little village

little village
freewheelin' it

Monday, August 30, 2010

Garlic Prawns on the Barbeque Recipe

Hi Friends!

Koutouki sponsored a hole at the Tee Up For Tots tournament today and this was what we served up:
Garlic Prawns.

Shopping list:

-1 lb of headless prawns with the shell on sized 13/15 (remember, that number means 13 to15 per lb)
-2 heads of garlic peeled
-olive oil
-sea salt
-1 bunch of flat leaf parsley
-1 lemon

Prep:

First, thaw the prawns and then remove the shell and legs all the way but keep the last segment plus tail.  Then, with a small sharp knife, make a deep incision on the top fat part of the prawn. Be sure to cut deep enough so that the meat opens up nicely when you cook it but not so deep that you end up with a flappy mess of  a shrimp. If there is any poop, be sure to remove it.

Next, toss the garlic into a food processor or blender and add enough olive oil so that the garlic is submerged and blend until you have a nice puree. Once you have made your garlic puree, then add it to your prawns and toss them with your hands in a large bowl gently but thoroughly.

Hopefully you have already fired up your barbie so that it is nice and hot.  To cook the prawns, just lay them gently one by one being sure to season each side with sea salt.  How do you know when they're cooked? When they curl and turn a fiery orange colour. Most importantly though, when the flesh turns from translucent to opaque. If the barbie is on high, it should take about 2-3 min. each side and maybe a minute to stand them on end to be sure the butterflied part is cooked right through.

When they're done, place them nicely on a plate and sprinkle some chopped parsley and douse with fresh lemon.

So give it a try you barbeque junkies, before the summer is over and tell me how they turned out.
Also, if you have questions, post them anytime and I will  gladly help you out.

With Love,
Theo

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

"Wild Thing You Make My Heart Sing"

At the risk of sounding like a paranoid schitzo, I personally, and I'm not alone, think you should steer clear of the farmed salmon when your perusing the seafood section at the supermarket.
The feed used by the farmers to raise the salmon you see, contains large amounts of PCB's (toxins) which is ingested by the salmon. And being raised on a farm or in a farm in a salmon's case, means there is not as much room to swim around making for a nice fatty salmon. Well, guess where the salmon likes to store the PCB's when he eats them. That's right. In his fat.
I'm not writing an essay on PCB's, so if you're wondering what they are exactly, google it.

Also, I'm a purist. If I'm given the choice between wild or farmed, you bet I'm grabbin' the wild one.
"Farmed". It just seems so manufactured. So artificial.

Cin Cin (Italian)
Theo

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Marinated Seafood Recipe

Hi Friends!

I recently catered a friend's party and this was one of the dishes I served.

(Keep in mind that the amounts used don't need to be exact. Use your inner chef to sense the flavours of your ingredients)

To pick up at the market:
- 1 package(approx. 1lb or 500 gr) of frozen squid rings cleaned and cut
- 8 medium size prawns 16/20 is a good size. 16/20 means 16-20 prawns per pound
- 1 jar of roasted red peppers
- 1 jar of capers
- 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley
- 1 lemon
- 1 head of radicchio
- extra virgin olive oil
- makes about 4 servings
The first step is to cook the prawns and the squid so fire up a pot of water and add a half handful of salt.
Once the water is boiling add your prawns and squid and let cook for about 3-5 minutes. Next step, strain and let cool. Once cooled enough to handle, transfer your little lovelies into a mixing bowl.

Now take a couple of r.r.peppers and slice them lengthwise and very thin and add them to the bowl along with about two tbsp of capers. Then chop about a quarter of the parsley but not too fine and add it as well.
Then add the juice of the lemon and add about half a cup or enough olive oil so that all the ingredients look well dressed. Toss with a large spoon, cover and refrigerate until cold. It will last up to 2 days to perfectly safe.

Next, set up four beautiful white plates and grab the radicchio. Peel off one large leaf for each plate and place it in the center. Then gently place a spoonful on the radicchio and drizzle the oil and lemon around the plate.
Ready to mangia!

If you have any questions or challenges, write a post and I'd love to help out. If you do try this recipe, let me know how you made out.

Prost,
Theo

Little known fact: Did you know that Ginger Beef was invented in Calgary AB in the mid 70's.

Monday, August 16, 2010

First Post

Good day friends!

This is my first post. I'll be throwing down everything from recipes to events to ideas all related to the world of food.
If you can put it in your mouth, I want to talk about it.

Cheers,
Theo