Weave a Thousand Flavors

Meat filled envelopes ~ Murtabak (Malaysia) & Tavaa Roti, Mughlai Paratha (India)

After a day of raiding the refrigerator, fixing 15 minute meals and eating out of bowls, I am ready to get back on the horse and bring out my exploratory cap for something different and delicious for lunch.

The prerequisite - nothing that involves rice or noodles or pasta. 'Nuf already!

My mind drifted towards samosas, since I had a some ground meat in the ice box but  when we do end up making samosas we're going to make the traditional variety first - punjab style stuffed with spicy potatoes and peas, the meat filled ones will just have to wait.

And then it came to me like Zeus' bolt - 'meat filled envelopes' known by a variety of names such as tavaa roti  in Mumbai or Mughlai paratha in Delhi or Murtabak in Maylasia.

 I grew up eating these. We'd go to this neighborhood restaurant row with outdoor seating and we'd order what was called tavaa roti (which essentially means griddle fried bread) and I would watch this guy facing a 5 ft long griddle , stretch and twirl the dough like it was made of nothing but elastic, crack eggs and flip the stuffed rotis,  high in the air with this long metal spatula. The one thing I do distinctly remember is that they were absolutely delicious.

Finally, standing at a roadside food cart outside the railway station at Johor Bahru, Malaysia, while these meat filled envelopes were prepared with similar theatrics was another dear memory. The rotiwala would throw the dough in the air and stretch it as he twirled  it high above his head ( not unlike the pizza makers in Italy). 

A lime sized lump of dough would become a large, smooth sheet in about a minute. It was then cooked and filled directly on the griddle with savory meat, chopped onions and beaten egg.

Only this time they were called  Murtabak . Now I can't promise theatrics but I reckon we can make a pretty decent Murtabak a.k.a tavaa roti or Mughlai paratha right at home.

 

Low-falutin' Pot Roast ~ for them Yorkshire Puddings

Some days it's time to pull out low or no falutin' recipes, ones that can for most part fix themselves with minimal stirring, poking, prodding and fussing with guaranteed results in deliciousness.

And in my book events that fall in such a category are & not restricted to -

• BBC 's special showing of Agatha Christie movies that require an uninterrupted 2 hours of watching, thank you very much!
  
• Kids swim lessons that take forever
  
• Phonecalls that dump you into voicemail with elevator music where the hold times are is a 45 minutes and counting.
• Chuck roast that is on not only on sale but on bargain bonanza with buy one, get one free
  
• Rather than slaving on a hot stove, spend time racing through seasons of 'Prime Suspect ' starring Helen Mirren as DCI Tennison
  

And when it comes to low falutin' comfort food few things can complete with a good ole' pot roast. I consider this version high on my list because it pretty much uses stuff that we have handy in the freezer, fridge and pantry and also favors those ingredients that are on their last legs that we wouldn't dream of using in salads and such.

'Ropa Vieja' - 'Old clothes' meat on a whim : Slow cooked Shredded Cuban flank Steak in Sofrito Sauce

 
 
There are some days, when no force on earth is going to get me out of my jammies to go grocery shopping and on such days raiding the pantry and the freezer will just have to do.

This afternoon, I open my freezer to find one measly packet of a lb and a half of flank steak. My refrigerator looks like it has been hit by famine and a further rummage through the pantry reveals a similar condition - some black beans and an assortment of other lentils. 

The combination of the 2 ingredients - steak and beans, gets me thinking of South American cuisine and I rush to pull out my Mark Miller cookbook which has my go-to recipe for his fabulous Black Bean Soup but I have yet to figure out what to do with the flank steak. 

I recall a lovely lunch I had several years ago in this hole-in-the wall, mom and pop, Cuban diner the name of which eludes me but it was in Richmond, Virginia. I remember turning into a shopping center and stopping at the only place still open for a late lunch.

And what a lunch it was! I had ordered  Ropa Vieja (for the first time ever) which means 'Old Clothes' referring to the shredded beef. This was served with black beans, rice and fried bananas. I absolutely adored the flavors of the meat with the onions, tomatoes, cumin and bell peppers. 

Fortunately, the nice elderly Cuban couple behind the counter had given me a brief run through the recipe and though mine may not be a 100%  authentic rendition, I am pretty confident I can pull off a pretty decent Ropa Vieja nevertheless. (Undoubtedly, I shall be taking artistic liberties as I progress..smile...)

How wonderful to fix a dish of this at home! It would be perfect for large gatherings and pot lucks but be sure to set aside a couple of hours to let meat slow cook.

Traditionally, the recipe is made with leftover meat but nowadays flank steak is a common place since it has a natural proclivity to being shredded and all. Also instead of just using green bell peppers as is traditional, I am also using red bell peppers because of the nice play of color and added natural sweetness.

 There are essentially 2 steps to cooking this dish - first, the meat by itself is stewed to a point where it can be shredded,  blind folded with one hand tied to the back and the meat is then simmered in a traditional tomato based sauce known as sofrito for its ultimate flavor. Let's get started - 

Garden Mini-Meatloaves with Dijon-Tomato Tangy Topping

 

Aren't I a devious one? I take what should be a meat and more meat dish and turn it into a veritable kitchen garden all the while sitting on the dinner table with a slightly knowing smile as my little ones ooh and aah over this meat loaf!

Yay for devious moms!

This is one of those other American dishes that I had never even heard of before landing on American shores. And like most I began with the cream of mushroom soup rendition with loads of grease leaking from its edges.

Delightful as it was to taste it did two things - my Mom who was visiting that time locked her self into her bedroom claiming she wasn't hungry that evening leading to a showdown the next morning (yes, the meatloaf caused a domestic dispute) and secondly it went against my "GOOD FOOD" motto - you know, the no canned, no preservatives and no artificial flavors please, thank you very much, motto.

And so began the hunt for good meatloaf. The journey that involved reading just about everyone elses recipes, endless magazine clippings and the back of every breadcrumb box I could lay hands on, finally rests here.

And it is here to stay.

Because this does everything I think a good meatloaf should do - packs great flavor, is light & refreshing to eat, non-greasy and believe it or not, low fat as meatloaves go.

The addition of shredded up vegetables does wonders to keep the meatloaf moist but also adds that light, refreshing taste that we have come to love.

And when I think of all that good nuitrition that we're gobbling up while loving every mouthful, I say, "What's not to love"?

 

Memories of Childhood & Kheema - Spiced Indian Style Ground Goat Meat (Mutton) or Lamb with Peas

 
 
Is it odd that some of my fondest childhood memories are nestled in a plateful of spicy ground meat with hot bread rather than some sweet confection?

Perhaps.

Growing up my weekends would punctuated by late weekend brunches with Mum's Kheema and while Mum was busy preparing the kheema, Dad and I would get into out little jonquil colored Italian Fiat and drive down to our favorite pao-wala (bread man) who worked out of a little tin shack on the side of the street and pick up hot slabs of bread loaves (paos) sold by the dozen at which point these are known as ladis. Very Mumbai, this.

Oh yes! Those were amazing times and these memories will forever warm my soul. As Mum brought the Kheema to the dinner table here in the US, we served it with hot oven baked Naan. I hope you remember my recent post on Homemade Naan. What a delight to have these come straight out of our oven and Dad says it rivals some of the finest he has eaten growing up. Now there's a compliment if there ever was one!

Any way not to my surprise, the conversation at  the dinner table drifted back to those wonderful slabs of hot paos so common in Mumbai. Of all the things from back home, pao is on my top ten list. Turns out, unlike bread here in the US that does so well in the freezer and therefore keeps for extended periods of time, pao turns into soggy loafs once you take them out of the freezer. So the question that comes to my mind is, what do they put in the bread here that makes it freezer friendly?

Hmmm....should we plead the fifth on this one ?

For now, I think we'll just have to stick with hot homemade Naan's, shamelessly slathered with butter along with Mum's delicious kheema with whole spices and herbs.

The kheema is traditionally ground goat meat found at Pakistani halal stores here in the US (use lamb if you must) of fine quality and is stewed with onions and spices and it then sauteed till it is nearly dry and the ghee simmers to the surface. So aromatic is dish and yet utterly simple that it has been a staple for generations - my grandfather, my Dad, myself and now my kids! You know something is special when it stands the test of time and turns into a family tradition.

So what is your favorite food related childhood memory?

 

Authentic Yakhni Pulao - My Childhood On a Plate

 

If I were asked to sum up my childhood in one meal then that meal for me is undoubtedly Yakhni Pulao. If what you see before you is just a plate of meat and rice then let me share with you what you aren't seeing - this is a plate with a story to tell.

A story about tradition, knowledge passed down from father to son and now father to daughter and daughter to sons not by the written word but by little anecdotes and "see here's" and sentences that invariably begin with "Your Grandfather, your Dadaji would say........."

This plate also tells the tale about honesty - honest ingredients meet on a plate and the the story that then unfolds is less about the Cook and more about the Dish. Just a handful of excellent ingredients come together and unleash an explosion of flavors. And the true foundation of this dish begins not in the kitchen but at the butcher shop where only the finest quality of meat can yield the perfect result of a perfect pulao.

As is tradition, the meat here is spring goat and unlike it's smellier cousin, the lamb, it is full of iron and protein and is very very lean. But there is an art to selecting the perfect cut of meat, so before you venture out to fix this dish, I suggest, No, I insist that you read the next post on - Once Upon a Goat! Everything you ever wanted to know about 'Select' Goat meat and Wish you Never Asked

Growing up, it was quite common to see my father wake up in the wee hours of the morning and drive to the butcher shop so he would be able to select the finest slab of meat, still unloading off the delivery truck. On days that I would join him, he'd say "You know your Dadaji (paternal Grandfather) would be able to choose the perfect quality of meat that would cook in 20 minutes flat!"

Back at home Mum would be busy preparing for the meat that would soon make an appearance. Probably still huddled in their jammies, the dinner guests, friends of the family who have savored the delights of this dish in the past, would often call Mum voicing their anticipation for the evening feast ahead.

 
It is even more delightful that today this meal is being prepared by Dad himself because when it comes to this signature dish, no one does it better! I silently stand back in the wings, taking notes while Mum is scurrying about the kitchen handing him the next ingredient. This is a dance that I have always watched them do when Dad is at the helm in the kitchen.

So without further ado, for the sake of my sons, here is Daadu's pearls of wisdom as he brings us all his signature Yakhni Pulao!

 

Southwestern Chili - A Spicy Stew with a variety of Meats, Chiles, Beer & Black Beans

 
I had never tasted Chili till I landed on the shores of the United States. My first introduction to this dish was on an episode of the 'Bill Cosby Show' where he makes Chili in this humongous stockpot and forbids anyone from opening the lid or sniffing into the pot. On this episode Bill Cosby states that secret to making great Chili is hours of cooking. Not knowing any better I believed him. I have since added a bit of a twist  of my own - that, coming up later.

Once I joined 'corporate America', it was impossible to dodge the annual Chili Cook-Offs and I began pottering around with this recipe & that. And though for many years I made a decent Chili by no means would I call it a great Chili and we'd often devour bowls of it on many a snowy cold nights with an equally mediocre corn bread.

Then inspiration struck out of the blue and quite unexpectedly as it often does. I was reading an article about Mark Miller - for those of you have been following the blog, you know that he is a source of great inspiration to me when it comes to Mexican & Southwestern cuisines & I admire the man immensely for his many contributions. Well, there was a mention of how he created a signature Chili at the Coyote Cafe using venison meat . And that fueled in me a desire to make a Chili using a variety of meats  &  Chiles.

Having taken an interest in southwestern cooking, I have been reading more and more about Chiles and if there is one thing I am learning is that unlike Indian cooking where chillies are used for heat, Mexican and New Mexico Chiles are used not only for heat but for there incredible smoky flavors & scents that is characteristic in good southwestern cooking.

I must thank the state of Virginia & 'Pesky Pete' for the use of beer in my recipe. I used to work with this guy and if you know Virginians then you know that most of the men here take great pride in their meat, their beer & their chili. Now let me tell you, I like 'Pesky Pete'- he was and I'm sure is still a nice guy. Except that he often spoke with great conviction about things he knew very little about.

For example one day, he started arguing with me about Gandhi - now most people would probably stop a second & think - wait a minute this girl's an Indian so maybe she does know a wee bit more about Gandhi than I do - not 'Pesky Pete' he began arguing with me that Gandhi's first name is 'Mahatma' - Between laughter, exasperation & anger I tried to convince him that 'Mahatma' was the title given to Gandhi which mean 'Great Soul - entomology of the word - Maha - Great, atma - soul hence 'Great soul' but his real name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

The guy wasn't buying it! Which is why I call him 'Pesky Pete'. Now 'Pesky Pete' may not know his Gandhi but he sure knows his Chili and it was he who told me to start cooking my Chili in beer & beef stock. So for that, I will always be eternally grateful to him. Also the addition of black beans instead of pinto or kidney gives this Chili that unique southwestern flair.

With such great inspirations, I must confess that I now make a darn good Chili and won an award at a Chili Cook-Off at my husband's firm...yea!!!! (please picture me gleefully  clapping my hands together like a little girl in pig tails)

So here goes - Southwestern Chili : Warning -  Not for those souls who define 'spicy' as a dash of pepper! Now, I don't consider this Chili hot but lets just say - it has a spine!

 

Shami Kababs - Literally translates to Syrian Kababs, these are deliciously spiced meat and split chick pea kababs

I am still mourning the loss of these kababs from Saturday night's Foodbuzz dinner. If you haven't a clue of what I speak, you really ought to click here

 

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE  a good dinner party with good friends but I belong to that breed of hostesses who can't ever taste the food at my own party and only truly relish it after everyone has left - preferably barefoot, with my feet curled up on the couch and hopefully in my favorite flannels. Alas, that was not to be....an empty platter was all that was left for me.

I can write many a verse in elaborate description of just how good these little meat morsels turned out but I think our friend Terry described it best, "I couldn't believe the kabobs and was relieved that I restrained myself from trying to take another and put it in my pocket to savor the unique flavor yet again:)"

Now, if a humble kabab can reduce a decent, lovely woman to kleptomania, you have to ask yourself, just how good were those doggone things?

 

Cumin-Coriander Crusted Beef Steak with Mexican Mole Sauce

What an honor it is for me that Gwen from Bunkycooks asked me to guest author on her blog today.

If you know her and her wonderful blog then you know that it is synonymous with fresh ingredients and great flavors, all concocted in her fabulous home kitchen. And while we're at it, don't even get me started on her pics. The woman is an absolute whiz with her camera. Boy! can she shoot! (pics that is)

So I have been toying with the idea of what I could possibly fix that would do this moment true justice. Something with explosive taste that represents the best of the season.

And as far I am concerned, there are few things that can compete with a perfectly cooked steak and a well made Mole.

Mole (pronounced - Molay)  is a term used to describe classic Mexican sauces and are made with a variety of ingredients from poblano chiles to peanuts. My favorite is this one made from chili peppers, spices, and chocolate. Yes chocolate!

Ironically,  most of the convincing needed to happen in my very own home!  Ever since I revealed dinner plans to Mr. Hubby last evening, I have never seen him more anxious. He has been stealing nervous glances my way all day with the occasional question - "Did you say, you're going to cook steak with chocolate?" My response to which was, " Dahling, it's been done for centuries, it'll be fabulous!".

Nevertheless, the nervous glances have far from ceased and it has actually been cause of some exasperation for me. I mean you'd think he'd be able to trust me on food matters after all these years! But I suppose, its because he's never been a  fan of chocolate. He tolerates it at best. So my guess is that he fears that I'm going to serve him a steak dunked in a cup of hot cocoa!

Nothing could be further from the truth. Mole cooked right, takes on a subtle sweet undertone but also takes on the slight bitter undertone from the cocoa. When combined with spices, smoky chipotle chiles and ripe tomatoes, it transforms into a wonderfully rich & flavorful sauce that complements most meats & leaves its true chocolate roots on distant shores.

The main ingredients to create this delightful dinner are -

New York strip steaks (excellent quality), cumin seeds, coriander seeds, yellow onion, fresh tomato, canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, red chilly powder, semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, ground cinnamon, salt, ground black pepper, olive oil & fresh cilantro.

 

 

  Prepare the ingredients -

 

Cumin-Coriander powder - In a clean and dry coffee grinder, place the cumin and coriander seeds and pulse 8-10 times till the seeds are crushed. The cumin seeds will be fine but the coriander seeds will be cracked and not fine. This is fine.

Onions - Peel & discard the skin,  tops & root. Dice into chunks.

Tomatoes - Discard woody bit on top and dice.

Cilantro leaves - Finely chop and set aside in a bowl of water to prevent browning.

 

Spread 1/2 the crushed spices in a plate and crust one side of the steak completely with the spices. Spread the remaining spices in the plate again and once again repeat with the other side of the steak. 

   

Once the steaks have marinated, heat up the cast iron pan or fire up the grill. If using a grill the steaks will be cooked using the 'Direct heat method'.

For this recipe I recommend that you cook your steaks medium to medium-rare. Please don't turn these into strips of leather!

For cooking times, we follow  Steven Raichlen's guide to cooking steaks:

 Steaks 1/2” to 3/4” thick-

• Rare – 1-2 minutes / side
• Medium – 2-3 minutes/side
• Well-done - 3-4 minutes/side
  

Steaks 1” thick-

• Rare – 3-4 minutes / side
• Medium – 4-6 minutes/side
• Well-done - 6-7 minutes/side

Steaks 1-1/2” thick-

• Rare – 4-6 minutes / side
• Medium – 6-8 minutes/side
• Well-done - 8-9 minutes/side

Heat the olive oil in the cast iron pan over medium high heat. Use the above  guide for cooking times. I love the crisp blackened layer the steak gets when you flip it over. Cook the other side as well once again following recommended cooking times.

Once cooked, remove the steaks to a plate and rest the steak for about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Why is it important to rest steaks before cutting into them?

Quite simply, as meat proteins cook, they begin to shrink. As it continues to cook most of the moisture will be squeezed out of a lean piece of meat. As meat rests, this process is partially reversed & the moisture that is driven toward the center of the meat is redistributed. As a result, less juice runs out of the meat when you cut into it.

Also remember that the meat continues to cook after you've taken it off the heat source. This is crucial to understand especially when cooking a steak.  This is called carry-over cooking and is caused by residual heat transferring from the hotter exterior of the meat to the cooler center.

This means the meat must be removed from the heat at an internal temperature lower than your desired final internal temperature, allowing the residual heat to finish the cooking while the meat rests.

While the steaks rest, prepare the mole sauce.

   

To the steak juices on the pan on medium heat, add olive oil. Add cumin seeds & diced onions. Saute for about 5-6 minutes till the onions begin to soften and turn a light brown on the edges.

 

To the onions add the tomatoes, chocolate chips, ground cinnamon, 1 chipotle chile, adobo sauce , salt, ground black pepper and red chilly powder.

 

Saute for 2 minutes till the chocolate is completely melted. Taste and adjust seasonings. Empty out the contents of the pan into a mini-chopper/blender. 

 

Add 2 tbs water & pulverize the mixture for a few minutes to a smooth paste. Place a bowl under a sieve and empty the contents from the blender into the sieve.

With a spoon keep stirring and pressing down till all the goodness has been extracted from the pulp in the sieve. Discard the pulp. 

 

And what you have is a delicious smooth mole sauce.  Using a sharp chef's knife, slice the steak about 1/4" thick at a slight angle.

Plate and serve. I served this with a delicious refreshing Black bean, avocado & tomato salad. Look for the recipe at the bottom of this post.

This is such a refreshing and delicious meal. The steak pairs marvelously with the  sweet & spicy mole sauce. The sauce itself is smooth and rich with the just the right texture and consistency. The cumin-coriander crust on the steak lends a flavor explosion with every bite.

The contribution the Black bean, avocado & tomato salad makes to this meal is not be underestimated. The refreshing flavors of the salad constantly cleanses the palette with every bite.

Such an easy to fix and yet very impressive dinner.  It also presents beautifully  for a family dinner or for fine dining.

 

 

Recipe for

Cumin-Coriander Crusted Steak with Mexican Mole Sauce

(Adapted from a recipe in Bon Appétit Magazine)

Preparation time - 10 minutes

Cooking time - 20 minutes

Serves 4

Shopping list

2 lbs New York Strip Steak

1 tbs cumin seeds

1 tbs coriander seeds

2 tsp salt

1 tbs olive oil

3-4 sprigs fresh cilantro leaves

Mole Sauce -

1 medium yellow onion

1 large ripe tomato

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce (canned) + 1/2 tbs adobo sauce

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbs semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black ground pepper

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs water

Preparation -

Cumin-Coriander powder - In a clean and dry coffee grinder, place the cumin and coriander seeds and pulse 8-10 times till the seeds are crushed. The cumin seeds will be fine but the coriander seeds will be cracked and not fine. This is fine.

Onions - Peel & discard the skin,  tops & root. Dice into chunks.

Tomatoes - Discard woody bit on top and dice.

Cilantro leaves - Finely chop and set aside in a bowl of water to prevent browning.

Cooking Method -

Spread 1/2 the crushed spices in a plate and crust one side of the steak completely with the spices. Spread the remaining spices in the plate again and once again repeat with the other side of the steak. 

Once the steaks have marinated, heat up the cast iron pan or fire up the grill. If using a grill the steaks will be cooked using the 'Direct heat method'.

For this recipe I recommend that you cook your steaks medium to medium-rare. Please don't turn these into strips of leather!

For cooking times, we follow  Steven Raichlen's guide to cooking steaks:

 Steaks 1/2” to 3/4” thick-

• Rare – 1-2 minutes / side
• Medium – 2-3 minutes/side
• Well-done - 3-4 minutes/side
  

Steaks 1” thick-

• Rare – 3-4 minutes / side
• Medium – 4-6 minutes/side
• Well-done - 6-7 minutes/side

Steaks 1-1/2” thick-

• Rare – 4-6 minutes / side
• Medium – 6-8 minutes/side
• Well-done - 8-9 minutes/side

Heat the olive oil in the cast iron pan over medium high heat. Use the above  guide for cooking times. I love the crisp blackened layer the steak gets when you flip it over. Cook the other side as well once again following recommended cooking times.

Once cooked, remove the steaks to a plate and rest the steak for about 5-10 minutes before serving. While the steaks rest, prepare the mole sauce.

To the steak juices on the pan on medium heat, add olive oil. Add cumin seeds & diced onions. Saute for about 5-6 minutes till the onions begin to soften and turn a light brown on the edges.

To the onions add the tomatoes, chocolate chips, ground cinnamon, 1 chipotle chile, adobo sauce , salt, ground black pepper and red chilly powder.

Saute for 2 minutes till the chocolate is completely melted. Taste and adjust seasonings. Empty out the contents of the pan into a mini-chopper/blender. 

Add 2 tbs water & pulverize the mixture for a few minutes to a smooth paste. Place a bowl under a sieve and empty the contents from the blender into the sieve.

With a spoon keep stirring and pressing down till all the goodness has been extracted from the pulp in the sieve. Discard the pulp. 

And what you have is a delicious smooth mole sauce.  Using a sharp chef's knife, slice the steak about 1/4" thick at a slight angle.

Plate and serve.

I served this with a delicious refreshing Black bean, avocado & tomato salad.

Recipe follows -

Refreshing Black bean, avocado & tomato salad

Prepare & Refrigerate while steak is being cooked.

Serves 4

Shopping list

2 cans black beans

1/4 cumin powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbs olive oil

6 ripe, sweet cherry tomatoes

2 ripe, brown avocados

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 small Spanish red onion

1/2- 1 lime

1/4 tsp black ground pepper

Preparation -

Black beans - Rinse under tap water in a sieve. Drain all excess water away.

Onion - Peel & discard the skin,  tops & root. Finely chop to make about 1/2 cup

Tomatoes - Discard woody bit on top and chop

Cilantro leaves - Finely chop and set aside in a bowl of water to prevent browning.

Lime - Juice and set aside

Method - 

In a glass mixing bowl, place the drained black beans & all the other ingredients. Stir  well to combine.

Adjust seasonings especially the salt & lime juice. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap.

Refrigerate till ready to serve

Enjoy!

It's Spring! Navarin D'Agneau Printanier {Lamb Navarin with Spring Vegetables}

It's officially Spring!

It always manages to creep up on me. It's as if even though the logical part of my brain knows its spring - it's that time in March,  I get used to the cold dreary days and then all of a sudden out of the blue, blue skies and the scent of orange blossoms! Everywhere!

There's nothing quite like the sweet scent of orange blossoms & it gets me every time. I take deep breathes the moment  I step outside!

I have been waiting eagerly on the precipice between winter & spring because do I have some very special meals in store for you. Some classics and some based on sheer imagination let  loose on the culinary slopes!

So  here comes one of my favorite gastronomic delights - a very special French classic,  Lamb Navarin D'Agneau Printanier which is Lamb Navarin with Spring Vegetables.

When Chef Robin White quite out of the blue did me the honor of asking me to appear as a Guest Author on her blog and specifically asked me to work on something 'spring '  I just knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity to do this French Classic.

Now, its a very big deal for me that Chef Robin asked me to do this blog post. She wears many hats as a Restaurateur, Consultant, Wine Pairing expert & Teacher of the Culinary Arts. I first became acquainted with her when I read her marvelous article on  Finishing Salts. I have never delved into these and if it were not for her & Chef Keller at the French Laundry, I would have continued in my state of oblivion.

I have often said that I lack the gene that allows me to follow a recipe to the 'T'. In fact I wouldn't begin to know how to do that. I think it has something to do with the fact that especially when it comes to the French cooking, I approach it with the same mindset I approached my thesis as a graduate student. I research, deconstruct the argument recipe, look for similarities and differences and then reconstruct the recipe in my own light.

Two culinary giants & a humble me are in the kitchen for this rendition of  Navarin D'Agneau Printanier. My favorite person when it comes to French cooking, Richard Grausman's recipe from his book At Home with the French Classics, Le Cordon Bleu's recipe for this & moi, calling out to the culinary Gods to smile on me as we journey into the  world of Navarin D'Agneau Printanier. 

Lamb Navarin is a stew with lamb, turnips, carrots & potatoes. What takes it  from Lamb Navarin to Lamb Navarin Printanier is the addition of spring vegetables namely pre-cooked french beans (very thin green beans) and shelled green peas.

Please do not omit the turnips because it would it would no longer be Navarin. In fact take it from someone who has suffered from turnip nightmares growing up. If only my mother had cooked it this way, I'd have eaten the entire field of turnips without any fuss!

The main ingredients for this dish are - Lamb (technically shoulder is to be used) but I have Australian leg of lamb just because its easily available at a Costco or local butcher.

Also, turnips, carrots, pearl onions, baby waxy potatoes, fresh tomato, onion, leeks (which is my addition) tomato paste, beef broth, dry white wine, all-purpose flour, fresh thyme sprigs, parsley for garnish & of course the spring vegetables - french green beans & shelled (frozen) green peas. 

Also a bouquet garni with fresh or dried thyme, parsley & bay leaves. I use the Grausman method for the bouquet garni and therefore also require celery. Details are coming up.

Prepare the ingredients -

Turnips - Peel, discard top & bottom knobs & cut into quarters.

Carrots - Peel & cut into 1-1/2" thick lengths. Discard the top.

Onion - Peel, discard the skin. Halve, & then place in a mini-chopper and finely chop.

Cook's Note - Interestingly, Grausman does not use onions in his recipe but Cordon Bleu does & I do like onion.

Leeks - Discard root tip. Halve and slice into 1/4" thick semi-circles. Use only the white & light green parts. Discard the thick dark green portion & leaves.

Garlic - Peel & chop cloves. Set aside.

Parsley - Discard the stalks. Finely chop the leaves and set aside. 

Baby red potatoes - Wash, cut away any 'eyes' or brown spots & peel. Set aside.

Pearl onions - I simply don't have the patience to peel miniature onions so I found a shortcut that works really well.

 

Bring 2 cups of water to an angry boil. Drop in the pearl onions and boil for 3 minutes. Sieve and discard the water.

 Under gently running cold tap water, peel the onions using a knife to cut off the root tip. 

Cook's Note- It is very important to not cut above the root tip or the entire onion will fall apart as the layers separate.

Measure & set aside - the all-purpose flour, tomato paste, beef stock & dry white wine. 

 

Lamb - If you purchased a boneless leg of lamb like I did, then use a kitchen scale and separate 2 lbs of meat from the rest. Return the rest of the meat to the refrigerator for use in a later recipe. Do not refreeze if the meat has been defrosted from the freezer.

Cut away the thick skin if attached from the meat.

 

Cut the lamb into 1-1/2" cubes. Place on a kitchen paper towel. Cover with another piece of paper towel and press so all the moisture is absorbed. The meat will not brown if it is damp.

For Bouquet Garni -

 

Using the Grausman method - Take 2 stalks of celery approx 4-5 inches long but of equal lengths. Place fresh or dried thyme in one of the celery hollows (what else would u call it?) Place the bay leaves covering the thyme followed by sprigs of fresh parsley.

 

Interlock the two celery sticks together squishing together all the herbs and tie the 2 halves together with kitchen twine. There you have it - bouquet garni without the cheesecloth. I have used this method time and time again over decades and it works well every time.

 

Use a heavy bottom pan, dutch oven or a copper saute pan as in my case.

On high heat, bring vegetable oil to fuming. In a single layer, add the lamb chunks to the pan. Brown on each side, then flip over an brown on the other side. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch & may need to be cooked in 2 batches. Do not over crowd the pan.

Once golden brown, remove the meat & set aside while you cook the second batch of meat.

 

To the saute pan add the garlic, sliced leeks & chopped onions. Saute for about 2 minutes on medium heat till slightly softened.

 

Add the browned lamb and saute for another minute. Add the all-purpose flour and saute for on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes until the flour is all spongy & begin to stick to the bottom of the pan.

 

Add the beef stock,white wine, bouquet garni, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste & fresh thyme sprigs.

Cook's Note - The Grausman recipe calls for beef stock as opposed to Le Cordon Bleu recipe which calls for hot water. Of course I prefer adding beef stock except I have added 4 cups instead of the called for 3 cups.

Also Grausman does not use fresh tomatoes in his recipe but Le Cordon Bleu does and I think its always a nice addition to a stew. However, I have reduced the quantity  of  tomatoes since I think the tart from the tomato paste will be strong enough. Also, I have reduced the quantity of onions  as well. I find that  use of onion in excess will turn the dish sweet which I don't think that's appropriate here.

 

On medium-high heat bring the stock to simmer. Cover with a tight fitting lid and  allow to cook undisturbed on low heat for 1 hour.

Meanwhile prepare the remaining vegetables -

 

In a saute pan, heat 2 tbs salted butter & add the carrots.

 

Saute on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan frequently so the carrots brown on all sides. Remove the carrots with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.

  

In the same pan saute the pearl onions & turnips for another 3-5 minutes or so or until they are browned on all sides.  Shake the pan frequently so the onions & turnips begin to glaze & are brown on all sides. Remove them to the same plate with the carrots along with all the butter in the pan.

Green peas - Measure out the frozen green peas.

Green French beans - For aesthetic reasons, I only string from the top woody bit. I leave the end intact. Especially because these are succulent young green beans, this will be OK. If you are using tough green beans then string from both ends.

Set aside the green peas & the green beans ready to use.

 

After the stew has been cooking an hour, give the stew a good stir & add potatoes & the carrots. Stir & replace the tight fitting lid.

Cook's Note -  In both the traditional recipes, the potatoes are cooked separately and added to the stew at the every end. I see no reason for this. If anything the potatoes are going to taste only better cooking in the stew (and I was right)

After 1/2 hour, give the stew a good stir & add the turnips & the pearl onions. Stir & replace the tight fitting lid.

 

Mean while bring a pot of water, about 3 cups to an angry boil with 1 tsp salt. This takes about 15 minutes.

Add the green french beans and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Drain in a sieve, discarding excess water. Add the beans & peas to the stew. Stir. Replace the tight fitting lid & cook for 5 minutes.

Test the green beans & give it another 5 minutes if needed. In my case the beans were cooked after 5 minutes but since the quality of the beans varies, check to ascertain. Also, pierce one of every vegetable & thick piece of lamb to ensure it is all cooked.

Total cooking time was about 2 hours. Discard the thyme sprigs & the bouquet garni.

Cook's Note - If you are preparing to serve this the next day do not add the green beans & peas until the stew has been reheated thoroughly just before serving time the  next day. I do however want to point out that I liked it best the same evening even though it may be against norm.

Taste & adjust seasonings and Serve hot.

The stew can be serve in individual soup plates or in a tureen or deep large platter . Garnish with fresh chopped parsley .

This stew is absolutely delicious and is just as hearty &  soul enriching for family as it will be for fine dining. Serve with crusty bread and a glass of excellent burgundy.

The gravy in the stew is rich, thick and infused with the the flavors of the herbs, seasoning & root vegetables. The scent from the turnips is distinct, heady & the flavor in the root vegetables which have absorbed all the wine & the meat juices is absolutely delicious. The turnips even more so!

What better a way to invite the goodness of spring into your home than with Navarin D'Agneau Printanier ?

Recipe for

Navarin D'Agneau Printanier {Lamb Navarin with Spring Vegetables}

Preparation time - 30 minutes

Cooking time - 2 hours

Serves 4-6

2 lbs boneless leg of lamb (I used Australian) 

1 large onion (to get about 1-1/4 cups chopped)

1 leek

3 garlic cloves

18 pearl onions

16 baby red (waxy) potatoes

3 large carrots

3 medium turnips

1/4 lb fresh green french beans (thin variety)

1/2 cup frozen shelled green peas

4 tbs vegetable oil

2 tbs salted butter

1 carton (1 litre) beef stock

3 tbs all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

4-5 fresh thyme sprig

6-7 sprigs parsley (enough to get 1 tbs chopped leaves)

Bouquet Garni

2 fresh thyme sprig or 1/2 tsp dried thyme

5 parsley sprigs

2 bay leaves

Preparation-

Turnips - Peel, discard top & bottom knobs & cut into quarters.

Carrots - Peel & cut into 1-1/2" thick lengths. Discard the top.

Onion - Peel, discard the skin. Halve, & then place in a mini-chopper and finely chop.

Cook's Note - Interestingly, Grausman does not use onions in his recipe but Cordon Bleu does & I do like onion.

Leeks - Discard root tip. Halve and slice into 1/4" thick semi-circles. Use only the white & light green parts. Discard the thick dark green portion & leaves.

Garlic - Peel & chop cloves. Set aside.

Parsley - Discard the stalks. Finely chop the leaves and set aside. 

Baby red potatoes - Wash, cut away any 'eyes' or brown spots & peel. Set aside.

Pearl onions - I simply don't have the patience to peel miniature onions so I found a shortcut that works really well.

Bring 2 cups of water to an angry boil. Drop in the pearl onions and boil for 3 minutes. Sieve and discard the water.

 Under gently running cold tap water, peel the onions using a knife to cut off the root tip. 

Measure & set aside - the all-purpose flour, tomato paste, beef stock & dry white wine. 

Lamb - If you purchased a boneless leg of lamb like I did, then use a kitchen scale and separate 2 lbs of meat from the rest. Return the rest of the meat to the refrigerator for use in a later recipe. Do not refreeze if the meat has been defrosted from the freezer.

Cut away the thick skin if attached from the meat.

Cut the lamb into 1-1/2" cubes. Place on a kitchen paper towel. Cover with another piece of paper towel and press so all the moisture is absorbed. The meat will not brown if it is damp.

For Bouquet Garni -   Take 2 stalks of celery approx 4-5 inches long but of equal lengths. Place fresh or dried thyme in one of the celery hollows (what else would u call it?) Place the bay leaves covering the thyme followed by sprigs of fresh parsley.

Interlock the two celery sticks together squishing together all the herbs and tie the 2 halves together with kitchen twine. There you have it - bouquet garni without the cheesecloth. I have used this method time and time again over decades and it works well every time.

Cooking method -

Use a heavy bottom pan, dutch oven or a copper saute pan.

On high heat, bring vegetable oil to fuming. In a single layer, add the lamb chunks to the pan. Brown on each side, then flip over an brown on the other side. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch & may need to be cooked in 2 batches. Do not over crowd the pan.

Once golden brown, remove the meat & set aside while you cook the second batch of meat.

To the saute pan add the garlic, sliced leeks & chopped onions. Saute for about 2 minutes on medium heat till slightly softened.

Add the browned lamb and saute for another minute. Add the all-purpose flour and saute for on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes until the flour is all spongy & begin to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add the beef stock,white wine, bouquet garni, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste & fresh thyme sprigs.

On medium-high heat bring the stock to simmer. Cover with a tight fitting lid and  allow to cook undisturbed on low heat for 1 hour.

Meanwhile prepare the remaining vegetables. In a saute pan, heat 2 tbs salted butter & add the carrots.

Saute on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan frequently so the carrots brown on all sides. Remove the carrots with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.

In the same pan saute the pearl onions & turnips for another 3-5 minutes or so or until they are browned on all sides.  Shake the pan frequently so the onions & turnips begin to glaze & are brown on all sides. Remove them to the same plate with the carrots along with all the butter in the pan.

Green peas - Measure out the frozen green peas.

Green French beans - For aesthetic reasons, I only string from the top woody bit. I leave the end intact. Especially because these are succulent young green beans, this will be OK. If you are using tough green beans then string from both ends.

Set aside the green peas & the green beans ready to use.

After the stew has been cooking an hour, give the stew a good stir & add potatoes & the carrots. Stir & replace the tight fitting lid.

Cook's Note -  In both the traditional recipes, the potatoes are cooked separately and added to the stew at the every end. I see no reason for this. If anything the potatoes are going to taste only better cooking in the stew (and I was right)

After 1/2 hour, give the stew a good stir & add the turnips & the pearl onions. Stir & replace the tight fitting lid.

Mean while bring a pot of water, about 3 cups to an angry boil with 1 tsp salt. This takes about 15 minutes.

Add the green french beans and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Drain in a sieve, discarding excess water. Add the beans & peas to the stew. Stir. Replace the tight fitting lid & cook for 5 minutes.

Test the green beans & give it another 5 minutes if needed. In my case the beans were cooked after 5 minutes but since the quality of the beans varies, check to ascertain. Also, pierce one of every vegetable & thick piece of lamb to ensure it is all cooked.

Total cooking time was about 2 hours. Discard the thyme sprigs & the bouquet garni.

Cook's Note - If you are preparing to serve this the next day do not add the green beans & peas until the stew has been reheated thoroughly just before serving time the  next day.

Taste & adjust seasonings and Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Stobhach Gaelach, Old Irish Stew, Modern Makeover!

Traditional Irish stew, Stobhach Gaelach in Gaelic, was made with what was readily  available at hand & cheap cuts of meat. Since the Irish raised primarily sheep and root vegetables, the original stew basically consisted of fatty cuts of lamb, onions & floury potatoes layered with salt & pepper. Potatoes were the main food crop, prior to the potato famine. The result was a stew that was filling, simple & rustic.

The first time I ever made Irish stew was during my teen years back in Mumbai. I got hold of a recipe from a neighbor who was attending culinary school and I recall using a rather generous quantity of peppercorns in it (all on my own accord of course, the tinkering gene was on the loose again! ) What I do remember  most about the meal was it punctuated coughing fits all around the table. Needless to say I didn't attempt the exercise again until many years later.

The 'later' was to be in Sydney as a graduate student constantly tethering towards the exciting world  of brokedom. Thanks to the fellow Irish students on the same floor at my housing college at Uni, who also happened to be foreign students just like myself, we found a favorite lunch pub-grub hangout  for when we had the dough which was P.J's on King Street. Any excuse for us to venture into the CBD for a little time away from assignments & deadlines.

One of the guys O'Farty....sorry... O'Flaugherty decided that we should all pool our resources together and fix a traditional Irish dinner, starring Irish stew of course, all on our own. We ingratiated ourselves onto a fellow Aussie student who rented an apartment (with an oven mind you) not far from the Uni and off we went.

O'Flaugherty  pulled out his Mum's recipe, heavily embellished the stew with stout and so it was we had our first authentic homemade Irish stew. He also insisted we make traditional Irish Soda Bread to go with but I think the stout must have kicked in by then because the bread that popped out of the oven was so hard, that as we exchanged nervous glances we must all have been thinking  the same thing. Namely, how none of us were covered for dental work should our molars decide to give in! Needless to say the stew pot was wiped clean - the bread, not so much.

Since then, I have continued to follow O'Flaugherty's recipe but with some tweaks. I have fused some aspects of traditional boeuf bourguignon, such as the use of bacon lardons and browning the meat to seal in the juices. I also use fresh herbs as well as root vegetables  such as carrots & parsnips that are not traditional to the dish. The result I think you will agree is a more updated, haute cuisine version that is absolutely delicious!

 

To begin, preheat the oven to 350 deg F.

The main ingredients for the stew are - boneless leg of lamb, parsnips, carrots, onions, leeks, fresh rosemary, fresh parsley, baby red potatoes, thick bacon slices, all purpose flour & beef broth.

Cook's Note - If you want a thick stew then also add 1/3 cup pearl barley , 1 tbs at a time between each layer as is traditionally done in this recipe. In our family we like this stew the way it is so I have omitted the pearl barley.

Prepare the ingredients -

Parsnips - Peel & cut into 1/2" thick circles. Discard the top. If some pieces near the top are very large (like 2" in diameter) then halve

Carrots - Peel & cut into 1/2" thick circles. Discard the top.

Onion - Peel, discard the skin. Halve, then quarter. Slice into 1/4" thick quarter circle slices.

Leeks - Discard root tip. Halve and slice into 1/4" thick semi-circles. Use only the white & light green parts. Discard the thick dark green portion & leaves.

Garlic - Peel & chop cloves. Set aside.

Parsley - Discard the stalks. Finely chop the leaves and set aside. 

Rosemary - Separate the leaves from the stalk and roughly chop with the knife or a herb cutter.

Baby red potatoes - Wash, cut away any 'eyes' or brown spots. Set aside.

Bacon - Cut into 3/4" lengths. Set aside.

Seasonings - Combine 1-1/2 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp black ground pepper in a bowl & set aside.

 

Lamb - If you purchased a boneless leg of lamb like I did, then use a kitchen scale and separate 2 lbs of meat from the rest. Return the rest of the meat to the refrigerator for use in a later recipe. Do not refreeze if the meat has been defrosted from the freezer.

Cut away the thick skin if attached from the meat & then cut into 1-1/2" cubes.

  

Sprinkle 2-1/2 tbs all-purpose flour all over the meat and rub will the meat in thoroughly coated with the flour.

 

Use a heavy bottom pan, dutch oven or as in my case a copper saute pan. Yup, its time for my Mauviel pan again...smiles..

On medium heat, add olive oil and heat for about a minute. Add the bacon and saute for about 5-7 minutes till crispy. Remove from the saute pan and set aside in a clean bowl.

Discard 2 tbs of the fat. Return the remaining fat & pan to the heat.

 

In a single layer, add the lamb chunks to the pan. Brown on each side, then flip over an brown on the other side. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch & may need to be cooked in 2 batches. Do not over crowd the pan.

Once golden brown, remove the meat & set aside while you cook the second batch of meat.

 

To the saute pan add 2 tbs olive oil. Add the sliced onions & leeks. Saute for about 2 minutes on medium heat till slightly softened.

 

Add the carrots & parsnips ans saute for another 2 minutes on medium heat. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

 

Return the pan to the heat. Add 1 cup of the beef stock and de-glaze the pan by dislodging all the yummy bits stuck to the bottom and sides of the pan. Remove from heat and place on a trivet, ready to begin layering the stew.

Layering the stew -

 

To the de-glazed pan juices, add 1/2 the onion-root vegetable mixture (not potatoes)

Sprinkle, 1/2 tsp rosemary & 1/2 tsp parsley.

Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt-pepper mixture.

 

Add 1/2 the lamb.

Sprinkle, 1/2 tsp rosemary & 1/2 tsp parsley.

Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt-pepper mixture. Add 1/2 the potatoes & 1/2 the bacon.

 

Sprinkle, 1/2 tsp rosemary & 1/2 tsp parsley. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt-pepper mixture.

Add the remaining onion-root vegetable mixture. 

Sprinkle, 1/2 tsp rosemary & 1/2 tsp parsley. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt-pepper mixture.

 

Add the remaining lamb & bacon.

Sprinkle all the remaining herbs & salt-pepper mixture. Add the remaining baby red potatoes.

Pour the beef stock over it all.

 

With a large spatula or metal spoon, press down on the meat & potatoes so they are more or less covered by the stock.

Very important - Cover with a tight fitting lid.

Place in the oven and bake for 2-1/2 hours straight.

At this point no opening oven door, no peeking, no fussing, no messing around with the stew. Leave it alone. Period.

When you take it our of the oven 2-1/2 hours later, the meat will be fork tender, the vegetables cooked and the aroma of lamb & rosemary will fill the air.

 
Traditionally, the stew is made the day before so the flavors mature. I have eaten this both ways and it is delicious either way. Make sure you serve it piping hot. 

 
The flavors from the lamb & rosemary is wonderful. There is an explosion of flavors from each bite and the root vegetables are soft having absorb all the wonderful juices from the meat & herbs. Even our kids lapped it up as we served the stew. Serve hot with thick slices of Irish Soda bread with a generous spread of butter. You'll find the post for excellent Irish Soda bread coming up next.

This is wonderful meal on a cold blustery evening & even better with tall pints of the black stuff!

Recipe for 

Stobhach Gaelach, Old Irish Stew, Modern Makeover

Preparation time - 30 minutes

Baking time - 2-1/2 hours

Serves 4

2 lbs boneless leg of lamb (I used Australian) 

1 large onion (to get about 1-1/2 cups sliced)

1 leek

3 thick bacon slices

2-1/2 tbs all-purpose flour

1 large carrot

1 large parsnip

1-1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

3 tbs olive oil

2 sprigs rosemary (enough to get 1 tbs chopped leaves)

6-7 sprigs parsley (enough to get 2 tbs chopped leaves)

1 carton (1 litre) beef stock

1/3 cup pearl barley (optional, for thicker stew)

Preparation-

Parsnips - Peel & cut into 1/2" thick circles. Discard the top. If some pieces near the top are very large (like 2" in diameter) then halve

Carrots - Peel & cut into 1/2" thick circles. Discard the top.

Onion - Peel, discard the skin. Halve, then quarter. Slice into 1/4" thick quarter circle slices.

Leeks - Discard root tip. Halve and slice into 1/4" thick semi-circles. Use only the white & light green parts. Discard the thick dark green portion & leaves.

Garlic - Peel & chop cloves. Set aside.

Parsley - Discard the stalks. Finely chop the leaves and set aside. 

Rosemary - Separate the leaves from the stalk and roughly chop with the knife or a herb cutter.

Baby red potatoes - Wash, cut away any 'eyes' or brown spots. Set aside.

Bacon - Cut into 3/4" lengths. Set aside.

Seasonings - Combine 1-1/2 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp black ground pepper in a bowl & set aside.

Lamb - If you purchased a boneless leg of lamb like I did, then use a kitchen scale and separate 2 lbs of meat from the rest. Return the rest of the meat to the refrigerator for use in a later recipe. Do not refreeze if the meat has been defrosted from the freezer.

Cut away the thick skin if attached from the meat & then cut into 1-1/2" cubes.

Sprinkle 2-1/2 tbs all-purpose flour all over the meat and rub will the meat in thoroughly coated with the flour.

Cooking method -

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.

Use a heavy bottom pan, casserole or a dutch oven. 

On medium heat, add olive oil and heat for about a minute. Add the bacon and saute for about 5-7 minutes till crispy. Remove from the saute pan and set aside in a clean bowl.

Discard 2 tbs of the fat. Return the remaining fat & pan to the heat.

In a single layer, add the lamb chunks to the pan. Brown on each side, then flip over an brown on the other side. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch & may need to be cooked in 2 batches. Do not over crowd the pan.

Once golden brown, remove the meat & set aside while you cook the second batch of meat.

To the saute pan add 2 tbs olive oil. Add the sliced onions & leeks. Saute for about 2 minutes on medium heat till slightly softened.

Add the carrots & parsnips ans saute for another 2 minutes on medium heat. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Return the pan to the heat. Add 1 cup of the beef stock and de-glaze the pan by dislodging all the yummy bits stuck to the bottom and sides of the pan. Remove from heat and place on a trivet, ready to begin layering the stew.

Layering the stew -

Cook's Note - If you want a thick stew then also add 1/3 cup pearl barley , 1 tbs at a time between each layer as is traditionally done in this recipe. In our family we like this stew the way it is so I have omitted the pearl barley.

Layer 1    :    To the de-glazed pan juices, add 1/2 the onion-root vegetable mixture (not potatoes)

                     Sprinkle, 1/2 tsp rosemary & 1/2 tsp parsley. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt-pepper mixture.

Layer 2    :     Add 1/2 the lamb.

                     Sprinkle, 1/2 tsp rosemary & 1/2 tsp parsley. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt-pepper mixture.

Layer 3     :    Add 1/2 the potatoes & 1/2 the bacon.

                     Sprinkle, 1/2 tsp rosemary & 1/2 tsp parsley. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt-pepper mixture.

Layer 4    :     Add the remaining onion-root vegetable mixture. 

                     Sprinkle, 1/2 tsp rosemary & 1/2 tsp parsley. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt-pepper mixture.

Layer 5    :      Add the remaining lamb & bacon.

                     Sprinkle all the remaining herbs & salt-pepper mixture.

Layer 6    :    Add the remaining baby red potatoes.

Pour the beef stock over it all.

With a large spatula or metal spoon, press down on the meat & potatoes so they are more or less covered by the stock.

Very important - Cover with a tight fitting lid. 

Baking -

Place in the oven and bake for 2-1/2 hours straight.

At this point no opening oven door, no peeking or touching the stew. Leave it alone.

When you take it our of the oven 2-1/2 hours later, the meat will be fork tender, the vegetables cooked and the aroma of lamb & rosemary will fill the air.

Traditionally, the stew is made the day before so the flavors mature. I have eaten this both ways and it is delicious either way. Make sure you serve it piping hot.

Enjoy with warm Irish Soda Bread.

On the subject of Excellent Meatballs

Meatballs for the longest time have not been a warm and fuzzy subject with me. There is nothing worse than biting into a rock hard meatball no matter how nice the flavor is.

Well, all this was about to change some Christmas' ago. My dear friend Beth invited us to her mother's Christmas Eve party and Beth's mother Mrs. Lambert is a wonderful cook and hostess. She has a Virginian charm and style of eras gone by and puts out an amazing banquet every year for the holidays.

One staple on her menu (along with her oyster stew) are meatballs in marinara sauce. Her's are soft and flavorful and melt in your mouth. Yum...

So imagine my surprise when Beth, an amazing cook and hostess herself (traits she inherits from her grandmother & mother no doubt) gifts me a handwritten collection of her family recipes for my birthday.  What a wonderful and thoughtful gift! And in it was the recipe for Mrs. Lambert's meatballs.

Now, one might say you should never mess with perfection....well, I can't help it!  Over the years I have added my own little tweaks to the recipe and though the recipe continues to remain largely Mrs. Lambert's, it is now also a la Devaki!

I promise, one bite into these and you are going to be in 7th heaven! And the sauce.....spoon licking good! Try 'em and see! Look for the upcoming post 'On the subject of Excellent Marinara sauce' for ramblings and the recipe for one of the best Marinara sauces ever! Promise, Girl scouts honor!

Over to the meatballs - the main ingredients in this recipe are  fresh chopped parsley, fresh chopped garlic, Italian seasoning, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and seasoned bread crumbs along with equal quantities of ground beef and Italian sausage.

Begin by preheating oven to 400 def F.

 
 

In a large bowl combine our base ingredients for the meatball first - fresh chopped parsley, fresh chopped garlic, Italian seasoning, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and seasoned bread crumbs.

Combine vigorously with a whisk till blended.

 

To the mixing bowl, add equal amounts of raw ground beef (15-20% fat) and mild Italian sausage. With clean hands, mix gently ensurin g that  the mixture is loosely but well mixed.

Cooks Note - Do not squeeze and compress the meat together as you mix or it will result in hard meatballs when cooked.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 Spray some non-stick cooking spray on a large  baking tray. I use a pretty ratty aluminum pan that is about 12 x 18 inches which works really well.

On the subject of ratty, my baking tray confirms Item (6) of the Honest scrap post which speaks to the subject of ugly pots!
 

 Pull out a hunk of meat between your fingers and roll loosely into a ball approx 2 inches round.

Cooks Note - I weigh mine individually on a kitchen scale so each one weighs 2 oz each. I get about 21 meatballs which works well - 20 for dinner and 1 for the cook! Seriously - are you going to be able to resist popping one in your mouth once these come out of the oven? ....smiles...

  

  

Place them in a row not touching till you have used up all the meat.

Very Important - Now pour a cup of beef or chicken stock (which ever you have handy) in the tray. We are going to collect the yummy pan juices and use it for our marinara sauce later.

Place in the oven and set the timer to 30 minutes. 

Cooks Note - When the meatballs come out of the oven, once they have cooled a bit, you will find the melted cheese etc. congealed around each of the meatballs along with the pan juices. 

Separate it from the meatballs and leave in the pan. Whisk it up to break up the solids to use in our Marinara sauce. If you are not going to make the Marinara sauce straight away then remove pan drippings to a container and store in the refrigerator till further use.

 

So there you have it - melt in your mouth meatballs. When I took a bite of one straight out of the oven they had turned out fantastic!  I was amazed by the burst of flavor from the garlic, the cheese and parsley and also by how soft & moist they were.
 

Don't forget, look for the upcoming post  'On the subject of Excellent Marinara sauce' for an equally brilliant recipe! ...smiles...

Recipe for 

MELT-IN-THE-MOUTH MEATBALLS

Preparation time - 15 minutes

Baking time - 30 minutes

Serves 4

Shopping list

1 lb raw ground beef/chuck (15-20% fat)

1 lb mild Italian sausage

1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs                            

4 tbs chopped fresh parsley

4 tbs grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning

2 eggs

2 tbs fresh chopped garlic

1/2 tsp red chilly powder or Cayenne pepper

1 cup beef or chicken stock

Preparation

Breadcrumb mixture - In a large bowl, large enough to fit all the meat as well, mix together breadcrumbs, parsley, cheese, Italian seasoning, eggs, chopped garlic and red chilly powder. With a whisk, mix vigorously till the mixture is well blended.

Meatballs - To the bowl now add the raw ground beef and mild Italian sausage. With clean hands, mix gently with a light hand ensuring that the mixture is loose but well mixed. Do not squeeze the meat together or it will result in a hard meatball once cooked.

Pull out a hunk of meat between your fingers and roll loosely into a ball approx 2 inches round or  weigh on a  kitchen scale so each meatball weighs 2 oz. You should get about 21 meatballs.

Cooking method -

Preheat oven to 400 deg F.  Spray some non-stick cooking spray on a large  baking tray.

Place the meatballs in a row not touching each other till you have used up all the meat. Now pour a cup of beef or chicken stock (which ever you have handy) in the tray. 

 

 

 

Place in the oven and set the timer to 30 minutes. 

Cooks Note - Collect congealed solids and pan juices.  Remove pan drippings to a container and store in the refrigerator for later use  to prepare Marinara sauce.

Serve hot as is or with Marinara sauce over spaghetti. 

Enjoy!
 

 

 

 

Do you have a favorite Meatballs family recipe or a story you would like to share with us? If so please let us know about it in the comments.We would love to hear from you!

'Child meets Grausman' Boeuf Bourguignon

 

Braised beef cubes simmered in a seasoned red wine sauce with mushrooms, carrots, and onions

When we first arrived to the US from Singapore,  we did so in 17 FedEx boxes and our suitcases in tow. Needless to say, my favorite cutlery, crockery and all my other cooking doo-dah’s were not on the list of priorities when we were paying international cargo rates.

 

So I literally started rebuilding my kitchen from scratch, pot by pot and ladle by spoon.  Now the one thing you need to know about me, is that I have champagne tastes but on a water budget!

The one exception to this rule are my kitchen pots and my shoes. I have some very excellent Mauviel copper pots sitting in my cabinets that rival only the cost of my equally excellent Stuart Weitzman shoes. Need I say more?  

So once I have recovered from shortness of breath and loss of sight from the sticker shock and I finally do end up buying that excellent pot, I expect it to last forever. I don’t me the five year cycle kind of forever I mean that pot better be around and functioning at top notch efficiency to be past down from generation to generation kind of forever. 

So I pull out my Mauveil  copper pot for meals that will do it justice - Canard Roti, Cassoulet  and of course boeuf bourguignon which is an occasion in itself. I plan to serve the stew with with some fresh baked boule bread.

My first order of business was choosing an excellent recipe. I immediately began by pouring through the pages of Julia Child's recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking (anyone who's seen Julie & Julia knows why)  and then I moved onto At home with the French Classics by my absolutely favorite person in French Cooking - Richard Grausman. 

I realized that there were similarities as well as subtle differences between both recipes and I am inclined to take the best of both worlds.

So I am going to cook the stew in the oven as called for in Julia Child's recipe but as suggested by Grausman, cook the pearl onions very quickly in boiling water, then stew them for approx 30 minutes in beef stock.  I am also  going to cook the bouquet garni with the stew instead of the onions. Also I intend to brown the mushrooms separately from the onions.

Instead of serving the stew with rice or noodles, I am roasting baby red and serving them with the boeuf bourguignon.

Clear your day - you need to take your time with this one but the results are so worth the effort!

 

 

To begin with, I purchased the bacon from the farmers market and it was smoked and thick not like the paper thin stuff you get at the regular grocery stores. I then cut it each lengthwise through the center (to get long lengths)and then into 1-1/2 inch pieces or lardons.

   
 

Bring 4 cups of water to an angry boil. Add the bacon and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. Sieve, discard the water and set bacon strips aside.

Prepare the vegetables -

 

 

 Large Onion - Peel and diced a large onion.

Carrots - Peel and slice the carrots into 1/4" circles.

Garlic - Peel and slice the garlic cloves  and set aside.

 

At this point I realize I do not have fresh thy me nor do I have any cheesecloth left  for the  bouquet garni (used it up when I made the Black bean soup) No worries!

For Bouquet Garni -

   

Using the Grausman method - Take 2 stalks of celery approx 4-5 inches long but of equal lengths. Place fresh or dried thyme in one of the celery hollows (what else would u call it?) Place the bay leaves covering the thyme followed by sprigs of fresh parsley.

 
  

 

Interlock the two celery sticks  together squishing together all the herbs and tie the 2 halves together with kitchen twine. There you have it - bouquet garni without the cheesecloth. I have used this method time and time again over decades and it works well every time. 

On medium high heat, in a casserole, dutch oven or copper pot, add a little butter and saute the bacon till the strips are golden brown and crispy.

Set aside. 

One of the most important decisions in the preparation of this dish is the cut of  meat to be used. Grausman places a great  importance to the use of Chuck. He explains that it provides adequate  the fat content which essentially  bastes the meat from the inside as it cooks. Substituting with sirloin or a leaner cut of meat would be a mistake.
 

   

Cut the beef into 1-1/2" cubes. Place on a kitchen paper towel. Cover with another piece of paper towel and press so all the moisture is absorbed.

Child explains that the meat will not brown if it is damp.

Move a oven rack to the lowest position off the oven floor.  Preheat the oven to 450 deg F

    

 

I decided to use neither olive oil nor vegetable oil for the stew. Instead I used clarified butter - it works beautifully because clarified butter has a higher smoke point than regular butter and the flavor is delicate which is perfect for our purpose.

On medium high heat, in the casserole, dutch oven or copper pot, heat the clarified butter or oil till fuming. Place the meat in a single layer. Brown the meat on all side, turning over only once the underside has browned. This should take approx 5-7 minutes. Work in batches if necessary. Remove the beef to a platter and set aside.

     

In the same fat left behind from the meat, saute the onions and carrots till golden brown.

Set aside with the bacon. Return the meat to the pot.

 
 

Return the meat to the casserole or pot.  Add all-purpose flour, salt and pepper and give it a good stir till the meat is thoroughly coated with the flour.

Place uncovered in the hot oven for 4 minutes. Remove from the oven. Stir and return to the hot over for another 4 minutes.

Reduce oven to 325 deg F.

  
 

 

To the meat, add the burgundy wine, beef stock, tomato paste, crushed garlic slices,  bacon, sauteed carrots and onions and the bouquet garni.

On medium high flame, bring the stew to a simmer. Skim away as much as floating residue as possible. 

Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and let cook for approx 4-4.5 hours.
 

Cook's Note -  Though Julia Child's recipe calls for a cooking time of 2 1/2 - 3 hours,  I found that it needed close to 4-1/2 hours in the oven to get the meat to a 'fall off the fork' softness. 

 

This is what the stew looks like at the 1 hour mark (to the left) and the 3 hour mark (to the right).

 While the stew is cooking in the oven, closer to the 2.5 hour mark, begin preparing the rest of the ingredients - pearl onions, potatoes and the mushrooms

The pearl onions - I simply don't have the patience to peel miniature onions so I found a shortcut that works really well.

 
 

Bring 2 cups of water to an angry boil. Drop in the pearl onions and boil for 10 minutes. Sieve and discard the water.

Under gently running cold tap water, peel the onions using a knife to cut off the root tip. 

 Cook's Note- It is very important to not cut above the root tip or the entire onion will fall apart as the layers separate.

Simmer the onions in 1/2 cup beef stock for 1/2 hour on low flame to soften. Sieve and set onion-beef stock aside. Add more stock if needed half way.

 If you are steaming or boiling the potatoes to serve with the stew, then make preparations for that. You can cook the potatoes in boiling water till soft, peel & cut into cubes. Personally,  I prefer the look & taste of roasted potatoes.

    

I decided to roast baby red potatoes in the oven with the stew.

Baby red potatoes - Pour some melted butter and rub some salt and pepper on the potatoes. Place in a baking dish.  

Bake on the top rack of the oven while the stew is also in the oven. Bake for approx 1 hour or until the red potatoes are cooked (pierce with a knife or toothpick to test)

Cook's Note- These potatoes will be unlike the roasted potatoes that are prepared on a high temperature where they have a crisp outer skin and soft interior. These  potatoes will be soft but not crispy since we are baking at a low temperature of 325 (sharing spaces with the stew) 

 

 

The mushrooms - Cut the stems off the mushrooms and  halve if they are small or quarter if they are large. You want them to be approx the same size as the onions.

In a saute pan, heat the  oil & butter (equal portions of each)  till hot but not fuming. Add the cut mushrooms and saute over high heat for 3-5 minutes or until brown.

Cook's Note--When you first put the mushrooms in the pan they will absorb all the fat so the mushrooms will appear very dry. Continue sauteing because soon the mushrooms will  soon release their liquid. Do not add any additional fat or liquid to the mushrooms.

   

The pearl onions - In the same saute pan, heat the  oil & butter (equal portions of each)  till hot but not fuming. Add the boiled and peeled pearl onions. Saute for about 5 minutes or until they have caramelized to a beautiful golden brown. Remove to the same bowl as the mushrooms.

 

 

Once the stew is done after approx 3.5-4 hours it will look a rich brown color and the beef will be very tender.

Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, place the beef in an attractive serving casserole. Pile the pearl onion, mushrooms and potatoes over the meat.

Return the casserole  or in my case, copper pot, with the sauce to the stove. Remove any visible fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water or if too thin bring to rapid boil. The sauce should be the consistency of heavy cream.

Cook's Note - I found that the sauce was just the right consistency straight out of the oven so I did not boil. I simply reheated the sauce.

Taste and adjust seasonings.  Strain the sauce over the meat and vegetables.

Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

 

One bite into this  boeuf bourguignon and it is as if a balloon full of heady wine has popped in my mouth. The deep, rich flavors are complex enough to give one pause but simple and complementary enough to bring on a smile.

The boule on the side is  a perfect accompaniment - warm crusty bread with cold butter. Need I say more?

 

 

Recipe for

'Child meets Grausman' BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

Serves 6

Shopping list

2 tbs clarified butter or vegetable oil

3 tbs melted butter

2 tbs vegetable oil

4 tbs melted butter (for roasting potatoes)

3 lbs beef chuck (see note on substitution)

1 large onion

1 carrot

2 tbs all-purpose flour

3 cups full-bodied Burgundy wine

3 cups organic beef stock (store-bought)

4 garlic cloves

1 tbs tomato paste

Bouquet Garni (fresh thyme sprig or 1/4 tsp dried thyme , 5 parsley sprigs, 2 bay leaves)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 bag pearl onions (approx 18-24)

12-18 baby red potatoes

3/4 lb smoked thick bacon

3/4 lb mushrooms

6 sprigs parsley, finely chopped - for garnish

Preparation -

Move a oven rack to the lowest position off the oven floor.  Preheat the oven to 450 deg F

For readying the stew for the oven -

Bacon - Cut each bacon strip lengthwise through the center (to get long lengths) and then into 1-1/2 inch pieces. Bring 4 cups of water to an angry boil. Add the bacon and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. Sieve, discard the water.

On medium high heat, in an oven ready casserole, dutch oven or copper pot, add  1 tbs  butter and saute the bacon till the strips are golden brown and crispy. Set aside.

Beef Chuck - Cut the beef into 1-1/2" cubes. Place on a kitchen paper towel. Cover with another piece of paper towel and press so all the moisture is absorbed.

Onion - Peel and diced a large onion.

Carrot - Peel and slice the carrots into 1/4" circles.

Garlic - Peel and slice the garlic cloves  and set aside.

Bouquet Garni  - Take 2 stalks of celery approx 4-5 inches long but of equal lengths. Place fresh or dried thyme in one of the celery hollows. Place the bay leaves covering the thyme followed by sprigs of fresh parsley.

Interlock the two celery sticks together squishing together all the herbs and tie the 2 halves together with kitchen twine. Set aside. 

While stew is in the oven - (closer to the 2-1/2 hour mark) -

The pearl onions -Bring 2 cups of water to an angry boil. Drop in the pearl onions and boil for 10 minutes. Sieve and discard the water. Under gently running cold tap water, peel the onions using a knife to cut off the root tip. Do not cut above the root tip or the entire onion will fall apart as the layers separate.

Simmer the onions in 1 cup beef stock for 1/2 hour on lowest heat to soften. Sieve and set onion-beef stock aside. Add more stock if needed half way.

The potatoes -  Pour 4 tbs melted butter and rub some salt and pepper on the potatoes. Place in a baking dish.  Bake on the top rack of the oven while the stew is also in the oven. Bake for approx 1 hour or until the red potatoes are cooked (pierce with a knife or toothpick to test)

 

Sauteed mushrooms - Cut the stems off the mushrooms and  halve if they are small or quarter if they are large. You want them to be approx the same size as the onions.

In a saute pan, heat 1 tbs  oil & 1 tbs butter till hot but not fuming. Add the cut mushrooms and saute over high heat for 3-5 minutes or until brown.

Sauteed  pearl onions - In the same saute pan, heat 1 tbs oil & 1 tbs butter till hot but not fuming. Add the boiled and peeled pearl onions.

Saute for about 5 minutes or until they have caramelized to a beautiful golden brown. Remove to the same bowl as the mushrooms.

Cooking Method -

 

On medium high heat, in the same casserole, dutch oven or copper pot used for sauteing bacon, heat the clarified butter or oil till fuming. Place the meat in a single layer. Brown the meat on all side, turning over only once the underside has browned. This should take approx 5-7 minutes. Work in batches if necessary. Remove the beef to a platter and set aside.

In the same fat left behind from the meat, saute the onions and carrots till golden brown. Set aside with the bacon.

 

Return the meat to the casserole or copper pot.  Add the all-purpose flour, salt and pepper and give it a good stir till the meat is thoroughly coated with the flour.

Place uncovered in the hot oven for 4 minutes. Remove from the oven. Stir and return to the hot over for another 4 minutes. Reduce oven to 325 deg F. 

To the meat, add the burgundy wine, 2 cups beef stock, tomato paste, crushed garlic slices,  bacon, sauteed carrots and onions and the bouquet garni.

On medium high flame, bring the stew to a simmer. Skim away as much as floating residue as possible. 

Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and let cook for approx  3.5-4 hours or until the meat is 'fall off the fork' soft.

Once the stew is done after approx 3.5-4 hours it will look a rich brown color and the beef will be very tender.

Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, place the beef in an attractive serving casserole. Pile the pearl onion, mushrooms and potatoes over the meat.

Return the casserole  or in my case, copper pot, with the sauce to the stove. Remove any visible fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved onion-beef  stock or if too thin bring to rapid boil. The sauce should be the consistency of heavy cream.

Taste and adjust seasonings.  Strain the sauce over the meat and vegetables.

Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and serve immediately with warm crusty bread.

Enjoy with a glass of excellent Burgundy!

 

 

21st Century 'Mince Pie' - Brioche Braid filled with Ground Meat, Apricots, Spices and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I wake up to a nippy morning and for some incomprehensible reason my first thought is of warm rich bread (a very bad thing for my hips). Not just any bread - warm, soft, not too sweet, fluffy bread filled with some sort of  filling with meat and ....peas, carrots, cumin, dried cranberries, dried apricots, raisins and cinnamon and  a hint of something sweet.

You may have come across this age old adage that one either has the propensity to be a cook or to be a baker. Well,  I am a cook who dares to bake!

As I settle down with my morning cuppa, I started flipping through the pages of my vintage  Random House  books on Cookery and Etiquette. Now, inspiration can dawn from a myriad of places - sometimes it finds you as you blindly stare out of your car or walk around the garden or a whisper of something someone said and then..... it jumps out at me from the pages of an antiquated leather bound book  ambling on about  banquets in 15th, 16th and 17th century England.

I chanced upon a paragraph on  mince pies!

English recipes from the 15th, 16th and 17th century describe a mixture of meat and fruit used as pie fillings. These recipes included brandy, ciders and wines. The use of spices like cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and mace was common in late medieval and renaissance meat dishes.

And as I continue to read on,  the thought of spiced meat and dry fruits nestled in light and airy bread  warms my soul.

Decision made - we are going to make ourselves a 21st century version of English mince pies! Except that we are going to braid some challah, brioche bread with a filling of ground beef, onions, spices and roasted sweet potatoes. 

From my shabby collection of recipes, I pull out my tattered, oil stained, brioche bread recipe that has been adapted from one of Richard Grausman's recipes. He is one of my favorite food people in the food world.

You will need close to 3-4 hours to prepare this recipe. The dough has to rise and then chill in refrigerator before baking

Preheat the oven to 400 deg F and then gather the ingredients for the filling -

 1 lb Ground beef or lamb (I used beef because that's what I had on hand), sweet potato, onion, olive oil, butter, turmeric, cumin powder, red cayenne pepper, 1" cinnamon, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, dried apricots, raisins and low sugar apricot preserves.

Prepare the ingredients - 

The Filling -

  

Onion -Finely chop the onion.

Apricots - Finely chop dried apricots into 1/4" cubes.

Raisins - In a bowl of warm water, soak the raisins so they plump up.

Sweet Potato - Peel and wash sweet potato. Cut with a very sharp knife into 1/2" cubes. Place in a baking tray or dish. Add 1 1/2 tbs olive oil and mix with fingers.

In the preheated oven, bake for 30-35 minutes till cooked. Test by piercing a piece of potato with a knife. The potatoes should be just soft and not crisp and brown on the edges.

 

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan on medium high heat. Once hot, add the butter and immediately add the onions and whole cinnamon. Saute till onions are soft. Add the ground meat and brown. Do not add any spices yet. Once the meat is brown, drain the fat in a sieve and discard. Return to heat.

Add the sweet potatoes, turmeric powder, red cayenne powder, salt, black pepper, cinnamon powder, ground nutmeg, brown sugar, raisins and chopped apricots.

Continue sauteing for another 5-10 minutes or till all the ingredients are well incorporated. 

Add  1 tbs low sugar apricot preserves and stir well.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside to cool completely.

Cooks Note - If you going to bake the stuffed brioche for dinner, I would prepare the filling earlier in the day and then by late afternoon, start working on the dough.

Dough -

To begin this task, we must first recruit a large mixing bowl or container or  paraat , large enough to mix and knead the brioche dough.

Assemble the ingredients - warm water, dry active yeast, sugar, honey, salt, eggs and copious amounts of melted butter ( 1 1/2 sticks or 6 oz). 

 

Put 3/4 cup warm water (110 deg F) into a bowl, add sugar and dissolve.  Empty the contents of 1 packet dry and active yeast into it. Stir. Proof the yeast & if it is active it will look something like this in about 10 minutes. If it doesn't, it means it is dead and a trip to the grocers is warranted.

Pool the flour into the utensil. Add the yeast water, salt, eggs, honey and melted butter.

 

With washed and  clean hands, work and knead the dough.

(Wow! Look how nice these photos turned out! What a treat to have hubby around to take these - otherwise its just me prancing around with a spatula in one greasy hand and my little digital in the other...smiles)

 

 

No doubt about it - brioche dough is a soft gooey dough and I had to fight the urge  to empty another cup of flour into this goopy mess (not to mention ignore the palpitations)

Be  rest assured, this goop is what we want. The more flour you add to this soft dough, tougher the bread you will end up with.

Cover with a moist cheesecloth (or a cotton cloth) and set aside to rise in a warm place for 2 hours.The dough should now look swollen like the image on the right.

At this point transfer into a container with a lid, not air tight, and transfer to the refrigerator. Once the dough has chilled ( 1 hr minimum, 2-3 hours is great, overnight is awesome!) it is ready for use.

Separate the dough into 2 balls, 1 lb each. Set aside one for future use in the refrigerator (I am going to use mine to bake warm buns for sandwiches - see upcoming post - but you can also use them for grilled fruit tarts or to bake a brioche braid like we are today.

 

Place the chilled dough ball and liberally sprinkle flour all over the dough ball.  Spray a baking stone or baking sheet with non-stick baking spray. Using fingers and the rolling pin, roll and stretch out the dough to cover the entire surface of the baking sheet or stone.

 

Spoon all the now cool filling down the center 1/3 width. Use up all the filling even though you it may seem like it may be too much. Leave 2-3 inches at the top and bottom unfilled.

   

Make 1" cuts on both sides of the filling. Leave 2" from the top and bottom.

The dough is soft but it is also stretchable and strong. Start at the bottom, folding over the filling and braid one strip over the other, overlapping so you end up with an intertwining braid (this sounds a lot harder than it actually is. Once you get going, it is a piece of cake..ur..brioche)

Tuck in the other end so both ends the of the filling is completely covered.

 

Separate an egg white and beat with 1 tbs cold water. With a pastry brush apply all over the surface of the brioche. Place in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.

As you all know by now, I have a no frills camera - none of that soft focus air brushed doodah & in my humble opinion,  even by real world estimation this looks pretty darn good - don't you think?

Wait till you cut into it...

 

One bite into it and I promise you it will be an explosion of flavors in your mouth. And your guests will be sooo impressed & they will oohh..and aahh...over the bread & the filling and the meat with its  spices & sweet undertones from the potatoes, apricots and raisins.

 I really hope you make this. It is a lot of fun and it will be  so worth your while! 

Bon Appetit!

Recipe for

21st CENTURY MINCE PIE

Serves 4

Shopping list

The filling;

1lb ground beef or ground lamb

1 large sweet potato

1 large onion                      

2 1/2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs butter

1 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp red cayenne powder

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1" cinnamon bark

1/4" tsp ground nutmeg

1 1/2 tbs brown sugar

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cups dried apricots

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tbs low sugar apricot preserves

The dough:

4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 warm water (110 deg F)

1 packet dry active yeast

1 tbs white sugar

2 tbs honey

1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs

 1 1/2 sticks or 6 oz butter, melted

For the wash:

1 egg white 

1 tbs cold water

Preparation -

The filling:

Sweet potato - Peel and chop into 1/2" cubes. Toss with 1 1/2 tbs olive oil. In an oven preheated at 400 deg F, bake the chopped potatoes for 35-40 minutes, till soft but not brown.

Raisins and apricots - In a bowl of warm water, soak the raisins so they plump up. Chop the apricots into 1/4" cubes

Onion - Peel and finely chop. Set aside.

The Brioche:

Yeast - In the warm water, add the white sugar and dissolve. Pour the contents of the dry active yeast and stir. Set aside for 10 minutes, till frothy.

Dough - In a large mixing bowl or container with a lid, gather the flour. Add the warm yeast water,  honey, salt, eggs and  melted butter. With washed and  clean hands work and knead the dough well (the brioche dough is a soft gooey dough)

Cover with a moist cheesecloth and set aside to rise in a warm place for 2 hours.The dough should now look swollen.

Transfer to the refrigerator. Once the dough has chilled (approx 1 hr) it is ready for use. Separate the dough into 2 balls. Return one  to the refrigerator for later use.

Cooking method -

Preheat oven to 400 deg F

Place the chilled dough ball and liberally sprinkle flour all over the dough ball.  

Spray a baking stone or baking sheet with non-stick baking spray. Using fingers and the rolling pin, roll and stretch out the dough to cover the entire surface of the baking sheet or stone.

Spoon all the filling down the center 1/3 width. Use up all the filling. Leave 2-3 inches at the top and bottom unfilled.

Make 1" cuts on both sides of the filling. Leave 2" from the top and bottom.

Start at the bottom, folding the dough strip over the filling and braid one strip over the other, overlapping so you end up with an intertwining braid. Tuck in the other end so both ends the of the filling is completely covered.

Beat the egg white with the cold water. With a pastry brush apply all over the surface of the brioche. 

Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Cut into slices and serve warm.