Cranberry Fizz
Recipe care of Mother Shrub drinking vinegar
Mocktail: 1-2 oz Mother Shrub cranberry, ginger beer, lemon lime soda or sparkling water over ice...For a Cocktail add 2 oz rum, vodka or gin
Classic Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese
Serves 2
Ingredients
Juice of ½ large lemon
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoons onion powder
3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 medium Roma tomato, finely diced
½ small red onion, thinly sliced in half moons
1 tablespoon chives, minced
Fresh cracked pepper
Directions
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice, mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream, garlic powder and onion powder. Whisk the mixture together until smooth. Add the cheese and mix just until blended. Chill in the refrigerator before serving. Core and quarter the lettuce. Serve a generous dollop of dressing over each lettuce wedge and top with the bacon, tomato, red onion and chives. Season with pepper.
Steak au Poivre
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 boneless steaks, such as rib eye or filet mignon
Kosher salt
1 ounce whole black peppercorns, plus more as needed, divided
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 thyme sprigs
1 medium clove garlic
1/2 large shallot, minced
2 tablespoons bourbon
3/4 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream or 6 tablespoons
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Directions
Season steaks all over with kosher salt. Set on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and allow to air-dry, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, crack peppercorns into rough halves and quarters. You can use a pepper mill set to its coarsest setting (though not all pepper mills will crack coarsely enough); a mortar and pestle (though some peppercorns will jump out as you try to crush them).
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread cracked peppercorns on a plate or in another shallow dish and firmly press one side of each steak into the pepper to encrust it in an even layer. Set each steak aside, peppercorn side up. Reserve any remaining cracked peppercorns. (Exactly how much pepper adheres will depend on the dimensions of the steaks. You should have some pepper remaining, but if not, you can crack more to completely coat one side of each steak.)
In a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add steaks, peppercorn side down, and cook until peppercorns are well toasted, about 3 minutes. Carefully turn steaks, trying not to break the peppercorn crust. Add butter, thyme, and garlic and cook, basting steaks with a spoon, until steaks are well seared on the second side. Remove from heat.
Transfer steaks to a rimmed baking sheet. Using an instant-read thermometer, check the internal temperature of the steaks; if they've reached 125°F (52°C), they're ready to be served medium-rare. If they haven't reached their final doneness temperature (which will depend heavily on the dimensions of the steaks), transfer to oven and continue cooking until the correct internal temperature is reached. Either way, allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes once the final doneness temperature is reached.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from skillet and discard garlic and thyme. Add shallot and any reserved cracked peppercorns, return to medium heat, and cook, stirring, until shallot is tender, about 2 minutes. Add bourbon. (To prevent an unexpected flare-up if working over gas, you can turn off the burner, add the alcohol, then reignite the burner.) Cook until raw alcohol smell has burned off and bourbon has almost completely evaporated.
Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping up any browned bits. Whisk in cream or crème fraîche, then simmer, stirring often, until sauce has reduced enough to glaze a spoon. Whisk in mustard. Season with salt. Arrange steaks on plates and pour sauce on top.
Pommes Anna
2 large russet potatoes
1/4 cup unsalted clarified butter
salt and white pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Using a mandoline, thinly slice the peeled potatoes to about 1/8 inch thick. Place the slices in a bowl of cold water as you cut to prevent discoloration. Once you're ready to assemble, place the slices on a layer of paper towels to remove excess moisture.
Warm 2 tablespoons of butter (or enough to coat the bottom) of a well-seasoned cast iron or oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium heat. Carefully layer the potato slices in a circular pattern starting at the center and working your way to the outer edge until the bottom layer of the pan is covered. Brush with butter, and add additional flavoring ingredients like garlic, parmesan, or thyme, if desired. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper to taste.
Repeat the layering process two more times, brushing with butter and seasoning in between. Cook over medium high heat until the bottom begins to golden, about five minutes.
Gently shake the pan to ensure the potatoes are not sticking to the base. Once the bottom layer is cooked, cover the pan with parchment paper or tin foil and place it in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the covering and cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Remove from the oven and carefully invert the potatoes onto a plate or casserole dish to serve.
Glazed Carrots with Shallots
Serves 2
1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for water
4 carrots, peeled and cut crosswise on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot thinly sliced into rings
2 tab;espoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and add salt. Add carrots, and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well; set aside.
Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in honey, mustard, and salt. Add carrots, and cook until heated through.
Crepes
Ingredients
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted butter
21/2 tablespoons sugar,
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur (Cointreau, Chambord, Rum)
Butter, for coating the pan
Directions
In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours.
Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone.
Once cool to the touch you can fill with your favorite jam, Nutella or lemon curd. Garnish with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
After they have cooled, if you are not using them right away, you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.
