Linguini with Breadcrumbs and Kale by Hotplate Gourmet
Hotplate Gourmet made her ambitions very clear -- this linguini dish is to be a respectable weeknight dinner, something easy but good. Well, it's more than that -- we think it's terrific. Like an old Italian nonna, Hotplate Gourmet has you use the pasta water to help cook the kale and has you add breadcrumbs to the kale to fortify the pasta. You saute the breadcrumbs in oil, then add garlic and kale, and not too much of either. The garlic gently scents the kale and the greens add substance and sweetness, without making you feeling like you're eating kale for the sake of eating kale! You pull the dish together with some fresh olive oil and grated parmesan and you have a wonderful fall dinner. Next time we make this, we'll set aside the breadcrumbs after they've been toasted and add them back to the pan once the kale has been cooked. Their crunch is so great, you don't want to risk having them get soggy! - A&M
Recipe Slideshow
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...all the oil disappears! The breadcrumbs get golden quickly -- be sure to watch them to avoid burning.
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While Merrill browned the breadcrumbs, Amanda chopped the kale into managable pieces.
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After adding the kale to the pasta, we added a bit more olive oil, and seasoned.
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20 Comments on Fresh Sriracha (aka, home made 'Rooster'):
I'm having great difficulty finding fresno peppers in nyc. Any recommendations for something suitably spicy and/or where one could find these peppers in new york? thx
the red peppers are just now coming into season in california. try red jalapenos, if you can find them--maybe serranos? The farmers market might have Thai Dragon peppers (not to be confused with birds pepper). hope that helps!
I've been using cherry bomb peppers with great success.
Just curious...the recipe calls for "distilled" vinegar. Will my brewed rice vinegar do just as well?
I would think so... you might want to google to see if their acidities match, more or less, but -- how can a nicer-flavored vinegar make a yummy sauce worse? :)
I agree with Literary--i would check the strength of the acid. I use rice vinegar for a sweet chili sauce...but to mellow the peppers, since it will only sit overnight, i would go for the strongest acid content. Not a scientist...just observation.
Ours is going to end up emerald green, because we could only find green jalapenos and serranos today. We have dubbed it "peacock sauce" in advance. Everything is macerating in the vinegar now! So excited!
ooh--pictures please! yes, red peppers hard to find, can't wait to hear how yours turns out. peacock sauce, hurray!
My partner did all the work and is signing up to comment/attach pictures now! It turned out tasty and a very pretty green.
These pictures are beautiful! they certainly glamorize chili sauce. I'm happy to see that there are many sriracha enthusiasts on food52! I realized that the sauce had gone mainstream after reading the NYT article about the Huy Fong cult following. The reason I made the sauce originally is because I'm trying to stay away from foods with preservatives and I'm just curious. I think a lot of people who cook like to know what's in their food. This sauce takes less than 15 minutes to prepare (after you soak overnight) and has all of five ingredients; and the reward is a really fresh spice that you can use for the next month. Believe me, you will find many other uses for it once you've made it. And yeah, its pretty cool to know that you created your own sauces and condiments. You can tailor is to your palette (e.g., I don't like a lot of salt, so there's very little salt in this sriracha recipe or make it less spicy by removing some seeds).
In southern CA, the red fresno pepper is just coming into season, so its a great reason to visit the farmers market. Asian stores should have them as well--I believe you can substitute with red jalapenos or Holland peppers too.
BTW, Sri Racha is actually a town in Thailand, where the chili sauce originated. The Thai version is a bit sweeter and more mellow than the Huy Fong, which is made in CA and contains preservatives. I am a big Sambal fan as well, but Sambal does not have the little bit of sweetness that sriracha does.
I can't wait to try this this weekend!
Um.
Yes, the product that Huy Fong calls "Sri Racha" is not difficult to make, but do you get something discernibly better, per dollar spent by volume, if you buy all those ingredients and add in the value of the labor you put into it?
This is an outstanding tutorial if you want to regale your guests with the story of the steps you went through to produce a garnish for the appetizer you're serving them (which at least half of them won't use).
But if that particular bit of social braggadocio isn't on your list of Desired Dinner Party Outcomes, then you'll save quite a lot of both time and money if you just buy the bottled sauce and serve it on the side, or in small satellite dishes. Or use it in your recipes to begin with, if ALL of your guests can handle it.
Nota bene: "Sri Racha", in the article this comment responds to, is an American brand name, promulgated by the entirely American food-products company "Huy Fong". The product described is more or less analogous to some but not all sauces that fall under the name "sambal" in southeast Asia and the south Pacific.
Doesn't that argument for not making something from scratch apply to any kind of condiment? Sure, you can buy a mass produced version in the market, but there is a tremendous value to knowing EXACTLY what goes into the food you eat and feed your loved ones. Plus, I for one am a total food nerd who just likes making stuff.
I agree with Monkeymom. I come from a home where my mum makes her own ketchup and yogurt and cottage cheese.. Sure, you can buy any of these things from the store, Wait, nowadays you can buy ANYTHING from the store. And I have no beef against people who do - it's convenient. But there is a quiet sense of accomplishment and joy in feeding people, and yourself, with food you've made with your own hands. Plus, it's fun (for food nerds like us Monkeymom)!
I must confess I, too, am a food nerd as I am thoroughly and completely enjoying making things from scratch these days. I am truly "enjoying the process" as much as the end result. Btw, my beautiful, vibrant red fresno chiles and big chunks of fresh garlic are brining away as we speak :-)
Hurrah for the food nerds! : ) I just made a roasted red pepper chutney with caramelized onions, rosemary, cinnamon and balsamic. I missed the condiments category because I was really busy. Was going to put it up anyway and then realized that the next categroy was 'Red Peppers' - just made it to the deadline :D
Really looking forward to making this! Question - the fresno chiles I've bought have been more oblong like a jalapeno. Are these a special variety?
This looks beautiful!
I'm curious about the palm sugar, would you recommend replacing with light agave syrup if its not available?
gorgeous. I've never made Sriracha before...this wiill usher it in
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