Saturday, November 7, 2009
Next Meeting Scheduled
January 9th at J & K's. The theme is to be Vietnamese (J's collecting recipes).
Saturday, Oct 24th
Hosts: C & C
Theme: Italian for Fall
After we recovered from heart attacks (great Halloween Mask R!)
What We Ate: We started off right with a fatastic antipasto platter put together by J & K. Believe me, this platter had it all - great Italian meats (Z especially loves Mortadella), marinated olives (really good ones from Costco) and marinated bell peppers. Dr. T surprised us with roasted tomatoes - from his very own garden - focaccia and goat cheese. We probably could have stopped there - but - no way - there was more great food to come!
C & C put together ricotta gnocchi, served simply with butter and sage. These were practically perfect - not heavy, tasty and satisfying. We ate those with the beef and barolo. Barolo is the Italian "King of Wines" and the recipe posted below yields a tender pot roast with a really unique flavor. It is a satisfying dish on a fall evening. Of course, we also ate more of Dr. Y's focaccia with the main course.R & J made an apple calfouti which was a very good and a refreshing ending to the rich meal.
Somewhere in there I laughed until my sides hurt and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one. Thanks everyone for cooking and showing up - the evening was outstanding with great food and great company!
Beef braised in Barolo (Oct 24, 2009)
Beef braised in Barolo
6 1/2 to 7-pound boneless beef roast, chuck or bottom round, trimmed of fat
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt or kosher salt, or to taste
8 oz pancetta
1/2 cup truffle oil
3 medium onions (1 1/4 pounds total), peeled and quartered
5 big carrots (about 2/3 pound), peeled and cut in 2-inch wedges
6 big celery stalks (2/3 pound total), cut in 2-inch chunks
8 plump garlic cloves, peeled
3 branches fresh rosemary with lots of needles
8 large fresh sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 1/4 ounces dried porcini slices (about 1 1/4 cups, loosely packed)
Three 750-milliliter bottles Barolo, or as needed (I needed one - K)
3 cups beef stock, or as needed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat the oven, with a rack in the center, to 250°F.
Season all surfaces of the roast with 1 teaspoon salt. Brown pancetta in pan. Remove browned bits (leave rendered fat). Pour the truffle oil into the pan, and set over medium-high heat. Lay the roast in, and brown it on each side for a minute or two, without moving, until caramelized all over. Remove to a platter.
Still over medium-high heat, drop in the cut vegetables and garlic cloves, toss to coat with oil, and spread out in the pan. Drop in the rosemary, sage leaves, grated nutmeg, peppercorns, dried porcini, and remaining teaspoon salt, and toss all together. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping up the browned meat bits on the pan bottom, just until the vegetables soften, then lower the heat.
Push the vegetables to the sides, and return the roast to the pan, laying flat on the bottom. Pour in the three bottles of wine and any meat juices that collected on the platter. The roast should be at least half submerged—add beef stock as needed.
Cover the pot, and heat until the wine is steaming but not boiling. Uncover the pan, and place it in the oven. After 30 minutes, rotate the roast so the exposed meat is submerged in the braising liquid. Braise this way, turning the meat in the pan every 30 minutes, for about 3 hours, until fork-tender. The liquid should not boil&151;if it does, pour in some cold water to stop the bubbling, and lower the oven temperature.
After 4 1/2 hours or so, check the beef with a meat thermometer. When its internal temperature reaches 180°F—it should be easily pierced with a fork—take the pan from the oven. Remove the meat to a platter, with intact carrot and celery pieces to serve as a garnish.
Skim any fat from the braising juices, heat to a boil, and reduce to a saucy consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Pour through a sieve set over a clean container. Press in the juices from the strained herbs and vegetable pieces. Pour in any juices from the meat platter, and season the sauce to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (If you are not going to serve right away, put the meat and reserved vegetables in the sauce to rest and cool, for a couple of hours or overnight.)
To serve, slice the meat crosswise (easier when it is cool). Pour a shallow layer of sauce in a wide skillet, and lay the slices in, overlapping. Heat the sauce to bubbling, spooning it over the beef, so the slices are lightly coated. Lift them with a broad spatula, and slide onto a warm platter, fanned out. Heat the carrots and celery in the sauce too, if you've saved them, and arrange on the platter. Serve, passing more heated sauce at the table.
6 1/2 to 7-pound boneless beef roast, chuck or bottom round, trimmed of fat
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt or kosher salt, or to taste
8 oz pancetta
1/2 cup truffle oil
3 medium onions (1 1/4 pounds total), peeled and quartered
5 big carrots (about 2/3 pound), peeled and cut in 2-inch wedges
6 big celery stalks (2/3 pound total), cut in 2-inch chunks
8 plump garlic cloves, peeled
3 branches fresh rosemary with lots of needles
8 large fresh sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 1/4 ounces dried porcini slices (about 1 1/4 cups, loosely packed)
Three 750-milliliter bottles Barolo, or as needed (I needed one - K)
3 cups beef stock, or as needed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat the oven, with a rack in the center, to 250°F.
Season all surfaces of the roast with 1 teaspoon salt. Brown pancetta in pan. Remove browned bits (leave rendered fat). Pour the truffle oil into the pan, and set over medium-high heat. Lay the roast in, and brown it on each side for a minute or two, without moving, until caramelized all over. Remove to a platter.
Still over medium-high heat, drop in the cut vegetables and garlic cloves, toss to coat with oil, and spread out in the pan. Drop in the rosemary, sage leaves, grated nutmeg, peppercorns, dried porcini, and remaining teaspoon salt, and toss all together. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping up the browned meat bits on the pan bottom, just until the vegetables soften, then lower the heat.
Push the vegetables to the sides, and return the roast to the pan, laying flat on the bottom. Pour in the three bottles of wine and any meat juices that collected on the platter. The roast should be at least half submerged—add beef stock as needed.
Cover the pot, and heat until the wine is steaming but not boiling. Uncover the pan, and place it in the oven. After 30 minutes, rotate the roast so the exposed meat is submerged in the braising liquid. Braise this way, turning the meat in the pan every 30 minutes, for about 3 hours, until fork-tender. The liquid should not boil&151;if it does, pour in some cold water to stop the bubbling, and lower the oven temperature.
After 4 1/2 hours or so, check the beef with a meat thermometer. When its internal temperature reaches 180°F—it should be easily pierced with a fork—take the pan from the oven. Remove the meat to a platter, with intact carrot and celery pieces to serve as a garnish.
Skim any fat from the braising juices, heat to a boil, and reduce to a saucy consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Pour through a sieve set over a clean container. Press in the juices from the strained herbs and vegetable pieces. Pour in any juices from the meat platter, and season the sauce to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (If you are not going to serve right away, put the meat and reserved vegetables in the sauce to rest and cool, for a couple of hours or overnight.)
To serve, slice the meat crosswise (easier when it is cool). Pour a shallow layer of sauce in a wide skillet, and lay the slices in, overlapping. Heat the sauce to bubbling, spooning it over the beef, so the slices are lightly coated. Lift them with a broad spatula, and slide onto a warm platter, fanned out. Heat the carrots and celery in the sauce too, if you've saved them, and arrange on the platter. Serve, passing more heated sauce at the table.
Apple Calfouti (Oct 24th, 2009)
Apple Clafouti (modified from Barefoot Contessa Pear Clafouti)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons apple brandy
2 to 3 firm but ripe apples (with tartness)
Confectioners' sugar
honey for drizzling
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter a 10 by 3 by 1 1⁄2-inch round baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar.
Beat the eggs and the 1⁄3 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, and apple brandy. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel, quarter, core, and slice the apples. Arrange the slices in a single layer, slightly fanned out, in the baking dish. Pour the batter over the apples and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, and drizzle with honey.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons apple brandy
2 to 3 firm but ripe apples (with tartness)
Confectioners' sugar
honey for drizzling
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter a 10 by 3 by 1 1⁄2-inch round baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar.
Beat the eggs and the 1⁄3 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, and apple brandy. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel, quarter, core, and slice the apples. Arrange the slices in a single layer, slightly fanned out, in the baking dish. Pour the batter over the apples and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, and drizzle with honey.
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