My wife and I went to a "High End" restaurant recently, beyond the expensive entry way and the valet parking nothing about this evening with regards to food equaled high end! Of course our four course meal was Al A Cart, so as each disappointing plate hit the table the only thing I could think of was to ask for another $8 Corona. 

Silly little things get under my skin like, saying that the mushrooms in the salad were Shitake when in fact they were portabella's. My salad was also suppose to be topped with a Lemon and truffle oil dressing... Olive oil at best..And who would mix lemon with Truffle Oil anyways?! A small glimmer happened when my steak arrived, the steak albeit small was cooked perfectly and the sauce rocked. The side I ordered with my steak was Blue Cheese Smashed potatoes. Can you guess what they tasted like? Yup, smashed potatoes with a hint of Blue Cheese. And because they were Al A Cart my side of mashed potatoes cost $10. Ten dollars for ordinary mashed potatoes and a drizzle of creamed Blue Cheese. 

Now, you might say Ernie, what did you expect them to taste like? I'm glad you asked!! If I'm paying $10 dollars for a side of mashed freaking potatoes I expect to see and taste a little culinary creativity, a slight departure from the norm would be nice at this place where the Valet will make more money in one evening than I did in a week while working at China King during High School! That's China King in Belleville Michigan, I'd like to say I was there expanding my culinary prowess into other cuisines but alas, I was the dishwasher. LOL. 

So please after my spending $132 dollars on sub par dinner allow me to share some snazzy ways to jazz up yer taters!  

Substitute your boiling water for chicken broth. This simple step really accents the finished product. Throw a few sprigs of thyme in that water and finish with garlic butter... Now we're talking! I love to throw two large onions in the water as well, they don't get used in the final product but they impart great flavor.

-OR- Substitute your water with milk. This takes more time as you do not want to scorch the milk but oh is it worth it!! Again you can add fresh herbs carrots, onions or parsnips. Separate and finish the potatoes like you normally would but blend the other vegetables to make a wonderful sauce! Have fun with it! But what do I know, I am Just The Cook.

The Food Network selected me as one of the 16 best cooks in America! So off to NY I went to compete against the other 15.

Ok so let's rewind for a second. I received a call from a lady at the Food Network (How Cool!) and she asked if I was Ernie, so of course I said yes! After a series of other questions she said that she would be in touch. A couple of weeks later another fella from the Food Network calls. We talk about food and what I do day in and day out and he says I'll be in touch. Weeks went by so I thought oh well that was fun for a minute. But he finally called back. He asked me to cook for some Food Network personnel and of course I said yes!! So I drove to Atlanta, with me I have the perfect Smoked Pulled Pork Deviled Egg.

Yes they loved it! We spoke for over an hour and of course I had to wait for another phone call. More weeks of waiting and wondering, then finally I get a call from a producer saying that they want me to be on a Food Network show! Woo woo!

It was not until I (we) got to New York, did I find out that 16 of us were all hand picked by the Food Network as America's Best Cooks. And this is also when we find out that the competition is on...

So as you know by now I was selected to represent the South and Cat Cora was our Team Mentor. But what know one knew was that I had planned in advance to make homemade pasta regardless of the produce or protein that our team might be given. Some might find this to be foolish and even though the outcome was not what I wanted I would do it again tomorrow! I wanted to do difficult but great all in 30 minutes. So the first thing that crossed my mind is to make a Shrimp Mousse Ravioli with a nice cream sauce or infused oil lightly drizzled over the plate. And in that split second I go back to my Gumbo recipe and decided to use the shrimp heads and shells to create a Court Bouillon. I have to tell you the Court Bouillon was heaven! But of course I had to make the pasta first.

MORE TO COME

#Bestcook #Justthecook

http://www.multivu.com/mnr/63848-food-network-launches-new-series-america-s-best-cook

Chicken Chorizo and Roasted Poblano Soup!

I cook a lot with Chorizo, both at home and at my floating restaurant. So normally I have a good pound or two on hand. But just after the New Years I noticed that I only had about a three inch segment left and every time I opened the fridge I would see that chunk of Chorizo and my mind would start racing, what can I do, what can I do? I had also been saving this one lone Poblano Pepper to experiment with, then it hit me! Chorizo and Roasted Poblano Soup! The flavors all stand alone which makes this soup wonderful! I hope you enjoy.

Here's what you're gonna need:

4 Tablespoons Canola Oil

2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

1 Med Sweet Onion, Julienne

2 Garlic pods, Minced
1 Large Poblano Pepper

1 three inch segment or 3 Tbls Pork Chorizo

2 Potatoes, Medium Dice

48 Oz Chicken Broth

4 Large Collard Green leaves, Rinse and cut out the stems. Roll all of the leaves together, I tear the rolled leaves in 1/2 inch segments you could cut to a desired size.

Salt/Pepper

4 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme

1 Bay Leaf

1/4 Teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes

1/4 Cup Cilantro Chopped

Cumin, enough for Chicken

10 oz Chicken Breast

Here we go!

Roasted Poblano

You can roasted the Poblano  many ways, on the grill, in the broiler or on an open gas flame.

Once the Poblano has blackened drop it in a paper bag, close the bag and let it rest for 5 minutes. This will allow steam to build up between the skin and the flesh of the pepper. 

Peel the blacked skin off of the pepper, remove the seeds and chop the Poblano into chunks.

Soup

In a large stock pot heat 2 Tbls of the Canola Oil over Med/High heat, once hot add the Onions, Garlic, Chorizo, Poblano Pepper and diced Potatoes. Saute for about 5-7 minutes or until all of the Chorizo has broken down.

Add the Chicken broth, Collard Greens, Thyme, Bay leaf and Red Pepper Flakes. Salt and Pepper to taste. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Simmering

Chicken

Season the Chicken with Salt, pepper and Cumin. In a medium sauce pan over Med/High heat and the remaining 2 Tbls of Canola Oil and the Butter. Once the Butter has melted cook the Chicken for about 3 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature is 145 degrees.

Once the Chicken is done, cube the Chicken and reserve it in a bowl.

Add the Chicken and the Cilantro to the soup when the Potatoes have cooked through, Serve in a white bowl (they're my favorite) and don't blame me when you run out of soup!

Enjoy!

Ernie

Lemon Grass Shrimp tossed

in a Court Bouillon Sauce

Served over fresh

Fettuccine Pasta

So I’m in my hotel room in NY running various recipes through my mind. The hotel is nice and very cozy as small hotel rooms in NY go but, the best thing about the Gem is the 4^th floor roof access! It’s a great place to drink and unwind. BYOB, you’ll understand if you go there.

On the following morning I will be cooking a very important meal so it's time to challenge myself. I personally love the flavor of this Court Bouillon and the flavor of the Pan fried Shrimp with the delicateness of the homemade Pasta. I hope you do too!

For the Pasta

2 ½ Cups Flour

3 Eggs

2 Tbls Olive Oil

1 Generous pinch of salt

For the Court Bouillon (Simple)

2 Tbls Olive Oil

2 Cloves of Garlic, rough cut

3 Tbls Sweet Onion, rough cut

Shrimp heads and shells from about 1 pound of Shrimp.

1 Cup Hot water, keep more on hand as needed

½ Cup Pinot Grigio

1 Tbls Unsalted Butter

Salt / Pepper

For the Shrimp

2 Tbls Olive Oil

1 Cloves of Garlic minced

2 Tbls Sweet Onion diced

1 Stalk Lemon Grass

½ Cup Court Bouillon Sauce

1 stalk of Green Onions, Sliced

We’ll start with the Pasta as it can rest while were cooking the two other components of this dish.

Pour the 2 ½ cups of flour onto a clean working surface. With your fingers create a well in the center. Make the well big enough to hold the other ingredients! It’s really no fun chasing an egg yolk across the table. Now add the 3 Eggs, 2 Tbls Olive Oil and a generous pinch of salt. About a half Tsp if you’re measuring.

Cooking note:

You can make this without salt at all!

Using either your fingers or a fork, slowly beat the eggs while gently incorporating the flour. Once most the flour is incorporated into the dough you can begin to kneed it with the palm of your hand. Work the dough for about 5 minutes. Then wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for about 30 minutes.  

It’s time to clean the Shrimp. A nice 50 to 60 count makes a nice size Shrimp for this plate. Remove the heads and  shells and keep them in a second bowl as we will need them for the sauce later. Devein the Shrimp, cover and refrigerate.

Start a nice big 6-8 Qt. pot of boiling water. Don’t forget to add the salt.

Gianna, it’s time-a to make-a de Pasta!

My wife is Italian and I loved it when we named our daughter Gianna. Pronounced Gee-Ahh Na.

So in my best fake Italian accent I now get to say

“Gianna, It’s time-a to make-a da pasta”! My wife laughs...

I use a hand pasta machine at home. So here we go. Unwrap and cut your pasta dough in half. Re-wrap one half and set aside. Working on a floured surface press your dough flat with your hand and feed it through the largest setting on your machine. Mine at home is one. I found out real quick that at the Food Network 1, is the smallest setting! So continue to feed the pasta through until your desired thickness. Continue to flour your pasta with each pass. For Fettuccine I like 7. If you are using the Kitchen Aid attachment it is 3. 

Cooking note:

Keep in mind that the pasta will swell a little while it is cooking.

After you have a nice flat pasta sheet, run it through the Fettuccine side of your pasta attachment. Continue to flour your pasta!

Once your pasta is cut, you will want it to dry a little. At home I rest mine in the shape of a nest. Under the gun at Food Network Headquarters I lay it flat on the counter!

At home you can use a Pasta tree or a cabinet door.

On to the Court Bouillon Sauce!

In a medium sized sauce pan over medium high heat add 2 Tbls of Olive Oil. Add the Garlic, Onions, Salt and Pepper. Wait about 2 minutes and then add the Shrimp heads and shells. Give the shrimp mix a toss in the pan as the Shrimp cook. You want the shells to turn an orange-ish red. The aroma should be wonderful by now. Add the White Wine and allow the wine to reduce by about 70%. Add 1 Tbls of butter and toss. Add 1 Cup of hot water. Stir and continue to simmer.

At this point I season my Shrimp with Sea Salt and Tellicherry Pepper.

Taste the Court Bouillon sauce and reduce the heat to medium. The sauce will remain thin but should taste wonderful! Strain the sauce at this time.

Time to cook the Pasta

Heat a second sauce pan over medium high heat. Add 2 Tbls of Olive Oil, Garlic, Onions and the Zest from the root end (white end) of the Lemon Grass. You’ll want about 1 Tbls of zest. Drop your seasoned Shrimp into the pan and toss to coat. Cook for about 1 minute and add half a ladle, about ½ cup of the Court Bouillon sauce to the Shrimp. Your pan will seem hot and this is good.

Drop the desired amount of pasta into your pot of boiling water. Again this is fresh pasta 2-3 minutes will do just fine.

Cooking Note:

We’re using fresh pasta here, your boiling water does not need to look like it’s trying to jump out of the pot! Boiling is a temperature, not water aggression. A nice gentle boil will do just fine.

As the Court Bouillon cooks off and reduces, the flavors in the sauce are becoming richer and clinging to the Shrimp!! If you time it right you’ll have no liquid left in the pan as the shrimp become perfectly cooked.

Plating

Drain the pasta well, toss the pasta with the Court Bouillon Sauce (made with Shrimp heads and shells which you strained earlier). Then transfer the pasta in equal amounts to nice white bowls (personal preference). Top the pasta with the Shrimp, Fresh Parmesan and Green Onions. 

Enjoy!

Ernie

GUMBO

About a hundred years ago (it seems) Southern Thunder Harley Davidson asked me to be the lead cook for their Gumbo team. Of course I said yes! So we assembled our cooking team based on two things. One, who we knew could add cooking skills to the team. And two, who did we know would have a big enough cooler for all the beer!

From these humble beginnings Team Harley was created.

Left to right, Chris McFadden, Ernie Hall, Sam Shook Master Cook and Davy Dave.

Ingredients

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 large onions, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup flour

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

6 cloves garlic, minced

5 1/2 cups reserved shrimp stock, recipe follows

1 pound Andouille sausage cut in 1/2-inch pieces

2 Lbs Heads on Shrimp,

Heads and shells will be reserved for making shrimp stock

3 cups Long grain white rice

Stock:

Reserved Shrimp heads and shells

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 stalk celery, roughly chopped

3/4 cup white wine

Water

5 black peppercorns

A Pinch of kosher salt

1 bay leaf

A couple fresh sprigs of thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves. I use fresh thyme.

Directions

A great Gumbo needs a great stock and that stock will need to simmer for a minimum of 45 minutes, so we always start with making the stock!

While the stock is simmering we can prep all of the other items that we’ll need.

Stock

Prep the shrimp first by removing the heads and the shells and reserving them in a glass bowl. Metal bowls can transfer a metallic taste to the shells, once the heads and shells have been removed, put the shrimp in a covered glass bowl and refrigerate. I do not spend time deveining the shrimp at this point because we are working only on getting the stock started.

Chop the onion, carrot and celery. Add oil to a pot and heat, add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Throw in a pinch of salt & stir, then add the shrimp heads and shells and cook stirring constantly until the shells are pink and fragrant. Add the wine and cook for about five minutes. You want the liquid to almost cook completely off.  Add enough water to the pot to cover the shrimp shells, about 5 cups. Add peppercorns, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Skim the scum from top of stock as it builds up and simmer for 45 minutes. While the stock is simmering we can prep the rest! Taste the stock and adjust the flavor as needed.  When done strain the stock and reserve in a pot.

Dice the peppers, onions and celery ensuring that all of the cuts are the same size and place in a glass bowl.

Time to make the Roux!

In a large skillet heat the ¾ cup vegetable oil. Gradually add the flour to the oil while whisking constantly. Continue whisking constantly and cook over medium to medium-high heat until the roux is a dark red-ish brown and very fragrant. Carefully add diced vegetables (Holy Trinity) and stir with a wooden spoon, until combined,

do not let the roux burn! Add all dry seasonings and garlic and stir to combine, then remove pan from heat. Whew, that was fun!

Heat the shrimp stock in a large pot and bring to a gentle boil. Slowly add your roux to the boiling stock, whisking constantly until completely incorporated. Return to a simmer until the desired thickness. Once the gumbo has achieved the desired thickness add the Andouille sausage and reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 15 minutes. This is a good time to start your rice and then devein the shrimp!  Taste the gumbo and adjust seasoning if necessary.

I cook my rice on the gas cook top on the lowest eye I have. It is always perfect in 20 minutes. Once the rice is done set it to the side covered.

Add the shrimp to the gumbo and turn the heat off. Stir and let gumbo sit in a covered pot for 5 -7 minutes to allow the shrimp to cook.  Make sure you taste one of the shrimp to ensure it is cooked all the way through. Locate the thyme sprig and the bay leaves and remove!

Ladle one cup of Gumbo over 1/3 cup of perfectly cooked long grain white rice. Find the beer of your choice and enjoy!!