Recipes | Urban Deli

Posted on April 22, 2010 Posted by The Deli

Seared beef carpaccio with peppercorn mushrooms

I loved this recipe! This is so refreshing and flavorful and worth the few minutes it takes to prepare and serve. It’s taken from: Company’s Coming: Practical Gourmet – Small Plates for Sharing (pages 58 & 59).

(Note: the image shown is an example of carpaccio but not that of the recipe below.)

Seared beef carpaccio with peppercorn mushrooms:

– 1 tbsp / 15 ml Montreal steak spice
– 1 tbsp / 15 ml finely chopped fresh thyme
– 1 lb / 454 g beef strip loin steak

– 1 tbsp / 15 ml cooking oil
– 5 cups / 1.25 L sliced brown mushrooms

– 1/3 cup / 75 ml brandy
– 1 tbsp / 15 ml canned green peppercorns
– 1 tbsp / 15 ml butter

– ½ cup / 125 ml Arugula leaves lightly packed

Combine Montreal steak spice and finely chopped thyme (I used dried and would have preferred fresh) in a pie pan or wide bottom bowl. Press steak into spice mixture until coated. Cook on a greased grill on high for about 2 minutes per side until browned and slightly crisp. Transfer to cutting board. Cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes.

Heat cooking oil in a frying pan on medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook until browned and liquid is evaporated.

Stir in brandy and peppercorns. Add butter and stir until melted.

Cut steak across the grain into very thin slices. Arrange with arugula and mushrooms on a serving plate. Serves 6.

Company’s Coming describes an alternative method for cooking the Beef Carpaccio. (I grilled it on our flat top at the Deli). Instead of grilling the steak you can sear it using olive oil in a very hot stainless steel or cast iron frying pan. Sear each side for only one minute. The result will be a very thin dark crust that is quite appealing; however, it is not recommended that you use this method with a non-stick pan as the high heat may ruin the non-stick coating.

A couple of my own notes:

I doubled the recipe because it was for a group of 15 people as an appetizer. If you have a smaller dinner group the recipe portion is perfect!
I used spinach instead of arugula. Although spinach was good the arugula would have added more of a peppery taste to further compliment the flavors.
When I sautéed the mushrooms, peppercorns, brandy & butter, I poured it over the spinach, which was down the centre of the platter with the beef carpaccio on both sides.
Squeezing a bit of fresh lemon juice down each side of the plated carpaccio enhances the flavor (personal preference).
Once the beef carpaccio has been left to stand for 10 minutes, you can put it in the freezer for 15 minutes to make it a bit firmer, which makes it easier for thinly slicing. We used the meat slicer at the Deli and did so after the beef stood for 20 minutes.

(If you’re interested in the book, you’ll find Company’s Coming: Practical Gourmet – Small Plates for Sharing at Chapters – Indigo.)

Posted on April 1, 2010 Posted by Urban Deli

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Romaine Greek salad with wild-caught shrimp (Oh! And lemonade with vodka)

I love making this type of salad, and on the weekend I took full advantage of my time and spent it doing other things rather than cooking.

The dressing:

Acids to oil ratio should be about 1:3 or 4. 1 part acid to 3 or 4 parts oil. I made enough dressing that could have done a serving for 4 or 5, so I only used a bit of it. I actually didn’t measure so my measurements are guesses, just so you know.

Juice of one whole lemon
A tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
Olive oil, to the ratio above
Teaspoon of dried oregano
A couple squeezes of honey
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed
A pinch of Kosher salt, a few grinds of black pepper
Half teaspoon of your favourite mustard, I used whole grain

I mixed all of this into a mason jar, shook vigorously, and set aside.

Salad:

Romaine heart, one head
6 sweet cocktail tomatoes (they’re a smaller tomato available at the Superstore, really delicious for an out of season tomato)
Half a small red onion
Half an English cucumber
12 Kalamata olives
Several small cubes of feta cheese
One small carrot, grated
A couple handfuls of wild-caught Maritime shrimp (bought at Misty Harbour Seafood)

In a large bowl, I tossed everything but the shrimp with the dressing very well. A well-tossed salad needs little dressing. I shake my head at anyone who ever asks for dressing on the side, and then awkwardly tries to coat their salad on their plate, especially if they asked for it on the side to cut down on the amount of dressing on their plate. I then topped the salad with shrimp, and served some bread on the side.

Lemonade, two large servings:

Rind and juice of 7 lemons plus 2 shots of vodka
Let that infuse with about a half a cup of sugar (or more, to taste)
Because I had some on hand, I also put in a few Kaffir lime leaves

I let it sit for a few hours and then I strained it, poured over two tall glasses of ice, and added another shot of vodka to each glass.

I filled each glass ¾ full, topped with sparkling mineral water, stirred, and served.

***

Bio: Dan Jones is a food, drink, and travel writer from Saint John. Follow him on Twitter: @danjjj

Posted on March 29, 2010 Posted by Urban Deli

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Cooking class – a new first for Urban Deli

A group of twenty or so people convened at the Urban Deli on a sunny Sunday afternoon on March 14th to participate in the first cooking class hosted by UD. The restaurant is normally closed on Sundays, but Liz decided to open up for a few hours to host this reservation-only event. Bob McVicar was the instructing chef and the subject of the day was Italian-style cabbage rolls.

The afternoon began with some informal introductions and delicious snacks (check out this sautéed red pepper recipe), and then we all found seats at the communal table in groups of four. To ensure that the objective of the class was clear, Bob served us each a sample of his Italian cabbage rolls that he had put together a couple of days prior – Bob swears that they are better a few days after making them. We also sampled some homemade Italian sausage that UD has recently started making in-house.

Next, we worked in our groups of four to create some of Bob’s Italian cabbage rolls. We made half of the recipe below, which resulted in a roasting pan full of cabbage rolls. Bob did some of the prep work before we arrived and had already softened and peeled the cabbage leaves off of the head for us as well as having prepared the tomato sauce. Our main tasks were to create the filling and put the rolls together.

Bob’s recipe for the filling is simple to put together and rolling it in the leaves is pretty easy once you get used to it. You’ll need to be willing to get your hands dirty for this dish, so dig in and have some fun. Just follow the recipe and preparation instructions below and you’ll have no problems.

After assembling all of our rolls, we packed them up and topped them with some delicious tomato sauce. Each participant received a portion to take home, at which point they simply had to be baked and served fresh, saved for a few days before eating, or placed in the freezer to consume at a later date.

The cooking class was an enjoyable afternoon and a great value at only $12 per person, which was to help cover some of the costs. Beverages were also available to purchase and the snacks continued to flow throughout the afternoon. This cooking class was a successful first for UD and I suspect that there will be many more to come. Stay tuned to urbandeli.ca for info about future cooking classes that Liz has in the works.

Italian Cabbage Rolls – download recipe by Bob McVicar:

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This article was written by our guest author, Trisha Gallant, who is also an Urban Deli regular.

Posted on March 26, 2010 Posted by Urban Deli

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Pork fried rice with veggies

I thought I was going to make chicken fried rice, but I guess that bag in the fridge that my girlfriend took out of the freezer was actually pork.

I wouldn’t really call this a recipe because one could put anything they want in this dish and really, the only thing required is to cook the rice early and then cool it in the fridge. All Chinese restaurants use this technique for fried rice, or at least they should. Using freshly cooked rice will result in a huge lump of goo.

Mixing the other ingredients with the rice in a bowl and then serving isn’t fried rice, although it may also be tasty.

To start off, I seasoned some vegetable oil by combining it in a small pot with fresh ginger, garlic, lemongrass, a chili pepper, star anise, and white peppercorns. I let this simmer for about an hour, before straining and setting it aside until it was time to start cooking.

I used a couple hundred grams of pork, an egg, half a yellow bell pepper, a small handful of green beans, five small mushrooms, one stalk of celery, a small carrot, and 1/3 cup of frozen peas and corn (thawed in microwave, water drained).

I stir-fried the meat, veggies, and egg on medium high heat, and then added the cooled rice, along with several shakes of soy sauce, a few drops of fish sauce and sesame oil, and a small splash of rice wine vinegar.

I also toasted some sesame seeds and sliced a couple of green onions for garnishing the dish when serving.

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Bio: Dan Jones is a food, drink, and travel writer from Saint John. Follow him on Twitter: @danjjj

Posted on March 23, 2010 Posted by The Deli

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Sautéed red peppers – so versatile!

This dish is versatile, easy to make and requires minimal ingredients — and it is so delicious!

The sautéed red peppers are equally great as a stand-alone dish or a compliment to other dishes such as a topping for steamed chicken, pasta, or salads and served with a nice Italian bread or baguette, or with grilled sausages.

My sister Michael-Ann and her girlfriend Jodi recently visited Saint John from Manhattan (one of my favorite food cities). Jodi, who also lived in Italy for a few years, prepared one of her many recipes, which were taught to her in the kitchens of Italy.

I made the sautéed red peppers this past Saturday following Jodi’s recipe and found it easy and the results were fantastic!

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil — approx 3/4 to 1 cup (I used a 10.5” skillet – measured the width of the top lip opening of my skillet)
2 to 3 Garlic Cloves
8 to 9 red peppers (yellow can be used too and mixed in). Cut into large pieces – skins on. (I used 11 red peppers with my skillet size. I cut each pepper in half, top to bottom, removed the seed core and the top green stem and then cut each half into six long slices, again cutting top to bottom.)
Approximately 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted (I used black olives and wished I had used Kalamata olives simply for the better flavor)
2 tablespoons of capers (If using dried salted capers less is needed as they can be salty)
Salt

Method:

Coat large skillet with extra virgin olive oil ¾ to 1 cup (approx 1/4 inch). Add garlic cloves cut into 2 to 3 large pieces. Heat oil and garlic until garlic starts to brown but do not completely brown the garlic.

Add cut red peppers to hot oil. Do not worry if the peppers are heaping over the skillet because they will melt down as they are heated. To help keep the peppers in place use a lid smaller than the skillet and press down. Slowly start to rotate the peppers as they cook down. Turn the peppers frequently. (I cooked the peppers at a simmer and for 1.5 hours … Ok, I started talking and got side tracked … It all worked out for the good though.)

When the peppers are softened in the oil, add the Kalamata olives, capers and salt to taste. Cook the peppers until the oil turns to a clear red color and the peppers are soft. There should be no crunch at all to your sauteed peppers.

Serve hot, warm or cold. It’s even better on day two!

***

Bio: Liz is the owner of the Urban Deli. With a sister in Manhattan, she has visited New York many times and invariably studies the Big Apple’s famous delis.

Posted on March 11, 2010 Posted by Urban Deli

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Pulled Pork and Fries

Urban Deli does a great pulled pork and probably has the best frites, or fries as you may call them, in the city. But, on this day, I put together my own version of this tasty treat, which was actually my last order at UD.

It’s quite the process requiring some patience and attention to a few details. However, if you don’t mind such things, the end result will be a fine meal for you and your loved ones.

Here is what you need (see recipe suggestions below):

Pork butt – It’s actually from the front shoulder, and comes as bone-in and boneless cuts. Bone-in is preferred but either will do. It’s a fatty piece of meat with lots of connective tissue. With low and slow cooking, this will result in juicy and tender meat. Sometimes it is called Boston Butt, or pork shoulder. It should look something like this.
Rub
Sauce
Slaw
Wood chips (hickory, apple, cherry, or whatever you have on hand)
Buns – you can make your own or buy a good Kaiser bun that has a nice crisp crust

Rub:

Paprika – several tablespoons
Oregano – a bit less than paprika
Garlic and/or onion powder – a bit less than oregano
Cayenne, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, ancho/chipotle/chili powder in about equal quantities but go with taste here. Make a rub that you like the taste of. Rub this into the meat several hours before you’re ready to cook. Rub hard.

Sauce:

This is a free for all – do what you like here but maintain some sort of balance between sour, sweet, and spicy. I used:

Juice (orange, mango, pineapple, apple, or anything else, maybe even a mixed cocktail – even some beer) – about ½ cup or so
Apple cider vinegar or any other vinegar – same amount as you use for juice
Ketchup – about ½ cup
Brown sugar – 1/3 cup
Onion and/or garlic powder – a few shakes
Tabasco – a few shakes
If you want, add a few squirts of your favourite store bought BBQ sauce

Whisk well. It should be a pretty runny affair so it can absorb into your pulled pork. It won’t be like a store bought BBQ sauce.

Pork:

I started my pork on a Weber charcoal grill with all the coals put on one side and the pork up on a rack on the cool side. I let that smoke for 1 and a half hours. After that I could have added more coals to the Weber, but instead I transferred to my propane grill for several hours until tender. I cooked it at about 300-350 degrees, allowing the fattiest part to drip down into the meat.

When done, don’t bother letting your meat rest as you normally would. Throw it into a bowl and tear apart with two forks, or your hands if you can stand the heat. Mix with the sauce. This will allow the dry parts of the meat to absorb the sauce (this is why I asked you to keep it runny). Let sit in the sauce for several minutes and then serve on a bun with slaw.

Slaw:

Cabbage, half a small head or full head if serving several people
Carrot, shaved
1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of salt
2 tablespoons of sugar
½ cup or so of vinegar, whatever type you prefer

Let sit and stir a few times over a few hours.

Strain before putting onto the bun.

Fries:

Russets are best. Cut into fry sized pieces. Soak in water while your grease heats up. A proper deep fryer is safest, but do as you wish. Double frying makes the best French fry, always. First fry is to get the consistency of a tender potato (at about 325 F or so), no colour, about 5 minutes. Make sure you put the potatoes into the grease as dry as possible to avoid your grease from “boiling over” – it can be very dangerous when a lot of water hits hot oil. After your first fry, the longer you let the fries sit, the better. 30 or so minutes is great. Then, put the fries back into hot oil (360-380 F) and cook until golden and crispy, another 4 or 5 minutes but keep an eye on things. Sprinkle with kosher or sea salt, toss, and serve.

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Bio: Dan Jones is a food, drink, and travel writer from Saint John. Follow him on Twitter: @danjjj

Posted on March 9, 2010 Posted by Urban Deli

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Clear Caesars

Last night I put together an idea I had in my head for several days. I really wanted to make a clear Caesar cocktail so I set to the task with some inspiration from Jamie Oliver’s book, Jamie At Home. In that book he makes a tomato consommé. My recipe is as follows:

Yield: Approximately 1 litre of “tomato water”.

15 or so tomatoes
1/3 stalk of lemongrass
2 stalks of celery
3 or 4 slivers of anchovies
juice of half a lime, the zest of the whole lime
juice of half a lemon, the zest of the whole lemon
Several squirts of Tabasco
Several squirts of Worcestershire sauce
2 ounces of clam juice
2 chili peppers (or to taste)
2 cloves of garlic
chopped parsley (small handful)

Food process everything but the parsley. Add parsley and the squeezed lime and lemon into the bowl of your processed tomato slurry. Wrap in tea towel and/or cheesecloth and let it drip into a bowl for several hours. Squeeze out remaining liquid near the end.

Rim a glass with celery salt, pour in some ice cubes, 1.5 ounces of good quality vodka, and pour in tomato water. Garnish and serve.

***

Bio: Dan Jones is a food, drink, and travel writer from Saint John. Follow him on Twitter: @danjjj

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