These Culinary Thymes

The catch phrase “back in black” can refer to an AC/DC song or any number of things.  Whether it’s caviar, a brand new Ferrari or a line from a Keenan Ivory Wayans movie…a statement like that will stick with us like the remnants of a PB & J on the roof of our mouths.  You have to wonder where might I be going this time?  As I sit in front of my computer, sometimes late at night I will usually have a thought which will spark my next entry into the bloggers world.  Caviar, for example is a black food, but yet it always isn’t.  We associate caviar as always being black…yet Tobiko (the caviar found mostly in Sushi) is sometimes yellow, or orange and even green.  Tobiko is the row from the flying fish and in the use of sushi making will sometimes be flavored with ginger or wasabi.  Salmon row is obviously, and the caviar we associate with high society comes from sturgeon.  It has been very controversial for quite a few years about the integrity of caviar.  Since sturgeon have become an “over farmed” fish the quality has gone down.  American chef’ have been turning to American caviar and yes even tobiko to become stars on their menus.

Beluga caviar (huso huso) is taken from sturgeons that are from the Caspian sea.  The Beluga sturgeon differs from other sturgeon in that it is silver gray in color and loses its bony scales along the length of it’s body after just being a few months old.  It has a big, short head, pointed snout and a large mouth with two sets of barbels under the mouth.  Growing up to 10 inches in width, a full grown sturgeon has been known to swallow a whole salmon.  being the fastest swimmer in the sturgeon family it can keep up with herring, shad and many other white fish.  Up to 25% of it’s body weight may consist of eggs.  They have also been known to have half its total body weight in eggs.  A female may mature only after 25 to 40 years of life and may not spawn every year.  The female beluga is highly prized for it’s quality of eggs.  Large grain, fine skin and light gray to almost jet black caviar was once said to be one the finest indulgences to be offered.  The Land Rover company at one point even offered their acclaimed Range Rover in a color called “Beluga Black.”

Other things ”black” you might find are Squid Ink pasta, Licorice, black Jelly Beans and even Pumpernickel or black bean soup.  All of these are favorites no matter where you go.  Another favorite thing is “blackened chicken.”  This technique was a big thing in the early to mid 80’s and you will still see it a lot even now.  Paul Prudhomme was and still is the most recognized cajun chef today and he even has his own blackening spice mix which can be found in most markets today.  Yes yes, I know…what about the guy who yells “BAM”…doesn’t he count for anything?  Even though he is one of the main reasons that the Food Network is what it is…he isn’t really high on the list.  Chef Prudhomme, like Julia Child is a pioneer in his field.   You have to be careful when doing the blackened chicken thing at home though.  The smoke this technique makes is very hard on the lungs.  One of the major components in a blackening mix is cayenne pepper.  As we all know, Cayenne pepper is very hot.  This heat comes from the Capsaicin molecule.  The stuff chili’s are made Of..literally. Capsaicin is responsible for that bite and that pungency which makes chili peppers (at least the hotter varieties) such a challenge to eat raw. One word of advice, never touch a habanero and then use the restroom without first washing your hands thoroughly… Pure capsaicin is lethal stuff, as even a 16 million-fold dilution of pure capsaicin still provides a pungent and spicy punch Chili’s pungency/hotness are measured in Scoville Units, here is a chart for your comparison:   My rule of thumb here is a simple one.  Unless you are very brave, or not of a right state of mind go easy on the hot stuff.  Not only could you cause serious damage to yourself but the hotter, the less you taste your foods.  You can always add it, but once it’s there…you can’t get rid of it.  If you eat something too spicy, it can be tamed by eating something dairy related (why do you think sour cream comes with your nacho supreme?) 

To blacken a piece of chicken is easy.  First off…your chicken cutlet should be relatively thin (if it’s too thick the outside will burn and the inside still raw.)  Get your cast iron skillet (best pan for this) pretty hot.  Dip your cutlet in some Frank’s Red Hot (the most mild of all hot sauces.)  This will help the blackening spice to stick better to the chicken.  Dredge your chicken in the spice mix and shake off the excess.  You might think alot is good, but too much is not a good thing.  Once your skillet is hot enough, add a little canola oil and some butter and once melted you can place your chicken into the pan.  It will smoke considerable, so make sure the ventilation is good.  Cook this about 75% of the way on the skin side.  This is what we call the “presentation side.”  This will be what you and your dinner guests will see.  Once you have a nice crust on that side, flip it.  Finish on the second side.  For safety sake you can place onto a sheet pan and finish in a 350 degree oven.  Once finished, serve with whatever you like.  My favorites are Fettuccine Al Fredo or rice and beans.  You might even want to make a sandwich (down in the Bayou they call em Po-Boys.)

Whatever black food you like just remember that it’s all good.  It doesn’t matter who, why or when…black foods can be so simple, or so sinful. 

That’s it for me.  Join me next time for more of These Culinary Thymes.  Bye.