Date Night : Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari, Mussels, + Scallops braised in a Herbed, Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce and Brown Butter Panko

Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari, Mussels, + Scallops braised in a Herbed, Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Happy Easter everyone! I hope that everyone is surrounded by family, devouring honey baked hams, and stuffing your faces with carrot cake. Or, well, that's what we tend to do around this joint. But unfortunately, I do not have an Easter themed recipe for y'all today, but instead a Date Night entree. This dish is truly stunning... in person... in photographs... in general. I love the pop of black given from the squid ink pasta and the contrast of color the seafood + tomatoes provide. It looks extremely gourmet, but it was actually quite easy to throw together. We purchased the squid ink pasta a while ago, but we were waiting for the right inspiration to hit us. Usually everyone serves it with seafood because it obviously compliments the flavoring of the pasta. Well, we chose not one, but three types: calamari, mussels, + scallops. You honestly could just leave everything out and just use the calamari... just make sure you double or triple the amount of it. The pasta dish doesn't have a heavy sauce, which I love because it allows the remaining minor components to sing-- quite loudly. The sauce is super simple, in that it takes some sauteed onions, garlic, serrano, seafood stock, white wine, and a whole bunch of heirloom cherry tomatoes. Between the brine-y flavor from the squid ink pasta + seafood, the sweet + spicy tomato sauce, and crunchy brown butter panko, every flavor note is easily achieved. Not only is this delicious for two people, but it can't most certainly feed a big group. And lemme tell you, it's a crowd pleaser. I mean, they always say that you eat with your eyes first... and well, this dish is as colorful as you can get!! Enjoy :)

For the Brown Butter Panko:

4T Salted Butter, Melted & Browned

1C Panko Breadcrumbs

For the Pasta:

2T Unsalted Butter + 2T EVOO

1 Small Red Onion, Thinly Sliced

5 Cloves of Garlic, Thinly Sliced

1-2 Serranos, Thinly Sliced

2C Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced in Half

2C Seafood Stock + 2C White Wine

2T Sugar (or to your desired sweetness)

1T AP Flour

1-2t Red Pepper Flakes (or to your desired spiciness)

Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

½C Mixed Herbs (we recommend minced chives, Chiffonade basil, & tarragon)

½lb Calamari, Cut into Rings

1lb Mussels, Cleaned + Beard Removed

8-10 Seared Scallops

8oz Squid Ink Pasta

Directions:

1. For the Brown Butter Panko: In a small sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter until it has begun to toast and lightly brown. After it is has browned, pour the butter over the panko and quickly toss to coat the breadcrumbs until they are saturated. Return the buttered breadcrumbs to the pan and continue to brown them until they reach a lightly golden brown color. This should only take a few minutes (make sure to move them constantly, so they don’t burn). Remove them from the pan and place into a bowl, so that they can be used as a garnish later.

2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add in the squid ink pasta. Cook them according to the package; however, ours only took about 3-5 minutes (just make sure it’s al dente). Drain the pasta and set aside.

3. For the Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce: Bring a large sauté pan to medium-high heat and add in the butter and olive oil. Once they have melted, add in the red onion slices, garlic slivers, sliced Serranos, and calamari rings. Cook them until they begin to caramelize slightly and become fragrant, about 2-3 minutes (don’t let the garlic burn). Throw in the tomato halves and continue to sauté until they begin to break down and release their juices, about another 3-5 minutes. Stir in the seafood stock, white wine, and mussels. Cover and let this mixture cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes in order for the flavors to meld and allowing the mussels to open up. Afterwards, sift the 1T of AP Flour over the sauce and stir to combine (this will help the sauce thicken a bit and hold onto the pasta better). Now, it’s time to season the sauce with red pepper flakes, sea salt, & fresh cracked peppers. Once it has been seasoned to your liking, add in ¼C of the fresh mixed herbs (saving the other portion for garnishing).  Add the drained squid ink pasta into the spicy heirloom tomato sauce and toss to cover the noodles completely.

4. Serving the Pasta: Dump the squid ink pasta onto a serving platter and place the seared scallops all over the dish. Garnish with the remaining ¼C of fresh mixed herbs and sprinkle the brown butter panko all over the dish.

5. Enjoy with some toasted bread and a glass of red wine!

Date Night : Candied Bacon Steaks with Triple Corn Hoecakes, Coca Cola Glaze, “BTFO” BBQ Sauce Drizzle, Southern Braised Collard Greens, & Pickled Shallots

Candied Bacon Steaks with Double Corn Hoecakes, Coca Cola Glaze, “BTFO”
BBQ Sauce Drizzle, Southern Braised Collard Greens, & Pickled Shallots

Finally, a date night post. It seems like it has been months since our last dinner post. Between the wedding planning, bachelor-bachelorette party planning, my Mountain Man's new job, a few health scares, and revamping my food blog... I have been QUITE the busy bird. But if that doesn't sound crazy enough, I decided to throw another big commitment onto my plate, and I'm finally ready to share another exciting announcement :) Drum roll please....... Piece, Love, & Cooking/Haute + Heirloom is now an up and running Etsy store. You can find my store here. I know many of y'all will have questions... like what will you be selling, how will you send it, will you do custom orders? As of right now, I have posted products like freshly baked cookies, recipe DIY kits, cake mixes, pickles, candied jalapenos, jams, jellies, marmalades, caramels, sauces, bars and brownies, brittle, doughnuts and cronuts, pies, marshmallows, gourmet caramel apples, simple syrups, and so-so-so-so-so much more!! Of course most of your favorites will be on there, but here will be some new additions as well :) I hope that all of my loyal followers will wander on over to my Etsy store and buy some things. But no worries, no commitment necessary. I personally wanted to take on this adventure myself, so that I could get my name and recipes out there for everyone to enjoy. Maybe one day, after much hard work and raising funds, my dream cafe will come true! The store isn't completely stocked quite yet, but we're at about 35 different products... and GROWING. Okay, enough about that and onto our delightful date night...

a gourmet southern date night

I have already posted the recipes for my Bacon Fat Fried-Triple Corn Hoecakes and my Most Flavorful Braised Southern Collard Greens, which is what were both served alongside our main dish component. I mean, what goes better with cornbread and collards... PORK, butofcourse. You've got to schmancy it up a little though, so I bought some cured pork bellies and braised them in sorghum molasses, coca cola, and spices. After slow-cooking the squares of belly, I removed them from the oven and used a sharp knife to form a crosshatch look to it. I felt like this would be most beneficial because it would allow more fat to render during the second cooking process, it would also trap in the homemade coca cola glaze to make it extra sticky, and it helped the belly to crisp up more on top. Once the braising + glazing, you literally have a glorified "bacon steak". Yep, bacon steaks are real over here at PLC, so if that doesn't convince you enough to make it, then you're, well, un-American. C'MON Y'ALL, IT'S BACON STEAKS, HERE. The homemade coca cola glaze pairs perfectly with the pork belly and gives it that finger-licking-good essence. OhMahGah, it's a Candied Bacon Steak...  yeah it should be blowin' your mind, don't fear the overwhelming emotions that are hitting you like a mack truck right now. Woo-sah, in blue-out red, keep calm. Although I already had so many components in one dish, it was seriously lacking in much needed acidity and brightness of flavor. This was provided by the Signature "BTFO" BBQ Sauce (yes, that means back the f*ck off) and the pink pickled shallots. You might be wondering why the sauce is so violent. Well, the explanation is quite simple to explain... the South Carolina mustard based condiment has three different uses of garlic. You have fresh minced garlic, roasted garlic paste, and garlic powder. So after eating, I'm pretty sure your friends, family, or significant other will say "BTFO" because you're breath will be stanky. But hey, as long as they are eating it with you, then it don't matter. When you are ready to plate, I made a solid swipe of the "BTFO" BBQ Sauce, topped it with a glazed pork belly steak, and drizzled it with more coca cola glaze. Off to the side, stack a few of the buttered hoecakes and top them with some collard greens + pink pickled shallots. In a optimistic look into the future, this exactly the type of cuisine I will be focusing on... modern. southern. comfort. If you're a gal or guy that obsesses about pork and bacon as much as we do, then candied bacon steaks are a "must" to make!! Enjoy and please make sure to check out the new Haute + Heirloom store on Etsy :) Love y'all, XOXO Juliana.

look at the collard green "green-ness" + the pickled shallot "pink-ness", it's so beautiful 

perfectly fried hoecakes + a shot of the sauce drizzles 

CANDIED BACON STEAKS. enuff said.  

Homemade "BTFO" South Carolina Mustard Based BBQ Sauce

For the Candied Bacon Steaks:

2lbs House Cured Pork Belly, Cut into Large Squares

½C Sorghum Molasses

1C Coca Cola or Cheerwine Soda

1t Paprika, Chili Powder, & Cayenne (these can be reduced for a less spicy version)

Fleur de Sel + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

For the Coca Cola Glaze:

1C Coca Cola or Cheerwine (whatever soda you used to braise the pork belly)

2 Limes, Zested & Juiced

1 ½C Light Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Signature “BTFO” BBQ Sauce:

1T Canola Oil

¼C Minced Shallots + ¼C Minced Garlic

¾C Classic Yellow Mustard + ¼C Stone Ground Mustard

¾C Sorghum Molasses (maple syrup may be substituted if needed)

¼C Brown Sugar

1T Worcestershire Sauce + 1T Sweet Potato-Habanero Hot Sauce (I use Cochon’s)

½t Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, & Chili Powder

1T Freshly Cracked Pepper

1T Red Pepper Flakes

¾C Cold Apple Cider Vinegar

1-2T Roasted Garlic Paste (can be homemade or store-bought)

For the Self Rising Corn Flour:

1C Corn Flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Corn Flour)

1 ½t Baking Powder

¼t Salt

For the Double Corn Hoecakes:

1C Self Rising Corn Flour (the entire batch you just made in the previous step)

1C Southern Ground Cornmeal

¼C Corn Powder (this can be made by processing freeze dried corn kernels into powder)

2T Buttermilk Powder

2t Baking Powder (possibly just 1T of this instead)

½t Salt + ¼t White Pepper

1T Sugar, Optional

2 Beaten Eggs

¾C Well-Shaken Buttermilk

¼C + 2T Potlikker Stock (chicken stock or water may be substituted here as well)

¼C Canola Oil/Melted Bacon Fat/Melted Butter (plus extra for frying)

Directions:

1. For the Candied Bacon Steaks: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Cut in the pieces of cured pork belly into large squares or extremely thick slices. This will help the pork belly remain in tact during the braising process. Line a baking dish with tin foil, spray with Pam, and arrange the pieces of pork in the pan. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sorghum molasses, Coca Cola, and assorted spices until completely incorporated. Pour the liquid evenly over the pork belly, so that the meat is only halfway submerged. Sprinkle the dry tops of the meat with fleur de sel and fresh cracked pepper. Cover the entire pan with tin foil, so that all of the moisture will be sealed in, which will create super tender pork belly. Bake for 4 hours, making sure to flip over the bacon slices at the halfway mark of the cooking time (two hours each side). Once it has cooked, remove the pork belly from the pan and put on a plate or in a container to chill in the refrigerate overnight.

2. For the Coca Cola Glaze: In a small saucepan, bring the soda, lime zest and juice, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt & pepper to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer until it is syrupy, about 30-45 minutes. If serving right away, keep warm until you are ready to plate. But this glaze can also be made the night before and refrigerated until you need it.

3. For the “BTFO” BBQ Sauce: In a medium pot, warm the canola oil over medium-low heat until hot. Add in the minced garlic and shallots and cook until soft and transparent. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the yellow mustard, grainy mustard, sorghum molasses, and Worcestershire sauce. Sift the dry mustard, garlic powder, and chili powder over the mustard mixture (this will help avoid lumping). Pour it into the pot containing the sautéed aromatics. Next, whisk in the fresh cracked pepper, red pepper flakes, and water/apple cider vinegar. Simmer the BBQ sauce on low heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring often throughout cooking time. Once the timer has expired, mix in the roasted garlic paste, and then season to taste, adding any needed seasonings, water, or vinegar to reach the desired taste to your liking. Cool the sauce before refrigerating or keep warm if ready to serve.

4. For the Self-Rising Corn Flour: In a small mixing bowl, sift together the corn flour, baking powder, and salt until you have a thoroughly combined mixture. Pour it into a container or plastic bag for storing.

5. For the Double Corn Hoe Cakes: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the prepared Self-Rising Corn Flour, cornmeal, corn powder, buttermilk powder, baking powder, salt, white pepper, and sugar until the components are distributed evenly throughout. In another bowl, whisk together the two beaten eggs, buttermilk, potlikker stock, and ¼C melted fat. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the center. Using a fork, gently whisk together the mixtures until a hoecake batter is formed. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add some fat to the pan for cooking (I personally like to use equal parts of canola oil and bacon fat/melted butter/duck fat because the canola oil helps to raise the burning temperature to the other delicate fat). Once the fat is hot enough, scoop or drop ¼C of batter into the hot skillet to form small silver dollar cakes. Fry them until they are golden brown and perfectly crispy, about 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove the hoe cakes to a paper towel lined plate and briefly drain them of excess oil.

6. Crisping the Pork Belly: Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with just about 1T of canola oil to lube the pan. Score the top of your braised pork belly squares with diagonal lines to create hatch marks. Season with a little salt and fresh cracked pepper, and then place the square (marked side down) onto the scorching hot pan. Sear for roughly 3-5 minutes until it has developed a deep brown color and the fat has begun to render. Next, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the pork belly cook at a slower pace, making sure to fry all sides of the square. The overall cooking process should take about 15-20 minutes. Remove the pork belly to a cooling rack that is fitted on top of a baking sheet pan, and then lightly dab with paper towels to remove excess fat. Heavily brush the Coca Cola Glaze all over the crisped pork belly and broil in the oven for 5 minutes per side, making sure to brush once or twice more with the remaining glaze until a candied bacon steak has been formed.

7. Assembling the Dish: On a serving plate, either drizzle a circle or brush a streak of the “BTFO” BBQ Sauce around the circumference or through the center of the plate (this will create a rim or middle division, creating a place to plate your dish). On one half of your sauce base, place a small stack of buttered silver dollar hoecakes, while on the other half, lay down a glazed square of braised pork belly. Ladle one last spoonful of Coca Cola glaze over the candied bacon steak. Next, create a small mound of cooked Southern collard greens in between the two main components. Garnish with crispy bacon lardons, fried garlic chips, & minced chives.

Date Night: Steakhouse Salad with Seared Filet Mignon on Mixed Heirloom Greens Tossed in a Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette with Candied Pecans, Dried Cherries, Sliced Apples, Apple Chips, Crumbled Bleu Cheese, & Crispy Shallots, Drizzled with a Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel

Steakhouse Salad with Seared Filet Mignon on Mixed Heirloom Greens Tossed in a Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette with Candied Pecans, Dried Cherries, Sliced Apples, Apple Chips, Crumbled Bleu Cheese, & Crispy Shallots, Drizzled with a Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel 

It's been a long, long, longgggggg time since I have last posted a Date Night recipe. And this meal will surely make up for the lost time! As many of you know, I am an avid lover of all salads, my Mountain Man, on the other hand, doesn't get that yearning for a big ole' pile of frilly greens like I do. But, his mind can quickly be changed when a hearty steak is added into the mix. Oh, and crispy fried shallots don't hurt it either. This bad boy of a salad is loaded with a bunch of yummy ingredients... sweet dried cherries, fresh apple slices, crunchy apple chips, crumbled bleu cheese, & candied pecans. The base of it all is a mix between heirloom greens, frisee lettuce, and baby arugula. Then, they are all tossed in my go-to Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette, which perfectly complements the other components of the dish. I like all of the balance of these different greens put together for a lot of variety and then the acidic-sweet dress that is dressed in. Now, here's where it all comes up to you... We love our filet mignons to be crusted in fancy fleur de sel and coarsely ground peppercorns. It is super hearty and extremely flavorful. But, most importantly, we prefer our steaks to be cooked to a bright red medium rare. It has such a deep, complex meatiness that way and it literally just melts into your mouth. But, I know that not everyone feels the same way we do, so please cook your meat according to your preferences. After every thing has been assembled, you have to garnish it off with a heapin' mouthful of crispy shallots. Life don't get much betta than this, y'all!! Enjoy :)

Beautifully Cooked Filet Mignon + Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel Drizzle

Crispy. Shallots. Are. My. Life.

Dried Cherries, Crumbled Bleu Cheese, Crispy Shallots, Apple Chips,  & Apple Slices

For the Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel:

½C Red Wine

1C Balsamic Vinegar

1T Dark Brown Sugar

For the Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette:

2T Olive Oil

2T Apple Cider Vinegar

4T Maple Syrup

2t Dijon Mustard

2T Grainy Mustard

2t Garlic, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Candied Pecans:

1 ½C Pecans, Toasted

½C Sugar

Pinch of Salt, Cinnamon, & Cayenne (or to your taste, I did a large pinch)

For the Crispy Shallots:

4 Large Shallots, Thinly Sliced

½C Buttermilk + 2T Hot Sauce

AP Flour, For Coating

Vegetable Oil, For Frying

For the Steakhouse Salad:

Mixed Heirloom Greens, Frisee Lettuce, & Baby Arugula (or your favorite salad greens)

Prepared Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette, For Dressing the Salad

Prepared Candied Pecans, Roughly Chopped

1-2C Dried Cherries

1 Fuji Apple, Thinly Sliced

Apple Chips

Crumbled Bleu Cheese

½C Red Onion, Finely Minced

2T Freshly Parsley, Minced

Seared Filet Mignon, Cooked to your Preference & Sliced

Prepared Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel, For Drizzling

Crispy Shallots, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel: Place red wine in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add the balsamic vinegar and boil until the vinegar has reduced to about ¼ cup and is very syrupy and big shiny bubbles are forming at the surface. Watch the mixture very closely at this point — it will burn very easily. If it appears too thin, be assured that it will thicken upon cooling. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar until dissolved. Pour into a clean jar and let it thicken before drizzling over the salad.

2. For the Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette: In a mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until combined. Season it with salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate the dressing until ready to toss the salad.

3. For the Candied Pecans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes until just toasted. Remove from the oven and let it cool. Meanwhile, pour the sugar into a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon while the sugar melts. Keep stirring until the color turns a medium amber color. Once that color is reached, add in the pecans to the pan and quickly stir to coat. As soon as they are coated, spread them onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. Let them cool completely before adding them to the dish (after they have hardened, you can chose whether or not you want to chop them up or leave them whole).

4. For the Crispy Shallots: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce until combined. Add in the thinly shaved shallots and toss them in the spicy milk mixture until they are thoroughly covered. Let these onions soak for roughly an hour. When you are ready to fry, heat some vegetable oil up to 350 degrees. While the oil is heating, drain the shallots from the milk, and then lightly coat them in some AP Flour, shaking well to remove any excess flour. Fry the shallots in the hot oil, in small batches, until they are crispy & golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Once cooked, strain from the oil onto a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining shallots. After they have all been fried, set them aside until you are ready to garnish the salad with them.

5. For the Steakhouse Salad: In a large mixing bowl, place the mixed greens and lettuce in a bowl, along with the candied pecans, dried cherries, apple slices, apple chips, crumbled bleu cheese, minced red onion, and parsley. Toss them together until all of the ingredients are incorporated throughout. Next, pour some of the Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss until just combined (don’t overdress the salad or it will be soggy). Lay the slices of the filet mignon on top of the dressed salad, and then generously drizzle some of the Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel over the steak and the salad. Garnish the salad with a big pile of crispy shallots. Enjoy immediately with a big glass of red wine!

source: balsamic caramel.