Posted on

Christinia’s Test Kitchen: Putting the scotch in butterscotch this Thanksgiving

As I’m starting to think about what vessel to use for next year’s cooking adventures, I realized that I haven’t always used my wonderful Dutch oven to its full potential. That is, I’ve often made the types of things you *expect* to be made in a Dutch oven but not those things that you don’t.

This week presented the perfect opportunity to remind myself that it can do just about anything.

Now, traditionally I make my pudding (or custard) in a tall, skinny saucepan, but honestly, there’s no reason that it can’t be made in Dutch oven. In fact, the wider surface area helped with getting the mixture to boil and bubble better and cause less trouble.

So, I gave it a shot with this fantastic sounding butterscotch pudding recipe in Food & Wine’s Thanksgiving edition.

Butterscotch pudding ingredients.

I mentioned last week, I’m a traditionalist when it comes to Thanksgiving, so my typically dessert consists of bourbon pecan pie and either pumpkin pie or some similar variation (basically, anything that calls for pumpkin spice–even though I mix my own–whether it’s a pumpkin souffle or sometimes a sweet potato pie). Sure, there’s no harm in extra dessert, but I wasn’t expecting I’d make this if it weren’t for the excuse presented by this year’s travel plans.

What I learned is, uh, the scotch you use matters, even if the vessel didn’t so much.

I am (now) a big scotch person, after my sweetie and I took our highlands honeymoon. So, when the recipe called for actual scotch (rum as a substitute, but it’s not called butter*rum* pudding), I looked at my vast collection of decent scotches, picked the cheapest (still a nice one), and one of the strongest, and then learned that scotch is pretty much the only flavoring agent so the peaty-ness stuck.

Of course, because I like that scotch (a Laphroaig), I still enjoyed it, but I was not expecting its exact flavor to permeate through all the cream, egg, and butter. It did. If you are a scotch nerd like me, this translates to recommending that you probably don’t use an Islay or islands whisky and instead stick to a safe Speyside. If you’re not a scotch nerd, just consider if you actually like that scotch (or rum) flavor and want to taste a lot of it.

It’s also mixed with a sour cream-based whipped cream and gingersnaps so there’s a lot of flavors to mix and the scotch did not overwhelm all the other flavors; still, it was present. We honestly did enjoy it quite a bit, even with its stronger flavor, but for those who don’t love scotch, be sure to pick one you *do* like, or I guess, go with rum.

Happy Thanksgiving from me to you, and enjoy!

Here’s what I did, sticking to the recipe (which thankfully I have the print version of, as the online version is missing a key ingredient. Side note: Employ and Pay copy editors!!):

Ingredients

For the pudding

  • 1 ½ c. heavy cream
  • 2 c. whole milk, divided
  • 1 c. packed brown sugar (it calls for dark, I believe we had light)
  • 1 ¼ t. salt
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • ¼ c. cornstarch
  • 2 T. dark rum or scotch (again, consider it is going to flavor the pudding so pick something you like)
  • 2 t. vanilla extract
  • 1 stick (½ c.) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

For the whipped cream

  • 1 c. heavy cream
  • ½ c. sour cream (or creme fraiche, but sour cream is cheaper and easier to find)
  • 3 T. powdered sugar
  • ½ t. vanilla extract

For serving

  • 2 c. gingersnaps, crushed

Directions

For the pudding

In a large Dutch oven, stir together the heavy cream, 1 ½ c. milk, brown sugar, and salt in a Large Dutch oven. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking often to dissolve the sugar.

Meanwhile, in a large heat-proof bowl, mix together the egg yolks, cornstarch, scotch/rum, vanilla, and remaining ½ c. milk, and stir until combined. Once the mixture in the Dutch oven is at a simmer, add about half of the hot mixture to the egg yolk mixture, and whisk to combine, before scraping the entire mixture back into the Dutch oven.

Continue to cook the pudding mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes bubbly and thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes once bubbling starts.

Pour mixture into a clean heat-proof bowl, and gradually add the butter pieces, whisking or stirring to combine after each addition. Press wax paper or plastic wrap directly on the pudding mixture once all the butter is incorporated, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to overnight (or up to 3 days).

Before serving, combine all the ingredients for the whipped cream (cream, sour cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla) in a bowl for a stand mixer with whisk attachment or in a medium bowl with a hand mixer and whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Then, crush the gingersnaps.

To serve, add about ½ c. pudding to a bowl or glass, top with about 3 T. crushed gingersnaps (I didn’t measure), about ⅓ c. whipped cream, and then sprinkle another small handful of gingersnaps on top. Repeat with remaining bowls or glasses, either all at once, or as serving, and enjoy with some scotch perhaps, or more importantly with the friends and/or family that make you thankful. Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers!

 

Posted on

Christinia’s Test Kitchen: Thanksgiving side edition

I’m very much a traditionalist when it comes to Thanksgiving. By that I mean, I’d prefer to have the classic sides I grew up with and/or adopted years ago rather than getting overly experimental the one time of year I make most of these dishes.

The one year I tried alternative takes, I was disappointed for an entire year that I didn’t just make my favorites and enjoy them. I’m sure cornbread stuffing is fine, and in fact, when I made it at not-Thanksgiving, it was quite good. But when I made it in place of my usual bread and sausage stuffing, it was just wrong.

Since declaring myself a traditionalist, I have been in control in the kitchen and gotten accustomed to my meals and have everything timed just right.

That is, until this year. We have for the first time in years planned to spend time with my family out of state, and I won’t be making my full array. I may still try to sneak in one side or dessert.

But because of that, it’s giving me a chance to experiment with things that I most definitely would not be making at Thanksgiving. So, digging into Food & Wine’s Thanksgiving edition, I was excited to find things that I could now try without ruining my own traditional dishes.

Of course, what stuck out most was the thing that looked like it was basically my sausage stuffing stuffed into artichokes.

Sausage stuffed artichokes ingredients.

It was not a meal to make mid-week and not one to make on the night of the most recent Democratic debate but between volunteering for my preferred caucus candidate, taking care of aging cats, and work and life in general, it was the only time I had.

The stuffing, however, was much more like a meatball, even with my addition of way more bread material than called for. But if you’re like me and can eat an entire artichoke on your own, it at least had artichoke-sized servings.

The additions of potatoes, while tasty, are not necessary considering the amount the artichokes make but if you are an experimenter at Thanksgiving, it’s a great way to make two sides at once.

For me, it won’t replace my usual stuffing recipe any time soon, but it was quite delightful and I’m glad I made it.

Not only tasty but it looks pretty good if you’re looking for a fancy side dish.

If you’re more experimental or just want to save it for later, here’s what I did, making some slight alterations to the original:

Ingredients

  • 4 large fresh artichokes
  • 1 lb. fresh pork sausage (recipe recommends bratwurst with casings removed, but as I’ve mentioned, I love Beeler’s breakfast sausage for any sausage needs; it’s perfect)
  • 1 c. ¼ in.-cubed baguette
  • 1 c. panko, or other dried bread crumbs
  • 1 c. Chardonnay, divided
  • ¼ c. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 T. garlic paste
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 T. Dijon mustard, plus more for serving, if desired
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 ½ lb. small gold potatoes (optional)
  • Melted butter, for serving (optional)

Directions

Bring a large pot (or pots, in my case, and definitely not my too-short-for-stemmed-artichokes Dutch oven) of water to a boil over high heat on the stove top. Add salt, if desired, and add the artichokes. Place a heatproof dish on top of the artichokes to keep them submerged, and boil on high for about 15 minutes until a paring knife can easily be inserted halfway through the stems. Remove the artichokes from the water and let drain in a strainer, stem sides up, until they’re cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the sausage, bread cubes, panko, ¼ c. of wine, parsley, garlic, egg yolks, Dijon mustard, and pepper. Use your  hands to combine until roughly meatball texture.

When artichokes are cool enough to handle, remove the stems and loosen the leaves at the center of the artichokes. (While it’s good to be careful, I found the artichokes to be fairly pliable so it was easiest to push out the tougher pieces to be sure to remove the prickly center chokes. A spoon helped but fingers still worked best, even if it was painful.) Stuff the sausage mixture evenly into each cleaned artichoke center.

Place the artichokes, stem sides down, in a large Dutch oven. Arrange the potatoes, if using, around the artichokes. Add water to a depth of about 1 inch (I didn’t measure, just guessed, and reused the water from the initial boiling.), and then add the remaining ¾ c. of wine to the Dutch oven. Over medium-high heat, bring the liquid to a simmer. Once boiling, cover the Dutch oven and place in the preheated oven.

Bake for about 55 minutes, or until the artichokes and potatoes are tender and the sausage cooked through. Remove from heat and let stand about 10 minutes, and then enjoy with additional mustard and butter, as desired.

Programming note: I’ll post my next pseudo-Thanksgiving dish on Wednesday, ahead of the holiday, and it’ll be a dessert that can be made any time over the holiday, or likewise saved for later.

Posted on

Last week redux

I enjoyed last week’s recipe so much that I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and one of my thoughts was how so many of the ingredients would work really well in a Greek/Middle Eastern recipe. Olives, roasted red peppers, onions, and tomatoes all would work perfectly.

Then, of course, I got to thinking about the other things that I would have to adapt. And before I knew it, I had a nearly completely different recipe using nearly the same template.

Greek-ish casserole ingredients.

I’ll admit some ingredients were easier to replace than others. I could have still used barley, but pearl couscous was sitting right there being perfect.

I thought about going full vegetarian, since ground sausage wouldn’t work. That’s when I remembered that gyro slices exist and are practically a perfect meat.

The sauce did take me awhile. Well, I thought of something pretty early, but it took awhile to convince myself it was the best option. Of course, it was a simple yogurt sauce.

Anyway, the results were absolutely fantastic.

Not only was it a delight but it also didn’t taste like I’d made the same thing two weeks in a row. Double bonus.

So much feta, gyro meat, and pepperoncinis. Delicious.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

  • 1 c. dried pearl couscous (cooked to package instructions, to yield about 3 c. cooked)
  • Oil, for coating
  • 1 lb. gyro meat slices, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 (12 oz.) jar roasted sweet red peppers, chopped
  • ½ c. pitted green olives, chopped
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts
  • 1 c. plain yogurt
  • ~⅛ c. lemon juice
  • Fresh dill, to taste (I used the entire package, but I love dill)
  • ¼ c. chopped parsley
  • 1 T. oregano
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (I used the jar stuff, sorry)
  • ½ c. mozzarella, shredded
  • 1 ½ c. crumbled feta, divided
  • 1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 c. pepperoncinis, sliced, optional

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, on the stove top, coat a large Dutch oven and heat over medium. Brown the gyro meat, stirring occasionally, and soon after add the onions, and cook continuing to stir until the onions are translucent.

Add the roasted red peppers, olives, artichoke hearts, and cook for a minute or two to just meld flavors.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill, parsley, orgeano, and pepper.

Remove the Dutch oven from the heated stove top, and add the cooked pearl couscous, tomatoes, the mozzarella, about half the feta, and the yogurt sauce. Stir to combine.

Cover the mixture and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, take off cover, add the remaining feta to the top, about half the pepperoncinis if using, and then continue to bake uncovered for about 10 minutes more until the cheese is melty. Add the remaining pepperoncinis just before serving for an extra kick, and enjoy!

Posted on

Bring on the barley weather

I love barley, so much so that it is a totally fall ingredient that I have definitely eaten during the summer. In the words of Icona Pop, I don’t care, I love it.

Now that it’s officially barley season, though, I was so excited to find a new, fun way to use it. In an Italian casserole, no less.

Italian barley casserole ingredients.

The recipe my sweetie found online randomly from Better Homes & Gardens had all the right ingredients, but the amounts seemed way off, and it included mushrooms, ick. So, I took the ingredient list, sans “fresh button mushrooms,” and ran with my own amounts.

The recipe also called for dividing it into cute, tiny casserole dishes, and even if it weren’t for my Dutch oven theme, I can’t imagine dividing this into single-serve sizes. This is a casserole, dammit. It needs to be big, right?

I want to say I really thought about the proportions, but I really just threw in amounts that made the most sense (who uses a quarter of a package of sausage?!) and hoped for the best. It turned out pretty damn good, because it turns out it’s usually pretty hard to screw up a casserole. Even better, it made a lot more than the four single-serve dishes. A lot being like six servings.

I should note, however, that barley does take a long time to cook, so I recommend preparing in advance or making this dish on a weekend when you have more time.

Alas, it’s all gone now. So much cheese and sausage goodness.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients 

  • 1 c. dry barley, cooked to package instructions (best prepared in advance)
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 16 oz. Italian sausage, or other sausage (I love Beeler’s breakfast sausage so much that that’s what I used)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (I used the jar stuff, sorry)
  • 2 c. tomato sauce (I actually used actual pasta sauce, and went for arrabbiata)
  • 2 c. mozzarella, shredded, divided
  • ½ c. Parmesan, shredded
  • 1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 (12 oz.) jar roasted sweet red peppers, chopped
  • ½ c. pitted green olives, chopped
  • Fresh basil, to taste

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, on the stove top, coat a large Dutch oven and heat over medium. Brown the sausage, stirring occasionally. Just before the sausage is cooked through, add the onions and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes, and continuing to stir. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Remove from heat. Add in the cooked barley, pasta sauce, half the mozzarella, the Parmesan, the roasted red peppers, olives, tomatoes, and basil to taste.

Cover the mixture and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, take off cover, add the remaining mozzarella, and then continue to bake uncovered for about 10 minutes more until the cheese is melted. Add extra basil to the top before serving, if desired, and enjoy!

Posted on

Ghoul-ash!

I know it’s a day past Halloween, but I couldn’t resist a terrible pun. That’s right, I made goulash, or ghoul-ash for the spooky set.

Goulash ingredients.

My friend and gaming buddy Jenny made goulash in a crock pot earlier this year for one of our epic Pathfinder games, and I immediately fell in love. And, more importantly, I thought that it would be an amazing dish for my Dutch oven year.

It just took about half a year to get to it. Thankfully, she was able to track down the recipe and then remember what she actually did for the most part, and then, I took that and adapted it yet again and added some ingredients she omitted and some ingredients from another recipe.

Authentic Hungarian it probably is not. But Jenny’s recipe was so good I wanted to eat it again, and none of the other recipes were nearly as inspiring as hers.

Also, spooky it is not. I just happened to make it this time of year. Maybe it’s just dressed up as a ghoul? I tried. Sorry.

There was so much. There was so much paprika. It was great. Sorry it’s gone.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

  • 1 (16 oz.) box rotini (or medium pasta), cooked according to package directions
  • 1 ½ lb. ground beef, lean
  • 2 T. vegetable oil
  • 2 medium onions, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
  • 4 to 5 T. paprika (a mix of smoky and spicy if you’ve got it, or whatever you like, to taste)
  • 2 cloves garlic (I used the jar stuff)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 8 oz. shredded cheddar

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, brown the meat in a large Dutch oven on the stove top over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Add the oil and onions, carrots, and bell pepper, and cook another 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Add the diced and crushed tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, paprika, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil, which shouldn’t take long.

Remove from heat, and stir in the cooked pasta and cheddar.

Cover the goulash, and bake in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes until bubbling. Let cool slightly, and enjoy!