Truffle Mutt

Eating Ferns?!

Can you believe that these were my very first fiddleheads - ever?  How they could have eluded me for so long, I just don't know.  Maybe these cute little armadillo like greens are smarter than once thought, cute and smart - hmm.

I was elated when I spotted them at the market this weekend, but I held back and only bought one  wee package.  I figured this way if it turned out I didn't like them, not much was wasted.  The bigger  problem would be if I did like them - because there would clearly be no room for sharing.  That's okay, sharing isn't a strong point of mine anyway.  :)

Taking into consideration that this was my "first time out of the gates" attempt I wasn't looking to be adventurous, but rather wanted a simple preparation that would allow me a true taste of these delicate coils.  So, I followed the recommendation of a fellow fiddlehead buyer at the market and sauteed the steamed shoots in butter and seasoned them only with salt and pepper. 

It was so exciting to try something new, I had so many expectations and I wasn't sure what the baby fern, resting on my fork, was going to introduce.  After my first bite I was probably the most surprised by its firm texture, which reminded me slightly of a brussel sprout.  And then the flavor, where I noticed a resemblance to asparagus followed by a hint of citrus.

Tonight was my second attempt and I wanted to play more with the citrus-y flavor.  This time I boiled the shoots in lightly salted water for 20 minutes and then sauteed them in a mixture of butter and equal parts lemon infused olive oil.  After sauteing for about 5 minutes I added a tsp of freshly grated lemon peel, a pinch of sea salt and some fresh cracked black pepper.  Once plated I added a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and presto! 

What did I think of them this time around!  To be continued...

Kicken Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

The bbq chicken from the other night was very good, but the leftovers that went into these saucy sandwiches - 100% outstanding.   

I had a little over half a chicken left over from the other night that I pulled into pieces and stirred with the left over sauce.  The mixture was a little too dry for me though.  I think a bbq sandwich whether pork, beef or chicken, has to be saucy enough that it's on the verge of running down your chin at any moment.  So, I whipped up a sauce with Tabasco ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, Santa Cruz Organic apple cider, red pepper flakes, dry mustard and a few drops of smoke.

I didn't have any coleslaw on hand so we ate them with a little melted mozzarella and they were superbly mouthwatering.  My hands and chin got messy too, so I have to give two big thumbs up on this one.

All New BBQ Chicken

It wasn't ALL new exactly.  The recipe wasn't new and neither was the type of chicken, but we retired the old, unevenly heated propane bbq for a beautiful new Napoleon gas grill.  And that's was new!  For the first time ever I was able to cook with functioning indirect heat and the results brought tears to my eyes, of course, that could have been the smoke.

I used a recipe out of my Weber recipe book (sorry Weber, the husband was all about the btu's and Napoleon won out) for Mesquite Roasted Chicken.  The recipe calls for a combination of spice rub and sauce to serve on the side, but instead I basted the chicken with sauce about 10 minutes before it was done. 

The skin was crisp in most places, but there were a few spots of yuck wiggly skin, so next time I'll use the rotisserie and see if the skin cooks more evenly.  The rest of the chicken was perfectly done though with a lot of flavor and moisture.  The sauce is made from ketchup and vinegar, so it's tangy.  Next time instead of the water in the recipe I'm going to add apple cider to add a bit more depth.

Today the rest of the chicken is waiting to become lunch.  Pulled barbecue chicken sandwiches.