Thursday, August 21, 2008

Roasted Bone Marrow















Adapted from Fergus Henderson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fergus_Henderson)


Fergus Henderson, of St. John Restaurant in London is known for cooking exotic cuts and parts of meats. An average eater may not know who he is but he is "adored" by the chefs.


If you've seen No Reservations New York Edition, Anthony Bourdain at one point mentioned that Henderson's Bone Marrow with Parsley Salad will be his Death Row meal..so intriguing!!!


My family is no stranger to beef bone marrows. This was and is one of my sis and bros favorite especially during rainy seasons. In the Philippines bone marrows are always available in the market. My Mom cooks them w/ her beef stew (Nilat-ang Baka/Bulalo) oh...we would fight over the last bone marrow.


I have only used bone marrow like my Mom, so i was excited and curious as to why the chefs in NY loves this dish. Lucky for me Meijer had bone marrows in their "not normal" cuts of meat. Bought 2 packs and since my family esp. my daughter is not really a fan of parsley, i made a substitute and used spinach instead.


It was good as i've expected, it spread like butter. I believe it would have tasted even better if i made the parsley salad, but the spinach wasn't bad at all. I'm definitely making this again! Another good way to cook marrows aside from my Moms beef stew.




Roasted Bone Marrow



Time: 20 minutes


8 to 12 center-cut beef or veal marrow bones, 3 inches long, 3 to 4 pounds total

1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley ( i made a substitute and used baby spinach)

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons capers

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Coarse sea salt to taste

At least 4 1/2-inch-thick slices of crusty bread, toasted.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put bones, cut side up, on foil-lined baking sheet or in ovenproof skillet. Cook until marrow is soft and has begun to separate from the bone, about 15 minutes. (Stop before marrow begins to drizzle out.)

2. Meanwhile, combine parsley, shallots and capers in small bowl. Just before bones are ready, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice and drizzle dressing over parsley mixture until leaves are just coated. Put roasted bones, parsley salad, salt and toast on a large plate. To serve, scoop out marrow, spread on toast, sprinkle with salt and top with parsley salad.

Yield: 4 servings.
Pastilan...lami kaayo...kalimti ang cholesterol usa'=;) (oh yeah!!! this is good! and don't think of cholesterol while eating this=;)

Monday, August 18, 2008

ROASTED HEIRLOOM TOMATOES AND SAUSAGES



I bought a small basket of a variety of heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market. Call it coincidence that afternoon i watched Jamie Oliver whip up a recipe that calls for fresh tomatoes and sausages. He used sweet cherry tomatoes, so i made my version. I used all the heirloom tomatoes and a combination of hot Italian sausages and Polish sausages. This was a very easy recipe...no need to babysit while it's in the oven, ofcourse you'll have to set the timer so you'll not forget.


This recipe is a keeper...the heirloom tomatoes gave an umph if i may say so. These heirloom tomatoes are so sweet, juicy and not acidic compared to regular tomatoes. I left some of the yellow pear tomatoes whole...the juice just bursts in your mouth the moment you bite into these tomatoes. The combination of herbs was just perfect! I prefer the hot Italian sausage compared to the Polish sausage. I served this w/ French bread to mop the sauce/juice. I'm sure using regular tomatoes will be as deliscious as well.


For the original recipe pls check Jamie Olivers Sweet cherry tomato and sausage bake. http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/meat/sweet_cherry_tomato_and_sausage_bake



Slices of heirloom tomatoes






Ingredients to make Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes and Sausages:

Bay leaves, Thyme, Tomatoes, garlic, Rosemary (not shown)




Arrange all the ingredients in a casserole dish/tray. Drizzle w/ balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Put in a preheated oven (375 degrees F). Give the sausages and tomatoes a turn after 30 minutes and bake again for another 30 min. or until the sausages are cooked.



This is how the tomatoes and sausages will look like...fresh out of the oven.



Serve w/ a slice of baquette or French bread to mop the sauce. Or as Jamie suggested serve this w/ rice or pasta or mashed potatoes.


Like i said this is a keeper. Lami kaayo, humot pa jud!!!=:)( This is delicious and smells really good too!)