Thursday, April 21, 2011

Chicken Tamales with a Black Bean Cake and Ancho Cream Sauce

Today, I put together something that I have wanted to make for a while. I absolutely love tamales and I was trying to decide on a base that would go well with the tamale. I decided to go with a black bean cake. I have never made a black bean cake so I did a little research. Unfortunately, all the recipes I found online were terrible. So I winged it and it came out spectacular. The tamales I made didn't come out the way I had hoped but they tasted great. So, here is what I came up with and I hope you enjoy.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Shrimp and Grits!

Today, I was inspired by a traditional Southern dish, Shrimp and Grits. I wanted to take this dish but make it in a way that could be nicely presented. Parmesan polenta was my base. I made the polenta and sauteed it before I served it. I sweated shallots and garlic in bacon fat and then added cremini mushrooms. This mixture topped the shrimp. The shrimp themselves were seasoned and baked so that the shrimp meat would bake together and form one piece. For the sauce, I made a Parmesan and sharp cheddar cheese sauce. This was made by sweating shallots and garlic in butter and adding some cream then thickened with a roux. Lastly, it was garnished with a bruniose of tomato and a julienne of green onion. This dish came out very nice however, I believe next time, the shrimp need to be a size larger.