ICSA 25: Cooking on Acid

Menu du Jour
1. Eau de Limon Cocktail
2. Ceviche de California
3. Loin de Porc al'Orange
4. Granitas Limon

Most or all of those faux French/Italian/Spanish titles are probably grammatically incorrect, so my apologies to anyone who actually speaks those languages.

Eau de Limon Cocktail

First the ingredients.  This cocktail is 3 parts Gin, 2 parts Limoncello, and 1 part Lemon Juice.  I will be making two.  I am using homemade Limoncello, which is by no means necessary if you don't have 80 days and a large jar.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/1.jpg[/timg]

Use fresh lemon juice, and don't worry about seeds because this baby is gonna be shaken up and strained through the shaker anyway.  Cut off two circle of lemon for garnish.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/2.jpg[/timg]

Shake that moneymaker and voila:

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/3.jpg[/timg]

Ceviche de California

I'm calling this California ceviche because of the avocado and orange, but it is a close approximation of something I once had at a restaurant in Seattle.  The ingredients you will need are: cucumber, orange (two), lemon, lime, parsley, avocado, red bell pepper, and a quarter pound of shrimp.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/4.jpg[/timg]

First you will need to skin and seed and chop your red pepper.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/5.jpg[/timg]

Then you will need to juice your lemon, lime, and one orange.  Zest a lime and the orange into the juice.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/6.jpg[/timg]

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/7.jpg[/timg]

Now you will want to shell and devein your shrimp, if you didn't get them already done for you.  You can throw them in the juice, along with the red pepper.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/8.jpg[/timg]

Now cover and throw in the fridge for about 30 minutes to 45 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients.  Peel and cut up your avocado, seed, peel and chop up your cucumber, peel off a bunch of cilantro leaves.  Peel and chop up the other orange into bite-size pieces.  (only avocado pictured, sorry)

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/9.jpg[/timg]

Take the shrimp/citrus mixture out of the fridge, and fork shrimp into serving bowl.  Add other chopped ingredients into the bowl, mix a teaspoon of sugar into the citrus liquid and pour into a shallow layer accrues in the bowl around the ingredients.  Garnish with cilantro leaves.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/10.jpg[/timg]

Loin de Porc al'Orange

This dish is actually a little better with a pork tenderloin, but I had a loin on hand so I used it.  The first step is to cut a cross-hatch pattern into the fat on top of the loin.  You will need an orange and a lemon for the glaze.  Also, some sugar and parsley.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/11.jpg[/timg]

First prepare the glaze.  Make it about half orange juice and half lemon.  Zest the orange into it as well.  Add a tablespoon of sugar.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/12.jpg[/timg]

Then you will need to brine it for one to two hours in cold water and a ton of salt.  Cover it up and stick it in the fridge while you wait.  When it is done, take it out and pat it dry with paper towels.  Pepper both sides.  Preheat the oven to 350 and place a baking sheet in the lower third.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/13.jpg[/timg]

Now heat up a large skillet and brown the loin on all sides.  It should take about 6-7 minutes total.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/14.jpg[/timg]

Remove the loin to a cutting board.  Pour the fat out of the pan, set back on high heat, pour the glazing liquid into the skillet and cook until reduced to a thick syrup.  Technically you shouldn't pour anything acidic into a cast iron skillet like this, but if your skillet is well-seasoned, the fat should protect it.  Just make sure to clean it quickly when you are done.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/15.jpg[/timg]

Brush the finished glaze on the porc loin and place it in the oven on the baking sheet.  It should be done in 20-30 minutes, when it reaches 130 degrees.  USE A THERMOMETER.  When it's done, glaze it again, and set under foil to rest for five minutes.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/16.jpg[/timg]

Slice and serve.  It is actually a bit pinker than my camera picks up in this shot, and it should be.  Throw a little of the extra glaze and some parsley on top.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/17.jpg[/timg]

Granitas Limon

This is a very simple and delicious italian desert.  You will need lemons, ice, and sugar.  These portions will make a lot more than pictured.

First juice half a cup of lemon juice into a baking pan.  Add a cup of filtered or spring water.  Add half a cup of sugar.  Place in the freezer.  Check it every 10 minutes and stir, so that it becomes slushy not icey.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/19.jpg[/timg]

Save the outsides of your lemons.  Make sure you cut them open neatly like this.  Cut off the ends so they have a flat surface to rest on like this, and place them in the freezer.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/18.jpg[/timg]

When it's all done, spoon the slushy mixture into the lemon cups and serve.

[timg]http://www.eatenbygod.net/icsa25/20.jpg[/timg]