Fried Oysters and Chicken Salad at the Reading Terminal Gala

We hope to see everyone at the Valentine to the Market Gala tonight!  This is a great party featuring live music, lots of entertainment, plentiful bars, and best of all, food catered by the Reading Terminal Market Merchants.  In case you’re a last minute type, you can  purchase tickets here or even at the door.

We’re all set to go with our Valentine appetizer–a Cajun twist on a Philly Classic:   fried oysters with chicken salad.  It is a valentine party, after all, and you know what they say about oysters…

In case you won’t be there tonight to sample these beauties,  here’s how we make them:

Coat Oysters in  flour seasoned with salt and pepper, then dip in egg and roll in panko.

Fry them in heated oil (peanut, canola, vegetable are fine, avoid olive oil).   Turn oysters til crispy on both sides and fully cooked through.

Drain briefly on paper towels.

Top with a scoop of your favorite chicken salad, a dab of Creole Mayo, and a snip of chive.

Enjoy.

Beck’s Creole Mayo Strikes Again

Beck’s Creole Mayonnaise.  We really are having a love affair with this stuff.  Aside from vanilla ice cream, we think it would be great on everything.  We added it to Tuna Tartare for dinner last night and it was a huge hit.  Here’s what we did:

Creole Tuna Tartare

3-4 servings

1 lb top quality tuna (sashimi grade) cut in 1/4 inch dice

3 scallions, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 TBSPs Beck’s Creole Mayonnaise

1 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp Sriracha or other hot sauce

juice of 1 lime

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate at least 30 mins to allow flavors to meld.  Serve on crackers, crostini, or on a bed of lightly dressed baby greens.

Creole Mayo, How Do I Love Thee?

Let me count the ways…..

1.  I love you on a sandwich, rustled up quickly in my  kitchen for lunch.

2.  I love you slathered on fish, coated with panko, and baked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes to crunchy, flavorful perfection.

3.  I love you in cole slaw:  chop 1/4 head napa and 1/2 head red cabbage, thinly slice 1/2 a medium onion, chop 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, squeeze juice of 1 lime, add 1 TBSP regular mayo, 1 TBSP sour cream, 1 TBSP Beck’s Creole Mayo, 1 tsp white vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. 

4.  I love you on a frittata–odd as it sounds, trust me, it’s fantastic.

5.  I love you in crabcakes.

6.  I love you on a pulled pork sandwich.

And that’s just a 6-pack.  Where do YOU put Creole Mayo?  (PG Rated answers only, please.)

Deviled Cocoa

Hot chocolate is a great way to combat Old Man Winter when he blasts his chilly wind your way!   Even if the winter is relatively mild, like ours has been so far, this molten glory is suitable in all kinds of weather.  And Chef Bill Beck can’t resist spicing things up.  Try his Deviled Cocoa for a sure-fire way to heat up your days and nights…..

Deviled Cocoa

serves 2

2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder

2 TBSP sugar

3 TBSP water

1 1/2 cups milk

2 TBSP chopped dark chocolate (or chocolate chips)

a pinch of Beck’s Devil Dust

In small saucepan, mix cocoa, sugar and water to make a paste.  Heat over medium til mixture bubbles.  Add milk and chocolate, continue heating and mix til chocolate melts and cocoa is hot. Pour into cups and sprinkle with a tiny pinch of Devil Dust.  Enjoy.

Butterscotch Rum Pecan Pie

Butterscotch Pecan Pie–everybody loves it! If you, too, have fallen hard for this week’s special dessert, we understand.  We’ve had several request for the recipe; people want to make it for Christmas.    Here it is:

Butterscotch Rum Pecan Pie

Makes 1 9″pie.

1 deep dish 9 inch pie crust, rolled out and set in pan.

1 1/2 cups pecan pieces

6 oz dark corn syrup

4 lg eggs

1 TBSP heavy cream

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 TBSP butter, melted

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 tsp rum extract

1/2 tsp finely ground sea salt

Heat oven to 350.

1.  In mixing bowl, combine corn syrup, eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla, extracts and salt.

2.  Whip with whisk til sugar is fully incorporated with no granulation remaining.

3.  Add melted butter, stir.

4.  Add pecans, mix thoroughly and pour into pie shell.

5.  Place pie plate on rimmed cookie sheet to catch drippings.  Bake 50-60 minutes til pie is mostly firm, but has a slight ‘jiggle’ in the middle.

Cool and enjoy.

Chef Bill Beck’s Potato Crusted Salmon

Leftover mashed potatoes should not go to waste.  Rather than just reheat and eat, try this simple but impressive recipe, which Chef Bill presented on Good Day Philadelpihia yesterday…Chef Bill would never steer you wrong.

Potato Crusted Salmon

1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes

4 4 oz salmon fillets

salt and white pepper to taste

4 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Heat oven to 425.

1.  Pat fish dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and white pepper.

2.  Lightly spread skinless side of each fillet with mustard.

3.  With your hands, gently pat mashed potato onto mustard coated side of fish until it is evenly covered.

4.  Refrigerate 15 minutes so potato adheres to fish.

5.  In ovenproof, nonstick skillet, heat oil.

6.  Place fish, potato side down, gently into pan.

7.  Saute 2-3 minutes.

8.  When crust is brown and crisp, carefully flip fillet, place pan in heated oven, and cook, skin side down, for another 5-7 minutes until center of fish is opaque in color.  Serve immediately.

Mashed Potato Pancakes

As a Chef, Bill Beck has always sought creative ways to present food.   These “Day After” Potato Pancakes are a unique way to repurpose mashed potatoes into something new and delicious…..

“Day After” Potato Pancakes

2 lbs leftover mashed potatoes

4 oz grated raw onion

3 egg yolks

3 TBSP flour

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

3 TBSP butter, divided

pinch nutmeg

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

1.  Saute onion in 1 TBSP butter on low til tender, 3 minutes.

2.  Combine potatoes, eggs, flour and nutmeg in  bowl; mix well.

3.  Mix in onion, salt and pepper.

4.  With wet hands, form mixture into small pancakes, and dip into panko bread crumbs to coat.

5.  Heat remaining butter in skillet.  Saute pancakes in butter on low heat until  lightly browned, flip, and cook til crispy.  Serve immediately.

Chef Bill Beck’s Thanksgiving Leftover Sweet Potato Soup

Made too many sweet potatoes?  Never fear, Chef Beck has a delicious, healthy way to use them….he’ll be showcasing this on Good Day Philadelphia at 9:20am Friday, but in case you’re out Black Friday shopping then, here’s the recipe.

“Leftover” Sweet Potato Soup

3/4 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 TBSP vegetable oil

2 lbs sweet potatoes

3 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Kosher Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a 4 quart pot, heat oil over medium heat and saute celery, onion and bay leaf until caramelize, about 5 minutes.  Add remaiing ingredients, bring to boil over medium heat and simmer 5 minutes.  Cool slightly, remove bay leaf.  In blender or food processor, puree soup in batches until smooth.  Return to pan and heat through.

Turkey and Stuffing Leftovers Transformed

As seen on TV.….

We all love turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving–but after the meal on the big day the leftovers can be a bit monotonous.  For the next few posts, we’ll be sharing some of Chef Bill’s creative recipes that use leftovers–but the dishes are so unique and delicious, no one will give you “This, AGAIN?!” when you present it.  We promise.

Turkey and Dumplings

For Stuffing Dumplings:

3 cups traditional stuffing

1/2 cup milk

4 egg whites

2 TBSP butter, melted

2 TBSP parsley, chopped

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and white pepper to taste

1.  Place stuffing in mixing bowl; set aside

2.  Combine remaining ingredients in separate bowl and whip til thoroughly blended.

3.  Combine stuffing and mixture, blending well with your hands, making sure to break up pieces of bread.

4.  Let stand 15 minutes, and form into 1 oz balls to be cooked in turkey stew.

For Turkey Stew:

3 cups chopped cooked turkey meat

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 cups corn kernels

1 TBSP poultry seasoning

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

2 qts turkey stock (recipe follows–or use good quality store bought chicken stock)

1 TBSP butter

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1.   Melt butter in 5 qt stock pot and add onion, celery, potatoes, carrots, and corn.  Cook, stirring frequently, 10-12 minutes til tender.

2.  Add spices and stir, then add stock and meat.  Simmer 15 minutes.

3.  Add stuffing dumplings to the simmering stew, cook another 15 minutes on low simmer.

Turkey Stock:

1 leftover roasted turkey carcass

1 onion, quartered

2 stalks celery, cut into 8 pieces

1 lb carrots, cut in 1/2 inch rounds

1 bay leaf

4 sprigs parsley with stems

4 sprigs thyme with stems

1.  Pull turkey apart into smaller pieces so it fits into large stockpot, then add cold water to cover, approx 5 qts.

2.  Add remaining ingredients, bring to rolling boil, and reduce to simmer.

3.  Simmer, uncovered, 2 hours, until liquid is reduced by 1/2.

4.  Strain, discard solids, and reserve stock for stew or other use.

Fried Apple Pie – Colonial Style

Bill preps Fried Apple Pies at the Forgotten Foods Festival

This Fried Apple Pie recipe uses an Italian sweet crust pastry recipe and combines this with a traditional Colonial-era mincemeat-like filling featuring apples, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla) and raisins.

Pie Dough

* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 teaspoon sugar, white

* 1 teaspoon table salt

* 6 ounces butter, diced

* 1/4 cup shortening, diced

* 1 tablespoon white vinegar

* 1/4 cup water, if too dry, add water in table spoon increments

Instructions: Combine the flour, sugar and salt in mixer fitted with paddle. Add the butter and shortening and mix slowly till just incorporated. Add the vinegar and water in small amount – say over 4 installments. Mix until dough just comes together. Gather dough into a smooth disk, wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour before rolling out.  This can be frozen for up to a month.

Yield: enough dough for 5 hand pies or 2 single-crust 9-inch pies

Apple Pie Filling:

* 3 apples, Granny Smith, small dice

* 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

* 1 cup water

* 1/2 cup white sugar

* ¼ cup  brown sugar

* 3 tsp cornstarch

* 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

* 1/2 tsp salt * 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

* ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions: Combine the diced peeled apples and lemon juice together in a mixing bowl. Toss to mix well.  Combine the water, vanilla, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook at a constant boil for 2 minutes. Add the apples, return to a low simmer, and continue to cook at a simmer until apples are soft and sauce is thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Chill thoroughly before filling pies.

Yield: about 2 1/2 cups filling

Royal Icing:

* 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

* 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions: Place the milk and sugar in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth and thick. Drizzle over warm pies once cooked and while still warm.

Yield: 1 cup

Pie Assembly and General Frying Instructions:

1. First things first, heat your fryer to 350degrees.  We suggest you use vegetable oil or peanut oil – any oil is good except for olive oil.
2. Roll out chilled dough.
3. Using a saucer or small side plate as a template, take a knife to draw around the plate and cut out a small circular disk of dough.
4. Take 1 heaped tablespoon of pie filling and place in center of circle of dough.
5. Fold one half of dough over to other side.  Use finger or thumb to “crimp” the pastry edge and thoroughly seal the pie.  (Take time on this step.  if pie is not sealed tightly then it may split open when you fry the pie)
6. Fry pies in small batches – perhaps maximum of 2-3 pies at a time to ensure frying oil retains its heat.
7. Fry until pies are a light golden brown color – this should take around 3 minutes.
8. Drain on kitchen paper
9. When cooled slightly drizzle royal icing over the warm pies.
   

   Plump raisins, spices and Granny Smith apples in a memorable combination...