Thursday, February 04, 2010

Chopped Again

Forgot to give my ideas for Tuesday's episode:

Appetizer - hamachi (big fish like tuna steaks), quail eggs, and dried cherries

I think I'd probably get cut, 'cuz they'd basically be separate on my plate. I'd barely sear slices of the fish, after rubbing it with some chili, salt, pepper, garlic. I'd hard boil the eggs, cuz I don't know what to do with them, though I think halves of them around the plate would at least look nice. Since the fish was spiced, maybe it could stand up to a sweet pungent sauce with the cherries (though I'd have my doubts), so I'd cook them down with soy sauce, maybe some lime and orange juice. I don't know. I find dried fruit cooks up too sweet and too sour at the same time.

Entree - beef tenderloin, mango, gruyere, kochujang (Korean chili paste)

This only came to me later, though it was one of their less bizarre baskets. Sear slices of the meat after rubbing it with the Korean chili glop (score the meat to get some glop inside) - maybe some garlic on there too (and other than the arrogant dope who served the ostrich raw, everyone on there overcooks red meat, so I know to go really rare). Just barely cook some long carrot slices while that's going on, and slice some tomatoes. (I don't know how many vegetables are in the pantry - people always grab potatoes, but I think there's more back there.) Make two sauces: one's mango and curry, the other's melted gruyere with a little pepper. Plate the meat in the center, surrounded on one side by the carrot slices, and on the other side with the tomato slices. The curry sauce goes on the carrots, the gruyere on the tomatoes. Mint sprig on top of the carrots, basil leaf on top of the tomatoes. Plating would win me this one easily.

Dessert - plaintains, prosecco (described as Italian champagne), crystallized ginger, bacon

What is it with them and putting meat in dessert every time? I think I'd try to go cold on this one rather than a cooked down, hot sauce. Make some banana glop with the plaintains and some whipped cream. Meanwhile, cook the bacon. Crumble the bacon, finely chopped ginger, and chopped apples into a cold compote like thing, tossed with the champagne like stuff (that'd be cooked briefly to get off the alcohol, then chilled). Maybe some maple syrup and raisins in the apple mixture, if the champagne hadn't already made it too sweet. Sprig of mint.

I'm only confident of the entree this time. (And, in general, I'd say the main course is my strong suit.)

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