Recipe: Creme anglaise

Creme anglaise is one of the all time classic dessert sauces.  Maybe you are making the isles flotants from the previous post, or simply dressing up a plate, a rich and tasty anglaise will surely find its place.  You could get away with a little less yolks in this recipe, but I personally feel that a solid yolk content contributes to the success of this sauce.  This is an especially complementary recipe for the isles flotants of the previous post because it uses the exact number of yolks that were separated out for the meringues.

You will need:

5                            egg yolks

500ml / 2C            cream (or milk for a lighter result)

80ml / 1/3C           sugar

1                            vanilla bean


Method:

 - put the cream (or milk) in a pot with the vanilla and half the sugar and bring to a simmer
 - when it simmers, turn off the heat, cover with plastic wrap, and let steep
 - whisk the yolks with the rest of the sugar till pale
 - set a pot of water on to simmer for a bain marie
 - bring the cream back up to a simmer
 - temper the cream into the yolks, whisking constantly
 - set up a bowl with ice and another bowl on top of the ice
 - place the anglaise bowl over the bain marie and slowly but constantly stir it with a spatula
 - cook the anglaise until it coats the spatula and reaches 83C / 181F
 - quickly turn off the heat and strain the anglaise through a chinois into the bowl over ice
 - stir the sauce to cool evenly
 - store in the fridge until use

Recipe: Barbeque sauce

To be honest, it was hard to come up with a recipe for barbeque sauce.  It's one of those things that after a while, you can just wing it - you have a few ingredients that are the major players (ketchup, molasses/brown sugar, Worcester sauce), then you have all the others which come into play depending on your available supplies, taste, and the end usage in mind.  To come up with this recipe, I actually had to document my actions while I threw it together.  I took care to make it somewhat of a "standard" recipe, so it is versatile to most situations, but tweak it as the event demands.  If you are cooking along an Asian barbeque theme, add some teriyaki, sriracha or any other condiment that appeals to you.  Some baby back ribs on a bit of a Hawaiian theme might want a little pineapple juice.  I purposely didn't use fresh garlic or onion because it's unlikely you will make exactly the amount you need, and this way any leftover sauce will keep very will in the fridge.  As well, I find that when a sauce has chunks of garlic in it, the chunks end up burning, so by using powder, the sauce will cook evenly.  Have fun with it.

You will need:

500ml / 2C                   ketchup

125ml / 1/2C                molasses 

60ml / 1/4C                  brown sugar

15ml / 1Tbs                  Worcester sauce

15ml / 1Tbs                  soy sauce

10ml / 2tsp                   smoked paprika

7.5ml / 1.5tsp               ground black pepper

7.5ml / 1.5tsp               ground cumin

7.5ml / 1.5tsp               garlic powder

7.5ml / 1.5tsp               onion powder

pinch                            cayenne

to taste                         kosher salt

Method:

 - whisk all ingredients together well (except salt)

 - check taste and make any adjustments

 - season with salt

 - use

Recipe: Brown butter butterscotch sauce

Maybe butterscotch doesn't need to be any richer than it already is, but this version lends a nuttiness to the flavour that makes it worth trying.  Between the caramel and the brown butter, this sauce will really harden up if cold, so use it at room temperature or gently microwave it to soften it up.  You could loosen it with water or more cream, but that would also dilute the taste.

You will need:

125ml / 1/2C             sugar

125ml / 1/2C             cream

60ml / 1/4C               brown butter

30ml / 2Tbs               unsalted butter

pinch                         kosher salt

dash                           lemon juice

Method:

 - melt the brown butter, measure it out and set it aside

 - caramelize the sugar in a small saucepan

 - add the cream and turn down the heat

 - once the seized caramel has remelted into the sauce, turn off the heat and cool slightly

 - add the brown butter and stir to emulsify 

 - add the unsalted butter and emulsify

 - season with salt and lemon juice

 - cool to room temperature and use as needed

 

Recipe: Gastrique - mango lime

I made this sauce recently and was really pleased with the results.  When finished, the flavours of both the lime and the mango came in clear and the acidity of the lime was enough that no vinegar was needed.  A good quality mango concentrate will help a lot here - you get a potent mango flavour and the bright yellow colour at the same time.  You could reduce juiced mangoes, but in order to avoid caramelizing the sugars and compromising the colour, you would have to reduce it at such a low temperature it would take an excessively long time.  

In the process of making this, I also stumbled upon the two consistencies you might want out of this gastrique.  The first is more of a plate garnish, with a thick caramel-like flow to it, the second is more like a cold sauce, but it stays emulsified beautifully and holds a nice pooled shape when poured onto a plate.  In both cases, the ratio of lime juice to mango stays the same, so the only difference in the flavour profile is that the thicker one is slightly sweeter because a greater proportion of the sauce is made up of the caramel that starts the recipe.

You will need:

1C / 250ml                                 white sugar

1/2C - 1C / 125ml - 250ml        fresh squeezed lime juice (amount depends on desired thickness)

1C - 2C / 250ml - 500ml            mango concentrate (amount depends on desired thickness)

to taste                                        kosher salt

Method:

 - put the sugar in a pan with a bit of water to make a thick syrup

 - cover the pan loosely and turn the heat on (the cover creates steam and prevents crystallization)

 - cook until the syrup turns to a light amber caramel, then turn the heat to low

 - add the lime juice (1/2C for the thick gastrique, 1C for the loose)

 - add the mango juice (1C for thick gastrique, 2C for the loose)

 - keep the heat on low, stir, and let the caramel and juices come together

 - season with kosher salt

 - turn off the heat and cool completely

 - refrigerate 

 - use cold or at room temperature

Recipe: Turkey jus

I love a good gravy, but if you want to elevate a holiday meal a bit you may want to try serving a delicious and refined turkey jus instead.  The major difference between a jus and a gravy is that a jus is not thickened with a roux, rather is is thickened through the reduction and concentration of a stock.  A jus will be a bit thinner than a gravy, but very rich.  If it is a concern for you, it is also nearly fat free and quite nutritious for you as you've taken a large amount of stock with all its nutrients and removed a significant portion of water. 

This recipe is an extension of the recipe for turkey stock in the previous post, so you can even start to prepare the wine reduction simultaneously as the stock is cooking.  Keep in mind that it is easier to take the fat out of a stock when it is cold, but it can still be done when warm with some careful ladling.  You don't need to start with a chilled product at this stage so if you need, you can go straight from straining the stock to the reduction of the stock to a sauce.  It's not an exact science or anything, so how far you take it down is up to you - you can have it thin like an au jus, or bring it right down to a syrupy consistency.  Depending how much sauce you need for the meal, it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of good chicken stock on hand to help stretch the final product if you intend to reduce the sauce quite a bit.  It's not really going to dilute the product too much as they are both birds and the flavour of the turkey stock will naturally override the chicken flavour.

How much do you reduce the stock?  Remember that you will serve it warm, so you can monitor the consistency as you go.  A good test is to spoon a little on a plate and watch how it behaves.  It should not run like water, but be able to hold itself in a clean little pool - it should also have left a nice even film on the spoon.

In the end, the quality of the jus will largely depend on two factors.  The first being the care taken in making the initial stock, and during the reduction process - wash your mirepoix, take care in skimming it, and never boil it - just let it gently simmer away.  The other factor is the level of refinement in the straining process.  Strain the initial stock well, but when straining the finished jus, go the extra mile.  You can start by straining through a rough mesh seive to take out the vegetables, but then you want to move on to a fine chinois, then to a cheesecloth lined chinois and even repeat that stage - you'll be surprised how much fine sediment keeps coming out, but in the end, your sauce will shine and be as smooth as glass.  

Final note, although I put a touch of salt in the initial stock to help the clarity, save all the seasoning to the very end.  In the reduction process, water is evaporated out, salt is not, and if you added it too early, your only option is to dilute the sauce to even things out.

You will need:

3                 onions

454g / 1lb   button mushrooms

2                 shallots

1L / 1qt      white wine

as needed   vegetable oil

Method:

 - julienne the onions and shallots

 - wash the mushrooms well and slice thin

 - with the smallest amount of oil possible, sweat off the onions and shallots (use a non-stick pan even)

 - add the mushrooms and sweat down

 - after the mushrooms have released their water and it has reduced out, add the wine

 - let the mixture simmer (not boil) and reduce until there is only a small amount of liquid left

 - add the mixture to your stock

 - simmer and reduce the stock to a jus - the thickness is up to you

 - strain well, really well

 - season

 - serve, or cool down and store in the fridge

Recipe: Arugula pesto

I like making this version of pesto because I really enjoy the peppery flavour of arugula.  It still has some basil in it as a reminder of its roots and is still as versatile as a base for a pasta sauce, spread for crostinis or thinned out with a bit more oil as a marinade.  I always give my arugula and basil a good pre-chop since the friction in the food processor can dull the green colour as it blends the leaves.  For the same reason of colour, if you aren't using the pesto right away, I recommend leaving the lemon juice out for now.  You can always add it later as you use it, and the lemon's flavour will be fresher then too.  If you find this mixture too thick, you can add some more olive oil, but I usually like to keep it thick until I'm sure of the intended use, then adjust accordingly.  If you are wondering why I mince the garlic and finely grate the Parmesan cheese when it's all going into a food processor, it's because depending on the processor you use, it may be hard to get the two ingredients as fine as you want them - this way you know the two are already fine and will spread out through the mix properly.  The processor is primarily for the pine nuts, arugula and basil.

You will need:

250ml / 1C          chopped and firmly packed arugula leaves

60ml / 1/4C         chopped and firmly packed basil leaves

1                          garlic clove

125ml / 1/2C       grated Parmesan cheese

125ml / 1/2C       extra virgin olive oil

60ml / 1/4C         pine nuts

to taste                 kosher salt

to taste                 black pepper

to taste                 fresh lemon juice 

Method:

 - lightly toast the pine nuts and let cool

 - grate the parmesan - use a microplane if you can

 - mince the garlic

 - roughly chop the arugula and basil

 - put the Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor and blend well with a bit of the oil

 - add the chopped arugula and basil and the rest of the oil

 - use short pulses to incorporate the greens into the mix (this keeps the motor cool and the friction low)

 - season with salt and pepper (and lemon juice if using right away)

 - add any extra olive oil you want

 - give the mix one good extended blend to chop the leaves the rest of the way

 - use as needed or store in the fridge

Recipe: Bacon sherry vinaigrette

This vinaigrette is not only delicious, it is very versatile in its uses.  It can be used as a light sauce for  chicken or fish dishes (great with black cod), and even makes for a great warm salad dressing with sturdier greens such as spinach or arugula.  There's no blending needed - leave it chunky.

You will need:

250ml / 1C         tyroller bacon lardons (thick cut batons)
250ml / 1C         minced red onion
15ml / 1Tbs        minced garlic
60ml / 1/4C        sherry vinegar
250ml / 1C         extra virgin olive oil
to taste               kosher salt
to taste               cracked black pepper

Method:

 - put the lardons in a pan and slowly render the fat out
 - when the bacon is nicely coloured, remove it from the pan, leaving the fat
 - add the red onion and garlic and sweat well
 - return the bacon to the pan
 - deglaze with the sherry vinegar
 - remove from the heat
 - add the olive oil
 - season with salt and pepper

Recipe: Apricot caramel

This is a nice variation of a caramel and has a very nice look for presentation.  You make it very much like you would a gastrique, but it is less acidic and more fruity.  If you get a very good quality apricot juice, you will want to strain it well to keep a nice clarity to the caramel.  I don't add the juice to the sugar at the beginning as the added colour makes it hard to judge the caramelization of the sugar and you will affect the flavour of the apricot by also caramelizing its sugars.  By adding it at the end, you have a nice caramel flavour and a light and fruity flavour in the same sauce.  Of course you can make this starting with a dry caramel, but I find the addition of a bit of water makes it easier to multi-task while you are making it and you get a more even caramel by starting with a heavy syrup.

You will need:

225g               sugar

250ml             apricot juice

Method:

 - add a little bit of water to the sugar in a pan, cover it and set it to medium high heat

 - swirl occasionally to even out the syrup and even out the colour as it develops

 - strain the apricot juice if needed

 - when the caramel is a nice amber colour, add the juice

 - let the sauce come back up to heat to incorporate the juice and re-melt any caramel that seized

 - reduce slightly

 - check the consistency by dropping a small amount on a cold plate and see how it moves when tilted

 - when you are happy with the consistency, turn off the heat, and cool

 - use as needed

Recipe: Caramel sauce / Butterscotch sauce

Caramel sauce is very easy to make, and quite a lot of fun because it tends to be slightly different every time.  You will find that once you are comfortable making it and can anticipate the progression of the caramel itself , your results will be consistently great, but alas very hard to repeat that "perfect" batch exactly two times in a row.  Sure, you could use a precisely set induction burner, candy thermometer and a timer to keep the conditions exactly the same, but I like to stay flexible with caramel sauce, maybe the next batch will even top that "perfect" one.  

I find the difference lies in the "seasoning" - the tiniest touches of salt and lemon juice can elevate a great caramel to a whole new level.  Just think of the flavour sensing areas of the tongue - a caramel reacts to sweet and bitter already, so by adding just a little salt and lemon, the sour and salty taste buds can join the party and your sauce has twice the audience.  As for the butter, I often don't use it, but it brings around a butterscotch flavour, so by adding more butter and less cream, you get butterscotch sauce.  After a while, experiment with other sugars - honey and maple syrup make some great caramels with very distinctive characters.

You will need:

250ml / 1C       granulated sugar

250ml / 1C       cream (you may want a little more or less)

to taste             salt

to taste             lemon juice

to taste             unsalted butter (if making butterscotch)

Method:

 - in a clean saucepan,  add the sugar and enough water to make a heavy syrup (60ml / 1/4C)

 - put a lid or cover over the pan and start on medium heat (this fends off unwanted crystallization)

 - when the sugar has dissolved into the water and is simmering, you can turn it up a little

 - periodically check under the lid for colour change

 - when you start to see yellow, gently swirl the pan to spread it out and begin lowering the heat

 - as the yellow turns golden, drop the heat to low to slow down and control the caramelization

 - remove the cover and swirl until you have the colour you want (light = sweet, dark = bitter)

 - pull the pan away from the heat and add a little of the cream - careful it will boil up a bit

 - once the cream has settled down, return it to low heat and let any seized caramel re-melt into the sauce

 - add a bit more of the cream and gently whisk into the sauce

 - let the sauce simmer, then add any more cream you wish to add

 - "season" with salt and lemon juice - subtlety is key

 - remove from the heat

 - if adding butter, whisk it in while the caramel is still warm

 - cool completely and store in the fridge until use

Recipe: Smoked white chocolate sauce

This is a recipe you can use to take your guests by surprise.  Most people don't expect anything of a smokey nature to hit them during dessert.  This works well because white chocolate tends to be sweeter than dark, so the bitterness of the smoke works to balance the flavour profile.  If you like, you can thicken this with a little more chocolate and get a nice smoked ganache to use in truffles.

You will need:

150g             white chocolate
150g             cream
90g               milk
smoker

Method:

 - mix the milk and the cream
 - place in a pan and cover with cheesecloth (to keep out any particles from the smoker)
 - smoke for an hour and a half
 - chop the chocolate if it is not already in small chips
 - remove the mix and put in a sauce pot
 - bring to a simmer
 - pour over the chocolate
 - stir to emulsify
 - allow to cool before using

Recipe: Ponzu sauce

Here's another way to put that dashi you made to good use.  Ponzu is a delicious, light and tangy dip that finds itself more than welcome with dumplings, fish, and grilled meats.  It even works great as a marinade or as a final addition to a stir-fry.  This is definitely something you can play with and find your own special formula.  If you want to spice it up, track town some togarashi, up the ginger, or slice in some bird's eye chilis.

You will need:

250ml / 1C                dashi
60ml / 1/4C               yuzu juice
45ml / 3Tbs               soy sauce
30ml / 2Tbs               mirin
5ml / 1tsp                  brown sugar
1 small knuckle         ginger

Method:

 - peel and grate the ginger on a Japanese-style grater or microplane
 - warm up the soy sauce, mirin and brown sugar so the sugar dissolves (the microwave is fine)
 - once hot, drop in the grated ginger
 - combine the dashi and yuzu
 - add in the warm ginger mixture
 - taste and adjust any seasonings to your preference
 - store in the fridge if not using right away
 - warm slightly when serving

Recipe: Gastrique - orange

While gastriques aren't usually sauces in themselves, they are a great way to add a refined touch to a sauce.  Basically a gastrique is an acidic syrup that when added to a sauce, gives it body, shine and an acidity that is often needed, especially if your sauces are reduction based rather than thickened by a roux.  The normal approach is to make a base caramel, then add a chosen vinegar or acidic liquid, cook it out to a nice syrupy consistency, then store it to have on hand when finishing sauces and use it almost as a seasoning element.  Some chefs don't want a caramel flavour, so they will add the acidic element to the sugar right at the beginning and simply reduce it all together down to a syrup.  This recipe for orange gastrique uses orange juice as the acid.  A duck sauce comes immediately to mind, but since the acidity is not too abrasive, it can be used as a nice plate garnish on its own if you get it to the point where it flows nicely once down to room temperature.  If a gastrique ever gets to hard when cooled, just heat it up and add some water (or acid if it needs more).  Once you get the hang of it, you don't need a recipe, just sugar and an acid.

You will need:

1/2C / 125ml                sugar

as needed                     water

1.5C / 375ml                orange juice (pulp strained out)

Method:

 - add the sugar to a small saucepan and either make a dry caramel or splash some water in to help the syrup along

 - cook the sugar out to a nice amber caramel

 - add in the strained orange juice - the caramel will want to seize, just keep it on the stove

 - simmer the mixture to re-melt the caramel and bond with the orange juice

 - when the gastrique has a good syrupy consistency, turn off the heat and let cool

 - store and use as a sauce or sauce finisher

Recipe: Verjus vinaigrette

verjus grapes

Verjus is the juice from unfermented and unripened wine grapes.  It is quite a bit more acidic than juice from table grapes, but that makes it all the more interesting.  It can be used in place of vinegar in multiple applications and lend the characteristics of the wine grapes to the product.  In this case, we'll use white verjus and reduce it to concentrate the flavours.  I actually used this on a fish station on a scallop dish as a "broken sauce" - aside from a great flavour, it had a nice way of marbling around the plate as the verjus and oil separated.   As a plate sauce, it is best managed with a squeeze bottle - you won't be able to emulsify it, but by shaking it up you will be able to dispense the sauce with the right proportions.

You will need:

750ml            white verjus

1                     lemon zest

6 sprigs          thyme

250ml            honey

500ml            grapeseed oil

Method:

 - place the verjus, lemon zest and thyme in a pot and set to reduce by 1/2

 - at the halfway mark, add the honey, mix well and allow to cool

 - mix with the grapeseed oil

 - transfer to a squeeze bottle and store in the fridge till use

Recipe: Orange honey dressing

This recipe for orange dressing is great for spring and summer - it has a sweetness and acidity that go well with strong flavoured greens such as spinach, arugula and watercress.  Done right, it should stay emulsified after blending, which is great for evenly coating a salad without the heaviness of a mayonnaise based dressing.  With very little adjustment in the seasoning, it even makes a nice, light sunny day sauce for fish.  The cooling stage at the end of the reduction is important to a good emulsification - you want to puree the dressing warm, but if it's too hot, it will separate.  The honey will help hold the emulsification, but it will work best just above room temperature.  If the finished dressing separates while cooling, it may only need another go in the blender to re-emulsify.

You will need:

1 qt / 1L         orange juice
2                    oranges, zested, segmented and seedless
1                    small onion (or 1/4 of a large)
1                    shallot
1                    clove garlic
1 C / 250ml   vegetable oil
to taste           kosher salt
to taste           honey

Method:

 - roughly chop the onion, shallot and garlic in a small sauce pot (that will hold the juice when added)
 - sweat the onion, shallot and garlic in a generous amount of oil taken from the amount in the recipe
 - when the vegetables are soft, opaque, and about to take on colour, add the juice and let reduce by half
 - zest and segment the oranges and remove any seeds
 - when the reduction is about halfway (down by a quarter), add the zest
 - when the reduction is done, add the segments, then turn off the heat and let cool somewhat
 - add the contents of the saucepot to a bar blender and puree smooth
 - while blending, drizzle in the vegetable oil (taste it - you may not even want to use it all)
 - season with salt and honey
 - cool completely and store in the fridge