Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Cooking with "All About Braising" by Molly Stevens (Part 2)


kmcg

Recommended Posts

That looks fabulous Bruce.  I haven't tried that  shallot one yet, but it just went on my list.  I am braising tonight as a matter of fact, but not from Molly.  My short ribs with Port, Wine and Honey are in the oven as we speak!

Thanks, Marlene. I think you will like the shallots. I should make your delicious short ribs while Grandma Mrs. C is visiting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anyone made the braised halibut with creamed leeks?  I'm thinking of trying it but have never worked with bone-in fish and am a little scared.

I have not tried the braised halibut recipe, but you should have nothing to worry about. Bone-in fish steaks are more forgiving than fillets. forever_young_ca did report successful results:

I made the "Braised Halibut Steaks with Creamy Leeks" for supper last night. It was delicious. The leeks cooked to a very soft, creamy succulent texture and the halibut was perfecty cooked while still being moist.

I followed the receipe exactly (unusual, but true).

This one is a keeper. I will also try it with salmon.

FYI - you can search the thread using the “search topic” box in the lower left corner of the screen.

Bruce, that looks INCREDIBLE!

Thank you very much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have not tried the braised halibut recipe, but you should have nothing to worry about. Bone-in fish steaks are more forgiving than fillets. forever_young_ca did report successful results:
I made the "Braised Halibut Steaks with Creamy Leeks" for supper last night. It was delicious. The leeks cooked to a very soft, creamy succulent texture and the halibut was perfecty cooked while still being moist.

I followed the receipe exactly (unusual, but true).

This one is a keeper. I will also try it with salmon.

FYI - you can search the thread using the “search topic” box in the lower left corner of the screen.

Bruce, that looks INCREDIBLE!

Thank you very much.

Thanks for the info! I actually looked through the entire thread today(!) but that was all I found. I was hoping for some additional info. I'll go ahead with the braise this week and will hopefully share my successful results. In the meantime, it's back to the market for some shallots. Yum!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I made the braised monkfish with fennel, cherry tomatoes, and basil tonight. I usually don't like fennel because I feel it tends to overpower a dish (and I don't care for it's licorice flavor), but this dish was terrific. Braising the fennel subdued it just enough so that it complemented the other ingredients in the sauce. Yet another fabulous recipe from this book.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anyone made the braised halibut with creamed leeks? I'm thinking of trying it but have never worked with bone-in fish and am a little scared.

I made them - and reported some where up thread. It is an absolutely delicious dish. The leeks melt until very soft and creamy. Highly recommended.

Reminds me I should make it again. :biggrin:

Life is short, eat dessert first

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I made the braised monkfish with fennel, cherry tomatoes, and basil tonight.

HappyLab, that sounds delicious. I would love to try that if we see monkfish at the store.

We found two more favorites tonight - Goan chicken and creamy braised Brussels sprouts. The family declared the Goan chicken their favorite home-cooked chicken of all time. Adults adored the creamy braised Brussels sprouts; the boys were tolerant. :rolleyes:

For the chicken, we skinned and marinated thighs with cilantro, mint, ginger, garlic, chile, salt, and olive oil. After browning the chicken we deglazed the pan with rum, and then braised the thighs with chicken stock and the remaining marinade. When the chicken was cooked through we reduced the sauce with sour cream. The sauce was incredible.

Goan chicken

gallery_42956_2536_28117.jpg

The Brussels sprouts were chopped into small wedges, browned in butter, braised with heavy cream, and finished with white pepper and lemon juice. They turned out sweet, tender, and delicious.

Creamy braised Brussels sprouts

gallery_42956_2536_50155.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been braising!

I made the braised celery with crunchy bread crumb topping recently. I used only paremsan for the topping and cause that's a bit dryer than gruyere, I driozzled a little olive oil over the top before the final baking. It was really good.

I also made the braised shallots, they were FANTASTIC. We had them with pan fried pork medaillons: after frying the pork in butter, I deglazed the pan with some red wine and then added the braised shallots to the pan to warm through. My only quibble is that 3/4 pounds is really not enough for 4 people, just because they're so good! Next time I will make at least double the recipe.

gallery_21505_2929_107717.jpg

you can just see them behind the pork.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

looks like a pea risotto or something...mmm....peas...

At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing steadily ever since. ‐ Salvador Dali

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Brussels sprouts were chopped into small wedges, browned in butter, braised with heavy cream, and finished with white pepper and lemon juice. They turned out sweet, tender, and delicious.

Creamy braised Brussels sprouts

gallery_42956_2536_50155.jpg

Did you finish these with a bit of bacon? what are the crispy looking bits?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been braising!

I made the braised celery with crunchy bread crumb topping recently. I used only paremsan for the topping and cause that's a bit dryer than gruyere, I driozzled a little olive oil over the top before the final baking. It was really good.

I made the braised celery recently to use up a leftover head in the refrigerator, not expecting it to be much, and it was *delicious*! I used a good flavorful gruyere, with extra bread crumbs and cheese for more topping. I think I added a little melted butter to hold the mixture together, plus salt and lots of freshly ground pepper.

This was so good I'm making it again this weekend! The flavor is very rich and comforting; this would be great with a simple roast chicken or turkey.

- L.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is Braised Savoy Cabbage with Saint-Marcelin, perhaps the most delicious dish I've ever tasted. Like many of her recipes, it's simple, straightforward and deep with flavors.

gallery_24065_1826_903275.jpg

Looks amazing! I'm putting this on my list to make this week!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you finish these with a bit of bacon? what are the crispy looking bits?

Hey, LMF, long time no see. The crispy bits are "Hormel Real Bacon Bits", a last-minute attempt to interest da boyz in Brussels sprouts. Their response was underwhelming, if I recall. Real bacon would be better, but bacon flavor suited the recipe nicely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I finally got around to looking at this book as I want to make short ribs for Super Bowl. What a great thread this is and I am so glad I read it through as her short rib recipes are apparently not the most impressive.

A recipe that caught my eye was "Braised Escarole with Cannellini Beans". My winter garden is burtsing with escarole I can't keep up with so I decided to try the recipe tonight. Despite susbtituting canned beans the recipe was fabulous and super simple! My husband and the teen loved it, too. Later this week I plan to try the Braised Broccoli Rabe with Arugula, both of which are abundant in my garden right now.

Lobster.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Bruce!! Thanks for the info. I don't actually like Brussel sprouts but my husband does and they were in our csa box so I thought I'd give them a try. Della was nice enough to read me the recipe from her AAB book. I did fry up some of Della's great bacon first and left that grease in the pan- then followed the directions and topped it with the crumbled bacon. It was good- I ate all of mine so thanks for the inspiration!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aw, man. I finally got around to a couple of recipes I'd been eyeing and now I wish I hadn't waited so long! (I also wish I'd taken pictures.)

The Braised Scallions (not shallots, just good old rubber-band-bunched green-and-white scallions) really are amazing. I was dubious, but gave it a shot, and they were just magically sweet and delicious. Just scallions, water, butter, a little tarragon and S&P, heat, and time. She insists on fresh tarragon instead of dried, and I generally agree with that sentiment, but my dried tarragon from Penzey's had arrived only the day before, so I did sprinkle on about a quarter-teaspoon. SO good.

I also made the sausages braised with red wine and plums. Sure, it's not plum season, but the Italian Market had some anyway, so I used them, along with a few Bing cherries that weren't tart enough for my snacking preference. Served over polenta.

I'll definitely do these two again as a combo for company. I cooked the sausage far longer than the recommended 35 minutes and it remained fabulous, as it did when nuked up the next day.

Cooking and writing and writing about cooking at the SIMMER blog

Pop culture commentary at Intrepid Media

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi--I'm writing to report on the Zinfandel Pot Roast. I had never braised before. It's pretty easy though!

I salted the meat a few days ahead of time (advice from Zuni Cafe), and made it a day before I thought I was going to make it. (Unfortunately, boyfriend ended up wanting to go out, since he returned home on a flight that was too close to dinner!--I made it Wed. night, intending to eat Thurs. night, but we didn't get to it until Fri.)

I think, ultimately, I'm a rare meat kind of girl, which just doesn't go as well with braising. But, BF liked it, and I really liked the sauce. (Unfortunately, I salted the meat again before cooking, being a newbie, and so the reduced sauce was WAY too salty.) Sauce is worthwhile, and may be worth braising for.

I didn't think the carrots were worth all that trouble--why waste a cup of that delicious sauce on carrots?? :smile:

But, the texture was very soft and smooth, except where it was a little dried out from reheating.

Incidentally, that's part of what I don't understand about the advice to braise a day or two ahead of time--doesn't it just dry out the meat?

Thanks for all of the wonderful advice on this thread! I think it made my first braising experience go much more smoothly than otherwise.

I can't wait to try short ribs!!

Margo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh yes!!! The braised shallot confit is truely amazing. Listen to everything everyone said. You need to at least double the recipe. I doubled it and it still was almost completely devoured by 4 people. If we didn't have so many other things to eat, it would have disappeared completely. You don't want that to happen because the leftovers are really wonderful.

"My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne."

John Maynard Keynes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am hoping someone will be able to help me. I am hoping to make Marlene's short ribs with port, wine and honey. However, I don't know what "tawny" port is. Is this like asking for a "dry" or "sweet" wine or is it something completely different?

Also, I don't have port, and don't drink it. Is it really essential to the dish or could something else do just as well? (Not sure how expensive it is, but if it's not that important, I don't want to drop a lot on a bottle that will never get used in any other way. But, if it is important, then I'm willing to spend something.) (But still not like $30....)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am hoping someone will be able to help me.  I am hoping to make Marlene's short ribs with port, wine and honey.  However, I don't know what "tawny" port is.  Is this like asking for a "dry" or "sweet" wine or is it something completely different?

Also, I don't have port, and don't drink it.  Is it really essential to the dish or could something else do just as well?  (Not sure how expensive it is, but if it's not that important, I don't want to drop a lot on a bottle that will never get used in any other way.  But, if it is important, then I'm willing to spend something.) (But still not like $30....)

Your wine merchant/liquor store clerk will have no problem pointing you to a bottle of tawny port and it should not set you back much more than $10. I don't think I would try a substitute here if you can avoid it.

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But, the texture was very soft and smooth, except where it was a little dried out from reheating.

Incidentally, that's part of what I don't understand about the advice to braise a day or two ahead of time--doesn't it just dry out the meat? 

I don't have that particular book, so I'll comment in the general sense: in general, you'll get more tender meat and more complex flavors if you braise, then separate the meat and sauce and refrigerate them in separate (sealed) containers, then recombine the two and reheat the meat in the sauce a day or two later. I've had even better results after 2 days of doing this, when I had the patience. It is important to keep the meat covered (I do my best to submerge it in the sauce) and to reheat it gently so the meat doesn't cook much more. You're really just trying to bring it all up to good eating temperature in the sauce.

I am hoping someone will be able to help me.  I am hoping to make Marlene's short ribs with port, wine and honey.  However, I don't know what "tawny" port is.  Is this like asking for a "dry" or "sweet" wine or is it something completely different?

Also, I don't have port, and don't drink it.  Is it really essential to the dish or could something else do just as well?  (Not sure how expensive it is, but if it's not that important, I don't want to drop a lot on a bottle that will never get used in any other way.  But, if it is important, then I'm willing to spend something.) (But still not like $30....)

Port comes in 2 basic varieties: ruby port, which is a deep red color, and tawny port, which is more the color of caramel. Their flavors are different. Tawny port is - well - smooth and nutty, and not necessarily winey. Ruby port makes me think more of a deep rich wine. I think you can get a bottle of tawny port for $20 or less, and if you like the dish you'll be glad to have the bottle. I don't know how critical it is to the dish, but if I were trying to duplicate something Marlene had concocted, I would assume it to be important. :cool:

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
HosteG Forumsnsmith@egstaff.org

Follow us on social media! Facebook; instagram.com/egulletx; twitter.com/egullet

"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am hoping someone will be able to help me.  I am hoping to make Marlene's short ribs with port, wine and honey.  However, I don't know what "tawny" port is.  Is this like asking for a "dry" or "sweet" wine or is it something completely different?

Also, I don't have port, and don't drink it.  Is it really essential to the dish or could something else do just as well?  (Not sure how expensive it is, but if it's not that important, I don't want to drop a lot on a bottle that will never get used in any other way.  But, if it is important, then I'm willing to spend something.) (But still not like $30....)

Port is essential to this one. A decent tawny port as Anna says shouldn't be all that expensive. And besides, once you make this, you'll want to make it again and you'll have port already on hand!

Marlene

Practice. Do it over. Get it right.

Mostly, I want people to be as happy eating my food as I am cooking it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi--I'm writing to report on the Zinfandel Pot Roast.  I had never braised before.  It's pretty easy though! 

I salted the meat a few days ahead of time (advice from Zuni Cafe), and made it a day before I thought I was going to make it.  (Unfortunately, boyfriend ended up wanting to go out, since he returned home on a flight that was too close to dinner!--I made it Wed. night, intending to eat Thurs. night, but we didn't get to it until Fri.)

I think, ultimately, I'm a rare meat kind of girl, which just doesn't go as well with braising.  But, BF liked it, and I really liked the sauce.  (Unfortunately, I salted the meat again before cooking, being a newbie, and so the reduced sauce was WAY too salty.)  Sauce is worthwhile, and may be worth braising for. 

I didn't think the carrots were worth all that trouble--why waste a cup of that delicious sauce on carrots??  :smile:

But, the texture was very soft and smooth, except where it was a little dried out from reheating.

Incidentally, that's part of what I don't understand about the advice to braise a day or two ahead of time--doesn't it just dry out the meat? 

Thanks for all of the wonderful advice on this thread!  I think it made my first braising experience go much more smoothly than otherwise. 

I can't wait to try short ribs!!

Margo

I'm a rare meat kind of girl, but braised meat is just a whole different world. The sauce makes it, and it's meltingly tender.

I know other who say to store the meat and sauce separately, but I don't. When the braise is done, I strain and defat it, then pour the sauce back over the meat and refrigerate it. Then I bring the sauce and meat back up to eating temp by placing in a covered pot (actually I store mine in the pot it was made in), usually at 200 - 225 for two hours or so. Then take the meat out and reduce the sauce.

Marlene

Practice. Do it over. Get it right.

Mostly, I want people to be as happy eating my food as I am cooking it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...