FOOD SHOW, CHEESE AND DUCK PROSCIUTTO?

DICEY EATS IS BACK IN ACTION. JULY HAS BEEN A FUN-FILLED MONTH OF FOOD AND EXPERIMENTS. I JUST GOT BACK FROM WASHINGTON D.C. AFTER ATTENDING THE SUMMER FANCY FOOD SHOW. BELOW YOU WILL FIND A 160LB WHEEL OF BEEMSTER FARMERS CHOICE, GRANA PADANO HALF WHEEL CHUNKED OUT AND SOME SPECIALTY ITALIAN CHEESES.

HALF OF MY COMPANIES BOOTH (AS FAR AS THE RED BANNERS GO)

16OLB WHEEL OF BEEMSTER FARMERS CHOICE

WE HAD MRS. NEP, A VERY TALENTED ARTIST, CARVE THE BEEMSTER COW INTO THIS MASSIVE WHEEL OF CHEESE. IT TOOK HER ONLY 2 DAYS TO COMPLETE THIS PIECE OF ART.  PEOPLE WERE STUNNED TO SEE SUCH PRECISION ON A CANVAS THAT DOES NOT DO WELL WITH HEAT.

2 DAYS LATER...

GRANA PADANO HALF WHEEL BEFORE SHOW

GRANA PADANO WHEEL 3 DAYS LATER

SPECIALTY ITALIAN CHEESES

PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA & SERRANO HAM

PESTO CRUSTED PIZZA WITH BALSAMIC CIPPOLINI ONIONS, FRESH ITALIAN PESTO & SEA SALT

 FOR THIS DISH I MADE A BRUSCHETTA CONSISTING OF CANELLINNI BEANS, RED ONION, ROMA TOMATOES AND JALAPENO. I TOSSED THIS WITH SOME SALT, PEPPER, WHITE BALSAMIC VINEGAR AND GOOD OLIVE OIL. 

I MARINATED MY SHRIMP WITH SOME CAJUN SEASONING, CUMIN AND OLIVE OIL. 30 MINUTES BEFORE I GRILLED THE SHRIMP, I CRUSHED UP SOME PECANS AND INCORPORATED THEM INTO MY MARINATING SHRIMP. ONCE FINISHED THE PECAN ADDED A GREAT TEXTURE AND NUTTY FLAVOR TO THE OVERALL DISH. I HAD TO FINISH THE PLATE OFF WITH SOME ITALIAN PESTO FOR THE VIBRANT GREEN LOOK AND RICH TASTE. 

PECAN CRUSTED SHRIMP & BRUCHETTA

 THIS PAST WEEKEND I WAS ABLE TO GET BACK ON THE GRILL, AND WHAT IS MORE FUN TO GRILL THEN A NICE RACK OF RIBS? I USUALLY LIKE TO MARINADE MY RIBS OVERNIGHT BUT UNFORTUNATELY I DID NOT HAVE THAT LUXURY. I WAS ABLE TO GET THESE TENDER AND DELICIOUS RIBS FINISHED IN UNDER 3 HOURS.

I ALSO HAD SOME BONELESS AND SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGHS. I MARINATED THESE WITH SOME ITALIAN DRESSING AND CRUSHED RED PEPPER FOR A LITTLE KICK. FOR FOR MY SALSA I STARTED OFF GRILLING SOME SWEET CORN. I GOT A NICE CHAR ON MY CORN COB, WHICH BROUGHT OUT GREAT COLOR AND FLAVOR. I ADDED MY KERNEL'S TO SOME CHOPPED ORANGE BELL PEPPER, TOMATO, JALAPENO AND CILANTRO.

I FINISHED THIS OFF WITH SOME WHITE BALSAMIC, OLIVE OIL, SALT AND PEPPER AND LET THIS SIT IN THE FRIDGE FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR BEFORE SERVING. THE FLAVORS WERE ABLE TO BLEND TOGETHER NICELY AS IT MARINATED.

RIBS, CHICKEN THIGHS WITH A CORN & JALAPENO SALSA

PIZZA TOPPED WITH CIPPOLINI ONIONS, ROMA TOMATOES, AND BALSAMIC GLAZE

THIS NEXT EXPERIMENT HAS BEEN ONE I HAVE BEEN WANTING TO ACCOMPLISH FOR SOME TIME. I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED THE ART OF CHARCUTERIE AND HAVE BEEN MEANING TO TAKE A CLASS.
I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND SEE WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO MAKE A DUCK PROSCIUTTO. YES, DUCK PROSCIUTTO. SOME FRIENDS HAVE HEARD ABOUT THIS BUT HAVE NEVER SEEN IT OUT IN ANY MARKET BEFORE. THEY ASKED, "HOW DO YOU DO IT?"

I STARTED OFF WITH A MAGRET DUCK BREAST (USED TO MAKE FOIE GRAS), WHICH IS LARGER AND FATTIER THAN A PEKIN DUCK(NEW YORK DUCK). AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH YOU IDEALLY NEED TO LOSE 30% OF THE INTIAL WEIGHT DURING THE CURING PROCESS.  

FOR THIS PROCESS YOU NEED TO CLEAN THE BREAST AND TAKE OFF THE TENDERLOIN AND MAKE SURE IT IS DRY.  THE TRADITIONAL RECIPE, WHICH IS ALSO USED TO MAKE ANY CURED MEAT SUCH A PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA, IS TO COAT THE MEAT IN KOSHER SALT. THE SALT DRAWS OUT MOISTURE (THE 30%) WHICH GIVES YOU A FIRM AND NICE VIBRANT RED FLESH. DURING MY CURING PROCESS I DECIDED TO SPICE THINGS UP. I ADDED SOME FRESHLY GROUND SPICES TO MY SALT MIXTURE TO GIVE SOME EXTRA FLAVOR TO MY PROSCIUTTO. 

AFTER SITTING IN MY SALT-CURING MIXTURE FOR 24 HOURS, I CLEANED THE BREAST OFF UNDER SOME LIGHT COLD WATER. YES, IT SOUNDS STUPID TO ADD MOISTURE TO THE BREAST WHEN WE JUST DREW OUT MOISTURE BUT I DO NOT WANT MY END PRODUCT TO BE TOO SALTY.

BELOW IS THE BOTTOM OF MY DUCK BREAST 24 HOURS AFTER SITTING IN MY CURING MIXTURE. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE COLOR HAS TURNED INTO A DARK REDDISH COLOR WHICH ALSO LOOKS LIKE JERKY.

ON MY SKIN SIDE I ADDED SOME GROUND BLACK PEPPER TO ADD SOME COLOR AND A PEPPERY BITE. WHILE THIS YOUNG PROSCIUTTO HANGS, THE PEPPER WILL SEEP INTO THE THICK LAYER OF SKIN AND ADD A UNIQUE FLAVOR.

 I WRAPPED THE BREAST UP IN CHEESE CLOTH AND TIED SOME KITCHEN TWINE TO IT SO I COULD HANG IN MY FRIDGE FOR TWO WEEKS. FOR THIS I HAD TO CLEAN MY FRIGE OUT AND GIVE ENOUGH CLEARANCE FOR IT TO COMFORTABLY HANG. THIS WILL DRAW EVEN MORE MOISTURE OUT AND FIRM THE FLESH UP AS TIME GOES ON.

THIS IS THE BREAST HANGING IN MY FRIDGE AS IT BEGINS ITS TWO WEEK AGING PROCESS. THIS BY FAR HAS BEEN MY MOST ADVENTUROUS AND SUSPENSEFUL EXPERIMENT YET. STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES.