Gravy Out Of Thin Air

I was at a loss about what I was going to do for a gravy to drizzle over the Kopytka (Polish Dumplings) that were scheduled to accompany our New Year’s Eve dinner. Carolyn rooted around to find a package of demi-glace that she remembered was hiding in the cupboard. Hmm . . . it looked more promising than any other option. It made quite a nice gravy.

.7 oz. Jus de Poulet Lie Gold – Classic Roasted Chicken Demi-Glace
4 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons water
Salt – to taste

I added 4 tablespoons of butter, 1-1/2 cups of water, and the demi-glace to a pan. Heat and whisk over a medium heat until the ingredients are well combined. Combine flour and 2 tablespoons cold water in a small glass and mix thoroughly. Add to the pan and whisk until the gravy thickens. Serve in a hot gravy dish. Or drink directly from the pan.

Homemade Bratwurst No. 1

For New Year’s Eve 2012 we invited Mary Rose and Jens for dinner and decided to make homemade sausages. We made chorizo, chaurice and Italian sausage (see previous post about sausage making). We also wanted to make a German sausage. I scoured the internet for bratwurst recipes. I was surprised that none of the recipes I found matched . . . at all. In one case, a website had Bratwurst No. 1 and Bratwurst No. 2. The only common ingredient between the two recipes was pork shoulder and salt. I finally settled on the No. 1 recipe and added a few other spices (savory, allspice and marjoram).  Although the flavor of the product was nothing like the Sheboygan brats that we’re accustomed to buying in a store, this proved to be a very tasty sausage.

We used the cookie press again which works fine for small quantities. Also, I adjusted the Italian Sausage recipe and it turned out perfect. See the sausage making post for the updated recipe.

2 lbs. ground pork (ground to a hamburger consistency; medium coarse)
3/4 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground dried coriander
2 teaspoons ground rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground dried rosemary
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon savory

Panna Cotta

Panna Cota is about as simple a dessert as you can imagine to make. However, if you want fluted molds, instead of ramekins, you better start shopping early for them. We went to several stores and came up empty handed. We finally found fluted tin molds in an antique mall.

I made a Panna Cotta, based on a recipe I found on a Polish recipe blog, for New Year’s Eve dinner 2012. It was a Panna Cotta “lite” recipe and it proved to be a disaster. So today I made a second batch as follows. I didn’t include the vanilla extract because we plan to serve it with kinoto marmalade drizzled over the Panna Cotta.

1/4 cup cold milk
1 package gelatin (2.5 teaspoons)
2-1/4 cups of half and half (or heavy cream, if you don’t care about your waist line)
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract (optional)

Spray or lightly oil your mold or ramekins. Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk and allow to sit. It will soak up the milk and “bloom.” Meanwhile, heat the milk and sugar in a medium saucepan until it’s very hot. Remove it from heat right at the point it is about to boil.

Add the gelatin and whisk the liquid until it is completely dissolved in the milk. You can put the pan over a medium heat, as you whisk.

Pour the liquid into your ramekins or molds. Place into the refrigerator for about 2 hours to cool and set. Serve.

Kopytka (Polish Dumplings)

 Kopytka, a word that translates to “little hooves,” are dumplings that are similar to gnocchi or spaetzle. This recipe is based on my mother’s oral recipe. Kopytka refrigerate well. Serve with a gravy or simply buttered.   -jb 12-31-12

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-1/2 pieces
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2+ cups of flour
2 tablespoons butter (optional)

Fill a large pot with water, the potatoes and the salt. Boil the potatoes until fork tender.  Remove from heat, drain, and allow to cool, covered. When the potatoes are warm (i.e. not hot to the touch), mash them until they are smooth and not lumpy. Spread 2 tablespoons of flour on the working surface. Heat a large pot of water to boiling.

Add the eggs and mix well. Add the flour, one cup at a time, and work it into the  potatoes with your hands. Place the dough on the work surface and sprinkle with some flour. Create a log shape and squeeze it into the shape of a thin baguette. Use flour, as needed, but just until the dough is no longer sticky. The less you “work” the dough the better. Cut the dough into equal medallions (about 1” wide). (Or you can cut the “baguette” in half lengthwise and make smaller kopytka.)  Heat a large (microwave safe) bowl in the microwave. If you are planning to serve the kopytka without gravy, add 2 T of butter to melt.

Drop 1/2 of the medallions, two at a time, into the boiling water. In about 4 or 5 minutes, the kopytka will float to the surface. After a minute or two, remove them to the hot bowl with a slotted spoon. Repeat until all the kopytka are done cooking and transferred to the bowl. Mix them to coat them with the butter. Cover with aluminum foil to retain heat until serving.

The kopytka store well in the refrigerator. To reheat, simply add some butter and a tablespoon or two of water to a pan. Cover and place pan over low heat until warm. Optionally, you can fry them in butter.

Smacznego!  (translation: bon appétit!)

Oaxaca-inspired Eggs

Above, just before covering.

Above, the final product!

When Carolyn and I were in Oaxaca (Mexico) about 12 years ago, we had breakfast at a restaurant that served an interesting dish that consisted, essentially, of a bowl of tomato sauce in which the cook had floated a couple of eggs. The eggs were very soft (runny) and combined with the tomato sauce. Yesterday, we had tortillas and cilantro on hand and inspiration hit me. This is very different recipe, but the tomato sauce is a mental reference to that dining experience. You can make this in an 8” skillet, but ideally use two 6” skillets. You can use tomato sauce, but pizza sauce is thicker and more flavorful.

8 oz. pizza sauce
4 eggs
4 pcs. – corn tortillas
Onion powder
Cumin powder
Chile pepper powder
Cayenne pepper powder
Salt
Black pepper
Queso Chihuahua (grated or shredded)
Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Divide the pizza sauce between the two skillets. Sprinkle with onion, cumin, and chile pepper. About 1/8 of a teaspoon of each. Then sprinkle a little bit of the cayenne pepper.

Turn on the heat to medium. When the sauce is hot (bubbling), add two eggs, carefully, so the yolks don’t break and turn the heat down to low (i.e. just above simmering). Quickly distribute about 1 tablespoon of cilantro leaves and about 3 tablespoons of cheese. Cover.

Place two microwave safe plates into the microwave. Add the four tortillas on top and cover with a piece of wax paper. Heat two minutes.

Place two tortillas on each plate and slide the contents of the skillets off on to each. Salt and pepper to taste.

Tortilla Soup

C and I really like the tortilla soup at Cosina Restaurant  in Chicago. This is my version. 12-15-12  -jb

2T – olive oil
1/2 cup – onion, thinly sliced and chopped
2 cloves – garlic, finely diced

32 oz. chicken stock
1 can (14.5 oz) – diced tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) – red beans, drained
1 cup – frozen or canned corn
1 carrot, thinly sliced & diced
½ t – cumin
1/2t – chili powder
1T – Vegeta
Juice of ½ of a lemon or lime

2 flour tortillas, cut into strips

1 – avocado, sliced
2T – mint leaves, chopped
2T – cilantro leaves
1 pc. – green onion, diced
2T – queso fresco, shredded

Sauté onions in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes, until soft. Combine with the chicken stock and the next 8 ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the lemon juice and avocado.

Slice the tortillas into very thin strips. Arrange on a piece of aluminum foil and toast in toaster oven. Set aside. If you don’t have a toaster oven, you can heat the tortilla strips in a skillet until they are crispy.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with the remaining ingredients. Top with the sliced tortillas.

Lemon Pepper Pappardelle Pasta

Cheap, fast and good. A rare combination. Pappardelle is a fairly wide and thick pasta noodle. ~ jb 12-3-12

1 lb. pappardelle pasta, prepared per instructions on package
1 teaspoon freshly coarse grated black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cans Tuna in oil (or drained tuna in water and add 2 T olive oil)
juice from one lemon
2 tablespoons of capers
1 tablespoon olive oil

Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add all the remaining ingredients, mix and serve in warmed bowls.

Note 1: Trader Joe’s sells a lemon and pepper pappardelle pasta that saves on having to have a lemon.

Note 2: The cherry tomatoes look great, but they didn’t seem to pair well with the tuna.