Archive for June, 2006
My friend Joseph has been working for the past several weeks on building a replica of the rotisserie he had when he lived in France back in the 70s. I am happy to say that he completed the work Friday evening, just in time for the scheduled lamb roast on Saturday.
The machine is quite a work of art. Michael was kind enough to loan us his professional welding machine so that Joseph could pull it all together.
To make a long story short, we decided on Wednesday to actually have this roast. So we needed a lamb fast. We called the nice people at Marin Sun Farms but alas it was very short notice and they had already butchered all of their fresh lambs. However, the company Joseph used when he had his restaurant Town House came through. For future reference, however, Golden Gate Meat Company (in the San Francisco Ferry Building) can supply Sonoma milk-fed whole lambs with 5 days notice.
Though Joseph’s rotisserie is somewhat portable and can be moved, we needed a garden where we could dig a fire pit. That’s where Brent came in. In fact, Brent sponsored this project as a going-away gift for his friend Alex.
The lamb came together beautifully in the end. Check out all of the photos!
June 11th, 2006
Last Friday after work Victoria and I walked to Rye for a drink. Rye, a fairly new bar opened by Greg who owns Romulo and Rosewood, is located at Geary and Leavenworth in what often people refer to as the Tender Nob.
Greg and his business partner have created over a dozen speciality cocktails made exclusively from fresh herbs and fruit. For example, at least one of his drinks features fresh kumquats while another showcases basil. I am especially fond of his vodka with fresh, wild berries.
Imagine a 30 something, sleek and sophisticated crowed sipping these types of exotic cocktails in a subdued but upscale bar with lots of dark wood and an entire wall of wine bottles. The zen-like environment initially gives the impression of a high-end restaurant with its long bar and adjacent room of small tables and banquettes. There is even an outside smoking patio connected to the main rooom.
And it’s reasonably priced. The most expensive cocktails are only $9. Check it out.
June 6th, 2006
CookWithJames called yet another impromptu Saturday dinner party. In attendance were Victoria, Paul, Joseph, Pia and Fritz!
So Saturday morning I popped down to the Ferry Building to see what I could find. I was thinking of those great Marine Sun Farms lamb loin chops, but alas I was too late. However, I found something even better…a whole, fresh (not previously frozen) Marine Sun Farms leg of lamb. 5.1 pounds total.
When I arrived home, I marinated the lamb in salt, pepper, olive oil and crushed garlic and thyme. Then I covered in foil and refrigerated for the remainder of the day. While I certainly had thoughts on how I wanted to prepare this beautiful animal, I consulted a few books to get some ideas. In a perfect world I would roast the leg over a wood-burning fire using the “hanging from a string” method. You just twist the leg and its own weight keeps in motion over the fire. Unfortunately I do not have a large enough fireplace.
So I decided to roast the leg in the oven over a bed of thyme branches (thanks to LuLu’s Kitchen for this idea). Over a rack (inserted into a large roasting pan) I spread the thyme branches (if you cannot find thick branches you can just use garden thyme, twigs and all) and then lay the lamb on top. I also placed several heads of garlic into the bottom of the pan.
Next I roasted the lamb for about 10-15 minutes at 450 degrees and then lowered the heat to 350. After another 20 minutes, I adjusted the heat to 275 and 30 minutes later checked for doneness.
In the end I served the lamb with flagolet beans and fingerling potatoes. The meat turned out nice and pink with lots of that natural lamb flavor.
June 5th, 2006
Soft Shell crabs hail from the waters off of Maryland and are truly a delicacy. Typically they are prepared in one of two simple ways: sauteed in olive oil or clarifed butter, or deep-fried in oil. They can be seasoned with nothing or dusted with flour or dipped in a batter.Because of their soft shell they require little cooking time and of course the shell (everything) is edible.
I picked up these two crabbies up at Ferry Plaza Seafood inside the San Francisco Ferry Building. Before they can be cooked, however, you neeed to clean them. It’s relatively simple. First, pick up your crab in one hand and, using scissors or kitchen shears, cut off the front of the crab (about 1/2 inch behind the eyes and mouth. Squeeze out the conents inside the sack behind the cut you just made.
Next lift up the 2 points on either side of the crab’s shell and pull out the gills and discard.
Now turn the crab over and cut off the small flap called the “apron.” Rinse the entire crab and pat dry with a clean towel. The crab is now ready for cooking…or you can wrap in plastic and store in a cold refrigerator for up to one more day.
Ideally you want live crabs. If they are moribund they start to decompose and can be distasteful. After you’ve cleaned them they may die but should survive for a day or so if stored properly. Still, I think it’s best to cook them right away after cleaning. To check if your crab is fresh and tasty good, smell the underbelly. It should smell clean and astringent, like sea mist.
Here’s how I prepared mine. I put a small amount of flour (a cup) into a bowl and seasoned with salt and pepper. Then I took a medium sautee pan and filled with 1/4 inch of good quality olive oil over a high flame.
Then I dipped the crabs into the flour mix and shook each one gently to release any excess. Once the oil was very hot (but not smoking) I added each crab to the sautee pan. I cooked each side for approximately 2 - 2.5 minutes.
Lastly I transferred my crabs to paper towels and let rest for 30 seconds. I plated each crab over a simple salad of mixed greens. A little lemon aioli would also go reallly well with this dish.
June 4th, 2006
It’s time for fresh, succulent lamb from the good people of Marine Sun Farms in Point Reyes. The first of the season arrived at the San Francicso farmer’s market last Saturday. Check out these beautiful lamb loin chops!
Buon appetito…
June 2nd, 2006
