sangria.

The key to a great sangria is to make it the night before you want to drink it. It gives all of those flavors a chance to get to know one another. The fruit has an opportunity to absorb some of the alcohol and in short, it just makes the sangria better. Enjoy!

Sangria.

yields 2 quarts

3 cups of red table wine (we use the big house red box wine)

1/4 cup Cointreu

1/4 cup Courvoisier

3 cups peach juice

A small handfull of mixed fruit. We used strawberries, blueberries and raspberries this time.

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and rest in the refrigerator overnight. Serve over ice.

deconstructed paella for two.

This is our take on paella. Much lighter, quicker and easier, but still delicious. 

Deconstructed paella for two.

1 cup cooked brown rice

1/2 cup cooked English shell peas (frozen if you can't get fresh)

10-12 littleneck clams

1 yellow tomato, diced

prosciutto, 8 slices

4, 3oz filets of sole

1/2 cup dry white wine

a pinch of saffron

olive oil

Trim and portion the fish to desired size and then wrap them into tidy little packages with the prosciutto. Heat a non-stick or cast iron pan over medium-medium high heat, add a bit of olive oil. Place the wrapped fish filets into the pan and cook on each side until the prosciutto is crisp and golden, remove the fish from the pan and rest in a warm oven. In the same pan you cooked the fish in, add the clams, white wine, saffron and tomatoes, scraping up any of the brown tasty bits from the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan and cook the clams until they pop open, about 3-4 minutes. In a mixing bowl mix the peas and rice, portion and plate a bed of rice and peas on each plate. When the clams pop open they are ready to eat. Toss out any clams that do not open. Serve the fish on top of the rice along with the tomato, clams and saffron white wine sauce.

corn and basil infused pudding.

Makes 4 servings

2 ears of corn, shucked

2 large stems of basil

1/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons corn starch

2 cups whole milk, infused with corn and basil

a pinch of kosher salt

For the corn basil milk. 

Cut the corn into small chunks and remove basil leaves from the basil stems. Add the milk, a couple basil leaves and the stems along with the corn to a sauce pot. Heat the milk in a sauce pot, stirring constantly over medium heat. When the milk is hot, remove from the heat, cover and allow the milk to steep for 15-20 minutes. Strain the basil and corn from the milk and reserve.

For the pudding.

Combine the sugar, corn starch and salt in a heavy saucepot. Gradually stir in 1/2 cup of the infused milk to make a runny paste. Whisk in the rest of the milk over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken. Cook for 1 minute and remove from heat. Cover with plastic wrap and place mixture in ramekins or dessert dishes and chill for three hours until the pudding is set.

Serve with a basil chiffonade.

pancake battered pork meatball, tangerine glaze, arugula, grilled orange, scallion.

This is most definitly one of my more strange inventions, but I am pretty proud of it.

For the tangerine sauce.

1 cup of fresh tangerine juice

1/4 cup of rice wine

1/3 cup of rice wine vinegar

small splash of shoyu or soy sauce

1 tablespoon of sweet chili sauce

1 star anise pod

1 teaspoon of crystalized ginger

Combine the ingredients in a small sauce pot. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce thinkens and coats the back of a spoon (nappe).

For the meatballs. 

1 large fresh bratwurst link, skin removed

1 small pinch of ground allspice

1 small splash of soy sauce

Remove the casing from the brat. Add the extra ingredients and mix well. Form into small meatballs. Heat a small pan over medium-high heat. Add a splash of canola or grapeseed oil. Sear the meatballs and place in a 375º oven for about 5 minutes until cooked through.

For the batter.

As advertised, it's just pancake batter. I may be a chef, but I still just use an organic premade mix. It should be thik enough to coat the meatball nicely.

For the bacon.

Roast the bacon on a sheet tray in the oven for 12 minutes at 375º. The bacon will be crisp and delicious. Slice thinly to serve on the plate with the salad.

For the grilled orange.

Heat your grill, make sure your grill grates are super hot. Add a small amount of olive oil and salt to each orange slice. Lay it on the hot grill grates until nice hashmarks form. Cool and cut into small cubes. Can be done up to a day ahead of time if stored in fridge.

For the arugula and scallions.

Arugula and scallions should be cleaned and dried. The scallions should be cut on a bias.

Clean and lightly dress with olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Frying the balls.

Heat 4 cups of oil to 380º in a dutch oven or sauce pot. Coat the cooked meatballs with pancake batter and place in oil until golden brown. Skewer the meatballs onto bamboo sticks for serving if you so choose.

Plating.

Arrange the grilled oranges and bacon pieces in an attractve fashion around the plate. Drizzle the cooled tangerine sauce around the plate and on the oranges. Place the dressed arugula on the plate as well. Finish with the skewered meatballs and garnish with a few spots of sri-racha

braised pork shoulder with green curry, shell peas and courgettes

For the braised pork.

2lbs pork shoulder, cut into serving sizes

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

2 yellow onions, sliced

1 garlic head, cut in half

1 carrot, cut into slices

4 star anise pods

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 cinnamon stick

1 3" piece of lemongrass

1 1/2 tablespoons of agave nectar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

optional, a small pinch of asian granulated chicken bouillon (if you dare)

1 quart of water

salt and pepper to-taste

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven until nearly smoking. Season the portioned pork pieces liberally with salt and fresh-cracked pepper. Gently place the pork into the hot pot and allow it to caramelize for about 5 minutes. Flip the pork pieces over and sear the other side. The sear is the all important step here. You want a nice crisp brown salty crunchy exterior. Remove the meat from the pot and reserve, obviously. Add your onions, carrots, spices and garlic. Sweat the vegetables for 2 minutes at most. Return the pork to the pot along with any juices that may have collected. Fill the pot until the meat is covered by 2/3rd's. Add the agave nectar and the kosher salt. At this time, if you are up for adding some amazement to your dish, healthy folks look away! Add a small pinch of Asian granulated chicken bouillon,(available by different brands in Asian grocery stores), this stuff will knock your socks off with a dash of savory that is so unexpected. It's basically chicken flavored MSG by the way. The ingredient is totally unnesessary for this dish to be great, but I like to go big or go home.

Bring to a boil and then down to a simmer. Cover the pot and place it in a 275-285ºF oven for around 3 hours or until it's tender to your liking. I always make my pork a day in advance. I think letting it hang out in it's juices over night and reheating the next day is a great way to let the flavors develop.

For the curry.

1 small 4oz can of green curry paste

1 cup shelled peas, blanched

small splash of peanut oil

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1/2 yellow summer squash, quartered and sliced

1/2 zucchini,  quartered and sliced

1 3" piece of lemongrass

4 cups coconut milk, I prefer unsweetened.

Peel and blanch your peas for about 3 minutes to get them cooking. They should be bright green when you pull them out of the water. Heat a saucepot or wok over medium heat. Add your peanut oil and garlic, cook for about 1 minute. Add your courgettes (zucchini) and saute with garlic and peanut oil for about 4 minutes. Remove the courgettes and reserve. Add your green curry paste and sauté for about two minutes. (HAVE YOUR OVEN FAN ON) Add your coconut milk and lemongrass, along with the peas and cooked courgettes. Simmer for 15 minutes and serve with brown rice.

To plate.

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat along with a dash of oil (any oil). Take your braised pork shoulder and sear it until crispy on both sides. If you had kept the pork in the fridge overnight, place it in a hot oven for 10 minutes after searing it to heat it through. Serve on top of some brown rice with the curry and veggies.

Any left-over pork will make an amazing sandwich in the following days.

To see me make said sandwich and this dish tune in to KARE 11 Saturday morning June 18th.