CHICKEN CONFIT

Chicken Confit

Use dark meat of chicken, white meat doesn't work very well.  The wings are the exception.

Legs, Thighs and Wings, about 3 or 4 pounds.

Put a handful of Rosemary Sprigs andThyme Sprigs in the bottom of a deep half hotel pan.  Cover the herbs with cheesecloth and add a handful of whole, peeled garlic cloves on top of the cheesecloth.  Add the chicken pieces on top of the garlic in a single layer and press down.  Add vegetable oil to cover.  Fully submerge the pieces.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and seal with foil. 

Place in a preheated 230° oven for four hours.

The oil will take on, or be infused with, the flavor of the herbs and chicken during this long and low heat cooking process and yield a rich rosemary, thyme, garlic (and chicken) flavored cooking oil.

Remove the pan from the oven.  Remove the chicken pieces from the oil and place them in a foil-lined pan to drain slightly.  The chicken pieces will go back in the oven on broil just long enough to caramelize (bronzed) them slightly, about three to five minutes. 

Most of the oil will have dripped off and accumulated in the bottom of the foil-lined pan.  It is still good.  Add it back to the rest of the oil.  

Serve the chicken warmed and as a bonus you have the lasted garlic.  Strain the herbs from the oil and discard them. Use the oil to sautéed vegetables, especially potatoes.  This technique actually results in a product that has much less grease than fried foods as it has no batter or flour coating.

CATFISH WONTONS with ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE

Catfish Wontons with Andouille Sausage

2 U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish fillets
8 ounces Pepper Jack cheese
1 pound Andouille sausage
5 egg roll wrappers
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Oil for frying

SAUCE
¾ cup white sugar
1⁄3 cup white vinegar
2⁄3 cup water
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Crushed red pepper (optional)

Instructions
CUT catfish fillets into 1″x 1″x½” pieces.
SLICE cheese into 1”x 1”x¼” pieces and sausage into ¼ inch rounds.
CUT egg roll wrapper in half. Make an egg wash by mixing egg and water. Brush egg wash on top of egg roll. Stack catfish, cheese and sausage on egg roll, wrap filling, and pinch edges closed with a fork.
ADD oil to a heavy, small pan and heat to medium high.
Add several wraps at a time and cook 3-4 minutes, turning frequently until golden brown. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel.
SERVE with Sweet and Sour Sauce.

TO MAKE SAUCE mix all ingredients in a small pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened slightly. The sauce will thicken more as it cools.
SERVE with Sweet and Sour Sauce.

FRUITCAKE BARS

Fruitcake Bars

About 16 bars

Feel free to use any friendly combination of dried fruits that strikes your fancy in these “Friendship Bars”. The dates really do make the recipe, but I’ve tossed in a scoop of dried sour cherries or cranberries, or candied ginger as well, with great results. Whatever you do, stick with the quantities below when swapping out other dried fruits and/or nuts.

For those of you who are gluten-free, I imagine you could substitute another starch for the flour, but haven’t tried it. So if you do, please feel free to leave results in the comments. And if you decide to bake these in individual molds, increase the batter according to the capacity of the molds, and omit lining them with foil and just use non-stick spray.

6 tablespoons (50 g) flour

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (80 g) packed, light or dark brown sugar

2 cups walnuts, almonds, or pecans (200 g), toasted and coarsely chopped

1½ cups (170 g) dates, pitted and quartered

1 cup (170 g) dried apricot halves, preferably from California, snipped in half

1 large egg

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan across the bottom and up the sides with aluminum foil.

2. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC) and position the rack in the center of the oven.

3. In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the brown sugar, walnuts, dates, and apricots. Use your fingers to mix the fruit, separate any pieces sticking together.

4. Beat the egg and vanilla in a small bowl, then mix it with the fruit and nut mixture until everything’s coated with the batter. Spread the mixture in the baking pan and press gently to even it out.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top of the bars are golden brown and has pulled away just-slightly from the sides of the pan. Cool the bars in the pan, then lift out.

6. To cut the cooled bars, use a heavy sharp knife, such as a bread knife, for ensuring neat, clean slices.

Storage: The bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Individual cakes can be wrapped in plastic.

GARLIC-MATER SOUP

Garlic-mater' Soup

8 cloves garlic

3/4 cup olive oil

1 crushed red pepper

2 #303 cans crushed tomatoes

3 Tbsp diced fresh basil

4 c. Chicken stock

1lb. bread (French baguette) cut into huge chunks

A hell of a lot of Grated Parmrsan or Pavé cheese

Sauté garlic and red pepper in oil till soft.  Add tomatoes and basil and salt and pepper.  Cook till soft.

Add stock, simmer 5 minutes.  

Add bread and let sit an hour.

Reheat and sprinkle heavily with cheese

DOMINICA KING CAKE

DOMENICA KING CAKE

By Chef Lisa White - Dessert, Game Day - Feb 10, 2014

There are few times of the year so beloved in New Orleans as Mardi Gras, and traditions like King Cake really make the season special. This coveted version from Chef Lisa White of Domenica is positively heavenly. Though you cannot truly call it a traditional King Cake, it represents all of the decadence and sparkle of the magical time of year to which it pays homage.

For the Cake

1 cup lukewarm milk, about 95 degrees

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp dry yeast

3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup melted butter

5 egg yolks, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp grated fresh orange zest

3 tsp cinnamon

Fillings

Fresh Bananas

Caramel

Mascarpone

Roasted Pecans

Praline Glaze

Gold Leaf

For the Mascarpone

4 oz Mascarpone Cheese (we use Zertos if you cannot locate try to get a thick variety)

4 oz cream cheese

1 pinch salt

2 oz powdered sugar, sifted

For the Praline Glaze

4 oz Brown Sugar

4oz Butter

1 oz Molasses

2 oz Heavy Cream

4 oz Praline Liqueur

For the Cake:

1. Pour the warm milk into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, yeast, and a heaping tbsp. of the flour, mixing until both the sugar and yeast have dissolved.

2. Once bubbles have developed on the surface of the milk and it begins to foam, whisk in the butter, eggs, vanilla, and zest. Add remaining flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a large rubber spatula.

3. After the dough comes together, pulling away from the sides of the bowl, shape it into a large ball. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes.

4. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a draft free place to let it rise for 1.5 hours or until it doubles in size.

5. Preheat the oven to 375. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and roll dough out to as square as possible and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Then tightly as possible roll up (like a cinnamon roll) pinch ends closed and shape into oval tucking ends under each other. Then place on a nonstick cookie sheet and let it rise until it doubles in size, about 30 -45 minutes.

6. Once, it’s doubled in size, place the cookie sheet in the oven and back until the oval is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow for cooling - approximately 30 minutes.

7. After, it cools, slice the oval, aiming for the top 1/3. Set aside.

For the Mascarpone:

1. You want the cheeses to be room temperature when you start this. Place cream cheese first in mixer bowl with paddle attachment and place on medium speed – stop & scrape bowl. Once, it is visually smooth and not lumpy - add mascarpone to the cream cheese and same thing turn on – then stop scrape bowl once smooth

2. Add the powdered sugar – once, mixture is completely combined put refrigerator. You want it to be somewhat stiff when assembling your king cake

For the Praline Glaze:

Place sugar, molasses, & butter in saucepan over medium heat continue cooking till bubbly and whisk it. Once mixture is bubbly (all over) slowly add cream and whisk once thoroughly combined whisk in Praline Liqueur - while hot you will pour on cake slowly.

To Compile:

1. On the bottom half you are going to smear with caramel, then sliced fresh bananas, mascarpone cheese, roasted pecans, and then the top is placed back on.

2. Now that the top is on the King Cake place whole cake on a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet

3. Now is the time for the Praline Glaze...using a ladle slowly pour over the top of your cake so it is covered

4. This is when I usually add the gold leaf but I am positive it will be just as great without!

CUCUMBER and PINEAPPLE KERABU (Cucumber and Pineapple Salad)

Cucumber and Pineapple Kerabu

Cucumber and Pineapple Salad)

Another great light and refreshing Kerabu (salad) that offers the contrasts in flavour between the cucumber, onion and pineapple, with lime and a hint of chilli thrown in to liven things up. Try alternating ingredients to create your own kerabu.

1 medium english cucumber, peeled and diced

1/2 pineapple, peeled and diced

1 red chilli, fresh, finely sliced, if you don't want it too hot remove the seeds.

1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp lime juice

Method: 

Combine all, mix and serve, or chill and serve later.

LIBRARY KING CAKE

A Really Good King Cake Recipe!

This recipe was provided by Wayne Everard, formerly Archivist in the Louisiana Division/City Archives. Having eaten many king cakes made from this recipe, we at NOPL can assure you that it is VERY good eatin'. Enjoy (and feel free to reprint and share, if you like)!

Dough Ingredients:

4 packages active dry yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water (110-115 degrees F)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 cup cold milk

1 cup plain or vanilla yoghurt

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 stick butter or margarine

5-6 1/2 cups all-purpose flouR

Filling Ingredients:

1 stick butter or margarine, melted

2 cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 dried bean, shelled pecans, or naked plastic babies

Icing Ingredients:

3 tablespoons soft butter or margarine

4 cups confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

4-6 tablespoons milk

Combine the yeast, 1/2 of the sugar, and the lukewarm water in a very large bowl, stir well and set aside for a few minutes until the mixture swells slightly and small bubbles appear on the surface. Stir in the remaining sugar, milk, yoghurt, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Add egg yolks and mix again.

In another bowl, work the butter/margarine into 5 cups of the flour.

Add the flour-butter/margarine mixture to the yeast mixture a cup at a time, mixing well after each cup is added. Begin to knead in the bowl, adding more flour if necessary to make a smooth, elastic dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 5 minutes, adding more flour if the dough is still sticky.

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a bowl which has been buttered or sprayed with a no-stick spray. Cover and let stand in a warm place until dough doubles in size.

OR

Add 1/2 of dough ingredients to the mixing chamber of an automatic bread machine, set the machine on the dough cycle, and it do all of the work. Remove the risen dough from the chamber at the end of the cycle. Repeat with second half of dough ingredients for two cakes or proceed using 1/2 of the filling and icing ingredients for one cake.

Punch dough down and divide in half. Roll each half on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 8 x 14 inches. Brush each rectangle with 1/2 stick of melted butter or margarine. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle 1/2 of the mixture over each rectangle. Roll up from the wide end, as you would a jelly roll, inserting one of the dried beans, pecans, or naked babies along the way. Press the ends of the dough together and stretch the roll into an oval about 14 inches long. Place on a greased/sprayed cookie sheet and allow to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 35-45 minutes until the cakes are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped with the fingers. Remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes.

Beat the butter or margarine until softened. Add confectioner=s sugar and vanilla and continue to beat, gradually adding milk until a glaze consistency is achieved. Use half of the icing on each cake.

Spread the icing evenly over each cake and decorate immediately with granulated sugar that has been rendered purple, green and gold with food coloring, making alternating bands of color.

Other decorating options:

Divide the icing into three portions and use food coloring to make purple, green and gold icing. Spread in alternating bands along the length of the cakes.

Use purple, green and gold gumdrops, jelly beans, or other candy to decorate the white icing.