The Sauced Chef

Dancing Hush Puppies

Makes 6 -8

1 bowl

1 deep pan for frying

1 slated spoon

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon chopped finely chopped parsley (fresh)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 egg

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or as needed)

1 medium onion, minced (your choice, I prefer vidalia)

3 cups oil or fat for deep frying

1. Pour fat in frying pan and heat to around 300 degrees***
2. Mix or sift (sifting optional) cornmeal, salt, cayenne, soda and flour
3. Add egg and buttermilk until its the right consistency to hold its shape when rolled into ball
4. Mix in onion
5. Roll into balls about 1 to 2 inches across and drop in frying liquid
6. Fry until deep brown and crispy
7. Drain on paper towel and serve hot

*** If you don’t have a thermometer at home, just make a small test hush puppy first.  It should immediately bubble and start turning deep brown.  You should only need about 1 to 2 minutes maximum per puppy

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Sweet Potato and Apple Flambe

 4 sweet potatoes peeled cut crosswise into ½ inch slices

1 red delicious apple cored and sliced

1 green apple cored and sliced

¼ cup butter + 2 Tbsp

½ cup pure cane sugar

½ cup Jamaican or Belizean Rum

1. Sauté the potatoes in ¼ cup butter, turning to prevent sticking
2. When potatoes are starting to turn brown add the apples
3. When apples and potatoes are brown and tender, transfer to a chafing dish (or another saucepan) that has 2 tbsp butter already melted
4. Add the rum, tip the dish and ignite***
5. Baste the potatoes and apples in syrup
6.  Serve immediately

** Flambe can be dangerous, people! Make sure that you don’t stand directly over the pan, because the flames will rise pretty high. The key is to add the rum, tip the pan (only on a gas stove, use a long candle lighter on an electric stove) and watch the alcohol burn off.  Should be a short burst of flame (last 10 – 30 seconds).  Have fun, pyros!

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Sauce Lab #9: Creme Chantilly

 Mixer (optional, makes it a lot easier)

2 cups heavy cream or creme fraiche

1/4 confectioner’s sugar

2 tbsp vanilla extract

1. Whip the cream by hand or machine until it forms soft peaks**
2. Add the sugar and vanilla.  Continue to whip until it forms stiff peaks but it still smooth (the consistency of whipped cream or cool whip). Don’t overwhip because the the cream will seperate and you will be left with a dish full of butter, baby!

** Soft peaks just look like little waves in the cream.  Basically view this as the halfway point of thickness

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Coffee and Chai Venison Chops with Mincemeat Sauce

large saute pan

spatula and tongs

1/2 sheet pan

parchment paper (not 100% necessary)

various mise en place bowls

6-8 trimmed venison chops

1 cup honey powder

1/2 cup favorite ground coffee

1/4 cup chai tea leaves

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tbsp ground cloves

2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cup of Sauce Lab #6: Meatless Mincemeat Sauce

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tsp peanut oil

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine coffee (set aside 1 tbsp for glaze) chai, salt, pepper, all purpose flour and ground cloves to make a flour rub or dredge for the chops.
3. Dredge chops in flour rub (make sure they are pretty dry first) and set aside.  Make sure every part of the chop is covered.
4. Add peanut oil and butter to hot sautee pan and sear the outside of the chops until a nice crust develops** (about 1-2 minutes on each side).  Set chops aside on sheet pan with parchment paper.  (If you don’t have parchment, just make sure the pan is greased)
5. Mix remaining coffee grounds and honey powder
6. Cover the tops of each chop with coffee and honey mixture
7. Cook in oven for about 5-7 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 143 degrees.  Make sure that the coffee and honey glaze thoroughly melts before taking it out
8. In the same pan used to saute the venison add the mincemeat sauce and chicken stock.  Reduce until desired consistency is reached. Finish with salt and pepper.  Finish again with any remaining coffee, chai or cloves to taste.
9. Serve it baby!

** Remember we are using coffee ground here people! Don’t think that your chop is burnt because it smells bitter and looks black.  You have to pay attention and feel the outside of the chop to make sure the crust develops.

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Lisbon Bisque with Linguica Meatballs

Food processor

Large ladle

Large frying pan

Large stew pot

Large tempering bowl

2 oz cooking oil

2 oz butter

10 oz can of chestnut puree

4 cups beef broth

2 cups water

1 white yam

5 medium size parsnips roughly chopped with skin on

½ white onion julienne

10 oz whole milk

4 oz heavy cream

2 lbs linquica sausage (chorizo will work also)

½ cup fresh cilantro

2 garlic cloves minced

½ cup chopped parsley

1 egg

Beef base TT

S/P TT

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees
2. Place white yam (skin on!) in its own tray and roast.  Roast until it is slightly soft to the touch.  Remove and place in freezer to cool (about 20 minutes)
3. Add water and beef stock to large pot over high heat
4. Combine oil and butter to hot frying pan and sauté white onions until slightly caramelized, add to bisque pot
5. Add parsnips (skin on, so wash each parsnip thoroughly!) to frying pan and carmelize to a full, nut brown color.  Add to bisque pot. 
6. Take yam out of freezer and do a rough chop (about 8 pieces, skin on!) and add to bisque pot
7. Cover bisque pot, add chestnut puree, and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes (until parsnips are tender)
8. Combine sausage, garlic, cilantro and egg in food processor, blend until it becomes a manageable meatball mixture.
9. Form 10-15 meatballs and set aside
10. Add parsley to bisque mixture (set aside some for garnish) and ladle bisque mixture into food processor in batches (probably 3 or 4) and blend until uniform and smooth
11. Pour mixture back into pot, temper in milk and heavy cream and simmer over medium heat, stirring sporadically.
12. Season bisque with beef base and s/p (or whatever!) to taste
13. Sauté meatballs in frying pan until browned on all sides,  add meatballs to bisque and let simmer for 5-10 minutes until meatballs are fully cooked.  Stir constantly, but be careful not to break meatballs in bisque.
14. Serve with parsley garnish

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The Strawberry Basilico Cocktail

Muddler

Shaker

Club soda

2 basil leaves chiffonade

1 ½ oz Sauce Lab #3 Strawberry Basil Simple syrup

2 oz Lillet blanc

2 oz premium vodka

Strawberry basil garnish (optional)

1. Add fresh basil and vodka to bottom of glass
2. Muddle until thoroughly crushed
3. Add simple syrup and Lillet blanc
4. Muddle some more
5. Fill glass ¾ way with ice (if ice is not crushed muddle yet again)
6. Add club soda and shake it
7. Slit a whole strawberry near the bottom and fold a basil leaf in
8. Garnish
9. Get Sauced

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