A Little Humble Pie: Cottage Pie

Homey, rustic food is just the thing to take off the chill at this time of year. Cottage pie has all the ingredients of a quintessential wintertime dish: meat, potatoes and gravy kept toasty warm in a casserole dish. It's basically the same thing as shepherd's pie, though "cottage pie" usually indicates the use of minced beef rather than lamb. 

Why bother cooking the filling and topping separately, and then cooking them again in the oven? Baking lets the flavours blend together so the pie is more... cohesive tasting, if that makes any sense. The potatoes absorb some of the gravy below which enhances their flavour. It's also the easiest way (short of a blowtorch!) to get a nicely bronzed potato topping. 

Tip: Adding an egg yolk to the mashed potatoes helps them brown. It's the same method used to make Duchess Potatoes.

Recipe after the jump!

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

I've always found it kind of cool how distinct the myriad of pasta shapes are, despite being made of the same ingredients. A pasta dish can be completely transformed just by changing the shape of noodle used. I can't think of another food that is like this! 

The pairing of pastas and their sauces are usually based on how the shape interacts with the sauce. For instance, short, tubular pastas like penne and rigatoni work well with hearty, chunky sauces, whereas thin noodles like spaghetti and capellini  are often served with thinner, smooth sauces. That being said, when I was little, I couldn't care less about the art of pasta-sauce pairing. All that mattered was that the pasta shape was fun to eat. The right shape made dinner infinitely tastier. Shells and scoobi-doos were my shapes of choice. And I can't forget Zoodles--the safari in a bowl! 

Some of the more unusual shapes I have come across include radiatori (which look like little radiators) and the rather creatively-named Lingua di Suocera ("Mother in Law's Tongue"!). Today I used bucatini, which is a fat noodle with a hole in the center. It used to be a "specialty pasta" but it's becoming easier to find in regular grocery stores. It's Roman in origin and is quite a hearty, chewy pasta. I prepared it with a sauce made from tomatoes and pancetta to make a dish called bucatini all'amatriciana. It's topped with a little basil for extra flavour and served with mozarella stuffed meatballs. 

Recipe after the jump!

Their Big Break: Perfect Roast Potatoes. (with Braised Beef Short Ribs with Black Mission Figs)

Sometimes I think winter days were made for slow food. And slow food, this is. This meal is one of those hearty, homey and satisfying ones. It is simple food that is also deceptively complex.

When I feel like I have a little time to spare, I like to make what I'd call "projects" for myself. I'll find a complicated recipe, pick apart the steps and figure out how to best approach the execution. Here, the side dish was the "project," rather than obvious star of the meal which would be the braised short ribs.

The humble roast potato is often added to a menu as a culinary afterthought; something inexpensive, filling, and only good to soak up sauce with. But what makes a roast potato exceptionally satisfying and delicious? To me, it would be the golden brown, crunchy crust, and soft fluffy inside. Luckily, somebody's already figured out how to do it. I just needed to get it right.

I suppose the idea of the "project" was inspired by Heston Blumenthal. The chef and owner of three Michelin starred restaurant The Fat Duck, he is also known for his innovative and scientific approach to cooking. I also think it is remarkable and inspirational that this incredibly talented chef is, in fact, self taught. In his television program "In Search of Perfection," Blumenthal attempts to create the ultimate version of classic dishes. In one of episode, he tackled a traditianal roast chicken dinner. With it, he served the perfect roast potatoes. After a series of tests (from potato variety to salted vs. unsalted water) he created a recipe that truly resulted in some pretty scrumptious spuds.

Sure, it is much easier to parboil some baby waxy potatoes, toss them in oil and roast them. But these tips really do create a nearly french-fry-like result. A few features:
-the recipe calls for Maris Piper potatoes. After a bit of research, it appears that this is a common variety in the UK, but rare in North America. I used a normal Russet potato because I wanted the graininess
-boil the potatoes in salted water (they brown better later) until they nearly fall apart
-shake them in the colander when you drain them. The dry, roughed up edges create that crunchy crust
-heat the oil in the roasting pan before you toss in the spuds
-patience, patience, patience. Boiling the potatoes took 20 minutes. Roasting them took a little over an hour. You will be rewarded.

Surely it would be unfair if I neglected the short ribs. They took a decent amount of time too in the sense that they simmered away for four hours. But as long as you are capable to stirring the pot every hour or so, it isn't demanding at all. Browning the meat until it is wonderfully seared develops tons of flavor. If you have trouble skimming the fat off the top (and there is a significant amount), try to make the ribs a day ahead. Let the fat solidify in the refrigerator overnight and discard it.

The slightly unusual twist in the recipe is the addition of figs. I love how they add a thick, sweet depth to the sauce. Unfortunately, fresh figs aren't in season, but dried ones worked just fine for me. I wanted to keep the bone in for presentation's sake, but the meat was so tender that it fell right off. Well isn't that just too bad...?

The Perfect Roast Potatoes

• large maris piper potatoes, 1kg
  
• olive oil, enough to fill the roasting tray to a depth of just under 1cm
  
• garlic, 4 cloves
  
• fresh rosemary, 1 generous bunch
  
• table salt
  

• Preheat the oven
  • to 190 celcius / 375 farenheight / Gas 5
• Wash, peel, cut and rinse potatoes
  
  • Wash the potatoes thoroughly and then peel them.
    
  • Reserve the peelings and tie them in a muslin bag.
    
  • Cut the potatoes into quarters
    (the quartering's important because it's the edges that get nice and crunchy: that's why reasonably large potatoes are needed for this recipe)
    
  • Leave the quaters in a bowl under running water for 2-3 minutes (or put in a bowl of water for 15 minutes, changing the water every 5 minutes).
• Boil the potatoes
  • Bring a pan of salted water (10g salt per litre of water) to the boil
    
  • Add the potatoes and toss in the bag of peelings (they
    contain lots of flavour).
    
  • Cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft: take them as far as you can without ending up without potato soup. (It's the fissures that form as the potato breaks up that trap the fat, creating a crunchy crust.)
• Preheat the oil
  • Meanwhile, pour the olive oil into a roasing tray (it needs to be large enough to hold all the potatoes in one layer) and place in the oven.
• Drain poatoes
  • Once the potatoes are soft, drain them in a colander and discard the bag of peelings.
    
  • Give them a gentle shake to roughen the edges and drive off any remaining drops of water.
• Roast the potatoes
  • Put the potatoes in the hot roasting tray and roll them around so that they are completely coated in oil.
    
  • Roast for an hour or so, until crisp and a lovely golden brown
    • Turning every 20 minutes.
      
    • Add the garlic and rosemary after 50 minutes.
      
• Season with salt and serve.

Braised Beef Short Ribs with Black Mission Figs

for the marinade;
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

for the braise:
6 beef short ribs, about 2x3 inches each
4 sprigs fresh parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2-4 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 carrot, diced
2 medium onions, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 cup red wine
1 cup diced Black Mission Figs
6-10 cups veal stock, or chicken or beef broth

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in an extra-large, resealable plastic bag or a large dish. Mix well. Add the ribs and coat well. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.

2. Tie the parsley, thyme and bay leaf with kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni. Remove the ribs from the marinade and scrape off any excess marinade. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Set a large, heavy Dutch oven or roasting pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Sear the ribs in batches on every side until nicely browned, making sure the drippings don’t burn. Set aside the ribs.

4. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of water, scraping up any flavorful browned bits. Pour the deglazing liquid and bits into a small bowl and reserve. (If the drippings seem to be burning, remove the ribs immediately and deglaze the pan with a bit of water. Wipe out any burned pieces with a paper towel, reduce the heat, add more oil, and continue browning the ribs.)

5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

6. Once you've deglazed the pan, add 2 tablespoons oil to the pan and turn the heat to medium. Add the carrots, onions and celery, and cook until the vegetables are browned. Add the tomatoes and cook another 5 minutes. Pour in the red wine, stirring the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits.

7. Add the seared ribs and reserved deglazing liquid, plus the figs and bouquet garni. Add enough stock to cover the ribs by 2 inches. Bring to a simmer. Cover and braise for 4 hours, turning the ribs every hour and skimming off excess fat. (If the sauce seems to be drying out, add more stock.)

8. Remove the ribs, smother with the sauce, and serve with mashed potatoes or creamy polenta and a glass of Côtes du Rhône.

Potato recipe from "In Search of Perfection" by Heston Blumenthal
Beef recipe from cookthink.com
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Simple and Sublime: The Best Beef Sandwich

This is one satisfying sandwich. No thin sliced cucumber on crust-less white plastic bread here. I think the star of this beefy sandwich has to be the caramelized onions. Slowly cooked until it gets brown and sticky, it's the stuff that gets people coming into the kitchen and asking "What smells so good?" The scent of sauteed onions is the ultimate draw of sidewalk hot dog carts for me anyways.

I don't think this sandwich requires a recipe... rather "Instructions for Construction":

Best Beef Sandwich:

1. Caramelize onions (see below for recipe), place to the side and wipe out pan.
2. Saute 6 large mushrooms, sliced into 1/4" slices, in a good swish of olive oil. Don't crowd the pan or the mushrooms will boil rather than brown. Add a clove of minced garlic when the mushrooms are half done. Cook until most of the water has evaporated and mushrooms are soft and browned. Place to the side.
3. Prepare the bread: I used a baguette. Split it in thirds and the halve each roll to open it up. Brush the inside with some olive oil (garlic and herb oil is really nice...see below for recipe). Toast in 375F oven until lightly browned.
4. In a lightly oiled pan, cook the beef (thinly sliced; you can buy it or slice it off a partially frozen steak if you like) until nearly all the pink is gone. Season with salt and pepper and a splash or worcestershire sauce.
5. Spread a few teaspoons of dijon mustard on your toasted bread. Layer a few slices of beef, the mushrooms, and then the onions. Serve with a side salad. Squish down and enjoy (sans fork and knife, of course).

Caramelized Balsamic Onions:

1 large onion
1 tablespoon butter
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Halve the onion and thinly slice (~1/8") into half-rings. In a medium saute pan, melt a tablespoon of butter and a good splash of olive oil. Cook onions over medium-low heat or until very soft, translucent, and starting to brown (at least 15 minutes). Season with salt and pepper, add dark brown sugar and stir until sugar is melted and onions are coated. Add balsamic vinegar and stir. Cook one minute more until onions are beautifully, stickily glazed.

Garlic and Herb Oil:
So great for sandwiches and quick croutons.

2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 sprig rosemary, bruised with the back of a knife
A few stems of thyme
1/3 cup olive oil

Combine everything in a small saucepan. Heat slowly over low heat until small bubbles start forming. Turn off the heat and allow to infuse for an hour or two. Store excess in a jar in the fridge (keep garlic and herbs in the oil) for up to three weeks.

Recipe and images property of beets and bites

I-Can't-Believe-They're-Not-Deep-Fried Baked Samosas

Before you dismiss this healthier take on the scrumptiousness that is the samosa, please give it a chance. Yes, oftentimes the baked, healthier version of anything doesn't live up to its deep fried counterpart (think oven french fries and potato chips...I've even tried baked doughnuts. They weren't good.) But this is one of those times that I prefer the baked version. This is still crispy with all the flavour of the traditional samosa, but lighter tasting and much flakier.

Enter my favourite substitute for all greasy pastry: phyllo dough! You don't need a lot of butter in between the layers and you still get flaky crispness. There's also no need to deep fry it, and they freeze wonderfully. Make a large batch, stash them in the freezer, and you're always a half hour away from fresh, golden brown and delicious samosas.

I served mine with a yogurt sauce. Just stir together 1/4 cup shredded cucumber, 1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt, and 1 tablespoon chopped mint. Season with salt and pepper and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Some tips for working with phyllo dough:
-Try to thaw frozen phyllo dough in the refrigerator overnight, rather than on a countertop
-Cover the stack of dough with a damp kitchen towel as you work with each individual sheet
-You don't need to brush every layer with melted butter. I often do every other or every three sheets
-Brush the tops of your pastries with melted butter to encourage browning
-For images on how to fold phyllo triangles, see: http://greekfood.about.com/od/makephyllosweetsavory/ig/Folding-Triangles/

Baked Samosas:

Filling:

• 2 large potatoes, peeled
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf, crushed
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough

1. Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in potatoes and peas. Cook until potatoes are tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash together and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, heat the oil. Brown cumin seeds and bay leaf. Mix in onions and ground beef. Cook until beef is evenly brown and onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Mix in garlic, fresh ginger root. Season with black pepper, salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir in the mashed potato mixture. Remove from heat and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until cool.
3. Mix cilantro into the potato and beef mixture. Layer 3 sheets of thawed phyllo dough and cut lengthwise into 3 long strips. Place approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture onto one end of each phyllo strip. Fold sheets into triangles. Brush tops with melted butter
   
4. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until golden brown (If baking frozen, bake for 30 minutes)

Makes 18

Adapted from Beef Samosas on allrecipes.com

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Moussaka: My Big Fat Greek Casserole

No, this isn't a shepherd's pie. It's actually a little more like lasagna, without the pasta. Moussaka is a traditional Greek dish composed of layers of eggplant (and sometimes zucchini and potatoes), and a spiced meat sauce. The entire dish is topped with a creamy bechamel sauce. It's a bit prep intensive, but make a large batch of it and you will not mind having it several nights in a row. I hadn't realized that it would turn out so nicely so unfortunately, I made a pretty modest sized batch. I'd like to layer up the ingredients thicker the next time I make this.

I did a fairly thorough recipe search and the following recipe is an amalgamation of what I think are the best aspects of numerous other recipes, as well as my own edits.

A couple of notes on the bechamel sauce:
The nutmeg in it is amazing. Something about the spice plays so well with the milkiness of the sauce. Try it!
The whipped egg white is a bonus step (and is not crucial to the success of your moussaka). It makes the sauce souffle a little in the oven and brown better. It will collapse when you take it out of the oven, but the result is a creamy sauce that has a subtle "bubbliness" that I like.

It's a good idea to let the pan sit for a good 20-30 minutes after you take it out of the oven for two reasons: 1) The layers will set, making it easier to slice and keep its shape on the plate and, more importantly, 2) You won't burn your mouth off.

Moussaka

2 eggplants, sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch strips
2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch strips
Salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 cups canned tomato sauce

1/4 cup butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk, warmed on the stove or in a microwave
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs, separated
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 475F. Brush both sides of eggplant and zucchini slices with oil and season with salt. Place in a single layers on sheet pans and roast in the oven until browned and tender (about 7 minutes).

Meat Sauce:
In a large skillet over medium heat, saute chopped onion until soft and translucent. Add garlic and ground beef. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Add spices and saute 2 minutes longer until spices are fragrant. Add tomato sauce and simmer 20 minutes (or until the other layers' ingredients are assembled).
Bechamel Sauce:
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat. Add flour and whisk to make a roux. Cook for 1 minute, then whisk in milk, salt and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat while whisking until thickened. Simmer while whisking for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Whisk egg whites until firm peaks. Stir egg yolks into cooled bechamel and fold in egg whites.

Assembly:
Heat oven to 400F. Grease a 9x13 inch dish. Arrange roasted eggplant in one layer on the bottom of the dish. Spread half the meat sauce over top. Arrange roasted zucchini over the meat sauce in one layer. Top with remaining meat sauce.
Pour bechamel over the top of all the layers. Sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese.
Bake moussaka until the top is puffed and brown, about 30 minutes.
Cool for 20-30 minutes before slicing.

Serves 6 hungry diners

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