Gimme De Spread
Condiments can be prepared components which accompany main courses and make the meal that much better for being there.
Condiments are more than just ketchup and mustard and mayonnaise. We generally think of condiments as spicy or pungent seasonings. I think of them in a broader scope and consider items which might be called sides in that category.
Pickled eggplant was new to me when I went into an Italian restaurant in Boston’s North End. Sorry, I’ve long forgotten which restaurant and I’ve forgotten the main course (but not the great bay window seat), but I do recall this condimento, which was intended to be eaten as a small bite with the meal big bite.
Pickled Eggplant
I love this as a side for rich dishes or even on a sandwich with, oh, focaccia. Good stuff and it'll hold up a few days in the cooler. Make it to eat it in the next day or two.
Ingredients
Pickled Eggplant
- 1 each Large eggplant
- 1/4 C White Balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 C California Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 t Fresh mint, thinly chopped
- 1 t Fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 t Fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 t Red pepper flakes Optional
- 1 clove Garlic, peeled, very thinly sliced See "Goodfellas" prison cooking scene
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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Place a 6 qt pot of water to boil. Salt the water after it boils.
Mix all ingredients together in a stainless steel bowl. Set to the side.
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Peel the eggplant.
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Slice the eggplant 1/8 inch thick lengthwise.
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Place 4 or 5 slices of eggplant into the salted boiling water. Allow to cook until they are cooked and this is seen as the composition changed from yellowish flesh to translucent. This is the important part of the step to break down the cells of the eggplant for the next step.
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Lift the cooked eggplant from the water with a spider, shake off excess water and place hot eggplant into the assembled marinade. Stir with a wooden spoon to get all the eggplant in the marinade. Repeat with all the eggplant.
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Place the eggplant and marinade into a sealable container. Place in the cooler for at least 2 hours to cool the condimento and allow the flavor to develop.
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For service, carefully stir the eggplant bottom to top and life some eggplant from the marinade with a fork so some of the marinade drips off. Part of the beauty of this dish is the marinade as it runs on the plate.
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Serve with a nice veal dish or beef dish or baked pasta dish. Or stand in front of the cooler when no one can see you and dip focaccia into the marinade. I mean, maybe.
Recipe Notes
If you don't have or prefer to skip the Goodfellas scene, here is a link to that scene.
Obviously this level of cutting isn't really expected, but the spirit of cutting the garlic very, V E R Y, thin is the point to be made.
Additionally, the voice over is right: garlic that thin just about melts in a pan. Not too hot or it goes to carbon just as fast.
A note about olive oils. There is far and away too much funny business with OO and EVOO and even names you may think are above board might have less than stellar handling methods or other chicanery happening. What is a cook to do? Read this book and look for CA EVOO with the California Olive Oil Council logo, the top, round one.
We used this walnut pesto (pesto means paste) as a top garnish on a grilled salmon dish. This takes a bit of time, but is well worth the effort. It makes a great spread for sandwiches or as a dip for vegetables. Also mixed with certain pasta dishes instead of basil pesto. Sauté the pesto in EVOO and then add cherry tomatoes, just from the water angel hair and salt and pepper. Give it a flick of the wrist and toss to coat then plate, cheese, pepper and a fork. YUM!
Walnut Pesto
Great walnut flavor and smooth spreading garnish or spread for many uses. Surprisingly more flavor that the list of ingredients suggests.
Ingredients
Walnut Pesto
- 1 C Walnuts, blanched and air cooled
- 1/3 C Pine nuts
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1 Bunch Italian parsley
- 2 oz California Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1.5 oz Grated Romano cheese Yes, Parmigiano-Reggiano works
- Hot water, as needed
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
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Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Use the water to smooth out the pesto if it is too stiff to process well. Check and adjust seasoning.
A twist on cocktail sauce
Chili Garlic sauce is not spicy hot but spiced. It is mild to my taste, and I am a verified wimp about heat. This makes a bit, but if you need more it can be increased very easily. Make a lot and make friends in the neighborhood. Slather some on a hot grill and see who comes to visit. It is, as expected, superb with shrimp cocktail.
Chili Garlic Sauce
A very nice sauce for anything wanting a little chili garlic heat and tomato flavor. Very good with fried shrimp or fried oysters or tuna burgers. Goes with anything where an splash of heat (you can always boost the heat) is a good thing.
Ingredients
Chili Garlic Sauce
- 1 oz Peanut oil Corn oil if you have allergies
- 1 t Microplaned ginger
- 1 t Garlic paste
- 1/2 C Small dice white onion
- 1/2 T Chili Garlic paste
- 14 oz Ketchup 1.75 C
- 1 oz Sherry
- 2 oz Sugar
- 2 C Vegetable stock
- 2 T Corn starch
- 1 T Sesame seed oil
Instructions
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Sweat the ginger, garlic and onions in the peanut oil
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Add the chili paste, ketchup, sherry, sugar and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Cut to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.
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Combine the cornstarch and sesame seed oil to form a slurry. Add the slurry to the simmering sauce. Cook for 5 minutes more for the starch to completely cook out.
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Cool and place in a sealable container.
Recipe Notes
Often times cooks are told to thicken with cornstarch and it thickens instantly. Well, that's mostly true, but not all the way true. Corn starch does need some time, not much, 5 minutes or so, to fully cook out so the starch taste goes away. Cooking the starch out has the advantage of increasing the shine of the sauce.
Serve chilled.
You may wish to have some green against the nice red. Scallion tops at service would be a nice and apropos addition.
Sandwiches need bread. Of course they do. Here is the link to focaccia and here is the link to dinner rolls and here is the link to croissants.
The dinner rolls recipe makes excellent hamburger buns also. They can also be made into hotdog or picnic buns for garlic sausage.
If you are footballing it, here are some very good dips. You can’t really have too much grub for football.