 To deconstruct our original Corned Beef Hash we first need to define the individual ingredients. We have Corned Beef, potatoes, onion and red pepper topped with a poached egg. What we need to do next is to decide how to prepare each individual ingredient in order to make them stand out but complement each other when they are combined together. Let us start with garlic pureed potatoes, tender corned beef, cooked onions and peppers with a soft boiled egg done as a tea egg. Ingredients: 1 pound tender cooked corned beef 4 large eggs 1/2 medium onion 2 russet potatoes 1/2 sweet red pepper 1/2 poblano pepper fresh parsley for garnish 1 Tbsp. chicken base (I like better then bouillon chicken base) (optional) 4 oz. butter 1/2-1 cup milk beet juice 3-6 Tbsp. oil salt and pepper to taste Procedure: Soft boil the eggs by adding 4 eggs to already boiling water for 5 minutes. After removing the eggs place them in ice water to stop the cooking. After cooling dry the eggs and lightly crack the shells with the back of a spoon all over. Place the eggs into a container and top with beet juice for 1 day. Heat for 30 seconds in simmering water then peel the shells before serving. Cook the corned beef until tender, let cool and dice some into 1/2 inch cubes plus make 12 slices. Slice the onion and peppers into same size strips. Peel the potatoes and cut into large chunks. Put the potatoes into pan with cold water and bring to a simmer. Cook until tender then drain. Mash or rice the potatoes then stir in the butter and milk with a whisk. If you want add the chicken base. Season with salt and pepper. If you have added the chicken base be sure to taste before you add any more salt. If the mashed potatoes are too stiff whisk in more milk until you get a pancake batter consistency. Keep warm. In a hot skillet add some oil and cook the onion and peppers until softened. Brown the slices and cubes of corned beef and reserve. To assemble start with a large dollop of mashed potato. Draw a spoon though the center then add the slices of corned beef, the onions and peppers and finally the cubes of corned beef. Add the soft boiled egg. Accent with leaves of parsley and repeat for the other 3 plates. Serves 4.
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 When I lived in Coos Bay Oregon I volunteered one day a week at the Crossroads Café, a not for profit restaurant providing low cost meals for the public. We would serve the homeless, pensioners, families, doctors, lawyers, anyone wanting a hot meal. My favorite dish had to be mac and cheese, which I would add onions and peppers to a 3 cheese blend creamy pasta. I had many people compliment me on my version, even once a pair of chefs passing through said they thought it was the best they ever had and could only be made better with some fresh lobster. At $1.50 a plate including a drink, I'm afraid lobster wasn't on the menu, but you can add it if you want. With July 4th fast approaching this will be my offering. I like to top mine with a mixture of crushed Ritz crackers, cheddar and Parmesan cheeses browned to perfection. Just for fun I will add lobster and balance the flavors so I can taste our expensive ingredient. Ingredients: 2 pounds pasta (I like Cavatappi or corkscrew) 2 pounds cooked lobster meat diced 1 onion diced 1 red pepper diced 1 poblano pepper diced 4 ounces butter 4 Tbsp. flour 2 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese 1 cup shredded white Cheddar Cheese 2 cups cubed Velveeta 1 tsp. thyme 1 tsp. ground mustard 1/2 tsp. nutmeg salt and pepper to taste Topping: 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese 1/2 cup shredded white Cheddar Cheese crushed Ritz crackers or Panko bread crumbs Procedure: 1. Heat a large pot of water and add enough salt so the water taste salty like the ocean. Add the pasta to the boiling salted water and cook until almost done, about 80% done. We want the pasta to finish cooking in the sauce to absorb the flavor. If you wish you can cool the pasta in cold water to stop the cooking if the sauce will be done later. 2. Melt the 3 Tbsp. of the butter in a large sauce pan on medium heat and add the diced onions and papers and cook until the onions become translucent. Turn up the heat to medium high and whisk in the flour to create a roux. Add the dry mustard, nutmeg, thyme then slowly whisk in the milk and or half and half until the mixture has a soupy consistency. Gradually add the grated cheeses slowly so they melt evenly and slowly. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Spray a oven safe dish with cooking spray or butter and add the pasta then the cheese sauce. Top with the diced cooked lobster. The mixture should be soupy so stir in cream to make the right consistency. Mix the topping ingredients minus the parmesan cheese and cover the mixture. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top. Bake in a 350 oven for 30 to 40 minutes and let cool a bit before serving. |
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How does a good chef think? What is the creative process a chef uses to come up with new and exciting dishes? What do I need to know to enable that creative process? These are the questions I want to explore in this series of articles. As a chef and an avid cookbook collector I am drawn towards ideas and techniques of cooking rather than just a collection of recipes. I believe to grow as a chef, I need to continually learn and hone new techniques along with perfecting each technique I use every day. Whenever I go to a restaurant, whether fine dining, neighborhood pub, avant garde, or even fast food, I continually ask myself how can I do this better, what works and more important, what doesn’t? Feel free to send me comments, ask questions. Together, we can explore and make creative cuisine. Gord StefaniukSpending almost thirty years in the computing field, I was able to travel experiencing a wide variety of tremendous cuisine. First I became a foodie, and when the opportunity arose, I was able to attend culinary school following my passion. I work as a part-time private chef and volunteer time at the community café in North Bend Oregon providing affordable meals in a restaurant setting to my community. Archives
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