Private Party June 20, 2024
Steak Au Poivre
Fresh Pasta with Ala Vodka sauce
Balsamic roasted vegetables
Toffee Brownie Trifle
Fresh Pasta Dough
yield: 2 servings
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
Making fresh pasta dough is fun and very easy. Traditionally, the dough is mixed directly on a board or counter but it is acceptable to begin the dough in a bowl to limit the cleanup. Laminate counter tops are fine for kneading dough but natural or engineered stone is best as it is non-porous and maintains constant temperature, especially important when working with yeast doughs.
In a bowl or on a countertop, combine the salt and flour. Using your fingers, create a well in the center of the mound, being sure that the well’s walls are equally thick and high. In a separate container, combine eggs and olive oil. Scramble eggs with a fork to incorporate oil.
Add 1/3 of egg/oil mixture to center of well. Using a swirling motion, pull flour from inner walls of well into eggs and mix until it forms a thick paste. If working on a countertop, be careful not to break through the walls of the well as egg will run out over the work surface. When center is no longer runny, add half of remaining egg mixture and stir to paste. Add remaining liquid and repeat. Continue to mix until fork is no longer effective and then turn dough out onto work surface.
Knead dough by flattening, folding it in half and pressing hard with the palm of your hand. Rotate 90’ and repeat over and over until dough is a consistent color (no patches of flour or egg mixture) and begins to feel springy. Pasta dough should be visibly bumpy but soft and smooth to the touch. To test, press a finger into dough. The depression made by your finger should spring back almost entirely. Flatten dough into a disk 1 ½ inches thick, wrap with saran and place in cooler to rest for 20-30 minutes or until finger divot does not bounce back. This means that the gluten that was excited in the kneading process has relaxed and the dough is ready to be rolled and cut.
Vodka Sauce
Yield 2:
1/2 pasta dough recipe, rolled out and cut into desired sized strips
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1/3 cup vodka
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
2-4 basil leafs, chiffanoned
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet over medium heat add oil when warm add onions to the pan and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add vodka and allow to reduce down until almost dry. Add crushed tomatoes and heavy cream. Bring up to a simmer then add butter and basil. Cook for 5 minutes then add chicken, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Boil pasta until it floats then remove and place directly into sauce.
Steak Au Poivre
2thick-cut Steaks Beef Tenderloin or NY Strip steak, 6-8 ounces, about 1 1/2 – inches thick
Coarse salt
1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorns crushed
1/2 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup Cognac
1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions:
- At least 30 minutes up to an hour before cooking remove the steaks from the fridge. Sprinkle all sides of steaks with salt. Just before cooking, pat steaks dry with paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Generously coat all sides of steaks with the fresh ground black pepper, pressing it into the steaks.
- Heat a large heavy cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add butter and olive oil. Just as butter begins to smoke, place steaks in pan for medium rare, cook for 4 minutes on each side. Adjust cook time for desired doneness, using a meat thermometer for doneness. Transfer to plate, cover loosely with foil.
- Turn burners off. Carefully pour Cognac into hot frying pan. Carefully light the alcohol with a lighter and swirl the pan around until the flame burns out. Turn heat back on to medium. Whisking until sauce lightly thickens, about 6-8 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, pour sauce over steaks.
Steak temperature:
Rare 125F, Medium Rare 135F, Medium 145F, Medium well 150F Well done 160F
Roasted Vegetables with Garlic and Balsamic
yield: 2 servings
10-12 oz assorted vegetables ( broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, zucchini or sweet potato)
4 garlic cloves, quartered
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fine balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Pinch of ground black pepper or more if preferred
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a medium mixing bowl, toss vegetables with garlic, oil, balsamic vinegar salt and pepper until coated. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400 until vegetable start to brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Toffee Brownie Trifle
Yield: 8
1 (18 ounce) package brownie mix (9×13 pan size)
2 1⁄2 cups cold milk
1 (3 1/2 ounce) package cheesecake flavor instant pudding or (3 1/2 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding
1 (3 1/2 ounce) package instant white chocolate pudding
8 ounces Cool Whip
2 -3 Heath candy bars, chopped (can also use packaged toffee bits)
Prepare and bake brownies as directed on package.
Cool completely, and then cut into 1-inch cubes.
Beat milk and pudding mixes on low speed 2 minutes.
Fold Cool Whip into pudding.
Place 1/2 brownies into dish, cover with 1/2 pudding mixture.
Repeat layers.
Refrigerate until needed.
Sprinkle top with Heath bits just before serving.
Nick’s Supernatural Brownies
1/2 pound/2 sticks/227 grams unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
1/2 pound/227 grams dark chocolate (60% is perfect), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup/200 grams firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
1 cup/135 grams unbleached all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups/about 200 grams pecan or walnut pieces, divided (optional)
9×13 pan
- Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
- In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Let the butter start to sizzle and get very hot. Off heat add the chocolate. Shake the pan to submerge the chocolate and wait a minute. Whisk smooth.
- Place the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the paddle on medium speed until the mixture is very fine and powdery, 2 or 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate between additions, followed by the vanilla.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and thoroughly fold in the butter and chocolate mixture. Fold in three quarters of the nuts, if using.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the remaining nuts, if using.
- Bake the brownies until they are slightly firm and no longer liquid in the center of the pan, about 40 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, then wrap in plastic and wait until the next day to cut them—they are still too soft immediately after cooling. To rush the process, chill the cooled and wrapped brownies for a couple of hours before cutting the brownies into 2-inch squares.