Bistro Rufus 2.0

[rufuspaul]

Well since Jeff deleted the original thread I think it's time I started a new one. The original Bistro Rufus concentrated on traditional French bistro cooking techniques. I've since expanded into other cuisines like Mexican and Asian and I'll include some of those recipes here.

But first let's start with the basics. First off: knives

Now I have quite a collection of cutlery but to get started you really only need one.





The basic chefs knife. This is the go to knife for any style of cooking. As you expand your practice you will probably want to get a paring knife and maybe a boning/fileting knife but a good sharp chefs knife is essential.

You'll need a good cutting board. I prefer wood because it gives me more control but the plastic ones are fine too.

Other essentials: 12 quart heavy pot or dutch oven (I use Le Creuset but any heavy duty one will do), sauce pans of various sizes, cast iron skillet (I'll get into how to season one later), heavy saute skillet, non-stick skillet, Wok, some sheet pans with wire racks, Mixing bowls and a basic china set (plates, bowls, serving platters). Utensils: wooden spoons, spatulas (I like the silicone ones), serving spoons, slotted spoons, whisk, and a good strainer.

A food processor or blender is helpful but not necessary when starting out. As you get more advanced a standing mixer and immersion blender come in handy.

Pantry: Salt, pepper and various spices, onions, garlic, ginger, flour, cooking oils (canola, grape seed, olive), butter, cream, various noodles (pastas, ramen, soba, Thai rices noodles, etc., rice (jasmine, basmati, brown, arborio).

So now you're set to start making some good shit.

Please comment if there's any particular dish or cuisine you'd like to see here.

[highwhey]

subbed

[Meticode]

Create a thread about food and highwhey comes running with open arms.

[highwhey]

recipe request: what about a fried rice or noodle dish?

[rufuspaul]

recipe request: what about a fried rice or noodle dish?

Okay. How about a simple Pad Thai.


Ingredients:

1 onion thinly sliced
red pepper flakes, to taste
several cloves of garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 jar Pad Thai sause (you can make your own but quite honestly the stuff in the grocery store is pretty good and makes for a quick weekday meal).
protein: shrimp, chicken, tofu. Really whatever you prefer. I usually use a pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined.
1 package wide Thai rice noodles, cooked according to package directions
3 scallions, cut on a bias
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Heat 2 tsp oil (canola or peanut) in a wok on high until just starting to smoke. Add the onions and red pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly until onions just start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook a few more minutes. Add the Pad Thai sauce and cook until bubbling. Add the shrimp and cook until just about done, 3-4 minutes. Add the noodles and stir to combine for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and top with scallions and peanuts.

A note about wok cooking: it goes fast so have all your ingredients ready before you start. Stir constantly (I use 2 wooden spoons) so nothing scorches.

[highwhey]

Okay. How about a simple Pad Thai.


Ingredients:

1 onion thinly sliced
red pepper flakes, to taste
several cloves of garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 jar Pad Thai sause (you can make your own but quite honestly the stuff in the grocery store is pretty good and makes for a quick weekday meal).
protein: shrimp, chicken, tofu. Really whatever you prefer. I usually use a pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined.
1 package wide Thai rice noodles, cooked according to package directions
3 scallions, cut on a bias
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Heat 2 tsp oil (canola or peanut) in a wok on high until just starting to smoke. Add the onions and red pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly until onions just start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook a few more minutes. Add the Pad Thai sauce and cook until bubbling. Add the shrimp and cook until just about done, 3-4 minutes. Add the noodles and stir to combine for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and top with scallions and peanuts.

A note about wok cooking: it goes fast so have all your ingredients ready before you start. Stir constantly (I use 2 wooden spoons) so nothing scorches.

Damn that sounds good af, ill try it soon. Moving into a new apartment tomorrow so i gotta settle in first.

[rufuspaul]

Damn that sounds good af, ill try it soon. Moving into a new apartment tomorrow so i gotta settle in first.

Cool. You movin on up, to the East Side, in a de-luxe apartment, in the sky?

[highwhey]

Cool. You movin on up, to the East Side, in a de-luxe apartment, in the sky?

something like that, clever reference

[scuzzy]

Good bread is the foundation to any good sandwich, far more than what's inside


You can make a monster sandwich on cheap wonder bread and it'll always be meh


OTOH you can have practically no substance on fresh ciabatta bread at it'll still be bomb

[rufuspaul]

Good bread is the foundation to any good sandwich, far more than what's inside


You can make a monster sandwich on cheap wonder bread and it'll always be meh


OTOH you can have practically no substance on fresh ciabatta bread at it'll still be bomb

True. The exception to this at least for me is a burger. I hate when a restaurant puts a burger on a thick bun because it should be all about the meat and toppings. GTFO with your kaiser rolls, just a simple potato or brioche bun works much better.

What are your favorite sandwiches?

[rufuspaul]

There's a recipe I want to post but first I'd like to go over a basic skill that is used in just about any recipe: dicing an onion. I needed to dice one for the recipe so I took some photos along the way. These are thumbnailed so you an click on them for a closeup view.



So here I have a white onion and my trusty chefs knife. I start by cutting of the top and bottom and removing the skin.



Next I cut the onion in half and make several horizontal cuts towards the root end of each half, stopping just shy of cutting all the way through.



Next I make vertical cuts




Now it's time to chop. Note: my finger position is not correct. I had to hold it this way in order to take the photo. When I'm actually chopping I curve my fingers and thumb in and use my knuckles to guide the blade. This prevents chopping off a finger tip.





I'm going to use the onion in a recipe for Butter Chicken which I'll post a little later.

[highwhey]

I always fvck up cutting onions

Thanks for the guide. Interested in seeing what mexican recipes you cook.

[rufuspaul]

Butter Chicken

This is a simple yet tasty Indian dish. It's a good gateway to Indian cuisine.

Ingredients

6 boneless chicken thighs (you can use skinless breasts too)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 onion diced
1-2 hot peppers (I'm using jalape

[rufuspaul]

Butter Chicken cont.


Add the onions, peppers, garlic and ginger and cook until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes.




Add the spices and cook for a minute to release the flavors. Your house will smell amazing at this point.



Whisk in the tomato paste and water. Bring to a simmer for another 10 minutes.




A little more butter never hurts anything.




Add the cream and bring back to a simmer.



continued next page

[rufuspaul]

Cut the chicken into chunks and add to the sauce for a few minutes to re-heat.





I usually serve this over rice with some chopped cilantro as garnish. The nice thing about this dish is it keeps well in the fridge so you can make it on the weekend and then re-heat for a quick weeknight meal.