Spicy Coleslaw

Let me preface this post by saying that this recipe is part of a bigger project that I've been working on with one of my colleagues. Coleslaw is the quintessential side dish of southern cuisine. It comes in different varieties from creamy and made with mayonnaise, to simple and made with vinegar, and with a variety of ingredients like shredded cabbage, carrots, vinegar, salt and pepper and sometimes onions, jalapeños, apples, mustard or even ketchup. 

Even though I never tried coleslaw until I was in my twenties, I consider myself a big fan. I often times find myself judging barbecue joints based on the coleslaw they serve. I know that the main focus of a barbecue place should obviously be the meat they smoke, yet still I can't help but take the coleslaw into consideration when rating them. For me coleslaw was love at first sight. I remember eating it on the first day I moved to Austin four years ago. My hotel was really close by Rudy's BBQ so I decided to eat my first lunch there in the sizzling heat of the legendary summer of 2011.

In my book a good coleslaw has to be crispy but not raw, tangy but not sour, spicy but not too hot, and with just the right about of mayo to give it a subtle hint of creaminess. A coleslaw also should never be a soggy soup-like concoction with the mayonnaise overwhelming all the freshness of the cabbage and carrots. So how do you do all of that? First, use a mandolin to shred the cabbage really thin. Then purge it. Purging essentially is the process of brining the cabbage in salt, to get some of the water and that raw bitter flavor out of the cabbage. 

I used kewpie mayo because I find it less heavy with a nice piquant aftertaste. I also choose to add leeks for a subtle hint of onion-like flavor. If finding leeks is challenging where you live, just use scallions or chives. Experiment with the flavors and ratios until you reach the combination that makes you happy. Enjoy!

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Spicy Coleslaw

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Yields about 1-2 quarts
Prep time: 20 minutes
Inactive time: 90 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1/2 lb red cabbage, shredded
• 1 lb white cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup leek, thinly sliced (about 1/2 large leek)
• 1 TBS table salt
• 2 large carrots, peeled and grated
• 1 large jalapeño, halved, deseeded and finely sliced (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 tsp dried chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 cup kewpie mayonnaise 
• 2 TBS white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine red cabbage, white cabbage and leeks. Sprinkle with salt and toss well. Set bowl aside and let the mixture rest for 10-15 minutes. This process is called purging the cabbage and it's essential for the texture of the coleslaw. 
2. After the cabbage has been rested, you'll see a lot of juice in the bowl. Dispose it and transfer the cabbage to a colander. Run it under cold tap water to get rid of the excess salt. 
3. Rinse the big mixing bowl and transfer the cabbage from the colander back into the bowl. Squeeze, handful by handful, the salty juice out of the mixture. 
4. Add carrots, jalapeño, white pepper and chili flakes. Mix to combine and add the mayonnaise and vinegar. Stir until the coleslaw is evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5. Cover with a plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for an hour before serving.

Notes

• Use the white part of the leek. For instruction on how to clean leek check out my Creamy Leeks with Pan Roasted Chicken recipe
• The green part of the leeks can be used for making stock.

Potato and Leek Rösti with Poached Eggs

This week I'm going to show you how to make one of my favorite brunches. It's a vegetarian dish that can be served either as a side dish or on its own with a dollop of sour cream. It also can easily be turned into something more filling, by adding smoked salmon and poached or fried eggs to it. 

I love weekends so much especially when I don't have to travel. Not only because I get to relax, but mostly because I get to spend a lot of time around the kitchen cooking. Another important aspect of the weekends is that I can cook and eat my breakfast in my pajamas without having to fully wake up. I don't enjoy talking early in the morning, at least not until I get to eat. Roni also gets grumpy without having food or coffee first thing in the morning. For the sake of everyone in Austin, we try not to leave our house without eating or drinking coffee, and take out the grumpiness on each other. 

Although I named this dish rösti, which is a Swiss dish, I found inspiration for it during my time in Hungary. Over there it's called either tócsni or lepcsánka depending on which region you visit and who you ask. It is very similar to the traditional rösti, but Hungarians sometimes add flour and eggs to the concoction. I prefer it without flour as it makes me feel better about eating healthier.

I made a few modifications of course, namely I added leeks and parsley to the potatoes. I like bold flavors and find potatoes alone to be a bit bland. If you don't like leeks, you can substitute them for onions or carrots. Same goes the parsley- use spinach or kale instead if that's what you prefer. Dare to improvise and try different combos until you find your favorite. As for me, this is my favorite. Jó étvágyat!

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POTATO AND LEEK RÖSTI WITH POACHED EGGS

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Serves 2-4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 large leek, cleaned and finely chopped
• 8-10 cremini mushrooms
• 2 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled and grated
• 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 TBS kosher salt
• 1/2 TBS, black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 TBS butter, unsalted
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 8-10 tomatoes on the vine
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 TBS butter, unsalted
• 1/2 TBS butter, unsalted
• 2-4 eggs, pasture raised
• kosher salt, to taste
• 1 TBS white vinegar
• 2 oz. smoked salmon (optional)
• 1 TBS crème fraîche (or sour cream)(optional)

Instructions

1. Clean the leek by cutting and discarding the dark green woody leaves and the root end. Clean, chop it finely.
2. Clean the mushrooms by trimming the dry tip of the stem.
3. In a medium bowl combine the grated potatoes, leeks, parsley and jalapeño. Sprinkle half tablespoon salt and mix well until the mixture is evenly coated with salt. Set aside and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes.
4. Handful by handful, squeeze the potato and leek mixture to get rid of the starchy and salty water. Sprinkle half tablespoon of freshly cracked black pepper, one teaspoon salt, and one tablespoon of olive oil and stir until everything is well mixed together and evenly coated. 
5. Heat one tablespoon butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the butter melts and starts foaming, scatter the potato mixture over the skillet. Using a spatula, gently press molding it into a 1/2-3/4 inch pancake. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, shaking skillet occasionally, until edges are golden brown.
6. Meanwhile, heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the mushrooms and tomatoes to the pan. Sprinkle with a pinch salt and pepper. Let them cook while you flip and cook the other side of the rösti, shaking the pan every now and then. 
7. Cover the skillet with an inverted large plate. Flip rösti onto the plate. Add another tablespoon of butter to the skillet and let it melt. Once the butter starts foaming, slide the rösti back into the skillet, cooked side up. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until the bottom becomes golden brown. While it is cooking, using a silicone brush, spread half tablespoon butter on the top of the rösti.
8. Remove the tomatoes and mushrooms from the heat and set aside until you're ready to serve it.
9. In the meantime, poach or fry the eggs, whichever you prefer.
10. Poaching may be more challenging if you’ve never done it before. If poaching, fill a medium non-stick pan with about 2 inches water. Heat the water over medium heat. Add one tablespoon white vinegar and a pinch of salt and bring water to a simmer. Crack eggs one by one into a espresso cup and slide them into the simmering water. The vinegar in the water will prevent the egg whites from spreading. Turn heat to minimum, cover the pan and let the eggs poach for about 4 minutes. When done, remove with a sieve.
11. Once the rösti is ready, slide it on a cutting board or a large plate. Cut in four and serve with smoked salmon and poached eggs on top and a side of roasted tomatoes and mushrooms. You can add a dollop of creme fresh or sour cream to the top, too. Enjoy!

Notes

• To clean leek, use a pairing knife to slice it lengthwise starting from about 1/4 of inch from the root up to the leaves. Rotate the leek, and slice it again starting from the root. Fan the leeks open and place them under cold running water. Rinse out any dirt or sand until the leeks are clean.
• To clean mushroom,  fill a quarter of a bowl with cold tap water. Drop mushrooms into the bowl. Submerge each one and then lift them out of the water with your hands. Place them on a paper towel and let them dry. Never clean mushrooms by rinsing them under running tap water, as the flavors will be washed away as well.
• I love fresh black pepper, so I usually add more than half tablespoon to the potato and leek mixture.

Creamy Leeks with Pan Roasted Chicken

When I started this blog I made a calendar where I mapped out the posts for the next few months. Although I'm not quite a planner, I really wanted to make this blog happen, so I had to set myself up for success.

I knew that cooking would not be a problem- that's how I relax after a long day at work and I'd do it anyway. What was scary was the commitment itself- the commitment of taking pictures while cooking, writing down the recipes and following them (instead of just winging it like I usually do), processing the pictures and last but not least, the scariest of all, writing. No matter how confident you feel about understanding and speaking a foreign language, the idea that you're committing to writing in it is intimidating.

Fortunately, I've always loved challenges and I'm adventurous and stubborn enough to think that it is indeed a good idea. Truth to be told, I do have an amazing editor/taste tester to help me.

I post two recipes a week: a simple one, like a breakfast, a brunch or a quick bite, and a second one that's more elaborate and time-consuming. There is a logic to the order in which I post as well, but the problem is that, more often than not, I derail from my own masterplan. I always find good reasons to- let it be my mood, the weather or the delivered veggie box from my the local CSA. 

The ice cubes are homemade chicken stock that I freeze in an ice maker tray. Whenever I need some stock I just pop a few out.

This week was the weather. Initially, I wanted to transition to less hearty meals and more seasonal, lighter dishes like pastas, salads and such. Then the weather started playing tricks on me. Usually May in Austin is already unbearably hot, but for some reason this year it's been very mild and rainy. It’s been raining seemingly nonstop for weeks now. The flash flood alerts on my phone won't stop giving me a heart attack when they go off at random times.

The weather, combined with the leeks that I found in the weekly delivery, made me choose this recipe. I've done this dish several times before, but somehow it always manages to surprise me with its taste. 

When you're roasting the chicken you can go with different aromatic herbs if rosemary doesn't cut it for you. I personally would have used tarragon had my neighbor grown that instead of rosemary. Sometimes I take my dog on a walk with the intention of picking a few branches just to keep the otherwise invasive rosemary population under control. I may be renting, but I care about our neighborhood!

The situation with the green couscous was completely different, though. I had parsley from the CSA and my little herb garden started producing herbs to my surprise. They have to survive the weather and hurricane Popsi (a.k.a. the dog). The mint, sage, oregano and chives all came from there.

The inspiration for this side dish was Jacques Pepin's green couscous. Roni did the mistake of getting me the full edition DVD of Essential Pepin as a birthday gift last year. Ever since, I don't cook with 90's Euro techno music blasting in the background, but with Pepin telling stories with his cute French accent. Aww, I guess I'm getting softer as I grow older.

If you won't be able to get a hold of the same herbs as mentioned in the recipe, worry not! Replace them with what you like or what you have on hand. Whether it's thyme, basil, spinach or kale, it makes no difference. The point is to make the couscous more interesting and pleasant aesthetically by adding extra flavor to the rather bland semolina. Enjoy!

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Creamy Leeks with Pan Roasted Chicken

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Serves 4-6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients

Creamy Leeks and Pan Roasted Chicken

• 4 large leeks
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, oregano or tarragon
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 lbs chicken with skin and bones (thighs and drums)
• 1/2 black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 TBS peanut oil (or canola, or sunflower seed oil)
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, oregano or tarragon
• 1 sprigs rosemary
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 black pepper, freshly ground
• salt, to taste
• 1 cup heavy cream

Green Couscous

• 1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
• 6 mint leaves
• 1 sprig oregano
• 3-4 sage leaves
• 1/4 cup chives
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup stock, saved from the braised leeks (or 2-3 TBS hot water)
• 1 cup instant couscous
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• salt, to taste
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 TBS butter

Instructions

Creamy Leeks and Pan Roasted Chicken

1. Preheat oven to 425F (220C).
2. Clean each leek by cutting off the dark green woody leaves and the root end. Using a pairing knife slice the leek lengthwise starting from about 1/4 of inch from the root up to the leaves. Rotate the leek, and slice it again starting from the root. Fan the leeks open and place them under cold running water. Rinse out any dirt or sand until the leeks are clean.
3. Place leeks,  garlic cloves, thyme, oregano or tarragon, two sprigs of rosemary and chicken broth in a deep oven proof skillet. Season with freshly ground pepper and a pinch of salt.
4. When the oven heated up, put the skillet in and cook for 30 minutes. Check after 15 minutes and stir leeks so that the ones that aren't completely covered by the stock don't burn.
5. In the meantime, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
6. Heat up oil in a heavy cast iron skillet at medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, place the chicken pieces in the pan with the skin side down and brown for about 6-8 minutes. Flip the chicken on the other side and repeat the browning process. 
7. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the chicken on the un-browned sides for about 5 minutes total.
8. Add butter, crushed garlic and aromatic herbs (rosemary, thyme or tarragon) and baste occasionally for 3-5 minutes on each side. Check the temperature of the chicken. At this point it should be at around 130-140F (55-60C). 
9. Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover with aluminum foil until the leeks are ready.
10. Deglaze the pan in which you roasted the chicken by pouring in white wine. Sprinkle with a pinch of fresh ground pepper an cook for about 3 minutes. Add the cream and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
11. Remove pan of leeks from the oven. Remove half of the stock that is left. Make sure you're not discarding it as you're going to use it for the couscous.
12. Mix in the chicken with its juices and the cream sauce. Stir well until the meat is covered in leeks and the white sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
13. Put the chicken back in the oven for about 10 minutes. 
14. While the chicken is in the oven prepare the couscous. 

Green Couscous

1. Put herbs, garlic and the stock you saved from the braised leeks in a food processor. If you don't have it just, add 2-3 TBS hot water. Puree the herbs until the paste becomes smooth.
2. Pour the herb paste into a medium bowl then add couscous, black pepper and a pinch of salt. Mix well until the couscous is well coated. 
3. Add hot water, mix and cover for about 10 minutes. 
4. Remove cover and add in butter while the couscous is still hot, mixing it thoroughly. Season with more salt to your liking.
5. Serve couscous with the leeks, chicken and french baguette (for dipping). 

Notes

• Do not overload the skillet with chicken. You risk reducing the heat in the pan to the point where the chicken will not brown and will become greasy. Instead, work in batches if you have to.