France
Caramelized Vanilla Crème Brulee:
This authentic recipe is a traditional classic in France. It is a sinfully decadent dessert that is absolutely delicious…..Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or few drops of extract), 4 egg yolks, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 7 oz. milk, 9 oz. crème fraîche (or heavy cream), 1/4 cup additional granulated sugar (to caramelize with)
Preparation:
Preheat Oven to 300°F Beat the eggs yolks with the 1/2 cup of sugar. Stir in the vanilla seeds (or extract). Add the milk and stir until well combined. Add the cream while stirring. Pour the batter into four individual ramekins or flan dishes, and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool off completely and then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the tops with the 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. Turn the oven on to broil and put back into the oven (the rack should be right under the element) and let caramelize. Serve warm or cold.
Note: If you do not have time to refrigerate, just sprinkle the tops with sugar after 30 minutes of baking, turn oven up to broil, and let them caramelize right away.
Turkey
Lamb Stew and Eggplant Cream
The first time I had this dish was at an old Ottoman home in Istanbul and let me tell you….I could not stop eating it. It was so delicious!
Lamb Stew: 2-3 lamb shoulder chops, 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped , 1/2 cup robust red wine, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tsp powdered allspice, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, pinch of sugar, 1/2 a yellow onion, coarsely diced, 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
Eggplant Cream: 1 Italian-style eggplant, 2 Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp flour, 1/2 cup milk, 3 Tbsp kasseri cheese (or pecorino), coarsely grated
Stew Preparation: Preheat oven to 325º F. Trim off all fat from lamb chops and remove any bones. Cut the lamb into 1-inch cubes. Brown lamb cubes in olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan that you can also put into the oven. When browned, remove cubes and use the same pan to sauté the onions and garlic. When lightly browned, remove from pan and mix with lamb cubes. Deglaze the pan with red wine. Add water, spices, sugar, tomatoes and the lamb/onion mixture. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in a preheated oven. Cook for about 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove to stovetop and cook uncovered for another 30 minutes to reduce the liquid. The stew should be thick and dark.
Eggplant Preparation: While the stew is cooking, bake the whole eggplant at 400º F on a baking sheet lined with foil for about 30 minutes. When the eggplant is very soft remove from the oven and let it cool. When cool enough to handle, peel off skin and scrap off any eggplant that remains on the skin. Discard the skin. Separate the lobes of the eggplant and scrap away as much of the seeds as possible. Place the eggplant in a colander to drain for a few minutes while you make the béchamel. Melt butter in a saucepan and stir in flour. Cook the flour/butter mixture for few minutes, and then gradually add the milk, stirring constantly to keep it from lumping. Cook the béchamel until thick, and then transfer it into a large bowl. Add the drained eggplant and mash lightly with a pastry blender. (Do not puree the eggplant and do not over mash it. You want it to have some texture.) Add the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. At this point, the eggplant cream can either be kept warm on your stovetop or reheated in the oven. When ready to serve spread a dollop of the hot eggplant cream in a warm, shallow individual bowl and top with a ladleful of stew and enjoy. This recipe serves two.
Greece
Moussaka
When I am in different cultures, I always like to eat the local fair and if I can, I try to get the recipes for my favorites. Moussaka was one of my favorite dishes that I tried in Athens. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.
Meat Sauce: 1 kg ( 2.2 lbs) minced ground beef, 1 large ripe finely chopped tomato, 1 large grated onion, 4 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1/2 cup red wine, 1/2 cup condensed tomato juice, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 cups water, Salt, pepper
Vegatables: 2 large eggplants medium sliced, 5-6 medium peeled and sliced potatoes, 2 tbsp grated spicy hard yellow cheese, 1-tablespoon olive oil, Salt, Pepper, light vegetable oil (for frying)
Bechamel Cream: 2 well beaten eggs, 7 oz margarine, 10 tblsp plain flour, 5 tblsp sugar, 3-4 tbsp spicy grated hard yellow cheese, 8 cups cold milk, margarine
Meat Sauce: Pour the oil into a deep large pan and heat it slightly. Crumble the minced beef into the oil together with the onion and garlic. Brown everything well, stirring constantly. Pour in the wine and allow to boil until wine evaporates. Add the tomato, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper and stir until the tomato softens. Pour in tomato juice, stir and allow to cook and thicken. Finally, pour in water and, over a medium heat, allow the sauce to cook until the beef is tender and the liquids have evaporated by at least 2/3 and the sauce is thick.
While the meat sauce is cooking prepare the vegatables:
Soak sliced eggplants in salted water for 1 hour before beginning sauce. Soaking removes bitterness from eggplant skins and helps them not to absorb so much oil while frying. Remove eggplants from the water, strain well and dry on a kitchen towel to absorb any excess water. Fry the potato slices until lightly golden on both sides, 3-4 minutes and then drain on kitchen paper. Oil a deep baking dish with olive oil and create a layer with the fried potatoes taking care not to leave any gaps. Fry eggplants 2-3 minutes per side, then drain on kitchen paper, and place them in a layer on top of the sliced potatoes. Sprinkle some salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the grated cheese on the eggplant layer. Strain the meat sauce of any excess oil (otherwise, your Moussaka will be too greasy) and then pour it evenly on top of the eggplant. Sprinkle the sauce with the 2nd tablespoon of grated cheese and then prepare yourBechamel Cream.
Bechamel Cream: Melt the butter in a pot, over a low heat, and add the flour stirring with a wooden spoon until the flour and butter combine to make a roux. Quickly add 4 cups of the milk and keep stirring with a whisk until the mixture becomes almost creamy. When it starts to thicken a lot, add the remaining milk followed by the beaten eggs. Continue stirring until everything has combined evenly and is a thick creamy texture - this may take some effort (if you have lumps, use an electric hand mixer for a couple of minutes and they will dissolve). Add the sugar mixing it in well, then add salt, pepper, cinnamon and cheese, mix everything well until it acquires its creamy texture again. Allow it to bubble over a low heat for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. If your cream is too thick, add a little more milk or water and stir well until it obtains the desired thickness. If, on the other hand, your cream is a little too thin, let it stand for about 5 minutes and it will thicken as it cools. Pour the Béchamel cream evenly on top of the meat sauce and add dabs of margarine to the surface of the cream in various places. Bake the Moussaka in a preheated oven at 180ºC (350ºF), for about 30 minutes, or until the cream unevenly gently browns in places. Allow the Moussaka to cool for about 20 minutes and then cut it into servings. Serves 8
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