Fried our own taco shells

I

I  was thinking back to the first time I had a taco. I was a teenager in Kansas City and an elderly couple was selling them out of their apartment.  You knocked on the door, came in and sat down while they made them for you.  When mom learned how to make them at home, there was a wire form that held the corn tortillas in hot oil while they were cooking.  

I wondered if they still made those taco shell forms.  They do but they aren't shaped like the old ones.  These make the shells more open and it is harder to eat them.  I guess I will make the rest of them as tostada shells.  And when I have fried up the last of the corn tortillas, I'll go back to getting the store bought ones.   Anybody want a taco shell holder?

 

Martini Chicken and Bread Rolls

 

Charlie asked for Martini style chicken and I made some Parker House rolls as well.  The large roll was left-over dough after the tray was full.  The pasta and sauce are not part of the original Martini recipe. I added it later.

Petto di Pollo alla Martini  

Morso Restaurant Bar Cafe 420 E. 59th st. NYC

Chicken Breast Martini Style  -  one serving

Kosher salt

1/2 C. green beans (haricot vert)

1/2 C. baby carrots

1 boneless skinless chicken breast pounded out thinly (1/2 breast)

fresh ground black pepper

2-3 T. AP flour

1 lar. egg, beaten

olive oil

1/4 C. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 

1/2 T. unsalted butter, melted

1/2 T. fresh lemon juice

1/2 C. good quality white wine

Preheat oven to 425º

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Fill a bowl with ice water.  Add the green beans and carrots to the boiling water until they are brightly colored but still crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to ice water to stop cooking

Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of chicken, dredge in flour. Shake off excess. Dip in egg and then cheese.

Place olive oin in hot skillet and brown the chicken on both sides. Drain on paper towels

In separate skillet, combine wine, butter and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Place browned chicken in the wine mixture, top with carrots and green beans. Bake in oven 6-7 minutes @375º Remove and plate

The Best Parker House  Rolls

• Total: 3 hr  Active: 50 min  Yield: 24 rolls

These Parker House rolls are super indulgent thanks to plenty of butter mixed in and brushed on top. Milk and eggs enrich the dough, lending a perfectly tender texture. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt adds a welcome bit of contrast and crunch. These rolls are best served fresh and warm.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups whole milk

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup warm water, about 110 degrees F

One 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

5 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (see Cook's Note)

Nonstick cooking spray

Directions

• Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium-high until it just starts to simmer, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter and the sugar until melted. Set aside to cool.

• Put the warm water in a small liquid measuring cup and stir in the yeast. Let it sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.

• Combine the milk mixture, yeast mixture, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and half the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the remaining flour, mixing until a smooth ball forms. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to knead the dough until very smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Coat a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray, then place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 60 to 75 minutes.

• Melt the remaining 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Set aside.

• Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, line with parchment paper then spray the paper.

• Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto the prepared surface. Pat into an even thickness.

• Use a chef's knife or bench scraper to divide the dough into 24 pieces, then shape into balls to create small rolls. Place in the prepared baking dish in rows of 4 by 6, then brush the tops of the rolls with 4 tablespoons of the melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven 350 degrees F.

• Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the rolls lightly with flaky sea salt. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter. Serve warm.

Country Fried Steak

 Country Fried Steak recipe from Threadgills 

I pat the meat dry then sprinkle Threadgills meat seasoning on one side of the meat and seasoned salt on the other side before I proceed with the recipe.

Recipe By : Threadgill's - The Cookbook ISBN 1-56352-277-2 

Threadgills Meat Seasoning.   

 1/2 cup kosher sal
t 

    4 tablespoons black pepper 

    2 tablespoons white pepper 

    1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 

    2 tablespoons granulated onion 

    1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 

    4 tablespoons granulated garlic 

    2 tablespoons paprika 

    Mix ingredients well. Store in a glass jar or plastic container. Keep tightly

    sealed. Shake before each use to prevent settling. 

    8 6 ounce tenderized beef cutlets -- at room temperature 

    2 eggs 

    2 cups milk -- at room temperature 

    3 cups flour 

    2 teaspoons Threadgill's Meat Seasoning 

    2 cups frying oil -- preferably canola 

    Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl and set this egg wash aside. Combine

    the flour and meat seasoning in another bowl and set aside. Heat the oil in a

    heavy 14-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Use a 550

    degree thermometer to check temperature. The oil should pop loudly when a

    drop of egg wash is dropped in. 

    Dip each of the first 4 cutlets in the egg wash mixture. Dredge them in the flour,

    then dip them back into the egg wash, and very gently place them in the hot oil.

    As you carry them one at a time from the egg wash to the skillet, hold a plate

    under them to catch the dripping egg wash. There'll be a regular explosion of

    noisy oil a-popping. 

    Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until breading is set and golden brown. Gently turn

    them with a long-handled meat fork or long metal tongs. Be careful. Cook

    another 3 minutes. 

    Carefully remove them from the skillet and drain on a platter lined with paper

    towels. Let oil reheat and repeat process for other 4 cutlets. Serve with White Cream Gravy and Mashed potatoes.

Potato Puff Rolls  From:  Homemade Bread by the editors of FARM JOURNAL 1969

1/2 C. mashed potatoes 

1 C. milk

1/4 C. shortening

1/4 C. sugar

 1 tsp. salt

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1/4 C. warm water (110-115º)

4 to 4 1/2 C. AP flour

1 egg

•  Prepare potatoes from unseasoned instant potatoes or cook and mash potatoes but do not season

•   Scald milk.  Add shortening, sugar, salt and potatoes.  Cool to lukewarm

•  Sprinkle yeast on warm water, stir to dissolve. Combine milk mixture, yeast, 2 C. flour and egg. Beat well by hand or with electric mixer at medium speed, scraping brown occasionally, to make smooth mixture, about 2 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour, a little at a time to make a soft dough that leaves the sides of the bown.

•  Turn on to floured board and knead until shiny and elastic, 5 tp 10 minutes.  Place in lightly greased bowl; turn dough over to grease top.  Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Punch down.

•  Turn onto board, shape into a ball and let rest 10 minutes. Pinch off pieces of dough  small  enough to half fill greased muffin tin cups.  Shape into balls and place in muffin tin
cups. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 1 hour.

•  Preheat oven to 400º, bake 10-12 minutes. Makes about 34 rolls.

two recent dinners: Grilled steak and Korean Fried Chicken Wings

 

When I made this recipe,  2 large eggs was not enough. It took 4 eggs to make the batter liquid enough to be able to coat the chicen.  I used corn starch instead or potato starch.

Korean Fried Chicken (yangneom-tongdak Maangchi YouTube

Ingredients the chicken

• 2 pounds chicken wings 
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ cup potato starch
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

For the sauce

2tsp vegetable oil

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ⅓ cup ketchup
• ⅓ cup rice syrup
• ¼ cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• corn (or vegetable) oil for frying
• For a side dish, pickled radish, optional

Direction

 Fry chicken

• Heat 2 inches of oil to 330-350.

• While the oil is heating, combine chicken, salt, ground black pepper, starch, flour, baking soda, and eggs in a bowl. Mix altogether well by hand.
• Add the coated chicken to hot oil one by one. Fry them for 12 minutes until the all sides of the chicken are crunchy, turning over with tongs.
• Add the coated chicken to hot oil one by one. Fry them for 12 minutes until the all sides of the chicken are crunchy, turning over with tongs.

Make seasoning sauce:

1. Heat the 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Stir in garlic until light brown for about 30 seconds. Add the ketchup, rice syrup, gochujang, vinegar and stir well with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to low and stir until bubbling. Remove from the heat.
2. Start the second fry:
3. Let the oil heat up for 2 minutes over medium high heat until it reaches 330-350ºF.
4. Fry the chicken one more time, turning over with tongs for about another 12 minutes until very crunchy.
5. Reheat the sauce over medium high heat until it’s bubbling again. Add all the hot crunchy chicken and mix well with a wooden spoon and tongs.
6. Finish and serve:
7. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and transfer to a serving plate. Serve with
   
   
    (pickled radish) if you have it.