nerditry

Lo siento mucho, no pictures this go round.

Last night, posse member Jimmy invited me and the lady to join the rest of the crew over for some grilling at theirs. He says it’s chill and he’s got some burgers ready to go on the grill and plenty of beers, whatever I can bring is just fine.

I’m not going to the store, I’m going freezer, fridge and pantry warrior and figuring out how to maintain my name and still bring something reputable. He’s got the turf handled with burgers, I think let’s surf with the shrimp being patient in the freezer for such an occasion. What else, what else?

Shrimp needs textural contrast, I just picked up some good looking apples at Costco, had some onions in the bullpen and the rest of the odds to make those ends.

Tools:
Cutting board
Knife
Mesh strainer or colander
Medium stockpot
Bowl of ice water
Spatula (bowl scraper)
Large serving bowl

Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (31-35 is about right on)
3 apples cored, peeled, halved

-I used really crisp Pink Lady apples, otherwise use Braeburn, Gala or Granny Smith (adjust the sweetness for Smiths)

1 medium sweet onion, halved on the width
1/2 bell pepper (any color), seeded, ribs removed
1 clove garlic, finely minced
3/4 cup mayonnaise (may need an extra tablespoon or two)
1/4 cup blue cheese dressing

-If you don’t have this, get some good, funky, crumbly cheese and 1/4 cup of full fat sour cream

1/8 cup prepared yellow mustard
1 tbs honey
1 tbs white sugar
1 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tbs hot sauce

-Here’s the deal. I added some Texas Pete, wasn’t hot enough. Did the remainder with some semi-nuclear hot sauce from a Guyanese friend’s personal recipe.

Large pinch of ground black pepper
2 tbs white vinegar (for poaching liquid)
4 cups of water
1/2 fresh lemon or lime

Let’s Build:

1. Bring 4 cups of water and vinegar up to a fast simmer. Let this sit ready on the stove.

2. Combine mayo, mustard, blue cheese dressing, hot sauce, minced garlic, mustard, honey, white sugar, granulated garlic and black pepper. Let this chill out so the flavors can combine for 15-20 minutes.

3. Slice the onion into half moons as thinly as you possibly can. Sharp knives make your work easier and the kitchen safer. Place in the serving bowl.

4. Since the apples into half moons, 1/8″ thickness. Place in the serving bowl and squeeze the lemon/lime to keep them from oxidizing (turning brown).

5. Finely dice the bell pepper. You thought it wasn’t going in the bowl?

6. Add the shrimp to the poaching liquid, cook NO MORE THAN 45 SECONDS!

7. Immediately drain the shrimp and add to the ice water to halt their cooking.

8. Once the shrimp has cooled, add it to the apples, onions and peppers.

9. Add half of the dressing, gently…GENTLY! stir it through. If you’re hesitant about how to gently mix it, use your hands instead of the spatula.

10. Continue adding dressing until you like the consistency.

11. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour.

So, this dish was very popular, infinitely gratifying for me as a cook since it all came off the top. Here’s some thoughts I had afterward on variations.

1. Use the sour cream, omit the blue cheese, add 1/2 tbs jamaican curry powder.

2. Toast and add halves of walnuts or pecans.

3. Omit hot sauce, add hot chiles diced as finely as possible to suit your own tastes.

4. Replace shrimp with poached bay scallops or poached and shredded chicken (dark meat).

Hope you have a chance to try this fantastic salad. Make sure you report back on the rave reviews!

I’ve got two bacon-centric projects. Both of which I now believe will require me to buy some fresh pork belly.

1. Bacon Sausage
I’m planning on getting cured bacon and keeping the ratio as close to regular sausage as possible between lean and fat (75/25). Bacon fat has so much flavor in it already and is a sturdy white fat.

The goal here will be to take slab bacon, preferably already smoked and grind it for the casing. After making links, I’ll steam or poach it to firm up the shape and remove the casing in anticipation of grilling or frying. Also might consider doing it all raw to start and then smoking the finished links to cook at the way through.

2. Bacon Butter
I’d like to emulsify the bacon into a spreadable paste for bread or your significant other. Bonus that it can sit out in room temp as it’s already “cooked” by the curing or smoking and doubles as a cooking fat if you don’t want to use regular butter or olive oil. Instant rendered fat and nicer looking than the mason jar or old can on the stove for holding those (mostly fat) drippings.

For real, I’m in a mode this summer.

Via our friends at Slashfood is a time for you to play dress up in public and get something delicious from chicken sandwich kingpin Chick-Fil-A.

My friend Thomas moved to NYC and one of the first things missed and searched out with a purpose was Chik-Fil-A (also Arby’s). Also the busiest drive through I’ve ever seen at a location in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

While we’re on the subject of fast food, let me show you the present that has passed you by. I’m done with saying something is the future if it already exists, I hear this all the time in reference to things that change with popular culture like music, architecture, fashion, auto design. If you can put your hands on it now, what’s going to come out of that is the future.

The Ghetto Big Mac is a sign of the times and a harbinger of innovation. Respect to these dude’s ladies for enduring what could only have been cataclysmic.