Grilled Grouper and some Barbecue sauce

Alright now, a lot of people are scared of doing seafood on the grill, but it’s really not difficult if you stick to a couple of true and tried principles. The first one is to use good fish (obviously). The second is to get the grill really hot, the third is to not play with the fish, just turn it over one time. The fourth is to use the right equipment, a really thin spatula to get under the fish.

The first thing to do is to rub some olive oil over the sliced grouper. Then apply some fuzzys kicker, which will give it a nice sweet spicy flavor. Then add in some poultry seasoning. Let the grill preheat to a nice hot temperature. Then add the fish, just put it down and allow it to cook on the underside. If the grouper are pretty thin, allow each side to cook for about 4-5 minutes. sometimes, you will have a little flaking, but do not freak out, just work with it. Trust me, it will be worth it. Pour some fresh squeezed lemon juice over it and some parsley and you are good to go… or almost, now for the bbq sauce.

Ingredients:

  • One 15 oz bottle of A1 streak sauce
  • 2 cups of tomato ketchup
  • 4 medium or large jalapenos
  • 1 can of frozen concentrate orange juice
  • 2 cup of brown sugar
  1. Cut the end off the jalapenos and slice it once down the middle. The remove all of the seeds. Just remember to keep them as whole as possible. Put them in a bowl and set aside
  2. Add in 2 cups of tomato ketchup into a pan, the 1 cup of orange juice, and the bottle of A1 steak sauce. Turn on the stove to a medium heat. Then stir
  3. Add in the jalapeños.
  4. Let the mixture brew on low heat for an hour and a half. Check it every once in a while, do not let it bubble over, and you do not want to boil it. In about an hour an a half the jalapenos should be limp, that is when you will want to add in the brown sugar
  5. Then take a cup of brown sugar and add it in. for the next five or six minutes continue to stir. If you do not do this, the brown sugar will burn on the bottom of the pot.
  6. Then carefully remove the jalapeño from the sauce. Funny thing is, now these jalapeños will taste so sweet and they will be real easy to tackle, very mild. Anyone could eat them now!
  7. Enjoy!


Posted in Recipes

Grilled monkfish brochettes with orange

The so-called Canadian fish rule, an all-inclusive guideline for determining cooking items for fish, is, in our opinion, a good starting point but not necessarily a fool-proof rule. It calls for measuring a whole fish( or fillet) at the thickest point and that it be cooked, no matter how, for precisely 10 minutes per inch. This may lead to slight overcooking in some cases. We believe it is safer to calculate 8 to 9 m9inutes per inch and then check for doneness. You can always put the fish back for further cooking, if you are sautéing, broiling, or grilling, watch for little moisture drops coming to the surface. That is an indication it is significantly cooked.

  • 2 ¼ pounds skinless monkfish fillets, cut into 1-by 2-inch pieces (about 3 dozen)
  • 1 sweet yellow pepper, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 sweet red pepper, cut into bite size pieces
  • 2 cups fresh orange juice
  • ½ cup chopped scallions ( including green part)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 small ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced ( about ¾ cup)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
  1. Place 6 pieces of monkfish on skewer, alternating with pieces of red and yellow peppers. Continue until all the fish and peppers are used. Set aside
  2. In a saucepan, combine the orange juice, scallions, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce by half over the grill or on the top of the stove. Add the butter, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. When the butter has melted, set the sauce aside in a warm spot while you cook the brochettes
  3. Brush the brochettes with the oil and place them over the grill. Cook until done, about fifteen minutes, turning occasionally. Place the brochettes on serving plates. Pour the sauce over them and garnish with the coriander.


Posted in Recipes

Grilled Salmon with fennel butter

The recipe also works well with mako shark, tilefish, and red snapper

  • 2 ½ pounds salmon filets cut into 6 pieces
  • Salt and freshly round black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 head fennel (about ¾ pound)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
  • Dash of Tabasco sauce
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  1. Preheat the broiler to high ( 500 degrees)
  2. Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper and rub them with the olive oil, then set it aside.
  3. Trim the fennel, leaving only the white bulb at the bottom. Cut the bulb into ¼ inch cubes. There should be about 1 ½ cups. Put the fennel pieces into a saucepan, cover with the water and add 1 tablespoon of the butter. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes
  4. Pour the fennel mixture into a blender or a food processor. Add the remaining butter and blend to a fine puree. You should have about 1 ¼ cups. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Season with salt, pepper, Tabasco sauce and nutmeg. Simmer for about 3 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, arrange the fish fillets on a flat tray and place it under the broiler about 4 inches from the heat source. Cook for about 3 minutes; then turn the fish fillets and cook for another 3 minutes
  6. Transfer the fish to warm plates and spoon some hot fennel butter over each. Serve immediately.


Posted in Recipes

Tandoori Shrimp

Tandooori shrimp are one of the glories of Indian gastronomy. They’re exceedingly quick and easy to make, but to get the full effect you should serve the shrimp with a kaleidoscopic assortment of side dishes. A bare minimum would include the raita and the tomato chutney. You will find these recipes here too. The more people you have the more elaborate the spread should be. In India the shrimp would be cooked in a tandoor, an urn shaped clay barbecue pit. But this recipe also works well with the shrimp cooked over a high flame on a conventional American grill.

What you need

  • 2 pounds jumbo shrimp
  • 1 recipe of tandoori marinade
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ( melted)
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro sprigs
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
  • 1 recipe Raita
  • 1 recipe tomato chutney
  • 1 recipe fresh mango chutney

Tandoori marinade

  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 6 slices peeled fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 2 red jalapeño chilies seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 1 teasppon cumin seeds
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon mace blades
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2 cups plain whole milk yogurt
  • 4 cardamon pods
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2 to 4 drops orange food coloring
  • 1 piece cinimon stick
  • ½ teaspoon saffron threads
  • 1 tablespoon hot water
  • 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  1. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the coriander, peppercorns, cumin, mace, fennel, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon and toast, shaking the pan, until fragrant, 3 minutes. Transfer the spices to a bowl to cool. Grind to a fine powder in a spice mill.
  2. Crumble the saffron threads between your thumb and finger and place in a small bowl with hot water. Let the saffron infuse for ten minutes.
  3. Combine the onion, garlic, ginger, chilies, lemon juice, and oil in a blender or multi-processor and puree to a smooth paste, you may need to add a tablespoon of water or so to make a paste

Raita

  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 pint plain whole milk yogurt
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¼ inch dice
  • 1 ripe tomato, seeded and cut into ¼ inch diced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
  • 1 jalepeno chili, seeded and minced
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ teaspoon coarse salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  1. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and toast unti fragrant, 2 minutes. Let cool
  2. Grind the cumin in a spice mill, then transfer it to a bowl. Add the yogurt and sour cream and stir to mix. Stir in the cucumber, tomato, mint, jalapeño, if using, garlic, salt, and pepper. You can serve the raita right away but it will taste better if you refrigerate for 10- 15 minutes.

Tomato Chutney

  • 1 medium red onion
  • Ice water
  • 4 small ripe tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
  • 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt or more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
  1. Finely dice the onion and place it in a bowl with ice water to cover. Let it soak for 1 hour, changing the water 2 or 3 times. Drain the onions in a colander and gently squeeze dry with your fingers
  2. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high. For the best results make a wood fire
  3. Rub the tomatoes with oil and grill until charred on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate to cool. Scrape off the burnt skins. Finely chop the tomatoes
  4. Place the garlic, ginger, salt, and sugar in a bowl and mash to a paste with the back of the spoon. Place this mixture in a saucepan and stir in the tomatoes and lemon juice. Cover over medium heat until thick and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the cilantro and cook for one minute more. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the onions. Correct the seasoning, adding salt or pepper. Cool completely, then transfer to tiny individual serving bowls. Or transfer to a large jar, cover, and refrigerate. The chutney will keep up for 2 weeks.

Fresh Mango Chutney

  • 2 to 4 very ripe mangos
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 shallots minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and minced
  • ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 to 3 teaspoons Thai chili paste or chili sauce
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  1. Peel the mangos and cut the flesh off the seeds. Transfer the mango flesh to a food processor and process to a smooth puree. Strain through a strainer into a large measuring cup. You should have 1 ½ cups
  2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots garlic, ginger and chili and cook until soft but not brown, 3 minutes. Add the mango puree and simmer for three minutes. Add the cilantro, lime juice, chili paste, and sugar and simmer for two minutes. Correct the seasoning, adding salt and pepper. For a sweeter chutney add more sugar. Or more lime juice for a tart chutney.

Now for the Tandori shrimp

  1. Place the shrimp in a glass baking dish and pour the marinade over them. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator. Stir a couple of times to coat evenly
  2. Preheat the grill to high
  3. Remove the fish from the marinade and threads them onto skewers. Place on the grate and grill until firm, pink and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side, basting with melted butter
  4. Transfer the shrimp to a platter and sprinkle the onion slices and cilantro sprigs on top. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve with bowls of raita, tomato chutney, and mango chutney.


Posted in Recipes

Real Jamaican Jerk Seasoning for fish

Real Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

Around the time that reggae music began rocking America’s airwaves, a new dish bagan blasting taste buds: jerk. Invented by the Maroons (runaway slaves who lived in the hills of north-central Jamaica in the eighteenth century), this fiery Jamaican barbecue combines several seasonings (allspice, fresh thyme, Caribbean chives, and prodigious quantities of scotch bonnet chilies) in a fiery paste that’s rubbed on pork and chicken. The pit master would “jook” the meat ( poke holes in it with a sharp stick) to hasten the absorption of the seasonings – the process that gives us our word jerk. The other remarkable thing about Jamaican jerk is the cooking method: open-pit barbecuing over a low smoky fir made of burning allspice wood. You may be surprised by the amount of chilies and salt in this recipe, but that’s how Jamaicans make it. (the salt helped to preserve the mean without refrigeration) for a somewhat les fiery jerk seasoning seed the chilies or use a few as two scotch bonnets.

  • 4 to 12 scotch bonnet chiles, steemed and cut in half
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped shallots
  • 2 bunches of chives or scallions( white and green parts) trimmed and coarsely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
  • ½ cup freshly chopped cilantro
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons coarse salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • ¼ cup cold water, or as needed

Combine the chilies, onion, shallots, chives, garlic, parsley, cilantro, ginger, salt, thyme, and spices in a food processor and process to a coarse paste. Add the remaining ingredients including the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, processing to mix to a thick but spread-able paste. Use right away or transfer to a large jar, cover, placing a piece of plastic wrap between the rim of the jar and the lid, and refrigerate. The seasoning will keep for months.



Posted in Recipes

Cajun catfish

It used to be that catfish was adored in the south and reviled just about everywhere else. Thanks to the advent of farm-raised catfish, the mild, sweet fish is sold everywhere. The boneless fillets are great for grilling. This is a simple catfish recipe that explodes with Louisiana flavor. There are sauce recipes that go with this

  • 4 catfish fillets, about ¾ inch thick ( 6 to 8 ounces each)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cajun sauce
  • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup of swamp sauce

Cajun sauce

  • ½ cup coarse salt
  • ¼ cup paprika
  • 3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon file powder (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground bay leaf

Combine all of these ingredients in a bowl and stir or whisk to mix. Transfer to a jar, cover, and store away from heat and light. This will keep for many months

Cajun swamp sauce

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ Creole mustard
  • 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground bl;ack pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 large shallot minced
  • 1 rib celery, minced
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
  • 1 scallion (white and green parts) trimmed and finely chopped
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir or whisk to mix. Correct the seasoning adding salt or hot sauce to taste. Transfer to a large jar, cover, and refrigerate

Now for the catfish recipe

  1. Sprinkle the catfish fillets on both sides with half of the rub. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
  2. Preheat the grill to high. If you have a fish grate, preheat it as well. When the grill is hot, oil the grate or fish grate
  3. Coat each piece of fish on both sides with melted butter using a pastry brush, then sprinkle with the remaining rub. Or place the melted butter in a shallow bowl and dip each piece of fish in it to coat evenly.
  4. Place the fish in the grate or fish grate and grill until cooked through, 3 to 6 minutes per side, turning with a spatula. Transfer it to plates or a platter and spoon the sauce on top.


Posted in Recipes

Panamanian fish sauce

Panama has some of the most soulful, flavorful cooking in Latin America. Yet most North Americans would be hard pressed to name a single Panamanian dish! The following dish is a tasty example of just how soulful the food there really is!

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 greed bell pepper, stemmed, halved, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 1 red bell pepper stemmed, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 rib celery, thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons mustard or more to taste
  • 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder or more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup tomato puree
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • ½ cup cold water
  • Coarse salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Then add the onion, bell peppers, garlic, and celery and cook, stirring well until crisp and tender and aromatic, 3 minutes. Stir in the mustard, curry powder, oregano, and pepper and cook for one minute. Stir in the tomato puree, wine, and water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and gently simmer the sauce until thick and richly flavored, about five to ten minutes. Correct the seasoning, adding salt, curry, mustard, or lime juice; the sauce should be highly seasoned. Use right away or transfer to a large jar, cover, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate. The sauce will keep for up to one week. Bring back to room temperature before serving. This will make about 2 cups.



Posted in Recipes

Barbecue Sauce for Fish

Patrick clark was one of the first Afro-American chefs to achieve superstar status. While he made his name at such high-falutin’ New York establishments as Metro, Odeon, and Tavern on the Green in New York, he remained true to his roots. His menus paid homeage to the foods he grew up on: corn muffins, pot pies, meat loaves, and rice puddings. Clark had a lifelong fascination with barbecue sauce and developed dozens of cutting edge twists on this down-home American favorite. The following sauce adds exotic asian accents in the form of cardamom, coriander, star anise, and garlic chili paste to the familiar north American combination of ketchup, vinegar, and honey. This sauce was originally created as a glaze for roasted salmon. It is also delicious for every manner of grilled fish and even poultry. Because it is sweet you should brush this on towards the end of the grilling session. This way it will not burn. This sauce will also make for a great table sauce.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/3 cups honey
  • 1 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons garlic chili paste
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 5 star anise
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon ground mace

Combine all of the ingredients in a heavy non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer the sauce, uncovered until thick, syrupy and reduced to about 2 cups, 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Use this right away or transfer it to a large jar. The cover and cool to room temperature and refrigerate. Once refrigerated, the sauce keeps for many weeks.



Posted in Recipes

Barbecued Fish with Ginger and Onions

This is a very delicious recipe, that every fish lover will enjoy, and best of all, it only takes a total time of 45 minutes to make. The actual cook time is only 25 minutes, while the marinating process will take about 20 minutes. And the good thing is, if you have a decently sized group, it will feed four to six hungry people.

So what will you need?

  • A 2 pound fish, it is your choice here, but a good choice would be a snapper fish, or a red emperor fish, or a bream. And remember that the fish must be cleaned and scaled.
  • 2 tablespoons of finely crushed green peppercorns.
  • 2 teaspoons of rid chillies, please chop them
  • 3 tablespoons of your favorite fish sauce
  • 3 tablespoons of oil
  • 2 finely sliced onions
  • 1.5 inches of thinly sliced ginger, you want to make sure that it is fresh
  • 3 very thin cloves of garlic
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 4 finely sliced spring onions

So how do you make the sauce?

Well, we will be making a Lemon and Galic sauce, that is to be used for dipping.

What you will need

  • A quarter of a cup of lemon juice
  • two tablespoons of fish sauce
  • One tablespoon of sugar
  • two finely chopped red chillies
  • Three chopped cloves of garlic
  1. First you need to make sure you wash the fish. And you also want to pat it down dry, both on the inside and the outside of the fish of your choice. Go ahead and cut the fish. The best way to do it, is to attack the thicket part on both sides, and make 2 to 3 diagonal slashes.
  2. Grab the two teaspoons of peppercorn, and put into a food processor, along with the 2 teaspoons of chopped red chillies.
  3. Paste the sauce over the fish, and After that, refrigerate the fish for about 20 minutes.
  4. Turn on your grill, until the grill is very hot.  It is a good idea to use a brush and lather a little bit of cooking oil over it.
  5. You want to cook the fish on each side for a total of about 8 minutes, evenly. Or another method to test to see if the fish is cooked, is when it is flaking, you will know that it is done.
  6. When the fish is cooking, you can also multi-task by working on the sauce. Use some of the cooking oil, and put it into the pen. Heat the pan and stir in the following ingredients…. The onions, over a medium heat, until they are golden. After that, you want to add the garlic, sugar, and ginger. This should be done for 3 minutes. You want to serve this over the fish. And offcourse go ahead and sprinkle some of that spring onions.
  7. The last thing you want to do is, put together all of the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl, and serve that with the fish.
  8. Enjoy your delicious fish!


Posted in Recipes

Preparing the Vegetables

How to Preparer most important vegetables for the soups, chowders and stews:

Cutting vegetables is an art. The expertise comes only after many bags of onions and many stalks of celery. But it does come.

There are six vegetables like Onions, celery, carrots, garlic and shallots_ essential to the preparation of many stocks, soups, chowders, stews and more… each is cut in a slightly different way. Parsley, an equally important vegetable in the kitchen, requires no special cutting technique. Rich in vitamins A and C, parsley is used in many recipes.

Onions:

Cut a thin slice from the neck of the onion with a paring knife and remove the skin from the neck to the root end, folding the skin back rather than cutting it. Trim the root end but don’t cut deeply into it. It is the section which the onion layers are attached, and it holds the onion intact on the cutting board as it is being cut.

Diced:
Cut the peeled onion in half from neck to root end.

Place flat side of onion on the cutting board with root to your left (if you are right- handed). Holding the knife over the onion, make vertical lengthwise cuts from root end to stem end. The thickness of these slices will vary: for small dice, cut 1/4- inch slices; medium dice, ½- inch slices; large dice, ¾ – inch slices.

Hold the blade horizontal to the cutting board and cut lateral slices to ward the root end of the onion, choosing thickness of dice required. Don’t cut into the root end. The onion must stay intact.

Now cut a vertical slice across the onion, choosing the thickness desired.

Dice remaining half of onion in the same manner.

Finely Chopped:

Slices should be cut 1/8 – inch thick chopped.
For extremely fine pieces, continue chopping until all particles are no larger than 1/16 inch.

Julienne:
Cut the peeled onion in half through the root end, and place flat on the cutting board, root end to the left. Beginning at the stem end of the onion cut vertical slices across the onion __1/8- inch thick. Toss the slices with finger tips to separate slices. The slices will separate into julienne strips when stirred with a spoon.

Sliced
Cut a thin slice off one side of a peeled whole onion so that it will rest flat on the cutting board. Place the onion on its flat side, root end to the left. Make vertical, parallel slices of desired thickness.

Celery:

In most soups and stews only the outer stalks of celery are used. The small inner stalks are usually served as iced celery hearts or used in salads. Stalks should be separated, washed and scrubbed with a vegetable brush. Cut off the leaves unless the recipe calls for them. If the stalks are large and tough, peel them with a vegetable peeler with a floating blade to remove the stringy outer portion.

Diced:
With the knife point at the narrow end of the stalk, cut celery lengthwise into strips. For small dice, strips should be ¼ -inch wide; medium dice, 1/2 –inch wide, and large dice, ¾ – inches wide. Hold the celery strips in a bundle in the left hand and cut across strips to make dice of the proper size.

Chopped:
Cut the celery into large dice, as above, and chop until celery is reduce to the desire size.

Julienne:
Cut the celery stalk laterally into slices no thicker than 1/8 -inch. Cut crosswise into 1 1/2 – inch pieces. Cut pieces lengthwise no larger than 1/8 –inch.

Carrots:

Small, young and tender carrots need not be peeled for most soups, while large carrots are peeled before they are cut into various shapes. Carrots used in making stock needn’t be peeled in either case, since they will be discarded with the other vegetables used in making the stock.

Sliced:

Cut a thin lengthwise strip off each carrot. The slice should be just thick enough to permit the carrot to rest on the cutting board without wobbling. Cut the carrots crosswise into ¼ – or ½ -inch slices, or diagonally if desired.

Diced:
Cut the carrot to rest flat on the cutting board. If the carrots are large, cut into several lengthwise pieces about 3 inches long. Cut slices lengthwise into the desired thickness of the dice.
Place strips in a bundle to hold in the left hand while cutting them crosswise into desire dice.

Julienne:

Cut as above instead small dice, cut to 1/2 -inch length. Cut the lengthwise strip into 1/8-inch-thick pieces.

Garlic and Shallots:

Usually these flavoring vegetables are chopped extremely fine except for a few instances when they are lightly crushed under the flat of a knife or left a whole for a sachet or bouquet garni. Garlic comes in a cluster called bulb or head, which separates into sections called cloves. To separate the cloves, place the whole bulb on the cutting board at an angle. Holding it with the left hand, strike it solid blows with the palm of your right hand until the cloves come apart.

To peel garlic or a shallot place the clove on a cutting board. With the flat side of a French knife against it, strike the blade with a blow of the fist. The clove will be partly crushed and the skin loosened. Remove the skin and discard. Place the partly crushed garlic or shallot on the cutting board and chop with the knife tip on the board.



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