Choux de Bruxelles Gratiné
Tender baby Brussels sprouts get the royal treatment.. pan-roasted in bacon fat with onions and lightly drizzled with champagne vinegar, then bathed in seasoned Béchamel and topped with shredded Cantal entre deux, hickory-smoked bacon and fresh breadcrumbs with parsley..
For the Béchamel
2-1/2 cups fresh, whole milk
2 ounces cold roux blanc (recipe follows)
a pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg
fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Heat the milk in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan until simmering, then whisk in bits of roux one at a time, incorporating each one before adding the next. This will help to ensure that the sauce is creamy and without lumps. Add the nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
For the Roux Blanc
3 ounces organic flour (can use soaked or sprouted flour if desired)
2 ounces clarified butter or ghee
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium heat then whisk in the flour. Continue whisking and cooking until past the raw flour taste and completely smooth in texture, maybe 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
For the Brussels Sprouts
1 pound baby Brussels sprouts
6 thick slices uncured, hickory-smoked bacon
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
Rinse the Brussels sprouts in cold water, then peel off the outermost layer of leaves and trim off the stem. Split the larger sprouts in half lengthwise, leaving the smallest ones whole.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet until well-browned and crisp, then transfer to the side to drain and pour of all but about 1 tablespoon of the the fat.
Add the Brussels sprouts and butter to the pan and cook until the cut edges begin to brown. Add the onion and continue to cook, stirring often until the onions are brown and the Brussels sprout are crisp/tender, maybe 8 minute. Remove from heat, add vinegar and toss to coat.
Use a slotted spoon the transfer the cooked vegetables to a casserole dish and pour the béchamel over the top.
Add a layer of shredded Cantal, then arrange bacon pieces over the top.
Add a light layer of fresh breadcrumbs and chopped parsley.
Place casserole in a 375 degree oven and cook until brown and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.
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- Brussels Sprouts – Plant, Grow, Eat – It’s Just That Simple – Read and smile (survivalfarm.wordpress.com)
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Mac & Cheese with Smoked Ham and Roasted Poblano
Classic comfort food on cold and rainy day.
Organic macaroni, extra sharp Vermont white cheddar, extra sharp Wisconsin yellow cheddar, caramelized onions, heirloom garlic, smoked ham, roasted poblano peppers and local, pastured half & half. Seasoned with sea salt, black pepper and Piment d’Espelette, topped with fresh breadcrumbs and baked until golden brown and bubbly..
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Chili/Beer-Battered Fish Tacos
Wild Alaskan cod filets are soaked in a batter of corn flour, beer and chile molido (ground chile pods without additives), then quickly fried in oil and served Baja-style in a warm tortilla with a salad of blanched cabbages with freshly-squeezed lime and sea salt. Topped with a dab of crema Mexicana and salsa and served piping hot..
Chili/Beer-Battered Fish Tacos
For the Batter
2/3 cup organic corn flour
1/4 cup organic all-purpose flour
1 pastured egg
2 teaspoons chile molido
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 bottle beer (not dark)
Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Whisk in the beer and egg. Rinse and pat dry inch-thick pieces of cod (or other firm, white fish), place in the batter and refrigerate 1 hour before frying.
“Real Baja fish tacos are nothing like what you’re used to eating when it comes to Mexican food. In fact, true Mexican cuisine might be our biggest missed chance. Satisfied by the (admittedly tasty) Tex-Mex-style with its copious cheese, sour cream, pile-it-on technique, we are missing a world of subtlety shot through with spicy excitement, flavors that emphasize festivity and celebration, not fullness and indulgence–a rich tradition of indigenous techniques influences by European sensibilities, infused with a penchant for bold flavors.” –The Paupered Chef
Lobster Mac and Cheese with Fresh Chives, Pimente d’Espelette
North Atlantic lobster meat, organic, whole wheat macaroni, aged Vermont white and cloth-bound cheddar, fresh cream, chives and pimente d’Espelette..
Lobster Mac and Cheese
1/2 pound organic, whole wheat macaroni
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup shell stock
blond roux as needed
1-1/2 tablespoons good sherry (not cooking sherry!)
1/2 pound aged white cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 pound extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
1/4 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
1-1/2 tablespoons pimente d’Espelette
3 tablespoons fresh chives or slivered green onion tops
3/4 pound lobster meat, poached
1/2 cup organic panko
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Prepare macaroni according to package instructions, but reduce cooking time by 2 minutes. Drain pasta (don’t rinse) and set aside.
Lightly poach lobster meat until a little underdone in simmering water with a little fresh lemon juice,a tablespoon of butter and some fresh parsley. Remove from heat, drain and transfer the lobster meat to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
Add cream, stock, sherry and nutmeg together in a heavy saucepan. Heat just until tiny bubbles come to the surface, but do not let it boil. Whisk in just enough roux so that the sauce coats and clings to the back of a wood spoon. Remove from heat.
Fold in cheeses, chives, pasta, pimente d’Espelette and lobster. Adjust seasoning with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
Turn mixture out into a small skillet or individual gratin dishes. Sprinkle lightly with panko and place into a 375 degree oven until bubbly and cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.
Sprinkle lightly with additional chives/green onions and chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Pan-roasted Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola, Asparagus and Porcini Demi-glace
2-inch thick filets of grass-fed beef tenderloin are dry brined overnight with sea salt and fresh thyme before being pan-roasted to rare in an iron skillet. The steaks are then topped with Gorgonzola and blanched asparagus tips and finished to medium-rare in a 500 degree oven. Seasoned with smoked black pepper and served over porcini demi-glace..
Pan-roasted Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola, Asparagus and Porcini Demi-glace
Quick Demi-Glace, Home Version (adapted from Saveur Magazine)
1/4 lb. uncured bacon, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup sprouted wheat flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2-1/2 quarts homemade beef stock, divided
1/4 cup good red wine (not cooking wine)
1 cup porcini mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
10 sprigs fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 leaves fresh sage
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Render bacon in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. Add onions and carrots and cook until somewhat softened, about 8 minutes. Use a sifter to sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook another 10 minutes. Add wine, herbs and 8 cups of stock and simmer uncovered until reduced in volume by three-quarters, about 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
Strain sauce, discarding solids. Return to pan with remaining stock and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 hours (add the mushrooms during last 20 minutes). Demi-glace may be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week or frozen for up to three months.
“Meat from grass-fed animals has two to four times more omega-3 fatty acids than meat from grain- fed animals. Omega-3s are called “good fats” because they play a vital role in every cell and system in your body. For example, of all the fats, they are the most heart-friendly. People who have ample amounts of omega-3s in their diet are less likely to have high blood pressure or an irregular heartbeat. Remarkably, they are 50 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack. Omega-3s are essential for your brain as well. People with a diet rich in omega-3s are less likely to suffer from depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder (hyperactivity), or Alzheimer’s disease.“ Eat Wild
Happy 4th of July!
Freshly-ground, grass-fed bison is coated in a mixture of coarsely-ground sea salt, black pepper, garlic, celery & mustard seed then grilled over a wood fire. Served with habañero cheddar, browned onions and thick slices of just-picked tomato..
Habañero Bison Burgers
