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Creamy Garlic Lemon and Dill Chicken Pot Pies

March 14, 2011 by 11 Comments

This Creamy Garlic Lemon and Dill Chicken Pot Pie is here to wish you all a very Happy Pi Day*.

*In case you don’t also occupy the Nerdosphere, I’ll explain. Today is March 14th. In other words, it’s 3.14… In other other words, it is a calendar representation of the whole number and first two decimal places of the mathematical constant whose value is the ratio of any Euclidean plane circle’s circumference to its diameter. Woot! Geometry in the hizzouse. Eat your pie at 1:59 if you really want to get your math nerd on.

All math aside, I love pie. It’s a happy food. It’s the kind of food that makes you feel like God’s in his heaven and all’s right with the world. While I dig a sweet pie as much as Georgie Porgie*, I do believe savoury pies get short-shrift. Today, on International Pi Day, I’m representing for Team Savoury Pie!

*My mother bent over backwards to give me all the food my little pea-pickin’ heart desired on my birthday every year. And most years, when she asked what kind of cake I wanted I replied, “Blueberry Pie”. My poor mother. The one thing she had a mortal dread of preparing; pie crust. And every year I requested it. I was a horrid child.

My love of savoury pies has been pretty well documented (ahem). Honestly. How could you possibly go wrong with a tender crust, a luxurious sauce of some sort and loads of tasty fillings? The answer is YOU CAN’T! It’s not possible.

As for as the crust on pot pies, I like a different crust than I do for my fruit pies.  For fruit pies, I go for flaky and tender. For meat pies and other savouries, I like a crust that’s easier to work with -more forgiving, if you will- and still tender. For as long as she’s been making them -lo, these decades- my Grandma has used a hot water stirred dough for her Yooper pasties and pasty pies. And you’d better believe me, all the food that’s ever come out of my Grandma’s kitchen is all the convincing I need.

The basic procedure is vastly different than standard pie crust. Whereas with the standard you use cold fat and cut it in, working the dough as little as possible, with the stirred dough, you melt boiling water and fat together then beat in the remaining ingredients. The resulting dough is incredibly easy to roll out and re-rollable (unlike standard dough.) When baked, it manages to be sturdy enough to hold meat, gravy, vegetables and whatnot while still being tender as a standard pie crust. If you were to compared a baked standard crust to a stirred crust, you’d find the standard crust to be more flaky but about equal in tenderness. If you’re a pie-crust novice, or pie-crust-o-phobe, this is the one to make as your starter crust. It’s a kinder, gentler dough for beginners.

For the fillings in this little beauty, I went in a Greek inspired direction with a classic combination of lemon and garlic and dill, oh my!  Just for a moment think about plunging a spoon down through a tender pastry crust into a creamy sauce full of chicken, and potatoes and peas. Bright, springy lemon with fresh-tasting dill keeps the creamy garlic sauce from tasting heavy or overbearing.

While I used peas as the green vegetable  for taste, texture and geometry (SPHERES!)  in this marvelous little pot pie, you can substitute cooked green beans, asparagus or even carrots if you so desire. You’re not bound by cosine laws to keep the peas. I release you from any guilt or angst or math agita regarding peas. You are absolved.

Creamy Garlic Lemon and Dill Chicken Pot Pies

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Yield: One large pot pie or 12 individual pot pies. There will be extra filling, but you can most definitely use the leftovers in a multitude of ways. Spoon over hot buttermilk biscuits or hearty toast for a serious brunch. Fill savoury crepes and top with minced parsley. Oh sure, you can halve or even quarter it, but where’s the fun in that?

Ingredients for crust (from the King Arthur Flour Tourtiere recipe):

  • 1-1/2 cups (9-3/4 ounces) vegetable shortening or (6 ounces) lard
  • 2/3 cup (4-3/4 ounces) boiling water
  • 4-1/2 cups (1 pound, 3 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1  teaspoon salt

Ingredients for filling:

  • 3/4 cup (12 ounces by weight) butter
  • 1 cup (4-1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 9 cups whole milk
  • 8 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken (I prefer a mix of white and dark meat for best flavor and texture.)
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and minced
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 4 leftover large baked potatoes (or the equivalent thereof of cooked potatoes. For these pies I used leftover Hasselback potatoes.) You can opt to use the peels or not, but either way, cut the potatoes into small cubes.
  • 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or good quality bottled lemon juice)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons dried dill weed (or 3 Tablespoons fresh, minced dill)
  • 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Begin by making the pastry dough. Stir together the shortening and boiling water in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) until the shortening is fully melted and combined with the water.  It will probably be a thick, milky white liquid at that point.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix together on low (either with a stand mixer or by hand) until a smooth dough forms.  Divide in two and pat each half into a smooth disc on a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and refrigerate while preparing the filling.

To prepare the filling, melt the butter over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot.  Whisk the flour in, little by little, until smooth and bubbly. After it becomes bubbly, cook and whisk constantly for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk until completely smooth. Heat gently until the sauce is bubbling and thickened. Stir in the chicken, peas, and potatoes.  Continue cooking and stirring until heated through. Stir in remaining ingredients and remove the stockpot from the heat.

Cover and return to the pastry.

To make one large pie:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Take one disc and cut it in half with a bench knife. Scatter flour over a clean counter and roll one half of the disc into an approximately 12-inch circle. Use the bench knife to fold it gently in half and then in half again. Place the pointy edge of the folded dough in the center of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.  Unfold the pie dough so it covers the pie plate. If needed, stretch or squash the dough so that it covers the whole plate and extends up a bit over the edges.  Spoon the filling into the prepared dough in the pie plate so that it is slightly mounded.

Roll the other half of the disc into a 9-inch circle and cut vents in the circle. Again, use a bench knife to fold the circle in half and in half again, place the pointy end of the dough at the very center of the filled pie plate and unfold the dough to cover the filling. Crimp the lower and upper crusts together.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the upper crust is deep golden  brown at the edges, light golden brown in the center, and the filling can be seen to be bubbling through the vent holes. Transfer pie plate to a cooling rack and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.  To serve, use a deep spoon to scoop the pot pie into bowls.

To Make 12 (or 24) Individual Pies:

To make these, you need 12 wide-mouth 1/2-pint (8 ounce capacity) or 24 jelly (4 ounce) canning jars. Do not use jars that are not heat-proof.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Take one disc of dough and cut in half.  Roll out one half of the dough to a thickness of about 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch and use the screw-top ring from a wide-mouth jar to cut 12 rounds (or 24, depending on the size you’re making.)

Pull away the excess dough and break off pieces to begin lining the jars. First, cover the inside bottom of the jar, using your fingers to squish seams together.

Continue grabbing pieces of dough to line up the insides of the jars to within about a 1/4-inch from the upper rim. When you run out of rolled pieces, pinch off pieces from the remaining dough disc and line the remaining jars.

Spoon filling into the dough lined jars to within 1/4-inch of the top of the dough (not the top of the jars!).  Cut vent holes into the pre-cut discs and lay gently on the filling in the jars. Use your fingers or a fork to crimp the lower dough to the upper disc.  If you plan to freeze the pies before cooking, be certain to keep the dough and filling fully below the rim of the jar. The three pot pies in the forefront of the picture below are freezer-friendly, but the back two are definitely not.

Place jars on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges of the upper crust are deep golden brown and the top is lightly browned. The crust inside the jars should look a very pale gold and the filling should be visibly bubbling when you look into the vent holes.

Transfer the jars from the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving. To keep the jars from sliding on the serving plates, you may want to put a damp hand towel or piece of moistened paper towel between the jars the the plates.

 

To Freeze Individual Pies:

Refrigerate the filled jars, unbaked and uncovered, until chilled through.  Fix two-piece canning lids onto the jars, label and freeze.

To bake from frozen, remove the two piece lids and place on a rimmed baking sheet and into a cold oven.  Set the oven for 375°F and let it come up to temperature. Bake for 30 minutes after the oven reaches temperature or or until the edges of the upper crust are deep golden brown and the top is lightly browned. The crust inside the jars should look a very pale gold and the filling should be visibly bubbling when you look into the vent holes. Transfer the jars from the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving. To keep the jars from sliding on the serving plates, you may want to put a damp hand towel or piece of moistened paper towel between the jars the the plates.

Dig in!

Look inside that little pot pie. Creamy, hearty, bright and garlicky; Go Team Savoury Pie!

3.0 from 1 reviews

Print
Creamy Garlic Lemon and Dill Chicken Pot Pies
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 8
 

These luscious, Greek-inspired pot pies are brimming with chicken, peas, potatoes, and a creamy garlic lemon dill sauce that is hearty without being heavy.
Ingredients
  • Ingredients for crust (from the King Arthur Flour Tourtiere recipe):
  • 1-1/2 cups (9-3/4 ounces) vegetable shortening or (6 ounces) lard
  • ⅔ cup (4-3/4 ounces) boiling water
  • 4-1/2 cups (1 pound, 3 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Ingredients for filling:
  • ¾ cup (12 ounces by weight) butter
  • 1 cup (4-1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 9 cups whole milk
  • 8 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken (I prefer a mix of white and dark meat for best flavor and texture.)
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and minced
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 4 leftover large baked potatoes (or the equivalent thereof of cooked potatoes. For these pies I used leftover Hasselback potatoes.) You can opt to use the peels or not, but either way, cut the potatoes into small cubes.
  • 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or good quality bottled lemon juice)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons dried dill weed (or 3 Tablespoons fresh, minced dill)
  • ⅛ teaspoon celery seed
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
  1. To make one large pie:
  2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  3. Take one disc and cut it in half with a bench knife. Scatter flour over a clean counter and roll one half of the disc into an approximately 12-inch circle. Use the bench knife to fold it gently in half and then in half again. Place the pointy edge of the folded dough in the center of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Unfold the pie dough so it covers the pie plate. If needed, stretch or squash the dough so that it covers the whole plate and extends up a bit over the edges. Spoon the filling into the prepared dough in the pie plate so that it is slightly mounded.
  4. Roll the other half of the disc into a 9-inch circle and cut vents in the circle. Again, use a bench knife to fold the circle in half and in half again, place the pointy end of the dough at the very center of the filled pie plate and unfold the dough to cover the filling. Crimp the lower and upper crusts together.
  5. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the upper crust is deep golden brown at the edges, light golden brown in the center, and the filling can be seen to be bubbling through the vent holes. Transfer pie plate to a cooling rack and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. To serve, use a deep spoon to scoop the pot pie into bowls.
  6. To Make 12 Individual Pies:
  7. To make these, you need 12 wide-mouth ½-pint (8 ounce capacity) canning jars. Do not use jars that are not heat-proof.
  8. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  9. Take one disc of dough and cut in half. Roll out one half of the dough to a thickness of about ⅛-inch to ¼-inch and use the screw-top ring from a wide-mouth jar to cut 12 rounds. Pull away the excess dough and break off pieces to begin lining the jars. First, cover the inside bottom of the jar, using your fingers to squish seams together. Continue grabbing pieces of dough to line up the insides of the jars to within about a ¼-inch from the upper rim. When you run out of rolled pieces, pinch off pieces from the remaining dough disc and line the remaining jars.
  10. Spoon filling into the dough lined jars to within ¼-inch of the top of the dough (not the top of the jars!). Cut vent holes into the pre-cut discs and lay gently on the filling in the jars. Use your fingers or a fork to crimp the lower dough to the upper disc. If you plan to freeze the pies before cooking, be certain to keep the dough and filling fully below the rim of the jar.
  11. Place jars on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges of the upper crust are deep golden brown and the top is lightly browned. The crust inside the jars should look a very pale gold and the filling should be visibly bubbling when you look into the vent holes. Transfer the jars from the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving. To keep the jars from sliding on the serving plates, you may want to put a damp hand towel or piece of moistened paper towel between the jars the the plates.
  12. To Freeze Individual Pies:
  13. Refrigerate the filled jars, unbaked and uncovered, until chilled through. Fix two-piece canning lids onto the jars, label and freeze.
  14. To bake from frozen, remove the two piece lids and place on a rimmed baking sheet and into a cold oven. Set the oven for 375°F and let it come up to temperature. Bake for 30 minutes after the oven reaches temperature or or until the edges of the upper crust are deep golden brown and the top is lightly browned. The crust inside the jars should look a very pale gold and the filling should be visibly bubbling when you look into the vent holes. Transfer the jars from the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving. To keep the jars from sliding on the serving plates, you may want to put a damp hand towel or piece of moistened paper towel between the jars the the plates.

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Filed Under: kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Main Dish, Meat, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Country Ham Stuffed Dates

March 2, 2011 by 7 Comments

Have you ever had a real country ham?  A proper country ham?  As in salt-cured, hard-wood smoked, aged ham from south of the Mason-Dixon?  If you haven’t, you really need to try one as soon as ever you can lay your hands on one.

Country Ham is a food experience unlike many in the United States.

It’s generally sold unrefrigerated, wrapped in parchment and swaddled in cheesecloth.

Meat: Unrefrigerated, uncanned, and covered in mold.  Aside from bleu cheese, there isn’t a lot of deliberately moldy food sold in our country. But make no mistake, this stuff is safe as houses. It is one giant cut of pork shoulder cured in enough salt to pay all the Roman Legionnaires of days gone by.  It’s smoked.  And then it’s aged.

Wow.

It’s ham the way ham was meant to be. Intense salty ham flavor and chewy texture.  There’s nothing even remotely insipid about this ham.  It demands for you to love it. And I do.  Oh, I do.

Around Christmas, my little sister, jockeying for Best-Little-Sister-Named-Christina-In-The-World status, brought us a Clifty Farms whole country ham when she visited from Virginia. I popped it on a hook in the cellar and saved it for a special occasion*.

*My special occasion ended up being Monday. Just because it was Monday. And I wanted ham. Don’t look at me like that. You try resisting a country ham in your basement.

When you remove the cheesecloth and parchment the scent surrounds you and makes your brain spontaneously combust with anticipation.  Brain combustion. Little known complication to eating country ham. The deep pinkish brown rind, golden fat and salty flesh that ranges from almost black to smoky red are a straight up invitation to take a bite cave-man style, but I wouldn’t advise it.

There are a couple things to consider first.  You’re going to want to soak it long enough to scrub that mold off.  It’s not harmful mold, obviously, but keeping it on there doesn’t really enhance the overall experience.  Most folks soak it overnight and give it a real overall scrub with a stiff brush. For detailed instructions on how to dismember your whole country ham and how to bake it, you can visit Clifty Farms website. Country ham is most commonly served in thick pan-fried slices with red-eye gravy. And that is one very good reason to buy a country ham in and of itself.  But that’s not the only good and righteous thing to do with one of these.

So what did I do with my big old ham aside from standing in front of it carving off pieces and popping them directly into my gaping mouth? If you keep in mind that country ham is pretty similar to a good prosciutto (but smoked) you’ll have a good idea of where I went with it.  I carved the whole thing up and portioned it out to freeze for later use, but saved a bunch of shaved end pieces, the most intensely flavored bits, to do today’s non-recipe recipe.  Country Ham Stuffed Dates. If a festive dish got any easier it’d be laughable. I can see a plate full of these as the most envied appetizer ever or a couple lovingly tucked into a beautiful lunch with tart apples and an aged cheese .

A country ham, may at first glance, seem a bit pricey, but they stretch and feed the masses like no other.  Because of the strength of flavor and the saltiness, a little country ham goes much further than a city ham of equal size. You get several different types of cuts of meat -slices for frying, big meaty pieces for chopping, shaved or chipped end pieces- along with a big soup bone and a lovely smoked hock. It ends up being a fantastic overall value.

Now a question.  Seeing as I have a large amount of beautiful country ham in my freezer I would love to hear your ideas.  What’s your favorite way to eat country ham?  Or regular ham?

If, sadly, you are unable to procure a real country ham you can substitute thinly sliced prosciutto with good results.  But please, for the sake of beauty in the world and food fabulousness, get thee to a hammery and pick up a piece of Americana.  You won’t regret it.

This post was not sponsored, requested or otherwise noticed by the good folks at Clifty Farms.  To my great chagrin, I’m pretty sure they don’t even know I’m gnawing on one of their hambones up here in rural New York.  I seriously believe in their product, though, and think you should all try one of their whole hams at your earliest convenience. If Clifty Farms ever stumbles upon this and is seeking a mighty enthusiastic spokeswoman, they know who to ask! And of course, many, many thanks to Christina for her thoughtful gift.


Country Ham Stuffed Dates

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Ingredients:

  • Shaved country ham (or prosciutto)
  • Pitted dates (Use the freshest, moistest dates you can get.)

Make a slice, lengthwise, in the date to but not through the center.  Stuff a slice or two of country ham into the open date. Don’t overstuff as the ham is intense and salty.  Arrange on a serving platter.  Store leftovers, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator.

Print
Country Ham Stuffed Dates
Author: 
Recipe type: appetizer, hors d’oeuvres, snack
Prep time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 2-4
 

Sweet, succulent pitted dates stuffed with intense, salty country ham. If a dish was any easier, it would be laughable.
Ingredients
  • Shaved country ham (or prosciutto)
  • Pitted dates (Use the freshest, moistest dates you can get.)

Instructions
  1. Make a slice, lengthwise, in the date to but not through the center. Stuff a slice or two of country ham into the open date. Don’t overstuff as the ham is intense and salty. Arrange on a serving platter. Store leftovers, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator.

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Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Charcuterie, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Meat, Recipes Tagged With: , ,

Corned Beef Hash

February 22, 2011 by 8 Comments

I love Corned Beef Hash. Have you ever played the “What would you eat for your final meal” game? This is on my list.

It’s nearly impossible to go too far wrong when you combine corned beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, salt and pepper.  But a sublime Corned Beef Hash is a thing of beauty. The corned beef takes on a concentrated meaty, savoury, salty, chewy intensity that can’t be achieved without a good spell in a very hot pan with a hearty dose of butter. And oh boy, those potatoes and onions…

Potatoes are meant to have crispy bits. That is how it was written from the beginning of time. A crackling, fat-crisped exterior with little caramelized nubs of onion surrounding a soft, creamy interior is my definition of the perfect potato. Don’t think I’m forgetting the carrots.  While it might look like they’re a walk-on in this scenario, but they play a crucial role. They are the lightly sweet counterpoint to the salt and starch and meat.

There’s a psychological component to this dish that’s hard to beat. Smelling onions and carrots sweetening in butter with frying potatoes and spiced beef is my idea of transcendental meditation. My brain blanks out to everything but the sound and scent of sizzling fat lapping at the edges of diced potatoes. You can’t buy medication or drugs that do that for you. Science just can’t replicate the full-body anticipation you experience while frying up a pan of this glorious peasant food.

Like most peasant food, hash originated as a way to make use of odds and ends and bits and pieces. Waste not, want not is the sentiment that has inspired many of the world’s best dishes.  And also like most peasant food, it’s really hard to royally botch this dish.

When it comes down to it, you could just toss all the chopped ingredients into a pan and it would yield something edible. But why settle for edible when you can shoot for incredible with the same set of ingredients?  Here are some of my tips for creating the ultimate Corned Beef Hash.

  1. Pre-boil your potatoes. Don’t skip this step! Boiling your potatoes lightly ahead of time helps you achieve that dreamed-of soft center and crisp outside. Skins on or off is up to personal preference completely. For myself, the only time I remove the skins in this dish is if they’re a little on the green side.
  2. Press the hash down in the pan with a sturdy spatula or spoon. This increases the amount of potato/carrot/corned beef surface area that comes into contact with the super hot pan. This ensures a high ratio of my favorite part of hash: the crispy bits.
  3. Don’t stir the cooking hash. I know. It’s like scratching an itch. You want to stir things. I want to stir things, but avoid the temptation. Remember that letting it sit there squashed against the hot pan equals crunchy goodness. You’ll be turning it every so often, but stirring is out!
  4. Potatoes love black pepper. Don’t skimp on the black pepper or your hash will be sad and so will you.
  5. Potatoes also love salt.  But exercise a little caution on this front. Corned beef is salty. You salt the cooking water for the potatoes.  You add a little salt to the onions and carrots to help get them cooking. You may want to soft-shoe the addition of salt to the actual hash because the flavors (and saltiness) will continue to concentrate until the whole thing is done cooking. Don’t worry. You can always salt it at the plate.
  6. Make more than you think you’ll need. Leftover hash stores in the refrigerator or freezer and reheats beautifully. I almost always wish I had made more.

Corned Beef Hash

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2-3 cups leftover fully cooked corned beef brisket, depending on how much you have and how much you want in the finished product
  • 8 largish Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and peeled if preferred
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 1 large carrot, scrubbed and peeled if preferred
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter, plus extra if needed
  • salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Optional for serving:

  • Stir-fried kimchi
  • Fried eggs
  • Hot sauce

Place a large pot of water over high heat and allow it to come to a boil while preparing other ingredients.

Place a large, heavy, well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over low heat and allow the butter to melt slowly in it while you dice your onions. You want the pieces of onion to be no larger than 1/4″.  Lob the root end off of the carrot. Slice it in half crosswise, then lengthwise. Lay the carrot quarters cut sides down on your cutting board and slice into 1/4″ thick strips lengthwise. Turn the strips perpendicular to your knife and chop roughly into 1/4″ cubes. When the butter is fully melted, add the carrots and onions to the pan, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, then stir.

Raise the heat to medium low and let cook while dealing with the potatoes then corned beef, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. The carrots and onions should cook for about 8-10 minutes.

To dice the potatoes, first slice them in half lengthwise. Lay, cut side down, on the cutting board and cut into 1/4″ thick ‘cards’.  Lay a stack of the potato ‘cards’ on the cutting board, cut sides down, and slice into 1/4″ strips.  Turn the strips perpendicular to your knife and chop roughly into 1/4″ cubes. Don’t sweat this too much, you just want pieces that are approximately the same size so they cook in about the same amount of time.

Salt the now boiling water with a hearty pinch of kosher salt and carefully add the diced potatoes. Return to a simmer. The potatoes should be mostly tender within 3-5 minutes. Do not cook them until they’re mushy. Drain and set aside.

To dice the corned beef, cut across the grain into 1/4″ thick slices.  Stack the slices and cut into 1/4″ strips. Turn the strips perpendicular to your knife and chop roughly into 1/4″ cubes.

By this time, your carrots and onions should have softened and the onions should be beginning to turn golden around the edges (at the 8-10 minute mark.) Turn the heat to medium. Add the boiled potatoes and diced corned beef to the pan and toss to evenly distribute the onions, carrot, potatoes, corned beef and fat. If it looks dry, you can add a little more butter or canola oil. Use a sturdy metal spatula or wooden spoon to press the mixture down toward the bottom of the pan. This promotes more caramelized bits and goodies. Grind black pepper over the mixture, to taste. Since I’m flush with attractive young men at my house, I had one of them do it for me.

Do not stir at this point!

If you hear sizzling and popping you are on the right track. If you don’t hear it, raise the heat a bit and see if that sets the sizzling in motion.  If you still don’t hear good things happening, add a bit more fat (either butter or canola oil), and that should do it.  After about 5-8 minutes, when things start smelling toasty, slide a metal spatula under the hash and lift a bit to examine the progress.  If it is starting to get golden brown bits, use your spatula to slide underneath and flip over the hash in sections. Don’t stir it, or you’ll break up all those lovely crisp parts. Press the hash down again to bring more surface area in contact with the pan. This is how you achieve the best coloring and texture on the hash.  Cook for about 5 minutes, then lift and flip sections again.  Carry on doing this until you get the degree of caramelization you prefer. When it is the color you desire, remove the pan from the heat. Beware. If you let one of those good-looking people hanging around your house wield the pepper grinder, they may feel entitled to snitch from the pan. Happens all the time around here…

Cast-iron retains heat, so if you do not want it to cook any further, you should transfer it to a serving dish immediately.

Serve hot.

I prefer mine with stir-fried kimchi and a fried egg on top, but most of my kids love it straight up with hot sauce.

Leftovers can be stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator and reheated in a skillet or in the microwave.

Print
Corned Beef Hash
Author: 
Recipe type: main, breakfast, dinner
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 8
 

When corned beef hash is done right, you get concentrated meaty, savoury, salty, chewy intensity that can’t be achieved without a very hot pan and butter.
Ingredients
  • 1½-3 cups leftover fully cooked corned beef brisket, depending on how much you have and how much you want in the finished product
  • 8 largish Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and peeled if preferred
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 1 large carrot, scrubbed and peeled if preferred
  • ½ cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter, plus extra if needed
  • salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • Optional for serving:
  • Stir-fried kimchi
  • Fried eggs
  • Hot sauce

Instructions
  1. Place a large pot of water over high heat and allow it to come to a boil while preparing other ingredients.
  2. Place a heavy, well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over low heat and allow the butter to melt slowly in it while you dice your onions. You want the pieces of onion to be no larger than ¼”. Lob the root end off of the carrot. Slice it in half crosswise, then lengthwise. Lay the carrot quarters cut sides down on your cutting board and slice into ¼” thick strips lengthwise. Turn the strips perpendicular to your knife and chop roughly into ¼” cubes. When the butter is fully melted, add the carrots and onions to the pan, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, then stir. Raise the heat to medium low and let cook while dealing with the potatoes then corned beef, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. The carrots and onions should cook for about 8-10 minutes.
  3. To dice the potatoes, first slice them in half lengthwise. Lay, cut side down, on the cutting board and cut into ¼” thick ‘cards’. Lay a stack of the potato ‘cards’ on the cutting board, cut sides down, and slice into ¼” strips. Turn the strips perpendicular to your knife and chop roughly into ¼” cubes.
  4. Salt the now boiling water with a hearty pinch of kosher salt and carefully add the diced potatoes. Return to a simmer. The potatoes should be mostly tender within 3-5 minutes. Do not cook them until they’re mushy. Drain and set aside.
  5. To dice the corned beef, cut across the grain into ¼” thick slices. Stack the slices and cut into ¼” strips. Turn the strips perpendicular to your knife and chop roughly into ¼” cubes.
  6. By this time, your carrots and onions should have softened and the onions should be beginning to turn golden around the edges (at the 8-10 minute mark.) Turn the heat to medium. Add the boiled potatoes and diced corned beef to the pan and toss to evenly distribute the onions, carrot, potatoes, corned beef and fat. If it looks dry, you can add a little more butter or canola oil. Use a sturdy metal spatula or wooden spoon to press the mixture down toward the bottom of the pan. This promotes more caramelized bits and goodies. Grind black pepper over the mixture, to taste.
  7. Do not stir at this point!
  8. If you hear sizzling and popping you are on the right track. If you don’t hear it, raise the heat a bit and see if that sets the sizzling in motion. If you still don’t hear good things happening, add a bit more fat (either butter or canola oil), and that should do it. After about 5-8 minutes, when things start smelling toasty, slide a metal spatula under the hash and lift a bit to examine the progress. If it is starting to get golden brown bits, use your spatula to slide underneath and flip over the hash in sections. Don’t stir it, or you’ll break up all those lovely crisp parts. Press the hash down again to bring more surface area in contact with the pan. This is how you achieve the best coloring and texture on the hash. Cook for about 5 minutes, then lift and flip sections again. Carry on doing this until you get the degree of caramelization you prefer. When it is the color you desire, remove the pan from the heat. Cast-iron retains heat, so if you do not want it to cook any further, you should transfer it to a serving dish immediately.
  9. Serve hot.
  10. I prefer mine with stir-fried kimchi and a fried egg on top, but most of my kids love it straight up with hot sauce. Leftovers can be stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator and reheated in a skillet or in the microwave.

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Bacon Jam, Avocado and Gorgonzola and Toasted Waffle Sandwiches | My Elvis Sandwich

January 27, 2011 by 14 Comments

WARNING: This sandwich is dangerous.  It is potentially habit-forming.

I apologize for what I’m about to introduce to you. Truly.  Deeply.  From the bottom of my bacon-enlarged bottom.  I’d say my heart, but my bottom’s bigger, especially after discovering these sandwiches.  And that’s a fact. Low-fat?  Heck no. Loaded with whole-grains?  No way. Low in sodium? Er, uh uh. There’s nothing at all redeeming about these other than the fact that they taste so darned good.  Sometimes, though, that just has to be enough.

You might recall the bacon jam post of last week.  (If you haven’t read it yet, hie thee hence and pronto! It’s going to change your life.)

Let me tell you a little story.  Earlier this week, my husband went on a business trip.  The minions, they were crushed.  Then they got surly.  And a house full of surly boys is no place for a tired mama. I thought fast and promised something I knew would turn the tide: waffles for dinner.  It worked like a charm*.  All the stink-eyes brightened up and there was much anticipation. The rest of the day was smooth as an egg.

*Yes.  My children are that fickle.

At four o’clock, I realized something.  I didn’t want waffles.  At all. I wanted jangsanjeok or broccoli soup. But there was no way out; I had used the “P” word.  I was crushed.  Then I got surly.

Then I got inspired.

My hand brushed against the bacon jam while I was reaching for the pork sausage in the refrigerator. Then an avocado and a hunk of Gorgonzola magically appeared in front of my eyes.  Well, they were right at eye level on the shelf, but -hey!- at least I noticed them. That was a minor miracle on that particular day.

Don’t you just love it when food speaks to you? The best things come when you least expect them. I was irritable, I was tired, I was hungry and the happiest sandwich in the world practically fell into my lap. Savoury and sweet bacon jam on toasted, crispy buttermilk waffles with perfectly ripe avocado slices and Gorgonzola cheese stuffed inside.

Great googly moogly!

This is my own personal Elvis Sandwich.  Fried peanut butter, banana and bacon?  Eh, alright. Elvis was onto something.  But if he had ever had one of these he would’ve been converted in an instant. He would’ve started singing.

“Love me tender, love me true.  Never let me go…”

Forget my warning. You need to get yourself one (or more) of these. Right. Now.

I never said I was high-class, that would just be a lie.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go make myself another sandwich. I think I’d better stay away from the white bedazzled jumpsuits.

Bacon Jam, Avocado and Gorgonzola and Toasted Waffle Sandwiches | My Elvis Sandwich

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Ingredients per Sandwich:

  • 2 leftover buttermilk waffles
  • up to 2 tablespoons bacon jam (recipe available here), slightly warmed
  • 1/2 of a perfectly ripe avocado, sliced into strips
  • 1-2 tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan over medium high heat.  Lay the waffles on the surface of the pan and toast for about 1 minute. Flip the waffles over to toast the other side.  Immediately spread up to 1 tablespoon of bacon jam on each waffle. Toast the second side of the waffles until golden brown and crisp. Transfer waffles over to a cutting board or plate.  Sprinkle half of the Gorgonzola over the jam side of one waffle, top with avocado slices, and the rest of the Gorgonzola cheese.

Add the second waffle. Eat. Repeat.

One more time, please let me apologize for introducing you to this.  I do.  I’m so sorry.

What?  No.  I’m not laughing evilly right now.

bwahahahahaha

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Bacon Jam, Avocado and Gorgonzola and Toasted Waffle Sandwiches | My Elvis Sandwich
Author: 
Recipe type: Main, Lunch, Snack
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 1
 

Elvis had his sandwich and I have mine. Smoky, savoury, sweet bacon jam on toasted waffles with creamy avocado and melting Gorgonzola cheese. Love me tender!
Ingredients
  • 2 leftover buttermilk waffles
  • up to 2 tablespoons bacon jam (recipe available here), slightly warmed
  • ½ of a perfectly ripe avocado, sliced into strips
  • 1-2 tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Instructions
  1. Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan over medium high heat. Lay the waffles on the surface of the pan and toast for about 1 minute. Flip the waffles over to toast the other side. Immediately spread up to 1 tablespoon of bacon jam on each waffle. Toast the second side of the waffles until golden brown and crisp. Transfer waffles over to a cutting board or plate. Sprinkle half of the Gorgonzola over the jam side of one waffle, top with avocado slices, the rest of the Gorgonzola cheese and the second waffle. Eat. Repeat.

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Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Charcuterie, Main Dish, Meat, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,

Jangsanjeok | Korean Simmered Teriyaki Style Beef Patties

January 21, 2011 by 22 Comments

I got goodies in the mail this week. Score!  It was a massive package of unexpected food-related goodies from my brother and his wife in Korea. Hat trick! In this magical box, Nate and Sun Hwa packed ramen, Korean coffee, laver, spicy tuna and a fantastic Korean foods cookbook. I promise I will cook my way through the book eventually, but the thing that jumped off the pages and screamed “EAT ME!” the most was the luscious looking Jangsanjeok.

There was no accompanying description of the dish, but the ingredients spoke for themselves; beef, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, green onions, honey.  Oh my, yes.  When someone says, “What sounds good to you for dinner?” my brain steers -on auto pilot- to some combination of those tastes. Those are my flavors.

There might not have been a description, but there was a photo and it was glorious.  Small squares of beef in a sticky, dark mahogany sauce dusted with chopped nuts. Heck to the yes. The sauce was so deeply colored that it was almost black.  I needed this badly. A closer study of the ingredient list revealed that I had everything (or a decent substitute for everything) required by the recipe.

My first attempt was, while satisfactory, not spectacular.  I found the quantities specified to yield a dish that was too salty for my tastes.  I love salt.  I’m obsessed with salt. I collect varieties of salt. I bleed salt.  But the way I wanted to eat the dish -pretty little sticky squares of garlicky beef perched atop a bed of steamy rice- didn’t work.  When the beef was nibbled at delicately in between bites of banchan and rice, it worked just dandy.

However…

Delicate nibbling does not seem to be the favored approach at our dinner table.  I liken my boys’ eating more to a contest. It’s not a contest between brothers, oh no.  It’s a personal challenge.  You can almost see them thinking, “If I eat this quickly and quietly, she will keep giving me more food. Need more food.”

This is hogwash as my children eat nearly constantly from waking to sleeping.  I regret introducing them to Lord of the Rings so early in life.  They now feel it is their birthright to eat breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper. If one of the seven is omitted the weeping and moaning and gnashing of teeth is Biblical in proportion. I’m fairly certain they all must have tapeworms. And this brings me to my point…

Eaten in the mode of my sons, the salt in this dish was overwhelming.  I modified the recipe to reduce the salt content in the sauce and was thrilled. The raw sugar I prefer in this dish gives it a subtle molassesy flavor and contributes to the gorgeous lacquered appearance of the beef patties.  Finally, I threw sesame seeds over everything for a little pop of that wondrous toasty, nutty sesame flavor.

Redolent with flavor, beautiful to the eye, family-friendly, simple and economical to prepare, and made with ingredients that are easy to find, Jangsanjeok is now a part of our regular meal rotation.

I think everyone should blow a collective kiss toward Daegu, Korea right now.  Thank you, Nate and Sun Hwa!

Jangsanjeok | Korean Simmered Teriyaki Style Beef Patties

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Adapted from ‘A Korean Mother’s Cooking Notes’

Ingredients for Beef Patties:

  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced green onion
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced (or pressed in a garlic press) garlic
  • 4 tablespoons raw sugar (can substitute white granulated sugar if necessary)
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for Simmering Sauce:

  • 5 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened apple juice
  • 6 tablespoons raw sugar (can substitute white granulated sugar if necessary)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 10 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1-1/2″ piece of ginger, thinly sliced*
  • 3 whole small dried red chilis (can substitute 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, can also reduce to suit heat preferences.)
  • 2 whole green onions, ends trimmed

Optional for Garnish:

  • Toasted Sesame Seeds
  • Minced Green Onions

*If you like the idea of having fine threads of cooked ginger adhered to your food with a sticky sauce (and I do, oh, I do!), peel and julienne the ginger before adding to the pot.  If you’d prefer no ‘stuff’ sticking to your food (alas, this is my three youngest children’s preference…) simply slice the ginger into thin coin-shaped pieces before adding with other ingredients.

Preheat oven to broil (High Broil if your oven allows you to differentiate) with the oven rack between 6 to 8 inches from the heating element.  (Alternately, you can heat your gas grill to High or lay a bed of hot coals in your charcoal grill.)

Combine beef with all the other patty ingredients in a medium size bowl.

Mix well with your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed.  Divide the meat into two portions.  Pat each portion into a square or rectangle that is about 1/2″ thick on a rimmed baking sheet.  The patties do not have to be shaped perfectly, but try your best to get them evenly thick in order to promote even cooking.

Broil or grill the beef for about 3 minutes on the first side.  Carefully flip to prevent breakage. One spatula underneath and one spatula pressed lightly against the top works well for the manoeuver. Return the patty to the broiler or grill and cook until cooked through.  This took 4 more minutes under my broiler.  Do not give in to the temptation to cook the beef rare or medium.  (It will become tender later as it simmers in the sauce.) Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely.

While patties cool, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a large skillet or braising pot.

When the patties are completely cool, cut into squares that are about 1-inch to 1 1/2-inches in size. Bring the sauce ingredients to a boil over medium high.  Stir well, then add the patties to the sauce.  Lower heat to medium low and simmer, basting the patties and turning occasionally, until the sauce has been reduced, is thick and syrupy and has been mostly absorbed.

These can be served over rice with ginger scallion sauce, as a snack, or as part of the banchan in a traditional Korean meal. I like a sprinkling of sesame seeds on top.

5.0 from 1 reviews

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Jangsanjeok | Korean Simmered Teriyaki Style Beef Patties
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 8
 

Try out this Korean classic tonight. Chances are you have everything you need for these small squares of beef in a sticky, dark, garlicky sauce served on rice.
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced green onion
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced (or pressed in a garlic press) garlic
  • 4 tablespoons raw sugar (can substitute white granulated sugar if necessary)
  • ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Ingredients for Simmering Sauce:
  • 5 tablespoons soy sauce
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons water
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened apple juice
  • 6 tablespoons raw sugar (can substitute white granulated sugar if necessary)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 10 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1-1/2″ piece of ginger, thinly sliced*
  • 3 whole small dried red chilis (can substitute 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, can also reduce to suit heat preferences.)
  • 2 whole green onions, ends trimmed
  • Optional for Garnish:
  • Toasted Sesame Seeds
  • Minced Green Onions

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to broil (High Broil if your oven allows you to differentiate) with the oven rack between 6 to 8 inches from the heating element. (Alternately, you can heat your gas grill to High or lay a bed of hot coals in your charcoal grill.)
  2. Combine beef with all the other patty ingredients in a medium size bowl. Mix well with your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Divide the meat into two portions. Pat each portion into a square or rectangle that is about ½” thick on a rimmed baking sheet. The patties do not have to be shaped perfectly, but try your best to get them evenly thick in order to promote even cooking.
  3. Broil or grill the beef for about 3 minutes on the first side. Carefully flip to prevent breakage. One spatula underneath and one spatula pressed lightly against the top works well for the manoeuver. Return the patty to the broiler or grill and cook until cooked through. This took 4 more minutes under my broiler. Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely.
  4. While patties cool, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a large skillet or braising pot.
  5. When the patties are completely cool, cut into squares that are about 1-inch to 1½-inches in size. Bring the sauce ingredients to a boil over medium high. Stir well, then add the patties to the sauce. Lower heat to medium low and simmer, basting the patties and turning occasionally, until the sauce has been reduced, is thick and syrupy and has been mostly absorbed.
  6. These can be served over rice with ginger scallion sauce, as a snack, or as part of the banchan in a traditional Korean meal. I like them with a sprinkling of sesame seeds on top.

Notes
If you like the idea of having fine threads of cooked ginger adhered to your food with a sticky sauce (and I do, oh, I do!), peel and julienne the ginger before adding to the pot. If you’d prefer no ‘stuff’ sticking to your food (alas, this is my three youngest children’s preference…) simply slice the ginger into thin coin-shaped pieces before adding with other ingredients.

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Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, kid food, Korean Food, Main Dish, Meat, Party Food, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Bacon Jam (a.k.a. Oooh-Mommy! Jam)

January 17, 2011 by 101 Comments

You know food is going to make you happy when it smiles at you.  (Probably could’ve made a buck selling a smiling egg yolk on eBay, but honey?  There was no way I was walking away from this breakfast.  And even if I did, there were twelve people waiting to take over the job for me this morning.)

My love of bacon has been pretty well documented (proof of my bacon-obsession) but I can honestly tell you that today’s recipe, Bacon Jam,  is the my favorite way I’ve ever eaten it.

I’m just going to say right here -at the beginning- that this is one of the hardest pieces I’ve ever written.  I’ve flogged my brain for hours, but the fact is, there aren’t enough superlatives to describe how core-shakingly good this bacon jam is. It is umami jam.  It is Ooo-Mommy jam.

Since every way I conceived to ‘splain this jam ends up sounded like a big, fat cliche in my brain (lip-smacking, mouth-watering, etc…) I thought a few anecdotes about the power of this Ooooh-Mommy, holy-cow, sweet-crappy-pappy-this-is-good jam might do the job.

  • While this jam was cooking, a neighbor (who we haven’t met in the three years we’ve lived here) came over to introduce himself.  He didn’t say as much, but I assume the smell drew him since he kept looking over at the stove where my pot of bacon jam bubbled away. He left as a friend.  He’ll be back. I’m sure of it.
  • I was chatting with my friend, Krysta, who lives on the opposite coast,  telling her how the scent of the cooking jam made me want to gnaw my own leg off at the ankle.  She realized she had the ingredients and decided to make it right then and there.  Within an hour she was drooling all over the place.  Ask her.  She’ll tell you.
  • When my beloved, The Evil Genius, tasted Bacon Jam for the first time, his eyes rolled back into his head and he said, “Ooooh- Mommy.”  While my husband is a food guy, those are reactions that he just doesn’t have. That equals spectacular food.
  • We had a grown-up slumber party last night (Okay, not just grown-ups.  Four adults and nine children. The kids were tucked in and it was party time, Foodie With Family style.  We were hard-core.  We broke out the Gilbert and Sullivan and sang along.  You haven’t played a drinking game until you have to take a sip every time someone in ‘Pirates of Penzance’ says ‘duty’!) This morning, breakfast was toasted slabs of fresh homemade bread smeared with bacon jam that we heated in a cast-iron frying pan next to sunny side up eggs.  Our friends and their kids have now moved into our house.

Speaking of these friends…  While we collectively munched our breakfasts, our dear Daytons, Pamela and Jon, helped us hash out just why a Bacon Jam topped piece of toast with a fried egg was superior to the traditional fare of bacon, eggs, and toast.  Jon observed that with Bacon Jam and fried egg on toast, you get the taste of bacon, egg, and toast in every bite. Because of his keen insight, he got double rations and the ability to choose the keyword the next time we all indulge in our Gilbert and Sullivan proclivities.

This post is special for one other reason.  The aforementioned Krysta  happens to have a pretty stylin’ food blog. You have read Evil Chef Mom, right? I really did tease her about the salty, sweet, meaty, maple-y, coffee-tinged dutch-oven-of-joy that I had just created, and she really did inventory her pantry and chill-chest and make her own batch.  We waxed rhapsodic over our new discovery.  And more than that, we decided that we both needed to post this at the very same time, because Bacon Jam turned us into giddy little teenage girls who buy and wear matching Johnny Depp* t-shirts. Hop on over to Evil Chef Mom and read Krysta’s reflections on the recipe.  She tried the recipe using Martha Stewart’s original instructions (using a slow-cooker.)

*Or somebody.  But probably Johnny Depp.  Because he could be the Bacon Jam of actors.  Or not.  But probably he is.

You can join the Bacon Jam Club, Krysta and I aren’t exclusive.  We want the whole world to know this joy.  Just be warned, once you try it, it’s like the mob. There’s no going back.

Bacon Jam (a.k.a. Oooh-Mommy Jam)

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Inspired by Martha Stewart and The Perfect Pantry

Yield: About 6 cups.  (You can easily halve this recipe.)

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds bacon
  • 4 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 8 cloves garlic, smashed with the flat side of a knife or a pan and peeled
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 cups very strong brewed black coffee
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cut the bacon slices into one inch strips.  Add the bacon to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until the bacon is browned.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate.  Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings into a heat-proof jar with a tight-fitting lid.*

*Save the bacon drippings in the refrigerator.  That’s too much flavor to trash!

Place the Dutch oven back over the medium-high heat and add the onions and garlic.

Stir well and reduce heat to medium.  Continue to cook for about 8 minutes, or until the onions are mostly translucent.

Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and drop heat again, this time to low.

Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and boil hard for 2 minutes.  After 2 minutes, stir the browned bacon into the onions and liquid.

Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally to make sure things aren’t sticking, adding 1/4 cup of water if it seems to be drying out. When the onions are meltingly soft and the liquid is thick and syrupy, remove the dutch oven from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Transfer the contents of the Dutch oven to the work bowl of a food processor that has been fitted with a blade.  Fit the lid in place and pulse several times or until the Bacon Jam is a spreadable consistency.  Scrape into a jar (or jars) or a container with a tight fitting lid.

Store in the refrigerator for up to one month or the freezer for up to six months!

Can be served cold, room temperature or warmed.

I do believe that breakfast just doesn’t get much better than this…

5.0 from 16 reviews

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Bacon Jam
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 32
 

Salty, meaty, chewy, sweet, savoury, smoky, bacony goodness. Bacon is crisped and made into the ultimate breakfast spread with maple syrup, onions, coffee, brown sugar and pepper.
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds bacon
  • 4 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 8 cloves garlic, smashed with the flat side of a knife or a pan and peeled
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1½ cups very strong brewed black coffee
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
  1. Cut the bacon slices into one inch strips. Add the bacon to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until the bacon is browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings into a heat-proof jar with a tight-fitting lid.*
  2. *Save the bacon drippings in the refrigerator. That’s too much flavor to trash!
  3. Place the Dutch oven back over the medium-high heat and add the onions and garlic. Stir well and reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook for about 8 minutes, or until the onions are mostly translucent. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and drop heat again, this time to low.
  4. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and boil hard for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, stir the browned bacon into the onions and liquid.
  5. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally to make sure things aren’t sticking, adding ¼ cup of water if it seems to be drying out. When the onions are meltingly soft and the liquid is thick and syrupy, remove the dutch oven from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
  6. Transfer the contents of the Dutch oven to the work bowl of a food processor that has been fitted with a blade. Fit the lid in place and pulse several times or until the Bacon Jam is a spreadable consistency. Scrape into a jar (or jars) or a container with a tight fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
  7. Can be served cold, room temperature or warmed.

Notes
The bacon jam could take up to 3 hours to reduce to a syrupy consistency. Just stick with it!

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Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Breakfast Foods, Camping Food, Charcuterie, Component Foods, Condiments, Eggs, Instructional, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Meat, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Side Dishes, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

How to Render Duck Fat and Make Duck Cracklins

January 12, 2011 by 10 Comments

“Duck fat!  Hoo ha ha!…*”

*Like Shark Bait, Hoo Ha ha! from ‘Finding Nemo’.

“crackLINS! crackLINS! crackLINS! crackLINS! Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck. NO GOOSE!”  went the chant from my children who  -just two hours before- were making wet gaggy noises while watching me break down a duck into breasts, leg and thigh portions and a hearty pile of duck fat and skin trimmings.

Boy did I change their tune. Just look at those cracklins.  Can you blame them?

It’s now duck town around here, people. I’ve signed on for Charcutepalooza (the brainchild of Mrs. Wheelbarrow and The Yummy Mummy).  At current count, there are about one hundred bloggers participating in this group organized by our illustrious leaders.

Charcutepah-whah you say? It’s a mashup of Charcuterie (The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing Meat and the title of the Michael Ruhlman book of the same name.) and Lollapalooza (an annual music festival involving a great many tattoos and alternative rock acts and questionable behavior.)  There will be one project per month (all projects from recipes gleaned from Michael Ruhlman’s Charcuterie.  Meat is mandatory. Questionable behavior and tattoos* are optional.

 

*There are tattoo rumors.  Just how devoted are we to meat?  We’ll see!

 

It’s common knowledge that I live in. the. middle. of. nowhere.  This is by choice. I like living way out here.  But I do occasionally miss the easy access to some of the finer things I crave; artisan meats, cheeses, etc…  So what’s a gal to do?

  1. Nothing.
  2. Become independently wealthy and have Armandino Batali open up a satellite store in my barn.
  3. Learn to make it myself.

With the organization of Charcutepalooza, option 3 seemed the most sensible choice.

This month’s project is Duck Prosciutto.  The recipe calls for two duck breast halves (or one whole duck breast, boned and separated.) Our local meat market had whole, all-natural ducks for $3.89/pound ~or~ boneless, skin-on breasts for $12.89/pound.  Holy moly.  Whole duck it was.  After removing and trimming the duck breasts and beginning the process of curing them, I had most of a duck left to turn into food.

The leg and thigh quarters were a no brainer; salt, herbs, garlic and spices and into the fridge to become duck confit (post forthcoming).  This left a biggish carcass, a duck neck, a bunch of fat and skin, and some offal.  The offal became the teensiest and cutest little old pâté you ever did see.  The carcass and neck jumped into a roasting pan to brown up then become stock.  And the duck skin and fat… Well, that’s where the magic happened.

Slowly rendering the fat away from the skin and little bits of meat clinging to it left us the ultimate culinary two-fer; golden duck fat and crispy duck cracklins.

Duck fat gives you French fries that are good enough to make you religious. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, “Duck fat is proof that God loves man and wants him to be happy.” Cracklins are like refined bacon. Are you hungry yet?  You ought to be.

Let’s get cracklin.

For a photo-free, printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here!

How to Render Duck Fat and Duck Cracklins

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of duck fat and skin trimmings (You should be able to get this from one duck after you have removed the breast, leg and thigh meat. Alternately, you can hit up your friendly local butcher for duck fat and skin trimmings.)
  • 1/4 cup fresh water

Cut the skin and fat into pieces that are roughly 1-inch in size.  Put in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pan with a capacity of at least 3 quarts.  A wider bottomed pan is more efficient for this application.

Pour the water over the trimmings and place the pan, partially covered, over the lowest heat possible.  As the trimmings and water warm up in the pan, fat will begin rendering (being made liquid) and water will start evaporating.  This will sound a bit like a gently sputtering boil.

The white fatty bits will slowly transform into lightly golden brown, crispy goodies.  As soon as they reach this stage, use a slotted spoon to remove the cracklins to a paper towel lined plate. The process can take anywhere from an hour to three hours, so I don’t recommend leaving the pan unattended for long. When the cracklins are on the lined plate, sprinkle with salt, to taste, and set aside. These can be eaten as a snack, baked into cornbread, sprinkled over salads or hearty soups like croutons, or used just about anywhere else you would use crisped bacon.

Turn your attention to the duck fat.  For the clearest duck fat, line a fine mesh strainer with a piece of cheesecloth.  If you’re in a hurry, a stainless-steel fine mesh strainer alone will suffice. Carefully pour the hot liquid fat through the strainer (lined if you so choose) into a jar or other clean, food-safe receptacle with a tight fitting lid.  Fit the lid in place and store your liquid gold in the refrigerator for up to a year.  It will become semi-solid and opaque in its chilled state, this is to be expected. Use duck fat to roast potatoes, make the ultimate French fries, sear or confit meats, or whatever sinful tasks you devise for it.

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Filed Under: Charcuterie, Component Foods, Food Preservation, Instructional, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Meat, Rebecca, Recipes, Snacks, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , ,

Pretzel Wrapped Smoked Sausages & Cranberry Mustard

October 10, 2010 by 36 Comments

I’ve made it to Challenge #4 in Project Food Blog from foodbuzz.com! I am having so much fun being part of this competition and I need to thank you so much for your continued support!  The prompt for this challenge was: “Sure, you can take a pretty picture. But your task here is to go above and beyond and use photography to create a step-by-step, instructional photo tutorial. It could be anything from how to bone a chicken to how to make your favorite recipe, but your photos need to guide the reader through the steps.”

The only chickens around here are quite alive and would probably not appreciate having their bones removed just now, so I’m opting to share one of my family’s all-time favorite foods.  Tighten up those apron strings and join in because this recipe is a must have for football or hockey viewing and upcoming holiday parties.  Maybe you should make it just because you can.  I’ve been known to do that…

A sausage in the hand is worth two on the fork.  Or so I’ve heard it said.

That everyone loves finger food is one of the immutable laws of the universe.* Portable and filling, hand-held foods are a real kid,  husband and crowd pleaser.

*The law -as written by me- states that any food that may be transferred from plate to mouth by way of hand or stick is exponentially more appealing and tasty than one which requires utensils or cutlery. I have yet to meet anyone who contests the law.

Soft pretzels and cocktail sized smoked sausages are in the upper echelon of snackery.* Soft pretzels at their best are a chewy, salty, satisfying contribution from the bread world. Cocktail sized smoked sausages offer a low-effort delectable umami punch in a cute little package.

*Their superiority is also an immutable law.  I offer proof.  What disappears first on a party buffet? If they are present, the answer is unquestionably soft pretzels and cocktail sausages. On another note, is snackery a proper word?  If not, I claim this newly coined word in the name of Foodie With Family.  I have a flag and everything.

These morsels?  These are the cream of the crop.  Pretzel Wrapped Smoked Sausages (with or without the divine Cranberry Mustard) combine the best of everything from the grab-and-go food world into two savory, chewy, dunkable, adorable-to-behold bites.  And oh, what bites they are!  This is far and away the most requested birthday, special occasion, just-because-I’m-craving-it recipe in my arsenal.

A word of caution… Make the whole batch.  Don’t be tempted to halve or quarter this because you will eat more than you thought you would and so will anyone standing around you.  That tray of pretzel sausages above was cleaned in 5 minutes flat. I don’t think you’ll have to worry about leftovers.  But, leftovers -if, by some miracle, you have them- freeze beautifully when wrapped in foil and a resealable bag.

Don’t think for a moment, though, that in the presence of such glorious snack food that this Cranberry Mustard is a throw-away recipe.  You have never had a mustard quite like this one before.  Ruby-hued, tart, thick, and sweet with that mustard pop, it compliments everything from smoked sausages to venison to roast turkey.  More unique than its lovely color is the fact that, unlike most homemade mustards that have to age for weeks, this one is ready to eat straight from the pan.  May I make a suggestion that will have you naming your next-born children after me? Have Cranberry Mustard at your next Thanksgiving table.  I have six words to say  that will convince you: Leftover turkey sandwiches with Cranberry Mustard. I believe that says it all, no?

For a printer-friendly, photo-free version of these recipes, click here!

Pretzel Wrapped Smoked Sausages

Yield: About 76 pieces.

Ingredients for the pretzel dough (Ingredients and bread machine method from the Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook):

  • 4 cups (1 pound and 1 ounce by weight) bread flour (High-gluten flour)
  • 1 tablespoon malt powder or sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

Ingredients for the pretzel bath:

  • 2 quarts water
  • 2 tablespoons baking soda

Additional Ingredients:

  • 2 (14 ounce) packages cocktail-sized smoked sausages
  • 1 egg white whisked together with 1 tablespoon of cool water until frothy
  • coarse salt

Optional:

  • melted butter for brushing the finished pretzels

To prepare pretzel dough with a bread machine:

Add all pretzel dough ingredients into the pan of the bread machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Program the bread machine for the dough cycle and press ‘start’.  Allow the machine to complete the cycle.

This is how the dough looks when it is completed.  If you are using one of the alternate dough preparations listed below, your dough should still be smooth and elastic like this.

To prepare pretzel dough with a stand-mixer:

Fit your stand mixer with a dough hook. Add all of the pretzel dough ingredients to the work bowl. Turn the stand mixer on using the lowest setting.  Keep the mixer on ‘low’ for 6 minutes.  After 6 minutes, remove the dough hook from the bowl.  Cover with a damp tea towel.  Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy and doubled in bulk; about 35 minutes.

To prepare pretzel dough by hand:

Add dry pretzel dough ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix lightly with a whisk.  Add the milk and water to the bowl and stir well with a sturdy spoon until a shaggy dough forms.  Turn out onto a lightly floured counter top and knead until a smooth and elastic dough forms.  Place in a clean bowl covered with a damp tea towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy and doubled in bulk; about 35 minutes.

To assemble the pretzel wrapped sausages:

Empty the sausages into a bowl for easiest access. Line 3 half-sheet pans with parchment paper.  Spray the parchment paper lightly with non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.

Turn the risen dough out onto a clean counter top. (Do not flour the counter top!)  Use a bench knife or spatula to pinch or cut off a piece of dough about the size of a ping pong ball.  Cover the bulk of the dough with a clean towel to keep it from drying.

Squash the piece of dough flat.  Using the pads of your fingers and the palms of your hands, roll the piece of dough back and forth, gently moving hands away from each other. If you call on your play-dough snake making experience to get the right feel for the movement you’re on the right track.

Continue rolling the dough until it forms a long cord with a diameter of about 1/4-1/2 of an inch.  Hold the end of the dough cord to the end of the cocktail sausage with one hand. Use the other hand to coil the pretzel dough around the sausage down to the other end.

Use a bench knife or spatula to cut the excess dough cord.

Wind the last bit of dough cord tightly at the end and pinch the loose ends  into the dough coil. Don’t worry about perfection.  You’re working with sausages and pretzel dough.  Whether it ends up a perfect finished coil or not it will still taste like a dream!

Place, pinched sides down, on the prepared parchment lined pans.  Let rise, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

To boil and bake the pretzel wrapped sausages:

While the pretzel dough is rising, preheat oven to 400°F and bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.  Add the baking soda to the boiling water.  Carefully lower up to 8 pretzel dough wrapped sausages into the boiling water with your hands.  Take care not to drop them from on high as that will cause the boiling water to splash.  Allow them to simmer for about 45 seconds. The pretzel dough will become puffy and some ends may come untucked.  As soon as you reach this stage…

…Use a slotted spoon to lift each piece from the water, drain and return to the pans.  Brush each piece with the frothy egg wash.

Remember that the sausage is already salty, so use a light hand in sprinkling the coarse salt.

Bake the trays for 16 minutes each, or until the pretzels are a glossy golden brown.  Remove from the oven.  If desired, brush the finished pretzels with melted butter and cool for 5 minutes before transferring the pretzel sausages to a serving platter.

Cranberry Mustard

Adapted gently from The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

Yield: A little over 8 ounces.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 1/3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 2 generous pinches ground allspice

Bring red wine vinegar to a boil in a stainless steel pan.  Remove from heat, add yellow mustard seeds, swirl the pan and cover tightly.  Let the pan sit at room temperature for about an hour or until the seeds have absorbed almost all of the red wine vinegar. Scrape the soaked seeds into a blender or food processor fitted with a stainless steel blade.

Process until most of the seeds have been crushed.  Do not process until completely smooth as you still want a grainy texture with some whole seeds.  Add the cranberries, Worcestershire sauce and water and process until the cranberries are finely chopped.  Here is where you start getting an idea of just how gorgeous this mustard will be.

Use a silicone or rubber spatula to scrape the cranberry/mustard seed mixture back into the stainless steel pan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Boil gently for 5 minutes.

Whisk in the sugar, mustard powder and allspice until completely incorporated. Simmer until reduced by third, about 5-10 minutes.  Transfer into a clean jar with a tight fitting lid.

The mustard is ready to use immediately, but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month. This is the only mustard I’ve ever found myself sneaking by the spoonful straight from the jar.  Yes, it is that good.

This is my fourth entry in Project Food Blog over at Foodbuzz.com. Did you like this recipe and the post?  I’d appreciate your vote of support! Voting is now open.  To show your support for Foodie With Family, you can click here or on the orange “Vote for Me” tab in the Official Project Food Blog Contestant widget in the upper right sidebar. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for getting me this far and for your continued support!

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Bread, Holiday Food, Instructional, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Meat, Party Food, Project Food Blog 2010, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,
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