This is our sixth recipe from Emeril’s new cookbook, as we continue our participation in the One-Pot Blogger Cooking Party.
Along with nineteen other foodie blogger’s, we are sharing recipes, photos and our experiences from cooking within the new cookbook. Today, I am going to share our experiences from making the Chicken Cacciatore as found on page 110 from Emeril’s new cookbook Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders which is available for pre-order now, the book goes on sale on Tuesday, September, 27, 2011.
Check out our other five recipes which include three from last week, where we kicked off the One-Pot Blogger Party here on CCR!
Emeril’s recipe for Chicken Cacciatore is included in the Dutch Ovens chapter along with 21 other recipes that can be prepared from a Dutch oven. If you have never had Chicken Cacciatore, you need to try out this recipe.
About Chicken Cacciatore in Louisiana
In Louisiana there is a restaurant in a small town about thirty minutes outside of New Orleans the city is known as Waggaman. In Waggaman this family owned Italian restaurant by the name of Mosca’s has some of the best Chicken Cacciatore you will find. And after you master Emeril’s recipe, you will be able to recreate a version that is just about right up there with the Mosca’s old family recipe.
Mosca’s Restaurant still operating on Highway 90 near Avondale and Waggaman, Louisiana is an old Italian family run icon since 1946. The restaurant still in operation today provides family-style service fare where the Chicken Cacciatore sells the whole chicken for $28.50, Chicken a la Grande (Fresh chicken sautéed with rosemary and special seasoning, whole garlic cloves and white wine) for $17.25 for a half or $28.50 for the whole chicken. Other Mosca’s specialties include their Shrimp Mosca, (Fresh local shrimp in the shell sautéed with Italian seasonings and white wine) sells for $29.00 per platter; this is their version of barbecue shrimp. Typically, each platter serves enough for 4 to 6 people. Always a family favorite since I can remember making the 30 to 40 minute drive down Highway 90, the little road side restaurant, Mosca’s is still the outpost image of enduring generations.
About the recipe
The recipe calls for one 3 1/2 to 4 pound whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, I doubled the recipe so we could enjoy more if this finger licking good chicken.
First you want to season the chicken and then brown the pieces in hot olive oil in your Dutch oven, or in my case the large roasting pan since I increased the recipe. Still, it is a one-pot wonder recipe. Yes, there are two burners turned on under that roasting pan!
Emeril’s One-Pot Sizzling Skillet ~ Browning the chicken
Once the chicken is browned I added in some fresh herbs.
Emeril’s One-Pot Sizzling Skillet ~ Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork with a side of slaw
This is our fifth recipe from Emeril’s new cookbook, as we continue our participation in the One-Pot Blogger Cooking Party.
Along with nineteen other foodie blogger’s, we are sharing recipes, photos and our experiences from cooking within the new cookbook. Today, I am going to share our experiences from making the Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork as found on page 260 from Emeril’s new cookbook Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders which is available for pre-order now, the book goes on sale on Tuesday, September, 27, 2011.
Check out our other four recipes which include three from last week, where we kicked off the One-Pot Blogger Party here on CCR!
Emeril’s recipe for Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork is included in the Slow-Cookers chapter along with 19 other recipes that can be prepared from a crock pot or slow cooker. This recipe is just one more reason why you need to get this cookbook!
About Pork
Living in one of the top hog producing states has it advantages, great prices on pork products is one of them, and another is the variety and quantity of great pork recipes and BBQ joints that offer up great eating. North Carolina is the second highest producer of hogs in the country with Iowa at the top, according to Stuff about States.com. Any NC BBQ joint worth their street cred will have really good pulled pork on their menu.
This pulled pork is as tender and moist as any I have tasted. The meat is falling off the bone, and so moist that the juices will flow like the water of the mighty Mississippi. The meat is as tender and meltingly good as a marshmallow inside a hot s’more at the campfire. And the flavor, oh my, this pulled pork is as rich in flavor as Oprah is the top paid women on television.
If you are not convinced yet, just take a look at these snaps from our pork shoulder roast. I guarantee you will love this pulled pork recipe, or my name isn’t Ryan Boudreaux.
About the recipe
The recipe calls for a Boston Butt pork roast, either bone-in or boneless, we used a pork shoulder roast. You want either one because the fat content contributes to the tender and flavorful outcome with the slow-cooking method.
The basic steps are to stud the roast with several sliced garlic cloves, then rub the exterior with a spice rub mix that Emeril provides in the recipe. Then place the seasoned roast in the refrigerator overnight to marinate. Before adding the seasoned and marinated roast to the slow-cooker allow it to rest at room temperature. In the slow-cooker set on high, the roast is allowed to cook until fork tender.
Emeril’s One-Pot Sizzling Skillet ~ Slow-Cooker
Did you notice in the image above that I have the Emeril knife block and behind that is an Emeril’s blender. I have had those items in my kitchen arsenal for many years…. Emeril puts his name on quality kitchen products.
Don’t have a slow cooker?
No worries, you can simulate a slow cooking method by placing the seasoned roast into a large roasting pan, then cover tightly with foil, and place in a 300 degree oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until fork tender. Still, a one-pot wonder recipe, just in a roasting pan, that’s all.
Pulling the pork
Once done and transferred out of the slow-cooker allow the roast to rest then using two forks you pull apart the tender meat, several images of the pork pulling are displayed below:
Emeril’s One-Pot Sizzling Skillet ~ Linguine with Artichoke, Shrimp, and Mascarpone
This is our fourth recipe from Emeril’s new cookbook, as we continue our participation in the One-Pot Blogger Cooking Party.
Along with nineteen other foodie blogger’s, we are sharing recipes, photos and our experiences from cooking within the new cookbook. Today, I am going to share our experiences from making the Linguine with Artichoke, Shrimp, and Mascarpone as found on page 37 from Emeril’s new cookbook Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders which is available for pre-order now, the book goes on sale on Tuesday, September, 27, 2011.
Check out our other three recipes from last week which kicked off the One-Pot Blogger Party here on CCR!
Emeril’s recipe for Linguine with Artichoke, Shrimp, and Mascarpone is included in the Skillets and Saute pans chapter along with 23 other recipes that can be prepared from a single skillet.
Restaurant quality dining in your home!
This is a restaurant quality recipe! The mascarpone cheese melts into the liquid and wine to form an amazing sauce which coats the shrimp, artichokes, and linguine with creamy texture, and rich flavor. I recommend you get this cookbook so you can try this recipe yourself! After reading about some of the ingredients and techniques in this blog post, you will be all set and ready to execute a perfect dinner entree treat for your family and friends!
Ingredients
And now a little discussion on some of the ingredients in Emeril’s Linguine with Artichoke, Shrimp, and Mascarpone.
The ingredients for this recipe include of course linguine pasta, shrimp, mascarpone cheese, and several others, check out the image below and see if you can spot the missing ingredient that I left out of the still life photo? If you found it, please post your comment below.
Recipe ingredients
Shallots [SHAL-uht; shuh-LOT]
One of the ingredients that I had not mentioned yet is shallots, which seems to add a bit of confusion for some folks, including several television food show personalities. How many times have you seen someone chopping a bunch of green onions and they refer to them as shallots? More than a few times I bet! I think what is happening is that they are confusing the term with the word scallion [SKAL-yuhn], which is applied to several members of the onion family including a distinct variety called scallion, immature onions, commonalty called green onions, young leeks and sometimes the green tops of young shallots.
Shallots
Shallot is a member of the onion family, (Allium ascalonicum) and are formed in the shape more like garlic than onions, with a single head composed of multiple cloves, each covered with a thin papery skin. The color of the skin can vary from a pale brown to a gray rose hue, and the off-white flesh typically is tinged with a purple tint. The dry-skinned shallot is available year-round and should be stored in a cool dry, well-ventilated place for up to a month. Shallots are selected in many recipes for their mild onion flavor and are used in the similar manner as onions, however, they are typically minced, as shown in the measuring cup in the image above.
Pan Flipping Technique
Flipping the pasta in the skillet
Once the sauce is made the pre-cooked linguine is added to the skillet, then combined into one amalgamation to form and finish the dish. Part of that means incorporating the cooked pasta in with all the shrimp, artichokes, and melted mascarpone cheese. As you can see from the image above, I used my pan flipping technique to toss the pasta together with the sauce.
This technique looks harder than it really is, all it takes is some practice. And you can practice the flipping technique by starting out with a slice of bread. Here are a few simple steps to get your pan flipping technique started:
In a clean and large saute pan or skillet place your slice of bread into the bottom of pan. (You do not need any stove top or flame to accomplish this exercise.)
Hold the handle of the skillet with both hands while you point the front (side away from you) of the skillet at a downward angle, allowing the slice of bread to slide to the end edge of the skillet bottom.
It is all in the wrists! Really it is, now using your wrists twist them with a quick upward motion while at the same time pulling back toward you in a J-hook motion.
See the short video demonstration below, it really is short, just about 6 seconds long. Just goes to show you that the flip only takes a few seconds.
Once you get the hang of flipping your bread slice, move up to something like a cup of dry beans, this will get you used to flipping a group of objects, not just one piece of bread.
Once you master the practice flips you can graduate to actual cooking and tossing. Probably the best first cooked and flipped food item to try out would be an omelet. That is how I got my start back when I was a teenager, I broke several dozen eggs to master the omelet flip after watching an episode of The French Chef with Julia Child.
Linguine with Artichoke, Shrimp, and Mascarpone
Linguine with Artichoke, Shrimp, and Mascarpone
Emeril’s All Clad Skillet
Oh…and by the way!
Several years ago my dear bride bought me this Emeril’s All Clad saute pan, and it has been one of my favorite skillets within my kitchen arsenal!
As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program CCR was selected to participate in a cheese tasting sampling Sargento natural cheese against any processed cheese of our choice. As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a $25 American Express gift card to use toward the purchase of:
¤ One package of your favorite Sargento natural cheese variety
¤ Choice of cheese pairings (crackers, dried fruit)
¤ Choice of processed cheese to compare to Sargento.
The Competitors
Sargento Sharp Cheddar VS Generic American Cheese
Sargento Sharp Cheddar VS Generic American Cheese
One the left side is our competitor, the generic processed cheese food, American cheese. And on the right side is our challenger, the package of Sargento Natural Sharp Cheddar. Both cheeses squaring off in our taste sampling test.
Before we get to the actual tasting I wanted to set an even playing field, so I eliminated any parings of cheese, crackers, wine, or such, as I wanted this to be a straight competition between the two fighting cheeses.
So, let’s get started! Introducing…on the left side we have the generic store brand processed American cheese food product, which weighs in at fifteen ingredients. On the right side we have the Sargento Natural Sharp Cheddar cheese weighing in at just six ingredients. Some of the ingredients are similar, such as some form of milk, annatto for food color, and enzymes.
Round one! Ding! Ding! Ding! When we compare the two products on the ingredients lists the Sargento cheese wins hands down. In fact every ingredient in the Sargento cheese is a naturally occurring substance and is easy to pronounce. The processed cheese "food" has many scientific components that make you wonder if this really is a food product at all!
Winner Round One: Sargento
Round Two! Ding! Ding! Ding!
Sargento Sharp Cheddar VS Generic American Cheese
We have the two samples of cheese naked and exposed so we can see their true nature. On left again is the generic American processed cheese food, and on the right is the Sargento natural sharp cheddar. In this comparison we are looking at the conformation, color, shape, and texture of the two cheese slice samples. The American cheese has a bright yellow color with a somewhat glossy sheen, it also displays several grooves where the plastic wrapper molded it’s shape somewhat, exposing the very pliable and formed product. It looks as if it were formed from a semi melted state then pressed into the plastic as a blob of cheese, not actually a true slice. The Sargento cheese slice appears as if it were actually sliced from a block of real cheese, take a look at the bottom of the slice and you will notice several grooves where the natural cut has left some "flashing" so to speak. The Sargento sharp cheddar has a darker, richer color, more redolent of a real cheese that has been naturally aged, and not created along with and by some man-made products and food coloring. Winner Round Two: Sargento
Round Three! Ding! Ding! Ding!
Sargento Sharp Cheddar VS Generic American Cheese
In this round I wanted to cut both cheese samples to get a feel for their texture, appearance, and how they hold up under pressure being on naked display. The processed American cheese product cuts with a slight rubbery texture, and while the cut lines are smooth, it does tend to pull a bit while using the knife, which means you have to pay special attention to making the cuts or it might fall apart. The Sargento cheese cuts in an easy distinct and solid line, no pulling or tearing occurred while it was sliced into the diagonal piece.
Winner Round Three: Sargento
Round Four! Ding! Ding! Ding!
The fourth and final round is the most important taste test. Using a blind taste testing I was given one slice of cheese to taste and smell, and this was probably the easiest test of the four rounds. Hands down the Sargento cheese won! The American processed cheese has a soft and pliable texture and mouth feel, it melts into a smooth yet sticky texture and has that "gooey" quality about that can only be compared to other processed cheese textures. The Sargento cheese has a deep rich cheddar smell, the texture is soft yet firm enough to have a little bite and chew. The sharp taste is redolent and exhibited in it’s strong complex flavor profile which has a slight tangy edge that’s a little sweet, nutty, slightly bitter, and herbaceous. In a nutshell, it has some flavor! Winner Round Four: Sargento
I have to admit that the cards are stacked against any processed cheese food, just about any other cheese would win hands down against any American cheese processed food product. Now, I would like to propose a challenge to Sargento to match itself against any farmhouse brand cheddar cheese and see how that fight goes down!
