December 2006
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Day December 25, 2006

Entries 3 Total

Day 6: From Llong to Ventosa i Calvell

Dec 25, ’06

We left Estanc Llong with a group of women, one of whom was a Canadian expat who spoke to us in English. She invited us to hike down the mountain with them where we grabbed a 4×4 to the opening of the trail to Ventosa i Calvell. Was it cheating? We didn’t think so. If the park ranger told us to take the shortcut to Blanc, we can take the shortcut to Ventosa. The hike was almost three hours from the visitors’ station up to mountains anyway. On our sixth day, we just wanted to finish our trek and make our way back to Barcelona.

After we separated from the women, the hike to Ventosa was chilly but pleasant. When we made it to the refuge, we saw snow on the mountains. We had the entire afternoon to rest, and we knew we needed it because the next day involved trekking back to our starting point at Restanca, going down the mountain, and making the 1pm bus back to Barcelona.

Video diary, day 6: Hiking to Ventosa i Calvell, snow in September

Related post/s:
Photos of Llong to Ventosa i Calvell on Flickr
Video courtesy of Tripfilms.com

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Cornish Hens with Pomegranate and Orange Zests

Dec 25, ’06

This was probably the easiest Christmas dish I’ve ever cooked. The two Cornish hens I bought in Chinatown cost me less than $10. All I had to do was ask the butcher to cut off the head and the feet. My large Dutch oven fit both of them that I was able to brown and roast under 45 minutes. The first time I tried this recipe, I used Silkie chicken. This time, I used the game hens but made the marinade with pomegranate molasses rather than seeds. My favorite part is sautéeing the orange peels in butter until fragrant–one of the least expensive ways to make a dish smell and look festive. I wish you were here. Merry Christmas.

Ingredients:
2 Cornish game hens, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup Marsala
2 tbsps pomegranate molasses
fresh sage leaves
a handful of mint leaves, chopped
zest of 1 orange, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 tbsp butter
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. Make marinade. In a small bowl, mix the Marsala with the pomegranate and mint. Set aside, covered, for 1 hour.
2. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350º. Season the birds inside and out with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. In a Dutch oven, heat the butter with olive oil over high heat. Add 3 sage leaves and cook for 1 minute. Brown the hens on all sides. Lower the heat and add the rest of the sage leaves.
3. Transfer the pot to the oven and roast the hens for 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, drizzle 3 tablespoons of the marinade and dot with some butter. Baste the hens with the juices and roast for another 10 minutes or until the juices run clear when the thighs are pierced with a fork.
4. Meanwhile, in a small pot, heat some more butter and cook orange zest for 5 minutes until the zest absorbs the butter. Remove from heat.
5. Transfer the hens in a dish, sprinkle with zest and drizzle with pan juices.

Related post/s:
Where to buy Cornish hens and pomegranate molasses
Or else, use Silkie chicken

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Braised Pork Belly

Dec 25, ’06

For Christmas Eve dinner this year, I wanted something more substantial than just lechon kawali. Deep-frying was the only way I knew how to cook pork belly until I ate at Gramercy Tavern for the first time years ago. So of course today, I turn to Tom Colicchio’s recipe to recreate the eyes-rolling-back feeling at home. The photo below looks a lot like the one from the Filipino version but this one was heftier–you can smell and taste the concentrated flavor of the braised vegetables. The skin was chewy on this version and it’s recommended that it be discarded before serving, but the meat and the fat easily give when pierced with a fork. Patience is a virtue. This dish will make any pork lover swoon.

Ingredients:
2 pork bellies, cut into 4 large chunks
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 leek, white part only, trimmed and chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp peanut oil
salt and pepper

1. A day or a few hours before cooking, rinse the pork bellies and season with salt and pork. Air-dry for several hours and then store in freezer, each piece separated, on a plate.
2. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350º. Heat the peanut oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Remove the pork from the freezer only when ready to cook. Add them, fat side down, to the skillet. Cook until the skin is browned, about 15 minutes. Brown the other sides for a few extra minutes then transfer to a plate.
3. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat and add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery and leek to the skillet. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Return the pork belly to the skillet, fat side up, and add about 2 cups of stock, enough to surround but not cover the meat. Bring the stock to a simmer, then transfer the skillet to the oven.
4. Gently simmer the pork, uncovered, for 1 hour, then add another cup of stock. Continue cooking until the pork is tender enough to cut with a fork, about another hour. If necessary, keep adding stock to keep the skillet from burning.
5. Allow the pork to cool in the braising liquid. Remove the pork from the liquid, then gently lift off and discard the skin using a small knife.
6. Strain the braising liquid and discard the vegetables. Return the liquid to the skillet, bring it to a simmer and skim off the fat. Serve the pork in a shallow bowl moistened with a bit of the braising liquid.

Related post/s:
The Filipino version of this pork belly

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