Tempura Cod and Chips

I bought a whole black cod today and decided to make a Japanese version of the English pub classic, fish and chips.  I skinned and filleted the fish (and made a fish stock for a rainy day from the bones and head) and dipped it in a tempura-style batter made with AP flour, club soda and an egg before deep frying it in canola oil.  I did the same thing for the fries, which were hand-cut Russet potatoes, and I also made my own tartar sauce with mayo, chopped pickles, lemon juice and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.  I drained everything on a wire rack and seasoned with sea salt while hot before serving with some lemon wedges on the side along with the tartar sauce.  Both fish and chips turned out super crispy on the outside (not greasy at all) and moist on the inside.  Sure, the house smelled like a H. Salt afterwards, but it was totally worth it!

Soba Noodles in Dashi

Saw some organic soba noodles in the pantry so I decided to make my own dashi, a Japanese broth made with dried seaweed and bonito flakes, to go with them.  My take was made with a Korean version of the seaweed, which I boiled in water for about 15 minutes.  I added the bonito flakes at the very end, then I strained the broth and added the soba noodles, which I boiled separately.  I finished it off with some vietnamese fish sauce (Three Crabs brand, if you must know), soy sauce and sliced green onions.  The broth had really nice, clean flavors, but the noodles might have been a tad overcooked.

Roast Chicken with Golden Beets

I was craving roast chicken for Sunday dinner and made a trip to the Mar Vista Farmer's Market to see what I could pair it with.  After a couple of laps around the stalls, I settled on some golden beets with the greens intact.  The keys to a good roast chicken are to truss and dry it thoroughly before seasoning and putting it in the oven, for even cooking and crispy skin.  I also made an herb butter with fresh chopped rosemary and thyme that I slathered under the skin of the breasts (to keep them moist and also to add flavor), and I stuffed the cavity with more of the fresh herbs.  I separately roasted the golden beets wrapped in tin foil with olive oil and S&P, and I sautéed the beet greens with garlic, olive oil and a hit of red wine vinegar for a kick.  The chicken came out super juicy, the beets were sweet and earthy and the greens had a bite that balanced out the sweetness of the beets.  

Olive Oil Cake

I picked up the Babbo Cookbook at the library recently, and I was inspired by a recipe for olive oil cake with rosemary.  It is a very simple recipe consisting of eggs, sugar, chopped rosemary, flour, baking powder and salt.  Because the main flavor component of the cake is olive oil, it is important to use a high-quality, extra-virgin olive oil.  And of course I put my own twist on it by substituting lemon zest for the rosemary.  I also made a blueberry compote/sauce to go on the side by reducing some frozen blueberries with honey and water and then blending it with my immersion blender.  For those of you who don't like overly sweet desserts, this is a good one.