Busy weekend

PWise

Friday had the weekly dinner party and we had several items... didn't take pictures of everything though
Black Bass Ceviche
Lobster Taco with safron rice, refried beans a la pato, and chipotle bechamel


Pig Candy-filled shrimp wrapped in bacon with melted quesadilla cheese.

Shrimp and shiitake fresh pasta with roasted red bell pepper

Rainbow trout with glazed green beans and caramelized almonds with beurre noissette


Lamb rack with bbq-coffee-infused rub.


Lemon sabayon pie with pine nut crust... all was very good and vast... we couldn't eat one more thing afterwards...

Saturday I cooked paella for 30... record time by the way... from this:


to this:


in 1 hour and 40 minutes...

the setup:


the saffron stock:


the sofritto:




the shrimp:


the chicken:


the chorizo:


the green beans:


the roasted red peppers:


the finished product:




On sunday I made pizza... Still have about 30 kgs of 14%gluten flour (had to buy the 44kgs bag)

I know most people argue that the best pizza results from low and slow fermentation, but IMHO and experience I beg to differ... I find that this flour benefits more from a warm quick fermentation, it results in a thin crunchy pizza.

the egg setup:


the fermenation setup:


twice in volume:


the box:


all ready to go:



Hope you enjoyed and have a good week!

cheers!

Boss Hogg

Pato-
All I can say is "WOW". After a weekend like that, I'd be signing up for the "Weight Loss Forum" :laugh:
Brian in PA

vidalia1

It all looks delicious... :P :P

Mickey

Pato is this going to be your Texas Fest layout?

PWise

hehehe you think so?

forgot to mention I attended a wedding saturday night


cheers!!

PWise

hahaha I don't know yet... I'm still doing research

see anything you like?

cheers!

PWise

thanks!!

cheers!

gdenby

A busy and fruitful weekend! The paella looks specially good. It seems you have the technique really down to a short time for a really excellent dinner. My compliments.

torojosco

Very nice Pato.
You have been very busy.
Saludos,

Fernando

Boss Hogg

Laugh now!!! Wait 'til you're my age
Brian in PA

PWise

hehehe what's life without eating?

cheers!!

PWise

Thanks a lot!

cheers!

PWise

Asi es Fernando, pero valio la pena...

Muchas gracias!

Salud!

http://www.wisendine.blogspot.com/search?q=

reelgem

What an amazing meal you put together for your dinner party. The pictures are great as always. Where do you come up with all these recipes? The lobster taco with the chipotle bechamel sauce sounds fantastic! Would you mind sharing the recipe?
It's unbelievable that you can prepare the paella for 30 in an hour and 40 mins. Is this the paella recipe you spoke about in your paella throwdown post a few weeks ago?
I will have to try the pizza dough with your short fermentation process. I too like the thin, crisp pizza crust.
You must be exhausted after the last 3 days of cooking.
Hope you're taking a break tonight.

NibbleMeThis

Holy smokes, you were not kidding, you WERE busy this weekend. Nice cooks too!

PWise

Hey Anne! thanks for your comments:

Everything was real good! thanks for your comments...
The paella is my traditional recipe, not the one I was going to use for the thowdown... the key is the soffrito and the saffron stock....
Most of the recipes I put together on my own, based on ideas I have and/or experiments I want to make... Some others I take from recgnised authors and give them credit, and some others I put together from ideas taken from recipes by recognised authors...

The lobster taco is real simple:

The components are:
Saffron rice
Chipotle bechamel
My refried beans (http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_recipes&Itemid=71&func=detail&id=1042)
And butter poached lobster tails

I basically just take the flour tortilla and put some beans on it, then the rice and the bechamel on top, to finish with half a lobster tail (cut lengthwise)

To butter poach the lobster, I prepare about 1-2 cups beurre monté (this is not clarified, you have to emulsify it with just a few drops of water to keep all of its solids from separating) and bring it to 120°F and reserve. I then steep the lobster in vinegared water (1 cup vinegar per 16 liters water) for 2-3 minutes or until shell is red and cut it in half lengthwise with a sharp heavy knife. It will be raw (translucent) in the center still. Remove from the shell and place in the butter until white (not translucent anymore). You shouldn't keep it more than you need to because some the enzymes in lobster will activate heavily at this temperature and turn it mushy...

An alternative to cook the lobster in the egg (gives it a real nice smoky flavour) is to bring the butter to 100°F and let the lobster sit there for about 20-30 minutes; it will not cook or poach. Bring the egg to 400°F and sear the lobster flesh down first about a minute per side.

The bechamel is pretty straightforward, except I added a little emmental (sort of mornay) and blended it with canned "adobo" chipotles until I got the flavour and color I wanted (I didn't want it too spicy, it would overpower the subtleness and sweetness of the lobster)

For the pizza I use for an 18inch pizza:

No more than 3 cups 14% gluten flour (do the rest test after you think the dough is good to go and adjust accordingly)
1/2 Tsp instant yeast
1 Tsp sugar
1 Tsp kosher salt
1 Tsp olive oil
1/2 cup 110°F water
1/2 cup cold water

I put the warm water, yeast and sugar in stand mixer fitted with the flat beater and mix until dissolved. I then add the cold water, salt, and olive oil and continue to mix until apparently together... I then add enough flour to turn it similar to pancake batter, and then keep adding little by little until the sides of the bowl are cleaned. I then change to the dough hook and keep kneading until almost all flour is gone (3 cups, no more), and do the rest test after hand kneading just enough to form a ball... If it is done, I place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and place below a heat lamp until doubled in size; it it is too soft I return to the mixer and add more flour and repet until it is just right. The dough should just relax a little. If it is too hard already (you added too much flour) you can make it work still but have to wait until it triples in size...

When it doubles in size I take out onto a floured surface and flatten it softly without pounding... When it is about 4 inches short of the desired size I use a rolling pin to take more air out (this will give you a thin crunchy pizza crust). Add all ingredients and bake at 600 for 6 minutes.


Hope this helps!!

cheers!

PWise

Hehehehe as you can see and imagine, I love to cook and to eat

Cheers!

Misippi Egger

Great cooks !

Looked at your wisendine blog site. I had always wondered how you could afford to feed so many people such good food ! Great concept.

Is your restaurant coming into play any time soon?

PWise

Hehe well it's the cost-effective solution I found for the problem of affording all the expensive food I get to play with hahaha :P Plus it's a great way to meet new people...

The restaurant's wheels are in motion... I'm having some issues with the lease negotiation but hopefully all will prevail soon... I'm meeting with the beer guys today in the afternoon to see their proposal for exclusivity on beer sales... So, we'll see how it goes, and if interested will let you know tomorrow of any advances that take place...

ps, sorry the blog is in spanish, I though of doing one in english also, but it would be twice the work haha...

cheers!

Misippi Egger

That's great progress on the restaurant!

I found this google website that will translate your blog fairly accurately into English. Just entered the blog URL into the box and voile' . :woohoo:

http://translate.google.com/translate_t?hl=en#

Gandolf

Wow! What a great weekend that must have been. Everything looks fabulous! By the way, how are your restaurant plans coming?

torojosco

Pato I took a look at your blog.
I admire your enthusiasm and I think your dinnerclub is a great idea.
Is it possible to attend to one of your sessions?
I will be out semana santa but let me know if it is possible for the next one.

Felicidades y suerte con lo del restaurant!!

Saludos.

Fernando

reelgem

Pato,
Thank you so much for the detailed response to my questions. It is greatly appreciated. I look forward to trying your recipes soon. You are one very talented individual. I really enjoy your posts.

reelgem

I had gone to Pato's "Wise'n Dine" site. I saw Pato's response to you so I assumed there wasn't an english version. The Google translate works really well. I mainly wanted to see the recipe section. Pato is extremely talented. Thanks for the link.

JLOCKHART29

Now there's a cook!! Man you have some lucky friends! Course if the girl in the 5th pic is yours your the lucky one!

Beli

Pato

Everything just perfect..........
Allow me to show you off.........

"Pato Rules" :woohoo:

Ross in Ventura

Pato,

Great looking cook, I'm going to try the Paella

Ross

PWise

Hey I'm glad you could read it in English! I see that the translation is pretty accurate also!

cheers!

PWise

I haven't uploaded any recipes yet! But please feel free to email me if you would like one of whatever I have cooked and is posted there...

Will be more than happy to share!

cheers!

PWise

Hey Fernando...

Sure you can come anytime you want... Shoot me an email so I can add yours to the distribution list I send out the invites everytime I put up a new menu... We'll be getting together this Saturday April 4th and Wednesday 8th (of course you'll be out) but I think the next time after, will be Saturday April 18th...

Saludos!

PWise

Anytime Anne!

cheers!