Bear Cuisine

Blanquette de Veau

A while back a reader suggested that I needed more interesting titles for my posts. He thought my content was pretty good, but that my titles were boring. Ouch. Since then, I've tried to think of snappier titles for posts, but I'm not always successful. Sometimes, the  bare statement of fact seems enough and if it isn't, that's all I could come up with. So, today it's just the name of the dish. Maybe having the title in French will help.

Blanquette de veau is a dish I have read about for years and wanted to make ever since Julia Child brought it to my attention. But there was this thing about not using veal because it was raised so inhumanely. Then when some farmers were raising it responsibly, I couldn't find a source. Finally, I have found a source for humanely and sustainably raised veal.  ( D'artagnan) No more excuses.

I chose a recipe from Saveur Cooks Authentic French. After I made it I discovered that a "real" Blanquette must have white pearl onions and mushrooms. This one doesn't have either. And the meat should never be browned. This recipe tells you to brown the meat. So, this isn't really a real Blanquette; but I will tell you that it was delicious. So, we can call this veal stew and tip our chef's toque to the Lyonnais cook, Arlette Hugon who liked a more deeply flavored dish than the traditional version.

"Blanquette" de Veau

"BLANQUETTE" DE VEAU

1. 2 1/2 pounds veal shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2"-3" pieces
2. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3. 1 tablespoon flour
4. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5. 1 yellow onion, chopped
6. 2 cloves garlic, minced
7.  2 1/2 cups dry white wine
8. 1 small leek, white part only, washed znd chopped
9. 3 sprigs fresh thyme
10. 3 bay leaves
11. 1 cup beef stock
12. 1 lemon, halved
13. 1 cup heavy cream
14. 2 tablespoons capers, drained

 

Season the meat with salt and pepper, then dust with flour. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add veal and brown on all sides. Remove pieces as they are done and set aside. When all the veal is browned, return it to the pot, add onions and garlic and cook,stirring frequently, until the vegetables are golden. this should take about 10 minutes.

Add wine, leeks, thyme and bay leaves to the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the stock. Cover the pot and simmer until the veal is tender about 1 1/2 hours. ( I put the pot in the oven and cook at 350 degrees F. for about the same amount of time. This way I don't have to worry about scorching on the bottom of the pot.)

 Remove the veal from pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the lemon halves into the sauce and add the lemon shells. Stir in cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Remove the lemon halves, bay leaves and thyme. Transfer the sauce to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve and return to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper, return the veal to the pot and heat through for about 10 minutes. Serve garnished with capers.

Serve with noodles or white rice.

An Homage to Mom

My mother was a YANKEE from the top of her head to her toe tips. Her identity showed in ever so many ways. She was frugal to the point of being penurious at times. Having lived through two world wars and The Great Depression she knew the importance of every penny and how hard they were to come by. She was recycling and repurposing long before such practices were in vogue.

She was also an excellent cook who knew how to prepare a satisfying, nutritious meal for her three always-hungry children One of my favorites was her New England Boiled Dinner. I think she thought of this as a work-a-day meal that would provide good leftovers, but to me it was a tremendous treat. The meat was juicy and tender and the vegetables tasted of the broth in which they had been cooked. Savory with just the right amount of salt and pepper. This meal was one that I looked forward to. Now, the memory of it is colored by my adult awareness of how hard she worked to create a home that was safe and secure for her family. The taste of her boiled dinner is flavored by her love which she often found difficult to express in other ways.

Every year around St. Patrick's Day, the markets are filled with corned beef briskets. This year as I looked at them, I decided that we should have an old-fashioned New England Boiled Dinner. I loved making it, but it didn't taste like Mom's. It just didn't have that  mellow , savory taste that I remembered. We all know that memory is tricky and extremely unreliable, but I would like to think that she would be complimented that I thought her rendition of this classic tasted better than mine. 

NEW ENGLAND BOILED DINNER

 This version is from David Rosengarten and calls for more vegetables than one customarily finds in this dish. This will easily serve eight people.While I don't think it's as good as my mother's, it is still pretty tasty. Better than good enough.

NEW ENGLAND BOILED DINNER

1. 1 (3 1/2 pound) corned beef brisket
2. 2 bay leaves
3. 2 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
4. 4 whole cloves
5. 4 whole allspice berries
6. 11/2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
7. 1/2 medium onion with skin
8. 2 garlic cloves, crushed
9. 12 cups cold water
10. 2 medium beets
11. 1 small cabbage, outer leaves removed, cut through the stem into 8 wedges
12. 3/4 pound rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
13. 2 medium turnips (about 3/4 pound)peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
14. 2 medium parsnips (about 1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
15. 2 medium carrots (about 1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
16. 6 small white onions, peeled but left whole, root end trimmed
17. 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
18. 1 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish
19. 1 tablespoon chopped chives, for garnish
20. Horseradish as accompaniment
21. Grainy mustard as accompaniment

Trim all but 1/4-inch fat from the corned beef. Place in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the corned beef. Return to the pot and add bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, justard seeds, onion and garlic. Add cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook gently partially covered, for 3 to 4 hours, until corned beef is tender but not falling apart. Add more water as necessary to keep the brisket submerged.

Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Wrap beets in foil and roast until tender, about 1 hour. Cook, peel, and cut into wedges. Keep warm for serving.

Remove corned beef from the pot and strain cooking liquid. Wrap corned beef in foil and keep warm in low oven. Return the liquid to a simmer and cook the vegetables until tender in the following groupings and for the following approximagte times:

cabbage:20 minutes

rutabaga and turnips: 18 minutes

Parsnips, carrots and onions: 15 minutes

potatoes: 10 minutes

As the vegetables cook, set them aside and add the next batch, or cook them in stages in the same pot.

To serve, return all the vegetables to the pot with the cooking liquid (if cooked separately). Slice warm corned beef thinly against the grain. Serve corned beef in shallow soup bowls with vegetables strewn around the bowl. Ladle hot stock over all, about 1/2 cup per bowl. Garnish with parsley and chives and serve immediately, with horseradish and mustard on the side.

Green Chile Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping

Cold days aren't completely behind us and this adaptation of an Ina Garten recipe is perfect for blustery, chilly weather. Since green chiles are always to be found in our freezer, we often add them to dishes for some added kick. If chiles don't agree with you, simply leave them out. This is good for the family or a comfortable meal for guests.

CHICKEN POT PIE WITH BISCUIT TOPPING

CHICKEN POT PIE WITH BISCUITS

The Pot Pie

1. 1 3 to 4-pound whole organic chicken
2. 1 onion, quartered
3. 2 carots, sliced
4. 2 celery stalks, sliced
5. 2 bay leaves
6. salt and peppercorns
7. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8. 5 cups chicken stock
9. 2 chicken bouillon cubes
10. 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
11. 2 cups (2 onions) chopped onions
12. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
13. 1/4 cup heavy cream
14. 2 cups baby carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
15. 2 cups frozen peas ( 1 10-ounce bag of frozen peas)
16. 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
17. 1 to 2 cups chopped green chile
18. 1/2 cup minced parsley

For the Biscuits

1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 tablespoon baking powder
3. 1 teaspoon kocher salt
4. 1 teaspoon sugar
5. 1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
6. 1/4 cup half-and-half
7. 1/2 cup choppped fresh parsley
8. 1 egg mixed with tablespoon water, for egg wash

 

After rinsing the chicken, place in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a quartered onion, two sliced carrots,two sliced celery stalks, 2 bay leaves, salt and pepper corns to the pot. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to a steady simmer and cook until the chicken is done, about an hour and a half. Remove the chicken from the pot and allow to cool. Shred the chicken and set aside. Return the bones and skin to the pot and continue cooking down for another hour or so. Strain the stock for later use.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small saucepan heat the 5 cups of chicken stock and add the bouillon cubes to the stock. In a large pot melt the butter and saute the onions over medium low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the heavy cream. Add the shredded chicken, carrots, peas, onions, green chile and parsley. Mix well. Place the stew in a 10x13x2-inch rectqngular baking dish Place in the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes.

To make the biscuits, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in the a large bowl. Add the diced butter and combine with your hands until the butter is the size of peas. Add the half and half and mix with a wooden spoon. Mix in the parsley.

Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and, with a rolling pin, roll out the dough to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out twelve circles with a  2 1/2 inch-round cutter.

Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the bisuits on top of the filling. Brush them with egg wash, and return the dish to the oven. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly.

To make this in advance, refrigerate the chicken stew and biscuits separately. Bake the stew for 25 minutes, then place the biscuits on top and bake for another 30 minutes, until done.

A Great Tomato Soup

I love soup anytime of year, but winter seems to be a season which calls for steaming bowls of soup. It warms the body and the soul. This one from Ina Garten is easy and has the added touch of grilled cheese croutons on top.

EASY TOMATO SOUP WITH GRILLED CHEESE CROUTONS

1. 3 tablespoons good olive oil
2. 3 cups yellow onions, chopped (about 2 onions)
3. 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4. 4 cups chicken stock*
5. 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
6. Large pinch of saffron threads
7. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8. 1/2 cup orzo
9. 1/2 cup heavy cream
10. Grilled Cheese Croutons

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile fill a medium pot with water, add 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 7 minutes. Drain the orzo and add it to the soup Stir in the cream, return the soup to a simmer and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently.

Serve with Grilled Cheese Croutons scattered on top.

*You can make this vegetarian by substituting vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

GRILLED CHEESE CROUTONS

You can make these in a frying pan; but if you have the panini grill, use it. The ridged texture makes the croutons more interesting.

1. 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices country white bread
2. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter,melted
3. 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Heat a panini grill. Place the four slices of bread on a cutting board and brush lightly with the melted butter, being sure to butter the corners. Turn the slices over and pile Gruyere on two of the slices. Place the remaining two slices of bread on top of the Gruyere, buttered sides up.

Grill the sandwiches on the panini grill for about 5 minutes, until browned. All to rest for 1 minute; cut into 1-inch cubes.

Serves 4 to 6.

Meyer Lemon Marmelade

 Summer and fall are the busy seasons for those of us who like to preserve fruits and vegetables, but winter offers us beauiful citrus for preservation. This is the season for Meyer lemons and this year I experimented with making a marmelade with these tart and sweet fruits. I have to say the result was amazing--not as tart as regular lemons with just a hint of sweetness. One of my friends, who usually doesn't like marmelade, enjoyed this one.

MYER LEMONS

MEYER LEMON MARMELADE

(Makes about 7 half-pint jars)

• 16 Myer lemons, thinly sliced and seeds removed
• 4 1/2 cups liquid, water plus lemon juice released from slicing lemons
• Sugar

Combine the sliced lemons with the water and lemon juice in a large bowl. Set aside in a cool place overnight. The next morning put the ingredients in a kettle and simmer 5 minutes. Return to the bowl and store in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

After the second marinating, return the ingredients to the jam kettle and cook quickly until the peel is tender. Measure the fruit and liquid.(I had 6 1/2 cups.) Add one cup sugar for each cup of fruit and stir until the sugar dissolves. (If you like a jam which isn't as sweet, reduce the amount of sugar to 3/4 cup of sugar for each cup of fruit.)

Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring so that the mixture doesn't stick or burn. When the mixture has reached the gelling point, remove from the heat. Ladle the hot marmelade into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Adjust the two-piece caps and process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes.