Thursday, August 13, 2009

I'm a pushover for popovers

Popovers have changed my life! Not really, but I'm completely obsessed with making them, both in the morning and evenings. They work well with sweet AND savory.

How do you make a popover..simple.

First you're going to need a muffin tin, non-stick.

Now, heat your oven to 400F.

The batter for popovers is simple.

2 parts liquid
1 part egg
1 part flour
Salt

The "parts" in the recipe should be done by weight. So for example, take 4 ounces of milk and add 2 ounces of egg (about one large egg). Mix. Then add 2 ounces of flour and a pinch of salt. Mix. Let sit while your oven heats.

Pour a little bit of canola oil in the bottoms of the muffin tin. No more than a 1/2 teaspoon. Fill the tins up 3/4 of the way with batter.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn heat down to 375F. Bake another 20 minutes. Voila.

To serve sweet, top with a little butter and a good quality jam or preserve. Artisan made would be ideal.

For savory meals, these make a great addition to grilled or roasted meats. Use 'em to sop up the juices!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Take steak to the next level

Steak by itself is wonderful. Technically, there's no need to sauce it up. The flavor of a nice fatty ribeye can hold it's own, no problem. However, if your looking to take steak to the next level, try topping it with a salsa verde.

Salsa verde. There are many permutations of what translates to "green sauce". Mexican culture's version is very different than an Italian-style salsa verde. I'm not showing you either. This is what I'd like to think of as an American salsa verde.

The list of ingredients is simple: Parsley, shallot, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper (It goes without saying that these should always be flat-leaf, fresh, fresh, extra-virgin, kosher, and fresh-cracked, respectively.)

The ratios of each can vary according to personal taste, but here's my loose measurements for two steaks worth.

1 cup (loosely packed) of parsley, stems removed. Finely chop after measuring.
2 tablespoons of finely minced shallot
1 tablespoon of finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch salt
pepper to taste

Mix the chopped parsley, shallot and garlic in a mixing bowl. Add salt, pepper and olive oil. Mix more.

I would suggest grilling your steaks (Ribeye preferably) to medium-rare / medium. Let rest for 5 minutes after cooking. Do NOT cut into them beforehand!

Top with the salsa verde. Eat. Feel like a hero.
 
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