Jack-Lights and the Year of the Snake!

Chinese New Year 4711 begins on February 10, 2013! The Harbin Ice Festival is celebrating it's 29th year of incredible ice and snow sculptures to welcome the Year of the Snake! These ice sculptures have their roots in northeast China during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when local peasants and fishermen made ice lanterns or "jack-lights" during the winter months. The jack-lights were made by pouring water into a bucket and allowed to almost freeze. Once partially frozen, the bucket was gently warmed so that the bucket-shaped ice could be removed. A hole would then be chiseled in the top and the remaining water poured out, creating a hollow vessel. A candle would then be inserted creating a windproof lantern! The jack-lights were placed outside their houses and used during traditional festivals. As you can see, this tradition has evolved into the mind-numbingly enormous Harbin Ice Festival, which I heard only takes two weeks to build! Wow!

In honor of the Chinese New Year, I always like to create a fun dinner for family and friends! Last year I started with Crab Dumplings with Garlic-Ginger Dipping Sauce, followed by Seared Salmon with Shiitake and Snow Pea Lo Mein, and finished with an incredible Ginger, Lemon, and Mint Granita. Absolutely delicious! This year I plan to keep things simple by serving "Soy-Marinated Flank Steak with Asian Pesto and Wasabi-Mashed Potatoes!" While not actually authentic, the flavors are Asian inspired and create a simple, flavorful, and exciting meal! This is one of my favorite recipes and is definitely a great way to cook flank steak, no matter what recipe you choose! Some fortune cookies and red envelopes filled with money is all that's needed to create a fun dinner in honor of the Year of the Snake!

Soy-Marinated Flank Steak with Asian Pesto

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

For the Flank Steak

2 1/2 pounds flank steak (don't substitute skirt steak, it's too thin for this recipe!)

2 cups soy sauce

1 garlic clove, sliced

1 tablespoon ginger, minced or grated (I use my Microplane.)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon canola oil

For the Pesto

3 scallions, white and 3" of the green part, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 garlic clove, sliced

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

To marinate the steak

Trim any silver skin and excess fat from the flank steak. With the tip of a sharp knife, score each side of the meat. In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and canola oil. Place the steak in a large glass or ceramic dish and pour the marinade over the steak, turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Let the steak return to room temperature before grilling.

To make the pesto

In a food processor, combine the scallions, cilantro, parsley, olive oil, pine nuts, sesame oil, and garlic. Process until smooth. Stir in the sesame seeds. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To cook the steak

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Preheat an indoor grill pan (or a large heavy skillet) over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Remove the steak from the marinade and scrape off most of the marinade. Brush the grill pan with oil; then sear the flank steak on both sides until golden brown in color. Transfer the browned steak to a foil-lined baking sheet, and finish cooking in the oven until medium rare and an instant-read thermometer registers 135 degrees, 10-15 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes, covered loosely with aluminum foil, before slicing and serving. To serve, thinly slice the flank steak and place on a platter, Top with the pesto.

Wasabi-Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon wasabi powder (available at most grocers)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. As you peel and cut the potatoes, put them in a large bowl of cold water. When all the potatoes have been peeled, drain the potatoes and add them to the boiling water. Boil until completely tender, about 20 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the potatoes. Set aside.

Combine the milk and wasabi powder in a small bowl and stir to dissolve the powder.

Using a food mill or ricer, mash the potatoes into a clean pot. Stir in the wasabi milk, butter, and vinegar. Add as much of the reserved potato liquid to loosen the potatoes as needed. Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe adapted from Weir Cooking in the City, by Joanne Weir.

My Butcher Thinks I'm Crazy!!!

As I promised, I would share with you how to make Whole Baked Camembert into a heavenly meal by serving it with Anthony Bourdain's "Salad d'Onglet," from his Les Halles Cookbook. This recipe is so delicious and pairs perfectly with the whole baked Camembert. My only problem is that I can't find an onglet steak! I've asked all the butchers I know, but they think I'm delusional! I ask, "Do you know the hanger steak, butcher's steak, onglet steak, from near the tenderloin and the rib?" Their answer: Crickets... So, in my defense I found an excellent article: Ask Casey: Hanger, Skirt, Flank, and Flatiron Steaks. Thanks Casey, I will be educating all my local butchers with this article, they'll be so happy?!?!

Because I couldn't find onglet steak, I used flatiron steak instead and the results were amazingly delicious! This recipe uses soy sauce in the marinade and finishing sauce, so I omitted adding any additional salt. You won't believe how hearty and satisfying this salad is, and the ginger really makes it sing! Also, you want to throw in some of that demi-glace, which is supposed to be hanging out in the freezer! Add a bottle of French red wine and you've got a meal you won't soon forget!

Salad d'Onglet

Serves 4

Ingredients:
For the steak
12 ounces/340 g onglet steak (I used 16 ounce flatiron steak), cut into 1 1/2 ounce pieces (same-size chunks)
1/2 ounce/14 g fresh ginger, grated (I use my microplane.)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (if you use a garlic press, you shall surely burn in Hell)
4 tablespoons/56 ml soy sauce

For the sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons/28 g butter
1/4 cup/56 ml white wine
1/2 cup/56 ml dark chicken or veal stock (an added spoon from your stash of demi-glace would be nice, and so worth it!)
1 tablespoon/28 ml soy sauce
1/8 ounce/3 g fresh ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 sprig flat parsley, chopped

For the salad
5 ounces/112 g mesclun salad mix (I used baby spring mix.)
1 shallot, thinly sliced

For the red wine vinaigrette
1/4 cup/60 ml red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon/2.5 g Dijon mustard
1/2 cup/120 ml extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
For marinating the steak
Place the meat in a deep bowl or dish large enough to hold the meat in a single layer. Add the ginger, chopped garlic cloves, and soy sauce, mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (If you don't have overnight to marinate the meat, 2 to 3 hours still makes it fairly tender and flavorful.)

For the red wine vinaigrette
In a mixing bowl, combine the vinegar, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Let sit 30 minutes, then remove and discard the garlic. Add the mustard and slowly whisk in the oil, continuing to whisk until the mixture is emulsified. Set aside until ready to use. (Any leftover vinaigrette should be stored in the refrigerator and brought to room temperature before using.)

For the steak and sauce
Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. Season lightly with pepper. (The soy sauce more than compensates for the lack of salt.) Place the saute pan over high heat and add 1 tablespoon/14 g of the butter. When the butter has foamed and subsided, add the meat, working in batches, if necessary, to avoid overcrowding the pan. Sear 3 minutes on each side, so that the meat is nicely browned. Using tongs, set the meat aside on a plate.

Over high heat, stir in the wine, scraping the bottom, of course, with the wooden spoon. Cook until the pan is almost dry, then add the stock (and the demi-glace, if you have any) and the soy and reduce by half. Add the remaining 1/8 ounce/3 g ginger and the sliced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then whisk in the remaining butter. Return the meat to the pan and cook for about a minute. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and remove from the heat.

Finishing the dish
Place the mesclun in a large bowl and add the shallot. Add enough of the vinaigrette to moisten, but not drown, the greens. (Save the remainder of the vinaigrette for another use.) Toss well and arrange the salad in the center of a large serving platter. Arrange the meat around the salad and drizzle with the sauce. Serve right away.

(Mmmmm! That bread and salad are delicious together!)

The Hangover

I can't think of a better way to start the new year than with my most beloved breakfast, "Eggs Benedict!" Eggs Benedict is a classic American dish with many theories of it's creation. The most interesting version is that of Lemuel Benedict. Lemuel Benedict was a dashing ladies' man, a successful New York stockbroker, had a reputation for leaving huge tips at New York's finest restaurants, and was frequently included in the newspaper society columns. In 1894, Lemuel showed up at the former Waldorf hotel location with a nasty hangover. He ordered two poached eggs, bacon, buttered toast and a pitcher of Hollandaise sauce. The dish was quickly adopted by the Waldorf, substituting rounds of ham for the bacon and an English muffin for the toast. Lemuel enjoyed the attention and prestige following his creation. Upon Lemuel's death in 1943, Jack Benedict, Lemuel's first cousin and real estate salesman from Colorado, became obsessed with making sure Lemuel got credit for creating eggs Benedict. In 1978, Jack became furious about an article that appeared in Bon Appetit crediting Mr. and Mrs. LeGrand Benedict as the creators of the dish at Delmonico's. The article did refer to one account of a young man with a hangover at the Waldorf; however, the article did not name the man as Lemuel Benedict but Samuel! Jack was completely enraged, or it could have been all the trans fats and cholesterol in his system! Either way, although this is probably the most unhealthy breakfast you could eat, it is delicious and definitely worthy of special occasions!

The most important part of eggs Benedict is, of course, the Hollandaise sauce! I have previously posted a recipe for Blender Hollandaise, but I think it's empowering to make it successfully by hand! Hollandaise sauce is one of the five French mother sauces, and is believed to date back to the mid-18th century. The name, as it suggests, is a nod to the fine butter and eggs provided by Holland (and the Netherlands) required to make a quality Hollandaise. Not only is Hollandaise sauce delicious with poached eggs, it's also very nice with vegetables (especially asparagus), fish, and even beef! In fact, it is the base for Bearnaise sauce! When making a Hollandaise sauce, it is very important to use the freshest, best-quality eggs you can find. In addition, I like to make the Hollandaise first, and rather than hold it in a warm water bath, I put it in a small thermos (a great tip from Anthony Bourdain), where it will keep for up to an hour! According to James Beard, eggs Benedict was usually topped with "Hollandaise sauce and a slice of truffle," but I rather like a little chopped chives. And finally, there are many recipes for Hollandaise sauce, but this is the one I've been making for years to great success! So don't be scared, you can do it! Lemuel and Jack would be so proud!

Eggs Benedict

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the hollandaise sauce

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/3 cup boiling water

Dash of salt, white pepper, and cayenne, to taste

For the eggs Benedict

12 slices Canadian bacon or thin slices of cooked ham

12 eggs

6 English muffins, split, toasted and buttered

Truffle slice or chopped chives (optional)

Directions:

For the hollandaise sauce

Divide the butter into thirds. Beat egg yolks with lemon juice in the top of a double boiler. (No double boiler, click here!) Add 1/3 of the butter. Place the pan over simmering, NOT BOILING, water; cook, beating constantly, until the sauce starts to thicken; add remaining butter, 1/3 at a time, whisking constantly until fully incorporated. Beat in the boiling water and continue stirring until mixture thickens; remove from the water. Stir in the salt, white pepper, and cayenne, to taste. Hold in a warm water bath or a small thermos. (If the sauce separates, whisk in 1-2 tablespoons cream until smooth again. If the sauce curdles, throw it out and start again.)

For the poached eggs

To poach eggs to perfection, bring a pan of water to a gentle simmer with a splash of vinegar. (I highly recommend a non-stick pan, if you have one.) Carefully break in the eggs, or break them into small cups and then gently tilt them into the water, return the water to a simmer, then immediately remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Finishing the dish

Cook the ham in a large skillet until lightly browned, keep warm.

Place two halves of one of the muffins on each plate. Top each muffin half with ham and poached egg. Spoon the sauce evenly over each plate. Garnish with truffle or chives, if you like. Mmmmm!