food

Steak au Poivre

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005 See this recipe on air Thursday Sep. 27 at 11:00 PM ET/PT. Recipe Summary Difficulty: Medium Prep Time: 8 minutes Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 servings 4 tenderloin steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each and no more than 1 1/2 inches thick Kosher salt 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/3 cup Cognac, plus 1 teaspoon 1 cup heavy cream Remove the steaks from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour prior to cooking. Sprinkle all sides with salt. Coarsely crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, the bottom of a cast iron skillet, or using a mallet and pie pan. Spread the peppercorns evenly onto a plate. Press the fillets, on both sides, into the pepper until it coats the surface. Set aside. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil. As soon as the butter and oil begin to turn golden and smoke, gently place the steaks in the pan. For medium-rare, cook for 4 minutes on each side. Once done, remove the steaks to a plate, tent with foil and set aside. Pour off the excess fat but do not wipe or scrape the pan clean. Off of the heat, add 1/3 cup Cognac to the pan and carefully ignite the alcohol with a long match or firestick. Gently shake pan until the flames die. Return the pan to medium heat and add the cream. Bring the mixture to a boil and whisk until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add the teaspoon of Cognac and season, to taste, with salt. Add the steaks back to the pan, spoon the sauce over, and serve.

Diamond Valley Lamb Rack

BASIC COOKING INSTRUCTIONS Simply combine ingredients in a small bowl and use for basting. Recipes cover up to one medium 8-rib lamb rack. Cooking Tip: The firmer the feel of the meat, the more well-done it is. Just press the lamb—when it has a springy but firm texture and is moderately juicy, the lamb is done. Most people prefer lamb medium-rare or medium, but lamb is also delicious when cooked well-done. A complete cooking guide with an internal meat temperature chart can be found in Cooking & Handling. BASTES Honey Roasted Rack of Lamb * 3 tablespoons honey * 3 tablespoons lemon juice * 3 tablespoons soy sauce * 2 teaspoons garlic, crushed Greek-style * 3 tablespoons lemon juice * 3 teaspoons oregano * black pepper, to taste Classic Rosemary & Mint Jelly * 3 tablespoons mint jelly * 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce * sprinkle of rosemary, dry Rosemary Mustard & Garlic * 3 tablespoons country-style mustard * ½ tablespoon French tarragon, chopped * ½ tablespoon chives, chopped * 2 tablespoons olive oil

Artichokes

SOY SAUCE MAYONNAISE

1 cup mayonnaise ¼ cup soy sauce (more or less to taste) A dash of garlic powder

Mix thoroughly.

Recipe from http://www.artichokes.org/recipes.html

Brick Grilled Chicken

1 cup olive oil 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves 2 (3-pound) chickens, butterflied Salt and freshly ground black pepper Lemon wedges, for garnish

Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic and rosemary in a large baking dish. Add the chickens and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours.

Preheat the grill to medium. Wrap 4 bricks in aluminum foil and set aside. Remove the chickens from the marinade, blot off excess oil, and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the chickens on the grill, skin-side down, and place 2 bricks on top of each chicken. Grill the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes, then turn over, and return the bricks to the chickens. Close the cover and continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked through. Let rest for 10 minutes and cut into quarters. Serve with lemon wedges.

Chicken Adobo

12 chicken legs 1.5 cups white vinegar 3 cloves garlic, cloves slightly crushed 2 bay leaves 1/2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, coarsely crushed 3/4 cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a large pot, combine chicken, white vinegar, garlic cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Add soy sauce and simmer covered again for 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a paper towel lined plate and boil remaining liquid uncovered for 10 more minutes to reduce.

In a separate frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil until wisps of smoke just barely start to show up. Fry chicken legs in batches, leaving at least an inch between pieces during browning (to avoid steaming them vs. browning).

Remove reduced liquid from heat and let sit for a few minutes, then strain as much fat as possible from the top of the liquid with a large spoon. Combine browned chicken in a bowl with remaining liquid. Serve with steamed rice.

Dads Lasagna Recipe

1 lb ground beef 2 packages wide Lasagna noodles 2 balls Mozzarella cheese, grated 1 container of Ricotta cheese 2 cans tomato sauce (1 small 15 oz., 1 large 29 oz.) 1 cup chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, chopped Bay leaf, to taste Basil, to taste Tarragon, to taste (go easy on this) Rosemary, to taste (go easy on this) Garlic powder, to taste (NOT garlic salt) Parmesan cheese, to taste Chopped mushrooms, optional Whole pitted olives, optional

Step 1: Make the sauce

Make the sauce as you would for home made spaghetti sauce. Brown ground beef, chopped onion, bay leaf, and garlic. Drain fat. Add tomato sauce, season to taste with garlic powder, rosemary, tarragon, and basil. Simmer, add optional mushrooms and olives if desired. Don't brun the sauce, turn off heat if done and set aside if step 2 has not been finished.

Step 2: Grate cheese and boil noodles

Grate Mozzarella cheese. Boil noodles until 'Al dente' (aka "to the tooth" - just soft, not over done).

Step 3: Assemble

In a large metal pan, start with a thin layer of sauce in the bottom. Place a thin layer of grated Mozzarella cheese, then a layer of noodles, one noodle thick, then place dabs of Ricotta cheese over the noodle layer. Repeat this process until the pan is full. The top layer should be noodles only (no Ricotta). Sprinkle remaining Mozzarella cheese on top, then sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Tent top of pan with aluminum foil.

Step 4: Bake and Serve

Bake slowly at 350 degrees until cheese is bubbling. Should take about 1 hour or so, cheese needs to be bubbling! Remove from oven, place on hot pads, cut into squares or rectangles and serve!

Seared Shrimp with Pimentón & Sherry

ingredients 1-1/2 lb. large (31 to 40 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined, patted dry with paper towels Kosher salt 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 6 medium cloves garlic, very thinly sliced Heaping 1/4 tsp. sweet pimentón (or paprika) Heaping 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 3 Tbs. fino sherry 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 1-1/2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives Fresh lemon juice to taste how to make Sprinkle the shrimp with 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, toss, and let sit for 10 minutes (or refrigerate for up to 1 hour). In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil on high heat. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and add them to the skillet. Sprinkle with 3/4 tsp. kosher salt and sear until they’re pink and a little golden on one side, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the garlic, pimentón, and red pepper flakes over the shrimp, and sauté, stirring, until the shrimp are almost completely pink, about 1 minute. Add the sherry and cook, stirring to deglaze the bottom of the pan, until the shrimp are pink all over (the sherry will evaporate quickly but you should still have some juices in the pan) Remove from the heat. Toss with the lemon zest and chives. Pour the shrimp and juices into a serving dish, squeeze on lemon juice to taste, and serve. From Fine Cooking 81, pp. 82