BRATWURST SUB SANDWICH

We should title this “Cooking Without A Recipe” It's so simple.

We are in the middle of a kitchen remodel here, so cooking time has been reduced to the simple things. And since I am making all the cabinets myself, I have had zero time to plan and cook meals, let alone blog about them. But I am slowly "catching up."

Even with a limited kitchen, I will not GO OUT TO EAT. Have you read the latest health reports on YOUR local restaurants?? Makes me cringe. 

Anyway, lets, look in the freezer and see what we have.

Oh, I like BRATS, and we have some chili that we made a couple of weeks ago and froze.

Let's run to the store and get some buns. And some beer.

It's time for a sub sandwich. 

OK, we are back with the goods and the brats and chili are thawed. Let's fire up the grill.

Start by grilling up the bratwurst. When they are done, set them aside.

Put the chili in a pan and warm it up. You don't need it hot as you're going to put these subs in the oven later.

Cut the sub rolls down the center. I always remove some of the breading in the center to make room for the good stuff.

Now it gets easier. Cut the brats length wise and lay them in the bun. Add some chili and anything else you want. I used some chopped onions, and mushrooms.

Cover the whole mess with some shredded mozzarella.(or cheddar) cheese. Wrap the puppies up in foil and put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. 

Have a beer and play with the doggie

After twenty minutes and two beers (drink fast) check the internal temp with your handy dandy temperature thing. 

(Thermo Pin - Every kitchen should have one)

When the temp is hot enough for you, they are done.

 Told you it was simple.

Served with a nice salad and a beer, it made for a fine quick and simple dinner. (We served them with some potato salad we made earlier in the day)

See, even with a limited kitchen you don't need to go out to eat.

Stay tuned for a couple of more things we did in planning meals to have during out kitchen remodel.

 (New cabinet getting a "cat" Scan)

Live long and prosper.

FISH AND CHIPS

One of the advantages of living in Florida (other than the 

weather and Gator football) is our close proximity to The 

Mouse House (for those of you up north, this means Disney 

World)

Our favorite park is EPCOT, 

where we can visit many countries on the same day,

and marvel at the Flower and Garden Show,

not to mention the annual Food and Wine Festival. (Yes, they have beer tasting too) 

And you can blast off to MARS on Mission Space

or ride a speedy car around the Test Track.

Sometimes you even see a cute doggie.

 

One of our best trips was the day we were able to get a 

reservation at the Rose and Crown. 

It was right on the water and we were able to dine on a fantastic Disney meal, and experience the nightly fireworks display.

As you know, I do not eat a lot of sea food, but I do enjoy fish. One of my favorites is “Fish & Chips” 

 

You can get this delight at several places around the park, but my favorite place for this meal is the Rose and Crown. 

I always wanted to duplicate this meal at home. And I DID !!!!!

I decided to pair the deep fried fish with a strange method of making fries. More on that in a minute.

NOTE: We have three recipes here. You want to make the tarter sauce, then prepare the Fries and Chips.

Let's start with some tarter sauce. Here is what you'll need

TARTER SAUCE

¾ CUP MAYO

Someone broke the handle off my cup.....

¼ CUP DILL PICKLE RELISH

1 1/2 tsp DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR

½ tsp WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

½ tsp PEPPER

½ TSP salt

Combine all this in a bowl, stir it a bit. 

Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Isn't that simple?? Now on to the FISH & CHIPS

FISH

1 CUP (5 OUNCES) ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

1 CUP (4 OUNCES) CORNSTARCH

When using dry ingredients, it is always best to WEIGH them. A cup of flour and a cup of cornstarch do NOT weigh the same amount.

 

SALT & PEPPER

1 tsp BAKING POWDER

1 ½ CUPS OF BEER

BUTTERMILK

Mix the flour, cornstarch, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and baking powder in a large bowl.

 Add the beer and whisk until smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes

Cut the Fish into equal size pieces (about 4 ounces each) You should get around 8 pieces

Pat them dry with Paper towel.

Place in plastic bag and add enough buttermilk to coat. Add some Pepper and refrigerate for several hours.

When you are ready remove the fish and place them on a paper towel. Pat them dry.

Now remove your batter from the fridge and dredge the fish one piece at a time.

Using a fork, gently lower fish piece into the hot oil. Gently go back and forth and allow the fish to firm up. Then you can remove the fork and repeat with 3 other pieces.

Cook for about four minutes per side. They should turn a golden brown

Remove with a spider or slotted spoon. Skim off any bits of batter and repeat cooking with the other 4 pieces

FRENCH FRIES

The first time I saw this method of making fries, I was amazed. No way would this work.

I bugged the wife for weeks saying. “We gotta see if this works.” She finally relented, and it's become her favorite way to make fries.

Pay attention here. THIS METHOD ONLY WORKS WITH YUKON GOLD POTATOES.

Try this with ANY other type and you will end up with a big BLOB of a mess.

2 ½ LBS LARGE YUKON GOLD POTATOES

8 CUPS OF PEANUT OR VEGETABLE OIL

Square up each potato buy cutting about ¼ inch from each of the four sides

Cut them lengthwise into ¼ inch planks. Stack the planks up on cut again into ¼ inch size.

(DO NOT PUT THEM IN WATER !!!!)This is also an important step......

When they are all cut, you can put them on paper towels

 

Place oil in Dutch Oven and add potatoes. 

NOW you turn the burner on HIGH 

Leave them alone until they boil. Leave them alone and cook for another 7 minutes or so. The potatoes should be starting to firm up.

Take your tongs (closed) and insert them into the oil. (They should be at 90 degrees. Now GENTLY stir them.

Maintain your temp at 375 degrees....

Continue to cook. (stirring occasionally) until they are cooked to your liking

Transfer to a cookie sheet lined with paper towels on the bottom and a wire rack on top. Place in a warm oven.

Now you can cook your fish.

Some people will cook their fries until almost done, then cook the fish. When the fish is done, you throw the fries back in the oil for a minute or two. This keeps everything nice and warm.

I did the fries, and put them in a warm oven while I cooked the fish. This works for me.

This meal came out G R E A T. The fish was flaky and the fries were perfect. But I have to admit, the Tarter Sauce was less than special. We need to find a better recipe.

Give it a try. 

And the next time you visit EPCOT, drop by the Rose and Crown for some delightful Fish & Chips....

Live long and prosper.