Broiled giant oysters at Imperial Seafood Palace

You know the old adage that states that oysters are best in months that end in the letter 'r'? Recently I had an oyster which blew my mind, and it was in May. Surprised? I was too...

I was dining in Flushing, New York, at one of the best Cantonese restaurants in the tri-state area. The restaurant is called "Imperial Seafood" which received a rave review in the NYTimes in late 2009.

While the review says that one of the best dishes to get is the Dungeness crab steamed with glutinous rice, I contest that the giant broiled oysters are even better. They are the largest oysters I've ever had, by far.

the broiled oyster, with rice noodles, XO, scallion, and chili

We ordered one per person, at $3 a pop. Not bad a price. I can eat three at most, and I consider myself a big eater. We got them broiled, with rice noodles, XO, scallion, and chili. You can ask for them any other way -- they will gladly suggest a dozen different cooking styles.

The oysters are not for beginners. They are rich, heavy, and delicious. The spicy garlicky sauce complements the richness perfect. The noodles cut the heaviness of the oysters, just a tiny bit. It eases the pleasures of heaven a little, like that's even necessary!

Even my grandma seemed to enjoy them.

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Imperial Seafood Palace
136-13 37th Avenue (Main Street)
Flushing, Queens
(718) 939-3501.

All's Well at M Wells

This past weekend, I paid a visit to a local diner in my neighborhood, M Wells. M stands for "Magasin," which means "store" in French.

I took the liberty of taking photos of the menu at M Wells because I can't seem to find any online. This is the current menu as of the date of posting (2011-07-31). M Wells's website has no menu online either. So here it is.

First the breakfast menu:

The breakfast drink clipboard:

The dinner menu:

The egg and potato hash (with ratatouille):
Chicken fried steak with hand-cut fries and gravy:
Tortilla española (the "special stuff" of the day was duck hearts, then monkfish. My friend opted for neither.) It comes, topped with two huge slabs of bread.
Egg souffle. Delicious and creamy. The bonito provided great umami contrast to the egg:
The diner itself is set in a long and slightly awkward space. It's a mishmash of communal tables, small booths, and counter seating. There is no definite waiting area so you can find yourself waiting in the middle of a busy throughway.

Might come back for a sandwich or something. I'm not sure if this counts as real Québécois cuisine as I have no grounding in that, but it was certainly interesting. Maybe next time I'll order the "Tripe Shot."

Gambas Al Ajillo (Shrimp with Garlic)

I woke up in the middle of the night to a growling stomach. I was hungry! I wanted to whip up something easy and delicious that would satisfy my hunger, so I thought of a quick and easy tapas dish to prepare. This Spanish classic is especially simple and doesn't require many exotic ingredients. There are a lot of ways to prepare this dish, and I will highlight the way I chose to make it.

Gambas Al Ajillo (Shrimp With Garlic)

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 small chili peppers, minced

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tspn pimenton (spanish paprika)

3 tbspn olive oil

1/2 lemon

cilantro (optional garnish)

salt and pepper

1. Clean the shrimp and pat dry. Let dry for a few minutes.

2. Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan large enough to hold the shrimp in one layer.

3. Add garlic and chilis and cook over medium heat for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

4. Add the shrimp in one layer to the pan, and cook for about 2 minutes on each side.

5. Lower the heat to medium low and add pimenton, salt, and pepper to the shrimp.

6. Once the shrimp are finished cooking (you can test doneness by a simple knife test or by seeing if all the shrimp curl and look red), plate.

7. Add cilantro garnish and lemon peels on the side. Serve immediately.

It's a Missionary's Downfall Kinda Day

Yesterday was the first day of summer in the northern hemisphere, also known as the summer solstice. To herald the beginning of summer, I went to Fire Island this past Saturday through Sunday. The trip always takes a few hours from Penn Station, so traditionally, I whip up this delicious drink called the "Missionary's Downfall" for the ride there. My friends and I are usually pretty happy by the time we get there.

It is a superbly balanced tiki style drink, made from rum, pineapple, peach, mint, and sugar. You can make it blended or not; I will provide two types of recipes below. I prefer the blended version, but my recipe is for a non-blended variation. It is believed that Don Beachcomber invented it.

My recipe (non blended)

• 1.5 oz fresh lime juice
• 12 mint leaves
• 0.5 oz simple syrup
• 2 oz fresh pineapple juice (make sure it's fresh -- I juice pineapples the same day I want to use them)
• 0.5 oz peach schnapps or peach brandy
• 2 oz light rum (Puerto Rican preferred)

Slap the mint leaves a few times to release their aromatic oils. Lightly muddle. Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice, and strain into a chilled glass filled with crushed ice. Swizzle and add more crushed ice. Garnish with generous sprigs of mint and pineapple slice.

Don the Beachcomber version (blended)
from Beachbum Berry's Grog Log by Jeff Berry and Annene Kaye (1998)

• 4 Whole fresh sprigs of mint
• 1/2 slice Fresh pineapple
• 1 1/2 oz Fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz Peach brandy
• 1/4 oz Sugar syrup
• 1 oz Light Puerto Rican rum

Stip mint leaves from sprigs and discard stems. Place leaves in blender with rest of ingredients and 14 oz crushed ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into glass or tiki mug.

Alternate Recipe (blended)

• 1 oz. Rum
• 1/2 oz. Peach Liqueur
• 1/2 oz. Fresh Lime
• 1/2 oz. Honey
• 2 oz. Fresh or Canned Pineapple Chunks
• Mint Leaves

Blend all ingredients, including the pineapple and mint leaves with crushed ice. Serve in a cocktail glass with a swizzle stick. Add more mint leaves.

Cocktaildb.com Recipe (blended)

• 1 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 3-7 mint sprigs
• 1/4 oz rock candy syrup
• 1/2 slice fresh pineapple
• 1/2 oz peach flavored brandy
• 1 oz light rum

Fill with shaved ice. Blend, Serve in a tall glass.

Image courtesy of barmancometh.wordpress.com

Geoduck Clam Sashimi

Geoduck clams are giant clams that burrow deep into soil. They are one of my favorite foods, as sashimi. They are also one of the most expensive. The Japanese call them mirugai ("giant clam") and they are sliced super thin and served ice cold as sashimi in sushi restaurants.

I decided to undertake the preparation of my own home geoduck sashimi. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures and only have an image of the final product. I'll try to be as descriptive as I can.

Recipe: Geoduck sashimi

Ingredients:
1 Live Geoduck (2 lbs)
Sushi soy sauce
Wasabi

Directions:
0. Prepare an ice bath large enough to fit the geoduck. At the same time, fill a serving plate with crushed ice and some water. Cover with a piece of saran wrap.
1. Boil a kettle of water until it is boiling vigorously.
2. Place the geoduck in a clean sink with the hinge of the shell facing downward.
3. Carefully pour the water over the geoduck slowly, trying to hit each part of it.
4. Immediately plunge into an ice bath.
5. Once it is cool enough, remove the shell from the geoduck. It should be relatively easy. Rinse under cold running water.
6. From one end of the geoduck, pull the skin back. It should remove like an inverted stocking. Rinse again under cold water. Take care to rinse the mouth end. It can be quite sandy.
7. Place the geoduck on a cutting board. The geoduck should have two parts, the round, ovule bottom portion (the stomach), and the top part, which resembles a piece of flesh with a flap connecting both parts. Using your sharpest knife, slice this flap open to open up the geoduck.
8. Remove the stomach. Reserve for stock. Another way to use it is to cut into small pieces, bread with corn starch, and deep fry.
9. Slice the geoduck as thinly as possible, angling the knife almost horizontally.
10. Place the slices on top of the cold serving plate.
11. Refrigerate in the freezer for up to 15 minutes.
12. Combine the wasabi and sushi soy sauce in a small serving dish.
13. Serve, with an optional wine pairing. Riesling or chardonnay is an ideal choice (in my opinion)