Fondant potatoes

Fondant Potatoes

SERVES8

PREP TIME:10 minutes

COOKING TIME:16 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 4 
  medium russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
• 3 cloves 
  garlic
• 4 tablespoons 
  (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon 
  kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon 
  freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons 
  canola oil
• 4 sprigs 
  fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
• 3/4 cup 
  low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel 4 russet potatoes. Trim the ends, then cut each potato in half crosswise. You should now have 8 flat potato rounds. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 20 minutes at room temperature to remove excess potato starch. Meanwhile, heat the oven and prepare the garlic and butter.
2. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Lightly smash and peel 3 garlic cloves. Cut 4 tablespoons unsalted butter into 8 pieces.
3. Drain the potatoes, rinse with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Season the potatoes with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the potatoes cut-side down in a single layer and cook until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Flip the potatoes using tongs and add the garlic, butter, and 4 sprigs thyme. (If the potatoes are sticking to the pan, let them cook 2 to 3 minutes more until they easily release before flipping.) Cook until the butter is foaming and starts to brown, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth.
5. Bake until the potatoes are fork tender and lightly browned on the sides, 30 to 35 minutes. Garnish with more whole thyme sprigs before serving, drizzled with the pan juices.

Shrimp scampi

Vermicelli. 

Shrimp. I use frozen, best to use large shell on

Butter. 

EVOO. 

Garlic. 

Salt, pepper, red pepper. 

Lemon. 

Parsley. 

Shell the shrimp; reserve the shells; brine the shrimp in 3 T salt, two T sugar and a quart of water for 30 minutes; dry and refrigerate the shrimp. 

Cook the pasta and reserve.  

Add shrimp shells and 1+ cup white wine to small pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. Use a colander, strain and reserve the broth. Discard the shells. 

Over medium + heat, melt one or two T butter and one or two T EVOO to pan. 

Add three (or more 😬) cloves of minced garlic, red pepper flakes and sauté for one + minutes. 

Add stock bring to low boil and add shrimp; poach shrimp covered until just turning pink. Flip shrimp and cook until just opaque. About 5 minutes total. Set shrimp aside reserving broth. Add two more T butter. Add a healthy squeeze of lemon juice and 1 t of corn starch and some parsley. Cook till smooth stirring. 

If needed to make enough sauce for the pasta, add either white wine or chicken stock to reserved stock. Add pasta, shrimps and more parsley to hot stock; warm and then transfer to serving dish. 

Romesco

• 16 oz jar roasted red peppers (12oz dry weight)
• 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Shakshuka

LAMB SHAKSHUKA

Author: Samantha Ferraro

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: Israeli

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  10 mins

Total time:  25 mins

Serves: 2-4 servings

 

Samantha says: If there was one reason I would eat an entire loaf of bread, it would be for this shakshuka. The ground lamb and spicy tomato sauce cook down homogeneously together, creating the most luscious ragu. And then you break that yolk of the slowly poached eggs, and it’s all over. Yes, you’ll need more bread to sop up all that delicious sauce. If you can’t find ground lamb, ground beef would work just as deliciously. Tip: Crack the eggs separately into a small bowl instead of directly into the pan, just in case you get a bad egg or bit of shell.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ pound (225g) ground lamb
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped into ¼ inch pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
• 1 fresno or serrano pepper, chopped and seeds removed (optional for less heat). I used Hatch!
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp sumac + more for garnish
• ½ tsp Aleppo pepper + more for garnish
• 14.5 ounces (411 g) aka 1 can of whole plum tomatoes
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 whole eggs
• Chopped parsley, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium 10 inch (25.4 cm) skillet or cast iron pan, bring to medium high heat
2. and drizzle olive oil and add the ground lamb. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to
3. help break up the ground lamb and cook until thoroughly cooked through. If too
4. much fat develops, carefully pour some out.
5. Next add the chopped onion and bell pepper and continue cooking until they
6. begin to softened, about 3-4 minutes.
7. Add the garlic and fresno and cook for another minute so the garlic can soften
8. and lightly caramelized.
9. Stir in the tomato paste and spices and add in the whole tomatoes, with their
10. juices. Use your hands (and carefully to not splatter tomato juice everywhere),
11. roughly break up the tomatoes as you add them into the pan.
12. Stir everything together, making sure all the spices, lamb and tomatoes are
13. blended well.
14. Use the back of a spoon and make 4 wells into the sauce. Crack 1 egg directly
15. into each well, leaving the yolk exposed and bring temperature down to a
16. constant low simmer. Cook eggs for 5-7 minutes or until desired doneness. You
17. may want to cover the pan with a lid to help cook the tops of the eggs more
18. evenly.
19. Once ready, turn off heat and garnish with freshly chopped parsley and an extra
20. sprinkling of sumac and Aleppo. Serve immediately with lots of crusty bread.

Grandma Browns Beans

Ingredients

• 1 lb navy beans
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• water, to cover
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 ounces ham or 3 ounces cooked bacon
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 medium onion, chopped (optional)
• 1 bay leaf (optional)

Directions

1. add 1 teaspoon baking soda to 6 cups water.
2. bring water to a boil.
3. sort through beans for debris.
4. add navy beans to water.
5. boil 10 minutes.
6. turn off heat.
7. cover pot.
8. let sit overnight.
9. rinse beans well.
10. add beans and all other ingredients to oven proof pot with tight fitting lid.
11. stir well.
12. add water until beans are just covered.
13. cover pot with lid.
14.  bake 5 to 6 hours at 300°F.
15. every hour stir and add water to cover if beans are drying out.
16. final product should be a thick and not runny

Before baking, add the following: 

3 T brown sugar, not packed

1 T  ketchup 

1 T molasses

1 t yellow mustard

Sausage Gravy

Ingredients

• 1 Pound Ground Pork Sausage
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/3 Cup Flour
• 3 Cups Milk
• 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• Pepper

Instructions

• Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink.
• Add the butter to the pan and stir it around until melted.
• Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and stir for 2 minutes.
• Pour the milk into the sausage and flour mixture slowly, whisking constantly until smooth.
• Whisk in the seasonings. Taste the gravy and adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Serve immediately with your favorite biscuits.

Wings

Ingredients

CRISPY WINGS

• 4 lb / 2 kg chicken wings , cut into wingettes and drumettes (Note 1)
• 2 tbsp baking powder (NOT BAKING SODA / BI-CARB SODA!!)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• Oil spray

Instructions

CRISPY WINGS

• If you are organised enough, uncover the chicken wings and leave them in the fridge for a few hours to dry out. Otherwise, use a paper towel to pat the wings dry.
• Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions.
• Preheat oven to 250F/120C (all oven types - standard/convection/fan).
• Line a baking tray with foil, then place a rack (like a cooling rack) on the foil. Spray the rack with oil spray.
• Place wings in a large bowl or in a ziplock bag. Add the baking powder and salt, then toss to coat evenly.
• Place the wings on the baking tray in a single layer with the skin side up. They should just fit snugly. They will shrink when they cook because the fat renders out so don't worry if they look too snug.
• Place wings on the lower middle oven rack and bake for 30 minutes.
• Move wings up to the upper middle rack and increase the oven temperature to 425F/220C. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the tray. Bake for another 20 however check after 10. Done at 165. 
• Remove baking tray from the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes.
• Toss wings in sauce of choice or serve it on the side to dip / drizzle on the wings, then serve.

• A dry rub that Marie will eat. Sub in step 5 above. Good for 20 flats/drums. 
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 and 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 3/4 tsp. smoked paprika
• 3/4 tsp. garlic powder

Recipe Notes:

**IMPORTANT** A number of readers have been devastated by accidentally using baking soda / bi-carb soda instead of baking powder! Puh-lease be careful to wowuse baking powder (the stuff you use in muffins and pancakes to make them rise!) - if you use baking soda / bi-carb soda, it will be INEDIBLE!! It is really, really yuck!

Also refer to the FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS below the recipe.

1. Wings MUST BE THAWED!!! See below for step by step photos for how to cut chicken wings.

2. You will notice once the wings come out of the oven that they are smaller than usual. This is because the fat under the skin melts off (renders out) while baking in the low oven.

3. The wings will not bake to a dark golden brown unless you leave them in for 1 hr+. They bake to a golden brown. You will know they are done because the skin will be lovely and crispy.

4. Recipe Source: Recipe for the wings is from Cook's Illustrated "Meats Book" cookbook. The sauce recipes are my own.

5. To reheat (see FAQ below for more details): Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate. The skin will wrinkle and soften. Preheat oven to 200C/390F. Spread wings out on tray, skin side up, and bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until the skin puffs up so the wrinkles smooth out and becomes crisp again.

6. SAUCES: 
* Honey Garlic Sauce: Mix together 4 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp white vinegar (or sub with any other vinegar except balsamic), 2-3 garlic cloves, minced. Use for dipping OR tossing. 
* Honey Mustard Sauce: 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup honey
* Ranch Dipping Sauce: Mix 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup sour cream, 2 tbsp milk, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp EACH dried dill, parsley, chives, onion and garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste.
* Spicy Creamy Dipping Sauce: 3/4 cup mayo, 1/2 tso garlic powder, 1/8 tsp paprika, 3-4 tbsp sriracha, salt & pepper
* Pink Sauce: 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 2 tbsp ketchup, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp sriracha (or other hot sauce)