It was offal week at school. People either hate it or love it. I happen to be of the latter population.
There's
hardly anything I won't eat. I'm of the belief that you don't know you
don't like something unless you give it a try. More often than not,
once I try something, I like it.
My offal assignment
this week was kidneys. My offal experiences have only really consisted
of sweet breads (LOVE!) and livers. Kidneys, not so much. But like I
said, I'm willing to give anything a try at least once. They're not
something I want to run out and buy boatloads of, but I'm glad I tried
them.
So I thought I'd do a recipe with offal this
week, but turns out I couldn't find any within short notice! Most
butcher shops around here didn't carry them just on a whim and the items
needed to be special ordered. So I thought I'd do something with a
little more mass appeal and use kidney beans. Totally not offal, but
hey, it tasted pretty damn good.
Ingredients:
2 bone-in pork chops
2 tablespoons whole grain dijon mustard
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
2-3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup mirepoix (small diced shallots, carrots, and celery)
14 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
salt and pepper, to taste
2 russet potatoes, finely julienned on a mandolin
peanut oil, for frying
Preheat oven to 425 F.
The
risotto will take the longest, so it's best to start off with it. I
used to be under the impression that your stock had to be hot while
doing it, but in learning how to make risotto at school and at the
restaurant, we always use room temperature/cold stock. It always turns
out well, so why dirty another pot if you don't have to?
In
a large high sided skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil under medium
heat. Stir in your rice and coat well with the oil. You're just trying
to coat the rice with the oil, not trying to toast it, so make sure you
do this step quickly. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and reduce
until almost dry. Add in enough chicken stock to just barely cover the
rice and reduce your heat to a slow simmer. You may need more stock
than listed above (it just depends on your heat during the cooking
process). You'll want to stir the rice very frequently because it's the
agitation of the starches in the rice that causes the risotto to become
thick and creamy. Don't add more liquid until the previous amount is
almost gone. You'll want to repeat the process until your rice is fully
cooked and looks creamy. (The whole process should take about 30
minutes or so - patience is a virtue)
While you're
waiting for your rice to cook, you can saute your vegetables. Heat a
medium saute pan under medium high heat and add your remaining
tablespoon of olive oil. Add your mirepoix, thyme, and garlic. Saute
until mirepoix starts to soften. Stir in kidney beans and cook just
until warmed. Season mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.
When
your risotto is done, stir in your mirepoix and mix well. Finish with
cream cheese, parmesan, and butter until rich and creamy. Season with
salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm until needed.
Season
both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper. Spread about 1
tablespoon of mustard on each pork chop. Place breadcrumbs on flat
surface and press both sides of pork chops into breading to coat.
Heat
a large oven-proof skillet under medium high heat and add your olive
oil. Add pork chops and sear until golden brown. Flip over and
transfer pan to oven to continue cooking until medium or done to your
likeness. Let rest for about 3-5 minutes.
Heat a deep
fryer or heavy pot with oil to about 325 F. Blanch potatoes for about 1
minute in oil and remove. Let drain for about another minute. Drop
back into the oil to cook until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper
towel-lined plate and season with salt, to taste.
To
put together dish, place a decent amount of risotto in the center of the
plate. Place pork chop over top and garnish with a good amount of
pomme frites. Easy enough, right? Restaurant worthy in $30 or less!
Have a great week guys!
This looks so good! I love the plating too.
ReplyDeleteTotally not offal! Ba-dum-cha! Ah.. cooking humour. When your assignment is over, you'll have to let me know which one was your favourite!
ReplyDeletewoah this looks like restaurant quality my friend! Never thought to mix beans with risotto!
ReplyDeleteLooks like an amazing dinner.
ReplyDeleteeverything you make looks just perfect. we love risotto in our house
ReplyDeleteKidney beans are a pretty solid substitution :) This looks lovely!
ReplyDeleteI love kidneys, but this sounds pretty darn good too!
ReplyDeleteThis looks really tasty. I grew up with offal dishes and I am always willing to experiment but I have a hard time finding it in stores here.
ReplyDelete