Sour Cream, Creme Fraiche, and Mexican Crema

Here in America, sour cream is the most readily available type of "soured" cream. However, France has it's creme fraiche and Mexico it's crema. Creme fraiche and crema are virtually the same, thanks to European immigrants who migrated to Mexico. Although creme fraiche is delicious, I prefer crema, specifically the Salvadoran variety that has a rich buttery flavor. For years I have been spoiled with the ease of purchasing crema from my local Mexican grocer; but alas, they have closed their doors and my heart sank. 

So what's a girl to do? Go without crema? Impossible! After perusing my French and Mexican cookbooks, I decided to make my own. After all, good abuelas have been doing it for generations. Guess what? It is so simple! All you do is add a little buttermilk to heavy cream in a jar, stir, let sit in a warm spot for 12-24 hours, stir, refrigerate, and voila! It's actually quite amazing! You have to try it!

Homemade Mexican Crema/French Creme Fraiche

Makes approximately 1 cup

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
Buttermilk (use 1 tablespoon for creme fraiche, or 3 tablespoons for crema)
Pinch of salt (optional, but I like it better with salt.)

Directions:
In a sterile jar (I use ones that I've run through the dishwasher), mix the heavy cream with the buttermilk and salt. Place the lid on lightly (it needs to breath) and place in a warm spot. (I set it in my sunny kitchen window.) Wait 12-24 hours until thickened to your liking. Stir and refrigerate until ready to use. Enjoy!

It's thick, rich, and delicious!!!

Easy Entertaining with Horsey Sauce

Horseradish is the spicy root of the Armoracia rusticana plant, a member of the mustard family. When peeled and grated, it releases a chemical similar to mustard oil, causing nasal irritation and a pleasant bitter taste. For centuries, it has been prized for its medicinal and gastronomic qualities. Early Greeks used it to relieve back pain and as an aphrodisiac. It has also been used to treat coughs, rheumatism, and tuberculosis. Native Americans used to apply freshly grated horseradish to cure headaches. 

During the Renaissance, horseradish consumption spread from Central Europe northward to Scandinavia and eventually to England. By the late 1600s, horseradish was the preferred condiment to beef and oysters by all Englishmen. It was also commonly used by inns and coach stations, who made cordials with it to revive weary travelers. It was brought to North America by early settlers in the colonies. By 1806, it was common in the northeast. Commercial cultivation in America began in the 1850s. Today, southwestern Illinois grows 85% of the world's horseradish! There is even an International Horseradish Festival in Collinsville, Illinois each June, complete with recipe contests, live music, and games such as root toss, root golf, and even a root stacking contest!

Horseradish and beef are best friends. They compliment each other beautifully. One of my favorite recipes starring this dynamic duo is from the Culinary Institute of America for "Grilled Steak Salad with Horseradish Dressing." This lovely main course salad is super simple, making it perfect for casual entertaining. I serve it with bread and a bottle of Merlot or red blend. Try it and I promise you will add to your regular dinner rotation! FYI: If you have any leftover dressing, it's great on sandwiches!

Grilled Steak Salad with Horseradish Dressing

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the Horseradish Dressing

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1-2 tablespoons prepared horseradish (Sold in the refrigerated section of your grocer.)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt (I use 1/4 teaspoon) and freshly ground black pepper (I use 1/8 teaspoon), to taste

For the Romaine and Blue Cheese Salad

6 cups romaine lettuce, washed and drained, cut into bite-size pieces

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise

2/3 cups crumbled blue cheese (I prefer Roquefort.)

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

For the Grilled Steak

1 1/2 pound flank steak

Drizzle of canola or olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, horseradish, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Can be made ahead, covered, and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Place the lettuce, tomatoes, and half the cheese in a salad bowl, sprinkle with lemon zest, and set aside. Can be assembled up to 2 hours, refrigerated before serving.

Preheat gas grill to medium-high. If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn down until the coals are glowing red with a coating of white ash. Spread the coals in an even bed. Clean the cooking grate.

Drizzle the steak with oil and rub to coat evenly. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Grill the steak to the desired doneness, approximately 3-4 minutes per side for medium rare.

While the steak is grilling, toss the salad with the horseradish dressing and place on a large platter or individual plates. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest 3 minutes. Carve the steak across the grain and at an angle into thin slices. Arrange the steak slices on the salad, top with the onion slices and the remaining cheese, and serve.

Thanks to horseradish.org for some of the facts in this post.

Mary Had a Little Lamb ... and I ate it!

Once upon a time, a little girl named Mary Sawyer brought her pet lamb to the Redstone School in Sterling, Massachusetts. After a major disruption at school, a young man by the name of John Roulstone who was visiting the school, handed Mary a slip of paper written with the first four lines of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Some say that Sarah Josepha Hale (who is also known for successfully campaigning for the Thanksgiving holiday) composed the remainder of the poem, but some say she was responsible for the entire thing? Hale was credited with creating this classic nursery rhyme, originally titled "Mary's Lamb" which was included in her publication "Poems for Children," first published in 1830. A statue of Mary's Little Lamb still stands in the town center!

The plague reads:

"Mary had a little lamb,

Its fleece was white as snow,

And everywhere that Mary went,

The lamb was sure to go."

John Roulstone

In addition, "Mary Had a Little Lamb" is forever enshrined in history as being the first thing recorded by Thomas Edison and played on his newly invented phonograph in 1876!

Lamb, being a favorite dish for the Easter holiday and an eternal symbol of Spring, was my choice to grace my Easter table! (See my Easter Menu.) This fabulous recipe for "Pistachio-Crusted Lamb Chops on Rutabaga Rosti and Gingered Carrot Sauce" from Patrick O'Connell's Refined American Cuisine is so good that you don't feel so sorry for the lamb! What better honor than to serve the chops slathered in brown sugar, Dijon, and chopped pistachios, propped against a fantastic rutabaga rosti, and dressed with a beautiful orange sauce infused with ginger and enriched with buttery creme fraiche! YUM! You have to try this! The gingered carrot sauce can be made a day ahead (always a plus!) and the rutabaga rosti up to an hour ahead and reheated in the oven while the chops rest. The recipe recommends "slipping the meat off 2 of the racks," but in my experience it's easier to leave them intact. And finally, after making this a few times, I recommend halving the amounts of Dijon and brown sugar to 1/4 cup each. Even if you've never made lamb and may be afraid to try, this extraordinary recipe will not let you down!

Pistachio-Crusted Lamb Chops on Rutabaga Rosti and Gingered Carrot Sauce

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the Gingered Carrot Sauce

1 quart organic carrot juice

1, 1" piece of ginger root, peeled

1 cup creme fraiche

Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

*Note: any leftover sauce goes great with fish dishes!

For the Rutabaga Rosti

2 large Idaho baking potatoes

1 medium rutabaga, peeled and quartered

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

1/2 cup clarified butter

For the Lamb

3, 1 1/2 pound racks of lamb, each comprising about 8 rib bones (rack sizes vary depending on your supplier, so allow about 3 rib bones per person)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup Dijon mustard (I recommend 1/4 cup)

1/2 cup brown sugar (I recommend 1/4 cup)

1 cup coarsley chopped pistachios

Directions

For the Gingered Carrot Sauce

Place the carrot juice and ginger in a 2-quart saucepan and simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the carrot juice is reduced to 1 cup. (This takes me about 1 hour.) Remove and discard the ginger root and, over low heat, whisk in the creme fraiche. Season with salt and white pepper. The sauce may be made in advance, stored in the refrigerator, and rewarmed before serving. 

For the Rutabaga Rosti

Peel the potatoes, leaving them whole. Combine with the rutabaga and steam for 15 minutes. Let cool.

Using a large holed blade of a box grater, shred the potatoes and rutabaga. (I use my food processor.) Fold in the finely chopped onion. Season the shredded vegetables with salt and pepper and form them into 6 cakes.

In a large skillet, heat half of the clarified butter over medium heat. Carefully place 3 cakes in the skillet and brown them on both sides for about 5-7 minutes per side. (Use 2 spatulas to gently flip the cakes so they don't fall apart!) Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining clarified butter and vegetables cakes. (My skillet is big enough, so I cook them all at the same time.) The rostis can be made up to 1 hour in advance and rewarmed before serving.

For the Lamb

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Place the lamb (fat side up) in a roasting pan and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove the lamb, place it on a cutting board, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Lay the blade of a sharp knife against the bone and slip the meat off 2 of the racks in one piece, leaving one rack as is. (I don't recommend removing the meat from the 2 racks, unless you're a master butcher!)

Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk the mustard and brown sugar together. Using a pastry brush, coat the meat with the mustard mixture, then roll each rack in the chopped pistachios. 

Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the lamb from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice each boneless loin into 6 medallions and carve the bone-in rack into 6 chops by cutting between the bones. (Slice between each bone making individual chops.)

To Serve

Reheat the gingered carrot sauce and the rutabaga rostis. Place a warm rosti in the center of each of 6 serving plates. Rest 2 of the boneless medallions and 1 bone-in chop against each rosti. (Prop 3 chops against each rosti.) Dribble the gingered carrot sauce over each plate, and serve.