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Top Chef Season 2 watchers


MojoMan
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I'm planning on making the fideos dish tonight. Everyone seemed to like it on that epidose.

 

Here's the recipe on the Bravo website.

 

http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef_2/recipes/...elim/ilan.shtml

 

I also clicked on the "Watch Lee Anne make it" link.

 

The recipes are pretty different. The actual recipe does not seem to have enough liquid, it has no tomatoes, and it doesn't seem to have enough liquid to cook the dry pasta properly. It also has quite a bit of cream.

 

On the other hand, Lee Anne's version had chopped onions, extra tomatoes and wine and she didn't have any cream.

 

Should I actually follow the written recipe or just wing it from Lee Anne's demo. I'm a pretty experienced cook so I think I can pull off the Lee Anne thing.

 

I think the written recipe is gonna be dry and nasty.

 

Please advise.

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I've made fideos a bunch of times. Here's how I make it:

 

First off, you need to make a special stock. I brown onions, celery, carrots. Right before I add equal parts chix stock and water, I add a pinch of saffron to the veg and brown for just a minute more. Then I add some tomato product (either fresh-chopped or a can). Simmer this for about 2 hours. All in all, you'll need 2 qts to a gallon for a batch.

 

Cooking fideos is much like making risotto, in as much as you saute the dry pasta and allow it to absorb stock bit by bit. So, take a box of fedilini (which is the size just larger than cappelini but any very fine pasta will work). Break it into 1 inch bits. Saute in a generous amount of olive oil in a large pan (thick sides are good and the pan needs to be deep enough to allow the pasta to expand. Once the pasta has gotten to a nutty brown color, start adding the warm stock. Cook until the noodles are dry again and repeat until the pasta is soft enough to eat.

 

To finish, I like to add shellfish and cook in the oven to give a crispy top. Garnish with aioli and parsley. This is key.

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I've made fideos a bunch of times. Here's how I make it:

 

First off, you need to make a special stock. I brown onions, celery, carrots. Right before I add equal parts chix stock and water, I add a pinch of saffron to the veg and brown for just a minute more. Then I add some tomato product (either fresh-chopped or a can). Simmer this for about 2 hours. All in all, you'll need 2 qts to a gallon for a batch.

 

Cooking fideos is much like making risotto, in as much as you saute the dry pasta and allow it to absorb stock bit by bit. So, take a box of fedilini (which is the size just larger than cappelini but any very fine pasta will work). Break it into 1 inch bits. Saute in a generous amount of olive oil in a large pan (thick sides are good and the pan needs to be deep enough to allow the pasta to expand. Once the pasta has gotten to a nutty brown color, start adding the warm stock. Cook until the noodles are dry again and repeat until the pasta is soft enough to eat.

 

To finish, I like to add shellfish and cook in the oven to give a crispy top. Garnish with aioli and parsley. This is key.

 

 

Ah Ha! So I was right (the written recip didn't have enough liquid). It only had 1/2 cup stock, 2 cups heavy cream, and whatever liquid came out of a pound of clams for 1 pound of pasta.

 

BASTAGES! Thanks Chef.

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Ah Ha! So I was right (the written recip didn't have enough liquid). It only had 1/2 cup stock, 2 cups heavy cream, and whatever liquid came out of a pound of clams for 1 pound of pasta.

 

BASTAGES! Thanks Chef.

 

The cream part seemed sort of strange to me. Honestly, I've never kept track of exactly how much liquid you need 'cause I always made plenty. At the restaurant, we'd cook the noodles until they were done, cool them off on a sheet pan and then heat them up with a bit more of the stock and whatever we were putting in there to order. Ideally, you have a broiler to finish them off in, otherwise, use the top shelf of a hot oven. That gives you a nice crispy top.

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The fideos turned out well. Per detlef's suggestions, I made it like a risotto. Since I'm not a huge clam fan, I used jumbo shrimp instead that I just tucked into the noodles before broiling. I melded it with the crappy Bravo recipe by cooking the cauliflower with the heavy cream (I had already bought it) and I put some of that on top before broiling.

 

Very nice.

Edited by MojoMan
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