Thursday, October 18, 2012

The Sam Livecast Cooking Competition FINALE!

Jerk Fried Cod with Coconut Basmati Rice
and Pineapple Bacon Chutney
photo by Lynn Chyi
I started my morning by walking down a big hill with lots of mud.  Then I realized that my baby was in a day care center not far away, but I had to get down the big hill to get him.

I went down a BIG ladder, then saw another big hill that was too steep to walk down, so I opted for the stairs on the side that looked much easier.  As I walked down the stairs, they began to narrow.  Too narrow to squeeze into, so I had to climb on top of them and slide down.

At the bottom of the stairs were different puddles of water that I had to navigate around and walk through to get to my baby.  Everything was going downhill.

Then....I woke up.  "F%&$, I'm going to lose tonight, I said to myself."

My dreams are NEVER wrong, but all throughout the day, I fought tooth and nail to have the right attitude, buy the right ingredients, make the right decisions and WIN the Sam Livecast Competition. 

My family is MOST important to me, so after my sister-in-law regretfully had to cancel her babysitting commitment (she was vomiting profusely, so I completely understood), I decided to haul my mom and my beloved Baby Bodhi to the competition with me.
A GREAT photo collage of the night's events
Photos by Bobbie Keeling

We arrived early, and I got set up with no problem.  My competitor arrived, and I couldn't wait to see what he was making.  When he told me he was making a cod and lamb burger...I instantly negated my dream.  It sounded gross, and I immediately perked up with a little "I'm going to wiiiin," song in my head.

The competition got underway, everything went perfectly...and...I lost.  Once again, my idiotic psychic sleep patterns predicted my fate.  I couldn't have done anything better or differently.  It was just fate, a REALLY tasty lamb and cod burger, a great bunch of people and I am totally okay with that!

I am so grateful for the new friends I've made, my new fish frying skills and all my "Sam" gear.  This has been an amazing experience, and I'm excited for anyone else who has the guts and the great attitude to do the next contest. 

Congrats to Don and his very sweet, very beautiful family.  My hat goes off to all of them for jumping on a plane, renting a car, driving to the grocery store for ingredients, showing up at Fixtures, cooking, winning, packing up and getting back on a plane.  What a whirlwind of an evening!

You can watch the entire episode at the bottom of this post...look closely at the end, you might just see a shot of our own little Baby Bodhi!


A photo of one of the test recipes for the Livecast Finale.  In this version,
I had cut the fish fillets into a circle and drizzled Crema Mexicana on top.


Jerk Fried Cod with Coconut Basmati Rice and Pineapple Bacon Chutney

Prep Time: 25 minutes / Cook Time: 20 minutes / Servings: 3

Ingredients:
FISH:
  • 1.5 lb. fresh cod fillets (3 1/2 lb. fillets)
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup egg substitute
  • 1/2 cup crushed Ritz crackers
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut flake
  • 1/2 cup instant mashed potatoes (potato flake)
  • 1 tbsp. Jamaican Jerk seasoning (this is what I used, but Sam said it was bland...so you should add a little more!)
  • 2 cups canola oil
  • Sriracha hot sauce (for garnish)

RICE:
  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 1 can (13.5oz) coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tsp. salt
CHUTNEY:
  • 1 medium pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped
  • 12 oz. Applewood Smoked, thick cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup pure pineapple juice
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • juice of 1lime
  • 2 scallions, finely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 3 lime wedges
The Livecast recipe was taken from my original Jerk Pulled Pork Tenderloin
with Coconut Basmati Rice and Mango Chutney
Steps:
FISH:
  1. Pour the canola oil into a large, deep dish frying pan and heat the oil to 325 degrees.
  2. Set up three breading stations.  Pour the flour into one plate, pour the egg substitute into another plate.  Mix the potato flake, coconut flake, Ritz crackers and jerk seasoning onto the third plate.
  3. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel, dredge in the flour, shake off excess, dip in the egg substitute, and then roll in the crumb mixture until completely coated.
  4. Fry the fish for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.  Place on a paper towel to dry for a minute before serving.
RICE:
  1. Combine the coconut milk, water and salt in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil and add the rice. 
  2. Reduce to a simmer, cover and allow it to cook for about 20 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.
CHUTNEY:
  1. Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add the chopped bacon, stir and cook for 7-10 minutes until bacon is crispy.  Remove from the drippings with a slotted spoon into a bowl lined with a paper towel. 
  2. Cut the red bell pepper in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.  Place it directly on a gas grill or burner for 3-4 minutes on each side until blackened and soft. Remove from the heat, allow to cool and finely chop.
  3. Combine the chopped pineapple, roasted red pepper, chopped onion, pineapple juice, pumpkin pie spice, lime juice, salt and pepper in a large saucepan. Heat on medium heat, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes, until everything is soft, liquid is reduced and color is light orange.  Remove from heat and stir.
  4. Add the bacon, cilantro, and scallions.  Stir well and serve.
To Serve:
  1. Using a biscuit cutter or measuring cup, place about 1/3 cup rice in the center of a plate and shape it into a circle.
  2. Place the fish fillet on top of the rice.  
  3. Top with pineapple bacon chutney and garnish with a lime wedge.
  4. Squirt some Sriracha on the sides for decoration and dipping.
Sam and me after the show!




2 comments:

  1. Hey Heather!
    It was fun watching you on the Sam Livecast! Your dish looked amazing, and I have this thing for coconut, and I'm really intrigued by your recipe. Thanks for posting it.

    Best wishes,
    Irene Morton

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    Replies
    1. Aw, thanks Irene! If you try the dish, please let me know how it turns out!

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