Flash in the Pan

Mark Bittman's article on a Puerto Rican pork roast called pernil got me to thinking about slow ovens. There's nothing particularly Latin about slowly cooking food, either in the oven or on the range. One of my favorite recipes is to take a brisket and a large pot (preferably one that can go on the range and in the oven). You chop a large onion, saute it in some olive or avocado oil in the pan over high heat, and cook until the pieces caramelize. While you're waiting, mix some all purpose flour with a bit of salt and ground pepper, and then coat the brisket in the mixture. When the onion is cooked, remove it and reserve. Now add some additional oil and brown the brisket on all sides. Then return the onions to the pot and add enough beef stock to come up an inch on the inside of the pot. Cover the pot, place it into a 250 degree oven, and cook for hours, or until a fork will go in with absolutely no resistance.

A second recipe is one that I first say in a James Villas book - a real potato gratin. Now there are apparently as many recipes for this dish as there are households in France, with each region having an overall approach that, of course, is the "correct" one. Some have cheese; some don't. Some use milk; some, cream. I take a 2 quart casserole dish, cut a clove of garlic open, and rub the inside of the dish with the cut faces. Using about 3 to 5 potatoes, depending on their size, I peel them and then slice each lengthwise to get pieces only 1/16th of an inch thick. I law a lawyer or two of potato slices in the dish, sprinkle them with a bit of salt and pepper, and then add some more layers. About halfway through, I dot the surface with butter, then add more layers. Give yourself at least half an inch at the top.

Now, mix some light cream and milk (or just light cream, if you prefer) in equal proportions, heat in a pot on the stove, and then pour the liquid into the casserole dish. You need just enough to come even with the top of the potatoes. Dot the top with butter, and then bake for at least 2.5 to 3 hours at 250 degrees. You'll know it's done when you have a brown crust on top. The effect is really cheesy, except without any cheese. This is a big favorite not only at our house, but when we're asked to contribute a dish to a supper cooked by people who've had the gratin at our house.

Labels: meat, potato, recipe

A weekly round-up of food and drink oddities:

• How Much Is That Ham Bone In The Window? Devoted Spanish foodies are lining up to order ham that will cost $180 a pound and not be available until next year. Does it come with mustard? (Canoe.ca)


• The Naked Cartoon British chef and television personality Jamie Oliver has inspired a cartoon about a ten-year-old who wants to become a master chef. Producing is Aardman Studios, the force that created Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run. It will undoubtedly be Brilliant and Fantastic.(Independent Online)


• Spudland A Croatian town plans a park dedicated to potatoes. Mr. Potato Head wants his share. (Ananova)


• Big Mac Museum The Big Mac Museum opened last week to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the sandwich. Rumors are that the first Big Mac ever created was there until someone mistakenly ate it and found that it tasted just like what you'd get today. And on a serious note, it took Jim Delligatti, one of the first franchisees of Ray Kroc and the sandwich's inventor, two years to get the company to let him serve it. A little less persistance on his part and you could knock off a number of zeros from the patty tally. (Associated Press)


• Feel the Zoo Burn Overweight animals in a South Korean zoo are being put on a diet. If things don't shape up, next it will be the subtitled version of Sweatin' to the Oldies. (AFP)

Labels: Big Mac, ham, Jamie Oliver, McDonald's, potato, Spain, weird

A Canadian teen allegedly hid a lighter, pipe, and bag of pot in a Happy Meal, which, presumably, accidently went to an 8-year-old at an Ottawa McDonald's drive-through window. Her father went to the police. I think it was probably a case of the teen planning in advance, anticipating a wicked case of the munchies.

Labels: McDonald's, police, potato, teen

One of my kids had to do a report on Romania, including bringing some "authentic" food into school. Unfortuantely, I couldn't find an appropriate recipe in our extensive cookbook research library. My son found a web site with a collection of Romanian recipes but decided on what turned out to be an apple souffle, which isn't the sort of food that travels or reheats well. So instead, I looked on the same site and came across a recipe for potato blini. The results are like potato pancakes, but a bit lighter. Unfortunately, I didn't find it complete or really useful for those without significant experience with doughs, so here's my adaptation with fuller instructions:

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Russet potatoes


• 1/2 cup milk at 100˚F to 105˚F


• 1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) dried yeast


• 1/2 to 1 1/4 cups bread flour


• 1 TB. sugar


• 3/4 tsp. salt


• 1/2 cup vegetable oil


• sour cream

Instructions

1. Peel potatoes and finely grate. Texture should be of wet potato mush.


2. Sprinkle dried yeast onto surface of milk and then stir until yeast dissolves.


3. In large bowl, sift 1/2 cup flour, sugar, and salt together. Add milk and grated potato and thoroughly mix.


4. Add additional flour and mix until mixture is thick but not stiff, with the consistency of pancake batter.


5. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 45 to 60 minutes. Do not deflate batter.


6. Heat oil in 10-inch pan over high heat. Add single tablespoons of batter to pan and fry until golden brown on the first side. Turn blini and brown on other, and then drain on paper towel.


7. Continuing adding tablespoons of batter to make additional blini until you've gone through all the batter. Serve hot with sour cream.

Serves 10 as an appetizer or side dish.

Labels: blini, pancakes, potato, recipe, Romania, Romanian