Category: Sauces

Pan Fried Salmon with Shoyu and Mango

Why Pan Fried Salmon?

Pan Fried Salmon is Delicious.  As long as you stick to the two minute rule, Two minutes per side, your Pan Fried Salmon will be succulent, moist and there won’t be any left, that is, if you follow any one of my recipes for it.  I’ve developed two specific recipes for Salmon, and if you want to click HERE, you are more than welcome to take a look for your self to see which one you’d rather prepare.

This Pan Fried Salmon is the easiest and the fastest to make.  You can literally be eating in just 10 minutes.  The one thing I will say about seafood in general, and especially when it comes to fish, never EVER use frozen fish.  Frozen fish becomes dense, dull and flavorless.  Even the best Chefs in the world can’t prepare a dish using frozen fish and expect it to stand up to any food critic that is use to eating fresh fish.  In fact, I can pretty much guarantee that if you or someone you know claims to not like seafood at all, you either had a frozen fish cooked for you, or you just had only one bad experience that tainted the decision making process and there for never tried any other seafood again.  Am I right?  The biggest problem is, anyone that has done this pretty much cheated themselves by labeling the entire ocean of sea animals disgusting, and it just isn’t realistic or fair.  Look, I’ve had bad food before, even badly cooked steak, but if you think I’m never going to eat another steak again you’re insane.  The point is, there are good cooks, and there are bad cooks, there are great recipes and there are terrible ones.  There are also a few basic rules regarding any good recipe and any great Chef or Cook.  And the golden rule is, ALWAYS USE FRESH FOOD!

Pan Fried Salmon and Soya Sauce Ingredients:

Cut Salmon filet portions
Olive Oil for Cooking
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Mango Chopped
1 tsp Freshly Chopped Cilantro
Dash of Paprika

1 part Soy Sauce
1 1/2 part Brown Sugar
1 part water

Sauce is boiled with Green Onions and Ginger until Sugar dissolves.

The Original Shoyu Sauce for this Pan Fried Salmon can be found HERE.

Crawfish Etouffee with Cream

Crawfish Etouffee

Classic Crawfish Etouffee!

Traditionally there is absolutely no cream added to Crawfish Etouffee, but there are several different ways to make it.  I personally prefer the cream because it adds a lighter yet richer flavor for me that soothes the hick-ups in all the Cajun spices.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love spicy food as much as the next guy.  I’m just saying that adding cream to a french originated Cajun recipe, developed there in good ol’ New Orleans by those wonderful locals, isn’t exactly a fauxpas!  As long as you stick to the basics and keep the bulk of the recipe the way it was originally intended, then I don’t think we’re breaking any rules.  As long as it tastes great, what rules are we really breaking anyway?

Mirepoix
The main thing you need to understand is that this Crawfish Etouffee recipe generally starts out with a French style Mirepoix.  Basically, you combine and add chopped Celery, Onion and Carrots but in this recipe, we will not be adding any Carrots.  Instead we will be using Celery, Onion, Garlic and Bell Pepper.  Using these ingredients with a few Cajun spices and some classic Creole Seasoning, we will be well on our way to making one of the best Crawfish Etouffee Dinners you have ever had the pleasure to plate with rice!

Crawfish Etouffee Ingredients:

2 cups dry rice (follow cooking instructions)

1/4 stick Butter
1/2 cup Roux
5 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1/2 Chopped Onion
1 Chopped Celery Stock
1 chopped Bell Pepper
1 tsp Creole Seasoning
1/2 tsp Cajun Spice
4 Bay Leaves
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
2 tbsp Worcestershire
1 tsp Sriracha
1 bottle Clam Juice
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 cup Whipping Cream
1 lbs Crawfish Tail Meat

To make Crawfish Etouffee, saute the Mirepoix and add a shake of the Creole and Cajun Seasoning.  Add the Roux and stir thoroughly.  Once it’s combined turn heat to high, then add the Oyster Juice or Shrimp Stalk.  Stir until it’s Pasty, then add the Chicken Broth and stir.  Now add the Worcestershire, Hot Sauce (Sriracha or Louisiana), Cajun and Creole Seasoning and bring to a boil.  Add the cream and Italian Seasoning and bring it back to a boil.  Season the Crawfish in a separate bowl with Creole Seasoning, then add the Crawfish to the Etouffee and reduce heat to a simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.  Serve Crawfish Etouffee over rice and garnish with some Scallions.

Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy

Chicken Fried Steak

I love Chicken Fried Steak!

Don’t you love a good Chicken Fried Steak?  I use to order it every time I ate at this restaurant in Gillette Wyoming, on my way to Deadwood South Dakota.  The Restaurant was Called Humphrey’s if I remember right; had a big Camel as their Logo.  If you’re ever going to head up north for Sturgis or to see our Mount Rushmore, I suggest you hit Humphrey’s on the way there.  Just about everything on the menu rocks, but I definitely recommend the Chicken Fried Steak.

Cubed steak is the way to go if your going to make Chicken Fried Steak.  If you don’t purchase Cube Steak already meshed out and you need to do it your self, just pick up a Bottom Round Roast, slice each piece 1/4 inch thick and use a needling device or a tenderizing sledge hammer to just beat the hell out of it.  The 3 1/2 minute Chicken Fried Steak video recipe below will cover everything else, so kick back and enjoy.

Chicken Fried Steak video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Chicken Fried Steak Ingredients:

1 Bottom Round Roast or Cubed Steak (Salt and Peppered)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups Flour
1 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 cooking oil
3 tbsp of the seasoned flour
2 cups Chicken Broth or Stock (I used Bouillon)
1/2 cup Milk or Whipping Cream if you’d like it richer
1 tsp Italian Seasoning or Thyme and Oregano

Cut your meat portions and tenderize them.  Salt and Pepper Both sides then dredge in the flour first, then in the egg and back in the flour again for a second time.  Let each steak rest for 5 minutes before frying.  Add oil then the steaks and cook 3 minutes on the first side and 2 to 3 on the second side once you’ve flipped it.  Remove the steak and let it rest on a wire rack.

Using the same oil, turn your heat to High and add 3 tbsp of the seasoned dredging flour.  Sometimes you need to add more oil before stirring in the flour if you’re cooking more than a few steaks.  Stir in the flour and make a light tan roux, allowing the flour to absorb the flavor left in the skillet.  Add all of the Chicken Broth and bring it to a boil stirring constantly.  Then add the milk a little add a time until it thickens.  Season with Italian seasoning or Thyme and Oregano.  You shouldn’t need salt or pepper because the broth has the saltiness in it and the dredging flour already had pepper.  Serve your Chicken Fried Steak with The Country gravy, and Mashed Potatoes if you’ve got them!