The Big Book of Backyard Cooking (15 page)

SERVES 10

1
6-to 7-pound fully cooked boneless ham, preferably from the shank half
¾
cup red currant jelly

6
tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard

1½
teaspoons ground ginger

1
bunch watercress for garnish

Plum Chutney
(page 317)

Arrange an oven rack at lower third of oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place ham in a shallow roasting pan and bake for an hour.

While the ham is baking, whisk together jelly, mustard, and ginger in a saucepan over medium heat to make the glaze. Continue to whisk until the mixture has liquefied, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

After the ham has been in the oven for an hour, remove it and score the top, making a grid pattern with a sharp knife and cutting through the skin. Then brush the top and sides of the ham generously with some of the glaze. Return to the oven and continue to cook, basting the ham with additional glaze every 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the ham registers 140 degrees F. The total baking time should be about 10 to 12 minutes per pound. The temperature will rise another 5 degrees when the ham is removed from the oven.

Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

To serve, slice ham and arrange overlapping slices on a platter. Brush slices with any remaining glaze. Garnish the platter with several bouquets of watercress and serve ham at room temperature with Plum Chutney.

ITALIAN COLD CUTS WITH ARTICHOKE,

RED PEPPER, AND OLIVE CONFETTI

Your favorite Italian cold cuts, sliced and arranged on a platter, can be accompanied by a
delicious artichoke relish and some crusty bread for a tempting first course. Or, offer this dish
with a pasta salad as a simple, but delectable cold entree.

SERVES 6 TO 8

2
pounds thinly sliced assorted Italian cold cuts (Use a combination of your choice including such favorites as prosciutto, various salamis, and mortadella.)

2
loaves crusty Italian bread such as ciabatta, sliced

Artichoke, Red Pepper, and Olive Confetti
(page 315)

Arrange cold cuts on a platter and place bread in a napkin-lined basket. Set out a bowl of Artichoke, Red Pepper, and Olive Confetti. Top each bread slice with some sliced cold cuts, then spoon a generous amount of Artichoke, Red Pepper, and Olive Confetti over the sliced meat.

Castroville, California, is the Artichoke Capital of the World. Marilyn Monroe was
crowned the town’s first Artichoke Queen in 1947.

RIBS, DEEP SOUTH STYLE

I grew up in Memphis, often called the Barbecue Capital of the United States, and have tasted
myriad versions of barbecued ribs. This recipe, in which ribs are slow-baked in the oven rather
than cooked over an open fire, is a personal favorite. The secret to their great taste is the
homemade barbecue sauce, created years ago by my late father-in-law, a Southerner celebrated
for his barbecued ribs. The ribs, brushed with the homemade sauce, are baked for a couple of
hours until their outsides are crusty and brown and the meat beneath moist and succulent.

SERVES 6 WITH 1 FULL SLAB PER PERSON, OR 12 WITH ½ SLAB PER PERSON

1
double recipe of Deep South Barbecue Sauce
(page 322)

6
1½-pound slabs baby back pork ribs (9 pounds total)

½
cup plus 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Cayenne pepper

Arrange one rack in middle position of oven and another rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Reserve 1 cup of the barbecue sauce to serve with ribs.

Rinse ribs and pat dry with paper towels. Score white membrane on underside with a knife.

Place a flat roasting rack in each of 2 large roasting pans. Brush ribs on both sides with vinegar.

Season ribs generously on both sides with salt, black pepper, and cayenne and leave meaty-side up on roasting racks in pans. Brush both sides of ribs with some of the barbecue sauce and put in the oven.

Baste top of ribs every 30 minutes with some of the barbecue sauce. After 45 minutes, reverse the pans, placing the pan on the middle rack on the lower rack, and vice versa. Cover ribs loosely with aluminum foil if they start to brown too quickly. Roast until ribs are a rich dark brown and tender when pierced with a knife, 1½ to 1¾ hours.

When done, place ribs on a large platter. Heat reserved barbecue sauce and any remaining basting sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until bubbling. Pass warmed sauce to drizzle over each serving of ribs.

SHRIMP WITH CREOLE DIPPING SAUCE

Boiled shrimp dipped in a piquant remoulade sauce is a Louisiana favorite and a great dish to
serve outdoors. The following recipe for Creole sauce was shared with me by a friend whose
family lived in New Orleans for many years. A fail-proof version that takes only minutes to
prepare in a blender or processor, it makes a perfect accompaniment to a platter of boiled shrimp.

SERVES 6

CREOLE DIPPING SAUCE

1
cup vegetable or olive oil

½
cup tarragon vinegar

½
cup coarsely chopped green onions

½
cup coarsely chopped celery

¼
cup horseradish mustard or Dijon mustard

2
tablespoons ketchup

1
tablespoon paprika

1
teaspoon salt

½
teaspoon cayenne pepper

6
drops Tabasco sauce

2
small cloves garlic

2
teaspoons salt

3
pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined but with tails left on
(see note, page 99)

2
tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

TO MAKE THE CREOLE DIPPING SAUCE:
Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor, and process until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. (The sauce can be made 2 to 3

days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before using.) Makes about 3 cups sauce.

To prepare shrimp, bring 4 quarts water to a boil and add 2 teaspoons salt. Add the shrimp and cook until curled and pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Drain well and pat dry. The shrimp can be cooked up to 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

To serve, fill 6 small bowls with Creole Dipping Sauce and place each on a dinner plate.

Mound shrimp on a large platter and sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

ANN CLARK’S GOLDEN FRIED CLAM CAKES

A New England friend, Ann Clark, shared this old family recipe for Golden Fried Clam Cakes.

Chopped clams are encased in a milk and flour batter, which is added by spoonfuls to bubbling hot
oil. The resulting cakes (which could easily be called clam fritters or puffs) are served piping hot
mounded on a platter, and disappear within minutes at my friend’s family reunions.

MAKES ABOUT 30 CLAM CAKES

1¼
cups all-purpose flour

2
teaspoons baking powder

¾
teaspoon salt

¼
teaspoon cayenne pepper

1
large egg

½
cup clam juice

¼
cup whole milk

1
cup (1 pound) chopped clams (see note)

Corn oil for deep-frying the clam cakes

1
to
1½
tablespoons chopped fresh chives or flat-leaf parsley for garnish (optional) Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne in a medium bowl. Set aside. In another medium bowl, whisk egg with clam juice and milk. Whisk in dry ingredients just until mixture is smooth. Stir in clams. Cover batter and refrigerate at least 3 hours, or even better, overnight.

When ready to fry clam cakes, fill a medium, heavy saucepan 3 inches deep with oil, and place over high heat. Use a deep-frying thermometer to determine when oil has reached 350 degrees F.

When ready, scoop 1 tablespoonful of batter for each clam cake into the hot oil. Fry 3 to 5 at a time, without crowding. Cook, turning once or twice with a slotted spoon, until the cakes are a rich golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes. (Watch the temperature carefully and try to maintain 350

degrees; if temperature drops, raise heat, and if it gets too high, lower heat or take pot off the burner for a few minutes.) Remove cakes and drain on paper towels. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Continue until all the batter is used. Mound clam cakes on a platter and garnish with chives or parsley, if desired. Serve hot.

NOTE:
If you can’t find chopped shucked clams, you can use clams in the shells.

For 1 cup, you’ll need about 4 pounds, depending on the variety of clams. Steam them in 3 cups simmering water until the shells open, about 5 minutes. Discard any unopened clams.

BOILED LOBSTERS WITH TWO DIFFERENT

SAUCES

If you want to break with tradition and serve boiled lobsters with something more unusual than
plain melted butter, quickly made Sesame Orange Mayonnaise served cold or Warm Citrus Butter
are good choices. Both of these vibrantly flavored sauces can be prepared in advance to serve
with lobsters.

SERVES 6

Salt

6
1½-pound live lobsters

1
small bunch watercress (optional)

1
double recipe of Sesame Orange Mayonnaise
(page 329)
or 1 double recipe of Warm Citrus Butter
(page 323)

To cook lobsters, bring at least 9 quarts water to a boil in a large lobster pot or an extra-large stock pot set over high heat. (If you do not have a large pot, use 2 pots and fill each with 5 to 6 quarts of water and cook 3 lobsters in each one.) Add ½ tablespoon salt per quart of water to the pot(s).

When the water returns to a boil, add the lobsters, and reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer for about 12 minutes. Test for doneness by removing a lobster from the pot and twisting one of the thin legs on the body. If the leg pulls off easily and quickly, the lobsters should be done.

Remove lobsters to a platter and garnish with several clusters of watercress, if desired. Fill 6

small bowls with Sesame Orange Mayonnaise or with Warm Citrus Butter. Serve each lobster with a bowl for dipping.

Nearly 90 percent of the nation’s lobster supply is caught off the coast of Maine.

SPICY CRAB CAKES

For many years, a former Northampton, Massachusetts, restaurant called Lady Bird served a
version of these Asian-accented crab cakes to rave reviews. Chef Stefanie Shulman shared the
original recipe, which I streamlined for home cooks. Hot chili sauce and cilantro are two
unexpected ingredients that give big boosts of flavor to these little cakes.

MAKES 12 CRAB CAKES; SERVES 4 WITH 3 CRAB CAKES EACH

3
slices good-quality white bread

½
pound fresh lump crab meat, picked over

½
cup finely diced red bell pepper

½
cup finely chopped red onion

⅓
cup chopped fresh cilantro

½
cup, plus 3 tablespoons hot chili sauce with garlic divided (see note)
1
large egg, lightly beaten

¼
teaspoon salt

Canola oil for sautéing

Arrange an oven rack at center position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pulse bread slices in a food processor until fine bread crumbs are formed. Remove bread crumbs and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Bake until just golden, about 5 minutes, stirring once.

Remove from oven and place in a bowl.

Place crab meat in a clean kitchen towel and gently squeeze out any excess liquid. Combine crab meat in a large bowl with red bell pepper, onion, and cilantro. Stir well to blend. Add 3 tablespoons chili sauce, egg, and salt and mix well, then stir in the toasted bread crumbs. Chill mixture for 30

minutes or longer to firm.

Shape the crab mixture into 12 equal patties, each about 3 inches in diameter. Place on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. (The crab cakes can be prepared 3 to 4 hours in advance. Keep covered and refrigerated.)

When ready to cook crab cakes, heat enough oil to coat the bottom of a medium (preferably nonstick) skillet over medium-high heat. When very hot, cook 3 to 4 crab cakes at a time until golden brown, about 1½ to 2 minutes per side. Turn them with a metal spatula. Remove to a serving platter and cover sautéed crab cakes loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Continue, adding more oil to coat the bottom of the pan if necessary, until all crab cakes have been cooked. (If you are doubling or tripling this recipe, it is easier to keep the crab cakes warm in a preheated 350-degree F oven.

Transfer crab cakes as they are cooked onto a baking sheet, cover them loosely with foil, and place in oven.)

To serve, drizzle a little of the chili sauce over each crab cake. Place remaining chili sauce in a small bowl to pass. Serve crab cakes warm.

NOTE:
Hot chili sauce with garlic can be found in the Asian section of many supermarkets and in Asian specialty food stores. Kame is a readily available

brand that works well in this recipe.

Early ketchups were prepared with mushrooms, onions, oysters, anchovies, lemons, or
pickled walnuts. New Englanders added tomatoes to these blends in the late 1700s and
became the originators of tomato ketchup.

MOUNDS OF MUSSELS WITH SAFFRON

MAYONNAISE

I don’t think there is anything more spectacular than a platter piled high with steamed mussels,
their sleek black shells spread wide open to reveal the tan tender morsels within. Certainly,
nothing could be simpler to prepare. These mussels are steamed in white wine, butter, and shallots
until their lids open. Then the mussels are removed and the cooking liquid is seasoned with saffron
and reduced. It is whisked into mayonnaise to make a dipping sauce for the shellfish.