Sunday, August 12, 2012

Lord of the Rings Recipes

Orc Tenderloin
4 large cloves garlic, minced
4 t chopped, fresh rosemary (2 t dried)
1 t salt
1 t black pepper
1-2 lb boneless pork loin roast, well trimmed

Mix first 4 ingredients in a bowl.  Rub mixture over pork.  Place pork, fat side down, in roasting pan lined with foil.  Roast for 30 minutes at 400.  Turn roast fat side up.  Roast about 25 minutes more (or until 155 degrees).  Remove from oven.  Let stand 10 minutes. (Save juices for mustard sauce)

Mustard sauce :
3 strips bacon
1 c heavy cream
2 T grainy Dijon mustard
1 sprig fresh rosemary (or dried)

Cook bacon and pour off excess grease.  Add mustard to deglaze pan.  Add cream and rosemary and extra juices from the roast.  Whisk until thickened and serve with roast. 


Samwise’s Roasted Po-TAY-toes
2-3 pounds red potatoes, cut into big chunks (you can also add chunks of carrots or of any kind of root vegetable)
Kosher Salt
Olive Oil
Cover cookie sheet with foil and preheat oven to 300. Place potatoes on foil and drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper over vegetables. Mix with your lands or with a large spoon. Roast for 1-2 hours, stirring lightly every 45 minutes.


Mount Doom Burgers
3 pound(s) ground beef chuck
2 tablespoon(s) plus 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Coarse salt
Ground pepper
4 ounce(s) blue cheese (or other soft cheese, such as Brie or you can just use American cheese that has been cut into I inch squares)
Oil, for grates
8  rolls or buns, split
           
Heat grill to medium-high. In a large bowl, gently fold together beef, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Form into 8 equal-size mounds.
Shape cheese into 8 equal-size disks. Press a small well in the center of each beef mound. Place cheese in well; wrap beef around cheese, pinching to seal.
Lightly oil grates. Place burgers on grill; cover. Cook until grill marks are visible on first side, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn burgers with a spatula and prick with a fork or a skewer to allow steam to escape. This is very important so your cheese doesn’t ooze out!  cook until grill marks are visible on other side and meat is just slightly pink in the middle, 4 to 6 minutes more for medium-rare.

Red Pepper Lava Sauce
1 cup(s) light mayonnaise
1/4 cup(s) drained (jarred) roasted red peppers
1/2 teaspoon(s) white wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon(s) ground pepper

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and puree until evenly colored and almost smooth. Refrigerate, covered, if not using immediately.


The Onion Ring to Rule them All



2 Large Red Onions (These are the secret to the BEST onion rings!)                        1/8 cup corn starch                                      2 eggs
                                                      2/3 cups milk                                            1 1/2 c Bisquick                                   
    1/4 to 1/2 tsp. dry mustard         
            1/2 tsp. paprika
                                       1/2 cup of corn meal

 Heat up your frying oil. Test it for heat with a little batter. Throw it in and if it sizzles and turns brown, your batter is hot enough to get started. Beat eggs slightly; blend in milk. Add remaining ingredients.
Cut thick slices of onion. Separate into rings. Add corn starch and mix. This is the ultimate way to getting the batter to stick to the onion rings!! Dip in batter and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. (You  may need to turn the hear down if the outside is browning too fast. You need to cook them this long to make sure the onion is cooked inside.)



Samwise’s Strawberries and Cream Tart

For the Tart Dough:
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
9 Tb. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk

Put all dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the pieces of unsalted butter over the top of the dry ingredients, and pulse until the butter is cut in and the mixture looks like coarse meal. Break up the yolk a bit before you add it to the food processor, and then add it and process in long pulses until the dough comes together, you will hear the noise of the motor change.

Butter a 9 inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. You want to keep it crumbly here, it doesn't have to be perfect. Freeze crust for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a piece of aluminum foil and fit it (buttered side down) over the crust. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet, bake the crust for 25 minutes, then remove the foil. Continue baking until the crust turns golden brown (don't let it burn!) about 8 - 11 more minutes.

Let cool. You can do this and store it up to 5 days before you need to serve it.

Vanilla Pastry Cream:
2 c. whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. cornstarch
1 1/2 pieces of vanilla bean (or 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract)
3 1/2 Tb unsalted butter, but into pieces and at room temp.

Boil the milk and the vanilla (if using beans, scrape the seeds into the milk and include the pods)in a small saucepan. As this is heating, in a medium saucepan whisk the yolks with the sugar and cornstarch, until thick and well blended. Still whisking, drizzle in about 3/4 cup of the hot milk in order to warm the yolks. Continue whisking as you slowly add the rest of the milk. Put the pan over medium heat and whisk constantly, bringing it to a boil. Keep mixture at a boil, continuing to whisk, for about 1-2 minutes, and remove from heat.

Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in the butter until they are fully incorporated. The pastry cream will be smooth and silky, not clumpy. Scrape cream into a bowl and let it cool off. You can place a piece of plastic wrap right on the surface of the cream so you don't get a skin. Refrigerate until it is cold and ready to use. You can keep it for up to 3 days.

Assembly:

When you are ready to serve your tart, pour the cooled pastry cream (give it a pass or two with a whisk to incorporate it again) into the tart shell. Add fruits of your choice (I find that berries or fruit that isn't too juicy works the best) over the top. If you want a glaze, use about 1/3 cup of jelly of your choice and one teaspoon of water, boil it, let it cool, and using a pastry brush "paint" your fruit.


Precious Golden Rings aka Doughnuts

1 1/2 cups milk
          1/3 c shortening or butter
2 packages instant yeast
1/3 cup warm water
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
23 ounces all-purpose flour (about 5 cups), plus more for dusting surface
Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying (1 to 1/2 gallons, depending on fryer)
Directions
Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt the shortening. Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over. Set aside.
In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and shortening mixture, first making sure the milk and shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined. Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well. Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter or pastry ring and using a 7/8-inch ring for the center whole. Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365 degrees F. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side. Transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan. Glaze immediately.

Glaze:
1/3 cup butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons hot water or as needed
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in hot water one tablespoon at a time until the icing is somewhat thin, but not watery.