Recipes
December 23, 2011 Issue
Mushroom Crustades
2 medium onions, chopped
4 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 pount fresh mushrooms chopped in food processor
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon sherry
1 package puff pastry sheets, thawed according to package directions
Sauté onions in butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook 5
minutes. Add thyme, salt & pepper. Sprinkle with flour and
stir. Add sour cream and sherry and cook until thickened.
Place each sheet of puff pastry on a floured surface. Roll with rolling
pin until flattened and cut into 16 squares. Press each square into
miniature muffin tins. Fill with spoonful of mushroom filling. Do
not overfill. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes 32 crustades.
Note: These can be baked, frozen and reheated for 10 minutes at 350
degrees. This mixture is also delicious spread on toast rounds and
broiled.
Filet of Beef Bourguignon
1 (3 pound) filet of beef, trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning, plus 1 teaspoon
salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons good olive oil
1/4 pound bacon, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups good dry red wine, such as Burgundy or Chianti
4 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/2 pound pearl onions, peeled
8 to 10 carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices
3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
With a sharp knife, cut the filet crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices.
Salt and pepper the filets on both sides. In a large, heavy-bottomed
pan on medium-high heat, saute the slices of beef in batches with 2 to
3 tablespoons oil until browned on the outside and very rare inside,
about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove the fillets from the pan
and set aside on a platter.
In the same pan, sauté the bacon on medium-low
heat for 5 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon and
set it aside. Drain all the fat, except 2 tablespoons, from the pan. Add
the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine and cook on high heat for 1
minute, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the beef stock, tomato
paste, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a
boil and cook uncovered on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Strain the
sauce and return it to the pan. Add the onions and carrots
and simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is
reduced and the vegetables are cooked.
With a fork mash 2 tablespoons butter and the flour into a paste and
whisk it gently into the sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes to thicken.
Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms separately in 1 tablespoon butter and
1 tablespoon oil for about 10 minutes, until browned and tender.
Add the filet of beef slices, the mushrooms, and the
bacon to the pan with the vegetables and sauce. Cover and reheat gently
for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not overcook. Season, to taste, and serve immediately.
Serves 6-8. Jean usually serves this with potatoes.
Editor's Note: This dish is a quicker and more upscale (better cut
of beef, needs less cooking time) version of a French classic, which
Jean adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa cookbook.
Grilled Mini Meat Loaves
Two 1/3-inch-thick slices of firm white bread, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped basil
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
1 pound ground beef chuck
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Four 1-1/2-inch cubes of fresh mozzarella
4 medium tomatoes, halved crosswise
In a food processor, pulse the bread, scallions, basil and 1 tablespoon
of the olive oil until the bread is coarsely chopped. Transfer the
mixture to a large bowl. Add the ground chuck, grated cheese, 1 teaspoon
of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and the remaining 2 tablespoons of
oil and blend well. Shape the meat into four thick, 5-inch-long ovals.
Make an indentation in the center of each meat loaf and tuck in a piece
of mozzarella, then cover the cheese with the meat mixture to enclose
it. Reshape the meat into ovals with slightly tapered ends. Light a
grill. Rub the meat loaves with olive oil and grill over high heat,
turning, until well browned all over and firm to the touch, about 8
minutes, total; the loaves should still be slightly pink in the center.
Rub the cut sides of the tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt
and pepper. Grill the tomatoes, cut side down, until lightly charred,
about 1 minute. Turn and grill until the tomato juices begin bubbling,
about 1 minute longer. Serve the meat loaves right away, with the tomatoes.
Serves 4.
Note: The uncooked meat loaves can be refrigerated overnight.
Bring to room temperature before grilling.
Butternut Squash Risotto
1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta, diced
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1-1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the butternut squash, remove
the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups.
Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive
oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes,
tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan.
Leave it on low heat to simmer.
In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté
the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the
shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat
the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full
ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2
teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10
minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every
few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then
add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al
dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes
and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.
Editor's note: Another somewhat slimmed down recipe Jean adapted from
Ina Garten.