A lemon tart - isn't that redundant? It might be but this one with an almond flavored pastry has just the right balance of tart and sweetness. I came across this recipe about 20 years ago in Cook's Magazine. Significant changes have been made to the crust but not to the filling.
The original pastry called for almond paste which was hard to find at that time. I substitute Orgeat syrup, available at any liquor store. Use only 3 tablespoons if you are using the syrup. Also, I use unsalted butter for better control.
The pastry is easiest made in a food processor. After all ingredients for the pastry are added to the processor, pulse until a ball is formed. Since it is a sweet dough, it is immediately available to shape. Roll it to the size of your fluted, removable bottom pie tin and press into all flutes. The pastry should be the same height as the pan.
I like to bake the pastry for about 20 minutes weighted by beans on top of wax paper. Remove the wax paper and beans, wash with an egg + 1 tablespoon water, whisked, and bake for an additional eight minutes.
Add the filling and bake for 22 minutes or until filling is set. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
Click the title to get the recipe.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables
A roast chicken with a crisp, seasoned skin takes little time and effort to prepare and the outcome is a wonderfully delicious all-in-one-pot meal. Peel some root vegetables and roast for 1½ hours.
Lots of recipes for a roasted chicken leave the final product with a so-so appearance and not so appetizing skin. The kind of skin that you want to remove. I like to roast my chickens at temperatures above 400°F and sometimes start them at 450°F + for 15 minutes or so just to get the proper texture of skin, crispy. This crispy skin is hard to resist.
In this recipe, the chicken shares the roasting pan with whatever root vegetables you want to use, is turned twice during the first 30 minutes and maintains a roasting temperature of 425°F. We like fennel (anise root) and use it most times. Carrots and potatoes are a staple. Experiment with onions and parsnips. If you want to brown the vegetables more evenly, stir them after 45 minutes.
Fresh oregano is best but dried is also acceptable. If using fresh, double the quantity.
Click here or the title to get the recipe.
Lots of recipes for a roasted chicken leave the final product with a so-so appearance and not so appetizing skin. The kind of skin that you want to remove. I like to roast my chickens at temperatures above 400°F and sometimes start them at 450°F + for 15 minutes or so just to get the proper texture of skin, crispy. This crispy skin is hard to resist.
In this recipe, the chicken shares the roasting pan with whatever root vegetables you want to use, is turned twice during the first 30 minutes and maintains a roasting temperature of 425°F. We like fennel (anise root) and use it most times. Carrots and potatoes are a staple. Experiment with onions and parsnips. If you want to brown the vegetables more evenly, stir them after 45 minutes.
Fresh oregano is best but dried is also acceptable. If using fresh, double the quantity.
Click here or the title to get the recipe.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Steak au Poivre
We have been enjoying steak au poivre, a French version of steak with peppercorns, for many years. However, in the beginning many years ago in Atlanta, my consistency of producing an outstanding sauce was spotty.
Steak au Poivre is a rib eye/shell steak, about 1 1/2" thick. A one pound tenderloin can also be used. Cracked pepper corns are pressed into the meat on both sides, then sauteed in oil and butter. Julia Child and Jacques Pépin update the dish by using a mixture of black, green, white and Jamaican peppercorns, which is really allspice. The steaks are then removed from the pan and kept warm. Shallots are sauteed for 30 seconds, cognac added and flamed to remove the alcohol. Many recipes next call for a well-flavored stock. My success using a flavored stock was limited.
After some research I made a brown veal stock/demi-glace. A demi-glace is a rich veal stock reduced to a gelatin like consistency. Once finished and cooled it can be sliced, wrapped in plastic wrap and then wrapped with aluminum foil. It can then be frozen and stored for months. According to Jacques Pepin it will keep almost 'indefinitely' without spoiling. I make a batch about every 1 1/2 years. Now my Steak au Poivre has the wonderful, elegant sauce that it so richly deserves.
The addition of a tablespoon of butter in the sauce is the last step. Spoon over the steak, sprinkle liberally with chopped parsley and serve. Bon Appetit!
Steak au Poivre is a rib eye/shell steak, about 1 1/2" thick. A one pound tenderloin can also be used. Cracked pepper corns are pressed into the meat on both sides, then sauteed in oil and butter. Julia Child and Jacques Pépin update the dish by using a mixture of black, green, white and Jamaican peppercorns, which is really allspice. The steaks are then removed from the pan and kept warm. Shallots are sauteed for 30 seconds, cognac added and flamed to remove the alcohol. Many recipes next call for a well-flavored stock. My success using a flavored stock was limited.
After some research I made a brown veal stock/demi-glace. A demi-glace is a rich veal stock reduced to a gelatin like consistency. Once finished and cooled it can be sliced, wrapped in plastic wrap and then wrapped with aluminum foil. It can then be frozen and stored for months. According to Jacques Pepin it will keep almost 'indefinitely' without spoiling. I make a batch about every 1 1/2 years. Now my Steak au Poivre has the wonderful, elegant sauce that it so richly deserves.
The addition of a tablespoon of butter in the sauce is the last step. Spoon over the steak, sprinkle liberally with chopped parsley and serve. Bon Appetit!
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Tuna and Olive Salad
As a kid I remember my mom's frequent tuna salad. Open can and over load with Kraft Miracle Whip. I've eaten this same recipe countless times in restaurants, or the stuffed tomato variation. Never knew there was another way, that is until I saw Sara Moulton's Tuna and Olive Salad Sandwich on FoodTV/Gourmet. It's tuna salad with tasty zip... and only 1/4 cup of mayo.
Click on the title to get Sara's recipe, tho' I've modified it a little. I like roasted peppers - charring the skin, letting the pepper steam in a closed container for 10 minutes and peeling. Then remove the core and veins and finely chop. Recipe calls for 1/2 cup but I use the entire pimento along with the juices, about one tablespoon. I think the peeled pepper adds a smoother flavor.
Sara calls for mayo. I like Hellmann's rich flavor. Make sure you use Kalamata olives, not the bland California type. I use any bread or eat it right out of the bowl. Can't go wrong.
Click here or the title to get the recipe.
Click on the title to get Sara's recipe, tho' I've modified it a little. I like roasted peppers - charring the skin, letting the pepper steam in a closed container for 10 minutes and peeling. Then remove the core and veins and finely chop. Recipe calls for 1/2 cup but I use the entire pimento along with the juices, about one tablespoon. I think the peeled pepper adds a smoother flavor.
Sara calls for mayo. I like Hellmann's rich flavor. Make sure you use Kalamata olives, not the bland California type. I use any bread or eat it right out of the bowl. Can't go wrong.
Click here or the title to get the recipe.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Choucroute Garnie
Last fall my sweetie was in Bar-Le-Duc, France ( about half way between Paris and Strasbourg). At the home of friends, she dined on choucroute garnie. The cook prepared this one-pot meal of sauerkraut and wursts to spotlite Alsatian region foods.
A food article in the New York Times a while ago was all about choucroute garnie. RW Apple Jr. wrote "Across the Rhine, Sauerkraut is even Sweeter". He pointed out that only the Alsatians would dare call such a parade of pig products a "garnish". It is as noble in its own way as foie gras, another of the area's traditional gastronomic delights, he wrote. I say it's definitely worth putting in your own recipe file.
Americans typically buy canned sauerkraut and serve it with hot dogs, pork, bratwurst. Apple insists that only bulk sauerkraut from a good purveyor be used. Never canned.
As to the types of meat? That is cook's choice. One thing I learned when I made it last week was that a variety of sausages cooked together for 1 1/2 hours all taste about the same. My wife says her Bar-Le-Duc hostess might have sauted the sausages and then added them 15 to 20 min. before serving so that they maintain their individual flavors. (This based on her recollection that the sauerkraut was not overwhelmed by the sausage flavor, fat, etc.....and mine was, says she)
Of course, the French will use a wine as part of the braising medium. In this case, a Riesling. Along with the wine, they will also incorporate a stock of some sort, chicken or pork.
I agree with NYT's Apple, the dish is a delight. Click the title to get his recipe.
If you do a search in FoodTV for choucroute garnie, you will find 4 recipes. Or better yet, Google or Yahoo for more choices. Seems that any would be worth trying...I plan to do just that.
A food article in the New York Times a while ago was all about choucroute garnie. RW Apple Jr. wrote "Across the Rhine, Sauerkraut is even Sweeter". He pointed out that only the Alsatians would dare call such a parade of pig products a "garnish". It is as noble in its own way as foie gras, another of the area's traditional gastronomic delights, he wrote. I say it's definitely worth putting in your own recipe file.
Americans typically buy canned sauerkraut and serve it with hot dogs, pork, bratwurst. Apple insists that only bulk sauerkraut from a good purveyor be used. Never canned.
As to the types of meat? That is cook's choice. One thing I learned when I made it last week was that a variety of sausages cooked together for 1 1/2 hours all taste about the same. My wife says her Bar-Le-Duc hostess might have sauted the sausages and then added them 15 to 20 min. before serving so that they maintain their individual flavors. (This based on her recollection that the sauerkraut was not overwhelmed by the sausage flavor, fat, etc.....and mine was, says she)
Of course, the French will use a wine as part of the braising medium. In this case, a Riesling. Along with the wine, they will also incorporate a stock of some sort, chicken or pork.
I agree with NYT's Apple, the dish is a delight. Click the title to get his recipe.
If you do a search in FoodTV for choucroute garnie, you will find 4 recipes. Or better yet, Google or Yahoo for more choices. Seems that any would be worth trying...I plan to do just that.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Boiled Irish Dinner
Typically, every March, we will have a boiled Irish Dinner, corned beef. Braise it for several hours, about 40 minutes per pound, along with wedges of cabbage, carrots and potatoes. To finish the brisket, slather it with a good quality mustard and top that with brown sugar. Roast it in a hot oven for about 20 minutes.
However, for the last couple of years I have been buying the brisket and corning it myself. Corning a brisket is relatively easy which yields a more controlled, flavorful product. Add 8 ounces of canning/pickling salt, 3 ounces of powdered dextrose and 3 ounces of cure/salt peter to 5 quarts of water. Place brisket into pan, add a packet of pickling spices and place into a 40 degree refrigerator for 3-4 days for a 4 pound brisket, 5-6 days for a larger brisket.
Remove brisket from brine, place it into a large pan, cover with water, add 6 cloves, 2 cloves garlic finely chopped, 3 bay leaves and 2 onions halved. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 40 minutes per pound. Remove meet and add cut up potatoes and carrots for 10 minutes. Then add cabbage wedges for an additional 20 minutes. Meanwhile glaze and roast the meat.
An alternative to the veggies is to make a colcannon, a creamy combination of mashed potatoes, sauteed leeks and cooked, chopped cabbage. Colcannon can be made anytime not just for St. Patty's day. But at least once a year, we indulge.
However, for the last couple of years I have been buying the brisket and corning it myself. Corning a brisket is relatively easy which yields a more controlled, flavorful product. Add 8 ounces of canning/pickling salt, 3 ounces of powdered dextrose and 3 ounces of cure/salt peter to 5 quarts of water. Place brisket into pan, add a packet of pickling spices and place into a 40 degree refrigerator for 3-4 days for a 4 pound brisket, 5-6 days for a larger brisket.
Remove brisket from brine, place it into a large pan, cover with water, add 6 cloves, 2 cloves garlic finely chopped, 3 bay leaves and 2 onions halved. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 40 minutes per pound. Remove meet and add cut up potatoes and carrots for 10 minutes. Then add cabbage wedges for an additional 20 minutes. Meanwhile glaze and roast the meat.
An alternative to the veggies is to make a colcannon, a creamy combination of mashed potatoes, sauteed leeks and cooked, chopped cabbage. Colcannon can be made anytime not just for St. Patty's day. But at least once a year, we indulge.
Friday, March 11, 2005
Smoking Meats
Growing up I remember my folks were often given smoked turkeys for the holidays. Tasty. But I also remember that the meat was dry / very dry....needed lots of mayo. As a cooking adult I have eaten all kinds of smoked products. Fish seems to weather the process best.( I was always told It was "supposed" to be flaky - meaning well cooked... and dry.) A move to southeast Wisconsin
I cleared a place in the garage, stripped the insides of an old refrigerator and placed a couple of hot plates on the bottom. After much reading, mainly in Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing by Rytek Kutas, I concluded that smoked doesn't have to mean dry. Control factors are the brining process, cooking time and internal temperature ( this one you have to really watch). But I quickly learned that it was going to take a whole lot more than hot plates and a how-to book.
The hot plates were mainly for smoke; heat was secondary. To maintain a steady flow of smoke the hot plates had to be on constantly. No temperature control resulted in a smoky product - but cooked too fast, too dry. I tried using the hot plates as a temperature control but the meat was missing the desired smoky flavor.
So I bought another used refrigerator: gutted it and got rid of all the plastic; insulated it and lined it with stainless steel. I bought the innards: heating element, blower fan, thermostat and temperature control and smoke generator. Now I have a smoker that can process in excess of 100 pounds with somewhat accurate temperature and smoke control. The finished product is some of the best I've tasted - cooked, smoky...and moist!.
These days I have a bit more respect for those who smoked that dry turkey of my youth. The smoking process for this bird can take up to 18 hours. I needed a way to start the smoking, real early, so I wouldn't be up past midnight. I figured the X-10 system that turned house lights on/off could turn on the smoker and all of its elements in the proper sequence. So I rigged some pilot lites to indicate on/off (this entire contraption is in our unattached garage)
At first, it worked well. Now the smoke generator and smoker could be sequenced starting at an early hour. I chose 3 am. Then during my nocturnal peregrinations, I could check the status of the smoker. But the X-10 system uses the electrical lines to send signals and some appliances can send static through the lines to turn on/off those lights/items. FYI, filters are not always reliable.
Had to go back to the drawing board. I decided to copy the controller in my brewery. It uses an old Allen-Bradley programmable controller along with an Omega temperature controller. Now all I have to do is to set the start time and the AB controller does the rest. An added benefit using the Omega temperature controller is that the temperature can be changed four times during the process. The temperature starts at 130°F for four hours then is raised 20° every four hours ending at 190°F.
I cleared a place in the garage, stripped the insides of an old refrigerator and placed a couple of hot plates on the bottom. After much reading, mainly in Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing by Rytek Kutas, I concluded that smoked doesn't have to mean dry. Control factors are the brining process, cooking time and internal temperature ( this one you have to really watch). But I quickly learned that it was going to take a whole lot more than hot plates and a how-to book.
The hot plates were mainly for smoke; heat was secondary. To maintain a steady flow of smoke the hot plates had to be on constantly. No temperature control resulted in a smoky product - but cooked too fast, too dry. I tried using the hot plates as a temperature control but the meat was missing the desired smoky flavor.
So I bought another used refrigerator: gutted it and got rid of all the plastic; insulated it and lined it with stainless steel. I bought the innards: heating element, blower fan, thermostat and temperature control and smoke generator. Now I have a smoker that can process in excess of 100 pounds with somewhat accurate temperature and smoke control. The finished product is some of the best I've tasted - cooked, smoky...and moist!.
These days I have a bit more respect for those who smoked that dry turkey of my youth. The smoking process for this bird can take up to 18 hours. I needed a way to start the smoking, real early, so I wouldn't be up past midnight. I figured the X-10 system that turned house lights on/off could turn on the smoker and all of its elements in the proper sequence. So I rigged some pilot lites to indicate on/off (this entire contraption is in our unattached garage)
At first, it worked well. Now the smoke generator and smoker could be sequenced starting at an early hour. I chose 3 am. Then during my nocturnal peregrinations, I could check the status of the smoker. But the X-10 system uses the electrical lines to send signals and some appliances can send static through the lines to turn on/off those lights/items. FYI, filters are not always reliable.
Had to go back to the drawing board. I decided to copy the controller in my brewery. It uses an old Allen-Bradley programmable controller along with an Omega temperature controller. Now all I have to do is to set the start time and the AB controller does the rest. An added benefit using the Omega temperature controller is that the temperature can be changed four times during the process. The temperature starts at 130°F for four hours then is raised 20° every four hours ending at 190°F.
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