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Pork Wellington

Mar 26th, 2012
by Liisa.
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I love pork, but sometimes I forget about it when concocting a dinner plan. It is lean, flavorful, and deliciously juicy as long as it’s cooked well.

Nate and I were watching an Alton Brown episode and we were both eagerly inspired to try his “pork wellington” recipe. It certainly did not disappoint.

Because I “accidentally” consumed all of the dried apples prior to dinner time, I changed the filling to caramelized onion and garlic. It was perhaps even better than the apples would have been! I still wrapped the pork in thyme and prosciutto. The puff pastry encasing the pork was perfectly buttery with a hint of mustard flavor. Next time, I would make a dijon sauce to accompany the pork.

I also chose to make a side of roasted wedges of brussels sprouts (toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper and place in the oven while the pork is cooking). The sprouts were fantastic when coated with the pork and onion juices!

Pork Wellington by Alton Brown


Ingredients
1 whole egg
1 tablespoon water
1-ounce dried apple rings
1 whole pork tenderloin, approximately 1 pound
4 1/2 ounces thinly slice prosciutto ham
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed completely
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

Directions
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat to 400 degrees F.

Whisk the egg and water in a small bowl and set aside. Place the apple rings into the bowl of a mini food processor and process for 30 to 45 seconds or until they are the size of a medium dice. Set aside.

Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat and silver skin. Slice the tenderloin down the middle lengthwise, creating 2 separate pieces. Lay the tenderloin pieces next to each other head to tail, so when laid back together they are the same size at the ends.

Lay out a 12 by 16-inch piece of parchment paper on the counter and arrange the pieces of prosciutto in the center, overlapping them enough to create solid layer that is as long as the tenderloin. Top with a second piece of parchment, and using a rolling pin, roll over the prosciutto to help adhere the pieces to each other. Remove the parchment paper and sprinkle the prosciutto with the salt, pepper, and thyme. Set the tenderloin down the middle of the prosciutto.

Spread the dried apples in between the 2 pieces of tenderloin and push back together so the apples are held between them.
Using the parchment paper to assist, wrap the prosciutto around the tenderloin to completely enclose in a package.

Sprinkle the counter with flour and roll out the pastry to 12 by 14 inches. Spread the mustard thinly in the center of pastry and lay the prosciutto wrapped tenderloin in the center of the pastry on the mustard. Fold the puff pastry up and over the top of the tenderloin, then roll to completely enclose, brushing the edges of the pastry with the egg wash in order to seal. Turn the tenderloin over so the side of the tenderloin with the double thickness of pastry is underneath. Pinch the ends of the pastry to seal.

Brush the entire pastry with the egg wash. Place the tenderloin on a parchment lined half sheet pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of at least 140 degrees F.

Remove the tenderloin from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Posted in: Main Course, Pork.
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Mushroom Ravioli with Garlic & Thyme Cream Sauce

Jan 4th, 2012
by Liisa.
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I can’t believe how long it has been since I last posted! So let’s get back into gear with a meal that’s earthy and totally comforting, albeit a bit tedious to prepare. If you love mushrooms, you’ll love making your own homemade ravioli. Once you get the general idea down, it is tons of fun to create your own variations. The possibilities are endless!

Liisa’s Mushroom Ravioli with Garlic & Thyme Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
chopped prosciutto
approx. 1 lb button or crimini mushrooms, cut in halves or quarters
1 package of dried porcini mushrooms
as much fresh thyme as you would like
about ½ cup white wine (I used a dry Saugignon Blanc)
salt and pepper to taste
about 1 cup ricotta (use more or less, depending on if you want more creaminess or more pure mushroom flavor)
parmesan cheese to taste
wonton wrappers

For the sauce:
heavy cream
chicken bouillion
thyme
garlic
mushroom juices
pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Pour hot water over the dried mushrooms and allow to sit for 15 minutes, then strain.

2. Begin by sauteing the onion in some olive oil. Once it begins to become translucent, you can add the chopped garlic and prosciutto. Follow this with the button or crimini mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms begin to release their liquid and have softened. During this time, you can throw in as much fresh thyme as you would like (dried is fine too).

3. Turn up the heat a bit and pour in the white wine. Allow most of the alcohol to burn off and the flavors to absorb. Add in the re-constituted porcini mushrooms. Taste for salt.

4. Strain the mushroom mixture over a large bowl to catch the drippings (reserve for later) and puree the mushrooms in a food processor.

5. Put the processed mushrooms in a large bowl and stir in as much ricotta and parmesan as you would like. Taste again for salt and pepper.

6. To prepare the ravioli, take one wonton square, moisten its edges with a little water (just use a clean finger to do this), place a small dollop of the mushroom filling in the middle, and cover with a second wonton square. Now you can press the wonton edges together so that they seal and fold them over again on themselves. Do this with the rest of the filling and lay the ravioli on a lightly floured surface or parchment paper, taking care not to overlap them.

7. In a small sauce pan, make your cream sauce. Pour in heavy cream, some chopped garlic, fresh thyme sprigs (these can be removed before serving), one chicken bouillion cube, and as much or as little of the mushroom drippings. Bring this to a boil and then simmer over low heat until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

8. While you prepare the sauce, get a pot of lightly salted water to a nice, gentle boil. Once the water is boiling, add as many ravioli as can fit in your pot without overcrowding them (the pot I used only did 4 at a time). The pasta is done when the edges are fully translucent. Do a taste test of the first one to get a better idea of cooking time if you need to. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked ravioli to a plate. Spoon cream sauce over and enjoy!!

Posted in: Main Course, Pasta.
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Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic

Jun 23rd, 2011
by Liisa.
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If you are a garlic lover, you cannot help but devour this chicken dish. Luscious and creamy roasted garlic, browned chicken pieces, and white wine make for some knockout flavors.

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Cook’s Illustrated

Table salt
1 whole chicken (3½ to 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces (4 breast pieces, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks) and trimmed of excess fat. [I just made 10 pieces, wings included - why waste?]
Ground black pepper
3 large heads garlic (about 8 ounces), outer papery skins removed, cloves separated and unpeeled
2 medium shallots, peeled and quartered pole to pole
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
¾ cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Dissolve ¼-cup salt in 2 quarts cold tap water in large container or bowl; submerge chicken pieces in brine and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 30 minutes. Rinse chicken pieces under running water and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides of chicken pieces with pepper.

2. Meanwhile, toss garlic and shallots with 2 teaspoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste in 9-inch pie plate; cover tightly with foil and roast until softened and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes, shaking pan once to toss contents after 15 minutes (foil can be left on during tossing). Uncover, stir, and continue to roast, uncovered, until browned and fully tender, 10 minutes longer, stirring once or twice. Remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.

3. Using kitchen twine, tie together thyme, rosemary, and bay; set aside. Heat remaining 1-teaspoon oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke; swirl to coat pan with oil. Brown chicken pieces skin-side down until deep golden, about 5 minutes; using tongs, turn chicken pieces and brown until golden on second side, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to large plate and discard fat; off heat, add vermouth, chicken broth, and herbs, scraping bottom of skillet with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Set skillet over medium heat, add garlic/shallot mixture to pan, then return chicken, skin-side up, to pan, nestling pieces on top of and between garlic cloves.

4. Place skillet in oven and roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers about 160 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes. If desired, increase heat to broil and broil to crisp skin, 3 to 5 minutes. Using potholders or oven mitts, remove skillet from oven and transfer chicken to serving dish. Remove 10 to 12 garlic cloves to mesh sieve and reserve; using slotted spoon, scatter remaining garlic cloves and shallots around chicken and discard herbs. With rubber spatula push reserved garlic cloves through sieve and into bowl; discard skins. Add garlic paste to skillet. Bring liquid to simmer over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally to incorporate garlic; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in butter; pour sauce into sauceboat and serve.

 

Posted in: Main Course, Poultry.
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Fresh Corn Salad

Jun 22nd, 2011
by Liisa.
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This is one of the simplest salads to make and, with the mingled flavors of fresh, sweet corn and zippy basil, it is hard to beat.

Fresh Corn Salad

From Ina Garten

Ingredients

  • 5 ears of corn, shucked
  • 1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

Directions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

 

Posted in: Salads.
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Watermelon, Goat Cheese, & Caramelized Fennel Salad

Jun 21st, 2011
by Liisa.
1 comment

This salad is full of delicious contrasting tastes and textures! I used the following recipe for inspiration, but I did alter it somewhat. Instead of the mint, I used basil from my garden. I added crispy olive oil croutons, white wine vinegar to taste, and sauteed the fennel in butter until it had caramelized. This is definitely something that I will be making again.

Watermelon & Fennel Salad

From Jenn Cuisine

Ingredients:

  • 2 bulbs fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 of a small watermelon, rind trimmed and thinly sliced into triangles, seeds removed
  • soft herbed chèvre
  • a few leaves mint, chiffonaded
  • extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
  • salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat a large skillet with the scantest amount of olive oil on high heat and sear the slices of fennel until they brown, then remove from heat. This will caramelize them a little bit and bring their natural sweetness out.
2. On each plate arrange fennel slices and watermelon.  Then crumble chèvre on top and garnish with mint.  Drizzle a little olive oil on top and add salt & pepper to taste.  Enjoy!

 

Posted in: Salads.
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Buttermilk Currant Scones

Jun 21st, 2011
by Liisa.
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Yummy!! These scones make the perfect Sunday afternoon treat with a mug of honeyed tea. They are flakey, semi-sweet, buttery bites studded with diminutive currants that pop in your mouth with some added sweetness. We devoured these hot out of the oven with butter, but they would be delicious with jam too.

I am delighted that they turned out so well, because I not only changed the whole milk to buttermilk in the recipe, but I also accidently added in the egg yolk that was meant to be brushed on the tops before being baked. This is a happy accident that I intend to repeat the next time I make these delicious scones!

Buttermilk Currant Scones:

Adapted from Flour Child

Makes about 8

As with any scone or biscuit, the key here is to use a very light touch. Mix the ingredients and handle the dough as little as possible.

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sanding
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
3 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 cup Zante currants (Use raisins if you can’t find Zante currants, but avoid the more widely available golden currants.)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, very cold
1 egg yolk, whisked
Extra buttermilk for brushing

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the currants and toss to coat with the flour mixture. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips, working quickly so as not to warm the butter. The mixture should resemble very coarse cornmeal with large pea sized lumps of butter throughout. Add the milk all at once and gently stir until the dough just begins to come together. Turn it a few times in the bowl to pick up the dry flour bits at the bottom.
3. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and quickly shape it into a rectangle about 1 1/4 inch thick. Cut the rectangle on the diagonal to form 8 wedges (see below). Brush with half and half or whisked egg yolk, and sprinkle with sugar.
4.  Bake for 18-25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, until scones are golden brown on top and sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, break into wedges, and serve with butter and jam. 

Posted in: Breads, Breakfast Foods.
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