Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook: Cauliflower with Classic Hollandaise

I know the picture probably looks freaky, but this is one of my favorite things.  Whenever my mom would make a whole head of cauliflower with dinner, I was always hoping and praying there was a little packet of hollandaise mix in the pantry.  When I got older, and realized that hollandaise didn't have to come out of an envelope, it was like a revelation.  I'm not sure what it is about cauliflower and hollandaise, but it just works.

Cauliflower with Classic Hollandaise
From the 1974 edition of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

1 head cauliflower
4 large egg yolks
½ cup unsalted butter, cut in thirds
3 teaspoons lemon juice
Sea salt and ground white pepper
Paprika

Remove leaves and stem from cauliflower head and steam until tender, approximately 15 minutes.

While cauliflower cooks, place egg yolks and ⅓ of the butter in top of double boiler.  Cook over hot, not boiling, water until butter melts, stirring rapidly.  Add ⅓ more butter and continue stirring.  As mixture thickens and butter melts, add remaining butter, stirring constantly. (Water in bottom of double boiler should not touch top pan.)

When butter is melted, remove pan from hot water; stir rapidly 2 minutes longer.  Stir in lemon juice a teaspoon at a time; season with a dash salt and dash white pepper.  Heat again over hot water, stirring constantly until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove from heat at once.  If sauce curdles, immediately beat in 1 or 2 tablespoons boiling water.

Place cooked cauliflower in a large bowl and pour hollandaise over the top of the cauliflower.  Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

D'Artagnan: Mini Wild Boar Roast

About two years ago, I noticed that my local grocery was offering something new and interesting: a mini boar roast.  Now, I love pork products in all their forms, but I hadn't had a lot of exposure to wild boar.  So I didn't grab the roast for a while.  Finally I gave in and picked one up, but I wasn't sure if boar cooked the same way as pork.  I shouldn't have worried.  The recipe below turns out a flavorful roast, and if you get the D'Artagnan version, the meat is mild and tender.

Mini Wild Boar Roast
Adapted from a comment at D'Artagnan

1 (1½-pound) boneless wild boar roast
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves chopped
2 tablespoons lard or bacon fat, divided use
½ teaspoon dried savory
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 275°F.

Take the meat out of the netting and put an extra cut or two in some of the bigger muscles. Gently sauté the chopped garlic and rosemary in melted lard over medium heat to mellow the garlic (it should be barely starting to turn golden when you take it off the heat), and then spoon all the garlic and rosemary out of the lard and into a dish to let cool.

Generously season the center of the unrolled roast with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, sprinkle with dried savory, and then smear with the sautéed garlic and rosemary. Roll and re-tie the roast, put it in the lardy pan from cooking the garlic and rosemary, rolling it around to fully coat in grease, and season the outside of the roast all over with the remaining salt and pepper.

Roast the boar until a meat thermometer registers 145°F, about 1 hour. Take the roast out of the pan and transfer it to a dish, and then heat the remaining lard in the same roasting pan. Sear the roast on all sides until browned. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Emeril Lagasse: Red Beans and Rice

I've been meaning to make a red beans and rice recipe for a while, but where do you start in selecting one?  Every resident of Louisiana seems to have their take.  I finally settled on Emeril's version because he hasn't let me down yet.  And he certainly doesn't here either.  The final product was perfectly flavorful and spicy, and still filling and meaty, especially with all of the pork products involved.  Don't be fooled - this is definitely a full dinner.

Red Beans and Rice
From Emeril Lagasse

1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted over
3 tablespoons bacon grease
¼ cup chopped tasso, or chopped ham
1½ cups chopped yellow onions
¾ cup chopped celery
¾ cup chopped green bell peppers
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Emeril's Essence
Pinch cayenne
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
½ pound smoked sausage, split in half lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound smoked ham hocks
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
10 cups chicken stock, or water
4 cups cooked white rice
¼ cup chopped green onions, garnish

Place the beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add the tasso and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the onions, celery and bell peppers to the grease in the pot. Season with the salt, pepper, Essence, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves, parsley, thyme, sausage, and ham hocks, and cook, stirring, to brown the sausage and ham hocks, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and stock or water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and starting to thicken, about 2 hours. (Should the beans become too thick and dry, add more water, about ¼ cup at a time.)

Remove from the heat and with the back of a heavy spoon, mash about ¼ of the beans against the side of the pot. Continue to cook until the beans are tender and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves.

Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

Makes 8 servings

The Dutch Table: Boterkoek (Dutch Butter Cake)

At a restaurant here in my area, they serve this amazing buttery cake called, of course, BUTTER CAKE.  This cake is so good, despite it's rather plain profile, that I have seriously considered calling the restaurant just to order cake for dinner.  I finally decided enough with the silliness, I needed to find a recipe.  Since this restaurant didn't seem to want to give its secrets away, I managed to find the closest thing, a Dutch version.  I have to tell you - this version is just as buttery and fantastic as the original, with the added delight of a ribbon of almond paste that bakes right in.

Note: Since this cake relies on the butter for most of its flavor, use the best butter you can buy.

Boterkoek (Dutch Butter Cake)
Adapted from The Dutch Table blog

1 (7- or 8-ounce) package almond paste

2 cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 large eggs, divided use
1 vanilla bean, or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into approximately 1-inch cubes

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Using a 9-inch round or an 8-inch square cake pan, press some plastic wrap into the pan, and then press the almond paste down into the bottom of the pan, forming a flat layer.  Lift the plastic wrap out of the pan, and wrap the edges around the top of the almond paste; set aside.  Butter the pan.

Mix the flour with the sugar, salt, one egg, and the seeds of the vanilla bean (or paste) in a food processor by pulsing several times. Add the cold butter, then pulse until the dough comes together. If the dough gets too sticky, wrap it in plastic film and refrigerate it briefly.

Divide the dough in half, and press one half in the pan.  Peel the plastic wrap off of the almond paste and lay the paste layer on top of the dough.  Cover with the second half of the dough, and make sure the top is even. Make a design by pressing with the tines of a fork.  Beat the second egg and brush the top of the cake with it, then bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on it, and as soon as the sides begin to pull away and brown, it’s ready.

Let the cake totally cool before cutting it into narrow slices or squares.

Makes 16 servings

Danielle Walker: Salted Caramel-Chocolate Panna Cotta

Every once in a while I give in and give up my sweet sugary delights for something a little easier on the ol' insulin.  And when I'm in these moods, I tend to gravitate towards Danielle Walker's cookbooks, as I have yet to taste anything of hers that is not pretty darn spectacular, despite the lack of flour and sugar.  This recipe is not any different.  If I didn't tell you that this was a Paleo dessert, I'm not sure you would guess.

Note:  Since I'm not averse to dairy, I substituted heavy cream for the coconut milk in the ganache and caramel.  I used whole milk instead of the almond milk and coconut milk in the panna cotta.  I also used 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste instead of scraping a vanilla bean.  When I made the spiced candied pecans the first time, they burned.  I recommend backing off to about 10 minutes cooking time and watching them closely.  I'm also not sure why you need 16-ounce serving glasses.  I used 12-ounce mini trifle bowls, and it fit just fine.

Salted Caramel-Chocolate Panna Cotta
From Danielle Walker's Celebrations

Chocolate ganache
2½ ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Salted caramel
½ cup coconut sugar
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ cup full-fat coconut milk

Panna cotta
1 cup almond milk
2¼ teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
½ vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped

Spiced candied pecans
¼ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Pinch cayenne pepper
Pinch fine sea salt

To make the ganache, combine the chocolate, coconut milk, and maple syrup in a glass bowl set over a saucepan with 2 inches of water in it, creating a double boiler.  Bring the water to a boil and whisk until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.  Divide the chocolate mixture evenly among 4 (16-ounce) glasses and place them in the refrigerator to set while you make the caramel and panna cotta.

To make the salted caramel, in a small saucepan, whisk together the coconut sugar, water, and salt and place over medium-high heat.  Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until the mixture turns a dark amber color and a candy thermometer reads 240°F.  Remove from the heat and immediately whisk in the coconut milk.  Set aside to cool.

To make the panna cotta, pour ½ cup of the almond milk into a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top.  Let it sit for 5 minutes to bloom.  Meanwhile, heat the remaining ½ cup almond milk, coconut milk, and vanilla bean seeds and pod in a saucepan over medium-high heat until barely simmering.  Take the saucepan off the heat and whisk in the gelatin mixture until fully dissolved.  Whisk in the salted caramel mixture until fully incorporated.  Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

To make the spiced pecans, preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a bowl, combine the pecans, maple syrup, cayenne, and salt.  Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

Remove the glasses from the refrigerator and divide the salted caramel panna cotta mixture evenly over the cooled chocolate.  Cover the glasses with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the panna cotta and refrigerate for 6 hours to set.  Serve with the spiced candied pecans sprinkled on top.

Makes 4 servings

Table for Two: Leek and Mushroom Boursin Orzo

I don't know why I keep forgetting how delicious Boursin cheese is.  And it's all ready to go, at a moment's notice.  And it makes everything so nice and creamy and yummy.  So when I remembered all of these things, I procured a package of Boursin and started looking for the most delicious application I could find.  And it didn't hurt that most of the recipes I came across also involved mushrooms, which are high on my list of delicious foods.  This orzo recipe provides a perfect blank template to make the Boursin the starring role.

Leek and Mushroom Boursin Orzo
Adapted from Table for Two blog

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup thinly sliced leeks, white and light green part only
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup orzo
2½ cups chicken broth

½ package garlic and fine herbs Boursin cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add leeks to the skillet; cook until softened and a bit translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Next, add the mushrooms and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute (do not let garlic brown).

Stir in the orzo and toast, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.

Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and stir. Bring mixture to a boil then lower heat to medium-low and let it gently simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until orzo is completely cooked through. You will want to stir the mixture occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of your skillet.

Once orzo is done, remove from heat, then stir in the Boursin cheese and season dish with salt and pepper, to taste.

Makes 4 servings

Poularde Maison Blanche ("White House Chicken" - Chicken in Champagne Cream Sauce)

What do you do with a half bottle of Champagne left over from your New Year's Eve celebrations?  Well, you certainly don't throw it out.  I scoured the internet for ideas, but I kept coming back to a reference to a dish that was popular at La Caravelle restaurant in New York City before it closed back in 2004.  The dish was apparently renamed "White House Chicken" due to its popularity with John F. Kennedy, a famous patron in the 60's, but it was originally Chicken in Champagne Sauce.  No recipe has been published (at least not where I could find one), so I pulled together something delicious from the inspiration.

Note: Feel free to replace the chicken thighs with one whole chicken, cut into eight pieces.

Poularde Maison Blanche ("White House Chicken" - Chicken in Champagne Cream Sauce)

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
Sea salt and ground white pepper
Canola oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 small shallots, finely chopped
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1½ cups champagne (or sparkling wine)
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
Leaves from 2 large sprigs tarragon, finely chopped
Juice of half a lemon

Sprinkle the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper to season.  In a large frying pan, over medium-high heat, heat canola oil to shimmering.  Add the chicken thighs and cook on both sides until golden brown.  Remove browned thighs to a plate and set aside.  Pour out any excess oil in the pan, but do not wipe out the pan.  In the same pan, melt the butter and add the mushrooms and shallots, and cook for about 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft and any liquid they have released is evaporated.

Add the champagne to the pan to deglaze (if needed, use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan), then add the chicken stock.  Bring to a boil and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until only about a cup of liquid remains.  Reduce heat to medium, then add the cream, salt, white pepper, tarragon, and the lemon juice and stir well.  Bring to a simmer, then add back the chicken thighs, ensuring they are coated in the sauce.  Cook for approximately 12 more minutes, or until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through.  Serve with rice.

Makes 4 servings

My Recipes: One-Dish Blackeyed Pea Cornbread

Happy New Year everyone!  And since it's New Year's Day, it's also time for another blackeyed pea recipe.  I've done spicy peas, pea dip, pea jambalaya, pea cakes...  But I haven't done blackeyed pea cornbread.  And this recipe looked too good to pass up.  With all of the delicious things in this cornbread, you really only need a nice salad or some collard greens to round out your meal.  Enjoy and good luck in 2019!

One-Dish Blackeyed Pea Cornbread
Adapted from My Recipes

1 pound spicy ground pork sausage
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 cup cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) can blackeyed peas with jalapeños, drained
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
¾ cup cream-style corn
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish.

Cook sausage and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes, stirring until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain.

Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking soda.  Stir together eggs, buttermilk, and oil until combined. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. (Batter will not be smooth.) Add sausage mixture, blackeyed peas, and remaining ingredients to batter, stirring well.

Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 1 hour or until golden and set.

Note: Freeze baked cornbread up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes or until thoroughly heated. To reheat directly from the freezer, bake, covered, at 350° for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Makes 6 servings