Tomorrow Night's Demo

Hello Everyone,

Doug will be making a fava bean spread (with foccaccia), as bean spreads are a staple food throughout Eastern Europe and the fertile crescent (covering Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq.) I hope everyone will be able to make it tomorrow night at 6:30 to talk about An Edible History of Humanity.

~ Brianne


   

Books for December, January, and February

December: An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage

January: A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle

February: Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Mignonette

Mignonette


Shallot, minced                                    1 Tbsp
Parsley, minced                                   1 tsp
Green onion, minced                           1 tsp
Your favorite light vinegar                    ½ cup

1 Mix together all ingredients.

2 Use approx ½ tsp of mignonette per oyster.

Icing Filled Chocolate Wafer Cookies


For the Chocolate Wafers:

1 ¼ cups AP Flour
½ cup Cocoa powder
1 tsp Baking soda
¼ tsp Baking powder
¼ tsp Salt
1 cup Sugar
5 oz Butter, room temperature
1 ea Egg

For the Filling:

2 oz Butter, room temperature
¼ cup Vegetable shortening
2 cups Powdered sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla extract

1- To make the wafers, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in the bowl of a mixer.

2- Add the butter and mix on low until incorporated.

3- Add the egg and mix until it forms a dough ball.

4- On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to a 1/4” thickness.

5- Cut out wafer cookies using a 1 ¾” round cookie cutter.

6- Bake the cookies on a greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

7- Allow the cookies to cool completely before filling.



1- To make the filling, put the butter and shortening in the bowl of a mixer, and mix at low speed.

2- Add the powdered sugar to the butter mixture in three stages.

3- Add the vanilla to the mix, and then turn mixer to medium and whip to desired consistency.

Hot Fudge Sauce

Hot Fudge Sauce


Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips ¾ cup
½ and ½ ½ cup and 2 Tbsp
Unsalted butter 1 stick
Sugar ½ cup
Salt 1 pinch

1 Melt all ingredients together in a double boiler, stirring occasionally.

2 Serve immediately or refrigerate and gently reheat as needed.

Habanero Jelly

Habanero Jelly


Red Bell Peppers, stemmed, seeded, chopped                            2ea.
Orange Bell Peppers, stemmed, seeded, chopped                       1ea.
Habanero chili, stemmed, seeded, chopped                                 1 ea.
Sugar (divided)                                                                           3 ¼ cups
White vinegar                                                                             ½ cup
Cider vinegar                                                                              ½ cup
Salt                                                                                             ½ tsp
Butter                                                                                         1 Tbsp
Pectin                                                                                         1.75 oz



1 In a medium sauce pot, combine all of the peppers, 3 cups of the sugar, both vinegars, the salt, and the butter.

2 Bring this pepper mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 8 minutes.

3 Combine the sugar and the remaining ¼ cup of pectin in a small bowl and set aside.

4 When the chopped peppers have softened, take the mixture off of the heat.

5 Using an immersion (stick) blender, puree the mixture to the desired smoothness.

6 Place the mixture back on the heat and return to a simmer.

7 Using a whisk, mix the pectin mixture into the pepper mixture and stir vigorously.

8 When the mixture thickens (approx 2-3 minutes), pour the hot jelly into sterilized canning jars and process using the hot water bath method.

Fried Polenta

Fried Polenta


Olive oil (Divided) 1Tbsp and 2 tsp
Small yellow onion, small diced 1 ea.
Garlic cloves, minced 3 ea.
Vegetable broth (or water) 4 ½ cups
Polenta 1 cup
Parsley, chopped 2 Tbsp
Butter (divided) 2 Tbsp

1 In a medium sized pot, heat 2 tsp of the olive oil.

2 Sautee the onions in the oil until translucent.

3 Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 2 more minutes.

4 Add the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer.

5 Slowly whisk the polenta into the broth to avoid lumps.

6 Cook for 5-6 minutes until polenta granules are tender, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

7 Turn off the heat and stir the parsley and butter into the cooked polenta.

8 Spread the polenta ½” to ¾” thick across a parchment lined pan, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cool for 2-3 hours, or over-night.

9 unmold polenta and cut into desired size and shapes.

10 In a large sautee pan or skillet, fry the pieces of polenta in the remaining Tbsp of butter and Tbsp of oil.

Fried Cucumbers

Fried Cucumbers
English cucumber                                       1 ea.
Red bird chili                                             1 ea.
Whole garlic clove                                     2 ea.
Frying oil (vegetable, peanut, or lard)         2-3 oz
Rice vinegar                                              2 Tbsp
Soy sauce                                                 2 ½ Tbsp
Sesame oil                                                2 tsp

1 Cut the cucumber in half length-wise. Remove the seeds using a melon baller, and slice into 1/4” thick half-moons.

2 Remove the stem and seeds from the chili and mince. Peel the garlic and mince.

3 Heat a wok until it smokes, and then add the oil and cucumbers.

4 Toss cucumbers as needed until lightly browned in spots. Add the Chilies and garlic and fry for 1 more minute.

5 Add the vinegar and soy sauce and toss together. Cook for 2-3 more minutes until aromatic.

6 Remove the pan from the heat, and then add the sesame oil. Toss thoroughly and serve with rice as a side.

Focaccia


(Note: this recipe was heavily influenced by Daniel T. DiMuzio’s focaccia recipe as seen in Bread Baking An Artisan’s Perspective)

Biga:

Bread Flour                                                  10 oz
Water (at room temp)                                   6 oz
Instant Yeast                                                 ¼ tsp

Dough:

Bread Flour                                                  1# 6.5 oz
Salt                                                               0.6 oz
Yeast                                                            0.2 oz
Yellow onion, minced                                    3 Tbsp
Biga                                                              1#
Water (at room temp)                                   1# 1.5 oz
Olive Oil 3.2 oz

To Finish:

Olive Oil                                                      As needed
Rosemary leaves, chopped fine                     2 Tbsp
Coarse Salt                                                  As needed



To Make the Biga, simply mix the three ingredients in a small bowl until a dry dough forms. Cover the dough and leave at room temp for about 24 hours.

To Make the Dough:

1 Combine the flour, yeast, salt, and onions in a mixing bowl and set aside.

2 Chop the biga into 1” pieces, and place in a mixing bowl. Cover with the water.

3 Squeeze the biga in the water to rehydrate for a couple of minutes, then add the flour mixture and olive oil.

4 Mix all of the ingredients together until a homogenous, wet dough forms. Do not knead, and do not add extra flour.

5 Let the dough rest covered for 15 minutes, then turn out onto an unfloured surface. Press the dough down into a flat disk, and then fold it into 3rds to form a rectangle using a bench-scraper. Fold this into 3rds to form a square, and return the dough to the covered bowl.

6 Repeat this step four more times, for a total of 5 turns and an hour and 15 minutes of rests. By the end, the dough still be moist, but more elastic.

7 Next, grease a cookie sheet with the olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt, and stretch the dough to the size of the pan. Press various spots on the surface of the dough so that it rises evenly. Let rest until nearly doubled in size (approx 40 minutes).

8 Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

9 When the bread is ready to bake, top it with the coarse salt, rosemary, and a final sprinkling of olive oil.

10 Bake for approx. 35- 40 minutes, and then cool on a wire rack.

Dongpo Pork

Dongpo Pork


Pork Belly (preferably with rind) 1 ½#
Banana Leaves 1 ea.
Frying Oil (peanut, lard, or vegetable) 2 Tbsp
Salt as needed
Whole cane sugar or rock sugar 2 Tbsp
Star Anise 1 ea.
Scallions, chopped 2 ea.
Fresh ginger root, chopped 1 Tbsp
Rice wine (shaoxing or michiu) 1/2 cup
Soy sauce 1 cup
Water 5 cups

1 Cut the pork belly into 2- 2 ½” dice. Blanch these pieces by submerging in boiling water for 1 ½ minutes, and then in ice water for 3 minutes.

2 Lightly salt the pork cubes, then, using the oil, sear each side of the meat.

3 Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Tear strips from the banana leaf, and tie each pork cube (as you would put ribbon on a Christmas gift).

4 Place hunks of the sugar cane (or rock sugar), star anise, chopped scallions, and chopped ginger in a small casserole dish, and top with the pork cubes.

5 Deglaze the frying pan using the rice wine, water and soy sauce, and then add this mixture to the casserole dish (add just enough to cover ¾ of the pork.

6 Cover the casserole dish with foil, and vent slightly. Place in oven for 2-3 hours, or until pork is fork tender.

7 Serve the pork in a shallow bowl, and strain the braising liquid over the top of it.

Curried Apple Soup


For the Curry Powder:

½ tsp hot paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp tumeric
½ tsp ancho-chili powder
½ tsp ground mustard
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp fenugreek

1) Combine all ingredients (should make more powder than needed).

For the Soup:

2 Tbsp. Butter
1 ea. Yellow onion (sliced thin)
3 ea. Pink Lady or Granny Smith apples
1 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Curry powder
3 cups Chicken stock
1 cup Heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp Brown sugar


For the Garnish:

1 tub Plain Greek Yogurt
1 reciped amount Candied Pecans

1) Peel, core, and slice the apples.

2) Sauté the sliced onions in the butter until light to golden brown.

3) Add the apples and curry powder and toss together.

4) Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

5) Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered until apples and onions are very tender (approx. 15- 20 minutes).

6) Meanwhile, heat heavy cream in a small pot.

7) When apples are tender, puree mixture using an immersion blender.

8) Add cream and brown sugar to apple mixture, and stir to combine.

9) Top each bowl of soup with yogurt and candied pecans.

Doug's Cucumber Sandwiches

Doug’s Cucumber Sandwiches


White bread sliced length-wise 1 loaf
Cream cheese 1#
Lemon juice 1 ½ Tbsp
Lemon zest 2 tsp.
English cucumbers 2 ea.

1- Whip the cream cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice together in a mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Scrape sides of the bowl as needed.

2- Slice cucumbers into desired shape (I like to halve them, and then remove the seed pockets with a melon baller).

3- Spread the whipped cream cheese across the entire piece of bread, and then cover decoratively with the cucumbers.

4- Next cut out the sandwiches using either a very sharp knife or cookie cutters. Serve.

Crumpets

Crumpets

(As modified from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Bread Bible)

AP flour 11 oz (or 2 cups and 3 Tbsp)
Non-fat Powdered Milk 1.40 oz (or ¼ cup)
Instant yeast 2 tsp
Sugar 1 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Water (at room temp.) 1 ½ cups
Baking Soda ½ tsp
Water (at room temp.) ¼ cup
Clarified, unsalted butter 2 Tbsp

1) Mix the flour, milk powder, yeast, sugar, and salt together until thoroughly blended.

2) Add the first amount of water to the mixture and beat for 5 minutes.

3) Allow batter to rise until doubled (approx. 1 hour).

4) Add the baking soda and remaining water, and allow to rise until almost doubled again (approx. 30 minutes).

5) Meanwhile, preheat a griddle at medium heat, and melt clarified butter.

6) To cook, place crumpet rings on griddle, and brush the insides with the butter. Spoon in enough batter to fill each ring ½ way to the top.

7) Crumpets are ready to flip when batter appears to dry around the edges, and rings can be removed without the batter spilling over.

Croutons

Croutons


Challah, diced 2 cups
Olive Oil 2 Tbsp
Unsalted Butter 1 Tbsp
Dried Thyme ¼ tsp
Dried Oregano ¼ tsp
Dried Basil ¼ tsp
Salt ½ tsp
Black Pepper ¼ tsp

1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, and toss until evenly coated.

3- Put seasoned bread on a sheet pan, and bake for 10-14 minutes (stirring with a wooden spoon as needed) until crusty and well browned.

4- Cool completely before using or storing.

Coq Au Vin

Coq Au Vin

Bacon or salt pork, lardons 4 oz
Mushroom caps 8 ea.
AP flour divided 3Tbsp and 3 Tbsp
Salt as needed
Black pepper as needed
Roasting hen or Capon, 8-cut 1 ea.
Onion, sliced divided 1 ea and 3 ea.
Celery, sliced 1 stalk
Carrot, sliced 1 ea.
Roma tomatoes, seeded, diced 2 ea.
Garlic cloves, crushed 2 ea.
Red wine 1 bottle (750ml)
Roasted Chicken Stock 2 cups
Thyme 1 sprig
Bay leaf 1 ea.
Butter (preferably clarified) divided ¼ cup and 3 Tbsp

1 Preheat oven to 320 degrees.

2 Brown the lardons in a dutch oven or large, oven proof frying pan. Remove and reserve.

3 Using the remaining bacon grease, brown the mushroom caps, then remove and reserve these as well.

4 In a 1 gallon zip lock bag, combine the chicken pieces, salt, pepper, and flour, and toss to combine.

5 Brown the chicken pieces in the pan in the remaining bacon grease, adding clarified butter or vegetable oil as needed, then remove and reserve.

6 Saute the one sliced onion, carrots, and celery in the remaining oil, adding more if needed.

7 Add the tomatoes and garlic to the pan and sauté for two minutes.

8 Deglaze the pan using the red wine.

9 Add the chicken back into the pan along with the chicken stock, thyme, and bay leaf, and bring all to a simmer.

10 Cover the pan and place it in the preheated oven. Cook for 2- 2 ½ hours or until chicken is tender.

11 While the chicken cooks, put a frying pan or large sauté pan over medium-low heat and add the ¼ cup of clarified butter.

12 Add the three remaining onions to this pan and saute at a barely audible simmer for 2 ½ hours, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon until onions are well caramelized.

13 When chicken is completely cooked, remove it to the counter and allow to rest.

14 In another large sauté pan, melt the remaining 3 Tbsp of butter over medium heat.

15 Whisk the remaining 3 Tbsp of flour into this butter until smooth, and then cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

16 Strain the remaining braising liquid into this roux and whisk until no lumps remain.

17 Add the bacon lardons and mushroom caps to the sauce and simmer for five minutes.

18 Add the caramelized onions and chicken and stir gently until completely coated.

Chocolate Taffy


¾ cup European Style or Dutch Process Cocoa
2 cups Sugar
2 Tbsp Corn starch
1 tsp. Salt
1 cup Corn syrup
2 tsp. Glycerin
¾ cup Water
2 Tbsp Butter

1- In a heavy bottom, 3-4 qt sauce pan, combine the cocoa, sugar, corn starch, and salt.

2- Add the corn syrup, glycerin, water, and butter, and stir until well combined over medium heat.

3- Cook at medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer, then drop the heat to medium-low.

4- Dip a pastry brush in warm water, and use it to wipe away anything that is stuck to the inside wall of the pan.

5- Continue to cook the mixture until it reaches 246- 250 degrees F. (The Firm Ball Stage).

6- Meanwhile, butter a sheet pan, and cover the bottom with a silicone baking matt.

7- When desired temperature is reached, pour the sugar onto the baking matt, and let cool for 10 minutes.

8- When taffy is cool enough to handle, stretch until the color turns to a dull brown and a sheen develops (approx. 15 minutes).

9- Next, cut the taffy into 4 or five manageable logs using scissors. Roll these logs out into long snakes, 1/2” in diameter, and clip into 1” long pieces.

10- Finally, wrap each piece in a 4” x 2” piece of wax paper for safe storage.

Chocolate Orange Sabayon Parfait


For the Champagne Sabayon:

4 ea. Egg Yolks
2 oz Sugar
Pinch Salt
4 oz Sparkling Wine

1- In a non-reactive bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar and salt, and whisk together.

2- Add the sparkling wine to the yolk mixture, and whisk to combine.

3- Place the bowl over a pot of simmer water to create a double boiler.

4- Whisk the mixture constantly as it cooks. Heat until a thick homogenous yellow foam forms.

5- Remove sabayon from the heat and reserve.


For the Orange and Chocolate Base:

6 ea. Seedless Oranges
12 oz High Quality Bittersweet Chocolate

1- Peel and segment the oranges

2- Shave the chocolate into thin pieces.


To Assemble the Parfait:


1- Divide the orange segments evenly between 8 ramekins.

2- Divide the chocolate evenly between the 8 raemkins.

3- Top each Ramekin with 2-3 Tbsp of the Sabayon.

4- Brulee the Sabayon by means of either a broiler or blow torch.

Chocolate Coated, Peanut Frosting Filled Wafer Treats

Chocolate Coated, Peanut Frosting Filled Wafer Treats


For the Wafers:

150 gram package Oblatne plain wafers
1# 2oz Creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp Vegetable Shortening
1 ½ Tbsp Butter
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1 Tbsp Light corn syrup


For the Chocolate Coating:

1 1/2# Semi-sweet chocolate
1 pint Heavy cream

1- To make the peanut butter frosting, put the peanut butter and shortening in the bowl of a mixer, and beat until combined.

2- With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar in three stages.

3- Whip the mixture until light and fluffy.

4- Using a pastry bag and a flat piping tip, pipe a layer of the peanut butter frosting onto a wafer, then top with another wafer.

5- Repeat this process until there are four wafers with three layers of filling.

6- Gently press on the wafer pile to distribute the frosting, and cut into desired snack sizes.


1- To make the chocolate coating, chop the chocolate into small pieces, and place in a metal mixing bowl.

2- Place the bowl of chocolate on top of a pot of boiling water, add the heavy cream, and heat until smooth and viscous.

Finish:

To coat the wafer snacks in chocolate, use a pastry brush, and let dry on a wire rack. If chocolate sets up while in use, simply place the bowl back over the boiling water and re-warm.

Challah Bread Pudding

Challah Bread Pudding

Black Tea 1 bag
Water 2 cups
Raisins and candied orange peels 1 cup
Challah, diced 4 cups
Whole Milk 3 cups
Vanilla Bean, split 1 ea.
Sugar 1 1/3 cups
Cinnamon ¼ tsp
Nutmeg ¼ tsp
Eggs 2 ea.

1- Brew the black tea in the 2 cups of water, and then soak the raisins and candied peels in this for 4 hours or overnight.

2- Toast the diced challah in a 275 degree oven until very dry (approx 15-20 minutes).

3- Add the vanilla bean to the milk and bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat and add the sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

4- Strain the hot, sweetened milk mixture over the toasted bread in a large bowl, and allow it to cool to near room temp.

5- Stir in the eggs, and then pour the entire mixture into a greased, 9” cake pan.

6- Bake at 350 degrees for 35- 45 minutes, or until set.

7- Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Challah

Challah

Bread Flour                                           12-14 oz (plus more for kneading)
Active Dry Yeast                                   0.25 oz
Salt                                                       0.30 oz
Honey                                                   3 fl oz
Eggs, Large                                           2 ea. (plus one for egg wash)
Water, room temperature                      7 fl oz (plus 1 Tbsp for egg wash)
Unsalted butter                                      melted 2 oz
Sesame seeds                                        As Needed to Garnish



1- In a large mixing bowl, combine 12 oz of the flour, all of the yeast, and all of the salt.

2- In a second bowl, combine the 7 fl oz of the water, the honey, two of the eggs, and the butter.

3- Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix together using either a wooden spoon or your hand until a thick dough forms.

4- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead. Add remain flour to the dough as necessary while kneading. Continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.

5- Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with either plastic wrap or a wet clothe.

6- Allow the dough to double in size (1-2 hours), and then punch it down.

7- Divide the dough into equal portions, and form into a braided loaf, turban loaf, or knot rolls.

8- Allow the dough to rise again until almost doubled in size (40 minutes to 1 hour).

9- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

10- Combine the remaining Tbsp of water with the remaining egg and whisk thoroughly. Gently brush this mixture over the loaf (or rolls).

11- Top the loaf (or rolls) with sesame seeds, and place in the center rack of the oven.

Bake for approx 40 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when gently thumped. Turn as needed for even brownin

CarbonnadeBacon, diced                                                                  5 oz
Vegetable Oil                                                                 as needed
Chuck roast, diced                                                         1 ½#
Yellow onion, sliced                                                       8 oz
Garlic, sliced                                                                  2-3 cloves
Salt and pepper as needed
Flanders Red or Trappist Ale                                         12 oz
Corn Starch slurry                                                         (approx 3 Tbsp)

1 Brown the bacon in the bottom of the pressure cooker, then remove (leaving the grease in the pan).

2 Brown the beef in the bottom of the pressure cooker, adding vegetable oil as needed, then remove.

3 Sautee the onions in the bottom of the pressure cooker until lightly browned and semi-translucent (adding oil as needed).

4 Add the sliced garlic and sautee for 2 more minutes.

5 Deglaze with the beer, then add the beef back to the pot and bring all to a simmer.

6 Cover the pressure cooker and process according to the directions specified for your unit (mine takes approx 12 minutes to cook).

7 When finished, uncover the pot and bring the contents back to a simmer.

8 Thicken the stew with a cornstarch slurry to the desired consistency, then add the cooked bacon back to the pot.

9 Serve over (most traditionally) mashed potatoes or (less traditionally) biscuits.

Candied Pecans

1 ea. Egg whites
2 tsp. Water
¾ cup Sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. ginger
1# halved pecans
1 Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2 In a bowl, whisk egg white until foamy.

3 Add water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to whites and whisk until thick and opaque.

4 Add pecans to mixture and toss to coat.

5 Spread pecans on a sheet pan (treated with non-stick spray), and bake for approx. 30-40 minutes, or until well browned.

6 Allow pecans to cool completely before eating.

Doug’s Bruschetta

Foccacia 1 cookie sheet
Garlic Cloves, whole 3 ea.
Cherry Tomato Chutney 2 ¼ cups
Crumbled blue or Gorgonzola Cheese 2/3 cup

1 Slice the foccacia in half as if to make a giant sandwich, and then cut into 3” x 3” squares.
2 Toast the cut side of the bread on a griddle, a grill, or a cast iron pan.

3 Cut the cloves of garlic in half and, while the bread is still warm, rub the grilled side of the bread with the cut side of the garlic.

4 Top the squares of bread with the cherry tomato chutney and blue cheese as desired.

Memphis-Style BBQ Sauce

(With heavy influence from the work of Bill and Cheryl Jamison)
Smoked butter 2 Tbsp
Yellow onion, minced 1/3 cup
Garlic, minced 3 cloves
Cider vinegar 1 cup
Tomato sauce 1 cup
Worcestershire sauce 3 Tbsp
Dark brown sugar 1 Tbsp
Smoked salt 1 ½ tsp
Black pepper, ground ½ tsp
Smoked paprika 1 tsp
Chili Negro, dried, seeded, stemmed, finely ground ½ ea.
Hot Sauce (I use Marie Sharps) 1-2 dashes

1) Sautee the onions and garlic in the smoked butter until translucent.

2) Add all of the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir frequently.

For the Vegan variation:

Substitute vegetable or canola oil for the smoked butter. Substitute 2 Tbsp vegetable stock, 1 more Tbsp cider vinegar, 1 tsp ground mustard, 1 tsp ground ginger, and ½ tsp ground cinnamon for the Worcestershire sauce.

Bacon

Bacon

Kosher or Pickling Salt                      4 oz
Tinted Curing Mix**                         0.5 oz
White sugar                                       1.5 oz
Molasses                                           0.5 oz
Cracked peppercorns                        2 tsp
Fresh bay leaves (very thinly sliced)    2 ea.
Pork belly                                          2 #

1 Place all ingredients except pork belly in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well combined to form the cure.

2 Rub 2 Tbsp of the cure onto the pork belly and let rest for 4-7 days in a 1 gallon ziplock bag in the refrigerator.

3 Once belly is firm and pink, rinse off excess cure with cold water, and pat dry with a paper towl.

4 If smoking the bacon, hot smoke to an internal temp of 150 degrees (smoker temp between 200 and 250). Or, simply roast the cured pork in a 200 degree oven for 2 hours or until the pork reached approx 150 degrees.

5 While bacon is still hot, remove the skin using the same method that one would use to skin a fish.

6 Slice bacon into desired shapes and sauté as desired.

** TCM, or Prague Powder 1, or Pink Salt all refer to a mixture of salt, sodium nitrite, and pink dye. This product is dangerous if consumed directly, handled excessively with bare hands, or measured carelessly when using, so please be careful. This mixture is sold retail through a variety of online vendors, including The Sausage Source. If you do not intend to smoke the bacon and do not particularly mind gray bacon, then you do not need to use TCM.

Tonight's Demo

Hello everyone,

I am sure you are all waiting in anticipation to hear what tonight's demo will be. So, without further ado, Doug will be making carbonnade, which is a hearty, Belgian stew. The exciting news (besides the fact that it's made out of the delicious combination of beef, bacon, and beer) is that it was what he made for his competition earlier this year in which he got 2nd place.

Since we are heading into the darkest, coldest part of the year, I can't think of anything better than a hearty stew. While often served over mashed potatoes, we are stepping things up a notch, and eating it over a bed of biscuits. I don't know about you, but this sounds like the perfect comfort meal.

In addition to the deliciousness, this is also an amazingly quick meal. Twelve minutes in a pressure cooker, and we'll have a stew perfect for this cold November night.

I'm including a couple pictures from Doug's competition with the hope that it will get everyone amped about our meeting tonight.

I'll see everyone at 6:30 tonight to discuss Cherries in Winter. I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks about this month's book.

See you soon,

Brianne

Doug's Thanksgiving Recipes

Hello Everyone,

Thanksgiving is this week! Can you believe how quickly November has passed? Anyway, I'm super swamped at work, so I'll make this quick. Doug passed along these recipes a while ago in case anyone needs some Thanksgiving inspiration. I am so sorry I'm just posting these. I hope anyone who wants to still has the time to prepare.

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Doug’s Apple Pie

9” deep dish pie pan

1 prepared pie crust (1 batch of given recipe)

4 pink lady or honey crisp apples, peeled and sliced 1/4” thick

2 granny smith apples, peeled and sliced ¼” thick

2 Tbsp tapioca starch

½ cup sugar

2 tsp fresh ground cinnamon

2 ground cloves

2 oz butter

1 egg and 2 Tbsp water for wash

1 Tbsp apricot jelly and 1 Tbsp hot water for shine

1        In a large bowl, toss together the apples, tapioca starch, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.

2        Roll out large piece of dough to cover the bottom of the pie pan with at least 1” overhang. 

3        With scissors, trim the edges of the crust so that they have a uniform overhang, and then tuck this excess under the top edge of the crust.

4        Fill the crust with the apple mix.

5        Roll out the smaller piece of dough enough to cover the top of the pie.

6        Place dough on the pie, trim away excess, and crimp the edges with the side of your thumb.

7        Vent pie by slashing the top crust with a small knife.

8        Brush the egg wash over the top crust, and then cover the edge of the crust with a pie collar or aluminum foil. 

9        Bake pie at 350 for 45- 55 minutes.  Turn pie to even out the browning if necessary.  Pie is ready when a knife inserted through the vents meets little resistance from the apples.

10    Brush pie shine onto the top crust as soon as pie is removed from the oven, and cool for 1 hour.

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Lemon Meringue Pie

(strongly based on the recipe given in the On Baking textbook)

10 oz granulated sugar

1.5 oz cornstarch

Pinch of salt

12 fl oz cold water

5 egg yolks

4 fl oz lemon juice

1 Tbsp lemon zest

0.5 oz unsalted butter

1 crust from given recipe

4 egg whites

4 oz sugar

1        whisk together the 10 oz sugar, cornstarch, salt, and water in a 2 qt pot. 

2        Cook mixture over a medium high heat until thick and almost clear, then temper in the egg yolks.

3        Return the mixture to the heat and continue cooking until mixture is thick and smooth, whisking frequently

4        Remove the mixture from the heat, and whip in the lemon juice, zest, and butter.  Cool.

5        Roll out the pie dough, and blind bake the bottom crust at 350 degrees for approx. 25 minutes (or until well browned), remembering to fill first with parchment paper and weights.  Cool.

6        Fill cooled crust with cooled filling.

7        To make the meringue, whip the egg whites until they reach soft peaks, then add the 4 oz sugar, and continue whipping until glossy, firm peaks form.

8        Top the pie with a 1 ½” thick pile of meringue, taking care to extend it all the way to the outer crust.

9        Bake the pie in a 400 degree oven for 5-8 minutes to brown meringue. 

10    Cool pie at room temp, and then refrigerate for 2 hours.

11    Enjoy.

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Doug’s Basic Pie Crust

10.5 oz all purpose flour

5.5 oz cake flour

2 tsp salt

8 oz unsalted butter, cold, cut into 12-18 pieces.

Water as needed (approx ¼ cup)

1        Mix together both flours and the salt.

2        Rub the butter into the flour until the largest pieces are the size of nickels, but most pieces are the size of dimes.

3        Gradually toss the water (in small increments) into the flour/ butter mix until it becomes a shaggy mess. [warning:  you may need more or less than the recommended amount of water]

4        Pour the contents of the bowl onto a work surface, and knead just until a single dough ball forms.

5        Cut the dough into a large segment (approx 2/3 of dough ball), and a small section (approx. 1/3 of dough ball).

6        Shape both dough balls into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2-6 hours before working.

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Candied Pecans

1 ea. Egg white

2 tsp. Water

¾ cup Sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. ginger

1# halved pecans

1 Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2 In a bowl, whisk egg white until foamy.

3 Add water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to whites and whisk until thick and opaque

4 Add pecans to mixture and toss to coat.

5 Spread pecans on a sheet pan (treated with non-stick spray), and bake for approx. 30-40 minutes, or until well browned

6 Allow pecans to cool completely before eating.

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Oyster Stuffing 

Unsalted butter                                 8oz

Yellow onion, diced                          1 ¼ cups

Celery, diced                                     1 cup

Garlic, chopped                                2 Tbsp

Sage, chopped                                   1 Tbsp

Rosemary, chopped                          1 Tbsp

Oregano, chopped                                      1 Tbsp

Salt                                                   2 tsp

Black pepper                                    2 tsp

Bread, diced, toasted                         5 cups

Corn bread, coarsely crumbed                    1 ½ cups

Chicken stock                                   1 ½ cup

Oysters, whole                                  12 ea.

1       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2       In a medium sized pan, stew the onions and celery in the butter over medium low heat until they begin to become translucent. 

3       Add the garlic to the pan and stew for an additional 2 minutes.

4       Turn off the heat and add the herbs to the mixture.  Set aside.

5       Shuck the oysters, saving any liquid from within and adding it to the chicken stock.  Coarsely chop the meat and reserve it.

6       In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients, and gently stir until well combined.

7       Scrape the mixture into a greased 8” x 8” casserole pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour (or until most of the liquid seems to have been absorbed and the top is well browned).

8      Let rest for 12 minutes before serving. 

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Roasted Chicken Stock

Chicken Backs                                            5#

Vegetable oil                                               as needed

Water, cold                                                 divided 3qt and 1pt and 1 pt

Carrots, large, sliced                                   1 ea

Celery stalks, sliced                                    2 ea.

Yellow onion, sliced                                   1 large

Leek greens, sliced                                                All from 1 leek

Parsley stems                                              4 ea.

Thyme                                                        1 sprig

Bay leaf                                                      1ea.

Black peppercorns                                               3-4 ea.

Garlic cloves, smashed                               2 ea.

1       Thoroughly wash the chicken backs in cold water taking care to remove any remaining glands with your thumbs.

2       Pat the backs dry with a paper towel

3       Thoroughly coat the backs with vegetable oil and roast at 375 degrees until well browned.

4       Place the backs in a large pot and add 3 quarts of the water.  Turn burner to high.

5       Wipe any excess fat from the roasting pan, and heat over a medium flame.  Use the first pint of water to deglaze this pan, and then add this water and fond to the stock pot.

6       Bring the pot to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour.

7       Toss the carrots, celery, onions, and leek greens in vegetable oil, and then roast in the oven until well browned.

8       Add these vegetables to the stock pot, and deglaze using the remaining pint of water and the method described above.

9       Gently simmer stock for an additional 1 ½ hours.

10  Add the parsley, thyme, bay, peppercorns, and garlic to the pot, and gently simmer for one more hour.

11  Skim any fat and impurities off of the top of the stock.

12  Pour stock through a fine mesh strainer into a smaller pot, and simmer for an additional 1 ½ hours to reduce.  (note: this step can be skipped to provide a large quantity of fairly strong stock)

Cool and store as one would a meat product until needed for use.

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Whole Roasted Chicken

Water, hot                                                  1 qt and 1 pt

Salt                                                             ¼ cup

Sugar                                                          1 Tbsp

Ice                                                               1 pt

Chicken, whole                                           1ea.

Celery                                                         1 stalk

Carrot                                                                  1 ea.

Large Sweet Yellow onion                          1 ea.

Bay leaf                                                      1 ea.

Herb de Provence                                       1Tbsp

Black pepper                                              ½ tsp

Olive oil                                                      1 Tbsp

Butter, melted                                             1 Tbsp

Butcher’s twine                                          As needed

Chicken stock or water                               ½ cup

1                   In a 1 gallon pot or clean bucket, mix the hot water with the salt and sugar and stir until dissolved. 

2                   Add ice to brine to quickly cool it.  In the meantime, remove any organs from the cavity of the chicken and lightly rinse the bird in cold water. 

3                   Add the chicken to the brine and leave it (refrigerated) overnight. 

4                   The next day, remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry.  Set aside.

5                   Slice the onions, celery and carrots, but reserve scraps and stuff these (along with the bay leaf) into the cavity of the chicken.  Lay the sliced vegetables around the outer edges of the roasting dish.

6                   Preheat oven to 320 degrees F.

7                   In a small bowl, mix together the herbs de provence, black pepper, olive oil and melted butter.  Rub this mixture onto the entire surface of the chicken.

8                   Truss the chicken as demonstrated.  (note:  several videos of this process are now available online)

9                   Place the chicken into the center of the roasting pan and bake until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F at its thickest points.  Rotate as needed for even browning.

10              Rest the chicken for 8-12 minutes before carving.

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I hope everyone has a wonderful thanksgiving! Remember that we have a meeting next week Wednesday, November 30th at 6:30PM. I can't wait to see you all and find out how your Thanksgiving recipes turned out.