Food Thread: Something Smells Fishy! And As Long As It Isn't My Kitchen, I'm Happy!

It's no secret that I love fried foods, and good old fashioned English Fish and Chips is high on my list of things to eat when I am feeling a bit peckish for the crunch of fried stuff! But for convenience's sake, being in London is probably the best way to get it.

Or...you know...I make it! And while the food inside is cooked quite well (yeah...I'm bragging), the crunch I expect is simply not there.

But there is a reason why people go to restaurants for deep-fried food, and it isn't just because it's a messy proposition in the home kitchen. Batters or coatings for fried foods depend on a bunch of things for them to work well. A batter for a big chicken thigh is necessarily different than the batter for fried fish or vegetables. And some people want thick and crunchy batter, while others want thin and crisp.

Oh, most of us can do a reasonable job at it, but for really great fried food, head to a restaurant, or be prepared to do a lot of practice and repaint your kitchen.

What do you do when you have an extra big bunch of cilantro?

Make a cilantro-based marinade for chicken.

That's a bunch of cilantro (stems and all) blended with honey, Dijon mustard, olive oil, S&P, a bit of onion, garlic, and some chipotle chile powder.

Trust me on this. They go together very well.

Spatchcock the chicken and marinate it for a long time, and try to get some of the marinade under the breast skin. And if you are really dedicated, get it under the thigh and leg skin too! Then plop it down onto a ridiculous amount of sliced onion, stick it in a 400 degree oven until the breast hits 155 degrees, and enjoy.

Well, that's a bit pricey. When I need cheap alcohol I will buy some plastic handle store brand for about $13. I make a pineapple vodka for my BiL and a few other people...it's great on ice with a chunk of the frozen pineapple as a garnish. But $10/L? Wow...too much!

[Hat Tip: Blaster]

But...the alcohol is a vital part of the taste! There is a particular mouth-feel to the alcohol; "burn" is a good word to describe it. I don't think I am alone in enjoying that part of it, particularly in mixed drinks and liquors drunk straight. So what's the point of Ritual Zero Proof? They claim to have duplicated the taste experience of liquor, but I find that difficult to believe. And at more than $30/bottle, that's more than I want to spend to avoid a hangover I don't get anyway because I am an adult and don't drink to excess.

I don't want to slam them, because contrary to my expectations they aren't preachy and irritating. Sure, they are "sustainable," but that's just marketing. They are not anti-alcohol, so I'll give them a pass. I just don't really get it!

Yeah...that's the first I have heard of this...but it's an interesting history of the onion, and the markets that grew up around it.

These look good. Very good! I am usually of the opinion that going out for a plate of wings is far easier than making them, especially since there is a local place that makes pretty good ones. It's a big chain, but for whatever reason the wings are damned tasty.

But I think I might try this recipe. The addition of bourbon has nothing to do with my decision! I swear!

Bourbon-Glazed Chicken Wings

Who are those poor deluded souls who shake their Manhattans? These are the same people who drink fine bourbon with coke, and probably shake red wine with ice too.

However, I will give dispensation to those who use maple syrup on Brussels Sprouts! I tried that and it worked nicely. I still prefer Agave, but still...

And yes, I used to demand fancy bourbon, but let's face it, $1,200 for a bottle of bourbon is just stupid, insulting, and a ghastly affront to most people's palates and wallets. I think the sweet spot is $40-$60 for excellent and interesting bottles, and bumping that to $100 gets you an incremental improvement in quality, but nothing mind-blowing. More than that and I think you are paying for hype and rarity, which may look good in your liquor cabinet, but doesn't translate to more quality in the bottle.

posted by CBD at 04:00 PM

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