Sunday, December 29, 2013

New Year's Day Requisites

For New Year's Day



Hoppin’ John
Hoppin' John is the rice and beans of the South. Some people make it more into a rice salad but that is not my interpretation. It should be zesty and full flavored but clean too.  I love that vinegar zip that makes things fresh.
            Tradition has is that we eat Hoppin' John on New Years Day but I feel comfortable eating it pretty much any time. It's so good that it deserves more than a once-a-year appearance on your table. The leftovers from Hoppin' John are called Skippin' Jenny.  Those leftovers can be turned into a nice soup with some ham hock stock and fresh herbs.

Serves 6
1 1/2 cups dried black-eyed peas
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large Vidalia onion, minced
1 cup celery, peeled and minced
1 poblano pepper, seeded and minced
1 medium sized sweet red pepper, seeded and minced
Pinch of chile flake
1 cup basmati rice
1 teaspoon hot pepper vinegar
Salt to taste
###
            Place peas, hock and bay leaves in a large pot and cover with cold water.  You want to have enough water so go about two inches over your dried peas.  Place on medium high heat and bring to a boil. 
            Once the boil has been reached then simmer to medium- low heat and cover for about 25 minutes or until peas are tender but not so far as to mush them all up.  They should be tender but intact.  If there is still a lot of liquid in the pot then drain it off keeping the peas in the pot. Remove the hock from the peas and pull all the nice meat off and coarsely chop it.  The bone and sinew can be discarded.  Add the nice meat back to the peas.
            Cook your rice according to how you like it.  I like 1 to 1.5 (rice to water) for basmati.  I add some butter to the rice at the beginning and then cook it until its done.
            While the rice is cooking place a large frypan over medium heat.  Add butter and let the butter melt, bubble and froth.  Don’t brown the butter though.  Add the onion and celery and cook for four minutes stirring once in a while.  Add poblano and red pepper, lower heat to medium low and continue to cook for fifteen minutes until the flavors have really developed.  Add the pinch of Chile flake and add this mixture to your peas. 
            Now you can marry the finished rice to the finished peas and you have Hoppin’ John!  Finish with the dash of vinegar and start that year off right!




Thursday, December 19, 2013

Five & Ten Prix Fixe: December 19th - December 23rd

 
MENU A

1. Charred Broccoli & Fried Salsify with candied walnuts, kimchi, yogurt, & apple butter
Sherry, Cesar Florido, Fino, Chipiona, Jerez, Spain, NV

2. Braised & Glazed Short Rib with crisp sweetbreads, winter vegetable ragout & pickles
Montsant, Bodegas Grifoll-Declara, ‘Tossals Junior’, Spain, 2006 

3. Chocolate Mousse with hazelnut cake, almond cream, and tangerine sorbet


MENU B

1. Gulf Shrimp with maitake mushrooms, brussel sprouts, charred shallot, carolina gold rice & roast chicken dashi
Muscadet Sevre & Maine, Domaine de la Vinconniere, Loire, France, 2012

2. Sunburst Trout with glazed octopus, parsnip, harissa, Sonora wheatberries, black marcona almond puree, blood orange, & sweet herbs
Aligoté, Sebastien Magnien, Burgundy, France, 2011

3. Lemon Poached Apple Tart with cranberry compote


No Substitutions Please
Available for 5:30, 5:45, and 6:00pm reservations every day 
$30 food $15 booze

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Prix Fixe: December 12th - December 18th

MENU A

1. Roasted Salsify and Carrots with shaved hakurei turnips & watermelon radish, fried sunflower seeds, and celery juice
Aligoté, Sebastien Magnien, Burgundy, France, 2011

2. Glazed Veal Sweetbreads with baby beets, fennel puree, endive, watercress, and yogurt
Beaujolais Nouveau, Domaine Pral, Burgundy, France, 2013

3. Pecan Pie with white chocolate & bourbon crème anglaise

MENU B

1. 5&10 Pasta with Gulf shrimp, radish, urfa chili, orange confit, shaved fennel, and pickled sunchokes
Pinot Grigio, Ornella Molon, Piave, Veneto, Italy, 2012

2. Redfish with celery root, apple, brewster oats, bok choi, and dill
Chardonnay, Stuhlmuller, Alexander Valley, CA, 2011


3. Pineapple Upside Down Cake with cherry sorbet and whipped cream

No Substitutions Please
Available for 5:30, 5:45, and 6:00pm reservations every day 

$30 food $15 booze


Thursday, December 5, 2013

Prix Fixe: December 5th - December 11th


MENU A

1. Grilled Shrimp with orange confit, hazelnuts, beet puree, and raw fennel salad
Gruner Veltliner, Berger, Austria, 2012

2. Pork Ribs with roasted sunchoke, pickled shallot, parsley puree, olive oil emulsion, and baby carrot salad
Syrah, Stolpman, Estate, Santa Ynez Valley, CA, 2010

3. Amaretti Pear Tart with toasted almonds

MENU B

1. Salad of Whole Roasted Carrots & King Trumpet Mushrooms with crisp kale, goat cheese, and shoyu vinaigrette 
Ventoux blanc, Cuvee des Trois Messes Basses, Rhone, France, 2012

2. Pan Roasted Sunburst Trout with carolina gold rice, grilled frisee, purple cape bean puree, and a salad of pickled dilly beans & herbs
Catarratto, Castellucci Miano, Sicily, Italy, 2012

3. Orange Marmalade Layer Cake with whipped sour cream


 
No Substitutions Please
Available for 5:30, 5:45, and 6:00pm reservations every day
$30 food $15 booze

Related Posts with Thumbnails