Morels with Madeira Cream and Asparagus is a simple yet luxurious recipe that is delicious on its own or with just about any main –– roasted chicken, salmon, beef tenderloin –– these would all be tasty alongside. But, honestly, it’s great just as a vegetarian main too. Morels are so meaty, I love making them the star of the show.

Fat juicy asparagus is one of my favorite veggies, especially in Springtime. To prepare: snap off the woody ends, trim up the edges, peel the bottom third of the stalk (it can be tough and fibrous) and blanch in salted boiling water for 3 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp.

If you want to get really 3-MIchelin Stars about it, you can also take a pairing knife and carefully remove all the little bitter tasting triangles remaining on the stalk (below the tip). That’s what we used to for every single asparagus stalk when I cooked at Guy Savoy. I’m not sure I really feel that it’s necessary but, if you want an exercise in patience, by all means give it a go!

When sourcing morels look for firm specimens that are not buggy, mushy or dirty. I trim just a little bit of the ends off and prefer to keep them whole while cooking. Morels are expensive! At the time of writing this post they are $34 per pound which is a little less than last year, but still not cheap. The main reason for the high price is their rarity. They only grow from March through May and they are impossible to farm. So choose wisely when buying!

The Madeira mushroom sauce is seriously drinkable –– it’s really that good. So be sure to serve some baguette alongside to mop up all the last drops. Something about morels, cream, thyme and Madeira combined just makes a really decadent and luxurious combination. Enjoy!

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Zeytoon Parvardeh, comes from Northern Iran and it is sometimes called ‘Caspian Olives’ since its origin (Gilan Province) lies close to the sea. This topping is a magical marinated combo of pitted green olives, pomegranate molasses, pomegranate seeds, garlic, walnuts, mint, parsley and dill.

It really hits all the right notes: nutty, salty, meaty, fleshy, sweet, tart, sour and herb-a-licious too. Used as a garnish it’s delicious with any fish; Sturgeon being the obvious choice, considering its origin.

I used mint in my recipe but the original herb that it replaces is: chuchagh which is hard to find here in the Bay Area. Traditionally the mint and garlic are chopped and mashed up together and the walnut is grated or pulverized in a cuisinart but I’ve opted for a rough chop here instead. Feel free to make it yours and add a little cilantro too if desired.

I use this garnish to top hummus appetizers also, so keep this little salsa of sorts in your rolodex of interesting and delicious toppings. Or forget about chopping the green olives – and serve it up as an appetizer in its original whole form alongside some frosty martinis.

Roasting a whole salmon side could not be easier and it’s so pretty for a party. Obviously I’m thinking Easter and Passover here, but it’s festive enough for any feed-a-crowd occasion.

Some pointers for roasting whole salmon sides…

Have your fish monger take out the pin bones, or do it yourself by gently pulling out the thin bones with fish tweezers the direction they are pointing – do not pull against the flesh or it will tear. Run your fingers along the flesh to feel the bones.

Also, skin your side and remove all of the grey fat from the underside, this part tends to get a little fishy smelling as it rests, so it’s best to remove before baking.

After skinning and removing the pin bones, I place my salmon side on a parchment lined baking sheet. Use two pieces of parchment overlapping by more than half. This way, when ready to transfer the fish, you can grab the ends of the paper (without it breaking because of the double layer underneath) and quickly move it to the serving platter. Once on the plate, pull the parchment out on either side.

Season the salmon with sea salt, ground cumin and ground sundried lime, drizzle with a little olive oil and bake in a slow oven around 325F until medium rare.

Test for doneness by inserting a metal toothpick (I’ve even used a paperclip or the tip of a thin knife), into the thickest part of the flesh and leave it for 10 seconds. Press the metal toothpick tester just to the bottom of your bottom lip (almost underneath it, so as not to burn your lip). It if feels just barely warm – your fish is still on the rare side of medium rare but making progress. If it feels nicely warm, then the fish is medium rare! If it feels a little hotter than warm – you’ve hit medium. If it feels burning hot – your fish is overcooked, take it out immediately!!!! If it feels cold, it’s not cooked at all, stick it back in the oven….

While this salmon dish is delicious on it’s own, I think it’s EVEN BETTER served alongside my Harissa Roasted Carrot dish or at the very least with the Labneh-Tahini-Honey mixture that accompanies it (included below). Without this creamy sauce, I feel the dish is not quite complete, For the perfect bite, make sure you add this creamy counterpoint!

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Also, it’s a great dish for entertaining and feeding a crowd. Plate it for a fancier preso or serve rustic and family style. If you are looking for a Spring holiday dish, this would be lovely.

Okay, I’m just going to say it because you know I’m 49 going on 13 – it’s really, really hard for me to write a recipe about meatballs without thinking of a certain SNL skit. I sort of feel like an adolescent here trying not to laugh at every turn. But regardless of my truly prepubescent sense of humor, I still feel that this is an elegant dish, I just wish we could rename it? Any suggestions!?!

The most important tip to making meatballs is to mix the ingredients just until incorporated evenly. Overworked meatballs tend to be tough. I also think it’s a great idea to sauté a spoonful size portion of the meat mixture and taste the seasoning before forming into balls.

If you can’t find fava beans fresh or frozen, you can sub edamame which I often find vacuum sealed and fresh in the produce area. If you can find fava beans fresh, remember they need to be shelled and then individually popped out of their tough skins – blanch favas in salted boiling water for one minute and cool down immediately in an ice bath. Then pop each bean out of its skin before moving on with the recipe. (Also, little kids are really great at shelling and popping favas out of skin.)

Use a nice ricotta. It’s easy enough to make at home but if buying I prefer Bellwether Farms sheep’s milk ricotta. It has a lovely light consistency without being too watery and it does not have any weird thickeners in it. Many store-bought ricotta products have some sort of gelatin, so read the label!

I served the leftovers with a tricolore bitter greens salad with blue cheese crumble and a white balsamic vinaigrette the following day and is was still delicious!

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I worked with a Sous Chef at a 3-Michelin star restaurant (that will go unnamed) who used to jokingly look over my shoulder during prep time and whisper things like: “If you mess that up you’re an a**hole and you’re fired” Normally it was a really simple dish like this, one that no one would ever mess up. And yes if you did, you probably would be fired. But still, it’s seemed funny at the time. Ah, kitchen humor….

When I was making this recipe for my Fourth of July Party, I had to laugh because I swear that Chef was standing behind me peering over my shoulder trying to trigger my adrenaline. Yes, messing up this dish is hard. You really have to work at making pulled pork terrible.

But it can be done. Yup. Not gonna to lie. It can be done. And there is a big difference between ‘downright delicious’ and just ‘meh’. First off, you can’t rush the braise. If you do, the fat and the connective tissue in Pork Butt (which comes from the shoulder of the pig, but is higher on the foreleg – not anywhere close to the butt at all!) will not melt in the mouth. Your guests will feel like they are chewing on slimy rubber bands and that is not a great way to entertain.

Some recipes will tell you it doesn’t matter if you hard sear the Pork Butt first or not. Hogwash. Hard searing is very important. Yes, that nice crust is going to soften in the braising liquid but the caramelization from the crust is going to add so much flavor and color back into your braise which is eventually going to reduce into a sauce that you can mix into your succulent pulled pork. So don’t skip that step or I’ll be the one whispering over your shoulder!

As far as cuts go, Pork Butt (also called Boston Butt) is my first choice for pulled pork. You can use Pork Picnic too, but this cut is lower down on the shoulder blade and does not have the same shape and the fat content is much denser – I like to smoke this cut. Try to find a Pork Butt that is at least 6-7lbs deboned. This will yield about 14-16 sandwiches depending on how much meat you pile on plus a little extra. No one has ever stopped at just one sandwich at my table, so figure 2 per person. In other words: 8 people, 2 sandwiches per person, 7lbs pork butt deboned.

I start this recipe off with a lot of braising liquid and by the end of the cooking time it is normally reduced to about one cup and the pork butt has a nice bark to it. It is important to check in on your braising liquid from time to time. Even if you are cooking this in a Dutch Oven with a heavy lid the liquid will still cook off and no one wants a burnt butt! If the braising liquid starts to gets too low, you can always add a can of beer in a pinch. I do! Also, perhaps this is obvious, but don’t pour cold braising liquid into this dish to get it started, make sure it’s simmering.

To build a truly delicious Pulled Pork Sandwhch there are must-have-garnishes that can be customized to your personal style. I make a mean Guajillo BBQ sauce that is smoky-tangy-sweet and I slather it all over the bun. I prefer not to mix BBQ sauce into my pulled pork but many people do. I like my meat just to taste like it’s succulent self with the reduced braising liquid poured back in after the pork has been pulled.

I pile my sando high with pickled red onions and crunchy coleslaw that has the perfect balance between sweet and sour with a touch of creamy and a little kick-in-the-pants from Tabasco. And while I doubt it’s authentic in any Southern State, I believe a good mound of cilantro on top makes for the perfect bite.

A soft roll is a must. Potato is my first choice but brioche is nice too. This is definitely one of those sandwiches that you want to squish between your fingers as you bring it up for a bite.

Break out the picnic salads to serve alongside or just garnish with a few pickles. The sandwich is going to be the star of the show here, honestly, nothing else really matters once these hit the plates!

Enjoy!!!

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I originally made this recipe about 8 years ago for a Pig Roast I did for Potrero Nuevo Farm in Pescadero and now here I am making it again for a backyard Fourth of July Party with two kids in tow. Oh how life has changed since my Farm-to-Table days.

Tangy green tomatoes make such a great starter. Feel free to batter up zucchini sticks too – the cornmeal crust slips off a little bit but they are still pretty darned snack-able. And if you can’t find fine cornmeal you can use a medium grind but they will be extra crunchy…

I love dunking fried green tomatoes into homemade ranch. But feel free to double up the sauces, remoulade is also great with this. I also make a killer Anchovy Remoulade Sauce that adds a little umami flavor.

Pictured below is Chef Valentin prepping 60 fry baskets for the Pig Roast many years ago…

Finding green tomatoes can be a little challenging if you don’t grow them yourself. The Green Zebra variety is actually ripe when green and too juicy for this recipe. If your market doesn’t stock green tomatoes as a specialty item have a look in the colorful heirloom pile. I often find green ones thrown into the mix or stop by your local farmer’s market and ask.

Here is a link to my original post many years ago…

http://www.amyglaze.com/cornmeal-crusted-fried-green-tomatoes-with-homemade-ranch-dressing/

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Keep it light this weekend, keep it spicy, keep it tangy and tart with a sweet slice of juicy melon ripe enough to drip down your chin.

Keep it anything but heavy, no need to pretend happy, just keep it real, focus on the flavor, figure out the future any way but not today.

Keep that seat at the table open and ready for that Veteran who maybe wants a taste of home but wasn’t able to make it in time to dine…

To all who have served: Thank you for our freedom. You are heroes. We are grateful and we honor and remember those lost and living who have protected our country.

The post Lemongrass Grilled Shrimp with Melon and Mint first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

I saw these awesome short ribs at my local butcher and I knew instantly what I wanted to make — a super sexy, somewhat sloppy, hard-to-stop-eating shareable braised short rib dish with Madeira black truffle sauce and silky smooth pommes purée. Red wine braised Short ribs rolled on the bone are one of my signature dishes, but I’ve subbed Madeira and added black truffle jus for a change. Yes Portugal, you are on my mind…

I also opted for a free form look here since the ribs were already cut — rolling them on the bone makes for a neat presentation too, but it’s a lot more knife work. This dish is forgiving. Use whatever short ribs you want. If they’re boneless – great, same recipe. If they’re chunky cut across the bone flanken style – great, same recipe. If you want to roll them back on the bone steamer style (as in my other short rib recipes) – great, SAME recipe. And that my friends is why braising is just so awesome, you can play with your food without worry!

My one piece of advice around short ribs: buy the meatiest center cut strips available. Otherwise you’re just braising fat with not a lot else to show for it. Even with the center cut ribs, I still cut off a lot of the fat before hard searing. There’s just so much of it, you don’t need it in the braise and you will not be diluting the flavor, trust me, there is a lot of marbling throughout the meat. Butchers leave it on because it looks more compact and of course, it ups the price but the outer fat is rubbery and although it dissolves and soften in the braise, it’s not always a great bite if there’s too much of it. (Personal opinion of course, I know my Dad is rolling his eyes right now).

I’m not including a mashed potato recipe here but just a little tip if you choose this for your starch: the secret to smooth pommes purées is a ricer. Yes, a pound of butter helps too (riiiiiight?!?) but for that silky texture you need to rice the spuds after they are cooked, then mix in the butter and milk. That’s how we did it at Guy Savoy and Le Bernardin. I hope those two restaurants know what they’re doing. Add a little black truffle jus and/or a splash of truffle oil to the potatoes too! 𝘔𝘶𝘢𝘩! ♡ Perfection!

Oh, and about black truffles: buy from a reputable seller. Sometimes people add chemical perfumes to them so this is important. Also, black truffle juice can be bought (and quality truffles too) from D’Artagnan. This specialty store has premium ingredients. When I cooked for Le Bernardin in NYC, this is where we got most of our high end ingredients including foie gras.

Happy Valentine’s Day friends! Wishing you a super sumptuous dinner with room for dessert… xoxoxo

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About okra: it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. And after eating it everyday, all day when I worked in Southern India I got to the point where I never wanted to EVER see it again. Sort of in the same way that if I ate a hamburger everyday for a year I wouldn’t be able to stomach it again. Most people dislike okra for it’s texture as it can be a little slimy when cooked. But, seared hard before simmering, there is no slime. Also, I try to buy small and tender okras (is that the plural form of okra? – “okras” – sounds odd, no?!? Should it be okrai?!?).

Any slime (sorry, for lack of a better word – mucus perhaps?) that’s left in the okra makes its way into the tomato turmeric sauce and adds flavor and body. So if it’s a texture thing that scares you and not a flavor issue, fear not, I’ve got you covered. And yes, you can leave it out, but I think it really adds to this dish. Trust me!

All Persian stews have a sour flavor profile which I love. Sometimes the sour profile comes from sun-dried limes (like Ghormeh Sabzi, the famous khoresht made of beef hunks braised with herbs and sundried lime) but in this stew unripe grapes are used. You can buy sour grapes in Middle Eastern stores; you’ll find them packaged in the refrigerator or freezer section. Or you can pick them off your own vines in the Summer and freeze until ready to use! That’s why I grow grapes friends – nobody’s making wine here! Seedless green sweet varieties work best. Yup, Thompson’s for example. I am not a fan of the sour grapes that are brined and jarred but, in a pinch they’re okay, just make sure to rinse them well before using.

Turmeric, the beautiful yellow spice derived from the small orange tuber, is used a lot in Persian cooking. I want to talk a little about turmeric (dried, not fresh) because used incorrectly it can ruin your dish. Used correctly it adds an interesting musty peppery flavor and a bright and beautiful yellow color. It is extremely bitter in large quantities. And it does not taste good burnt (does anything? Okay, maybe toast, or is that a fad finally out of fashion?) so I recommend paying close attention when searing the onions and eggplants with the turmeric so it browns and doesn’t burn and measure the amount added to the sauce – one teaspoon is more than enough for a whole stew. You can always add more – but you can’t take it away! In many Iranian dishes veggies and herbs are lightly fried with turmeric before the wet ingredients are added.

My Mom-In-Law, Shahla, who is the best Persian cook of all time, makes this dish with chicken and I prefer it this way. I have had it with beef and lamb before and it’s good too, but with the summery sidekicks of sour grapes, okra, eggplant and cherry tomatoes, chicken is the better choice. Also, chicken has a shorter cooking time and I think that’s important in this recipe. I don’t like okra stewed for hours nor do I like over cooked eggplant. I know that this take on Koresht bamieh bademjan has my usual Californian perspective. I prefer veggies to retain at least some of their taste, texture and shape.

About the chicken: you could use chicken breasts and that would be fine but chicken thighs are the best option because they have a higher fat content and thus more flavor which is a nice counter balance to the veggies and the acidity of the grapes & tomatoes. In the pictures here I used bone-in, skin-on thighs. The skin-on was an experiment and it worked but required extra effort. It’s hard to keep it crisp when cooking in a juicy steamy stew, so if you don’t mind the hassle of re-crisping the skin then yay! Or if you like rubbery chicken skin then double yay! But the usual choice is bone-in, skinless chicken thighs. And in some ways this is better because you can you let your stew simmer away and get all saucy and delicious without worrying about re-crisping.

I’m going to repeat myself here because you might be wondering how these flavors work together: this is my FAVORITE Persian Koresht of all times. Serve with saffron rice! It’s easy to make and can be expanded for a crowd if need be. In fact, most Persian stews can be easily expanded to feed a crowd – I guess thousands of years of hospitality and generosity have helped to shape every traditional dish that comes from this wonderful country.

Nooshe jân!

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Short ribs rolled on the bone and braised bourguignon style; this is my signature short rib recipe that I have used now at several different restaurants and it is ALWAYS a hit. It is also my favorite dish to entertain with because it’s absolutely delicious and all the hard work is done beforehand, so I can enjoy my guests.

Creating short ribs rolled on the bone takes a little knife work. However, the extra attention to detail makes a beautiful presentation and a more succulent finished product.

Ask your butcher for a four bone rack of beef short ribs. I have used racks of three bones before but four is longer and easier to roll. Sweetly ask (beg) the butcher to cut the ribs across the rack in 2 1/2 to 3-inch strips. Or take the ribs home, whip out your band saw and do it yourself! Kidding, kidding, let the butcher do it, I don’t want to get in trouble for bone fragments flying all over the place. This meat cut is similar to what is called “flanken” (often used in Korean BBQ) but larger in size.

Figure on three servings per rack. One strip is going to be leaner because ribs tend to be fattier at one end. If possible take the center cut strips only. Pre-cleaned short rib steaks are often available these days, which will also work, just ask your butcher for some bones to roll the steaks around. They do tend to be shorter in length which makes it much trickier to tie but they are always center cut and meaty which is a bonus. Length does matter here because they need to wrap around a bone.

If you’re doing your own knife work: remove the bones from each strip, by cutting under and around each bone. Clean the best looking bone by trimming excess fat from the strip and any silver skin, then roll strip back around bone and tie with butcher string. Sounds easy, but it will take a little practice to get the hang of it. Luckily short ribs are forgiving.

When tying the kitchen string around the roll start at the bottom, then tie the top, last secure the middle. And don’t tie too tight or your short rib roll will have muffin top!

Generously season the short ribs before searing with Kosher salt and black pepper. Once browned, add mirepoix and sauté until lightly caramelized. Add a bottle of dry red wine, herbs and beef stock and bring to a rolling simmer. Braise, braise, braise…

This time around I served these succulent short ribs with celeriac purée, romanesco broccoli, chanterelles, heirloom baby carrots and a cipollini onion – it was magical if I do say so myself!

I love entertaining with this dish because it can be made a day (or two!) ahead and I don’t have to hover over it before serving which allows me more time to be a hostess. And YES! we will have dinner parties again in the future! It WILL happen! Oh, my kingdom for a good swanky dinner party!

Serve with your favorite sides – buttered pappardelle noodles, celeriac purée (pictured) or mashed potatoes and enjoy!

Here is an old Rolled Short Stroganoff Recipe of mine. There are morel mushrooms in the sauce and also mustard and crème fraîche but, otherwise the technique is the same. But just to show you that this basic recipe can be a great starting place for your braised dishes!

http://www.amyglaze.com/beef-shortrib-stroganoff-braised/

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This chowder is loaded with clams, fresh and canned, along with the usual suspects: potato, fennel, shallot, leek and pancetta. Topped with chopped tarragon, fried dill and freshly cracked black pepper, this classic is simply delicious.

I made this chowder one Christmas with my Step Dad Joe when I was a tweenager. It became a family tradition that continues on to this day and I’ve even used it at two restaurants. You can leave the fresh clams out if desired and only use canned or only use fresh clams (see my old recipe below) If you do want to give it a go with these sustainable bivalves, there are many neat varieties in all different shapes and sizes and they are all fun to experiment with!

Quahog varieties are the norm for chowder. From smallest to largest: countneck, littleneck, topneck, cherrystone, and chowder size. Chowder clams are very big at about 3-inches, and they can be on the tough side, so they are usually chopped. Here on the West coast we mostly get manila clams which work perfectly. See what your fish monger has in store!

It’s easy to make this chowder seasonal, just add fresh corn in the Summer and potatoes in the Fall and Winter – or both! Late season corn here in California is intensely sweet and yummy in this soup. The base is clam stock, which is light (and not fishy) with a big splash of cream. There is a little white wine too, to balance it all out.

For comparison, check out my old version of this soup that I created for Citizen Cake! It’s similar but I used fresh clams only with large wedges of fennel: http://www.amyglaze.com/citizen-cake-clam-chowder/.

Hope this chowder makes you happy as a clam!

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