Food Bytes A monthly Page by Prudence Sloane

A Case Of Mistaken Identity

The mantra for real estate is location, location, location. The mantra for cooking is to taste, taste, taste.

I learned the hard way. I was having my cousin Ethan and his family over for dinner and decided to make flan for dessert. Flan is a vanilla custard surrounded with a caramelized sugar sauce. It was one of my favorite childhood desserts from Miami and I could make it blindfolded. Now, my cousin Ethan raves about my cooking and I certainly wasn’t going to let him down. What could go wrong? After all, it has only four ingredients: vanilla, milk, sugar and eggs.

In the kitchen, I turned out the custard onto individual plates. The mahogany sugar sauce had perfectly infused with the top of the custard. I triumphantly placed the delicate golden dessert in front of Ethan. I was rewarded with the appropriate oohs and aahs – another masterpiece, of course. I waited enthusiastically as he placed a golden spoonful into his mouth.

Somehow my sister managed to duck the wad of custard that shot out of my cousin’s mouth. I had used salt instead of sugar. I eventually got over my humiliation, although I am still puzzled as to how the salt got into the sugar bowl.

Take a taste

The motto of this story is never to rely on ingredients and always taste the food as you cook. Trust your taste buds. Always check the ingredients for strength, bitterness, salt and freshness. Taste as you cook and adjust your amounts as you go. Salt most dishes at the end. Ask yourself if the dish is balanced -- is it too acidic or too rich. Does one flavor component overpower the others? If the dish tastes okay, but you feel something is missing, it is probably salt. Salt makes ingredients sing. It brightens all the flavors. I use kosher salt. It has a better flavor than table salt.

To salt or not to salt- how much is the question

When adding salt, take a pinch and sprinkle high above the food making sure to distribute it evenly. Stir and taste again. Keep adding salt until the flavors brighten. Don’t be shy. It takes a little practice and courage to go right to the edge of being too salty, but the effort is well worth it. Except in the case of mistaken identity, of course.

First Printed in the Norwich Bulletin, 2001

5-Spiced Pan Roasted Breast of Chicken
with a Fresh Tomato-Scallion-Ginger Salsa
over Green Chiles and Cheddar Cheese Polenta

Prudence Sloane

Serves 2

1) Brine the chicken for 1-2 hours in 1 quart cold water, 1/4 cup kosher salt and 1/3 cup brown sugar.

2) While the chicken is brining, cut and measure out all of your ingredients

3) Start by cooking the chicken. When the chicken is almost done, start cooking the polenta.

4) Remove the chicken from the pan when done and add the glaze. If the polenta is done just add more water. Do not add the cheese until you are ready to serve.

5) When the chicken is glazed and the polenta done. Heat up the sauce ingredients.

6) Spoon the polenta into a large deep dish. Place the glazed chicken on top and spoon the sauce around the polenta.

Chicken

2 pieces chicken breast on the bone brined for one hour in 1 quart water, 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons 5 spice rub*

2 teaspoons olive oil

Pat brined chicken dry and rub with the 5-spice powder. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the chicken skin side down and put a heavy pot on top of the chicken. Cook for 15 minutes turning over every 5 minutes or until done. Remove the chicken from the pan, and pour out fat. Add the glaze ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes or until syrupy. Return the chicken to the pan and coat with the glaze.

Glaze

1 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce*

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons brown sugar

Sauce

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 diced plum tomatoes

3 diced scallions

2 tablespoons diced red onion

2 teaspoons minced ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Cook all the sauce ingredients together in a medium saute pan for a couple of minutes or until just hot throughout. Do not overcook or you will lose the fresh taste.

Polenta

1/2 cup instant polenta

2 cups 1% milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup jarred green chilies

2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a medium saucepan add the polenta, milk, salt and chilies. Bring to a simmer stirring often. While stirring, simmer for 5 minutes or until thick and creamy. Just before serving add the cheese.

From the TV series “Let’s Eat! with Prudence Sloane”

March 2009

Photo by Bob Chaplin

Kitchen Tip

How is one suppose to get the capers out of that tiny skinny jar? Use a vegetable peeler. It drains the capers as well.

News

Looking for a fun activity designed just for foodies? Then log onto the newly formed company www.destinationfood.com where can you find out about, food festivals, cooking classes, food events and even food museums. Destination Food is the brainchild of two culinary divas from Bloomfield Connecticut, Deb Wojcicki and Ellen Lucas. But their listings don’t just stop at the border - they cover the entire country! The website is easy to navigate. You can search by date and region. There is even a page where you can order food books about festivals.

Product Review

There are many implements made to mash, smash, slice and dice garlic. But my favorite garlic gadget is the “garlic mandolin.” Insert one clove of garlic and slide the holder over the sharp blade. Out comes paper thin slices that meld quickly into any dish. It’s made by Harold imports and costs under $10.

Past issues