Pickled Apple Sauce Base for Scallops: 10.22.2010

 Perhaps you are the pickled one.

Pickled Apples
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp coriander seed
1/2 tsp mixed peppercorns
10 honeycrisp apples, cut into brunoise

- bring all ingredients but apples to a simmer, remove from heat and cool slightly
- add apples and set aside 1 hour
- remove apples from liquid and vacuum seal at 75 psi for at least 1 hour

Sauce
6 cups fresh apple juice
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup pickled apples (recipe above)
1/4 cup minced candied ginger

- reduce a la minute and mount with butter

Saffron Stewed Tomato Sauce for Halibut: 10.22.2010

Some of you may notice that this bears an uncanny resemblance to the Spanishy something or other from the past - that is if you existed outside the confines of my mind, but really I'm just talking to myself.

1 cup olive oil
2 qts sliced onions
4 links chorizo, peeled and chopped
4 qts peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes, juices reserved
4 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp pimenton
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup sherry warmed with 1 Tbsp saffron
3 cups strained tomato juices
1/4 cup cabernet vinegar

- sweat the onions and chorizo in the olive oil over medium heat until the onions soften
- add tomatoes, salt, sherry w/ saffron, pepper and pimenton
- cook over high heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes
- add remaining ingredients and simmer 45 minutes to and hour; adjust seasoning if necessary
- puree in blender until smooth

Quote Unquote Brandade

This really isn't brandade per se, but that's what I'm calling it 

and there's nothing any of y'all can do about that.

5 oz olive oil
2 bulbs garlic (about 20 cloves), cloves peeled and smashed lightly
2 lbs halibut and/or swordfish, diced
2 qts tater tots, fried
2 tsp pimenton dulce
4 oz chardonnay
1 oz sherry
4 Tbsp gremolata
salt and pepper to taste

*** season as you go***

- warm the garlic in the olive oil over low heat until light golden
- add fish and saute 5 minutes, stirring often
- add fried tater tots and saute 5 minutes, stirring often
- add wines and stir until evaporated
- remove from heat and stir in gremolata; season to taste
- pulse in food processor until well chopped

New Vinaigrette for Green Salad: 10.22.2010

 Looks like somebody's been hitting the vinegar.

30 large shallots, rough chopped
1/2 lb chervil
2 bunches chives, chopped
1/2 cup tarragon leaves
3 cups wildflower honey
2 cups dijon mustard
1 cup coarse sel gris
3/4 cup kosher salt
2 Tbsp black pepper
1 gallon plus 2 cups red wine vinegar
6 liters unfiltered Lebanese olive oil
3 liters kalamata olive oil
3 liters grapeseed oil

- process all ingredients except vinegar and oil in robot coupe until thoroughly combined
- transfer to a 5 liter container and using hand blender, blend in vinegar
- slowly incorporate oils while blending until thoroughly combined

Salsa Atole for Salmon: 10.15.2010

 (above paragraph has no relevance, but it's a true story)

1 lg spanish onion, minced
8 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp smoked Maldon sea salt
1 Tbsp turbinado sugar
3 qts chicken stock
1 qt half & half
2 cups maseca

- sweat onions and garlic in butter until soft
- add salt, sugar and chicken stock and bring to boil
- add half & half and return to boil; reduce heat to low simmer
- whisk in maseca bit by bit until incorporated
- transfer to a double boiler and cook 20 minutes; keep warm

Pepita-Chard Mole for Salmon: 10.15.2010

 As a child in rural Mexico, I lived with my dearest Abuelita on a chard and pumpkin farm, and I'll never forget this recipe, passed down through generations. Usually we'd reserve this sauce for braised chicken thighs and a nice cool glass of Coca Cola made with real sugar.

4 qts packed chard leaves and stems
1/4 lb cilantro
6 cups pumpkin seeds
8 cloves garlic
1 large onion, chopped
4 Tbsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black cumin
1 gallon chicken stock
2 cups seasoned beef tallow from confit

- working in batches, thoroughly puree together all ingredients except beef tallow; set aside
- heat beef tallow over high heat; add puree and reduce heat to low
- cook slowly for 20 minutes, whisking often; adjust seasoning if necessary