I love the description in The Gourmet Cookbook regarding these pancakes:
"If you need to pull out all the stops for an Extremely Special Breakfast, these pancakes from Gourmet's editor-in-chief are for you. They are rich with butter, and the flavor is incomparable. "
Random Capitalizations... I heart you.
Ingredients:
1 cup milk (preferably whole milk)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons sugar
1/2-1 teaspoon salt (I usually do about 3/4 tsp. salt)
Optional: Chocolate Chips, blueberries to put in pancake batter. Also amazing served with fresh sliced strawberries and the crowd favorite, REAL maple syrup.
Directions:
Whisk together milk, eggs, and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a medium bowl, then whisk in butter.
Stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in another medium bowl. Whisk in egg mixture until just combined.
Heat 1/2 tsp. of oil in a large nonstick skillet, cast iron skillet, or griddle, until hot but not smoking. Working in a batches of 2-3 pancakes, and adding a drizzle of oil between batches, pour 1/3 measurements of atter into skillet until bubbles have formed throughout the pancake and broken to the surface, about 2 minutes or so (this is also the time when you can sprinkle in some blueberries or chocolate chips before they cook too long.) Flip pancakes with a spatula and cook until undersides are golden, about 1 minute more. (Lower heat if pancakes brown too quickly.) Serve warm with preferred topping.
*Note, the last time I made these i used only about a 1/2 stick of melted butter and added a big more vegetable oil, which also turned out scrumptious. Do what you will! These pancakes rock. They are also good when refrigerated and re-heated in the oven up to a week later...I know from personal experience.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Cranberry-Apple Crumble Pie
From Gourmet, via Epicurious
Ingredients
For pastry dough:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening (trans-fat-free)
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
For crumble topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
For fruit filling:
2 pounds apples (about 5), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (use a sweeter apple, like Gala to counteract the tartness of the cranberries. I like to throw in a sour apple too, just for fun).
8 ounces fresh or frozen (not thawed) cranberries
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Directions
For pastry:
Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 3 tablespoon ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.
(Squeeze a small handful: If dough doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring until incorporated. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.)
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all dough together (using a pastry scraper if you have one) and form into a 5-inch disk. If dough is sticky, dust lightly with additional flour. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
For crumble topping:
Stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips until large clumps form, then stir in pecans. Chill until ready to use.
For fruit filling:
Stir together apples, cranberries, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
Assemble pie:
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lower third.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang under and crimp decoratively. Transfer fruit filling to pie shell and dot with butter. Loosely cover with foil and bake until apples droop slightly, about 30 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Sprinkle crumble topping over filling and bake, uncovered, until crumble is browned, filling is bubbling, and apples are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour more. Cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.
Note: Dough can be chilled up to 3 days and refrigerated (but you must bring dough to almost-room temparature to be able to roll out when you do use it.)
Ingredients
For pastry dough:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening (trans-fat-free)
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
For crumble topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
For fruit filling:
2 pounds apples (about 5), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (use a sweeter apple, like Gala to counteract the tartness of the cranberries. I like to throw in a sour apple too, just for fun).
8 ounces fresh or frozen (not thawed) cranberries
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Directions
For pastry:
Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 3 tablespoon ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.
(Squeeze a small handful: If dough doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring until incorporated. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.)
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all dough together (using a pastry scraper if you have one) and form into a 5-inch disk. If dough is sticky, dust lightly with additional flour. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
For crumble topping:
Stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips until large clumps form, then stir in pecans. Chill until ready to use.
For fruit filling:
Stir together apples, cranberries, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
Assemble pie:
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lower third.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang under and crimp decoratively. Transfer fruit filling to pie shell and dot with butter. Loosely cover with foil and bake until apples droop slightly, about 30 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Sprinkle crumble topping over filling and bake, uncovered, until crumble is browned, filling is bubbling, and apples are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour more. Cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.
Note: Dough can be chilled up to 3 days and refrigerated (but you must bring dough to almost-room temparature to be able to roll out when you do use it.)
Monday, November 9, 2009
Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust
Adapted from Gourmet, September 2009
Ingredients
For Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 pound extra-sharp Cheddar (preferably white), coarsely grated (2 1/2 cups)
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening
6 to 8 tablespoon ice water
1 tablespoon milk (optional)
For Apple Filling:
1 1/2 pound Gala, Fuji, or Pink Lady apples (3 medium)
1 pound Granny Smith apples (2 medium)
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
Directions
For cheddar crust:
Stir together flour, salt, and cheese in a large bowl. Add butter and shortening and blend with your fingertips just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 6 tablespoon ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.
Squeeze a small handful: If dough doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until incorporated. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.
Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide in half, then form each half into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
To make apple filling and bake pie:
Put a foil-lined large baking sheet in middle of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
Peel and core apples, then slice 1/4 inch thick. Toss apples with sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt until evenly coated.
Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining disk chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into approximately a 13-inch round. Fit into pie plate. Roll out remaining piece of dough into approximately an 11-inch round.
Transfer filling to shell. Dot with butter, then cover with pastry round. Trim edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press edges together to seal, then fold under. Lightly brush top crust with milk (or if you don't have milk, use a well-beaten egg white), then cut 5 (1-inch-long) vents.
Bake on hot baking sheet 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F and bake until crust is golden-brown and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes more. Cool to warm or room temperature.
*Note: dough can be chilled up to 2 days in advance.
Ingredients
For Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 pound extra-sharp Cheddar (preferably white), coarsely grated (2 1/2 cups)
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening
6 to 8 tablespoon ice water
1 tablespoon milk (optional)
For Apple Filling:
1 1/2 pound Gala, Fuji, or Pink Lady apples (3 medium)
1 pound Granny Smith apples (2 medium)
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
Directions
For cheddar crust:
Stir together flour, salt, and cheese in a large bowl. Add butter and shortening and blend with your fingertips just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 6 tablespoon ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.
Squeeze a small handful: If dough doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until incorporated. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.
Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide in half, then form each half into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
To make apple filling and bake pie:
Put a foil-lined large baking sheet in middle of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
Peel and core apples, then slice 1/4 inch thick. Toss apples with sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt until evenly coated.
Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining disk chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into approximately a 13-inch round. Fit into pie plate. Roll out remaining piece of dough into approximately an 11-inch round.
Transfer filling to shell. Dot with butter, then cover with pastry round. Trim edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press edges together to seal, then fold under. Lightly brush top crust with milk (or if you don't have milk, use a well-beaten egg white), then cut 5 (1-inch-long) vents.
Bake on hot baking sheet 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F and bake until crust is golden-brown and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes more. Cool to warm or room temperature.
*Note: dough can be chilled up to 2 days in advance.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Tortilla Española
Adapted from The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook by Sharon Kramis and Julie Kramis Hearne
This is a pretty basic recipe that can be tweaked to your liking. Want less onion and more potato? Go for it. I personally like the current ratio: it’s well balanced and flavorful. Keep in mind this dish can be served warm or cold, and is excellent as a sandwich as well.
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 pound Yukon Gold, red-skinned, or russet potatoes (the first two work a bit better) peeled, halved, and sliced into approximately ¼” slices
Salt and Pepper
6 eggs
Directions
Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to your skillet and warm to medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes until they start to turn translucent. Turn down the heat to medium-low, and cook until the onions are a light brown color, about five more minutes, and lightly season them with salt. (Be careful not to burn them, just cook the onions to your desired level of done-ness). Remove the onions to a plate and set aside.
Heat the same skillet again over medium heat, adding the ¼ cup of olive oil to the pan and allow the oil to heat up, about 2 minutes. Carefully add the potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes (reduce heat if smoking from the pan occurs). Halfway through, flip the potatoes over so the other side cooks as well, and be careful to keep the slices separate from each other so they don’t stick. When the potatoes are done, remove them to a paper-toweled covered plate to soak up a bit of the extra oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Taste one to make sure it’s to your liking (and yum! Fried ‘tatoes!) Leave any remaining oil in the pan for future use.
Break the eggs into a medium bowl and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Whisk until frothy. Add the cooked potatoes and onions to the eggs in the bowl. Preheat the oven broiler.
Place the skillet with the remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. (Note: I have learned the hard way—always cook eggs over a lower heat so you have more control. Otherwise, they cook too quickly and brown and are gross.) Allow skillet to warm up a bit, and add the egg-potato-onion mixture to the pan, then reduce the heat a bit to low. Cook until the pan-side of the omelet is set, and very lightly brown, approximately 5 minutes. Place the skillet in the oven and broil until the top of the omelet is golden brown and when you stick a knife in the middle, it comes out clean. (Note: if you do not have a cast-iron skillet, simply wrap the handle of a regular skillet with a towel so you can pull it out with your oven mitts when the dish is ready). This should take about 3 to 5 additional minutes in the oven.
Season with a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper. Use a spatula to loosen the omelet from its pan, and slide the omelet onto a plate. Cut into wedges and serve with toasted bread or as-is. With a salad, it would be a lovely light lunch or dinner.
Buen provecho!
This is a pretty basic recipe that can be tweaked to your liking. Want less onion and more potato? Go for it. I personally like the current ratio: it’s well balanced and flavorful. Keep in mind this dish can be served warm or cold, and is excellent as a sandwich as well.
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 pound Yukon Gold, red-skinned, or russet potatoes (the first two work a bit better) peeled, halved, and sliced into approximately ¼” slices
Salt and Pepper
6 eggs
Directions
Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to your skillet and warm to medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes until they start to turn translucent. Turn down the heat to medium-low, and cook until the onions are a light brown color, about five more minutes, and lightly season them with salt. (Be careful not to burn them, just cook the onions to your desired level of done-ness). Remove the onions to a plate and set aside.
Heat the same skillet again over medium heat, adding the ¼ cup of olive oil to the pan and allow the oil to heat up, about 2 minutes. Carefully add the potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes (reduce heat if smoking from the pan occurs). Halfway through, flip the potatoes over so the other side cooks as well, and be careful to keep the slices separate from each other so they don’t stick. When the potatoes are done, remove them to a paper-toweled covered plate to soak up a bit of the extra oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Taste one to make sure it’s to your liking (and yum! Fried ‘tatoes!) Leave any remaining oil in the pan for future use.
Break the eggs into a medium bowl and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Whisk until frothy. Add the cooked potatoes and onions to the eggs in the bowl. Preheat the oven broiler.
Place the skillet with the remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. (Note: I have learned the hard way—always cook eggs over a lower heat so you have more control. Otherwise, they cook too quickly and brown and are gross.) Allow skillet to warm up a bit, and add the egg-potato-onion mixture to the pan, then reduce the heat a bit to low. Cook until the pan-side of the omelet is set, and very lightly brown, approximately 5 minutes. Place the skillet in the oven and broil until the top of the omelet is golden brown and when you stick a knife in the middle, it comes out clean. (Note: if you do not have a cast-iron skillet, simply wrap the handle of a regular skillet with a towel so you can pull it out with your oven mitts when the dish is ready). This should take about 3 to 5 additional minutes in the oven.
Season with a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper. Use a spatula to loosen the omelet from its pan, and slide the omelet onto a plate. Cut into wedges and serve with toasted bread or as-is. With a salad, it would be a lovely light lunch or dinner.
Buen provecho!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Maple Pecan Sticky Buns
Adapted from The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook and Bon Appetit (via Epicurious).
They might be a little work intensive...but they're definitely worth it. Perfect for a lazy Fall day.
Ingredients
For Dough
1 package dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (divided)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup milk
2 eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
For Glaze
¾ cup pure maple syrup
9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
¾ cup golden brown sugar
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
For Filling
2 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
½ cup granulated sugar
2 cups raisins (optional)
¼ cup (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
Directions
To prepare the dough, dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a mixing bowl. Let rest for five minutes, until the yeast expands. Add ½ cup flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, milk, and eggs. Mix, on low speed with a mixer (or by hand) until well blended. Slowly add the rest of the flour and mix well. Add the butter and mix until utter is well incorporated and the dough is smooth. Place in a well-greased owl, cover with a moist clean towel, and place on the stove top (with the oven turned on) or place in a warm part of the kitchen, until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Punch down the dough, knead a couple of times, cover again, and allow to double again in a warm place for 4 hours.
While the dough is rising, prepare the glaze. In either a glass baking dish or cast iron skillet, combine the butter and maple syrup and melt together over low-medium heat, stirring until fully melted. Add the sugar, mix until it is melted in, and turn off heat. Sprinkle chopped pecans throughout bottom of the dish.
When the dough has fully risen, remove from bowl and transfer to a floured surface. Keep the flour on hand, as you will definitely have to add more in, little by little, till it gets to the point where you can work with it and actually roll it out. Roll the dough into a 10 x 15 inch rectangle. To prepare the filling, mix together the cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and raisins (if you’re using them). Spread the softened butter over the dough, and use your hands to make sure the whole surface is covered. Sprinkle the dough with the filling mixture (you might have some of the sugar mix leftover… just use as much as you want.)
Roll up the dough long-ways so you can cut 12 slices into the log that you form. Each slice should be approximately 1.5 inches wide. First mark on the dough where you want to slice so you can first make sure you have an accurate count of the sticky buns, then swiftly slice through, taking care not to squish the dough too much. Place the slices flat on top of the glaze in the skillet or pan, cover with the towel, and let rise for another 30 minutes.
While the buns are rising, position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Bake the buns uncovered for 20-25 minutes, till they are golden brown and firm to the touch. When ready, remove the skillet or baking dish from the oven, and carefully turn the sticky buns onto a larger plate, glaze side up. Serve warm.
They might be a little work intensive...but they're definitely worth it. Perfect for a lazy Fall day.
Ingredients
For Dough
1 package dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (divided)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup milk
2 eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
For Glaze
¾ cup pure maple syrup
9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
¾ cup golden brown sugar
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
For Filling
2 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
½ cup granulated sugar
2 cups raisins (optional)
¼ cup (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
Directions
To prepare the dough, dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a mixing bowl. Let rest for five minutes, until the yeast expands. Add ½ cup flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, milk, and eggs. Mix, on low speed with a mixer (or by hand) until well blended. Slowly add the rest of the flour and mix well. Add the butter and mix until utter is well incorporated and the dough is smooth. Place in a well-greased owl, cover with a moist clean towel, and place on the stove top (with the oven turned on) or place in a warm part of the kitchen, until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Punch down the dough, knead a couple of times, cover again, and allow to double again in a warm place for 4 hours.
While the dough is rising, prepare the glaze. In either a glass baking dish or cast iron skillet, combine the butter and maple syrup and melt together over low-medium heat, stirring until fully melted. Add the sugar, mix until it is melted in, and turn off heat. Sprinkle chopped pecans throughout bottom of the dish.
When the dough has fully risen, remove from bowl and transfer to a floured surface. Keep the flour on hand, as you will definitely have to add more in, little by little, till it gets to the point where you can work with it and actually roll it out. Roll the dough into a 10 x 15 inch rectangle. To prepare the filling, mix together the cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and raisins (if you’re using them). Spread the softened butter over the dough, and use your hands to make sure the whole surface is covered. Sprinkle the dough with the filling mixture (you might have some of the sugar mix leftover… just use as much as you want.)
Roll up the dough long-ways so you can cut 12 slices into the log that you form. Each slice should be approximately 1.5 inches wide. First mark on the dough where you want to slice so you can first make sure you have an accurate count of the sticky buns, then swiftly slice through, taking care not to squish the dough too much. Place the slices flat on top of the glaze in the skillet or pan, cover with the towel, and let rise for another 30 minutes.
While the buns are rising, position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Bake the buns uncovered for 20-25 minutes, till they are golden brown and firm to the touch. When ready, remove the skillet or baking dish from the oven, and carefully turn the sticky buns onto a larger plate, glaze side up. Serve warm.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Poached Egg Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
Adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters
Basically, you gather as many greens as you'd like for however many people you're having. You obviously wash the lettuce/spinach (whatever you choose to use), and have enough bacon crumbles to make people happy with one poached egg on top of each individual salad. The following dressing recipe is enough for two large to three small salads, and you can increase the proportions as you see fit-- I mean...it's just salad dressing.
Red Wine Vinaigrette
Ingredients
2-3 bacon slices
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove finely chopped or crushed into a paste
2.5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon bacon fat (from the drippings of when you cook the bacon. also optional)
Salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Directions
Cook the bacon in a skillet on medium-high heat till the fat begins to render and you think it's done to your taste (some people prefer soft, some people like it bone-dry. I prefer it somewhere in between the two). Remove the bacon and allow to cool on a paper towel to soak up the extra fat. Crumble or cut into pieces when cool. Reserve the fat in the pan for the vinaigrette.
In a small jar (I think leftover jam jars are ideal for making a dressing...you just shake it all together and serve! Another option is a tupperware with a tight lid or even just a whisk and small bowl), just mix together the remaining ingredients, and season with the salt and pepper to your taste. Set aside.
Poached Egg Salad
Ingredients
Fresh eggs (one per person, depending on how many you cook for)
Greens (this can be a mixture of baby lettuces, spinach, curly endive--you name it)
Parmesan cheese
Homemade croutons, baby tomatoes, spring onions, etc are all optional, but lovely as well.
Bacon (from directions above)
Red Wine Vinaigrette (directions above)
Directions
To poach an egg, first heat a pot (or deep skillet) of water till it's very hot, but right at the level where it just starts to simmer. It shouldn't be a rolling boil by any means. First crack the egg into a small bowl, careful to remove any bits of shell. Add some vinegar to the water (this helps the egg keep its form in the hot water). The average amount of vinegar to poach an egg is, at the minimum, one tablespoon to four cups of water, but I always add a bit more because I love a good vinegar. Place the bowl with the egg near the top of the hot water and gently slide it in, and, once it falls in and the white actually turns from clear to white, gently stir the water to prevent the egg from sticking to the bottom of the pan, but be careful not to puncture the egg. The average time for a poached egg in the hot water is 3 minutes if you'd like the yolk to still be liquid with the whites set properly (which is the best way to have it on a poached egg salad, mind you.)
Once the egg is done, gently remove it from the hot water and place on a paper towel, and be very careful to pat it gently to remove any excess water. Repeat as necessary for the number of eggs you will be poaching.
Take the red wine vinaigrette and toss it with the lettuces you choose. Divide the dressed salad onto individual bowls or plates, sprinkle with bacon and freshly grated parmesan, and add chopped spring onions if you'd like. Additionally, if you have croutons around, toss those on too! A hunk of fresh baguette is also great with this salad. Place the poached egg on top of your salad and voila!! A most wonderful salad at any time of the year.
p.s. bacon is optional but is just SO good on this salad. Oh, and the dressing is a winner, even without the bacon, always. This is actually one of my go-to dressings.
Basically, you gather as many greens as you'd like for however many people you're having. You obviously wash the lettuce/spinach (whatever you choose to use), and have enough bacon crumbles to make people happy with one poached egg on top of each individual salad. The following dressing recipe is enough for two large to three small salads, and you can increase the proportions as you see fit-- I mean...it's just salad dressing.
Red Wine Vinaigrette
Ingredients
2-3 bacon slices
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove finely chopped or crushed into a paste
2.5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon bacon fat (from the drippings of when you cook the bacon. also optional)
Salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Directions
Cook the bacon in a skillet on medium-high heat till the fat begins to render and you think it's done to your taste (some people prefer soft, some people like it bone-dry. I prefer it somewhere in between the two). Remove the bacon and allow to cool on a paper towel to soak up the extra fat. Crumble or cut into pieces when cool. Reserve the fat in the pan for the vinaigrette.
In a small jar (I think leftover jam jars are ideal for making a dressing...you just shake it all together and serve! Another option is a tupperware with a tight lid or even just a whisk and small bowl), just mix together the remaining ingredients, and season with the salt and pepper to your taste. Set aside.
Poached Egg Salad
Ingredients
Fresh eggs (one per person, depending on how many you cook for)
Greens (this can be a mixture of baby lettuces, spinach, curly endive--you name it)
Parmesan cheese
Homemade croutons, baby tomatoes, spring onions, etc are all optional, but lovely as well.
Bacon (from directions above)
Red Wine Vinaigrette (directions above)
Directions
To poach an egg, first heat a pot (or deep skillet) of water till it's very hot, but right at the level where it just starts to simmer. It shouldn't be a rolling boil by any means. First crack the egg into a small bowl, careful to remove any bits of shell. Add some vinegar to the water (this helps the egg keep its form in the hot water). The average amount of vinegar to poach an egg is, at the minimum, one tablespoon to four cups of water, but I always add a bit more because I love a good vinegar. Place the bowl with the egg near the top of the hot water and gently slide it in, and, once it falls in and the white actually turns from clear to white, gently stir the water to prevent the egg from sticking to the bottom of the pan, but be careful not to puncture the egg. The average time for a poached egg in the hot water is 3 minutes if you'd like the yolk to still be liquid with the whites set properly (which is the best way to have it on a poached egg salad, mind you.)
Once the egg is done, gently remove it from the hot water and place on a paper towel, and be very careful to pat it gently to remove any excess water. Repeat as necessary for the number of eggs you will be poaching.
Take the red wine vinaigrette and toss it with the lettuces you choose. Divide the dressed salad onto individual bowls or plates, sprinkle with bacon and freshly grated parmesan, and add chopped spring onions if you'd like. Additionally, if you have croutons around, toss those on too! A hunk of fresh baguette is also great with this salad. Place the poached egg on top of your salad and voila!! A most wonderful salad at any time of the year.
p.s. bacon is optional but is just SO good on this salad. Oh, and the dressing is a winner, even without the bacon, always. This is actually one of my go-to dressings.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Watermelon Salad
Adapted from Nigella Lawson's book, Forever Summer
As Nigella points out, you can make this recipe as simple or as complicated as you like (though it's not complicated at all). If you're really pressed for time, you can just serve the chunked watermelon with a sprinkling of feta and mint and a squeeze of lime, but where's the fun in that? Also, the proportions can all be adjusted to your own taste, so this is more of a guide, really, than a strictly measured recipe that you need to follow.
Ingredients:
1/2 small red onion
2-4 limes, depending on how juicy they are
1 small seedless watermelon, or 1/2 of a larger watermelon
Feta cheese (the kind that comes in a big block, not the pre-crumbled kind)
Fresh mint sprigs
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pitted Kalamata Olives
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
Pine nuts (optional)
Instructions:
Peel the red onion and slice thinly, into half-moon shapes, and place in a small bowl. Squeeze the juice of about 2 limes over the onions, and allow to steep as you make the rest of the salad (this diminishes their harshness, and the onions will become slightly more transparent.)
Chunk up the watermelon into large bite-sized pieces, (removing the rind in the process), and place into a large bowl. If you get a seeded watermelon, try to remove the seeds as well. Chop up the mint,( as much as you like, but at least 1/3 cupful,) and add to the bowl of watermelon pieces.
Tip the onions and lime juice over the salad, and add the olive oil and chopped Kalamata olives. Sprinkle with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and as much freshly crumbled feta as you please, and give it a gentle toss so that the watermelon doesn't break up. Taste for saltiness and lime, add more as you wish. Sprinkle with pine nuts if desired (or even toast them lightly and then sprinkle them on. Yum!)
This recipe is easily doubled or tripled for larger dinner parties or BBQs.... add as much mint, lime, salt, olives, and feta to your liking, just start with minimal amounts as it can get too salty so make sure to taste it along the way.
As Nigella points out, you can make this recipe as simple or as complicated as you like (though it's not complicated at all). If you're really pressed for time, you can just serve the chunked watermelon with a sprinkling of feta and mint and a squeeze of lime, but where's the fun in that? Also, the proportions can all be adjusted to your own taste, so this is more of a guide, really, than a strictly measured recipe that you need to follow.
Ingredients:
1/2 small red onion
2-4 limes, depending on how juicy they are
1 small seedless watermelon, or 1/2 of a larger watermelon
Feta cheese (the kind that comes in a big block, not the pre-crumbled kind)
Fresh mint sprigs
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pitted Kalamata Olives
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
Pine nuts (optional)
Instructions:
Peel the red onion and slice thinly, into half-moon shapes, and place in a small bowl. Squeeze the juice of about 2 limes over the onions, and allow to steep as you make the rest of the salad (this diminishes their harshness, and the onions will become slightly more transparent.)
Chunk up the watermelon into large bite-sized pieces, (removing the rind in the process), and place into a large bowl. If you get a seeded watermelon, try to remove the seeds as well. Chop up the mint,( as much as you like, but at least 1/3 cupful,) and add to the bowl of watermelon pieces.
Tip the onions and lime juice over the salad, and add the olive oil and chopped Kalamata olives. Sprinkle with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and as much freshly crumbled feta as you please, and give it a gentle toss so that the watermelon doesn't break up. Taste for saltiness and lime, add more as you wish. Sprinkle with pine nuts if desired (or even toast them lightly and then sprinkle them on. Yum!)
This recipe is easily doubled or tripled for larger dinner parties or BBQs.... add as much mint, lime, salt, olives, and feta to your liking, just start with minimal amounts as it can get too salty so make sure to taste it along the way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)