I found all the things I needed without a hitch and even found special almonds - some that Conrad had suggested I tried. The Marcona Almonds were a little pricey ($8.02 for .62 lbs) but I guess all almonds are expensive. I headed home and prepared this meal.
Roasted Beets with Toasted Almonds:
(This is what I used to cook for three of us)
- 5 medium-large red beets with the greens cut off and stored for another use
- GOOD Olive Oil
- Sea Salt
- 1/4 cup of Almonds (I actually recommened just buying slivered almonds - the Marcona were a little too sweet for this recipe)
Recipe:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Scrub beets to remove any dirt.
3. Line a cooking pan with foil and place the beets in the middle of the pan.
4. Liberally drizzle the beets with olive oil and move them around to cover evenly.
5. Sprinkle beets liberally with sea salt.
6. Pull the corners of the foil together and completely cover the beets - like a little package.
7. Place in the middle of the oven and roast for 45 minutes before checking (beets take a long time...)
8. Check the beets for tenderness. They should be fork tender but if not, place them back in the oven and cook for another 10-20 minutes.
9. Once fork tender, open foil completely and let the beets come to room temperature.
*The nice thing about this meal is that this part can be done in advance. I wasn't sure when my roommate was coming home last night, so I prepared the beets to this point because the rest of the recipe takes about 10 minutes.
Recipe Continued:
10. Heat about 1 tbsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat.
11. Place almonds in the heated oil and stir occasionally to ensure even toasting.
12. Continue until lightly toasted (4-7 minutes).
13. Add roasted beets and toss together until covered by toasted almonds.
14. Keep over low heat until ready to serve.
Crispy Skate:
(Again for 3 people)
- 1 pound skate (or as close to it- maybe a little under) in three seperate filets
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of whole milk (any milk with work but whole milk will add the most flavor)
- Olive oil
- Salt/Pepper
Recipe:
1. Heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil over high heat - until oil is really hot but not smoking.
2. While the oil is heating, put 1/2 cup of flour on a plate and pour milk into a bowl (this is for the dredging process). Use salt and pepper to season flour (two parts salt to one part pepper- as much as you think necessary)
3. When oil is ready, dip the first filet in milk so it is covered. Take milk-dipped filet and cover in flour making sure to shake off any excess.
4. Place filet in oil, turn heat down to medium-high heat and pan sear for 3 minutes per side(inital high heat is to get a nice sear and color of the filet - serve skate with that side up). Remove and place on an oven-safe plate in a 200 degree oven to keep the fish warm
5. Repeat step 3 on the remaining filets, adding more oil and heating thoroughly before adding the filets.
Once the fish is done, plate! Again, I hope this makes sense (?) I'm not well-versed in technical cooking terms - I do everything by sight, smell and sound. If this doesn't make sense, let me know.
I paired this meal with a 2009 La Cana Albarino also produced by Rias Baixas (same producer as my Zarate wine from Casa Mono). Very light, a little more citrus and fruit than the other Albarino and a great complement to the skate and roasted beets.
I also bought a bottle of Cava (Spanish sparkling wine) to have before the meal. The guy at the Wine Vault at Chelsea Market suggested a 2005 Juve y Camps "Reserva de la Familia" Brut Cava. Extremely light on the palate and a very light bead. Really a great way to start the meal - I paired it with Trader Joes Frozen Steamer Clams (5 minute cooking time in the microwave!)
Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment