A couple of friends are over for the week. One of them is an old friend since college, and a foodie through and through. Born with a Malaysian palate and a passion for cooking, K and I make an excellent team in the kitchen. Have a look:
We've been planning to cook together for... years! And when the day came, shopping at Marche Atwater could not be any better. For the lack of a better word, it was like Christmas all over again. As we shopped, two of our companions tagged along and were sometimes forgotten as K and I poured over our list of ingredients to buy. Poor fellas. All was well again after we rewarded them with a feast. :)
What did we cook? Well...
...even though I said that we've been "planning" to cook together for YEARS, it took us about 1 hour to put what we wanted to cook together the day before. With Jamie Oliver's help and two cookbooks later, we decided to cook the mixed roast on a bed of cauliflower puree, the strawberry and haloumi salad, champ potatoes with peas, and a big pot of mussels inspired by the HopLeaf Bar in Chicago.
I have made the mixed roast platter before, here and here, so I am going provide you with the recipe for Champ Potatoes with Peas, and Hopleaf's Mussels. Jamie Oliver's Strawberry Salad with Speck and Haloumi can be found here.
We did not use the speck mentioned in the recipe and it was still the best salad we've had in a while. A little tip, if you only have a generic brand for balsamic vinegar, I suggest adding 1 tablespoon of honey to balance the flavor out. Otherwise, it might be a tad tart.
Hopleaf-inspired Mussels:
Mirepoix (finely chopped (1) carrot, (1) onion, (2-3 stalks of) celery)
3lb of fresh mussels
2 red chili, de-veined and chopped finely
2 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic
375ml of beer, we used a Hoegaarden
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
Method:
1. In a large saucepan, saute mirepoix, chili, bay leaves, garlic in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook until wilted.
2. Add mussels in and toss them together before adding the whole bottle of beer in.
3. Cover and cook for approximately 8 minutes or until all the mussels are open. Discard the unopened ones because that's one dead shellfish you don't want to be eatin'.
Serves 2-3 gluttonous persons.
Champ potatoes with peas
Champ potatoes is like a cross between boiled and mashed potatoes. There is still a bite to them and with peas, the extra burst of sweetness gives a nice flavor and texture.
6 medium sized russet potatoes, cut into large 2-inch chunks
1/2 cup of frozen peas
3 stalks of scallions (green onions), chopped finely
2 tablespoon of sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup milk
Method:
1. Boil potatoes in a large pot of salted water and cook in a rolling boil for 25 minutes.
2. In the last minute of cooking, toss the frozen peas in.
3. When cooked, the potatoes will fall apart easily, which is perfect for this. To test, insert a fork in and it should break the potatoes apart rather easily. Reserve 1/4 cup of the potato water and drain the potatoes.
Combine the 1/4 cup of potato water with milk.
4. Add sour cream, scallions, milky potato water, salt and pepper into the potatoes and peas and with a large serving spoon, mix them together until the potatoes are combined well.
The end result of champs should be somewhat smooth and yet chunky from the bits of potatoes, peas and scallions.
It was the most satisfying dinner we've had in a while and there were leftovers. Our mixed roast had quails, a cornish hen and ginger and orange sausages and there are still quails and hens in the fridge for munching in the evening if we're feeling a little snippy.
:)
