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  1. Curing Lop Yuk (Chinese Bacon) Lop yuk or Chinese bacon is a fantastic ingredient in a number of Chinese dishes, most notably Naw Mai Fon or Chinese sticky rice (Click here for Russell Wong's great recipe). It's also great simply sautéed in scrambled eggs. To see a few photos, click here. To participate in a topic devoted to curing lop yuk, click here. To prepare lop yuk you'll be doing some dry curing, which requires a few special things. First, you'll need dry curing salts a.k.a. DC or DQ #2; I get mine from Butcher Packer in Detroit MI. You'll also need a dry (under 50% humidity) and cool (under 60F) place to hang the lop yuk to cure -- on a porch, covered by cheesecloth, if your weather is perfect! -- and a little fan for air circulation is a good idea. Finally, plan for about ten to twelve days of curing, start to finish. One final note. Multiple batches of lop yuk testify to the fact that using a quality shaoxing wine in this recipe makes a significant difference. Most decent Chinese markets should have non-salted shaoxing available for about $7-10. If you cannot find such shaoxing, then cooking (that is to say, salted) shaoxing can be used, but you should cut down on the added salt. Thanks to Ben Hong, jmolinari, Michael Ruhlman, and the folks at the Chinese American Market, on Park Ave in Cranston, RI, for their help in developing this recipe. 1-1/2 kg pork belly (about three pounds) 3 g DC #2 dry curing salt 10 g kosher salt 20 g sugar 60 g dark soy 60 g (light) soy 60 g shaoxing or sherry 1. Cut the pork belly into strips that are 2" wide and as long as the belly. You should not remove the skin. Strive for strips that are of consistent thickness, if possible. 2. Combine the dry and then the wet ingredients and mix well. (If you are using cooking -- that is to say, salted -- shaoxing, do not include the kosher salt.) 3. Place the pork belly strips in a large ziploc bag and add the marinade, mixing well. Marinate the pork for a day or two, moving the strips around occasionally to distribute the marinade. Remove the pork from the marinade and dry the strips with paper towels. Tie a 10-12" piece of kitchen twine at the top of each strip, and then tie the twine to your drying line. Hang the strips in your cool (60F or lower) and dry (50% humidity or less) area for seven to ten days. If the temperature or humidity rises a bit for a day or so, that should have no lasting effect. However, several days significantly over 50% humidity will slow things down quite a bit, and several days significantly over 60F temperature will be dangerous. When the strips are fully cured, they'll have lost that squishly feeling even at their fattest points and will feel firm but not utterly inflexible. You're going for the density of a good, firm salami: there should be a little give throughout the piece when you squeeze it, but anything even remotely mushy in the interior isn't ready yet. Once they are fully cured, you can store them in a cool, dry place (they'll drip lard if it gets too warm, by the way) or in the fridge or freezer for a good long while. Keywords: Intermediate, Pork, Chinese ( RG1652 )
  2. Ahrash (andalusian sausage bits) Serves 8 as Appetizer. This is loosely based on a 13th c. Andalusian recipe Trranslated by Charles Perry. A honey-mustard sauce called Sinab is a traditional accompaniment. 1 lb ground lamb 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground 1/2 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp ground coriander 1/4 tsp caraway seeds 2 eggs 2 T soy sauce 0.3 c flour 1 tsp minced garlic 1/2 tsp salt Directions (such as they are) Mix the ingredients together. (I use a fork, but if you want to use something high tech that's fine too) heat some oil in a frying pan. drop meat by spoonfulls into pan, smoosh down a little with the spoon to make little flat patties. Fry till nicely golden, flip and do the same on the other side. Drain on paper towels, serve with a honey mustard sauce, or what you will. Keywords: Appetizer, Lamb, Easy ( RG1541 )
  3. Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon Confit Serves 10 as Dessert. This is a recipe that I adapted/combined from several different recipes. I use an Israeli white cheese, which is similiar in texture to a Greek-style yogurt. You can use cream cheese, if you prefer. For the lemon confit: 2 large juicy lemons (unwaxed if possible) 110 g (1/2c) granulated sugar For shortbread crust 60 g (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (room temperature) 1/4 c granulated sugar 1/2 c flour 2 c finely ground petit beurre or shortbread (i.e. Pepperidge Farm Chessmen) cookies For cheesecake 3 (500g/16oz) containers of Israeli 9% white cheese or Greek-style yogurt 250 g (8oz) container mascarpone cheese 3/4 c sugar 3 eggs 4 T lemon zest 1/2 c fresh squeezed lemon juice For topping 500 g (16oz) sour cream 1/4 c sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract For the lemon confit: Start by making the confit as this needs to be prepared ahead of time – the day before you want to serve it, if possible. Take one and a half of the lemons and slice them into thin rings about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick, discarding the end pieces and pips. Place these in a saucepan and cover with cold water, bring to a simmer for 3 minutes, then drain through a sieve and discard the water, Pour 12 fl oz (425 ml) water into the same pan, add the sugar, stir over a low heat until all the sugar dissolves, then add the lemon slices. Cook for 45 minutes, until the skin is tender. Remove the slices with a slotted spoon. Reduce the liquid to 5 fl oz (150ml). Squeeze the juice from the remaining half lemon, add to the syrup and pour over the lemon slices. Cover and let sit overnight at room temperature. Make crust: Cream the butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes. Add flour and ground shortbread to the mixture and blend for 3-4 seconds until fully incorporated. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 11-inch springform pan. Bake the crust at 180° for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow the crust to cool completely. Make cheesecake: Beat the white cheese until light and smooth. Add the mascarpone cheese and sugar and continue to beat on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the lemon zest and juice. Pour mixture into the cooled crust. Wrap aluminium foil around the outside of the springform. Place the cheesecake pan into a roasting pan, and add enough water to the roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of the cheesecake pan. Place in a 180° oven for approximately one hour or until the cake is set and the top is golden brown. Make topping while cheesecake is baking: Let sour cream stand at room temperature 30 minutes. In a bowl whisk together sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Spread over entire top of cake, smoothing evenly. Bake cheesecake in middle of oven 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the roasting pan and place on a wire rack. Allow cake to cool slightly, and then place the cake in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Before serving, decorate top with lemon confit or plate and place lemon confit on top of sliced cheesecake. Keywords: Dessert, Intermediate, Cheese, Cake ( RG1514 )
  4. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Apple Serves 6 as Side. This recipe was inspired by a segment of Martha Stewart's daytime show, here's a link to the original recipe. I prefer the roast brussels sprouts. If using frozen brussels sprouts, 2-1 lb bags of the petite kind are best. If you are using fresh, you may need more than 2 lbs, because you'll have to trim the stem, outer leaves and may lose some if they are bad inside. Cut large sprouts in half or quarters, leave small ones whole. If you have to use dried thyme, as opposed to fresh thyme sprigs, add about 1 tsp with the apple & vinegar. 4 oz Bacon 2 lb Brussels Sprouts 10 Thyme sprigs 1 Granny Smith apple 2 tsp Cider Vinegar Pepper & Salt to taste Heat your oven to 400 F. Dice or cut bacon into strips. Spread out bacon on a half-sheet pan or roasting pan and cook in oven for 10-15 minutes, until mostly cooked and it has rendered fat. Remove cooked bacon and set aside. Drizzle some of the rendered bacon fat over the prepared Brussels sprouts and thyme sprigs and mix well. If there's a lot of rendered fat, you don't have to use all of it. Add the sprouts to the pan and roast for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and carefully using a spatula, turn and mix the sprouts so that they roast evenly. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes. While the sprouts are in the oven, peel and dice your apple. Mix with cider vinegar (and dried thyme if you are using that instead of fresh sprigs) and set aside. After the sprouts have roasted for about 30 minutes, add the cooked bacon and diced apple, stir to combine, and return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Add fresh ground pepper to taste, be careful with adding salt as the bacon adds a lot of saltiness. Best served immediately. Keywords: Side, Intermediate, Vegetables, Pork, Lunch, Dinner, American ( RG1507 )
  5. Ricotta, sausage and Spinach Calzones Serves 4 as Main Dish. This is a rough recipe for a favorite clazone of mine. I never follow a recipe for this but the following is a rough estimate. The key to those is the overnight rest in the fridge and using the best quality ricotta you can find. If you cannot find any, then make your own. Dough (enough for 4 to 5 calzones): 4 c bread flour 2 tsp Kosher salt 1 tsp instant yeast 2 T extra virgin olive oil 1-1/2 c tepid water Filling Extra virgin olive oil, for cooking and drizzling 3 Italian sausages, removed from the casing and crumbled 2 Large garlic cloves, chopped 1 (8 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted 2 c good quality crumbly ricotta, preferably homemade 1/2 c good quality freshly grated Parmesan cheese salt and pepper 1-1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese Crushed chile flakes (optional) Semolina Flour for dusting Start these the night before you want to bake them. Prepare the dough by putting all ingredients in a food processor and mix for a few seconds to incorporate. Start adding the water. Add one cup at first and process for 25 seconds, add the remaining water and process until you have a cohesive elastic dough. Let the processor work the dough for about thirty seconds to develop the gluten. It should not be too wet or sticky. It should be easy to handle and elastic. Put the dough on a floured kitchen surface and knead for a minute or so. Form into a ball. Oil a bowl with a little olive oil and put the dough in there. Roll it around to cover it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for about 2.5 hours or until it doubles in size. Make the filling by sautéing the sausage in some olive oil over medium heat until cooked through. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two, do not allow it to color. Squeeze your spinach dry and add it to the pan. Saute for about a minute. In a large bowl, crumble your ricotta. Once the spinach mixture is cool add it to the ricotta along with the parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and if it is a little too dry add a glug or two of good extra virgin olive oil (I always do). When the dough is proofed, cut it into 4 equal pieces, form each one into a ball. Now flatten them and use a rolling pin to roll them into rough circles about 10-12 inches in diameter. If the dough is too elastic let it rest for a few minutes and then keep on rolling. Fill each round of dough on one half, with the ricotta mixture, top it with a good portion of the shredded mozzarella and some crushed chile flakes if you like them. Fold the dough over, like a half moon and press the edges with your fingers. Chances are you will have a lot of extra “edge”. Trim this with a sharp knife leaving no more than 1/2 an inch. Crimp the edge with a fork to seal properly or fold the edge over itself to give it a more cool look. With the trimmed edges you can probably make a fifth calzone. Dust a baking sheet heavily with semolina flour and lay the clazones on it. Brush them with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Heat your oven to 400F. When the oven is heating remove the calzones from the fridge, dust them with semolina (this is optional, but it gives them an extra layer of texture that is lovely), and make three vents in each one with a sharp knife or scisors. Bake for about 30 minutes or until GB&D, golden brown and deliciouse. Let them rest, if you can, for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Keywords: Main Dish, Dinner, Intermediate, Bread, Cheese, Italian, Lunch ( RG1466 )
  6. Beef sausages Serves 8 as Appetizer. Most recipes for homemade sausages are centred around pork. For those who don't/can't eat pork this is a good alternative. Becuase beef tends to be drier than pork this requires a relatively high fat level. I was advised by Len Poli at http://home.pacbell.net/lpoli/index.htm to work on the basis of at least 30% fat, personally I found even then the sausages were a bit too dry so I upped it a bit, I go for just under 50% of the weight of bola in fat. The onion will also help with moistness. 500 g Bola/beef shoulder 240 g Beef fat 100 g Onion 20 g Salt 2-1/2 g Pepper 1-1/4 g Smoked pepper 1-1/4 g Cumin seed powder Collagen sausage skins as reqd The recipe makes 16 sausages, based on sausages of approx 10cm long. Put the bola and beef fat into the freezer to cool but not freeze. When cold combine chunks of bola and fat and mince. Try to use a proper meat mincer as this will give the desired texture. Finely dice the onion and prepare the seasoning (salt, pepper, smoker pepper and cumin seed powder. Combine onion, seasoning and mince beef and fat in a bowl. It is worth heating a pan and cooking a patty of the mixture for taste. Alter seasoning if required. A word of warning - the minced meat with onion and seasoning will be left to sit in the fridge overnight so the tastes will change slightly. Ideally the mixture should be left in a fridge overnight, at the very least it should be placed in the fridge to cool down before it is stuffed into the sausage skins. To stuff the sausages follow instructions on your mincer/stuffer. When it comes to cooking the sausages place them in a hot pan/griddle/grill and turn the heat down relatively low and cook for a long period of time. Sausages are not steaks that cook quickly. Give them time to cook, don't hurry things. Keywords: Kosher, Intermediate, Beef ( RG1379 )
  7. Guest

    Sweet & Hot Sausage Balls

    Sweet & Hot Sausage Balls Serves 25 as Appetizer. 1 lb ground hot sausage, casings removed 1/2 c dry bread crumbs 1/3 c minced onions 1/4 c milk 1 egg 1 T parsley 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp Worchestershire 12 oz bottle chili sauce 10 oz jar grape jelly Sweet and Hot Meatballs Mix first nine ingredients . Shape into 1 inch balls and brown in skillet. Drain fat. Heat chili and jelly until jelly melts. Add meat balls and stir until coated. Simmer 30 minutes. Yield 5 dozen.' Can be frozen and heated just before serving. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Easy, Pork ( RG1329 )
  8. Chicken and Andouille Gumbo Actually, I prepare gumbo in 2 nights. The first night is shopping and making the roux and chicken stock. Many people have reduced the old-fashioned method for roux and can make a quick roux in about 10 or 15 minutes. It’s a fact – verified it with local cooking friends, but the traditional hour-long method works for me. Do it however you want. How dark depends on how dark you like it. A chocolate-brown roux IMHO is too dark and one that is peanut-butter colored (like an old copper penny) is preferred. See the ultimate Gumbo thread for some wonderful pictures on the stages of roux, the trinity, and finished products. Roux 1 c oil (typically use half bacon drippings and half peanut oil) 1-1/2 c flour Vegetable Seasonings (Don't chop them too small; large dice is fine.) 2 large yellow onions, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped (green bell peppers are traditionally used) 4 ribs celery, chopped garlic, if desired Other Ingredients 3 qt of rich chicken stock ??? (just add until it's your desired consistency) 2 bay leaves a few tablespoons kosher salt red and lots of freshly ground black pepper to taste dried thyme to taste garlic powder and onion powder, or whatever other seasonings you want to add hot sauce Worcestershire sauce meat from 1 cooked chicken (remove skin and bones) – add it at the end so it’s not stringy 1/2 lb andouille sausage, cut into about 1/4" rounds and browned slowly in skillet on both sides 1/2 c of tasso, julienned, if desired 1 bunch parsley leaves, chopped 1 bunch green onion tops, chopped file' rice Bring a stool into the kitchen if you don’t want to be standing too long. Heat oil over medium heat and add flour slowly. Whisk mixture with a wire whisk (a flat-bottomed one works best) in a heavy skillet; cast iron is preferred. Keep whisking until bubbles subside, then switch to a flat-bottom wooden spatula. Reduce heat to low. It takes about an hour. Do not let the roux burn (if you quit stirring it will burn). If you burn it, just dispose of it and begin again. You CANNOT repair a burnt roux. Don’t answer the phone while you're cooking this and don’t leave the stove. Just stir. About the time you are ready to give up, it will start coloring. Just keep stirring constantly until the roux is the color desired, about the color of an old copper penny. Immediately add your vegetable seasonings. They will stop the browning process. Add bay leaves, too. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes or so. Transfer roux mixture to a stock pot (needs to hold about 2-gallons) and place back on medium heat. Slowly add warm stock, stirring in and incorporating each ladle as you go. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Season well to taste using all of the spices, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Now, just simmer away for about an hour or so for the roux to develop. (Note: Even though it’s against the rules, I also add just a teaspoon or so of file’ at this point, as well as letting the diner add just a bit to his individual bowl after the gumbo is served.) After gumbo has cooked about an hour (you could probably go 30 to 45 minutes if you want), add your sausage and simmer about another half-hour. Skim oil from top, then add your chicken, parsley and onion tops during the last 5 minutes of simmering the gumbo. Serve over white rice. Let the guest add file (about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon) to his bowl when served, if desired. Also put the hot sauce on the table in case individuals want a little more heat. Serve with French bread or garlic bread. The traditional drink is beer. ---------------------- P.S. Gumbo tastes better the next day, after the flavors have had a chance to come together. If you make it a day early, be sure to stir in the parsley and green onions just before serving. P.S.S. Lots of people add okra, and I like it added. However, if you’re cooking for a group of people and you don’t know preferences, I would just leave it out. If you do add it, add the frozen WHOLE okra (makes it easier for people to remove if they don’t like it) during the last 10 or 15 minutes of cooking. If you cook it too long, it starts to come apart, and a lot of people don’t like that. Keywords: Soup, Main Dish ( RG1198 )
  9. Chicken and Sausage Gumbo It all started when I went to the meat market this morning and bought 3 lbs of chicken thighs. These are not Tyson's Plastic, but real chicken cut by real butchers. They are very good. I got 2 lbs of Richard's Pork Sausage and made a couple of stops to fill my vegetable needs. Sausage from Richard's is great --looks like cased ham! This stuff is just awesome. If you can get it I highly reccomend it. They make (imho) the best commercial pork products in the US. For a photo play-by-play, click Here. And, here's the definitive EG thread on Gumbo. Gumbo cooked 'round the world. 3 lb chicken thighs 2 lb pork sausage sliced, into about 1/4" coins Dusting: 2 c flour 1 T salt 1 tsp paprika 1 T cayenne powder 1 tsp cracked black pepper Peanut oil Roux: 1/3 c all purpose flour 1/3 c peanut oil Trinity 2 green peppers (one green and one red or yellow), diced 4 ribs celery, diced 2 medium onions, diced 8 cloves of garlic, minced 1 T dried basil 1 T dried oregano 2 tsp cayenne 2 tsp black fine crushed black pepper 1 T salt 6 c chicken, turkey or pork stock Partially skin the thighs (I like to leave a little fat, adds to the flavor when browning). Dust with spiced flour. Brown the dusted thighs in peanut oil. I like peanut oil as it can take a pretty good beating, adds a nice nutty taste, and you can get it very hot without burning. Turn once and hardly move while they were browning. Remove thighs and place on paper towels. Brown the sausage coins. I like to get it a little toasty. It adds both flavor and texture to the dish. Time to make the roux. You may wish to review my photo essay (linked above) to see the process as it colors. The pan has been drained, but not scraped after the browning of the sausage and chicken. It is placed over very high heat (wide open on a normal burner, Flour and oil added; this mixture is stirred constantly. Scrape up the remainder of the meat as you go. Scrape hard and get it all loose or it will all burn and you will have to start over. First you will have the light roux. Sort of the color of a skinned almond. Medium Roux. Very light brown. At this point I have been stirring about 5 minutes. It is getting very hot. WARNING-This method of making Roux was popularized during Paul Prudhomme's stay as Head Chef at Commander's Palace in New Orleans. The kitchen staff came to call this type of roux "cajun napalm". If you splash and get it on you it will stick to you and burn you badly (if you try to wipe it off while it is hot the burn will just spread) so BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL. Dark Roux. Darker brown; approaching Hershey's chocolate syrup. Now we've gotten there. At this point (maybe 10 minutes in) the oil is just starting to smoke a little bit and I am ready to stop the process. Onion, celery, bell pepper and in. This stops the browning process with the flour and the oil. Stand back as you dump-it can be a pretty lively thing. You are, after all, pouring hot water into oil. At this point I have just mixed the veg and the roux evenly. The bottom was carefully scraped, as were the sides. Then I add the garlic and I turn the heat to medium low and slowly simmer with the top on, stirring and scraping occasionally. By adding now these spices will incorporate nicely with the veg mix and basically melt into the mix. Getting the veg to the right point will take about 15 minutes. Now is the time to add the garlic. Taste at this point and adjust spicing. (some like it hot, some not. I find that with this type of gumbo I do not prefer it so spicy. The veg, sausage, and especially the chicken all stand out on their own and don't need to be bammed to heavily with spice-but as always it is a matter of personal choice) Add 6-8 cups of stock, the chicken, and the sausage. It is all stirred well and brought to a boil while uncovered. Once it hits a boil, let boil for 5 min or so on low boil, cut the heat back down to medium low and simmer for one and a half hours with the lid on. Skim fat occasionally if you wish. There will not be much grease if you did the first two steps right and bought quality sausage. About ten minutes before finish of simmer time, add 1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsely and 6 or 8 chopped green onions (tops and bottoms). Ready to plate. Yessir Buddy! That's the stuff I was looking for (I wouldn't have showed it if I had screwed it up). It is a very nice color, thick but not too, and has a nice spicy tang to it while not being overpowering. You should be able to taste the veg, chicken, and sausage nicely and the three really are working together the way that they are supposed to. A nice spicy tang while not overpowering. Fit for Royalty. A bargain at any price. Keywords: Soup, Main Dish, Intermediate ( RG1186 )
  10. Onion Confit this recipe is really a collaboration of some of the finest of eGullet, including fifi and woodburner. I am indebted to both of them. For without them, I should never have known the joys of confit! 1/4 c butter 1/4 c EVOO 1 T demi glace 3 T sherry and or port 1 T brown sugar 7 large onions sliced, enough to fill crock pot optional, thyme, bay leaf Throw everything in the crockpot and stir it up. Put crock pot on high till you go to bed. Stir before going to bed. Turn crock pot down to low for overnight. Turn crock pot back up to high for another couple of hours when you wake up. Time about 18 hours all told. Note: Onions may vary as to water content. The onions used in this recipe are regular cooking onions. Keywords: Side ( RG1010 )
  11. Guest

    1hour Onion Confit

    1hour Onion Confit This is a great accompiament and goes with all sorts of grilled meats as well as a simple topping for canapes,bruschetta or pizza. This technique is also alot quicker than the traditional one, a bit more labor intensive though, same amazing flavor though!!! 6 white onions,sliced about 1/2 inch wide 2tbsp butter 2tbsp olive oil pinch of salt 1cup white wine 1/4cup sugar 7cups chicken stock Saute white onions in a large heavy bottom pot, stir occasionly until very dark brown about 15min, don't worry if the bottom is getting dark this is where the rich sweetness comes from. Deglaze with the wine, wait till almost evaporated then add the sugar along with one cup of stock, keep trying to scrape up as much browned bits as possible. Let the stock completely evaporate until onions are just wet. Continue adding stock one cup at a time, waiting till one cup as reduced until adding the next.Test the onions around 5 cups keep adding stock till they dissolve in your mouth. Keywords: Vegetables, Side ( RG976 )
  12. Bacon Cheddar Toast Points 2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese 3/4 c mayonnaise 1/2 c cooked, crumbled bacon 1 French baguette Mix the cheese, bacon and mayonnaise together. Slice the baquette on the diagonal into 24 slices. Spread the cheese mixture on one side of each slice. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre ( RG880 )
  13. Duck and Sausage Gumbo The original recipe, Gumbo with Herbs (read greens) came about after my trip to New Orleans in the late 60s. My boss had suggested we try the gumbo at Felix's Oyster Bar and I came home and tried to duplicate it to serve at my restaurant, Cherotree. We had boned about 16 ducks for a special Christmas dinner so had a lot of duck stock on hand. There wasn't quite enough left for another weekend (I served about 30 persons on Friday and Saturday by reservation, fixed menu)so I added a little more stock, some duck and sausage meat for this recipe, which was even better. It's still a big recipe, but freezes very well. I used spinach, turnip greens and mustard greens. Possibly kale or collards would work also. Roux 1 c duck fat 1-1/3 c all-purpose flour The trinity 1 c chopped onion 1 c chopped red or green peppers 1 c chopped celery Soup: 6 qt duck stock 3 lb canned tomatoes, pureed 4 10-ounce packages frozen greens, combination of your choice 1 10-ounce package frozen okra with tomatoes (or omit) Seasonings Red pepper flakes Hot pepper sauce Salt and black pepper Thyme 2 bay leaves Meat: 1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage Meat of 1 duck For serving Hot cooked rice In a heavy stock pot, make a fairly dark roux of the fat and flour. I cook over a low heat for a long time, stirring occasionally, for about 1 ½ hours, but you can do it faster. Add the onion, peppers and celery, and stir and cook until they are soft. Add six quarts duck stock (all at once), tomatoes, greens and okra. Stir until it comes to a boil. Add seasonings and simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Don’t overdo the seasonings, you will be correcting them later. Cool soup and refrigerate overnight for flavors to blend. If you leave soup in the pot, use ice water in the sink to cool faster. Next day, bring soup to a boil. Cook Italian sausages, drain and dice. Add with duck meat to the soup. Let simmer until ready to use, then adjust seasonings. Thin with additional duck stock, if needed. Serve in soup plates with a scoop of rice in the center. Keywords: Main Dish, Soup, Intermediate, Duck ( RG872 )
  14. Blue Cheese Creamed Spinach with Pancetta Serves 4 as Side. This is a popular side at our place. It serves four moderately, 2 generously. 4 slices of pancetta 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 T pine nuts 3 oz cream cheese 2 oz blue cheese or similar 1/2 tsp salt 6 oz baby spinach, washed and patted dry In a large, heavy frying pan cook pancetta till crisp but not brown. Remove pancetta from pan, reserve. Add onion to pancetta fat in pan, saute until transparent. Add pine nuts, salt and cheeses. Stir a bit, 1-2 minutes, then add spinach. Stir untill spinach is wilted and chese is completely melted. Serve immediately, topped with reserved pancetta slices. Keywords: Easy, Vegetables, Side ( RG870 )
  15. Pasta con Broccoli Rabe, Pancetta e Pignolia Serves 6 as Main Dish. This is what I made for the eGullet pasta feast in Raleigh, NC, on 2/7/04: Ingredients 2 bunches Broccoli Rabe 1/2 head of garlic, peeled and chopped 1/4 c. olive oil, plus more as needed 1 tsp. crushed red chile 1/4 c. pine nuts 1/4 lb. pancetta Aged Asiago cheese 1. Make or procure some flat, wide-ish pasta, whatever you like. 2. Toast pine nuts in 400 degree oven or in dry skillet, taking care not to burn. 3. Crisp pancetta and set aside to cool, then crumble. 4. Blanch broccoli rabe, squeeze out excess liquid, and chop coarsely. Mince larger stems. 5. Heat olive oil over low to medium heat, add chopped garlic and saute until garlic looks cooked through but not brown. 6. Have pasta almost ready at this point, i.e. about 2 minutes more cooking time. 7. Put chopped rabe in saute pan, mix with garlic and add crushed chiles. When pasta is cooked through, drain and add to pan. Mix thoroughly. 8. Plate pasta, garnish with toasted pine nuts and crumbled pancetta, and grate asiago on top. Drizzle with EVOO, if desired. Yum! Keywords: Main Dish, Italian, Appetizer, Dinner, Intermediate, Vegetables ( RG864 )
  16. Shrimp and Andouille Pasta Serves 6 as Main Dish. Like a lot of Cajun and quasi-Cajun dishes, this recipe has a lot of ingredients, but once you've done your mis en place (including the first four steps of the recipe itself), it goes together in a straightforward manner. Serve with crusty bread and a fruit salad in citrus dressing. 1 lb Shrimp (36-40), peeled (and deveined, if desired) (brining recommended) 8 oz Andouille sausage, sliced in 3/16-inch rounds 12 oz fettucini 1 c diced onion 1/2 c diced bell pepper (green is prettier, red tastes a little better) 1-1/2 c skinned, seeded and diced tomato (canned is fine) 2 c heavy cream 1/2 c unwooded dry white wine (I use Sauvignon Blanc), or shrimp or chicken stock 1 T minced or pressed garlic 1/2 tsp ground cayenne 1/2 tsp ground white peper 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 3 tsp kosher salt, divided 1 c chopped green onions, divided 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese, divided 1 tsp vegetable oil 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp. dried 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 tsp. dried 2 dried bay leaves, or 4-5 fresh 1 tsp grated lemon zest (optional) Pat the shrimp dry. Put on water for the pasta. Combine the cayenne, ground peppers, oregano, thyme, bay and one teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Divide the parmesan in half. If using lemon zest (highly recommended if you're using stock instead of wine), combine it with half the parmesan. In a large saute pan over medium heat, brown the sausage, heating it through, in the oil. Remove to a medium-sized bowl. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Sear the shrimp, tossing or turning frequently until almost cooked through, about two minutes. Add to bowl with sausage. Add onions and bell pepper to pan. Saute until slightly caramelized, four to five minutes. More importantly, watch the fond -- when it's medium brown, add the garlic and half the spice mixture (be careful not to breathe directly over the pan). Stir briefly, until garlic aroma blooms, about 30 seconds. Add the wine. Deglaze the pan and cook the wine down to a syrup. If your pasta water isn't boiling by now, this is a good place to stop and wait. Remove the pan from the heat. When the water comes to a full boil, add the remaining two teaspoons of salt and the pasta. Give it a stir to keep it from sticking and proceed with the rest of the recipe. Add the cream to the pan (if you've stopped, turn the heat up to medium-high) and reduce by about 20%, or until you can draw a clean stripe through a coat of it on the back of a spoon. Turn the heat down to low. Add the sausage back to the sauce along with the tomatoes, the rest of the spice mixture, half the green onions, and the zestless half of the cheese. Heat through while waiting for the pasta to be done. Just before pasta is done, add the shrimp to the pan and stir them in. Drain the pasta and add to the pan. Turn to coat the pasta. To serve, ladle into bowls, topping with the lemon-parmesan and a sprinkling of green onions. Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate, Shrimp, Pasta, Hot and Spicy, Pork ( RG785 )
  17. Tomato, Eggplant and Italian Sausage Soup Serves 6 as Soupor 4 as Main Dish. This recipe is from the Cooking with/for Disabilities course in the eCGI. This is a nice garden soup anytime, great for end of the season harvest. It can be prepared in a crock pot or soup kettle. You can choose to make it a vegeterian meal by using the soy Italian sausage, and vegetable broth or stock. 3 links Italian Sausage (soy or meat) 1 T olive oil 1 large sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 3 sweet banana peppers, sliced in rings OR 1 red bell pepper julienne 3 c Ichiban eggplant, halved, sliced 1/4 inch 8 oz sliced mushrooms 2 bay leaves 2 c vegetable OR chicken stock 8 medium tomatoes OR 2 lbs canned, diced 2 T each fresh oregano and basil OR 2 tsp dried 1/4 tsp each salt and crushed red pepper or to taste 4 oz red wine 2 c or more water 1/2 c cooked pasta per serving; pick a nice shape Slice peppers and eggplant with pizza cutter, set aside. Slice onion with pizza cutter then lay out slices and roll cutter through again, across the layers, to dice. Set aside. Heat skillet over medium heat for a few minutes; spray with olive oil cooking spray. Brown the sausages in whole links until nicely deep golden. Remove sausages, add minced garlic, sliced peppers, and chopped onion, with more non-stick olive oil spray, or 1 T of olive oil. Stir to coat, then slice sausage. Using pizza cutter again, slice sausages in 1/4 inch rounds, return to skillet with onion mixture, add sliced eggplant and mushrooms. Stir and cook until onions and eggplant are slightly tender, about five minutes. Place all in your soup pot on medium heat. Add 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth and 2 cups water. Add tomatoes and 2 bay leaves. Cook just to a beginning boil, lower heat, add oregano and basil. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Soup can simmer on low for hours, and is a good choice for your crock pot; may need to replace 1 cup or so water. Add crushed red pepper and salt, adjust to your taste. Now add 6-8 ounces red wine. Let soup simmer on low heat, covered, for another 30 minutes or so. Shortly before you want to serve cook some interesting pasta, al dente; pick a shape, the pennes, rotinis, and small "horns" do well with this soup. 1/2 serving pasta per person (1/2 cup, cooked). Ladle the soup generously over pasta in the bowl. (The pasta is prettier, and will not lose its shape and if you keep it separate until serving soup.) Serve with fresh grated parmesan and or romano cheese, and garlic toast. A side salad is always nice. Keywords: Main Dish, Vegetables, Soup, Pasta, Dinner, Healthy Choices, Intermediate, Lunch, eGCI ( RG775 )
  18. Chicken & Sausage Gumbo We call this "South of I-10 Style" This is a very basic gumbo that I learned many years ago from a dear lady in LaPlace, Louisiana. She was quite an authority on gumbo and its many styles. She and her far-flung Louisiana family put a lot of energy into “discussion” of one style versus another. This dark and sultry style is a favorite for poultry and sausage of whatever type. We made up the term “South of I-10 Style” because she claims it is more prevalent the further south you go. Turkey is often the bird in question after Thanksgiving. Duck often shows up after a successful hunt. It is not a thick gumbo, due to the very dark roux losing some thickening power in the process, and the vegetables just about disappear. File is often offered at the table for addition to the diner’s liking. The recipe is a good starting point. Endless variations are possible. I have included some techniques that might help achieve that dark roux. 1 c vegetable oil (peanut or canola) 1 c flour 2 c chopped onion 1 c chopped celery 1 c chopped green bell pepper 1-1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or more to taste) 6 c chicken broth (hopefully homemade but Swanson brand will do) 1 lb smoked sausage (kielbasa or andouille) cut crosswise into 1/2" slices 2 tsp Cajun seasoning (your favorite brand will do) 1 lb chicken meat cut into 1” chunks (best to use thigh meat) 3 bay leaves Chopped green onion, parsley, and file for serving (optional) White rice for serving (NOT optional) About the pot: Don’t even start this unless you have a proper pot, that means heavy. Heavy cast iron is the classic. Enameled cast iron (like Le Creuset) is better because it is easier to judge the color of the roux. Heavy aluminum like Calphalon also works. First you chop your Trinity: Chop the onion, celery and peppers into relatively uniform ¼” chop. Season with the salt and cayenne and set aside… close to the stove. (You will see why in a minute.) Now you make a roux: Combine the oil and flour in your pot and stir together until there are no lumps. It should be liquid enough that it flows well as you stir. Add more oil if necessary. Turn the heat to medium high on a wimpy range or maybe medium on a better burner and start stirring. I recommend using a wooden spatula rather than a spoon as that tool does a better job of sweeping the bottom and corners of the pot. Oh, by the way, you can’t stop stirring so you best go pee before you start this. I call this a “2 beer roux” That means that you can drink 2 beers before it is ready. I find that it takes me about 30 to 40 minutes to get there, but then I have done this a lot. Better to go slow until you gain some experience. When the roux gets to the color of a Hershey Bar, you are ready to go. WARNING: The slightly reddish Hershey Bar color is very close to burning. If black flecks appear, you have burned it and blown it. Start over. Makin’ Gumbo: Dump the seasoned Trinity into the roux all at once and stir like crazy. That is why I told you to keep this by the stove. If you are getting close to burning the roux, this drops the temperature and keeps it from burning. There will be a lot of steamin’ and sputterin’ going on but this has a lot to do with the flavor development. The high heat hitting the vegetables and cayenne makes a flavor difference. Continue to stir and cook for about five minutes until the vegetables are wilted. Add the sausage and bay leaves, continue stirring and cooking for about five minutes. Slowly add the broth (it should be cool) stirring continuously to incorporate. Reduce heat and maintain a slow simmer for two hours, uncovered, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, season the chicken meat with the Cajun seasoning. Add it to the pot and simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally. Excess oil may break out. Skim off if you wish. Check seasoning and add salt if necessary. Serving: Stir in chopped green onion and parsley and serve over white rice. File on the table for adding is optional. NOTE: You can use commercially available roux. (It is really quite good.) The trick will be to get it up to a high enough temperature to sear the trinity/cayenne mixture without burning it. I think making the roux yourself is more fun. It tests your intestinal fortitude… “How close can I get to burning before I dump in those vegetables?” You can double this recipe if your pot is big enough. I usually do because this is a bit of trouble and it freezes well. If you freeze leftovers, add the parsley and green onion only to the portions you serve. Parsley and green onion should always be added fresh. If you are using previously cooked bird, such as the leftovers from the Thanksgiving turkey, add the cooked turkey meat within the last half hour of the process. If you cook previously cooked meat in the gumbo too long it gets all broken up and stringy. It will still taste good. It is just ugly when that happens. Hopefully, you have made good stock with the bird bones. If it was smoked bird, remove most of the dark smoked skin before making the stock so the stock won't have too strong a smoke flavor. For a truly fascinating experience of gumbo cooking around the world, the Gumbo Ya Ya Cook-Off topic is not to be missed. Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate, Chicken, Lunch, Dinner, American ( RG772 )
  19. Butternut Squash with Corn, Spinach, Bacon, Onions, and Basil Serves 8 as Side. Thanks to MatthewB for turning me on to this simple recipe, which originally appeared in the November 1998 Bon Appétit. I'm sure that it's a given on eGullet, but I'd still like to emphasize that the fresher the ingredients, the better. (The original recipe specified packaged spinach and frozen corn.) Proportions can be adjusted at will. I made this for the 2003 Heartland Gathering in Grand Rapids using thick-cut farm bacon, with the other ingredients coming straight from the GR Farmer's Market. Outstanding! ½ lb bacon 1 large onion (about 2 cups chopped) 1 large butternut squash 9-10 oz spinach leaves 4-6 ears corn or 1 lb frozen kernels ½ cup or more chopped fresh basil salt and pepper Prep: Chop bacon crosswise, ~1/3-1/2" wide. Chop onion into fine dice. Peel squash (and seed, if using round segment) and cut into ~1/3" dice. Wash and coarsely chop spinach, if needed; baby spinach can be left whole. If using fresh corn, remove husk and silk and cut kernels from cob. Wait to chop the basil until it's time to add it. Cook: In a large pot or sauté pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until it is just getting crisp. Add the onion and squash and sauté until the squash is just tender (10-12 min.). Add the corn. If using frozen corn or older fresh corn, cook for a few minutes before adding the spinach; if using very fresh corn, add the spinach at the same time. Cook until the spinach wilts. Chop, then stir in the basil. Add salt (careful!) and pepper to taste. Keywords: Side, Easy, Vegetables, American ( RG737 )
  20. Creamed Spinach with Bacon Serves 6 as Side. I first started making this after tasting a similar dish at Colonel Sander's original restaurant west of Shelbyville, KY. The Colonel and his wife used to stand in the yard of their home next door to the restaurant and greet diners there. The Colonel's menu included four entrees: fried chicken, steak, country ham and lobster. With these, he served mashed potatoes and gravy and SEVEN vegetables, passed family style. One such combination I had there was the creamed spinach, tomato pudding, mock oysters (eggplant), carrot souffle, corn pudding, green beans and Harvard beets. Instead of fresh spinach, you may use one 10 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, but it won't be as good. Sometimes I add the onion, sometimes not. 1 lb fresh young spinach 4 slices bacon 2 T butter 2 T flour 1/2 c milk 1/2 c heavy cream Salt and white pepper 1 T grated onion (optional) Wash the spinach, remove stems and drop in briefly into a large pot of salted boiling water over high heat. When it returns to a boil, drain in a sieve and let sit while you make the sauce. If you are using frozen spinach, let it come to room temperature, you don't need to cook it. Fry bacon crisp and drain on paper towels. Melt the butter in a 1 or 1 1/2 quart saucepan over medium heat. If you are using onion, add now. Add flour, cook and stir for several minutes to remove raw taste. Add milk and cream, salt and white pepper, and stir with a whisk until it boils. Lower heat. Crumble the bacon into very tiny pieces and add. Squeeze the spinach well, with hands or in a ricer or however you prefer, and add to the sauce. Leave over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. For best flavor, refrigerate overnight and reheat. Keywords: Side, Easy, Vegetables, American ( RG730 )
  21. Beef sausages Serves 8 as Appetizer. Most recipes for homemade sausages are centred around pork. For those who don't/can't eat pork this is a good alternative. Becuase beef tends to be drier than pork this requires a relatively high fat level. I was advised by Len Poli at http://home.pacbell.net/lpoli/index.htm to work on the basis of at least 30% fat, personally I found even then the sausages were a bit too dry so I upped it a bit, I go for just under 50% of the weight of bola in fat. The onion will also help with moistness. 500 g Bola/beef shoulder 240 g Beef fat 100 g Onion 20 g Salt 2-1/2 g Pepper 1-1/4 g Smoked pepper 1-1/4 g Cumin seed powder Collagen sausage skins as reqd The recipe makes 16 sausages, based on sausages of approx 10cm long. Put the bola and beef fat into the freezer to cool but not freeze. When cold combine chunks of bola and fat and mince. Try to use a proper meat mincer as this will give the desired texture. Finely dice the onion and prepare the seasoning (salt, pepper, smoker pepper and cumin seed powder. Combine onion, seasoning and mince beef and fat in a bowl. It is worth heating a pan and cooking a patty of the mixture for taste. Alter seasoning if required. A word of warning - the minced meat with onion and seasoning will be left to sit in the fridge overnight so the tastes will change slightly. Ideally the mixture should be left in a fridge overnight, at the very least it should be placed in the fridge to cool down before it is stuffed into the sausage skins. To stuff the sausages follow instructions on your mincer/stuffer. When it comes to cooking the sausages place them in a hot pan/griddle/grill and turn the heat down relatively low and cook for a long period of time. Sausages are not steaks that cook quickly. Give them time to cook, don't hurry things. Keywords: Kosher, Intermediate, Beef ( RG1379 )
  22. I am planning a trip to new york in the near future and was wondering your thoughts on who has some of the better house made charcuterie in the city.
  23. Need to make duck confit in under 4 hours... I was thinking sous-vide at higher than 80°C... any ideas? thanks! pw
  24. I bought a bunch of natural sausage casings packed in water this weekend. Despite the best intentions, I didn't get around to using them. Any suggestions on preserving them for later use? Salt? Freezing? Thanks.
  25. I recently bought a Fra'Mani salametto, and was disappointed by it. The main flavor is salt; there's some garlic there too, but it's mostly salt with a pork aftertaste. It's not awful, but it's not something I want to eat on its own, or even in a sandwich (except maybe one in which it plays a supporting role, like a muffaletta.) Still, at $18 a pound, I want to use it up. So I'm looking for recipes that incorporate salami, in which the salami is balanced by other ingredients. How do you cook with salami?
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