From the Nov., 2013 Bon Appétit

I feel like I should preface this posting with a warning that I’ve just come off the red-eye from L.A., and if the text has you scratching your head at times, that’s the reason why. The reality is, though, that my whole world is about to change, so I better get used to rolling with things for a while—functioning on less sleep, doing multiple tasks at once. That sounds a little vague and cryptic, so I guess this is as good a time as any to come out and say it: Alfredo and I are going to be parents… to a little girl, due via our wonderful, California-based surrogate in mid-January. Obviously this forthcoming arrival has already had a huge impact on our lives, and the changes have only just begun. So I’m trying to prime myself for the fact that I’m going to need to be more flexible about pretty much everything in my life going forward. Anyway, with just two months to go I thought it was time to share this happy news with you, and while I have no intention of going AWOL, you’re likely to see some changes around here as a result, or maybe not. We’ll just have to see how things go.

For now, however, I bring you a great fall vegetable recipe, culled from the current issue of Bon Appétit. It’s little wonder that it grabbed my attention, as it stars one of my favorite vegetables: Brussels sprouts. Here they’re given “a little” something extra thanks to the addition of mushrooms, shallots, thick cut bacon, a splash of Sherry, a sprinkling of red pepper flakes, and a few tablespoons of lemon juice. Think about that for a second—the bright metallic flavor of the sprouts, paired with the earthiness of the mushrooms, the saltiness of the bacon, the mild heat of the red pepper flakes, and the tang of the Sherry and lemon juice. If that doesn’t sound like the perfect flavor combination for fall I don’t know what does (but then, I do have a weakness for the salty/tangy side of things).

Although the recipe calls for cooking the sprouts on a gas grill over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes or so, as an indoor cooking alternative you can sauté the vegetable in a grill pan or skillet. That’s the approach I took—cooking them over a medium high flame for ten minutes or so (a few more than directed), after first tossing the sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. That timing issue is good to note here because although the sprouts will be reintroduced to a hot pan later in the cooking process, they should be fully cooked through by that point. In other words, no matter what the directions say don’t remove the sprouts from the heat until they’re fork tender, and the exterior reveals a nicely burnished char.

Next, cook the bacon in a separate pan until crisp—the meat having already been sliced into ¼” strips using either the thick-cut variety suggested by the recipe, or the slab bacon I used here (which is only marginally more time consuming). Once crisped, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate and add the mushrooms to the drippings, which serve as a lubricant for during the cooking process while also infusing the mushrooms with a hint of smoky flavor. (Note: if using crimini I suggest slicing the mushrooms instead of quartering them as directed; the size and texture just seems better to me.) After about three minutes, add the chopped shallot and sliced garlic to the pan, and enjoy the wonderful fragrance filling your kitchen. Once the shallot and garlic have softened sufficiently (about five minutes), remove the pan from the heat and add the sherry and the red pepper flakes. Stir this intoxicating mixture off heat for a minute or so until all of the liquid has evaporated, then add the Brussels sprouts and the bacon, and toss with the lemon juice. Serve immediately—though that’s a directive you’ll hardly need, as the bright autumn colors and wonderful salty/tangy scent will have you racing to fill your plate.

One final note about the mushrooms: although the recipe states that either chanterelles or crimini mushrooms will do, chanterelles are clearly preferable here, as they lend the dish a delicacy it doesn’t have with the decidedly more ordinary crimini. I’ve now made the dish both ways, and while each version was good, the one made with the chanterelles offered something extra. This was largely due to the chanterelles’ more delicate flavor, but also because their compact shape and firm texture offers a better counterpoint to the crunch of the sprouts and the chew of the bacon than the spongier crimini. Either way, though, this is just the sort of medley of flavors, colors, and textures you want this time of year. In fact, if I were making Thanksgiving dinner this year, this might need to be one of the featured acts.

Ingredients:
—1½ lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
—2 tbs olive oil
—Kosher salt, to taste
—Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
—4 oz thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise ¼” thick
—12 oz (3/4 lb) chanterelles or crimini (Baby Bella) mushrooms, halved or quartered if large (TRG note: if using crimini mushrooms I suggest slicing)
—1 large shallot, chopped
—4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
—2 tbs dry Sherry
—1 tsp crushed red pepper falkes
—2 tbs fresh lemon juice

Directions:
—Prepare grill for medium-high heat. Toss Brussels sprouts and oil in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Transfer Brussels sprouts to a grill basket and grill, tossing occasionally, until tender and lightly charred, 5 to 8 minutes. (Alternatively, cook Brussels sprouts in a large grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat, 5 to 8 minutes).
—Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
—Add mushrooms to drippings in skillet, toss to coat, and cook without stirring, 3 minutes. Add shallot and garlic; cook, tossing often, until shallot is softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add Sherry and red pepper flakes. Cook until liquid is evaporated, about 1 minute.
—Add Brussels sprouts and bacon and toss to combine. Add lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.

8 servings

The post 11/06/13 • SAUTÉED BRUSSELS SPROUTS appeared first on THE RECIPE GRINDER.

From the Nov., 2011 Saveur (click here to view the recipe)

Since sitting down to write this week’s posting I’ve been slammed with “urgent” emails relating to everything from a mysterious leak that’s appeared in my downstairs neighbors’ closet; a busted basin in my bathroom that’s rendered the sink unusable; a variety of issues relating to my upcoming office move (insurance certificates, the correct meter number for Con Ed, Internet provider options, etc.); outstanding payment for a story I filed way back in early September; and a number of other subjects too tedious to mention. In other words, I’m dealing with the sorts of things we all contend with on a daily basis . . . but that today are proving particularly difficult for me to shut out — something I must do, though, if I’m to get to that quiet place necessary from which to write a coherent sentence. It reminds me of this ad I used to see as a kid on TV in which a harried working mom, stressed out over her job, her baby, even the family dog (!), throws up her hands and exclaims in a desperate voice, “Calgon take me away!” (followed by a quick cut of said harried mom luxuriating in a bubble-bath).

Well, I haven’t been magically teleported to my bathtub, but just listing a few of this morning’s distractions does seem to have served a similar function — my mind is quieter, at least for the moment. Which means I can turn my focus to more important things . . . namely food, and specifically the subject of this week’s posting.

It’s one I’d categorize as a happy accident. Not because I came up with it myself while playing around in the kitchen (it comes from the November issue of Saveur and not my head), but because I decided to make it thinking it would be one thing and early in the process discovered it to be something else entirely — something even better than anticipated. You see, the thing I thought I was making, and that originally brought me to the kitchen with all the various ingredients, was based on the recipe’s captivating title: “Onion and Bacon Tart.” Through no fault of the magazine, these four words led me to believe that the end result would produce something flat and crusty — like a bacon and onion pizza, but without the cheese and tomato sauce. I like the cheese and tomato sauce in a pizza, but I’m also a big fan of caramelized onions and bacon, and the idea of giving these two complementary items a star turn atop a homemade crust sounded pretty appealing. I also thought it had the makings for a perfect weekend lunch, or an enticing pre-dinner snack (sliced into bite-sized pieces). I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t take much more than that to get me into the kitchen. . .

The thing I’d failed to register, though, was the fact that the recipe offers the revealing statement that the dish’s custard-like batter is “a cousin of Yorkshire pudding,” and that it “puffs like an enormous popover in the oven.” I’m not quite sure how I missed this statement since it’s the first sentence of the actual recipe, and because the words Yorkshire pudding are ones that typically grab my attention, but miss it I did. And in truth, such is my excitement when I come across a new recipe that it’s not so unusual for me to overlook a few key details until I actually get down to cooking. Which is to say that as I began assembling my various ingredients I discovered that what I was undertaking was not so much the perfect weekend lunch but rather the ideal accompaniment to the prime rib I’ll be making for Christmas dinner.

Now I’m a big believer in staying true to certain food traditions — I like a turkey on Thanksgiving and a roast beef on Christmas. But if there’s a way to gently tweak those traditions in an interesting way, I’m all for it. And here was just such a way. Rather than the Yorkshire pudding standard, which in my experience is at most enlivened by some dried thyme or rosemary, here was one that went whole hog . . . with a scattering of slivered bacon and caramelized onions. What’s more, the recipe offered an alternative to the standard cooking approach, which calls for using the meat drippings from your finished roast as a base for the pudding — a rewarding but time consuming step when you’re trying to juggle multiple dishes and coordinate getting everything on the table before anything goes cold. Instead, the Saveur recipe calls for taking the fat rendered from the cooked bacon and using that as the base for the pudding. It’s a strategy that’s as decadent as it is simple, allowing you to cook the pudding independently of the roast, thereby excising at least one bit of stress from your holiday season.

Of course, you can always make a Yorkshire pudding with melted butter instead of meat drippings, and even without the various enhancements listed above it will be pretty wonderful (particularly in the company of a few slices of roast beef and a dollop of horse radish-enhanced crème fraiche). But trust me when I say that the addition of the onion and bacon here takes the pudding into new and exciting territory. For one thing, these enhancements give it some extra heft, creating a more substantial side dish than the airy, buttery Yorkshire we know and love. What’s more, the caramelized onion acts as a foil for the richness of the bacon and the rendered fat, which for its part deepens the overall flavor of the dish and imbues it with a subtle, smoky quality. And for those of you questioning whether it might all be a little too much — pork and beef . . . on one plate, I say simply: it’s the holidays! (But yes, you can always have the tart on it’s own, served with a side of greens as I did in the images here; an infinitely more sensible option to be sure, and almost as satisfying as the holiday meal I’m conjuring).

And did I mention that it’s easy, too? A simple batter of flour, mustard powder, pepper, milk, and eggs is whisked together, allowed to rest for a few minutes, then poured into a baking dish that already holds the rendered bacon fat (and which has been heated in a 425 degree oven for ten minutes). The crisped bacon and caramelized onion are then sprinkled across the batter, at which point the baking dish is returned to the oven for 30 minutes of cooking. This is when the real fun starts, as there are few things more gratifying than watching as something you’ve prepared turns all golden brown and bubbly before your eyes. Imagine a popover, but in one large baking dish. Now imagine biting into it. . . buttery, a little chewy, with just a hint of smoke and sweet. Yes, it’s just that good. Wonderful things can happen when eggs, flour and milk are introduced to a little liquid fat!

One final time saving suggestion: instead of the slab bacon called for in the recipe, look for the thick cut variety sold at many markets. This will trim your prep time in half, since the bacon must ultimately be sliced into matchstick slivers before cooking.

Ingredients:
—6 oz. slab (or thick cut) bacon, cut into ¼” matchsticks
—4 tbsp unsalted butter
—2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced lengthwise
—Kosher salt
—Freshly ground black pepper
—1½ cups flour
—2 tsp dry mustard
—1¼ cups milk
—3 eggs lightly beaten

Special equipment:
—One 9″ x 11″ baking dish

Directions:
—Heat bacon in a 12” skillet over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and bacon is crisp, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain; pour bacon fat into a 9” x 11” baking dish and set aside.
—Return skillet to medium-high heat, and add butter; add onions, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
—Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together flour, mustard, and pepper; add milk and eggs, and stir until smooth. Let batter rest for ten minutes.
—While batter rests, place baking dish with bacon fat in oven and let heat for 10 minutes. Remove baking dish from oven, pour in batter, and sprinkle with rendered bacon and caramelized onions; return to oven until puffed and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
—Cut into squares and eat immediately.

The post 12/08/11 • BACON ONION BONANZA appeared first on THE RECIPE GRINDER.