The Cook In The Family: sauces

Showing posts with label sauces. Show all posts

Showing posts with label sauces. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped in 1/4-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 T chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 T dried
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
salt

Preparing tomato sauce:
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve.

This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Makes 4 cups

Pork Chops With Onion Marmalade

Ingredients for the onion marmalade:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large onions, thinly sliced (about 3 pounds)
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1 T chopped fresh rosemary
1 T chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T sugar, or more to taste

* * * * * *

Ingredients for the pork chops:
1 T chopped fresh rosemary
1 T chopped fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 pork chops
1/4 cup chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

Preparing the onion marmalade:
Place a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the onions. Stir to combine and cook until starting to sizzle, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to scrape up any brown bits. The onions should be a soft, jam-like consistency and a deep mahogany color.

* * * * *

Preparing the pork chops:
Combine the rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Using your fingers, work all the ingredients together until well combined. Rub the herb mixture over the pork chops. Cover with plastic wrap and reserve in the refrigerator.

About 20 minutes before the onions are finished, remove the pork chops from the refrigerator. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Grill the pork chops to medium, about 7 minutes a side depending on thickness.

To serve, spoon the onion marmellata over the pork chops. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6

Monday, January 9, 2012

Beurre Blanc

Sauce fish or a rib eye.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 shallots, minced
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter, cubed
2 T fresh tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Preparing the beurre blanc:
Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the vinegar, white wine and shallots. Let boil and reduce down to 2 tablespoons of liquid. Take off the heat and let cool for about 1 minute.

Put the saucepan back on the burner without turning on the heat. Throw in a few butter cubes at a time; whisk until the butter is melted. Continue until all the butter is melted. Add the tarragon, salt and some pepper. Mix. Cover, turn the heat to very low and let sit.

Serves 2

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Sopapillas With Dulce De Leche

Ingredients for dulce de leche:
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

* * * * * * *

Ingredients for sopapillas:
1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
1 T ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cups sifted flour, plus more for kneading dough
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 T very cold vegetable shortening
2/3 cup ice cold water
1 1/2 cups canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 pints vanilla ice cream

Preparing dulce de leche:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Scrape milk into an 8-inch baking dish; cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place dish inside a roasting pan; fill pan with enough water to come halfway up sides of baking dish. Bake for 1 1/4 hours, adding more water to pan if needed.

When milk becomes a thick caramel, remove from oven; let cool, covered, for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 1/2 cup

* * * * * * *

Preparing the sopapillas:
Combine sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Use fingertips or a pastry cutter to work in shortening to form coarse crumbs. Slowly add water; mix until just combined.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap; let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees F on a deep fry thermometer. Line a large plate with several layers of paper towels.

Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a 1/4-inch thick, 12 inch by 15-inch rectangle, then cut into 2-inch by 3-inch pieces (about 24).

Fry in batches of 5 until golden and puffed on both sides (about 1 minute per side). Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels for 30 seconds.

Immediately dredge in cinnamon sugar. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream and a dollop of dulce de leche.

Serves 4 to 6

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Aggie's Veal Stock

Ingredients:
6 pounds veal knuckle bones
1/2 pound veal or beef scraps, preferably lean
2 T canola oil
2 onions, 1 peeled and sliced, 1 cut in 1/2 with the skin-on
2 medium carrots, washed, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, washed and chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 bay leaves and 12 black peppercorns tied in cheesecloth

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Arrange the veal bones and scraps in a single layer on 2 or 3 baking sheets lined with foil. Put the trays in the oven and cook until the bones brown, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Heat a large skillet and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When it begins to smoke lightly, add the 2 skin-on onion halves, cut side down. We want them to turn black. Combine the remaining sliced onion, carrots and celery. When the flesh part of the onion halves turn black, remove them from the pan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and stir in the vegetables. Season with salt and cook, stirring from time to time, until the vegetables soften, about 5 to 8 minutes.

When the bones are roasted and browned, drain off any excess grease and add to a large pot. Cover with cold water, (warm water makes a cloudy stock) and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and use a ladle to skim any foam or impurities from the top. Add the vegetables, the cheesecloth containing the thyme, bay leaves and black peppercorns and the black onion halves (which will add flavor and enrich the color). Stir in a pinch of salt, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 6 to 8 hours.

Shut the off the heat and allow the stock to rest. Taste it. If it tastes watery or has an undeveloped flavor, cook it longer. [I have made stock that has taken 12 to 16 hours to come to fruition.]

Strain the stock and return it to the pot. Gently simmer the stock over low to medium heat to reduce and intensify the flavors. Use a ladle to skim any impurities as the stock reduces. Cool and use immediately or freeze for later use.

Makes about 8 to 10 cups of stock

Monday, October 17, 2011

Brownies With Vanilla Ice Cream & Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup or (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter softened, plus more for greasing the pan
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans, plus more for garnishing

caramel sauce, for serving
vanilla ice cream, for serving

* * * * * *

Ingredients for caramel sauce:
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1 cup whipping cream
pinch of coarse salt
dash of ground cayenne pepper

Preparing the brownies:
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, flour, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until thick and lemon-colored, about 2 minutes. Blend in the vanilla and the melted, and cooled chocolate. Slowly add in the cocoa-flour mixture, mixing until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans, saving some pecans for garnishing the top.

Generously butter and flour a 13 by 9-inch pan or a 10-inch springform pan. Fill the pan with batter, and dot with pecans.

Bake until a wood pick or skewer inserted in the center comes out moist from the melted chocolate (not batter), about 25 minutes. The top will likely start to show some cracks - it is drier than the interior. Let the brownies cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into 12 squares, or if using a round springform pan, cut into a nice big triangle. Top each brownie with warm caramel sauce, and vanilla ice cream.

* * * * * *

Preparing the caramel sauce:
Put the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a bare boil to dissolve the sugar, and then jack up the heat to a full rolling boil, and let it boil away for 20 to 30 minutes, or until brownish. Do not touch it.

As soon as the sugar is medium brown in color, whisk in the cream carefully, to avoid splatter. The sugar will clump, but gradually be mixed in to the ssyrup. Continue to boil until thicker. It will thicken even more as it cools. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Serve warm on top of the brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Serves 8

Friday, October 14, 2011

Tomato Pesto Sauce

Ladle this over pasta and serve at room temperature. It can also be spread on bruschetta, grilled fish or chicken. Top a thick slice of toast with proscuitto, a poached egg and a little of this sauce. When tomatoes are plentiful, use with peel on. To intensify the flavor, add a few oven-dried tomatoes. The pesto keeps several days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:
4 cups peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped tomatoes
5 cloves minced garlic
30 large fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 T and 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Ssea salt, preferably gray salt, and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preparing the sauce:
Combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the cheese and blend briefly just to mix. Transfer to a bowl and adjust the seasoning.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients:
2 pounds (about 2 medium-sized) eggplant
salt
4 T extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh bread crumbs, seasoned with 1/4 chopped fresh basil leaves and 1/4 cup pecorino
2 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
1 pound ball fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

* * * * * *

Ingredients for the sauce:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
3 T fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes
salt

Preparing the eggplant parmigiana:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash and towel dry the eggplant. Slice the eggplant horizontally about 1/4-inch thick. Place the slices in a large colander, sprinkle with salt and set aside to rest about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse the eggplant and dry on towels.

In a saute pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil until just smoking. Press the drained eggplant pieces into the seasoned bread crumb mixture and saute until light golden brown on both sides. Repeat with all of the pieces. On a cookie sheet lay out the 4 largest pieces of eggplant. Place 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce over each piece and place a thin slice of mozzarella on top of each. Sprinkle with Parmigiano and top each with the next smallest piece of eggplant, then sauce then mozzarella. Repeat the layering process until all the ingredients have been used, finishing again with the parmesan. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the top of each little stack is golden brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

* * * * * *

Preparing the sauce:
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve.

This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Serves 4

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Red Wine Sauce

This is a versatile sauce that can go over duck, beef, lamb, pork, etc.

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 T mustard seeds
1 shallot, minced
1 large beet, cut into pieces
3 cups red wine
1/2 cup fresh orange or honey tangerine juice
1/2 cup sherry vinegar or Xeres vinegar
1/4 cup honey
4 cups veal or beef stock
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
salt and pepper

Preparing the red wine sauce:
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the mustard seeds and shallots until the shallots are translucent. Add the beets and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, orange juice, vinegar and honey, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently until reduced to about 1 cup about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, bring the veal stock to a boil, then let it reduce to about 1 cup (250 ml) over low heat, about 30 minutes.

Strain the wine mixture through a fine sieve set over the pan of reduced veal stock, pressing down on the vegetables to extract maximum flavor; discard the solids. Stir the sauce, then continue to cook over low heat until slightly thick, about 15 minutes. Add the butter, whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Hot Fudge Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
3 cups cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup butter
1 T vanilla extract

Preparing the hot fudge sauce:
Put everything except the vanilla in a pot and bring it to a boil. Continue cooking until it looks like it's broken and separating. Take it off the heat, whisk in the vanilla; then blend it with a hand blender to smooth it out. Chill until ready to serve; then heat it up.

Pour over scoops of ice cream, topped with whipped cream and roasted chopped almonds.

Serves 4 to 6

Friday, May 13, 2011

Braciole

There is only one meat for the real braciole: A very lean cutlet of beef tenderized with a heavy meat pounder. The secret to great braciole is its fillings.

Ingredients for the Neopolitan pasta sauce:
3 pounds of chuck, blade or other inexpensive beef or veal, tied in a roll
10 pounds medium yellow onions, finely sliced
1 small to medium carrot, finely sliced
1 small rib celery, finely chopped
3 teaspoons salt
4 rounded T finely cut parsley
4 T bacon drippings, or canola or other vegetable oil
4 T canola or other vegetable oil
4 T extra virgin olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
4 ounces parmigiano reggiano
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

* * * * * * *

Ingredients for the braciole:
6 pieces of beef
3 ounces pine nuts
3 ounces dark seedless small raisins or currants
3 ounces mozzarella (firm, not fresh)
3 ounces prosciutto
3 ounces fresh bread crumbs
chopped Italian parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparing the sauce:
Pour 4 tablespoons of canola or other vegetable oil into the pot, followed by all the onions. Cook at a medium heat and keep turning until all onions are beginning to become translucent.

In a cast-iron frying pan, heat up the bacon drippings until they're almost smoking. Now place the beef roll in the pan and turn it until it is forms a light brown crust all the way around.

Remove the beef roll from the pan and place into the onion pot, covering the beef with onions and pouring the beef and bacon drippings into the pot. Deglaze with a little dry white wine if necessary. Turn to a medium-low simmer so that the juices from the beef and onions don't evaporate and leave the pot dry. Add a bit of water throughout the process if necessary. Simmer gently for 6 to 8 hours, taking care not to burn the sauce.

About one hour prior to eating, remove the beef roll and set it aside to rest. Stir the carrots and celery into the sauce.

About 15 minutes before eating, add the parsley and wine and shred the beef roll and stir back into the sauce.

About 3 minutes prior to serving, add all the salt and pepper as well as the extra virgin olive oil. Stir and ladle it over pasta. Grate parmigiano to cover the sauce with a layer of cheese and pop under the broiler for a couple of minutes, just enough to melt the cheese.

* * * * * * *

Preparing the braciole:
Combine the filling ingredients and spread them over the pounded beef tenderoin cutlets. Roll up tightly and secure with toothpicks or tie with string.

Brown the braciole in a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil until they are golden to dark brown all around, ends included. Cover them in a big pot of Neopolitan pasta sauce and simmer for 4 to 8 hours.

Serves 6

Friday, April 15, 2011

Cheese Gnocchi With Sage-Butter Sauce

Ingredients:
16 ounces ricotta cheese
9 ounces grated Grana Padano or parmigiano-reggiano cheese
flour, for binding and dusting
4 T unsalted butter
fresh sage leaves

Preparing the gnocchi and sage-butter sauce:
Place the soft ricotta cheese and Grana Padano or parmigiano cheese in a large bowl and mix by folding the ingredients together. Add a small amount of flour (1/4 to 1/2 cup) to bind the dough and absorb the excess moisture.

Knead the dough on a lightly-floured work surface. It is important not to add too much flour because the gnocchi may get heavy.

Take a large piece of dough, and roll it out into thin logs, approximately 3/4-inch thick. Cut each log into 1/2-inch wide cubes. Make ridges on each gnocchi by using the back of a fork in a rolling action. The imprints will trap the sauce on the surface of the gnocchi. Continue until all the dough is used.

Place the gnocchi on a tray in a single layer underneath a cloth to prevent them from drying out. The gnocchi may be set in the refrigerator or freezer, until they're needed.

Add the gnocchi to a pot of boiling salted water for about a minute, or until they float to the surface.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the fresh sage leaves. Drain the gnocchi and add them directly to the saucepan. Cook with the sauce about 30 seconds.

Serves 4

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Pound Cake Tart With Pears

Ingredients for the cream cheese tart dough:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
4 ounces butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 T all purpose flour

* * * * * * *

Ingredients for the pound cake:
3 1/4 T butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 T sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 T all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 whole poached pears, cored and cut in 1/2 (or 1 (15-ounce) can pears in syrup)
1 T apricot jam, at room temperature, as needed for brushing tart

1 recipe ginger ale ice cream, for serving

vanilla creme anglaise

* * * * * *

Ingredients for ginger ale ice cream:
1 cup ginger ale
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split in 1/2 lengthwise and scraped
8 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar

* * * * * *

Ingredients for vanilla creme anglaise:
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, halved, and seeds scraped
2 cups heavy cream

Preparing the ginger ale ice cream:
Place the ginger ale in a large, heatproof mixing bowl and set aside.

Combine the cream, milk, vanilla seeds and bean in a medium heavy saucepan and heat until mixture almost comes to a boil. Remove from the heat.

In a heatproof mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until frothy and lemon colored, about 2 minutes. Whisk 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks in a slow, steady stream. Gradually add the egg mixture to the hot cream and return to the heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into the ginger ale. Stir to combine, then immediately transfer bowl to an ice bath, stirring frequently until cool. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

Makes about 1 quart

* * * * * *

Preparing the vanilla creme anglaise:
Place the yolks and sugar in a heatproof mixing bowl and whisk until thick and lemon colored.

Heat the cream, vanilla seeds and bean in a non-reactive saucepan to the scalding point (when bubbles form around the edge of the pan). Gradually add the cream to the yolk mixture, beating constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and continue to cook over low heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Do not overcook or boil, as the sauce will curdle. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl set over an ice bath. Stir until cooled, then cover with plastic wrap, pressing it down on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Serve drizzled or spooned over desserts, either cold or warm.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

* * * * * * *

Preparing the cream cheese dough:
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the all purpose flour and mix until just combined.

Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before proceeding. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick and, using a plate as a guide, cut into a circle to fit a 10-inch springform pan. Refrigerate the cut dough for 15 minutes before forming it into the pan, doing so makes it easier to shape.

Refrigerate while making the pound cake batter.

* * * * * * *

Preparing the pound cake batter:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and position a rack in the bottom third of the oven.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Combine the all purpose flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Follow with 1/3 of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat until both the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture have been used, making sure to not over mix.

Pipe the pound cake batter onto the unbaked crust in the bottom of the springform pan, making sure that the entire crust is covered in 1 even layer. Take each pear half and slice crosswise into very thin slices (the thinner the slices, the better the tart looks). Carefully fan out the pear halves onto the cake batter, arranging the stem side of the pears towards the center of the tart and the rounder pear bottoms towards the outer edge of the springform pan. Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the pound cake is light brown. The pound cake batter will rise around the pear halves. Transfer the tart to a wire rack to cool. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then brush the tops of the pears lightly with some of the apricot jam.

When the tart is cool, cut into 6 or 8 slices and serve with a scoop of the ginger ale ice cream and a zig-zag drizzle of the creme anglaise.

Serves 6 to 8

Thursday, March 24, 2011

MC's Veal, Pork & Porcini Bolognese Sauca

Ingredients:
6 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 T chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup ground veal
1/2 cup ground pork
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 T dry porcini mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes and chopped, liquid reserved
2 T porcini juice, reserved from above
3/4 cup veal stock
1/4 cup marinara sauce
1/3 cup white wine
1 T finely chopped parsley leaves
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Preparing the Bolognese sauce:
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook gently to sweat for about 2 minutes. Do not let the onions caramelize. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook about 1 minute, or until garlic is lightly browned.

Add the veal and pork and cook, smashing the meat apart with a wooden spoon, to keep it from clumping together. Cook for about 2 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook about 4 minutes, evaporating any liquid and caramelizing the meat.

Add the porcini juice to the meat and cook for 1 minute to evaporate. Add the veal stock and cook for 2 minutes. Add the marinara and the wine. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the parsley.

Toss 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan into the sauce to help it bind. Add some reserved pasta water, as necessary, if the sauce appears too dry. Top with the remaining Parmesan.

Serves 4

MC's Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1 T chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 cups fresh tomato puree
1 large fresh basil stem with leaves removed
1 teaspoon sea salt, preferably gray salt
pinch of baking soda or sugar, if needed

Preparing the marinara sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a large non-reactive pot over moderate heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the parsley and garlic and cook briefly to release their fragrance. Add the tomatoes, basil and salt. Simmer briskly until reduced to a sauce like consistency, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. The timing will depend on the ripeness and meatiness of your tomatoes and the size of your pot. If the sauce thickens too much before the flavors have developed, add a little water and continue cooking.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the sauce tastes too acidic, add the baking soda and cook for 5 more minutes. If it needs a touch of sweetness, add the sugar and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove the basil stem before serving.

Makes 4 cups

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Hot Fudge Sauce

This can be stored up to 1 week in the refrigerator in a glass jar. Heat until warm but not hot, before serving.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces
2 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparing the sauce:
In a heavy bottomed saucepan over low heat, bring the cream just to a boil then add the brown sugar and stir just until it dissolves. Add small pieces of butter until mix until completely melted, then stir in the chocolate chips. Wait 3 to 5 minutes so that chocolate is very soft before folding it in with a spatula. Stir in the salt and vanilla extract and blend until well incorporated. Let cool for 15 minutes; it will thicken as it cools.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Hot Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge for Ice Cream Sundaes

Ingredients:
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (Skippy brand preferred)

Preparing the fudge:
Put the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and peanut butter into a saucepan over heat to melt, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes. When everything has melted add 3 to 4 tablespoons of boiling water to thin the sauce.

Serve over ice cream (vanilla or toffee or caramel preferred) with a sprinkling of dry-roasted salted chopped peanuts.

Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups hot whole milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparing the bechamel sauce:
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or an oven-safe skillet.

Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, avoid browning, about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring the sauce to a boil. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper, to taste. Reduce the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

Beurre Blanc

Ingredients:
2 shallots, finely diced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Variations:

Beurre Rouge: Replace the white wine in the original recipe with red wine and the white wine vinegar with red wine vinegar.
Beurre Citron: Replace the vinegar and wine in the original recipe with 1/4 cup citrus (lemon, lime, and/or orange) juice and add 1 teaspoon citrus zest.
Lime-Ginger: Replace the vinegar in the original recipe with an equal amount of lime juice and add 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger.
Saffron: Add a pinch saffron threads to the reduction.

Preparing beurre blanc:
Bring the shallots, vinegar, and wine to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until the liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 5 minutes.

Add the cream, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in a few tablespoons butter. Continue to whisk and add a few pieces at a time of the remaining butter. Wait until each addition is incorporated before adding more butter. The sauce should remain warm, but never hot or the sauce will break.

Remove the sauce from the heat and season with salt, and pepper, to taste. If desired, strain the sauce through a sieve to remove the shallot. Discard the shallot. Serve the sauce immediately.

Marinara Sauce on the Fly

Ingredients:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/4 medium onion, diced (about 3 tablespoons)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 1/2 cups whole, peeled, canned tomatoes in puree (about 1 (28-ounce) can) roughly chopped
sprig fresh thyme
sprig fresh basil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparing the marinara sauce:
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in the salt and season with pepper, to taste. Use now, store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

© Blogger template 'Isfahan' by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP