Archive for July, 2008
Croquettes are known in many countries by different names. The name derives from the French verb “Croquer” (Bite), and are basically bite sized pieces of food dusted with breadcrumbs, then normally deep fried.
We had some Ox Tail left from a recent batch of Pho, and decided to make our own.
Reduced Pho Stock was used in the recipe, which gave our Croquettes an intense flavour. For a hebry aroma, chopped Mint and Coriander was added.
The fat and tendons attached to the Ox Tail melt within the crust, giving the meat an extremely soft texture within a crunchy shell.
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Lately we have been working with Snail Caviar…
“If you could eat ANYTHING you wanted, what would it be?”, is a question game that many foodies have been playing for years.
Award-winning Photographer Melanie Dunea has taken the question a step further. Ms. Dunea asked 50 chefs to describe what would be their ideal final meal? What would the setting be? What drinks would be drank? Who would be present? Would there be music? And who would prepare the meal?
The result is her book titled
“My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals”.
Available from good bookshops and online, it makes great reading and has some wonderful portraits, as well as some interesting recipes.
In “Good ole Laocook fashion”, we decided to make our own simplified version.
We asked a few friends to join in, and for your viewing pleasure, the answers can be found below. :)
Yesterday evening we served an intricate cocktail of fruit and flowers.
On top is an “Air” of Litchis and Jasmine.
Below it starts to get a little busier.
Very light Jellies made from:
Basil and Green Apples
Apricot and Pineapple
Red Grapes and Roses
Eaten with a teaspoon. each small mouthful serves up a variety of flavours, all summery. :)
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In another part of the kitchen our Roast Duck is being prepared.
Saki removes the cooked duck from the oven.
Ducks are hung from a rack when roasted, this allows the hot air to circulate and cook them evenly.
After being marinated for three days, left to dry for a further two, they are roasted until just under medium done, the reason for this is that they will be cooked further later.
The duck has to cut in to sections, with various parts being used for different dishes.
Lately we have been working with a lot of seafood, especially Prawns. King Prawns or Langostinos in Spanish are abundant now. They say that the best ones are from the coastal town of Sanlúcar, and these can be found in many beach-side restaurants, they are quite expensive, but worth every cent.
Langostinos that have simply been poached in salty water or briefly grilled a la plancha are a real treat, especially when washed down with a glass of chilled Manzanilla. ;)
At the restaurant we like to serve our Langostinos Tempura style.
Skewered and wrapped in a Nori sheet, dusted with flour followed by a dip in our Tempura batter they make a nice and easy to eat Amuse Bouche.
We serve them in tall shot glasses filled with a soured Sweet Chilli dip.
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Another great gift from the sea is the humble Oyster. It is no secret that I love Oysters and could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. ;) :)
Our Oyster Sushi is really a play on words. Below you will see why. ;)
Laocook Oyster Sushi.
Okay, where is the slippery mollusk?
I finally got a photo of what our finished Scarlet Prawn dish looks like.
Most of the sauce is made from the Prawn heads, and “Crystal Shallots” give the subtle sweetness of the dish added flavour.
Our Scarlet Prawns are now reserved for our two Teppanyaki Tables, where our cooks prepare the entire dish and sauce in front of our diners.
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I love the gelatinous texture of cooked Calf´s feet.
When we make our Beef or Veal stocks, we like to add half a foot in to the broth, this gives the stock more body and when reduced adds a natural thickness to the finished sauce.
Another way to enjoy the silky texture is to make a warm Yum.
The feet are burned over a high flame to remove any remaining hairs, then they are scraped, cleaned and boiled with aromatics. When cool enough to handle, the “meat” is removed and allowed to cool before being cut in to bite sized pieces.
To get the best flavour from the other ingredients, they are roasted until soft.
Roasted Shallots, Garlic, Chillies and Ginger.
Its not all hard work at the Laocook Kitchens. ;)
This month we have been captivated with the Euro 2008 Finals. A night off work ensured that we got front seats in a local bar to see Spain win the competition. The final whistle sparked wild celebrations and fireworks in the streets.
An endless trail of cars and motorbikes roared pass waving the Spanish flag, well in to the early hours. Small bottles of beer were replaced by litres.
Partying wore well in to the night and early hours.
Laurene and Junior welcome Emilie (centre), our new Summer Intern to Spain, and a not so sleepy village…
Ole! Ole! Ole! 
