Bacon Pastrami Brine
3 ½ quarts water
1 pint bourbon
1 cup kosher salt
12 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons pickling spice
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
8 bay leaves
1 ½ cups molasses
1 pork belly
Bacon Pastrami Dry Rub
1 cup coarsely ground pepper
1 cup coarsely ground coriander
Wrapped Shrimp
8 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt
Pepper
8 toothpicks
2 teaspoons olive oil
To make the bacon pastrami brine: Combine the water, bourbon, salt, garlic, pickling spice, coriander seeds, bay leaves, and molasses in a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from heat and let cool. Place the pork belly in the cool liquid and make sure all meat is submerged (weigh it down if necessary). Cover and refrigerate 2–3 days.
To make the bacon pastrami dry rub: When the pork belly has brined, remove it from the liquid and dry well. Rub all sides with a mixture of the pepper and coriander. Prepare a smoker according to the manufacturer’s directions; set it to 130 degrees and smoke the belly for 2 hours or more. (The Bourbon House prefers using pecan wood in the smoker.) Raise the temperature to 220 degrees and smoke until the belly reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees. Remove it from the smoker and let it rest for 1 hour. Chill it well before slicing it into strips.
To make the wrapped shrimp: Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, wrap each shrimp with a slice of pastrami bacon, and secure it with a toothpick. Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan and cook the wrapped shrimp until it is cooked through and the pastrami is crisp.
½ cup stone ground grits
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons finely diced onion
2 ancho chili peppers, seeded and finely diced
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chives
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
NOTE:
You can buy pork belly at a butcher shop. The strips of bacon pastrami not needed for this recipe may be used as bacon or ham in other dishes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the stone grits on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 7–minutes, until they are lightly toasted and have a slightly nutty aroma. Remove them from the oven and let them cool. Salt them to taste.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed sauce pot, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over low heat. Add the onions and chili peppers and cook several minutes, until the onions are soft. Add the chicken stock and milk and bring to a boil. With a whisk, stir in the grits; stir to eliminate any clumps. Remove the whisk, reduce the heat, and cook 30 to 40 minutes until the grits are tender. (Grits can stick to the bottom of the pot and can scorch, so it’s advisable to use a wooden spoon and stir often). Add the parsley, chives, thyme, and the other 1 tablespoon butter. Check the seasoning before serving.
2 cups water
2½ cups sugar
1 lemon
Slice the lemon into ⅛-inch slices. Place the slices in a small sauce pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Strain and discard the water. Place the lemon slices back in the sauce pot and again cover with water, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 more minutes. Strain and discard the water. Place the 2 cups water and 2 cups of the sugar in the sauce pot and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Place the lemon slices into the syrup and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes, strain, and discard the liquid. Pat the slices dry and toss in remaining sugar. Place in an airtight container and store until ready to use.
To assemble the bacon pastrami-wrapped shrimp with toasted ancho chili stone grits and candied lemon: Place equal amounts of grits on four small plates, top with two shrimp, drizzle with sauce, and garnish with candied lemon.
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
½ cup white vinegar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons bourbon
½ teaspoon finely diced jalapeño peppers
⅛ teaspoon chili flakes
⅛ teaspoon crushed coriander seed
Place the corn syrup, vinegar, and bourbon in a small sauce pan and cook until syrupy, about 30 minutes. Add the peppers, chili flakes, and coriander.
8 very large sea scallops
¼ cup kosher salt
⅛ cup dark brown sugar
⅛ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Clean the scallops and pat them dry. Mix the salt, brown sugar, sugar, and pepper thoroughly. Rub the scallops evenly with the mixture and place them on a nonreactive baking pan or plate. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap or brown paper bag, weigh them down with another pan or plate, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Brush the extra seasoning from the scallops. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan until hot but not smoking. Place the scallops in the sauté pan; quickly sear one side and turn them over. Continue cooking just long enough to get some nice color on the scallops (about 5–10 minutes), being careful not to burn them. Remove them from the pan and serve immediately.
½ cup pecans
2 Anaheim peppers
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup finely diced celery
1/3 cup finely diced onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 cups diced French bread
1 cup chicken stock
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sage
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the pecans for 5 minutes and then chop them. Roast the Anaheim peppers for 20 minutes and then dice them.
Preheat a medium sauce pot and melt the butter. Add the celery, onion, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 6 minutes. Add the pecans and peppers and cook 2 more minutes, until you can smell the nutty pecans. Add the French bread and chicken stock and stir well to combine. Add the kosher salt, sage, cayenne, pepper, and Creole seasoning.
¼ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon blueberry blossom honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons gourmet espresso syrup
2 shallots, finely diced
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
½ cup pecan oil
Place the vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, syrup, shallots, and parsley in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Slowly drizzle the pecan oil in a steady stream while whisking vigorously with a wire whip. Check the seasoning.
To assemble the brown sugar-cured diver scallops with chili-pecan dressing and chicory vinaigrette: Place an equal portion of dressing on each of four plates, top with two scallops, and drizzle with chicory vinaigrette.
Salt and pepper
1 cup flour
4 large meaty pork shanks, about 1¼ pounds each, about 3-inch lengths
4 teaspoons Creole seasoning
¼ cup olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
4 large carrots, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
12 cloves garlic
½ cup bourbon (Buffalo Trace)
2 bay leaves
1 gallon beef or veal stock or brown chicken stock
4 orange slices, ¼ inch thick
Add salt and pepper (to taste) to the flour. Season the shanks with the Creole seasoning and dust them with the seasoned flour. Shake off excess flour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a heavy-gauge ovenproof pot or covered roasting pan, heat the oil and butter over high heat on the stovetop until very hot and sear the shanks until they have a good crust and are very nicely browned. Turn them over and sear until a crust appears again, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the carrots, onions, celery, and garlic to the pan and cover and cook them until browned, about 10–2 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Pour off the excess fat and add the pork shanks back to the pan. Deglaze with the bourbon and cook for 1 minute. Add the bay leaves and stock. Place 1 orange slice on top of each shank, bring the mixture to a boil, and cover and place the roasting pan in the oven. Roast for approximately 3 hours, until very tender, checking occasionally to make sure the liquid doesn’t cook away; add more stock or water if needed. Gently remove the shanks from the pot; set aside and keep warm by wrapping in foil.
Strain the braising liquid into another container and skim off whatever fat rises to the top. Return it to the stove and bring it to a boil, skimming away any fat that comes to the top. Cook the sauce until it can coat the back of a spoon. Add a splash of your favorite bourbon and a pat of butter and check the seasoning.
3 large sweet potatoes, about 1 pound each
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup honey
Kosher salt
White pepper
4 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1.8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel and quarter the sweet potatoes and put them in a roasting pan. Pour in 1 cup of water, drizzle the sweet potatoes with the molasses and honey, and season with the salt and pepper. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid or aluminum foil and bake for about 1 hour. Remove the cover and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, until the potatoes are dark brown and very tender. Remove them to the large bowl of an electric mixer, add the butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and mix until all the lumps are gone. Pour in as much of the cooking liquid as desired, continue whipping for another minute, check consistency and seasoning (you can add more honey, molasses, or butter if desired), put the potatoes in a large casserole dish, and serve immediately.
2 peaches, cut in half and peeled
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
½ cup bourbon
Press the peaches cut side down into the turbinado sugar. In a heavy-gauge sauté pan, heat the peaches until very hot. Place them cut side up and cook 5 minutes, until the sugar is well caramelized; it should have a golden-brown color. Turn the peaches over, add the bourbon to the pan, cover, and continue cooking several minutes, until peaches are quite soft. Remove the peaches and add the remaining liquid to the pork braising liquid (the sauce to be drizzled over the pork).
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Put the water and sugar in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. As the water evaporates, the sugar will start to collect on the sides of the pan. Using a pastry brush, wipe some water on the sides to clean away collected sugar, but do not stir. Continue cooking until the sugar is cooked to the hard crack stage, remove the pan from heat, and let it cool slightly. When almost cool, dip a fork into the caramelized sugar and shake the fork back and forth over the handle of a wooden spoon, creating finely spun “hay.” Let the hay cool and place it in an airtight container or serve it immediately.
To assemble the buffalo osso buco with molasses sweet potatoes, caramelized peaches, bourbon demi-glacé, and caramel hay: Place equal amounts of sweet potatoes on four plates, place one shank on top of each, drizzle with sauce, and garnish with one peach half and caramel hay.
Bread Pudding
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted but not hot
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups 1-inch cubes of stale French bread
Bourbon Sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
1½ cups heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup bourbon
Meringue
¾ cup sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
9 egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
To make the bread pudding: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and eggs in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Slowly pour the cream into the warm chocolate and then pour this mixture into the egg mixture. Add the vanilla and bread cubes and mix well, allowing the bread to soak up the liquid. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch pan, pour the mixture into it, and place it in the oven. Bake the pudding for 30 minutes, until it is golden brown and firm to the touch. Let it cool to room temperature.
To make the bourbon sauce: Make a slurry by mixing the cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the cornstarch slurry to the cream and return it to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the sugar and bourbon and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove the sauce from the heat and cover it with a lid to keep it warm.
To make the meringue: Mix the sugar and cocoa powder together. Bring the egg whites to room temperature in a large bowl and add the cream of tartar to them. Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is foamy. Gradually add the sugar mixture and continue whipping until the mixture is shiny and thick. Do not overwhip, or the egg whites will break down and the soufflé will not work.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly butter six 5-to-6-ounce ramekins. Break the bread pudding into small pieces and place them in a medium bowl. Add one-fourth of the meringue to the bowl and gently mix, trying not to lose the air in the meringue. Place equal portions into the ramekins. Top each ramekin with some of the remaining meringue, and using a spoon, smooth and shape the top into a dome over the ramekin rim. Immediately place the soufflés in the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes or until they begin to brown. Serve immediately with the warm sauce. (At the Bourbon House they like to poke a hole into the soufflé and pour the sauce into the soufflé at the table.)