How To : Homemade Russian 1,000 Aioli

Homemade Russian 1,000 Aioli

I want to first off by addressing the "name" of my new aioli concoction. Because today, we are focusing on one of the most important parts of any reuben sandwich... well, if not the most important part-- the Russian Dressing vs. Thousand Island Dressing debate. The topic can get quite heated in the culinary world of blogs, magazines, and even amongst chefs. However, I knew from the get-go, that every component had to be top-knotch or homemade in nature. I decided to blend the two together to form a SUPER sauce, packed with extra flavor and making it even more extreme. I mean, face it, "Russian 1,000 Aioli" sounds mechanical, nuclear, or even the highest improvement that can be made. If you didn't know I was a food blogger, you might actually think that I might be talking about sports cars or spaceships or computer technology. HA, good joke. But anyway, our entire family has naturally been on a corned beef kick lately... we made it monday, wednesday, + sunday. And to be honest, I think we're still beggin' for that cut o' meat all over again. Although I was repulsed by the idea of pickled, boiled beef brisket in the past... I have become enamored with it. Cooking partially in boiling water, and then glazing it with a sweet + tangy homemade honey mustard sauce before it heads into the oven to broil, really takes it over the top. I mean, heck, it's made a believer outta me!! I repeated the previous recipe, exactly), but this time I knew I wanted to make over-the-top reuben sandwiches. The rundown for that glorious meal between two buns will be posted on Monay (so check back, ya'hear).  I began with making a basic aioli (a.k.a. homemade mayonnaise using egg yolks and canola oil, amongst other things). I use the food processor for this process, so that the machine keeps moving and whipping the mayo, without allowing it to curdle/separate. You can also do this by hand, but heck, who wants to lose an arm that way? Pardon the sarcasm, you won't lose an arm, but trust me it'll be as sore as the dickens. My aioli starts off quite basic actually... toss in a large egg yolk, a splash of red wine vinegar + freshly squeezed lemon juice, some smashed garlic paste, a dabble of dijon mustard, and a big pinch of salt & sugar. I pulse that mixture up as best as I can until it is as smooth as you can get it (but don't worry, it should become creamier throughout the process). After the painstakingly annoying task of slowly drizzling in the oil (with the processor running on constant speed for its' entire duration), literally one drip at a time, your once liquidy yellow stuff will bloom into a creamy, off-white mayonnaise texture. YAY, you're almost there. Remove this mayo mixture into a mixing bowl to finish it off, completing the transformation it into the soon-to-be-famous Russian 1,000 Aioli. You whisk in the typical cast of characters: ketchup, mustard (or honey mustard, like I used), horseradish, Sriracha, onion  powder, cayenne powder, and add any other needed seasonings. Whisk to combine, so that the ingredients evenly disperse throughout. In my hybrid of the Russian Dressing/Thousand Island Dressing... I love to hand-dice pretty decent chunks of bread + butter pickles. If you prefer a smoother sauce, you could easily substitute relish, but I love the texture and pop of vinegary flavor the pickle chips in the sauce. So, bless your heart, do what you please! This sauce might seem time consuming, but the food processor cuts out majority of the work for you. Just make sure to whisk in the pickle chips at the very in, instead of blending them into a relish. And as for my secret ingredient... freshly ground nutmeg and ground cloves. I know, it might sound odd putting those two pungent flavors into a creamy, classic, americano sauce, but they give the dip the some major sass and elevates it from run-of-the-mill-bottled-dressing to awesome-homemade-aioli. Trust me, it's not just good on reubens, it goes great on the following: BURGERS (ohmahgah, it'll be your new secret sauce for cookout parties, trust me), patty melts, sandwiches, french fries, fried pickles, cobb salads, etc. You catch mah drift. And get yo'self excited because this sauce is featured on the best Reuben Sandwich I've ever made... it'll be posted in a day or so!! Enjoy :)


the makings of the perfect Russian dressing-- aioli style



For the Aioli:

1 Large Egg Yolk

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced into a Paste with Sea Salt

1 Egg Yolk

1t Red Wine Vinegar

2t Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

½t Dijon Mustard & 1T Sugar

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced into a Paste (with a little bit of sea salt)

1C Canola Oil

¼C Ketchup

1T Honey Mustard

1t Prepared Horseradish

½t Salt, White Pepper, & Cayenne

1t Onion Powder

Freshly Grated Nutmeg + Ground Cloves, To Taste

½C Finely Diced Bread n’ Butter Pickles (dice into small cubes/squares)

Directions:

1. For the Russian 1,000 Aioli: Combine the egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, sugar, and ½t salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Using ¼t measuring spoon and whisking constantly, add ¼C of the oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4-5 minutes. Gradually add remaining ¾C canola oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8-10 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color).

2. Finishing the Aioli: By hand, whisk in the ketchup, honey mustard, horseradish, white pepper, cayenne, onion powder, freshly grated nutmeg, and ground cloves. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste, if needed.

3. Lastly, fold in the small diced pickles until evenly incorporated throughout. Use the sauce right away or store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use!!

Honey Mustard Glazed Corned Beef

sliced up honey mustard glazed corned beef

I'M BACKKKKKKKKKKKK and ready to blow this shit place up! I got a new blog up and running... well sorta, I still have to finish my recipe index-- bare with me here it is a shit-ton of work, lemme tell you. I can't tell y'all how many "bless your hearts" I have gotten from family & friends during this process. I was beyond upset that the blog I had put three years into had suddenly vanished to an anonymous buyer that goes by the name of Chevy Chase. I mean really, Chevy Chase did this to me? I know it's not really the famous actor, but notgonnalie, I might hold a tiny grudge against him. But that's all in the past for now. It's time to get back into the swing of things, and that includes posting more delicious recipes for all of y'all to enjoy! Yippee-dee-do-dah... #amirite? As many of my loyal followers know, we have been in Atlanta for almost a year now, but deep down, we will always be true "Savannahians" at heart. Savannah is fabulous. It's almost like if you've been gone for a whole year, the second you return, it just picks right back up from where you left off. And possibly the most depressing thing about leaving was missing out on the over-the-top annual St. Patrick's Day celebration. We have had so much fun celebrating that it is easily creeping into my top three all-time favorite holidays, fo'realziez y'all. What sucks for us is that we couldn't make it down there this year because the celebration fell on a Monday and my Mountain Man just couldn't get off work. So, we had to settle by enjoying the Irish spirit by cooking classic comfort food. This obviously meant.... corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes. But DUH. P.S. did you know that I hate corned beef?? Yes I absolutely turn my nose up at the stuff, there is just something about boiled meat that really gets my gag reflex going (TMI??). But, I thought I would give it a shot by using a relatively new method of glazing it with honey mustard, sprinkling it with brown sugar, & broiling it until it has a nice, adhered crust. It turned out fab! Who would've known that everyone would like it so much. I bought a 4lb brined/pickled corned beef brisket thinking that it was enough for us to all eat dinner, but still have some leftover for sandwiches. Boy was I wrong... all four pounds were gone in about 15 minutes flat. I have actually already gotten requests to make it again this weekend.... this time though I will prepare ahead and make extra so I can make some killer grilled Rueben sandwiches to enjoy at lunch the next day!! Enjoy :)



honey mustard glaze + a lot of fresh cracked pepper



perfectly glazed

it doesn't get much better than that, y'all

see the tangy honey mustard drizzle-- perfection.



For the Honey Mustard Glaze:

2T Honey Mustard

2T Extremely Grainy Mustard
1T Dijon Mustard + 1T Mayo
3-4T Light Brown Sugar (depending on how sweet you like, but you will need some on top)
Pinch of Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper (the more… the better)
A Sprinkling of Ground Cloves or Freshly Grated Nutmeg
¼C Reserved Cooking Water (that you used to boil the corned beef)

 For the Corned Beef:

1 4lb Already Prepared Corned Beef
Included Spice Packet + 2T Mulling Spices
Water, For Boiling (enough to cover the beef)

Directions:

1. To Make the Honey Mustard Glaze: Whisk together the honey mustard, grainy mustard, Dijon Mustard, Mayo, and Brown Sugar… along with a pinch of salt & pepper. Set it aside while you boil your corned beef.
2. Prepping the Corned Beef: Bring a big pot of water to a boil and add the included spice packet, as well as the mulling spices. Let it boil for about 2-3 minutes, and then gently place the corned beef into the hot water. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 45-50 minutes per pound. I cooked mine for roughly three hours before removing it and glazing it (keep in mind that if the meat is fork tender, then it is done and no longer needs to be boiled). Once it is done boiling, remove the corned beef to a paper towel lined plate and dry it off as best as you can, if there is any excess moisture it can cause the glaze to slip off instead of caramelize.
3. Broiling the Beef: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a pan with a Silpat. Place the dried-off corned beef onto the pan and liberally spoon half of the honey mustard mixture all over the top of the cut of meat. You can also use a pastry brush to help you get spaces that the spoon won’t reach. Lightly sprinkle the top with some more brown sugar and ground cloves, and a little bit of salt before covering the entire thing with a decent layer of fresh cracked pepper (we love a lot of pepper, especially when it comes to this cut of meat, so you can do as little or as much as you want). Now that is has been completely glazed, place it into the oven and cook for another 20-30 minutes or until the honey mustard adheres to the beef and becomes somewhat sticky.
4. During that time, pour in about 1 ladle of the corned beef boiling liquid into your remaining honey mustard. This will thin the mixture out quite a bit, but you are going to drizzle it all over the sliced beef once it is done cooking. This means it will be extra flavorful & extremely moist, but not covered in globs of sauce.
5. Serving the Corned Beef: Remove the glazed corned beef from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Now, I know many of you do not have a crème brulee torch, but this is the perfect utensil to brown the outer area of the corned beef, so that the glaze is perfectly browned and not burnt (you can use your broiler, but you will risk burning it if you don’t keep an eye out for it). After resting, thinly slice the glazed corned beef and drizzle with the remaining half of your thinned-out honey mustard, all over every slice. Serve with some cabbage and potatoes!!

Brown Butter Baklava with a Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup

Brown Butter Baklava with a Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup

Brown Butter is singlehandedly the most delicious ingredient I cook with. I mean, if I'm making a dessert, most likely brown butter will be included. It's especially important in my favorite chocolate chunk cookie recipe, and it ain't too shabby in savory recipes either, honey! Well, I had been wanting to make Baklava for a while now, but I had to wait until autumn because it just seems like the perfect comfort food on a cold day with a glass of hot coffee. And trust me, we snuck a little triangle at every meal. So, why not add brown butter to each & every layer of Baklava? Brilliant I tell, friggin' brilliant. It seriously enhances the already-bold, nutty flavor from the roasted pecans and walnuts. Then, you add in honey, vanilla beans, warm spices, and citrus... and you got one balanced Baklava, people. The whole pan disappeared within a day, and I was tempted to make another, but I knew my body would completely shut down on me if did. Although some people are intimidated by Baklava recipes, I really didn't think it was difficult at all. Just make sure you have everything ready and prepped, so you can keep layering at a steady pace. Aren't y'all glad fall is finally back? I have missed it soooo!! Enjoy :)

Look at that deep golden brown color...

And those flaky, soaked layers...

And that crispy top...

For the Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Browned & Cooled Slightly

2C Orange Blossom Honey

½C Water

½C Sugar

1 Vanilla Bean, Scraped for Seeds & Saving the Pod (or you can use 1T Vanilla Bean Paste)

½t Cinnamon

¼t Ground Cloves, Ground Cardamom & Ground Nutmeg

1 Lemon Zest, Peeled

1t Orange Flower Water

¼t Sea Salt

For the Brown Butter Baklava:

1 Package of Phyllo Dough, Defrosted Overnight & Brought to Room Temperature for Hour

2C Roasted Pecans, Finely Ground in a Food Processor

2C Roasted Walnuts, Finely Ground in a Food Processor

½t Cinnamon

¼t Sea Salt 

1 ½ Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Browned & Cooled Slightly

Prepared Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup, Cooled Completely Before Using

Melted Dark Chocolate, For Drizzling (optional)

Directions:

1. Remove the Phyllo dough package from the freezer and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours in order to thaw. The next day, remove the package from the refrigerator 1 hour before using, so it can come to room temperature. When working with the Phyllo dough, only remove the sheets you immediately need, keeping the other sheets covered in plastic wrap, and then cover with a damp cloth.

2. For the Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup: Bring a pot over medium-high heat and whisk in the orange blossom honey, water, sugar, vanilla bean seeds and vanilla bean pod, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, orange flower water, salt, and peeled lemon zest strips. Whisk until smooth. Bring this mixture to a boil and reduce the mixture to a simmer. Once simmering, whisk in the brown butter.  Simmer for 5 minutes until the mixture has become slightly thickened into syrup. Place a strainer over a mixing bowl and strain the syrup into the bowl (this will help remove the vanilla bean pod, lemon peel, and any other gritty spice pieces). Let this mixture cool completely before pouring over the baklava.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the nuts onto a baking sheet. Roast the nuts until toasted and fragrant, but make sure not to burn! Just until the oils are beginning to release and they are warmed through. Let the nuts cool to room temperature. Next, using a food processor, pulse the roasted nuts until they are finely ground into small pieces, but do not pulse too much because they will turn into a paste. Pour the ground nuts into a small bowl and toss the nuts with the cinnamon and sea salt until combined. Set it aside.

4. For the Brown Butter Baklava: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and thoroughly brush on some of the melted brown butter into a 13x9 baking pan. Brush the top sheet of Phyllo with melted brown butter, and then grab it and the unbuttered sheet bellow it. Set the two sheets in the pan, buttered sheet face down. Press lightly into the pan. Repeat this twice more, so that you have six sheets of Phyllo in the pan (three sheets of buttered & three sheets of unbuttered). Sprinkle on a third of the nut mixture to make a single even layer. Drizzle some more brown butter on top of the nuts. Butter two more sheets of Phyllo and place them on top of the nut layer. Add another third of the nut mixture, followed by two buttered sheets of Phyllo. Repeat this one last time, making sure to use up the last third of the nut mixture and one last layer of buttered Phyllo. Finish the baklava by adding 6-8 more layers of buttered Phyllo. So that there is roughly 8-10 layers of buttered Phyllo dough finishing the baklava. Brush on any extra brown butter over the top to make sure that they brown beautifully in the oven. Using a sharp knife, cut through the layers, forming a diagonal or triangle pattern.

5. Bake the Brown Butter Baklava for 45 minutes to an hour or until it is flaky and the top layers are a dark golden brown color. Once browned, remove the baklava from the oven and immediately drizzle half of the cooled Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup evenly over the hot baklava. Allow it to sit and absorb the syrup for a minute or two, and then drizzle on more of the syrup until it is thoroughly moistened. You can either use all of it for a really, really sticky baklava or just have some of the syrup left over for cooking other recipes. Allow the baklava to cool completely, uncovered, for at least 3-4 hours.

6. Once it is cooled, soaked, & sticky, carefully remove from the pan and enjoy immediately.

Gourmet Gingerbread Men "Oreos" with Eggnog Ganache

Here's another Christmas cookie recipe for your enjoyment... my Gingerbread Men "Oreos" with Eggnog Ganache. Honestly, when I think of Christmas, the first things that pop into my head are gingerbread cookies & drinking eggnog. The funny coincidence is that I really dislike eggnog, like I absolutely can not drink the stuff. The thick texture just really puts me off; however, I love the flavor and the idea of using it in Christmas baking. And one of my all-time favorites during the holidays are gingerbread cookies. I love their spicy flavor, deep molasses sweetness, and crispy texture. So, I knew that I just had to "spice" up these cookies at little bit more, and I immediately thought about making gingerbread men into Oreo-type cookies with some kind of velvety filling. The gingerbread cookies are similar in texture to the chocolate wafer that is popular in Oreos, so I knew that it would work out perfectly. As for the filling, I had to make an Eggnog Ganache with some gourmet eggnog, white chocolate, and a little nutmeg. Because the ganache can be somewhat temperamental, it is a little difficult to pipe or spread onto the many edges of the gingerbread men cutouts (as opposed to a simple round disc, like an Oreo), so if you would prefer to make square or circular cookie sandwiches, it would probably be easier, but not as visually appealing. But, just work with it, take your time, and spread it on as best as you can, following the lines of the men. Also, keep the cookies refrigerated, so that the filling will stay firm & not spill over the edges. Lastly, make sure to use a mini gingerbread men cookie cutter because two large cookies sandwiched together would be huge and not as cute, which is veryyyyy important... right?! Anyway, enjoy this taste of the season because Christmas is close to being over, and it will be another whole year before we can make them again!!

All of the Gingerbread Men "Oreos" Lined Up

Sprinkle them with a little bourbon vanilla sugar for presentation 

Close Up of the Gingerbread Men "Oreos" with Eggnog Ganache

For the Gingerbread Men:

2C AP Flour (plus more for rolling)

2t Ground Ginger

1t Ground Cinnamon

½t Ground Nutmeg

¼t Ground Cloves

¼t Baking Soda

¼t Salt

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

1/3C Dark Brown Sugar, Packed

1/3C Molasses, Unsulfured

1 Large Egg

For the Eggnog Ganache:

16oz White Chocolate, Finely Chopped

1C Eggnog

Ground Nutmeg

Directions:

1. To Make the Eggnog Ganache: Place the chopped white chocolate in a bowl. Put the eggnog in a small saucepan and heat until it just begins to bubble around the edges. Pour the hot eggnog over the white chocolate and let it melt for a few minutes. Whisk the mixture carefully until it is smooth and mixed. Sprinkle the nutmeg over the mixture and stir until mixed. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once it is lukewarm, place it in the refrigerator to firm up for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
2. To Make the Cookie Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, and salt; set aside. With an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in molasses and egg. With mixer on low, add dry ingredients; mix just until the dough forms. Place dough on floured plastic wrap; pat into an 8-inch square. Wrap well; chill until firm, 1 to 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough in half. Working with one half at a time (rewrap and refrigerate other half), place dough on floured parchment or waxed paper; roll out 1/8 inch thick, turning, lifting, and flouring dough (and rolling pin) as needed. Freeze dough (on paper) until firm, about 20 minutes. Loosen dough from paper. Cut out mini-gingerbread men shapes (or an easier shape if preferred), and transfer to baking sheets. Decorate with vanilla sugar or fleur de sel, as desired.
4. Bake the cookies until firm and the edges are just beginning to darken, about 10-18 minutes, depending on their size. Cool completely on the baking sheets.
5. To Assemble the Gingerbread Men Oreos: Once the cookies have cooled completely and the eggnog ganache has chilled, using a small hand-held mixer, whip the ganache until firm peaks form. Fill a pastry bag with a ½inch round tip with the whipped eggnog ganache or simply use a knife or spoon to spread it on. Pipe or spoon small dollops of the filling into the center of one cookie (or in the shape of the cookie) and sprinkle with a little extra nutmeg. Place another cookie on top of the ganache. Lightly press down to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with ganache.
6. Refrigerate the Oreos for about an hour or longer (I like them best cold, so I kept mine in the refrigerator) and serve with a large glass of milk!

source: gingerbread cookies. thomas keller's white chocolate ganache. 

Zesty Cranberry-Cherry Sauce

I know there are people out there that slap the store-bought cranberry sauce out of the can and just love it. I'm sorry, but I just can't get on board with that. I never liked that congealed cranberry jello... I always wanted the homemade, chunky stuff that sticks to your ribs. I love the spiced, zesty flavor that you can add to it, and I just love love love the texture. So, when I decided to come up with my own recipe, I knew that I wanted one that had a sweet little kick, and a great chunkiness to boot. But, how do you achieve that when you are cooking down the cranberries until they lose all substance whatsoever? You add dried fruit that can re-plump in the sauce. And while at the grocery store, I reached for some dried cranberries, and saw dried cherries, and I thought that cherries would add an amazing sweetness to the sauce to help with the depth of flavor. The mixture of cranberries & cherries is awesome, and I still can't get over this compote-like sauce that develops. As the sauce cooks down, your house starts to smell like a big ole' batch of mulled red wine, and what's not amazing about that? I really love this stuff. It stole my heart on Thanksgiving, and I can't wait to make it again next year!! Enjoy :)

Zesty Cranberry-Cherry Sauce

For the Sauce:

1C Orange Juice, Freshly Squeezed

1C Water

1C Sugar

2 Oranges, Zested

2 Cinnamon Sticks

½t Ground Cloves

Freshly Grated Ginger

4C Fresh Cranberries

1C Dried Cherries

1C Dried Cranberries

¼C Honey

Directions:

1. Wash and Pick over the cranberries. In a saucepan, bring the orange juice, orange zest, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger to boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cranberries burst.
2. Add the dried cherries and dried cranberries to the cranberries and simmer for about 5 minutes or just until the cherries begin to plump, but still remain chewy. Add honey to sweeten slightly. Remove the cinnamon stick.
3. Remove from heat and cool completely at room temperature, and then chill in the refrigerator overnight. The cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.