OOT IRON CHEF - 11/27-12/10

[StevieG]

[ QUOTE ]
Looks very good! I'm not stealing, but here's a photo from what's in my oven right now:



I wish I'd read your tip re: boiling first.

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SCORE THEM, or they can pop like popcorn and explode!

No joke!

[Ron Burgundy]

I'm only commenting on presentation here.

Your app is very flat. Someone made the comment a couple weeks ago that one of the goals is to try to get some height to your presentation. Maybe put some greens in a pile in the center. And also, the pic was taken at kind of a sharp angle, which makes it look even more flat.

The entree is ok, but I'd like to see the meat cut open. We can just see the end of it poking out of all that sauce.

[AllinDan]

very nice stevie, I love raw beef, and your mayo sounds delicious too. Chestnut kasha sounds very interesting, and I'll also remember the tip on boiling. I wish you'd included a more overhead view of the plating of your entree though.

[CardSharpCook]

yeah, I'm doing a carpacio for my app as well. Been planning it. Don't care if you beat me to the execution [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[GreaseTrap]

[ QUOTE ]
Congrats to Two-time Iron Chef Mrs. Utah as she successfully defended her bacon crown in the Great Rice Cookoff. She has chosen Beef for this week's competition. Any cut of a full-grown cow is legal. One App, One entree, and they do not have to be served at the same meal. Good Luck!

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I took a quick look at the Great Rice Cookoff thread (for the first time), and after viewing Mrs. Utah's winning shots, I have two comments, and one suggestion.

Comments:
1. Mrs. Utah's photographs appear VERY slick and professional-looking -- almost as though they were taken from a magazine or cook book. Not implying anything here, just making an observation.

2. If I am not mistaken, Mrs. Utah, being the winner, neglected to post photographs demonstrating the actual cooking process.

Suggestion:
I think the OOT Iron Chef powers-that-be should include a rule that requires all participants to post at least two photographs of the different stages of the cooking process (not including the final product shot) in order to verify and better illustrate the dish they are presenting.

Any thoughts?

[Ron Burgundy]

Grease,

I really don't like the idea of requiring the cooking process pics. I find it very annoying and hard to remember to take pics while I have 3 things on the stove.

[StevieG]

I don't like the idea of requiring photos of the cooking process, but I do think it adds to the thread when entrants do it.

For instance, Matt's cabbage rolls - the photos showed how he did it much better than any description.

[edfurlong]

Those are some incredible looking pieces of meat.

[Jingleheimer]

Two Appetizers: Bruschetta and Filet-stuffed Calamari ("Surf and Turf")

Bruschetta:
Make homemade bread; slice it about 1/2" thick.
Brush these slices with olive oil and broil them until golden.
Place 4 or 5 leaves of baby arugula on each slice.
Take a small 2" cube of filet mignon and sear it on all sides, leaving it rare in the center.
Thinly slice the steak and place it on the arugula.
Top with with shaved parmesan and drizzled balsamic vinegar and EVOO.

Stuffed-calamari:
Start with squid tentacles and tubes.
Mince the tentacles and set aside.
Mince a small shallot and a clove of garlic.
Finely dice a 2" cube of filet mignon
Heat a saute pan containing a small amt of olive oil to med heat.
Add shallots and garlic. Cook until turning golden.
Add steak and squid.
Divide into two batches in the pan.
Add pinch of lemon zest, 1/4 tsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp parsley to one batch and pinch of lime zest, 1/4 tsp lime juice, and 1 tsp cilantro to other batch.
Cook for 2 mins and set aside.
Stuff mixture into squid tubes.
Saute tubes in olive oil over med heat for 2 mins, turning frequently.

Serve with two sauces:

Lemon-Rosemary Butter sauce
Whisk juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/4 tsp lemon zest, 1/4 tsp rosemary (fresh from the garden, parsley, salt and 2 tbsp butter heated in a small sauce pan over low heat until mixed. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 additional tbsp of softened butter (this will thicken the sauce).

Lime-cilantro cream sauce
Whisk juice of 1/2 lime, 1/4 tsp lime zest, 1 tbsp cilantro, salt, pepper, and 4 tbsp cream heated in a small sauce pan over low heat until mixed.

Both were very delicious.



Entree: Beef filet en croute

Finely chop a combination of specialty mushrooms (chantrelle, crimini mushroom, etc.) to make 1 cup final volume.
Mince 2 tbsp shallots.
Saute shallots and mushrooms in 3 tbsp EVOO and 2 tbsp butter on med heat until the mushrooms reduce in volume by 1/2.
Remove from heat.
Sear 6 oz filet mignon in butter/EVOO in a saute pan on high heat.
Spoon the mushroom mixture over the filet.
Wrap the filet/mushroom mixture completely in thawed puff pastry.
Place on a greased cookie sheet, brush with French Egg Wash (1 egg yolk diluted with 1-2 tbsp milk), and bake at 350 until the pastry is browned.
Serve with a port sauce:

Saute 3-4 tbsp shallots in butter. Add 1/4 cup port and cook on medium high heat until port is evaporated. Add 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp flour cook 1-2 minutes, add beef stock until sauce is desired consistency, add finely chopped parsley. Pass sauce through a sieve with a wooden spoon.

Garnish with parsley.

Delicious!

[GreaseTrap]

Ron,

I understand what you're saying, and I concede how difficult it would be to take photos while flambéing, sautéing, and grilling perse.

I guess what I'm saying is it would be nice to see the winner provide more than just a solitary glossy-looking photo of a finished dish.