Monday, May 31, 2010

King and Prince Shrimp and Grits

Recipes for shrimp and grits In the coastal South are like crazy relatives - everyone has at least one. However, not many of us have hundreds of diners hungrily lining up every Sunday to enjoy them for brunch the way the King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort does.

Executive Chef Robyn Gomez guards the recipe but in celebration of the resort's 75th anniversary, he showed a small group of food and travel writers how he does it. My ever-growing stomach is grateful to have been on hand.

King and Prince Shrimp and Grits
Serves 6-8
Burgundy Gravy
2 oz. water
1 lb. shrimp, 26-30 count
3/4 cup mushroomed, sliced
1/2 cup julienned red pepper
1/2 cup julienned green pepper
1/2 cup julienned onion
butter
8 beef bouillon cubes
1 qt. water
dash of salt
dash of cayenne
4 oz. Burgundy wine
cornstarch
Saute onions, mushrooms and peppers in butter.Add wine and bring to a boil. Add salt and cayenne pepper; reduce heat. Add shrimp and simmer for 5 minutes. Add beef bouillon cubes and mix well, add water and bring to a boil. Thicken with 2 oz. water and equal amount of cornstarch.

Cheese Grits
2 cups stone ground grits
1 qt. chicken stock
1 qt. milk
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
butter
1/4 cup water
Bring chicken stock and milk to boil. Add grits, cook for 5 minutes. Add cheese, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add butter - Chef didn't say how much but from watching I'd guess 1/2 cup or more. Stir well and cook for 10 minutes.

Serve shrimp and gravy atop grits, take a big whiff of the dark sauce and dig in.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Masterful Mussaman Curry recipe from Thailand

Yum, whatever you do don't miss Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi on an island in Phang Nga Bay off the coast of Phuket, Thailand, or the wonderful Mussaman Curry prepared there. It was one of the highlights of a superb meal  enjoyed in the special suite aptly named "the closest thing to heaven".

You will notice there's no photograph of the dish. That's because by the time the almost empty bowl reached my end of the table it wasn't very photogenic and frankly, the curry was so good it didn't stay on my plate long enough to photograph!

Mussaman Curry of Beef

Ingredients
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lbs  beef cheek, flank or shank
4 1/4 TBS Massaman spice paste
4  medium-sized sweet potatoes
8 small pickling onions or red shallots, peeled
4-5 cups coconut milk
5 Thai cardamom pads, roasted
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp palm sugar
2-5 TBS Tamarind water
2-3 TBS fish sauce
4 tsp white onions, cut in cubes
8 cherry tomatoes
6 seedless grapes
4 tsp peanuts, roasted

Cut the beef into cubes about the size of a small chicken egg, then wash and dry. Bring coconut milk to the boil, add beef and simmer, stirring occasionally for hours or until tender (you may need to add a little water during the braising). Drain off the braising liquid and set aside.
Add the past to beef in braising pot along with cardamom, cumin powder and coriander seeds. Fry over low heat, stirring regularly until fragrant. Add reserved braising liquid to cover. Season with palm sugar, fish sauce and tamarind water and bring to the boil together with the sweet potatoes, white onions and pickled onions or shallots. Simmer the curry until the meat is soft.
Add grapes, cherry tomatoes and peanuts just before serving. The curry should taste equally sweet, sour and salty. Serve with rice.

Note: Few chefs ever say how many a Thai recipe will serve because it depends on how many other dishes are offered along with it. Prepare for this serving dish to be emptied.

NOTE: To find out more about Six Senses Hideaway and Phuket, go to this post at my other blog, Travel on the Level.