Archives for December 2015

Roasted Ham with Maple Horseradish Glaze│Bobby Flay Recipe & Image courtesy of www.BobbyFlay.com

• Ingredients:
  • 1 bone-in uncooked wet cured ham (12 lbs), trimmed of excess fat but fat cap left on
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 2 tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 ½ cups Maple Horseradish Glaze
    • Ingredients: 1 cup pure Grade B maple syrup; 3 tbsp prepared horseradish, drained; 2 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp whole grain mustard; ¼ tsp kosher salt; ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
    • Directions: Whisk together the syrup, horseradish, mustards, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
• Directions:
  • Remove ham from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting to allow the center to come up in temperature. Using a utility knife or a sharp knife, carefully score the skin of ham at ¾ inch to 1 inch intervals in a crosshatch pattern, taking care to cut just through skin and fat, not into the meat. Combine the salt, thyme and pepper in a small bowl and season the entire ham with the mixture.

• Preheat the oven to 425F. Place a rack in the bottom of a large shallow roasting pan. Rub the entire ham with the oil. Place the ham on the rack and place in the oven. Fill the bottom of the roasting pan with 4 cups of water. Roast for 30 minutes, and then turn the heat down to 375F and continue roasting until the center reaches a temperature of 148 F. Turn the oven to 400F and begin basting with the glaze during the last 30 minutes of roasting. Remove from the oven when the center reaches 155F. Total roasting time is between 3 to 3 ½ hours. Let the ham rest for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour before carving.

Roast Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Madeira Sauce│Wolfgang Puck Recipe & Image courtesy of www.WolfgangPuck.com

• Ingredients:
  • For the Meat
    • 1 (4 lb) whole beef tenderloin roast, preferably the wide end, cut, trimmed, and tied
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 large onion, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
    • 2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch chunks
    • 2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • For the Sauce
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 3 tbsp butter (or to taste)
    • ½ lb button mushrooms, or a mixture of button mushrooms and shiitakes, quartered or cut into eights if large
    • 2 shallots, minced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 cup Madeira
    • 2 cups chicken broth
    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
    • 2 tsp barbecue sauce
    • 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley or chives for garnish
• Directions:
  • Adjust the oven shelf to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400F. Meanwhile, if the butcher hasn’t done this for you, at 1-inch intervals, tie kitchen string around the tenderloin’s diameter to give it a uniform, compact shape. Season all over with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Heat a small, heavy roasting pan or large ovenproof sauté pan top of the stove over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sear the tenderloin until uniformly well browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the tenderloin from the pan.
  • Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pan, reduce the heat slightly, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Place the tenderloin on top and transfer the pan to the preheated oven. Roast the tenderloin until medium rare, 18 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into its center should register 130F. Remove the tenderloin from the pan and place it on a carving board. Cover the aluminum foil and leave the roast to rest in a warm spot while you prepare the sauce.
  • While the meat is roasting, prepare the sauce. Heat a heavy sauté pan or medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. As soon as its hot, add 2 tablespoons of the butter, the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are light golden, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
  • Place the roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the Madeira and stir and scrape with a wooden spoon to dissolve the pan deposits. Raise the heat and boil the Madeira until reduced to about ¼ cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken broth and continue to boil until reduced by half, 10 to 12 minutes. Strain the mixture into the pan with the mushrooms (discard the onion, celery, and carrots), stir together and bring to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream and continue boiling the sauce until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and stir in the mustard, barbecue sauce, and if you wish, another 2 tablespoons of butter, a little at a time. Stir until well blended and satiny. Carefully pour in any meat juices that have collected from the resting tenderloin and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

• With the tip of a sharp knife, carefully snip off the strings from the roast. Cut the meat across the grain into slices ¼ to ½ inch thick. Arrange them on the heated platter or individual serving plates, garnish with parsley or chives, and pass the sauce in a heated bowl or sauce boat for guests to help themselves.

Lobster Mushroom Risotto│Geoffrey Zakarian Recipe created by Geoffrey Zakarian for The Water Club

• Ingredients:
  • 12 oz Arborio rice
  • 8 oz cooked lobster meat (small dice cut)
  • 2 quart lobster broth
  • 6 oz slice shitake or crimini mushroom
  • 1 oz olive oil
  • 4 oz yellow onion, minced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 shallot, medium size minced
  • 2 tbsp chopped flat leave parsley
  • 4 oz dry white wine
  • 6 oz Parmesan Reggiano, grated
  • 4 oz butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup minced chives
• Directions:
  • In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over low heat, add onions and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Add garlic, shallot, mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, then add Arborio rice, sauté briefly to toast the rice.
  • Add wine, stir and allow wine to reduce to almost dry, then add 1/3 of the lobster broth, keeping at a simmer and stirring every minute. Allow most of the broth to be absorbed. Add another 1/3 of the broth, continue stirring.
  • Check the rice for doneness – should be tender all through. If more cooking is needed, add ½ the amount of broth left.
  • Continue stirring, until broth is absorbed but still creamy. Add lobster, cheese, butter, and parsley, stir together.

• Toss with extra virgin olive oil and minced chive on top of risotto. Serve and enjoy!

Macaroni and Cheese Carbonara│Bobby Flay Recipe & Image courtesy of www.BobbyFlay.com

• Ingredients:
  • Unsalted butter, for the baking dish
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 (1 inch thick) slice of guanciale or pancetta, cut into small dice
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 5 cups whole milk, or more if needed, hot
  • 4 large egg yolks, lightly whisked
  • 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 cups (8 oz) grated Asiago cheese, plus more for the top
  • 1 ½ cups (6 oz) grated Irish white cheddar, plus more for the top
  • 1 ½ cups (6 oz) grated American cheddar, plus more for the top
  • 1 cup (4 oz) grated aged fontina cheese, plus more for the top
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for the top
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lb pipe rigate, cooked just under al dente
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Directions:
  • Preheat the oven to 375F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10 x 10 x 2-inch baking dish and set it aside. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
  • Add the garlic to the fat in the pan and cook until light golden brown, 1 minute. Whisk the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk, raise the heat to high, and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs until incorporated and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the thyme, cayenne, and all the different cheeses until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper. If the mixture appears too thick, add additional warm milk, ¼ cup at a time.
  • Put the cooked macaroni in a large bowl, add the cheese sauce, reserved pancetta, and the parsley, and stir until combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

• Combine an additional ¼ cup each of Asiago, cheddars, fontina, and Parmesan in a bowl, and sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake until the dish is heated through and the top is a light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnut Vinaigrette │ Bobby Flay Recipe & Image courtesy of www.BobbyFlay.com

• Ingredients:
  • 1 lb medium Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed and outer leaves removed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp finely diced shallot
  • 1 tbsp clover honey
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Canola oil
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped toasted hazelnuts
  • 1 tsp grated orange zest
• Directions:
  • Heat your grill to high. If using wood skewers, soak them in cold water for at least 15 minutes.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until crisp-tender (a skewer inserted into the center meets a little resistance) – about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain well again. Pat dry with paper towels.
  • Whisk together the vinegar, shallot, honey, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified.
  • Toss the Brussels sprouts with a few tablespoons canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Skewer the sprouts onto the skewers and grill on both sides until golden brown and slightly charred and just tender, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the Brussels sprouts to a cutting board and cut them in half. Transfer to a platter.

• Drizzle the vinaigrette over the warm Brussels sprouts and top with the hazelnuts and orange zest.

Zucchini with Basil & Tomatoes │ Wolfgang Puck Recipe & Image courtesy of www.WolfgangPuck.com

• Ingredients:
  • 15 baby zucchini, approximately 1 pound
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 ripe medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, diced, and drained
  • 1 cup julienned basil leaves
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Salt
• Directions:
  • Cut the zucchini into ¼-inch slices diagonally, or ¼-inch cubes.
  • Heat the olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. Cook the zucchini and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and basil. Continue to cook for 3 more minutes, or until the zucchini is tender.

• Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or cold.

Mulled Wine Poached Pear Crisp │ Bobby Flay Recipe & Image courtesy of www.BobbyFlay.com


For the Crisp

• Ingredients:
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3 tbsp granulated pure can sugar
  • 3 tbsp Demerara sugar (or turbinado sugar, aka Sugar in the Raw)
  • 10 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

• Heat the oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and sugars and add the melted butter. Mix until small and large clubs form. Refrigerate until just chilled, 15 minutes.
• Spread the mixture in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until lightly golden brown, shaking the pan once, about 20 minutes. Remove to a baking rack to cool. Don’t worry if it feels a bit soft; as the crisp cools, it will get even crisper.

For the Pears

• Ingredients:
  • 1 bottle good quality red wine, such as Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet Sauvignon
  • ½ cup granulated cane sugar
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 3 star anise
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 vanilla bean, split
  • 2 strips of orange zest, 3 inches each
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 4 slightly ripe Bosc or d’Anjou pears, peeled, halved, and seeded
  • Lightly sweetened whipped cream
• Directions:
  • Combine the wine, sugar, cloves, star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla bean, orange zest and orange juice and lemon juice in a medium nonreactive high-sided sauté pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and let the mixture simmer.
  • Place the pears in the mixture, cut-side down, and cook, turning the pears once halfway through the poaching time, until a paring knife or skewer inserted into the center of the pear meets with no resistance, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the pears sit in the poaching liquid for 15 minutes. Remove the pears to a plate and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
  • Return the poaching liquid to the stove and cook over high heat until reduced to about 1 ½ cups, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Strain the liquid through a strainer into a bowl or pitcher and let cool for 10 minutes.
  • Serve 2 pear halves per person drizzled with some of the mulled wine syrup, sprinkled with the crisp topping, and finished with a dollop of whipped cream.

Whiskey Fudge Cake│Wolfgang Puck Recipe & Image courtesy of www.WolfgangPuck.com

• Ingredients:
  • 1 ¼ cup pastry or cake flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 10 ½ oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into small chunks
  • 12 tbsp (6 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cup sugar
  • 4 cage-free eggs, separated
  • 1/3 cup whiskey or brandy, warmed slightly
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar
• Directions:
  • Preheated the oven to 350F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set an 8 x 2 ½ inch ring (may be be purchased online or good baking supply shop) on it. Wrap an 8-inch cardboard round with foil and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.
  • In a double boiler or a metal bowl placed over simmering water, melt the chocolate. Reserve warm.
  • Meanwhile, with the paddle of electric mixer, cream the butter until light. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue to cream until fluffy. It is important this mixture is light and fluffy.
  • Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, the whiskey or brandy, and the vanilla. Stop the machine and scrape in the melted chocolate. Continue to mix until well combined. Remove the bowl from the machine and fold in half the flour mixture. Fold in the remaining flour.
  • With a clean whisk and bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and continue to whisk until shiny and firm, but not stiff. Stir ¼ of the whites into the batter to lighten, then, fold in remaining whites.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared cake ring and bake for 1 hour. Invert immediately onto the the foil-covered cardboard round and run a sharp knife around the sides of the cake, loosening the cake from the ring. Do not remove the ring from the cake. Let cool completely on a rack. Then, carefully lift off the ring.
  • Dust the cake with sifted powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream.

• Serve room temperature or slightly warm.