Tag: appetizer
Shrimp and Pork Belly Negiyaki
If using pork belly, lay the slices across the pancake once you pour the batter in the pan.
Mini Corndogs
Mini Corndogs
There’s no comparison to freshly made corndogs. The frozen varieties just don’t cut it for me. While the ones you get at a fair or carnival are good, they can be better made at home since you get to control the type of hotdog of your preference. Most of the hotdogs used when you get a corndog, fresh or frozen, are sub-par. I personally like a natural casing hotdog such as Ambassador or Honest hotdogs brands. The one issue with making corndogs at home is that they have to be mini corndogs instead of a full sized one. A full sized corndog will require a lot of oil and a contraption that holds multiple sticks at a time to drop them in while deep frying.
Equipment
- toothpicks
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup flour plus more for dredging
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 12 oz hotdogs cut into 2” pieces
- vegetable oil for frying
- ketchup and mustard for serving
Instructions
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together in separate bowls.
- Mix the wet into the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- Cut the hot dogs into 2” pieces. Stick a toothpick into each hotdog.
- Lightly dredge the hotdogs into flour.
- Pour 3” of oil into a medium sized pot over medium high heat. Allow the oil to get to 360°. Dip a hotdog into the cornmeal batter.
- Drop a corn dog into the oil one at a time. Make sure to not overcrowd the pot.
- Fry the corndogs for 3-4 minutes, making sure that they are evenly cooked. Drain on paper towels and remove the toothpicks.
- Serve the mini corndogs with ketchup and mustard.
Oysters with Mignonette Sauce
Oysters with Mignonette Sauce
Despite the French name, mignonette sauce was created in New York in the 1930’s. The red wine vinegar and shallot base cuts through the brininess of oysters; making them the perfect accompaniment. There are many variations of mignonette sauce; some using champagne vinegar, herbs, hot sauce, amongst other additions. When choosing the right oyster, there are a few things to consider. The first is the type. Do you like a milder tasting oyster, then go with the traditional Blue Point. I’m partial to briny oysters such as Old Salts and Kumamoto. The next thing to consider is shucking them at home. You will need an oyster shucker, oyster gloves or a towel, and ice; preferably shaved. The oysters need to be on ice the whole time from purchase, to transport, to the kitchen, and serving. First, wash the oysters in cold water. Place on your oyster gloves. Using the oyster shucker, wedge the tip into the back lip of the oyster and pop open, trying to keep in all of the oyster liquor. Swipe the inside bottom of the oyster to loosen it from the shell. Immediately place back on ice. This will take some practice if this is your first time shucking. Then spoon over a teaspoon of mignonette sauce on each oyster.
Equipment
- oyster shucker
- shaved ice
Ingredients
- 12 oysters freshly shucked and on ice
Mignonette Sauce
- 2 tbsp shallots finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Mix together the red wine vinegar and shallots, then refrigerate. Wash, then shuck the oysters. Place on shaved ice. Spoon some of the mignonette sauce on each of the oysters. Crack fresh pepper over each of the oysters and serve.
Smoked Sable
Smoked Sable
Sable is a popular smoked fish at Jewish delicatessens. It is rich in flavor with a high fat content and omega-3s. It can be used in smoked sable salads and spreads, on top of bagels, or as a stand alone main course. You can pay top dollar for smoked sable; so smoking it yourself will cost you a fraction of the price.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
- alder wood chips
Ingredients
- 24 oz sable fillet
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- cracked black pepper
- honey
Instructions
- Lay the sable skin side down in a container. Pat dry with paper towel. Cover with the salt and sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Rinse the salt and sugar off the sable. Season with cracked black pepper. Place on a rack and allow to dry in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Preheat your smoker to 250°. Add in the wood chips. Let the wood chips ignite. Place the sable in the smoker and reduce the heat to 175 degrees. Smoke for an hour.
- Brush with honey. Smoke for 2 more hours, adding wood chips when needed.
