Game: considered by many as a delicacy probably because of it's relative rarity and often difficulty in acquiring. Just a month ago, my dad had half-jokingly asked if I'd be interested in cooking venison if he ordered some online. This past weekend, I was getting reacclimated with the grim disparity between man and nature when we passed more than 4 deer carcasses on the highway just between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the West Virginia border. My brother even caught a snapshot of a beautiful male deer coasting the highway atop a SUV...probably the result of roadkill or game hunt. In any case, I never imagined I'd be asked how to cook venison, let alone having the actual meat in my hands!
On New Year's eve, a family friend gave us a small sliver of leg meat (shank??) that another friend had given to them. How it was obtained, how fresh, and through how many hands it passed (and slivers it lost on the way) I will never know. All I know was that I was pretty excited. Intuition screamed braising, especially when we confirmed that it was a lower grade cut with lots of muscle. The next question was Eastern or Western flavour; and with my recent braised lamb escapade, we conceded with Western.
I was again reminded of the beauty of cooking at home: I literally had everything I needed (or its equivalent) without needing to head to the store. My mom had habitually marinated the meat with bourbon, garlic, soy sauce (and maybe a couple other things) overnight. Luckily, that marinate could work with my idea. With the same theory in mind, I first browned the meat. I then browned onions and scraped off the brown meat bits (deglaze) with apple cider, chicken broth, water, and a little brandy. To all that, I added carrots, potatoes, radish, orange-flavoured dried cranberries, a little fresh ginger, black pepper, and sage. I wish I had bay leaves, but the only suitable replacement on hand was the sage. I left it in the oven covered for ~2.5 hours at 350°F (177°C). By then, the meat was tender but the flavour hadn't fully permeated the meat. Ideally, it should have been ~4-5 hours, but it was lunch time and the smell was driving our stomachs mad.
Overall, the venison tasted nice--very similar to pork actually. The flavour came out well, although bay leaves would have given greater body than the sage. I might have added a little too much apple cider and too little brandy. Plus, it would have been better to use either ground ginger or removable ginger slices to eliminate the occasional potent spiciness. Regardless, it turned out well for a first attempt. The next will be Eastern, unless, of course, we get a really nice tender section that solicits a faster technique. 
Thursday, January 3. 2008
New Year's Day Surprise
Monday, December 24. 2007
Christmas Eve Dinner
With the arrival of Christmas this year, I was both the Santa of chocolates and the British Christmas tradition. It seems many students have done the same in the past, and it was my turn to bring the Christmas crackers, mulled wine, mince pies, and Christmas pudding to share with the family. And with that came a full meal that took less time and hassle to cook than I had anticipated.
For the starter, I made a soup with butternut squash roasted for ~45 minutes, beer, chicken broth, a little milk, and browned onion. I took inspiration from the French bouillabaisse and decorated the soup with baked spiced pita chips (olive oil, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper) topped with roasted red pepper hummus.
The main was composed of 3 parts: kale cooked with caramelized onions and apples; salmon poached with white wine, lemon, onion, parsley, and black pepper; and sweet potatoes roasted in honey and lemon juice. The main sauce was a red wine reduction with onions with a secondary sauce made from the poaching liquid (veloute).
As for dessert, it was just Christmas pudding with homemade brandy butter and minced pies.
Overall, the meal turned out quite well. The soup was probably the best with the nutty creaminess of the butternut squash gently embodied with the beer and spices and textured with the crunchy pita chips. The main was okay but a little too light in flavour for a winter dish. I think the main failure was in the sauces, which I know is a whole other facet I must challenge myself to master. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable and not very tiresome dinner, entirely westernized but still completely enjoyed by everyone (especially the Christmas pudding, which I had not anticipate would be so well-received!!).
(Last edited 2007-12-28 14:50:52)
Saturday, December 15. 2007
Chiffon Pudding Cake
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Ever since arriving in Cambridge, I've had difficulty making the chiffon cake, mainly because of problems with the hand mixer. With a house that supplies wacky power, a 6-speed hand mixer is reduced to 1-speed -- turbo -- which makes accomplishing correctly beaten egg whites, one of the most critical elements, fairly difficult. It was quite disheartening as I'd already had my 1.5 failures in the States before the first success (according to my mom, it takes 3 failures, so I've been fortunate).
Now, after yet another 1.5 failures (have I now attained my 3 failures??), I finally made my first success in Cambridge! Yay!!
Friday, October 12. 2007
En Papillote
For part of my trip home, I visited Pittsburgh, where my brother was studying, for a few days. We'd just arrived that afternoon after a 3.5 hour drive, and I was unexpectedly making dinner for 5 people that night. [*sighs*] What a loving brother have I...
Okay, I'm teasing. I actually offered to cook after going through a list of unfavourable options. And it gave me a chance to try a very "quick and easy" technique called "en papillote."
Working mainly with supplies on hand, I started with a piece of parchment paper and placed a layer of chopped vegetables (carrots, onions, potatoes) and dried cranberries (for sweetness). Above came the chicken breast which I'd rubbed with a hodgepodge mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, various herbs, salt, and pepper (I also made slits in the meat and filled them with the mixture for better flavor penetration). I tucked a couple wedges of lemon under the chicken and drizzled a little more olive oil before wrapping and sealing the parchment paper tightly. Twenty minutes at 425°F (218°C), and each of us was peering into a steaming hot package of mouth-watering chicken and vegetables.
Basically, ''en papillote ''is a form of steam cooking and is ideal for leaner cuts of meat (i.e. chicken breast, fish). Any type of vegetable, fruit, or even rice can be mixed in. A key ingredient is oil; with that, you are free to use whatever sauce, herb, or spice you desire. Although parchment paper is preferred, aluminum foil can also be used. It's because of such freedom and relatively short cooking time that makes ''en papillote'' so friendly. Plus, cleaning is easy!
Sunday, September 9. 2007
Surprisingly Moist and Crispy Scones
This past Sunday, we made scones that were amazingly delicious! As it was an impromptu request, we used ingredients that were immediately on hand and a recipe that I modified for higher moisture. The most basic recipe called for 4 ingredients, but me being the complicated cook, it extended to 9. I mixed white and wholemeal flour and added skimmed milk and an egg. I was expecting a fairly dense scone, but what resulted resembled a light biscuit/cookie. The crust was a thin crisp layer while the inside was moist, soft, not doughy nor crumbly; and the flavor was mildly sweet with a gentle grainy crunch.I think the wholemeal flour improved the scone incredibly. It prevented too much gluten from forming while the wholemeal added a nice texture. The milk and egg definitely helped with moisture. And of course, the butter was a big plus; although I'd venture to say the scones would be fine with a little less.
As I quote my friend, "It's almost a crime to put anything on it!" Seriously, it tasted so good, we were content eating it plain.
