Silky Shrimp Bisque

This recipe is adapted from Tyler Florence's Ultimate Shrimp Bisque which can be accessed from the Food Network site. Living in Japan, I simply have to adapt most all recipes for what ingredients that I can access, but with this one, I got pretty lucky.

 - Shell-on Shrimp (about 1.5 pounds)
- 1 orange
- Olive oil
- 3 TBsp unsalted butter
- 2 leeks (trimmed and cleaned)
- onion (halved)
- Carrot (peeled and chunked)
- 3 fresh thyme leaves
- 2 TBsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cognac (that's all I can get here... but maybe you can find brandy)
- 3 TBsp flour
- 4 C heavy cream
- salt, pepper and seasonings of your choice - I use some Pampered Chef Three onion and I do go a bit heavy on the salt, as I feel it's needed.

For the shrimp:
- damp skewers, Old Bay Bay, Paprika

Garnish: Chives and parsley and orange zest

OK, this soup is a bit labor intensive, but is worth it. Use the extra shrimp to make this a complete meal and add some fresh bread and a hearty salad, and you've got a fancy meal to serve to guests.

First set of your time... peeling the shrimp. I was able to buy a bag of frozen shrimp that were already deveined, so that does save you some time. Separate the shrimp from the shells and set aside.

Now you're going to make a roux that really will look pretty bad, but you're not going to end up using those chunks of veggies and shrimp peels in the actual soup, so just bear with it.

Add the olive oil and butter to a large stock pan. Add in the shrimp shells and the chunked veggies (onion, carrots, leeks, thyme and the 2 TBsp of paste). Saute for about 10 minutes. Like I said, it doesn't look pretty.

Remove the pot from the heat and pour in the cognac,and then add the flour, stirring for about 2 minutes. Now cover with water, 2 to 3 cups ensuring you have all the chunks from the pan. Add the heavy cream (4C) and simmer on low, stirring occasionally. You can actually leave it on the stove while you prepare your salad, bread and wait for your guests to arrive.

This pot will soon be drained so that only the flavored cream remains

Once you're ready for the final stage of the soup, you will need another big pot and a large strainer. I need help when doing this, but it can be done alone. Strain all those chunks and shells; you are just left with the heavy cream bisque. Leave it on the stove top and return to heat when you're ready to serve.

Now, I like to use the extra shrimp to make this a meal. I skewered the shrimp and then seasoned with paprika and Old Bay Seasoning. I cooked them in the oven for about 5 minutes (depending on the size and what sort of oven you have). I think the skewers add a nice touch to the presentation and make the meal just that much more hearty.

While you are making the skewers, don't forget to season the rest of the shrimp and then toss in with the bisque, heat so they cook (about 5 minutes as well). Check for seasoning... I really go heavy on the salt at this point.

Zest your orange and serve your silky bisque topped with some zest, chives and/or parsley (and those skewers if you have the serving dishes to accommodate).

Carrabbas' Beef Filet with Blue Cheese Sauce

Last night I made a copycat Carrabbas recipe and man was it good. Never before had I eaten a steak with a blue cheese sauce that was quite as delectable and flavorful! Couple it with an amazing salad and Japanese seasonal corn, this is an absolute perfect dinner to serve to company.

First, ensure that you have a good cut of meat. I like filet... thick, boneless and very little fat. I gave it a rub of the following seasonings:

- kosher salt
- white and black pepper
- Pampered Chef Three Onion Rub
- Hungarian Paprika (which I just happened to get in Budapest)
- Garlic Salt

But, I would imagine that any of your favorite combinations of seasonings would work just as well. (Just remember that the blue cheese is going to need to mesh with your flavors).

I used a copycat grill baste after applying the rub which called for:
-  2 TBsp of melted  butter in a sauce pan
- diced onions and minced garlic, cooked till tender (about 4 minutes).
- whisk in 2 TBsp flour
- add a  sprinkle of lemon juice,
- 1/4 C red wine vinegar,
- 1 TBsp of Dijon,
- and 1 1/2 TBsp sugar

After the rub and brushing your meat with your grill baste, grill it to your desired temperature. We managed a perfect medium rare.

Notice those wrapped corn on the cob? Yes, corn is in season in Japan and if you live here, you should get a few ears to eat each day. It's like candy. And for those in the states who wonder why I get excited about vegetables and fruits at different times of the year, it's because Japan only sells produce when it at its peak... so corn is here for about three months, and then we have to wait until next June to enjoy this tasty treat.

But back to the steaks...

The Blue Cheese Sauce:

This is the most important part of the meal... I mean, anyone can make a great steak and baste it with a flavorful oil, but I would not have imagined this combination! The ingredients are:

- 1/2 C heavy cream
- 3/4 C blue cheese
- 1/2 C mascarpone
- splash of lemon
- salt & pepper

Mix it all together and serve on the steaks, or as I did: on the side for easy dipping. Oh, it was sooooo delicious. Too bad I was full (as usual) and only nibbled, but my husband was happy to help. This was a no-leftover meal!

So as I said, this is perfect for company and not really that difficult (depending on if you want to make the copycat baste). I'm going to branch out with this blue cheese sauce.... it was so heavenly, I could imagine using it with sooooo many other dishes. I do believe that mascarpone, heavy cream, and blue cheese will be a new staple in the fridge.... And hopefully I'll come up with some new ways to celebrate these flavors.

Now I need to go to Carrabbas when I soon visit the states and test if their steak and blue cheese is as good as the copycats on-line.

Perfect Elegant Stuffed Chicken

I love cooking chicken at home, partially because I think my chicken tastes better than restaurants who often overcook their chicken. One of my favorite methods is breading, browning, and stuffing the chicken, so when I found Boursin cheese spread in the Aeon market, I remembered seeing a Rachel Ray episode and thought I'd give it a try with my own flair.

First... it's best to have a good, thick cut of chicken breast. For me, that's Zushi's Toriichi yakatori stand (raw and cooked as well).( -- Check it out Yelp if you live in the Yokohama/Zushi area). While it's a twenty-five minute train hike to my favorite chicken butcher, the difference in an organic chicken breast versus the frozen and shipped across the Pacific chicken is quite obvious. However, any good size chicken breast can be turned into an elegant dinner creation.

While I will chronicle the Boursin/prosciutto stuffed chicken, there are so many ways that you can stuff your chicken... I'll share some ideas at the end.

First, have the following ingredients on hand, then you can whip this meal up when company is unexpected.
- Flavored bread crumbs
- Shaker Parmesan
- Seasonings (such as garlic salt or Pampered Chef Onion mix)
- Butter
- Chicken
- Olive oil

Slice your raw chicken in the center, creating a pocket for your whatever you choose to stuff it with. Mix your dry ingredients and melt your butter. Prepare a pan of olive oil... maybe 4 TBsp. I have a gas stove, so I only keep my stove on low. But you know your stove.

Dip those raw breasts in the butter and then coat in your flavored crumb mixture and brown each chicken breast for about 10- 14 minutes total (depending on how large they are).

While my chicken breasts were getting crispy and flavorful, I was making my stuffing. I used the prosciutto to wrap a TBsp or 2 of the creamy Boursin. Then before putting the chicken into the oven, I placed my wrapped packets of flavor into the pocket created before frying.

Stuff before baking

Finishing the chicken

The chicken still needs a few minutes to fully cook, so preheat your oven to 350 and then put your meal in for about 10 minutes. Cut your chicken periodically to check to see if it's done. Remember, chicken only needs to cook to 165 and if you overcook, that elegant chicken is in the past. You can always put the chicken back in, but you can't remove the time if it overcooks.

Other ideas for stuffing would be
- Swiss cheese wrapped in ham (cordon bleu)
- Steamed broccoli and cheese (I've used Laughing Cow with this method)
- Provolone wrapped in Deli pepperoni or salami... Use the Italian dressing seasoning in your breading)