Category: Recipes

Drinks, Holidays, Recipes

Aged Eggnog: A Solstice Tradition

by ChaseLeave a Comment on Aged Eggnog: A Solstice Tradition

Every couple years, depending on how many guests we have for the holidays and generally how well things are going in the world, we make aged eggnog in early November. It’s a ridiculous affair – a whole dozen eggs, a whole quart of milk, a whole pint of bourbon and then some… But the end result is one of our favorite warming winter drinks. In 2019 we made a batch for a solstice party we were throwing (aged about a month), plus enough to age till 2020 and 2021. The party was so fun and the eggnog so delicious that we ended up drinking all the batches that night, and everyone made us promise to share the recipe in time for this winter, so here we are. We filmed the process for our instagram last year – you can now watch it on our YouTube channel with a jaunty new soundtrack (and while you’re at it don’t forget to like & subscribe). Check out the full recipe below.

Ingredients:

12 large egg yolks (freeze those whites in an ice cube tray for baking with later)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 liter bourbon
4 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup Cognac or brandy
1/2 cup dark rum
pinch of kosher salt

Method:

In an extremely large bowl, beat the yolks and sugar until light and creamy.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. 
Transfer into clean mason jars.

Age for at least 30 days, or up to 3 years in the fridge. Yes, this will keep all that time, even with the raw eggs and dairy – the alcohol and sugar content is high enough that no bacteria will grow. After 30 days it still has a lot of bite, but after one year it mellows considerably. The second year is our personal favorite – it mellows even further and develops a lot of depth. In the third year it definitely get some funk, but in a really pleasant and complex way. Don’t be afraid!

Recipes, Sweets

Lemon Olive Oil Zucchini Cake

by ChaseLeave a Comment on Lemon Olive Oil Zucchini Cake

Summertime means just one thing if you’re an avid gardener: more summer squash than you know what to do with. This year we started four seedlings, they got their first flowers at about a month old, and now at two months on we’re pulling a massive zucchini almost every day. We’re sharing them with all our neighbors but we still can’t keep up! I’m about to go on a pinning spree for recipes and preservation methods, but one tried and true method to use up a couple extra zukes is to make some zucchini bread. We did some experimenting with olive oil cake and thought zucchini would make a nice addition and keep it from being too crumbly, and man were we right! Instead of zesting some lemon rind, it’s super easy to use lemon olive oil to impart a super bright flavor. You could glaze this cake with a little lemon icing, or top it with powdered sugar, but we love it just the way it is, and it never lasts long in our house. Hope it helps you use up a glut of summer produce!

Ingredients:

2 large eggs (we often use duck eggs instead of chicken eggs)
300 mls lemon olive oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
270g white sugar
280g grated zucchini
390g all-purpose flour

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees, and grease and flour a bundt pan.

Use the large side of a box grater (or a food processor) to grate a couple zucchini. You’ll need 280 grams, so if you end up with extra use it to make zucchini pancakes or to bulk out a pasta sauce.

In a large bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients, then fold in the grated zucchini and the dry ingredients until incorporated – don’t overmix or your cake will be tough.

Pour into your prepared bundt pan, tap it on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles, and bake in the center of the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cracks that form comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before turning the cake out, and enjoy!

Recipes, Weeknight Dinners

Japanese Curry

by clarkmotelLeave a Comment on Japanese Curry

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We initially bought this Oaktown Spice curry powder from Umami Mart for potato salad, but had some chicken thighs on hand one night and decided to make Japanese curry from scratch instead of with the usual roux cubes.

While this recipe is pretty simple, it has a ton of flavor because we brown ingredients in a few different places. The chicken gets browned in hot oil, then the onions after that, in the fat left behind. Additionally the roux cooks until slightly golden and then the curry powder gets toasted along with it. Brown food just tastes better, so don’t be afraid to get color on everything. We’re borrowing a bit from the French playbook here that builds layers of flavor on top of each other.

Add some pickled ginger or mushrooms (covered in a future recipe) on top for a hit of brightness. Adjust spice with some Togarashi as needed. This would also be a good meal for using additional veggies you have on hand, adding them a little later in the cooking process so they don’t overcook.

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Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken thigh
1 onion, diced
1 sweet potato, diced (you can sub 2 medium waxy potatoes if desired)
3 carrots, diced
1 quart chicken broth
4 tbsp butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 cup flour
3 Tbsp Japanese curry powder (either from a local spice shop, or S&B in a pinch)
Basic seasonings such as salt, pepper, soy, and fish sauce.
Optional: additional veggies such as peas, broccoli, etc.

Method:

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot heat vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering and add chicken thighs. Allow to cook until browned, 3-5 minutes per side. Remove thighs and place on a plate.

Turn heat to medium, add onion to pot with additional oil if needed, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned.

Add potato and carrot to the pot, cook for a couple of minutes, add stock. Stir, making sure to scrape any browned bits off of the bottom of the pot. Now would be a good time to check again for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Soy or fish sauce in place of table salt would be good for adding to the depth of flavor here.

Dice chicken into bite sized pieces, return to pot along with any liquid, turn to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender.

While simmering, make the roux:

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, add flour and stir frequently until it starts turning golden and smells like toasty happiness. Add curry powder, continue stirring for another minute or so until fragrant, then remove from heat.

When the potatoes and carrots are tender, stir in the roux/curry mixture and simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken. Check for seasoning once again and serve over rice.