Home-made Barbecue Sauce

It's finally grilling season. We've grilled already this year, but now the weather is more consistently suited to it. This is the second time I made this sauce, which I found on the internet, and which is described as 'Carolina style', meaning that it is mustard and vinegar based. We had it on pork ribs first, and then on chicken breasts and legs. It was good on the ribs, but even better with the chicken.

It's a very simple sauce to make. Start by putting in a medium saucepan: 1 cup yellow mustard, 3/4 cup cider vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup water, 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground white pepper, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp cayenne powder. Mix and bring to a simmer for 30 minutes.

Once the mixture has simmered for 30 minutes, add 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp (1oz) butter and 1 tbsp water. Stir well and simmer 10 minutes more. Your sauce is now ready to use.

To use it on grilled chicken, season your chicken legs and/or breasts with salt and pepper. Place on the hot part of the grill until you get a nice sear (good browning) on the underside, then flip and repeat on the second side. Flip again and brush generously with barbecue sauce. Grill for a few minutes, then flip and brush again. Continue until the chicken is just cooked through (check at the bone with bone-in meat) - white, opaque, and with clear juices. I always cut into the thickest section and check that it is completely done. Remove from the grill and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before eating.

Metric Info: 1 cup = 240ml; 1/2 cup = 120ml; 1/4 cup = 60 ml; 3/4 cup = 175ml; 1 oz = 28g.

Pesto

Ready for the freezer

I made pesto today. Had a big basil plant (complete with roots!) from the farm, plus we have a few small plants in our 'garden' (actually just a 4x4 foot raised bed, but home to zucchini, tomatoes, basil, parsley, peppers and brussels sprouts). I picked up good cheese (I was intending to buy Parmigiano-Reggiano, but they didn't have any, so I got Pecorino Romano, which was even better...) and pine nuts and I was ready to go.

The easiest way to make pesto is in a food processor. Start with about 4 cups of basil leaves. Put them in the processor bowl with 4 cloves of garlic and pulse until everything is nicely chopped. Scrape down the sides and add 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (place on a baking sheet in a 350 F oven for about 5 minutes) and up to 1/2 cup of grated hard cheese (preferably Romano or Parmesan). Pulse again until everything is chopped. Now remove the bowl from the processor, take out the blade, and stir in 3/4 cup olive oil, stirring until it is all mixed in. Taste and add salt if desired.

That's it! I immediately froze it in plastic freezer bags to use later (pesto freezes very well), but you could use it straight away. For simple pasta with pesto sauce, cook pasta in heavily salted water until done to your liking (do not rely on the timing on the side of the box - use it as a guide and check often by pulling a piece and tasting it). Remove the pasta from the water with tongs or a pasta spoon, putting it in a warm bowl. Do not throw out the pasta water! Add some pesto to the pasta in the bowl, stirring to combine. Now add a little pasta water (use a ladle or spoon) to thin the sauce to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Enjoy!

Note 1 - The olive oil is stirred in instead of processing it because the latter can result in a bitter flavor.

Note 2 - If you do not have a food processor, you can use a blender, or even a mortar and pestle (this last would be more authentic, but I prefer the food processor...).

Note 3 - Metric Info: 4 cups = 950 ml; 1/4 cup = 60 ml; 350 F = 175 C; 1/2 cup = 120 ml; 3/4 cup = 180 ml.

Apple Sauce

Home-made apple sauce is pretty easy. You just need a lot of apples. I made a small batch - almost exactly a pint - with just over 2 lb of Paula Red apples. The type of apple is not important, although many people believe that a mix of different apples is best for flavor.

Start by peeling, coring and slicing your apples. I would strongly recommend setting up a bowl of water with a squirt of lemon juice in it first (this is called 'acidulated water', and prevents the slices from browning), and putting the slices in it as you go. Drain the slices and put in a pan with 1/2 cup water and a few appropriate spices - I used a couple of cloves, a star anise and a small stick of cinnamon. Heat on high for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Remove the spices, push through a food mill (alternatively, leave chunky or puree in a blender or food processor), and return to the pan, bringing it back to a boil before tasting and adding sugar if desired. I added 2-3 tbsp sugar. Either can the sauce (into a pint jar or 2 half pints, leaving 1/2 inch headspace, tightening and processing in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes) or cool and refrigerate.

Note 1 - If canning, see the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning for safety guidelines.

Note 2 - Metric Info: 1 pint = 470 ml; 2 lb = 900g; 1/2 cup = 120 ml.

Home-made Mayonnaise

We used to keep mayonnaise in our refrigerator - purchased mayo, usually Hellman's. But then we started switching over to organic food and we stopped buying it. Not that organic mayo doesn't exist, but we just stopped. Wanted some mayo the other day for a sandwich, so decided to make my own. It's very easy.

Put 1 egg yolk in a smallish bowl. Add a splash of lemon juice, a splash of water and a pinch of salt. Measure out 1 cup canola oil, and slowly drizzle it into the bowl as you whisk the egg mixture. Start very slowly with the oil, until you see it coming together, and then you can stream it in as you whisk. Expect to not use all of the oil - you can stop when you consider the mayo thick enough. Taste for seasoning - add more salt if desired, and use in place of store-bought mayo.

Note 1 - This is of course a raw-egg product. There is some risk of food borne illness, so it is not recommended for the very young, the very old or anyone with a compromised immune system.

Note 2 - As there are none of the stabilizers that you would find in purchased mayo, keep in the refrigerator and enjoy within a few days (opinions differ as to how long it will last, but definitely no more than a week).

Note 3 - You can substitute any other mild-flavored oil for canola.

Note 4 - Metric info: 1 cup = 240 ml.

Eggs Benedict with Asparagus

OK, so this isn't technically Eggs Benedict, which is served on half an English muffin with ham, but it is very similar. The asparagus is optional, but I think that it goes well with the Canadian bacon and hollandaise. This is my favorite breakfast item, and I have been thinking about making it ever since noticing leftover asparagus in our refrigerator.

Apparently there are at least 2 different types of Canadian bacon. The first is bacon prepared from pork loin (mine was this kind - an uncured, applewood smoked pork loin, that was sold fully cooked). The second is a type of smoked ham. I think either kind would work here, as would regular ham or bacon (cooked to your desired crispiness). I like the thickness of the Canadian bacon myself.

Instead of an English muffin I used a Czech Crescent Roll - from a batch I made following the recipe in 'Local Breads'. You could use an English muffin or similar roll. I would suggest toasting it lightly for texture. On top of the muffin base goes the warm, cooked Canadian bacon, then a poached egg (cooked to your chosen doneness - see below), then some boiled asparagus spears (see below) and some hollandaise sauce over the top. I topped that with the other half of the roll, but I understand that Eggs Benedict are not supposed to have 'lids' (they are served 'open-faced'), so this is optional.

Poached eggs

Bring a fairly deep pot of salted water (to which a small glug of vinegar has been added) to a boil. Crack your eggs separately into small bowls. One at a time, hold the bowl just over the surface of the water and tip the egg in. Adjust the heat to maintain a strong simmer (a rolling boil is a little more than you need), and cook until they are to your liking. I do not time them; I pull one up with a slotted spoon after a few minutes and poke it with my finger. Once cooked, remove, drain and keep warm.

Asparagus

Break off the woody ends and discard. Either cut off the tips now and reserve the stalk for another use, or cook and then cut. Put the spears in a pan of boiling salted water and cook until done. Some people prefer their asparagus a little crunchy; I cook mine until it is tender. Once done, drain and keep warm.

Hollandaise Sauce

Melt 6 oz butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Turn up the heat slightly so that it bubbles occasionally. Remove the white scum as it forms on the surface (discard). Once you have removed all the scum you should have a yellow liquid with white solids at the bottom. Carefully pour the clarified butter into another container, leaving the (milk) solids in the pan.

Set up a double boiler. You can buy a special double boiler pan or you can use a small pan with some water in the bottom and a metal bowl on top (I used this). Remove the bowl and bring the water to a simmer and then reduce the heat.

In the bowl, put 1.5 tsp cider vinegar and 2 tsp water. Add 1 egg yolk and a pinch of salt. Put the bowl on top of the small pan and whisk until the liquid thickens noticeably (until the whisk starts to leave light trails in it). Then remove from the heat and slowly dribble in 3 oz of your clarified butter, whisking constantly. You will see the hollandaise thicken as you do so. After you have added the butter, add a splash of lemon juice and a dash of cayenne pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, cayenne and/or lemon as necessary.

Pour your hollandaise sauce over your assembled Eggs Benedict. Enjoy!

Note 1 - The hollandaise recipe was adapted from 'Ratio', by Michael Ruhlman - a very useful cookbook. It should be enough for about 4 servings.

Note 2 - Metric Info: 6 oz = 170g; 3 oz = 85g.

Pasta with Porcini Mushroom Cream Sauce and Crispy Kale

This was a very simple pasta and sauce recipe, made with my current favorite mushroom - porcini (also known as ceps or boletes).

I used dried porcini mushrooms (the most easily available kind). I added plenty of water to them in a saucepan and brought it to the boil, covered it. let it simmer a few minutes, then switched it off and let it stand, covered for a while (half an hour is good). I then strained them, saving the liquid and the mushrooms (although I did not use the reconstituted mushrooms here) separately.

I then cooked my pasta (I tried both egg noodles and angel hair with the sauce and much preferred the angel hair) until al dente. Meanwhile, I sauteed (cooked in fat over medium-high heat) a mix of fresh mushrooms in a pan with shallots and a little garlic. I used oyster mushrooms (another favorite), and king oyster mushrooms. I deglazed the pan with some sherry, allowing it to boil away, and then added some of my porcini 'stock', allowing it to simmer, then adding cream and finishing with a little cold butter. Season with salt and pepper, and toss with the drained pasta.

The kale can be cooked at the same time as the mushrooms and pasta. Melt butter in a pan. Add chopped kale (remove ribs) and a little salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and allow it to brown slightly, tossing it when it does so to expose all of it to the bottom of the pan. This results in crispy kale. If you prefer your kale wilted, follow the instructions for wilted swiss chard in the last post (but omit the stems). I served the kale on top of the pasta.