French Toast BLT

 

After the rousing success I had with the Beef Burgers with Bourbon Mushrooms, I thought I would try my hand at another recipe from that same 2016 issue of Sauce Magazine, namely, the BLT French Toast. I’m not going to lie to you, this did not sound good. I think I was more intrigued with the process, the fact that there was bourbon in the egg mixture, and that this was a savory dish involving French toast. As it turned out, I thought it was excellent, and something likely to be served at a high-end restaurant. I did not expect to taste the bourbon in the bread slices, but I did, and that really enhanced this knife and fork sandwich. It’s not difficult to make, but it takes some time due to the waiting in making the savory French toast. The garlic vinaigrette was a wonderful surprise, and I found myself really enjoying this restaurant quality sandwich that, I’m warning you, is big enough for two.

 Here is the recipe as printed. I cut it back by three.

French Toast BLT

5 eggs

2 c. heavy cream

¼ c. bourbon

6 1-inch slices challah

12 strips thick-cut bacon

2½ c. grated Gruyere

12 tomato slices* (about 3 small tomatoes)

Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

3 c. spring mix

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

 In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream and bourbon until well combined. Pour in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add the challah and soak 10 minutes. Flip the slices and soak an additional 10 minutes.

 Meanwhile, place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until just crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Spoon off most of the bacon fat from the skillet.

 Add 3 challah slices and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet, then repeat with the remaining slices.

 Bake the bread slices until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Top with the grated cheese and bake until the cheese melts, about 4 minutes.

 To assemble, place 2 strips of bacon and 2 tomato slices each on 3 challah slices and drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Toss the spring mix with enough of the vinaigrette to coat. Divide the greens evenly over the 3 prepared challah slices and top with the remaining 3 slices. Serve warm.

 Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

2 heads of garlic

¾ c. olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 T. sherry vinegar

1 T. Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

 Slice off the tops of the garlic so the cloves are exposed. Place the garlic heads in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil and roast until the garlic is golden brown, fragrant and softened, 20 to 25 minutes.

 Let the garlic cool, then squeeze the cloves into a blender, discarding the skins. Add the vinegar and mustard, and blend until smooth. With the machine running, add ¾ cup olive oil in a steady stream until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*I used one large slice from a red Melissa's Produce Heirloom Tomato.

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One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar’s New Orleans BBQ Shrimp

Last month a favorite local foodie magazine called Sauce, published a delicious, spicy shrimp recipe that has climbed to the top five in our lengthy list of BBQ shrimp favorites. The creation of Chef Christopher Delgado of One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar in Kirkwood, MO, this recipe is unique in its inclusion of heavy cream. Adding cream to such a delicious and complexly flavored sauce is pure genius because it gives the sauce cling. Instead of remaining on the plate after the shrimp have been zealously consumed, it clings to each delicious bite. Shrimp served in this style is often paired with slices of crusty bread to mop up the sauce, but here it is unnecessary. I served it over rice making it more of a meal than tapas. Not a piece of shrimp, drop of sauce, or grain of rice remained, it is that good. Don't let the long list of ingredients deter you from giving it a try. It goes together quickly and easily, and is well worth every minute of your time. Paired with a salad of mixed greens and a good white wine, this would make an exceptional Christmas Eve dinner. 

One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar’s

New Orleans BBQ Shrimp 

Recipe by One 19 North’s Christopher Delgado, 

as appeared in Sauce Magazine, November 2013

 6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided 
Half a yellow onion, diced 
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika 
1 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning  
1 tsp. cayenne pepper 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
½ lb. butter, cubed 
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce  
1 lemon, sliced 
2 bay leaves 
¾ Tbsp. whole black peppercorns 
2 to 4 sprigs thyme 
1 to 2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped 
20 tail-on Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined, divided 
1 cup 40 percent heavy cream, divided 
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 
Chives, green onion or parsley, finely chopped, for garnish 

• In a 2-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the smoked paprika, Old Bay seasoning and cayenne pepper. Cook until fragrant. 

• Add the garlic, butter and Worcestershire sauce. Stir. Reduce heat to medium-low. 

• Make a bouquet garni by placing the sliced lemon, bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme sprigs in a cheesecloth. Tie closed with butcher string. Place the bouquet garni into the sauce, reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 25 minutes.

 
• Remove the sauce from heat, add the rosemary and let cool. Remove the bouquet garni and squeeze any remaining juices from the bouquet into the sauce. 

• In a 12-inch sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. Working in batches of 10, sear the shrimp in the oil for 20 seconds, then flip the shrimp and add a 2- to 3-ounce ladle of the sauce to the pan. Drizzle ½ cup of heavy cream over the shrimp and reduce heat to medium. Simmer the shrimp in the sauce 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp and place on a serving dish. Continue to simmer the sauce in the sauté pan until thickened, another 1½ minutes. Pour the thickened sauce over the cooked shrimp. 

• Repeat the above step with the remaining 10 shrimp. 

• Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with chives, green onion or parsley. Serve with slices of toasted ciabatta. 

One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar, 119 N. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, 314.821.4119

This post is linked to:

Full Plate Thursday

Tutorials Tips and Tidbits

Be Inspired Friday

Foodie Friday

Iron Horse Steak Chili

Locally owned Sauce Magazine – the only independent culinary publication in St. Louis – has been one of my favorite food information sources since its inception in 1999.  Featuring articles, reviews, and interviews with chefs, restaurateurs, purveyors, mixologists, sommeliers, culinary innovators, and home cooking enthusiasts, it also contains a wide variety of interesting recipes.  A lover of chili from my youth, this months (November 2011) issue featured a recipe from Mile 277 Tap & Grill that called my name: Iron Horse Steak Chili.

I’ve made a lot of chili in my day, but surprisingly never made a variety containing stew meat, so I thought I’d give this a try.  I followed the directions as written, with one exception.  Since I’ve never known stew meat to tenderize in less than an hour this seemed off to me, so I made the entire recipe and then poured it into the Crockpot and cooked it on low for two hours and high for one hour.  Perfect!  The meat (that I cut into ¾-inch pieces) was tender and flavorful.  The mixture of spices was well suited to my taste; the ratio of tomatoes to beans to meat was just as it should be.  I will certainly make this again, but since old habits die hard, I’m going to try it with ground chuck rather than stew meat.  Who knows?  I may end up with chili perfection.

Iron Horse Steak Chili 
Courtesy of Mile 277’s 
Jason Tilford and Chris LaRocca 
2 lbs. beef stew meat 
1 small yellow onion, minced, plus ¼ cup minced for garnish 

¾ green pepper, minced 
1 jalapeño pepper, minced 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1 10-oz. can diced tomato, including juices 
2 15-oz. cans kidney beans 
½ cup barbecue sauce, preferably Bull’s-Eye 
2 Tbsp. chili powder 
1/5 Tbsp. cayenne pepper 
1 Tbsp. ground cumin 
1 bay leaf 
1 cup beef broth 
Salt to taste 
Cheddar cheese to garnish 

In a large stockpot, cook the beef until browned and cooked through. Remove from the heat and drain half of the grease. Return the stockpot to the heat and, using remaining grease, sauté the onion, green pepper, jalapeño and garlic for 10 minutes.  Add all remaining ingredients, except cheddar cheese and reserved ¼ cup minced onion. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, adjusting seasoning as needed.  Garnish each serving with grated cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of onion.

This post is linked to: 

On the Menu Monday

Mouthwatering Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Tasty Tuesday

What's Cooking Wednesday

Foodie Friday