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


kmcg

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thanks, everyone, for the replies about port. i picked up a bottle at the store today, and plan to make the short ribs tomorrow. it was about $12. i couldn't decide whether to get the cheapest (~$5), but i thought for $7 extra it might be worth it not to have the crappiest port in the store. but, i have no idea!!

as tomorrow is Vday, i have a menu planned out for tomorrow. braising is good, since my BF is flying home tomorrow afternoon (and of course the plane may be delayed) so it's good to have some make ahead/get everything going hours early dishes. i'm also expecting everything to go horribly wrong, ha. my plan:

1. braised shallot confit. that's going along as i type--i'll see whether i can post some pictures, but i'm not sure whether i can. but it smells delish (and BF ***LOVES*** shallots, seriously, he's crazy about them.)

2. world's best braised cabbage. he doesn't like cabbage, but i'm going to try to bring him around--if he doesn't like the world's best cabbage, then i guess i really can't argue with him, can i? :wink:

3. marlene's short ribs. first try making short ribs, but i'm feeling optimistic!!

4. potatoes ana. not braised but my favorite potatoes in the world!!!!!!!!!! they usually require most of my attention, and that's another reason why it's good that everything else on the menu is braised!!

i'll let you all know how it goes. the good news is, BF and i actually have reservations on FRI night for our actual celebration of Vday, so if this all fails i haven't messed up anything too important.

thanks again everyone!!

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I'm not much of a fan of cabbage either, but that braised cabbage is really quite good!

Good luck, and most importantly, have fun with everything.

Marlene

Practice. Do it over. Get it right.

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

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the short ribs were amazing!!! everything else about the meal was disappointing (i cut myself on the mandoline, and BF couldn't get the potatoes thin enough for potatoes anna; BF truly doesn't like cabbage; BF for some reason wasn't a fan of braised shallots even though i thought they were fine) but the short ribs were so delicious!!

thank you so much, marlene, for posting such a delicious recipe.

i made one tiiiiny modification, which was instead of making the flour/butter paste, i just thickened with arrowroot (things were really hectic at that point, with the potato crisis, and BF kept wanting more direction than i had the attention span for--so arrowroot was out of necessity--sauce was going to boil away if i took the time to make a paste!!)

(oh, and i needed my oven at 250/260, since absolutely nothing was happening at 240.)

but the sauce was soooooooooooooooooo delicious, and the ribs were soooooooooo meltingly tender.

thanks!!!!!!

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Hello, Molly Stevens acolytes.

I see in online searching that she had a recipe for braised fingerling potatoes w/butter & thyme in a recent issue of Fine Cooking, which I do not get, and which does not have the recipe online.

If someone with the magazine, or who knows another source for the recipe, happens to be perusing eG today and sees fit to either PM me the recipe or post the general guidelines I would be ever so grateful. I'm making Molly Stevens's World's Best Braised Cabbage (recipe online on her website) today to accompany roast chicken and saw the description of the fingerling recipe and fingerlings happen to be the potatoes I have.

Kthxbye

Priscilla

Writer, cook, & c. ●  Twitter

 

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Hello, Molly Stevens acolytes.

I see in online searching that she had a recipe for braised fingerling potatoes w/butter & thyme in a recent issue of Fine Cooking, which I do not get, and which does not have the recipe online.

If someone with the magazine, or who knows another source for the recipe, happens to be perusing eG today and sees fit to either PM me the recipe or post the general guidelines I would be ever so grateful.  I'm making Molly Stevens's World's Best Braised Cabbage (recipe online on her website) today to accompany roast chicken and saw the description of the fingerling recipe and fingerlings happen to be the potatoes I have.

Kthxbye

i did a quick search and found a link to this

http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/article...spx?ac=ts&ra=fp

and it looks like you can get a free trial to access the article, which (if http://www.mollystevenscooks.com/reviews.php is not misleading) includes the recipe.

sorry i couldn't be more help--

margo

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Braised Fingerling Potatoes with Thyme & Butter

by Molly Stevens

1-3/4 lb. fingerling potatoes, scrubbed

6 large sprigs fresh thyme

3 to 4 Tbs. unsalted butter

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Leave the potatoes whole if less than 1 inch in diameter; halve them lengthwise if fatter. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in a 12-inch skillet. They will be crowded, but they shouldn’t be stacked. Tuck the thyme sprigs between the potatoes. Cut 3 Tbs. of the butter into 3 pieces. Add the butter, 3/4 tsp. salt, and a few generous grinds of pepper to the potatoes.

Pour over just enough water to almost cover the potatoes (about 2 cups). Partially cover and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer, stirring gently once or twice, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a skewer, about 25 minutes. (If the water threatens to dry up before the potatoes are tender, add another 1/2 cup.)

Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish with a slotted spoon. Increase the heat to high and boil the remaining liquid, uncovered, until it’s reduced to a buttery glaze, 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the amount of liquid. Remove the thyme sprigs (most of the leaves will have fallen off). If you would like a richer sauce, swirl in the remaining 1 Tbs. butter. Pour the glaze over the potatoes and serve immediately.

From Fine Cooking 91, pp. 42

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Wow this is great. Anna N so nicely PMed me the recipe, and now I see Molly Stevens has provided it as well.

Thank you so much!

Molly, if you have another second, is there any reason not to put the potatoes in the oven after bringing them to a simmer when I put your World's Best Cabbage in and cook them that way?

If I can do that, (and my roast chicken will be in there as well), I think I could achieve the energy-saving rainy-day Sunday dinner trifecta of my dreams.

The squishy rolls, with their considerably higher temp, will conveniently have already been baked.

Priscilla

Writer, cook, & c. ●  Twitter

 

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Priscilla -

I see no reason at all why you can't just slide the potatoes into the oven with the rest. You'll have to fiddle with the timing, of course, but they should braise even more gently in a slow oven. As many folks have astutely pointed out on this discussion board, you can pretty much always go with lower temperatures when braising (it's when you turn up the heat that you get into trouble). The reason I tend to do the potatoes on the stove is that I don't like to preheat the oven for a simple dish of potatoes, but, hey, if the oven's already on, then that's the way to go!

Sounds like a perfect Sunday dinner.

Enjoy!

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Braised endive with prosciutto: Belgian endive, browned in butter, topped with crisped prosciutto, braised with chicken stock, and finished with a little heavy cream. Good stuff!

I just made this for the first time a couple weeks ago...great stuff.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Bumping this thread back up for some help. I'm making the herb-stuffed leg of lamb for Easter tomorrow and was wondering if anyone else has made this recently and has any pointers. I'm lucky enough to have an incredibly nice butcher who stuffed the herbs for me so I can pretty much start at the browning step.

Help!

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Bumping this thread back up for some help.  I'm making the herb-stuffed leg of lamb for Easter tomorrow and was wondering if anyone else has made this recently and has any pointers.  I'm lucky enough to have an incredibly nice butcher who stuffed the herbs for me so I can pretty much start at the browning step. 

Help!

I have a friend who does this every year, and says something that those of us who braise and smoke meat (yes, there is a connection -- the low and slow thing) -- allow extra time, pull it when it's time. You can always give it a little heat just before serving, but she did say that like most braised meats, it is best not served piping hot. A warm temp will allow the flavours to "bloom" and just be tastier.

Lucky to have a butcher that would stuff the herbs for you; let's just hope he didn't over-trim it!

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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  • 4 weeks later...

*bump*

I received a copy of this book from a generous friend (many thanks, Susan!) and have been enjoying the exploration. So far I haven't followed anything faithfully, but I've learned terrific things about pork roasting and...

oh, my...

endives.

The braised endives are WONDERFUL. We weren't sure what to expect, neither of us being familiar with this particular vegetable. The silky texture and complex flavors were very satisfying, and a nutty aroma that I still haven't been able to explain pervaded the house, driving us both wild with anticipation. My confirmed-carnivore husband announced that this meal, with its oh-so-small amount of prosciutto, could be a stand-alone meal. I agree.

This recipe's a keeper. :wub:

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

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"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

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  • 3 weeks later...

I finally got my cookbooks out of long term storage and Molly is back in action...

Made the Chicken Do-Piaza with a couple of turkey breasts. Overall delicious and easy... but I curdled the yogurt... %$#@! :hmmm: My sauce wasn't even close to bubbling or boiling, so I think next time I might just add the yogurt off heat altogether. Still tastes great, just the visual lack of appeal around the curdled yogurt. I used Total 0%, dunno if that makes a difference.

Anyway, I served it with some crusty bread and grilled whole fava beans. Really nice and flavorful without being too heavy or rich.

...wine can of their wits the wise beguile, make the sage frolic, and the serious smile. --Alexander Pope

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... but I curdled the yogurt... %$#@!  :hmmm:  My sauce wasn't even close to bubbling or boiling, so I think next time I might just add the yogurt off heat altogether.  Still tastes great, just the visual lack of appeal around the curdled yogurt.  I used Total 0%, dunno if that makes a difference.

The 0% yogurt does make a difference. The high protein/low fat content caused your sauce to curdle. If you use whole-milk yogurt, it wont curdle. You can sometimes get away with low-fat (like the Total 5%) but you need to be careful not to let it boil much.

Happy cooking!

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Ah! That's what I get for trying to be healthy. Thanks very much for the heads up - I didn't think about the higher protein content in fat free yogurt.

...wine can of their wits the wise beguile, make the sage frolic, and the serious smile. --Alexander Pope

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To redeem myself... this weekend I made the Braised Radishes with some French Breakfast radishes that I was lucky to spot at the farmers' market. I don't think I can ever recall having had a cooked radish in my life, but this may be the way I use radishes from here on out. The radishes mellow out considerably and the light buttery glaze is perfect.

Perfect with a broiled piece of salmon and a green salad.

...wine can of their wits the wise beguile, make the sage frolic, and the serious smile. --Alexander Pope

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  • 2 months later...

Who would be braising in the oven during the month of August in Southern California, you might ask? Well, someone who bought three lamb shanks on sale at Bristol Farms. I have never made braised lamb shanks and the recipe I tried was from Molly Stevens, Lamb Shanks Braised with Lentils and Curry. They were wonderful!! A quick dish of basmati rice and a yogurt sauce of cucumber, mint, scallion, garlic and Greek plain yogurt complemented the braise. I used French lentils that retained their shape and didn't get mushy. Highly recommend.

gallery_43474_3246_56854.jpg

Cooking is like love, it should be entered into with abandon, or not at all.

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  • 1 month later...

Even though it is still in the mid-80's here in Houston, I was craving a beefy stew dish. Plus, short ribs were on sale for $1.99/lb at the Super H-Mart, and they looked beautiful. I've never cooked short ribs before, so I turned to Molly and made the Short Ribs with Porcini and Rosemary. I picked this one because I had some rosemary stalks on hand, and had also recently picked up an enormous jar of dried porcini for what seemed like a very reasonable price (1 lb for $30).

Wow.

As suggested upthread, I roasted the ribs in the oven at 450 for about 40 minutes or so. I didn't bother turning them while they were roasting, as they seemed to have browned evenly on all sides - should I have? Would that give more caramel-y bits?

My ribs, of course, fell completely off the bone, and I noticed others here tie them. Does it really matter to the flavor, or is it an aesthetic thing?

In any event, I loved this dish. Served very simply in a bowl with crusty bread and a green vinaigrette salad. Can't wait to try the other short rib recipes, including Marlene's. Definitely my favorite from this book so far.

Edited to ask - what do other folks do with the beefy fat you skim off the braise at the end? It's soooo flavorful - I'm wondering if I can keep it on hand for sauteeing. Or use it in a pie crust for beef pot pie.

Edited by viva (log)

...wine can of their wits the wise beguile, make the sage frolic, and the serious smile. --Alexander Pope

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  • 1 year later...

Is anyone getting into the braising mood yet? I have spent the day reading this thread and can't wait until the butcher shop opens tomorrow. I see some short ribs and a butt in my week ahead.

Its still in the hi 50s to low 60s in Seattle yet but why should that stop me.

Had to look like crazy but I found my copy of Ms. Stevens book this morning.

Robert

Seattle

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A hot oven (from baking bread), a head of savoy cabbage and a small amount of homemade stock were all in my kitchen at the same time...so I plunged into the world of braised cabbage.

I LOVE this recipe, especially since the leftovers are so tasty! I browned the cabbage thoroughly in the final uncovered cooking step- the caramelized bits are my favorite. Have had it for dinner two night in a row now...topped with a poached egg, I could eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

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So far this fall season I've made the Braised Leeks and the Lamb Shanks Provencal. With the leeks I followed the augratin portion of the recipe and they turned out wonderfully. A great use for leeks. For the lamb shanks, I must confess that the grocery store was out of lamb shanks and I didn't feel like going to another store. So, I substituted some nice big pieces of veal. I can't remember the cut of the veal, but it looked like a nice big chuck roast. We had a great time eating the marrow in the bone. The sauce for this was so tasty. I'm looking forward to being better prepared and having this with lamb next time.

I like cows, too. I hold buns against them. -- Bucky Cat.

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