When toast , is an epic fail ..
breakfast warriors
Some Vanisle summer foodporn. Apparently, I’ve been busy.
Rye and Oatmeal rustic loaves
100% wholemeal rye. A scattering of oat flakes in the dough, and atop the loaves for show. 25% rye starter, 2% salt, 3% Honey. I did add 2% tapioca starch as well. The bulk proof was 5 hours at room temp. Overnight proof in the cooler. Baked on a stone @450 for 35 mins, then 25 mins @ 375. Final internal temp of 212. They’ll ripen at room temp for 24 hours, then get sliced and frozen.
Rye. NO glass required.
There had been some sour rye dough hibernating in my cooler. It had been there about 36 hours. I knew that I would have to bake it off, or there would be NO breakfast bread: O, the horror. I hurriedly hacked off about 10 fist-sized chunks for rolls, and severed the balance of the dough mass into these 2 `squares`. 75 minutes later, at 400F this is what emerged. They had a lovely chocolaty color, and smelled of pure goodness. The breadboard , with the finger holes was made just for the photo op. The harvest table, for the board. It`s a conspiracy. A wood working, breadbaking scheme.
The Loaves baked for 75 minutes @400F. They acquired a beautiful chocolatey brown hue. I am pining for a reubenz as I pen this…
Rillette de porc. (Pork confit)
Growing up as a Quebecer, in Montreal, we were exposed to french Canadian food. It is quite flavorful, with much of its roots steeped in French cuisine. I suppose this particular concoction is no exception. I had some planned work to do in the shop, but wanted nonetheless , to get this done prior to my GF arriving back from Montreal. She, being from my neck of the woods, knows THIS dish well. I had purchased 4 boneless loin chops the day before. I sauteed a shallot for a couple of minutes, added some chicken fat, and 1/2 a cup of chicken stock. A half pound of unsalted butter was added next. Now, a lot of folks will say, “season to taste”. Id rather be certain, and season properly. For every 100grams of meat, I LIKE to add 1.5 grams of sea salt. I had about a kilo of pork, so you do the math. I did ” season to taste” with the pepper, garlic, paprika and sage. What can be deceiving is, the potage will taste different warm, than once it’s cooled. I also added about 2ozs of lemon juice, as it balances the richness, and unctuous nature of this coarse pate. The lot cooked for about 3.5 hours. In fact , I had forgotten about it! Fortunately, it is a painfully slow cook, low heat and covered. I took to it first with my potato masher, switching to my trusty hand blender to achieve a coarse chop. I cooled it for a half an hour , at room temp, then uncovered on the bottom shelf of the cooler. Spread on toast, with some cheese, it is, in a word: Sinful. Sinfully delicious. Sins are forgiven, go ahead , you can be sorry later at the gym!
There’s the bread, then there’s this…..
Summer recycling: It’s not just about bottles.
Makin’ bacon
I enjoy bacon: the salty, smoky sometimes mildly sweet complexity of flavors that emanate from you. The aromatic perfume that you permeate the furthest reaches of the house with, are mouth-watering. I wanted to make my own, but without all of the harmful chemical compounds used for color, and appearance. I used a mixture of kosher sea salt, demarara sugar, and smoked paprika, with a little powdered garlic, to cure my pork shoulder. 7 days in ziploc bags and flipped religiously every 12 hours. I then wiped the chunks off, (one can rinse them, as well). Another 24 hours, uncovered in the cooler to develop a certain tackiness , which will absorb the smoke flavor more effectively. 3 hours in the smoker with a mixture of apple, cherry and maple wood chips. Cool, wrap in plastic wrap, overnight in cooler. Slice , fry and enjoy with your ovae over easy!!!
There’s spicy, there’s hot…..Then there’s this: THE CAROLINA REAPER.
I love hot stuff: Hot sauce , spicy wings, sausage with a bite. Anything that makes my brain take serious notice , of what’s in my mouth! This latest gift, from a fellow FLANGLER, is nothing short of epic. This is currently the worlds hottest pepper. I was gifted with a jarfull of this Scovillian gold! I used a teaspoon full, mixed with 2ozs olive oil, 2 ozs vinegar, 1 oz fresh garlic, and a pinch of salt. The resulting mixture is positively volcanic. Cold, but scorching heat. Molten , chilled but searing once applied to your favorite food. Just dipping the tip of my knife in the concoction, and spreading it on my sandwich, is enough to ignite the oral inferno! Remarkable.
Jpeg
Inbreadwecrust 