Recipe: Prawn crackers

Prawn crackers are great on their own, but I like to break them into random shapes and use them as a garnish on a dish.  They are very easy to make, but they do take some time to dehydrate enough to fry.  Some methods have you rolling big logs, then cooking them and cutting slices to dry out.  This will give you regular shapes to your chips, but it also takes more time in the cooking stage and a bit of effort in the cutting stage.  If you are ok with random shapes, this method quickens the cooking and really simplifies the cutting, or even eliminates it altogether.  Ideally you want to use a vacuum sealer, but you can use a sturdy plastic bag, press the air out after rolling and seal really well with waterproof tape.  As long as you keep your ratio of prawn meat to tapioca flour right, you can size this recipe to what you have on hand - for that reason, the focus here is on technique over specific amounts.  The prawn stock is really optional - it can help make your puree smooth and add some flavour, but you will want to compensate accordingly by increasing the tapioca flour.  Make sure you use good quality prawns for a better result and so you can check your seasoning without fear.

You will need:

one part                                 peeled and deveined fresh and raw prawn meat

as needed (and optional)       prawn stock

one part                                 tapioca flour (plus more if you use stock)

to taste                                   sea salt

to taste                                   pepper (white if you want a clean look, otherwise black is fine)

Method:

 - weigh your prawn meat and take note

 - roughly chop the prawns (this helps puree it without heating it up too much)

 - in a food processor, puree the prawns very smooth - use prawn stock if desired and not how much was used

 - add an equal weight of tapioca flour to the prawn meat (and stock) and pulse to make a sticky dough

 - season with salt and pepper (you can be a bit on the generous side here)

 - divide the dough between large vacuum bags so there's room to roll the dough thin

 - seal the bags tight

 - roll the dough inside the bag to about 2mm thick

 - poach or steam about 25 minutes so the dough is fully cooked

 - cool in an ice bath

 - remove from the bag

 - cut shapes with a knife or wait and break shards later

 - dehydrate completely

 - break the sheet into pieces if you didn't cut it before

 - fry at 350F / 177C until fully puffed

 - drain on paper towel

 - season

 - serve

Recipe: Chocolate wafers

mix the dry

These chocolate wafers make great garnishes on desserts.  They taste good, are ultra crisp, and can be broken off in interesting and abstract shapes.  If you want to jazz it up a little, try adding a little black pepper or chili spice to the mix.  This recipe will make enough to spread over a full size sheet pan, or two home size pans.

You will need:

7g / 1/4oz                cocoa powder
85g / 3oz                 sugar
43g / 1.5oz              flour
60ml / 1/4C             milk

mix the wet

1                              egg white
2.5ml / 1/2tsp          vanilla
pinch                       kosher salt



Method:

 - set the oven to 350F / 177C
 - set up a silicone mat or panspray a sheet pan and stick a layer of parchment down and press out the bubbles
 - mix the cocoa, sugar and flour and a pinch of salt
 - lightly whisk the white, then add the milk and vanilla
 - add the wet mix to the dry and whisk smooth

combine

 - spread as thin as possible on the sheet pan
 - bake 10 minutes at 350F / 177C, rotate and bake another 10
 - pull from the oven and cool completely
 - break off random shards and use or store in an airtight container

spread thin

bake

Recipe: Apple chips

A nice crisp apple chip makes a great garnish for a variety of dishes, be they appetizers, mains or desserts.  I've seen a lot of methods to make apple chips, but many of them leave a lot to be desired.  If you don't peel the apples, it is almost impossible to keep them from wrinkling up, so I always do to make sure the chips stay flat.  There is no need for the chips to be brown either - some methods involve brushing the chips with lemon juice and dusting with icing sugar, but I find that is hit or miss for preventing oxidization.  By submerging the chips in a warm syrup, you give the surface the slightest bit of a cook and make oxidization impossible and will get pure white chips.  By letting the chips sit in the syrup a few minutes, you also allow the chips to absorb the syrup, and then during the dehydration process, the sugar will re-crystallize and the chips will have a terrific snap to them.

You will need:

apples
simple syrup
a mandolin slicer
a silicone mat
pan spray

Method:

 - make the simple syrup in a wide bottom pan and keep it just below a simmer
 - give the silicone mat a light dusting of pan spray
 - peel the apples
 - slice the apples thinly on a mandolin
 - pull the syrup of the heat
 - lay the apple slices one by one into the syrup and submerge completely
 - wait about 5 minutes so the slices can get a slight surface cook and absorb the syrup
 - gently pull the slices from the syrup, drain, and lay on the silicone mat
 - dehydrate at 40C / 104F or in an oven at the lowest possible setting with the door cracked
 - once the chips are dry and crisp, allow to cool down
 - carefully remove the chips from the mat and store in an airtight container
 - use as needed

Recipe: Chicharrones - sous vide and traditional

No trip to Mexico is complete without digging into some chicharrones at some point.  When you go to the market, look for the giant sheets at the butcher shop.  If you are lucky, you might get a chance to watch them fry it - it usually involves a very large and often seemingly unstable vat of hot oil and some fearless guy manipulating the large pieces of skin with a long set of tongs or a couple sticks.

drying skins

There a variety of ways to make chicharrones, some from fresh with bits of meat on it, and others just purely puffed pork skin, but today we're going to focus strictly the puffed skin since it is a little more involved.  This is primarily a technique, so don't worry about a recipe so much, just remember that at the initial cooking stage, you have the opportunity to introduce some aromatics into the process, and therefore into the final product.  If you happen to have just cooked up a belly, you can just jump straight to the scraping and drying stages as you have already cooked and brought some flavour to the skin.

You will need:

pork skin

lime juice (to taste)

aromatics (optional)

kosher salt

Traditional method:

 - depending on the size of your equipment, cut the pork skin into manageable pieces
 - wash the skin under cold water
 - place the skin in a pot of cold water seasoned with lime juice and salt and any aromatics you want
 - bring up to a simmer and cook for at least an hour until the skin is very tender
 - remove the skins from the water
 - strain the broth and keep as a pork stock
 - scrape the fat off the skins as much as possible
 - dehydrate at 40C / 104F, or in a low oven, or air dry (that's how the butchers do it)
 - when the skin is dry and hard turn on the deep fryer or get a pot on the stove ready
 - bring the oil to 177C / 350F
 - drop the pieces in the oil and agitate until they puff
 - turn over to make sure they are puffed all over
 - drain on paper towel and season with kosher salt
 - eat (Carla would say with a generous squeeze of lime and Valentina sauce)

Sous vide method:

 - again, cut the skin into manageable pieces and wash under cold water
 - season the skin lightly with salt, lime juice, and any spices you like
 - lay flat in the vacuum bag with any aromatics
 - set the bath to 65C / 150F
 - cook for about six hours
 - remove from bath and take the skin out of the bag while still warm
 - scrape the fat off
 - dehydrate / dry out until the skin is hard
 - bring the fryer or a pot of oil up to 177C / 350F
 - fry the skin until puffed
 - drain, season, and serve

this guy is something of a rock star

Recipe: Vegetable "paper" - truffle parsnip

bag it

I made this the other day on a bit of a whim.  I was trying to come up with a nice modern fall garnish.  Parsnips certainly fit the bill but it needed something extra and truffle is always a nice addition to parsnip.  I've made parsnip chips a lot of times, but I thought making a paper would be a bit more interesting as you can break it into shards.  A paper would also allow me to fully develop the flavour within the mix itself.  I considered using truffle salt, but in this case didn't want to stray from the clean visual with the black speckles.  Because I was using truffle oil, I strayed from the usual 5% egg white ratio to make sure I got a crisp result.  I also lowered the dehydration temperature as I noticed early on in the process that 140F / 60C could potentially caramelize the sugars in the parsnip more than I wanted.  The end result was a delicious and crisp product with a nice tan.  If some of the previous posts have inspired you to modernize a holiday meal with sous-vide turkey, this would be a great way to get some parsnip on the plate.

puree it

You will need:

500g / 17.6oz          parsnip (peeled and chopped)

60ml / 1/4C             truffle oil

60ml / 1/4C             cream

60g / 2.1oz              egg white

to taste                    kosher salt

as needed                water

Method:

spread it and dry it

 - peel and chop the parsnip

 - put the parsnip in a vacuum bag with the truffle oil and a pinch of salt and seal tight

 - steam or submerge the bag in boiling water until very soft (45 minutes)

 - empty the contents of the bag while still hot into a blender

 - add the cream and just enough water to get a rough puree

 - add the egg white and puree completely smooth

 - add any more seasoning to taste

 - spray a silicone mat with pan spray

flip it and dry it some more

 - spread the puree evenly over the mat - don't worry about slight ripples, they will dehydrate out

 - set a wood warmer or dehydrator to 130F / 54C

 - let the puree dry out several hours

 - when the puree is at the "leather" stage, flip it onto a sheet of paper and peel off the silicone mat

 - transfer the leather on the paper back onto the tray and return to the warmer to fully dehydrate

 - remove the paper and let it cool to room temperature and crisp up

 - break off shards and serve

Recipe: Garlic chips

Crispy garlic chips are a great way to top off a nice grilled meat.  They are easy to make, but a little tricky to make exceptional.  Follow this procedure and yours will come out fantastic.  If it seems like a lot of garlic, the chips will shrink up a lot.  With the blanching, you will take the edge off the garlic and be free to use them generously.  By bringing the oil up to heat slowly, you essentially dehydrate the chips on the way to the frying stage and minimize the caramelization.  You can also save the oil as a condiment on its own for salads.

You will need:

10            large garlic cloves (elephant garlic works great)

1L / 4C    vegetable oil (grapeseed or canola)

Method:

 - slice the cloves very thinly on a mandolin

 - put the slices in a pot of cold water and bring up to a boil

 - turn off the heat, strain the garlic and place back in the pot with more cold water

 - repeat the blanch three times

 - after the last strain, dry the garlic off on a towel

 - place the garlic in a pan (a wide saute pan is good as it give the chips space to move)

 - add the cold oil

 - bring the oil up to medium heat very slowly

 - as the chips start to gently fry, be careful of the heat level - keep it low so the chips don't colour

 - take a chip out periodically and test how it crisps up as it cools

 - when they are ready, strain out the chips and dry on a paper towel - save the oil for other uses

 - season lightly and let cool 

 - store in an airtight container until use

Recipe: Potato glass

Potato glass is a bit of an old school number, but these things have a way of coming back.  The classic trick is to sandwich a herb between two slices of potato so it shows through when cooked - I prefer the glass to be clear and maybe switch it up by using fingerling potatoes or purple potatoes.  We also have the advantage these days of silicone mats so the glass comes out perfectly flat.

You will need:

potatoes
clarified butter or vegetable oil
salt

Method:

 - set the oven to 300F / 149C
 - brush a silicone mat generously with clarified butter or oil
 - slice your potatoes as thin as you can on a mandolin or slicer
 - lay the slices down on the mat
 - if you want to lay a herb down and another slice of potato, do it here
 - brush the tops of the slices of potato with more clarified butter or oil
 - lightly season the glass
 - carefully lay another silicone mat over top the potatoes
 - bake about 40 minutes in the oven
 - if the potatoes need more time, turn off the oven and crack the door, or transfer to a food warmer or dehydrator
 - transfer to paper towel to drain any exess fat
 - store in an airtight container

Recipe: Lemon and black pepper crackers

These crackers work well both on their own or as a nice crispy garnish for a dish.  Maybe you want to part ways with the usual croutons on a salad and break a few shards of cracker on top.  When seasoning the dough, consider using slightly less salt to leave room for some coarse salt on the topside right before baking.  I've written the recipe as a ratio, so you can make as much or as little as you want, just pick how much your "part" is.  With 60ml (1/4C) as a convenient size, I would use the zest of one lemon and about 10ml (2 teaspoons) of cracked pepper, then adjust accordingly if increasing the recipe.  If you have a pasta roller, you can get the dough rolled out very thin and even.  You can even freeze the rolled out dough and bake it off quickly as you need it.

You will need:

3 parts         flour
2 parts         butter
1 part          water
to taste        lemon zest (microplane)
to taste        coarse black pepper
to taste        kosher salt
to garnish    coarse salt

Method:

 - add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl with a dough hook
 - mix until combined, then some more to develop the gluten
 - wrap the dough up and rest it
 - roll the dough out very thin - with a pasta roller if you can
 - dock the dough and sprinkle with coarse salt
 - bake at 325F / 163C until lightly coloured and crispy

Recipe: Vegetable "paper" - carrot

Vegetable "paper" can be a striking garnish to a dish.  Though closer to a wafer, paper is the term that has stuck.  It can also be done with fruits, mustard, horseradish, just about anything you can puree smooth - green products will probably be too problematic due to extended exposure to heat.  It definitely has its appeal to modern chefs, but remains approachable to everyone since it basically requires no special equipment.  A silicone mat will go along way to making your final product more polished, and sous-vide capabilities can elevate your colours and flavours - but you aren't lost if you don't have them.  For this example, we'll use carrot.

The recipe up to the puree part isn't exact, since everyone's puree will have a slightly different water content - what's more important is the ratio of the egg white to the finished puree, then a gentle dehydration process.  140F/ 60C is a great dehydration temperature as it doesn't burn the food, but moves it along nicely.  If you have a dehydrator, great, but an oven with the door cracked will do.  Professional cooks will probably have the use of a food warmer you can set the temperature on and get a full silicone lined sheet pan on the racks.  The "flipping" step  is very important because if you let the puree dry too much, it will try to stick to your mat or paper and will be too brittle to remove cleanly - try to catch it at the "leather" stage - the point of dehydration when it holds together but is still pliable - if you flip it and peel off the mat or paper at this point, you can dry the underside completely and you will end up with a clean sheet you can later break the way you want to.

You will need:

carrots
aromatics - your choice, but thyme and tarragon are nice - cardamom gives a nice spicy effect
salt to taste
sugar to taste
egg whites
sheet pans
silicone mats or parchment paper

Method:

 - wash, peel, and chop the carrots
 - if sous-vide, bag them up with a pinch of salt and sugar and aromatics and cook soft - temperature isn't crucial
 - if cooking stove top, steaming is best, or simmering in a small amount of water so at the end you can puree the contents of the pot without sacrificing any colour or flavour - cook with the aromatics as well
 - once soft, remove the aromatics from the carrots and puree smooth  - season with salt and sugar - pass trough a seive if not completely smooth
 - weigh your puree
 - calculate 5% of the puree weight as your measure for the egg whites
 - return the puree to the blender and blend in the egg whites
 - lightly oil or pan spray your parchment paper or silicone sheet on your tray (sometimes silicone does need a little help)
 - spread the puree as thinly and evenly as possible
 - put in the oven, warmer, dehydrator - and set for 140F / 60C - crack the oven if it doesn't go that low
 - the process will take a few hours - watch for the shiny puree to give way to a duller finish and start to get dry to the touch - rotate occasionally to even it out
 - the middle will probably be the last part to dry - take a small palette knife and see if the edges are starting to come away from the pan cleanly
 - when the whole sheet seems dry, see if you can run a palette knife all around the edges cleanly, then take it out
 - cover the carrot paper with another silicone mat or parchment, place another sheet pan, cutting board or similar sized surface and carefully and quickly turn everything upside down and place on the counter
 - remove what was the bottom sheet pan
 - very carefully peel off the silicone mat or paper from the carrot paper
 - return to the oven and finish drying the paper - there will be no risk of sticking to the pan at this point
 - when completely dry, remove and let cool on the counter
 - to use, break abstract pieces off and arrange on the dish

Recipe: Cornmeal "chicharron"

These "chicharrones" take a little patience to make, but the result is a great garnish for soups salads and meat dishes - you make even make them as a snack on their own.  You are basically making your own corn chips, but are not using tortillas, and better yet, have full control over the flavour.  The base recipe before frying is essentially a dried product, so you can make a lot and store it, then fry off as much as you need whenever you want.  This recipe is a basic garlic and black pepper, but I have also made a great tomato chicharron simply by using tomato juice instead of some of the water.  Be creative and develop your own signature chip for when guests arrive.

You will need:

1/2 C     cornmeal
 3 C       water
   2         cloves garlic minced
              coarse ground black pepper
              kosher salt
              sheet pans
              a deep fryer or heavy pot to make one on the stove with an oven probe

Method:

 - mix the cornmeal, water and garlic in a pot and bring up to a simmer, whisking regularly
 - as it thickens, keep whisking and occasionally scrape the bottom with a spatula to keep from sticking
 - cook completely, about 20-30 minutes - compared to polenta, it will be very loose
 - season with black pepper and salt to taste, then sprinkle in a little raw cornmeal (for texture)
 - spread the mix out thinly on paper lined sheet pans and dehydrate completely by either:
               a) let dry naturally in open air (can take a day or more)
               b) place in a VERY low heat oven with the door cracked - you don't want to colour it
 - when mix is completely dry set a deep fryer (or a pot of oil on the stove) to 325F / 163C
 - set up a bowl or tupperware container with water
 - break off pieces of the chicharron, soak them in the water until flexible again, drain, and fry until puffed and crisp
 - drain on paper towel and season with kosher salt (or your own spice blend)