Chef advice
Options
caribougal
Posts: 865 Member
Hi all,
So, last night I made this from PaleOMG:
http://paleomg.com/paleo-pumpkin-cream-chicken-casserole/
As I was making it, I was thinking... "Huh... seems like it's going to be kind of bland. There's no color in it, and no strong flavors".
Well, that's exactly how it tasted. Filling, but creamy bland. I added additional salt and pepper to liven it up, but it was still boring.
I emailed my chef friend to ask her about coconut milk, and mentioned that I made this recipe and it felt like it was missing something.
My question about coconut milk was... should I empty the can into a bowl and mix to combine the thick cream and thin milk before using in a recipe? Seems obvious, but I've NEVER seen anyone write that in a recipe, so I wasn't sure. She said yes. I also asked what to do with coconut leftovers since I don't really like smoothies and it will be a while before I want another creamy sauce. She said it freezes well. Yay! I know I could also make whipped coconut cream for berries, but I'm a little lazy for that.
As for the recipe, she agreed it was missing some stuff. In fact she said, "... some herbs would be nice..."
She suggested adding some honey, and maybe nutritional yeast. I'm not sure what the yeast would do for it, except give it some "bite". I don't happen to have yeast lying around anymore since I'm not baking bread these days. She also said she never adds garlic in the beginning of a recipe because it tends to burn and overcook. I'm going to ask her more about that next time I see her.
Mel Joulwan wrote yesterday in her blog www.theclothesmakethegirl this line from one of her cookbooks:
“In Southeast Asian cooking, adding fish sauce to coconut milk is like giving your stew or curry a central nervous system."
So, for my leftovers, I think I'm going to spice it up with a little honey, some Vadouvan curry powder (which my chef friend said she keeps as a "go to spice" in her kitchen, a splash of red boat fish sauce, and add some kale for color. We'll see.
So, last night I made this from PaleOMG:
http://paleomg.com/paleo-pumpkin-cream-chicken-casserole/
As I was making it, I was thinking... "Huh... seems like it's going to be kind of bland. There's no color in it, and no strong flavors".
Well, that's exactly how it tasted. Filling, but creamy bland. I added additional salt and pepper to liven it up, but it was still boring.
I emailed my chef friend to ask her about coconut milk, and mentioned that I made this recipe and it felt like it was missing something.
My question about coconut milk was... should I empty the can into a bowl and mix to combine the thick cream and thin milk before using in a recipe? Seems obvious, but I've NEVER seen anyone write that in a recipe, so I wasn't sure. She said yes. I also asked what to do with coconut leftovers since I don't really like smoothies and it will be a while before I want another creamy sauce. She said it freezes well. Yay! I know I could also make whipped coconut cream for berries, but I'm a little lazy for that.
As for the recipe, she agreed it was missing some stuff. In fact she said, "... some herbs would be nice..."
She suggested adding some honey, and maybe nutritional yeast. I'm not sure what the yeast would do for it, except give it some "bite". I don't happen to have yeast lying around anymore since I'm not baking bread these days. She also said she never adds garlic in the beginning of a recipe because it tends to burn and overcook. I'm going to ask her more about that next time I see her.
Mel Joulwan wrote yesterday in her blog www.theclothesmakethegirl this line from one of her cookbooks:
“In Southeast Asian cooking, adding fish sauce to coconut milk is like giving your stew or curry a central nervous system."
So, for my leftovers, I think I'm going to spice it up with a little honey, some Vadouvan curry powder (which my chef friend said she keeps as a "go to spice" in her kitchen, a splash of red boat fish sauce, and add some kale for color. We'll see.
0
Replies
-
FYI, nutritional yeast is not the same as baking yeast.0
-
I just shake the coconut milk can. That mixes it well enough. And, yes, nutritional yeast is different. It was staple of my pre-paleo diet, it tastes slightly salty and cheesy. It is delicious, to me anyway.
I need to find and convert this amazing pumpkin sauce I used to make: pumpkin, sausage, broccoli in a cream sauce (easily changed to coconut milk. My gosh it was awesome but I used to serve over gnocchi- got to give it a whirl over spaghetti squash!0
