Now This is a Yorkshire Pudding

The prime cuts of beef are the prime rib roast, short loin and sirloin and make up only 25% of the carcass. Cooking with the prime cuts is often seen as a no brainer. But skill is required to make the most of them.

Standing Rib Roast

Dry a 3-rib roast, about 7 pounds (3.5 kg), thoroughly with a paper towel and place it on a plate in the refrigerator to further dry for 1 to 3 days.

Bring the meat to room temperature before roasting by allowing it to sit on the countertop for 30 minutes. Season generously all over with sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 450 F (230 C). Place the meat in a roasting pan, bone side down and roast for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 325 F (160 C) until done. Additional cooking time for rare is 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Half an hour before the expected done time, insert a meat thermometer into a thick portion away from bone and fat. When the internal temperature reads within 5 degrees of desired doneness remove it from the oven, cover with foil and let sit up to 45 minutes. The temperature will rise during this rest period. Rare is an internal temperature of 120 F (50 C). Medium meat reaches 140-145 F (60-63 C), medium well is 150-155 F (65-68 C) and well done is about 160 F (71 C). Save all the juices from the pan and serve in a small gravy boat with the roast. Serves 4.

Yorkshire Pudding

Make one large Yorkshire Pudding and serve it with the roast on top. It will soak up all the juices.

1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL
1 c. flour 250 mL
2 eggs
1 c. milk 250 mL
1/4 c. oil 60 mL

Mix all ingredients, except the oil, together.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 F (230 C).

Take an 8-inch round pan and pour the 4 tablespoons of oil into it.

Heat the pan for 2 minutes before pouring in the cold batter.

Cook for 20 to 30 minutes.

Do not open the oven door during cooking.

Serve immediately and enjoy the crispy outer edges and the custard-like inside. Serves 4.

Smashed Potatoes with Truffle Oil

Cook 4 medium sized whole potatoes in boiling water until just fork tender. Drain. Generously oil a baking sheet and place potatoes on the sheet with space around each for spreading.

With a potato masher gently crush each one and then crush again at a 90-degree angle to the first crush. Brush will oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and drizzle with truffle oil.

Bake on the top shelf of a 450 F preheated oven until golden with crispy edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Serves 4.

Poached Steelhead Trout with Lemon Risotto

During the World Women's Curling Championships here in Swift Current I was sourcing a lot of local food for the opening banquet.

One of the items we picked up for the banquet was steelhead trout from Lucky Lake. Wild West Steelhead has a wonderful farm on Lake Diefenbaker. Their fish is very good. Not only is it delicious and fresh they know how to farm fish and be kind to the environment. The fish food is government approved. The eggs are neutered so the fish cannot reproduce, if by chance any escape.

I was immediately impressed by the texture of the fish. It is firm and cooks to flake easily. I think I'll be making that two and a half hour trip over bad country roads at least once a year from now on.

For the banquet the fish was cured and made into gravlax, sliced thinly and added to the starter salad.

Poaching fish is highly under-rated. Poaching is especially convenient in the summer. The fish can be cooked ahead of time and chilled to be served cold or at room temperature. Serve with a homemade mayonnaise or aioli.

I have also included a very easy slow cooker poached version.

Poached Steelhead Fillets with Pimient d’Espelette Mayonnaise

Serve this with a simple green salad dressed in a tarragon vinaigrette, and lemon risotto. Pimient d’espelette is a spice from the Basque region of France and Spain in the Pyrenees near the village of Espelette. It is more delicate than cayenne.

1/3 c. water 75 mL

1/3 c. dry white wine 75 mL

1 shallot, thinly sliced

4 fresh parsley sprigs

1 fresh thyme sprig

2 full fillets of steelhead trout, skin on

Combine 1/3 cup (75 mL) water, wine, shallot, parsley and thyme in large skillet. Place steelhead fillets skin side down in a large pan like a small roaster. Season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly and heat to just under a simmer over medium-low heat until fish is barely opaque in center, about 10 minutes. The liquid should not break into a boil. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Transfer steelhead to a platter. Discard liquid or reserve it to use as fish stock. Cover fish with plastic wrap and chill until cold, at least 4 hours.

Serve steelhead on a platter. Garnish with slices of lemon and serve with pimiento d’espelette mayonnaise. 

Pimient d’Espelette Mayonnaise

1 large egg yolk, at room temperature 30 minutes

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard 2 mL

1 c. olive or vegetable oil (or a combination), divided

2 tsp. sherry wine vinegar 10 mL

1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 7 mL

1 tsp. pimient d’espelette 5 mL

2 tbsp. shallots, finely chopped 30 mL

coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Whisk together yolk, mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) salt until combined well. Add about 1/4 cup (60 mL) oil drop by drop, whisking constantly until mixture begins to thicken. Whisk in vinegar and lemon juice, then add remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) oil in a very slow, thin stream, whisking constantly until well blended. If at any time it appears that oil is not being incorporated, stop adding oil and whisk mixture vigorously until smooth, then continue adding oil. Whisk in salt, black pepper and pimient d’esplette. Chill, covered, until ready to use. This can also be made in a blender and stream the oil in slowly.

The egg yolk in this recipe is not cooked, which may be of concern if salmonella is a problem in your area. Mayonnaise keeps, covered and chilled, up to 7 days.

Simple Poached Steelhead Trout

This method of poaching fish is foolproof. However, it only works for single serving portions rather than a whole side of fish.

1 c. water 250 mL

1/2 c. dry white wine 125 mL

1 yellow onion slice

1 lemon slice

1 sprig dill

1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL

slice 2 steelhead fillets into 6 - single serving portions, without using the thinner tail portions

Combine the water and wine in the slow cooker and heat on high for 20 to 30 minutes. Add the onion, lemon, dill, salt and salmon. Cover and cook on high for about 20 minutes, until the salmon is opaque and cooked through according to taste. Serve hot or cold.  (Adapted from The Gourmet Slow Cooker by Lynn Alley)

Lemon Risotto

2 tbsp. shallots, finely chopped 30 mL

2 tbsp. olive oil 30 mL

1 c. Arborio rice 250 mL

1/3 c. dry white wine 75 mL

2 c. chicken stock, approx. 500 mL

1 tsp. lemon zest 5 mL

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated 60 mL

Saute shallots in olive oil until clear. Add rice and toss until coated in oil. Add wine and cook until reduced by half. Add warm chicken stock a ladle at a time until the rice is cooked to al dente. Stir often. The rice should be cooked but still firm. Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

A Sandwich Buffet or How to use up all those bits and pieces of food

It’s that time again. Seeding is in full swing and farm work becomes more active so is the busy-ness in the kitchen. Sometimes it is okay just to throw something together for lunch. This sandwich buffet uses bits and pieces of food that alone are not enough to feed a crew. It is an excellent way to use a single pork tenderloin, a couple of chicken breasts or a partial package of bacon. Then present a decadent dessert as the finale.

The components of a sandwich buffet include the protein, the crunch, the breads, butters and mayonnaise.  

Proteins are essential for muscle growth and repair. It takes the body longer to digest protein so a person feels full longer. Offer several choices of pre-sliced meats, poached fish, pates, cheeses and eggs.

Generously rub pork tenderloin or skin-on chicken breast with a seasoning mix like Creole or lemon pepper. Preheat a cast iron pan with a little canola oil and add the meat. Brown on all sides then slip it into a 350 F (180 C) oven to complete cooking, about 15 minutes. Cool and slice thinly.

Crispy comes from sliced raw vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes and crisp, torn lettuces. Torn lettuce can be prepared in advance because it browns more slowly than cut lettuce. Wash and shake lettuce dry and tear into serving size pieces. Then wrap it in a clean tea towel and refrigerate until serving time. Pickles, sauerkraut and a simple shredded coleslaw add flavour and crunch. 

Offer a selection of breads and buns. Baguettes make a nice chewy sandwich. Slice them horizontally for a hearty serving. Whip up some biscuits. Focaccia is simple to make in large batches. It is a flatbread and is sliced horizontally to make sandwiches.

Moisten the sandwich and also prevent juices from soaking the bread with mayonnaise, butter and mustards. Dig through the fridge for condiments like cranberry sauce, salsas and chutneys and put them on the table.

Focaccia

1 medium baking potato, peeled and quartered

1 1/2 tsp. instant yeast 7 mL

3 1/2 c. unbleached all purpose flour 875 mL

1 c. warm water 250 mL

1/4 c. olive oil, plus more for the pan 60 mL

1 1/2 tsp. salt 7 mL

Boil potato until tender. Drain and cool. Put it through a ricer and use about 1 cup (250 mL) lightly packed potato.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer combine yeast, flour and 1 cup (250 mL) warm water until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Add remaining dough ingredients, including reserved potato. Mix with paddle attachment on low speed until the dough comes together. Switch to dough hook attachment and increase speed to medium. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Transfer dough to lightly oiled bowl, turn the dough to coat with oil and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until dough is doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Cut dough in half and flatten each piece into an 8-inch disk on a large, generously oiled baking sheet. Cover dough with clean tea towel and rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). With 2 or 3 fingers, dimple the dough at regular intervals. Make about 2 dozen dimples. They should almost poke through the bottom of the bread. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake about 25 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Serve warm. This recipe can easily be doubled. (Cooks Illustrated)

Poblano Salsa

1 large poblano pepper, halved and seeds removed 

1 bunch scallions 

2 tbsp. canola oil 30 mL

2 tbsp. fresh mint, roughly chopped 30 mL

1 tsp. lemon juice 5 mL

1/2 tsp. cane sugar 2 mL

1/2 tsp. chili flakes 2 mL

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).

Place poblano halves and scallions on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and roast until softened, about 15-18 minutes.

Remove from oven, cool slightly, then chop coarsely.

Add to a bowl with remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper.  (Bon Appetit)

Caramel Brownies in a Jar

There is no brownie better than a cocoa brownie. Serve these in a 1 cup (250 mL) wide-mouth canning jar or other dessert dish. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a generous drizzle of caramel sauce.

10 tbsp. unsalted butter 155 mL

1 1/4 c. sugar 315 mL

3/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder 175 mL + 30 mL

1/4 tsp. salt 1 mL

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla 2 mL

2 cold large eggs

1/2 c. all purpose flour 125 mL

2/3 c. walnut or pecan pieces (optional) 150 mL

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 F (160 C). Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

Combine butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove bowl from skillet and set aside until mixture is only warm, not hot.

Stir in vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When batter looks thick, shiny and well blended, add flour and stir until fully mixed in, then beat vigorously for 2 or 3 minutes the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.

Lift up the ends of the parchment and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares. (Bon Appetit)