What'cha Cookin' Tonight II
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civvver
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I make herb butter a lot. Chop dill, minced raw garlic, mix with softened butter, let it harden in the fridge again and then serve over broiled or seared fish like salmon. It's really good and the fat doesn't just bake off so you get a nice finishing flavor. Or for chicken I do rosemary, thyme, oregano mixed with butter, server over grilled chicken.
civvver
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New go to breakfast that's super easy. I had leftover biscuits from the can from my biscuits and gravy. Just do a quick egg over easy, toast and butter the leftover biscuit, a little seasoned salt, pepper and some cheese and bam, breakfast sandwich that's better than mickey d's. Takes like 3 minutes since eggs cook so fast. Only downside is you can't eat this in the car cus the egg runs all over. For on the go you'd want to swap scrambled egg. Might work.
Since it's for that kind of thing then you can just leave the egg 30 seconds or so more (depends on how how the pan is) and make the egg yolk just that extra bit less tunny so it's gelatinous rather than watery. It has the same taste but doesn't just overflow out of the sandwich/plate.
yung.carl.jung
Hey Bird! I'm Morose & Lugubrious
I am a very serious man when it comes to eggs. I usually go for french omelette, but also love a proper scramble. I usually do the gordon ramsey method or just a french style double boiler. the perfect texture is somewhere slightly past custard, just a slight bit more firm.
onejayhawk
Afflicted with reason
If there is any run, it's too much.
There are two usual causes--salting in the bowl and too much heat. Use low heat--even removing as GR did in the video--and season just before serving.
Like GR, I often first stir the eggs in the pan. You have plenty of time. I admit that I had never seen anyone add solid butter with the eggs. I'll have to try that.
J
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Yes, well, it's very tricky getting to the point where you won't just have an egg volcano erupting all over your fingers yet the yolk still has the taste of runny yolk.
onejayhawk
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civvver
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You guys got any marinara or tomato sauce recipes that are fantastic? I've tried a few times but it never tastes that good. It usually tastes just like canned tomatoes. I want more flavor! I think my issue might be technique not necessarily ingredients.
The last one I did was:
Mince about quarter cup of celery, onion and carrot.
Saute in a few tablespoons of olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add a few tablespoons of minced garlic. I add garlic after cus the other veggies need long and garlic will burn.
Salt and pepper.
Saute another couple minutes but don't let garlic brown.
Crush a 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes up with hands or spoon. Add to mix. Add a little more oil.
Let it simmer ~45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and salt as needed.
Mix in a few tablespoons of fresh basil chiffonade.
Remove as soon as basil starts to wilt.
Ok so my thoughts are I'm not cooking the soffrito (the veggies to start) long enough to release their flavors. I've also heard traditionally don't mix onion and garlic cus they oppose each other but I don't really buy into that.
I add basil at the end cus I don't think you're supposed to cook it super long but maybe that's also the issue that it doesn't have time for its flavor to permeate the sauce. Or maybe basil is the wrong herb. Oregano and thyme have stronger flavors. As does rosemary, but I think rosemary is the wrong profile here.
The sauce in the end just lacks flavor. I can amp it up a little with more salt but I till taste mostly one note that's all tomato.
Any ideas? It's sad, my wife prefers prego or other canned sauces! They love my alfredo and lemon butter/white wine sauces but not my tomato one.
The last one I did was:
Mince about quarter cup of celery, onion and carrot.
Saute in a few tablespoons of olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add a few tablespoons of minced garlic. I add garlic after cus the other veggies need long and garlic will burn.
Salt and pepper.
Saute another couple minutes but don't let garlic brown.
Crush a 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes up with hands or spoon. Add to mix. Add a little more oil.
Let it simmer ~45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and salt as needed.
Mix in a few tablespoons of fresh basil chiffonade.
Remove as soon as basil starts to wilt.
Ok so my thoughts are I'm not cooking the soffrito (the veggies to start) long enough to release their flavors. I've also heard traditionally don't mix onion and garlic cus they oppose each other but I don't really buy into that.
I add basil at the end cus I don't think you're supposed to cook it super long but maybe that's also the issue that it doesn't have time for its flavor to permeate the sauce. Or maybe basil is the wrong herb. Oregano and thyme have stronger flavors. As does rosemary, but I think rosemary is the wrong profile here.
The sauce in the end just lacks flavor. I can amp it up a little with more salt but I till taste mostly one note that's all tomato.
Any ideas? It's sad, my wife prefers prego or other canned sauces! They love my alfredo and lemon butter/white wine sauces but not my tomato one.
Sofista
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Civver: seen from Italy, I'd say one doesn't normally mix onion and garlic because they have, um, similar roles in their traditional recipes. But rules are there to be tested, at least in the kitchen, to an extent (an aglio e olio with onion instead of garlòic would by definition cease to be aglio e olio). But without going to extremes, one could try similar stuff - shallot, leek, chives...
Now, about a good pasta with tomato sauce (I'm never sure what English speakers mean by marinara...), there's a Roman ultraclassic called "penne all'arrabbiata". THE go-to dish for late night (excessive, but not as much: it's perfectly veg-friendly, after all) treats alone or in group. For two:
200g of (furrowed) penne
200g of tomato
40g of pecorino romano (well, find something similar
)
at least one clove of garlic (depending on how much of fans you are)
1 fresh red hot pepper
parsley
salt
EVO oil
Cut the pepper and the clove, saute them in a low pan (low flame). Add the tomato, salt to your heart's desire, let it cook open roughly 15 minutes.
Prepare the pasta (which most likely will take less than 15 minutes; coordinate well), drain it al dente and put it in the pan, cooking for 1-2 minutes more (mix it while it's there).
Serve with parsley and abundant cheese. Enjoy!
Now, about a good pasta with tomato sauce (I'm never sure what English speakers mean by marinara...), there's a Roman ultraclassic called "penne all'arrabbiata". THE go-to dish for late night (excessive, but not as much: it's perfectly veg-friendly, after all) treats alone or in group. For two:
200g of (furrowed) penne
200g of tomato
40g of pecorino romano (well, find something similar
)at least one clove of garlic (depending on how much of fans you are)
1 fresh red hot pepper
parsley
salt
EVO oil
Cut the pepper and the clove, saute them in a low pan (low flame). Add the tomato, salt to your heart's desire, let it cook open roughly 15 minutes.
Prepare the pasta (which most likely will take less than 15 minutes; coordinate well), drain it al dente and put it in the pan, cooking for 1-2 minutes more (mix it while it's there).
Serve with parsley and abundant cheese. Enjoy!
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civvver
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It's probably an americanized name but marinara is supposed to be a quickly cooked tomato sauce with celery and carrot. Otherwise it's just tomato sauce. But many americans use it interchangeably.
I'll try a simpler tomato sauce like you suggested, omitting the other veggies. Some italian cookbooks make sauce with just garlic or onion, butter and tomatoes.
I'll try a simpler tomato sauce like you suggested, omitting the other veggies. Some italian cookbooks make sauce with just garlic or onion, butter and tomatoes.
Sofista
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Aha. Tomato puree + soffritto, give or take. It's confusing to us because of false friends: "mare" = sea, "marinaio" = mariner/sailor (think of 'marine'). We read marinata, we think fish or seafood will be involved. Anyway, would love to hear if what I proposed got approved.
Garlic/onion, butter/EVO oil, tomatoes is the fundamental tomato sauce in Italy, variations depending on personal taste and geography. Personally I'd call garlic a VERY personal taste in it, not standard anywhere at all: not saying it wouldn't work, but it's a whisker away from becoming another sauce entirely.
Garlic/onion, butter/EVO oil, tomatoes is the fundamental tomato sauce in Italy, variations depending on personal taste and geography. Personally I'd call garlic a VERY personal taste in it, not standard anywhere at all: not saying it wouldn't work, but it's a whisker away from becoming another sauce entirely.
yung.carl.jung
Hey Bird! I'm Morose & Lugubrious
Your problem is "quickly cooked" tomato sauce. The ingredients honestly don't matter at all (though I wouldn't use canned tomaters, if you do atleast buy a good brand). You genuinely don't need anything beyond Tomatoes and maybe garlic to make the sauce delicious. carrot, onion and celery are nice, but not needed. The whole point of a tomato sauce is to let it simmer for a long time, because only then will the tomatoes develop a more complex flavor. There are many techniques, but this one has been most succesful for me so far:
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes...n-american-tomato-sauce-red-sauce-recipe.html
The secret to its deep, naturally sweet, complex flavors is to cook the sauce in the oven, allowing the surface to brown while the sauce slowly concentrates. The resultant sauce is great on pasta, with meatballs, on your chicken parm, or scooped right out of the pan with a spoon on its own.
This recipe needs five to six hours, however from my personal experience I notice very little difference in taste after three to four hours (I've done some tests) so that should be fine. Basically, a quickly cooked tomato sauce will always be too acidic, not sweet enough and just in general suboptimal in terms of taste. For me, there really are only two factors:
1. High quality tomatoes
2. Slow cooked for at least 3 hours, the more the better
Everything else is personal preference, really anything goes.
For some reasons Americans think literally every Italian dish contains garlic (or Parsley), it's a weird obsession I've never been able to grasp. Italian cuisine is the one that most perfectly shows that "less is more". Just think of carbonara or cacio e pepe, some of the best pasta dishes on the planet have only three or four ingredients.
I also agree with your assessment that the garlic is not needed at all. Just tomatoes and OO, or just tomatoes and butter is enough to make a good sauce.
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes...n-american-tomato-sauce-red-sauce-recipe.html
The secret to its deep, naturally sweet, complex flavors is to cook the sauce in the oven, allowing the surface to brown while the sauce slowly concentrates. The resultant sauce is great on pasta, with meatballs, on your chicken parm, or scooped right out of the pan with a spoon on its own.
This recipe needs five to six hours, however from my personal experience I notice very little difference in taste after three to four hours (I've done some tests) so that should be fine. Basically, a quickly cooked tomato sauce will always be too acidic, not sweet enough and just in general suboptimal in terms of taste. For me, there really are only two factors:
1. High quality tomatoes
2. Slow cooked for at least 3 hours, the more the better
Everything else is personal preference, really anything goes.
For some reasons Americans think literally every Italian dish contains garlic (or Parsley), it's a weird obsession I've never been able to grasp. Italian cuisine is the one that most perfectly shows that "less is more". Just think of carbonara or cacio e pepe, some of the best pasta dishes on the planet have only three or four ingredients.
I also agree with your assessment that the garlic is not needed at all. Just tomatoes and OO, or just tomatoes and butter is enough to make a good sauce.
civvver
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Well a slow cooked sauce is a totally different thing I thought. Many italian cookbooks have tomato sauces that cook in 20-30 minutes, just like Sofista's suggestion. But maybe that is the issue, maybe I just don't prefer fast sauces and need a slow, rich one. Why the oven over the stove though? Seems like both would have same overall effect? Maybe a dutch oven browns the sides a little more? I usually use a stainless steel/aluminium bottomed pan. Much easier to clean than cast iron, still gets good flavor.
Timsup2nothin
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Uniformity of temperature. No matter how you stir it, sauce in a pot on the stove overheats at the bottom and cools at the top.
yung.carl.jung
Hey Bird! I'm Morose & Lugubrious
Yes, they are two different kind of sauces. I don't care too much for fast tomato sauces, I find them mostly bland and too acidic, not rich nor sweet enough. Sofista's recipe is probably much more "authentic italian" than mine.
Oven over stove is explained in the recipe, however a stove sauce is not necessarily worse, it just has less caramelization. Besides that the differences are marginal. What Tim said is true to some degree of course, but the sauce will still turn out great on the stove. I almost never use the oven method unless I am making ragout bolognese where the additional richness is essential, just out of practicality and cost efficiency.
onejayhawk
Afflicted with reason
For my wedding anniversary, my wife wanted steak. I bought a couple of nice ones, rubbed with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, and grilled them over a hot charcoal flame. They turned out very nicely. Fresh corn on the cob, baked beans, green salad with beer to drink. One of these days I am going to try grilling pineapple and serving it with hard sauce.
After the meat was cooked I closed the vents, added some green rosemary branches to the coals, put a small pork roast off to one side and let the heat die slowly. It turned turned out extremely well. Leftover beans, red potatoes with sage, and carrot salad on the side. I strongly suggest rosemary smoke, when possible, for pork or poultry.
It is fresh corn season in Texas USA. Any suggestions beyond the obvious?
J
After the meat was cooked I closed the vents, added some green rosemary branches to the coals, put a small pork roast off to one side and let the heat die slowly. It turned turned out extremely well. Leftover beans, red potatoes with sage, and carrot salad on the side. I strongly suggest rosemary smoke, when possible, for pork or poultry.
It is fresh corn season in Texas USA. Any suggestions beyond the obvious?
J
