It's been a while since my last blog posting. Even though I have been cooking, and uploading some photos to Instagram (@kennardmorris), I haven't been as frequent with my blog updates as I should have been.
So tonight, for the Midnight Chef's triumphant return, I present an improvised fusion.
I have to confess, there is a restaurant in my neighborhood that makes a wonderful sautéed kale (shoutout to Peking Tavern), and lately I have been craving veggies hard core. As kale is still well represented in my local farmer's market, I have found myself purchasing it, with the intent to replicate their dish. This formed the base of the inspiration.
I tend to think I buy the same things from my favorite sellers, but I think because I frequent the market, I just gravitate towards the things that appear fresh and healthy. Carrots, Kale, Brussel Sprouts, and Green Beans, are often in good supply, so they find their way into my local chill chest. So looking through my veggie drawer became the supporting melody of tonight's improvisation.
The kale was chopped, and gently rubbed, before being sautéed in olive oil, with minced garlic and diced shallots. Then seasoned with salt and pepper, followed by sesame oil, soy sauce, and a gentle splash of nuoc cham (fish sauce).
In a non-stick pan, I heated some olive oil to near smoking, in order to render the fat from the duck pastrami (thanks Vagabond Cheese). The duck fat helped form the flavor base for the fried rice. Having fresh carrots on hand, they were peeled, chopped, and added to the oil. As the veggie content didn't seem high enough, I threw in some frozen corn for good measure. I made a little rice earlier, and tried to let it get to room temperature prior to frying, but ultimately, I would have loved to have pre-made rice the day before, as I've found cooked and dried rice works best for fried rice. I folded in the rice, sprinkled liberally with sesame oil and soy sauce, then tossed to combine. When the rice was near uniform in color, I cracked open two eggs, and scrambled them into an open space in the pan. Once the started to congeal, the were also combined to complete the fried rice dish.
While speaking to my fruit vendor this morning, she asked what I planned on cooking with the fruit. I hadn't given it much thought, as I saw some things that appealed to me and purchased them (that is typically my way with food). But as we spoke I pondered savory dishes with fruit, and as my meal needed a protein, my thoughts turned to fish. Alaskan Pollock fit the bill tonight, as a mild and tender white fish, it takes to seasoning very well.
I started out with a poaching liquid, keeping with the theme, I combined water, soy sauce, sesame oil, and the juice of a fresh sweet lime with various spices to form the broth. Once boiling, the fish was added, along with dried cilantro and various spices and the water was allowed to evaporate. After being drained slightly (I started with too much liquid so I had to pour some off), the fish was pan fried in a dry pan for color and caramelization.
Improvisation is the basis for jazz, and can be both an effective approach to cooking and to life. But just like jazz, some basics and structure must be observed, or you can wind up with a cacophonous mess. Tonights meal was largely a success, and with all hopes a return to frequenting the Midnight Chef Blog.
Thanks for you continued support.
Signed,
the Midnight Chef
