Fig and Belgian Dubbel Reduction

Move over wine.  It is time to share the culinary platform.  Meet the Belgian dubbel.

This recipe, as with my previous pancake post, was nudged--nay--pushed along by a recent class on cooking with beer taught by Sean Paxton.  The idea had been stewing for a while, largely thanks to the quantity of time I seem to spend at Boom Island Brewing Company during their sample room hours.  It is hard not to get excited about food and beer when you can talk directly to the people whose passion creates that lovely beverage in hand.  Using beer in lieu of wine for a reduction had come up many a time during these visits to the brewery.

This recipe is sort of a trial run for a future dinner.  I have grandiose plans for this sauce.  Tonight, it was served over dredged and seared boneless chicken thighs.  But mark my words...as soon as I have the time to head to one of our nicer meat markets or co-ops, duck breast will be featured prominently.

The beer of choice for the reduction was Boom Island's Hoodoo.  To date, they do not distribute outside of Minnesota.  But do not despair...several great Belgian dubbels are available through out the country.  Chimay Premiere, Westmalle Trappist Dubbel, Goose Island Pere Jacques and Ommengang Abbey Ale are all excellent brews to try this with.

To bring out a bit more of the dark fruit sweetness, and cut an potential bittering from the cooking process, I opted to saute up the shallots with an equal amount of dried fig.  The thought had crossed my mind to soak the figs first in some of the dubbel...or perhaps even bourbon.  But baby steps, baby steps.

The sauce is my no means sweet, so much as rich.  I was initially surprised by the amount of unami in the sauce as I sampled though out.   I am really looking forward to playing around with this reduction again.

the recipe is my own

yields enough sauce for about 4 entrees

The Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, finely diced (about 1/3 cup)
4-6 small dried figs, finely diced (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup beef stock
2/3 cup Belgian dubbel
3 Tbsp butter, cut into cubes
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
In a medium saucepan, or the skillet used to sear your protein, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the shallots and figs and saute until the shallots are translucent and beginning to caramelize.

 Splash a little of the beef stock into the pan and deglaze.  Add the remaining stock and the beer to the pan.  Raise the heat to medium high and simmer the mixture until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.  

At this point for a smoother, thinner sauce, strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Return the liquid to the pan and discard the shallots and figs.

For a thicker, richer sauce, puree a portion of the mixture with an immersion blender and return to the saucepan.

Add the butter and thyme, stirring until the butter has melted.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over protein of your choice.

Orange and Currant Scones

The perfect scone is a rare thing in the United States.  Nothing I've tried here can compare to the tea time reposes I tried in many a cafe and museum coffeehouse in London.  Soft, slightly crumbly, tender with the slightest richness from the butter.  Barely sweet.  If nothing else, that is what I remember most vividly.  They were never that sweet.  But presented alongside a generous spoonful of coddled cream and lemon curd, or perhaps modestly served up with sweet butter and a tiny pot of jam, that hardly seemed to matter.

My scones don't come close, but to date this is the best recipe I've tried.  My Scottish in-laws may not be that impressed.  But someday, someday I will discover that ideal scone...

adapted from 1001 Recipes edited by Martha Day

yields 8 scones

The Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
10 Tbsp butter, diced
zest of one orange
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup buttermilk

milk to glaze

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 425 and lightly flour a baking sheet or baking stone

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Add the butter.  Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, rub and cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Gentle fold in the zest and currants.  Gradually add in the buttermilk and stir until the flour is just moistened and a soft dough is formed.

Turn the dough out on to a flour surface and roll out into a 9-inch circle, about 1-inch thick. 

Cut the circle into 8 equal wedges and transfer to the baking sheet or baking stone. Keep the circle intact with the cut edges touching.   Brush the top of the dough with milk.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.  Serve warm.

Ginger Walnut Granola with Dried Cherries

I wanted a quick and easy snack to throw together before Ross and I headed out camping a few weeks back.  Gorp and granola bars often make up the bulk of our snacking once we've hit the hiking trails, but I wanted something beyond the store bought fair and run of the mill peanuts and raisins.

This recipe came to the rescue.  The base of this can be made up on its own, or dressed up with any combination of nuts, dried fruit and spice.  This version takes advantage of walnuts, ginger and cherries to up the ante.

adapted from Men's Health, Nov 2011

yields about 4 cups

The Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup apple juice
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup dried cherries


The Process:
Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Line a small, rimmed baking sheet with foil.  evenly spread the oats over the sheets and sprinkle with the walnuts.  Bake until crisp and fragrant, about 20 minutes.

Whisk together the juice, maple syrup, brown sugar, oil, vanilla, salt,  and ginger. Pour the mixture over the toasted oats and toss to coat.  Return to the oven and bake until crisp and browned, about 20 minutes more.

Allow the oats to cool, toss with cherries.  Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

The Review:
This granola blows most store bought varieties out of the water!  The oats crisp up so well and are bursting with a deep nutty flavor.  The ginger spices thins up with just a touch of warmth.  And the cherries provide a deliciously tart burst of flavor as well as some added texture.

My only complaint was that the granola did not clump together nearly as much as I hoped it would.  My granola was a loose mixture of oatmeal and additions, as opposed to granola's more desirable clusters.  That being said, this treat still works incredibly well atop yogurt or even as a cold cereal.  It is just a little tricky to eat on the trail...

Honey Kissed Hot Cross Buns

When I was little, perhaps 6 or 7, my sister traveled to Denver for the Suzuki Institute.  She was already quite the violin player.  My parents brought me along for the ride, though I didn't play anything at that point.  So what is a 6 year old to do at a huge music gathering like this while her big sister hones her string playing prowess?  Well, pick up the penny whistle of course!

Of all the things that I experienced that week, the little ditty they taught us to play on the penny whistle stuck with me (well, that and memories of hiding in the basement of a strange building as a huge tornado descended  into downtown Denver...that was quite a year).

Hot cross buns, 

hot cross buns.

One a penny,

two a penny, 

hot cross buns

I remember that song so well, but I cannot recall ever actually eating a hot cross bun.   This Easter season I wanted to give these spicy rolls a shot...and further improve my rapport with yeast.   This recipe is loaded with diced dried fruit well beyond the scope of traditional raisins.  Brushed with honey straight out of the oven they have the most heavenly glow!  Perfect for that Easter Brunch!  Even if it is celebrated a few days late...

adapted from Hester's recipe at Alchemy in the Kitchen

yields 12 buns

The Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp grated orange zest
7 g dry active yeast  (1/4 oz package)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup mixed dried fruit (apricots, apples, prunes, figs, etc) finely diced
1/3 cup raisins, currants or dried cranberries
1/4 cup honey
1 1/4 cup milk
1 large egg

for the cross:
3 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp water

for the glaze:
1 Tbsp honey

The Process:
 Into a large bowl combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, allspice, yeast, olive oil, and dried fruit. Mix well.

Pour the milk into a small saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in the honey and stir until dissolved.  Warm the milk to between 80 to 95.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the beaten egg, and about half the milk. Slowly add the remaining milk, stirring and folding to completely moisten the flour.  The dough should start to pull away from the sides of the bowl. 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, adding more flour as necessary.  Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and no longer tacky. Form into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover and allow to rise until double in size, about 90 minutes

After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly oiled work surface.  Divide the dough in half, and half again to form four equal portions.  Gently pull each portion into a log, about 2 inches in diameter and 6 inches long.  Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut each portion into 3 equally pieces.  Roll each portion into a ball, trying to pull the dough taunt on one side.  

Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment.  Place the buns on the sheet, spacing about 1 1/2-inch apart.  Gently push down to flatten, ever so slightly.  Cover the buns with cling wrap and allow to rise undisturbed until doubled, about one hour.

To make the paste for the cross, in a small ziploc bag combine the flour and water.  Massage the bag until a uniform paste is formed.  

Preheat the oven to 375.

When the buns have doubled in size, remove the cling wrap.  Snip a corner off of the ziploc bag containing the flour paste (the less you snip off, the finer a point you will have for piping). Carefully pipe a cross over the top of each bun. 

 Place the buns in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the buns to a cooling rack and immediately brush them with warmed honey.

The Review:
Warm, welcoming and just kissed with sweetness!  Just the look of these is a far cry from the royal icing laden varieties sold at the supermarkets during the spring.  It is almost a pity they are only sold around the Easter season.  They make the perfect breakfast roll..spicy, studded with fruit and not terribly sweet.  The yeasty smell tempted us the entire drive to our friends as we took a batch along for Easter dinner.  Paired with ham?  Heavenly.  But these buns are certainly sinful in their own rite.

Roasted Pear Chutney

I've been getting home late all week...which usually means far less time in the kitchen.  To make up for all of the dinners on the go, I promised myself I would make something stellar come Friday.  After perusing cookbooks, bookmarked blogs and Pinterest boards, Maple-Brined Pork Loin and Roasted Pear Chutney came out the clear winner.  Now I need to settle on a side or two.  I am a girl who loves her veggies...

And to up the anticipation just a little bit more I made the Roasted Pear Chutney ahead of time. It made the kitchen smell absolutely divine AND gave me something a little more interesting to stir into my oatmeal in the morning.  Call it a trial run...

adapted from Thyme in Our Kitchen and Epicurious

yields 2-3cups

The Ingredients:
2 pears, peeled and halved
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 cup maple syrup
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
3 Tbsp currants
3 Tbsp dried cranberries
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

The Process:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Toss the pears with the lemon juice, brown sugar, the cinnamon, and cloves. Coat a roasting pan or baking dish with 1 Tbsp of the vegetable oil. Set the pears cut side down on the pan. Brush the pears with the remaining oil.And place in the center rack of the oven.  Roast until the pears are tender and the coating has caramelized to a deep golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Riper pears may need less time. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

While the pears are roasting, in a medium saucepan bring the remaining ingredients to a gentle boil. Reduce   heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and allow to cool.

When the pears are cool enough to handle, scoop out the cores and seeds with a small spoon or a melon baller. Cut the pears into slices or small chunks (I prefer chunks...about 1/2-inch cubed). In a 1 1/2 qt bowl toss together the pears and onion mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.  

The chutney will keep for up to two weeks...if it lasts that long.

The Review:

It was really, incredibly, unbelievably difficult NOT to dig right in with a spoon the moment all of the ingredients finally came together.  From the minute I tossed the pears with the cloves and cinnamon I knew we'd be in for a wonderful treat.  Sincerely, right out of the oven, I wanted dearly to drizzle each pear with a little mulled wine reduction and indulge in dessert...

I showed restraint...

The onion, vinegar dried berries and thyme began simmering away on the stove, slowly replacing the pears spicy aroma with a clean tangy scent.  I knew that smell...but I couldn't quite place my finger upon it. Watching the red onion slowly weep it's color to lend the mixture its pink blush, the scent memory became clear.  My Grandmother's kitchen.  Vinegary red cabbage from scratch.  As a kid I hated red cabbage.  And sauerkraut. And now my own kitchen was wrapped in a cloud of old world aromas and I couldn't be happier.  I immediately made note to try this chutney again with rabbit, venison, boar...any rich gamey meats.  With a side of spaetzle and red cabbage...

Twenty four hours later any lingering thoughts of red cabbage were wiped away with the first bite of the fully marinaded concoction.  The fragrant warmth of cinnamon and clove greeted my tongue, balanced with the slight acidic tang of the vinegar.  The bite of the onions followed, offering up a savory hint and a pleasant crunch.  In that moment I was glad I had nixed any notion of first caramelizing or sauteing the onions...their sharpness was actually mellowed a touch by the vinegar, and the crunch from the mere 5 minutes in the pot was an amazing layer of texture.  A touch of thyme nosed through.  And then the pear.  The sweet anchor of the chutney, dancing off all of the other players. A touch of tart from the dried fruit mingled with the sweetness.  And in the last moment the gentle heat of the red pepper lingered, just enough to remind me it was there.  Yet another twist and turn upon my tongue.  I couldn't decide which flavor or texture I enjoyed more, as I continues to sample from the blissfully fragrant bowl.  I had to remind myself that this was made for Friday's dinner.  Though I'm not certain that poor pork loin will be able to hold a candle to its accompaniment...

Pork Crown Roast with Cherry Apple Stuffing

Christmas dinner, more so than Thanksgiving, calls out for grand presentation.   Growing up, no centerpiece on our family table seemed more grand than the crown roast.  A glistening ring of pork, each bone tipped with a quaint paper or foil cap...stuffing mounded and golden brown on top.  It seems so elegant.  So much time and care to craft something so magnicifent...

Despite not having many people over--no family up to visit, and friends off celebrating with their own-- I was bound and determined to make a glorious end to this first year of food blogging.  I went to a local butcher and ordered the roast.  Cooking the beast would be challenge enough; I wasn't prepared to trim, bind and french the loin myself.  The smallest cut I could procure was a 16 rib roast...weighing in at nearly 11 lbs.  Ross and I were going to eat like kings for days!

adapted from the BHG Cookbook

serves 12-16


The Ingredients: 
1 pork rib crown roast (12 to 16 ribs)
3/4 cups water
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 tsp instant chicken bouillon granules
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp butter
4 cups dry bread cubes (6 to 7 slices)
1 medium apple, chopped
1/4 tsp ground sage
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
Preheat oven to 325

Trim the fat from the roast, or ask your butcher to do that for you.  Place the roast, bone tips up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.  Sprinkle the cavity and outer edges with a generous pinch of salt. Make a ball of foil and press it into the cavity to hold it open as it cooks.  Wrap the bone tips with foil.  Roast in preheated oven for 1-1/2 hours.

Meanwhile prepare the stuffing.  In a small bowl stir together hot water, cherries and chicken bouillion.   Let stand for 5 mintues.  Do not drain.

In a small skillet sautee the celery and onion in butter until tender and translucent, but not browned.

In a large mixing bowl, toss together bread cubes, apple and sage.  And the cherry mixture and sauteed onions.  Toss gently until bread cubes are moistened.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add additional 1/4 cup of water or stock for a moister stuffing.

After 1 1/2 , remove roast from oven.  Remove the foil from the roast cavity.  Loosely pack stuffing into the center of the roast.   Cover stuffing loosely with foil.  Place any remaining stuffing in a lightly greased casserole.  Bake the stuffed roast an additional 45 to 60 minutes for a 6 lb roast or for 75 to 90 minutes for a 8-10 lb roast, or until a meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the roast registers 160. 

Add the casserole of stuffing to the oven for the last 45 minutes to heat through.

Remove roast from oven, cover with foil and let stand for 15 minutes.  This allows the juices to settle and redistribute throughout the roast.

To serve, spoon the stuffing out of the roast's cavity.  Slice the roast between each rib, and remove any cording used to bind the roast.


The Review:
Because our roast weighed in much heavier than the BHG's 5-6 roast, I needed to alter the cook time accordingly.  The lower heat and longer cook time did not dry out the meat in the slightest, though the stuffing may have suffered a bit from over doneness. 

The meat was tender, juicy and rich in its own pork flavors.  A thick band of beautiful white loin meat was attached to each rib, dripping with juices.  Just enough meaty goodness clung to the base of each rib to justify us gnawing on the bones like rabid dogs.  For as elegant as the roast looks, in the end, its' hard to eat while maintaining such refinement!  The sweet and tart stuffing complimented the roast well, but could have used a bit more salt and seasoning.  I do think the stuffing cooked in the casserole suffered of dryness.   I'd opt for a different bread than our multi-grain next time.  Perhaps a mixture of white, wheat, sourdough and rye.

The roast itself looks intimidating when first un-boxed.  In all honesty, this lovely (and pricey) piece of pork was no more of a challenge than a Thanksgiving turkey. 

Hermits

The holiday season begs for cookies to be made.  Tins packed to over flowing and exchanged between friends.  Colored frosting spattering counters and faces of happy kids.  Recipes swapped between co-workers.  I have one cookie tradition: ginger snaps.  It is time to add a new cookie to the repertoire.  Enter the hermit.

Given the Grinch-like spirit that seems to have descended upon me this holiday spirit, a cookie named hermit seemed appropriate.

Adapted from the recipe in my battle worn BHG Cookbook

yields 36 cookies



The Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup currants
1/2 cup walnuts

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 375. 

Grease a cookie sheet and set it aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter until smooth.  Add brown sugar, baking soda and spices.  Beat until combined, occasionally scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula.  Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla.  Add the flour, a little at a time, beating after each addition until well combined.  Stir in currants and walnuts.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto the prepared cookie sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.  Bake in preheated oven for ten minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.  Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.

The review:
The combination of spice fruit and chewiness makes these mounded cookies very reimenscent of traditional oatmeal raisin.  Yet they leave something to be desired.  They aren't overly sweet.  The spice sings of warm Christmas kitchen, yet these cookies failed to inspire much Christmas spirit.  Perhaps hermit is a more fitting name than I originally realized.  Or perhaps these poor spice cookies were over shadowed by the gingersnaps served alongside.

Overall...they are sort of "meh"