Authors: Tanya Steel

The Epicurious Cookbook (62 page)

BOOK: The Epicurious Cookbook

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sage and honey skillet cornbread

Down-home cornbread gets a beautiful, fragrant makeover with the addition of warming honey and flowery sage. But don’t worry, it’s still the same cornbread from the block. The ingredient list is short, the prep is straightforward, and the whole dish takes so little time to prepare that you could bake it while your roasted turkey rests or chili simmers.

YIELD: MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

1 cup cornmeal, preferably whole-grain, medium grind

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage, plus 12 whole fresh sage leaves

1 cup whole milk

½ cup honey

1 large egg

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat a heavy 10-inch ovenproof skillet (preferably cast-iron) in the oven for 10 minutes.

2.
Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 teaspoons chopped sage in a large bowl to blend. Whisk the milk, honey, and egg in a medium bowl to blend.

3.
With a pot holder, remove the skillet from the oven and add the butter. Swirl until the butter is melted, then pour all except 2 tablespoons butter into the egg mixture. Add the whole sage leaves to the butter in the skillet; toss to coat. Arrange the leaves over the bottom of the skillet, spacing apart.

4.
Add the egg mixture to the cornmeal mixture; stir until just combined (do not overmix; batter will be wet and runny). Pour the batter over the sage leaves in the skillet.

5.
Bake until browned around edges and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Cool in the skillet 10 minutes, then invert onto a platter. If necessary, reposition the sage leaves atop the cornbread.

“I recommend a fine-grind cornmeal. Very moist, and the whole sage leaves on top made this a very festive-looking dish.”

Lovelyreeda, Saint Paul, Minnesota

thyme focaccia and parmesan focaccia

This double-batch recipe for focaccia gives you the flexibility to make two different breads at once. Feel free to mix things up with other cheeses and your favorite herb and spice combinations. We love this bread as the base for sandwiches, served alongside soup or salad, or when it starts to go stale, toasted and turned into fabulous, flavor-packed croutons.

YIELD: MAKES 2 FOCACCIA

2 (¼-ounce) packages active dry yeast (5 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups warm water (105°–115°F)

1 tablespoon table salt

About 5½ cups all-purpose flour

⅓ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons cornmeal

½ cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese

Coarse salt, for sprinkling

Freshly ground black pepper, for sprinkling

1.
In a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the yeast, sugar, and water and let stand 5 minutes, or until foamy. In a bowl, stir together the table salt and 5 cups flour. Stir the oil into the yeast mixture. With the motor on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture. With a dough hook, knead the dough 2 minutes, or until soft and slightly sticky.

2.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead in enough remaining flour to form a soft but not sticky dough. Form the dough into a ball and put in an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

3.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Knead the thyme into one half for 1 minute and knead the plain half for 1 minute. Form each half into an oval and invert bowls over them. Let dough rest 5 minutes for easier rolling.

4.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Oil 2 (13 by 9-inch) baking pans and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon cornmeal. On lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough halves into 13 by 9-inch rectangles and fit into the pans. Cover each pan with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 20 minutes.

5.
Sprinkle the plain dough with Parmesan and sprinkle both doughs with coarse salt and pepper. With lightly oiled fingertips, make indentations about ½ inch deep and 1 inch apart all over the dough rectangles. Bake in the middle of the oven for 12 minutes, or until golden. Remove the focaccia from the pans and cool on racks.

“I made a half-recipe, preparing the Parmesan focaccia only. The great thing about this recipe is how quickly you can produce a really nice pan of focaccia. Very tender. I only sprinkled with pepper (no salt); the Parmesan is plenty salty.”

A cook, Santa Fe, New Mexico

grilled cheese
with onion jam, taleggio, and escarole

Skip the side salad and serve these greens with a hot cup of tomato soup for an easy, comforting winter dinner. If meat is a must, add some fried bacon or prosciutto for a heartier bite.

YIELD: MAKES 2 SANDWICHES

4 (½-inch-thick) center slices sourdough bread (from a 9- or 10-inch round)

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1½ tablespoons onion or fig jam

12 to 14 ounces chilled Taleggio or Italian fontina, sliced

4 ounces escarole, center ribs discarded and leaves cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

1.
Brush one side of the bread slices with oil and arrange, oiled side down, on a work surface. Spread jam on 2 slices of bread and divide the cheese between the remaining 2 slices. Mound the escarole on top of the cheese and season with salt and pepper, then assemble the sandwiches.

2.
Heat a dry 12-inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over medium-low heat until hot. Cook the sandwiches, turning once and pressing with a spatula to compact, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted, 6 to 8 minutes total.

ultimate grilled cheese sandwiches

The Italian influences of Asiago, prosciutto, and basil dress up this childhood favorite. Take it further by adding thinly sliced red onion or avocado. If you want to omit the prosciutto, add a little salt to the sandwich to really bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.

YIELD: MAKES 2 SANDWICHES

Butter

4 slices country white sourdough bread, cut on deep diagonal into ⅓-inch-thick slices (each about 7 by 3½ inches)

4 thin slices prosciutto

8 large fresh basil leaves

8 (¼-inch-thick) slices Asiago cheese or drained fresh mozzarella cheese

¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 (⅓-inch-thick) slices heirloom tomato (about 1 large)

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly butter one side of each bread slice. Place 2 bread slices, buttered side down, on a work surface. Top each with 2 prosciutto slices, then 4 basil leaves, then 4 cheese slices. Sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes. Top with the remaining 2 bread slices, buttered side up.

2.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sandwiches to the skillet and cook until golden on bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn the sandwiches over; transfer the skillet to the oven, and bake until golden and cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

3.
Remove the skillet from the oven. Carefully lift off the top bread slices from the sandwiches and insert 3 tomato slices into each, then cover with bread tops and serve.

“I put my tomatoes on the sandwiches a few minutes before the end of their time on the press so they were warm and gooey with the cheese!”

Cmtc517, Chicago, Illinois

Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Grilled Cheese with Onion Jam, Taleggio, and Escarole

miniature gougères

Traditional
pâte à choux
—cream-puff pastry—gives these addictive cheese puffs their light and airy consistency. The recipe calls for Gruyère and crushed dill seeds, but experiment with different cheeses and seasonings to create your own signature appetizer. The gougères can be made ahead and frozen for up to a week. Simply reheat and serve warm, paired with a flute—or two—of Champagne.

YIELD: MAKES ABOUT 40 GOUGÈRES

1 cup water

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 to 5 large eggs

1 tablespoon dill seeds

1½ cups coarsely grated Gruyère cheese

1.
In a heavy saucepan bring the water to a boil with the butter and salt over high heat and reduce the heat to moderate. Add the flour all at once and beat with a wooden spoon until mixture pulls away from the side of the pan.

2.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and with an electric mixer on high speed, beat in 4 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter should be stiff enough to just hold soft peaks and fall softly from a spoon. If the batter is too stiff, in a small bowl beat the remaining egg lightly and add to the batter, a little at a time, beating on high speed, until batter is desired consistency.

3.
Preheat the oven to 375°F with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line with parchment.

4.
In a small heavy skillet, dry-roast the seeds over moderate heat, shaking the skillet, until fragrant and slightly darker, being careful not to burn them, 3 or 4 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a small bowl and cool. With a mortar and pestle or in an electric coffee/spice grinder, grind seeds coarse.

5.
Stir the cheese and 1 teaspoon ground seeds into the batter and arrange level tablespoons about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining ground seeds and bake, switching positions of sheets halfway through baking, 30 minutes, or until puffed, golden, and crisp. Serve gougères warm.

“Don’t waste your time spooning these out—use a pastry bag. It is faster and makes a better presentation.”

A cook, Ennui, Maryland

do ahead:

The
GOUGÈRES
keep, chilled in sealable plastic bags, 2 days, or frozen 1 week. Reheat gougères, uncovered, in a preheated 350°F oven 10 minutes if chilled or 15 minutes if unthawed frozen.