Recipes & Videos

January 14, 2022 Accompaniments, Finger Foods, Potato Recipes, Snack Food, Vegan Recipes, Vegetable, Vegetarian Recipes

How did this iconic dish evolve? South African Slap Chips!

Slap chips


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How did this iconic dish evolve? South African Slap Chips!
Author: 
Recipe type: Accompaniments
Cuisine: Fries
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
How iconic slap chips evolved and how to make them at home.
Ingredients
  • Potatoes
Instructions
  1. Today’s episode is a request from Dawie Venter in Australia.
  2. South Africa’s iconic Slap Chips…. Spelled “slap” but pronounced “slup” were not invented by anyone in particular, but instead they evolved through a combination of bad staff training, laziness and the cost savings of running a fryer at lower temperatures.
  3. This may sound harsh, but something good did come from it…. Slap chips!
  4. The owners of the take-out establishments where slap chips evolved realised that running their chip fryers at lower temperatures of around 150c instead of the customary 180c, the oil would last much longer before denaturing and becoming unusable.
  5. To compound this issue, lazy or poorly trained staff would then overload the fryer with a full basket of cold chips instead of a half basket. The oil temperature would plummet to less than 100c, and the chips would boil in the oil instead of frying, for at east the first 5 minutes of the cooking process.
  6. This would effectively partially cook the chips, followed by very slow frying for another 10-15 minutes until the chips floated to the top of the oil indicating they were ready to remove. By the time the chips were cooked, the oil temperature was a mere 140-145c. The result was a whole new type of chip…. Slap chips… which were originally intended to be French fries.
  7. To achieve the same result at home, you don’t need to heat your oil to 150c, or cut a truck-load of chips to overload your fryer. Simply cut 4 medium potatoes into chips of about 12mm in thickness. This is intentionally thicker than a French fry, as slap chips to tend to fall apart if cut thinner than this. Place the chips in very cold water to keep them from discolouring. At this stage you can actually store your chips in the refrigerator for later.
  8. When you are ready to start frying your chips, dry the chips off with a dish towel, place the chips in your fryer basket and lower it into the cold oil. Turn on your fryer to maximum and let the process take its course.
  9. After about 5 minutes, the chips will start to boil in the oil. Notice I say boil, not fry, as the oil is not yet hot enough to cause any type of frying action. This will continue for a few minutes, after which the temperature of the oil will reach around 110c and the chips will start to fry very half-heartedly.
  10. Another few minutes and the frying will increase as the temperature nears 120c.
  11. After another few minutes, the chips will start to rise to the surface. The oil will be at approximately 140c – 145c in temperature, and the chips will only be slightly golden. They are ready to be removed from the oil.
  12. Add a generous sprinkling of white spirit vinegar and salt, and you’re ready to serve.
  13. If you don’t have a fryer at home, you can use a pot, or high side frying pan to achieve the same results as a fryer.
  14. Once again, thanks for watching, please like, subscribe and share this video, and we’ll see you again real soon.

 

January 11, 2022 Chicken Recipes, French Recipes, Poutry

New-Style Chicken Cordon Bleau

New-style chicken cordon bleau


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New-Style Chicken Cordon Bleau
Author: 
Recipe type: Chicken
Cuisine: French
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Beautifully tender chicken fillet stuffed with salami and cheese, wrapped in crispy bacon. An umami dream come true!
Ingredients
  • 2 Large chicken breasts
  • 8 Rashers streaky / strip bacon
  • 6 Slices good quality salami
  • 2 Generous handfuls of grated cheddar mozzarella mix
  • Oil and butter for frying
Instructions
  1. New-style Chicken Cordon Bleu
  2. To create this simple chicken masterpiece, only a few ingredients are required, starting with a couple of handfuls of grated aged cheddar and mozzarella mixed.
  3. -4 Rashers of streaky, or strip bacon per portion, and 2-3 slices of good quality salami per portion.
  4. In addition, you will, of course need 2 large, plump, deboned, skinless chicken breast fillets.
  5. To prepare the fillets, start by removing the fillet’ from the breast. Continue by trimming any fat and leftover remnants of the skin from the breasts.
  6. Position the fillet at an angle, with the longer rounded side furthest from your knife. Holding your knife parallel to the work surface, slice through the fillet from the shorter rounded edge, leaving about 10mm or just less than a half inch intact on the longer round edge.
  7. Finish the cut by opening the breast and trimming a little further so that the fillet can open completely.
  8. Repeat this with the second breast.
  9. Place 2-3 slices of salami over the fold of each chicken breast.
  10. Follow this with a compressed handful of the shredded cheese.
  11. Fold the breasts closed and press them down lightly to compact the stuffing.
  12. At this stage, give the breasts a generous dose of salt and cracked black pepper.
  13. Using 3-4 to 4 strips of bacon, wrap each breast with a slight overlap on the edges and the ends of each strip of bacon, until the entire breast is covered.
  14. The bacon must be wrapped firmly, but not overly tight so as to squeeze out the filling.
  15. To cook the breasts, add 2 tablespoons of oil to your pan and heat this over medium heat to 180c. When you reach 180c, add a tablespoon of butter and mix this with the oil. This will help the chicken brown as it cooks.
  16. Add the chicken to the pan and fry this for 3 minutes per side, remembering that each breast has 4 sides – 2 flat sides and 2 edges.
  17. After the first 3 minutes, flip the chicken over to fry the second flat side.
  18. After the second 3 minutes, turn the chicken onto its edge, using the rim of the pan to prop it up.
  19. After the third 3 minutes, flip the chicken once again onto the other edge and fry for a final 3 minutes.
  20. Serve the chicken immediately with the accompaniments of your choice and enjoy this magnificent creation.

 

January 5, 2022 4th of July Cookout, Accompaniments, Mexican Recipes, Snack Food, Vegan Recipes, Vegetable, Vegetarian Recipes

Crispy Fried Cauliflower

spicy bufallo cauliflower wings


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Crispy Fried Cauliflower
Author: 
Recipe type: Vegetable
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
This spicy deep-fried cauliflower is absolutely amazing. Once you have tried it, there is no going back!
Ingredients
  • 1 x Medium cauliflower
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 100ml Milk
  • 1 Cup all-purpose flour
  • 2tsp Dried garlic granules
  • 3tsp Paprika
  • 2tsp Oregano
  • 1.5tsp Cumin
  • 2tsp Dried onion flakes
  • 0.5tsp Cayenne pepper
  • 0.5tsp Salt
  • 1tsp Black pepper corns
  • 1tsp Chilli flakes (optional, or more if desired)
Instructions
  1. Crispy Deep-fried Cauliflower Recipe
  2. To make this amazing crispy fried cauliflower, start by inverting the cauliflower and cutting through the stems that join the florets to the core of the cauliflower.
  3. Once all the florets are free of the core, you will notice that some of the florets are much larger than others. To trim these down, use your paring knife to cut longitudinally through the stems of the florets. It is important to only cut the stem section so as not to damage the florets. Once the stem is cut, gently untangle the one half of the floret from the other half.
  4. Transfer the cauliflower florets to your steamer and steam these for 20 minutes until tender.
  5. Remove the cauliflower from the steamer and transfer this to a platter lined with paper towel to absorb any excess water and cool.
  6. Combine all the dried herbs and spices and place these in you spice grinder. Pulse the grinder until you have a reasonably fine powder, then put this aside.
  7. Crack 2 large eggs into a medium size bowl and add 100ml of milk. Whisk the mixture until well combined.
  8. Measure one cup of all-purpose flour into another bowl and add the herb and spice blend. Mix this well until combined.
  9. Sprinkle an even layer of the herb and spice blend onto a large platter. This will be where the coated cauliflower will rest until it is fried, and the layer of seasoned flour prevents the coated cauliflower from sticking to the platter and damaging the coating.
  10. Working with a few pieces of cauliflower at a time, dip the florets into the egg mixture to wet them all over, then dredge them in the flour mixture to coat. Be sure to shake off any loose flour before transferring the coated florets to the floured platter.
  11. Heat your oil to 180c and carefully drop the florets into the oil, piece by piece. Fry the cauliflower for 2-3 minutes until crispy and golden.
  12. Remove the cauliflower from the oil using a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl lined with paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
  13. Serve these delicious treats as a snack, or as any accompaniment to any meal and enjoy!
  14. If you have any requests for recipes on our channel, please send these through to my email, ctpro@whats4chow.com and I will do my best to accommodate these.
  15. Please like, share and subscribe and we’ll see you again real soon.

 

May 11, 2021 Accompaniments, Fermentation Recipes, Preserving Fruit & Vegetables, Sauce Recipes, Xanthan Gum Recipes

Fermented Hot Sauce with a Difference!

Fermented Hot Sauce


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Fermented Hot Sauce with a Difference!
Author: 
Recipe type: Hot Sauce
Cuisine: Louisiana
Serves: 8lt
 
Today’s episode is very exciting. We’re going to make a Tabasco style hot sauce with a difference. The idea for this came from a small Portuguese restaurant down the road from me. They produce a famous hot sauce with a secret ingredient that just rounds off the flavour beautifully. Anyway, not long ago the old lady that owned the restaurant and produced the sauce retired, and decided it was OK to share the secret ingredient with me. I was quite surprised at how simple it was…. Alcohol.
Ingredients
  • 1200g Tabasco peppers
  • 1200g White sugar
  • 6lt Water
  • 6g Distiller's yeast
  • 6g Yeast activator
  • 6g Yeast nutrient
  • 6g Diammonium phosphate
  • 130g Himalayan rock salt
  • 100g White sugar
  • 1200ml White vinegar
  • 2.5ml Xanthum gum
  • 60ml Bottles for bottling
Instructions
  1. This recipe will make just under 8 litres of Tabasco-style sauce.
  2. Trim the stalks from a load of Tabasco chillis, and measure out 1200g of the chillis. You can also use birds-eye, serrano, or any other hot chilli peppers. It is important to weigh the peppers after trimming the stalks, otherwise your quantities will be incorrect.
  3. Transfer the peppers to your food processor along with 1 litre of water and process these until quite fine. If your processor is on the smaller side, this may have to be done in batches.
  4. Transfer the machined peppers to a large non-reactive pot and add 1200g of white sugar and another 5 litres of water.
  5. Place the pot over medium heat and heat the mixture up to 70c or 158f. This will pasteurize the mixture and dissolve the sugar.
  6. Remove the pot from the heat, put the lid on and allow this to cool to 35c or 95f before continuing.
  7. As the mixture starts getting closer to 35c, start to prepare your fermentation ingredients. These include 6g of distiller’s yeast, 6g of yeast nutrient, 6g of yeast activator and 6g of diammonium phosphate.
  8. Measure out 200ml of warm water at 35c or 95f. Add the yeast and the yeast activator. Stir this briefly and put it aside for 15 minutes.
  9. Pour the chilli mixture from the pot into a large fermentation vessel. This can be anything from a large food-grade bucket to a purpose-built fermenter. You will notice how I have poured everything but the very last bit of mixture into the pot. All the pepper seeds sink to the bottom of the mixture during the pasteurization process, and these will be left in the pot.
  10. Add the yeast nutrient and diammonium phosphate to the fermentation vessel and stir these in.
  11. Pour in the activated yeast solution and stir this in.
  12. Place the lid on your fermentation vessel. If you are using a food grade bucket for the fermentation, make sure your fermentation bubbler is in place and filled.
  13. After 24 hours, all the solids will have risen to the top of the liquid. The yeast is giving off massive amounts of CO2 and this latches on to the solids and makes them float to the top. CO2 also collects below this carpet of solids causing fascinating bulges in the carpet of solids. Use a sterilized spoon to stir the solids back into the liquid. This will release most of the trapped CO2 and prevent this carpet from causing any fungal growth along the top of the vessel.
  14. This process will be repeated every day for 6-7 days until the fermentation slows down, and most of the solids remain at the bottom of the fermentation vessel.
  15. It can take anything from 10-14 days for the fermentation to be totally complete. The complete fermentation can be noted by the complete absence of bubbling or foaming, and on tasting the liquid, there is no sugar remaining in the liquid. This means that the yeast has completely consumed all the sugar in the solution, and fermentation has finished. There will also be a very noticeable alcoholic aroma to the liquid along with the strong pepper aroma.
  16. Pour the fermented solution through a fine sieve into a large non-reactive pot. Once again, I am leaving the last little bit in the vessel. This is mostly comprised of seeds that we missed on the first pouring, yeast cells and a little of the solids.
  17. Use a silicon spatula to stir the solid pulp around in the sieve. This allows the remaining liquid to escape through the sieve. It also helps to scrape the outside of the sieve down as well. Once the pulp has reached half of its original quantity, transfer the pulp to a tall jug.
  18. Use you stick blender to machine this to a very fine paste. You may have to do this in batches.
  19. Rinse the sieve, then return the paste to the sieve. Use a clean spatula to stir this around, once again forcing the fine particles and liquid to escape into the pot. Once this pulp has reduced to half, return the unfiltered pulp to the tall jug and process it again using your stick blender.
  20. Pour the reprocessed pulp into the pot and stir it into the pepper liquid.
  21. Add 130g of Himalayan rock salt. This is 2% of the total volume of the liquid at this stage of the process.
  22. Add 100g of sugar and stir this in. We are not trying to sweeten the liquid. 100g of sugar will barely be discernible in this quantity of liquid. It is added to temper and smooth the burn of the peppers.
  23. This is followed by 1.2 litres of white vinegar.
  24. Place the pot over medium heat and once again heat the liquid to a temperature of 70c or 158f. This time round the pasteurization is purely to kill any remaining yeast in the sauce. If you skip this step and proceed straight to the next step, your bottled product may burst once sealed, due to renewed fermentation.
  25. Transfer 550ml of the sauce to a tall jug. Add 2.5ml or a half teaspoon of Xanthan gum to the jug. Use your stick blender to beat this into the sauce. The sauce will thicken to a syrupy consistency that will coat the back of a spoon.
  26. The Xanthan gum effectively suspends all the microscopic solid particles in the liquid, ensuring that you will have no precipitation of solids in the sauce. Notice how the sauce has lightened in colour. This is an optical illusion caused by billions of microscopic bubbles in the sauce introduced during the blending process. After a few hours the bubbles will rise to the top of the liquid and the colour will return to its original deep red hue.
  27. Continue with the remaining sauce until all of it has been stabilized and thickened, then proceed to bottling and you are done.
Troubleshooting
  1. ) If your fermentation stops and there is still sugar present in the sauce, add another 6g of yeast to restart the fermentation.
  2. ) If mould starts to grow on the carpet of chilli solids, you probably skipped the pasteurization process, or your equipment was not sterile. Skim the mould off the top and continue as normal.
  3. )If fermentation fails persistently, you have not used all of the fermentation ingredients. You cannot successfully ferment the sauce without the yeast activator, nutrient and diammonium phosphate. The high sugar and acid levels in the sauce will kill the yeast without these additives.

 

January 27, 2021 Chicken Recipes, Cocktail Snacks, Finger Foods, KFC Recipes, Poutry

Better Than KFC! – Quicker, Easier & Better Than KFC!

Better Than KFC S


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Better Than KFC! - Quicker, Easier & Better Than KFC!
Author: 
Recipe type: Chicken
Cuisine: USA
Serves: 16-20
 
Today’s episode brings something really exciting. These Deep-Fried Hot Chicken Wings are quicker, easier and better than KFC hot wings. With only 6 ingredients and a super-short 3 minute frying time, you’ll be enjoying these incredibly crispy, golden hot wings in a flash.
Ingredients
  • 3 Tbs Aromat / Aromex / Flavormate
  • 1-6 Tbs Dried chilli flakes
  • 120g Packer Salt & Vinegar chips / crisps
  • 2 Cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 Eggs
  • 8-10 Whole chicken wings
Instructions
  1. To start, measure out 3 tablespoons of Aromat. This is also called Aromex, Flavormate and a number of other trade names, depending on where you live.
  2. Measure out 1-6 Tablespoons of dried chilli flakes. One tablespoon will give you a mild burn, with the burn increasing as add extra chilli. The choice is up to you.
  3. You will also need a 120g packet of salt and vinegar potato chips or crisps.
  4. Place the Aromat and chilli flakes in your spice grinder and machine these to a fine powder.
  5. Place the potato crisps in your food processor and pulse them 3 to 4 times until quite fine.
  6. Measure 2 cups of all purpose flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the powder Aromat, dried chilli and crushed potato chips and mix these well to combine.
  7. Put this aside until required.
  8. Crack 4 eggs into another mixing bowl and whisk these briefly and put this aside.
  9. Take 8-10 whole chicken wings. Cut the tips from the wings and discard these.
  10. Slice through the center joint, giving a total of 16-20 winglets.
  11. At this stage, start heating your oil over over high heat with a target temperature of 180c or 350f.
  12. Sprinkle some of the coating over a couple of large platters. This is where the coated wings will rest, and the layer of powder prevents the coating on the wings from sticking to the platters and getting damaged.
  13. Dredge one of the winglets in the powder mixture. Transfer this to the egg and coat it all over. Return the wing to the powder mixture and dredge it well to get a good solid coating. Transfer this to the platter to rest while you continue with the remaining winglets.
  14. By the time you’re finished coating the wings, the oil should be close to reaching 180c.
  15. When it reaches 180c, fry the chicken wings in batches for 3 minutes per batch, until crispy and golden.
  16. Use a slotted spoon to remove the wings from the oil, and continue with the remaining wings.
  17. It is now time to dig in and feast on your amazing crispy fried, golden chicken wings.
  18. That’s it for today folks, please like subscribe and share, and we’ll see you again real soon!

 

January 24, 2021 Baking, Cake and Tart Recipes, Dessert, Sweets

How to Make Condensed Milk at Home

How to Make Condensed Milk S


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How to Make Condensed Milk at Home
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
 
In our previous episode I spoke about fake condensed milk that is flooding the markets around the world – if you missed it, the link is in the description below. Today I am going to show you how to make your own condensed milk at home using just milk and sugar.
Ingredients
  • 2¼ Cups full cream milk
  • ⅔ Cup White sugar + 1 Tbs
Instructions
  1. Since most recipes call for condensed milk on can measurements, this recipe will make the exact equivalent of a single can of condensed milk. If you need 2 cans, simply double up the recipe and adjust the timings accordingly.
  2. The added bonus of making your own condensed milk is that it works out at roughly half the price of store-bought condensed milk.
  3. To start, measure out 2 and one quarter cups of full cream milk, and 2 thirds of a cup of sugar plus one tablespoon. You can use any white sugar, however I prefer to use caster sugar as it is highly refined and contains less impurities, resulting in less scum or slag that has to be skimmed from the top of the pot.
  4. Place a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat and pour in the milk and sugar. Stir this until the sugar has dissolved. You will know when it is dissolved as the bottom of the pot will be smooth.
  5. At this stage, remove the spatula from the pot and wait until the milk just comes to a gentle simmer around the edges.
  6. Reduce the heat and allow this to simmer gently for 35-40 minutes. The exact timing will depend on what pot you use, your stove, and many other variables.
  7. During this stage it is important not to disturb the milk in any way. Stirring or agitating the milk will knock sugar crystals that form on the edges of the pot back into the mixture, and this will result in a grainy condensed milk.
  8. When the milk has reduced to half of it’s original volume, use a spoon dipped in a little water to skim off any slag or scum.
  9. If the milk coats you spoon and drips off from the spoon like pouring cream, the process is complete.
  10. Remove the pot from the heat and pour the condensed milk through a sieve to strain out any skin and slag that you may have missed with the spoon.
  11. Allow the condensed milk to cool to room temperature before covering and refrigerating. The condensed milk will last for 6 months under refrigeration.
  12. As the condensed milk cools it will thicken dramatically to the consistency of store-bought condensed milk.
  13. And there we have it, silky-smooth creamy condensed milk made right here at home.
  14. That’s it for today folks, please like, subscribe and share, and we’ll see you again real soon.

 

January 13, 2021 Baking, Dessert

Beware Fake Condensed Milk – Fake Condensed Milk Imported from Malaysia Will Make Your Recipes Fail!

Fake condensed milk


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Beware Fake Condensed Milk - Fake Condensed Milk Imported from Malaysia Will Make Your Recipes Fail!
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Universal
 
Fake Condensed Milk Hi and welcome to episode #648 with Whats4Chow.com Today’s episode is a public awareness episode. Over the festive season, my sister-in-law came to visit. While she was here, she prepared a creamy custard fridge tart. This is a tart that she can make in her sleep. It is super simple, and absolutely fail-proof…. until now that is.
Ingredients
  • Condensed Milk
Instructions
  1. It seems that a company based in the far east has taken it upon them selves to make fake condensed milk. It can not be used for baking, or any purpose that requires condensed milk as the active ingredient. Fridge tarts will not set, and anything similar is bound to fail.
  2. The product is packaged exactly the same as real condensed milk, however a quick look at the ingredients and all is exposed. The fake product contains sugar, milk powder, not full-cream milk, and refined palm oil. In addition to this it contains a soy based emulsifier, probably lecithin, to bind the water and the oil, and a stabilizer, probably zanthan gum to stop the precipitation of the milk powder in the mixture.
  3. Real condensed milk contains sugar and milk. Here is one of the real brands. As you can see it only contains sugar and full cream milk. Lactose is added in varying quantities, as this varies in every batch of milk. Lactose is the sugar found naturally in milk. Lactose is added in the condensed milk for the purpose of consistency.
  4. On opening a can of this rubbish, there is noticeable difference in color. It is much darker than real condensed milk. It is also noticeably thinner in consistency.
  5. On tasting it, I must say that it is almost as creamy and smooth as condensed milk, however the dairy flavor is almost entirely absent.
  6. If you buy condensed milk to sweeten your coffee or tea, then this might do the job, and it is certainly cheaper than condensed milk, however, if you’re planning any type of baking or candy making, then I would absolutely avoid this product. You will waste much more money on spoiled ingredients than you stand to save by buying it.
  7. In my opinion, the FDA, and similar food control organisations around the world should be doing a better job of stemming the influx of these rubbish products into our countries. In the meantime, if you’re buying condensed milk, read the ingredients… there should be nothing other than full cream milk, sugar and lactose.
  8. That’s it for today folks, please share this with your friends and family, and we’ll see you again real soon.
  9. Check out Chef D's new Youtube Channel -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmiyL8XyNes
  10. For over 600 episodes of amazing cooking videos, please visit http://whats4chow.com
  11. Please subscribe to our channel!

 

December 22, 2020 Accompaniments, Potato Recipes, Thanksgiving, Vegan Recipes, Vegetable, Vegetarian Recipes

Castle & Cannon Fried Potatoes – A Touch of Class for any Plate!


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Castle & Cannon Fried Potatoes - A Touch of Class for any Plate!
Author: 
Recipe type: Potatoes
Cuisine: Chef T Original
 
Today we’re going to do something really simple and quick that can add a touch of class to any dish. All you need for this recipe is a large potato per person, a potato peeler, a very sharp knife and an apple corer. In addition to this you will need a pan and oil to fry the potatoes.
Ingredients
  • 1 Large potato per person
  • Oil for frying
Instructions
  1. To start, you will need a large potato for each guest. They should be roughly the same size as one another, and peeled.
  2. Slice a flat section off of the side of one of the potatoes.
  3. Turn the potato onto the flat section and proceed to slice flat sections from each side of the potato.
  4. Turn the potato onto one of the sides and slice off the remaining flat section.
  5. Slice the ends off to create a rectangular shaped block.
  6. Place the knife 5mm in from the edge of the potato and slice 5mm downwards.
  7. Re-position the knife parallel with the work surface and 5mm from the top edge of the potato and slice in wards 5mm. A small chip will come free from the potato, getting rid of the slightly curved corners at the top and bottom of the potato.
  8. Repeat this with all 12 edges of the potato.
  9. Use your apple corer to remove the center of the potato along its length.
  10. Continue until all of the potatoes are processed.
  11. Heat your oil to 180c and fry the potatoes until deep golden in color, and they start to float to the top of the oil.
  12. Remove the potatoes from the oil, drain any excess oil on kitchen paper, and serve immediately.
  13. Thanks for joining us today, please like, subscribe and share, and we’ll see you again real soon.
  14. Check our Chef D's Channel here --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmiyL8XyNes

 

December 11, 2020 Baking, Cheese, Dessert

Syrian Style Cheese Latkes – After Tasting These You’ll Never Eat a Waffle Again!

Cheese Latkes Recipe


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Syrian Style Cheese Latkes - After Tasting These You'll Never Eat a Waffle Again!
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Syrian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
We will be making a batch of delectable Syrian-style cheese latkes. These latkes are crispy on the outside, and incredibly smooth and creamy on the inside. Rich and decadent, these treats will have your friends and family lining up for seconds. You can whip up a dozen of these tasty latkes in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients
  • 1lb / 450g Strong cheese (mature Cheddar / Monterey Jack)
  • 1 Cup / 160g All purpose flour
  • ½ Cup / 110g Caster sugar
  • 6 Eggs
  • ¼ Tsp / 1.25ml Ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tsp / 5ml Vanilla extract
  • Butter for frying
Instructions
  1. Measure a cup or 160g of all-purpose flour into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add a pound or 450g of coarsely grated strong cheese. You can use mature cheddar, jack or anything similar.
  3. Mix this into the flour. Doing this does make the final mixing much easier, and you will get a more even mix as well.
  4. Add a half-cup, or 110g of caster sugar and a quarter teaspoon or 1.25ml of ground cinnamon. Mix this in until well combined.
  5. Add 6 eggs to the bowl and mix these in thoroughly until there is no dry flour visible in the mixture.
  6. Finally, add a teaspoon or 5ml of vanilla extract and mix this in thoroughly.
  7. Heat a large pan over medium high heat and add enough butter to cover the base of the pan.
  8. Spoon one-third of a cup, or 80ml of batter into the pan for each latke.
  9. Fry these for 2-3 minutes before turning. Don’t be too concerned about them breaking when you turn them, the fried side is quite resilient and will hold them together.
  10. Fry the second side until golden, then remove them from the pan and continue with the remaining latkes.
  11. Serve the latkes with whipped cream or ice-cream and a generous dose of honey or maple syrup, and you’re ready go.

 

November 20, 2020 4th of July Cookout, Barbecue, Beef, Instructional Techniques, Steak

The Quickest Way to Tenderize Steak – How to Tenderize Steak with a Meat Mallet

How to Tenderize Steak


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The Quickest Way to Tenderize Steak - How to Tenderize Steak with a Meat Mallet
Author: 
Recipe type: Steak
 
Tenderizing steak with a meat mallet is probably the easiest way to tenderize steak. It certainly beats using enzymes and chemicals which at best produce inconsistent results. Almost every kitchen has a meat mallet, most of which have never been used. The reason for this is that no-one has ever showed you how to use it.
Ingredients
  • Steak
Instructions
  1. How hard do you hit? How long do you hit? Do you season the meat before or after tenderizing? Will the steak still look good if you beat the daylights out of it? These are all questions that this video will answer today.
  2. For this demonstration I am using sirloin steaks. The sirloin is an average cut that is certainly not revered for being tender, in the way that tenderloin is.
  3. We are going to season the meat before the tenderizing process. For the purpose of keeping things simple, I am only going to use salt and cracked black pepper. Whatever you decide to use, if it contains salt, then you have to add one extra ingredient, and that is sugar. Salt toughens meat, especially if the meat in question is not going to stand for anything longer than a few minutes before cooking it. The sugar counteracts the toughening effect of salt, with added bonuses… it also gives a wonderful crispy edge crust to meat when it is cooked and results in a rich deep flavor.
  4. Once you have seasoned both sides of the steaks, fold them in bread film of clingwrap and start with the tenderizing. This is where a bit of finesse comes in. You want to hit the meat medium to hard, certainly not hard enough to make holes in it, but hard enough to start flattening the meat out. This process breaks down the connective tissue in the flesh of the meat, resulting in a more tender steak.
  5. You also want to bash the fat cap as well as this is attached to the meat with the same connective tissue. Continue with the tenderizing until everything is uniform and the resulting steak is around half the thickness of the original.
  6. Now you are probably saying to yourself… “This is never going to look like the steak I started with when it’s cooked” --- all I can say is “hang around until the end of the video when you will see just how good it looks”.
  7. To cook the steaks, I have added 2 tablespoons of butter and a dash of oil to my pan. The pan is heated to 210c. You will see a time-lapse of the steak cooking where it will become clear how the tenderized steaks return to their original shape and size when cooked, but without the nasty tough connective tissue.
  8. Here we go…. These are only going to grill for 2 minutes per side…
  9. The steaks are a few seconds from coming out of the pan….. here is an overlay of the steaks that went into the pan, compared to the same steaks 4 minutes later. They have returned to almost exactly the same size and shape as they were before they were tenderized.
  10. Allow the steaks to rest for 2 minutes before serving.

 

November 1, 2020 Chicken Recipes, KFC Recipes, Main Courses, Poutry

Tarragon Deep-Fried Chicken — The Crispiest, Most Tender & Juicy Deep-Fried Chicken Ever!

Tarragon Deep-Fried Chicken


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Tarragon Deep-Fried Chicken --- The Crispiest, Most Tender & Juicy Deep-Fried Chicken Ever!
Author: 
Recipe type: Chicken
Cuisine: French
 
Today we’re making crispy tarragon deep-fried chicken. The manner in which this dish is prepared results in a juicy, super-tender chicken with tons of flavor and an aroma that will have your guests clamoring for more and more.
Ingredients
For the Flavoring
  • 6 Chicken Pieces
  • 2Tbs Dried Tarragon flakes
  • 1Tbs Dried garlic flakes
  • 2Tbs Dried chilli flakes
  • 30g Softened butter
  • 175ml Chicken stock
  • 50ml White wine
For the Coating
  • 10ml Baking Powder
  • 1 Cup Strong white bread flour
  • 1 Cup Corn starch
  • 1Tbs Himalayan rock salt
  • 1.5ml / 0.25Tsp MSG
  • 3 Eggs
  • 150ml Full cream milk
  • Oil for frying
Instructions
  1. Today we’re making crispy tarragon deep-fried chicken. The manner in
  2. which this dish is prepared results in a juicy, super-tender chicken with
  3. tons of flavor and an aroma that will have your guests clamoring for
  4. more and more.
  5. The technique we use is suited for any size batch, but certainly makes it
  6. much easier for you when making large batches for bigger crowds, as
  7. the frying time is much shorter than for regular fried chicken.
  8. Before we begin, please remember to subscribe if you haven’t done so
  9. already, also give us a thumbs-up, and share this with your family and
  10. friends --- every little bit helps us to grow the channel, and your
  11. support is much appreciated.
  12. To start, preheat your oven to 200c or 400f.
  13. Measure out 2 tablespoons dried tarragon flakes, 1 tablespoon dried
  14. garlic flakes and 2 tablespoons of dried chilli flakes.
  15. You also need 175ml chicken stock, 50ml dry white wine, and 30g of
  16. softened butter.
  17. Pour these all into one jug and mix them all until well combined.
  18. Place your chicken pieces in a large baking pan and pour the flavoring
  19. mixture over the chicken pieces. Cover the pan with foil and bake the
  20. chicken pieces for 80 minutes.
  21. After 80 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven, carefully remove
  22. the foil and transfer the chicken to a cooling rack in another pan to
  23. cool for 30 minutes.
  24. While the chicken cools, place 2 tablespoons of Himalayan rock salt
  25. and 1.5ml of pure MSG in your spice grinder. Machine this until you
  26. have a very fine powder. This will only take a few seconds. The powder
  27. must be as fine, if not more refined than the flour it is going to be
  28. combined with. This helps to get a very even distribution of the powder
  29. through the flour coating.
  30. In another pan, measure out 1 cup of corn starch and one cup of strong
  31. white bread flour. Add 2 teaspoons baking powder, and the powdered
  32. MSG and salt.
  33. Mix this all until thoroughly combined.
  34. In a large jug, combine 3 egg with 150ml full cream milk. Whisk this
  35. briefly and put it aside.
  36. Use a little of the flour mixture to sprinkle over a large platter. This is
  37. where the coated chicken will rest before being fried. The layer flour
  38. prevents the coating on the chicken from sticking to the platter and
  39. getting damaged.
  40. To oat the chicken, drop a few pieces of the chicken into the flour
  41. mixture and mix them around until they are coated.
  42. Dip them in the egg and transfer them directly back to the flour
  43. mixture. Dredge these in the flour until well coated. Transfer them to
  44. the platter to rest before frying, and continue with the remaining
  45. pieces.
  46. Heat your oil to 180c or 350f. Fry the chicken pieces in batches for 5
  47. minutes per batch until crisp and golden. Remove the pieces from the
  48. oil and drain any excess oil on kitchen paper.
  49. Allow these to stand for a couple of minutes before serving.
  50. Here we can plainly see just how moist and tender the chicken is when
  51. prepared in the manner. In addition, if you’re catering for a large
  52. crowd, the chicken can be broiled the day before and refrigerated,
  53. leaving only the coating and frying for the day of the occasion.
  54. That’s it for today folks, please like, subscribe and share, and we’ll see
  55. you again real soon.

 

October 23, 2020 Baking, Bread

How to Make Portuguese Rolls – Prego Rolls Recipe


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How to Make Portuguese Rolls - Prego Rolls Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: Bread
Cuisine: Portuguese
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 16
 
Today we’re going to make Portuguese rolls, or Prego rolls. These rolls have a fine, soft texture with smooth matted finish, and the trademark slashed top. They are normally filled with spicy pork or chicken, but serve brilliantly as burger buns as well.
Ingredients
  • 360ml Warm water
  • 280ml Milk
  • 40g Softened butter
  • 20g Instant Yeast
  • 20g Caster sugar
  • 1kg Strong white bread flour
  • 15g / 1Tbs non-iodated salt
Instructions
  1. Portuguese Rolls Recipe / Prego Rolls Recipe
  2. Hi and welcome to episode #643 with @Whats4Chow
  3. Today we’re going to make Portuguese rolls, or Prego rolls.
  4. These rolls have a fine, soft texture with smooth matted finish,
  5. and the trademark slashed top. They are normally filled with
  6. spicy pork or chicken, but serve brilliantly as burger buns as
  7. well.
  8. Before we continue, please don’t forget to give us a thumbs-up
  9. and subscribe. Don’t forget to click to bell icon next to the
  10. subscribe button to get notifications every time we publish a
  11. new episode.
  12. To start, add 20g of caster sugar and 280ml of milk to 360ml of
  13. warm water. Pour in 20g of instant yeast and stir this all briefly
  14. until the sugar has dissolved and the yest is mixed into the
  15. solution. Cover this and put it aside for 10 minutes to prove.
  16. While the yeast proves, add 1 kg of strong white bread flour to
  17. your mixer bowl. Add a tablespoon of non-iodated salt and 40g
  18. of softened butter. After 10 minutes, pour in the yeast solution.
  19. Be sure to give it a final mix before doing so.
  20. Start your mixer on its slowest speed, run it for 2 minutes until
  21. all the ingredients are combined, then increase the speed by
  22. one setting for another 6 minutes. Do the window pane test. If
  23. the test fails, continue for a further 2 minutes on the slowest
  24. speed. Do test again, and continue in 2 minute sessions until
  25. you dough very smooth and passes the window pane test. The
  26. window pane test is done by stretching a small piece of dough.
  27. If it can stretch until it is almost transparent, then it passes the
  28. test.
  29. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and leave this in a warm place to
  30. rise for 60-90 minutes until it has doubled in size.
  31. Pour boiling water into a baking tray and place this in your oven
  32. on the lowest shelf. This will warm the oven and produce steam
  33. and humidity for the second proofing.
  34. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down briefly and
  35. turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and
  36. divide it into 100g portions. Shape the portions by folding the
  37. dough from the edge to the bottom of the portion. Place the
  38. smooth ball in the palm of your hand and continue smoothing
  39. the bun by cupping your other hand over the bun and using a
  40. circular motion.
  41. Place the smooth ball on the work surface and roll it out until
  42. slightly elongated. Traditionally, these are rolled slightly more
  43. elongated than mine, however I want to use these as burger
  44. buns, so I prefer them on the rounder side.
  45. Transfer the buns to a baking sheet lined with parchment and
  46. use a very sharp blade to slash the tops of the buns.
  47. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven to prove again for 60-90
  48. minutes until doubled in size.
  49. minutes before the proofing is complete, remove the baking
  50. sheet from the oven and cover with cling film. Preheat your
  51. oven to 190c, or just below 400f making sure to leave the tray
  52. of water on the lowest shelf of the oven.
  53. When the oven is ready, uncover the rolls and transfer them to
  54. the center of the oven and bake them for 15-20 minutes until
  55. lightly golden and they sound hollow when tapped.
  56. Remove the buns from the oven and transfer them to a rack to
  57. cool. Once cooled the buns are ready to serve, or you can bag
  58. them and freeze quite successfully for months, provided the bag
  59. is well sealed.
  60. That’s it for today folks, please remember to like, subscribe and
  61. share, and we’ll see you again real soon.

 

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