Monday, February 28, 2011

Boeuf Bourguignon (Burgundy Beef Stew) - 2/28/11


This is the basic recipe for burgundy beef stew that I have been preparing for most of my married life.  I think I found it in a Betty Crocker cookbook, but I have so many cookbooks that they constitute a statistical universe, and after 35 years, I can't be absolutely sure.  If you follow this as written, you will have a wonderful stew with tender meat and lots of delicious sauce.

6 slices of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 pounds beef cut for stew, in 1 inch cubes
½ cup flour
1 ½ cup burgundy or dry red wine
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant beef bouillon
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
4 medium onions, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
snipped parsley


Fry the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp; remove bacon and reserve.  Coat the beef with flour; cook and stir beef in hot bacon fat until brown.  (Do the coating and cooking in small batches so that the meat browns nicely. Take your time with this step, it really makes a difference.)  Drain excess fat from Dutch oven; add back all of the browned beef.  Add wine and just enough water to cover beef.  Stir in garlic, bay leaf, salt, bouillon, thyme and pepper.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer until beef is tender, about 1 ½ hours.

Meanwhile, cook and stir mushrooms and onions in butter over medium heat until onions are tender.  Add the mushrooms, onions and bacon into the stew, stir to combine, cover and simmer 10 more minutes.  Remove bay leaf.  Serve over buttered egg noodles or with mashed potatoes or oven-roasted new potatoes.  Garnish with parsley.  Serve a salad or a green vegetable, something like broccoli.  Or add cooked green peas to the egg noodles.


Now ...

Over the past 35 years I have tinkered with this recipe.  No kidding, right?  Keep in mind that the basic technique is the same - the beef is browned to seal in juices and flavors, and a flavorful liquid is then poured in to deglaze the pan, and provide the cooking medium.  Stick to those techniques while adding layers of flavor and you can expand your stew universe to the moon, Alice!  Walk this way ...

I have used more bacon, or no bacon, or thick-sliced bacon.  I have sauteed a couple of chopped onions at the beginning of the recipe, in addition to those that are added towards the end with the mushrooms.  Then I take them out, add a little more oil or bacon fat, and brown the beef.  Sometimes I chop up some carrots and saute them along with the onions. These onions and carrots then get added back in to cook along with the beef. It goes without saying that when you are sauteeing onions and carrots, you should add some kosher salt, black pepper, and a little sugar to the pan to add flavor and promote carmelization.  Sometimes I also use a little Hungarian paprika, or smoked paprika, and some granulated garlic.  Although this is officially a "bourguignon" I prefer to use merlot instead of burgundy, and instead of the water plus the instant beef bouillon, I use beef broth, or even better, beef stock, the type you buy in a box at the market.  I like the Kitchen Basics brand, it has the best taste.  I also like to throw in a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme instead of, or in addition to, the dried thyme.  You don't even have to strip off the little leaves; just let the sprigs cook in with the stew, and at the end, the leaves will fall off into the stew and you just have to remove and discard the denuded twig, along with the bay leaf.  Regular white mushrooms are nice, as are crimini or portobellos of any size.  Don't bother spending extra money on shittake, because while I love them, their delicate flavor gets lost in this dish.

Like all stews and pot roasts, this dish tastes better the next day, so plan ahead.   And remember to cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Apple, Pear and Peach Strudel - 2/27/11

Inspired by a pie, only better. This recipe yields four medium sized strudel rolls.

Come to think of it, I haven't seen strudel on a dessert menu for many, many years.  Creme brulees and bread puddings galore, molten chocolate cakes, tiramisu, cobblers ... but no strudel.  I also just checked a couple of celebrity chef cookbooks, and no strudel, not even in my much-loved Emeril's Potluck.  We used to serve apple strudel at the kosher catering hall in New Hyde Park, but that was over 20 years ago.  The strudel came from a kosher bakery, and it was, in my opinion, just "all right."

A search of the Food Network site pulled up only 57 recipes for strudel, more than half of those for savory versions.  Of the sweet variety, a number used puff pastry instead of fillo.  The most recent entry is from 2008, a pear and pineapple strudel courtesy of Guy Fieri, which he makes with puff pastry.  In 2007, Paula Deen prepared a rather delicious sounding apple strudel on an episode of Paula's Home Cooking, and she did use fillo (phyllo) leaves.  I don't recall ever seeing any sort of strudel on the menus at The Lady and Sons Restaurant, nor at Uncle Bubba's Oyster House, which is a shame.  Banana pudding and Gooey Butter Cakes and Key Lime Pie are undoubtedly sweet Southern treasures, but I'm betting that a lot of diners would really enjoy a slice of sweet and crispy strudel.

A couple of new techniques here - blanching whole peaches to remove the skin; using fillo (phyllo) dough to create a filled dessert.  I was also going to soak some dried cranberries in a little booze, but right now I'm leaning towards using zante currents, and they really don't need any soaking.  UPDATE:  Just consulted with my biggest fan (my wonderful husband) and a decision has been made to use both dried fruits.  Because anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

Blanching, then shocking the peaches to make peeling easy

REMEMBER TO READ THE ENTIRE RECIPE THROUGH TO THE END.  GATHER ALL THE INGREDIENTS AND DO ALL YOUR PREP WORK BEFORE STARTING TO WORK WITH THE FILLO DOUGH.
Coring, then peeling the apples and pears.  You can see that the peaches are peeled,
the lemon has been zested and halved, and the cranberries are soaking in some warm Grand Marnier


Apple, Pear and Peach Strudel
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or with a silpat.
Ingredients for the Filling:
1 lemon
6 medium to large apples, Golden Delicious, or Granny Smith
3 pears, Anjou or Bartlett 
2 ripe peaches
1/4 cup zante currents
1/2 cup dried cranberries, soaked in a little Grand Marnier or other liquor of your choice
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon crystallized ginger, finely chopped or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon fine salt (table salt, not kosher salt)
Generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

Prepare the filling:
Finely grate the lemon zest and set aside. Place the dried cranberries in a 1-cup glass Pyrex measuring cup.  Pour over just enough Grand Marnier to reach about 3/4 up the cranberries.  Heat in the microwave for just 30 seconds.  Remove and set aside.  Peel the peaches:  bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  In a bowl place cold water with some ice in it.  Cut a small "X" in the bottom of the peach.  Using a long fork, carefully place the peach in the boiling water for 1 minute, then immediately place into the ice water.  Repeat for the second peach.  Using a small paring knife, remove the skin from each peach starting at the "X".  The skin will come off very easily.  You cannot core a peach, and it is now too slippery to safely cut in half to get at the pit, so with a chef knife, carefully cut off the peach flesh on either side of the pit, similar to how the flesh is removed from a mango.  Once all the peach flesh is removed from around the pit, slice into 1/2-inch slices.  Core, peel and then slice both the apple and pear into 1/2-inch slices. Place all the cut fruit into a large mixing bowl.  Squeeze the lemon juice over the fruit, then toss fruit with the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, salt and nutmeg.

Melt the butter in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fruit and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves and juices simmer, about 2 minutes. Stir in the crystallized ginger, the zante currents, and the cranberries with any remaining liquid. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until the fruit softens and the juices evaporate some, about 10 minutes. Evenly mix the flour into the fruit (I recommend putting the flour into a small wire strainer and gently shaking it over the fruit, this will minimize clumping); then cook about a minute more to thicken the juices slightly. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest; and remove from the heat. When it has cooled slightly, taste and adjust the spices, if desired.  I liked a bit more cinnamon, but do not go overboard.  No one spice should dominate.  Cool completely. This can be made and kept covered in the refrigerator up to 2 days before completing the strudels.

The fruit is cooling nicely.  The peaches cooked down quite a bit, while the apples and pears
 retained more of their structure. You should taste at some point and adjust your spices if you like.

Ingredients for the strudel leaves
1-1 pound box of fillo (phyllo, filo) leaves, defrosted in refrigerator overnight
1/4 cup cornflake crumbs
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted for brushing
Granulated sugar

Make the first strudel: remove the fillo dough from the box, unfold, and cover with a damp towel. Place a large piece of wax paper on the work surface, then place 2 sheets of fillo on the wax paper and brush lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle lightly with cornflake crumbs.  Now using single sheets only, repeat 4 times for a total of six stacked leaves, brushing each addition with melted butter and sprinkling with crumbs.  Be sure to keep the unused fillo covered.

Place one-quarter of the fruit mixture along the long edge of the fillo stack, being sure to leave a 2-inch border. Using the wax paper as needed to help roll and fold the fillo, gently lift the bottom edge of the  stack to cover the filling and fold the side edges over. Continue to roll the stack away from you until the filling is completely sealed in and the seam is on the bottom. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, leaving room for the second strudel. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Repeat with the second quarter of the remaining fruit and six more fillo leaves.


Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from the baking sheet using a long spatula.  Let cool before slicing. While the first two strudels are baking, prepare the remaining two strudels, then bake as directed.  Any remaining strudel should be refrigerated, and a slice can be reheated briefly in the microwave to get that just-baked experience.  You can serve this beauty au naturel, with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, or go whole hog with vanilla ice cream or real whipped cream on the side.

A couple of thoughts after making this recipe:  I now remember why I stopped working with fillo dough.  The last time I handled anything that carefully, it was my infant son.  Here are the first two out of the oven ... it seems I've somehow lost my mad skills with fillo (but it still tastes awesome).

 
My very first attempt at working with fillo after a 25 year hiatus. So I show it to my husband and he says
 "very nice!"  "Very nice?" I say, "just look at it!"  He says, "so there's just a little leakage..." 
 You gotta love that man.

Secondly, I totally misjudged just how much fruit filling I was going to have.  I suppose you could cut the recipe in half and just make two strudels, but if you are going to all the trouble of messing with fillo, you might as well go for the gusto.  Your family, your neighbors, and your coworkers will undoubtedly love you for it.

Now excuse me while I go off and work on that whole technique thing ...

Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Mark's Teriyaki Chicken Wings - 2/25/11

They were good in 1975 and they are good today.  Who doesn't love a well-sauced chicken wing?  These are good precisely because they are not overly spicy, or deep fried, or served with blue cheese dressing (ick) and celery sticks.  Rock on teriyaki wings!


Today's Mise en Place reminder courtesy of Anakin Skywalker Rothfeld, a jellicle cat

Mark's Teriyaki Chicken Wings
20 chicken wings
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove crushed garlic

Separate the wings at the joints and discard the tips.  Put the wings in an ungreased dish.  Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken wings.  Cover the dish and refrigerate, at least one hour.  Turn the chicken occasionally while marinating.  Place the wings on a broiler pan and brush with some of the sauce.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the wings are glazed.



Yesterday's sad chicken wings are starting to look downright happy, as they prepare to cuddle up with the marinade for a few hours. I combined all the marinade ingredients in a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup, beat them together lightly with a fork, and poured it over the wings.  Could not be easier!  I had forgotten just how appetizing the marinade smells when all the ingredients are brought together.



Ready for the oven after a nice long cuddle ... I made the amount of marinade called for in the recipe, although I had less wings, so there was plenty of extra sauce.  Remember, with any marinade that has held raw protein like chicken, you absolutely must bring it up to a boil and let it simmer a bit before using it.



Now, if you've gotten this far, you're about to enjoy some darn fine wings.  Not too sweet, not too salty, nothing cloying - flavorful, melt in your mouth deliciousness with a bit of crisp skin.  Perfect just the way they are.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Your Cheatin' Chicken Soup - 2/23/11

This recipe is extraordinarily easy, which makes it nice for a middle of the week, after work chicken soup craving. It makes a relatively small amount, and I don't think I'm going to share it with my boys.  They've got more than enough leftovers as is!



Look at this picture.  These items, plus an optional half cup of vermicelli, represent the sum total of ingredients.



Even your Jewish Bubbe would approve.

Ingredients:
4-6 green onions, whites and the light green parts sliced
About 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 pound of cooked chicken, cut into small slivers
1 1/2 cups Publix frozen Vegetable Soup Mix (contains tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, okra, corn green beans, lima beans, onions, and celery)
1-32 oz. carton of chicken stock

And if your idea of a satisfying trip down the chicken soupy Nile* includes noodles:
1/2 cup uncooked vermicelli (small pieces, like in the photo)

ALLEZ CUISINE!

In a medium size pot, heat the oil and add the onions.  Sprinkle a little kosher salt over them.  When softened, add the chicken and continue to cook just to heat up the chicken, then add the frozen vegetables.  Stir and cook until they are no longer frozen, just a few minutes.  Add the entire container of stock, and bring the soup up to a boil.  Immediately lower the heat, put a cover on the pot, and simmer for 15 minutes.

At the same time, in a small pot with boiling water, cook the vermicelli according to package directions for a firmer noodle, around 3 minutes.  Drain well in a net strainer and rinse with cold water.  At the end of the 15 minute simmer, remove the cover and stir in the cooked vermicelli.  Heat the soup and noodles together on low for a few minutes.  Ladle into a bowl, serve with buttered rye toast, and enjoy the feeling as the weight of the world slips off your shoulders.

Serves 4

*In September for a while,
  I will ride a crocodile
  Down the chicken soupy Nile.
  Paddle once, paddle twice,
  Paddle chicken soup with rice - Maurice Sendak

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Inspiration Nation Southern Boiled Dinner - 2/22/11



READ THE RECIPE FROM START TO FINISH.  GATHER ALL THE INGREDIENTS AND COMPLETE THE PREP WORK (MINIMAL!) BEFORE STARTING TO COOK

For the "Pot Likker"
About 6 quarts of water in a large, deep pot
3 large cloves peeled garlic
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons Paula Deen's House Seasoning
2 tablespoons Lawry's seasoned salt
2 tablespoons Tabasco brand chipotle pepper hot sauce
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter



The Main Event:
1 - 2 1/2 pound smoked pork shoulder butt
1 pound fresh Brussel sprouts, stem end trimmed
1 1/2 pounds tiny new potatoes
1 or 2 small rutabagas (yellow turnips), peeled and cubed
1 pound Melissa brand boiler onions, peeled; leave the root end intact



Remove the plastic from around the pork, but leave the netting intact.  Place the pork in your pot, and cover with water.  Do not overfill, as you will be adding the vegetables a little later.  Turn heat on high, and add the House Seasoning, seasoned salt, and Tabasco to the water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium.  Tilt the lid onto the pot so some of the steam can escape, then cook for 1 hour.  Add the rutabaga and cook 15 minutes.  Add the butter and the remaining vegetables and cook another 20 minutes or until they are done.

Remove the pork to a cutting board, and while still hot, carefully pull off the netting and discard.  Cover with a little foil and let sit about 15 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, remove all of the vegetable from the liquid and place in a 9x13 aluminum tray or baking dish.  Discard the bay leaf. Turn the heat under the pot on high and bring to a boil.  Now reduce the liquid in the pot by at least half.  It will still be thin, but it will look richer and buttery.  Ladle some of the buttery liquid over the vegetables in the dish.


Slice the pork thinly and arrange over the vegetables.  Ladle more of the buttery pot likker over the meat.  Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for the next day's meal.  Reserve as much of the remaining pot likker as you like.  You can use it to moisten the dish before reheating, or put out as a gravy, or offer to real southerners with some corn bread for dipping.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Inspiration Nation Peanut Chicken Stir Fry - 2/20/11

READ THE ENTIRE RECIPE FROM BEGINNING TO END BEFORE STARTING TO COOK

Marinade and Peanut Sauce:
1 medium onion, minced
½ cup peanut or other neutral oil (I use canola)
½ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup thin terikayi sauce (I use Mr. Yoshida’s Gourmet Marinade and Sauce)
½ cup dark rum (I used what I had, 151 proof – zowee!)
½  cup honey
2 tablespoons peeled and grated ginger root
6 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
1 – 13 oz. jar creamy whipped peanut butter (you will not use all of it)
2 tablespoons half and half




Main ingredients:
2 pounds chicken breast meat, cut into bite sized pieces
1 medium or 2 small red bell peppers, large dice
1 medium onion, large dice
2 cups (approximately) stir fry vegetables (I used a 12 oz. bag of Eat Smart brand)
¼ cup thin teriyaki sauce (this is in addition to the ½ cup used in the marinade)

Wok on:
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon peeled and grated ginger root
3 garlic cloves, smashed and minced

To serve:
½ pound angel hair pasta
2-3 green onions, white and some green parts, thinly sliced
Olive oil

For the Fancy Schmancy:
Chopped peanuts
Additional green onion, thinly sliced

ALLEZ CUISINE!

Combine all of the marinade ingredients except for the peanut butter.  Pour over and marinate the chicken for several hours in refrigerator.  Stir occasionally while marinating.

When ready to prepare the dish, set out all the ingredients next to the wok. Mise en place is always important, but never more so than when making a stir fry dish!

Drain marinade from chicken.  Measure it, then put into a small saucepan and heat over medium until boiling. Watch it very carefully, as the alcohol will cause it to boil over. Measure out half as much peanut butter as marinade, then remove pan from heat and add the peanut butter, stirring until sauce is smooth.  Taste and adjust with more peanut butter if you like.  Stir in the half and half.  Let sit on stove at very low or warming heat.

Cook angel hair pasta according to package directions.  Do not run cold water over the hot pasta.  As soon as hot water is drained off, add a drizzle of olive oil and sliced green onions and toss to coat and combine.  Return to pot and hold over low or warming heat on stovetop.

In hot oil in wok, stir fry garlic and ginger till fragrant, but do not let brown. Immediately add the chicken to wok and stir fry till done, then remove and hold on side.


Add more oil if needed to wok. Stir fry onion and red bell pepper.  Add remaining vegetables to wok.  While stir frying, add about ¼ cup teriyaki sauce to vegetables to create steam.  When vegetables are tender, add back the chicken.  Lower the heat under the wok and add the warm peanut butter sauce, stirring with the chicken and vegetables.

To serve:  ladle peanut chicken and sauce over the pasta.  Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and green onion if desired.  Or skip the pasta and serve with rice, preferably the sticky Chinese type.


Incidentally, I used my trusty electric fry pan instead of my wok for this dish.  Worked great, and the chicken had the opportunity to pick up a nice brown color.  If you do use a wok, I recommend stir frying the chicken in two separate batches, so that the chicken browns instead of steams.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Inspiration Nation Paella - 2/19/11

You will need a rectangular electric frying pan with a domed cover.

READ THE RECIPE THROUGH FROM START TO FINISH.  GATHER ALL INGREDIENTS AND FINISH ALL CHOPPING, DRAINING, AND MEASURING BEFORE YOU START TO COOK.

Spices, Condiments, Oils:
kosher salt
black pepper
granulated garlic
Hungarian sweet pepper
1/4 teaspoon saffron
2 Knorr chicken bouillon cubes
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco, Texas Pete, Crystal)

Vegetables, Produce:
1 large or 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
1 medium or 2 small green peppers, chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped

Off the Shelf:
7 oz. chorizo (Goya or Tropical Brand), halved, casing removed, sliced into 1/4 inch half moons
1 1/2 cups uncooked converted rice (Uncle Ben's)
1-12 oz. bottle beer, poured into a 4-cup glass measuring cup
1-15 oz. can green peas (trust me), liquid drained into the beer
1-14 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts, liquid drained into the beer
1-6 1/2 oz. jar Fancy Pimientos, drained, patted dry, cut into pieces
15 or more small manzanilla olives (these are little green olives stuffed with pimiento)

Out of the Refrigerator:
6 chicken drumsticks
1 dozen littleneck clams
1/2 pound mussels
1/2 pound peeled rock shrimp
1/2 pound peeled white shrimp (medium or large, whatever is on sale)

ALLEZ CUISINE!

Sprinkle chicken with some salt, black pepper, paprika and garlic.  Heat olive oil in frying pan at 325 degrees, and brown chicken on all sides.  Remove to a dish and hold. (This is where I use one of those aluminum trays, about 9x13.  I buy them in bulk at BJs Warehouse.  I know I'm going to store the leftovers in there, so I use it during prep as well.)  Next cook the chorizo for just a minute, and with a slotted spoon, remove it to the dish with the chicken.  Next cook both shrimp just until barely pink, remove them and hold in a separate bowl.  Do not overcook the shrimp.  Seriously.

Add the onions, green peppers, and chopped garlic to the pan; season with salt, pepper, paprika and granulated garlic.  I also like to sprinkle a very small amount of regular sugar over the onions for flavor and carmelization. Cook until onion is tender, not brown.  Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil in the pan.  Add enough water to the beer to make 3 1/2 cups liquid.  Add the hot pepper sauce to the liquid, then pour it all into the pan, stirring up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Add the bouillon cubes and the saffron and stir.  Stir the cooked chorizo into the rice, and then place the chicken on top.  Cover the pan with the domed lid, making sure the little steam outlet is closed.  Lower the heat to simmer, and cook 25 - 30 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is done.  You will want to check on the rice and stir it about halfway through the cooking to make sure it is not sticking. 

Uncover, remove the chicken, and stir the rice.  Add the green peas, the artichoke heart quarters, pimiento pieces, olives, and cooked shrimp and stir gently. Arrange the mussels, clams, and chicken on top of the rice.  Cover and cook another 10 minutes or until the clams and mussels are open.  Discard any that don't open.

Serves 6