Recipes

Teriyaki Meatballs

Featured in the article on Kozu Morii’s playful bento box lunches, these tiny and flavor-packed meatballs are decidedly kid friendly.

Meatballs:
1 lb. (scant) ground pork
2 tablespoons rice wine (sake)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon ginger juice (grated and squeeze juice out)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup green onion, white part only

Sauce
5 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon rice wine (sake)

Meatballs
Mix well in a bowl all the meatball ingredients except the green onion and egg. Add the eggs to the mixture and mix well. Add the green onion to the combined ingredients until it all sticks together.

Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a pot to 340°F (or until oil sizzles around a test meatball). Wet hands and take a tablespoonful of the meatball mix. Drop into the oil and repeat for the rest of the mix. Remove meatballs out when they turn golden brown.

Sauce
In a frying pan, add all the ingredients and stir over medium heat. The sauce will simmer and begin to bubble. Continue to stir the sauce it becomes clear (and shiny). Then add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and stir to coat.

Philadelphia Fuego Chili

3 pounds ground beef
2 pounds chorizo
1/2 cup of pork chips
32 ounces Spanish tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Mexican seasoning
1 teaspoon sofrito sauce
2 teaspoons diced garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 yellow onion, diced
16 ounces roasted tomatoes
½ medium pumpkin, diced
½ jalapeno pepper, diced
1 pound red kidney beans
1 pound black beans
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded to taste

1. Cook the ground beef and the chorizo in separate pans until the meat is cooked through. Stir occasionally. Drain both the sausage and the ground beef and transfer to a large pot.
2. Add pork chips
3. Add the Spanish tomato sauce, Mexican seasoning, sofrito, garlic, chili powder, onion, green pepper, roasted tomatoes, diced pumpkin, and jalapeno pepper and stir occasionally until the vegetables are tender. Add red kidney and black beans and cook until tender.
4. Serve over a bed of white rice and top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese..
Makes 8-10 servings

Spicy Smothered Cabbage

(Reprinted with permission from The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine)

This recipe makes good leftovers. You can remove the ham for a vegetarian friendly recipe.

Ingredients:

2 oz Lean Ham, diced

1 tsp Olive or blended oil

1 each Onion, cut in strips (julienne)

1 each Medium Red Pepper, small dice

1 each Medium Cabbage, sliced into strips (chiffonade)

2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

½ tsp Caraway Seeds

1 tsp Salt

¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes

½ cup Water

Preparation:

1. Gather all ingredients and equipment

2. Heat oil in a deep heavy pan until shimmering and add the onion and sliced ham. Cook until

the onions become slightly see through.

3. Add cabbage, red pepper, vinegar, caraway seeds, red pepper flakes, salt and water.

4. Cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until the cabbage is soft

and tender.

Fish Tacos with Corn Relish

(Reprinted with permission from the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine)

This recipe is super simple to make and capitalizes on an abundant, local fish – Drum. Once you’ve tried

this you’ll never go out for tacos again! Try adding red pepper flakes for some added heat.

Ingredients:

1 tsp Cumin, ground

1 tsp Chili Powder

1 tsp Oregano, dried

1/2 tsp Paprika

To taste Fresh Ground Black Pepper

½ tsp Salt, Kosher

1 lb Drum fillet or other white fish, without skin

2 tsp Olive Oil

2 each Green Onions, chopped, white and greens parts separates

½ each Red Bell Pepper, seeds removed, small dice

1-2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 cup Fresh or Frozen Corn Kernels

½ cup Canned Diced Tomatoes, unsalted

1 tbsp Red or White Wine Vinegar

1 each Fresh Lime, juiced

1 ½ tsp Honey

1 tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped

8 each Corn Tortillas

Preparation:

1. Mix the cumin, chili powder, oregano, paprika, pepper, red pepper flakes (if using) and half the

salt together. Place drum in a small dish and lightly coat each side with the seasoning, coating

2. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the white

part of the green onion, red bell pepper, garlic and corn to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 2-3

minutes, or until the corn begins to brown.

3. Add the tomatoes, vinegar and remaining salt and pepper to the pan. Cook until the relish

starts to thicken.

4. Stir the lime juice, honey, cilantro and green parts of the onions to the pan. Pour in a bowl and

cover to keep warm.

5. Wipe out the pan and heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook

until golden brown on the under-side. Flip the fish over using a spatula and cook until the

second side starts to brown.

6. Pour ¼ cup of water into the pan. Put a lid on and turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook

the fish until flaky, checking every 1-2 minutes. Once cooked, break the fish up in the pan with

a spatula. Place on folded corn tortillas using tongs and top with corn relish. Enjoy!

Cape Verdean “Cachupa”

Serves 8

Fresh Food Generation recently wowed a crowd of 80 with this hearty vegetable stew. Recipes vary among each of the Cape Verde islands, with many of them featuring fish or meat — beef, sausage, goat, or chicken.

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 savoy cabbage, shredded
3 white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 small acorn squash, peeled and cubed
3-1/2 cups hominy (29-ounce can is fine)
1-1/2 cups prepared great northern beans (either presoaked or 1 15-ounce can)
Vegetable broth or water, to cover
2 bunches kale, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:

In a large stock pan, heat about 3 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add onions and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add garlic, paprika and curry powder, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add cabbage, potatoes, squash, hominy, and beans. Cover with vegetable stock or water, and let simmer for 1 hour. Add kale and tomatoes, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

St-Fidele Cheese Asparagus Frittata

courtesy of Chef Patrick Turcot, executive chef at Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu

INGREDIENTS:

6 eggs

1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk

10 stalks asparagus

½ cup chopped scallions

½ cup grated Swiss cheese from St-Fidele (you may substitute any quality Swiss)

Freshly-ground black pepper

2 onions, sliced into rings (optional)

1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven broiler. Broil asparagus for about 10 minutes. Let cool, then chop.

Whisk eggs in a medium bowl and mix in soy milk, asparagus, scallions, and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture into a large skillet coated with cooking spray or a flexmold. Cook on medium heat until the eggs start to set – about five minutes.

Top with Swiss cheese. Place skillet in oven and broil for five minutes or until the eggs are fully set. If you use the flexmold; let the frittata cool down and unmold gently. Served with Swiss cheese on top.

CARAMELIZED ONIONS (Optional):

Heat olive oil in a large skillet to medium high heat. Add onions and sauté for five minutes until they begin to soften. Turn heat down and continue to cook onions on low heat for 30 minutes until they brown, stirring occasionally. You can cook them longer (up to an hour) for a deeper caramelization if you have the time. Thirty minutes is just enough time for the natural sweetness of the onion to come out and the flavor to intensify.

Cut the frittata into individual slices. If you’re going for the fancy pants version, top each slice with 1/4 cup caramelized onion topping and a sprinkle of freshly-ground black pepper.

You can serve the frittata with breakfast potato and meat of your choice. To stay healthy you can serve with fresh sliced fruit.

This is a perfect way to start your day with a healthy option that will satisfy your appetite.

* * *

La Ferme Basque Foie Gras and Allspice Macaron

courtesy of Chef Patrick Turcot, executive chef at Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu

Ingredients Quantity for 6 person(s)

For the macaron

Egg white(s) : 215 g

Caster sugar : 150 g

Icing sugar : 350 g

Ground almonds : 250 g

Allspice: 15g

For the garnish(es)

Part-cooked duck foie gras from La Ferme Basque : 200 g

Unsalted butter : 100 g

Double cream : 5 cl

Red port : 5 cl

Fleur de sel : 6 pinch(es)

Freshly ground black pepper : 6 Turn

Recipe method

For the macaron shells

Preheat the oven to 150’C.

Pass the almonds and icing sugar through a medium sieve to remove any lumps.

Whisk the egg whites with 150g of caster sugar. Whisk until you have a semi-stiff and glossy meringue.

Stir in one third of the dry ingredients. Once incorporated, repeat with the second third and then the final third. Add the food coloring and work the mixture with a spatula until it is smooth, shiny and a dropping consistency.

Fill a piping bag with the macaron mix and pipe the macaroons onto a lined baking tray. Tap the tray on your work surface to smooth out the tops and remove any large air bubbles. Leave the macaroons to dry for 15 minutes at room temperature. They are ready to cook when the surface is touch-dry. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. The macaroons are cooked when the top is firm. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, lift the macaroons from the baking parchment and turn them over. Allow to cool thoroughly before filling.

For the foie gras mousse

Remove the skin and muscle from the foie gras and chop into pieces. Place the foie gras and butter (at room temperature) into a food processor and mix until smooth and even.

Whip the cream and add it to the foie gras. Mix together until you obtain a smooth mousse and then add the port and mix through.

When the macarons have cooled down, fill half of the shells with the foie gras mousse and place the other halves on top.

Whip the cream and add it to the foie gras. Mix together until you obtain a smooth mousse and then add the port and mix through.

When the macarons have cooled down, fill half of the shells with the foie gras mousse and place the other halves on top.

Serving this macaron with a chutney of your favorite fruit is the best.

Patrick Turcot

Executive Chef

Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu

* * *

Chef Manuel Romero’s Seafood Paella

Serves 6

3/4 cup olive oil
6 jumbo shrimps
12 small clams
12 mussels
6 oz fresh squid
4 oz monk fish
1/4 bell red pepper
1/4 small Spanish onion
1 tomato, skinned and diced
2 cups medium grain rice
5 cups fish stock or water
A pinch of saffron
Salt

Heat the oil in a paella pan. Brown the shrimp and fish, remove and set aside. Brown the squid in the oil and mix the pepper, onion and tomato. Add the rice, pour in the fish stock or water, the saffron and season. Boil for 10 minutes, add the clams and mussels, then simmer on low heat for another 10 minutes. Add the shrimps and fish and reheat the rice. Leave to stand briefly before serving.

Roy Handler’s Matzo Ball Soup

Serves 10

1 whole chicken
1 bunch celery chopped
2 onions, chopped
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 whole tomato
Cold water
1/2 bunch chopped Italian parsley
Salt and pepper
1 package matzoh ball mix
2 eggs
2 tbsp vegetable oil

In a large stock pot, combine the first 8 ingredients. Make sure the water comes to about an inch below the top of the pot. Place on the stove and turn heat on high. Once this just starts to boil, turn down to medium heat and let cook for an hour. (You do not want to boil this soup because it will turn cloudy.)

In a mixing bowl combine the matzoh meal, eggs and oil and mix well. Cover and stick this in the fridge for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove from fridge and roll into small golf balls making sure your hands are wet so the matzoh does not stick to your hands. You should get about 20 uniform small matzoh balls which will double in size once cooked.

After one hour of cooking the soup, remove the chicken from the soup and let cool a bit before you take all the meat off. Drop all the matzoh balls in the soup at this point and bring to a boil then cover and turn down the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes. Take one out and taste it to make sure it is nice and soft. They will be very sensitive to touch so be gentle. Take all the chicken meat off the chicken and place back into the pot. Bring it to a boil once again and serve.

Handler’s comments:
This whole process takes about 2 hours. It lasts three-four days and is so good especially in winter time. I do not add much salt or pepper to the recipe as I let the flavors speak for themselves. Make sure there is enough room in the stockpot for the ingredients to move. You do not want a giant stock pot where the flavor of one chicken can’t carry the water but a small one also defeats the purpose. You may also choose to cook the matzoh balls in a separate pot if you wish, then add them later. I also choose to use the Matzoh mix you can get in the store. Grinding matzoh and then seasoning it can be done but that would intensify this recipe and lets try and keep it relatively simple this 1st time. make sure you taste the soup and season it accordingly when it is done. It should be hearty and soothing.

Roy Handler’s Turkey Meat loaf

Serves 10

5 lbs. ground turkey meat, dark or white
4 oz shaved Parmigiano cheese
1 onion, diced
5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
10 slices whole wheat bread or 1 baguette diced
2 cups milk
5 eggs
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 cups ketchup and mustard combined (for glaze)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, soak the bread in the milk until soft and mushy. The liquid should evaporate into the bread. If there is still liquid drain it. Add the meat, onions, parmigiano, worcestershire, ketchup, mustard, eggs, and salt and peppers. Mix well and taste to make sure there is flavor. At this point, divide the lag in two and form it into two cylinders and make sure they are uniform. Mix the ketchup and mustard, 1 1/2 cups ketchup to 1/2 cup mustard in a bowl, add a little bit of olive oil and coat each log of loaf with this mixture. Cook in oven for 1 hour. Let rest and serve.

Handler’s comments: The hardest part of this recipe is soaking the bread. It softens up the meatloaf and allows it to have a creamy texture. Without the bread it becomes very hard. The mustard/ ketchup glaze allows the meatloaf to caramelize and have a bite. Make sure when preparing this that both loaves are uniform and solid and there are no air pockets. The loaves will separate and look like a bad dream if not patted down.

Jeff Anderson’s Turkey Hash with Eggs

This can be made with leftover turkey or any other roast including prime rib, pork loin, leg of lamb, etc. Top with an aioli seasoned with chimichurri, chopped sun dried tomatoes, Sriracha hot sauce or even roasted red peppers. Makes 2-4 servings

 

2 tablespoon flavorful olive oil

3-4 cups diced roast turkey, use a mix of light and dark meat

¾ cup diced Pepper, Red and Green

1 cup diced Onion, Red or Yellow

½ cup minced Green Onions

1 sprig fresh Rosemary

1 cup diced cooked Potato

2-3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Splash Tabasco®

One egg poached, fried or scrambled

 

Heat olive oil in heavy bottom pan (such as cast iron).

 

Add turkey, peppers, onions, green onions, potatoes and rosemary, sauté for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until colored and fully heated through.

 

Add Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco®. Divide into bowls and top with your favorite poached, fried or scrambled eggs.

 

To find more, visit Safeway.com/Holiday

Tipsy Pudding

This old English pudding was served on Pan Am‘s flight to England

4 eggs
½ cup sugar
1 cup sifted flour
¾ cup rum

Beat the eggs in a bowl. Gradually add the sugar, beating until thick and light. Add the flour, mixing lightly until well blended. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 6 custard cups and dust lightly with sugar. Divide the mixture evenly among the cups. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Pour 2 tablespoons of rum on each pudding. Serve cold.

Fried Caper Crépe with Scallop and Chive Butter, Sundried Tomato Sauce

(from Cunninghame West—Valentino’s Restaurant, Houston)

Crépe batter
Olive oil
1 Tbsp capers
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
¾ cup whole milk
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp melted butter
Salt and pepper

Add olive oil to cover the bottom of a small sauce pot by ¼” (enough to cover the capers when you add them to the hot oil) fry until the capers are crispy, remove from the oil and place on a plate with a paper towel to remove excess oil.

Mix the flour and eggs together until smooth, slowly add the milk and water until smooth, add the butter and pinch of salt and pepper.

In non-stick pan add enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan; sprinkle 7-8 of the fried capers on the batter before it is cooked. Tilt the pan to evenly cover the bottom. Once you have nice color on the crepe, flip it over to finish. Remove from pan and repeat the process until the batter is gone.

Scallops
6 jumbo scallops
Olive oil
Butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat sauté pan until hot; add splash of oil and butter. When the butter solids start to brown add the seasoned scallops. Brown the scallops on the top and bottom but cook only to rare. Remove from heat and let rest.

Chive butter
3-4 Tbsp soft salted butter
3-4 Tbsp chopped chives
Mix the butter and chives together until evenly mixed

Forming the crepes
6 caper crépes
6 cooked scallops
Chive butter
12 whole chives (blanched-dipped in boiling water for ½ second)

Place a cooked crepe on a cutting board, place seared scallop in the middle, place some chive butter on top and around the scallop.

Pull the crépe up and around the scallop into a purse shape.

Using the blanched chive, tie the crépe at the top, right under where you are pinching it together. Repeat with remaining five.

Sundried tomato sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbsp chopped yellow onion
½ cup chopped sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup roughly chopped stewed peeled tomatoes with juice
2 large basil leaves
1-2 Tbsp butter
Salt and pepper

In sauce pot, lightly brown garlic in the olive oil, add the onion. Cook the onions until tender and translucent without browning. Add both of the tomatoes and let simmer for 20 minutes. Add basil leaves and salt and pepper, stir, turn off the heat and let rest for five minutes. Blend butter into mixture.

Plating
Place the finished crepes in a buttered pan, cover with foil and place in a oven at 375°F. Heat until the scallops are hot throughout, about 6-8 minutes.

Spoon the sundried tomato sauce onto a bowl or plate and place the cooked crépe in the middle of the sauce. Drizzle with a high-quality extra virgin olive oil.

Ray White’s Nacho Lasagna

1 32-ounce bag tortilla chips
1 cup chili (your favorite)
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup vegan shredded cheese
1 cup chopped veggie steak
1/4 cup chopped canned jalapenos
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup sliced black olives, divided

• Cover Pan & Bake for 30 mins.
• Remove foil- let sit 5 mins
• Top with -1/4 c sour cream
1 sliced avocado
1/4 cup cilantro

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12-inch (3-inch deep) pan with nacho chips, add half of each of the next seven ingredients and repeat. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes; remove foil and let sit for five minutes. Top with sour cream, black olives, sliced avocado and cilantro. Serve with your favorite hot sauce.

Bonus: Summer creamsicles (great with Nacho Lasagna)

Fill a 16 oz glass with half ice, 1-1/2 oz vanilla vodka and fill to 1 inch from the top with cream soda.

Braised Beef Brisket

4 pounds brisket
Salt, pepper
2 T vegetable oil (not olive)
3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 large carrots, chopped
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 T flour
1 cup chopped tomatoes (if using canned, reserve liquid)
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried crumbled
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
¼ – ½ teaspoon ground cloves or mace
¼ – ½ teaspoon ground coriander
3 bay leaves
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
10 juniper berries, optional but desirable
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 325° F
1. Select brisket with some fat on the top. Rub meat dry and rub all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a braising pan or deep pot and brown brisket on both sides over moderate heat, about 15 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
2. Lower heat and add onions to the pot. Sauté until soft and translucent. Midway, add carrots and celery. Add garlic, tomatoes and herbs, sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add wine and stock and bring to slight boil.
3. Return brisket to pot, cover tightly and transfer pot to oven. Cook for about 1 hour, turn over, and taste for spices. If it is too acidic, add brown sugar to taste. If you wish it more “tomatoey,” this would be a good time to add some of reserved tomato juice. Cover tightly again and cook until tender, about 2-3 hours total.
4. If using slow cooker, spread most of the onions and carrots on the bottom, place brisket on them, top it with remaining vegetables and pour liquid over. Cook on slow for 6 hours, opening a couple of times to adjust flavor.

I usually wrap warm brisket tightly in foil and then in plastic bag. Cooking juice, whether strained or not, is poured in a container and they go in refrigerator separately. Next day, I trim solidified fat and reunite them.

Respectable Meatballs

1 lb ground chuck
1⁄2 lb ground sirloin
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1⁄4 cup fresh grated Romano cheese
1⁄4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1⁄4 onion, finely minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
3 slices white bread, crusts removed
1⁄2 cup to 1 cup milk
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1. Soak the three slices of bread in milk in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, add all other ingredients.

3. Tear the milk-soaked bread into small bits and add them to the other ingredients

4. Using your hands, mix well until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

5. Wet fingers to keep meat from sticking to your hands, and form meat mixture into 1 1⁄2-inch balls.

6. Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan and place meatballs in the pan, frying in batches (do not crowd them); brown on all sides.

7. Transfer to pot of sauce, or to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Paul O’Connell’s Smoked Cod and Lobster Chowder

3 lbs. smoked cod
1 lb. cooked lobster meat
1 lb. unsalted butter
2 cups onion, minced
2 cups leek, 1/4″ diced
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. fresh thyme
6 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and 1/2″ diced
1 cup dry white wine
5 cups fish fumé (or, substitute bottled clam juice)
5 cups heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
Curly parsley, stemmed and chopped

Soak the smoked cod in a bowl of cold water for one hour.
Cut cod and lobster meat into 1/2-inch pieces.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add onions, leeks, herbs and potatoes. Cook until onions are soft, stirring often so mixture does not brown.

Add the white wine and heavy cream and bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes.
Add the fish fume/clam juice, then the smoked cod, and simmer until the cod is fork-tender.
Add the lobster pieces at the very end, and season the chowder with salt and pepper.
Ladle into 8 pre-warmed bowls and garnish with parsley if desired.

Recipes from George Rector

Crab Morney

Every housewife knows how to make a rich cream sauce using butter, flour, and cream. After the cream sauce is prepared, place it in the oven and allow it to get so hot that it will brown on top.

Immediately remove this thin crust from the top with a spoon or ladle. While the sauce is very hot, add small pieces of fresh, sweet butter, stirring rapidly. Also add a liberal quan-tity of grated Swiss cheese. The whole secret of the sauce is constant stirring, the butter and cheese being added alternately.

When the cream sauce, the cheese, and the butter have become well blended, which should take a good fifteen minutes of steady whipping, strain through a fine sieve and season with cayenne and salt.

Pour over large individual flakes of crab meat and allow it to brown under the grill. Serve on a silver platter without garnishing.

Crab Canapé

To half a pound of crab meat add a few cooked fresh mushrooms cut in slices, three table-spoons of thick cream sauce, and season well. Place on a toasted muffin, spread with anchovy butter, and place over the top grated Parmesann cheese and bread crumbs. Bake and brown in a quick oven. Serve on a napkin and garnish with parsley.

Recipe from KCRW’s Pie Contest winner Yuichiro Sato

Meat Pie Recipe

Ingredients

Crust
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 cup lard
pinch of salt
1~2 tbsp cold water
2 eggs
1 tsp white vinegar

Filling
1 yellow onion
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
15 baby bella mushrooms
3 shallots
2 cloves garlic
3 slices bacon
1.5 lb ground beef
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
14-ounce can diced tomato
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 tsp beef base
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 tbsp flour
handful of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Mashed potato
4 Yukon Gold potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp milk
small bunch of parsley

Method

Crust
1. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut the lard and butter into small chunks. Cut the chunks into the flour mixture until it becomes crumbly. Beat the egg with the vinegar and water. Stir in the egg mixture slowly until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Filling
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel and chop the onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms into 1/4-inch dice. Place vegetables in a large frying pan on medium heat with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Pick the rosemary and thyme leaves off the woody stalks, finely chop them, and add to the pan. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for 10 minutes. Put the vegetable mixture into a large bowl.

2. Soak the porcini in 1/2 cup of water. Peel and chop the shallots and garlic. Finely slice the bacon. Place shallot, garlic and onion into a large frying pan on a high heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Saute for a few minutes, add the ground beef, a pinch of salt and pepper. When the ground beef becomes brown, add the tomato, beef broth and beef base. Lower the heat, simmer for 30 minutes until there is a bit of liquid. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add the vegetable mixture and chopped porcini to the beef mixture and mix well. Add the flour, and remove from heat.

Mashed Potatoes
Peel the potatoes and put them into a pan of water. Bring to boil; boil for about 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain in a colander and return them to the pan. Add the butter and milk, and mash until smooth. Add the chopped parsley and mix well.

Put the mashed potatoes in a 9.5-inch round baking dish. Put the filling over the potato. Sprinkle the grated Parmigiano on the filling. Roll out the dough into a 10-inch round. Place the crust over the filling, press the edge down on the baking dish to seal using a fork. Make a small hole in the center of the crust and 4 to 6 slits in the crust. Brush the crust with beaten egg. Bake for 45 minutes.

Lüchow’s Recipe: Smoked Salmon in Cocotte

This may be served as a hot hors d’oeuvre or as a luncheon dish.
(© 1956 Lüchow’s German Cookbook; Doubleday & Co.)

4 thin slices smoked salmon, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 or 2 truffles, chopped
4 whole eggs and 2 yolks, beaten
1 1/2 cups light cream
1 1/2 cups milk
Dash of pepper
Dash of grated nutmeg

Divide pieces of salmon in 4 individual casseroles. Sprinkle with truffles.
Mix eggs, cream, milk, and seasonings and pour over salmon and truffles, almost filling casseroles. Set them carefully in a shallow pan containing a little hot water. Place in a moderate oven (325°F) and bake 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 4.