Saturday afternoon:
Sunday (during the 2-hour chicken SV):
Saturday afternoon:
Sunday (during the 2-hour chicken SV):
Saturday is just two bag moves to the fridge. Sunday: drop the chicken bag in the SV bath (2 h), and while it runs char both pepper 1 and pepper 3. All three items are done before mid-afternoon. Active work about 20 min.
Wok parm chicken thighs (Tuesday): season with salt, black pepper, one smashed garlic clove. Vac seal flat. SV 160°F / 2 h. Ice bath, refrigerate.
Cabbage Slaw: Shredded cabbage into a bowl, start with half of your lime juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, a generous pinch of salt, and your chopped cilantro; Toss hard. Taste -- bright, crunchy, lightly salty. Cover it and put it in the fridge to mingle; toss once more right before serving.
Tamale Casserole: At no later than 3:30, preheat the oven to 375°F -- Once hot, place the still wrapped casserole into the oven. Bake for 80 minutes. After the 80 minute timer goes off, take off the foil and then crank the oven to 450°F -- bake for another 10-20 minutes until the cheese on top is bubbling and deeply golden brown. It will need a long resting time -- so it can safely hang out for a while on the stovetop at this point.
Charred Peppers dish: Cook the prepared poblano and rainbow peppers tiger skin style in a hot wok, dress and finish with a bit of oil, salt, and toss together with the prepared pickled stuff.
Tamale Casserole Extraction: Run a thin flexible tool along the edge to check for release, then use a bowl underneath the pan to pop the central pan component holding the cake up and away from the outer ring. Check the firmness. If nice and firm, invert onto a plate and then invert again onto a serving platter to slice and bring to the table. Otherwise, just transport and serve the dish by slicing and serving right off the the popped out pan.
Table: slice the tamal cake at the table into portions. Cabbage slaw and charred pepper in shared dishes. Greek yogurt on the side as a crema dollop.
White bean salad: into a serving bowl combine the cannellini, rinsed diced yellow onion, 2 tbsp cherry pepper relish, 3 tbsp olive oil, juice of half a lemon, generous black pepper, salt. Toss, taste. Punchy and bright. Refrigerate.
Fill the dutch oven with water, salt it generously, bring to a boil. Drop the pasta. Cook to just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
Wok dish -- Chicken: Wok ripping hot, generous olive oil. Drop the chicken pieces in a single layer, don't move 60-90 seconds until the bottom faces are golden and crusted. Flip, 30 seconds. Add the sliced garlic last 30 seconds, toss once. They're already fully cooked -- you're building color only. Off heat.
Spread the tight tomato sauce across a serving platter. Lift the chicken out of the wok and arrange over the sauce. Grate parmesan generously over the top. Torch until blistered and spotty-brown. Scatter the crisped panko immediately -- don't wait or it disappears. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of parsley scattered over.
Garlic butter pasta: drain the pasta, toss in the wok (wiped) or the same pot with a knob of butter + 2 cloves minced garlic + a splash of reserved pasta water. Season with salt and cracked pepper.
Table: pasta in individual bowls. Chicken parm platter in the center of the lazy susan. White bean salad and roasted zucchini in shared dishes flanking it.
Preheat oven to 425°F (or air fryer to 400°F). Roast the harissa tilapia 10-12 min until the flesh flakes easily and the crust chars at the edges. Transfer to a serving platter and hold on warm.
Wok cai -- charred pepper and tomatoes: Wok ripping hot, thin film of oil. Drop the bell pepper strips flat, don't move 60-90 sec until charred. Toss, redistribute. Add the smashed garlic, toss 20 seconds. Drop in the cherry tomatoes, let them blister and burst in the wok heat, ~2 min. Season with salt, drizzle of olive oil off heat. Transfer to a small shared bowl.
Scatter chopped parsley over the tilapia platter and nestle lemon wedges alongside.
Table: couscous (or rice) in individual bowls. Tilapia platter in the center. Charred pepper and tomatoes and cucumber salad in shared dishes. Lemon wedges for squeezing.
Plate the marinated bell pepper into a small shared bowl. Let it come to room temp -- it's been marinating all week and will be deep and mellow.
Dal finish: over medium heat, add 1 tbsp oil to the lentil pot. Add half the tadka base (onion/garlic/jalapeño). Stir into the lentils and simmer 5-8 min until the onion softens in. Taste -- adjust salt. Too thick: splash of water. Too loose: simmer down. Hold on low.
Potato sabzi: wok or heavy skillet, splash of oil, medium-high heat. Drain the potatoes, add to the hot wok. Toss occasionally until cut faces are golden and crisping, 5-7 min. Add the second pile of the tadka base, stir-fry 2 min until fragrant. Add 1 tsp garam masala + 1/2 tsp cumin + pinch of salt. Toss until coated and aromatic. Taste -- adjust. Out.
Tadka pour: small pan, medium-high heat, 3 tbsp butter. Once it foams: 1 tsp cumin, 1 smashed garlic clove, pinch of chili powder or cayenne. Sizzle 30 seconds until nutty. At the table, pour this sizzling butter directly into the dal bowl -- let everyone hear it.
Table: rice in individual bowls. Dal in a wide shared bowl, tadka poured at service. Potato sabzi and marinated bell pepper in shared dishes. Lime wedges on the table.