11/22/07: Ancho-Maple Glazed Roast Turkey with Roasted Garlic-Cilantro Gravy and Cranberry-Mango Relish

From Mesa Grill Cookbook by Bobby Flay
Ancho-Maple Glazed Turkey

1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
Kosher salt
1 (18-pound) turkey
20 fresh sage leaves
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.



2. Whisk together the maple syrup, mustard, and ancho powder in a medium bowl and season with salt.



3. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey and set aside for the gravy. Rinse the bird thorougly with cold water and pat dry. Using your fingers, gently loosen the skin from the breasts and drumsticks and slip the sage leaves underneath. Rub the entire surface with half (1/4 cup) of the melted butter. Lightly sprinkle the skin and cavity with salt and pepper.



4. Truss the turkey or simply tie the legs closed with butcher's twine and place on a rack in a large roasting pan. Roast, basting with the remaining butter every 10 minutes. for about 30 minutes, or until brown.



5. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue roasting the turkey for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 155 degrees F. Continue roasting, brushing with the glaze every 5 minutes, until the turkey reaches 165 degrees F, 20 to 30 minutes.



6. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board, brush with more of the glaze, and let rest for 20 minutes before carving. The temperature of the bird will rise to 180 degrees F as it rests.

Roasted Garlic-Cilantro Gravy
1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
Turkey necks and giblets
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups enriched chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
1 head roasted garlic, peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1. While the turkey is resting, make the gravy. Place the roasting pan with the drippings over two burners on your stove. Turn the heat to high and bring the drippings to a simmer. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and turkey neck and giblets to the pan and cook until the mixture is golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until lightly gold brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in the wine and the stock and bring to a boil.



2. Mash the roasted garlic cloves to a paste in a bowl using a fork. Whisk in the roasted garlic and continue cooking the gravy over high heat until the gravy is reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes; season with salt and pepper to taste. Strain the gravy into a bowl and stir in the chopped cilantro.

Cranberry-Mango Relish

3 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 cups orange juice (not from concentrate)
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries
2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and diced

1. Melt the butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ginger and cook until the onion is soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the orange juice, zest, and brown sugar and cook until the sugar is completely melted and the mixture thickens slightly, 5 to 7 minutes.



2. Add half of the cranberries and cook until they pop, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the remaining cranberries and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the mangoes. Serve at room temperature. This can be prepared and refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day ahead. Bring to room temperature 1 hour before serving.
   

6/1/07: Pork Saté with Crisp Noodle Cake

Source: The Asian Kitchen by Lilian Wu

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 lb lean pork
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp Thai curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
6 tbsp oil
12 oz thin egg noodles
cilantro leaves, to garnish

For the Saté Sauce
2 tbsp oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp hot chili powder
1 tsp Thai curry powder
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

1. Cut the pork into thin 2-inch-long strips. Mix the garlic, curry powder, cumin, ginger and fish sauce in a bowl. Stir in about 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the meat to the bowl, toss to coat and let marinate in a cool place for at least 2 hours. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large suacepan of boiling water until just tender. Drain thoroughly.
2. Make the saté sauce. Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the garlic and onion with the chili powder and curry powder for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, lemon juice and peanut butter. Mix well. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Be careful not to let the sauce stick to the bottom of the pan or it will burn.
3. Heat about 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a frying pan. Spread the noodles evenly over the pan and fry for 4-5 minutes, until crisp and golden. Turn the noodle cake over carefully and cook the other side until crisp. Keep hot.
4. Drain the meat and thread it onto soaked, drained bamboo skewers. Cook under a hot broiler for 8-10 minutes, until cooked, turning occasionally and brushing with the remaining oil. Serve with wedges of noodle cake, accompanied by the saté sauce. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
   

6/1/07: Honey-Garlic Green Tea Shrimp

Source: Martin Yen Quick & Easy

Makes 4 servings

Marinade
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 pound medium-sized raw shrimps, peeled and deveined

Sauce
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons oyster-flavored sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground green tea leaves
1/3 cup macadamia nuts

To make the marinade, combine the cornstarch and soy sauce in a bowl and mix well. Add the shrimp and stir to coat evenly. Let stand for 10 minutes.

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until honey dissolves.

Place a stir-fry pan over high heat until hot. Add the oil, swirling to coat the sides. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the shrimps and stir-fry until they turn pink, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

Sprinkle the ground green tea over the shrimps and stir to coat evenly. Stir the sauce once, add to the pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until the sauce thicken, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the nuts, transfer to a plate, and serve.

5/14/07: Beef Stew with Pearl Onions, Mushrooms, and Bacon (Boeuf À La Bourguignonne)

Source: Glorious French Food by James Peterson
Makes 8 main-course servings

5 pounds [2.3 kg] beef chuck roast, preferably blade, cut into 1 1/2-inch [4-cm] chunks
1 bottle full-bodied red wine
2 medium-size carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch [1.5-cm] sections
2 medium-size onions, chopped coarse
2 clove garlic, crushed, plus 2 cloves, chopped fine (for fatback strips; optional)
1 medium-size bouquet garni
12 ounces [340 g] fatback (including rind), rind removed and reserved, fat cut into 1/4-inch-by-6-inch [.5-by-15-cm] strips (optional)
4 tablespoons "pure"olive oil or vegetable oil (for sautéing the meat and vegetables), plus 2 tablespoons olive oil (for sautéing the mushrooms)
salt
1/2 cup [375 ml] beef or veal broth (optional)
1 pint [335 g] pearl onions, or 16 walnut-size onions, peeled
1 pound small cultivated mushrooms, preferably cremini
pepper
1/2 pound [225 g] thickly sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch [2.5-cm] strips
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for optional beurre mainé]
3 tablespoons butter (for optional beurre manié]

STIR the beef chunks in a bowl with the red wine, carrots, chopped onions, garlic, and bouquet garni and let them marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 12 hours. Stir the meat and vegetables once or twice during the marinating. If you're in a rush, skip the marinating.

IF you're larding the meat, toss the strips of fatback with the chopped garlic and let them marinate in the refrigerator while you're marinating the meat. Cut the reserved rind into strips about 1/2 inch [1.5 cm] wide and tie them in a bundle.

TAKE the meat out of the bowl and scoop out the vegetables, reserving both wine and vegetables. If you're larding the meat, insert a strip of fatback in each piece with a hinged interlarding needle, cutting the strip of fatback off where it comes out of the meat, leaving a 1 1/2-inch [1.5 cm] strip of fatback in each chunk.

OVER medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot large enough to hold the stew, or in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Brown the vegetables, stirring every few minutes until they have softened and lightly browned. Scoop out the vegetables and reserve. Pat the meat dry and season the chunks with salt. Over high heat, heat another 2 tablespoons of oil in the pot used to brown the vegetables, and brown the meat on all sides. If the oil is smoking and the bottom of the pot looks like it might be burning, turn down the hear to medium. When the meat is well browned, pour out the cooked oil and examine the bottom of the pot to see if it is black with burnt juices. If it is, rinse the pot and wipe out the burnt juices.

PUT the meat back in the pot and add the wine, the broth, if using, and the browned vegetables. Nestle the bouquet garni and the pork rind strips into the pot. Bring the stew to a gentle simmer on the stove, cover, and slide into a 325F [165C/gas mark 3] preheated oven. Cook for about 3 hours, checking every 30 minutes to make sure the stew isn't boiling, but that a bubble rises to the surface every second or so. Check if the meat is done by poking a piece with a paring knife - the meat is done when a chunk doesn't cling to the knife.

STRAIN the stew through a colander or large strainer into a clean pot. Pick out the meat with tongs and set it aside in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. (Never leave stewed meat uncovered or it will get dry and crusty.) Discard the bouquet garni, aromatic vegetables, and rind. Put the pot of braising liquid over low to medium heat, with the pan to one side of the burner so the liquid bubbles up on only one side. Skimming off the fat, simmer the cooking liquid down to 3 cups, about 20 minutes.

WHILE the cooking liquid is reducing, prepare the garniture. Put the pearl onions in a pan just large enough to hold them in a single layer, with 1/2 cup [125 ml] of the stewing liquid. Simmer, cover, until the onions are easily penetrated with the tip of a knife, 10 to 20 minutes. If the mushrooms are larger than 1 inch across, cut them in quarters vertically; otherwise leave them whole. Sauté them in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat until they're well browned, and season them whole with salt with salt and pepper. Pour any liquid left after cooking the mushrooms and onions back into the stew. Heat the bacon strips over medium heat for about 10 minutes until they release their fat and turn just slightly crispy. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels.


JUST before serving, combine the meat with the stewing liquid and the garniture and gently reheat, keeping the meat at a very gentle simmer for about 5 minutes so that it heat through. Check to see if the liquid seems too thin. (It's a matter of taste - I like a brothlike stew and serve it in wide soup plates.) If you want to thicken the liquid, make a beurre manié by working the flour and butter into a paste with the back of a fork. Whisk half the paste into the simmering stew and judge the stewing liquid's consistency (dipping a spoon into the liquid makes it easier to see) . If you still want it thicker, whisk in the rest of the beurre manié.

SERVE the stew on hot plates or in hot wide soup plates. Garnish fresh pepper over each serving.

5/10/07: Chocolate Chip Irish Cream Pound Cake

Source: Cooking Light, April 2007

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
1 teaspoon cake flour
2 3/4 cups cake flour (about 11 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup fat-free cream cheese, softened
10 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup Irish cream liqueur
Baking spray with flour
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Combine chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon flour in a small bowl; toss.
3. Lightly spoon 2 3/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Place cream cheese and butter in a bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed to blend. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time; beat well after each addition. Beat on high speed 1 minute. With mixer on low, add flour mixture and liqueur alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter into a 12-cup Bundt pan coated baking spray. Bake at 325F for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over cake.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice).