Cornmeal Crusted Cod Tacos with Poblano Cream                            Serves 4

By Jeremy Niehuss 

Fish Dredge
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup fine cornmeal
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ancho powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder

Frying the Fish

High heat oil for deep fat frying
1 ½ pounds fresh cod, cut into 3 inch strips
Kosher salt

To Finish
12 corn tortillas
Corn Salsa – Recipe below
Poblano cream – Recipe below

1.      To make the dredge whisk all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. 

2.      To fry the fish heat the oil to 350°F in a deep fat fryer or a large stock pot over high heat.  Working with a few fish strips at a time dip them in the dredge and toss until they are well coated.  Remove and shake off any excess dredge.  Place the dredged fish on a baking sheet tray.
3.      Line another baking sheet tray with paper towels.  Fry the fish, a few pieces at a time, until they are golden brown and crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Transfer to the tray lined with paper towels and season with salt while hot.  Repeat this process frying the remaining fish.
4.      To finish the tacos, wrap the corn tortillas in a clean and damp kitchen towel and microwave on high until the tortillas are hot, about 1 ½ minutes.  Fill each tortilla with 2 pieces of fish, a scoop of the salsa and some of the sauce.

Roasted Poblano Cream

2 pablanos  
2 cups heavy cream
Kosher salt

1.      Roast the pablanos over the flame of a gas burner, turning frequently with tongs, until charred.  Make sure the peppers roast evenly. 

2.      Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  This will steam the peppers and make peeling them easier.
3.      Peel the skins from the peppers and remove the seeds.
4.      Warm the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Combine the cream and peppers together in a blender.  Puree until smooth.
5.      Pour the cream back into the small saucepan and reduce over medium heat until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
6.      Season with kosher salt.

Roasted Corn Salsa

2 ears white corn
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large tomatoes, small diced
½ small white onion, small diced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 small jalapeno, cored, seeded and very finely diced
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons lime juice

1.      Cut kernels of corn off the cob.  Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the corn.  Season the corn with salt and pepper and cook until it begins to brown slightly.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

2.      Combine the corn with the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Season with salt to taste.


Flourless Chocolate Torte
with Homemade Whipped Cream

Recipe courtesy of Jessica Soleil
Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

8 oz. milk chocolate chips
8 oz. dark chocolate chips
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup cream
¼ cup sugar
Butter and extra sugar to prepare mold

Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, rum, brandy, or hazelnut liqueur

1.       Butter and sugar the mold. Spread a thin layer of butter over the inside of the mold.  Make sure you get all the corners!  Sprinkle in sugar, then tap and rotate to make the sugar sticks to the butter.  Shake out the excess. 

2.       Preheat oven to 350°F.
3.       Melt the chocolate over a double boiler.
4.       Whip the cream and sugar to soft peaks.
5.       Temper the eggs into the chocolate by adding a little chocolate to the eggs to bring up to temperature and then add all of the eggs to the chocolate. 
6.       Fold in the cream
7.       Pour into the mold.
8.       Place mold in a 2” hotel pan and pour hot water ¾’s of the way up the pan.  Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.  Then rotate by turning the pan 180 degrees and cook an additional 25 minutes.  To finish, remove foil and cook an additional 10 minutes or until cake is set in the center.  Cool before unmolding and serving. 
9.       As it bakes, whip the cream, powdered sugar, and flavor of choice together until the cream hold stiff peaks.  Store covered in the fridge. 
10.   Service:  Slice the torte into 8 even slices.  Top with a portion of whipped cream.  Garnish with a shake of cocoa powder or chocolate shavings. 

Asparagus Risotto

serves 4

1 pound asparagus, peeled, trimmed and cut into one-inch-long pieces, tips reserved
4 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 large shallot, diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add half the asparagus stalks and cook until quite soft, at least 5 minutes. Rinse quickly under cold water. Put cooked asparagus in a blender or food processor and add just enough water to allow machine to puree until smooth; set aside.

2. Put stock in a medium saucepan over low heat. Put oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add shallot, stirring occasionally until it softens, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add white wine, stir, and let liquid bubble away. Add a large pinch of salt. Add warmed stock, 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring occasionally. Each time stock has just about evaporated, add more.

4. After about 15 minutes, add remaining asparagus pieces and tips, continuing to add stock when necessary. In 5 minutes, begin tasting rice. You want it to be tender but with a bit of crunch; it could take as long as 30 minutes total to reach this stage. When it does, stir in 1/2 cup asparagus puree. Remove skillet from heat, add remaining butter and stir briskly. Add Parmesan and stir briskly, then taste and adjust seasoning. Risotto should be slightly soupy. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Amy Jermain

Kitchen Knife Basics: One cook’s lesson in cutlery

Guest Post by Dan Pearson of Lake Oswego, IGT student

I’m a self-taught cook who knows his way around a kitchen. I’ve made do with minimal training and fancy equipment, and I can cook a mean beef wellington from scratch.

But, when it comes to the technical stuff, I could use some professional instruction. So, I took to the In Good Taste (IGT) cooking calendar to see how I could enhance my cooking credentials. 

While I’m no stranger to the stockpot, grill pan or food scale, I know very little about knives. The cooking shows that I watch don’t offer much in the way of basic knife skills, as much of the ingredients are already washed and prepped prior to airtime. And, the cookbooks I use don’t go in depth about the type of knives one needs for a particular dish.

Naturally, the IGT Hands-On Knife Skills class caught my attention. The basic knife set that I own is reaching middle age, so I thought that it might be in my best interest (and my wife’s) to update my technique and equipment.

Garbed in my favorite apron and with my wife in tow, I went to the class ready to learn how to dice, julienne and rondelle with finesse. The class, which was led by Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School alum Wes O’Neal, focused on the fundamentals: knife anatomy, knife safety, knife handling and knife cleaning.

By the end of the class, I knew how to properly rondelle a cucumber, dice an onion (without crying), batonnet a potato, chiffonade fresh sage, mince garlic and more. I learned knife tricks that will help me save time, prevent injury and enhance the appearance of my ingredients.

Some key takeaways from the class (other than that I need a new knife set) included:

Knives 

Knife Type
According to Chef Wes, the classic chef’s knife handles about 80 percent of his professional needs. His everyday standard is an eight-inch, high carbon stainless steel blade by Shun with the preferred, distinctive “tang” (a finger notch that aids balance). But, other brands abound. 

The Chef’s Resource online store carries nearly 30 brands and lists more than 15 special-purpose knives, mostly from Japan, Germany and Switzerland, made to handle everything from deboning to utility. Chef Wes advises expecting to pay between $70 and $150 for a chef’s knife that should last a lifetime.

Knife Maintenance

Keep it sharp by properly storing it between uses and by using a sharpening or honing steel, or both. And, don’t leave a knife exposed to moisture for long periods of time, like one would in a dishwasher or in a sink filled with soapy water.

Cutting Boards

Material

Don’t use glass because it dulls the blade. If you use a wood cutting board, throw the board away when and if it splits at the edge. “It’s a perfect place for bacteria to form,” chef Wes warned.

Board Type

You don’t need to have separate boards for meat and produce, if you rinse well between uses and clean the board periodically with a mild bleach solution.

Best of the Best

Chef Wes’s cutting board of choice is a pressed wood product by Epicurean. Apparently, it’s durable, dishwasher safe, easy to handle and can be had for as little as $25 from online retailers such as Williams & Sonoma, Bed Bath & Beyond and Sears.

For more information about the IGT Hands-On Knife Skills class or other classes, visit the website or call (503) 248-2015.