Categories
Eat

Roast Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe

Roast Boneless Leg of Lamb

This has been my go to recipe for Easter for the past couple years. I think the original recipe came from the NY Times cooking. This recipe roasts the lamb in the oven at 425° initially for 15 minutes, then reducing the temperature to 350° for the remainder, until the internal temperature reaches between 130° – 135°. The rule of thumb is to roast for 25-30 minutes per pound, after the initial 15 minutes of roasting at the higher temperature. Then rest the roast, tented with foil, for another 15 minutes. The temperature will continue to rise to about 140° – 145°.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Lamb roast boneless
  • 2 oz Anchovies 1 can
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Rosemary chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 4 oz Unsalted Butter room temperature
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lemon
  • cups white wine

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425°. Allow butter to come to room temperature. Using a food processor or mortar and pestle, mix ⅔ of the anchovies, rosemary leaves, and garlic cloves into a chunky paste. Separately, mix the remaining anchovies and butter into a paste.
  • Using a sharp knife, make a dozen or more incisions, about 2" deep through the fat portion that covers the roast. This will be the top of the roast. Press the anchovy/rosemary/garlic paste into the incisions. Then rub the anchovy/butter paste all over the outside of the roast. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
  • Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan or dutch oven, with the fat side up, and squeeze a lemon halves all over it. Pour the wine into the roasting pan. Roast for 15 minutes at 425°, then reduce to 350° and roast, basting every 20 minutes or so, for 25 minutes per pound of meat until a meat thermometer reads 130°-135° internal temperature.
  • Remove roast from the oven and let rest on a rack for 15 minutes, tented with foil.
  • While the roast is resting, spoon off the fat from the drippings, then transfer to a saucepan, over medium heat, and simmer the liquid, whisking in more wine to taste.
  • Carve and serve with au jus. Garnish with rosemary sprigs.
Keyword Easter, roast
Categories
Eat

Focaccia Bread Recipe

Basic Focaccia Bread Recipe

Simple and easy focaccia bread recipe from Bon Appétit. This is a great foundational recipe that is delicious by itself or you can add a variety of toppings to make different varieties.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rising time 1 day
Course Bread

Equipment

  • 1 9" x 13" Baking Pan

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pkg active dry yeast ¼ oz.
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp Morton kosher salt (or 5 tsp Diamond Crystal)
  • 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • sea salt
  • 4 garlic cloves

Instructions
 

  • Whisk one ¼ oz envelope active dry yeast, 2 tsp honey, and 2 ½ cups lukewarm water in a mixing bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes.
  • Add 5 cups all purpose flour and kosher salt and mix with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms and there are no dry streaks.
  • In a large bowl add 4 tbsp of the olive oil. Transfer the dough to the large bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours until doubled in size. You can also let it rise at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
  • Butter a 9" x 13" baking pan. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the middle of that pan.
  • Take the dough bowl and using 2 forks, lift the opposite side edge of the dough and fold over the center. Give the bowl a quarter turn and continue to fold the dough until it's deflated and formed into a rough ball. Transfer dough to the prepared baking pan. Cover with the remaining olive oil, and let rise, uncovered, in a warm spot until doubles in size, usually 1½ to 4 hours. The dough will be ready when, if you poke it with your finger, it springs back slowly leaving an indentation.
  • Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly oil your hands. Dimple focaccia all over, creating deep depressions in the dough. Be aggressive. Drizzle the dough with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 20-30 minutes.
  • [Optional] Prior to serving, melt 4 tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Grate cloves with a microplane and add to butter, cooking until garlic is lightly toasted. Brush garlic butter over focaccia and cut into squares for serving.
  • You can freeze focaccia bread. Reheat on a baking sheet in a 300° oven.
Categories
Drink Eat

Aperol Sour

Aperol Sour

Course Cocktails

Equipment

  • Coupe glass
  • Cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 oz Aperol
  • 1 oz Gin
  • 1 oz lemon juice fresh squeezed
  • 1 oz simple sugar

Optional

  • 1 egg white

Instructions
 

  • Add Aperol, gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Add ice cubes and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
  • Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with either a maraschino cherry, lemon slice, or lime slice.

If using egg white

  • First add the egg white to the shaker and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Then add the liquor and follow recipe above.
Categories
Drink Eat

Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan

Course Cocktails

Equipment

  • Coupe glass
  • Cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • oz citrus vodka
  • ¾ oz Cointreau
  • ¾ oz lime juice fresh squeezed
  • ½ oz cranberry juice cocktail

Instructions
 

  • Add vodka, Cointreau, lime juice, and cranberry juice cocktail to a shaker with ice. Shake well until chilled.
  • Strain cocktail into a couple glass.
  • Garnish with a lime wedge
Keyword cocktails
Categories
Eat

Carnitas for Street Tacos

Pressure Cooker Carnitas

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Equipment

  • 1 Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs pork roast
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp chile powder
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves

Instructions
 

  • Trim off excess fat from pork roast. Cut into cubes, roughly 2 inches. Transfer to a large bowl
  • Combine spices – salt, oregano, cumin, pepper, chile powder, and paprika – in in a small bowl. Rub pork with spice mixture. Coat the seasoned pork with olive oil. Add chopped onions and minced garlic and combine. Transfer to the pressure cooker pot.
  • Pour in orange juice until pork is covered, or mostly covered. Add more orange juice if needed. Let the pork marinade for at least 20 minutes; longer if desired.
  • Place lid on pressure cooker and cook for an hour and 10 minutes. Let pressure come down naturally.
  • Remove pork and shred. If desired, add pork back to pressure cooker pot and, if you're using a cooker with an air fryer, cook for about 5 minutes to get those brown tips on the edges of the meat.
Carnitas with fried corn, queso fresca, white onion and cilantro on fresh corn tortillas
Plate of pollo and carnitas street tacos
Welcome to the street taco feast!
Categories
Eat

Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Shrimp & Grits

Shrimp & Grits

This is a reproduction of Tyler Florence's Ultimate Shrimp & Grits, probably my favorite of the many shrimp & grits recipes I've made over the years.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Low Country

Ingredients
  

For the grits

  • 3 cups milk
  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the shrimp & sausage

  • 2 lbs fresh gulf shrimp peeled
  • 1 lb Conecuh spicy sausage
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 white onion medium, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • ¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • splash hot sauce
  • ½ lemon juiced
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley chopped
  • 4 green onions sliced

Instructions
 

For the grits

  • Add milk and cream in a 3 quart pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the cornmeal. When the grits begin to boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer, stirring often. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture is smooth and thick. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Add additional cream if needed to thin. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the shrimp and sausage

  • Use a deep skillet over medium heat. Coat the skillet with olive oil.
  • Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until soft and aromatic. Add the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
  • Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until the sausage is brown and there's a fair amount of fat in the pan, 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to create a roux. Slowly pour in the chicken stock and stir to avoid lumps. Add the bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
  • Stir in the shrimp and poach them in the stock for 2-3 minutes, until they are firm and pink and the sauce is smooth and thick. Add the cayenne pepper, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Remove from heat, add parsley and green onions. Serve over grits.
Keyword seafood, shrimp
Categories
Eat

Raspberry Sauce

Raspberry Sauce

Quick and easy raspberry sauce for my Biscoff Cheesecake! Can be used with any other dessert you like. I created this recipe to use one 6oz container of raspberries since I'm usually making it in small batches for dessert, but you can, of course, double the recipe if you're serving a larger party.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • 1 6oz pkg Fresh raspberries
  • 1 tsp Lemon Zest
  • ¼ tsp Vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp water

Instructions
 

  • In a small saucepan, add the raspberries, water, and sugar. Heat on medium until the sauce boils and the sugar completely dissolves.
  • In a separate bowl or ramekin, mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water until completely incorporated. Then pour into the raspberry mixture and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes until raspberries break down and sauce thickens slightly.
  • Let sauce cool. Serve over Biscoff Cheesecake.
Keyword cheesecake, sauce
Categories
Eat

Biscoff Cheesecake

Biscoff Cheesecake

Cook Time 55 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 10 Slices

Equipment

  • 1 Springform Pan

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pkg Biscoff cookies 1 package is 8.8oz and will yield about 2 C crumbs
  • ½ cup Unsalted Butter, melted 1 stick
  • 1 tbsp Grated lemon zest divided
  • 3 8oz pkg Cream cheese Softened
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • ½ tsp Vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp All purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • ¼ cup Milk

Instructions
 

To prepare the crust

  • To prepare crust, use a food processor or rolling pin to crush Biscoff into fine crumbs.
  • butter or spray the side of a springform pan and attach to the bottom.
  • Combine 2 cups crumbs and ½ of the lemon zest in a bowl. Add butter and stir until combined. Press crumb mixture into the springform pan so that it covers the bottom and the sides up to about 1½ – 2 inches.

To prepare the filling

  • In a large mixer bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, the other ½ of the lemon zest, and vanilla, until fluffy. Add the sugar, flour, and salt to incorporate. Add the 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk, beating at low speed until combined. Stir in milk.
  • Turn the filling mixture into the crust lined pan and bake at 375° for 50-55 minutes. After baking, turn the oven off, crack the oven door, and let the cheesecake completely cool.
  • Loosen the sides of the cheesecake with a spatula and remove the springform pan sides. Cool in the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.
  • Top with raspberry sauce and serve.
Keyword dessert, cheesecake
Categories
Write

Lencten

We’ve just completed the first week of this year’s Lenten season. I didn’t know, until I read it in Wikipedia, that the word derives from the Old English word “lencten” meaning spring season. Here are a few things worth sharing this week:

Categories
Woodworking

3 Bin Compost System – a Free DIY Plan

This year I finally decided to build a composting system to enrich the soil in my raised bed garden. Here’s an assembly schematic for building your own 3 bin compost system. There are a lot of plans on the internet for cheap and supposedly free compost bin systems. This is not that! This is a well designed 3 bin system designed to last for many years and also look nice. I riffed on a design that’s in the vegetable garden area at my local botanical gardens, and I’ve tried to incorporate a few specific features.