Author Archives: Randall

Malted Milk Chocolate and Espresso Truffles

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One of my favorites sweet things in life is a coffee and fudge malt. I don’t have them often but love the combination of malted milk, coffee/espresso, and chocolate. The following truffle recipe is a decadent reminder just in time for Valentines Day. Enjoy.

Note: Follow the hyperlink if you need a refresher on tempering chocolate

Malted Milk Chocolate and Espresso Truffles
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Recipe type: Candy
Author: RToenges
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 50 mins
Serves: 60
Ingredients
  • 500 g. Milk Chocolate
  • 200 g. Heavy Cream
  • 75 g. Malt Powder
  • 50 g. Glucose or Corn Syrup
  • 50 g. Brewed Espresso
  • 50 g. Butter, room temperature
  • 1 kilo Tempered Dark Chocolate
Instructions
  1. Heat the cream with the malt powder, glucose, and espresso until it just simmers.
  2. Remove from the heat and add the milk chocolate. Stir to combine and cool the mixture.
  3. Add the butter and stir to combine. Pour into a 10x10x2 container and chill overnight.
  4. About 1 hour before coating the truffles remove the ganache from the cooler. Scoop about 1 oz filling and roll into balls set on parchment paper.
  5. Dip the ganache into tempered chocolate once or two times to completely cover the ganache. Use remaining tempered chocolate to drizzle designs on the top if you wish.
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chicken masala

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chicken masala
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Recipe type: Entree – Chicken
Author: Randall
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Total time: 1 hour 15 mins
Serves: 8
a relatively low fat braised chicken dish full of aromatics and subtle flavors. serve with white or brown basmati rice and cauliflower.
Ingredients
  • 2 ea whole chickens, skinned and cut into eight to ten pieces each
  • salt and black pepper
  • 2 tbls. vegetable oil
  • 2 tbls. vegetable oil
  • 2 ea. onions, slice thin (about 6 cups)
  • 2 tbls. garlic, minced
  • 2 tbls. ginger, minced
  • 2 ea. cinnamon sticks
  • 4 ea. cardamon pods (black preferred, but green will work)
  • 1 tbls. ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp. red chili flakes
  • 2 ea. whole tomatoes, 1/2 inch dice
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tsp. cumin seed, toasted
  • 1/4 cup fresh coriander, rough chopped
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat a 4qt skillet over medium-high heat and season chicken with salt and pepper.
  2. Add 2 tbls of cooking oil to the hot pan and brown the chicken on all sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep dark meat and light meat separate on a plate.
  3. Reduce the heat and add the remaining 2 tbls of cooking oil and onions to the skillet. Distribute and allow the onions to release their moisture stirring occasionally. Once the onions start to become slightly brown, add the garlic and ginger to the pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the cinnamon and cardamon pods and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the remaining spices and cook for a minute or two to distribute.
  4. Add the tomatoes and broth to the pan along with the dark meat of the chicken and bring it to a good simmer. Cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes. Add the white meat of the chicken to the pan and cook covered for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to cook until the sauce begins to thicken slightly and the chicken is nice the tender.
  5. Garnish with toasted cumin seed and chopped coriander.
Notes

You can add potatoes, squash, and/or cauliflower to the dish as well.

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using fat soluble spices

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Today I was making chicken masala with my cooking group at my apartment complex. In one of the steps of the recipe the cinnamon and cardamon pods are cooked in fat shortly after the garlic and ginger are added to the onions. It reminded of how insightful Indian cooks are when it comes to using spices. Indians use spice for various reasons. In this particular dish spice acts as an aromatic or perfume. Oils in the spice (cinnamon and cardamon) are activated with heat and then are released into the cooking oil so the aromas are carried throughout the dish. Simply amazing. Wish I had thought of it. Check out the posted recipe for our dish today.

Aromatics for Chicken Masala

Lobster & Shrimp Toast Recipe

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Lobster & Shrimp Toast with Dipping Sauce
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Recipe type: Appetizer
Author: RT
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 8 oz lobster, cooked and cut into 1/4″ pieces
  • 1.25 lb. raw shrimp
  • 1/4 cup green onions, slice thin
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine
  • 1 tbls fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 tsp sherry wine
  • 1 ea. egg white
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6 slices white bread
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds
  • oil for deep frying
  • Sauce:
  • 2 cups rice wine vinegar
  • 1.5 cups sugar
  • 5 tbls fish sauce
  • 1 tbls crushed red chilies
Instructions
  1. For the Toast:
  2. Combine all of the ingredients except for the lobster and sesame seeds in a bowl. Place 1/2 of the contents into a food processor and mix until smooth.
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cooking techniques we as chefs take for granted

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As a seasoned cook and instructor I every once in a while come across a situation where I have taken for granted the inexperience of a student. This is such a story.

A couple of weeks ago I was working with my one of my students during sandwich week at school. This particular student elected to take on Rueben Sandwiches as a project. As I was explaining the various items the student would need for execution of the item I mentioned he would have to “simmer” the beef brisket that had been in cure.

About 30 minutes after lecture I was walking around checking on the progress of the students I came across a large roasting pan covered with foil with a most peculiar sound that did not resemble something simmering. I lifted up the foil to find the brisket in a dry pan searing away.

I now make sure to mention we want to simmer the corned beef in water.