It's Spot Prawn Season Again!!!

It's Spot Prawn season already, but this year it's only a short 6 week season. And we are in week 3 already so if you want fresh & large Spot Prawns get them while you can. For those who have begin eating them (as I have) or have watched the news recently, you will have noticed the prawns have gotten a lot more expensive this year (avg. $17-$20/lb). The 2 pounds I bought here cost me $27 from a local seafood market.

The way to tell if the prawns are fresh is very simple, obviously if they still alive & kicking then you are good. But on top of that, ensure the eyes and the shell are shiny & glimmering then see if the flesh are crystal clear. As it gets closer to the end of the season, the quality of the spot prawns will not be as good and smaller in size. And most importantly they are predicting the price to go up, so enjoy them as much as you can while you can. As the majority of Spot Prawns as Canadian delicacy nowadays are exported to Japan & China.

The best way to eat them is simply raw as sashimi (don't forget the roe in the heads)

Or quick boil them for 1 minute to fully enjoy its sweetness (best accompanied by chilli soy sauce or garlic butter). Enjoy!

Home Cured Duck Prosciutto

Prosciutto in contemporary is most often found in the trendy bars and restaurants scene since it became "trendy" in the last two decades, despite its long heritage as one of the oldest methods of preparing and preserving food. In fact, the use of salt as a curing agent has long existed across various cultures and peoples since ancient times. What I am trying to get at, is what makes a food product trendy or high end?

Is it the novelty or popularization as a luxury good? For example, in the instance of Prosciutto (especially Prosciutto di Parma or Jamón ibérico) most consumers enjoy it without fully appreciating the time and effort and it takes to produce it and simply consumes it as a expensive food commodity. So, if a food item is expensive attributed to the cost, time & effort it takes a farmer, chef or producer to make then I think we as consumers should pay the expensive price, but most luxury foods we consume in trendy or high end restaurants are expensive, because they are price so without just cause. And the bulk of the cost is not shared with the maker of a food item so where does it end up, in addition the consumption of luxury foods is perceived by some as a way to show off through social media.

Hence, in the following I will show you how to cure your own Duck Prosciutto at home in 3 steps. Because if you notice Duck Prosciutto has become quite popular as a Charcuterie platter, but it is quite expensive to order in a restaurant for a single breast. On average it will set you back $20 apiece, where a single fresh duck breast costs about $3.50-$5 & a whole duck only around $16-$20, so why not make it at home yourself.

Perfectly Poached Salmon

It has been awhile since I last posted an entry, so let's start with something easy and simple today. There are more professional methods of poaching salmon, but the method I will show you is so easy and yields the same results.

Start by butterflying a small fillet or (what I did was) purchase those small fridge packs of salmon. And lay a thin layer of salmon on a piece of (heat resistant not regular) plastic wrap on your cutting board, then sprinkle it with salt & pepper and place a couple of fresh parsley leaves (or any herbs you like, such as dill). Then, simply roll up the fillet like a cylinder and tie off the ends with kitchen thread.

 Bring a pot of water to simmer (when bubbles begin to form at the bottom) and not boiling, then turn off the heat and drop your wrapped salmon into the simmering water for 7 minutes uncovered. After 7 minutes, take the bundles of cooked salmon out and let them rest for 1 minute until the center reach an internal temp. of 50°C to be cooked through yet still soft. Lastly, throw the bundles into ice (cold) water to stop them from cooking and cut open the bundles.

 Voila, Enjoy!