Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
Scotch Eggs – This is an Easter Egg You Want in Your Basket
I’ve gotten so many requests for Scotch eggs over the years,
I figured with the Easter holiday coming up, the timing was right to post this
fried miracle of culinary engineering. In my version, I keep the egg soft, so
when you bite in, you get that amazing contrast in texture between the molten
yolk and the crispy sausage shell.
This is traditionally a picnic item, so the hard-boiled egg
makes sense in that setting, but as far as serving it as a snack, or for a first
course, maybe with a salad, I highly recommend the softer approach.
If you use the exact measurements below, the times given
should get you pretty close to what you see here, but there are variables. In a
carton of eggs, depending on the source, you’ll notice small, but significant
size variations. You may want to test your times on the soft-boiled stage before
proceeding.
Another factor is whether or not you chill these before
frying. If you make them the day before, then I’d add a minute to the frying
time. Keep in mind that the frying is to cook the sausage, and just heat the
egg through, so you should cook the yolk to the doneness you want when the
Scotch egg is cut open.
Your best bet is to make a few extra, and test your frying time
before service. Trust me, you’ll enjoy this step. By the way, I have no idea if
this works in the oven. I’m guessing it could, but I can’t help you out with
any specifics. I really hope you give these amazing Scotch eggs a try soon.
Enjoy!
Ingredients for 6 Scotch Eggs:
6 large eggs, right out of the fridge
*steam 6 minutes as shown for soft yolks
3.5 ounces of Italian sausage meat per egg (about 1/2 cup)
*I did 6, and used exactly 21 ounces of sausage.
pinch nutmeg
pinch cayenne
1/4 tsp mustard powder
white flour, 2 beaten eggs, and enough panko breadcrumbs to
bread 6 eggs
(I don’t measure such things)
(I don’t measure such things)
Fry at 350 F. for 5-6 minutes to keep a soft yolk center.
Add another minute for Scotch eggs that have been thoroughly chilled before
frying.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Demi-Glace: Part 2 – Half Again
I could’ve squeezed this stuff into the last video (Demi-Glace Part 1),
but it was already too long, and I didn’t want to rush through what’s just as
important information. Plus, I really wanted to show some more gelatinized sauce
slapping. People really seem to enjoy that, maybe a little too much.
Once you go through all the trouble of making homemade
demi-glace, you’ll want to make sure you portion and store it properly, so that
it provides you with many months of stellar sauces.
As seen in the video, you should get 16 nice blocks, each enough for about two servings, depending on the sauce. As amazing as this stuff is when used as a simple pan sauce, stay tuned for a few proper demi-based sauces at some point. I’ve always wanted to do a bordelaise sauce, and now we can.
Besides using this for sauces, you can also throw a block into braised dishes like short ribs, or coq au vin, and you take something already pretty great, and make it truly memorable. I hope you give homemade demi-glace a try soon. Enjoy!
As seen in the video, you should get 16 nice blocks, each enough for about two servings, depending on the sauce. As amazing as this stuff is when used as a simple pan sauce, stay tuned for a few proper demi-based sauces at some point. I’ve always wanted to do a bordelaise sauce, and now we can.
Besides using this for sauces, you can also throw a block into braised dishes like short ribs, or coq au vin, and you take something already pretty great, and make it truly memorable. I hope you give homemade demi-glace a try soon. Enjoy!
Labels:
French Cuisine,
Sauces,
Tips and Techniques
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