12/12/14 recipe -Taste USA

Friday, December 12, 2014

Classic Spoon Bread

How to make Classic Spoon Bread Recipe - Astandard 8-inch (20 cm) soufflé dish, but any straight-sided, heavy pan will work, even an iron skillet. Because the spoon bread soon falls from its spectacular height, serve it as quickly as possible; even in its deflated state, though, spoon bread still tastes delicious. Serve leftovers with maple or cane syrup.

6 TO 8 SERVINGS

Ingredients:
3 cups Half-and-half
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup White or yellow cornmeal, fine-ground
2–3 tablespoons Unsalted butter, melted
3 Eggs (large), at room temperature, separated

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 11/2-quart (1.5 l) soufflé dish.

Bring the half-and-half and salt to a simmer in large, heavy saucepan. Reduce heat to low.

Slowly whisk in the cornmeal. Continue whisking until cornmeal thickens and develops satin sheen, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in butter; set mush aside.

Whisk yolks and 1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 ml) water together in small bowl until lemon-colored and very frothy. Stir them into cooled mush, a little at a time to keep yolks from cooking.

Beat egg whites to stiff but not dry peaks; gently fold them into mush mixture.

Pour mixture into buttered soufflé dish. Bake until spoon bread is golden brown and risen above dish rim, about 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

Spoon Bread with Cheddar Cheese:
Follow recipe for Classic Spoon Bread, stirring in 1 cup (2 ounces, 56 ml) grated sharp Cheddar cheese along with the butter.

The Best Popovers

How to make The Best Popovers Recipe - This batter can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 4 days. If you’re making it ahead, bring it to room temperature and stir well before pouring it into a hot pan.

1 DOZEN, IN A MUFFIN TIN

Ingredients:
1 cup All-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Milk (whole)
2 Eggs (extra-large)
1 tablespoon Unsalted butter, melted

Method:
Adjust oven rack to low position and heat the oven to 450°F (225°C). Place empty muffin or popover tin in oven to heat while making batter.

Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Lightly whisk together the milk, eggs, and butter. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients all at once; whisk until just blended. (Batter can be made ahead and refrigerated in sealed container for up to 4 days.) Pour batter into measuring cup for easy pouring.

Remove hot pan from oven; lightly grease interior of each cup and pan rim.

Fill each cup half full with batter. Bake without opening oven door for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 350°F (175°C) and continue to bake until popovers are rich brown in color, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Serve warm. (Popovers can be frozen in airtight plastic bags, and warmed in 325°F [163°C] oven until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.)

Flaky Biscuits

How to make Flaky Biscuits Recipe

16 BISCUITS

Ingredients:
2 cups All-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Baking powder
3/4teaspoon Salt
5 tablespoons Unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/4-inch (.6 cm) cubes
3 tablespoons Vegetable shortening or lard, chilled
2 tablespoons Unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup Milk, cold

Method:
Adjust oven rack to center position. Preheat the oven to 450°F (225°C).

Mix first 3 ingredients in a large bowl or the work bowl of a food processor fitted with steel blade. Add the chilled butter; with your fingertips, a pastry blender, 2 knives, or steel blade of a food processor, mix, cut, or process butter and shortening into dry ingredients, until the mixture resembles dry oatmeal. (Transfer food processor mixture to a large bowl.)

Stir in the milk with a rubber spatula or fork until dry ingredients are just moistened. Let dough rest for 1 minute, then transfer it to a well-floured work surface.

Roll the dough into a rough 6 x 10 inch (15 x 25 cm) rectangle.With the long edge of the dough facing you, fold in both short ends of the dough so that they meet in the center; then fold the dough in half by width, forming a package of dough 4 layers thick. Once again, roll the dough into a 6 x 10 inch (15 x 25 cm) rectangle 1/2 inch (1.2 cm) thick.

Using a lightly greased and floured 2-inch (5 cm) cutter, stamp, with one decisive punch per round, 4 rows of 3 dough rounds, cutting them close together to generate as few scraps as possible. Dip cutter into flour before each new cut. Push the scraps of dough together so that their edges join; firmly pinch the edges with fingertips to make a partial seal. Pat the dough into small rectangle, fold it as before, and re-roll 1/2 inch (1.2 cm) thick. Cut out 3 or 4 more biscuits.

Place dough rounds 11/2 inches (3.8 cm) apart on an ungreased baking sheet; brush dough tops with melted butter or milk. (May be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 hours.)

Bake until biscuits are lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately.

Cheddar Biscuits:
Decrease the butter called for in Fluffy Biscuits to 5 tablespoons (21/2 ounces, 70 g), or that in Flaky Biscuits to 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces, 42 ml).After the fat has been cut or processed into the flour, add 1 cup (235 ml) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese; toss lightly, then stir in liquid.

Herb Biscuits:
Make Fluffy Biscuits, adding 3 tablespoons (9 g) minced parsley or 2 tablespoons (6 g) parsley and 1 tablespoon (3 g) of either minced fresh tarragon or dill after the fat has been cut or processed into the flour. Split these and use them as a base for rich scrambled eggs or creamed chicken or seafood, or serve them as biscuits plain and simple.

Strawberry Shortcake:
Follow the directions for Flaky Biscuits, but increase the butter to (4 ounces, 112 ml) and the shortening to 1/4 cup (2 ounces, 56 ml).With a 3-inch (7.6 cm) cutter, stamp out 8 dough rounds. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce, 15 g) sugar.Toss 1 quart (1 l) hulled and sliced strawberries with 1/4 cup (2 ounces, 55 g) sugar. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Split shortcakes in half and spread with a bit of unsalted butter. Arrange bottoms on plates, cover with berries, and replace the tops.Top with 2 to 3 tablespoons (28–42 ml) of heavy cream.

POPOVERS:
Popovers seem like magic. Made from a simple, thin batter of eggs, flour, milk, and melted butter, they pop up in the oven to triple their original height with no help from leavening of any sort. This amazing feat is the result of two factors; a hot oven and a pan that is deeper than it is wide, which causes the steam released during baking to make a giant bubble. The steam is contained by a structure created by the starches and proteins in the batter. The ideal popover pops up high with a thin, crusty exterior and a relatively dry interior with threads of custardy dough.

Fluffy Biscuits

How to make Fluffy Biscuits Recipe - Make sure that your oven rack is set at the center position. If baked at too low a temperature, the biscuits will likely end up with burned bottoms.

12 BISCUITS

Ingredients:
1 cup All-purpose flour
1 cup Cake flour
2 teaspoons Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/4-inch (.6 cm) pieces
2 tablespoons Unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup Buttermilk, cold

Method:
Set oven rack at middle position. Preheat the oven to 450°F (225°C).

Mix or pulse first 6 ingredients in a large bowl or the work bowl of a food processor fitted with steel blade.With your fingertips, a pastry blender, 2 knives, or steel blade of the food processor, mix, cut, or process chilled butter into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps.

If making by hand, stir in buttermilk with a rubber spatula or fork until mixture forms into soft, slightly sticky ball. If dough feels firm and dry bits are not gathering into a ball, sprinkle dough clumps with additional tablespoon of buttermilk. Be careful not to overmix. If using a food processor, pulse until dough gathers into moist clumps. Remove the dough from food processor bowl and form into rough ball.

With lightly floured hands, divide dough into 12 equal portions. Lightly bat a portion of dough back and forth a few times between floured hands until it begins to form a ball, then pat lightly with cupped hands to form a rough ball. Repeat with remaining dough, placing formed dough rounds 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on ungreased cookie sheet or pizza pan. Brush dough tops with melted butter or milk. (May be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.) Bake until biscuit tops are light brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately.

Hollandaise Sauce

How to make Hollandaise Sauce Recipe - One of the five grand sauces, hollandaise sauce is a rich, hot emulsion sauce made from egg yolks and butter flavored with vinegar and lemon juice. A variety of small sauces are made from hollandaise sauce, the most common being béarnaise sauce.An example of hollandaise sauce used in American regional cuisine is demonstrated in the recipe for Braised Leeks, featured in Cajun and Creole Cuisines

For the reduction:
1 teaspoon Black peppercorns
4 tablespoons Water, cold
2 tablespoons Distilled vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Salt

For the sauce:
5 Egg yolks
2 1/2 cups Butter, clarified, warm (not hot)
to taste Lemon juice
to taste Salt

Method:
Crack the peppercorns in the bottom of a saucepan.

Add the water, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce the volume of liquid by twothirds. Remove from the heat and reserve until needed.

Place the egg yolks in a stainless-steel bowl. Strain the liquid from the reduction into the bowl with the egg yolks.

Cook over a double boiler, whisking constantly and vigorously. Cook the egg yolks until the mixture reaches a minimum of 150°F (65°C). This process takes only 3 to 5 minutes. Typically, the egg mixture thins, then starts to thicken. At 160°F (71°C), the egg mixture should have a nappé consistency. Be careful to stir constantly so the eggs do not congeal.

Once the egg yolks are cooked, immediately remove the bowl from the double boiler.

Whisk in the warm clarified butter, 1 ounce (28 ml) at a time, with a vigorous back- and-forth motion, in order to incorporate as much air as possible. Make sure the clarified butter is warm, as hot butter will cause the emulsion to break down.

Season the sauce to taste with lemon juice and salt. If the sauce is too thick, adjust the consistency with a little warm water. If the sauce appears to have small pieces of congealed egg in it, strain it through a chinois before using.

Chef Tips:
A well-made hollandaise sauce is smooth and free of lumps.The flavor is primarily of butter, but not so much that the butter overpowers the egg and lemon flavors. The consistency of hollandaise should not be heavy but rather light and fluffy. Many professionals choose to use softened whole butter instead of clarified butter in their hollandaise sauce because whole butter has much more flavor. If using whole butter, make sure that the initial reduction is cooked until almost dry because whole butter contains a lot of natural moisture, which can lead to a thinner sauce.This problem is countered by cooking the reduction longer to decrease liquid. Hollandaise sauce is an emulsion sauce, which means the fat molecules of the butter are temporarily suspended in the eggs.This emulsion is not permanent and is subject to breaking down.A hollandaise may break for a variety of reasons, including exposure to heat, exposure to cold, the technique used to prepare the sauce, or simply because the sauce was not stirred from time to time.

Vegetable Stock

How to make Vegetable Stock Recipe

1 GALLON (3.8L)

For the mirepoix:
4 cups Onions, in small dice
2 cups Carrots, in small dice
2 cups Celery, in small dice
2 cups Leeks, white and green parts, chopped
1/2 cup Turnip, in small dice
1/2 cup Tomato, diced
4 Cloves garlic, chopped
1 gallon Water, cold
1 cup Dry white wine

For the sachet d’épices:
1/2 teaspoon Thyme leaves
1 Bay leaf
6–8 Parsley stems
1/4 teaspoon Black peppercorns, crushed

Method:
Heat the oil in a medium saucepot.

Sweat the mirepoix, leeks, turnip, tomato, and garlic until the onions are translucent, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the water and wine.

Place the sachet d’épices ingredients in a small square of cheesecloth, tie with twine, and add to the liquid.

Slowly bring the stock to a gentle simmer and continue to simmer for 45 minutes while regularly skimming the surface, removing and discarding any impurities.

Strain the stock through several layers of cheesecloth that have been rinsed in cold water and placed in a conical strainer.

Chef Tips:
Vegetable stock is a flavorful liquid made from vegetables that are simmered in water, wine, and seasonings for approximately 45 minutes.The resulting liquid should be clear, with a light color, and highly aromatic. Including just two or three vegetables in addition to mirepoix produces better results than a vegetable stock made with a larger variety of vegetables.

Any type of vegetables can be used for vegetable stock, but the number of vegetable types in a single stock should be limited.Too many vegetables can create a confusing flavor.The selection of vegetables should complement the intended purpose or finished product of the stock. If the vegetable stock is being used to make a mushroom sauce, for example,mushroom stems would be an excellent choice to include as one of the flavors in the stock. Fennel, however, would not be appropriate because its strong flavor would overpower the taste of the mushrooms.

Fish Stock

How to make Fish Stock Recipe

Ingredients:
11 pounds Fish bones
1 cup Celery, in large dice
2 cups Onions, in large dice
1 cup Leeks, green portion only, chopped
3 cups Mushroom stems
5 quarts Water, cold

For the sachet d’épices:
1/2 teaspoon Thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon Black peppercorns, crushed
1 Bay leaf
3–4 Parsley stems
2–3 Leeks, green portion only, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces

Method:
Rinse the fish bones thoroughly under cold running water.

In a small stockpot, combine the bones, celery, onions, leeks, mushroom stems, and cold water.

Place the ingredients for the sachet d’épices in a small square of cheesecloth, tie with twine, and add to the liquid.

Slowly bring the stock to a gentle simmer and continue to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes while regularly skimming the surface, removing and discarding any impurities.

Strain the stock through several layers of cheesecloth that have been rinsed in cold water and placed in a conical strainer.

Chef Tips:
Fish stock is a flavorful liquid made from fish or shellfish bones simmered with vegetables in water and seasonings for approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Good-quality fish stock is highly aromatic and colorless.The standard ratio of ingredients used to prepare fish or shellfish stock is 176 ounces (5 kg) of bones or shells, 5 quarts (160 ounces, 4.7 l) of cold water, 1 pound (454 g) of mirepoix, and 1 sachet d’épices or bouquet garni per gallon of finished stock.

White Stock

How to make White Stock Recipe

4 SERVINGS

Ingredients:
6 quarts Water, cold
8 pounds Beef, veal, or chicken bones

for the mirepoix:
2 cups Onions, in large dice
1 cup Carrots, in large dice
1 cup Celery, in large dice

for the sachet d’épices:
1/2 teaspoon Thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon Black peppercorns, cracked
3–4 Parsley stems
1 Garlic clove, crushed

Method:
Bring the water to a boil in a 10-quart (9.5 l) stockpot. Place the bones in the stockpot, return to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat.

Strain the bones, discard the liquid, and rinse the bones under cold running water.

Clean the stockpot, add the rinsed bones and water to cover, bring to a boil, and simmer over low heat. Skim the surface, removing and discarding any impurities. Simmer the stock for 6 to 8 hours (3 to 4 hours for chicken bones). Continue to skim the surface regularly, discarding the impurities.

Add the mirepoix ingredients.

Place the sachet d’épices ingredients in a small square of cheesecloth, tie with twine, and add to the simmering stock.

Continue to simmer gently for 1 additional hour.

Strain the stock through several layers of cheesecloth that have been rinsed in cold water and placed in a conical strainer.

Chef Tips:
White stock is a flavorful liquid made from beef, veal, or chicken bones simmered in water with vegetables and seasonings for 6 to 8 hours (3 to 5 hours for chicken bones).The resulting liquid should be clear and without color, highly aromatic, and gelatinous. For a neutral flavor, veal bones are suggested.The standard ratio of ingredients used to prepare white stock is 8 pounds (3.6 kg) of beef, veal, or poultry bones; 6 quarts (5.7 l) of cold water; 1 pound (460 g) of mirepoix; and 1 sachet d’épices or bouquet garni per gallon of finished stock.

Blanching the bones before making a white stock is an optional step. Chefs today disagree on whether or not this is necessary; the question has to do with the loss of flavor during the blanching process.Although the process does take away a little flavor from the resulting product, blanching the bones gives the finished stock
extra clarity. If the bones are very fresh, blanching is certainly not necessary, as extremely fresh bones provide both maximum flavor and clarity to stocks made with them. If the bones are frozen or a few days old, they should be blanched. If you choose to blanch the bones, do so with water that is boiling so that as little flavor as possible is lost.

Brown Stock

How to make Brown Stock Recipe

Ingredients:
8 pounds Beef, veal, chicken, or game bones
1/4 cup Vegetable oil
6 quarts Water, cold

for the mirepoix:
2 cups Onions, in large dice
1 cup Carrots, in large dice
1 cup Celery, in large dice
1/2 cup Tomato paste

for the sachet d’épices:
1/2 teaspoon Thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon Black peppercorns, cracked
3–4 Parsley stems
1 Garlic clove, crushed

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204.4°C).

Coat the bones with the oil and roast them, stirring frequently, until well browned.

Place the bones in a 10-quart (9.5 l) stockpot and cover with the cold water (keep roasting pan at hand). Bring to a simmer. Skim the surface, removing and discarding
any impurities.

While the stock comes to a simmer, heat the roasting pan used to brown the bones to clarify the fat. Drain the fat and reserve.

Deglaze the roasting pan with 2 cups (8 ounces, 240 ml) of the liquid from the stockpot. After the roasting pan is deglazed, add the remaining liquid to the simmering stock.

For the mirepoix, lightly coat the onions, carrots, and celery with some of the reserved fat, place them in the roasting pan, and brown thoroughly, stirring regularly.

Combine the tomato paste with the vegetables and return to the oven. Continue to roast the vegetables, stirring regularly, until the tomato paste starts to brown.

Add the roasted, browned vegetables to the simmering stock.

Deglaze the roasting pan again with 1/2 cup (4 ounces, 120 ml) of the liquid from the stockpot and add to the simmering stock.

To create the sachet d’épices, place the thyme, peppercorns, parsley, and garlic in a small square of cheesecloth and tie with twine. Add the sachet to the simmering stock.

Continue to simmer gently for 6 to 8 hours (3 to 4 hours for chicken). Skim the surface regularly, discarding the impurities. Add water as needed to keep the bones from becoming exposed as the stock evaporates.

Degrease the stock and strain through several layers of cheesecloth that have been rinsed in cold water and placed in a conical strainer.

Chef Tips:
Brown stock is a flavorful liquid made from caramelized beef, veal, chicken, or game bones and vegetables, simmered in water with seasonings for 6 to 8 hours (3 to 4 hours for chicken). This stock should be a rich, dark color, highly aromatic, and gelatinous when finished. The standard ratio of ingredients for brown stock is 8 pounds (3.6 kg) of beef, veal, poultry, or game bones, 6 quarts (5.7 l) of cold water, 1 pound (60 g) of mirepoix, and 1 sachet d’épices or bouquet garni per gallon of finished stock.

For any type of brown stock, be careful to thoroughly and evenly brown the bones and mirepoix. Remember, the difference between browned and burned bones is only a brief amount of time.

Taro Root Cakes

How to make Taro Root Cakes Recipe

4 SERVINGS

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Taro root, peeled, 1/4 inch (.6 cm) dice
1 1/2 cups Russet potatoes, peeled, 1/4 inch (.6 cm) dice
2 tablespoons Butter
1 cup Maui Sweet onions, 1/4 inch (.6 cm) dice
2 tablespoons Parsley, chopped
To taste Salt
As needed Flour

Method:
Boil the taro root and potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain, dry, and run through a ricer.

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the butter and sweat the onions until translucent.

Stir in the parsley. Add the taro root and potato mixture, and combine well.

Season with salt and shape into 2-ounce (56 g) patties. Roll in flour and pan-fry until golden brown. Serve immediately.