Gentlemen's Essentials - Official B&B Cookbook

[badgerRN]

4 servings:

4 Thin Cut Chicken Breast
4 cups Sweet White Wine
Large Bunch of Fresh Basil
10-12 Garlic Cloves, crushed
extra virgin olive oil
2 Shallots
Panko Bread Crumbs
2 eggs
2 cups of sun dried tomatoes diced
2 cups of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp of lemon zest.
3 tsp of dried oregano
Cracked Black Pepper
Salt
4-5 oz of Chevre
10oz of chicken stock (store bought is fine)
Parmesan Reggiano

Combine the following in a zip top bag:
4 garlic cloves crused
1.5 cups Wine
3 tsp of shredded basil
2 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp of dried oregano
1/4 cup of lemon juice.
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp of black peper

Perforate the Chicken Breast a fork thoroughly and add to the zip top bag. Marinade for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator.

Combine in a bowl
Chevre
1/4 cup of sundried tomatoes
2 tbsp wine
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp minced fresh basil
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 Tbsp Shallot
1 tsp lemon zest (minced)
1 tbsp of lemon juice.

Refrigerate until serving, but for at least 1 hour.

Pan Sauce

Heat 1/2 cup of olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat
Add in 1/2 cup of all purpose flour and stir until very light brown.
Add in 1 cup of chicken broth
Add in 1 cup of wine
Add in 1/2 cup of lemon juice and remaining lemon zest
Add in remaining sun dried tomato
Add Pepper and salt to taste
1 tsp of finely minced basil.
1.5 cups of grated parm


Remove chicken from marinade
Pat dry
Scramble 2 eggs in 2 tbsp water with 2 tbsp of Parm and black pepper
Place Panko Breadcrumbs in a Pie pan.
Dredge each breast in the egg mix and then in the Bread Crumbs.


Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat
Add frying oil (peanut oil is my preference) to cover the pan 1/4 inch deep.
Heat oil until 400 degrees.
Add chicken breast and fry until golden brown and and internal temp of 180 degrees.
Immediately drain on a cooling rack and sprinkle lightly with grated parmesean and salt.

Alternately, you can bread and bake in the oven on a cooling rack.

To serve:
top with 1 oz of the Chevre topping.
Ladle Pan sauce over the top
Garnish with fresh basil.

Pairs well with Garlic Mashed Red Skin Potatoes and a Moscato or Riesling

[Sterling Cooper]

Pork Skin Cornbread

The Dry Ingredients
1 1/2 cups coarse grind corn meal
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar

Wet Ingredients
2 eggs
2tbsp honey
1 1/4 cups of milk

The Pork
1/2 cup rendered bacon fat--I've made this with lard and bacon fat is much better
1 cup diced smoked, crispy pork skin (crumbled bacon will work very nicely)

Preheat the oven to 375 put the bacon fat into a #7 or #8 cast iron skillet and preheat in oven while preparing the batter.



Combine the dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients and then mix into dry ingredients stirring just enough until incorporated and a fairly loose/wet batter comes together

Stir in the pork skin/bacon pieces



Remove pan from oven and swirl melted bacon fat to fully coat inside of pan and then set flat. You will have a considerable amount of fat in the pan.

Pour in batter



Back in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove when browned and a toothpick comes out clean.

[Alacrity59]

You could try this one. I originally posted it in 2010. I've done it a fair few times. It so happens I have some bacon fat in the fridge so heeding Mr. Cooper's advice I'll use it instead of butter the next time)

My wife and I have done this one with cheese bacon and jalapinos from Rob Rainsford. Mostly we have done it in the oven rather than the BBQ.

MARDI GRAS CORNBREAD

2 ½ cups of cornmeal (600ml)
1 cup all purpose flour (250ml)
2 tablespoons of baking powder (30ml)
½ cup of brown sugar (125ml)
1 teaspoon of salt (5ml)
2 cups of buttermilk (475ml)
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted (75ml)
1 cup of milk cheddar cheese, grated (250ml)
1 cup corn (fresh or thawed frozen) (250ml)
½ pound crispy fried bacon, crumbled
3 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and diced


Heat the cast iron skillet over high heat. Let the internal temperature of the grill reach 425ºF. Turn the direct heat under the skillet off and leave the other burners on high.

Mix all the dry ingredients together with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Using corn oil, coat the cast iron skillet well. Pour the batter into the skillet and grill at 425ºF for approximately 20 minutes until golden brown.

Serve warm cut into wedges.

(I don't generally have buttermilk on hand so I sour some milk with vinegar)

[DeaconKC]

Boys, sugar goes in the Iced tea, not the cornbread!

[Penguinetti]

We call this 'The Yellow Stuff', but Paula Deen refers to it as 'Pineapple Casserole':

Ingredients:
2 20oz cans of chunk pineapple
1 cup sugar
6 Tbsp flour
2 cups shredded cheddar
1 cup ritz crackers, crumbled/crushed
1 stick of butter
6 TBsp pineapple juice from the chunk pineapple

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
Grease an 8x8 pan.Mix together flour and sugar in a bowl.
Add grated cheddar. Mix well.
Drain the pineapple chunks (reserve the juice)
Mix pineapple chunks with floursugarcheese mix.
Pour into pan. Smooth out.

Crumble your Ritz crackers.
Melt the stick of butter. Mix with crackers.
Add pineapple juice.

Spoon the mixture on top of the pineapplefloursugarcheddar mixture. Smooth out.

Bake yellow stuff for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Can be served hot or cold. Hot is better, IMHO. Also, can be eaten alone, as a dessert, or as a side dish to something salty (like ham).

[eelhc]

McSoley's Old Ale House Mustard

Yes this is a recipe for mustard. Simple and better than anything bought in a Jar or squirt bottle.

Ingredients
Coleman's dry mustard powder
Amber beer (almost any beer will work though)

Method
Just mix to the amount/consistency you want

This mustard won't keep so you have to make it just before consumption. It's got a good kick to it and will wake you up. Great for hot dogs, sandwiches, charcuterie...

[PozzSka]

Here are two recipes that I was taught as a boy...(Serbian/Croatian heritage)

Ćevapčići - a small caseless sausage from the Balkans...
50% Ground Lamb, 25% ground beef, 25% ground pork

(the pork and lamb are fatty enough, so I buy leaner ground beef, but it won't matter much...also some change the ratios, this is what I was taught and what I like best. Also, the butcher can mix this up for you in advance if you ask).

Mix together thoroughly, or have butcher do it.

Add garlic and salt (lots, i don't measure), a little paprika if you so choose, i usually skip this...

roll into 2 oz sausages by hand (or if you have a Ćevapčići press, use that (hint: you can't buy these anywhere, a friend made one for himself and a few for some friends and family). so just roll into a small 3" sausage, give or take.

Grill to medium. Izvolite! Prijatno!

Lamb
Get 40 lb lamb (the whole thing)
rub with salt and garlic
put on spit
turn over open wood fire for 6 hours (until done)
Eat!

OK, that last one is a bit more complicated than that, but we don't use thermometers and things, we:
-start the fire,
-prep the lamb (tie and fork onto spit, take papučak (front lower legs) and twist into two holes cut on either side of the belly cut, to hold belly closed, hard to explain), and then
-put the lamb on the motor to turn it...if you want to be difficult you can sit there and turn by hand, but come on, we're in the 21st century now.
- 6 hours later it should be still juicy, but cooked throughout (put your hand between the lamb and the fire, if you can count to 4 w/o moving your hand, it's not hot enough)
- chop up by hand on large clean table
- Serve with green onions and pogača (serbian bread...i'll post the recipe when I dig it out)

OK...I know that last one is vague, but it's not really something you can just type up, but I wanted to share anyways.

[DeaconKC]

PozzSka, that sausage recipe sounds delicious, Thanks!

[_JP_]

The story behind this is that Dr. Martin often found himself being phoned for a house call during dinner time. (Yes, the recipe is that old, back in the days when doctors actually came to your house!) Anyway, this was something that he could leave at a low simmer and still have a good meal when he came back.

Brown 1 to 1/2 lbs mild pork sausage, although you can choose to use hot sausage if you prefer. Pour off some of the fat and then add:
1 small onion, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 or three stalks celery, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup raw rice
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cover and simmer for one hour

[PozzSka]

PozzSka, that sausage recipe sounds delicious, Thanks!

You're welcome, and they are delicious, I promise! If you don't like 'em, I'll triple your money back!! 8-)

[Bubblehead]

I just now improvised this (as in, literally just finished a serving), and I thought it turned out pretty good. It's sort of in between a soup and a stew because there's not that much broth, but I call it a soup because, well, just because.

Barley Lentil soup
2-3 servings

⅜ cup uncooked barley
⅜ cup uncooked lentils
2½ cups vegetable stock
¼ cup carrots, finely chopped
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
¼ cup celery, finely chopped
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried savory
Dash of salt & black pepper
2 tsp red wine (optional)
Few drops of Tabasco sauce (optional)


1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 40-45 minutes or until lentils are still somewhat firm but chewy. Serve it up and chow down!

[Alacrity59]

Hey Bubblehead.

The soup sounds fantastic. Beans, Lentils, couscous, corn, cabbage, oh heck . . . a lot of things can find their way into soup. I find making soup a great way of using up the fresh veg that is getting in the way before you go shopping for the next week. I always seem to have some bits of green or red pepper, mushrooms, and even tofu that find there way into soup.

Tomorrow I think I'll be making some Dahl . . . curry lentil soup.

[DeaconKC]

Tofu?

[mmack66]

Tofu?

It works for Hot and Sour and Miso soup.

[Alacrity59]

It works for Hot and Sour and Miso soup.

Yes. Hot and Sour is one of my favorite soups.

[BilliardKing]

So, I know this thread is mostly filled with actual nice, real recipes. But I wanted to share my method of "Enhancing" Bertoli's Chicken Florentine and Farfalle.

What You'll Need:

• Bertoli Chicken Florentine and Farfalle frozen skillet meal
• A bit of chopped onion (About one slice worth) or a chopped shallot if you prefer the taste of shallots
• around a teaspoon of minced garlic. It can be fresh or jarred, doesn't matter to me.
• Just a quick dash or two of Season Salt. Yes, that's right, season salt.
• Italian Seasoning (or you can mix your own out of oregano, basil, etc)
• Any other seasonings you want to throw in (Parsley, bay leaves, etc)
• Around 3 TBSP butter.
• FRESHLY GROUND black pepper
• A little bit of white wine. (Cooking wine or cooking sherry will do if you don't want to use proper drinking wine)

1. Melt the butter over medium high heat
2. Saute those onions in it. Twist that pepper grinder over them a bit while they saute
3. Here's where you can diverge a bit. Once those onions soften up a bit, you can either mix in the seasonings and wine and let the wine boil down a little before adding the bagged bertoli, -OR- add the bagged bertoli now, stir it up so the onions don't get overly dark, and then add the seasonings and wine before putting on the lid.
4. Put on the lid and cook it for 10 min over medium high heat like the bag says
   
   • Around 7 minutes in, take the lid off, and add your garlic and stir well.
   
   
5. Once your 10 minutes are up, take the lid off and watch it (stirring constantly) so your sauce (made saucier by the addition of wine) boils down a bit more.
6. Take off the heat once you're satisfied with the consistency. Let it sit for a few to cool down and to finish thickening up.
7. Enjoy some Bertoli that, for me at least, tastes significantly better than it does when prepared normally.

[Alacrity59]

Sounds like great additions. Doctoring up prepared food makes it uniquely yours. A couple more steps and you would be making it from scratch.

[KaiserKrebs]

Years ago I discovered a Vietnam era, U.S. Navy cookbook, put together for the officer's of Carrier Task Force #77. It was titled "Golden Trough Cuisine" the scope and amount of recipies in there was pretty amazing. The foreward states, " For meritorious culinary achievement during combat operations against the enemy while serving as the guide for the epicurean appetites of officers and guests of the Attack Carrier Striking Force, Seventh Flag Mess during the period of October 1967 to December 1970."

On to a recipie, this is a great twist on Pumpkin Pie that is absolutely delicious.

CARDIV-5 PUMPKIN PIE:

1/3 C. firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/2 C. cooked or canned pumpkin


1/2 C. creamy or chunk style peanut butter

3 eggs

1C. dark corn syrup
1C. light cream

1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell with high fluted edge ( Deep shells work best)


Mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves in mixing bowl. Stir in pumpkin, then peanut butter. Add eggs and beat slightly. Stir in corn syrup and cream. Pour into unbaked pie shell, bake in a 350 degree oven for one hour, or until a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

[DeaconKC]

Here is an easy and tasty tip. Just use some Dill Vegetable dip as a sandwich spread with your cold cuts for when the guys come over for football.

[bob.e]

Bob’s Bengali Chicken

This is not an authentic Indian / Bengali recipe; it’s just one I created in my kitchen. This is a mild (mellow) tasting dish, agreeable to most people’s palates.

Chicken Thighs about a pound
2 cans Chicken Broth
Minced or Chopped Onion or Dried Fried Onion to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons Panch Phoron (Bengali Seasoning)
1 small Can Sliced Mushrooms (Optional)
Cornstarch
Rice

I take chicken broth and simmer the chicken thighs in it, with diced or minced onion (I like to use the dried fried onion I get at the Indian or Oriental grocery) Salt and Pepper to taste. I add a couple of tablespoons of Panch Boron and simmer till chicken is done, thicken with cornstarch and serve over rice I like red or black rice (available at good oriental grocery’s)

Treat red or black rice like brown rice for cooking purposes (I usually add extra water and a little salt as this is a very firm rice)

Panch Phoron- Available at many oriental grocery’s and most Indian Grocery’s (spelling may vary I’ve seen it spelled several different ways)
It’s a mixture in equal parts of: Onion Seed (Kalonji), Fenugreek, Mustard Seed, Cumin, & Fennel.