Candied Flowers

by TAG Editor

This is the time of year where nature starts blooming, again, for the four seasons areas of the country.  Violets, pansies, cherry blossoms and crabapple blossoms are a perfect for this.  Garnish your favorite ice cream, dessert, and fruit with creme fraiche.

Ingredients:
1 egg white, pasteurized powdered (for safety) or meringue powder
superfine sugar
edible blooms

Dip blooms in egg white or brush the whites on to the bloom gently.  Lay out sugar in a shallow dish and dip blooms face down. Sprinkle the back side of blooms with more sugar until complete.

Place tray of dusted blooms in an oven at 200 degrees with the oven door open and leave for 30 minutes or until dry. This will cook the egg whites at a low temperature and make them safe from salmonella development. Make sure the egg whites are cooked through and dried.

Dukkah Spice Mix, Variations

by Hugo Vino

Dukkah (or Dukkha), a mild but pleasantly scented spice mix from the Middle East, is the perfect appetizer. Simply dip some fresh bread into high quality olive oil, then into the dukkha mix. It also serves well as a Foundation for other foods.

This versatile spice mix can also be used in your favorite recipes. Use it to stuff a pork roast (along with pistachios and prunes, for example). To create an instant marinade or rub for chicken or pork kebabs, use some dukkha mix, lemon juice, powdered sugar and olive oil.

Egyptian Dukkah Spice Mix
Ingredients:
2.5 oz whole coriander seeds
1.5 oz whole fennel seeds
1 oz whole cumin seeds
1/4 oz dried thyme
1/4 oz sweet paprika (Spanish or Hungarian)
1/4 oz black peppercorns
1/4 oz sea salt (flaky, not fine)

For Serving as Appetizer, Additional Accompaniments:
Ingredients:
10 oz blanched almond (see recipe)
5 oz sesame seeds
Virgin olive oil

In a heavy skillet, separately toast the almonds, sesame seeds and spice seeds lightly. Let them cool for a few minutes.

Use a spice/coffee grinder (or a pestle) to finely grind the spices. The black peppercorns are harder to grind and have the strongest taste, so you may want to pre-grind them.

Crush the almonds (you can use a pestle, a grinder or a Magic Bullet). Almonds can be either coarsly chopped or finely ground, to taste. However work carefully, quickly and in small batches; never let the almonds overheat or the almond oil will separate and the mix will stick.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. The dukkha mix can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks, or in the freezer for months.

To serve, fill a small shallow dish with the dukkha mix. Fill another small shallow dish with high quality olive oil. Dip a bit of fresh bread (baguette, flatbread or naan) into the olive oil, then into the spice mix.

Duck Stock

by TAG Editor

More stock. Can't get enough especially if it's a duck that needs to be made into stock.

Ingredients:
2 pounds cuck carcasses, including necks and backs
1 onion, quartered
2 carrots, peeled and cut in two
1 rib celery, cut in two
1 leek, white part only, cut in two lengthwise or one onion, cut in two
1 Bouquet Garni recipe
5 peppercorns
1 bulb of Roasted Garlic Recipe
1 gallon cold water

Put ingredients into a stockpot. Fill with water.

Cook on high heat until just before boil. Turn heat down to medium for a gentle simmer. Skim the scum from surface every 10 to 15 minutes for the first hour of cooking and then twice each hour for the next 2 hours. Add water to keep bones and vegetables covered. Simmer 6 to 8 hours.

Strain stock into another large stockpot or heatproof container discarding solids. Use immediately for another recipe or cool. Place in refrigerator overnight. It can be stored in refrigerator for 3 days or in freezer for up to 3 months .

Duck Fat

by TAG Editor

This is the foundation and seasoning of many French recipes. It's also been coopted by many other "national" cuisines as well.




Ingredients:
duck fat and skin removed from a duck

Make sure the pieces are not large. On low heat, render fat for 20 minutes. flipping half way through. Remove the remains of the browned, crunchy fat and skin. Let the remainin fat cool to room temperature before storing.

Chicken Stock

by TAG Editor

Chicken Stock is an indispensible foundation recipe that keeps on giving.

Ingredients:
4 pounds chicken carcasses, including necks and backs
1 large onion, quartered
4 carrots, peeled and cut in two
4 ribs celery, cut in two
1 leek, white part only, cut in two lengthwise or one onion, cut in two
1 Bouquet Garni recipe
8 to 10 peppercorns
1 bulb of Roasted Garlic Recipe
2 gallons cold water

Place chicken, vegetables on a roasting pan and place in a pre-heated 375-400 degree Fahrenheit oven and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and add to bouquet garni, peppercorns, and roasted garlic already and water in a 12-quart stockpot.

Cook on high heat until just before boil. Turn heat down to medium for a gentle simmer. Skim the scum from surface every 10 to 15 minutes for the first hour of cooking and then twice each hour for the next 2 hours. Add water to keep bones and vegetables covered. Simmer 6 to 8 hours.

Strain stock into another large stockpot or heatproof container discarding solids. Use immediately for another recipe or cool. Place in refrigerator overnight. It can be stored in refrigerator for 3 days or in freezer for up to 3 months

Browned Butter

Use amount of butter called for in a recipe and place it in a saucepan on low heat until it changes color and give off a sweet and rich aroma, about 10 minutes.

Caramelized Onions

3 large bulb onions diced, about 3 cups
1/4 cup oil (grapeseed or canola)

This is a foundation recipe for other recipes. It also makes a great condiment to pasta, cooked salsa, polenta and anything earthy that wants a bit of savory sweetness.

Toss onions and oil together. put the mixture into a metal pan and put in oven. Bake at 400 degrees fahrenheit for about 40 minutes stirring the mixture about every ten minutes. Remove when the onions are limp and golden. 

Roasted Garlic, Variations

Recipe by Phuong Phan, Exclusive to The Armchair Gourmet

This is a great foundation ingredient for recipes.  It can be used directly on bread or steak as a condiment.  Just smear it on and enjoy.

Roasted Garlic (classic):

• 5 bulbs of garlic, top of cloves sliced off
• 2 tablespoons high thresh hold oil (grapeseed, peanut, canola)

take bulbs and arrange on a doubled piece of aluminum foil to cover all the bulbs. lay bulbs out on the aluminum foil tops up. drizzle oil on the sliced tops of the bulbs. wrap completely with the aluminum foil and put in a preheated oven at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes or until golden and soft.

Roasted Garlic (variation):

• 5 bulbs of garlic, top of cloves sliced off
• 2 tablespoons high thresh hold oil (grapeseed, peanut, canola)
• 1 sprig rosemary, oregano, sage, etc.

Take bulbs and arrange on a doubled piece of aluminum foil to cover all the bulbs. Lay bulbs out on the aluminum foil tops up. Add sprig of herb.  Drizzle oil on the sliced tops of the bulbs. Wrap completely with the aluminum foil and put in a preheated oven at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes or until golden and soft.

Red Wine Reduction, Variations - Savory

This reduction usually includes medium to full bodied red wine, shallots/sweet onions. It's most often used as a sauce for red meat or game and often also serves as a foundation for pan reduction sauces or whipped with butter.


Wine Reduction (classic ):

• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 stalk celery, peeled and chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (use roasted garlic if you have this)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (I use olive oil to keep it kosher)
• 2 tablespoons port wine
• 1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel or Shiraz

Cook onions, celery, garlic in olive oil over low heat until thoroughly softened.  Add  balsamic vinegar, and port and reduce to a glaze, Add the wine and slowly reduce by half, skimming fat. Reduce over low heat to about 1/2 cup.  Strain with strainer or cheesecloth if desired.

Wine Reduction (classic 2):

This very simple recipe can be used for savory or sweet over steaks, game or over cheese or ice cream.

• 2 cups red wine
• 3 tablespoons organic unfiltered sugar

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil until reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Wine Reduction, 2nd (variation):

• 1 (750-milliliter) bottle Washington State Merlot wine, or other dry red wine 1 small onion, quartered
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 bay leaf

In a medium saucepan, combine the wine, onions, celery, carrots and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid reduces by half, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain. Return to the pan, over medium heat until reduced to about 2 cups.

Wine Reduction, 3rd (variation):

• 1 (750-milliliter) bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
• 3 small shallots, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 to 4 fresh thyme sprigs

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup (40 minutes). Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a measuring cup, pressing with back of a spoon to remove all juices. Discard solids. Cover and chill, if desired.

Wine Reduction, 4th (variation):

• 2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup red wine (Can be made with any hearty red, or use something sweeter and richer if you prefer: port or marsala wine will complement pork very nicely)
• 1 tbsp veal demiglaze (available in a jar) diluted in 1 cup hot water

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallots and cook until golden, about 3 minutes.  Increase heat to moderate-high, and add vinegar.  Cook another 2 minutes, and add wine.  When sauce is reduced by about half, add the diluted demiglaze.  Cook until the liquid volume is again reduced by half. 

Fine Herbes

Fines herbes is a culinary mainstay in French cuisine. The ingredients of fines herbes are fresh parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil^[1]. These "fine herbs" are not the pungent and resinous herbs that appear in a bouquet garni – which, unlike fines herbes, release their flavour in long cooking. Marjoram, cress ^[2], cicely^[2] or lemon balm^[2] may be added to fines herbes. The marjoram and tarragon may be dried.

Herbes de Provence, Variations

Herbes de Provence (Provençal herbs) is a mixture of dried herbs fromProvence invented in the 1970s.^[1]

The mixture typically contains savory, fennel, basil, thyme, and lavender flowers and other herbs. (Some cooks maintain that lavender is an essential ingredient of true herbes de provence.) The proportions vary by manufacturer. Thyme usually dominates the taste produced by the herb mixture.

Herbes de Provence are used to flavour grilled foods such as fish and meat, as well as vegetable stews. The mixture can be added to foods before or during cooking or mixed with cooking oil prior to cooking so as to infuse the flavour into the cooked food. They are rarely added after cooking is complete.

Herbes de Provence are often sold in larger bags than other herbs, and the price in Provence is considerably lower than other herbs. 

Provençal cuisine has traditionally used many herbs, which were often characterized collectively as "herbes de Provence", but not in standard combinations, and not sold as a mixture:

...the famous mixtures of herbes de Provence... were unknown to my Provençal grandmothers, who used, individually and with discernment, thyme, rosemary and savory gathered in the countryside.^[2]

It was in the 1970s that standard mixtures were formulated by spice wholesalers, including notably Ducros in France (now part ofMcCormick & Company).  Wikipedia

All dried herbs gathered into a tied satchel: 

Herbes de Provence (classic): 

• 3 tablespoons thyme leaves
• 3 tablespoons savory
• 2 tablespoons lavender flower

Herbes de Provence, 2nd (variation): 

• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon savory
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon marjoram 
• 1 tablespoon rosemary

Herbes de Provence, 3rd (variation): 

• 1 teaspoon basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon sage leaf
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 3 tablespoons oregano leaves
• 3 tablespoons thyme leaves
• 3 tablespoons savory
• 2 tablespoons lavender flowers

Herbes de Provence, 4th (variation):  

• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons dried marjoram
• 2 tablespoons dried fennel seed

Bouquet Garni, Variations

The Bouquet Garni is a bundle of herbs tied together with string or stem used to prepare soup, stock, and various stews. The bouquet is boiled with the other ingredients, but is removed prior to consumption. Most Bouquet Garni recipes include parsley, thyme and bay leaf.

Variations will also may include basil, burnet, chervil, rosemary, savory and tarragon.

Sometimes vegetables such as carrot, celery (leaves or stem), celeriac, leek, onion and parsley root are also included in the bouquet, but in general those work best as mirepoix and are "sweated" with oil or butter beforehand and added along with the bouquet to the stock. Spices such as peppercorn are added in this manner, too.

Bunch together fresh herbs into a bouquet and tie together with twine or with a maleable herb stem:
 
Bouquet Garni, 1st variation:
2 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs parsley

A minimalist version, the 1st variation works well with light fish stocks.

Bouquet Garni, 2nd variation:
2 celery stalk greens or italian parsley
2 dried bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh parsley

The celery and/or italian parsley works well to bring out the flavors of chicken and fish.

Bouquet Garni , 3rd variation:
2 sprigs rosemary
3 sprigs parsley
3 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves

This third variation robust. It works well with beef, pork, game or chicken stock.

Bouquet Garni, 4th variation:

1 sprig sage
3 sprigs parsley
3 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves

The sage in this bouquet variation adds a nice touch.

Demi-Glace

 Demi-glace is one of the classic French foundation sauces used as an accompaniment to savory dishes or as a part of another recipe.

Ingredients:

1 gallon Espagnole Sauce*, hot
1 gallon Brown Stock*, hot
1 Bouquet Garni*

In a stock pot, combine the Espagnole sauce, brown stock and bouquet garni over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to simmer as it begins to boil.  Simmer until the liquid reduces by half, about 1 1/2 hours. Skim the liquid occasionally for fat and impurities. Salt and pepper to taste. Strain.

Mirepoix

Mirepoix (pronounced /mɪər ˈpwɑː/) is the French name for a combination of onions, carrots, and celery (either common Pascal celery or celeriac). Mirepoix, either raw, roasted or sautéed with butter, is the flavor base for a wide number of dishes, such as stocks, soups, stews and sauces.

These three ingredients are commonly referred to as aromatics. Similar such combinations, both in and out of the French culinary repertoire, may include leeks, parsnips, garlic, tomatoes, shallots, mushrooms, bell peppers, chilies, and ginger. For the combination mirepoix au gras, or a Matignon, ham or pork belly are used as additional ingredients. In Cajun cuisine, a mirepoix or trinity is a combination of onions, celery and bell peppers. Wikipedia

Brown Stock

 

by TAG Editor

Brown stock is a foundation recipe that makes everything you use it with taste just that much richer and more amazing.  A classic.

Roast the below:

8 lbs Veal Bones
4 lbs Beef Bones
About 1 1/2 Cups Tomato Paste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Place the bones on roasting pans in a single layer, I use two pans. Roast the bones in the oven for 2 hours, turning them over occasionally. Roast until nicely browned, black is bad. When the bones are deep brown, smear the Tomato Paste onto the bones and put them back in the oven for an additional 30-40 minutes, or until the paste starts to brown.
Transfer the bones to a large stockpot. Covering past the bones with 2 inches with water. Bring to a near boil, turn heat to simmer. Skim impurities that float to surface with a ladle. The stock should be as still as possible. You want to achieve a clear stock. Frequent skimming is important. Keep bones covered with stock, if they get exposed add water to cover. Simmer for about 2-3 hours.

Add vegetables below to pan with drippings (the first three combined is called Mirepoix:

5 medium onions, washed and quartered with skins
5 carrots, washed and cut into cubes
5 stalks celery, washed and cut into cubes
1 bulb of garlic (whole head)

Tie all below into a cheesecloth:

Bouquet Garni*
peppercorns
garlic

Cook vegetables in the oven for about 1 hour or until the onions are caramelized. Put the roasted vegetables into a bowl and set aside. Deglaze with about 1-2 cups of cold water in each, scraping away the brown particles with a whisk maximizing the flavor that will be added to the stock.  Add this liquid mixture to the stock.When the stock has simmered for about 3 hours, add the vegetable Mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery combination) and Sachet to the pot. Simmer for 3-4 hours more.  Ladle the stock through a strainer.  You are aiming for a clear, flavorful stock.  There's about a gallon of brown stock when finished.

Let stock cool then refrigerate. Afterwards, skim and discard the solidified fat from the top.  The stock can be freezed in batches for later recipe use.

Roux

Used for white sauces, to thicken sauces or soups. Roux adds a rich, nutty browned butter flavor to dishes as well as acting as a thickener.

 

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup unbleached flour (whole flour doesn't work for this recipe)

Make browned butter by putting butter on medium heat in a saucepan until golden, about 5-7 minutes. Watch it so it doesn't burn. Reduce heat to a medium low and add the flour stirring until the raw flour smell is replaced by a rich, decadent, nutty smell.