Holiday Recipes
Hot Apple Toddy
6 oz. apple cider
Thin slice of fresh ginger or one piece of crystallized, candied ginger
1 tsp. honey
2 oz. bourbon (Maker's Mark or Jim Beam are preferred)
Slice of lemon
Heat cider, but do not boil. Add bourbon. Stir in honey. Pour into a coffee mug. Garnish with lemon and ginger slice (or use crystallized ginger).
Prime Rib with Red Wine Reduction Sauce
1 (4-rib) prime rib roast with ribs (sometimes called standing rib roast; 9 to 10 lb)
1/2 oz (2 tablespoons) dried porcini mushrooms, ground to a powder in a blender
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
For sauce
2 small onions (1 left unpeeled and halved lengthwise, and 1 peeled and chopped)
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2/3 cup chopped shallots (about 3 large)
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
4 black peppercorns
1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine such as a good-quality C�tes du Rh�ne
1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups boiling-hot water
2/3 cup veal demi-glace
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cook roast:
Let roast stand at room temperature 1 hour.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450�F. Trim all but a thin layer of fat from roast, then rub roast all over with porcini powder, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a rack set in a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan. Roast beef 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350�F and roast until thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 110�F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Transfer to a large platter and let stand, uncovered, 30 minutes. (Internal temperature of meat will rise to 130�F for medium-rare.)
Prepare sauce while meat comes to room temperature and roasts:
Cook halved onion, cut sides down, undisturbed, in 1 tablespoon butter in a 2-quart heavy nonreactive saucepan over moderate heat until browned well, about 4 minutes. Add chopped onion, shallots, carrot, celery, garlic, and 2 tablespoons butter and reduce heat to moderately low, then cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until chopped vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste, herbs, bay leaf, peppercorns, and 2 cups wine and boil, uncovered, over moderately high heat until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, 25 to 30 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve set into another 2-quart heavy saucepan, pressing on and then discarding solids.
While wine reduces, soak porcini in boiling-hot water (2 cups) in a bowl until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain porcini in a paper-towel-lined sieve set over a bowl and reserve soaking liquid. Rinse porcini and pat dry, then finely chop. Set aside.
Add porcini-soaking liquid, demi-glace, and remaining 1 3/4 cups wine to reduced liquid in saucepan and boil, uncovered, over moderately high heat, skimming off froth occasionally, until reduced to about 2 cups, 20 to 35 minutes. Stir in reserved porcini, then reduce heat to low and whisk in 1/2 teaspoon salt, any juices from meat accumulated on platter, and remaining 3 tablespoons butter until incorporated.
Slice roast across the grain and serve with sauce on the side.
Carrots with Ginger and Coriander Seeds
4 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) slices carrot (about 2 pounds)
1/3 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon julienne-cut peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 375�.
Combine first 8 ingredients in a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Cover and bake at 375� for 1 hour or until tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with parsley.
8 servings
Southern Pecan Pie with Bourbon Cream
For one 9 inch pie:
1 standard pie crust
1 cup dark corn syrup
� cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter
3 large eggs
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 cups (8oz) pecan halves
Prepare and chill the dough. Combine the corn syrup and sugar in a saucepan and stir to mix. Place over low heat and bring to a boil without stirring. Remove from the heat, add the butter, and allow the butter to melt. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until they are liquid and whisk in the salt and bourbon. Whisk in the syrup and butter mixture, being careful not to over mix. Allow to cool.
Set a rack at the lowest level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Roll out the crust and set in the pan. Arrange the pecans in the crust. Skim foam from the top of the filling and pour over the pecans. With the back of a fork, press the pecans down into the filling so that they are covered.
Bake pie for about 45 minutes, until the crust ins baked through and the filling is set and well puffed in the center. Cool the pie on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.
Bourbon Cream
Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup chilled whipping cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 tablespoon bourbon in large bowl until cream holds peaks. Serve pie warm or at room temperature with bourbon cream.