Winter Fare - Beef Stew

 

Appetizer

Crudites and Muhammara Dip - F & L

Pita Chips- J & K

Main

Shaved Fennel and Crushed Olive Salad- L & T

Seeded Oat Bread - Z & K

Beef Stew - T & J

Dessert

Creme Caramel - T & J

Creme Caramel

 Classic French Crème Caramel

Servings : 10-12 people

Ingredients

Caramel

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
6 Tbs water

Custard Cream

4 cups (1 liter) whole milk
1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanillar
4 large eggs
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup (140 g) sugar

Instructions

Make the caramel: 

Put the granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan. Shake the pan first to half dissolve the sugar in the water. Then, over a medium-high heat, leave the caramel to form without stirring. This should take about 10 minutes (don't multitask and leave the pan - keep your eye on it). It should start to smell like caramel when light brown. Swirl it around a bit and wait until the caramel is medium to dark brown (too light and it will just be too sweet; too dark, it will be bitter).

Pour the amber caramel into 10-12 ramekin dishes (or one big one), ensuring that it coats completely the base.  Set aside to cool so that the caramel sets and immediately put the saucepan in the sink and soak in water, making it easier to clean later.

Make the custard cream:

Preheat oven to 340 degrees F.  Split the vanilla pod down the middle if using.  Pour milk into a medium saucepan, adding the vanilla and just allow the milk to heat to simmering point (not boiling).  Cover and take off the heat to cool slightly and remove the vanilla pod (scraping out the seeds and adding to the milk).

Whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar vigorously in a medium bowl until paler.

Pour in the warm vanilla milk (not hot!) and whisk gently just until combined.  Leave to rest for a minute to let the foam subside.

Place the ramekins into a large roasting pan lined with baking paper.  Pour the warm custard over the caramel in each ramekin, filling it to the top.

Place the roasting pan in the middle of the oven and pour in warm-hot water around the ramekins so that it comes to about half or 2/3 of the way up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until set (they're not cooked properly if there's a dip in the middle.  A knife inserted should come out clean).  Remove from the oven carefully, and after 10 minutes, gradually remove the ramekins onto a cooling rack.  When cool transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours - ideally overnight.

You may serve crème caramel directly in their ramekins. If you like to see them upturned, unmold them just before serving. Using a thin sharp knife, loosen the creams all around the sides ensuring it reaches the bottom (for an even easier release, plunge the bottom of the ramekins in boiling water for 30 seconds.) Quickly turn upside down directly on to the serving plates and shake/tap to release them. Best served chilled. 

Muhammara Dip

Source here  and here

Ingredients

3 medium red bell peppers (about 1.5 pound total), or about 2.25 cups drained jarred roasted red peppers
3/4 cup walnut halves

1/2 small lemon
1/2 cup fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Aleppo or dried red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

Method

If using fresh peppers, turn a gas burners to the highest setting and set 1 medium red bell pepper directly on the flame. Use a pair of tongs to turn the pepper occasionally until the skin is completely blackened, about 8 minutes. (If you don’t have a gas stove, roast them in the broiler or on the grill).  Repeat with each pepper. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or a pot lid. Let the peppers steam and cool while you toast the walnuts.

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Spread walnuts out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, tossing halfway through, until toasted and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until coarsely chopped, about 10 (1-second) pulses. Transfer 2 teaspoons chopped walnuts to a small bowl and reserve for garnish.

Remove and discard the skin of the peppers with your fingers (it’s okay if a few blackened bits of the skin remain). Remove and discard the stem and seeds, then tear the peppers into large strips (if using jarred peppers, tear into large strips). Place peppers in bowl of food processor.

Squeeze the lemon until you have 1 teaspoon juice. Add to food processor.

To food processor, add fresh bread crumbs, olive oil,  pomegranate molasses, Aleppo pepper flakes, kosher salt, ground cumin, and granulated sugar. Pulse, scraping down the sides of the bowls as needed, until the muhammara is uniform and mostly smooth but still a bit rustic and chunky, about 25 (1-second) pulses. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses and the reserved walnuts.

Store leftover muhammara in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Pita Chips

 Source - King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

Dough:

1 3/4 cups (206g) White Whole Wheat Flour or White Flour
1 1/2 cups (180g) Bread Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons (9g) salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/4 cups (283g) water, lukewarm
2 tablespoons (25g) vegetable oil

Topping:

1/2 cup (99g) olive oil
1 tablespoon flaky sea salt

Method

Mix and knead the dough ingredients together to make a soft, smooth dough.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until just about doubled in bulk.

Preheat the oven to 450°F, with a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet on the bottom rack.

Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces.

Shape each into a ball, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Working with two pieces of dough at a time, roll each into a 6" circle. Transfer them to the hot stone.

Bake for 4 minutes, until puffy. Turn them over, and bake for an additional minute. Remove from the oven, and place on a rack to cool.

Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Once the pitas are cool, carefully separate the two sides of each to make 16 thin rounds.

Brush rounds with oil, and sprinkle with salt (or other toppings of your choice - feel free to get creative with spices).

Cut each round into 8 wedges. Divide the wedges between two parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake the chips in a preheated 375°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp; turn the chips over after 10 minutes of baking.

Remove the chips from the oven, cool completely on the pan, wrap airtight, and store at room temperature.

Shaved Fennel and Crushed Olive Salad

 Source

Serves 10-12 as a side

Ingredients

1.5 cups large green (castelvetrano is a good variety) olives
3 large fennel bulbs, tough outer leaves discarded, bulbs, stems, and fronds separated
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine or champagne vinegar
Finely grated orange zest from most of 1 orange (about 1.5 teaspoons)
Large pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
1.5 lemons
4.5 ounces thinly shaved aged provolone cheese, or another sharp cheese, such as pecorino (about 1.5 cups)
Flaky sea salt, to finish

Method

Crush olives with a flat-bottomed cup or the side of a chef’s knife, and remove pit. Coarsely chop olives into big, chunky pieces and add to a medium bowl. Coarsely chop fennel fronds until you have about 2/3 cup and add to bowl. Thinly, but not paper-thin, slice fennel stems crosswise and add them too. Add oil, vinegar, orange zest, and red pepper to bowl; season with kosher salt and black pepper, then stir to evenly combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as you wish.

Halve fennel bulbs lengthwise. Using a mandolin or a knife, very thinly shave fennel crosswise. Transfer fennel to a second, larger bowl. Zest one-half of lemon over then juice the lemons over the fennel — it will seem like a lot. Season with salt and toss to coat; add more salt if needed.

To serve: Spread olive olive mixture on a big plate. Top with cheese. Arrange shaved fennel over, hiding the olives, then season with flaky sea salt. Alternatively toss ingredients in a big bowl.

Seeded Oat Bread

 Source 

Yields one loaf - 10-12 servings

Note - the recipe includes a 12 hour to 3 day resting period.

Ingredients

Bread

3 cups (390g) bread flour (spoon & leveled), plus more as needed for shaping and pan
2 teaspoons (about 6g) instant yeast
1 cup (85g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
1/4 cup (30g) unsalted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/4 cup (30g) salted or unsalted sunflower seeds
2 Tablespoons (18g) flax seeds or sesame seeds
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 Tablespoons (42g) honey
1 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (about 95°F (35°C))
optional: cornmeal for dusting pan

Topping

1 Tablespoon (5g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
1 Tablespoon (8g) pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 Tablespoon (8g) sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon flax seeds or sesame seeds

Method

In a large un-greased mixing bowl, whisk the flour and yeast together. Add the oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and salt and whisk to combine. Mix the honey and water together, and then pour over the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently mix together. The dough will seem dry and shaggy, but keep working it until all the flour is moistened. If needed, use your hands to work the dough ingredients together. The dough will be very sticky. Shape into a ball in the bowl as best you can. (Tip: Stir dough by hand. Dough is too sticky for a mixer.)

Keeping the dough in the bowl, cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and set on the counter at room temperature (honestly any normal room temperature is fine). Allow to rise for 3 hours. The dough will just about double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and have a lot of air bubbles.

You can continue with the next step immediately, but for absolute best flavor and texture, let this risen dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. (Even just a couple hours is good!) Place covered dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The dough will puff up during this time, but may begin to deflate after 2 days. That’s normal and nothing to worry about.

Lightly dust a large nonstick baking sheet (nonstick or line with parchment) with a little flour and/or cornmeal. Using generously floured hands and gentle pressure so as to not deflate the dough too much, shape the risen dough into a ball. (Do this right inside the bowl it’s in, or on a lightly floured work surface.) Dough is very sticky.

Transfer ball to prepared baking sheet. Mix topping ingredients together. Sprinkle on top of dough, and if the seeds aren’t sticking, press them into the dough as best you can. Loosely cover and allow dough to rest for 45 minutes. You will bake the dough on this prepared baking sheet. 

During this 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).

When ready to bake, using a very sharp knife or kitchen shears, score the dough with a slash or X about 1/2 inch deep. If the shaped loaf flattened out during the 45 minutes, use floured hands to reshape.

Place the shaped and scored dough (on the flour/cornmeal-dusted pan) in the preheated oven on the center rack.

Optional for a slightly crispier crust: Place a shallow metal or cast iron baking pan or skillet (for example, a metal 9×13-inch baking pan) on the bottom oven rack. Carefully and quickly pour 3–4 cups of boiling water into the shallow pan. Quickly shut the oven to trap steam inside. The steam helps create a crispier crust.

Bake for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. If you notice the exterior browning too quickly, tent the bread with aluminum foil. How to test for doneness: Give the warm bread a light tap. If it sounds hollow, it’s done. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195°F (90°C).

Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10–20 minutes before slicing and serving. Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.