heirloom cherry tomato salad

2 pints heirloom cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp. red onion (finely chopped)
2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh chopped mint
1 tsp. whole grain dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

rinse tomatoes in cold water, and slice in half. in a separate bowl add in the sherry vinegar, olive oil, whole grain dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. wisk together to create your dressing. add the tomatoes, red onion, and mint into a medium bowl. drizzly the dressing over. toss, and place in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours, and serve cold.

enjoy. :)

justin

watermelon ginger mint breeze

ginger mint infused simple syrup:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
8 stems of mint
1 piece ginger about the size of your thumb (course chop)

in a medium size sauce pan add in the sugar, water, mint, and ginger. bring to a low boil and remove from heat. remove the mint and ginger and set aside.

4 cups watermelon rough chopped
1 cup hothouse cucumber chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. ginger mint simple syrup
2-3 oz. vodka
lime zest
1 tsp. fresh squeezed lime juice

add watermelon and cucumber into a blender and blend. in a glass add ice, vodka, about 3 tbsp. watermelon cucumber blend (to taste), simple syrup, lime juice, and stir. zest a bit of lime over the top, and add in a sprig of mint.

enjoy :)

justin

parmesan and panko breaded wild gray sole

1) 4-6 oz. wild gray sole filet (per person)
3 tbsp. flour
3 tbsp. grated parmesan
3 tbsp. panko bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic (diced)
10 springs of thyme (finely chopped)
canola oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
lemon
fleur de sel

rinse the gray sole filet under cold water and dry off with paper towel. sprinkle with salt and pepper. on a separate plate mix the flour, parmesan, panko, garlic, and thyme. cover both sides heavily with the dry mix, patting it into the fish. heat a bit of canola oil in a medium non stick frying pan over medium high heat. when oil is heated, add in the fish, and cook for about 2-3 mins. on each side.

set onto a place. sprinkle a little parmesan, a few thyme sprigs, and fleur de sel, and serve with a slice of lemon.

enjoy :)

justin

saffron paella with clams, chicken, green beens, and chorizo

chicken brine:

1 lemon, halved
6 bay leaves
1 handful of flat leaf parsley
10 sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp. honey
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tsp. pepper corns
1/4 cup kosher salt
8 cups of water.

combine all ingredients is a medium pot, cover an bring to a boil. boil for about 1 min. and remove from heat. let cool, and place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.


saffron rice:

1 1/2 cup of chicken stock
1 cup of rice
1/2 tsp. saffron threads

add the chicken stock to a medium size pan and add the saffron. bring to a slight boil, and add in the rice. turn the heat to low, and cook for about 15 mins.


paella:

3-4 chicken drumsticks
chicken brine
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
canola oil
saffron rice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 lb. clams
2 chorizo sausages, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup haricot verts, blanched
1/4 cup sake
flat leaf parsley
fleur de sel

place your chicken in the brine, and into the refrigerator for about 10 hours. remove from the brine and run under cold water to rince, and pat dry with a paper towel. cover all sides with salt and pepper.

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

in a large non stick frying pan heat the canola oil on medium high heat. when the oil is hot add in the chicken drumsticks, and cook for about 9 mins. on both sides.

place the saffron rice in a cast iron skillet, tuck the drumsticks into the rice, and add half of the green beens around the skillet. pour about 1/4 cup of chicken stock over the rice, chicken, and green beens and place into the oven.

in the same non stick pan cook the chorizo for about 4-5 mins. each side. remove from pan and set aside, and slice into 1/4 inch slices. in the same pan add about 1/4 cup of chicken stock, and the sake on medium high heat. add in your clams (they should be rinsed several time in cold water, and submerged in cold water for about 30 mins.) and bring to a boil and cover. you will know when the clams are cook when they start to open naturally, about 5-6 mins.

remove the cast iron skillet from the oven, and arrange the chorizo, clams, and rest of the green beens in the skillet, and place back into the oven for another 10 mins. remove from the oven. sprinkle with fleur de sel, and serve.

serves about 2-3

enjoy :)

justin

seven point cold soba

soba sauce:

8 cups water
2 pieces of dashi konbu (about 5"x5")
1 1/2 cup bonito flakes (packed)
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/3 cup mirin
2 tbsp. sugar

cook time: 1 hour 30 mins.

place the 8 cups of water and the konbu pieces in large pan. bring to a boil then lower heat to low, cover and low simmer for 30 mins. remove the konbu pieces and add in 1 cup of the bonito flakes. cover and low simmer for another 30 mins. strain the broth into a bowl, and add liquid back to the pan. add the remaining bonito flakes to the broth and low simmer for another 30 mins. strain again, and pour broth back into the pan. add in the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar and mix together. cool and place in the refrigerator.

broth will last 3-4 days chilled in the refrigerator.
makes about 8 cups of soba sauce.


soba:

3/4 to 1 cup soba suace
soba noodles
scallion
natto
bonito flakes
pickled garlic
shredded seaweed
1 quail egg
slice of cucumber

prep time: 10 mins.
cook time: 5-6 mins.

in a medium sauce pan bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil. add the soba noodles to the boiling water, and boil for about 5-6 mins. strain in the sink and run cold water over the cooked soba to chill it. place soba in a bowl, and pour the chilled soba sauce over the soba. add the scallion, natto, bonito flakes, pickled garlic, and seaweed around the soba. place a slice of cucumber in the middle, and the quail egg on top.

serves 1

enjoy :)

justin

simple pan seared soft shell crab

1-2 soft shell crabs (per person) cleaned
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
paprika
celery seed
canola oil

prep time: 20 mins.
cook time: 4-6 mins.

season both sides of the soft shell crab with salt, pepper, paprika, and celery seed. let the crab sit for about 20 mins. in a medium size non stick pan heat up your oil on medium high heat until it's hot and shimmering. place the soft shell crabs shell side down and cook for 2-3 mins. flip the crab and cook for another 2-3 mins.

serve and enjoy. :)

justin

easy breezy corn salad

4 ears of corn
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 medium red onion (thinly sliced)
1 juice of a lime
1 cup cherry tomatoes (about 25) cut in half
1-1/2 japaleno diced
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
2 tbsp. unsalted butter (melted)
4 tsp. grated parmesan
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. dry basil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

prep time: 10 mins.
cook time: 10 mins.

bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add the sugar to the water and a pinch of salt. shuck your corn, and place in boiling water and cook for 10 mins. remove corn from the boiling water and place in a strainer, and immediately brush the melted butter onto the corn. after covering all the corn with butter, cut the corn off of the husk and set aside in a large bowl.

after the corn has cooled a little, about 30 mins. add in the remaining ingredients and mix together. salt and pepper to taste.

serves 4-6

enjoy :)

justin