Serge the Concierge

Make the Message Fit on A Very Small Birthday Cake, Shrink It!

April 26, 2021 by serge the concierge

Make the message fit on a very small birthday cake, shrink It!

More small studio than penthouse!

Cake and portion control for Concierge Mondays # 16

Posted on April 26, 2021 in Concierge Mondays, Food and Drink, Personal Organizer, Serge the Concierge, To Do Lists, Weblogs | Permalink

Crustacean Eating Red Mullet Makes for Smooth Pink Whole Thai Fish Skewers, from Skewered by Marcus Bawdon

April 21, 2021 by serge the concierge

Crustacean eating red mullet makes for smooth pink Whole Thai Fish Skewers, a recipe from Skewered: Recipes for Fire Food on Sticks from Around the World by Marcus Bawdon (© Dog ‘n’ Bone, April 27, 2021)

WHOLE THAI FISH SKEWERS

I’m a lover of red mullet and I think it’s much under-rated by a lot of folk. It’s a lovely pink, smooth-skinned fish, and the flesh is delicate with a shellfish flavor from all the prawns/shrimp and crustaceans it eats.
I figured it would work well with a red Thai curry coating and a nice crispy, slightly charred skin. This is a lovely way to cook fish as you get a crisp skin, without fear of the fish sticking because it’s not in contact with the grill grates.

Feeds 2

RECOMMENDED HEAT: Moderate coals

Ingredients:

2 red mullet, gutted and scaled
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
coarse sea salt
lime wedges, to serve

CHOOSE YOUR SKEWER
long flat metal skewers

Directions:

Set up a narrow grill so that the skewers go across both sides so that the fish can be supported just above the coals.

Skewer the fish through the head, body and out through the tail end. Make a couple of slashes in the thick part of the body to help even cooking, and to allow the curry paste to penetrate the flesh. Season lightly with the salt, and then brush on the Thai red curry paste. Make sure the fish has a nice even coating of the paste.

Place the fish skewers over the coals and turn occasionally, making sure the char on the skin doesn’t get too dark. Total cooking time should be 10–12 minutes or until the thickest part of the fish has an internal temperature of 55°C/130°F on a digital probe thermometer.
Finish with a squeeze of lime juice and serve with some fragrant jasmine rice, if liked.

(* Excerpted from Skewered: Recipes from Around the World for Fire Food on Sticks by Marcus Bawdon - © Dog ‘n’ Bone, 2021- Photography by Marcus Bawdon)

Posted on April 21, 2021 in Books, Food and Drink, Recipes, Recipes: Fish and Seafood, Serge the Concierge, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cannon No 1 Treat, Meyer Lemon Coconut Cheesescake from Baking at the 20 th Century Café by Michelle Polzine

April 20, 2021 by serge the concierge

Cannon N0 1 treat with no close contest: Meyer Lemon Cheesecake from Baking at the 20th Century Cafe 'Iconic European Desserts from Linzer Torte to Honey Cake' (Artisan Books, October 2020) by San Francisco baker extraordinaire Michelle Polzine

Cecil Cannon’s Favorite Meyer Lemon–Coconut Cheesecake

Cecil Cannon, the most remarkable child I have ever known, sprang from the loins of my soul brother, Vince Cannon, a Marxist punk rocker in the guise of a corporate lawyer, with a sense of humor even more bawdy than my own. She’s always got her nose stuck in a book (her stepmother, Claire, is an English professor) and is not afraid to speak her mind. Cecil has boldly declared Easter to be her favorite holiday, because that’s when I make Meyer lemon cheesecake. I in turn declare this to be Cecil Cannon’s Meyer Lemon–Coconut Cheesecake. Don’t expect her to share her piece with you.

As with the Vanilla Cheesecake, you bake the cake and crust separately and then perform the same tricky invert-flip-flip move to combine them. You can make the cake up to 3 days ahead, but don’t combine crust and cake until shortly before you plan to serve this, or the crust will get soggy. If you must put it together in advance, brush the crust with a thin layer of melted white chocolate before attaching it to the cheesecake.

Makes one 9- or 10-inch (23- or 25-centimeter) cake; serves 12

Ingredients:

For the Cheesecake

26 ounces (737 grams) cream cheese (see Note, opposite), at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (255 grams) crème fraîche, homemade or store-bought, at room temperature

3 tablespoons (18 grams) grated Meyer lemon zest

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

¾ cup (148 grams) granulated sugar

3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) Meyer lemon juice

Pinch of kosher salt

For the Crust

2 cups (226 grams) fine unsweetened dried coconut (sometimes called macaroon coconut)

¼ cup (28 grams) confectioners’ sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 tablespoon beaten egg white

2 teaspoons granulated sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

Make the cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a 10-inch (25-centimeter) or 9-by-3-inch (23-by-8-centimeter) round cake pan with parchment and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl, using a wooden spoon), paddle the cream cheese, crème fraîche, and lemon zest on low speed until creamy and smooth (the goal is not to add air to the mixture, which would cause the cheesecake to pouf while baking and then crack). Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the yolks, mixing after each addition until incorporated. Add the granulated sugar, lemon juice, and salt and mix, still on low speed, until homogeneous. Transfer to the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.

Fold a paper towel into quarters and set it in the center of a roasting pan. Set the cake pan on top of the paper towel to prevent the bottom of the cake from overcooking and to keep the cake pan from sliding around when you move the roasting pan, then add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Transfer to the oven and bake until the center of the cheesecake is set, about 50 minutes. Let cool in the water bath, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours. (The cake can be made up to 3 days ahead.)

Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 275°F (133°C). Using a dark marker, draw a circle the size of the pan you are using on a sheet of parchment, then flip the paper over and place it on a sheet pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the coconut, confectioners’ sugar, and salt. Stir in the butter and egg white until combined. Transfer to the center of the circle you traced and press into an even 10-inch (25-centimeter) or 9-inch (23-centimeter) round, depending on the size of the pan you’re using to bake the cake.

Bake the crust until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes, then transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Once it is cool, carefully peel off the parchment.

To assemble the cheesecake: Remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator. Run a small offset spatula, with the front of it facing outward, around the edges of the cake, pressing against the pan so you don’t cut into the cake. Then swirl the pan over a low burner to warm the bottom slightly and make it easier to remove the cheesecake from the pan. Blot any moisture that has accumulated on the surface of the cake with a paper towel, then sprinkle the surface of the cake with the granulated sugar. Take a deep breath! Invert a flat plate over the cheesecake and, in one fluid motion, turn the cheesecake out onto the plate. Carefully peel the parchment from the bottom of the cake, then set the baked crust on top of the cake. Invert a serving plate over the cake and (deep breath again!), in one fluid motion, invert the cake onto the serving platter so the crust is now on the bottom. With a sharp paring knife, trim any excess crust.

Cut the cake into wedges and serve.

Posted on April 20, 2021 in Food and Drink, Mouth Pleasers, Personal Organizer, Recipes, Recipes: Baking, Recipes: Desserts, Serge the Concierge, Weblogs | Permalink