Tag: historical cooking

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Beef in Claret

Beef in Claret

Beef in Claret

Ingredients:
1/4 lb lean bacon
6 to 8 small, young onions
two cups chopped button mushrooms Ingredients for the meat:
3lb stewing steak
4 tablespoons oil
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons flour
1 bottle of fruity young claret (Burgundy or Beaujolais)
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
Bunch of fresh herbs

Cutup and cook the bacon in a frying pan until it is lightly brown. Add the onions and cook uncovered for roughly ten minutes. Then add the mushrooms, stir, cover and cook gently for a further ten minutes.

Cut the stewing steak into cubes roughly 1½” square. Add the beef to the bacon, onions and mushrooms and begin to brown the cubes of meat. Add the garlic and sprinkle the flour over the meat.  Stir from time to time.

Add wine, light seasoning and herbs. Cover and simmer for 3 hours or until the meat is tender. Serve with boiled potatoes sprinkled with chopped parsley or mashed potatoes.

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So Many Gifts

Last weekend for High Seas weekend, we demonstrated several techniques used in preserving food.  These techniques included smoking meats and salts.  We also demonstrated how to make flavored extracts, oils, salts and sugars.  All of these things can be used to create lovely handmade gifts for the holidays.

Smoked Pork Shoulder

Smoking Meats and Salts:
Buy wood chips (found in the same location as the charcoal briquettes) and soak them overnight in water.  Once done, place the soaked wood chips in the bottom of the pot or tray.  Now, I strongly recommend that this is not done indoors, as it will create a lot of smoke, but on an outdoor grill or bonfire.  If on a grill, use a double rack system and place the tray with the wood chips on the lower rack and the meat or salt on the upper rack and close the lid.  If using a bonfire, place the chips at the bottom of the cast iron pot and place the meat on top of the chips or the salt in a tray on top of the chips and place the lid on the pot. The heat will cause the chips to smoke and will smoke the meat or salt.  The meat should cook this way for 2-3 hours and the salt will take 6-8 hours.  Make sure that you break up the salt every two hours so that they are evenly flavored.

Flavored Salts and Sugars:
This is a fairly easy process.  You will need a ceramic dish, we used ramekins.  Place a layer of salt or sugar at the bottom of the dish.  Sweet things should be applied to the sugar (nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, clove, citrus zest, or cinnamon) and savory things would be applied to the salt (garlic, rosemary, chilies, etc.)  Place the chosen flavor on top of the bottom layer of salt or sugar and begin layering.  Place the dish in a low heat area so the flavor infuses with the salt or sugar.  Salt requires a higher heat (200 degrees) for an hour and sugar requires a lower heat (100 – 150 degrees) for two hours.  Place in an airtight container and serve as needed.

Orange and Vanilla Extract

Extracts
Like the sugars, extracts are easy to make.  Finding a sweet spice (nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, clove, citrus zest, or cinnamon) and placing it into a clean bottle that can be sealed.  Add a strong flavorless liquor such as Everclear or Vodka and seal shut.  The longer it sits with occasional shaking, the stronger the extract will become. 

Flavored Oils & Vinegars
Follows the same principles as the extracts, but vinegar or olive oil is used with savory herbs such as rosemary, basil, thyme, or peppers; I recommend heating the vinegar or oil and adding fresh herbs to the mix, simmering it, and then bottling it.  The acids will keep longer than the oils.  Keep the oils in the refrigerator for use.   

 

Wide array of items

 

 

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Lemon Basil Beef with Carrots

Lemon Basil Beef with Carrots - September 25, 2011

Our 5:00 pm show each day is different and we never repeat the same show.  It is mostly improv – based as we don’t know what we are making until an hour before the show.  We do this on purpose as it helps us come together as a team, provides an opportunity for my assistants and I to share ideas and to have a little bit of fun.  This weekend, two of my assistants made up a song while cooking this dish; it was rather amusing.

Now some of the ingredients were made with the flavored salts and oils that were made earlier in the day.  Those ingredients aren’t necessary and I will be writing the recipe keeping in mind that the specific flavored oils and salts are not available.

Ingredients:

1 lb beef (top round or chuck), hand minced (do not use ground beef for this recipe)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp fresh basil, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
5 large carrots, sliced thinly on the bias (long slices)
sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a large fry pan, add the oil and heat up.  Once hot, add the basil, garlic, and 1/3 of the lemon zest.  Sautee and add the beef quickly.  The oil should be hot enough that it sears the beef (think stir fry).  Once lightly browned add the carrots and stir frequently.  Add the lemon juice, another 1/3 of the zest, and salt and pepper.   Once carrots are tender, remove from the heat and serve.  Garnish with remaining zest.

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Coq au Vin and Spanish Spiced Onions

During Love and Romance weekend, we did another recipe – Coq Au Vin and Spanish Spiced Onions.  Now some would argue the two dishes would not work well together, but we found a happy compromise.  Instead of traditional wine, we used a mead that is sold at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, not far from our stage.  The taste was lighter than most Coq Au Vin recipes. 

Now, Coq au Vin is traditionally made with rooster but those are difficult to come by in the 21st century, so we used chicken.  This dish has been simplified for our use and modern palates, but I am sure that you will like it.

COQ AU VIN
Ingredients:
2 lbs. of chicken breasts, cut up to one each pieces.
6 cups of mead or sweet wine
1/2 lb bacon, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of chives, minced
1/2 cup thyme
1/4 cup of rosemary
1 tsp of orange zest
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by cooking the bacon on medium heat.  Once the fat has rendered and the bacon has begun to cook, add the chicken  to brown and add the garlic.  Once the chicken is thoroughly browned, add the mead and the herbs to the dish, holding off on the salt and pepper until the end.  Cover the dish and stir occassionally (every 5 – 7 minutes) until the chicken is done and pull off of the heat.

SPANISH SPICED ONIONS
Ingredients:
3 lbs. of onions, sliced
4 Tbsp of  butter
4 Tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp of thyme
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper

Heat the oil and butter together and add the spices and herbs.  Keep stiring and slowly add the onions.  Stir continuously until the onions are thoroughly sweated and are translucent.  They should not be crisp.

Scoop the Coq au Vin onto the plate and surround with the Spanish Spiced Onions.  Serves 2-4.

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Chocolate and Romance Weekend (September 17 and 18)

This past weekend was Chocolate and Romance weekend.  Our kitchen cooked up another storm with a variety of romantic dishes.  I hope you like them.

Pomegranate and Raspberry Wine Pork
Ingredients:

1 pork shoulder (4 – 5 lbs)
2 cups of pomegranate juice (unsweetened)
2 cups of Raspberry wine
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt

Place the pork in a large pot and add the wine and juice together and cook on a stovetop on medium heat for 2.5 hours.  After the first hour, add the black pepper.  After the second hour, add the salt.  The pork is done when it falls apart (like pulled pork).

 

Potato Dauphinoise
Preheat over to 350 degrees F
3 lbs of red potatoes, thinly sliced
6 large garlic cloves, minced
1 large garlic clove, halved
4 table spoons of butter
2 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the potato slices into a bowl of cold water to remove the excess starch.  Drain and pat dry with paper or cloth towels.  Take the halved garlic clove and rub the cut side around a wide, shallow, ovenproof dish or cast iron pot.  Butter or spray oil the dish/pot generously and blend the cream and milk together.  Cover the bottom of the dish with a layer of the potatoes.  Dot a bit of the butter and minced garlic over the potatoes and season with the salt and pepper.  Pour a bit of the cream and milk mixture over the layer.  Continue making layers until all of the ingredients have been used, ending with just a layer of cream.  Bake for about 1 1/4 hours. If the potatoes are browning too quickly, cover with a lid or a piece of aluminum foil.  The dish is done when the potatoes are soft and tender and the top is golden brown.  Serves 8

 

Poached Pears
Ingredients:
4-6 Peeled, Cored and Sliced Pears (recommend Bosc or Anjou)
1 1/2 cups of red wine (recommend Zinfandel, Shiraz or Merlot)
3/4 cups of granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice (can also add lemon zest if desired)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
Preparation: Combine all ingredients, except pears, and bring to a boil. Once the wine mixture is boiling, turn heat down to a simmer and add the pears. Simmer pears for 10-12 minutes and then turn pears and simmer for an additional 8-10 minutes – until they are tender and are easily poked through with a fork. Remove pears and let them cool. Boil wine sauce until the liquid has been reduced by half. Pour sauce over pears and serve with either marscapone, crème fraiche or Devonshire cream.

Chocolate Chicken
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut up
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon anise seed
1 cup almonds or hazelnuts, chopped
1.5 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tomatoes, chopped (optional)
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ancho powder (or to taste)
sesame seeds

PREPARATION:
Brown chicken in a medium skillet in hot oil. Remove to a large (13x9x2) cake pan or baking dish. Pour oil from skillet and add the stock. Simmer 5 minutes. Mix cocoa with vegetable oil to form a paste. Add cloves, cinnamon, anise seed, and blend. Stir spice mixture into simmering stock and simmer 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

Pour mixture over the chicken parts. Cover and bake in preheated 350-degree oven until chicken is tender (around 1 to 1 1/2 hours).