Toby's Eel Risotto

Thanks Toby for this classy recipe. And yes I do stir when I make risotto, except at the end once we've added the butter and we put the lid back on the pot to let rest about a minute before serving. Hey Toby, I'm fond of cheese with fish...maybe add some parmesan to this one?

shallots
risotto rice
white wine
finely grated lemon peel
chicken broth
butter
EVOO
smoked eel
scallions
lemon juice
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper

1. saute shallots in EVOO, then add rice until translucent before deglazing with wine
2. stir in lemon peel
3. add broth slowly as rice cooks
4. stir in chopped eel, and finely slice scallions
5. add a few cubes of butter to render the risotto creamy, let sit and put lid on top of pan for about a minute
6. season with salt and pepper, and lemon juice to taste

The Tokyo List

Reminders of places to go in Tokyo....to be updated regularly.

• Sushi Kanesaka (Ginza): from Thom Browne suggestion in The Aesthete
• L'Effervescence (Minato-ku): chef Sinobu Namae from Michel Bras' Toya in Hokkaido, before that The Fat Duck; try his version of kabu (Japanese turnip), foie gras with kombu seaweed puree.
• Robataya (Rappongi): the original grill restaurant
• New York Bar & Grill (Shinkjuku): at the Park Hyatt
• Sushi Sawada (Ginza): Koji Sawada's seven seater two star; served directly on the hinoki wood counter
• Birdland (Ginza): the only 1 star Yakitori in Tokyo
• Sushi Sawada (Ginza): a 2 star sushi much acclaimed by David Chang
• 69 Rock & Roll (Haramachida): chicken-based ramen (no talking aloud!)
• Sushishou (Shinjuku): Edomae sushi, the traditional sushi of Tokyo, i.e., hand-formed nigiri. "Contemporary edomae sushi is sushi that is served at the apotheosis of the aging process, where time, salt and fermentation have weaved their magic". Considered by some to be the gold standard, with an "elusive treatment" of rice.

The Paris List

Places to go in Paris, to be updated regularly.

• Cibus (1st): Thom Browne suggestion in The Aesthete
• Caillebotte (9th)
• Le 6 Paul Bert (11th)
• Restaurant Miroir (18th)
• Bistrot Valois (2nd)
• Le Grand Pan (15th): great reviews in NYT
• Le Quincy (12th): true blue bistrot, guts and all
• Clamato (11th): Septime offshoot
• Bones (11th): bar a vins with nice bites
• Frenchie Bar a Vin (2nd): Frenchie offshoot
• Septime (11th): a priority
• La Dame de Pic (16th)
• Passage 53 (2nd): Japanese in Paris
• Baratin (20th): need to go back
• La Grille (20th): need to re-visit with new owners
• Frenchie (1st): American in Paris
• Les Jalles (2nd)
• Albion (10th): wine shop and restaurant
• Chez Casimir (10th): near Chez Michel
• Semilla (6th): Kiwi & Cuban-American owners, with chef Eric Torchon
• Le Sergent Recruteur (4th, Ile St Louis): team of French Londoners (ex-Greenhouse) return to Paris; the style of food and decor more like Barcelona than Paris

The Manila List

Places to go in Manila, to be updated regularly.

• Pinoy Eats World: supper club 

The Hong Kong List

Places to go in HK, to be updated regularly.

• Wagyu Takumi: Japanese chef making French food with Japanese ingredients and technique
• Ajitomi: Japanese food in a casual setting, with French and Italian inspired dishes; meatballs are Osaka-style with bits of konnyaku jelly, good fried chicken too
• Cocotte: French NY guys open a restaurant
• Mott 32: NY's Mott street opens a place in HK
• Nur: modern
• Enmaru: top izakaya from Japan goes to Time Square
• Forum Restaurant: long standing institution with deep fried crispy chicken
• Golden Leaf: nice ambiance in the Conran
• Gogyo: Ippudo's big brother in IFC
• Aberdeen Fish Market Yee Hope Seafood Restaurant: could be interesting, sea to plate
• Sabatini: should finally make the trek!
• Papi: cicchetti, 2nd opening after Kowloon
• Sushi Sase: serves good omakase
• Xuan Sushi: apparently understated, in heart of Central
• Kenjo: apparently amazing
• Kazuo Okada: superb sushi, apparently
• Once Upon a Table: private kitchen / supper club
• Sushi Yoshitake (now called Sushi Shikon): 3 star, eight seater sushi serves omakase straight out of Tokyo; in 2009, head chef Masahiro Yoshitake got three stars the first year of opening in Tokyo; same fish as Tokyo restaurant; minimum spend of HKD2,500! 
• Sushi Kuu: chef Satoru San, as recommended by the owner so Brickhouse and Blue Butcher

Sardines, Orange & Olive

Another Compartir recipe. Can't help myself.

12 best quality sardines

12 tblsp white wine vinegar

maldon sea salt

3/4 EVOO

1/3 cup lemon juice

chopped parsley

2 cloves chopped garlic

1. remove the heads of sardines (or anchovies) and clean; without piercing the fish all the way through, use the tip of the knife to loosen the spine and remove the bones from the flesh; rinse the cavity with 1 tblsp of vinegar and transfer the debound sardine to a small bowl; lightly season the cavity with salt, repeat with remaining fish
2. drain sardines, then arrange in a baking dish
3. make dressing by whisking above ingredients, massaging the marinade into the cavity of each fish; cover with pastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, turning fish occasionally
4. to serve, layer some small, delicate pieces of orange (membrane removed) and thinlys-sliced, pitted green olives over the whole lot

Endive Compartir

Couldn't help notice this lovely combination from Nick Lander's review of Compartir in Cadaques. My kind of food: classic combos with a fresh twist, the latter being the passion fruit in this case.

fresh, crisp endive
gorgonzola
walnuts (young if possible)
passion fruit

1. make a whipped gorgonzola cheese, perhaps using a canister and even making a foam (ok sometimes!); if latter method used combine 2/3 gorgonzola, 1/3 cream in a pot and stir until comes to a boil, season and blend, let cool and put through canister.
2. break up walnuts, remove the seeds from passion fruit
3. layer the bottom of an endive with passion fruit flesh, nibbles of walnuts, and 

Pesto, Ricotta & Anchovy Penne

Fish and cheese is always a great combo..most of the time that is. This is meant to be a very fresh pasta and no heat is necessary apart from boiling the penne. A good way to use some left over home-made pesto (I wouldn't make this dish using anything but).

penne
best quality anchovy
home-made pesto
ricotta
maldon sea salt

1. boil penne
2. heat serving bowl
3. chop anchovies into small pieces
4. drain pasta when done, put in heated bowl
5. mix pesto into pasta
6. add ricotta, fold into pasta so that it is evenly coated (don't stir too much, best to leave the ricotta lumpy and fresh)
7. sprinkle anchovies over the pasta and toss with a little salt

Tonight's Dinner

An Italian-themed dinner with Ally & Alex on a Sunday night in Hong Kong. Tasty indeed.

• bresaola bombs
• culatello & apple salad
• squid ink risotto & flash-fried baby squid
• lasagnette pesto
• vitelllo tonnato
• cherry soup & vanilla ice cream

Tonight's Dinner

A lovely summer evening in Ridgefield, CT. A good time had by all.

• Sake System Shock
• Aperol Spritz
• bresaola bombs
• coppa & scamorza
• scallops, edamame puree & truffle vinaigrette
• seared tuna & coriander avocado puree
• lentils, burrata & pesto
• chorizo & baby tomato salad
• cherry soup & ice cream

Apricots in Syrup

Very happy with this...so much more fun than eating them dry. Eat them straight or with a little butter cookie, maybe yoghurt?

dried apricots
vanilla essence
sugar
water
lime peel
pepper corn
fresh thyme
bay leaf
cinnamon

1. put apricots in a pot, add water so that the apricots are nearly covered
2. add the other ingredients according to taste, but enough sugar to get a syrupy consistency (about 3-4 tblsp for a couple dozen apricots)
3. make sure only to include a quarter tsp of cinnammon; not going after a Christmasy taste; also a few slivers of lime peel will do, as will one stem of thyme and one bay leaf
4. simmer for about an hour until you have syrup
5. let cool

Scallops & Enoki

I saw some beautiful and big Canadian scallops which reminded me of a recent Jean Georges recipe calling for scallops, truffles and parmesan. I love combining fish and cheese, so I've been wanting to do this one. Here, I replace the truffles with some enoki and little truffle oil.

4 nice scallops

a couple handfuls of enoki

fresh thyme

minced garlic

medium sherry

butter

EVOO

rapeseed oil

Maldon sea salt

ground pepper

chives

parsley

1. saute enoki in EVOO and a little bit of butter
2. add thyme, and when enoki are done, add minced garlic and stir for half minute
3. add a bit of sherry, let alcohol burn off, reduce heat, add a bit more fresh butter, sprinkle parsley and chives
4. season scallops with EVOO, rapeseed, salt and pepper
5. turn pan on super high heat for 3 minutes
6. sear scallops on each side for about a minute each depending on size
7. to serve, put scallops on plates with enoki served around
8. grate very finely some parmesan over the scallops (not the enoki), season with a bit more salt and pepper, drizzle of EVOO

Tonight's Dinner

A yummy little dinner on the whim. This followed Manou's dinner with her two friends, which included left over steak au poivre, carottes rappees and buttered rice.

• carrottes rapees & salami shoestrings
• scallops & enoki
• salade frisee
• mimolette
• ice cold vanilla yoghurt & pomegranate