French Fry Diary 429: Nadia G.’s Duck Fat Fries

You folks know how how much I love Nadia G. and her “Bitchin’ Kitchen.” I watch religiously, or so I thought. Recently my buddy Ray told me about an episode I had apparently missed. It’s called “Getting the Romance Back,” and featured recipes for rib-eye steak, oysters with creamy spinach alfredo, strawberry shortcake, among others, and, yeah baby, duck fat fries. Yeah, I know, how could I have missed this one? So after a long search through the Xfinity schedule grids for weeks, I finally found it.

The episode presents a dinner designed to get couples who have been together a looong time some romance into their lives. And you know Nadia, she does it with style. And here’s the recipe for both the ribeye and the fries from Nadia’s website:

Ingredients:

Fries: 2 cups warm water, 1/2 cup raw sugar, 2 russets, cut into 1/4 inch fries, 3 cups duck fat, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, Freshly cracked pepper, Sea salt

Beurre blanc: 1/4 cup good dry white wine, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 2 shallots, minced 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, roughly chopped, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, Freshly cracked pepper

Steak: 2 1 inch thick rib-eye steaks, at room temperature, 2 tablespoons canola oil, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, Freshly cracked pepper, 2 tablespoons butter

Recipe tools: Medium saucepan, Large pan, Salad spinner

Directions Making the fries: To warm water, add raw sugar and whisk.  Soak fries in sugar water for 1hour or overnight. Strain and dry off in salad spinner. In a pot heat duck fat to 325˚F. Blanch 1 cup of fries at a time for 5 minutes, until cooked but not crispy. Remove and raise temperature of oil to 375˚F. Fry for 3-4 minutes until golden and crispy. Season with cayenne, pepper, and salt.

Making the beurre blanc: Heat saucepan on medium high. Add white wine, vinegar, and shallots. Let boil and reduce down to 2 tablespoons of liquid. Take off heat and let cool for about 1 minute. Put saucepan back on burner without turning on the heat. Throw in a few butter cubes at a time; whisk until butter is melted. Continue until all butter is melted. Add tarragon, salt, and pepper. Mix. Cover, turn heat to very low and let sit.

Making the steak: Heat canola oil in a pan on medium high. Season steak with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 ½ minutes per side, for medium-rare. For last minute of cooking, add butter and melt. Remove steak from heat, tent and let rest for 5 minutes.

Place steak and fries on a plate and top steak with sauce.

See the whole recipe here.

Nadia G.’s Parmesan Potato Croquettes

I love Nadia G. and her “Bitchin’ Kitchen” over on the The Cooking Channel. It is easily the most entertaining, as well as informative, show on the network. On the episode “Impress the In-Laws” she makes the irresistible Potato Croquettes. They are matched up with Roasted Tomatoes and Filet Mignon. Here are the recipes:

Ingredients
• Roasted Tomatoes
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• Pinch Greek oregano
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch brown sugar

• Parmesan Potato Croquettes
• 4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 green onions, finely sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Olive oil, for pan frying

• Filet Mignon
• 4 steaks, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons steak spice (recommended: McCormick Montreal)
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• Balsamic Syrup
• 1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar*
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• *Cook’s Note: Minimum 7 years old

Directions
To make the roasted tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the cherry tomatoes and garlic in a large baking dish in a single layer. Sprinkle them with Greek oregano, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and brown sugar. Mix well. Roast for 40 minutes.

To make the Parmesan potato croquettes: Boil the potatoes in enough salt water to cover for 10 to 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain. Saute the green onions and garlic in extra-virgin olive oil for a few minutes, until the onions are translucent and garlic is golden. In a big bowl, combine the onion and garlic mixture with the boiled potatoes. Add Parmesan cheese, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and mash together. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Pour enough olive oil to come 1/4-inch up the side of a heavy fry pan and heat to 375 degrees F. Roll the chilled potato mixture into finger shapes. Dip the fingers in the beaten egg, then coat them in Italian-seasoned bread crumbs. Fry the croquettes in the hot oil for 30 seconds, until all sides are equally crispy and golden.

To make the filet mignon: Season the steaks with a pinch of steak spice. Heat the canola oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the steaks to the hot pan. Sear the steaks for 2 minutes on each side. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the steaks for another 2 minutes per side. Tent the cooked steaks in aluminum foil and let them rest for 10 minutes.

To make the balsamic syrup: Heat a pan on medium-high heat, add equal parts maple syrup and balsamic vinegar, and stir for 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and slightly reduced. Serve immediately, drizzled over the filet mignon.

How’s that for a rockin’ dinner to impress the in-laws. Or anybody? Go, Nadia G.!