Cream of Leek, Onion and Potato Soup

CREAM OF LEEK, ONION AND POTATO SOUP

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 leeks, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped 

4 potatoes, peeled an chopped

1 cup of heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of white pepper

1 tablespoon of parsley, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

1 cup of croutons

1. Heat oil in a large pot.

2. Add leeks, celery, and onion to the pot and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add stock to the pot and bring to a boil.

4. Add the potatoes, reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender. About 20 minutes.

5. Transfer the soup to a blender and process until smooth.

6. Return soup to the pot and add heavy cream and salt and pepper.

7. Cook until the soup thickens.

8. Serve topped with parsely, green onion and croutons. Can also be served chilled without the croutons.

Spicy Vinegar Sauce

SPICY VINEGAR SAUSE

4 cups apple cider vinegar

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup finely ground tellicherry black peppercorns

1/4 cup Tabasco chipotle sauce

1/4 cup kosher salt

 2 tablespoons dehydrated sweet red pepper flakes

 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1. Mix together all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Boil for 5 minutes, whisking often to dissolve the sugar and salt.

2. Let cool to room temperature.

Beef with Black Mushrooms

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef scalloped, flank steak, flank steak preferred

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

2 cups peeled and diced Jerusalem artichokes

3 cups peeled and cubed (½ inch pieces) burdock root

2 cups diced red cabbage

3 cups beef stock, in all

½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

½ cup cracked wheat

1½ cups dried black mushrooms, soaked, drained, and chopped

2 cups heavy cream

1. Sprinkle the seasoning mix evenly over the meat and rub in it well.  

2. Heat the oil in a heavy 5-quart pot just until the oil begins to smoke, about 4 minutes.  

3. Add the seasoned meat, onions, Jerusalem artichokes, and burdock root.  Cover and cook for 4 minutes, then add the cabbage.  Cook, uncovering to stir frequently, for 15 minutes.  

4. Add 1 cup of the stock, the cilantro, cracked wheat, and black mushrooms.  Cook, covered, stirring frequently, until the liquid evaporates and the mixture becomes dry and begins to stick to the bottom of the pot, about 8 minutes.  

5. Add the remaining stock and stir vigorously, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any brown bits.  

6. Stir in the cream, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered until the sauce begins to thicken. Approximately 20 - 30 minutes. 

Potato Salad with Mustard

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes

4 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/8 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 generous tablespoons mustard (Creole mustard preferred)

1. Boil the red potatoes until they are tender.

2. Drain and cool the potatoes until you can peel and cut them into 3/4 inch cubes.

3. In a large bowl blend the potatoes, chopped eggs, salt, black pepper, cayenne, celery, and onions.

4. In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise and mustard together until they are totally combined.

5. Add the mayonnaise / mustard mix to the potato salad and blend. The potato salad will become the same yellow as the mustard.

6. Serve immediately for a warm potato salad or refrigerate over night and serve cold.

Louisiana Tasso

Tasso is heavily seasoned pork shoulder used for flavouring gumbos, sauces, stews and vegetables. In Canada it is almost impossible to find tasso so I decided to make own. This recipe uses Chef Paul Prudhomme's tasso seasoning mix recipe and is smoked for 12 hours.  The resulting taste is incredible. This recipe scales well. I adjusted the amount of ingredients and smoke 25 pounds of pork.

Ingredients for 5 pounds of tasso:
5 pounds of pork shoulder
Apple juice brine
Chef Paul Prudhomme's Tasso Seasoning recipe

Apple Juice Brine
8 cups of apple juice
4 cups of water
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup pickling slat
1/2 cup brown sugar

Tasso Seasoning
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup black pepper
2 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoon plus 1 3/4 teaspoons of cumin
2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon plus 2 1/4 teaspoons gumbo file powder

1. Cut the pork shoulder into strips about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches thick.

2. In a large bowl, combine all of the brine ingredients and stir until the salt and sugar crystals have completely dissolved.

3. Pour brine over the pork in a food-safe bucket or storage container being sure that the pork is fully immersed in the brine.

4. Brine the pork for 3 days. Remove the pork from the brine and rinse well.

5. In a large bowl combine the salt, sugar, black, white and cayenne peppers, garlic and onion powders, cumin, paprika and gumbo file.

6. Roll the strips of pork in the seasoning mix, coating the meat completely and patting it in well.

7. Place the seasoned meat in large freezer bags and lay them flat in the refrigerator for 7 days to allow the spices to penetrate into the meat. Flip the meat daily for the 7 days.

8. If using a Traeger grill, start the grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes).

9. Place the pork on the grill and smoke for 12 hours using the wood pellets of your choice. I used hickory pellets for this tasso.

10. If not using a Traeger grill, start the smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions and smoke until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 165F.

11. Pack the tasso in plastic bags and store in the freezer indefinitely.

Chicken Gorgonzola with Rotini Pasta

Ingredients for 2 servings:
1 cup uncooked rotini pasta
2 boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 tablespoons toasted pinenuts
1 teaspoon of butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 to 2/3 cup of whipping cream
2 tablespoons of Gorgonzola cheese
5 sundried tomatoes, sliced and chopped
1tablespoon of fresh parsley
Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the rotini.

2. Toast the pinenuts in a small pan over high heat, stirring and shaking the pan constantly until the pinenuts are golden brown and give off a toasted aroma. Remove the pine nuts from the pan to stop the browning and set aside to cool.

3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and saute the chicken breasts until they are golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once cool, slice the chicken and set aside.

4. Add garlic to the olive oil in the skillet and saute for 1 minute.

5. Add the pinenuts, reserved chicken and the accumulated juices to skillet and saute over high heat for 1 minute.

6. Add the butter, salt and pepper, and wine to the skillet and cook for two minutes on medium heat.

7. Add the whipping cream, Gorgonzola and sun-dried tomatoes to the skillet and bring to a boil.

8. Lower heat to a simmer and and cook until the sauce thickens while the pasta is boiling.

9. Drain the cooked pasta and top with the sauce. Garnish with the chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.

Traditional Onion Soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
4 medium onions peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons of flour
6 1/2 cups of beef stock
1/2 loaf of French bread cut in half lengthwise
2 cups of grated Swiss cheese in all
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter for layering
Pepper
3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan, add onions and brown lightly.

2. Stir in the flour and when it begins to colour add the beef stock stirring constantly.

3. Cook over moderate heat uncovered for 15 minutes.

4. Toast the bread under a broiler and cut into thick slices.

5. Preheat the oven to 400F.

6. In an oven proof 5 quart dutch oven, place 1/3 of the bread, top with 1/4 of the cheese, 2 teaspoons of softened butter, and some black pepper.

7. Repeat step 6 two more times to make 3 layer of bread and cheese.

8. Pour the soup into the dutch oven, top with breadcrumbs and the remaining cheese, and place in the oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese and breadcrumbs have browned.

Homemade Worcestershire Sauce

Ingredients for 6 cups:

2 tbsp olive oil
6 cups of onions
4 jalapeños
4 large cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons black pepper
8 ounces of anchovies
2 teaspoons salt
2 lemons
2 cups of agave or corn syrup
2 cups of Steen's Cane Syrup or molasses if Steen's isn't available in your area
2 quarts of apple cider vinegar
4 cups of water
3 cups of fresh horseradish

1. Heat the oil over high heat and saute the onions and jalapeños in a heavy stock pot until the onions are starting to get soft.

2. Add the garlic, pepper, anchovies, salt, lemons, agave and cane syrup, vinegar, water, and horseradish and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat, simmer for 6 hours and strain into a clean container large enough to hold all of the liquid.

4. Fill mason jars with the Worcestershire sauce and cap with clean lids and boil for 15 minutes.

5. Cool jars and let stand for 2 weeks before using. This Worcestershire sauce gets better with age and lasts indefinitely but be sure to refrigerate after opening.

Chicken Stock

Chicken Stock

Chicken stock is the basis of almost every recipe. This makes approximately 28 cups of chicken broth.

3 chickens

12 quarts of water

3 cups of carrots

2  1/2 cups chopped celery

3 cups chopped onions

12 cloves of garlic

7 bay leaves

3 teaspoons salt

3 teaspoons of black peppercorns

1 1/2 teaspoons of dried rosemary

1 1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons of dried basil

1 1/2 teaspoons of dried tarragon

1 cup of chopped fresh dill

1. Boil all ingredients for a minimum of 1 1/2 hours.

2. Remove the stock from the stove, remove the chickens and cool until the chickens are able to be handled. Remove the bones from the chicken and reserve the meat for other recipes.

3. Refrigerate the stock over night and remove any fat that has risen to the surface the following morning.

4. Return the stock to the stove and bring to a boil, simmer for at least 1 hour.

5. Cool and strain the broth and store in the freezer until ready to use.