Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup minced yellow onion
- 5 cups milk, warm
- Salt, as needed
- Ground black or white pepper, as needed
- Freshly grated nutmeg, as needed (optional)
Directions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and butter. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 6 minutes (see note).
- Add the flour, stirring to combine, and cook until light brown to form a white roux, about 2 minutes.
- Gradually add the milk to the pan, stirring or whisking to work out any lumps. Bring the mixture to a full boil, then reduce the heat to low to establish a simmer. Simmer until the sauce has thickened and the starchy feel and taste of the flour have cooked away, about 30 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently and skim as necessary.
- Season the sauce with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg, if using, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Return the sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Use immediately or refrigerate for later use.
Chef’s Note:
You can also make the roux first and set it aside for later. In that case, simply reverse Steps 1 and 2, and add the milk once the roux is hot.
Variations:
Cheddar Cheese Sauce: After straining, return to the pan and stir in 4 oz grated sharp Cheddar as the sauce simmers over low heat.
Cream Sauce: Add 1/2 cup heated heavy cream to the finished sauce and simmer over low heat for an additional 4 to 5 minutes.
Mornay Sauce: After straining, return to the pan and add 2 oz each grated Gruyère and Parmesan. Finish with up to 4 tablespoons of butter if desired.
The post Béchamel Sauce appeared first on CIA Foodies.
]]>The post Beurre Blanc appeared first on CIA Foodies.
]]>Beurre blanc is a classic French sauce, made creamy thanks to the emulsion formed between the fat (butter!) and the liquid (wine). The key to not breaking an emulsion is patience and an even, moderate cooking temperature, so take your time adding the butter and take care not to let the mixture get too hot. This video will walk you through the process for surefire success!
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons minced shallots
- 7 black peppercorns
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 3 cups (6 sticks) butter, cubed, chilled
- Salt, as needed
- Ground white pepper, as needed
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (optional)
Directions
- In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat and continue simmering until the cream has reduced to half its volume. Reserve.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the shallots, peppercorns, wine, lemon juice, and vinegar. Cook until the liquid has reduced and the pan is nearly dry, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add the reduced heavy cream and simmer over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly.
- With the pan over low heat, add the butter, a few cubes at a time, whisking constantly to blend the butter into the reduced cream. Continue adding the butter until the full amount has been incorporated. Season the sauce with salt and white pepper, and stir in the lemon zest, if using.
- If desired, the sauce can be strained through a fine-mesh sieve for a smoother texture. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for later use.
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]]>The post Fresh Tomato Sauce appeared first on CIA Foodies.
]]>Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup minced yellow onion
- 2 1/2 lb ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
- Kosher salt, as needed
Directions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat.
- Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and translucent, then add tomatoes.
- Season the sauce lightly with salt and simmer the sauce until it is thickened and flavorful, 20 to 30 minutes.
- When the sauce is cooked, pass it through a food mill. The sauce is ready to use now or it can be cooled and stored in covered containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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]]>The post Hollandaise Sauce appeared first on CIA Foodies.
]]>Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
- 3 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
- 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and kept warm
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Ground white pepper, as needed
- Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions
-
In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar and peppercorns over medium heat. Simmer until nearly dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the water to a medium bowl. Strain the vinegar-peppercorn mixture into the bowl; discard the peppercorns.
-
Whisk the egg yolks into the mixture and set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the yolks have tripled in volume and fall in ribbons from the whisk when it is lifted, about 4 minutes.
-
Remove the bowl from the heat and set it on a damp towel to keep the bowl from slipping on the work surface. Gradually ladle in the warm, melted butter in a thin stream, whisking constantly. As the butter is blended into the yolks, the sauce will thicken and emulsify. If it becomes too thick, add a little water or lemon juice to loosen the yolks enough to absorb the remaining butter.
-
Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne, if using. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed.
-
Serve the sauce within 2 hours. If not using immediately, keep the sauce warm over a pot of barely simmering water or in an insulated container.
The post Hollandaise Sauce appeared first on CIA Foodies.
]]>The post How to Make a Pan Sauce Without a Recipe appeared first on CIA Foodies.
]]>
Just like you, we’re not making fully formed extravagant dinners every night of the week. Sometimes a basic pan-cooked protein + side is as good as it gets, like a sautéed chicken breast or seared pork chop.
But just like the foundations of French cooking tell us, nothing makes a simple dish better than an even more simple sauce. And luckily, once you’ve cooked your chicken or pork or steak, or whatever it is you like, you’re 80% of the way to the perfect sauce.
A pan sauce is a sauce made using the pan drippings leftover from sautéed meat. The brown bits, or the fond, are concentrated flavor—a little salty, a little sweet, and very savory. To make a sauce from the fond, we simply add a liquid ingredient to form the base and remove the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and add any additional flavorings we may like.
Here’s how to make a pan sauce—no recipe needed!
- Season your meat, and sauté it to the doneness you like. Sauté is best, since it cooks the meat without added moisture, ensuring a nice fond. This method also works for roasted foods; everything we explain here can be done in a stainless steel roasting pan on the stovetop. Regardless of the method, the ability to create a sauce depends on the flavor leftover from the item you cooked.
- If your pan drippings begin to burn, don’t panic! Add a few tablespoons of moisture to the pan as it’s cooking. Water, broth, wine, or even beer will do the trick. This will deglaze the pan and reconcentrate the flavors with just enough added moisture to keep it from scorching. You can do this as many times as you need.
- Once your meat is finished cooking, remove it from the pan and set it aside to rest. If there is a lot of fat left in the pan, pour out all but a tablespoon or two, and return the pan to the heat. If your main item is lean, like chicken breast, fish, or shrimp, add some butter or oil to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium, and add flavoring ingredients, like onion, shallot, ginger, garlic or some spices. You don’t need much: a few cloves of garlic, a quarter to half an onion. Let everything cook until the aromatics are soft, about 5 minutes, or if you’d like a deeper, richer flavor, let them brown and caramelize around the edges, about 10 minutes.
- You’ve surely heard the term “deglaze,” and now is the time to put it into action! Add a liquid to the pan to help loosen the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. You don’t need tons, just about 1 cup. Though you can use any liquid (yes, even water, in a pinch!), this is a good time to add some acidity to help balance your sauce. White or red wine, dry vermouth, dry sherry, beer, or even vinegar are popular options, but any kind of broth or stock works great, as well. You can combine one or more of these options depending on what you like and what you’re serving.
- Add any other flavors that you would like to incorporate, like fresh herbs, mustard, miso, or lemon zest. Let the mixture simmer and reduce until it tastes delicious and rich, adding more liquids, acid, or even honey as needed to balance the flavors.
- When the liquid is reduced and the sauce is flavorful, remove it from the heat. You can serve it now, as is, or add a tablespoon or two of butter. Swirl the butter in the pan, allowing it to slowly melt and incorporate into the sauce to make it smooth and glossy (this is the trick that makes restaurant sauces so good!). Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and you’re ready to go. You can strain it, if you like, but for a casual dinner, you can spoon it over your protein and get to the good part.
Notes:
- Pan sauces are not quite as easy with vegetable dishes, since vegetables tend to leave very little behind in terms of drippings and fond. That’s not to say you can’t make a pan sauce after sautéing or roasting vegetables, but you’ll need to add more flavors to make it rich and robust.
- If you do burn the fond in your pan, there’s unfortunately no rescuing to be done. To avoid a bitter sauce, make something on the side, like a chimichurri, or even just a simple vinaigrette to drizzle over your protein.
- If you need a little more guidance, this roast pork with honey-mustard pan sauce is a very good example. Chicken Breast with Fines Herbes Sauce has a few more steps and shows you how to incorporate a slurry for a sauce that is a bit more substantial.
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]]>The post Kitchen Vocab: Nappe appeared first on CIA Foodies.
]]>Ice cream base that is cooped is cooked to this stage before cooling and then freezing. Cooking it to
this stage indicates that the proteins have been fully cooked and the base has sufficiently thickened to create a velvety smooth frozen treat.
The term is also used to describe sauces that are served with savory foods. Some recipes will refer to light (thin), medium, or heavy (thick) nappe. The level to which a sauce should be thickened depends on how the sauce will be used. A light sauce which is meant to accompany a delicate fish would be thickened to a light nappe. A hearty cheese sauce which is meant to accompany steamed broccoli would be thickened to a heavy nappe.
How do you test the nappe of a sauce? Dip a wooden spoon in the sauce and draw a line down the back of the spoon with your finger. If you leave a clean line down the center of the spoon, you have nappe. If the sauce is so thin that it runs back together, it should be thickened further.
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]]>The post Pistou appeared first on CIA Foodies.
]]>Pistou is the subtly different French version of pesto, the fragrant Italian herb paste. While pesto typically includes nuts, pistou may or may not. The key ingredients for both are basil, olive oil, garlic, and cheese. In fact, the first version of pistou was essentially a cheese paste—basil may have been a later addition.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/3 cup olive oil, plus as needed
Directions
- Purée the basil, Parmigiano, and garlic to a fine paste in a food processor or blender.
- With the machine running, add 1/3 cup of the olive oil in a thin stream. Scrape the sides of the bowl or blender jar as necessary. Purée until the oil is completely incorporated.
- The pistou is ready to use now. To hold for later use, pour a thick layer of olive oil over the surface and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
The post Pistou appeared first on CIA Foodies.
]]>The post Ragù Bolognese appeared first on CIA Foodies.
]]>Bolognese is essentially a meat stew with a small amount of tomato added— although Americans often confuse it for a tomato sauce with some meat added. The sauce is cooked slowly to develop a deep, rich flavor. In Italy it is traditionally served with tagliatelle pasta and Parmigiano-Reggiano, but you may choose another pasta if you’d like. It is also delicious in lasagna or served over creamy polenta.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup peeled, small-dice celery
- 1 cup peeled, small-dice carrot
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 lb pancetta, finely chopped
- 1 lb ground veal
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1/2 lb 85% ground beef
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- One 14.5-oz can whole plum tomatoes
- 2 cups Beef Broth, plus more as needed
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 1/2 lb fresh tagliatelle pasta, or dried pasta
- 1/3 cup kosher salt, plus more as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- 4 oz freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
- In a Dutch oven or saucepan, warm the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Cover and cook until the onions are transparent, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a 10- to 12-inch heavy-bottomed or cast-iron pan over medium heat, and bring it just to the smoke point, the point at which you start to see small wisps of smoke coming from the hot oil. Working in small batches, add some of the pancetta, veal, pork, and beef to the pan. Add enough meat to cover threequarters of the surface area of the pan. Increase the heat to high. You should only add an amount of meat that can brown lightly without burning or boiling in its own juices as they render; you will need to do this in several batches in order to avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook each batch of meat until the fat renders and the meat is browned, 10 to 16 minutes. Transfer the meat to the Dutch oven, or to a slow cooker along with the vegetable mixture.
- When all the meat has been browned, add the milk to the Dutch oven or slow cooker. Simmer over high heat until all of the milk has reduced and there is none left in the pot. Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hand before adding them to the pot. Simmer for about 15 minutes more. Add the beef broth and wine, increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to establish a gentle simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours in the Dutch oven, or 3 to 4 hours on low in the slow cooker, adding more broth if necessary during cooking. At the end of the cooking time, the consistency should be thick and heavy.
- Ten minutes before serving, add the pasta to a large pot with 6 quarts of boiling salted water and season with 1/3 cup of salt. Boil the pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes for fresh pasta, or according to the package instructions. (The Italian term al dente means “to the tooth” or “to the bite,” referring to the need to chew the pasta due to its firmness.) Drain the pasta.
- To serve, season the sauce with salt and pepper as needed. Pour the ragú over the cooked pasta and top with the cheese.
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]]>The post Recipes Between the Lines: Make a Slurry appeared first on CIA Foodies.
]]>A slurry is a thickener consisting of a pure starch mixed with a cold liquid to form a thin paste or “slurry.” Cornstarch is used most often, but others such as arrowroot or potato starch are also commonly used. Combining the starch with a cold liquid before adding it to a hot liquid (such as a sauce, like in this Spicy Tofu with Mushrooms) allows it to mix in thoroughly. A starch that is added directly to a hot liquid will clump together and ruin the texture of the sauce and will not act to thicken. By first creating the slurry, the starch can be more evenly mixed into the hot liquid it is thickening and the result will be velvety smooth.
To make a slurry, thoroughly blend the starch and liquid until it is about the consistency of heavy cream. Slurries can be blended in advance and held to use during last minute preparations. If not used immediately, the starch will settle out of the liquid and fall to the bottom of the container. Stir the slurry just before use to recombine the starch evenly with the liquid.
Pour or ladle the slurry into the simmering liquid while stirring constantly. When added in this way, slurries quickly thicken the liquid, making it easy for you to control the final consistency of the dish. Whisk constantly to prevent lumps and scorching. Bring the liquid back to a boil and cook just until the sauce reaches the desired thickness and clarity.
There are no firm rules or ratios to determine how much slurry you need for your use. To start, combine 1 tablespoon of starch with 2 tablespoons water or other cold liquid. Add a little at a time, allowing the mixture to come to a boil before adding more. Make more slurry, as needed.
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]]>The post What I’m Cooking (and Freezing!): Roasted Salsa Verde appeared first on CIA Foodies.
]]>There is nothing more satisfying to me than putting away bits and bobs of ingredients or prepared foods that I can pull out months down the road to create something entirely new. I’m the person who freezes 2 tablespoons of leftover anything delicious—beer, chimichurri, apple butter. It’s not so much a waste-not-want-not attitude, though, I mean, waste not want not, but more about how happy future-me will be when she finds something to put a lackluster dinner over the top. It always gets used, one way or another.
I also am very much a person who gets cranky about cooking because I have to, rather than cooking because I want to. I love to cook, but I don’t always want to, so having a freezer stash simplifies my life on days when I need a break.
Okay, so now that you know about my favorite hobby, I’ll get to the point, which is that this week I made a big batch of my family’s most-used salsa. It’s a cooked salsa verde, made with tomatillos, poblanos, jalapenos, red onion, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. It’s very hands off, requiring a short roast in the oven (grill works, too) and a trip to the blender.
We use it for everything, from tacos to enchiladas, an easy sauce for grilled fish, a flavoring base for soup, or, obviously, as a snack. It’s as spicy as you want it to be and very versatile.
I like to freeze this salsa in pretty small portions, roughly 1/2 cup at a time, because I find that you don’t need much more than that for lots of uses, and it’s easy to grab a few portions if I need to. Like most things of a saucy-nature, I freeze my salsa in a silicone muffin tin, like this one, and then pop them out and keep them in a zip top bag.
This batch makes about 7 cups, but can be halved or doubled to suit your needs. Use these quantities as a baseline, but play around until you love it. Garlic, cilantro, and lime are particularly adjustable to taste.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 lb tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed – this might be painfully obvious to everyone but me, but I learned the hard way awhile ago that tomatillo husks should not go in the garbage disposal.
- 2 poblano peppers, halved and seeded
- 2 jalapeños, halved and seeded – use as many of these as you like, and keep the seeds if you like the spice
- 1 red onion, peeled and roughly cut into chunks — white or yellow onion would be fine here, too
- 6 cloves garlic, separated but not peeled
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
- Juice from 1 lime, plus more as needed
- Kosher salt, to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- On a baking sheet, place all of the tomatillos in one layer. On a second baking sheet, arrange the poblanos and jalapenos, cut side down. Gently press on the peppers until they are slightly flattened. Scatter the onions and garlic around the peppers.
- Roast the tomatillos and the other vegetables until they are softened and browned, about 30 minutes (the tomatillos may only be browned on the bottom. That’s okay). If you prefer a slightly more charred flavor, broil the ingredients for about 5 more minutes, until they are lightly charred.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Peel the garlic cloves and transfer all of the cooked ingredients, plus the cilantro and lime juice, to a blender, working in batches, if needed.
- Blend until smooth. Taste and season with salt or more lime juice, if needed.
- I used to cook the ingredients under the broiler until they were pretty well charred. I’ve grown not to love the bitterness of the charred vegetables in this salsa, so now I do a bit of a lighter roast. But if a bit of char is your thing, go for it. The grill will produce a similar flavor.
- Mix this salsa with something creamy, like sour cream or mashed avocado, for a rich sauce. I will often use the salsa inside enchiladas, and then use a creamy version on top.
- Use this same formula for a red tomato salsa. Substitute equal part tomatoes for the tomatillos.
- Check out this uncooked tomatillo salsa for a simple and bright fresh flavor.
The post What I’m Cooking (and Freezing!): Roasted Salsa Verde appeared first on CIA Foodies.
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