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*raises an eyebrow at Haggis* Michigan you say. Hmmm I'm only about an hour away from Detroit...
I have two vanilla beans
- Thread starter Haggis
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I have since learned that vanilla is grown here, which begs the question of why we only get the lousy artificial stuff in the stores. Apparently the beans are bought out mainly by ice cream manufacturers, which makes sense since the ice cream here is really really good. But it also means that l may be able to buy vanilla beans if I visit one of the spice gardens where it's grown. So. Yet another project for me...
Talk about fresh! Let us know how that works out.
*hides his vanilla beans*
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Will do. I'll most likely have to get my mother in law involved. Fahim has zero interest and she's the haggler of all hagglers, whereas if it's me, they'll rip me off charging me 20x what they'd charge my mother in law... And besides, she'll have a better idea of where to go than probably anyone else.
Will do. I'll most likely have to get my mother in law involved. Fahim has zero interest and she's the haggler of all hagglers, whereas if it's me, they'll rip me off charging me 20x what they'd charge my mother in law... And besides, she'll have a better idea of where to go than probably anyone else.
Can she get some for the rest of us?
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*laughs* From what I've read, vanilla beans here - in bulk for commercial buyers - is at about $55 US per kilogram. No idea what it would be for someone like me...
We also have real cinnamon here, not the cassia stuff that y'all use in the place of cinnamon.
We also have real cinnamon here, not the cassia stuff that y'all use in the place of cinnamon.
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www.penzeys.com
I buy real cinnamon and the best vanilla beans there all the time... among other things. Excellent service, decent prices, fresh stuff. And once you order, you get a catalog about once a quarter with recipes. Mmmmm.
I buy real cinnamon and the best vanilla beans there all the time... among other things. Excellent service, decent prices, fresh stuff. And once you order, you get a catalog about once a quarter with recipes. Mmmmm.
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And they even differentiate between cinnamon and cassia-that's-used-as-cinnamon-in-most-of-the-world. Although my cinnamon is fresher than their cinnamon... As is my pepper and red chilli pepper powder and cumin and coriander... But the basil and oregano we get here is crap. Utter crap. I planted a bunch of seeds (basil, oregano, cilantro, parsley, sage, mint, and a couple of others) a couple of days ago and I'm waiting to see if they'll sprout or if the ants took off with them. So far, the birds have left them alone, so I'm hoping...
As is my pepper and red chilli pepper powder and cumin and coriander... But the basil and oregano we get here is crap. Utter crap. I planted a bunch of seeds (basil, oregano, cilantro, parsley, sage, mint, and a couple of others) a couple of days ago and I'm waiting to see if they'll sprout or if the ants took off with them. So far, the birds have left them alone, so I'm hoping...
Oh yes, Penzey's is the best! I get all my spices there. I'm also addicted to their Sandwich Sprinkle, which I put on nearly everything.
Ice cream this weekend for one bean. I'm not sure about the other, although I am thinking about that Kahlua recipe. Then again, creme brulee is not out of the question. I haven't used my kitchen torch in a long time.
If you make the Kahlua, let it age for a while before drinking to give the vanilla a chance to infuse.
Couple of weeks, maybe...
I have more fake booze recipes if anyone is interested.
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Oh... my... heaven. That's heaven; isn't it? We don't have anything remotely like that down here in the territory. ::sigh:: What's it like to walk through the door? What's it smell like? What's your favorite spice to get there? Tell us the story, Funny Uncle Haggis!
Once you walk through the door, you don't ever want to leave. It smells that good.
My favorite thing to buy? Vanilla beans, of course.
I also stock up on stuff for my blackening rub, and I'm about due to make up another batch.
Oh, and almost next door to Rafal's is the Germack Pistachio Company. They sell these ginormous jumbo raisins. Lemme tell you, when they've sucked up a few days worth of Meyer's Rum, ain't nothing better.
Once you walk through the door, you don't ever want to leave. It smells that good.
My favorite thing to buy? Vanilla beans, of course.
I also stock up on stuff for my blackening rub, and I'm about due to make up another batch.
Oh, and almost next door to Rafal's is the Germack Pistachio Company. They sell these ginormous jumbo raisins. Lemme tell you, when they've sucked up a few days worth of Meyer's Rum, ain't nothing better.
so there you have it,.....
with bean #2 i suggest salmon w/ curried vanilla rum/raison sauce and a pistachio mustache.
To be honest with you, Mr. Cray, a rum, raisin, brown sugar, butter sauce doesn't sound bad at all with salmon. it would need something else though. Something...citrusy. Maybe orange.
Yes. That's it. Orange. Or tangerine.
Now to work out the proportions....
eta: And instead of salmon, we're gonna have halibut or swordfish steaks. Sorry, but that's the way it's gotta be.
Hmmm, swordfish might overwhelm the vanilla. I'd go halibut.
I'm leaving the vanilla out of the sauce. I don't think it would work that good with the fish.
But as for the fish--definitely a white fish--halibut or swordfish. Grilled.
Maybe we marinate with a citrus marinade first, then spoon the rum-raisin-brown sugar-butter sauce over it.
No. The sauce needs orange too. Maybe triple sec.
SALMON WITH CURRIED VANILLA RUM-BUTTER SAUCE
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 vanilla bean, split
1/4 cup amber colored rum
1 1/2 cups white wine
1 scant tablespoon Thai green curry paste (or more for more spiciness)*
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick cold butter, unsalted
6 4 to 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Prepare salmon fillets and grill, bake or poach the salmon fillets until just done while making the sauce. Keep warm until sauce is complete.
Sauce:
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic and ginger until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla bean, wine, rum and curry paste. Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Add cream, return to a boil, and reduce by half again.
Remove sauce from heat and whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Pass sauce through a fine strainer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Puddle a small amount of sauce on each plate. Place the salmon fillets on sauce, and then pour sauce over tops of fillets. Garnish with chopped chives or parsley and lemon slices.
eta: recipe found on www.vanilla.com
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 vanilla bean, split
1/4 cup amber colored rum
1 1/2 cups white wine
1 scant tablespoon Thai green curry paste (or more for more spiciness)*
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick cold butter, unsalted
6 4 to 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Prepare salmon fillets and grill, bake or poach the salmon fillets until just done while making the sauce. Keep warm until sauce is complete.
Sauce:
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic and ginger until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla bean, wine, rum and curry paste. Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Add cream, return to a boil, and reduce by half again.
Remove sauce from heat and whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Pass sauce through a fine strainer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Puddle a small amount of sauce on each plate. Place the salmon fillets on sauce, and then pour sauce over tops of fillets. Garnish with chopped chives or parsley and lemon slices.
eta: recipe found on www.vanilla.com
Last edited:
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Ginger! That's what I needed.
It sounds good, Cray. I'm still not sure I'd use the vanilla bean, though. I'ma thinking the flavor would get wasted with all that other stuff going on.
Have you had this before?
It sounds good, Cray. I'm still not sure I'd use the vanilla bean, though. I'ma thinking the flavor would get wasted with all that other stuff going on.
Have you had this before?
no, i have not had it before. sorry.
you are prolly right though in your thinking -- there is a lot going on in that dish.
you are prolly right though in your thinking -- there is a lot going on in that dish.