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More Savory, Less Sweet

Adventures in Food - Taste, Explore, Inspire and Share

Skillet Steak with Pickle Salsa Verde and (not that big of a….) Hassleback Potatoes

01/15/2017 by Laura 2 Comments

I am sitting in my office surrounded by many things I love.  Over 300 cookbooks, my camera gear, yarn and knitting supplies and my connection to ya’ll.  On the dining room table is another pile of cookbooks, all fairly new releases, about 30 in total.  On my corner of the couch are a dozen more cookbooks from the library, unread copies of Food and Wine, my I Pad with bookmarked blog pages, and a basket with 3, ok 5, current knitting projects.  In spite of being surrounded by all this inspiration and creativity I still find it difficult to figure out what to make for dinner!

I am not brazen enough to say I’m making a NY resolution here, but I am going to share with you how we intend to get out of the “recipe rut” going forward.  Dave’s idea actually!  He came up with it one day when I was even  more frustrated then normal, and really struggling to come up with “something for dinner”.   Dave handed me a book from the top of the pile and said “open it, any page”.  “There”, he said, “that’s what’s for dinner”.  I might mention,  that this is the same guy that chose his daily outfit by whatever was on top in the laundry basket and advised me to do the same when dressing for the day!  Anyway, the book on the top of the pile was Sara Moulton’s newest book “Home Cooking 101, How to Make Everything Taste Better”.  I had turned to a flat iron steak recipe, to be cooked in a skillet. Since our grill was acting weird; because of the sub-freezing temperatures effect on the propane, I thought the skillet approach was fabulous.  I showed Dave the salsa verde recipe and he was not enthused.   The book recommended a soft, baked polenta as a side…not Dave’s first choice.  So, I flipped further into the book and chose Hassleback potatoes.  I’d never made them before.   They looked really good.   What’s not to love about a potato basted with butter and garlic….crisp on the edges and soft on the inside?  All set, decision made, we headed to the kitchen!

Again, all recipes adapted from “Home Cooking 101″ by Sara Moulton”

For the Pickle Salsa Verde

2 tablespoons finely chopped cornichons

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon finely chopped capers

1 tablespoon minced shallots

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more to taste, if desired)

1/4 quick light olive oil

Mix all the ingredients well.  Add in

1 1/2 cups medium chopped, fresh parley leaves, and stir.  Set aside while you prepare the steak and the potatoes.

For the Hassleback Potatoes

heat the oven to 400′

2 – 4 russet potatoes, or 1 potato per person

4-6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves, smashed

2 sprigs of thyme

salt and pepper

Peel the potatoes.  Drop each potato into a bowl of cold water.  Work with one potato at a time, slice a small amount off the bottom of each potato to ensure it will sit flat.  Place the potato between 2 chopsticks on the cutting board. (Sara’s genius advice!) slice the potatoes into 1/8″ slices,  as shown.  The chopsticks will prevent your knife from cutting all the way through the potato.  Return the potato to the bowl of water until all are sliced.  Remove from the water and dry well.  Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave with the garlic and thyme. Brush each potato with the melted butter, getting in between the slices as much as possible.  Season with salt.  Bake 30 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the oven.  Gently separate the slices with a bread knife and baste between all the slices with the butter. Return to the oven, and bake another 30-40 minutes, until crispy on the edges and soft in the centers.  Keep warm while you prepare the steak.

For the Skillet Steak

1 1/2 pound flank, flat iron or skirt steak, about an inch thick

Let the steak come to room temperature, about 15 minutes.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Dry steaks and hot skillets are friends!  Season the steaks as desired.  My favorite is Kosher salt and garlic pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet.  I think cast iron is the best for searing a steak.  Sear the steak on each side, 3-4 minutes for rare, 4-5 minutes for medium rare.  Remember, your steak will continue cooking a bit while it rests!!!  Remove from skillet to a plate.  Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 8-10 minutes.  Slice the steak across the grain and plate.  Place a couple tablespoons of the salsa on each serving.

We enjoyed this meal very much alongside a broiled tomato and tossed green salad.  I loved the salsa….I love salty briny things.  It was not Dave’s favorite.  Those potatoes though…MAKE THE POTATOES.

I hope you have a great evening.  Thanks for stopping by.

Laura

Filed Under: Beef, Quick - Week Night Tagged With: hassleback, pickle, potato, salsa, seared, skillet, steak, verde

Let the grilling season begin!

06/10/2015 by Laura Leave a Comment

Summer has arrived ahead of schedule in Seattle.  We are experiencing record breaking temperatures in the low 80’s.  Our garden is loving every minute of it, and I am certain I will have ripe tomatoes very soon.

As you know, we grill all year ’round for pleasure, but when it is as hot as it is, it is out of necessity.

One of our summertime favorites is Dave’s bbq chicken.  As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, low heat and frequent turns result in  moist, juicy and tender  chicken.  We love the whole chicken legs as they cook evenly and have lots of flavor.  Our favorite side dish is our traditional potato salad.  Did you know nasturtiums flowers and leaves  make lovely garnishes and they are edible! Stay cool and enjoy!

BBQ Chicken and Potato Salad Directions

BBQ Chicken and Potato Salad

Have a wonderful evening,

Laura

 

Filed Under: BBQ, Dave's Diner, Fabulous 50's Flashback, Poultry Tagged With: bbq, chicken, grilling, potato, salad

Summer is Here…Potato Salad!

05/06/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

Wow…80′ here in Seattle today.  What do we do when we get a glimpse of summer?  We barbecue chicken and make potato salad.   With the visit of my parents and the great weather, I knew it was potato salad time!  I have been making this recipe for years, and it is my favorite.  I think potato salad preferences are very personal and are likely based on what you grew up with.  My best friend makes her salad about the same way, only she adds pickles and pickle juice.  You can easily add any ingredients that make the salad your own!

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Ingredients

This makes a “party size” batch of salad.  You can cut the recipe in half if needed.

5 pounds small red potatoes

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

10 eggs, hard-boiled

1 medium purple onion, diced

1 medium sweet onion, diced (Maui or Walla Walla)

1 bunch green onions, sliced, including tops

2 cups chopped celery

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

2 Tablespoons celery seed

1 Tablespoon celery salt

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 tablespoon black pepper

2 cups mayonnaise, whatever kind you prefer

2 Tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

paprika for garnish

Scrub the potatoes and remove any blemishes.  I do not remove the peels.  Put them in a large pot of water and bring to a boil.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, until fork tender.  Drain the potatoes in a colander for about 15 minutes.  Place the potatoes in a non-reactive bowl.  Pour the apple cider vinegar over the potatoes, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Cook the eggs at the same time.  Bring them to a boil, turn off heat, cover and let set for 10 minutes.  Rinse in cold water and refrigerate overnight.

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I always make the salad early, the morning I intend to serve it.  Chop the potatoes into bite size pieces.  There will be vinegar left on the bottom of the bowl.  Pour that over the chopped potatoes.

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Add the rest of the ingredients.  Gently mix all together.  Adjust for seasoning to your taste.  Pile into a serving bowl, sprinkle with paprika and chill at least 6 hours.

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Tender, Juicy Barbecued Chicken

After burning many pieces of chicken over the years, we finally got it right.  We turned down the heat and turned the chicken more frequently.  We also learned that it is easiest if all the pieces are the same size, like the chicken quarters below.

Heat grill to 350′.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.  Cook the chicken a total of 40 minutes, or until temperature registers 165′ on a thermometer.   Turn the chicken every 10 minutes.  Baste with Chef Hak’s Chipotle Bourbon  BBQ sauce the last 10 minutes of cooking time!

potato salad 051

Be sure to try Chef Sharone Hackman’s Award winning BBQ Sauces.  Not heard of them?  Check it out here!

http://www.haksbbq.com/

chef hak2

Filed Under: Poultry Tagged With: potato, summer

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