A Twist on a Hannukah Tradition

 

It's a great Hannukah tradition, the venerable centerpiece of the holiday meal, the brisket. And this year, it might be a great idea to change things up and enjoy a beautiful brisket on this Jewish holiday, with an Italian flavor profile. New York Times Food Columnist Melissa Clark stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about a fantastic recipe for Brisket with Horseradish Gremolata. In this case, the horseradish stands in for garlic, and offers a real pop of flavor. One of the great things about brisket of course, as Melissa puts it, is that it "wants" to be made ahead. and Hannukah is 8 days long. Serve this with potato latkes, or maybe even mashed potatoes. You might find it's the gift that keep on giving...and since Hannukah is a long holiday, that's a good thing!

• 1(4- to 5-pound) brisket, preferably second cut
• 1tablespoon kosher salt
• 1½teaspoons black pepper
• 4garlic cloves, chopped
• 6sprigs fresh thyme
• 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2large onions, thinly sliced
• 2large carrots, sliced into thin rounds
• 2large celery stalks, diced
• 1½cups dry red wine
• 2whole bay leaves
• 1½cups parsley, coarsely chopped
• Grated zest of 1 small lemon
• 3tablespoons fresh, coarsely grated horseradish
• Flaky sea salt, for serving

1. Step 1

   Season brisket all over with salt and pepper. Place brisket in a large container and spread garlic and thyme sprigs all over top and bottom of meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours. Let meat stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Wipe off the garlic and thyme. Heat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Step 2

   Heat a very large Dutch oven over high heat. Add oil and let heat. Add brisket and sear, without moving, until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. (Cut meat into 2 chunks and sear in batches if it doesn’t fit in the pot in a single layer.) Transfer to a plate.

3. Step 3

   Add onions, carrots and celery to pot and reduce heat to medium-high. Cook vegetables, tossing occasionally, until onions are golden brown around the edges and very tender, about 15 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in bay leaves and bring liquid to a simmer; let simmer for 5 minutes to reduce slightly.

4. Step 4

   Place meat in pot, then cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook, turning every 30 minutes, until meat is completely fork tender, 3 to 4 hours. After 2½ hours, uncover pot so some of the liquid can evaporate and the sauce can thicken. If the brisket starts to get too brown and the sauce too reduced before the meat is tender, cover pot again.

5. Step 5

   Spoon fat from the top before serving. (If you have time, let brisket cool completely first, then refrigerate overnight in the pot; this makes it easier to remove the white fat from the top. Reheat the meat, covered, in a 350-degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes.) If sauce seems thin, remove meat from pot and bring liquid to a simmer. Let cook until reduced to taste.

6. Step 6

   In a bowl, toss together parsley, lemon zest and horseradish to make gremolata. Slice meat against the grain and serve with the sauce, garnished with horseradish gremolata and sea salt.

Super Sweet Coffee!

    

And the name of this fantastic sweet is called Affogato.  Simply made, it's a scoop of vanilla ice cream, combined with a shot of hot espresso. Amy Traverso, with Yankee Magazine, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about this recipe, which really isn't much to write down!  Amy told Tonia there's a lot of flavorful combinations here, including the robust flavor of the espresso, brought together with the richness of the ice cream.  Don't forget about the hot and cold offsets either! It sounds great, but taking it a step further, Amy says they've found that adding maple syrup to the mix really makes it even better.  Try it and see!

• 4 large scoops vanilla gelato or vanilla ice cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup, warmed in microwave
• 1/2 cup hot freshly brewed dark-roast coffee or espresso
• Garnish: 1/2 teaspoon Tonewood maple flakes (optional)

Instructions:

Chill four small glasses or bowls in the freezer at least 15 minutes. Put 1 scoop of ice cream in each bowl. Stir the warmed maple syrup into the coffee and pour over the ice cream. Top with maple flakes if desired.

Franks 'N Beans...Evolved

  

Yes, Franks N' Beans is quite the American classic, but before you think we at Tonia's Kitchen have lost our gourmet edge, let's back up a little and explain that this is actually a very hearty and delicious recipe for White Beans and Sausage Casserole (get it, Franks N' Beans!)  Amy Traverso with Yankee Magazine told Tonia she adds the twist of a Panko Herb crust, along with the goodness of olive oil and white wine.  Bake it all together, and enjoy what Amy calls a "perfect" casserole.  I think we agree!

• 6 large cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 sausages, 1 hot Italian and 1 sweet Italian
• 2 19-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained, washed under cold running water and drained again (see “Note,” below)
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup dry white wine

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 325°. Place the garlic cloves in a small skillet or ovenproof dish and cover with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Roast until the cloves feel tender when pierced with a small, sharp knife, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Chop the cloves coarsely and reserve the oil.

Remove the sausages from their casings and crumble into a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring and breaking up the sausages, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the reserved garlic with its oil, the beans, the tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley, and cook 10 minutes over low heat. Raise the heat to high and add the wine; simmer 3 minutes. (This casserole can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time up to this point; cover the skillet and refrigerate until ready to bake.)

Preheat your oven to 400° and set a rack to the middle position. Make the topping.

Additional Notes:

To make this dish using dried beans, soak them in cold water overnight. Drain and place in a clean pot, cover with water, add salt and pepper and a bay leaf, and simmer over low heat until tender, 1 to 2 hours. Drain and use.

Press These Buttons...

 

 

 

 



...or eat them. Nutella Buttons that is. Dorie Greenspan, who wrote the cookbook Baking Chez Moi, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her Nutella Buttons, and are they amazing!  Dorie told Tonia she uses mini-muffin pans to make the buttons.  She fills the pans with white cake batter, a dollop of Nutella, topped with more cake batter and dipped in chocolate. After baking, you'll find this button is one you don't want to push!  Instead, you'll want to eat it!

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup minus 1 tablespoon (95 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

¾ cup (102 grams) all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of fine sea salt

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Drop of pure almond extract (optional)

¾ stick (6 tablespoons; 3 ounces; 85 grams) unsalted butter, melted

About ¼ cup (74 grams) Nutella or jam, at room temperature

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. The buttons can be baked in mini muffin tins or in foil-and-paper mini muffin cups. If you’re using muffin tins, butter them or line with paper cups; if you’re using foil muffin cups, put them on a baking sheet.

Separate the eggs. Put the yolks in a small bowl and whisk them lightly, just to blend. Put the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl.

Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Add the yolks, vanilla extract and almond extract, if you’re using it, and beat energetically. Pour in the melted butter, stir to combine and then give the batter a vigorous beating.

If you’re working in a stand mixer, fit it with the whisk attachment; if not, use a hand mixer. Beat the whites until they hold firm peaks but are still glossy. Using a flexible spatula, stir about one quarter of the whites into the batter to loosen it, then gently fold in the remaining whites. (At this point, you can press a piece of plastic film against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it overnight, if you’d like.)

It’s hard to give exact measurements, because muffin tin sizes can vary, but the principle here is to put a small amount of batter, about 1 teaspoon, in the bottom of each mold or paper cup, add ½ teaspoon Nutella or jam, and then cover the Nutella with enough batter to fill the mold or paper cup just to the top. If you’re using mini muffin tins and have some unfilled molds, put a spoonful of water in each empty one (to help the buttons to bake evenly). If you have more batter than muffin tins, refrigerate the batter until you’re ready for it.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the tops of the buttons are golden brown and springy to the touch and a toothpick stuck into the center of a button comes out clean. Remove the buttons from the muffin tins as soon as they come out of the oven; the buttons baked in cups can stay in their liners. Cool the buttons to room temperature on racks. If you have more batter, make sure that the muffins tins are cool before filling them with the remaining batter and Nutella.

Christmas Morning Brunch

And here's a great idea with Jessie Sierra Ross. She wrote the new cookbook Seasons Around the Table and came by Tonia's Kitchen with her recipe for a Giant Gingerbread Cinnamon Roll. How giant? Well Jessie told Tonia she uses a Cheesecake pan to bake this thing. But she also uses Japanese milk dough, which offers a much more different flavor profile then you might expect. Jessie says because of the milk dough, there is nothing dry about the roll. It's a magnificent treat for Christmas morning! 

Dough
4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup whole milk, warmed
2 large eggs, room temperature
6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Tangzhong starter*

Tangzhong Starter
5 tablespoons of water
5 tablespoons whole milk
3 tablespoons +1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

Gingerbread Filling
5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Espresso Icing
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 shot of espresso (1 oz)
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 tablespoon half & half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

TO MAKE THE STARTER
In a small saucepan, combine the 5 tablespoons of water, 5 tablespoons of whole milk, and 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of flour. Whisk to combine.
Place over medium-high heat and continue whisking until thickened into a paste (about 5 minutes), being careful not to brown the paste. Remove from the heat and reserve.

TO MAKE THE DOUGH
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, combine the additional flour, white sugar, salt, dry milk powder, instant yeast, warm milk, melted butter, and eggs.
Scrape the reserved Tangzhong Starter into the stand mixer dough as well.
Mix on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until a rough dough is formed.
Remove any dough sticking to the hook and cover the mixing bowl with a tea towel.
Place the bowl somewhere warm and let sit for 20-25 minutes to rest.
After resting, place the bowl and the dough hook back on the stand mixer.
At medium-high speed, knead with the dough hook for about 2 minutes, until the dough is smooth & forms a nice ball.
Take a large mixing bowl & lightly grease with vegetable oil. Place the dough ball into the oiled bowl, then cover with a tea towel.
Let the dough rise for about 60 minutes in a warm environment until it has doubled in size (and until pressing with your finger makes a permanent dent).

FOR THE FILLING
Combine the brown sugar and all of the spices into a small bowl. Mix with a fork, and reserve.
Be sure that your butter for the filling is out and at room temperature.

TO ASSEMBLE
Line a springform pan with a circle of parchment paper. Reserve.
On a large floured cutting board or counter, turn out your roll dough. Lightly flour a rolling pin, and gently roll the dough out into a large rectangle about the size of a cookie sheet.

Spread your softened butter evenly over the rolled dough, using a knife or spatula.
Sprinkle the brown sugar/spice mixture over the dough as evenly as possible, keeping a small border around the edges of the dough (about a half-inch).
Using a pizza cutter (or sharp knife), slice 4 strips lengthwise, if you are making 1 large cinnamon roll, or, 8-10 thinner strips if you are making individual portions.

Taking one strip, firmly roll, trying to keep the edges even. After you’ve rolled the first strip, carefully place the rolled dough at the start of the next strip, and continue to roll, building upon itself. Repeat the process until all of the strips have been used.
Place the giant roll into a springform pan (I like to flip the roll upside down, but it doesn’t really matter).

Scoop up any filling that may have dropped out during the rolling process & sprinkle on top.

Place a tea towel over the roll and let sit somewhere warm for about 60 minutes, for a final rise.

TO BAKE
Preheat your oven to 350F.
After the last rise, place the springform pan on the middle rack and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

TO MAKE THE ICING
In a large bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, salt, melted butter, espresso, milk, and vanilla.
Whisk to combine, until smooth and lump-free (1-2 minutes).

TO FINISH
Remove the roll from the springform pan and drizzle the icing on top.
Serve warm.