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Chef
Harry’s Five Secret Ingredients to Gourmet
Cooking |
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Harry Salazar is the executive chef
at Dallas' El Pescador restaurant
and the author of a weekly column in
Diario La Estrella. Watch for his TV
program, currently in production,
called Sazonando con Harry . For
more mouth-watering recipes visit
www.sazonandoconharry.com
No social or family event would be
complete without your favorite foods
— it’s the bulging waistline that
usually follows that’s unnecessary!
I want to share with you my secrets
for making delicious and healthy
traditional recipes by cutting the
fat — not the flavor. My style of
cooking adds traditional Latin
spices to a New American cuisine
that embraces our culture through
the meals we share with our
families. |
My
five secret ingredients are the key to
turning your meals into gourmet dinners
without a lot of preparation time:
•
Olive oil
• White or
red wine
• Fresh
garlic
• Salt
• White
ground pepper
First, start off with a good basic olive
oil. I don’t recommend extra-virgin because
the flavor can be too strong for some
palates. Choose a good white or red wine
that you like to drink. It doesn’t have to
be an expensive wine, but I don’t believe in
“cooking wine,” and you can choose from a
variety of varietals, from a merlot to a
fumé blanc to a chardonnay. You need to
think fresh — as in fresh garlic, because it
adds an aromatic flavor to your cuisine.
Remember that your grandmother always used
fresh garlic! I like to use white ground
pepper because it’s milder and not “peppery
hot.” And, as always, use salt to taste.
¡Buen provecho!
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Placing phyllo
dough in cupcake pan for Copas de
Amor/Photos courtesy of 2005 iVue
Media Productions |
Separating egg
yolks to make Copas de Amor |
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Chuleta Roja With Brown Rice |
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2 pork chops
(center-cut 3/4-inch thick)
2 ounces olive oil
2 ounces red wine
4 ounces tomato juice
1 cup brown rice
3 cups water
2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
Salt and white ground pepper
2 cloves fresh garlic
Step 1: In a pan on medium heat, heat about
one ounce of olive oil. Sprinkle pork chop
with salt and pepper and place in pan. Sauté
for about five minutes on each side until
light brown.
Step 2: Add the fresh garlic, red wine and
tomato juice. Let simmer on low heat for
about four minutes, turning the pork chop a
few times until it has obtained a reddish
color.
Step3: In a separate pan, boil water and add
the brown rice, green onions and bell
peppers. Cook approximately 20 to 25 minutes
until the water has evaporated. Add 1/2
teaspoon fresh chopped garlic, and salt and
pepper to taste.
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Tilapia
With Sautéed Mushrooms |
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2 tilapia
fillets (3 ounces)
3 tomatillos or green tomatoes, cut
in
half for decoration
1 serrano chile
1 tablespoon lemon peel
1 cup mushrooms
1 tablespoon pecans
2 ounces olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 ounce lemon juice
1 clove fresh garlic
Salt and pepper
1 cup cooked brown rice
Step 1: In a pan over medium heat
with one ounce of olive oil, add
mushrooms, pecans and onions and
sauté for about three to four
minutes. Add lemon juice and simmer
for three to five minutes. Remove
pan from stove to settle and cool.
Step 2: In another pan on high heat,
add one ounce of olive oil and 1/2
teaspoon garlic. Add the tilapia
fillet with a dash of salt and
pepper and sauté for approximately
three minutes on each side.
Step3: Serve tilapia filets over
brown rice with mushrooms. Use the
green tomatoes, serrano chile and
the peel of the lemon as decoration.
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Copas de Amor With Custard-Cream Filling |
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1 package of phyllo
dough (found in the frozen food section of
the supermarket)
Melted butter
6 egg yolks
1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of vanilla
Strawberries
Raspberries
Mint leaves
Step 1: Defrost phyllo dough to room
temperature. Unfold sheets one by one and
brush each with melted butter. Stack sheets
on top of each other four sheets high and
cut into 3-inch squares. Place dough in
cupcake molds and bake at 350 degrees for
eight to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 2: To make the custard cream, separate
egg yolks in a bowl and stir in the sugar.
In a stovetop double boiler, cook the
mixture for eight to 10 minutes on medium
heat. Heat the cream over medium heat in
another saucepan until it is about to boil
and add to the egg yolks and sugar mixture.
Whisk continuously until it forms a thick,
smooth sauce. Add the vanilla.
Step 3: Once the custard filling cools, fill
the phyllo dough cups and decorate with
raspberries and strawberries. Finish off
with a mint leaf for a final touch.
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