Crispy Udon Noodles with Nori Salt
4 ounces dried udon noodles
Vegetable oil, for tossing and frying
1 sheet nori
1 tablespoon kosher salt
In a medium saucepan of boiling water, cook the udon noodles until they are almost al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain thoroughly and transfer the udon noodles to a medium bowl. Gently toss the udon noodles with vegetable oil to keep them from sticking together.
Using a pair of sturdy metal tongs, hold the nori over an open flame and toast about 4 inches from the heat until the nori is darkened and crisp, about 5 seconds per side. Let cool, then crumble and transfer the nori to a spice grinder. Add the salt and grind to a powder.
Take 4 udon strands and carefully tie them in a loose knot near the end. Repeat with the remaining udon. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Fry 4 of the udon bundles at a time over moderately high heat, spreading the udon out in a fan, until golden and crisp, about 1 minute per side. Transfer the udon bundles to paper towels to drain, then dust with the nori salt and serve.
Make Ahead: The fried udon bundles can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 hours. The nori salt can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe by Marcia Kiesel
Food and Wine
Notes from Angie:
* My take on reinventing top ramen.
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Panko-Coated Chicken Schnitzel
1 cup flour
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups panko
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each), butterflied and pounded 1/4-inch-thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup canola oil
6 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons capers
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Set the flour, eggs and panko in three separate shallow bowls. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess, then dip in the eggs and coat thoroughly with the panko, pressing lightly to adhere.
In each of 2 large skillets, heat 1/4 cup of the canola oil. Add the chicken and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter and cook over moderately high heat until browned and nutty, about 4 minutes. Stir in the capers, lemon juice and parsley; spoon over the chicken and serve.
Recipe by Thomas Keller
Food and Wine
Notes from Angie:
* My take on reinventing chicken nuggets.
* TIP: from Alton Brown, make sure your chicken comes to room temperature before you panfry. This ensures moist chicken! (This was a happy accident. I brought the chicken out of the fridge and spent so much time eating appetizers, drinking and chatting that the chicken came to room temp.)
** Use olive oil (not extra virgin)
*** My favorite quote about this dish came from Steph: "I didn't realize I even liked chicken that much!"
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Rum Raisin Ice Cream Sandwiches
Amanda's amazingly boozy and delicious reinvention of the classic ice cream sandwich made with molasses cookies and sporting homemade labels. We all agreed that she could sell them. Alas, to turn a profit, she joked that she would have to sell them for $28 each because they were so pricey to make!
Molasses cookie ice cream sandwiches
2/3 cup shortening
1/4 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoons coarse or sanding sugar, for sprinkling
About 1 1/2 quarts premium ice cream such as vanilla, butter pecan or rum raisin
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Melt the shortening in a small saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave. Measure one-half cup and cool until it reaches room temperature and is slightly thickened. Discard any remaining shortening.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixture using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the cooled shortening, molasses, granulated sugar and egg at medium speed until fully incorporated, about 3 minutes (it will not be fluffy).
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt. Mix in the combined dry ingredients, one-half at a time, until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Divide the dough in half and wrap tightly in plastic. Chill the dough for about 15 minutes to firm slightly.
5. Remove half of the chilled dough and roll it out between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper until it is slightly thicker than one-eighth inch thick. Use a 2 1/2 -inch cookie cutter to cut as many cookies as possible from the dough. Peel away the scraps, then gently peel off the cookies. The dough may need to be chilled again to make peeling easier; if so, simply place the dough, still on parchment or plastic, on a baking sheet and freeze for several minutes. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat using the rest of the dough and scraps.
6. Just before baking, brush the dough rounds lightly with the cream, using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
7. Bake the cookies, one pan at a time, until they puff and begin to deflate, and are just beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through for even baking. Cool completely on the baking sheets; the cookies will flatten and crack slightly as they cool. Make sure the cookies are completely cool prior to assembly.
8. To assemble, spread a heaping one-third cup ice cream (slightly softened) over the bottom of one cookie, and carefully top with another cookie. Press firmly but gently to avoid breaking the cookies. Run a knife or offset spatula around the edges to clean up any ice cream hanging over the edge. Freeze for at least 1 hour to firm the ice cream. Repeat with all the cookies.
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes, plus chilling and assembly time
Servings: Makes about 18 large ice cream sandwiches (or 36 cookies)
Note: Adapted from "Sunday Suppers at Lucques" by Suzanne Goin. This cookie dough is very soft when made and may need to be chilled at intervals as the cookies are rolled and assembled. Sandwiches are best assembled one day ahead to allow the cookies to soften slightly.
Each ice cream sandwich: 336 calories; 4 grams protein; 39 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 18 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 57 mg. cholesterol; 110 mg. sodium.
LA Times
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Rum-Raisin Ice Cream
1 cup (packed) raisins
2/3 cup dark rum
8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
3 cups milk (do not use low-fat or nonfat)
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
Combine raisins and rum in small bowl. Cover; let stand at room temperature 2 hours. Drain raisins, reserving 6 tablespoons rum. Combine in same bowl.
Whisk egg yolks and sugar in large bowl until blended. Bring milk and whipping cream to boil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk into yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan; stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens, about 15 minutes (do not boil). Strain custard into bowl. Cool. Add raisin mixture to custard. Refrigerate until cold.
Transfer custard to ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. Freeze ice cream in covered container until firm, about 4 hours. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead.)
yield: Serves 10
Epicurious
Top Chef Quickfire Challenge
For fun, I marked 30 cups with 30 different ingredients to taste blindfolded and identify. (i.e. herbs, peanut butter, sprinkles, soy sauce,etc.) The tastebuds of the supperclub ladies were quite impressive. It was a close race between Elisa and Jody, with Jody ultimately winning in a sudden death match.
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