Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington

I was been asked several times to make this, so i finally gave in and made it. I did look at several old recipes and figured i could update it: here is my take on it.

Ingredients

Duxelles

1 pint Cremini Mushrooms

1 pint of Hen of the Wood Mushrooms

1 pint of Shiitake Mushrooms

3 Shallots, rough chopped

5 cloves of garlic

3 sprigs of Thyme, leaves only

1 teaspoon ground Cumin

1 teaspoon ground Paprika

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoon Truffle oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Beef

3 Lb center cut beef tenderloin or London Broil

Avocado Oil

Puff pastry

2 eggs, beaten 

Dijon mustard

Salt and Pepper to taste

Gravy

2 shallots, minced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 springs of Thyme

1 cup Brandy

2 cups stock

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 teaspoon ground Cumin

1 teaspoon ground Grains of Paradise

1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

Salt to taste

Directions

Remove beef from fridge and let get to room temp

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Duxelles

Place all the ingredients with the exception of the butter and oil in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

Next add butter and oil to a skillet, melt and whisk together. Now add the mushroom mixture and saute for about 10 minutes until most of the liquid is gone.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.  

In same pan on high heat, add a bit of avocado oil.

Season beef and place in hot pan and sear on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes each side.

Once seared, remove from heat, place on a sheet of plastic wrap. Before wrapping up, coat the beef on all sides with Dijon mustard, then wrap up tight and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface roll out puff pastry. Depending on the size of the sheet of pastry you might need two sheets.

Spread out Duxelles on pastry as shown above.  The unwrap beef and place on pastry. Roll up pastry around beef, using egg wash to seal the overlapping pastry. Make sure the beef is completely sealed. Place on a parchment prepared baking sheet, seam side down.  Brush egg wash over the entire pastry.

Cut a few slits on the top in top o vent the steam.

I used a London Broil, thus for not completely uniformed shape.

Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until a meat registers 125 degrees.

Remove from oven and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

While beef is baking make the gravy,

In the same pan you seared the beef place shallots, garlic and saute for 2 minutes on medium heat. Now add the brandy, remove from heat and flambe, once flame dies, return to heat and add stock, Simmer until it reduces by half.  At this point you can strain out the solids, but i like them in, yes the gravy is not smooth but its still taste good.  Add ricotta, mustard, spice and herbs to pan. simmer until it reduce by half again or is the desired thickness.  Pour into serving vessel.

Cut meat and serve with roasted Potatoes 

Enjoy Cooking. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Brussels Sprouts: this recipe usually converts people from disliking them to loving them 

and its really simple.

Ingredients

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

One stalk of Brussels Sprouts ( for some reason they are much cheaper in the stalk)

4 to 5 tablespoons Olive Oil

3 tablespoons of minced Garlic

1 Shallot minced (optional)

1 tablespoon Maple Flakes

1 to 2 tablespoon Maple Syrup

Salt and Pepper to Taste 

Remove sprouts from stalk: its really easy, just bend them back from the top down. 

Keep the stalk: i cut it cup and freeze it to use in stocks.

Cut Brussels Sprouts in half, place in a bowl with Olive Oil, Garlic, Shallot (if using),

Salt and Pepper :  toss to combine

I usually let the mixture sit for at least an hour, tossing it a few times during that time

Next place in a bake dish and sprinkle the Maple Flakes on top. 

I use Tonewood out of Vermont, go to 

www.tonewoodmaple.com

To order them online or find a location near you to buy them.

I like Tonewood since its just Maple Syrup, some other flakes have added un-natural things ...

Place Brussels Spouts in the oven and roast for about an hour, tossing them a few times during that time, 10 minutes before they are done, drizzle the Maple Syrup on them and place back in the oven.

Enjoy Cooking

Baked Ziti

I got a request for baked Ziti : i thought about it, it is a simple dish but how would i change it up, so i took the challenge and here is what i came up with, enjoy.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients

5 lb of Ziti pasta cooked ali dente
3 LB Ricotta Cheese
2 lb of mozzarella cheese
2 quarts of home made marinara sauce
2 8oz packages of mascarpone cheese
1 lb of Italian sausage, sliced
1 lb of Porcini mushrooms, sliced
2 cups parmesan cheese
6 eggs
6 cloves of garlic. minced
2 shallots, diced
1/4 cup of fresh chop Italian parsley
1/4 cup ribbon sliced basil
2 table spoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 table spoons of unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

You will need a large deep baking dish, i used a 17 inch by 12 inch by 5 inch pan.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a skillet over medium high heat melt 1 tablespoon of butter, next add the shallots and saute until soft. Remove from heat and add the garlic, and thyme and set aside.

In another skillet over med high heat and the remaining butter and the mushrooms and saute until tender, drain any liquid, place mushrooms in a bowl and set aside. In the same skillet crisp up the sausage, drain fat and set aside.

In a large bowl place the ricotta and mascarpone cheese and the eggs and whisk until combined. Next stir in the basil, the saute shallots mixture and half the parsley.

Now in the large pan layer in the ziti, ricotta cheese mixture, the mushrooms, half of the parmesan cheese and sausage. Stir to combine. Next pour in the marinara sauce and half of the mozzarella and stir to combine. Over the top sprinkle the remaining cheeses and parsley, Cover in foil and bake for one hour. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese starts to brown.

Enjoy Cooking

Steak au Poivre

This recipe is for Glen, who was looking for a way to cook steak. This is a very simple recipe. Steak au Poivre is Steak with Pepper. Enjoy.

Steak au Poivre

Ingredients

4 boneless sirloin steaks, about 1 inch thick, size is your choice
1/3 cup peppercorns, ground to medium coarse
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup of beef stock
1 stick of unsalted butter
2 small shallots minced
1 small onion minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons Cognac
2 tablespoons of flour
Chopped parsley
salt

Directions

Pour crushed peppercorns into a shallow bowl, then dredge the steaks in the peppercorn so that they are coated on each side. Place steaks on a cutting and with the heal of your hand press the peppercorns into the steaks and set aside. Reserve the balance of the peppercorns

Preheat the broiler.

Place a skillet over medium high heat and place 4 tablespoons of butter, followed by the onions and shallots, saute until soft. Next add the wine, stock, cognac and a teaspoon of the reserved peppercorns. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half. Remove 1/4 cup of the liquid, whisk in the flour until smooth, then return to the skillet. Once sauce thickens, remove from heat and cover.

Place steaks under the broiler and cook about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. On the last 1 minute dot each steak with a tablespoon of butter. Remove from broiler, ten and let rest for 3 minutes.

To serving pour sauce over steaks and garnish with parsley.

Another great side with this is some blue cheese and a baguette.

Enjoy Cooking.

Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Apples

I had come up with about a year ago and i just found the recipe in a pad of paper here at the cabin.

Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Apples

Ingredients

1 lb of pork tenderloin
3 apples cored and sliced
3 shallots halved and sliced
1 cup apple juice
3 table spoons of molasses
3 table spoons of honey
2 table spoon Hoisin sauce
6 table spoons of fresh grated ginger
6 cloves of garlic minced
1 table spoon olive oil
1/8 tea spoon Cayenne pepper
2 table spoons of fresh chopped chives
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to broil
In a medium sauce pan place apple juice, molasses, 3 table spoons of ginger and garlic and 2 table spoons of honey - bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens.
Place pork on a roaster rack in a broiler pan, brush pork with the sauce and broil pork until internal temps reads 155 degrees - Remove from heat and tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes - Note: it should take about 15 to 20 minutes for the internal temp of the pork to reach 155 degrees, also bast the pork with the sauce about every 5 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium high heat saute shallots in the olive oil until soft. Next add apples and reduce heat to medium. saute apples and shallots for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Now add the garlic, ginger, honey, hoisin sauce and cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste - stir for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Slice pork and plate with apple/shallot mixture and top with the diced chives.

Enjoy cooking

Shallot Pasta

Back from a trade show and i am looking for something warm and homey. I came up with this for the cook book, taking a twist on French Onion soup.

Shallot Pasta

Ingredients

20 Shallots cut in half and thinly sliced
6 gloves of garlic minced
4 table spoons of butter
1 table spoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 table spoons of unbleached flour
1 cup dried morrells
2 cups beef bouillon
1 cup red wine
1 cup Italian Parsley, chopped and stems removed
1 1/2 cups of Assiago cheese
1 pound of dried pasta of choice, I like spaghetti
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large deep skillet placed over medium low heat melt butter,then stir in olive oil. Next add the shallots, garlic, salt and sugar to skillet stir and cook until shallots turn golden brown, about 25 minutes.
While shallots are cooking heat up one cup of bouillon, once hot remove from heat and add dried morrells.
When you are ten minutes out from the shallots being done start pasta water. Add the remain bouillon to the pasta water.
Once shallots are golden brown add red wine, stir. Once wine has warmed remove 1/4 cup add place in a small bowl and add the flour, whisk until smooth and return the wine mixture to the skillet. At this point the morrell's should be soft, add morrells and bouillon to skillet. Raise heat to medium and saute until the liquids have reduced by half. During this process taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook pasta until al dente; drain reserving a cup of the pasta water.
Once the shallot sauce has reduced by half add the pasta and 1/2 cup of the pasta water to skillet, toss for about 2 minutes and remove from heat.
In a large bowl add 1 cup of cheese and the 1/2 cup of the pasta water and stir. Now add the shallots, pasta and parsley to bowl and toss. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and serve.

Enjoy Cooking

Clams and Cucumbers

OK - i just got an email requesting this one, I guess we could not wait - I serve this as a started course - Here it is;

Clams with Cucumbers

Ingredients

2 large cucumbers, striped pealed, quartered and sliced
3 large onions, pealed. quartered and sliced or 10 shallots pealed and sliced
8 sprigs of Thyme - use the entire sprig do not remove leaves
1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped stems removed
1/4 cup of chocolate mint leaves, ribbon cut.
1 cup dry white wine
half stick of butter, un-salted
1/4 cup of half and half
1 cup grated asiago cheese
salt and pepper to taste
30 to 36 little necks clams or 40 to 50 cockles ( i like cockles with this sauce)


Directions

In a large deep pot over medium heat melt butter, once melted add onions or shallots and stir until butter started to caramelize the onions. Next add the wine and thyme, reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer of 20 minutes.
Now add the dill, half and half and the asiago cheese, salt and pepper, stir, after 2 minutes increase heat to high, once at a boil drop in the clams or cockles and cover.
2 minutes into the process stir bring the clams from the bottom to the top.
3 minutes or when all the clams are about open stir again and add cucumbers.
Remove from heat and keep covered for 30 to 45 seconds. You want the cucumbers still crisp just warmed from the sauce
Add Mint and toss - serve right away.

I serve with mint and sorrel pop overs.

Enjoy cooking

Pasta with Clams and Shallots

I threw this together a few Sundays ago: I was think what can i do wit with my traditional Mussels sauce and change it up a bit to taste great with pasta. I reduced the liquids and added more cheese, what is better than that.


Pasta with Clams and Shallots

Ingredients

2 table spoons of olive oil
1 stick of butter, un-salted
6 to 8 cloves of garlic minced
10 shallots thinly sliced
6 to 8 sprigs of Fresh lemon thyme, stems removed
6 to 8 sprigs of fresh marjoram, stems removed
1/2 cup of fresh Italian Parsley, chopped stems removed
2 cups of dry white wine
4 oz of creme fraiche
1 1/2 cups grated asiago cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb dried pasta of choice
30 to 36 little neck clams scrubbed well.

Note: if you have not used fresh clams, oysters or mussels before - keep them on ice before using but do not sit them in the ice unless they are in a bowl that drains; by sitting in fresh water it will shock and kill them (that was what i was told at the fish monger). I just place a metal bowl inside a bowl with ice and place the shell fish it that and keep them in the fridge until ready to use them,

Directions

Timing is everything with this dish

In a very large deep dish pot heat oil over medium heat, next add garlic and reduce to low. Infuse the oil with the garlic about a minute. Now add the butter once melted add the shallots, stir, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally during that time.

With a 10 minutes to go with the shallots start the pasta water and follow the directions on the box.

After 30 minutes, increase the heat to medium low and add the wine and the creme fraiche. Stir until the creme is completely incorporated into wine. Next add the thyme and the marjoram, salt and pepper to taste. Stir sauce for 5 minutes. Pasta should be about 5 minutes from being done. Turn heat up on sauce to high, once it starts to boil drop the clams in and cover. 2 minutes into adding the clams stir the pot bringing the clams from the bottom to the top. 2 more minutes in sir again. when you get to 3 to 4 minute in total wit the clams, drain pasta and add the pasta to clams - Clams should all be about open now (if not wait until most are open or about to open before adding pasta but now too long the clams will get chewy). Remove pot from heat and toss in parsley and half the cheese, stir. Transfer the all the contents of the pot into a very large bowl and add the remaining cheese and serve.

Next time i will post all the variations i have with Clams, Oysters and Mussels. I have allot of them due to we love Clams, Oysters and Mussels of them and I serve them at least once a week.

The next sauce I use cucumbers.

Enjoy cooking