Table for Two - Asian Shrimp Omelet

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a reprise of a post that I first featured in 2010. It highlighted one of my favorite recipes, and because it makes a fabulous meal for two, I wanted to include it in my Table for Two recipe collection. The recipe is a Mark Bittman creation and it really is delicious. Here is what I originally had to say about the omelet.

Over the years, I've tried at least a thousand recipes and, of that number, only a hundred or so have survived and regularly appear on my table. This homely and unlikely candidate is one of them. The dish comes from Southern China and has several virtues to commend it. It has wonderful flavor and a play of textures that will appeal to almost any palate. It is also easy to prepare. It uses no exotic ingredients and its beautiful play of pink on yellow can be table ready in about 30 minutes. The two primary ingredients are eggs and shrimp. The Chinese rub the shrimp with a paste of cornstarch and salt to whiten them. If you are in a hurry this step can be omitted. The eggs are flavored with a very small amount of sesame oil. The trick to this dish is in the way it is cooked. In China the omelet is cooked in lard. We'll fore go that and use canola or peanut oil to cook ours, but you'll need a cup or so of oil. Don't stint on that measure. The shrimp are quickly fried in the oil and then drained. Because they have no coating to absorb the oil, you'll find that almost all the oil remains in the pan after cooking. The shrimp will subtly flavor the oil and add a unique taste to the finished eggs. Omelets made in this fashion are easy to assemble because they are not rolled and require no special techniques to get them from the pan to the table. The eggs are gently cooked in a bit of the flavored oil and as they begin to set the shrimp are added to the pan. The only caution is to make sure you can serve these while they are still hot. This is a lovely, light dish that is perfect for those who are trying to cut back on the amount of meat they consume. Here's the recipe for this treasure.

Frugal Foodie Friday - Potato and Cheese Omelet

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Normally, preparing a dish for Frugal Friday is a straightforward, no frills affair. The only rules to speak of are quite simple. Any dish that is inexpensive to make and delicious to eat is a candidate to be the day's feature. Today, the process was a bit more contradictory and I found myself elbow deep in the creation of a very pricey pie, while still working on an omelet whose cost could kindly be characterized as dirt cheap. The two dishes are, in a way, related. This weekend, local merchants and media outlets are conducting a food drive to highlight and help fight childhood hunger in the county. The pie is related to the effort and is one of many that will be auctioned to raise funds to help stock local food pantries. The omelet is more mundane, but it is a great entree for folks whose food budgets are very limited. The pie and the omelet are both delicious and I'll share the pie with you on Sunday. Tonight, however, I want to talk a bit about the potato omelet. It is substantial enough to be a meal and, if you have ever had and enjoyed rösti, I know you will love this simple dish. I originally found the recipe in Saveur magazine. They used grated raw potatoes to make the omelet, but I found the potatoes did not cook in the allotted time. I decided to parboil the potato and gave the recipe another try. It was a "Bingo" moment. I save "Eureka" for more difficult executions. At any rate, the omelet comes together in minutes if you have a chilled potato that is ready to grate. The execution is a bit more difficult and there are two ways to approach it. The first, uses two frying pans to execute the turn. The omelet cooks in  one pan until it has a brown bottom, then a second frying pan is placed over it and the bottom pan is inverted, dumping the omelet into it. The second method, and the one I prefer to use, cooks the omelet until the top is nearly dry, then slides it out and turns it on itself in halfmoon fashion. Neither method is completely foolproof, but let me assure you, that the finished omelet, whatever its state of disrepair, will be delicious. The recipe below is meant for one person. It makes a healthy, guy-size, portion. When I make this for Bob and myself, I use two skillets so we get to sit at the table together. This is a great dish, even if you are not on a food budget. I hope you will give it a try. Here's how the omelet is made.



Potato and Cheese Omelet...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by an adapted recipe that originally appeared in Saveur magazine

Ingredients:
2 large eggs, beaten
1 (8-oz.) potato
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan or Gruyere
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
1) Place potato in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain potato and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. Peel potato, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Grate potato using large holes on a cheese grater. You should have about 1-1/4 cups shredded potatoes.
2) Combine eggs, grated potato, salt and pepper, onion, garlic and cheese. Melt butter in a medium sized omelet pan (10-inch), pour in egg mixture and cook until top is nearly dry, about 5 to 10 minutes. Turn out of pan, folding omelet over itself as you transfer it to a serving plate. Serve immediately. Yield: 1 serving.









One Year Ago Today: Sweet and Sour Pork














Two Years Ago Today: Cumin Crusted Pork Chops














Three Years Ago Today: Red Pesto Sauce + Home-Style Sun-Dried Tomatoes














Four Years Ago Today: Scallion Pancakes

Ferran Adrià's Tortilla Española (Spanish Potato Frittata)

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...In an earlier post, I mentioned that the recipes I'd be featuring for the week would be very simple. I neglected to mention that one of them was developed by a man who is an undisputed master in the culinary world. Tonight's recipe is the creation of Ferran Adrià who made the now defunct el Bulli a culinary mecca. Everyone who loves Spanish cooking is familiar with the lusty Spanish potato frittata, or Tortilla Española. It's an omelet that is made with layers of thinly sliced and fried potatoes, so there is a lot of work involved in its preparation. Adrià wanted to simplify the procedure and began to experiment. In one of those Eureka moments he seems to have more often than the rest of us, he decided to use store-bought thick-cut potato chips instead of the older peel, cut and fry variety dictated by tradition. In order to produce potatoes that would have the proper consistency, he hydrated them in the omelet mixture before cooking the frittata and his version of Tortilla Española was born . I love the simplicity of this recipe and I make it often for breakfast, brunch or dinner. This recipe is a real time saver and the only caution I have to share with you regards its cooking time. Please follow the times suggested in the recipe. If the frittata overcooks it will be dry and you'll wonder what the fuss is about. Despite the warning, I really hope you'll try the Tortilla Española. It is delicious. Here's how it is made.

Tortilla Española (Spanish Potato Frittata)...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Ferran Adrià and Saveur magazine

Ingredients:
4 ounces (about 2-1/4 cups) crushed thick-cut potato chips, like Cape Cod brand
2 ounces thinly sliced serrano ham or prosciutto
1/4 cup finely chopped canned piquillo peppers or pimentos
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dry
8 eggs, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
1) Heat broiler to high.
2) Combine potato chips, ham, peppers, thyme, eggs, and salt and black pepper in a bowl and let sit to allow chips to soften in eggs, about 5 minutes.
3) Heat oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add egg mixture and cook, without stirring, until bottom begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to broiler, and broil until set and golden on top, about 3 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Tortellini with Garlic and Sage Butter

Two Years Ago Today: Sonoran Hot Dogs

Three Years Ago Today: Mexican Black Bean and Vegetable Soup