recipes

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Ganache Frosting

April 21, 2018 Leave a Comment

I had an intense craving for chocolate, so I made a chocolate sheet cake. I didn’t want anything too cloyingly sweet, so no candy. Nothing so sugary it would make my teeth hurt, so again, no candy. I didn’t want to eat the chocolate and just taste “sweet”. Enter this wonderful cake! The contrast of the less sweet semi-sweet, and the full-on sweet milk chocolate just makes me wanna sing. Perfect combination. As I’ve gotten older (and gosh, I’m old), my palate for chocolate has developed. I prefer levels to my chocolate cakes, sweet, bitter, semi, all of it. On a normal day, the darker the chocolate, the happier I am. What I love about this PMS-cure of a chocolate cake, is that I can enjoy it all week long and not give the slightest of damns.

You know what I really love about this recipe? It comes together FAST. You can make it all in basically one to two bowls (one for dry, one for wet, and combine them in the larger bowl), and a handy whisk for the cake. I did use a hand-held electric mixer for the ganache frosting, but only because I wanted to aerate it. If you wanna simply pour it on top, do you! It also uses a simple 9×13 inch baking dish, such as this Pyrex. If your baking dish is larger or smaller, you’ll have to adjust the cooking time. Speaking of, we’re baking this on a low temperature so that the top of the cake stays flat. The recipe says you should bake this for 40-minutes, but mine was done in 35. So around the 30-minute mark, start testing for doneness every 5 minutes. Ovens vary.

This recipe is adaptable to your preferred type of chocolate. Using dutch-processed cocoa will give you a seriously dark, and deep chocolate base, but if you absolutely only have regular cocoa powder, you can use that. I can’t tell you how it’ll taste, but I’ve only ever made this using dutch-processed cocoa. The ganache frosting is optional. You can use a regular chocolate buttercream instead, store-bought or homemade. The police won’t get called on you. Also, the ganache base is totally adaptable. I used milk chocolate for my ganache, but you can use semi-sweet, bittersweet, anything.

How to make this cake pop

Use instant espresso powder. I can’t really explain to you how amazing espresso is in chocolate desserts, but you’ll just have to trust me. I add it to pretty much all my baked chocolate desserts, it just boosts the flavor so remarkably well. Finally, add the tiniest sprinkle of salt right on top before you eat your slice. Try using a flaky sea salt, such as Maldon. Salt really brings out the intense flavor of a dessert, especially chocolate. They go hand in hand like bacon and eggs. You don’t need a lot, just a very tiny pinch — like 5-7 flakes. Serve with a scoop of your favorite ice cream, and get your entire life!

I usually take pics of damn near every step for almost all recipes posted here. But this time, I will be honest and tell you that I simply did not feel like editing them all. I may post them later, I may not — but right now I’m tired. So here’s the final result and the recipe below. Enjoy!

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Ganache Frosting

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

30 mins

This PMS-cure was adapted from the Family Baking Book.

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 12

Ingredients

For the Cake:
1¼ cups (6¼ oz) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (2¼ oz) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
¼ tsp salt
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used chips)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1½ cups (10½ oz) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting

16 ounces milk chocolate, chopped (or high quality chips)
16 ounces heavy cream
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
Flaky sea salt for tasting

Instructions

For the cake

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, by either lining with parchment and greasing with nonstick spray, or just spray the dish with nonstick spray. Lightly dust the baking dish with flour and knock off any excess, leaving a very thin layer.
Sift flour, Dutch-processed cocoa, espresso powder, and salt into a large bowl and set aside. Microwave the semisweet chocolate at 50% power for 2 minutes. Stir, add butter, and continue to heat it at 50% until melted, stirring once every additional minute. Whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla together in a medium bowl.
Whisk the chocolate and butter mixture into the egg mixture until thoroughly combined. Combine buttermilk and baking soda, and whisk into the chocolate mixture, then pour into dry mixture and whisk until batter is smooth and glossy. Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish/pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until firm in center when lightly pressed and toothpick inserted in center of cake cokes out clean, about 30-40 minutes (mine took 35), rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cool on wire rack until room temperature, about 2 hours.

For the frosting

Heat heavy cream in a large measuring cup in the microwave for about 3-4 minutes, until you see a very gentle simmer around the edges of the cup.
Pour the hot cream over the milk chocolate and espresso powder, and leave it alone for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, gently whisk until the mixture combines. Let cool at room temperature for about 2 hours, or place in your fridge, and let it cool (don't let it harden), about a half hour. When the mixture is cool but still very smooth, whip it up using a hand-held electric mixer until lightly and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Dollop the frosting on top of the cooled cake, and spread evenly. Cut into squares, and sprinkle tops with a very tiny pinch of flaky sea salt.
Enjoy immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Aglio Cacio e Pepe with Shrimp

April 19, 2018 Leave a Comment

Pasta is comfort food. You will not debate me on this fact. You can make something so comforting with just a couple ingredients, and it will be guaranteed delicious. Pasta aglio e olio, and cacio e pepe are two of my favorite most simplest pasta dishes ever created. They both need very little to be so delicious and satisfying. Both are perfect for a late night craving fix, as they come together in about 20 minutes.

However, a real Italian will not hesitate to tell you that authentic cacio e pepe doesn’t contain garlic (or any other “fancy” toppings and additions). Aglio e olio pasta is the one with garlic (aglio = garlic). They both have cheese and both typically use spaghetti. But I don’t do authentic. Not because I don’t respect it, because I do, but I just like to do me while paying homage to the real thing. Besides, too many people want to argue about the authenticity of authenticity! It’s exhausting, and quite frankly, I don’t really care enough to donate my energy to something so silly — if it’s good, I’m gonna eat it. When you’re in the kitchen, you simply have to do what you want, and make what you feel like eating. So, here you have *my* take on aglio cacio e pepe…with shrimp?? Or, con gamberetti?? And I have NO idea if that’s even a proper title for it, because I don’t speak the language, and therefore don’t really know how to arrange those words. Basically, this is pasta with cheese, garlic, and juicy shrimp.

Cacio e pepe is very simple. The method to achieve it, takes just a little bit of practice, but it’s very easy to do. You basically use the starchy pasta water, and a little fat (olive oil and/or butter) to emulsify a sauce, while adding sharp pecorino romano cheese…and you end up with this creamy delicious sauce that clings beautifully to the pasta. Movement is your friend here. Keep the pasta moving while you mix it around, and the sauce comes together very easily. The main seasoning aside from the salty pasta water, is of course the freshly ground black pepper (pepe). The best way to infuse that floral peppery flavor is to gently infuse the olive oil with the pepper. And because I’m using elements of aglio e olio, do the same with the garlic. You can slice your garlic, or crush it and roughly chop it like I did. You don’t wanna use minced, because it will burn almost immediately. It’s too small. Larger chunks or slices of it, will yield a better flavor. It gets toasty and sweet, and way less harsh on the palate. You can use a combination of pecorino and parmigiano, but that’s totally up to you, toots.

You can leave the shrimp out, or just swap it with another protein. That’s the beauty of cooking — you get to do whatever you want. I took about a half pound of thawed extra large shrimp and soaked them in a quick brine of kosher salt and raw sugar (equal parts). This method really helps enhance the shrimp’s natural sweetness and ocean’y saltiness, without being too much.

Roughly chop some garlic, the amount is totally up to you. I used about 6 large cloves.

Add the garlic, olive oil, and butter to a large skillet.

Don’t forget the pepper! If you’re nervous, start with a little, you can always add more later.

Bring the olive oil, butter, garlic, and black pepper to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often.

Meanwhile, bring about 4 inches of water in a large pot to a rumbling boil. Add sea salt and pasta.

As the pasta begins to soften, gently twist and turn it so it all fits in the water. Don’t break your pasta!! I’m not even Italian and I know that’s a serious sin. Be gentle doing this though, you don’t want to break it.

Continuously stir the garlic in the fat around so that it doesn’t burn. Also, because we’re using butter, the milk solids in the butter will brown, and we don’t want those to burn either. Just keep this moving, it’ll take about 5-7 minutes total.

Keep stirring.

See how toasty the garlic is? This is perfect.

Now, add a ladle of starchy salty pasta water to the oil to slow down the cooking process so the garlic doesn’t get any darker.

Steamy!

We’ve achieved this color because of the browned butter. But this is what it looks like with the water added.

Add your al-dente pasta to the skillet, along with any water dripping of it.

Stir around, adding 1 ladle of pasta water at a time until the water, olive oil, and butter start to emulsify.

Add the cheese, while vigorously stirring the pasta.

Keep stirring, the cheese will bring the sauce together. See how it’s clinging?

Continue to add small ladles of pasta water as needed until you’ve reached the consistency you want.

Turn the heat off. Give it a taste, and add more black pepper if you need to. Cover and keep warm. Also, keep a cup of the hot starchy pasta water on hand just in case you need to adjust the consistency as it sits.

Because the shrimp take about 2-3 minutes to cook, you can do this at the very last couple of minutes. Simply saute them in a drizzle of butter and/or olive oil for 1 and a half minutes per side. Turn the heat off and add a fresh squeeze of lemon.

If you want, you can top your whole dish with toasted buttered breadcrumbs, and you have a whole entire meal that was done quickly, and simply.

Aglio Cacio e Pepe with Shrimp

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

Tell your nonna I'm sorry, but I do what I want.

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Half pound spaghetti (8oz), keep the pasta water for the sauce
6 large cloves garlic, crushed and roughly chopped, or sliced
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup pecorino romano, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt (to season the pasta water)

For the Shrimp

½ pound extra large shrimp, thawed or fresh (tails removed, see note below)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (1 teaspoon if using fine sea or table salt)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tsp orange or lemon zest
Crushed red pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste (optional, taste a shrimp first)
Lemon juice (1 tablespoon)

Optional garnish

Fresh parsley
Toasted breadcrumbs (see note below)

Instructions

For the Shrimp

Add the shrimp to a small bowl or large measuring cup, along with the kosher salt, sugar, and zest. Add just enough cold water to cover it, and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Let sit for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, rinse and drain the shrimp on paper towels.
When ready to cook, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add crushed red pepper if using, and saute shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side. If using smaller shrimp, adjust the cooking time as needed. You don't want rubbery overcooked shrimp. When shrimp is opaque and pink, turn off the heat, toss the shrimp in the oil and butter mixture, and add a splash of lemon juice. Add the shrimp to the pasta dish and enjoy.

For the Aglio Cacio e Pepe

Bring a quart of water to a boil in a pot, adding a very large pinch of sea salt once it starts boiling. Add the spaghetti, gently folding it in so it fits under the water. We are using far less water here on purpose -- we want extra starchy pasta water. Do NOT break the spaghetti, just be patient and gently swirl it in until its submerged. Cook according to package directions, minus 2 minutes.
Meanwhile in a large skillet over medium-low to medium heat, bring the olive oil, butter, black pepper, and garlic to a gentle simmer. Stir the garlic around frequently so it doesn't burn. Also, because we're using butter, the milk solids will brown over time. Keep this mixture moving so nothing burns. You want the garlic to be toasty and straw colored at the most. This will cook for about 5-7 minutes.
Once the garlic is toasty and lightly golden brown around the edges, reduce the heat to low. Add a ladle of the hot starchy pasta water to slow down the cooking process. Stir around to scrape up any browned bits (if you have any). Add another ladle of the pasta water, then add the pasta. Keep the pasta water nearby because this is what the base of our sauce will be comprised of. As soon as you add the pasta, stir vigorously to coat each strand in the oil/butter and water mixture. It should begin to emulsify. Immediately add the pecorino romano while stirring and mixing until it's creamy and fully emulsified. Continue to add starchy pasta water until it's the consistency you prefer. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Cover and keep warm. Keep the pasta water to later adjust the consistency while you prepare the shrimp.
Top the pasta with shrimp, fresh parsley, more pecorino, and toasted breadcrumbs (if using).
Enjoy immediately.

Notes

I left the tails on my shrimp because that's just how we preferred to eat them at this time, but you can absolutely remove them!

A quick recipe for toasted breadcrumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter (or both), to a small skillet over medium heat, along with 1 cup of panko bread crumbs. Toss to coat, making sure every piece is evenly moistened, but not too greasy. Adjust amounts of fat and crumbs as needed. Continuously toss the crumbs around until they're lightly golden brown and toasted through. Feel free to season with dried or fresh herbs, salt, pepper, and whatever you choose.

Citrus Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Lemon Glaze

April 17, 2018 Leave a Comment

I buy so much citrus on a weekly basis, and I love sweets, so naturally…we’ve got a flavorful, moist citrus bundt cake. This is a slight rift on my previous lemon bundt cake, but this time I just wanted to add more citrusy notes. I suggest you do whatever is in your sweet little heart. If you’ve got blood oranges, cara cara oranges, meyer lemons, key limes — whatever. Make this your own!

If you’re a fan of completely coated bundt cakes, then I suggest you double the glaze recipe and fully drench your cake with it. Otherwise, you should be ok with the amount I mention below. No picture tutorial here, because you have a whole entire video to see how this is made, so check it out. You aren’t subscribed to my channel? What in God’s name is wrong with you…

Give this recipe a try!

Citrus Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Lemon Glaze

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Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 12

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 lemon, zested and juiced (2 tbsp) (see note below)
1 lime, zested
1 orange, zested 2 tbsp juiced
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (15 ounces)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp lemon extract
¾ cup buttermilk
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
18 tbsp unsalted butter (2¼ sticks), at room temperature
2 cups sugar

For the Glaze:

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon buttermilk
2 cups confectioners sugar (8 ounces)
Edible flowers, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray with flour (alternatively, brush pan with mixture of 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon melted butter). Mince lemon, lime, and orange zest to fine paste (you should have about 3 tablespoons). Juice the lemon until you have 2 tablespoons, and juice the orange until you have 2 tablespoons, or a total of ¼ cup juice. Combine zest and juice in small bowl; set aside to soften, 10 to 15 minutes.
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Combine lemon juice mixture, vanilla, lemon extract, and buttermilk in medium bowl. In small bowl, gently whisk eggs and yolk to combine. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, cream butter and sugar at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes; scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce to medium speed and add half of eggs, mixing until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Repeat with remaining eggs; scrape down bowl again. Reduce to low speed; add about one-third of flour mixture, followed by half of buttermilk mixture, mixing until just incorporated after each addition (about 5 seconds). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture. Scrape bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Scrape into prepared pan.
Bake until top is golden brown and wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into center comes out with no crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes.

FOR THE GLAZE:

While cake is baking, whisk 2 tablespoons lemon juice, buttermilk, and confectioners' sugar until smooth, adding more lemon juice gradually as needed until glaze is thick but still pourable (mixture should leave faint trail across bottom of mixing bowl when drizzled from whisk). Cool cake in pan on wire rack set over baking sheet for 10 minutes, then invert cake directly onto rack. Pour half of glaze over warm cake and let cool for 1 hour; pour remaining glaze evenly over top of cake and continue to cool to room temperature, at least 2 hours. Decorate with edible flowers, if using. Cut into slices and serve.
Store leftover cake in an airtight container so it doesn't dry out.

Notes

You should have about 1 tbsp of lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of lime zest, and 1 tablespoon of orange zest. You won't need all of the juice from the orange, just 2 tablespoons to soak the zest.

Garlic Ginger and Soy Braised Chicken Thighs

April 12, 2018 Leave a Comment

Thighs again? Yes, dammmit. Thighs again! If you can’t tell by now that we are thigh lovers, then you haven’t been paying attention. There’s nothing more succulent, flavorful, and satisfying than a fat juicy thigh with skin rendered so crisp, it shatters in your mouth. Perfection! These gingery-garlic soy braised chicken thighs are pretty dang tasty. The sauce? Oh man! It’s just so good. We served this over some fluffy jasmine rice alongside some sautéed snow peas and carrots, and it was the perfect meal. It gave us that “take out” feel without the gross take-out taste. It was fresh, juicy, flavorful, and it hit every note our palates were begging for. Sweet, salty, savory, tangy, bold, fatty, juicy, crispy, soft…I could go on.

Why braise with dark meat?

Because dark meat (thighs and legs) has enough juicy fat to prevent it from drying out even if its just slightly overcooked. White meat isn’t as forgiving, nor as flavorful. But that’s not a diss against white meat, I love a good chicken boob from time to time. I think of white meat as a blank slate — you can brine or marinate it and have it taste like basically anything. However, I would never advocate braising it. Just..nah. Stick with dark meat.

Ok, but white meat is all I have, what do I do?

For this particular recipe, you could absolutely use white meat, but you’d need to adjust not only the cooking time, but your whole game plan. I would simply sear my chicken breasts on one side, and pour the sauce in as soon as I flip the chicken over and let it finish cooking that way. Less chance of it getting overcooked. Another method would be just to dump everything in a dish and bake it all, but you’d miss out on the delicious maillard of browning the chicken first, which lends a ton of much needed flavor. Simply put, it’s up to you. Now, with wings? Oh goodness! Prepare your wings however you’d like — bake, naked fry, roast, grill, whatever. Bring the liquid to a boil to reduce and thicken, then toss the wings in. That would be amazing.

The reason I chose to cook the chicken without the sauce for the first 15 minutes was because I wanted to give the chicken skin a chance to shrink and dry up just slightly. If you want to just pour the liquid in with the raw chicken and chuck the entire thing in the oven and say “To hell with that step”, I promise you can.

Season your chicken with kosher salt and black pepper.

Pour your soy sauce in a large measuring cup or bowl, and then add about 2 tablespoons of Sambal (garlic chili sauce).

Add some garlic paste, or freshly grated garlic (plus the juice).

Then squeeze in some ginger paste, or finely grated ginger (plus the juice!)

Add a splash of rice wine vinegar.

and some honey.

a tiny splash of dark soy (optional)

Add some brown sugar. Start with 1/4 cup, and continue to taste and add as you see fit.

Add a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil. Be careful with this stuff, if you add to much it can be very overpowering.

Pour in some chili oil, about a teaspoon to start.

Whisk all of this together until the brown sugar dissolves. TASTE IT and adjust until the level of sweet and heat and savory is to YOUR liking. I cannot stress this enough. We all have different palates, some like more savory and heat, some like more sweet, please taste and adjust. I’m begging you 🙂

Place each thigh in a large skillet or braising pan on top of about a tablespoon of oil, and make sure they’re arranged nicely.

Season the patted and dried skin with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the oven for just 15 minutes to start the drying out process of the skin.

After 15 minutes, take the chicken out and pour the soy braising liquid almost halfway up the chicken. PLEASE NOTE, this mixture will bubble up in the oven, so don’t cover the chicken higher than I did here and use a vessel with sides about 3 inches high if possible.

Like so. Pop this back in the oven and cook for an additional 25-30 minutes. To be safe, place a baking sheet or a long strip of aluminum foil under the pan to catch any potential drips if this sauce boils over. It can get pretty violent, with its delicious little self. If you have any sauce leftover, keep it in your fridge for another day.

Here’s what it looks like when it’s done. Notice the darker rim around the skin of the chicken? That’s how high my sauce rose while cooking in the oven. I was able to have some crispy skin, so that was really all I cared about. This. was. so. damn. good!!!

Garnish with sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions, and enjoy with some fluffy rice and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Enjoy!

It’s extremely important that you keep tinkering with this sauce until its to your liking. I gave you starting point measurements, so please feel free to add more of something if you need to. We started with a fourth cup of brown sugar, and ended up adding another (damn near) half cup. That’s just me, though. It came out perfectly balanced. I had just a few tablespoons of sauce leftover, and I almost saved it, but I knew I had to stop being a sauce hoarder and just let it go. If you have any sauce leftover, by all means, save it! It would be good glazed over just about anything, especially vegetables.

Ginger Garlic and Soy Braised Chicken

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

55 mins

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

8-10 chicken thighs, bone-in skin on
⅔ cup soy sauce (you can use low-sodium)
2 tablespoons garlic chili paste (Sambal)
2 tablespoons garlic paste (or grated garlic)
2 tablespoons ginger paste (or grated ginger)
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup honey
¼ cup brown sugar, *plus more if needed
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili oil (optional)
kosher salt & black pepper

Garnish

Scallions, thinly sliced
Sesame seeds
Lime wedges

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Dry the skin of each thigh with paper towels and season the flesh side with salt and pepper. I can't tell you how much to add here, because it depends if you're using regular soy sauce or low sodium, as well as your personal preference. When in doubt, use a little less, because you can always add more at the end if needed. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil (olive, canola, or vegetable) in a large skillet or braising pan. Arrange the chicken so that there's just a little space between them and they're not crammed. Season the dried skin side with salt and pepper, set aside.
In a large measuring cup or medium sized bowl, add the soy sauce, garlic chili paste (Sambal), garlic paste, ginger paste, rice wine vinegar, honey, brown sugar, dark soy sauce (if using), toasted sesame oil, and chili oil. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Taste this mixture. If you want it sweeter, add more brown sugar. If you want it spicier, add more Sambal or chili oil. When it's perfectly balanced for your tastes, set aside.
Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Remove, and pour in the soy braising liquid in until it goes up the sides of the chicken, but not too much -- because this mixture boils in the oven and rises quite a bit. Please use my photo as a reference as to how much to put in. Pop it back in the oven and continue to cook until the internal temperature of the chicken registers 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 25-30 minutes longer. The sauce should be thickened slightly and sticky, but easily pourable.
Serve over fluffy rice and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Squeeze with fresh lime to really set the flavors off. Enjoy!

Karaage | How to Make Japanese Fried Chicken

April 12, 2018 Leave a Comment

Japanese fried chicken, Korean fried chicken, Thai fried chicken — listen…Aisan’s really know what they’re doing when it comes to frying up some delicious yard bird. The techniques are so simple and straight-forward, and the results speak for themselves. They specialize in crunch, juicy flavorful meat, and simplicity. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore some good ol fashioned Southern style fried chicken — it’s what I grew up on. But I’m also allowed to love all kinds of fried chicken, from different cuisines around the world. That’s called growth. Karaage is simply the method behind the deliciousness. You can “karaage” anything — seafood, meat, etc., but it’s often used with chicken. Basically, you marinate the chicken and toss it in a seasoned blend of flour and potato starch. However, rules are made to be broken. Many people dredge this however they choose to, using just potato starch, or just cornstarch, or just flour, or a combination of all three. You can marinate the chicken in the starter blend of soy sauce, mirin, sake, garlic, and ginger, and then add other things that suit your specific tastes. I plan on getting very creative with this technique as we move forward. Below is my very first attempt at karaage, and it turned out really delicious.

Here’s how to make Karaage!

Check out my video on how to make this super bomb dish, and of course, the recipe is below.

Karaage | Japanese Fried Chicken

To see this video on YouTube, click here.

Japanese Fried Chicken "Karaage"

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Prep time

1 hour 20 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

How to make delicious Japanese fried chicken at home. Not an authentic recipe, but very adaptable.

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 4-5 servings

Ingredients

Marinade:

5-6 chicken thighs, deboned, skin left on, cut into chunks
1 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon grated garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
⅓ cup soy sauce (if using low-sodium soy sauce, you'll need to add more salt, otherwise the chicken will be bland)
¼ cup mirin
¼ cup sake

Dredge

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup potato starch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Oil for frying
Lemon wedges
Lettuce or Cabbage, shredded
Japanese Mayo (Kewpie)
Rice Seasoning (optional)

Instructions

In a large bowl, add the chunks of chicken, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mirin, and sake. Toss gently to combine. Let it sit for about a half hour, to an hour.
Heat about 2-3 inches of oil in a pot or shallow pan to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine the flour, potato starch, and salt. Dredge each piece of chicken thoroughly and set aside on a plate while the oil heats up. When the oil is ready, fry the chicken in batches, as not to reduce the temperature of the oil too drastically -- about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from hot oil and let it drain and rest. Once all the chicken is fried, heat the oil to 400 degrees, and give the chicken one last fry for 1-2 minutes max. Drain on paper towels or a rimmed baking sheet lined with a cooling rack. Lightly dust with sea salt if needed (taste first).
Serve with lemon wedges, lettuce or cabbage, and Japanese Mayo (Kewpie). Enjoy!

Items used in video:

Japanese Rice Seasoning
https://amzn.to/2vahliP
Large Cutting Board
https://amzn.to/2GN4WXg
Boning Knife
https://amzn.to/2H9P6VX
4qt. Enameled Cast Iron Braising pan (used to fry)
https://amzn.to/2v2uFWf
Microplane
https://amzn.to/2GNIqgX
Metal Tweezers/Tongs
https://amzn.to/2HozEDh
Metal Bowl
https://amzn.to/2GLxVef
Glass Bowls
https://amzn.to/2IFUtcM
Spider Strainer
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Japanese Mayo (Kewpie)
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Potato Starch
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Baking Sheet
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Cooling Rack
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Chicken Tikka Masala

April 9, 2018 Leave a Comment

If you haven’t had Chicken Tikka Masala, you haven’t lived. I must say this now: this is not authentic, it’s just damn good. I rarely do authentic anything, because I love and kinda must put my OWN spin on just about everything I cook. This stuff here is magic in your mouth, just sooo yummy and rich. The chicken literally melts in your mouth. I need you to try this version, just do it. Make it a weekend project, because the 4 hour marination REALLY sets this off.

Living near an international market is a blessing. I highly recommend you Google or Yelp for one in your area, you’d be surprised. Some of them hide in places you’ve probably driven by or flat out ignored. International markets are amazing for many reasons, but my favorite reason? The low prices on spices and seasonings! I remember going to regular grocery stores and paying between $5-$11 for a single spice. Girl, why? I can find a bag of dried chilis, or ground shrimp powder, or Indian cumin for like $2. So, naturally, I have a VERY large collection of spices and seasonings. I want to be able to whip up just about any kind of cuisine whenever the mood strikes. Today, the mood was chicken tikka masala. We literally buy chicken thighs several times a week, so the only thing I needed to buy was the yogurt.

Typically, people make this dish (which originated in Britain — wild!) with chicken breasts. No. No. Absolutely not. I mean, you’re grown, you can do what you want, but I don’t recommend breasts at all — at least not in this context. I HIIIIIIIGHLY recommend you find a pack of boneless/skinless chicken thighs and proceed to the magic. Thighs are just way juicier, more flavorful, and they are able to be braised a lot longer than breasts — which dry out fast and become leathery and chewy and just…no. No! Please don’t use breasts for *THIS* recipe, because I’m suggesting you let this baby cook for a while. Not too long, under an hour but not the normal 20 minutes it would take with breasts. I am all about developing flavors, so sure, you could make this in 20 minutes with breasts, but I can’t guarantee you’ll get the kind of mouthgasm we got from the thighs and a longer braising time. It’s up to you though, boo.

I also added more spices than most recipes you’ll find online, just due to personal preference. Again, we like flavor around here, and I like to make things my own.

This is Chicken Tikka Masala, the CarnalDish way.

If you want authentic, you might wanna skip this recipe. But if you want damn good, keep scrolling.

Chop your thighs into bite sized pieces.

Gather your spices.

Combine the spices, yogurt, ginger and garlic paste.

So, this is how I cook. I add things as I think of them. Here, I was like “hey! lemme add some dried cilantro”, so I did.

Add that blob of goodness to your chopped up chicken.

Mix it all around. See how thick it is? I mean, that’s cool and all, but I want it a tad creamier…

So, I added about 2-3 tablespoons of water…oh, I’m not done on the moisture front.

See…it needs a nice squeeze of lemon. I used a whole lemon. Roll your lemon around on the counter with some pressure to release even more juice.

Now, this is the consistency I wanted. If you use regular yogurt instead of greek, you’ll already have this consistency. But still add lemon.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to your skillet. You could also use ghee, but I didn’t have any on hand, so I’m using this. This works perfectly in a nonstick skillet, but I didn’t feel like fumbling around for mine.

Over medium-high’ish heat, brown the chicken until you get lil golden brown specks like this. The goal here is just to get a little color (if possible), but we don’t want to fully cook the chicken because it’s gonna stew later. So do this for about 3min per side.

So you should have some nice brown bits at the bottom of your pan, as well as some fat from the chicken. We’re gonna sauté the onions in that. So throw those in, with the garlic and ginger paste.

Add kosher salt. This will help the onions release some liquid, which will also help you scrape up even more of those yummy brown bits at the bottom.

Add the curry, garam masala, cumin, and turmeric. Toss around so those spices bloom and release their flavors.

Oh! I added some hot and sweet paprika here, optional for you, but I highly recommend it if you have it.

A nice blob of rich tomato paste.

Mix the tomato paste around to coat the onions and cook this down for about 3-5 minutes, or until the paste kinda turns brownish-red.

It’s just pretty. Let’s take a second to admire.

Now, add the tomato puree, diced tomatoes, and add about a half cup to a full cup of water. The water will help loosen the sauce, so it gives you a lil more time to cook it down and reduce.

Let this simmer on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes. I didn’t take a pic, but I added some cayenne pepper, granulated garlic and onion, and a little more salt here.

Brown sugar will really help round out all of the flavors. It’s not going to make it sweet, but it will give it a much needed balance so it’s not so harsh. I added about two tablespoons total. Start with one tablespoon, taste, and see if you need more.

Ok, so assuming you’re in control of this dish, seeing as how you’re cooking it — and you’ve been tasting it along the way, making sure it’s perfect for YOUR standards, this is when you add a nice hunk of cold butter. The cold butter will slowly melt and emulsify this sauce, making it velvety AF!

See how thick? Nice and perfect. Well-seasoned, just yes. YAAAS!

Add the cream.

Stir that cream up in there.

Add the rested chicken to the sauce, stir it in there, and get ready…because we’re down to the wire.

I added a little more turmeric, about a half teaspoon if I had to guess, just to help emphasize that yummy burnt orange color. Plus, turmeric is just lovely for the body. Cover this, turn the heat to low, and let this get happy for about 10-15 minutes.

Give it a taste, if it needs anything at all — which it shouldn’t, because yanno, you’ve been cooking and tasting this whole time — go ahead and add it now. Then sit back and marvel at your sexy dish. You did that. Garnish with cilantro, serve it over rice or naan/roti/chapati/whatever (or both if you’re into fatassery like myself). Enjoy, m’love!

This. Was. SO. DAMN. GOOD!!!

It was even better the next day, I swear. The chicken was STILL tender and damn near melting in our mouths, just so good after being reheated. I’m sad it’s almost gone. I may have to warm up a bowl before my boyfriend wakes up — because I know he’ll kill it and leave me assed out.

Products/Tools used:

Chicken Tikka Masala

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Prep time

4 hours

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

4 hours 50 mins

Please understand how amazing this is about to be for you. I need you to prepare yourself, kthxbi.

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: Invite friends, hella servings

Ingredients

Marinade

8-10 boneless/skinless chicken thighs, chopped into chunks
⅔ cup plain greek yogurt
1 rounded tablespoon garlic paste
1 rounded tablespoon ginger paste
Juice from 1 lemon
¼ cup water (optional, SEE NOTE BELOW)
1 rounded tablespoon kosher salt (SEE NOTE BELOW)
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons coriander
2 teaspoons cumin
1½ teaspoons chili powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon granulated onion
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon dried cilantro

Masala Sauce

2 tablespoons butter, ghee or vegetable oil
2 large white onions, diced
1 rounded tablespoon ginger paste
1 rounded tablespoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon hot curry powder (optional)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon hot paprika (optional)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika (smoked would be great)
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 15oz can tomato puree
1 cup water
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon granulated onion
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt & pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro, to garnish
Serve with lime wedges, rice and/or flatbread of choice
Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle (optional)

Instructions

For the marinade

In a large bowl, combine all of the dried spices and herbs with the greek yogurt. Add the garlic and ginger paste, and the lemon juice and water (if using). Mix well, and add the chunks of chicken thighs. Mix to evenly combine, cover with plastic wrap and set aside on your kitchen counter for at least 1 hour on your counter, up to 2. You can also marinate this for up to 4 hours in your fridge. Do not let this marinate more than 4 hours! The lemon juice and yogurt will start to "cook" the chicken and compromise the texture. So FOUR hours MAX!!
Heat a large skillet (nonstick would be easier to deal with, but not entirely necessary) over medium-high heat. Add a couple tablespoons of fat (butter, ghee, or oil). When the fat is hot, add enough chicken to cover the pan, but leave about an inch of space between each piece. You don't want to overcrowd the pan because then the chicken will steam instead of brown. And because you're using thighs, they'll need a bit more room to release their fat. Brown both sides of the chicken until spotty brown, some will be browner than others and that's okay. Also, if your chicken is sticking to the pan (and you're using a non-stick), leave it alone until it's ready to release on its own. You may need to do this in batches, I had to do mine in 3 batches total. Which was cool, because I had a nice layer of fond (browned bits) at the bottom of the pan by the time it was over. The goal here is to just get a little color on the chicken, you don't want to cook it all the way through because it will continue to braise in the sauce later. Set your chicken aside and let's work on the sauce.

For the sauce

You should have a good amount of fat left in the pan from the chicken, but if you don't, add a little more. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the onions, garlic paste, and ginger paste. Add some kosher salt to help the onions sweat a little faster. Cook the onions until softened -- about 5 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add all of the dried spices to the onions except for the granulated garlic and onion. Let these spices bloom in the fat, continue to scrape the pan if necessary. Tip: If at any point your heat is too high and things are burning, please lower it! Add a splash of water if the browned bits aren't releasing easily enough, and don't worry, this will evaporate.
Add the tomato paste. Stir the paste around and toast for about 5-7 minutes or until the paste deepens in color. Add the pureed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and water. Continue to scrape any browned bits if necessary. Bring to a simmer, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Leave uncovered or semi-covered. If it's splashing everywhere, reduce the heat! Add the granulated garlic and onion, kosher salt and pepper to taste. Let this sauce reduce until its nice and thick, about 15-20 minutes. Add the cold butter, and stir in in to let it slowly melt and emulsify the sauce. When it's visibly thicker in consistency, add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Give it a taste! See what it needs, add whatever you need to. You are in full control here. The measurements I give you for the seasonings specifically, are starting point measurements. You may want to add more of this and that, and feel completely free to do so!
When you're happy with it, add the heavy cream. Stir that around until it's fully incorporated. Give it another taste, because cream can mute some flavors, and you may or may not need to re-boost certain things. Now, add the rested chicken and the accumulated juices back to the sauce. Stir gently and make sure each piece of chicken is basically covered. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for an additional 10-15 minutes. Give it one last taste, because this is your last chance to adjust anything.
Finally, you're done. Serve this delicious stuff over rice, or alongside any kind of flatbread. We're fans of the carb, so we ate it with both. Garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve with wedges of lime and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Whew! Get your life.

Notes

If using regular plain yogurt, you may not need to add the water. I used water to help thin out the super thick greek yogurt, but it's totally optional either way.

If you don't have kosher salt, which is a much bigger flake and less salty than regular salt, you will need to adjust the measurement. Don't use a full tablespoon of fine or table salt, it will give you high blood pressure! That's way too salty, maybe a teaspoon at the most. Be safe and use as little as you can, because you can always add it later, but you cannot take it away.

If you cannot find garlic or ginger paste, just use finely minced fresh garlic and ginger instead.

One-Pot Lemon Oregano Chicken and Rice

April 3, 2018 Leave a Comment

Sleep deprivation really sucks. I’m hungry every day, but I don’t always have the energy nor time to cook something yummy to keep me sustained. Enter “One Pot Meals”. I call them culinary life-savers. The entire concept of throwing everything into one vessel and letting it cook until it’s done while you chase your kid around, or plop on the couch watching Family Feud — is a frickin blessing. I cook a lot of different one-pot variations these days, because I just don’t have the time to do anything too intricate. Maybe on the weekends, but weekdays? Nah.

We are huge fans of the chicken thigh. It’s the most succulent part of the chicken. The best part? That rendered crispy skin clinging to the juicy flavorful meat. My GAWD! If you don’t like chicken thighs, I promise it’s because you haven’t had them properly cooked. My boyfriend used to HATE chicken thighs. But then he met me, and I changed his life. He thought the skin had to be flabby and fatty and super greasy, because that’s how most people prepare them, sadly. So I threw some fatty chicken thighs into a super hot skillet, rendered the fat, and then finished them in the oven and he basically got the blessing he had been missing all his life.

Thighs are tasty on their own, needing only salt and pepper at the bare minimum. But just like white meat, they can benefit from some extra TLC. I marinated these in olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh oregano, fresh thyme, dried oregano, herbs de provence, salt, pepper, and fresh garlic. Just a few hours, no need to do this overnight. As a matter fact, I wouldn’t marinate anything with this much lemon juice (or any other acid) for more than 2-4 hours. It starts to make the texture of the meat weird, kind like it’s almost cooking it. If you’d like to marinate this overnight, leave out the lemon juice or drastically reduce it. I realize fresh oregano isn’t widely available everywhere — I’ve been to several stores and haven’t found it, but if you can find it, buy it and use it. It’s especially delicious as a garnish on the final product.

Here’s the bird soaking up some marinade, getting all happy. It’s about to get even happier, because we’re about to cook it. If refrigerated, make sure your chicken has come to room temp at least 30min prior to cooking, it just helps it cook thru more evenly.

Whether you’re using all rice, rice and quinoa, or all quinoa, make sure you rinse it THOROUGHLY for at least 2 minutes. Leave it to drain while you prep everything else.

I’m using fresh oregano, fresh thyme, garlic chive flower (optional), garlic, and parsley.

Get your cast iron skillet (mine is 12 inches) nice and hot over medium-high heat. Make sure it’s very lightly coated with a high smoke point oil (such as vegetable, canola, grapeseed, etc.) just until you see a sheen. When the skillet is super hot, add the chicken thighs skin-side down and walk away.

Seriously, leave the chicken alone for about 8-10 minutes, or until it easily releases on it’s own. If you’re trying to turn it, and it’s not budging, it’s NOT ready. Leave it alone. You’ll be able to easily flip it when it’s ready. If too much fat accumulates at the bottom of the pan, don’t be afraid to gently and safely pour some of it out.

See what happens when you leave it alone? You get a nice golden brown color. Let the chicken cook on the meat side for just 1 minute, then set aside on a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. After you remove the chicken, make sure you leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan, or just add some fresh oil and sauté your shallots (or onions) and garlic. You only need to do this for about 2-3 minutes.

Add the well-drained rice/quinoa to the pan, tossing it with the onion/garlic mixture, making sure it’s evenly and thinly coated in oil. You’re basically toasting it. Do this fo about 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Make sure the rice is completely covered.

Add the fresh thyme, dried oregano (and any other herbs you’d like — I also added herbs de provence). This would also be a great time to add the lemon juice and zest, but because I have mommy-brain, I didn’t remember to do this until a few steps later. If you’re feeling froggy, throw in a tiny splash of white wine!

Don’t forget to season it with salt and pepper, giving it a taste to make sure it’s where you need it to be. Remember, the rice will soak up this liquid, so make sure it’s well seasoned!

See? Mommy-brain in full effect. I was like, “Oh snap, I forgot the lemon zest!”

“And I forgot the damn lemon juice, doh!”

Slice up another lemon and arrange slices between the thighs, tucking it into the rice. Throw in some fresh oregano and tuck it into the rice so it infuses, and you’ll remove these stems after it’s done cooking — because nobody wants to eat that. Place this entire vessel into your 400 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the thighs register 175 degrees on an instant read thermometer, and the rice is tender. Don’t worry if some juices are left at the bottom. As long as the rice and chicken is cooked, a lil pan jus never hurt nobody.

Bruh.

So yeah, if you’re short on time, or kinda lazy — throw this meal together. I will say this with every recipe I post, because it’s worth repeating, but if there’s something you’re either missing or unable to get your hands on (ingredient-wise), just use what you have.

“Can I use boneless skinless chicken breasts?” Sure. They’ll come out drier than the Sahara, but you probably know that already. Braising white meat really isn’t a good idea. So you’ll have to adjust some things. For example, try taking the chicken breasts out as SOON as they reach 165 degrees internally. Or, just cook them completely on the stove and then cook the rice separately, then put everything together right before you serve it. Proceed with caution, though.

“Do I have to marinade this chicken? I don’t have time…” NOPE! You can totally skip the marinade, I promise this will still come out phenomenal. Instead of marinating it, just add the seasoning and dried herbs to the meat side, and season the skin of the chicken with salt and pepper. Boom. See, I just saved you two hours — although when and if you have time, try the marinade, because it’s damn tasty.

When you serve it, hit it with a little more fresh lemon juice and some fresh herbs — especially the fresh oregano, and enjoy this stuff. It’s really yummy, adaptable, and comes together fast.

One-Pot Lemon Oregano Chicken & Rice

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Prep time

2 hours

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

2 hours 45 mins

4 lemons were harmed in the making of this recipe.

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

6 to 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and skin
½ cup shallots (or onion), chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup rice (I used a basmati, brown rice, and red quinoa mix), rinsed and drained thoroughly
2 cups chicken stock
2 sprigs fresh oregano
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon herbs de provence
1 lemon zested and juiced, and 1 lemon sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Marinade:

¼ - ⅓ cup olive oil
juice and zest from 1 lemon
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh oregano
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon herbes de provence
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon kosher salt (depending on how much chicken)
½ teaspoons black pepper

Garnish

Fresh parsley
Fresh oregano
Garlic chive flower, finely chopped (optional)

Instructions

If using marinade (yes, it's optional): Add all of the marinade ingredients to a large sturdy plastic bag, or bowl and mix well until salt is dissolved. Add the chicken and let it get happy for about 2-4 hours. If marinating overnight, reduce the amount of lemon juice, using just the juice from one half of a lemon instead of a whole lemon. You can leave this on your counter for the entire 2-4 hours, but if you decide to put it in the fridge, remove it at least 30min prior to cooking to take the chill off.
If you decide to skip the marinade, just season the flesh side of the chicken with salt, pepper, and the dried herbs. Then proceed with the recipe.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large 12-inch cast iron skillet (or any oven-safe skillet you have), very lightly coat the pan with a high smoke-point oil (such as vegetable, canola, grapeseed, etc.) just until theres a very light sheen, over medium-high heat. You won't need to add any additional fat to the pan because the chicken thighs are already fatty and coated in olive oil.
When the skillet is nice and hot, remove each piece of chicken from the marinade, letting any additional stuff drip off so it's not too wet and place it in the skillet skin-side down. LEAVE THE CHICKEN ALONE! Let it sear until the skin easily releases, about 8-10 minutes. Now, if you're noticing too many juices accumulating in the bottom of the pan, tilt it and scoop it out with a ladle or, if you're bold, pour it off and discard -- but PLEASE be careful! This stuff is hot, and you also don't want any of your chicken to fall out. After the chicken skin is seared and gorgeously golden brown, let it cook on the meat side, just 1 minute. Transfer each thigh to a plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium. You should have about 2 tablespoons of fat leftover in the skillet. But if you don't, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute your shallots (or onions) until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the well-rinsed and drained rice, and toast it with the shallots and garlic in the leftover chicken fat (or olive oil) for about 2-3 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, lemon juice, and lemon zest, while scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Add the fresh thyme, dried oregano, herbs de provence and stir gently until evenly combined. Place the chicken back into the skillet, making sure the skin isn't submerged. Tuck slices of lemon between the pieces of chicken, and place 1 sprig (torn into two pieces) of oregano into the rice -- you will remove this once it's done. Turn the heat to high, and as soon as it reaches a boil, place the skillet in the oven on the middle rack.
Cook until the rice is fully absorbed and tender, and the chicken registers 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the whole sprig of oregano. Let rest 10 minutes.
Garnish with fresh parsley, oregano, and garlic chive flower (optional). Feel free to squeeze a tiny bit of fresh lemon juice over your individual serving and enjoy.

Fresh Herb Deviled Eggs

April 2, 2018 Leave a Comment

I love just about any version of a deviled egg, and these are no exception. I make them all kinds of ways…stuffed with crab, shrimp, smoked salmon — you name it, I’ll eat it. I even love to top them with shatteringly crisp chicken skins. OH MAH GAWD so GOOD! Anyway, I had a bunch of fresh herbs laying around, and decided to chuck them into a pretty regular-schmegular deviled egg filling. I’m gonna tell you right now, you can use ANY fresh herb here. You absolutely 1000% do not have to use what I am using, so please use what you have or what you like.

This is a great appetizer for Spring. The most prominent herb in this recipe would be the garlic chive flower. I find this super onion/garlicky deliciousness at my local Asian supermarket. Regular chives will also work. I had some dill laying around, threw that in too. Flat leaf parsley as well. I’m telling you, use-what-you-have!

Ahh fresh eggs!

Add enough cold water to cover the eggs, about an inch

Cover and bring to a boil, once it starts boiling, turn the heat off and let it sit – covered – for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, shock the eggs in an ice bath to stop the cooking.

Peel your eggs.

Slice your eggs in half.

Chuck the cooked yolks in a food processor.

Pulse the cooked yolks until broken up and

Pulse the cooked yolks until they look like this. If using a large bowl, just mash with a fork or large spoon.

Add the mayo, dijon, herbs of choice, shallots, salt and pepper, sugar, olive oil, and pickle juice.

Blend that mixture until smooth.

Pipe your filling into the halved egg whites, garnish as you please. Enjoy!

I topped mine with a light dusting of smoked paprika, cayenne, fresh dill, and chopped pickles.

Addicting little bites.

I want to point a few things out about deviled eggs. When you’re making the filling, you HAVE to taste it as you go. The best approach is to use as little moisture (pickle juice, mayo, mustard, etc.) in the beginning, so that you can adjust the texture as you see fit. Don’t add a bunch of moisture, and thin the filling out so much, it’s impossible to work with and essentially ruined. Start with a little, and add as you go. Season as you go. You know what you want these to taste like, so don’t be afraid to add a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. These are your eggs.

Second, these will taste even better after they’re chilled. If your egg mixture is too warm, it can throw the taste off. The best thing to do is to let the mixture chill for a good hour before filling the egg whites. That way, if you still need to adjust the seasoning or add a little more moisture, you can do that BEFORE they’re filled. Please take heed to this.

With that said, I hope you enjoy these and stay tuned for many more deviled egg recipes. Because I have a ton of them up my sleeve.

Fresh Herb Deviled Eggs

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

Herby little morsels of eggy goodness that are easy to whip up and even easier to adapt.

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Recipe type: appetizer

Serves: 24 deviled eggs

Ingredients

1 dozen large eggs, boiled and peeled
⅓ cup mayo (use more if needed, but start with this)
1-2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons pickle juice
2 tablespoons diced shallots
1 teaspoon fresh dill
2 teaspoons fresh parsley
3 garlic chives, chopped finely (use regular chives if you can't find garlic chives)
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Pinch of sugar, to taste

Garnish

Fresh dill
Pickles, chopped finely
Cayenne pepper and Smoked Paprika for light dusting

Instructions

Gently add eggs to large pot, and fill with enough cold water to cover the eggs by an inch. Cover and bring to a boil on high heat. Once the water starts to boil rapidly, turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 minutes. Place eggs in a large bowl filled with ice water and let them cool completely for about a half hour. You can do this step a day or 2 ahead and just keep the cooked eggs in the fridge until you're ready to use them.
Peel and slice each egg in half, lengthwise. Gently scoop the yolks out into a food processor or large bowl. Pulse until the egg yolks are finely ground, or if using a bowl, mash with a fork or spoon until smooth.
Add the minimum amount of mayo, djion, fresh herbs, olive oil, pickle juice, salt and pepper, sugar, shallots called for, and blend until smooth. TASTE THIS MIXTURE! Add whatever you need to add until its to YOUR liking. Always start with the minimum amount of an ingredient suggested above and add more as you need to. Deviled eggs are extremely personal in taste and texture, so make this recipe yours and add whatever you need. However, for this recipe, the herbs are the star, so make sure they're harmoniously prominent here.
Cool the filling in the fridge for 1 hour. After an hour, taste it again and adjust taste and texture as needed. Once you're happy with what you have, pipe the filling into each half of the egg whites.
Garnish and enjoy!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling

March 31, 2018 1 Comment

Long time no see! So much has happened in the last year, I don’t even know where to begin. Oh, and I’m a mom now. Wild, huh? Yeah, I dipped off and had a baby on y’all lol. He’s my WORLD. His name is Christian, and he’s just…ugh, my entire joy. I love him so much. I also fell in love with a guy I met at my favorite grocery store on earth — Wegmans! It’s all pretty damn poetic, if you ask me. We’re a happy lil unit. I’ll get deeper into that another time, because you’re here for cookies, not my sappy love story. So boom, I grew up eating tf out of those Lil Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies. I *still* nosh on them from time to time. Not because I think they’re delicious, but because they remind me of my childhood. But, in the grand tradition of growing up, I had to elevate them. So, here’s my rendition of the oatmeal cream pie — but with a twist.

If you don’t like maple OR pumpkin, guess what? You can totally leave them out

Want that signature crackle top? Press the cookies down with the bottom of a glass as soon as they’re out of the oven.

Maple cream cheese filling? Yes please!

Little Masterpieces

The cookies are very, very soft and very moist. Here’s the thing, this recipe is very adaptable. If you don’t like pumpkin, or just don’t have any on hand — you can leave it out! The pumpkin does lend some extra moisture, but not so much that if you left it out the cookies would suffer. “Hey Resha, I don’t have maple extract!”. Ok, leave it out boo. Or, if you have grade B maple syrup, use that instead. Grade B has a much stronger maple flavor that’s best suited for baking, whereas Grade A is better for actual eating (in my humble opinion). Again, if you don’t have either, don’t even trip. Even the molasses is optional. Some folks don’t like the flavor of it, and that’s totally fine.

Quick word about the oats. You should use the quick cooking oats for this recipe, as they’re already precooked and come out softer. However — if you only have old fashioned rolled oats, you can use those too. Here’s how: simply grind them down to as fine a powder as you can get them. Use your high-powered blender or food processor to grind them down to basically a flour. The cookies will still come out great, I’ve tried both ways.

5 from 1 reviews

Maple-Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 12

Ingredients

2.5 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temp
2 tsp molasses (optional)
¼ cup pumpking puree (optional)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp maple extract (optional)
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
3 cups quick cooking oats oats (if using whole oats, grind them down to a fine powder)

Maple Cream Cheese Filling:

1.5 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
8oz. cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp maple extract, or 2 tbsp Grade B maple syrup (both optional)
pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Line a large baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
In a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (you can use a handheld mixer too), cream the butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about a minute. Add the egg, vanilla extract, maple extract, pumpkin puree, and molasses, scraping down the sides as needed. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Then add the oats. The dough will be thick and moist, so use a rubber spatula or spoon to continue mixing by hand until you no longer see dry pockets of flour/oats. Scoop dough with a large cookie scoop, or use rounded 2 tablespoon measurements of dough. Cookies will spread in the oven if using quick oats, so drop each ball of dough 3 inches apart. If using whole ground oats, the cookies will spread but not as much, so either flatten them with moist fingers before baking, or gently press them down as soon as they’re out of the oven with the bottom of a glass — which is also how you’ll get that signature oatmeal cookie crackle on top.
Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are lightly golden around the edges. Let the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling:

In a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment (you can use a handheld mixer), beat the softened butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until creamy and combined, about a minute. Add the confectioners sugar and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract, maple extract OR maple syrup if using. Beat on high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and ribbony. Give it a taste and add a pinch as needed. If your filling is too thick, add a few drops of heavy cream or half and half. If it’s too loose, add a bit more powdered sugar. Place filling into a piping bag, or simply spread it onto half the cookies, placing the other unfrosted half on top. If you have an odd number of extra cookies, don’t worry about it. Just eat them as is, or dip them in remaining filling.
These sandwich cookies will stay fresh and soft at room temperature for about 2 days in an airtight container. You can also store them in individual ziploc bags — if they last that long. Enjoy!

Notes

adapted from MyRecipes.com

Cider-braised Pork with Caramelized Apples, Fennel, and Onions

December 23, 2016 1 Comment

I don’t know about you, but I’m so over turkey for the holidays. No, that doesn’t mean I don’t like turkey, because I absolutely do — but I’m just tired of sitting around a big turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Can we do something different, please? I beg. I have the perfect recipe for you that will allow you to be the star in your kitchen. Braising large cuts of any kind of meat can be intimidating for the average home-cook, but I promise you it’s easier than you’ll ever imagine. All you have to do is essentially sear/brown your meat, cook down some aromatics, add the meat back, add some liquid and cook very slowly.

Pork is perfect anytime of the year, any season. It’s versatile, easy to cook, and always extremely flavorful. This cider-braised pork shoulder is the perfect vessel for your holiday table. Fennel is in season, and it lends a delicious anise’y flavor to this juicy, naturally rich piece of meat. The way the onions, fennel, and apples cook down are just amazing — giving you a rich, savory compote effect to compliment the pork. The herbs lend even more flavor, and the cider infuses into the meat and helps enhance it’s natural sweetness. Bottom line, everything here absolutely works.

If you don’t have a dutch-oven, you can absolutely finish this off in your slow cooker. My advice would be to start this meal out the way I recommend, by searing, sautéing, the whole-9…then finish it off in your slow cooker. You can choose High or Low heat, it’s up to you. Just be prepared to enjoy one tasty bounty of porky deliciousness.

Serve this up alongside some white wine braised brussel sprouts, and maybe some creamy roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and enjoy the well deserved nap you’re bound to take later.

For more delicious recipes, visit PorkBeInspired.com

Cider-braised Pork Shoulder

Save Print

Prep time

48 hours

Cook time

4 hours

Total time

52 hours

The perfect pork recipe for the holidays

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 12-16

Ingredients

1 bone-in pork shoulder, excess fat removed
¼ cup worcestershire sauce
½ cup dijon mustard
kosher salt
black pepper
Braising ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large honey crisp apple, cored and chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 bulb fennel, chopped
2 cups apple cider
½ cup water
½ sprig fresh rosemary, left whole
5 sprigs fresh thyme, left whole
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 star anise (optional)
salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

Remove excess fat from pork shoulder if necessary. There should be a quarter-inch layer of fat left. Score the fat cross-wise, careful not to cut into the meat. Inject pork shoulder with worcestershire sauce, and rub thoroughly with dijon mustard. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate 24-48 hours in the refrigerator.
When ready to cook, take the pork shoulder out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for at least an hour before searing. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottom dutch oven over medium-high heat until you start to see wisps of smoke. Lay the pork shoulder fat-side down and allow the fat cap to sear and render for about 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Brown all sides of the pork shoulder until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove pork shoulder from dutch oven, and set aside. You should have flavorful brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Pour off all the remaining fat, reserving 3 tablespoons.
Sautee the onions, fennel, apples, and crushed red pepper in the reserved fat until translucent and softened, about 8 minutes. Add the pork back to the onion, fennel, and apple mixture, making sure the veggies and fruit provide a nice “bed” for the pork. You can bring up some of the veggies/fruit mixture up the sides of the pork as well. Pour in the apple cider and water into the dutch oven, making sure it comes up ¾ the sides of the pork — it shouldn’t be covered in liquid. If you don’t have enough liquid, pour in more water until you’ve reached ¾ up the sides of the pork. Add the rosemary, thyme, star anise (if using), cover the dutch oven and bring to a boil. Once the pork has reached a full rolling boil, place the dutch oven into your pre-heated 300 degree oven, and braise for 3 hours with the lid on. Remove the lid after 3 hours, and braise an additional hour.
Remove the dutch-oven from the oven, and let the pork shoulder cool for about 20 minutes. Skim any excess fat from the top of the liquid. Taste the braising juices and adjust seasoning as needed. Carefully carve slices of the tender meat and serve.

Notes

If you do not have a large dutch-oven, you can use a slow cooker instead. Sear the meat, cook the aromatics until they're softened, then add everything to your slow cooker. Cook on desired high or low heat setting until the meat is completely tender.

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