Oysters Fonseca

Two dozen shucked fresh  oysters, with bottom shells reserved
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 red sweet peppers, cored and minced
2 red onions, minced
1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and minced
2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped tasso ham*
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely diced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 cup all-purpose flour1/4 cup oyster juices (the liquor)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and  black pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
2 cups panko breadcrumbs

Instructions:

Drain the oyster juices (the liquor) into a measuring cup to remove grit.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the juice and refrigerate or freeze the remainder for future use.  Scrub the oyster bottom shells clean under running water.  Place the cleaned oyster shells on oven-proof baking pans or rimmed baking sheets; set aside.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat the butter, being careful not to let it brown.  Add the sweet red pepper, red onion, and jalapeno chile pepper; saute until the vegetables are softened.

Add the tasso ham and saute to heat thoroughly.  Add the tomatoes and cook until they start to break down a bit, then stir in the thyme.  Add the white wine, and stir to deglaze the pan.

Add the flour and mix well to incorporate, then reduce the heat to medium and cook and stir for about 5 minutes.

Add the 1/4 cup of oyster juice and the cream; mix everything together again until smooth.  Fold in the cheese.  Season the mixture with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.  Remove the filling from the heat and allow to cool.

Place one (1) fresh oyster on each bottom shell on the half-shell tray.  Using a spoon or piping bag, top each oyster with some of the vegetable/ham mix and sprinkle each with some of the bread crumbs.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the bread crumbs begin to brown and the oysters are bubbly.  Remove from the oven and serve immediately, taking care not to burn yourself when transferring the hot shells to the serving plates.

Pickled Pork

Pickled Pork

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup kosher salt
8 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seed
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
8 ounces ice

1 1/2 pounds fresh boneless pork, cut into 2-inch cubes

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients except the ice and the pork in a 2-quart nonreactive saucepan, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and maintain a simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the ice and stir. Place the pork into a 1-gallon zip top bag and add the cooled pickling liquid. Remove as much air as possible; seal the bag and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 days, turning the bag occasionally. Use within 2 weeks or remove from the pork from the brine and freeze.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

• 4 egg yolks
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

1. Add egg yolks and sugar to a medium metal bowl and whisk until a light yellow color and well combined. In a medium sauce pan, heat milk over medium-low heat until it just begins to simmer. Do not stir. Gradually add some milk to egg and sugar mixture, stirring constantly until tempered. Slowly add bowl contents to the sauce pan and return to heat until it reaches 165º F, but do not allow it to come to a boil. As soon as it reaches the correct temperature, remove it from the heat. Pour custard base into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until it chills to 65º F. The longer the custard base chills, the creamier your ice cream will be.
2. Once the custard base is ready, stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract and pour it into your ice cream maker and process according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Crab Stuffed Halibut

4-12 Ounce to 1 Pound Halibut Fillets
8 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Cup Onion chopped
1/3 Cup Celery chopped
1/3 Cup Red or Green Bell Pepper (or both)-Chopped
1 Pound Crab Meat
2 Cups day old bread crumbled
1 egg beaten
1 tablespoon mayo
1 Tablespoon Parsley Chopped
1 Tablespoon Sherry
Dash Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Juice of 1 Lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat 4 tablespoon of the butter in a large iron skillet to just foaming on medium.
Add onion when butter foams, celery and bell peppers and cook until the onion gets soft, about 5 minutes.
Set aside and let cool and wipe out the skillet
Toss the veggies with the crab meat, bread, eggs, parsley, mayo and sherry in a large bowl, seasoning with a few dashes of salt and pepper.
Cut a slit with a knife into the halibut along the side, making a pocket for stuffing.
Stuff the halibut with the mixture.
Add some of the melted butter and the halibut to the skillet.
Mix the remaining melted butter with the lemon juice, garlic and pour it over the halibut.
Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Serve immediately, and add some of the sauce left in the pan.

Shrimp Scampi

3 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
 salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 pound raw, peeled, deveined shrimp with tails on
Pasta, crusty bread, or rice, for serving
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped Italian parsley, for garnish
Lemon wedges

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until foaming. Add the garlic, season with salt and pepper, lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the wine or vermouth and cook about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook, turning occasionally, until pink and opaque, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Serve over pasta, with crusty bread, or over rice,  garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.

Huevos Rancheros

2  tsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
2 red peppers, deseeded and finely sliced
2 fresh hot chili peppers of your choice, deseeded and finely sliced
1 large dried chili
3 bay leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2  10 oz cans of chopped tomatoes
2 large tomatoes, sliced
6 large eggs
6 tortillas
3/4 Cup grated cheese of your choice. I like a Mexican blend

Get a large lidded frying pan on a high heat and add olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, peppers, fresh and dried chili's, bay leaves and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 15 minutes to soften and caramelize the veggies. Add your canned  tomatoes and use a  potato masher to break them up a bit. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a medium heat and cook for a further 5 minutes so the sauce starts to reduce down.

When you've got a nice thick tomato stew consistency, have a taste and add a pinch more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Remove the bay leaves and lay your sliced tomatoes over the top of the mixture, then use a spoon to make small wells in the tomato stew, and crack in your eggs so they poach in the thick sauce. Add them in as quickly as you can so they all get to cook for roughly the same amount of time. Salt and pepper each egg and put the lid on and let the eggs cook for around 3 to 4 minutes. Warm your tortillas while this is happening. You can pop them into the oven at 350 for a few minutes, microwave them for a few seconds or even lay them over the lid of the pan so they heat up as the eggs cook.

Take the lid off and check your eggs by giving them a poke with your finger. When they're done to your liking, turn the heat off and take the pan to the table with your warmed tortillas. Place a tortilla on your plate top with an egg and plenty of sauce and add some grated cheese on top, roll up and enjoy.

Peach Cannoli's

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 Teaspoon Sugar
Dash of Salt
1/4 cup Butter milk
1/2 Cup Marsala Wine
1 Egg
Vegetable Oil For Frying

Filling
2 1/2 Cups Full Fat Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/4 Cup Chopped Roasted Pecans
1/2 Cup Peaches copped fine
1 Vanilla bean scraped of seeds

To make the shells:
Mix together the flour, butter, sugar, and salt. Begin to add the Butter milk then the wine, adding enough so that you have formed a fairly firm dough.
Knead for a few minutes until smooth. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for about one hour.
Half the dough, and roll thinly to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into 4 squares. Place a metal tube diagonally across each square, and wrap the dough around the tube. Seal the edges with a little beaten egg.
Heat the oil in a large pan until it reaches a temperature of 375 degrees F. Drop one or two tubes into the hot oil at one time, and cook until golden. Remove from the pan, cool, and gently slide the cannoli shell from the tube.
Continue to make the rest of the shells in this manner.
To make the filling:
First let the ricotta sit in a strainer over a small bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to remove excess whey.
Mix the ricotta with the rest of the ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Fill each cannoli shell carefully, and sprinkle with a little extra powdered sugar if desired. Serve with a scoop of Ice Cream.