Tag Archives: potato

Vampire Steak and Fairy Fries

Vampire Steak and Fairy Fries
Vampire Steak and Fairy Fries

OK…here we go. I’m about to reveal one of my secret indulgences. Ugh. This is the part of blogging I really struggle with…

So, a while back, I heard that there was this “not terribly hard to look at” actor on some show called, “True Blood” who was part Armenian. So, being the ever proud Armenian girl that I am, I figured it was my civic duty to check him out. And…I did. Now, if you know me at all, you know I abhor violent shows and movies. Really, I do. I barely watch TV at all, but when I do, you can be sure that someone is either cooking something, two people are about to fall in love or George Stephanopoulos is updating me on world events beyond my kitchen. So, the fact that I watch True Blood with my hands mostly covering my eyes should tell you something. But, I still watch. There is something about that hour of complete suspense, dotted with some gorgeous vampires, fairies, witches and wolves (did I really just say that?) that has me tuning in every Sunday. (I’m kind of cringing right now because my friends who know me are probably slack-jawwed at the moment).

Anyway, if you’re secretly (or not so secretly) a fan of True Blood, I’ve got something amazing for you to eat while watching the season premiere on Sunday, June 16 on HBO! This Vampire Steak is loaded with garlic and a touch of spicy pimenton (smoked Spanish paprika). The Fairy Fries are thin, crisp match sticks bursting with flavor from lemon, rosemary and a crunchy coarse salt. These fries are addicting! I can’t promise you this steak will keep the vampires away, but with all that garlic, it may keep some humans away!

 

Vampire Steak and Fairy Fries

 

Vampire Steak and Fairy Fries

Vampire Steak
8 – 10 cloves of garlic, minced
2 t. hot pimenton (smoked hot Spanish paprika)
1 1/2 t. kosher salt
1 T. olive oil
3 large rib eye steaks about 1 1/2″ thick (or 4 smaller rib eyes)

Fairy Fries
2 large russet potatoes, washed and scrubbed
zest of one large lemon
1 – 2 t. fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
2 t. salt (I use Himalayan Pink Sea Salt…but use what you like)
canola oil for frying

Special equipment: A mandolin to julienne the potatoes (you can do it by hand, but you’ll get better results with the mandolin) and a deep fryer (you can use a deep skillet on the stove as well…the deep fryer just makes things easier)

Combine the garlic, pimenton, salt and olive oil in a small bowl. Dividing the mixture evenly, rub a bit all over each steak, covering them completely. Place the steaks in a zipper bag or on a dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, but longer is even better.

Remove your steaks from the refrigerator about 15 to 20 minutes before grilling. Preheat your grill to get it as hot as you can. Place the steaks on the hottest part of the grill to get a nice char. Leave it alone for about 4 to 5 minutes. Give them a flip and continue to cook for about 5 – 6 minutes. Once done, remove the steaks from the grill onto a platter tented with some foil. Allow them to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

To prepare the Fairy Fries, combine the lemon zest, rosemary leaves and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Fill your deep fryer according to manufacturer directions with canola oil. If you are using a skillet, fill it to about 2″ deep with canola. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Cut about 1/2″ end off of a potato. Using the julienne blade on a mandolin, place the cut side of the potato down and cut just enough to make a small batch in your fryer. Once cut, use paper towels and blot the cut potatoes dry. Put them in your deep fryer basket and lower into the oil. Fry for about 3 minutes, while stirring to separate every once in a while with a fork or chopstick. Remove from the oil, dump onto a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with a bit of the lemon mixture. Continue this process in batches until you’ve gone through both potatoes.

Serve the steak with the fries and some greens.

 

Fairy Fries
Fairy Fries

 

 

Notes:

 

Vampire Steak and Fairy Fries

 

 

Vampire Steak and Fairy Fries

 

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Potato Soup with Caramelized Tipsy Onions

Potato Soup with Caramelized Tipsy Onions

I love the flavor of caramelized onions. It’s deep, sweet and tasty! And these onions are happy…they’ve been doused with some port wine! I think I made up this potato soup just to have some kind of a stage for the onions! Don’t get me wrong, the soup is delicious, but I think the onions make it really special. Experiment with your favorites. If you don’t like onions, try topping this soup with shredded sharp cheddar cheese, a pesto of fresh herbs or crumbled bits of bacon. Serve this with a hearty bread or some biscuits and it’s a great winter meal.

Potato Soup with Caramelized Tipsy Onions

2 T. olive oil, divided
3 medium onions, one chopped and two cut in half and sliced
2 – 3 stalks celery, sliced
4 sprigs sage, tied with string
2 bay leaves
1 clove garlic, chopped
6 C. chicken or vegetable stock
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 T. butter
pinch of sugar
leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme
1/2 C. port wine
1/2 C. cream
salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the one chopped onion, celery and herbs in 1 T. of the olive oil being very careful not to get them brown. Once the onions are soft, add the garlic and continue cooking for a minute.
Add the stock and raise the heat to high. Bring to a boil, then simmer while you peel and cube the potatoes.
Add the potatoes and continue simmering until fork tender.
While the potatoes are simmering, prepare the caramelized onions. In a 12″ skillet over medium high heat, cook the onions in the remaining 1 T. olive oil and 1 T. of the butter. Add the pinch of sugar. This will help caramelize the onions a bit more.This process will take time to get the onions a really nice dark brown, but not burnt. Once they get going, reduce the heat to medium, add the thyme leaves and keep stirring them around. Getting the right color will take about 12 or more minutes.  Once they look deep brown, add the port wine and simmer for just a minute or two until the wine has evaporated into a glossy syrup. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Once the potatoes are soft, remove the sage bundle and the bay leaves. Add the cream and stir.
Before blending the soup, I like to use a measuring cup and remove about 2 cups of the soup and put it aside so the soup will have some cubes of potato. If you want your soup completely smooth, skip this step. Using an immersion blender or hand blender, blend the soup in the pot until creamy and smooth. Return the 2 cups of soup to the pot and stir.
To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl and top with about a tablespoonful of onions.

Notes:

  • If you do not have port wine, try using sherry, red wine or even white wine. The point is, just get those onions tipsy!
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