Suzi's Blog

Devils on Horseback

by Brian on July 26th, 2010 in Recipes No Comments

I am not, as my family maintains, a prejudiced man. I simply have guiding principles. One of them is not to ever eat certain foods. I have a Top 10 list of the foods I will not touch, let alone allow to enter my body. There are about 30 items on the Top 10 list. Yes, it’s crowded there, but I have very rigorous standards.

From time to time, I will reconsider. Sometimes there is a recipe with such appeal that I think one of my Top 10, or Top 30 or whatever, might be capable of salvation.

I don’t like dates. I never have. If I eat sticky food, I want immediately to take a shower. It’s just my way. And God knows that if you get within five feet of a date, some part of it is going to collect on your fingertips.

I am addicted to chocolate. I like jalapeno. I adore bacon. So I saw this recipe on The Tasting Table, a wonderful website, and I thought if they can do dates, so can I.

It turns out, this is a perfectly sumptuous recipe. The contrasting flavors come in layers that just confuse you a bit. The whole date flavor is just lost amidst the bacon, chocolate and jalapeno. Oh the date is there, because there is undoubted sweetness on the tongue. But the chocolate kicks in and then jalapeno, and you are left asking yourself, “What did I just eat? And can I have another?”

This appetizer has substance so plan on only 3 or 4 per person. A substantial cocktail is suggested to accompany the strong flavors of this enormous nosh.

Devils on Horseback

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 12 strips of bacon, halved crosswise
• 24 dates, pitted
• 6 squares of bittersweet baker’s chocolate, broken into shards
• Fleur de sel or other coarse sea salt
• 12 marcona almost, halved
• ½ jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced into ¼-inch pieces

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 300F. Arrange the bacon on a baking sheet and warm in the oven for 15 seconds., the remove and let cool. Turn the oven up to 400F.

Stuff each date with a piece of chocolate, a few grains of fleur de sel, half a macron almond and a piece of jalapeño. Wrap each date with a strip of bacon and place on a baking sheet, seam side down.

Bake for 5 t0 7 minutes or until the bacon on is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Changes and Considerations:

Truthfully, Suzen and I did not get the 15 seconds bit for warming the bacon. Just let the bacon come to room temperature before assembly. You do have to ponder the thickness of bacon; we used some very thick bacon from Fleishers, our Kingston butcher. We needed to cook for about 20 minutes. That thickness may also mean you want to use toothpicks to secure each rollup and ensure they do not unwind during cooking.

Finally, if you do like things sweet, then before you place them in the oven, top each one with a teaspoon of dark brown sugar. It makes a big difference. Very sweet. Very sticky. After I ate them, I needed a shower. I didn’t mind at all.

Source: TastingTable.com

Brian’s Candied Jalapenos

by Brian on March 16th, 2010 in Recipes No Comments

Candied jalapenos. If you have had them, you understand. If you haven’t had them, you are going to treasure them.

No, this is not some kitschy candy. It’s still a jalapeno, but now with additional layers of sweetness and spice. You can eat these, of course. But their greatest usage is in transforming recipes you’ve been using traditional jalapenos for. If you like guacamole, then using these candied jalapenos — instead of dicing up fresh jalapenos or using pickled ones from a jar — gives you a strikingly different dish. The heat is still there, but now there are the new sweet and spicy overtones. It’s guacamole but now a different flavor experience that will have you puzzling about the rush of flavors in your mouth.

And, there’s a major side benefit to this recipe: the candying syrup in which the jalapenos are first cooked and then stored. That syrup is itself a serious ingredient. Back to your guacamole recipe: do you use lime juice? Instead of that tart liquid, add the sweet heat of this syrup. Start with a little, adjust the taste to suit you, and perhaps still include some lime juice to match your personal preferences.

In an earlier blog for chili nachos [http://www.cookingbythebook.com/blog/recipes/brians-super-chili-nachos] I suggested using candied jalapenos to create a very complex mix of flavors. In coming blogs, I’ll suggest other uses for this bright burst of heat. In a taste test, Suzen and I compared this recipe with our favorite bottled version of candied jalapenos. It was an easy verdict: homemade is best. It’s just a matter of fresh over factory.

One important note here for you. When you remove the jalapenos from the saucepan, after 4 minutes of cooking, do not worry. The jalapeno slices will look a little wilted and that intense bright, shiny green color of the raw jalapenos will be gone. Have faith. After a week in the refrigerator in that sugar syrup, the jalapenos look alive and very green.

Just another example of how good sugar can be for you.

Brian’s Candied Jalapenos

Yield: 1 pint

Ingredients:

8 large jalapenos
1 bunch scallions, washed and sliced
1 cup water
1 cup sugar plus 1 more cup sugar
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
 

Preparation:

Clean and wash the jalapenos. Slice into ⅙-inch thick disks. Leave the seeds in the disks.

In a saucepan, add the water, sugar, vinegar, and spices. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. The goal is to create a slightly syrupy liquid.

Add the jalapeno and scallion slices and cook for just 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the jalapenos and scallions from the saucepan to a plate. Add the second cup of sugar to the saucepan, and return to a boil. Boil until the liquid reduces by half forming a viscous syrup.

Allow the syrup and jalapenos to cool for 10 minutes. Place the jalapenos and syrup into plastic or glass container with a secure lid.

Refrigerate for one week. The jalapenos and the syrup are then ready for multiple uses: guacamole, potato salad, …

Source: Brian O’Rourke