

Serves 2

Sauce américaine is a misnomer. It translates from French to American sauce. It is a “classic” preparation in which the lobster is dismembered alive, sautéed in butter and olive oil, flambeed in cognac (what a way to go!) and simmered in a tomato sauce seasoned onions, shallots, garlic, parsley, and white wine. I add tarragon and marjoram or oregano. The dish is thought to have originated in Brittany and its current name a bastardization of its the original name, derived from Armorica, the ancient name of the Brittany peninsula. There is another school of thought that it is a provincial fish. The seasoning and ingredients push toward Provence’s claim as the provenance. The thing is, it is a pain to prepare and a pain to eat. Pieces of lobster, in its shell, in a messy tomato sauce, is difficult to handle at the table.

It works much better with shrimp, scallops, and oysters. So first lets consider shrimp and below we look at variations with scallops or oysters.

Serves 2

Time requirement: about 1 hour.

What you will need:

¾ pound large shrimp (16-22 cout) peeled and deveined. h
3 tablespoons butter.
4.5-5 ounces onion finely chopped.
4.5-5 ounces shallots finely chopped.
1 clove garlic peeled and chopped.
1½ cups tomato sauce. This can be from a can or dilute ¼ cup tomato paste in 1¼ cup water.
1 tablespoon chopped parsley.
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon.
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram.
1 bay leaf.
1½ cups white wine.
½ teaspoon salt.
Cayenne pepper to taste.
2 tablespoons olive oil.
¼ cup cognac.
While you are preparing the dish, makes from grits. I find Bob’s Red Mill Grits fast and easy to prepare.

Optional: a 12 ounce can of V8 juice. (This is useful if you need to thin the finished sauce.)

Preparation:

Wash the shrimp well. Place them on several layers paper towels and cover with additional layers of paper towels. Set aside.

In a 12-inch frypan, heat the butter over a medium heat. When the butter foam subsides, add the shallot and onions. Cook or 5 minutes, stir frequently, to give them a little color.

Add the garlic, tomato sauce, parsley, tarragon, marjoram, white wine, salt, and the cayenne pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes. Regarding the use of cayenne pepper, my preference is none. If the sauce becomes too thick you can thin it with water, wine, or as I mentioned above, V8 juice. Wait until the sauce has reduced to determine if it needs any additional salt. At that time, taste and adjust for salt.

After the sauce has simmered for 30 minutes, in another 12-inch frypan, sauté the shrimp in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 3 minutes. While the shrimp cook, toss them in the pan. After 3 minutes, pour the cognac over the shrimp and ignite. When the flames cease, serve the shrimp over grits on warm plates and surround with the sauce.

Scallops with Sauce Américaine

The Grits are optional here.

Sauté 6-8 large scallops in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 3 minutes on each side. Make sure they are dry when the go in the pan, so they do brown. Add the cognac. Allow the alcohol in the cognac to burn off.

Divide the scallops between two warm serving bowls and ladle around them the hot tomato sauce.

Oysters with Sauce Américaine

Dilute the tomato sauce to the consistency of a tomato soup. The V8 juice works well here. When the soup is bubbling in the stove, add ¾ pint shucked oysters. Cook for 2-3 minutes to heat the oysters. Serve in warm bowls. If you miss the cognac, feel free to reduce ¼ cup cognac by half and add it to the soup just as you are ready to serve it.

Steak Au Poivre

Serves 2.

Time requirement: 15-20 minutes. Plus, the day before soak the green peppercorns in cognac.

Generally, Steak Au Poivre is a dish I avoid because it is prepared with beef fillet. While the fillet is wonderful, it is a delicate and shy cut of meat. It does not pack a lot of flavor. At the same time, the “au poivre” packs a lot of flavor. In my opinion it is a poor match. I recommend, the chuck eye, a well marbled New York strip, or a ribeye that has a well marble eye (the center of the ribeye steak).

What you will need:

The day before, or at least in the morning, soak 1 tablespoon of dried green peppercorns in ¼ cup cognac.
2 chuck eye steaks about 6-ounces each and 1 to 1¼ inch thick. Alternatively, choose a single ribeye, or New York strip, each about 12-16 ounces and 1 to 1 ¼ inch thick. I select the chuck eye because is a good size 5-6 pounces each), it has a portion of the tender ribeye plus some chewier tasty bits of the chuck, and plenty of marbling. It holds up well to the pepper sauce.
¼ to ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
2 tablespoons finely diced or chopped shallots
1 tablespoon clarified butter (or ½ tablespoons refined (not extra virgin) olive oil and ½ tablespoon butter.
½ cup veal stock (or use an unsalted beef stock from the store).
¼ to – ½ cup heavy cream.
A dash or two of worchester sauce.
Warm serving plates.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 250 degree and place in it a pan for the steaks to rest while the sauce is prepared.

As noted, cover 1 tablespoon of green peppercorns and with ¼ cup cognac, preferable 8-24 hour in advance.

Pat dry the meat with paper towel and sprinkle with the salt. If time allows, let the meat rest on the counter 30-60 minutes.

Select a frypan that will accommodate your steak(s). Heat it over a medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the clarified butter (or the butter/oil combination). When the oil is hot slip your steaks in the pan and cook for two minutes on each side. This should allow for a nice even browning on both sides. Remove the steaks to the pan in the oven.

Add the shallots to the pan, lower the heat to medium-low and cook until they are soft and take on a little color.

Pour the combination of green peppercorns and cognac to the pan. Stir and let the cognac burn off. Add the veal stock to the pan and worchester sauce. You can use as much as ½ teaspoon worchester sauce. Reduce by half. Add the cream and reduce my half. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust for salt.

Place you steaks on warm serving plates and divided the sauce between them.

Note: The peppercorns are spicy hot. To me they are too much. I find there is plenty of the fire from them in the cognac, so I typically eat around them. You can decide what you like.

The second easiest way to prepare fish?

Rockfish (or Flounder, Sole, or other thin fish fillets) with Dill, Shallots, and Vinegar

Serves 1.

Time requirement: 30 minutes.

What you will need:

½ pound of thin rockfish fillet (Or use another thin fish fillet such as flounder, black sea bass, or sole.)
Wondra flour.
½ cup virgin olive oil.
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill.
1 shallot chopped, about ¼ cup.
½ cup red or white wine vinegar.
¼ teaspoon freshly group black pepper

Preparation:

Combine the dill, shallots, vinegar, and black pepper in a small jar and leave it to marinade for as long as a day.

When you are ready to cook the fish… Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Place some paper towels on a serving platter and place this is the oven.

Pat dry the fish with paper towels. Leave the fish on fresh paper towels for 10-15 minutes to allow them to dry out thoroughly.

In a 10-inch fry pan, heat the olive oil and the garlic over a medium heat. When the garlic begins to sizzle, dust the fish fillets (both sides) with the Wondra flour. Slip the fillets into the hot oil, and cook for 4 minutes, then turn and cook or another 2-3 minutes. Remove the fish from the pan and place the fillets on the paper towel line plate in the oven. Pour out the oil and garlic from the pan into a bowl where it can cool until you discard it.

Return the pan to the stove stop (over a medium heat) and pour in the combined dill, shallots, vinegar, and black pepper. Deglaze the pan, stirring all the time, allow the mixture to reduce slightly and for the shallots to cook a bit.

Remove the plate from the oven, remove the paper towels so the fish is alone on the plate. Pour over the hot dill, shallot, vinegar reduction and serve at once.

Variations: replace the dill with rosemary or oregano.