Tag citrus

Forget It’s Winter with Court Bouillon Poached Prawns

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in Menus & Recipes Tagged with , , , , , , , , February 28th, 2013 @ 11:53 am

Craving that summer sun? Heck, willing to settle for any season that isn’t winter? We’ve got a recipe that will trick your taste buds into thinking spring has arrived! With citrus, fresh herbs and prawns, all you’re missing is that margarita. We won’t tell if you won’t.

Court Bouillon Poached Prawns with Herb and Citrus Pistou
This recipe can also be found in our Appetizer Recipe Library!

Ingredients
Court Bouillon Prawns:
10 cups cold water
2 medium carrots, peeled and quartered
2 stalks celery, quartered
1 large onion, quartered
1 head garlic, halved
1 lemon, halved
1/2 bunch parsley
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 pound medium (26-30 per pound) shrimp
Ice for an ice bath

Pistou (Makes 1 1/2 cups):
1 1/4 cups (fully-packed) fresh parsley leaves
1/3 cup oregano leaves
10 basil leaves
1/3 cup (1 ounce) freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1 large garlic clove, peeled
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Methods/Steps
Make Court Bouillon: Put the water, chopped vegetables, and herbs into a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer, set a cover on top slightly ajar, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Clean Prawns: Using a pair of scissors or shrimp deveiner, cut a slit down the back of the prawns just deep enough to reveal the black vein. Peel the shell away (leave last knuckle and tail intact if possible), rinse shells and to the court bouillon for stronger shrimp flavor, if desired. Once all of the prawns are peeled and deveined, rinse well.

Poach Prawns: Drop the clean shrimp into the liquid and turn off the heat. Cook the shrimp, stirring occasionally, until they curl and turn pink, about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes (shrimp for cocktails should be cooked a little firmer than for hot dishes). Remove shrimp with a spider from the pot directly into an ice bath to chill.

Make Pistou: Place ingredients listed for the pistou in a food processor. Process until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Add more olive oil if you prefer a looser sauce. Pour into a small bowl for serving and garnish with herbs if desired.

Serve: Arrange a nice pile of shrimp on a platter. Nestle a small bowl or ramekin of the pistou into the pile of shrimp and serve.

Serves/Makes
Makes 26 – 30 prawns

Parties That Cook’s Easter Recipe: Citrus-Stuffed Rack of Lamb

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in General, Menus & Recipes Tagged with , , , , , , , , , April 21st, 2011 @ 1:13 pm

This Sunday brings Easter! Get ready for chocolate bunnies, colored eggs and yellow (let’s keep it traditional) marshmallow Peeps! Can you say sugar rush? Before we’ll let you spoil your appetite, Parties That Cook wants to give you a great recipe for deliciously savory Citrus-Stuffed Rack of Lamb. The citrus stuffing is an easy way to “spice up” your average lamb chop. Feeling apprehensive? Your butcher can prep (french) your rack of lamb for you, though it’s not too difficult to do yourself. We even linked a How-To video below!

Citrus-Stuffed Rack of Lamb
This recipe is also available in our Main Dishes and Holiday Recipes Sections!

Ingredients
1 cup water
1½ ounces currants (1/3 cup)
1 rack of lamb (1 pound), trimmed, frenched, reserve trimmings
1 teaspoon lemon zest, chopped
1 tablespoon each, fresh parsley, mint, thyme, chives, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/3 ounce (¼ cup) bread crumbs
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 sprigs of thyme
3 cups veal stock
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Methods/Steps
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Make Stuffing: In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the currants, let plump for 5 minutes and strain. In a mixing bowl, combine the currants, lemon zest, herbs, garlic, bread crumbs, balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff Meat: With a boning knife, make a ¾-inch slit, through the center of the meat on the rack. With the back of a wooden spoon or using your fingers, push the stuffing through the meat. Season with salt and pepper.

Make sauce: In a small sauté pan, brown the scraps from between the rib bones in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Pour off any oil or fat in the pan and add 1 cup of stock and a few branches of fresh thyme. Reduce to a syrup then add another cup of stock and reduce to a syrup again. Add the last ladle of stock, strain and season. Reheat the just when ready to serve.

Brown and Roast Rack of Lamb: In a large sauté pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brown the rack of lamb, fat side down until golden. Transfer to a roasting pan and roast rack 12 minutes, until internal temperature reads 130°. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Serve: Cut into chops, ladle essence over and serve.

Tip Alert: Make It Ahead! You can make the sauce up to 4 hours ahead and reheat before serving, and you can brown the meat up to one hour ahead.

Serves/Makes
Serves 8