THE TWISTED DEVILED EGG CHALLENGE! WORLD EGG MONTH 2012

HAPPY WORLD EGG MONTH - SUPPORTING THE EGG FARMERS OF ONTARIO

It is that time of the year again as we celebrate World Egg Month and the Egg Farmers of Ontario and we go a bit egg-static about EGGS! ! am extremely honoured to have been asked again to participate in this recipe challenge!  

This year’s theme is the Deviled Egg, honestly one of my fave ways to enjoy these wonderful bites of yummy goodness. I think that it’s important to know how lucky we are to have such fine farmers working to provide us with some of the best. Did you know that there are approximately 400 egg farming families in Ontario that provide the fruits of their labour from their farms to our tables?  As a Chef, eggs are such a critical ingredient for all aspects of cookery. There are so many different uses and a multitude of ways to cook them up...sunny side up, scrambled, poached etc. it doesn’t matter the result is always fresh, delish and a great source of protein.

Now to make this a bit interesting for those who follow me and to bring out the awareness of the importance of what our Egg Farmers do to provide us all with their lovely produce. I am having a contest. Please visit www.eggfarmersofontario.ca and get informed with an “Egg-ducation” by watching one of their videos and leave a comment on this post with one fact that you learned for a chance to win a $50 gift card to the Egg-citing and ever so delish Chez Cora! I will randomly pick a winner and will announce the winner at the end of this month November 2012. 

From all of the proud Egg Farmers in Ontario, wishing you a Happy World Egg Month! They thank you for your support and keep eating fresh and delicious eggs!

For my spin on the traditional deviled egg, I gathered my inspiration from one of my fave type of meals, a lovely Sunday Brunch. I thought to myself how to incorporate my love of all things brunch into one simple dish?  This is what I’ve come up with...

 

Tiger Prawns, Parma-Deviled Eggs

with a Warm Truffled Potato Salad & Bacon Crisp.

I have always loved potato salad and have in my own recipe incorporated eggs as many do. Bacon has also made its home nicely with many of my potato salad recipes in the form of bacon bits…so it made sense to use these as my flavour base for this dish.  The spin on the deviled egg is the incorporation of freshly grated parma in the whipped egg yolks, dijion mustard, paprika, mayonnaise and seasoning blended until it is pillow light and fluffy and then piped back into the whites.

The presentation is a bit much but I thought that I would have a bit of fun with it…but you could just as simply plate it homestyle…I guarantee that it will taste just as good.

Enjoy!

THE BREAKDOWN - STEP-BY-STEP

1.  Prep your vegetable components for your warm potato salad. Keep in mind uniform cooking time. Season.

2.  Blanch off your potatoes in salted water until fork tender.

3.  Combine your veggies and your potato into a medium sized mixing bowl.

4.  Add mayonaise and combine. Remember to taste as you cook and season accordingly.

5.  I used these as my flavouring inspirations for the deviled eggs.

6.  Beautiful eggs ready to be filled with tasty goodness.

7.  Whipped egg yolk mixture ready to be loaded into a piping bag with the tip of your choice.

8.  I made bacon rings ahead of time, it's not necessary but it is pretty cool wouldn't you agree?

9.  The finished product, I added avocado to add more richness and colour. So good!

I hope that this inspires you to give Deviled Eggs a try. Simple and delish! If you want to learn how to make "BACON RINGS" leave me a comment! 

A TWIST ON THE HOLIDAY CLASSIC...TURKEY ISN'T JUST FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

Something’s are truly sacred in cookery, especially at holiday times...the presentation and the carving of the turkey is a penultimate moment for the whole family to share. What I am writing today may have some traditionalists turning in their graves or at the very least burning their aprons in effigy…I am suggesting a different way to roast a turkey.  I will go even farther than that…dare I say that turkey isn’t just for holidays anymore.

I am not saying that the prep time is reduced to minutes but I can certainly tell you that if you follow my method on preparing such a delish and healthy choice of protein…it will cook perfectly, quickly and simply! Gone are the days of having to cook a turkey for the majority of a day only to result in dry, tasteless meat that hangs around too long like an unwanted guest.

I have to admit that I have only cooked turkey for my friends and family a very few times…partially it was due to my Father saying that turkey is dry and not to his liking. Also, my own preconceived thinking of the same.  When I think back to my childhood days, visiting friends and family during the Holidays, remembering the sheer horror of having to suffer through and washing down turkey drier than the desert, you can imagine that it left me with a very negative impression.

Now, I can tell you that in my professional Chef days, we roasted tens to hundreds of turkeys a season for banquets, a la carte and for clientele pick ups.  Suffice it to say, I have a pretty good idea of what works and how best to cook a beautiful bird.  One of the major problems is that white meat and dark meat cook at different rates, causing there to be an uneven end result. Also, the size of the bird and the stuffing work against an even distribution of heat and a juicy tender outcome.

Taking a look at the process to simplify your turkey preparation, follow these steps and you will enjoy a much more desirable and tasty outcome.

Why do you ask that we do this?  Well, to put it simply, turkey is delicious, juicy, healthy and economical.  It shouldn’t just be considered around the holidays and has many uses or follow-up uses after the main meal…but I can tell you that if you cook your bird following these instructions…there might not be much left over as you might think.

Preparation time is a day or two ahead of the date desired to feast.  It’s a simple step-by-step process though.

Brine is crucial to the process to increase flavour and juiciness in the end product. My brine recipe is included below.  If you buy frozen…leave the turkey in a baking pan from frozen for about 5 days…let it defrost naturally.  The brine is easy to make if you prep all the ingredients first.

Once the brine has done its job, remove the bird and pat dry removing any of the spices or other flavouring ingredients from the cavity or the surface.

Gather you tools that you will need to get this bird done correctly and safely…Roasting pan, sharp knife (Chef’s Knife), flavouring items (mire poix), butter, herbs and other seasonings.

We are going to go ahead and butterfly the turkey, we do this to reduce the thickness of the bird, therefore reducing the cooking time, allowing for a higher heat application and shortened cooking and standing time.

 We remove the spine of the turkey, using the knife and guiding it along one side of the neck towards the pope’s nose (the butt) and then repeat on the other side…be careful as you get closer to the hips of the turkey you may need to exert more force….a sharp knife will do wonders.

Once the spine is removed, do not discard; instead place it in the roasting pan. We will not waste any part of an animal that we know has some use, in this case to add flavour to the juice that collects at the bottom of the pan.

When the spine is removed, the next step is to remove the rib cage and the breast bone. Using your sharp knife…I use a boning knife (pictured) to run along the ribs and the breast meat…you can do this by hand as well if you feel a bit barbaric…I don’t mind either way will do.

The breast bone is a bit tricky…I run the knife along both sides of the bone scraping the meat off little by little…and then with a flick and a tug you can remove the breast bone in one piece. It does take a bit of finesse but once you have learned how to do it…its very simple.

Now that you have a turkey splayed out without bones except for in the wings and legs you have a choice….to season or not to season? I mean it has been brined and should be full of flavour…so it is your choice…another choice you have is…to Roast or to BBQ? In this form, this bird is great on the BBQ, sear it off at a high heat and then reduce and cook till done…yum!

 

Getting back to roasting, the next thing to do is tuck in the wings and the legs. The easiest way to tuck in the legs is to make two incisions on the lower part of the breasts and tuck each leg in one at a time. The reasoning is to compact the bird, like trussing a chicken in order to make it cook evenly.

Once that is done, we can turn our focus to the roasting pan…we will place all the trimmings minus the fat into the pan, we will also add aromatics, here I have placed:  peppercorns, onion, lime, cilantro, carrots and trimmings. This will infuse and roast in a rich lovely flavour into our bird.  This is what I call blessing the pan.

I place the bird in the roasting pan, grab some herbs, I used cilantro as I was going Asian themed, but sage is traditional herb and a large amount of butter. Making my way in between the skin and the meat I make pockets of flavour in the breast, leg joints and thighs…I am drooling now, things are looking great!

Once I am done liberally applying butter and herbs, I will season the outside of the bird with kosher salt and cracked black pepper and a bit of olive oil drizzled. It helps make the skin crispy.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and place into hot oven for about 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees and cook until the internal temp reads 170 degrees Farenheit.

Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest…the WORST thing you can do is cut into the bird at this stage…the meat isn’t done yet, the carry over cooking will take care of the bird the rest of the way.

Note: at this point, I would use a glaze or a cooked sauce to baste the bird…and place back under a broiler watching carefully not to burn the skin.  But you can leave it as is, there is enough flavour packed into the bird.

Let these ingredients inspire your flavour profiles beyond the traditional for turkey. They all work individually or combination. 

Once the temp of the bird reads 180 degrees Fahrenheit its time to eat! Enjoy! This bird took less than 2 hours to cook completion! Fast, easy and truly delish!

WHERE DO I GO TO EAT SERIES - MISSISSAUGA PART ONE

Where to eat in the 905?
 
A good friend of mine recently asked that…it's a tough question.  I guess there are a few reasons why this is so…first Mississauga is mainly suburbia and most people who live here are content to stay at home during the week to cook at home then rushing off to send their kids off to after-school activities or watching the boob tube after a long day, long commute home. This unfortunately, doesn’t foster a thriving foodie community, at least I don’t think it does.

That being said, given time and effort one can find a few gems in far ranging cultures to satisfy your need for good food while staying in the 905 area code. Here below I’ve compiled a shortlist of a few of my fave places to go. These are in my opinion my choices for great food, some cheap and secret some are legendary.  If you have others to suggest please do so for the benefit of my friend and myself! If you disagree tell me why and who is better as I am always looking for new choices.

This is by no means a definitive guide to dinning in Mississauga, but I would confidently say that this is a pretty darn good start for those who are adventurous and looking for goodeats closer to home if you live in the 905.  These are not comprehensive food reviews just my recollections of past visits and advice. Look for future posts or the archives for more comprehensive reviews of each location.

Enjoy!

French/Continental Fine Dining

 

Breakwater- Waterside Inn Hotel

Breakwater is the only restaurant in Mississauga to have a 3.5 star rating from Toronto Life, the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator and a CAA 4 Diamond Award. But more importantly, this is where I apprenticed my culinary before heading to London, United Kingdom. The dining room is stunning, the food innovative and the service is impeccable. Truly a unique and wonderful dining experience one that I would reserve for special occasions. Port Credit is truly the jewel of Mississauga and I would suggest a lovely walk about town before or after your meal which I am sure will be memorable.

Why this place? This one is for special occasions, the service is truly silver service and the food is lovely.

 

15 Stavebank Road South,

Mississauga, Ontario

www.watersideinn.ca/breakwater/

Glen Erin Inn

 

I have on many occasions visited the Inn and enjoyed a lovely meal. In particular, I have enjoyed their lunch and brunch menus both of which I would recommend. The menu ranges from continental to French influence; the wine list leans towards VQA and is pretty adequate.  Their tea service is quaint and encompasses most traditional favourites. Very reminiscent of the Old Mill, in style located in beautiful Saw Mill Valley area of Mississauga.

Why this place?  Great for business lunches, ladies of leisure, tea service and breakfast brunch

1695 The Collegeway,

Mississauga, Ontario

www.glenerininn.com/dining/

Ten Restaurant

 

Is one of two restaurants in Mississauga, the other being West 50 Pour House & Grill that are owned by a partnership that has been developing the restaurant scene in Mississauga. I can be honest the results have been mixed, in my opinion it has been a bit of the case of more style over substance so far…but I have been very hopeful that this will change. Ten being my choice to enjoy for a wide variety of wines and spirits with great finger food and a busy night life over the week and especially on the weekends. There is a dress code, this is definitely a stylish establishment and not my reco if you are looking forward to a quiet night. The wine list is very strong and diverse with VQA, Australia and Italian wines being showcased very well, they were awarded the Wine Spectator Award in 2012 for their selection.  Here's a comprehensive review from a friend Stella a.k.a @Foodieyu on twitter  and her amazing blog Food Junkie Chronicles

Why this place? A great glass of wine, some nice bar/lounge food, a night out to party on the weekend this is the spot

139 Lakeshore Rd. East,

Port Credit, ON

www.hiprestaurants.com

Asian/Sushi/AYCE

Prince Sushi

One of my faves for AYCE sushi regardless if it is in the 905 or the 416.  The sushi and the service has always been consistently good. The restaurant is traditionally decorated with a modern twist, the menu selections cover the gamut of sashimi, rolls to cooked favourties. Reservations are taken with larger groups and I would highly recommend that you do as seating is limited and this place does do brisk business.

Why this place?  Delish sashimi, sushi and other Japanese food items, well worth the drive north of the 401.

90 Courtneypark Drive East

Unit #4,

Mississauga, ON

 www.princesushi.com/prince_sushi.php

Thai by the Lake - Bamboo Legend

This truly unique gem of a restaurant has been a fixture in Mississauga for as long as I can remember. The Port Credit area has gone through a very serious and intense revitalization, tourism increases every year and the Thai by the Lake has been witness to all these changes and more.  I don’t have much to say except that if you like authentic Thai/Viet cuisine, you must visit! It is truly that good! There are a few locations listed on their website but I can only reco the Lakeshore location. Give them a try you will not be disappointed, at last update I believe that the renovations have been completed and I believe that there is a roof top patio…I will have to check this out asap!

Why this place?  Great authentic Thai, great people and friendly service, good food!

152 Lakeshore Blvd. East,

Mississauga, ON

www.bamboo-legend.com

Emerald Chinese Restaurant

 

Located near the heart of Mississauga is Emerald Chinese Cusine, probably the most popular Cantonese restaurant in the 905 area code.  I have been here on numerous occasions, well known specifically for their Dim Sum and a very noisey dinning room and long line-ups this place is not for the uninitiated.  It can be quite daunting to come late into Dim Sum service, however, if you are like me and prefer to come early, enjoy a cup of jasmine tea, read the paper and wait for the chefs to come in to open the full menu at 11am than yes, it can be very enjoyable. Let me explain, the kitchen is open and will steam everything thing and anything on the Dim Sum menu but if your cravings lean towards fried noodles and the like…you will have to time your visit to grab a table just before the full menu is opened. The Dim Sum is good, not excellent but most definitely some of the best that you can get in Mississauga.

Why this place?  Come early, be prepared for a busy dining room but a wide selection of Dim Sum and average service but noticeably better treatment if you become a regular.

30 Eglington Avenue West,

Mississauga, ON

The Food Court @ Dixie Park Mall

Photo Courtesy of www.insauga.com

This is a secret gem that many who have lived in Mississauga for years do not know about.  This is a small cluster of restaurants in an otherwise under-used plaza on Dixie Road south of Eglington. But, those who have ventured and discovered this small food court have loved it. The food tastes range from Korean, Japanese, Chinese vegetarian to Wonderful Cantonese cooking. Each stall vying for your business, making the quality of food surprisingly good. It is probably the busiest part of the mall especially on weekends.  I have been visiting this location over the years and will actually drive from Etobicoke and have a meal from time to time. A must visit…please keep this place a secret between us as I would hate to have to fight for a table with you. Just kidding….

Why this place?  The food is hot, good and cheap! Great for lunch and dinner during the week when you can't be bothered to cook for yourself!

1550 South Gateway Road,

Mississauga, ON

Pho Mi Asia 

What can be said about one of my favourite Vietnamese restos, hands down? Located in a strip plaza off of Dundas near Dixie, it is very unassuming but has a large bright dining room and when hockey season gets started the game is most certainly on.  The food is fantastic, hot and fresh and rarely disappoints. I have several favourties from their #303 to the house standard #201 which is lovely.  Their fresh pork and shrimp rolls are stunning, I often will visit to take out a large order to bring home and enjoy after a day at work. Highly recommend this place, it can be busy at times but is worth it.

Why this place?  Soup and noodles are great, authentic and lovely. Service is average to good. I often go for lunch as well as a later dinner. One of Mississauga’s best for Pho…maybe in Toronto as well.

1248 Dundas St East,

Mississauga, ON

Semi Korean & Japanese Restaurant - Food Stall

This is most definitely one of the top top top secrets in Mississauga as it relates to how unlikely you would believe this place would provide great food.  First this mall is for a lack of a better word a dive. The good thing is that it has ample parking covered and direct access via elevator. Forgetting that, you find the “food court” and I use the term very loosely…Semi Korean food stall. It’s been reviewed you say…Toronto Life you say…it’s had its share of accolades you say…interesting. Cheap too? VERY interesting indeed!  A lovely husband and wife team have been cooking longtime favourites out of their food stall for years, the previous owners taught them everything they know…the food is hot, it is so bloody good…can’t say enough!  Pork bone soup, the soft tofu and seafood hot pot…oh my…so good! I wouldn’t visit the food court for any other reason…there is no need. I come for the Korean and then leave pronto!

Why this place?  Truly a diamond in an otherwise unimpressive food court in Mississauga. A must go if you are even remotely interested in authentic Korean/Asian flavours. This place on the secret scale is HOT HOT HOT!

2580 Shepard Avenue,

Mississauga, ON

Jade Bakery

I swear that I have driven by this place hundreds of times in my life and never given this place a thought. If it wasn’t for the advice of some family friends, I would never have know about this place.  Now this is truly a hole in the wall in yet another dive of a mall. Plenty of parking on the outside, not many seats on the inside come early or don’t come until later…rush hour could catch you waiting…and if you are like me I don’t like to wait for food.  This place is actually better described as a canteen rather than a restaurant.  Owned by a Husband and Wife team they do booming business in Dim Sum.  After a bit of coaxing and observation I findout that the majority of their business is wholesale.  They are one of the primary suppliers for Dim Sum for many of the restos in the GTA and in Ontario.  Many if not all T & T Markets are supplied by this little business.  When you visit it is not uncommon that you find the ladies wrapping dim sum or making the awesome spring rolls right in front of you.  What makes this place special?  The Dim Sum are cooked to order, steamed to perfection and served to you without any pretention.  This place is as basic as you can imagine…Styrofoam plates, squeeze bottles of hotsauce and bottles of soya sauce from the serve yourself fridge are what’s in order.  But the food makes up for it all and the price is to die for…it is beyond cheap.  One caveat, don’t come expecting noodles or a very wide assortment of Dim Sum, but what they have on offer is the best you can get, fresh and hot.  They are also a Chinese bun bakery, go for the baked BBQ Pork Bun, without a doubt the best I’ve ever had.  They sell out everyday.  Come here for the Dim Sum and leave with their buns and frozen Dim Sum for you to try to steam at home on your own!

Why this place?  Good freshly steamed Dim Sum, restaurant quality wholesale prices and of course the baked BBQ Pork Buns!

680 Silver Creek Blvd,

Mississauga, ON

Sam Woo Restaurant

Admittely, I haven’t been here in quite sometime so I had to refer to other reviews to see if my memories have served me correctly.  What I can tell you is that my Parents like this place and I used to as well. Sam Woo has the best BBQ Meat, Roasted Pork with Crispy Skin, Soya Sauce Chicken and Roasted Duck in the city.  I have had their Dim Sum here in the past, I can’t really say that it stood out but many people will tell you it is still very good.  What I do love is their selection of late night food, their Roasted Duck and Noodles in soup is devine, their Wonton Noodle Soup is a fave, their stir-fried noodles and congee are excellent. Not too expensive especially if you go in a group, which I strongly believe is the best way to experience Chinese food as it gives you an opportunity to try more stuff.  This place can get busy, Dim Sum in particular so plan ahead.

Why this place?  The noodles and BBQ meat are really great!

660 West Eglinton Avenue,

Mississauga, ON

To be continued.....featured next post

Pub House

The Pumphouse Grill Co.

The Crooked Cue

Meat and More Meat!

Leao Douro

Aristotle

La Castile

Burgers, Sandwiches and Other Tasty Things

Burrito Boyz

C & Dubbs

San Francisco’s

Indian/Curry House

Bombay Bhel – A la Carte

Taste of India - AYCE

 I would encourage you to comment your fave restaurant in Mississauga, Bramption in the comments section: I would be very happy to check it out!

Enjoy good food as often as possible whether at home or out at your Fave Resto! 

Sound Advice? Yes?