Nico's Market

Thanksgiving Turkey

2010-09-30T18:18:00.000-06:00

Stuffed Turkey Breast
1 12-lb. turkey breast, skin-on
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2–3 cups prepared Bread Stuffing
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Place the whole, turkey breast skin side down between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pound breast to a 1⁄2" thickness. Discard plastic wrap. Season breast all over with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange breast so that long sides are parallel to you.
Mound stuffing along center of breast, from short end to short end. Fold one long end of the breast over stuffing; roll forward to make a tight cylinder; tuck in ends. Tie breast with kitchen twine at 1" intervals to secure.
Heat oven to 325°. Heat oil in a 12" ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Brown turkey on all sides, about 12 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven; cook, basting with butter, until an instant-read thermometer reads 155°, about 55 minutes. Transfer turkey to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Remove twine; slice.
Sourdough–Cranberry Sage Stuffing
1/2 lb. butter
3 medium yellow onions, peeled and
finely chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and
finely chopped
1 head celery, trimmed and finely chopped
Leaves from 1 large bunch parsley,
finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh sage
leaves (about 6 large sprigs)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 cups Cube day old sourdough bread
1 cup Dried Cranberries
4 eggs
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook without browning, stirring often, until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add celery, carrots, parsley, and sage. Generously season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
Add bread cubes to onion–celery mixture and toss until well combined. Add chicken stock, Cranberries and eggs, mix until stuffing is just moist but not packed together. Adjust seasonings.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

2010-09-22T10:44:00.000-06:00

Yield 8 servings
Ingredients
• 3 cups red wine
• 1 oz brandy
• 1 cup Pearl Onion (Peeled)
• 1 sprig fresh parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 clove garlic, crushed
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/4 pound bacon, cubed
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
Directions
1. For marinade: In a large bowl, combine the wine, cognac, onions, parsley, bay leaf, garlic, peppercorns and salt. Mix well and add the cubed beef. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 days.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
3. For Bourguignon: Strain the meat from the vegetables and marinade; reserve marinade. Dry meat with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat and sauté for 10 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer meat to a separate medium bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. In the same skillet, add the bacon and sauté until lightly browned. Transfer the bacon to the bowl with the meat. Drain the skillet and return it to the heat. Pour a cup of marinade into the skillet to deglaze the skillet, scraping the bottom to loosen up all the little bits. Return this liquid to the reserved marinade.
5. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. Add the onion and mushroom from the marinade and saute for 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the meat and Bacon and cook on a high heat, add the tomato paste & Garlic, sprinkle the flour all over the meat and mix very well, stir often. So it does not burn on the bottom. Keep stirring until well mixed and brown, about 2 minutes.
6. Now add beef broth, reserved marinade and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and whisk to remove any flour lumps. Add this to the meat and vegetable mixture. Place entire mixture into a 9x13 baking dish.
7. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 3 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nico's Market: THE KING OF THE CUTS

2010-08-30T11:12:00.000-06:00

Nico's Market: THE KING OF THE CUTS: "THE KING OF THE CUTS Grilled T-Bone (Porter House) Steak with Barbecue Sauce For 4 Serving Ingredients: 4 porterhouse (T-Bone) Steaks 2 tsp ..."

THE KING OF THE CUTS

2010-08-30T11:09:00.000-06:00

THE KING OF THE CUTS
Grilled T-Bone (Porter House) Steak with Barbecue Sauce
For 4 Serving
Ingredients:
4 porterhouse (T-Bone) Steaks
2 tsp Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
1 cup beef stock
1 cup chilli sauce
½ cup molasses
½ cup honey
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce or HP sauce
2 tsp chilli sauce
1 tsp celery seeds crushed
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp cayenne

Method:
BBQ Sauce
In a sauce pan, combine beef stock, chilli sauce, molasses, honey, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, chilli powder, celery seeds, cayenne, salt & pepper. Add 1 cup water; bring to boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 20 minutes (Can be made ahead and kept in cooler for up to 3 weeks)

Fire up BBQ on Hi (Brush and Greasing the grill)

Brush steak with oil salt and pepper Place a hot grilled for 2 minutes and them turn them 40 degrees to create nice marking for an other 2 minutes brush with BBQ sauce and flip over brush with BBQ sauce and cook for an other 3 to 4 minutes or until desired doneness
Served remaining BBQ sauce on the side

Roasted Bison Tenderloin with Rosemary, Peppercorn Crust and Gorgonzola Butter

2010-08-17T12:09:00.002-06:00

Ingredients:

• 4 X 175 grams Bison Tenderloin (Trimmed) ***
• 100 grams Gorgonzola Cheese (Room Temperature)
• 75 grams Unsalted Butter, (Softened)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
• 2 Tablespoon Shallots ( finely chopped)
• ¼ Cup Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 Cup Fresh Rosemary Leaves, Chopped
• 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoon Cracked Peppercorn
• Salt & Pepper to Taste

*** Bison could be replace by other meat like Musk-Ox, Deer, Elk or even Beef

In a small mixing bowl stir together Gorgonzola cheese, butter, Garlic and Shallots until smooth.
On a plastic wrap form the cheese butter into a round tub/log about 6inches long, wrapped firmly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. Butter can be made days ahead.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F

In a 12-inch heavy cast-iron skillet heat olive oil to moderate high heat until smoking and sear the tenderloin until browned, about 2 minutes on each both side to rare. Put aside to cold down.

Mix rosemary and peppercorn together and when the meat is just cool enough to handle, brush mustard all side and coated meat with the rosemary-peppercorn mixture. Roast in oven for about 6 to 8 minutes to medium rare (coating should start to color)

Put meat on cutting board and let sit for a couple minutes. Cut Gorgonzola butter into 8 pieces of about ½ inch slices.

Cut each tenderloin in half and tuck a Gorgonzola butter slice between tender halves and top the meat with another slice and serve

Baked Beans and Partridge Casserole

2010-08-17T12:07:00.000-06:00

3 cups (3-4lb.) Dried Beans
2 oz Salted Pork
1 Yellow Onion Finely Chop
1 oz Dijon Mustard
½ cup Brown Sugar
2 cups Molasses
2 ts Tomato Paste
Salt to Taste
Cracked Black Peppercorn to Taste
1 Partridge Cut in 8 pieces (Or Guinea Fowl, Pheasant or 4 Quails)
2 cups Chicken Stock (Or Broth)

Put beans in a large pot and cover with water overnight at room temperature.
The next day, drain the bean and put back in pot with 4 cups of water.
Add Salted Pork, Onion, Mustard, Brown Sugar, Molasses and Tomato Paste.
Season with salt & pepper.
Preheat oven at 300F
Put beans with cover in over for 4 to 5 hrs until beans are soft, add more water if beans are a little dry
In the mean time, Braisse the partridge in the Stock or Broth for 50 to 60 minutes until meat come off the bones
Add partridge and stock to beans just before serving

Note: Pheasant, Ptarmigan or Game Hens could be use instead of Partridge

Exotic Cheese Cake

2010-08-10T12:03:00.002-06:00

Passion fruit and mango add an exotic, lighter touch to a rich cheesecake.
Ingredients
Cheesecake:
• Oil for pan
• 1/2 cup diced fresh ripe mango (about 1/2 mango)
• 1/2 cup passion fruit juice
• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Greek or drained yogurt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 3 large yolks, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Topping:
• 1 cup passion fruit juice
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered unflavored gelatin
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Pulp and seeds from a fresh passion fruit
Mango Coulis:
• 1/4 cup passion fruit juice
• 1/2 cup diced fresh mango (about 1/2 a mango)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• Special equipment: 8-inch spring form pan
Directions
For the cheesecake: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Brush an 8-inch spring form pan with a light coating of canola oil.
Puree the mango and passion fruit juice in a food processor until smooth. Add the cream cheese and continue to process until smooth. Then add the sugar, yogurt, and cornstarch, pulsing to combine. Then add the eggs, lime zest and juice and pulse to combine. Take care not to over mix the batter. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the cheesecake until the outside of the cake is set but the center is still a little loose, about 45 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door to let out some heat. Close door and continue to cook the cheesecake in the residual heat in the oven for 20 minutes. This gentle finish minimizes the risk of the dreaded crack in your cheesecake.
Run a knife around the edges and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Meanwhile make the topping: Put about half of the passion fruit juice and all the lime juice in a medium bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface. Don't stir. Set aside until the gelatin "blooms", about 1 minute. Boil the remaining passion fruit juice and all of the sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Whisk the hot juice into the gelatin mixture until smooth. Refrigerate until just begins to set, about 20 minutes. Stir in the fresh passion fruit pulp and seeds and pour over the top of the cooled cheesecake. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
To make mango coulis: Puree the passion fruit juice, mango, lime juice, and sugar in a food processor.
Bring cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Remove the spring form ring. To serve, dip a knife in warm water, wipe dry before slicing each piece. Serve with mango coulis.

PRICKLY PEAR VINAIGRETTE (Cactus Pears)

2010-08-10T11:58:00.000-06:00

2 each prickly pear cactus fruit
1/2 each banana
2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/2 each lemon, juice of
1/2 each lime, juice of
Peel skin off of prickly pears and the banana and put the fruit into a blender. Add the honey, vinegar, lemon and lime juices and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper. If too sweet for your tastes add more vinegar. If too tart add more honey. If too thin add more banana. If too thick add a dash of apple juice. Strain through a fine sieve before serving.

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

2010-08-04T18:42:00.000-06:00

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

Arugula and Pear Salad

2010-08-04T16:51:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:
¼ cup Extra Virgin olive Oil
3 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
2oz pancetta cut bite-size
2 firm Bosc pear (peeled, cored and sliced
5oz Baby Organic arugula
½ red onion sliced
1/3 cup gorgonzola cheese crumbled
¼ cup pine nuts
METHOD:
For the dressing: In a small screw top jar, combine oil, vinegar 7 salt
Shake well and set a side
In a skillet, cook pancetta until crisp, drain on paper towel by keeping the fat in the skillet and cook pears in it for about 5 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Remove from heat cover and keep warm
In a mixing bowl, combine arugula, red onions and dressing, tossed gently until coated
Divide in 4 plates arrange the pears on top and sprinkle pancetta, cheese & pine nuts
Fresh peppercorn from the grinder

Lamb Skewers

2010-06-29T15:14:00.001-06:00

Lamb Skewers with Lemon (Simple)
Ingredients
• 1 lemon (Juiced & Zest)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh marjoram
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT 6 to 8 metal skewers.
In a large bowl whisk together zest and juices of lemon, oil, sugar, marjoram and thyme, add lamb and stir well, let marinate at room temperature for 15-30 min
Thread lamb on skewers, Season with salt & Pepper drizzle marinade over the top.
BBQ or Broil Lamb, turning once, to medium rare about 5-6 min

Cedar Plake Salmon

2010-06-29T15:13:00.001-06:00

Cedar Plake Salmon
With Canadian Maple , Port Wine & Orange Glazed

Ingredients:
• 2 lbs (1 kg) skinless salmon fillets (pin bone out)
• 3 oz port Wine
• 2 Garlic Cloves (Chopped)
• 2 Shallots (Chopped)
• 2 oranges (1 sliced, 1 squeezed)
• 2 tbs (30 ml) olive oil
• 2 tbs (30 ml) light brown sugar
• ¼ cup (50 ml) pure maple syrup
• 2 tbs (30 ml) orange marmalade
• 3 tbs (45 ml) orange juice
• 1 Cedar Plank Soak Ever Night in Water
• Salt & Pepper
Directions:
 Heat oil in a saucepan on medium heat
 Grate the zest from one orange, add Shallots, Garlic & zest to oil and sauté until it begins to brown
 Add brown sugar and sauté until sugar melts
 Add maple syrup, Port Wine, orange marmalade and orange juice
 Simmer over low heat until it thickens slightly
 Thinly slice remaining orange and lay slices on plank, creating a bed for the salmon
 Place salmon on orange bed and pour half of the sauce over salmon
 Season with salt & pepper
 Pre Heat BBQ to Medium Heat (Or Oven)
 Place plank on grill and cook until flaky
 Serve remaining sauce on the side with salmon
Bon appetit!

The Perfect Caesar Salad

2010-06-29T15:12:00.001-06:00

The Perfect Caesar Salad
For the dressing:
2 egg large York
Juice of 1 lemon
2 table spoon Red wine vinegar
5 drops tobasco
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 medium garlic clove crushed
4 flat anchovies chopped
1 tablespoon capers chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Pich of salt
½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
For the salad:
2 romain hearts cut bite size
1 pack chef Pierre’s Seasoned Croutong
½ cup shredded Regiano Parmesan
2 table spoon bacon bits
Method:
Put Egg Yorks, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, tobasco & Vinegar into a mixing bowl,Wisk until smooth add the capers, anchovies, garlic. Mix all well together and the, slowly add the oil in a steady stream while constantly whisking again until smooth. Reason: if you add the oil too quickly, the dressing will be separate and not emulsify. Season with salt and pepper
To serve:
Tear the romaine lettuce into 1-2 inch pieces and add them to a large bowl (wooden if you have one). Add half the dressing, toss, add remaining dressing, Parmesan cheese, and croutons and toss again. Serve on chilled plates. Sprinkle some Parmesan, bacon bits and croutons on top

COMMING UP NEXT

2010-06-29T15:09:00.001-06:00

BBQ Ideas and Tips

Pasta alla Primavera

2010-05-11T08:24:00.000-06:00

Pasta alla Primavera
1 bunch of small spring carrots (Cut in 3 crosswise)
1 medium zucchini (cut in half & then slice crosswise)
1 Small Japanese eggplant(cut in half & then slice crosswise)
1 bunch of asparagus
1 6oz bag of sugar or snow peas (Pull the vanes out)
1 small red onion, (cut in ½ & sliced into 1/4-inch slices crosswise)
½ Red, ½ green & ½ yellow bell pepper cut into fine strips
6 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of Garlic crushed
1 tbsp Herb de Provence
4 oz fresh basil
Salt and pepper
2 cups of Tomato Basil Sauce
1 pint of sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pound of penne rigate
½ cup Grated Grana Padano Parmesan
Method:
1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (for your pasta).
2 Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic and carrots first sautéed until tender, but do not overcook add peppers, eggplant & zucchini sautéed for a few more minutes and then add the asparagus, peas & basil stirring only occasionally, until vegetables are just cooked. Turn off heat, but let pan stay on the burner.
3 While you are cooking the vegetables, add the dry pasta to the boiling water and follow the cooking instructions for the pasta. You want to time it so that the pasta is done soon after the vegetables.
4 Add the tomato basil sauce to the vegetables and teaspoon of herbs de Provence and salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce gets to thick simply add a little water and white wine
5 Once the pasta is ready - cooked but still a bit firm, or al dente - drain the pasta and put it directly into the skillet with the vegetables. Adjust seasoning. Add more sauce if needed. Gently mix in the cherry tomatoes.
Sprinkle the grated Parmesan before serving and maybe a Chef Pierre’s Baguette with it!
Bon appétit!

Ask Chef Pierre

2010-05-10T21:45:00.000-06:00

I can help you with recipes and food and wine questions...
Feel free to ask
Chef Pierre