As I was flipping through the channels this weekend, I stumbled across a great little movie, staring a few fantastic actors, Queen Latifah, LL Cool Jay, Timothy Hutton, and Gerard Depardieu. I love love LOVE this film…What’s not to love about the storyline…a lonely, shy woman who has a passion for food is not living her life to the fullest until she finds out she is going to die of a brain disease. She takes all her money and heads to Czech Republic, the destination of a chef she admires to dine on his exquisite cuisine and live her life like never before. As she starts to enjoy what life has to offer she leaves a lasting impression on the hotel staff and hotel guests she befriends while on her “Last Holiday”. It really truly is a must watch film...a feel good film and yes I still cry at the end!
There is a great message behind this movie, don’t wait to live your life until it is too late, live it to its fullest every day and if life hands you lemons, add vodka and make lemon drops! And that is pretty much what I say in almost every posting!
There is one scene I love in this film, where Queen Latifah is sitting down to dinner (alone) and the waiter tells her the specials for the evening Lobster Salad in Potato Leek Nests, Duck Hash on Toasted Baguette, Spiced Lamb Shanks with Blood Orange Relish, Roasted Quail with Brioche and Chorizo Stuffing, Risotto Barolo with Roasted Vegetables, Bananas Foster, and Poulet Tchoupitoulas, she then asks if the same specials will be served the next night, the waiter says “The chef NEVER makes the same specials twice”, so she orders every single dish! So in keeping in the spirit, why not feature a couple dishes from that scene! These are straight from the kitchens of Food Network.
Duck Hash on Toasted Baguette
From Food Network Kitchens
Ingredients
1 baguette, sliced on an angle about 1/3 inch thick (30 pieces)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 medium sweet potato, about 8 ounces
2 legs duck confit, about 1 pound total, room temperature
3 cloves garlic, 2 peeled and smashed, 1 minced
1 sprig rosemary
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce Hot sauce, optional
Freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
Splash of sherry vinegar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the baguette pieces on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until crisp and light golden brown. Set aside. Put the sweet potato in a medium saucepan with cold water to cover, salt the water generously, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potato is just fork tender, about 6 minutes; drain and cool. Peel the potato and dice it into 1/4-inch cubes.
Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the duck legs skin side down and cook until the fat has rendered and the duck is warm, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the duck to a plate. If the skillet seems dry, add a bit of olive oil. Add the smashed garlic cloves and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Discard the rosemary and garlic. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the celery and red pepper and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Season with the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and some pepper. Add the minced garlic and cook about 2 minutes more.
While the vegetables cook, remove the skin from the duck legs and discard. Shred the duck meat into long strips. Add the sweet potatoes, shredded duck and chicken broth to the skillet and warm over medium heat, adding more stock if mixture seems dry. Stir in the hoisin and hot sauce, and season, to taste. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped parsley and sherry vinegar. To serve, top each baguette slice with 1 heaping tablespoon of the duck hash.
Roasted Quail with Brioche and Chorizo Stuffing
From Food Network Kitchens
Ingredients
Quail and Stuffing: 3 1/2 cups cubed brioche, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound Spanish-style chorizo sausage, finely diced
3 ribs celery, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
6 to 8 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
3 dried apricots, chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
About 1 cup homemade brown chicken stock, or low-sodium canned chicken broth (see note)
8 whole quail
Sauce:
1 shallot, sliced 1/4 cup red wine
1 cup demi-glace or reduced brown chicken stock
6 dried apricots, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons dried currants 2 tablespoons
cold unsalted butter
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, For the Quail and Stuffing: Spread the brioche cubes on a baking sheet and bake until dry but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until crispy, about 3 minutes. Add the celery, garlic, onion, sage and apricots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly. Add the brioche cubes to the vegetables and toss. Add the egg, salt, pepper, and enough of the chicken broth to moisten the bread, and toss.
Season the quail inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff each quail loosely with the brioche mixture and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Put the remaining stuffing into a lightly buttered casserole dish The recipe may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead, covered, and refrigerated.)
Bake the stuffing until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil in an ovenproof medium skillet over high heat. Add half the quail and cook, turning as each side gets a rich mahogany brown, about 8 minutes in all. Transfer to a low roasting pan or casserole dish just large enough to hold the quail. Repeat with the remaining quail, adding more olive oil if necessary. Reserve the skillet and drippings. Transfer the quail to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the cavity reads 160 degrees, about 20 minutes.
For the Sauce: Add the shallots to the reserved drippings in the skillet over medium heat and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine and simmer until reduced by about half, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits. Add the demi-glace or chicken stock, the apricots and currants. Simmer until fruit is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
Transfer the quail to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Whisk the butter into the sauce a bit at a time until the sauce is glossy and coats the back of a spoon. (If necessary, gently reheat the sauce before whisking in the butter off the heat.) To serve, spoon some of the stuffing into the centers of 4 dinner plates. Set 2 quail on top, spoon some sauce over, and ring with some of the
Note: Brown chicken stock adds depth and flavor to this simple pan sauce. It is easy to make and great to have on hand in the freezer. Visit foodnetwork.com to find a recipe (search for "brown chicken stock").
Bon' Appetite
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