Been a long time since I’ve done any serious cooking. Was really getting a good handle on it a couple years ago. My new girl it’s an AMAZING cook. But, I want to prove I have skills too. I need some ideas, gentlemen. She’s not picky, agree likes about anything.
i’m into duck lately. Duck breast is fast, easy, and impressive. I usually peel off the skin and cut it into little strips and render the fat in a 350 degree oven. I use a liitle fat to cook the duck in. Cook the breast fast, leaving it rare then take off the heat and wrap in foil. It will continue to cook just a bit so its uniformly pink throughout. Meanwhile make any sauce you like in the pan. I’ve recently done a sauce based on fresh tomatoes and garlic and also one using apple cider syrup. I usually finish a sauce with butter or cream. You can fry up those skin craclings to make a delicious garnish. We have nice celeriac in the garden so I have been serving it over pureed celeriac. Slice the breast super thi, arrange over the celeriac and cover with sauce then cracklings. Braised greens are a good side, like kale with lemon, garlic and the rest of the duck fat.
Pants are recomended when handling hot duck fat. ( but not cool duck fat)
My go-to is Steak au Poivre. Flaming off the alcohol always looks cool (but can be scary as hell), and it’s pretty simple.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/steak-au-poivre-recipe.html
Tangent - I’ve always meant to try this recipe with pork chops and cacao nibs instead of steak and peppercorn.
Last Saturday I made a very good barley risotto with herb-stuffed chicken. It was really tasty and only a moderate level of time and work.
If you are not afraid to pin yourself to your kitchen all day osso bucco is reasonably easy to make but takes a long time to cook. It’s worth the effort IMO.
For less time spent in the kitchen, pan fried fish or tenderloin is always a good option with an oven roasted vegetable and/or starch.
+1 to ossobucco. Yes it takes a long time, but not much of that time is hands on. Ditto to lamb shanks. Melt in your mouth.
Yeah, I like braised lamb shanks a lot. I just cut up an antelope I shot last weekend, and saved the shanks of it for braising.
Here’s a pretty good pasta recipe for sausage and mushrooms in cream sauce. I tweaked it by doubling the amount of sausage, mushrooms and garlic.
http://www.kcet.org/living/food/the-public-kitchen/recipe-pasta-alla-norcina.html
I grilled duck breast and asparagus, and served with roasted garlic smashed potatoes yesterday. Mighty fine meal.