The Sauced Chef

Iberian Brushchetta with Chili Aioli

Serves 4

½  baguette sliced into ½ inch slices and toasted till firm

3 eggs

1 quart of water

1 cup of vinegar

1 white yam skinned and sliced thin (only need 3 pieces)

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 cup mayo

1 tbsp sricha chili paste

2 tbsp fresh cilantro

1 linguica sausage (opened and made into 3 patties)

1 oz olive oil

S/P TT

1. In a large pot combine water and vinegar, bring to a boil than simmer gently, this is your poaching liquid
2. In a small pan add oil and sauté the sausage patties, seasoning with s/p if necessary, when done put on paper towled plate and set aside
3. In the same oil carmelize 3 white yam slices and place on toasted baguette slices
4. Place the sausage patty on top of the yam slices
5. Gently poach 3 eggs and place on top of sausage***
6. Combine cilantro (save some for garnish), mayo , garlic and sricha to make aioli
7. Smear brush on plate for pattern, garnish with cilantro

*** Poaching eggs is an art form.  First, make sure your poaching liquid contains some acid (vinegar, lemon juice, etc.) in it. Secondly, never crack your eggs directly over the poaching liquid! Crack them into a small bowl, then individual and gently slide the raw egg into the simmering liquid.  Doneness is determined by the cook, so figure out what you like and do it! Good luck. 

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Sauce Lab #6: Meatless Mincemeat Sauce

 large pot or kettle

masher

4 cups brown sugar

3 lbs raisins

1 orange (zest the entire orange, rough chop the rinds, squeeze all the juice out)

1 lemon  (zest the entire lemon, rough chop the rinds, squeeze all the juice out)

2 (16 oz.) cans jellied cranberry sauce

8 lbs. tart apples, peeled and cored

2 lbs. currants

1/2 citron (cut fine)

1-2 pints hard cider (I prefer Strongbow)

1 cup chicken stock

1 tsp mace 

1 tsp allspice

S/P TT

1. Combine all ingredients in large kettle, bringing to boil.  (Add only 1 pint of cider in beginning)
2. Mash liberally, until items had roughly the same consistency.  Add remaining pint of cider and bring to boil again
3. Mash, mash and mash some more until you are satisfied with the texture. 
4. Taste and finish with salt and pepper.  You may want to add more mace and allspice if necessary.
5. Jar and store

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Sauce Lab #5: Lemon-Thyme-Beet Vinaigrette

food processor

1/2 cup beet juice (or you can puree 1/4 of a roasted beet)

3 tbsp lemon zest

3 tbsp FRESH thyme

1 cup red wine vinegar

2 tbsp vanilla balsamic (or regular balsamic w/ vanilla extract added)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp honey

3/4 cup salad oil

 S/P TT

1. Add everything but the oil and S/P to the food processor and blend
2. While the food processor is blending slowly pour in the oil (depending on your oilyness preference, you may want to add more oil)
3. Season with S/P till it reaches that tasty pinnacle of zest

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I’ve recently joined a great foodie group called The Strickland Tasting Society. It’s unprententious, fun and focuses on food AND BOOZE! (check it out on facebook, key word: STRICKLAND TASTING)

The STS sponsors hundreds of culinarians and home cooks in the hopes of finding one thing; the perfect food and alcohol pairing!

I like the group so much, in fact, that I will periodically feature one of their pairing recipes and its creator on my blog.  Once I saw Chef Will’s pairing recipe,  I knew I had found my first STS feature

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 Chef Will’s Shepard’s Pie and Oatmeal Stout Pairing

Bio: My name is Will Curcio. I’m 27 years old, born in Pittsburgh, PA but currently residing in Atlanta, GA. I was a US Army MP and worked for various law enforcement agencies until my heart (and stomach) made me follow my dreams all the way to the kitchen where I currently spend the majority of my days and nights. I enjoy all styles of cooking especially Italian, Irish and North/South American variations. Currently preforming my amazing (and inebriated) culinary skills nightly at The Mellow Mushroom in Midtown Atlanta. The future will be bright filled with full stomachs, strong buzzes and my own restaurant! Stay tuned!

Recipe Comments: Ok, nothing feels more like Fall to me than shepherd’s pie! I have worked several recipes but really enjoy this one, simple and delicious. I pair this with an oatmeal stout (I like Stockyard but it is hard to find) I also enjoy a IPA with this

 5 lg potatoes (Red and yellow both work very well, I prefer red)- cubed not peeled
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped (I tend to use more)
1 ounce margarine
1 ounce all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons browning and seasoning sauce
8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. Place the potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Drain and mash with milk and butter.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, crumble the ground beef into a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the margarine in a small pan. Stir in the flour. Cook and stir over medium heat until dark brown. Let cool off the heat then gradually stir in the broth, ketchup and browning sauce until smooth. Set over medium heat and simmer until thick.
4. Stir the sauce into the ground beef and transfer to a casserole dish. Top with mashed potato, then sprinkle the cheese over the potato.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes

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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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Sauce Lab #4: Roasted Tomato Jus and more

1 sheet pan covered in aluminium foil

2 large bowls

1 fork

12 large tomatoes (halved and cored)

 1/4 extra virgin olive oil

6 rosemary sprigs

10 garlic cloves

S/P TT

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees
2. After halving (use a serrated knife for this) and coring (use a small little dinky knife) the tomatoes add them to a bowl and toss with olive oil and a couple pinches salt and pepper
3. Once coated place tomato halves on sheet pan
4. Liberally distribute the rosemary sprigs and garlic around the tomatoes
5. Place in oven, roast for about 20 minutes
6. Pull out sheet pan and use fork to remove skin from all tomatoes (this is a pain in the ass, but totally worth it)
7. Drain juice or Sauce Lab #4 Roasted Tomato Jus from sheet pan into large bowl
8. Continue to roast and drain for about another hour or until the tomatoes have barely any moisture left
9. Store and/or freeze roasted tomatoes and use for anything (sauces, stuffing, pizza, bruschetta, etc)
10. Store and/or freeze Sauce Lab #4 Roasted Tomato Jus and use for anything
11. Store and/or freeze tomato/rosemary roasted garlic (great for pizza topping or adding subtle garlic flavor without the bite)
12. Get Sauced?

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