Braised Short Ribs

Serving Suggestion: Braised Short Ribs with Sweet Potato Puree, and Sauteed Vegetables

This is one of my favorite dishes to prepare in the wintertime. There is something so comforting about a pot of braised short ribs. Proper braising transforms tough, fatty meat into tender, succulent elegance. Make this recipe on a cold, snowy night and your family will think you are a kitchen hero!

Braised Short Ribs
Serves 6

• 6 beef short ribs, tied with kitchen twine
• 2 medium Spanish onions, roughly chopped
• 2 large carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 12 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 whole cloves
• 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup port
• 1 bottle cabernet sauvignon or Bordeaux
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 4 to 6 cups veal or beef stock

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Season to ribs with salt and pepper. Heat the butter or oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high flame until hot. Working in batches, brown the short ribs well on all sides. This will take some time, probably 5 to 10 minutes per side. The time invested in the browning will pay off in the end. The better the browning, the better the final product. Once brown, remove the ribs and set aside.

Pour off the fat, lower the heat to medium, and add the vegetables and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for for 3 minutes more. Add the flour, and stir to combine. Add the wines, herbs, and cloves. Increase heat to high, and reduce the liquid by half, stirring from time to time. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the ribs to the pot and enough stock to cover the ribs by 1 inch. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring pot to a gentle simmer, cover, and place in preheated oven. Gently cook the ribs for about 3 hours. After 3 hours, test for doneness by piercing the meat with a small knife. It should be very soft, "like butta", and practically falling off the bone. If the ribs are not quite tender, cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Once done, transfer the ribs to a large platter and remove the strings. Skim fat from the surface of the sauce, and strain into a medium saucepan. Discard the vegetables, they have given everything that they had to the sauce. Reduce the sauce over medium-low heat by about half. This should take 30 to 45 minutes.

Return ribs to the pot, simmer for about 10 minutes, and serve.

Poached Fig, Rapberry, and Quince Galette

Sorry that I have been away for a while. The month of December begins my busiest season of the year. The family that I work for does Christmas in a big way, and there are many things to prepare for weeks in advance. Also, I do some parties on the side for a little extra holiday cash!

I must also admit that I have had a touch of writer's block. There are many things that I want to write about, and I think that they all got backed up in my head. So I think that I am finally over the hump, and shall begin to share more recipes with you.

This recipe is for another original, my Poached Fig, Raspberry, and Quince Galette. It was inspired by my fascination with the cooking of Southwestern France. This galette is both rustic in appearance, and sophisticated in flavor. The poached figs, raspberries, and quince preserves marry beautifully, all being nestled in an almond frangipane. This galette is great by itself, or topped with a dollop of armagnac scented whipped cream.


Poached Fig, Raspberry, and Quince Galette
Serves 8 to 10

• Flaky pie dough, chilled
• 1/2 cup frangipane
• 1/2 cup quince jam
• 8 poached figs, quartered
• 1 1/2 cups IQF raspberries
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup sanding sugar

Move oven rack to the center position. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll pie dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to an 11 inch circle. Remove top layer of paper and gently press an 8 inch cake pan into the center of the dough. This will help you to center the filling. Spread frangipane on dough within the demarcated circle. Spread quince jam over the frangipane, gently swirling the two together. Arrange fig quarters over the jam, cut sides up. Finally, evenly arrange the IQF raspberries amongst the figs.

Gently fold marginal dough towards the center of the galette, overlapping the dough as you go around the galette (see picture). Brush the outside of the dough with the beaten egg, being careful not to get egg in the filling, or filling onto the brush. Finally, sprinkle sanding sugar over the whole galette, being sure that crust is generously covered.

Slide the galette with the parchment paper onto a flat baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly in the center. Remove from the oven and slide the galette, using the parchment paper, onto a cooling rack. Cool for at least 1 hour before serving.

Back To Basics: Frangipane Cream

Frangipane is that wonderful almond flavored cream that is the base for many fruit tarts. It is also used as a filling in breads, croissants, and the classic Gateau Pithivier. It has a rich bitter almond scent that brings Old World charm to any pastry.

The face of frangipane has changed a bit since Escoffier codified the ancient recipe in his magnum opus, The Complete Guide to the Art of Modern Cookery. In Escoffier's time, the rich pastry filling was made using crushed (almond) macaroon crumbs. Today, ground almonds or almond flour are more generally used in the recipe, since most of us don't have access to macaroon crumbs. The modern recipe is very good, but it lacks the sophistication of the original. Also, the original recipe clearly demonstrates the number one rule of the French Kitchen, WASTE NOTHING! If you have broken, not so nice, (or fresh) macaroons that you can't sell anymore, grind them up and turn them into something else!

Below I give two recipes for frangipane cream, a modern recipe and the classic recipe as it appears in Escoffier. Try them both if you feel like comparing them for yourself. If you do not feel like baking your own macaroons just to grind them up, you can probably find a bakery that will sell you old, broken cookies cheaply. Older cookies are easier to grind, anyway.

Creme Frangipane (Modern)

• 4 ounces almond flour*
• 4 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 ounces unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon almond extract

Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time, and mix until smooth and fluffy. Add almond flour, flour, and almond extract, and mix until well blended. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before using.

* If you can't find almond flour, grind 4 ounces of blanched almonds with the flour in a food processor until fine, but not pasty.

Creme Frangipane (Escoffier)

• 9 ounces granulated sugar
• 9 ounces all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 8 large egg yolks
• 6 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 vanilla pod
• small pinch of salt
• 2 ounces crushed macaroons
• 3 1/2 ounces unsalted butter

Bring milk to a boil and infuse with the vanilla pod. Place sugar, flour, eggs, yolks, and salt in a pan and mix together with a wooden spoon. Pour in the milk slowly, mixing well. Place on the stove and bring to a boil stirring all the time; allow to boil for 2 minutes then pour into a bowl. Add and mix in the butter and macaroons. Cover the surface with butter or plastic to prevent a skin from forming.

As you can see, this is a large recipe, so cut it in half if you want to. I just wanted to present it as it was written by the master. Happy Baking!

Back to Basics: Flaky Pie Dough

This is the basic pie dough recipe that I use for my pies and galettes. It is a very versatile dough that works well with both sweet and savory preparations. This recipe makes enough dough for 4 single-crust pies or galettes, or 2 double-crust pies. I usually try to have this dough in my freezer so that pie making is quick and easy.

Flaky Pie Dough

• 51/2 cups pastry flour
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 8 ounces unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 9 ounces non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup ice-cold water

Place the flour and sea salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Turn on lowest setting, just to blend. Add butter and mix until well incorporated, the mixture should look like large grains of couscous. Add the shortening, and mix just well enough to blend, but you should still see large pieces of shortening. This will give you a flaky crust. Finally, add the water all at once and mix just until the dough comes together. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and wrap in plastic, flatten into a disk, and chill for at least 1 hour before using. Unused dough can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days, or frozen for 1 month.

Inside The Long of Naples Squash

Back in October I introduced you to an heirloom variety of squash called The Long of Naples.

This was the first squash of this type that I had ever seen. It was huge, about 25 pounds! Despite many attempts to find any information about this squash, I came up empty handed. The only info I found was where to buy seeds, or who was attempting to grow them. There was no information about what this beautiful squash tasted like, or how to cook it. So when faced with the unknown, the best thing a Chef can do is dive in and experiment for himself.

The Long of Naples is a very unique squash. It's morphology is like that of the Butternut Squash. The seeds are all at one, slightly bulbous end. The rest of the squash is solid flesh. That is where the similarities end. The color is very rich, like that of the Red Kuri Squash. It's flavor is interesting, somewhat reminiscent of squash and melon, but very delicate. It also has a squashy, melon-like perfume. Despite its size, it is not a particularly hard squash. I found it easier to work with than most hard squashes. Its flesh is also texturally different than most other hard squashes, again it reminded me of melon. It was even pleasant to eat completely raw as it is not a very starchy squash.

As far as cooking, I have been treating the Long of Naples like any other squash, though it is not very starchy, and exudes a lot of liquid. I pureed a piece of it into a soup (recipe follows), I mixed it with other squashes and potatoes in an Autumn Vegetable Hash (recipe to follow soon), and I simply sauteed some in brown butter with sage for a simple side dish. The flavor is delicate, but delicious.

Long of Naples Squash Bisque with Sage Cream, Fried Prosciutto, and White Truffles
Serves 6

• 4 cups Long of Naples Squash, diced small
• 2 medium Spanish onions, chopped
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced small
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 to 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup Vin Santo
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 5 sage leaves, fresh
• 1/4 pound Prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced
• 1 small white truffle

Place 1/2 cup of the cream and sage leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, pour into a clean mixing bowl (metal is best), season with salt and pepper to taste, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Saute onions and apple in butter over medium heat in a large sauce pan until soft and translucent. Add squash and 2 cups of chicken stock, the nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and gently simmer for 1 hour. Stir from time to time. After 1 hour, check to see if squash is soft enough to make a smooth puree. To do this, gently squeeze a piece between your fingers to be sure there are no hard little grainy bits. If not cooked enough, gently simmer, covered, for 30 minutes more.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup, adding more hot chicken stock as needed to achieve a smooth puree the consistency of heavy cream. Return pot to gentle heat and add the Vin Santo and remaining 1/2 cup of cream. Adjust the seasoning, and gently simmer for 15 minutes.

While soup is simmering, chop prosciutto into large pieces. Gently fry in a small pan until it begins to get crispy. Add a little butter to the pan if needed. Once crispy, drain on paper towels and reserve.

Remove sage infused cream from refrigerator, strain out sage leaves, and whip to soft peaks. Reserve.

To serve soup:

Ladle hot soup into a bowl, top with a dollop of sage cream, sprinkle on fried prosciutto, and finish with a few shavings of white truffle. Serve immediately.

Reverse Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here is a fun variation based on the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that I published back in August. Rich, dark cocoa powder is added to the dough and white chocolate chips replace the usual bittersweet chips. The resulting cookie is incredibly decadent. The rich, chocolaty dough is enhanced by the vanilla richness of the white chocolate. These are great cookies to make for kids because the white chocolate is sweeter than expected and helps to tame the intensity of the dark cocoa, which some kids just don't like. It is also fun to make a batch of these cookies when you make a batch of regular chocolate chip cookies. They are like photo negatives of each other. This recipe makes 16 to 18 large cookies.

Reverse Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 1/2 sticks of softened unsalted butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 teaspoons Madagascar vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa powder, I prefer Valrhona
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 cups best quality white chocolate chips or chunks

Position oven racks to center of oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment or use a Silpat.

Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together using a whisk.

Using a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to be sure that they are well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until well blended. Scrape down the sides, add vanilla and mix until well blended.

Scrape the sides again and add the flour/cocoa mixture. Mix on low speed until just about incorporated. Finally, add the white chocolate chips and mix until just incorporated and no more dry flour or cocoa is visible. Allow dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but overnight is better to develop deeper flavor.

After dough has rested, scoop out scant 1/4 cup portions of dough, form into mounds, and place on prepared pans. Place 6 mounds per sheet. Using the heel of your hand, lightly flatten each mound of dough. If dough sticks to your hand, wet hand slightly.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. For best results, bake only 1 pan at a time. When finished, remove cookies from pan using a spatula, and place on a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining pans.

Chestnut and Armagnac Brownies

I developed this brownie recipe one day while my boss was away and I had some time on my hands to play around in the kitchen. The Fall is my favorite time to cook because all of my favorite ingredients are in season. Chestnuts are one of those often overlooked ingredients. Here in the United States we do not use chestnuts enough. We may see them at Thanksgiving in a chestnut stuffing, or roast them over an open fire at Christmas, but that's about it. The rest of the time they are ignored. It's sad because they are delicious and fun to work with. These days, with all of the jarred and canned products available, there is no excuse to not use them in our recipes. All of the hard work is done and we can just enjoy the sweet rewards. My favorite brand of chestnut products comes from the Clement Faugier Company of France. They have been making chestnut products since 1882, and they do it with class and style. Their products can be found at Whole Foods Market, or on-line. Check out their website link in the Useful Links List to the right.

These are sophisticated brownies. The combination of chestnuts, armagnac, and bittersweet chocolate evoke the flavors of the French Southwest. You could almost say that these are brownies for adults. Their texture is delicate and almost silky, with an intense chocolate-armagnac flavor. They are great by themselves, or use them as a base for an upscale ice cream sundae.

Chestnut and Armagnac Brownies
Makes 18 large or 24 small Brownies

• 12 ounces Valrhona Le Noir Gastronomie 61%, chopped
• 4 ounces unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened chestnut puree
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon Tahitian vanilla
• 1/4 cup Armagnac
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon fleur de sel

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, lightly butter a 9 x 13 glass baking pan.

Melt butter and 8 ounces of chocolate together in a small saucepan over extremely low heat. Allow to cool slightly. While chocolate is melting, place chestnut puree and sugar together in the bowl of a standing mixer. Using the paddle attachment, combine on medium speed until completely blended and no little lumps of chestnut puree are visible. Remove bowl from mixer.

Add lightly beaten eggs to the chestnut mixture about a quarter at a time and mix gently with a wooden spoon until completely incorporated. Be careful not to mix in too much air. Add melted butter and chocolate and combine thoroughly with the wooden spoon. Add the vanilla, armagnac, and salt and mix thoroughly. Finally, add the flour and mix until no dry flour is visible. Don't overwork the mixture, we don't want any gluten activation.

Spread the batter into prepared pan and smooth evenly. Melt the remaining 4 ounces of chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave. To do this, cook for 30 seconds on half power, stir and repeat. You will probably have to do this 3 to 4 times. If chocolate starts to get too hot, just stir it until all lumps are melted. Chocolate melts at very low temperatures.

Pour melted chocolate evenly over brownie batter. Using a wooden skewer, or a thin knife, swirl the melted chocolate into the batter. Bake in preheated oven on center rack for 25 to 30 minutes. When done, center will be springy, and a wooden skewer will come out fairly clean.

Allow brownies to cool completely in the pan before cutting. Cut into 18 large brownies, or 24 smaller brownies. Enjoy!