Oven-caramelized Potatoes

The potatoes are incredible, having absorbed all the liquid and transformed into sometimes creamy, sometimes crunchy little starch candies.

Olive oil, plus a little more for the potatoes

2 lbs. potatoes, sliced about the width of your little finger

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup veal or beef stock (and more if it dries out too quickly)

1. Heat the oven to 450F. Toss the potatoes on a baking sheet or roasting pan with a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the stock over the potatoes. Position the oven rack on the lowest setting.
2. Roast the potatoes for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 400F and continue roasting for 40 minutes to an hour more. Pour a little more stock or water onto the potatoes if they look dry at half-time. They are done when they are soft and nicely caramelized, glossy and sticky.

Albanian Lamb Stew

Searching for lamb stew recipes, I happened on this Albanian stew recipe. It sounded strange, and, well, that's all I need to get curious and want to try something! It is in fact a strange recipe, from execution to the final product, but actually quite good, although it still needs work. I highly recommend pairing it with a crisp green salad - the textures of the rich mean, tart yoghurt custard and crunchy, fresh salad is surprisingly good.
The result of my alterations is excellent. The cooking time is greatly increased to tenderize the meat and create a lovely sauce.

1 pound lean lamb, cut into 3/4 inch cubes (boneless shoulder or leg of lamb can be used)

2 Tbsps. vegetable oil

2 cups chicken or other meat stock

2 eggs

1 cup plain yoghurt

1/4 tsp. salt

1. Brown lamb in hot oil in a large skillet. Cook in batches to properly brown the meat, and be sure to brown it on all sides. 
2. Add the stock and bring to a slow simmer. Stew the meat this way, covered, for 40 minutes. 
3. Preheat the oven to 375F (originally 350).
4. Remove the cover and turn up the heat to Medium-Low and let most of the liquid evaporate, so that you end up with, essentially, a reduction of the juices. It should be thick and unctuous, and about only a couple of tablespoons worth. 
5. Place meat in shallow, 1-quart casserole dish or individual ramekins.
6. Beat together eggs, yoghurt, and salt; and pour over the meat.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Chicken Stew

This is a good quick meal. You can use crushed tomatoes instead to shorten the cooking time.
TIP: To prevent white meat cooked in a broth from going stringy, make sure that the vegetables are underneath, in the liquid, and the meat is on top, above the liquid, when adding the vegetables and meat, so that the meat cooks more gently.

2-3 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 large chopped onion
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth OR 2 cups white wine
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. thyme or a couple of fresh sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 medium potatoes, diced
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced (optional)
2 chicken breasts, chopped

1. Heat the oil in a soup pot and sauté the onions for 2 minutes.
2. Add the tomato, broth (or wine), garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring this mix to a boil and let simmer until the tomatoes cooks.
3. Add the potatoes, carrots, (celery if using). Layer the chicken on top - apparently it cooks better if it isn't braising in the liquid (see TIP).
4. Simmer until the vegetables are done, about 30 minutes.

Petit pots de crème

I'd seen recipes for Petit pots de crème on other sites, but they all seemed to require gelatine, and that just seemed wrong to me. I didn't know why, until I saw Laura's version, which I've slightly modified (of course) - just egg yolk, cream and chocolate... more or less. When I first made these it was for my Ben and my niece Isabelle, and they ate two each, enjoying the rich flavours, but after a full meal, then gorging on this unctuous, fatty chocolate, they felt sick afterwards. Oddly enough, I felt fine! Everything in moderation... even moderation.

NOTE: You may be tempted to use more than 4 oz of chocolate. Be forewarned that more chocolate will make a more dense pudding. The ratio of ingredients in the recipe below ensures a smooth, creamy pudding with loads of chocolate flavour.

(makes 6)

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

4 oz. chocolate (70%)

6 egg yolks

3 Tbsp. sugar (optional)

1. Heat the oven to 325F
2. Heat the cream, milk, vanilla and sugar, remove from heat just before it boils. Set aside to cool a bit.
3. Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie.
4. Whisk the yolks a bit. To avoid making scrambled eggs, slowly drizzle the hot melted chocolate into the yolk while whisking vigorously. When you've added all the chocolate, it will be thick. Whisk in a bit of the cream at first - it's quicker and easier this way, and you'll be sure that the yolk/chocolate mixture is well diluted into the cream.
5. Scoop off any froth, then strain to get rid of any particles, to have a smooth texture.
6. Pour into 6 ramekins and bake in a bain-marie until set at the edges, but slightly jiggly still in the centre, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Chocolate has a tendency to absorb flavours, so wrap the ramekins and refrigerate several hours before serving.

Mirabelle and Rosemary Jam

We got some delicious golden plums from some friends who have a fruit-tree plantation at Spence's Bridge, BC, and some fresh rosemary from the garden of a friend in Chilliwack, who is a garden designer and I tried making Mirabelle and Rosemary jam. The result is interesting, but I'm not sure what to do with it yet. I brought it over to Mauri and Kevin's and Mauri Iron-Cheffed with it and made a dessert using puff pastry and vanilla ice-cream drizzled with the stuff and it was quite good, but to me, there's a flavour, almost metallic, to the stuff. Tonight I'll try glazing pork chops with it to see how it does. For the record, the following is how I made it. I think one mistake was to leave the rosemary in the bowl overnight - I likely should have just put it in the pot while I was cooking it to get the flavour.

2.2 lbs. Mirabelle plums, cut in half (do not remove the pits and skins)
3 cups of sugar
the juice of 1 lemon
4 sprigs of rosemary
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Macerate the fruit with the sugar and lemon juice overnight in a covered ceramic bowl.
2. The next day, dump the macerated fruit into a soup pot and add the rosemary and vanilla extract. Cook, covered, over gentle heat, for 30-45 minutes.
3. To test that the jam is ready, keep a plate in the freezer and drip some of the cooked juices onto the plate. If the drips gel to the plate (don't run when you tip the plate sideways, the jam is ready. Otherwise, keep it simmering.
4. Once the jam is ready, strain the fruit through a sieve with a wooden spoon until all that's left are the skins and pits and rosemary stems.
5. Heat the jam on the stove until just starting to simmer, then pour into the hot pots.
6. To get the pots hot, sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water. 
7. Leave 1/2 inch space at the top of the jar when filling it. 
8. Screw lids on until not quite as tight as possible - screw on tight, then loosed by 1/4 turn.
9. Put each jar on a rack in a large pot of boiling water. Jars must not sit directly on the kettle bottom. 
10. Once the pot returns to the boil, begin processing (boiling) time of 10 minutes if using half-pint or smaller jars (235 ml or smaller), 20 minutes for larger. 
11. After the time has elapsed, remove jars to a cloth-covered counter or baking sheet, away from any drafts. Do not move for at least 12 hours — 24 hours is best — so that the jars fully seal and the jam sets.

Blue Cheese and Fennel Quiche

I have my standard quiche recipe which more or less (less or more) follows the instructions I've mentioned in my earlier post for quick and easy quiches. I use a mild blue cheese called Bleu Claire from a local cheese maker - my niece came for dinner and she thought she didn't like blue cheese, so I made half the quiche with Gruyere, but slipped in a sliver with blue, and she liked it. I agree that some blues have an overpowering flavour - unlike aficionados, I don't like the feeling of the cheese mould entering my sinuses from the blue. But the Bleu Clair has the flavour of blue cheese without the aggressiveness of the stronger types, perfect for blue-virgins and sensitives like myself.

1 pre-baked pie shell

2 Tbsps (1oz/28gr) butter

1 lb fennel, finely chopped

8 oz crumbled blue cheese or grated Gruyère

Optional: handful of toasted walnuts

5 eggs (3 eggs and 2 egg yolks)

1 cup cream or crème fraîche

salt and pepper to season

1. Melt the butter and sautée the fennel until it starts to brown and is soft. The fennel will not cook while the custard is baking, which means it has to be thoroughly cooked in the pan.
2. Meanwhile, mix the eggs and cream together and season the mixture with salt and pepper.
3. Layer the fennel at the bottom of the baked pie crust, then layer with the cheese of your choice (and toasted walnuts if using).
4. Pour egg mixture over the filling. Bake the pie at 375°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is set.

Savory Chocolate Chilli

This is not just delicious, it is an attractive chilli. The yellow corn kernels and the red peppers shine like gems against the dark mahogany of the chilli, and if you choose to top it with bright white sour cream, fresh green cilantro and creamy cheese, well, they say that presentation is 90% of the meal! Excellent with a good corn bread or corn chips.

6 Tbsps chilli powder

1⁄2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp cumin

2 tsps dried oregano

1 tsp cinnamon

1 pinch ground cloves

1 tsp coriander
2 Tbsps grapeseed oil or bacon fat

2 lbs ground beef

2 onions, finely chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup corn kernel

2 x 28 ounce cans diced tomatoes, un-drained

1 x 19oz can beans, rinsed and drained OR 1 cup/8oz dry beans, soaked and cooked

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt, to taste

4 oz 70% chocolate (or to taste)
OR 2 Tbsps cocoa powder + 1 Tbsp sugar (add sugar for preferred bitterness balance in chocolate flavour)

hot sauce, such as Tabasco

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

fresh cilantro (to garnish)

sour cream (to garnish)

grated cheese (to garnish)

1. In a small bowl, prepare the spice blend, from chilli powder to coriander.
2. In a large heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat; add the beef, onions, bell pepper, and garlic; stir and cook until vegetables begin to soften.
3. Add the spices, corn, black beans, diced tomato. Bring to a boil then cook at medium-low temperature, uncovered, until excess liquid reduces and tomatoes disintegrate, about an hour.
4. Finely chop chocolate and add to chilli. Cover, reduce heat to low and let sit another twenty minutes. Add the lime juice. While adjusting seasoning to taste, add hot sauce, to taste.
5. Now, the garnish of fresh cilantro, sour cream and grated cheese is more than just to make it pretty - these ingredients are actually important elements in the final outcome of the dish. I call them garnishes because the chilli is perfectly good without them so they are optional, and they also make the plate look really good when serving.
6. NOTE: The flavor is quite different whether you use bittersweet chocolate, like 70% chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate. If you are unsure of what you would prefer, I suggest using bittersweet chocolate and then adding sugar if you find the chocolate flavour too strong.

Rhubarb Water

This rhubarb water is not so interesting on it's own, but is amazing as a mixing ingredient for Rhubarb Martinis

2 pounds rhubarb, washed and cut into chunks

4 cups boiling water

3/4 cup sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Put the rhubarb in a bowl, pour over 4 cups/1 litre boiling water, cover, and leave at room temperature overnight.
2. Next day, strain the liquid into a saucepan, discarding the rhubarb. Add the sugar and lemon juice, and bring to a boil 5 minutes. Cool. Taste and add more lemon juice if necessary. Strain into a bottle, and cork. Store refrigerated, to be served ice-cold.

Gougères

These puffs of heaven are delicious. The recipe is fun, too because it's so strange - when adding the eggs to the dough it separates into globs at first and looks ruined, but keep mixing and there will be a magic moment when everything just comes together. And they are seriously difficult to resist! Thanks French Cooking at Home!

Yield: 50

6 Tbsps (3oz/84gr) butter

1 cup water or light chicken stock

½ tsp. salt

pepper to season

Pinch of paprika

1 cup flour

3-4 eggs depending on size

4oz Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated

Milk for brushing

1. Heat the oven to 375ºF.
2. Put the butter in a heavy saucepan with the water or stock, salt, pepper, and paprika. Bring to a boil and pull from the heat. Dump the flour in all at once, and beat until smooth with a wooden spoon. The mixture will pull away from the sides of the pan and form a ball. Put the pan back on low heat and beat for a minute to dry the paste somewhat. Remove from the heat and let cool about 3 minutes.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon after each addition. You want a smooth, soft, glossy paste that falls easily from the spoon, and this is dependent on the size of your eggs - if they are large, 3 should do, but if they are too small the dough will be too stiff so use 4 (or more if your eggs are really small. Stir in the cheese.
4. Using a pastry bag, pipe 1-inch/2.5 cm balls onto a buttered baking sheet, or simply drop the mixture by spoonfuls. Brush with milk so they will emerge golden and shiny - I dip my finger in milk and dab the tops. Bake until puffed up, nicely browned and not just light gold, and feather light when you pick one up, 25 to 35 minutes.