Category: Appetizers

Salad Nicoise in Belgian Endive Cups

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In Chicago these days, it feel as if summer is here. My favorite things in summer are the lake, a chilled rose, gelato ,cold beer,and amazing salads. One of my favorite salads when I lived in Paris was a Salad Nicoise. I remember on sunny days, I would order one with friends at a sidewalk cafe near school and  watch the world go by, as I munched on crisp vegetables and salty briny anchovies, olives, and capers. Lately I’ve been toying with an idea in my head. Making a micro Salad Nicoise as a small plate starter or appetizer. Rather than using lettuce, I made” boats” of Belgian Endive.  The purists would say that’s not Salad Nicoise. Well Salad Nicoise  is open to interpretation. Usually one things of lettuce greens,boiled eggs, tuna, tomato, potatoes, green beans, anchovies, capers,and black olives. There may be onion, garlic, shallots as well. Some people use artichokes, red peppers, and never add cooked vegetables. Some people omit the tuna. It’s really up to taste how you want to compose this rustic country salad based on seasons. I thought the use of endive leaves and small quail eggs would be elegant. A guest can pop these in their mouth with two or more bites, or they can eat it with a knife and fork as a small amuse bouche or starter for summer brunch. It’s all about presentation.


Salad Nicoise as a Small Appetizer
 
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A small plate version of Salad Nicoise
Author:
Recipe type: salad
Serves: approx 24
Ingredients
  • 1 small potato, peeled and boiled
  • 2 tablespoons Sherry Vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons shallots minced
  • 6 quail eggs boiled
  • ½ cup green beans blanched
  • grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 1 can of oil packed tuna of good quality
  • 1 small jar anchovy fillets
  • 7 oil cured olives pitted and sliced into small quarters
  • salt packed capers
  • 2-3 heads Belgian Endive
  • For the dressing...
  • ½ cup Olive Oil
  • 3 tablespoons Sherry Vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Peel and Boil a small potato. Remove from hot water and carefully slice and cube.
  2. Add to a small bowl with the minced shallots, Italian Seasoning, Sherry Vinegar, and Olive Oil,salt and pepper. Set aside and chill.
  3. Boil Quails Eggs for approx 5 minutes and remove from heat. Peel and set aside and chill.
  4. Prep green beans by cutting trimming ends and cutting in half, then slicing lengthwise.
  5. Place green beans in rapidly boiling salted water for 1 minute . Drain and run cold water over them. Set aside and chill.
  6. Quarter the small cherry or grape tomatoes in bite size pieces. Set aside and chill.
  7. Pit and prep your olives.
  8. Wash the Belgian Endive. Cut off the flat ends. Gently pull each leave from top , and out to break away from the head. 2 heads makes approx 15 nice size "boats"
  9. Arrange your Mise en place with all the components ( potato shallot mixture, boiled quail eggs,tomatoes, olives, tuna, anchovies, capers)
  10. Make a vinaigrette emulsion with the olive oil, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper. (Use a whisk or immersion blender).
  11. Carefully take a endive leaf.
  12. Add a small spoon full of the potato shallot mixture in oil. Spread evenly
  13. Add a few flakes of tuna.
  14. Carefully slice a quail egg and place a few slices on top
  15. Arrange 2 tomato quarters.
  16. Add 2 pieces of green bean.
  17. Cut an anchovy fillet in half and place a piece on top.
  18. Add a few slices of olive,
  19. Finish with a few capers.
  20. Drizzle with a bit of the dressing and serve cold.
Notes
All the components can be prepped ahead and chilled.
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Chicken Lollipop with Plum Sauce and Toasted Sesame Seeds

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Since I started catering  on my own as Coco Cooks,I’m obsessed with presentation. The challenge is to provide high flavor and appeal, low-cost, but not sacrifice taste. Summer is coming and I have some events lined up. An inexpensive option for passed  appetizers is  always a tasty chicken wing. 100 wings can be cut down into 200 pieces easily. But how  can I make it more highbrow , than low brow? Lollipop them! In catering or restaurants starters are either cleverly skewered or lollipop-ed.  It’s easy to pick up, and not messy. One or two bites and your guest is  done, with your server tastefully moving away the small remains left behind. Not to mention the variations in sauces and cooking applications.Spicy, sweet, sour, dry, wet, fried,smoked, baked, etc. The list is endless. You just need a good small sharp knife or poultry shears .

The boning of the chicken wing is most intimidation part. But with a few receptive actions, you will get the hang of it and the work will go swifter. I  would be at a loss without my Wusthof Kitchen Shears. They make quick work and cut through bone in seconds. Much easier than sawing or chopping with a knife.


Chicken Lollipop with Plum Sauce and Toasted Sesame Seeds
 
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Elegant version of chicken wings.
Author:
Recipe type: appetizer
Serves: 12-15
Ingredients
  • 12 whole wings , prepped into 24 lollipop pieces.
  • Kosher Salt
  • Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 jar of plum sauce found in Asian specialty sections
  • 2 tablespoons Fish Sauce
  • ⅓ cup toasted sesame seeds.
  • Sesame Oil
Instructions
  1. To Prepare the wing you need to:
  2. Cut off the wing tip of the chicken wing with your shears or knife.( Tip... Don't discard the wing tips, but save and freeze for chicken stock.)
  3. Now cut at the joint between the drumette and the center part, the forearm with wither shears or very sharp knife. You now have two pieces.
  4. Take the drumette and using a small sharp paring knife,slash and loosen the skin at the joint , from the bone. Gently scrape the flesh down and off the bone to push towards the top of the drumette. Leaving the skin on or off is optional. You should have the bone exposed and relatively clean of flesh or tendons. The meat slides back easily once loosened at the joint. Trim off any excess fat or skin you don't want.Set aside and store on ice until ready to cook.
  5. For the forearm loosen and slash the flesh at the base of the joint as before. Pinpoint the smaller of the two bones. Gently push back and loosen the meat away from the smaller bone. The meat will also start to slide of the larger bone. With your shears or knife cut the smaller bone at the top of the forearm. Carefully push back your meat. Again, to use or not the use the skin is optional. Trim off any excess skin or fat.
  6. Keep all meat chilled or on ice until ready to cook.
  7. Pre heat oven to 425 F
  8. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  9. Season wings with Kosher salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder.
  10. Place the prepped lollipop wings on the paper. Try to sit upright and leave skin, if any exposed, to crisp and brown.
  11. Bake for approx 30 minutes or until starting to brown.
  12. In a dry skillet , add the sesame seeds and lightly toast until just golden. Don't burn. Remove from heat quickly.
  13. In a small dish mix the plum sauce and fish sauce.
  14. Remove chicken when browned from the oven .
  15. Carefully dip the lollipops into the plum sauce . Try not to get onto the exposed bone ,as it will become sticky for guests.
  16. Place the dipped chicken back on the baking sheet and finish baking for another 10 minutes.
  17. Remove from oven and sprinkle with tasted sesame seeds.
  18. Drizzle with Sesame oil.
  19. Serve hot.
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Pickled Fresh Green Almonds

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“I said to the almond tree , friend speak to me of God, and the almond tree blossomed.”

Nikos Kazantzakis

 

The weather around the globe has been indecisive, but one can tell spring has truly arrived by what’s available in the markets. If you see green almonds in your culinary shopping pursuits, then spring  has arrived. But it’s so fleeting and you must catch it while you can, during the months of April , May and June. I found fresh green almonds at Arax, a Middle Eastern grocery in Niles. I had heard of them but never have seen them before. My co-worker told me of eating them when young in Iraq, and not liking the taste sour taste and gel like inside, so spitting them out.  I did more inquiry and found in some countries like Iran, Turkey and Lebanon, they are dipped in salt water and eaten perhaps with an apertif . I wanted more from the beautiful green fuzzy fruits, and saw a post where in Greece they pickled them and they call them Tsagala. I love a good pickle, and that’s what I decided to do to preserve them  before they get to hard. The pickle is perfect as you eat the green almond whole before they get hard and mature to resemble what most people traditionally think of as almonds. If unpicked the green husk of fresh almonds splits to reveal a more mature nut with a hardened shell . You can read more about green almonds here.


I brought some into work today to show my co-worker who remembered them with distaste from childhood. Ironically at a lunch a week back she was offered some green almonds by another,dipped in salt water and loved it. So naturally she was curious to have my pickled version.  She loved them and the mild heat from the Serrano Pepper infusion. She offered some to a Russian coworker who went nuts for them , no pun intended. I have to bring the rest of stash to them to share some more. The Russian, who wasn’t feeling well said it was just what she needed. Trust me she’s not easily impressed. Almonds are magical and blessed.  Perhaps there is a reason they mentioned in the Bible on numerous  occasions.  I was inspired to pickle the almonds from this post, but naturally made it my own. The flavor gets better in the brine over time, but they are delicious even a few days later. Eat them alone, or add to salad ( green, tuna, or chicken) for a crunchy treat with a bite.


Pickled Fresh Green Almonds
 
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Pickled green almonds
Author:
Recipe type: appetizer
Ingredients
  • 1 lb of green fresh almonds ( available April, May, and June)
  • 3-4 cups white vinegar
  • ¾ cups Kosher Salt
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 5-7 Serrano Peppers, halved with seeds
Instructions
  1. Wash green almonds and pick away leaves or any debris.
  2. Dry.
  3. In a pot combine vinegar , salt and peppercorns.
  4. Bring to a boil and make sure salt is dissolved.
  5. Pack your almonds into the either two small clean jars or one larger one with garlic cloves and Serrano peppers.
  6. Pour the hot vinegar salt liquid over the almonds and make sure they are covered with brine.
  7. Seal the bottle and let cool.
  8. Store in the refrigerator . Flavor develops more after one or more weeks.
  9. Almonds can keep in the brine for several months under refrigeration.
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Making Petit Brie at Home and Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions

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As you can see from the last few posts I have been busy experimenting with Cheese making. Out of all the experiments I found the process of making Brie the most fascinating, even if not the most successful.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a success but I need to practice it more. The collage shows various stages of the  cheese with the bloom forming over the curds to make a white rind. The process takes at least a few months . I could have  been neater from the beginning with the curds . But I ended up with nice even smooth rind. Out of curiosity I cut into a  wheel and found my rind completely formed and it very runny inside. It was also a tad salty. The trick is to maintain proper temps in your fridge with aide of plastic boxes and later cheese wrapping paper, to create and control the climate and humidity .  Did I follow the temps exacatly? No , but I did the best I could with what I had and pretty pleased with the result. Like with the Feta, I followed two recipes from Home Cheesemaking and The Cheesmaker. I’m going to continue to age the other wheel and track the changes and see how far I can take it.

I don’t think I will be offering my clients my homemade Brie anytime soon, but I did make this great dish for a recent Baby Shower I catered. Imagine hot  oozing Brie baked in its crate  and topped with caramelized onions to be scooped on bread or crackers.  It will be hit for your holiday entertaining and a different twist on the old Brie wrapped in pasty and filled with jam.  I adapted this go to recipe from Hors d’Oeuvre at Home with the Culinary Institute of America.

 

Warm Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions
 
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Appetizer
Recipe type: Coco Cooks
Ingredients
  • 1 wheel of Brie frozen for 30 minutes in wooden crate
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2-3 large onions thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves of garlic chopped
  • Fresh Thyme minced
  • ½ cup Sherry or Cognac
  • Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a skillet, melt butter.
  2. Add onions and saute until tender. Reduce heat. Do not brown the onions. Constantly stir until onions soften.
  3. Add garlic and salt and Thyme..
  4. Continue to cook onions until the start to become golden and soften.
  5. At 10 minutes intervals add a bit of the sherry or cognac and continue to cook onions on a low heat as they absorb the liquid. Continue to stir. Repeat this until all the liquid is used and the onions are soft and brown.
  6. Preheat oven to 350.
  7. Remove onions from heat and reserve or refrigerate until ready to use.
  8. Freeze Brie for 30 minutes before baking. This prevents the cheese from running out of the wooden crate.
  9. Cut off the top rind only.
  10. Spread the caramelized onions on top of Brie.
  11. Cover with foil and place wheel of Brie back in crate.
  12. Place cheese on a baking sheet and bake for approx 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.
  13. Serve in its wooden box.
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Honey Sesame Wings with Lemongrass Chili Ginger Salt and The Elephant in the Room

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I remember when I first started this blog many moons ago, Certain Someone asked me as he munched on one of my less blog worthy meals, why don’t I show recipes for wings. He liked the endless way I made wings. I thought wings were low brow and simplistic to be  featured here, as who wouldn’t  know how to make wings? With blogging I find I make the assumption everyone who reads Coco Cooks is a natural  and willing cook. Some are and some aren’t. If you look around some of the most successful popular blogs keep it simple and approachable for the masses. As it is often the  case it isn’t about the food so much, but the hype and persona behind the blog. I’m not one of those blogs. Yes I have simple recipes, but I also have some complicated challenging ones. I like to push myself. My blog, like my kitchen, is my laboratory.I would like to think you come here  as a reader because you like my style overall in the kitchen and in life. I’ve been thinking a lot about the blogging world these past few weeks and have a lot of inward thoughts  both positive and at times negative, on the  multitude of players and ways that I won’t discuss too much publicly. But every now and then it’s good to reassess “Why I’m here” and why I put it the time and effort  and money to share my ideas via blogging . I will say to borrow the words of someone I know , “it’s a splintered community”. I see a  vibrant robust community that’s reflective of life, and that’s not  always fair, just , even, or sane. The good , bad, and ugly, and questionable.  Many rally to a  worthy cause or event  without hesitation and show  great support and love. Some just as worthy causes or life events or tragedies in the community are overlooked with barely a ripple.I guess I feel a  little guilty because some tragedies  I find out about too late  and feel helpless about,while others I see daily due to explosion of Social Media. But, I and others, can’t ignore the huge the huge elephant in the room.Those in my circle may know who and what I refer to. To address the elephant may be interpreted as bitter or full of snark , but it’s not my intention. I have seen some people shamed for saying what they feel because its goes against the popular current. I recognize we all approach and react to grief differently.  I’m compassionate and feel for all . But I am observant to all that’s going on around me. It’s all about perception.

I blog as a medium because I love it, pure and simple. The perks and opportunities  have been great and many doors have opened for me to meet great people and participate in some fun events. But I do it because cooking food and travel, more so than Blogging itself, is my passion and what drives and consumes me. It’s funny. My new co workers approach me each day to ask me what I cooked the day before. They look at me in that  strange but appreciative interest that comes with someone  who’s  ardent .They love and respect my passion for food as well as my honesty. It’s nice to see a true honest passion  without questionable motivations these days amidst dissent, divisions and uncertainty.

Last spring walking through the  Naschsmarkt in Vienna, I discovered a shop that’s the inspiration for this dish. Kim’s Kocht Shop and Studio. They had a line of exquisite flavored salts and I purchased a Lemongrass Chili Salt there packaged nicely in small Weck containers. Sadly I used my last drop of the fantastic  finishing salt. So with spice grinder in hand, I decide to  make my own with a few variations. So here are some tasty easy wings, with an exotic twist influenced by my interests and passions, food, culture and travel. Enjoy it. I know I did. But most important, do what you love, show your love, and stay true.

Honey Sesame Wings with Lemongrass Chili Ginger Salt
 
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Fried wings with flavored salt with a honey sesame sauce
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • 1 stalk lemon grass
  • ½ chunk of ginger peeled and sliced
  • 2 dried Thai Chilies
  • Coarse Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
  • 2 lbs chicken wings , cut
  • Oil suitable for frying ( pomace, vegetable,peanut, grape-seed, etc.)
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons Dark Sesame Oil
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds ( to be toasted)
  • 1-2 cloves garlic minced
  • A few drops Fish Sauce
  • Lime , quartered for garnish
Instructions
  1. Take a spice grinder and add about 1 -2 tablespoons of the sliced stalk of lemongrass. Add the peeled ginger , and dried chilies and pulse until minced.
  2. Add enough salt to fill grinder( approx ½ cup or more). Pulse to blend.
  3. Store in jars to use as a finishing salt.
  4. In a small dry fry pan, toast the sesame seeds. Do not burn.
  5. In a small bowl mix the honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and fish sauce. Add the toasted sesame seeds.
  6. Put aside.
  7. Wash and dry your wings. Cut into pieces at the joint.
  8. Prepare your frying pan or deep fryer and fry the chicken ( plain) until golden and crispy at approx a steady temp of 350.
  9. When done and golden take out and drain on paper towels.
  10. Immediately sprinkle the Lemongrass Chili Ginger Salt onto the hot wings.
  11. Drizzle with the honey sesame sauce and serve extra on the side for dipping.
Notes
Be careful with the salt when sprinkling, as the finished salt is finer and goes a longer way.
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