as adapted from my mother's and grandmother's versions:
- ox tail, 1 pound, chopped
- onion, 1, chopped
- garlic, 4 cloves, minced
- hot thai chili peppers, 5
- water, 10 cups
- beets, 4, peeled and cubed
- canned san marzano tomatoes, 4, whole
- tomato paste, 1 tablespoon
- sugar, 1 teaspoon
- red wine vinegar, 1/8 cup
- potatoes, 4, peeled and cubed
- cabbage, 1/4 head, chopped
brown ox tail in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large heavy pot on medium heat and set aside.
to hot pot, add onion and stir for 3 minutes or until wilted. add garlic and pepper and stir for 1 minute or until fragrant.
add water, beets, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, vinegar and ox tail, bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes or until beets are fork tender.
add potatoes and cabbage and cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
season with salt and pepper to taste.
serve hot with dill, sour cream or creme fraiche.
- cod filets, cut into serving pieces and salted
- lemon, zested and 1 tablespoon juiced
- cilantro, 1 tablespoon ground
- yolk of 1 egg
- hazelnut oil, 1 cup
blend lemon zest and cilantro in 2/5 cup or so of water and let rest for several hours at room temperature. vacuum seal each filet in plastic bags with 2 tablespoons of lemon cilantro infusion and cook in a commercial or self made water bath at 60 C for 20 minutes. while fish is cooking, whip the egg yolk with lemon juice in a bowl over the hot bath water until pale yellow, then slowly poor in hazelnut oil until emulsified. remove fish from bags and serve over or along this hazelnut mayonnaise, garnished with cilantro leaves.
as modified from gordon ramsay:
- eggs, 2 large, at room temperature
- butter, 1 table spoon, at room temperature
- sour cream, 1 table spoon, cold
- chives, chopped
on low heat, gently stir eggs and butter until emulsified but not solidified. place the pan off and on the heat to slowly thicken the mixture over about 7-10 minutes. once adequately thickened to your taste, stir in sour cream and heat through. take off the heat, add chives and salt and pepper to taste. serve immediately.
as assessed by comparing 4 identical preparations, involving boiling, steaming, frying, and roasting:
- cauliflower, 1 white, cleaned of leaves, and cut into 4 large pieces along the stem
- butter, 5 tablespoons
- breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons
season cauliflower with salt and pepper, and arrange in roasting pan with butter. roast undisturbed at 425 F for 10 minutes or until browned. turn to the other side and repeat. toss with breadcrumbs, re-season and serve while hot.
as inspired by joseph's table:
- fingerling potatoes, half pound, cut uniformly into bite-size pieces
- duck fat, 1 teaspoon, stored frozen after rendering (from duck breasts)
- butter, 1 tablespoon
melt butter and duck fat and heat over medium-high heat until foaming. add potatoes and fry each side undisturbed and uncovered until golden. cover for 3 minutes. drain. salt. serve immediately.
