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Breaking biscuits and gravy, Part 2

As promised, I am back this week with a chorizo gravy recipe.

I feel a little bad that I made everyone wait a week and worse that I imagine most readers would rather substitute in store-bought biscuits than just forego this great chorizo gravy recipe.

Chorizo gravy ingredients.

Well, I am here to tell you that good things are worth the wait, and this is no exception.

It was a true delight.

I don’t even think all the other additions (cotija, avocado, scallions, and cilantro) are strictly necessary, even though of course I added them and would definitely do them again. That being said, as much as I love cotija, I feel like it does add the least in the addition, just because the gravy is already so fatty and so flavorful that the crumbly Mexican cheese doesn’t add as much as I would have thought. Also, for my personal tastes, I could take or leave the scallions. But when I make it again, it will definitely still have avocados and cilantro, and frankly, probably the others too.

Here is where I do admit that I did semi-cheat by not using my Le Creuset on the gravy. I thought since the biscuits called for an 8-inch skillet (maybe a typo, see last week) that it’d be safer to use the 9-inch for the biscuits and not overwhelm it with gravy that could overtop, so I went with our 10-inch cast iron for the gravy.

Technically, I think 9-inch would still work, particularly as you brown the chorizo and then remove it to make the gravy, and only are supposed to add back in half the chorizo, with the rest on top separately. I went ahead and added all the chorizo back in and it fit comfortably in the 10-inch. Alternatively, when the gravy is done, it could be poured into the sitting chorizo instead and you could keep using a 9-inch without problem.

What I’m saying is this one is pretty adaptable. Cook your gravy how you like, and add what you like, or nothing, to the top, and all is good, man. Just enjoy.

I love it when a masterpiece comes together.

Here’s what I did, finishing out the Bon Appetit recipe without many changes:

Ingredients 

  • 1 T. vegetable oil
  • 1 lb. fresh chorizo, casings removed (or just buy Beeler’s that already is removed from casings, like I did)
  • 3 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ c. whole milk (I accidentally did not specify when my sweetie went shopping so we used 2% and it was fine)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Hot sauce, to taste
  • 3 T. butter, if needed (my chorizo was not very fatty, so to make a roux, I needed more fat, you may too)
  • 2 avocados, for serving (optional)
  • 4 scallions, sliced, for serving (optional)
  • ½ c. cilantro, chopped, for serving (optional)
  • ½ c. cotija cheese or queso fresco, for serving (optional)

Directions 

Heat oil in a 9- to 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo, breaking up any large pieces, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chorizo is browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl (small if planning to add back in to gravy, larger if planning on adding gravy to bowl).

Add additional butter if needed so that you have a total of about 3 T of fat to mix with the flour to make a roux. Add the flour once the butter has melted, if using, and whisk constantly until the roux is starting to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Gradually add milk, stirring constantly, until incorporated. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook gravy until thickened, another 5 to 8 minutes.

Stir in half the chorizo, or all of it, or add the gravy to the chorizo mixture, as will fit and as desired. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce, to taste.

To serve: Spoon some gravy over biscuits (either cornmeal from last week or store bought), and then top with avocados, scallions, cilantro, and cotija, if using any or all, and the rest of the chorizo if you didn’t mix it in. Add more hot sauce if desired, and enjoy the gluttony!

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End times call for good steak

I had originally planned for this to be my obligatory spring is here post, but things have changed.

While I had almost balked at springing for a good New York strip for this springtime recipe I found from Bon Appetit, I am now quite glad that I ultimately decided it was worth the cost, as it’s one of the few remaining joys left in a pandemic.

Also, it turns out that good steak is pretty damn good.

Steak and spring veggies ingredients.

The recipe allowed me to skirt the difficulty of fitting everything in my little skillet by searing the steak to perfection and letting it rest while the veggies cooked in the same dish. It all ultimately comes together when you place the steak (sliced) on top and drizzle on the Dijon mustard sauce, but it’s much easier than trying to stir it all together at the same time.

Plus, with peas, asparagus, and spring onions, it’s perfect for springtime.

Oh, and during these very stressful times, it’s also relatively simple and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients that keep you in close contact with people for too long at the grocery store.

All in all, pretty freakin’ worth it.

Ignore the dystopian hellscape, dream of steak.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. boneless New York Strip steak
  • 5 cloves garlic, divided, 1 grate and 4 thinly sliced
  • ⅓ c. Dijon mustard
  • 1 T. red wine vinegar
  • 1 t. honey
  • ¼ to ½ t. cayenne pepper
  • ⅓ c. + 3 T. olive oil, divided
  • 1 bunch scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced and divided
  • 1 (10 oz.) bag frozen peas
  • 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions 

Pat the steak dry and season with salt and pepper all over. Let rest while you prepare the Dijon mustard sauce.

Whisk together the 1 clove of grated garlic, mustard, vinegar, honey, cayenne, ⅓ c. olive oil, and 1 T. water, in a medium bowl to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat a 9- to 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Rub the steak with ~1 T. olive oil, and cook, turning every ~2 minutes, including some searing on edges, until medium-rare, so that a thermometer reads 120 degrees, for about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer steak to a plate to rest.

Heat remaining 2 T. of olive oil in the same skillet, reducing heat to low. Add the slices of garlic and all but 2 T. of the spring onions, and cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add the peas and a splash of water, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring regularly, until the asparagus is just tender, another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Slice steak and layer on top of the vegetables in the skillet. Drizzle some of the mustard sauce over the steak and top with the remaining spring onions.

Serve with any additional mustard sauce as desired, though be careful not to overdo it, and enjoy even in the end times!

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Obligatory Lenten fish dish to happily enjoy year-round

Even though I’ve long since given up on giving up anything for Lent (or practicing Catholicism, for that matter), I still can’t help but mark the time of the year.

So, of course, I know that it’s the time of the year for fish Fridays (or possibly vegetarian, but if you’re my age and Midwestern, the idea of giving up “meat” entirely used to be unacceptable, so fish is not “meat,” but that’s a whole other discussion). I’ve also given up this practice, at least intentionally, but I do like a good excuse to make something with fish.

That is even more true as I practice sustainable fish-eating habits and have been sitting on 2 pounds of frozen haddock from my last trip to Whole Foods, where I can reliably get sustainable seafood. It turns out as much as I’m nostalgic for my Highlands honeymoon, I just don’t eat that much fried food, so it’s sat less used than I imagined when I bought it.

Thankfully, Jamie Oliver’s 5 Ingredients cookbook delivered with a “crazy simple” fish pie.

Fish pie ingredients.

Not only was it an incredibly simple dish, it called for specifically haddock and still managed to recall my Highlands honeymoon even though we never had this particular meal there.

As the cookbook and this recipe’s name suggest, the pie is short on ingredients and crazy simple. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal, and yet still manages to taste like something special.

I even managed to use a much smaller skillet than called for and it all worked out (unlike some of my past plans), though it was slightly more juicy so maybe lay off the soaking water if you’re using a 9-inch skillet, but it still tasted great and I have no regrets.

It was a simpler time when I made this crazy simple (and delicious) fish pie.

Here’s what I did (following the simple recipe other than size of skillet — which was meant to be 30 cm instead of 22 cm, so anything in between should work fine — and I did sneak in an extra phyllo dough sheet):

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb. haddock, skin off
  • ~2 T. olive oil, divided
  • 2 bunches of spring onions, chopped white and light green parts
  • 250 g. baby spinach (about 1 ½ standard bags, though I could’ve fit 2 bags and been happy to enjoy more spinach … so there is some leeway, depending on tastes)
  • 150 g. cheddar cheese (I sprung for the good-ish stuff, and it was slightly less than 1 block of Kerrygold cheddar)
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 5 sheets of phyllo dough (thawed)

Directions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl or casserole dish, cover the fish with boiling kettle water.

Meanwhile, heat a 9- to 10-inch skillet (or up to 12-inch) on medium-high heat. Add in 1 T. of olive oil, and then add the spring onions, and pan fry for about 2 minutes. Add in the spinach in batches until all is wilted down, and then remove from heat.

Add a scant ½ c., maybe less if using a smaller skillet, of the fish-soaked water to the skillet, and then drain the remaining water from the fish. Break up the fish fillets using a fork and then place around the skillet. Grate over *most* of the cheddar, and season with black pepper. Layer 4 of the pieces of phyllo dough on top and slightly around the ingredients to form a pie topping. Tear up the last piece in a “nutty fashion,” per the recipe, sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese, and drizzle on the remaining olive oil.

Bake the pie for 15 to 17 minutes until golden and crisp, and enjoy!

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Bless you, bing bread

As I scoured for recipes that may work in my little Le Creuset, I was so grateful to come across the first one that I noticed that specified an exact size for a skillet. Now, sure, it said 10 inches, but 9 inches is close enough for comfort.

So, I tried my hand at bing bread.

Bing bread ingredients.

In addition to its specified size, it is bread (good) stuffed with potatoes (good), scallions (good), bacon (amazing), and cheese (amazing), and then slightly fried and also baked. It was also supposed to incorporate sesame oil, which I love, but I forgot to put it in the rolled-up dough, and stupidly thought it’d be OK to add it with the frying oil. Don’t do that. It didn’t ruin it, but it didn’t help any either.

If I make it again, and I will make it again, I will be remembering to brush the dough with sesame oil and skimping on the frying oil. Also, I need to remember that a smaller pan is going to reduce cooking time.

Since this makes two bread rounds, I was lazy and made one in my Le Creuset and the other in the 10-inch Lodge skillet, and (I am loathe to admit) the larger pan definitely worked better. However, I think it’s mainly because I failed to account for the fact that smaller pans could cook faster.

While the fried side of both definitely looked a bit charred, they both ended up tasting just fine. I think the extra oil mostly made the edges a little chewier, but it didn’t taste burnt at all. Proof that presentation isn’t everything, especially when you have bacon and can top it with sour cream butter.

Deliciously decadent. And not too burnt.

Here’s what I did, following the thankfully specific Bon Appetit recipe:

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ t. active dry yeast (1 package)
  • 2 T. plus 2 t. honey, divided
  • 2 ½ t. salt, divided
  • 2 c. plus 2 T. warm water, divided
  • 4 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for coating
  • 1 large potato, baked and diced
  • 3 T. vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 lb. bacon, cooked (I baked mine on a grate) and diced
  • 2 T. toasted sesame oil, divided (sort of optional since I mostly forgot, but it is delicious)
  • 8 oz. white cheddar, grated (about 2 c.)
  • 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 T. soy sauce
  • 2 T. sesame seeds, divided

For sour cream butter (not strictly necessary but recommended)

  • 1 stick butter, room temperature
  • 2 T. sour cream
  • Scant 1 t. salt

Directions

Combine the yeast with the 2 T. honey, 2 t. salt, and 2 c. warm water in a large bowl, and whisk to dissolve the honey. Let sit until the yeast activates and becomes foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add 3 c. of water and mix with a wooden spoon until a dough begins to form, adding flour (up to about another cup) until a shaggy ball begins to form. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 50 to 70 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the bacon and potatoes if you haven’t already (I did mine early and just chopped while I waited). Also, while waiting, whisk together the soy sauce, 2 t. honey, and 2 T. water in a small bowl until the honey is dissolved.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Once dough has doubled in size, gently push it down and transfer to a floured surface, kneading and adding flour as necessary until a sticky, smooth dough is formed. Divide the dough in half, and cover one half in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out while you prepare the first.

Roll out the half of a dough into about a 13-inch round that’s about ¼ inch thick. Brush with 1 T. sesame oil (don’t forget!), and then sprinkle on the round half the potato, bacon, cheese, and scallions. Roll dough up like a jelly roll, and then pinch ends and seams together to seal. Then, squeeze and press from the center toward the ends to elongate the roll slightly and even out the thickness. Then, starting from one end, coil like a rope to form a large spiral. Flatten the spiral to form a 9-inch round.

Cover the round and repeat with the remaining dough, using up the rest of the sesame oil, potato, bacon, cheese, and scallion.

Heat a 9- to 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 T. vegetable oil, swirling to coat. Carefully place one spiral in the hot skillet, and brush with the soy glaze. Cover with lid (or aluminum foil) and cook until the underside is golden brown between 5 and 10 minutes. Uncover and carefully flip bread over. Brush the browned top with soy glaze and sprinkle with 1 T. sesame seeds. Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered, until underside is also golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove to wire rack and let cool 15 minutes.

Repeat with second round (or use 2 9- to 10-inch skillets), and don’t forget the glaze and seeds. Once cooled, cut into wedges and serve with sour cream butter, which can be made ahead, and enjoy! To make butter, whisk 1 stick room temperature butter, 2 T. sour cream, and scant 1 t. salt.