Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

In hockey when you have bad streaks where you are not scoring(or as I call it…every time I play hockey) people want to get rid of the bad ju-ju. Hockey players are highly superstitious, as are a lot of athletes. So when your stick has been cursed you will find the player touching(usually the blade) another’s player stick. You never do it in front of that player, you would piss him off for he would fear that he now had the bad ju-ju. So you have to do it when they are not looking. The player usually then feels that his curse is gone and he can go play hockey. Weird I know, but psychologically it seems to work for a lot of players.
Well, I need to go find a baker and touch their rolling pin or something when they are not looking. Seriously, I have some bad baking ju-ju going on. The un-Midas touch as I am calling it. I made a pots de crème that stayed liquid. I made a chocolate pudding that turned to paste…I am talking this stuff could be used for glue people. I made carrot muffins that did not rise, they sank. I made my old stand by, apple cobbler in hopes of getting back in the saddle and for the first time(I have made it a ton of times) it spilled over everywhere in the oven causing quite a mess and the smoke alarm to go off for what seemed forever. Then what I did bake that turned out, turned out ugly and was not wanting to photograph for me. AHHHHHH.
But I must go on. I have a blog to bake for and nothing in the archives to rely on. I had won a free jar of Fig ‘N Ginger Chutney over at Blake Makes. You had to write in your post what you were going to do with it. I said I would make a pork panni with blue cheese and the chutney. Nothing too upscale. They liked the idea enough to send me a jar. I made a walnut and wheat loaf. You may be saying, that loaf looks good. It was. The loaf turned out fine…I did slice my thumb in 3 different spots while making it. Don’t ask. Bad ju-ju.
The chutney is very pungent, like good chutney should be. Lots of good chunks of figs in it too. Gigantic raisins(really where did they find these?) and bits of apple. McQuade’s Celtic Chutney offers a variety of flavors from Melon and Peach to Plum and Black Pepper. All of which I am sure I could make a sandwich with. They also have seasonal chutney’s that sound wonderful. I am really loving the sound of the Strawberry Cardamom Chutney and and am considering sending my mom some Rhubarb and Tangerine Chutney since she is the rhubarb lover of the family.
The actual making of the sandwich went off without a hitch. Perhaps a good sign of things to come. Still just in case, bakers beware(Helen I’m coming for you!), I might just be sneaking into your kitchen and touching your oven.

Gorgonzola, Fig and Ginger Chutney, Shaved Pork Sandwich on Walnut Wheat Bread(say that 5 times fast)

two slices walnut wheat bread(recipe follows)
sliced pork(I used 5 slices…but I like my meat)
a generous spreading of McQuade’s Celtic Fig ‘N Ginger Chutney
Slices(or crumbles as it tends to do) Gorgonzola cheese

Take one slice of bread and spread the chutney on it. Place pork on top of that. Place Gorgonzola on top of that followed by the other slice of bread. Slather the top and bottom pieces of bread with room temperature butter and place in pan, or if you are like me in a panni maker. Grill until cheese is melty and it is browned on the outsied.

Rustic Whole-Wheat Walnut Bread

ingredients
1-3/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1-2/3 cups cool water
9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached bread flour
5 oz. (1 cup plus 2 Tbs.) fine whole-wheat flour
4 oz. (3/4 cup) coarse stone-ground whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
how to make
In the mixing bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the water. Let it sit until the yeast dissolves and the water looks milky. Add the flours, salt, and walnuts. With the paddle attachment, mix on low speed until a rough dough forms. Change to the dough hook and knead on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl to form a ball. You may need to add a small amount of flour or water to get the right consistency.

Turn the dough out into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm spot (about 75°F) until doubled in bulk, 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

Line a basket or bowl with a kitchen towel or a piece of cotton fabric and sprinkle it lightly with flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, knead it a few times, and shape it into a round. Put it in the basket, bottom up, and fold the ends of the towel over it. Cover with a large plastic bag (like a kitchen garbage bag). Set in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours.

Set one oven rack in the lowest position; put a large, shallow pan on that rack. Set the second rack just above that and position the baking stone on it. Heat the oven to 425°F for at least 45 minutes. Just before you put the bread in the oven, bring about 2 cups of water to a boil.

Lightly dust a baking peel or a flat baking sheet with flour. Remove the plastic bag and gently invert the dough onto the peel. (The dough may deflate somewhat.) Remove the basket and towel. With a single-edge razor blade or a sharp serrated knife, make a few slashes in the surface of the dough.

With a quick jerk, slide the dough from the peel to the baking stone. Wearing long oven mitts and standing as far away from the oven as you can, immediately pour the boiling water into the pan in the bottom of the oven. Caution: This will cause an instant burst of steam. Close the oven door immediately and don’t open it for at least 10 minutes or the steam will escape.

Bake the bread until it is well browned and sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely on a rack before serving

From Fine Cooking 30, pp. 61

 I’ll never forget the first time I had a Monte Cristo Sandwich. My mom and I had gotten dressed up to go to the Tennis/Golf Club for lunch. This was a nerve racking experience to me because my mom and I were not exactly their usual partitioners. We belonged to the Tennis Club because each year my family would pick a sport(tennis was by far our most athletic one we picked) and we would play together every Saturday morning(or more depending). My parents were the only ones at the club with wooden rackets(I begged for a graphite one). They played with used balls and really could care less. We would schlep out there in our baggy t-shirts and baggy shorts and play around. It was really bad when my brother would come home from college and come out and play with us. His version of tennis was to hit the ball as hard as he could and scream “ACE” at the top of his lungs. My parents almost always knocked their ball into other people’s court while they were in play. It got so bad my parents considered buying t-shirts that said “Sorry, can we get our ball back.” The tennis people finally started putting us on the far back court and so the only people who had to worry were those driving by and those who were brave enough to park their car there. Many a convertible owner returned to find a tennis ball or two sitting in their car.

So going to lunch there that day was a big deal to me. I didn’t want to stick out as the daughter of the wooden racket people(I was 16 , you know how embarrassed you get at 16). Everything there was crisp and white, including the waiters shirts. I had fancy iced tea with raspberries and mint floating around in it. I had made up my mind that I was going to order something that I had never had before. There it was, the Monte Cristo. Sounded so odd to me. French toast filled with ham, turkey, swill cheese….sprinkled with powdered sugar and dipped in strawberry jam. My mother assured me that I would enjoy it, explaining that it was one of her favorites too. So I ordered away, standing up straight as I could(I’m a bit of a sloucher) and trying to sound as sophisticated as a 16 year old could. When it came it was all golden and crispy just like French toast with a tiny side of jam(I knew right away to ask for more). What a wonderful lunch I had.

So when I saw that Slashfood was having a sandwich day I had to write about my beloved Monte Cristo. You don’t find them very much and that is a shame. It is such a wonderful sandwich, offering the best of both worlds, breakfast and lunch. Or as I like to say, it makes for a nice portable brunch. For my sandwich today I stuck with a fairly simple version of the Monte Cristo(sadly without powdered sugar…I was out!) but have also included a more interesting/complicated version.

Monte Cristo Sandwich 

18 slices bread
butter
6 slices ham
6 slices turkey or chicken
12 slices Swiss or Gruyere cheese
a little mustard and mayonnaise, if desired
3 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon salt

For each sandwich use 3 slices of bread. Butter one side of bread first, then cover with a slice of ham and a slice of turkey or chicken. Butter both sides of the second slice of bread and spread with a little mustard or other dressing, if desired.
Place on top of turkey or ham slice and top with 2 thin slices of cheese. Butter third slice for top; press sandwich lightly and trim crusts. Cut into halves diagonally and secure with toothpicks.
Beat eggs with milk and salt. Dip sandwich halves into the egg mixture and fry on a hot skillet or griddle in butter or margarine. Brown on all sides, adding more butter when necessary. Remove toothpicks before serving.
Makes 6 sandwiches, 12 cut triangles, to serve 4.

Serve with either currant or strawberry jam(I prefer the strawberry).

Another Variation:

Monte Cristo
From Nancy Silverton’s Sandwich Book (Canada, UK), by Nancy Silverton.

Ingredients:

For the Batter:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup club soda
1-1/2 cups dark beer

For the Sandwiches:

6 slices white or whole-wheat sourdough bread, each buttered on one side
6 ounces Gruyère cheese, sliced into 18 1/16-inch-thick slices
8 ounces smoked ham, such as Black Forest, sliced into 9 1/16-inch-thick slices
8 ounces roast turkey, sliced into 9 1/16-inch-thick slices
5 tablespoons strawberry jam, plus extra to serve on the side
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
1/2 cup powdered sugar

To make the Batter: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne, and salt. Whisk in the club soda and beer. The mixture should be the consistency of pancake batter. Refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.

To assemble the Sandwiches: Set half of the slices buttered side down, and cover with the cheese slices, folding them over if they extend past the edges. Layer the ham and turkey over the cheese, and spread the jam over the turkey. Place the top slice of bread on, buttered side up.

Grill the sandwiches on both sides.

Pour the oil into a deep heavy-duty saucepan to fill it halfway. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C), measuring the temperature on a deep-fat thermometer.

Cut the sandwiches on a diagonal into thirds, to make 9 triangular pieces.

Stir the batter. Dip each sandwich piece into the batter, thoroughly coating it. Fry the pieces 2 or 3 at a time, being careful not to overcrowd them in the pan. Cook them for about 3 minutes on each side, until they’re nicely browned, and transfer to a paper towel to drain. Allow the oil to come back up to temperature before you fry the next batch of sandwiches.

Place the sandwiches on a platter. Sift a very heavy layer of powdered sugar over them, and serve with a side of jam.

YIELD: 9 pieces

All text and images on this site have ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Copyright (c) 2006 by Peabody Rudd.