Rich, creamy sauces are out of style at the moment but this classic sauce is a valuable tool in a good cook's toolbox. It is an ingredient and/or starting point for many recipes. You can get adequate results with skim milk; however, the taste and texture improve with heavier dairy products.
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or other fat (chicken fat, lard, shortening)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart milk or cream
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Salt and white pepper to taste
Directions
Using a large saucepan, bring 1 quart of milk to just boiling over medium heat. Stir occasionally while scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to very low and continue to stir.
While milk is heating, melt butter over medium-high heat in a pan large enough to hold the milk. When butter is melted, add flour and mix into a paste. Continue to stir and brown for 2 minutes.
Pour in the hot milk while stirring vigorously with a wire whisk. Continue to stir until all of the lumps have dissolved and the sauce is thickened. Reduce heat to low. Season with salt and white pepper and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to cook the pasty taste out of the flour. Stir in milk or water to adjust the consistency of the sauce.
Sauce will keep one week in the refrigerator and can be frozen for 3 months.
Standard vinaigrette is simply an emulsion of an acidic liquid and oil. An emulsion is a mixture of two items that don't normally get along well. You force them to coexist by frantically whipping them together drop by drop or by adding an emulsifier, typically egg yolk or food starch.
Vinaigrettes are perfect as dressings for raw and cooked vegetables and fruit. The oil improves mouth feel and the acid and salt open the pores of the tongue and allow you to more fully taste many subtle flavors that might otherwise be hidden. The only ingredients that are mandatory in vinaigrette are oil and an acidic liquid such as vinegar, fruit or vegetable juice; salt and pepper are helpful but not absolutely necessary. Try any combination of the following oils and acids. This list is by no means exhaustive but should give you permission to experiment a little.
Oils
Red or white wine vinegar
Cider vinegar
Herb-infused vinegars
Rice wine vinegar
Lemon juice
Orange juice
Lime juice
Tomato juice
Cranberry juice
Acids
Olive oil
Salad oil (soybean)
Sunflower oil
Grape seed oil
Walnut oil
Herb-infused oil
Citrus-infused oil
Sesame oil
Hot chili oil
Peanut oil
I've offered two basic vinaigrette recipes and a handful of variations to try. I encourage you to experiment with different types of oils, flavored vinegars, juices, herbs and seasonings.
Ingredients
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar or citrus juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Stir vinegar and salt in a small mixing bowl until salt dissolves (salt will not dissolve in oil). Contrive a way to keep the mixing bowl steady while you whisk in oil. The bowl placed in a nest made out of a damp dish towel is one way or draft a patient family member to hold the bowl for you. Slowly drizzle in the oil while energetically whisking. The result should be smooth and satiny. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
This recipe will separate eventually, when it does, simply whisk it back to obedience.
If you are squeamish about raw egg, use frozen pasteurized egg yolk, or you can force the yolk from a hard-cooked egg through a fine sieve.
Ingredients
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar or citrus juice
1 egg yolk
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Whisk together vinegar and salt to dissolve. Whisk in egg yolk. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking mixture furiously as directed in Basic Vinaigrette recipe. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
This recipe will be thicker and richer and it will not separate.
Replace all or part of vinegar with lemon juice.
Prepare 1/2 cup Basic Vinaigrette as directed, but mash 1 large clove of roasted garlic (see Garlic section) and add to the vinegar before drizzling in the oil.
Add one or several finely chopped fresh herbs just before serving — basil, chervil, flat leaf parsley, tarragon and chives are great options.
Replace 1/4 cup of oil with a fine maple syrup and mix with vinegar. Add 1/4 cup chopped walnuts just before serving. This is very good with spinach and tree fruit.
Add 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard to vinegar before adding oil. Dijon vinaigrette is particularly good on a salad with dark greens.
Mash together 4 small anchovy filets and 1 small, garlic clove with a mortar and pestle or the flat of a large knife. Add this mash to the dressing before adding the oil. Try this on a platter of grilled asparagus and tomatoes.
Replace 1/2 of the vinegar with fresh squeezed lime juice. Replace 2 tablespoons of oil with honey. Mix together vinegar, lime juice, honey and a pinch of cumin before drizzling in oil. Add 1/4 cup loosely packed finely chopped cilantro just before serving. You may want to use lighter oil, such as canola or sunflower oil to allow the lime and cilantro to show off a little. Use this as a light sauce on grilled chicken or toss with fresh pears or apples.
Replace 1/4 cup of oil with sesame oil. Replace salt with 1 tablespoon of good soy sauce and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Use rice wine vinegar as your acid. Mix vinegar, soy and brown sugar and drizzle in both oils. Add 2 tablespoons sesame seeds to the vinaigrette just before serving. This makes a terrific slaw.
Replace 1/4 cup of oil with tomato puree. Mix puree with vinegar and drizzle in oil. Stir in 1 peeled, seeded and diced fresh tomato and 1/4 cup loosely packed finely chopped fresh basil.
Butter is a fantastic carrier of flavor. There are limitless possibilities for adding the flavors of the farm into butter. These compounds can be used as an elegant spread for bread, as an ingredient, or as a garnish to top hot food and drinks. Use them to add interest in any place you would use regular butter. They are simple to make and can be wrapped and frozen for up to one year, ready for instant use.
Supplies Needed for Technique
Good butter at room temperature
Electric mixer
Sheets of wax or parchment paper
Directions
Whip the butter using the mixer and add the flavoring compound. Continue to blend until well incorporated. Spoon the mixture onto wax paper and form a long 1-inch roll. Carefully roll the butter in the wax paper to form a wrapped tubular roll of butter. Wrap this in freezer-proof plastic wrap and store in the freezer. Simply cut slices of butter off of roll with a sharp knife as you need them, and remove the bits of wrap.
Here are samplings of recipes. They are all scaled for 1 cup of grade AA salted butter.
Tip: Roasted garlic is much sweeter than raw garlic.
Supplies Needed for Technique
8 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Toss garlic cloves with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange on a sheet pan and roast in the oven until soft and browned on the edges, about 20 -25 min utes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Place garlic into a small bowl and mash thoroughly with the back of a spoon. Whip mashed garlic with butter and prepare as instructed in the Directions for Flavored Compound Butters.
Tip: Roasted garlic is much sweeter than raw garlic.
Supplies Needed for Technique
1 large or 2 small hot chilies
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt
Directions
Roast the chilies as outlined on page 288. Put the chilies into a food processor and chop the chilies until finely minced. Whip the chilies into the butter; add cayenne pepper and salt. Prepare and store as instructed in the Directions for Flavored Compound Butters.
Tip: Float a nugget of this on hot soup.
Supplies Needed for Technique
3 large shallots, finely diced
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
Cook the shallots for 2 to 3 minutes in salted boiling water. Drain water and pat dry.
Place shallots into a blender or food processor and puree with a little salt and black pepper to taste. Whip shallots into butter. Prepare and store as instructed in the Directions for Flavored Compound Butters.
Tip: Let a knob of this butter melt atop grilled steaks or salmon just before serving.
Supplies Needed for Technique
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup fine local honey
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Mix mint with honey and whip with butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Prepare and store as instructed in the Directions for Flavored Compound Butters.
Tip: This butter is outstanding on baked apples or pears.
Supplies Needed for Technique
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh herb, any desired herb
1 lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Combine herbs with the lemon zest. Whip with butter and a little salt and pepper to taste. Prepare and store as instructed in the Directions for Flavored Compound Butters.
Supplies Needed for Technique
1/2 cup farm-cooked maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Whip maple syrup with butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Prepare and store as instructed in the Directions for Flavored Compound Butters.
Tip: Of course, you can smear this on your French toast, but it also serves very well as table butter for warm rolls and bread.
Supplies Needed for Technique
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Mince or puree garlic in a food processor or with the flat of a knife (see Garlic section). Whip garlic into butter, season with salt and pepper and add chopped parsley. Prepare and store as instructed in the Directions for Flavored Compound Butters.
Tip: This is an obvious choice to flavor pasta.
Brown butter is simply butter cooked until the solids brown. It is simple to make, yet requires you to pay close attention to the butter as it cooks. It has a rich nutty taste that is perfect with cooked green vegetables; asparagus, broccoli, chard or cabbages are suggestions. It is also a fine sauce for cooked apples or pears.
Supplies Needed for Technique
1 stick (1/4 pound) butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
Juice from 1 wedge of lemon
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Place the butter into a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter completely. Let butter cook and bubble without stirring for 3 to 5 minutes. Butter is done when solids settle to the bottom and become a rusty brown. The best way to check for doneness: Raise the pan off of the heat and look at the color on the bottom. When the solids are browned, remove the pan from the heat and immediately squeeze in lemon. It will sputter a bit. Add the chopped parsley and a pinch of salt. Set aside until ready to serve.
Zabaglione is a rich, sweet sauce for desserts that has its roots in 16th century Italian cooking. If cooked to a thick custard state, it can stand alone; however, it really shines as a topping for fresh berries.
Supplies Needed for Technique
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup Marsala wine or sweet vermouth
Directions
Fill a medium-size pot about half full of water. Bring water to a boil over high heat. While you are waiting for the water to boil, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, vanilla and sugar in a stainless steel mixing bowl large enough to rest on top of the pot — like a golf ball on a tee. Whisk these ingredients together vigorously until the mixture pales slightly.
By now, the water should be boiling. Set the bowl atop the pot of water. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Let the steam from the water heat the bottom of the bowl and continue to whisk energetically. While whisking, scrape the bottom of the bowl regularly with the whisk to keep the egg from cooking on the bottom of the bowl. When the mixture starts to thicken, whisk in the wine a couple of ounces at a time until all of the wine is incorporated. Continue to cook until the mixture is the consistency of a thick salad dressing, roughly 10 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to whisk until the bowl is cool to the touch. This may be served warm or chilled.
Note: If you would like a thicker custardstyle dessert, simply reduce the amount of wine by 1/4 cup and cook 5 minutes longer.
Croutons are simply savory pieces of crispy baked bread. You can buy them at the supermarket, but making your own allows you to make them exactly how you like, or allows you to use up old bread.
Ingredients
Bread (any kind), sliced or cubed
Butter or olive oil, melted
Salt
Pepper
Dried basil
Dried thyme
Dried oregano
Paprika
Granulated garlic or garlic powder
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Croutons usually are made with stale leftover bread; use if you have it, but fresh bread works well too. Place bread in a large mixing bowl and add enough melted butter or olive oil to just coat. Sprinkle in liberal amounts of all spices and toss together completely. Lay bread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in oven until crisp and brown. This recipe is just a suggestion. You can slice the bread very thin for crostini, slice a little thicker for bruschetta, or dice for a bread salad.
Directions
Preheat oven to 250 F. While oven is warming, tear slices of bread into 1-inch pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor. Process until crumbs are the fineness you would like. Spread crumbs out on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until bread crumbs are a pale golden color.
Stir once or twice during baking. Remove from oven.
Remoulade is tarter sauce with a fancy name. There are countless variations and flavorings possible. This formula will work in most recipes.
Ingredients
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped dill pickle or pickle relish
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs
1 tablespoon capers
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Mix together all ingredients.
I'm constantly amused at the array of gadgets one can purchase to poach eggs. Poaching eggs is easier than frying and requires only two pieces of equipment — a shallow pan and a slotted spoon. Have a rummage sale and get rid of all that other stuff.
Ingredients
Eggs
Water
2 to 4 tablespoons vinegar, lemon juice or some other type of acid
Directions
Fill a shallow skillet or pan with a 2-inch depth of water. Bring to a boil over medium- high heat. Add a splash or two (2 to 4 tablespoons) of vinegar. Drop eggs one at a time into boiling water and gently tumble with a spoon to keep the eggs from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Continue to cook in the boiling water until the eggs are the desired firmness. Scoop the eggs out of the pan with the slotted spoon and let the water drip off completely. Serve immediately.
Note: The vinegar in the poaching water keeps the egg white from spreading out. The more you add the tighter the white becomes. You should be careful about adding too much because it will flavor the eggs a bit.
Panir cheese is sometimes called Indian tofu. It's easy to make and has the unique ability to be fried or cooked without melting. Dice or slice the cheese and brown in a little butter or oil and you have a terrific salad garnish, soup topper, or alternative to Parmesan cheese in a pasta dish.
Ingredients
2 quarts whole milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
Directions
Heat the milk in a large pot over medium-high heat, stirring constantly while scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid scorching. Bring the milk to a full rolling boil and then reduce heat to low.
Immediately pour in lemon juice and gently stir for a few seconds. Remove the pan from the heat. Continue to stir until lumps of curd form. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth. The cheesecloth should be large enough to overhang the edges of the colander. Pour the curd into the lined colander to capture the. Gather up the corners of the cheesecloth and twist until most of the liquid is squeezed out (be careful, it's hot). Rinse briefly under cold tap water. Twist again to remove any remaining liquid.
Set wrapped cheese in a large bowl and put a substantial weight on the cheese — a bowl of water, a pumpkin, a big rock — anything handy to compress the cheese. Compress the cheese for 1 hour. Unwrap and use or store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Be careful not to mix your pie crust too much, it will become tough. If making a two-crust pie, double the recipe.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup shortening cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons cold water
Directions
Sift flour into a bowl and then add salt to the flour. Add butter and shortening to the flour and work together with your hands. Continue to blend until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Sprinkle cold water onto flour and work in with a round bladed dough knife. Press together into a round ball, cover bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll out on a sturdy counter and cut into desired shape.
The secret to success with frying batters is to keep them very cold. This is a very simple batter and may be flavored with a variety of herbs and spices.
Ingredients
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2/3 cup ice cold water
Directions
Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside. In a second bowl, lightly beat egg and combine with water. Stir in dry ingredients being careful not to overmix. Batter will be slightly lumpy.
Most of us don't have quantities of beef drippings or a pot full of beef bones hanging around to make a rich beef stock. If you do, I'm eatin' at your house. There are very good soup bases available at any supermarket that will allow you to make an acceptable stock as rich as you would like. Check the ingredients and make sure salt is not the first ingredient; this signals an inferior product. If you use a base, you may have to add a few drops of kitchen bouquet or caramel color to achieve the sought-after dark brown color.
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or other fat
1/2 cup flour
1 quart rich beef stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Optional: 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Directions
Bring stock to a boil in a small pot. Reduce heat and keep hot.
In a large stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir together to form a paste. Continue to cook this mixture, stirring constantly, until it takes on a distinctive rust color. Add hot stock to the pot and stir vigorously until lumps of flour are smoothed out. Add thyme (if desired) and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer at least 15 minutes to completely cook the flour. The longer you simmer the sauce, the smoother and shinier the sauce becomes. It will keep for a week in the refrigerator or a year in the freezer.