REAP Recipes.

Madison.

Last night, I submitted my five recipes for the REAP Food For Thought Recipe Contest. I'd hoped to have more, but, between a busy summer and a minimum of Wisconsin-based great ideas, that's all I could manage. Now, in the spirit of filling this blog with semi-regular posts of marginally interesting stuff, here they are:

Banh mi ga (Vietnamese chicken sandwich)
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients
Brined chicken:
1 whole chicken
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tsp. black peppercorns
4 c. water
1/2 c. salt
1/4 c. honey
high temperature oil, for searing

Chicken liver pate:
1 chicken liver
2 Tbsp. scallions, diced
1 serrano chilli, diced
3 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, or basil), finely chopped
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste

Pickled vegetables:
1/2 c. carrots, shredded
1/2 c. daikon radish, shredded
1/2 c. red bell pepper, diced
1/2 c. cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1/2 c. water
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. honey
1 clove garlic, smashed
six whole black peppercorns

Other sandwich ingredients:
2 baguette loaves
fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, or basil), chopped, to taste

Directions
Pickles:
1. Make the pickles at least one day ahead. Place the garlic and peppercorns for the pickles in the bottom of a very clean glass pint jar. Mix together the vegetables (carrots, radish, pepper, cucumber) for pickling and pack into the jar, to within 1/2 inch of the top.

2. In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar, water, salt and honey just to the boil. Pour over the vegetables, just until everything is submerged. Place the lid on tightly and store in the refrigerator. The pickles should be ready in less than 24 hours.

Pate:
1. Prepare the pate at least two hours in advance; preferably a day ahead. In a small pan, melt 1/2 Tbsp. of butter over medium heat. Add the diced scallions and chillis and cook, stirring often, until softened. Place in a food processor.

2. Return the pan to the heat and add another 1/2 Tbsp. of butter. Cook the liver, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side, until firm but still pink inside. Add to the food processor with the chopped herbs and puree until smooth. While still running, add the remaining 2 Tbsp. of butter and again process until smooth.

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in the refrigerator, with plastic wrap pressed up against the surface of the pate. Allow at least two hours to firm up before using.

Brined chicken and sandwich assembly:
1. To prepare the brine, mix the water, salt, honey, garlic and peppercorns together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and honey. When it reaches the boil, remove from the heat and allow to cool. (This is best done ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.)

2. Remove the whole breasts and leg quarters from the chicken, being sure to keep the skin on. (Save the bones and remaining neck and giblets for stock.) Place the chicken pieces into the cool brine in a container just big enough to keep the pieces submerged. A heavy-duty resealable bag with the excess air squeezed out works very well. Allow the chicken to soak in the brine, in the refrigerator, for two hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the chicken pieces from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Set a large pan, capable of holding all four chicken pieces, over high heat, and add a Tbsp. or so of oil. Sear the chicken on the skin side, then flip over, and place the whole pan, uncovered, in the oven. Roast for approximately 20 minutes, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

4. When the chicken is done cooking, place the baguettes in the oven for five to ten minutes to warm up and refresh the crust. Meanwhile, remove the skin from the chicken pieces and slice into thin strips. Slice the breasts across the grain, 1/8 to 1/4 thick. Shred the leg and thigh meat from the bones with your fingers or a pair of forks.

5. Slice the baguette into six-inch lengths, then along the length (but not all the way through), like an oversized hot dog bun.

6. Spread a thin layer of pate on the inside. Then add a layer of slices of breast meat, a thin layer of dark meat, about 2 Tbsp. of pickled vegetables, a few strips of crispy chicken skin, and then a hefty sprinkling of fresh herbs to taste. Serve immediately, while still warm.

Notes
When picking fresh herbs, go for the thai basil, if it's available. I love its anise-like flavor. A regular French baguette works best for the sandwiches, but sourdough is good, too. Sourdough, though tastier, can be tougher to eat, due to the intense crust.


Strawberry, cheese & black pepper crepe cake
Serves 12

Ingredients
Crepes:
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. milk
3/8 c. (6 Tbsp.) apple cider (or water)
4 large eggs
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for cooking
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. salt

Filling:
2/3 c. strawberry jam
6 oz. fresh, soft sheep's or goat's milk cheese
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. In a food processor, mix together all of the crepe ingredients. Process until smooth. Pour the batter into a container with a pouring lip, cover in plastic wrap, and rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days.

2. While the batter is resting, mix together the filling ingredients until well combined. Set aside.

3. TO cook the crepes, set a pan, preferably non-stick, over medium heat. Coat lightly with butter and pour in about 3 Tbsp. of batter, rotating the pan to coat evenly. Once the top appears set, flip over and cook the second side until it browns lightly. Slide the finished crepe to a plate.

4. Before each additional crepe, re-butter the pan and stir the batter.

5. After laying down each crepe, spread approximately 1-1/2 Tbsp. of filling on top, then lay the next crepe on top. There should be about a sixteen layers, give or take.

6. Serve immediately, slicing the cake into wedges. Otherwise, you can refrigerate the cake and reheat in a 250°F oven until warm, about 15 minutes. You can serve as is, or with a little whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if you like.


Lavender lamb
Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients
Roast lamb:
3-4 lb. boneless lamb shoulder or leg
3 cloves garlic, sliced into thin slivers
1/2 c. brown mustard
1 Tbsp. fresh lavender leaves, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. honey
2 lb. fingerling potatoes
kosher salt
olive or other cooking oil

Compound butter:
8 Tbsp. butter, softened (1 stick)
1 Tbsp. dried lavender flowers
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 habanero pepper, seeded and minced

Directions
1. The compound butter can be prepared well ahead of the roast. Using a fork, mash the lavender, thyme and habanero pepper into the butter, so that everything appears evenly mixed. Roll into a cylinder using wax paper, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

2. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Using a small, sharp knife, pierce the lamb shoulder all over, inserting slivers of garlic into the roast. Sprinkle the roast all over with salt. In a hot pan, sear the roast on all sides and set aside to mix together the mustard rub.

3. Mix together the mustard, lavender leaves and honey, and brush evenly over the surface of the roast. Tie the roast into a cylinder, set on a roasting rack in a pan, and slide into the oven.

4. Toss the potatoes with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and a thorough sprinkling of salt. After the roast has been in the oven for about an hour, arrange the potatoes around the roast in its pan, and return the roasting pan into the oven.

5. Roast until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the roast reads 130°F, roughly 2-1/2 hours or so, depending on size. Allow the roast to rest for fifteen to twenty minutes beneath a tent of foil before slicing.

6. To serve, slice the lamb thinly and arrange on plates. Top the lamb and potatoes with a half tablespoon or so of the compound butter, and deliver to the table before it all melts away.

Notes
Use ripe habanero peppers here. Bright orange or red, without any green. Not only will they have developed their floral aroma, but the heat level will have abated slightly. The goal here is to get some great flavor, not tear-inducing heat.


Sage & onion sausage gravy with chive biscuits
Serves 6

Ingredients
Sausage gravy:
1 lb. pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes (or ground pork)
1/2 c. fresh onions, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh sage
8 g. (approx. 2 tsp.) kosher salt
1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. cold apple cider (or water)
approx. 2 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour
2-1/2 c. milk

Biscuits:
2 c. flour
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
6 Tbsp. butter, cold, cut into pieces
3/4 c. cold milk, plus additional for brushing tops
1/4 c. chopped chives
1 Tbsp. chive seeds

Directions
For the sausage gravy:
Note: If you don't have a meat grinder, you can still make this with ground pork. Just chop the sage and onions finely before mixing with the pork. Skip the grinding step.

1. In a bowl, mix together the pork shoulder, onions, sage, salt and half the pepper. Toss to evenly distribute the ingredients. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least two hours, or overnight.

2. Put the mix through a meat grinder, using the small die. With a mixer paddle attachment, or by hand, mix the ground meat until it comes together, about a minute. Add in the cold apple cider and continue mixing until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the mixture appears slightly sticky. Now is a good time to refrigerate the loose sausage and start making biscuits.

3. In a pan over medium heat, cook the loose sausage in a small amount of butter. (The sausage should release some of its own fat as it cooks. If using lean ground pork, you may want to use some extra butter or lard to compensate.) Break it up as it cooks, browning the meat on all sides. Once the sausage is cooked, remove it from the pan, but leave the cooking fat.

4. Melt the butter in the cooking fat. Once the butter's moisture has evaporated, stir in the flour to make a roux. Stir until the roux takes on a light brown tone.

5. Whisk the milk into the roux, being careful to break up any lumps. Add the remaining black pepper and bring to a boil. Boil the gravy for two minutes, then return the cooked sausage and any accumulated juices to the pan.

6. To serve, peel a biscuit in half, add a good dollop of sausage gravy over the bottom half, and set the biscuit's other half on top.

For the biscuits:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Blend the flour, salt, baking powder and chives thoroughly. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles small peas.

3. Stir in the cold milk, just until the mixture comes together. Be careful not to overwork the batter. Roll out on a lightly floured board, to a roughly rectangular shape about 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Cut out biscuits approximately 3 inches by 3 inches and set on an ungreased baking sheet, allowing space between each biscuit.

4. Brush the top of each biscuit with milk and sprinkle with chive seeds. Bake in the oven for twelve minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to sit briefly on a cooling rack until cool enough to handle.

Notes
Chive seeds taste like oniony poppy seeds. They shake out of the dried flower heads pretty easily, ideally over a spread of paper towels. Even a small clump of chives can produce a wealth of seeds.


Picau ar y maen (Welsh cakes)
Makes about fifteen

Ingredients
115 g white flour
115 g whole wheat flour
115 g cold butter
1/2 tsp. salt
85 g sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
70 g fresh currants
1 large egg, lightly beaten
about 2 Tbsp. milk
butter, for cooking

Directions
1. Sift together the flours, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.

2. Carefully fold in the currants, being as gentle as possible to avoid breaking them. A few are guaranteed to break open, but the more that stay intact, the easier it'll be to roll out later.

3. Add just enough milk to the dough to bring the dough together, mixing as little as possible.

4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll until about 1/4 inch thick, or about the thickness of a currant. Using a 2-1/2 inch biscuit cutter, cut out into rounds. Gather the scraps and roll out again, and cut additional rounds.

5. Cook on a lightly buttered griddle over medium heat, for about five minutes per side, or until golden brown. Set on a wire rack to cool.

6. While still warm, they're best served spread with a little butter and dusted with sugar. Those that aren't eaten right away can be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature, for several days.