Farm to Chef

meeting with a group to facilitate farm to chef produce and other foods, I will keep you posted!

Chocolate Sourdough

I experimented and by adding 2 T. cocoa powder and 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips to each loaf of sourdough, you get chocolate sourdough! It is pretty amazing. I cook for 30 minutes at 400F to keep the chocolate from burning. Try it and let me know what you think.

Sourdough

I have it down pretty well now. Because I only need a few loaves a week, here is what I do.

One day before I bake, I take the starter out of the fridge and feed with about 1 cup flour and ¾ cup water. I stir well to get some good air into the starter, cover, and leave out at room temperature.
The next day I make the dough.
1 cup starter
1 cup water
3 ½ cups flour (I use hi gluten)
½ T. salt.
This makes 1 large boule. I knead in the kitchen aid with the dough hook for 10 minutes on low. Transfer to bowl, cover, and let rise for about two hours. Knead briefly, shape into boule, place on wood board spread with cornmeal, cover and let rise for another two hours. It should double in size.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Use a baking stone and have a pan in the oven for water. Right before baking, pour a cup of water into the pan. Slash criss cross pattern in top of loaf with razor blade, going no more than ¼” deep. Use a peel to slide loaf on stone. Bake for 30 minutes or until hollow sounding when tapped.
Meanwhile, feed the starter again and leave out while dough is rising.
Cool baked sourdough on rack and enjoy. Put starter in fridge until next week.

Have fun with it, try whole wheat, add rosemary, roasted garlic, or olives, maybe lemon zest, etc. Hope this works for you.

Ps. I have a healthy starter if anyone wants it locally, send me an email.

Ciao,
Chef Kurt

Blue Crab

I am working right now on opening two new restaurants. They will be the same concept, menu, etc. in two different locations. The name is Blue Crab and they will be rustic, comfortable family friendly seafood restaurants.

Blue Crab’s menu features full raw bar, steamed oysters, blue crabs, fried seafood, appetizers, and more great seafood from our bountiful area. We will buy primarily local seafood.

The first location is in Pawley’s Island, in the old Gator Crawls restaurant. The second will be in the old Latitude 22 space above River City Café in Surfside. Both are scheduled to open in March.

Wish us luck and come see us, I guarantee you will like the food!

Ciao,
Chef Kurt

Ham Hocks

At Roy and Sid’s, we use ham hocks in our collards and green beans. To simplify and standardize, we cook the hocks in water until they are falling off the bone, then pick meat, strain stock, combine, and freeze in pint containers. When we make a batch of beans we simply pull a pint and throw it in, instant flavor!

New 2 me

I am getting ready to cook a whole lamb for my church's retreat this weekend. I have never cooked a whole one before so I will let you know how it goes!

On another note, I get busy and sometimes don't blog for awhile. If anyone wants to know anything on any culinary subject, let me know and I will write about it. Thanks for checking in.

Chef Kurt