Béarnaise Sauce - Sous Vide

Béarnaise Sauce - Sous Vide

Bearnaise is one of the most famous sauces ever. And basically it is just butter, butter and a little egg yolk and acidity. But it's mostly butter. Normally bearnaise made from scratch is kinda nerve wracking. You want a warm sauce, but you do not want it to separate, which it has a tendency to do. Another thing, you want to be able to serve the sauce along side your perfectly cooked and still hot steak. So it tends to always be a stressful endeavor to get everything ready at once. This recipe, will help you tremendously. By sous vide'ing the sauce components, you can cook up your steak and sides, at the same time. So just before you slice and serve the steak, you quickly blend the sauce and season it, and everything will hit the dinner table at once. 

Disclaimer: This sauce is made with raw eggs. I recommend using pasteurized eggs. This would minimize the risk of getting Salmonella food poisoning. You can find pasteurized eggs in some supermarkets here in California, on safeeggs.com you can see where to find them in your neighborhood.  In Denmark you'll find it right next to regular eggs. For tips and information on how to handle eggs, check out FDA’s website. The Danish version of FDA,  Fødevarestyrelsen also has advisory on eggs. 

Serves 6-8 normal people or 4 Danes 😉.

Ingredients:

Reduction:

• 1 bunch fresh tarragon, save some leaves for finishing the sauce

• 4 small or 2 medium shallots, minced

• ½ cup (1 dl) white wine vinegar

• ½ cup (1 dl) dry white wine

• 6 whole black peppers (for the reduction)

Sauce:

• 3 egg yolks

• 300 g butter

• 3-4 tablespoons reduction

• Salt and pepper to taste

• tarragon leaves, finely chopped

Directions:

Reduction:

In a small saucepan, combine sprigs of the tarragon, shallots, vinegar pepper and wine over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat, strain the liquid and set it aside to cool. You can make larger amounts and freeze it in smaller portions in an ice cube tray.

Sauce:

Preheat water bath for 131℉ (55℃). (You can go as high as 140℉ (60℃) if you want to, keeping in mind not to exceed 149℉ (65℃) where the eggs coagulate.

Place reduction, butter and egg yolks in a heat resistant plastic bag, do not seal.
Place the bag in the water bath for 30 minutes.
Pour the heated mixture into a blender, and blend until you have a thick sauce. I use a immersion blender. Season with salt, pepper and tarragon, and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Nordisk Jul - Nordic Christmas

Elgfilet, karameliserede rodfrugter og appelsinsalat med rosenkål, granatæble og mandler.

For mig har den Nordiske Jul og specielt den Danske Jul og dens trationer en helt særlig betydning. Det er selvfølgelig fordi jeg nu er udenlandsdansker.

Da jeg boede i Danmark var det lettere at lade sig rive med af nye trends og tendenser, for dybest set var de danske traditioner og højtider jo fastforankrede, det er en del af det at være dansker i Danmark. Som udenlandsdansker er det meget op til dig selv. Man er på mange måder rodløs. Man hører ikke til nogen steder. Mange af de ting vi som danskere tager for givet, er nu de ting vi glæder os mest over.

Rent madmæssigt, nu dette er en madblog, så er det nu himmelsk at få en rugbrødsmad med leverpostej eller markrel i tomat, hvor det tidligere var umådeligt uinteressant.

Her i huset holder vi dansk jul den 24. om aftenen. Vi har et rigtigt grantræ pyntet med bl.a. Dannebro og stjerne på toppen. Vi spiser and og/eller flæskesteg, med rødkål, brunede kartofler og flødesovs. Og selvfølgelig får vi risalamande med kirsebærsauce til dessert, og ja der er en mandelgave. Der er ingen der skal lave om på min gamle jul! Men der er ting, der mangler. Her er ingen sne, og kulden er det så som så med her i Californien. (Jeg ved godt, at jeg bare kan køre ind til Tahoe og så har jeg kulden og sneen, på et godt år).

Hvordan vil en Nordisk Jul se ud her i Californien? Nordisk, må være gode, nordiske, rustikke råvarer med elementer fra den mere traditionelle julemiddag.

Jeg har valgt at lave elgfilet med stjerneanis "stegt" sous-vide, med karameliserede bagte rodfrugter og en frisk appelsin/limesalat med rosenkål, granatæble og mandler. Billedet er taget uden saucen, som var en indkogt portvin monteret med lidt smør og tilsat lidt friske blåbær.

Denne middagskombination var et stort hit herhjemme. Kødet var perfekt rosa og smagte "vildt" med en diskret note af stjerneanis. De karameliserede rodfrugter, havde stadig lidt bid, og smagte fantastisk. Salaten brød sødmen og gav god tekstur til middagen. Alt i alt var det et kongemåltid.

Til 3 personer

Ingredienser:

Elg:

• ca 20 cm stykke elgfilet (3-400g)
• 1 stjerneanis, knækket i mindre stykker
• 1 klat smør
• salt, efter smag.

Rodfrugter:

• 3 gulerødder
• 4 pastinakker
• 3 jordskokker
• 1 lille knoldselleri
• 3 små rødbeder
• salt
• lidt olie, til bagningen
• sukker og smør til bruningen

Salat:

• 3 appelsiner
• 1 lime
• ca 250 g rosenkål, kun yderbladene
• ¼ granatæble
• 1 lille håndfuld hele mandler

Sauce:

• ca ½ flaske portvin
• 1 tsk smør
• 1 lille håndfuld blåbær

Fremgangsmåde:

Kødet:

Elgfileten renses for sener og saltes jævnt over det hele. Den knækkede stjerneanis fordeles også på fileten. Kom kødet i en vacuumpose, og læg en lille klat smør på toppen af kødet. Vacuumpak kødet.

Tilbered kødet ved 61℃ i 1 time og 40 minutter. Når tiden er gået tag kødet op af vandbadet, og tag den ud af posten. Dup kødet tørt med lidt køkkenrulle. Brun fileten på en glohed pande med lidt olivenolie og smør, så du får en god stegeskorpe.

Skær kødet tyndt, og server straks.

Rodfrugterne:

Forvarm ovenen til 200℃.

Skræl rodfrugterne og skær den i mundrette stykker. Rødbederne holdes for sig selv, og steges også for sig selv, så det hele ikke bliver rødt.

Kom rodfrugterne i ovnfaste fade, og vend dem i lidt olie og kom salt på. Bag rodfrugterne i ca 30 minutter, indtil de er møre, men stadig har lidt bid. Tag rodfrugterne ud og lad dem køle lidt ned.

Når du er klar til serveringen, smeltes sukker på en stor pande. Sukkeret skal dække bunden med en jævnt lag. Når sukkeret er smeltet og det er gyldent tilsættes ca. en teske smør. Rør rundt i sukkermassen til det lige bruser af. Kom de kølede rodfrugter på panden. Rør rundt i det hele, til alle rodfrugterne er dækket af et karamel lag. Server staks.

Saucen:

Kog portvinen ind til en sirup. Dette skal gøres ved ikke for høj varme. Tag siruppen af varmen og pisk smørret ned i saucen, dette vil tykne saucen lidt. Kom blåbær ned i den varme sauce og lad den varme igennem . Server saucen.

Saucen passer perfekt til al slags rødt kød.

Salat:

Vask rosenkålen, og gem de pæne yderblade, det er dem der skal bruges til salaten. Gem resten af rosenkålen og lav evt en rosenkålsmos en anden dag. Hak rosenkålsbladene groft.

Skræl appelsinerne og limen og skær dem i tyndeskiver. Hak mandlerne groft. Befri granatæblekernerne og undgå at få de hvide lameller med. Youtube er fuld af forskellige metoder, men jeg skærer bund og top af. Så skærer jeg kun skallen fra top til bund de steder, hvor jeg kan se der er et ophold i kernerne. Jeg trækker så både ud med kerner og piller dem fra skallen. Det sviner knap så meget som når man skærer kernerne over. Saml salaten på tallerknerne eller på et fad.

English version:

Elk with caramelized root vegetables and citrus salad

Ingredients:

Elk:

• 8 inch (20 cm) piece elk loin (3-400g)
• 1 star anise, broken into smaller pieces
• 1 teaspoon butter
• salt, to taste

Root vegetables:

• 3 large carrots
• 4 parsnips
• 3 sun chokes (Israeli artichokes)
• 1 small root celery
• 3 small beets
• salt
• a splash of oil for the baking
• sugar and butter for the caramelizing

Salad:

• 3 oranges
• 1 lime
• ca 250 g brussels sprouts, only the vibrant green outer leaves
• ¼ pomegranate
• 1 handful almonds

Sauce

• ca ½ bottle port wine
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 handful blueberries

Directions:

Elk:

Trim loin of excess fat and/or membranes. Season the loin and place in a large plastic bag with star anise and butter. Vacuum-seal. Cook the meat in a sous-vide water bath preheated to 142°F (61°C) for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Remove bag from the water and remove the loin from the bag. Pad it dry. Sear the meat on all sides in a very hot pan with a little oil and butter. Slice the meat thinly and serve immediately.

Root vegetables:

Preheat the oven for 400℉ (200℃). Peel the root vegetables and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Keep the beets separate even during baking, to prevent all the vegetables from turning red. Dress the vegetables in oil and season with salt. Bake the vegetables in ovenproof dishes for about 30 minutes until tender, but not soft. Cool the vegetables. Just before you are ready to serve, heat a large skillet over high heat, pour in the sugar and melt it. When the sugar has turned the color of light amber, add the butter and stir with a wooden spoon. Carefully pour the vegetables into the hot caramel. Lower the heat and make sure the vegetables get covered in the caramel and get heated through. Serve immediately, otherwise the vegetables looses the shine.

The sauce:

Reduce the port to a syrup over low to medium heat. Remove from heat when the port can cover the back of a spoon. Stir in a teaspoon of salted butter, this will thicken the sauce a bit. Add the blueberries so they just get heated. The sauce is perfect with any kind of red meat.

Salad:

Rinse the brussels sprouts, save the outer leaves, these will be used in the salad. Save the rest og the brussels sprouts for anther day, maybe making this brussels sprouts pure. Chop up the brussels sprouts leaves roughly . Peel the oranges and the lime, and slice them up finely. Chop up the almonds. Place the brussels sprouts on a plate , place the oranges and limes on top. Sprinkle almonds and pomegranate on top.

Sous-Vide Duck Breast

Sous-Vide Duck Breast with Citrus Salad with Liquorice-vinaigrette 

I really like the meat from a duck, especially the breasts. If you cook it to long it will dry out, but served medium-rare to medium is the most tender juicy piece of meat you can get. Since I got my Anova sous-vide cooker I have been longing to cook the duck breast sous-vide. Today was the day.

Ingredients:

• 2 Duck Breasts
• Salt

Directions:

Wash you hands very thoroughly, when handling the duck. You don't want to cross-contaminate other foods or the duck. So keep your work station clean and tidy all the time. 

Refrigerate duck breasts on paper towel-lined plate overnight. This will allow some of the juices to evaporate, and you get a firmer breast in the end.

Have the vacuum bags pre-sealed in one end (doh!). Fold the rim out, so you don't get any grease or water on the place you need to seal the bags. Have the salt and pepper you want to use in small bowls, so you don't get any "duck" in the salt you're not using. 

Take the duck breasts out and score the skin in a harlequin pattern with a sharp knife. Season them with salt and pepper. Place them in the vacuum bags, vacuum and seal them. (I seal them twice just to be on the safe side.)

Place them in 135℉ (57℃) water bath for at least 45 minutes and up to 3 hours. I stopped after 2 hours, no need to go the limit with this delicate meat. Remove duck from bags and dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Place breasts skin side-down in heavy-bottomed non-stick or cast iron skillet and set over high heat until sizzling, about 2 minutes, then reduce heat to medium and cook  until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Make sure that you get good contact between skillet and the skin. You won't need any oil, the fat from the duck will render and give you plenty of fat for the searing. Flip  the breasts and cook the other side until slightly seared.

Slice the breasts thinly and serve with your favorite sides. One of my favorites is caramelized potatoes, picked red cabbage or Citrus Salad with Liquorice-vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

Lamb chops sous vide

Lamb chops sous vide

I got a new gadget for the kitchen this christmas. I got an Anova sous vide Immersion circulator. It's the nerdiest gadget to date. I almost feel like I'm back at the lab growing cells or making analysis.

Sous vide is cooking in a water bath at exact controlled temperatures. You put the ingredients in a vacuum sealed bag and cook it at the temperature you want your ingredient to end up with, but you have to take food safety in to consideration. If you want a medium rare steak (131℉ or 55℃) you cook your steak at 131℉ or 55℃ for a certain amount of time. The time seems to be some kind of trial and error. But I’m not the first to have this type of equipment in my home, so there’s a lot of websites recommending time and temperature for different ingredients.

These lamb chops was tender and moist, and by far one of the best I have ever had. Next time, I would remove more of the fat, no other changes.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 rack of lamb, cut up to 4 chops

• 2 sprigs of rosemary,

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1 tablespoon butter

• salt and pepper

Directions:

Wash you hands very thoroughly. 

Pour boiling water over the rosemary. Cut the rack of lamb into 4 chops. Season the chops with salt and pepper. Place some rosemary leaves on each chop and a few slices of garlic. Place two chops in each vacuum bag and place some butter, rosemary and garlic slices on the other side of the chop. Vacuum seal the bags and submerge them in the 130℉ (54.5℃) water bath to cook for 2 hours.

After the 2 hours take the vacuum bags out of the water and remove the lamb chops from the bags. Sear the chops on a scalding hot pan, about a minute on each side.

Enjoy.