Only_Oli (The O_Zone)

Mother sauces and their derivatives, a French cuisine must know !

1. Béchamel (500ml milk, 30g butter, 30g flour, nutmeg, salt, white pepper)
├── Mornay (60-80g cheese, 1 egg yolk)
└── Soubise (250g onions finely chopped)

2. Velouté (500ml chicken stock, 30g butter, 30g flour, salt, white pepper)
├── Allemande (2 large egg yolk, 100ml cream)
├── Suprême (100ml heavy cream, 30g butter extra at the end)
└── Normande (100ml heavy cream, 50g finely chopped mushrooms, 1 teaspoon lemon)

3. Espagnole (500ml beef or veal stock, 30g butter, 30g flour, mirepoix [1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 celeray stalk, 1 bay leaf, thyme, parsley ], 2 Tbsp – 30g tomato paste, salt, black pepper)
├── Demi-Glace (reduced Espagnole)
├── Bordelaise (100ml red wine, 1 shallots)
└── Chasseur (100g mushrooms, 100ml white wine, 2 shallots, parsley)

4. Hollandaise (2 egg yolks, 125g butter, 2 tsp lemon, salt, pepper, cayenne)
├── Béarnaise (2 Tbsp tarragon, 1 X 30g shallots, 30ml white wine)
├── Mousseline (100 ml heavy whipped cream)
└── Maltaise (30-45ml blood orange, orange zest)

5. Tomato Sauce (500ml chicken stock, 800 g tomatoes, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 garlic, 1 onion, 1 celery stalk, 1 carrot, dry herbs, 2 Tbsp tomato puree, 1 tsp sugar, salt, black pepper)
├── Provençale (50g olives chopped, provence herbs)
└── Créole (100g peppers, celery more, cayenne pepper)

This is a quick and dirty copy-and-paste of a Soufle recipe that I would like to make this coming weekend. It is a Thermomix recipe. It is probably better to make the egg whites first so that there is no need to wash the bowl in between.

Below is a list of dishes I like and can cook to a standard that I would be happy to serve to my friends. Maybe one day, I should make a book of those recipes.

It has recently evolved into a Database of the things I like and the ones that I can cook…

More to come in the future….

Cooking a large entrecôte (rib-eye steak) to be nicely warm inside while achieving a good sear on the outside can be approached in a few ways. Here are some considerations and methods for each technique:

Pan-Seared and Oven-Finished

1. Pan-Searing:

• Preheat: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Season: Season the entrecôte generously with salt and pepper.
• Sear: Heat a heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal) over high heat until very hot. Add a small amount of high smoke-point oil (like canola or grapeseed oil).
• Cook: Sear the entrecôte for 2-3 minutes on each side until a deep brown crust forms.

2. Oven-Finishing:

• Transfer: Once seared, transfer the skillet to the preheated oven.
• Cook: Cook in the oven until the desired internal temperature is reached (use a meat thermometer):
• Rare: 120-125°F (49-52°C)
• Medium-rare: 130-135°F (54-57°C)
• Medium: 140-145°F (60-63°C)
• Medium-well: 150-155°F (65-68°C)
• Rest: Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Oven-Roasted

1. Preheat: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Season: Season the entrecôte with salt, pepper, and any herbs or spices you prefer.
3. Prepare: Place the steak on a rack in a roasting pan to allow air circulation.
4. Cook: Roast in the oven until the desired internal temperature is reached.
5. Rest: Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute.

Sous Vide (if you reconsider)

1. Preheat: Preheat your sous vide water bath to the desired temperature:

• Rare: 125°F (52°C)
• Medium-rare: 130°F (54°C)
• Medium: 140°F (60°C)
• Medium-well: 150°F (65°C)

2. Season and Seal: Season the entrecôte with salt, pepper, and any herbs or aromatics. Place in a vacuum-sealed bag.
3. Cook: Submerge the sealed steak in the water bath for 1-2 hours.
4. Sear: After sous vide cooking, heat a skillet until very hot and quickly sear the steak for 1-2 minutes on each side for a nice crust.

Recommendation

For the best balance of flavor, texture, and warmth throughout the steak, I recommend the Pan-Seared and Oven-Finished method. This approach provides a well-developed crust from the searing process and allows you to gently bring the steak up to the desired internal temperature in the oven, ensuring even cooking and warmth.

Ensure you use a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking, and remember to let the steak rest before slicing to retain its juices.

Resting the meat after cooking is a crucial step for several reasons:

1. Juice Redistribution:

• During cooking, the heat causes the meat’s fibers to contract, pushing the juices towards the center of the meat.
• Resting allows the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the meat. If you cut into the meat immediately after cooking, the juices will flow out, leading to a drier steak.

2. Enhanced Flavor and Texture:

• When juices redistribute, they not only keep the meat moist but also enhance the overall flavor.
• The meat fibers relax during resting, making the texture more tender and enjoyable to eat.

3. Temperature Equalization:

• Resting helps to even out the temperature within the meat. The outer parts of the meat cool slightly while the center’s heat continues to spread, resulting in a more uniformly warm piece of meat.
• This helps avoid a hot exterior with a cold or undercooked center, providing a better eating experience.

4. Improved Presentation:

• Resting reduces the likelihood of juices running all over the plate when the meat is cut, leading to a neater presentation.
• It allows the meat to set, making it easier to carve into even slices.

How Long to Rest Meat

• Steaks and Chops: Rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Roasts: Rest for 15-20 minutes or more, depending on the size of the roast.

Practical Tip

Cover the meat loosely with aluminium foil to keep it warm while resting. This prevents it from cooling too quickly without trapping steam and making the crust soggy.

By incorporating a resting period, you ensure that your entrecôte (or any meat) is juicier, more flavorful, and better presented, ultimately enhancing the dining experience.

I am always looking for these measures when making rice in the Slow cooker !

I am trying a different recipe for these small brioche buns. This is work in progress.

See my other recipes as well.

Ingredients:

• 450g of Strong Flour (13g to 14g of Proteins per 100g of flour)
• 10g kosher salt
• 50g white sugar
• 7g bread yeast (I use the DCL Saf Yeast)
• 100ml of warm milk
• 4 eggs (for the dough) + 1 egg for the wash
• 190g of salted, cubed, softened butter

How to make:

• Warm the milk and dissolve the yeast into it with a bit of sugar
• Place flour, salt and sugar in a mixer with a dough hook
• Add milk, yeast, and eggs and mix for 10 minutes.
• After the 10 minutes have passed, cut the butter into cubes
• Add butter to the dough over 8 minutes (a few cubes at a time).
• Let bread rise for 90 minutes
• Put into the fridge for 60 minutes
• Bring out of the fridge and separate into six portions
• Make small balls with each portion by rolling the dough on itself (similar to making other breadsticks)
• Place onto a silicone sheet and cover with a towel for 30-40 minutes. They will rise again.
• Use an egg wash to cover the buns.
• Place into a pre-heated fan oven at 160 degrees. For approximately 15-20 minutes or until nicely golden.

Enjoy!

Original post was 8th November 2020

I have made this recipe a few times and need to make a blog post for easy future access.

No Photos yet of mine but trust me it is delicious.

Ingredients :

• 4 Lamb Shanks
• 250ml to 500ml of Chicken Stock
• 2 or 3 onions to taste
• A bag of carrots
• 3 cloves of garlic crushed
• Olive oil for cooking
• Spices: Salt, Pepper, Ras el Anou, smoked paprika, nutmeg, maybe a bit of herb of Provence.
• Optional: a glass of red wine to deglaze the casserole with the vegetables.

How to make :

• It is prepared very similarly to an Osso Bucco
• Heat a “Le Creuset” casserole with olive oil and spices.
• The spices are the secret of the final taste. So this is the place to use your own twist.
• Brown the Shanks for at least 10 minutes in the casserole.
• As the lamb is browning, peel and cut the carrots in medium-sized slices.
• Chop the onions and crush the garlic.
• Set the Shanks in a separate bowl and cook the vegetables for a few minutes.
• This will lift all the stuck on meat juices and coat the vegetables with fat from the casserole.
• Once the vegetables have roasted a little, add the shanks back into the casserole with any juices that have come out.
• Add chicken stock until it covers the vegetables and up to half of the shanks. Probably between 250ml and 500ml of chicken stock.
• Put the casserole with a lid on in the oven at 180degres for 2 hours. (for fan assisted)

Serve with roasted potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes.

This is a great dish to uplift the spirit in Confinement or early winter…