Lemon Marmalade

 

TJ Max has a section with various condiments, jams, etc.  Although I am suspicious of how long they have been there, I couldn’t pass up a jar labeled Sicilian Lemon.  It was love at first bite, but once the jar was empty I couldn’t find a replacement.  I decided to make my own and was rewarded with success on my first try.  The marmalade is wonderfully tart.  Best, of course, on fresh croissants (because they are packed with butter).

Don’t use this recipe to make marmalade from non-acidic fruits!

5 lemons
5 cups water
4 cups sugar

6 small Mason jars with rings and lids
Optional (but extremely helpful):  Funnel sized for processing marmalade
Tongs

Day 1:  Fill a bowl with 5 cups of water.  Slice four (4) of the lemons into paper thin slices, removing seeds as you go.   Chop slices so you don't have long pieces.  Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.

Day 2:  Place the contents of the bowl into a pot, bring to a boil and reduce heat to just below the boiling point.  Cook for 20 minutes.  Pour back into the bowl and allow to cool.  Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.

Day 3:  Place the contents of the bowl into a pot.  Bring to a low boil and add 4 cups of sugar.  Continue to boil for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, fill another deep pot with water, add the glass Mason jars, and bring to a slow boil.  Wash the lids and rings in hot, soapy water.  Rinse well and place on a clean paper towel.  Five minutes before removing from heat, add the juice of one lemon and stir. Next, fill each jar with marmalade to within 1/4” of the top of the jar; no more/no less.  Using a clean, wet paper towel, clean off any marmalade from the top edge of the jars.  Apply the lids and screw on the rings.  Tight, but not super tight.  Using tongs, place jars into the pot of boiling water and boil (“process”) for 10 full minutes.  Carefully remove from heat and drain most of the water into the sink.  Using a towel, remove the jars and place on a towel.  Allow to cool for 12-24 hours.  (After 24 hours, push on the lids.  They should not pop up and down.  If they do, discard.)  The jars will keep for up to one year without refrigeration.

Note 1:  The second time I made the marmalade I used lemons that had been sitting on the table for a couple of weeks and had softened.  The marmalade set up much better than the first time, when I used just bought firm lemons.

Note 2:  The recipe made more than 6 jars of marmalade.  Place the extra in a jar or bowl, covered, and refrigerate right away.

Note 3:  I don’t know why, but no pectin is needed for this recipe.  At least I didn’t use any and it turned out great.

Video below emphasizes that the lemons must be sliced very thin:

Yield:  6 jars

The Birthday Granola

Natalie brought over some granola she made about a week ago.  It was supposed to be for Carolyn, but I must admit that I probably ate most of it.  I became addicted to it.  When my b-day rolled around she gave me a fresh batch and the recipe in the form of a card (below).  Not mention taking C and I out for dinner and some wine glass I.D. thing-a-ma-bobs.  Nice birthday!  The batch she made for my b-day was a bit more toasted than the first.  I like the toasty flavor.  I will be making this often!

Split Pea Soup

The  perfect use for a ham bone . . .

1-1/2 – 2 lbs. ham bone (or pork neck bones)
16 cups water
1 lb. split yellow peas
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced (or one teaspoon ground celery seed)
2 pcs. Knorr’s vegetable bullion
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 medium potatoes, cut into ¾” pieces
8 oz. cranberry sauce

Boil the bone(s) in the water for an hour. Remove bone(s) and discard. Strain liquid, if necessary, with a cheese cloth. Add the peas and allow to sit in the broth for 1 hour. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the cranberry sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Add cranberry sauce and stir. Puree, in stages, in a blender or food processor. Serve with a crust white bread. (February 13, 1995)

Potato Pancakes (Placki kartoflane)

My mother made piles of potato pancakes when I was a kid.  She served them hot or room temperature.  The exact recipe remains a mystery because she didn’t follow a written recipe.  She simply threw everything together and made, the relatives all seemed to agree on this, the best “placki kartoflane” to be had.  The recipe below is based on her oral instructions.

8 medium potatoes
2 large eggs
12 tablespoons flour
2 medium onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
Canola oil
Butter

Grate the onions (or puree them in a machine) and add to a large mixing bowl with the salt and two eggs.  Mix well.  Grate the potatoes.  Add the potatoes and the flour to the bowl and mix well.

Place 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 or 3 pats of butter in a cast iron skillet.  Heat on high.  Add four dollops of the potato mixture and flatten.  When brown, flip and cook for about 4 or 5 minutes.  Remove to a hot plate and keep in a warming oven.  Add more oil and butter and make the next four pancakes.  Continue until all the mixture is used.  Serve immediately.

Poles usually serve potato pancakes with sour cream and/or apple sauce.

Roasted Chicken with 50 to 100 Cloves of Garlic

Serves 4

This recipe, I have read, comes from Provençal, however, like all old recipes, has many variations.  This chicken is roasted.  The garlic turns  mild and creamy after the long roasting. It may sound overpowering but the garlic cloves mellow and sweeten in the oven.

Note:  Option, if you don’t want to peel the garlic.  Separate cloves from garlic bulb, leaving peel intact. When you serve them, the creamy flesh will readily squeeze out from the skins.

Feel free to use as many cloves as you want because any leftover roasted garlic cloves can be peeled and used to make a simple garlic mayonnaise known as aïoli.

Note:  After the chicken is removed, you will have some remaining liquid.  Add enough cloves of garlic over cover the bottom of the roasting dish, add a bit more water (~1/3 cup), sprinkle with ~1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and roast for 1 hour at 325F.  Use as a spread on toast or mix into mashed potatoes.

50 to 100 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
3.5 lb whole chicken
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 cup white wine or water

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Peel the garlic.  Rub butter over outside of chicken and inside cavity; salt and pepper the skin and inside cavity.
Tie legs together with kitchen string.  Place the garlic cloves, in single layer, in medium baking dish and place chicken on the garlic.

Pour the water carefully into dish; roast, uncovered, brushing occasionally with pan juices, about 1 hour 30 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Stand chicken on platter, covered with foil, 15 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestions:  Oven Roasted Potatoes. 

Sliced chicken breast with pieces of garlic.

Garlic, roasted in the pan juices.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

 

Potatoes
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 400F.  Wash the potatoes and dry with a paper towel.  Microwave for 5 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool (cool enough to handle; about 20 minutes).

Pour some olive oil into a cast iron (or other oven proof skillet or dutch oven).  Pour some on your hand and coat each potato with oil.  Place in the skillet.  Place the skillet in the oven on an upper rack and roast for 40 minutes.

Bacon-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Herb Stuffing

Troy prepared Bacon-wrapped Beef Tenderloin for our 2009 Christmas Eve dinner, accompanied by scalloped potatoes, carrots, rigatoni with sausage and mushrooms (see that recipe), and more.  He followed the recipe exactly, but he found that the meat was slightly undercooked.  After slicing it, he put the meat under the broiler for a few minutes and the result was perfection.  The smaller ends of the tenderloins were fairly well done and the thickest end was a dark pink.  Everyone’s preferences were met.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from French bread, crust removed
2 1/2 cups chopped fresh parsley (from 2 to 3 large bunches)
2 2 1/4- to 2 1/2-pound center-cut beef tenderloin roasts
20 to 24 bacon slices (about 1 1/2 pounds)(thin, not thick cut bacon)
Canola oil

Note:  Some reviewers on Epicurious.com recommend applying a rub to the meat before wrapping with bacon.

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add breadcrumbs. Sauté until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; mix in parsley. Season stuffing with salt and pepper. Cool completely.

Starting at 1 long side, cut each tenderloin lengthwise almost in half, stopping about 1/2 inch from opposite long side. Open tenderloins like books. Sprinkle cut sides with salt and pepper. Pack half of stuffing on 1 side of each tenderloin. Fold plain side over stuffing.

Slightly overlap half of bacon slices on sheet of parchment paper, forming rectangle equal in length to 1 tenderloin. Place tenderloin at 1 edge, across bacon ends. Using parchment as aid, roll up tenderloin in bacon. Using kitchen string, secure bacon around tenderloin, tying at 1 1/2-inch intervals, then tie once lengthwise. Repeat with remaining bacon and tenderloin. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap tenderloins and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing.)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Pour enough oil into large skillet to coat bottom; heat over high heat. Add 1 tenderloin. Sauté until bacon is brown, turning often, about 10 minutes. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with second tenderloin. Roast until thermometer inserted into center of each registers 130°F to 135°F for medium-rare, about 30 minutes. Transfer to platter. Let stand 15 minutes. Cut off strings. Cut tenderloins into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Source:  Bon Appétit  | December 2004