Recently my friend Charlotte came over for a cooking date. The challenge: cook something that seems a bit scary or unfamiliar. We made a recipe I ripped out of Saveur magazine. The recipe was packed with slightly intimidating, umami laden ingredients. It was good, but not good enough. We tweaked it and that change led to today’s recipe, roasted leek and blue cheese on toast. 

First, let’s talk umami. Sometimes it feels like one of those foodie words that people have heard of but don’t know what it means. It’s the fifth flavor after salt, sweet, sour, and bitter. Umami is a rich savory flavor that’s sometimes called meatiness. I recently read in the The Food Lab that umami is activated by glutamates.

I’ll be honest the word glutamates doesn’t bring up any image, but it did help organize my mind. Salt flavor is triggered by salt, sweet trigged by sugar, sour triggered by acid, and bitter triggered by chemical compounds that make us think something is possibly poisonous. With that knowledge, umami isn’t a random thing some scientist made up, but it’s a compound in foods. Foods like Parmesan, anchovies, and tomato paste.

And also blue cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and red wine. That’s why the recipe I found in Saveur was a little scary. It was for whole leeks stuffed with those umami laden ingredients (and more).   Could those flavors effectively blend together and make something delicious?

Let me tell you, they did. They blended together real nice. With the addition of dried cranberries and almonds, there was powerful flavor, interesting texture, and a hint of sweetness. So good. Charlotte and I actually scraped the filling out of the leeks so we could eat it directly. We then made culinary magic happen when we put the filling on bread.

The olive oil soaks into the bread and softens it slightly. Salty flavors from the cheese enhance the flavor of the olive oil. Overall this roasted mixture shines. And let’s be honest, everything is better on bread. I’ve been eating this for lunch or when I’m solo for dinner. However, I think it would also be great as an hors d’oeuvres at a party. It’s great party food not just because it’s small and portable, but also because totally cooking time is low and the only skill you need is chopping.

Adapted from Saveur magazine.

Messy level:  It’s wonderfully neat! Simply chop, stir, and bake. Be careful transferring your roasted mixture back into the bowl at the end. Nobody wants to spill hot oil all over themselves or the kitchen.

Roasted Leek and Blue Cheese on Toast

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

23 mins

Total time

33 mins

 

Author: Cooking is Messy

Serves: 15-20 toasts

Ingredients

• ½ baguette cut into ½" rounds (about 20 pieces)
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries
• 25 almonds
• 1 small leek
• ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1½ teaspoons hot sauce
• 1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 anchovy fillets, optional

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 420°F/215°C.
2. Place the baguette rounds on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the bread starts to turn golden brown on the edges. When the bread is done put it on a plate and keep the baking sheet handy.
3. While the bread is toasting, roughly chop the cranberries, almonds, and the anchovies too, if using. Put them in a large bowl.
4. Also, while the bread is toasting, cut the root end of the leek off then cut it in half lengthwise. Run it under the sink, ensuring you're washing the dirt out from between the layers. Then, chop the leek into thin half moons. Add the bowl with cranberries and almonds.
5. Add the blue cheese, butter, olive oil, red wine vinegar, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to the bowl with the cranberries.
6. Stir until everything is thoroughly mixed and the solid food is coated with the dressing.
7. Pour the mixture on to the baking sheet you used for the bread. Spread it so it's in an even layer. [Note: you can line your baking sheet, I didn't and it went fine and nothing stuck]
8. Bake the mixture for 13 minutes, or until the leek has softened and it no longer crunchy.
9. Turn the broiler on and broil for 2-3 minutes. It's done when small bits and edges are starting to blacken.
10. Remove from the oven. Scoop and pour everything from the pan back into that big bowl. Give is a stir, then dollop the leek and blue cheese mixture onto the bread.
11. Serve on a plate. Drizzle with extra olive oil if you like.

3.5.3226

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Not to brag… ok well to brag a little… I ate really well this past weekend. Ryan and I have a friend staying with us, whose name is also Ryan. The three of us went to Eastern Market with the purpose of buying ingredients for fish and chips – which is where this recipe for beer battered fried cod came from. Then, we got to the market and each of us was drawn to something different. Instead of compromising, we went our separate ways and bought what we wanted. The goal – cook off. Each of us making a delicious meal with artisan ingredients. 

The Ryans went for Italian foods. Three kinds of ravioli with homemade sauce and meatballs. Homemade pizza (sauce and dough made in our kitchen!) topped with mozzarella, prosciutto, and sopressata. The boys did really well. In fact I think they won (maybe because I didn’t have to do any work). And also, I went first. I stuck with my beer battered fried cod, it was really delicious, and kicked off our eating weekend right.

I made fried fish because I always buy fish when I got to Eastern Market. There is so much variety and it’s so fresh! It’s so much better than what they have at my nearby grocery store. However, what I didn’t like is when I ordered the fish the guy behind the counter said I had a nasally voice. When I looked at him in confusion he added, “in a good way.” What does that mean? It’s bugging me as I keep talking about it.

Forget that though, let’s get back to fish. I bought tuna, for an undetermined future recipe, and lots of cod. I haven’t found – or even looked – for a fish and chips place here in DC because this recipe is really good. The beer battered crust comes out crisp and never greasy. Instead of chips, I like to take an American spin and serve it with sweet potato fries and broccoli (instead of mushy peas which I don’t like). It’s a yummy lunch.

I like the flavor the beer adds to the batter, but if you’re alcohol or gluten averse, use sparkling water instead. The carbon dioxide is important and helps create that perfect crust. If you’re curious about the science, read about it here.

This recipe is pretty simple, but I do have two tips that help ensure it’s deliciousness. First, once you mix the batter you must let it sit. When you let it sit, the batter thickens and that helps it effectively coat the fish. Second, use an oil with a high smoke point peanut, sunflower, or vegetable oil. Then get the oil really hot and keep it there.

If you have a deep fryer then use it, because that’s going to be better at regulating the heat. When you put the fish in the pan it will bring the temperature down. Don’t be afraid to adjust the temperature as you go so that you can ensure a nice crisp crust. Fair warning though, high heat means oil does fly out of the pan. Use one with high edges. I didn’t and I did a fair bit of squealing as oil hit me during cooking.

Adapted from BBC Good Food.

Messy level: Dredging the fish is messy, there’s no way around it. Be prepared that to effectively coat the fish, both the fillet and your hands will get covered. Make sure your kitchen is set with soap and towels for lots of hand washing, and you’ll be fine.

Beer Battered Fried Cod

 

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Prep time

40 mins

Cook time

8 mins

Total time

48 mins

 

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• ¼ cup/ 50g all-purpose flour
• ½ cup/ 50g corn starch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ground black pepper, a few sprinklings to your liking
• ½ cup plus two tablespoons/ 150ml beer (lager or something not too heavy is recommended)
• vegetable oil (sunflower or peanut works too), enough to have ⅓" inch in your pan.
• 2 pounds/ 900 grams cod, cut into 6 fillets.

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, turmeric, and pepper. Mix well, then spoon 1 tablespoon out and put it on a plate.
2. Slowly pour the beer into the bowl of the flour mixture. Mix with a spoon or fork until you have smooth batter without lumps. I don't recommend a whisk because it gets very clogged up.
3. Let the batter rest for 20-30 minutes so it can thicken.
4. Once the batter is thicken, pour about ⅓" of oil into a deep saucepan and heat over medium-high. The oil is ready when a drop of batter will crisp on contact with the oil.
5. Working in batches of two fillets, pat the fish dry with a paper towel.
6. Dredge into the reserved flour mix and then shake off any excess flour.
7. Then, carefully dip the fish into the batter. Make sure it's well coated, but let any excess batter drip back into the bowl.
8. Carefully put the fish into the hot oil. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes per side. You might need more or less time depending on the thickness of the fish. The fish is ready when the crust is crisp and golden brown.
9. Remove cooked fish with a slotted spoon. Place it on a plate lined with paper towels (to absorb the oil) or on a wire cooling rack.
10. Let cool for 1-2 minutes then serve.
11. Top with flaky salt, a squeeze of lemon, and a hearty shake of malt vinegar.

3.5.3226

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It’s Labor Day, which pretty much marks the end of summer. School has start, pumpkin spice lattes are back, and the weather is a bit cooler (for now). To mark the end of summer, I’ve got a recipe for an Old Bay shrimp boil. I think it’s a pretty great end of summer transition meal. It’s perfect for dumping out on a table during a barbecue on a hot summer day. However, it’s also lovely bubbling on your stove and served in a bowl to warm you up on a slightly crisp fall day. 

I’m from Maryland, so it’s no surprise that I love seafood and Old Bay seasoning. I put Old Bay on everything, but on seafood it’s the best. Steamed crabs with Old Bay is my favorite thing to have in the summer. Absolute favorite. But, it’s a bit more of a to-do than a shrimp boil. Enter this shrimp boil. This recipe combines my love for seafood and Old Bay plus it’s crazy easy to make with less fuss and expensive.

And I’ll be honest, sometimes seafood can be pretty expensive. I am crazy for peel and eat shrimp (I ate a pound of it by myself on vacation) but it’s not cheap. This shrimp boil though can go pretty far without breaking the bank because of the addition of corn, potatoes, and sausage. Each bowl-full has a lot going on, so you don’t need a ton of shrimp to satisfy. You get just enough seafood alongside other hearty yummy foods.

My biggest endorsement for this recipe is that it is so simple to make. All you do is chuck everything into a pot at various intervals and just let it happily simmer away. It’s low maintenance for a party or even for weeknight dinner. Best part? You don’t even have to use dishes if you don’t want to. Cover your table in newspaper, drain the pot and bring it to the table, dump it all out, and dig in. Could not be easier!

I do have one important recommendation. It’s vital. Use the biggest pot that you have when making this recipe. I used a 5 1/2 quart Dutch Oven and it was barely big enough. Everything was bubbling right up to the edge of pot. I was lucky and it didn’t overflow. So learn from me and use the biggest pot available!

Adapted from OldBay.com.

Messy level: If you use a large enough pot, the cooking should not be messy. The messiest part is the eating. This is a meal best eaten with your bare hands, so be sure to have a lot of paper towels handy.

Old Bay Shrimp Boil

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Author: Cooking is Messy, adapted from Old Bay

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 8 cups/ 2 quarts water
• 12 ounces/ 355 ml beer
• ¼ cup/ 85 gramsOld Bay Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 medium red potatoes quartered
• 1 large onions cut into large chunks
• ½ pound smoked sausage cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4-6 ears fresh corn shucked and cut into 3" pieces
• 2 pounds unpeeled jumbo shrimp

Instructions

1. In a very large pot, bring water, beer, Old Bay, and salt to a boil.
2. Stir in the potatoes and onions to the pot and cook for 8 minutes.
3. Add the sausage, stir and cook for 5 more minutes.
4. Next add the corn and cook for 8 more minutes.
5. Add the shrimp. Stir in so it is mixed all the way through. Cook for 4 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat. Drain cooking liquid. Serve directly from the pot into bowls. Alternatively, cover your table in newspaper and dumb the contents of the pot and eat the food directly using your hands.
7. Season with more Old Bay if needed.

3.5.3208

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I realized when I wrote about Old Bay Crackers that I had never posted about crab dip. How could that be?! I am constantly writing about crabs and Old Bay, therefore this is a giant oversight. Although, if I’m honest this recipe is basically the inside of crab grilled cheese only with less cheddar and more cream cheese. Still delicious, obviously.

Crab dip is seriously easy to make, but because it’s crab it has a special fancy feeling. Sure, crab is a bit expensive but all the other ingredients are cheap so making this shouldn’t break the bank. I love making crab dip for parties because it’s the kind of thing people are excited to nibble on. It’s also great if there are leftovers because then I get to take it to work for lunch. And let’s be honest, isn’t it a great feeling when you get excited at work because of what is in your lunch?!

Making crab dip is seriously the easiest thing. You mix all the ingredients together in a bowl then bake it in a small-ish dish and that’s it. That’s it! Just a little stirring and time and you will have bubbling, warm, cheesy, crab dip. It’s so easy, and so tasty, you really could make this any time and not just for a party. And it’s just so… snackable. I had it on the counter with cut up bread next to it and every time Ryan or I passed by we’d just scoop up a little bit.

But, will you allow me to nitpick for a moment? I really wish that I had orange cheddar cheese. That might sound crazy, but hear me out. Orange cheddar cheese is the cheese of my youth and the color feels familiar. Here in London, cheddar cheese is absolutely delicious and perfect, but it’s white. Flavorwise it’s often the same, but I think the orange cheese gives an aesthetically pleasing color contrast.

Want to know why cheddar is orange? Grass fed cows can get beta-carotene through the grass that they eat. That can make their milk look a little yellow or orange, and that color gets transferred to the cheese. People began to realize that yellow/orange cheddar tasted better (and could fetch a higher price) so some cheese makers started dying their cheese with various food colorings to trick people. Today American cheddar is still being dyed orange and somehow it’s gotten carried too far because it’s way too orange. If you’re curious, you can read more about this here and here.

Regardless of your cheese color, this is guaranteed to be a hit. Serve with crackers or slices of a baguette.

Messy level: So clean. For prep you’ll need a knife, cutting board, bowl, and spoon – and all of that can be put in the dishwasher. Bake the dip in a dish you’re happy to serve from and that’s one less dish to use. Really, this dip is hassle and mess free.

Crab Dip

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Serves: fills an 8x8 pan

Ingredients

• 8 oz crab meat
• 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese (plus a little more to sprinkle on top)
• 8 oz cream cheese (I recommend chive cream cheese)
• 3 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Old Bay (plus a little more to sprinkle on top)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C
2. Put all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix until everything is well coated.
3. Taste and adjust seasonings are fits your preferences.
4. Pour everything into a 8x8 inch dish and spread it out so the dip is about 1 inch thick. Alternatively you could use a smaller or larger dish depending on what you have. If you use something smaller add a little more cooking time. If you use something larger decrease your cooking time.
5. Sprinkle a little extra cheese and Old Bay on the top.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. It should be bubbling with a slightly darker crust on the top.
7. Let cool for a few minutes so you don't burn your tongue!
8. Serve with crackers, bread, or a spoon!

3.3.3077

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I have been craving mussels for weeks. It started when we were in Paris and I saw people eating a bowl full of mussels outside of a charming cafe. It continued after I was in Greenwich and we went out for fish and chips and I saw a server bring mussels to a nearby table. Every time I saw them they looked so good, but for some reason I wasn’t eating them! Why wasn’t I eating mussels?!

So, I took matters into my own hands and decided to make mussels at home. When Ryan and I lived in Arlington, VA we used to like a place called Fatty Shorty’s (it no longer exists). We would get green curry mussels with bread and sausages slathered with mustard and topped with onions. Although the place didn’t last long, we thought it was delicious and those mussels were the inspiration for making this recipe. 

Making mussels at home is something that sounds a bit scary, and I think that’s because there are so many rules associated with mussels. When you buy them, you want to remove any that are chipped or already open. You want to clean them to get the silt out. And you need to remove the beards, but in a certain way so you don’t prematurely kill it. Then, once they are cooked you don’t want to eat any that haven’t opened. See, so many rules?!

But in fact, mussels are really simple to clean and prepare, quick to make, and delicious to eat. The longest part, and it’s hardly strenuous, is making a flavorful and complex broth that you’ll use to steam the mussels. Then, once you put the mussels in to steam, it takes just minutes (2-6 minutes). It’s glorious and quick. And then you can slurp up all that broth using a spoon or the empty mussel shells. In fact, my number one recommendation for making mussels at home is that you also buy a nice baguette so you can use the bread to sop up the amazing broth you worked so hard to create. I was silly and forgot nice bread so Ryan and I had to use hot dog buns.

Also, if you like mussels but fear making them at home, here’s one last plug: I bought 1 kilogram of mussels for £4 from my local fish monger. Yeah I went to a fish monger and not the grocery store, I’m cool like that. When you go out to eat, a bowl full of mussels can be pretty expensive and I’m always left wanting more. Make these at home and you’ll have enough mussels for 4 people for under £10. Can’t get much better than that.

Cleaning process learned from Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. Recipe adapted from Serious Eats.

Messy level: Slightly messy largely because of the cleaning process. Otherwise, all you have to do is a little cutting and everything else is cooked in one large pot.

Coconut Curry Mussels

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 pounds mussels
• 8 sprigs cilantro, leaves and stems separated
• 4 garlic cloves, divided
• 2 small thinly sliced shallots, divided
• ½ teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon chili flakes
• zest from 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• salt
• 1 15oz can coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon Thai green curry paste
• 1 stalk of lemon grass, cut in 1" pieces
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 serrano chili, thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

1. Remove any mussels that are cracked or already opened. Put the remaining mussels in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let it sit for 10 minutes. This is done to clean them.
2. Spoon out the mussels. Don't pour them out otherwise the silty water will just go back on to the clean mussels.
3. Remove the beards from the mussels. Do this by pulling the beard toward the hinge. More info can be found here. Ok, now your mussels are ready to cook!
4. In a food processor combine the cilantro stems, 2 garlic cloves, 1 shallot, chili flakes, lime zest and a pinch of salt. Pulse until everything is finely chopped and combined.
5. Scoop 2 tablespoons of coconut milk into a large pot. Add the vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat until very hot.
6. Add the remaining garlic, remaining shallots, green curry paste, lemongrass, and everything from the food processor to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes. It should start smelling nice.
7. Add the remaining coconut milk, sugar, and fish sauce to the pot. Turn the heat up a bit and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer for 3-5 minutes. Taste and season as desired.
8. Add the mussels to the pot. Give them a stir and cover. Cook for 3-6 minutes or until all the mussels are open.
9. Once the mussels are cooked, stir in the cilantro leaves, lime juice, and serrano chili.
10. Serve with bread and eat immediately

3.3.3077

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Recently my friend Kristen posted pictures on Facebook from our freshman year in university. It was great and hilarious to look back ten years and see how young and skinny we all were. It made me a bit nostalgic for the places we used to go, things we used to do, and foods we used to eat.

On the weekends my friends and I would often go to Cornerstone to eat chicken wings and go dancing. At the end of then night when the bars closed we’d find a place for a late night snack. Most of the places where I used to go are now closed, which makes me feel old. But anyway, sometimes we want to Wawa for sandwiches. Sometimes Ratsies for pizza, where once a chair started to collapse under me and my friend Nav caught me in midair. And sometimes we went to Danny’s for crab rangoons.I almost never went to Danny’s because it was out of the way from my walk home, but my friend Janina liked to go there so sometimes I went. She introduced me to crab rangoons, and as a Marylander in Maryland, I was hooked. Crunchy, gooey, cheesy, and stuffed with crab – it’s the perfect late night food.

Now, the first time I tried to make this recipe I decided to fashion my own deep fryer. I took a large pot and put a lot of vegetable oil in it. For deep frying, you have got to use vegetable or peanut oil because it has a high smoke point, which means it can get really hot and won’t easily burn. So, I turned the heat on high (which I shouldn’t have done) and I made my first rangoons and dropped them in the oil. They cooked in an instant and looked delicious.

But then, they started to smoke, and the oil started to smoke, and my entire flat filled with smoke. Miraculously, the alarm didn’t go off. I hurried to turn on the oven fan, open the windows, open the door, and I frantically waved a tea towel in the air to try to dissipate the smoke. I made about four rangoons that way and then decided I’d try to bake the rest. Although that works, it doesn’t give you the brown, bubbly, and crispy exterior I was hoping for.

So the third time was the charm. I used a pan with just about a 1/4 inch of oil which I heated on medium, and then I flipped them halfway through cooking. This worked perfectly. Crispy, creamy, gooey rangoons and no smoke inhalation.

Adapted from Food.com

Messy level: Not too messy, but you can see from my prep picture above I had a lot going on. This is fairly straightforward to make, but frying can get oil everywhere. Just be careful, try to be organized, and you shouldn’t make too big of a mess.

Crab Rangoon

 

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Serves: 18

Ingredients

• 6 oz crab meat
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• wonton wrappers
• water
• vegetable oil
• soy sauce, for dipping

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the crab meat, cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, spring onions and garlic.
2. Taste and add salt and pepper. Taste again and adjust to suit your preferences.
3. Put a little bit of water into a small bowl or cup
4. Put 1½- 2 teaspoons of crab mixture in the middle of a wonton wrapper
5. Dip your finger in the pot of water. Wet two adjoining sides of the wonton (an L shape).
6. Fold the wonton over and press the dry side onto the wet. You will have made a triangle. Squish the crab insides just a bit so you won't have empty air pockets once cooked. Don't squish too much or the wrapper will burst and the crab will ooze out.
7. On medium to medium-high heat, heat ¼ inch of vegetable oil in a large pan. Heat until very hot. Flick a little water onto the oil. If it pops, then the oil is hot enough.
8. In batches, add the rangoons to the hot oil. Cook on each side for 1-3 minutes. They are done when each side is golden brown, slightly puffed, and has some air bubbles.
9. Remove from the oil and dab with a paper towel to remove any excess oil.
10. Serve with a side of soy sauce for dipping.

3.2.2925

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For whatever reason, I’m generally somewhat intimidated by cooking fish. It seems so easy to over cook it or under season it. And it’s just not something I eat a lot when I’m out, so I’m not sure how I like to have it when I’m at home. But this recipe – this wonderful recipe – is so darn easy. It’s so easy and quick, you can make it for dinner after you get home from work. In fact, this recipe is so easy it’s one of the first recipes I ever learned.

I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: my first cookbook was a few handwritten recipes my mom wrote down in the back of a spiral notebook. She made this my sophomore year of college, and it was my cooking bible until I was 25. The recipe I made the most was for “plain-ass chicken,” which I’ve turned into a beginner chicken dinner recipe. The second recipe, was for baked salmon in foil. 

I used to make this recipe using a package of frozen salmon fillets that I’d defrost, season, then bake for too long until I was absolutely sure it was all cooked through (and therefore also pretty dry). Today, I use fresh salmon fillets but frozen will still do the trick too.

To make this chicken, you’ll need three of the seasonings I’ve outlined in the Kitchen Essentials post. Specifically, salt, pepper and garlic powder. In addition to those, you’ll need olive oil (or butter will work too), aluminum foil, and a baking sheet. If you don’t have a baking sheet, that’s ok. Just rip off a long piece of aluminum foil and use it to cover the rack in your oven. You’re doing this, or using the baking sheet, so that juices don’t drip onto the oven and burn and smell and make smoke. I know I didn’t include olive oil, aluminum foil, and a baking sheet in my top 10 kitchen essentials list, but if I made a top 15 list those items would be in it. Overall not too expensive and they are versatile items you’ll use often in your cooking.

Anyway, the best part of this recipe is that it is so easy – all you have to do is trust yourself. Put the fish fillets on a sheet of aluminum foil, season generously – you really don’t need to measure, fold the foil into a packet, bake until the fish is cooked through and flaky (see picture above). The length of cooking is all about the thickness of the fish. Isn’t not so serious the size of the fillets. Buy what looks like a good portion for your appetite and you’ll be fine.

Once you feel like you’ve mastered the basics, there are tons of options for variations. Try using dill or paprika in addition to salt and pepper. Or marinate the fillets in soy sauce or teriyaki sauce. Basically, use the same method but change the flavors to make it your own. See, I told you it was easy? Now there’s no reason to be intimidated by making fish because we can nail this recipe.

Messy level: You can cook this without dirtying any pots, pans or utensils. HOW COOL IS THAT? Just put the fillets directly onto the aluminium foil, season, close it up, cook. Job done – no mess.

Easy Baked Salmon

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Ingredients

• 1 salmon fillet per person (size isn't so important)
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• olive oil
• lemon (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C.
2. Rip off two pieces of aluminium foil. When you put your salmon fillet in the middle, you want that aluminium foil to have about 3 inches of space on either side.
3. Put the fillet in the middle of the aluminium foil. Lightly drizzle the salmon with olive oil. If you want it all perfectly even, use a spoon, brush, or your finger to make sure the salmon is evenly spread.
4. Generously sprinkle the salmon fillets with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Don't shake the seasonings out aggressively, but you can put a visible layer of each on your fish.
5. Close up the aluminium foil so that you have a nice little fish packet.
6. Put the packets on a baking sheet and put in the oven.
7. Bake for 13-20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. It is cooked through when the fish is flaky. The length of cooking time is based on the thickness of the fish. Think about 6-8 minutes per ½ inch of thickness.
8. Remove from the oven, take out of the foil, and serve. Serve alongside a wedge of lemon if you like.

3.2.2925

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I’m planning a trip to go to Dorset next weekend with my friend Sarah. Dorset his her hometown and I’m really excited to get out of London, see a new area, and learn about where she grew up. But, thinking about her hometown made me a nostalgic for my hometown. I grew up in Maryland, just outside of Baltimore. I haven’t lived in Maryland since 2008, but I still feel a strong pull to my home state.

Maryland might be a small state, but it’s got a lot going on. Maryland has lots of waterside vacation spots from the Chesapeake Bay, Deep Creek Lake, and Ocean City. Sure, Ocean City isn’t the fanciest or classiest beach, but it’s a beach and that’s awesome. Maryland is the home of the Star Spangled Banner, major sports teams, the Wire, and Hairspray. Yeah, the Wire makes Baltimore seem a  little scary, but that show was amazing.  If you haven’t seen it go out and watch it immediately. Maryland has busy cities like Baltimore and picturesque ones like Annapolis. And finally, Maryland has a sweet flag, an awesome accent, one-eyed Natty Boh, and most importantly for me delicious food. See, I told you Maryland has a lot going on.

But most famously, Maryland is known for crabs. Steamed crabs, crab cakes, crab bisque, and crab dip…yum. All of it delicious. And then I got the idea for crab grilled cheese – which might possibly my perfect dream food. This sandwich has lots of cheese, Old Bay, crabs, and buttery bread. I’ve never put anything in grilled cheese besides cheese before – and now I’m not sure I can go back to plain grilled cheese.

This item is the kind of thing that I’d find on a menu of a fancy-ish, trendy-ish, dinner. It would cost like $12, and I’d think, “that’s a lot for a sandwich at a dinner,” but then I’d do it because I had to know. Then I’d order it, and maybe it wouldn’t be as cheesy, gooey, or as full of crab as I wanted. I’d scarf it down anyway, still enjoying it, and then wish I had more and feel sad.

Don’t worry, I’ve solved that hypothetical problem. Now I can make this perfect sandwich at home. When Ryan and I scarf down the first round too quickly, I can just make a second round and stack the ingredients higher. Ryan and I ate two sandwiches and afterwards he asked if there was more crab in the fridge. Yes, yes there was. So there will be more sandwiches this week. Are you jealous yet? If you’re still not sold, Ryan said this was the best thing I’ve ever made. Yes, he’s my husband and has to say nice things, but c’mon. That’s high praise.

A few notes on method. I used sour dough bread which I loved. The bread absorbs the butter and get perfectly golden and really crispy – which is delicious and good for the structural integrity of the sandwich. (Or more specifically, it won’t flop about as you hold it or bite it) However, if you have regular old sandwich bread in the house, use that – it’s what I’d use for an ordinary grilled cheese.

Second, how do you butter your grilled cheese? My friend might not remember this, and I don’t know why I do, but years ago when we lived together, I was talking with my friend Shadur about grilled cheese and she said she buttered the bread, and I said I buttered the pan. We both looked at each other shocked, both of us thinking “why on earth do you do that?” I don’t think it ever occurred to us that there was another way to butter the bread for grilled cheese. I think buttering the bread is most efficient and makes the pan less dirty. However, I still butter the pan because then I can go crazy with the butter, reapply butter easily if I need to, and because sometimes buttering bread rips it up. Do what feels right to you, it’s no biggie.

Messy level: Because of all the stuff you’re adding, this is messier than a regular grilled cheese. You’ll need a bowl to prep your sandwich insides and a skillet. There’s lot of opportunity for the sandwich to ooze out – which leads to a bigger mess – but in this case I also think it makes the food more delicious.

Crab Grilled Cheese

 

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Author: Cooking is Messy

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• ½ cup crab meat
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1½ teaspoons Old Bay
• pepper, pepper to taste
• 1 heaping teaspoon mince green onions
• ¼ cup shredded Gruyere, plus more for sprinkling
• ¼ cup shredded Cheddar, plus more for sprinkling
• 2-3 tablespoons butter
• 4 slices sourdough bread

Instructions

1. In a small bowl (the one you use for cereal is fine), mix together the crab meat, mayonnaise, mustard, Old Bay, a bit of pepper, and the green onions. Mix it well, then taste, and adjust as you see fit. (Most prepared crab meat is cooked so you can taste it)
2. Mix the Gruyere and Cheddar to the crab mixture. Mix until everything is coated.
3. Now take your bread. On two slices, sprinkle a little extra Gruyere. (The cheese is your glue to hold it all together)
4. Top each of those two slices with half of the crab mixture.
5. Top the crab mixture with a little extra Cheddar.
6. Place the second piece of bread on top. Press gently to squish it all together.
7. In a large skillet on medium to medium-high heat, melt 1-1½ tablespoons of butter.
8. Once the skillet is nice and hot, add the sandwich. Cook until the bread is golden brown. This will take a few minutes, and it's ok to lift it up and check it.
9. Lift the sandwich out of the skillet and melt the rest of the butter. Flip the sandwich and put it back into the skillet with the untoasted side down (golden brown, cooked side up).
10. Cook until the cheese is melted and the second side is golden brown. Adjust the heat as you go if you feel the bread is getting dark too quickly.
11. Remove from heat, cut in half, and serve.

3.2.2925

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I know one very simple recipe for salmon, and I almost never make it anymore. My mom wrote me this first salmon recipe when I was in college. I was a sophomore and moving into an apartment with some friends. No more meal plan, I was feeding myself! So my mom sat down with a spiral notebook and wrote me a few easy recipes – one of which we called “plain-ass chicken.” Another recipe was for baked salmon. Take a fillet, season with salt, pepper, and a pat of butter. Wrap it in a little tin foil packet and bake in the oven until cooked through. I’d eat that with a box of Near East rice pilaf and broccoli I had defrosted in the microwave. That was practically my signature dish. That’s the only fish recipe I really know how to make.

But I’m older now and I wanted to learn something new. I found this recipe in BBC Good Food and I liked this because it has a few different vegetables and it’s mostly easy with a few Asian flavors to make it interesting.

In addition to being nervous about fish, I also have an awkward expat story to go with this meal. I went to Waitrose (the grocery store) to buy ingredients and I stopped in the packaged food section to buy the fish. I was being shy and didn’t want to talk to anyone. But I told myself, “No, Mariel. Be brave and go to the fish counter.” So I did. I got in line, was ready to order when I heard the guy in front of me order “sole fillets.” Only he said “fill-it,” whereas I would say “fil-lay.” So now I was hit with indecision and nervousness. What should I say? What I know? Or try to fit in? Instead I choked, pointed to the salmon and said “four salmon please.” Might sound like nothing, but I felt like a dork.

Anyway, back at home, I got to cooking. This recipe is pretty quick to make and beautiful on the plate. I think this was a good introductory fish recipe and I will be trying it, and other fish recipes, again. I’ll admit I cooked the fillets inconsistently with a few being a little underdone – but I’m new at this so it’s ok. If you’re new to cooking salmon too, just use your fork to flake off a bit and see if the salmon has cooked on the inside. Cooked salmon flakes, uncooked salmon looks like sushi.  Hope that helps.

[This is not food related – but I know some of you out there want more stories and pictures about sightseeing in London. I promise I will. I’m figuring out how I want to do it and I’ll post it here soon]

Adapted from BBC Good Food.

Ingredients:

thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, chopped

6 tbsp soy sauce

4 tbsp rice vinegar

4 salmon fillets, about 5 oz each

7oz soba noodles

1 1/2 cups frozen soy beans

2 cups baby corn, chopped

2 cups snap peas, chopped

Directions:

1. In a dish big enough to fit the salmon, mix together the ginger, garlic, soy, and vinegar. Add the salmon and let it marinate for at least 10 minutes.

2. In  large skillet on medium to medium-high heat, add the fish and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes.

3. While you’re starting your fish, heat up the water for your soba noodles. Once the water has come to a boil add in the noodles. The soba noodles shouldn’t take too long to cook. 4 minutes before the noodles are supposed to be done, add in the soy beans. Add the rest of the vegetables in 2 minutes before the noodles are supposed to be done. The veggies will still  be a bit crunchy. Drain well when finished.

4. After the fish has cooked on both sides, add the marinate and let it bubble for 1-2 minutes.

5. Plate the salmon and noodles. Spoon some sauce from the pan over the noodles. The noodles aren’t too flavorful without the sauce. (Make more sauce if you think you’ll like  a lot!)

Messy level: Not only is this recipe relatively straightforward, it’s also not very messy. You need a pot for the pasta, a dish for the salmon to marinate in, and a skillet for cooking the salmon. The messiest part is flipping the salmon. You have to make sure to flip the fish gently, otherwise sauce will splatter and the fish will break.

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In addition to enjoying our neighborhood, I’m also trying to get back in the kitchen and do some real cooking. One the the best gifts we got from our going away haul, were two British cookbooks. Today, we can get practically any ingredient whenever we want, so it’s hard to know about traditional foods. I feel these cookbooks are giving me some good insight on traditional British cooking. There’s lot of recipes using lamb, pork, and part of the animals I’ve barely considered before. Alternatively, there aren’t many recipes using turkey or poultry. Vegetable recipes use mostly root vegetables, and barely any light leafy greens. These recipes give clues to what would have been available, before everything was available. I love it!

I also love the cookbooks because the recipe names are wonderful and amusing. Here are some examples: Yorshire Fat Rascals (cookies), flummery (custard), bubble and squeak (potatoes and cabbage). It’s so much more delightful than just describing what is in the dish. I love it. The name, soles in their coffins, is part of the reason that I c
hose today’s recipe. The sole, is the type of fish used. And the coffin is a hollowed out baked potato. I find this dish’s name both gruesome and adorable, I think that’s part of the fun. But I also thought the recipe sounded tasty. Seriously, fish, potatoes, and shrimp? That sounds yummy to me. I also wanted to push myself to try more fish recipes, and the technique seemed straight forward enough.  Although all the steps are pretty easy, it is a time consuming recipe. To make it quicker Ryan and I did the whole thing together, and that made cooking even more fun.

This recipe comes from the book Great British Cooking: A Well Kept Secret. This book is adapted for the American kitchen, which is awesome except that I’m an American cook using a British kitchen. So, I like measurements in cups and tablespoons, but Fahrenheit isn’t helpful anymore. More specifically, the recipe writes temperature in Fahrenheit and my oven is Celsius. Needless to say, Ryan and I did some Googling and converting mid cook.  I think after today, I’ll have to start putting both temperatures on the blog to keep my mind straight.

If you’re going to attempt this recipe, my most important recommendation is to trust your eye on how much to buy. The original recipe calls for 8 small sole fillets and 4 baking potatoes. When I saw the size of the available potatoes, compared to the size of the sole fillets, I knew that wouldn’t work. I went with three sole fillets, and 4 potatoes. The biggest fillet was cut in half and fit nicely in the two smallest potatoes. While at the grocery store, use your judgement on what will fit best. Ok, that’s enough direction. Let’s get cooking.

Ingredients:

4 baking potatoes

3-4 sole fillets

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cups white wine

4 tbsp butter

1/3 cup flour

2 cups mushrooms, sliced lengthwise

1 cup peeled and uncooked shrimp

salt

pepper

butter & milk for seasoning potatoes

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425°.

2. Scrub the potatoes clean. Use a fork and poke a few wholes into the potato. Put the potatoes directly onto the oven rack, or on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, or until a knife pokes through with no resistance. (I took this picture because I was so excited to have an oven light. The oven in Arlington did not have a light)

3. While the potato is baking, chop the onion.

4. In a small roasting pan, or oven proof dish, roll the sole fillets (like you’re rolling up a carpet). Pour the wine and onions over the fish. Season with salt and pepper. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

5. When the potatoes are finished, take them out and set them aside to cool. Keep the oven door slightly ajar for a few minutes to let some heat out. Reset the oven to 350°.

6. Put the fish in the oven for 8 minutes. If you’re worried your oven is too hot, take it out a little earlier. You don’t want the fish to be overcooked.

7. While the fish is cooking, chop the mushrooms. Also, take the potatoes and cut a slice off lengthwise. This is the lid to your coffin. Use a spoon and hollow out your baked potatoes. Set the insides in a bowl to use later.

8. Take the fish out of the oven. Turn the heat up to 400°. Carefully remove the fish from the pan. Keep the cooking liquid, but strain out the onions.

9. In a saucepan, melt the 4 tbsp of butter. Then add the flour and cook for two minutes. Gradually add the strained wine cooking liquid. Stir until you get a light-colored creamy sauce (you might not need all the liquid). Taste. Season with salt and pepper if desired (Be careful! I didn’t realize my pepper opened two ways, one way with small holes and one with large. I accidentally opened the large size and dumped so much pepper in I practically ruined the sauce!)

10. While you’re making the sauce, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, then add the shrimp. Cook until they just turn pink. Remove from heat.

12. Put the potato coffins in your roasting pan. Spoon a bit of sauce into the bottom of a hollowed out potato. Then place a fish fillet inside. Spoon a bit more sauce on top. Then spoon the shrimp and mushrooms on top of that. If you like the sauce, you can pour lots more sauce on and smother the whole thing. Finally put the potato lid on top.

13. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes. While this is cooking, mash the potato insides. Gradually add milk, butter, and salt until the mashed potatoes are to your liking.

14. Remove from the oven. Place a coffin and a dollop of mashed potatoes on your plate. Serve!

Messy level: 4 spoons. This has a lot of steps, and requires a lot of spoons, pots, and finesse. The maneuvering between steps isn’t hard, but we made a mess straining the wine sauce, stirring the flour sauce, and all the pouring that has to be done. Also, hollowing a potato and stuffing it with a sole fillet makes for some gooey fingers.

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