Five Star Treatment

Next time you cook up a steak, give it the "Gucci Treatment." I've talked about it here before. Thanks to Steamy Kitchen for sharing the technique a few years ago! So tasty. Tonight, we grilled up a top sirloin steak using the Gucci technique...

This part of the process is optional. Chop up some fresh herbs and garlic...


This time I used thyme and garlic.


Here's where things get interesting. First, if you're using some herbs, rub those into the steak...


Then smother the steak in salt! Leave this to sit for one hour. Rinse off all the salt, garlic and herbs. Using paper towel, dry the surface of the steak and cook.


Steak and the grill. A perfect combination.


I also grilled some sweet onions and thick slices of potatoes.


The "Gucci Treatment" brings great flavor to the steak by drawing out the moisture from the steak, dissolving in the salt, then drawing the salt and herb flavors back into the steak. You need to be liberal with the salt and this has to have an hour to work. A little longer is ok, but not too long.

A Major Change for Next Time

I've shared my opinion on Saffron. I know as a wanna-be foodie, I should love it, but I just don't. It's not the first time this spice has ruined a meal for me. Sad. I am not going to write off this recipe. I will make it again, but I will skip the saffron completely and maybe cut back on the mint, just a touch. For all the work you go through to layer the flavors and with all the great aromatic herbs and spices, you don't want any one to be smothered and suffocated by another arrogant spice. This took me an hour and a half to make, and in the end, I had a few bites and pushed my plate away and had toast with peanut butter for dinner. The saffron was just so ridiculously strong, I couldn't do it.

Anyway, I was making Chicken Biryani and I've had it before and it's lovely, but the minute the saffron crosses the threshold from "I can't taste it" to "did you put anything but saffron in here," for me, it became inedible.

Let's get started shall we.

Here's something that went right. The rice is par-boiled in a broth made with ginger, cinnamon, cumin seeds and cardamom. The cardamom should be in pod form, which I didn't have, so I just added a 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom to the water. The broth was highly fragrant and wonderfully spiced.


Another major flavor component is fresh mint. Chop finely and mix with freshly chopped cilantro for the lively herbal blend. Next time I will keep the mint, but cut the amount by half. After the saffron, the other flavor I had was muted mint.


The rice is partially cooked, the mixed with saffron and dried fruits such as currants or golden raisins. This turns the rice golden yellow and releases the saffrons flavors.


Another great flavor level...carmelized onions, garlic and jalapenos...all cooked in butter.


Here's the rice stirred up with the raisins. It looks lovely.


The signature of Biryani is layers...rice mixture, onion mixture...

...then seared chicken thighs and mint/cilantro...

...more onions and more rice. Cook for thirty minutes with some of the flavored broth the rice was cooked in. The chicken will be tender and cooked thru and the rice will be light and fluffy.


The plate. Not the prettiest photo, but it should be full of great flavor. Maybe next time...

Herbage!

Photo Source

I've made this once before, when I took a pasta making class from Sur La Table. It was really nice. A LOT of flavor, yet light. Great way to use up the abundance of summer herbs.

Pasta with 1000 Herbs

1 lb fresh pasta (pappardelle, fettucine, linguine)
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup chopped fresh basil
2 TB chopped fresh tarragon
2 TB chopped fresh mint
1 ½ tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh sage
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
½ tsp chopped fresh marjoram
Salt & Pepper to taste
Grated parmesan or pecorino

Mix all the herbs, oil, salt & pepper and some grated cheese together. Serve with hot pasta.

Add chopped tomatoes if you like.
Add a little lemon zest if you like.
Serve pasta and sauce with grilled chicken or fish if you like.
Or skip the pasta and use the sauce to dress up the chicken/fish.
Or dress up some crostini.

If you don't have all the herbs, that's ok. Use what you have. Have oregano instead of marjoram. Substitute!

I never promised you an herb garden

I hope I didn't jump the gun with getting my herbs outside today...but if I did, they are in containers, so I can bring them inside quickly.

clockwise: Mountain Mint, Parsley and Thyme

Close up of the thyme...and a little lemon thyme on the lower right...

Basil!!!! My favorite summer herb. The hostas are ripping through the dirt in the background.

And some Rose Marie...my favorite autumn herb!

Delicious Side

Again, bacon rocks the free world.

Yesterday I received the latest issue of Fine Cooking. The first recipe that really popped out for me was a corn saute. Sauteed aromatics, corn and fresh herbs. This recipe is closely based on the recipe provided for Corn and Mushroom Saute with Leeks and Pancetta. Of course mushrooms are not allowed in our house, so I've made some simple changes. It is super easy, fast and tastes like more. Use fresh corn on the cob if you can. If you want this out of season, frozen corn will work just as good.

Sauteed Corn with Leeks and Bacon
serves 2 as a large side

3 ears of corn, kernels removed
6 slices of bacon, diced
2 leeks, sliced (white and pale green parts)
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced
1 TB butter
Small handful of fresh herbs, chopped: thyme, oregano and parsley
Salt/Pepper
Juice from half a lemon

Cook bacon over medium heat until crispy and the fat is rendered out. Remove bacon to a small bowl. Toss the leeks into the fat. Stir. Add the jalapeno, allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, until the leeks are tender.

Add the corn. Season with salt and pepper. Add butter. Stir to coat. Saute for about 5 minutes, until corn is heated through. Remove from heat and stir in fresh herbs. Stir in lemon juice. Serve hot.

Balcony Garden

It took a week, but we were able to put the 'garden' together today!

(l-r) Mint, Oregano, Thyme, Sage (Regular and Pineapple), Rosemary and then on the blue crate, 3 types of Basil (Sweet, Thai and Cuban.) The rest of the plants are various flowers and house plants!

I never promised you an herb garden

This was a very busy weekend. No cooking. Sorry.

But I did get a bunch of little baby herbs. Looking forward to reaping their rewards as the spring and summer months progress. We have three types of basil. Rosemary. Thyme. Two types of sage and Greek Oregano. And some flowers! Our little apartment balcony will be our own secret garden. Hopefully in the next day or so, they will be transplated to their new containers.

But I need you help!?!?!!! One of the sage plants. I've never seen or tasted or used it before and it's no basic sage. Pineapple Sage! The scent from the leaves really is pineapple. It's surprising really. The normally heady, light pine scent is replaced by a light, sweet pineapple aroma! It's exciting, but what should I do with it??? Let me know.