bacon wrapped

[2thDoc]

Fresh Catch $22.95
Bacon Wrapped Swordfish Fillet
Seven ounce pan seared swordfish fillet wrapped in bacon, served with a
fire-grilled orzo cake and cumin roasted zucchini in a roasted red pepper cream sauce
Wine: Peirano "Six Clones" Merlot
$7.75 per glass $30.00 per bottle


saw this in an email from an eatery that will remain nameless. I havent eaten a lot of swordfish, but when i did i thought it was out of this world. what, pray tell, would make a "chef" wrap a perfectly good piece of fish in bacon? anyone?????

[PBiz]

Quit being an elitist snot... Smile more often

[Simple Man]

He obviously doesn't know how to use a crock pot.

[Highstrung]

So they put a mess of flavors on a fish that tastes like nothing, and paired it with a 10.99 merlot.

[Highstrung]

What's up with the pairing? That whole thing just seems strange to me.

[shrpshtr]

have to agree with ya on this one 2th. sword fillets don't need much more than a shake or 2 of your favorites herbs & spices.

[rp]

They probably charge extra for the mercury.

[Duck Gumbo]

My favorite food and favorite spice all in one dish- FUCK a bunch of zucchini and fuck it more with damn cumin on it.

Why do folks want to take perfectly good food and slather a bunch of shit on it?

[bohica]

swordfish tastes like catfood smells.

[Highstrung]

My favorite food and favorite spice all in one dish- FUCK a bunch of zucchini and fuck it more with damn cumin on it.

Why do folks want to take perfectly good food and slather a bunch of shit on it?

It makes my blood boil. I ordered a couple softshell crabs last year in a place that I love. I didn't really pay attention to the piled on crap. I didn't think somebody would mess up crabs with some grits. The plate came out with grits on the bottom, softshells next, followed by (I think caramelized onions), fried green maters on top of that, and some crazy ass lobster sauce. In my mind I recieved a shitty soup.

Just why?

[Simple Man]

It goes back to the simple fact that many chefs think that the more complicated they make shit, the better it tastes and the tougher it is to duplicate. There's a good reason why the better chefs keep it simple.

[FHF]

I have to agree. Why add bacon and why a merlot? Seems a little strange to me. Not my taste.

[Foie Gras]

There's a good reason why the better chefs keep it simple.

I agree. Get good ingredients and prepare them in such a way that brings out their natural flavors.

As for the wine pairing, I would guess that the merlot is more to stand up to the bacon. Swordfish really doesn't taste like much, and while its not my favorite thing to do, wrapping fish in bacon is not that uncommon. You find it more as prosciutto or pancetta wrapped though. Bacon tends to over power everything while pancetta and prosciutto are milder. Prosciutto and basil wrapped Halibut is a favorite summer dish of mine.

[dukhntr]

Tuna is the only fish I like that is steaked. Had I ordered that dish, I woud've 86'd the mercury and enjoyed the side meat.

[Vikki]

It is perfectly OK to serve red wine with the meatier fishes, (sturgeon, tuna, shark & swordfish), as long as the wine is light/medium bodied, and low on the tannins. Would I order the Merlot? Hell, no! Red wines set off killer migraines in me. A Chardonnay with a buttery taste would be more to my liking. If the wine pairing is more than you can handle, just order champagne, (chicks dig that)!

I do know of a nice swordfish w/herbed bacon crust recipe that does not involve a crockpot or deep frying!

[Foie Gras]

I do know of a nice swordfish w/herbed bacon crust recipe that does not involve a crockpot or deep frying!

You're telling me such a thing exists?!?!?

[Vikki]

You're telling me such a thing exists?!?!?

With your culinary training & experience, you know that "such a thing" most certainly does exist; just like you know about pairing wines with fish. Stop being so humble, it does not become you.

[Foie Gras]

Stop being so humble, it does not become you.

Oh if you only knew........

To clarify, I was going along with your joke.

[Vikki]

Oh if you only knew........

To clarify, I was going along with your joke.

I think you know, that I enjoy giving you a hard time.

As everyone on the site knows; my line of expertise is knowing what is tasty, sells @ profit, purchasing/rebates/inventories, equipment functioning/ maintenance & hiring/firing the staff that can/cannot make that happen. Never scoring lower than a 97 with a H.D. inspection, sorta cranks my tractor, too, (yeah...I'm one of those witches that is certified to teach a Serv-Safe class).

I learned to cook by looking over the shoulders of other folks, including a couple of great-grannies, grannies & moms. I'm no pro; but I sure would like to take some culinary classes in Italy one day, (on my bucket list).

Foie Gras, where did you study? We may know some of the same folks.

BTW: I am not being a smart-ass.

[Foie Gras]

I studied the same way you did. Only my early influences were dad and granddad as opposed to granny and great granny. I learned what I know at work. I was fortunate enough to have some really talented chefs take me under their wings and help polish what seems to be one of my only natural talents.
I studied my craft and threw myself into it once I decided it was what I wanted to do. I'll take a hard time and give it right back. While I admire "grande cuisine", anyone who is confident in their cooking skills is ok by me. I don't expect people to know what I know. You can't know what I know unless you invest years into just that(read: get paid to do it). A lot of what makes a good cook is confidence, just like anything else.
Not everyone is supposed to do what I do, but everyone is supposed to eat. Everyone eats to live, not everyone lives to eat. I am here for those that lean towards the latter. I love what I do, and for that reason I strive to do it the best I can.
Don't worry with classes, just go eat. Spoil yourself. Eat everything. You won't like it all, but you will like a lot of what you think you won't. Do your own research. It's been much more satisfying knowing that I thought myself than just telling folks that this piece of paper says I can cook. I know a lot of culinary school grads that can barely make stock.
Try new things. They won't always work. Learn to rescue things when they are going south. Try again. I put out specials almost everyday that I have never made. Be confident.
This is not all directed at Mrs Vikki. Its free advice for anyone(be it good advice or not).
I still hate crockpots.