Nha means House

I really really love Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home book.  It is so user friendly and the instruction are clear and concise and all the dishes are really easy to throw together for the household use.  I have never cooked so many dishes from one book before. I usually am going through different books, blogs and old recipes and going from one resource to another to find the right recipe to use.  I have to admit I am really enjoying this experience about cooking from one book, especially from a man like Thomas Keller.  He is just so talented and offers tons of great tips in the book.

Okay back to the New England Style Clambake. I love this recipe, simple and really show off all the different seafood and his tips about using eggs to see if your clambake is ready was spot on.

Here’s the recipe, plus you will need clean rocks to cover the bottom of a 20 quart pot and one pound of seaweed, rinsed well in hot water.  I had a really hard time find some fresh seaweed/kelp/wakame in the East Side and I had to call a few places to find it, so do your research before you make this dish.  I finally found it at Uwajimaya in Bellevue and had to call twice because they were not sure if they were going to get it in that day, but do not let it deter you – it’s worth the effort.  Plus you will about 2 yards of cheese cloths.

Here are my rocks and seaweed in a huge pot:

• Kosher salt
• 2 pounds clam, preferably steamers or Manila
• 18 extra-large (16-20 count) shrimp
• 2 pounds mussels, preferably Bouchot, (I couldn’t find any in my area)
• ***Do a ratio of 10:1 water salt ratio for the salt brine (8 cups of water to 1 3/4 cups salt)
• clams soak for 5 minutes, then rinse under cold water
• mussels soak for 5 minutes, rinsed under cold water and removes it beard
• shrimp soak for 10 minutes, slit down the back of each shrimp and remove the intestinal tract
• 1 1/2 pounds Red Bliss or other red potatoes (I used Yukon because I had some on hand)
• Canola Oil
• Fleur de sel
• 8 oz andouille sausage, cut into 3 inch long pieces
• 6 ears corn, shucked and cut in half
• Three lobsters
• 2 large eggs
• Melted butter
• Malt vinegar
• Lemon wedges
• Old Bay Seasoning

With the rocks and half the seaweed in the pot (save the other pot to line your big platter to serve the clambake), add water to come to just below the top of the seaweed.  Basically the ingredients will be steamed and will not come in contact with the water.  Set the pot over high heat and bring to a boil.

Toss the potatoes with the canola oil and generously toss with the fleur de sel. Cut an 18 inches square cheesecloth and placed the potatoes in the center and tied it up.

Wrap the clams and mussels in one cheesecloth.  Wrap the shrimp in another square and the sausages in another square.

Time to cook everything.  First place the potatoes in the center and cook for 12 minutes, then add the corn, sausage and then tuck in the shellfish bundles and add the lobster. Lastly tuck in the two eggs.  Cover and cook 15 minutes.  Remove one of the eggs and crack it open. If the eggs are hard-cooked, then the clambake is ready to be taken out and enjoy. If not, cook for another three minute and check the second egg.

Here’s the clambake ready to be devour!

Verdict:  Everyone thought the clambake was well cooked, not over done, the shellfish, especially the shrimp were juicy and plump.  The corn was another hit but the potatoes were really good, though the husband said it need some butter (which I had some on the table), otherwise it was fluffy and creamy at the same time.

I also made a dipping sauce that I nabbed from Kappo when we went there last year.  It was just butter, soy sauce and sake.  They heated the sauce until the butter had melted and emulsified with the soy and sake. This dipping sauce was just amazing with the shrimp and lobster – luxurious and rich and silky at the same time.

Here’s some fun photos of my friend and I holding the waving lobster before we put it in the pot, a good shot and then a shot right after one of the lobster try to EAT us! (That’s the reason why the photo is out of focus.)  We had fun that night.

Check out one of the claws from the lobster.  It was huge and delicious!

and a final picture of the clambake again. This is a great meal to have for a special occasion and to share with your friends.  I want to wish Quyen a very very Happy Birthday and hoped you enjoyed the dinner and your new quilt!

was a big hit.  This is going to be a long post but filled with lots of recipes.

We had  these amazing giant fresh sea scallops that my friend, Vy, brought over.  Keller advises that you do a 10 minute sea salt brine, dry it off and then seared it.  That’s it, that’s the recipe.  It was simple but delicious way to cook excellent scallops. The flavor was sweet, rich and flavorful from the brining.  I highly recommend brining all your seafood in the future, from shrimps, clams, mussels, which which did for a New England Clam Bake, a post will coming up shortly for that.  His ratio is 2 cups of hot water to dissolve the 2 cups of kosher salt and then an additional 8 cups of cold water.

I also made the Summer Vegetable Gratin and that was so good.  I’m going to save the recipe to write up later this summer when I harvest my own vegetables to make this.  If you need the recipe sooner, just let me know, otherwise, please wait until later this summer.

The soffritto was the key to make this vegetable gratin extra special.  Go the extra effort and make the soffritto.  Soffritto is basically a onions and tomato mixture that is cooked low and slow and add so much flavor and oomph to any dish!

Here’s his recipe:

• 3 cups finely diced Spanish onions, about 1 pound
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 1 pound plum tomatoes, about 6, grated, skin and seeds discarded
• 1/2 teasp minced garlic

This recipes does take about 5 – 6 hours to make, so if you are making veal stock, this is a good time to make this and keep in hand all the time.  Basically you are cooking the onions for about 2.5 hours until the onions are a rich and golden color, and the oil is clear. Then you add the tomato puree and cook for another 2.5 hours.  The paste will separate from the oil.  Turn off the heat and then add some salt and garlic.  Keep refrigerated.

I’m so sorry this pic is not so great, but overall this dish was a hit! Caramelized Leek Bread Pudding.

If you were to make any dishes that I have posted, you HAVE to make this dish.  That weekend I made three of them and brought them to three separate parties and it was one of the first dishes to vanish and declared what a delicious dinner it was!

Here’s the recipe, you just have to make.

• 2 cups 1/2 inch thick slices leeks (white and green parts only), clean from dirt and sand
• Kosher Salt
• 4 Tblsp (2 oz) unsalted butter
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 12 cups 1-inch cub crustless Brioche or Pullman Sandwich loaf
• 1 Tblsp finely chopped chives
• 1 teasp thyme leaves
• 3 large eggs
• 3 cups whole milk
• 3 cups heavy cream
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup shredded Comte

Preheat oven to 350F

Put the leeks in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, season with salt and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.  As the leeks begin to soften, lower the heat to medium-low.  The leeks will release liquid. Stir in the butter to emulsify and season with pepper to taste.  Cover the pan with a parchment lid and cook, stirring every 10 min, until  the leeks are very soft, 30 to 35 minutes.  If at any point the butter breaks or looks oily, stir in about a tablespoon of water to re-emulsify the sauce.  Remove and discard the parchment lid.

Meanwhile spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 20 min, until dry and golden brown.  Transfer to a large bowl and add the leeks to the bread and toss well, then add the chives and thyme.

In another bowl, lightly whisk the eggs in another large bowl.  Whisk in the milk, cream, a generous pinch of salt, pepper to taste and a pinch of nutmeg.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese in the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch baking pan.  Spread half the leeks and croutons in the pan and sprinkle another 1/4 cup cheese. Scatter the remaining leeks and croutons over the top with another 1/4 cup cheese.  Pour in enough of the custard mixture to cover the bread and press gently on the bread so it soaks in the milk.  Let soak for about 15 minutes.

Add the remaining custard, allowing some of the soaked cubes of bread to protrude.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese on top and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pudding feels set and the top is brown and bubbling.

Notes:  I actually thought he had too much custard, or maybe I didn’t have enough crouton to soak all the custard up, so use your judgment on the the custard to crotons ratio.  Definitely use Comte cheese…it lent a buttery and lovely taste to this dish that another cheese would not have offer.  Make this for Thanksgiving, because I know I will.  So good!

We also had the marinated skirt steak.  The marinade was quite different from my usual Asian style marinade because his is a emulsified herb oil of

• 6 thyme spring
• Two 8-inch rosemary sprigs
• 4 small bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 5 garlic cloves, smashed, skin left on
• 2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Bring this to a simmer over medium heat, then remove from heat and cool to room temperature. 

Add your Six 8 oz trimmed outer skirt steaks and refrigerated for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

Half another before serving, remove your meat from the marinade and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking; discard the marinade.  Dry the meat with paper towels. Season well with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

• For after the marinade
• Canola oil
• 2 tablespoon (1 oz) unsalted butter
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed, skin left on

All the above ingredients to the pan and then sear each piece and constantly basting the meat the with the flavored oil.  Then transfer the meat to the oven and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the center register 125F.  Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minute before slicing/serving.

I made a Port mushroom gravy to go with this meat, you do not need it but it was tasty with it.

Minced up one large shallot, caramelized, then add in your sliced mushrooms, cook it down until all the water is evaporated, then add your port, reduce the sauce by half and then season to taste and take the sauce off the heat and then add bits of butter (about 2 tablespoons) to the sauce and let it just melt away, stir gently.  This will make your sauce silky and rich and just beautiful  That is one of the reason why I love butter!

I also made a Chocolate Caramel Banana Cake and served it with faux banana ice cream, and the ice cream was a huge hit. All you have to do is freeze really ripe bananas and then put it in the blender, add a little bit of liquid (I add a bit of vanilla soy milk that I had on hand) to puree the whole thing and then just serve like ice cream.  The texture and taste was amazing… it tasted exactly like ice cream but without all the calories and dairy!  This would be great for kids who want something sweet and cold this summer.  A really healthy treat to have on hand and easy to whip up with a blender!

This was a very easy dish to create which I pan-seared and finished in the oven. 

Verdict: I think this dish could use a little bit of salt in the marinade plus a sprinkle of salt right before serving.  The dish was so-so, not as impressive as the herb-crusted rack of lamb.  But I do think this marinade would be good for a pork roast marinade overnight.  I did like the Serrano chile heat in the recipe and would actually add a little bit more in the marinade and plus at the end when the sauce had to be reduced to a glaze.

• Marinade
• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• 1/2 cup pomegranate molasses (Keller said this is just reduced pomegranate juice)
• 2 tablespoon chopped Serrano chile, including seeds
• 4 small garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 2 tablespoons chopped sage
• 4 strips lemon zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
• 6 semi-boneless quails
• canola oil

I doubled the recipe since I had six people over for dinner, two birds per person.  Keller suggested serving it as an appetizer but I turned it to a main dish.

Here are the naked little birds, cleaned and blotted of most moisture:

Make sure you blot your birds dry with a paper towel and put in a large resealable bag.   Next combine all the marinade ingredients into the bag.

Pour in the marinade and quails and then seal the bag, making sure to remove as much air as possible from the bag.  Refrigerate for 6 hours.

Remove the quail from the marinade and drain on paper towels.  Pour the marinade into a small saucepan, bring to a simmer until reduced to a thick syrup.  Strain through a fine-mesh basket strainer into a bowl.  Remove any marinade ingredients clinging to the quail, since they could burn as the quail cooks.  Pour about 1/4 inch of canola oil into a shallow bowl.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat until very hot.  Dip the quail into the oil and put in the pan and cook for several minutes until the outside is nice and dark golden brown.

I served the quail on top of a Meyer lemon butter sauce with asparagus medallions with a side of creamy polenta topped with caramelized onions and parmesan cheese and a salad with a poppy honey Dijon vinaigrette.

Friday night is going to be Thomas Keller Night cooking the Ad Hoc At Home at my house. Last Friday I made two items from his book and the verdict – delicious.  I made the herb-crusted rack of lamb with honey mustard glaze and his potato pave.  The recipes was very easy to understand and to complete.  I have to admit – I own his other book, The French Laundry Cookbook, and this book by far is much more user-friendly for the home cook/kitchen. I think anyone can pick it up and cook any of his recipes easily.

Verdict on the lamb – I cooked a little higher than what he suggested to 135 F.  It came out med-rare and the lamb was tender and juicy and incredibly flavorful.  I would cook this again. I’m thinking maybe for Easter.

Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with honey mustard glaze

• 2 frenched 8-boned racks of lamb
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• canola oil
• 1/4 cup  Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoon honey
• 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temp
• 3 to 5 anchovy fillets, rinsed, dried and minced
• 1 1/2 cup ground panko crumbs
• 3 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced rosemary

1. Score the fat covering the lamb in a 1/2-inch crosshatch pattern. Then season the racks on all sides with salt and pepper. 
2. Heat oil and put fat side-down in the pan and sear until golden brown. It took me a little longer than the 1 1/2 to 2 minute that he mentioned, maybe 3 to 5
3. Combine the mustard and honey in a small bowl and set aside
4. In a small food processor and puree the butter, garlic and anchovies until smooth.    Then mix in the crumbs, parsley and rosemary  
5. Brush the mustard mixture over the fat and meat, do not coat the underside of the racks.  Then spread the crumbs evenly over the racks and pat them so the crumbs will adhere.  Keller suggested you put the racks on a roasting rack, but I improvise by using thick slices of onions.  I then boned-crossed the lambs until you have a teepee rack of lamb.  This will circulate the heat between the two racks.
6. Preheat the oven to 425 F and roast the lamb for 25 to 35 min until the meat register 128 F (rare) to 135 F (med-rare).  Let the meat rest for 20 minute cover with foil.

Verdict on the potato pave – make sure the heat is hot enough.  The first batch I made fell apart a bit but the ones afterwards held together really well, once the temperature was higher. This is a really fun and different way to serve potatoes, though you will need to do at least one day in advance.

Potato Pave

• 1 cup heavy cream
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds russet potatoes
• 5 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon softened and 4 tablespoon cut into 1/2-inch cub
• canola oil
• 2 thyme springs
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed, skin left on
• minced chives

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F

1. Pour the cream into a large bowl and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  I actually used some truffle salt that Girlrobot gave me for Christmas. (Btw it really great on freshly popped popcorn.)
2. Peel the potatoes and use a mandoline to slice the potato lengthwise into very thin (about 1/16 inch) slices.  Unfortunately I did not have a mandoline so I sliced it by hand.  Slice the potatoes and add/coat the slices to the cream as you go. 
3. Brush a 10 x 6.5 x 3 inch high pan with half the soften butter.  I had some duck fat and used that.  It really added a lot of flavor to the potatoes. Line the parchment with parchment paper, leaving a 5-inch overhang on the two long sides then brush the parchment with the remaining butter.      
4. You will want to trim the potatoes slices to form a solid even layer in the bottom of the pan and then repeat the same for the second layer.  Next dot with a few cubes of butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue layering, buttering, and seasoning every two layers.
5. Fold the sides of the parchment to cover the potatoes and cover tightly with aluminum foil.  
6. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour and 50 minutes or until tender.  Remove and cool for 15 minute and then  put weights on top of the potatoes.  I used my cast iron pot and put heavy cans on increase the weight.  This really help to press down the “potato cake” and help it holds it shapes.   Cool to room temperature, wrap well and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days. 
7. To serve,  turn the potato out of the container and cut the pave into 2 x 1 inch rectangular and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minute 
8. Heat the canola oil on medium-high heat and add the potatoes cut-side down.  Add the thyme and garlic and baste the potatoes with the oil liquid in the pan, until browned on the first side and then carefully turn and brown the opposite sides.
9. To serve, Keller recommends putting a small piece of butter on each hot piece to melt and sprinkle with chives

And here are the lamb and potatoes plated with some brussel sprouts.