Posts

Showing posts from January, 2009

Shrimp and Mango Cabbage Roll

Image
With spring coming and all the health freaks out there, this is a great and easy dish to prepare. I start with a few main ingredients: Shrimp, napa cabbage, mango, cilantro, red onion, red pepper, and jalapeno . I make a mango " pico de gallo " with the veggies minus the cabbage. I grill the shrimp. Cut the cabbages top part of the leaves off so that they are easily rolled. Layer the pico into the cabbage as shown above, chop the shrimp so that they are not too bulky and layer them in with the pico .
Image
This is what they look like after rolling them. Like a little burrito, only cabbage rather than tortillas. Of course they are tiny, only a bite or two each. I placed them in a perforated pan so that I can steam them. I usually steam them about 8 minutes, but depending on size and density you may need to just test the temp of them. Once they are hot, let them rest just a minute at room temperature. Slice and serve with whatever floats your boat.
Image
This is what the roll looks like when its been steamed and sliced. They tend to fall apart, so you have to be careful when slicing. I served this with a touch of chili sauce and a cilantro leaf. Very simple, but a ton of flavor.

Fig Bread and Lavender Goat Cheese with Prosciutto

Image
Here is this evenings amuse- bouche . We had the idea of using fig bread for our new menu, so we decided to try it out. It ended up really nice. I whipped together a lavender goat cheese with some honey to lighten the potency of the goat cheese. Then I thinly sliced prosciutto and rolled "roses" for eye appeal. A re-hydrated craisin and some port syrup finish this starter. Its been very slow, so I hope to have the opportunity to share this dish with at least a few guests tonight. Although the amuse is not part of the expected dining experience in the Mountain View, I am trying to make it a standard. I really feel that people feel like they are getting more, even if it is only a one bite dish. Its all about perception.

Crab salad in a cucumber cup

Image
This is the amuse- bouche we are greeting our Mountain View guests with tonight. It is a simple Snow Crab salad with just a little hint of spice. It sits inside a cucumber cup that adds a nice crisp attribute to the dish. It covers the better part of a pool of lemon-dill creme friache . The paprika salt has simply celery salt, paprika, crushed peppers, and dried garlic. To garnish this little burst of flavor, I used a red bell pepper and red onion inside a scallion, and a caper. Very simple start to a meal, but a very flavorful one as well.

Shrimp B.L.T.

Image
The flavors in this dish are incredible. I like the look and idea of my take on a shrimp B.L.T., but the flavors work just great with each other. I grilled 16/20 Tiger Shrimp, and used wilted garlic spinach in place of lettuce. Rather than sliced bread used in the traditional sandwich , I used ciabatta toast points for some crunch. The big component to this dish is the wild boar bacon and tomato jam. I made this similar to a chutney, and served it warm. It had well rounded flavor itself, balancing the acidity of the tomatoes, smokiness of chipotle and adobo sauce, and the fattiness of the wild boar bacon. I used red wine vinegar and granulated sugar to get the chutney flavor, keeping more of a jam consistency . I used a few dots of lemon aioli to enhance the look and B.L.T. feel to the plate. I'm very happy with how this simple dish turned out, giving a new twist to an old favorite.