Misc. Recipes

The first recipe for Eggplant Fries I made this last weekend and decided to check back over the recipes I have published in the past and I can’t believe that I have never shared this first one with you before. It is probably my favorite way to cook eggplant. I found this recipes in one of my son’s cookbooks for his Green Egg Barbecue when I was visiting there a few years ago.

Eggplant Fries

Yield: 4 servings
6 c. flour
1 c. confectioners’ sugar
1/2 c. cornstarch
2 T. garlic powder
2 T. table salt
2 c. buttermilk
2 c. whole milk
1 (2-pound) eggplant, peeled
8 c. vegetable oil
Kosher salt
1/4 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Romesco Sauce - about 1 c.
Mix the flour, sugar, cornstarch garlic powder, and table salt in a medium bowl and blend well. Using a whisk, combine the buttermilk and milk in a medium bowl. Cut the eggplant into finger-size wedges.
Pour the oil into the Dutch Oven and set on top of the grid to preheat. Have ready a rimmed sheet pan lined with paper towels. Heat the oil until it reaches 350 degrees to 400 degrees F., or test to see if the oil is ready by adding one eggplant wedge to the oil - if it starts to boil, the oil is ready.
Toss the eggplant in the flour mixture, dip them in buttermilk mixture, then return the fries to the flour mixture to coat well. Working in small batches, carefully add the eggplant to the oil. Close the lid of the EGG and fry for about 5 minutes, or until light golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant to the prepared sheet pan. Repeat the process until all of the fries are cooked. I use my Fry Daddy and deep fry them in batches of about five fries each time.
Sprinkle the fries with kosher salt. Transfer the fries to a platter and dust with the cheese and parsley. Serve immediately with the sauce. Serves 4

Romesco Sauce

This is a Spanish sauce, and sort of like pesto, but made with tomatoes, roasted red bell peppers, garlic, and nuts. You can serve it over practically anything, from shrimp to chicken to vegetables. Make it just to eat plain, like a dip with crackers. Or put a dollop over baby potatoes. Or you can just sneak a spoonful out of the refrigerator for a snack.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1-inch thick slice crusty bread, torn into pieces
1/2 cup blanched almonds, chopped or slivered - (can substitute hazelnuts, peeled)
5-6 garlic cloves - chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes or canned whole tomatoes (including the juice) that have been de-seeded, or 1 pound fresh tomatoes that have been par-boiled, skins removed, and de-seeded
1 8-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers - drained
1 Tbsp smoked paprika - (preferred) or sweet paprika
2-3 Tbsp sherry vinegar
red wine vinegar - alternative
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, sauté the bread and almonds, stirring often, until they just begin to brown. Add the garlic and sauté another 1-2 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Place the contents of the sauté pan into a food processor with the remaining ingredients—salt, tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, smoked paprika, vinegar. Purée until smooth. Spread the sauce out on a rimmed sheet pan and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges begin to caramelize. Allow to cool and scrape into a container to store.
To use romesco sauce, mix with pasta, shrimp, chicken or vegetables either before or after they are cooked, much like you would a pesto.
Kept in a sealed container, Romesco sauce will last for a week or more in the fridge. It freezes well, too.

The next recipe I made a couple weekends ago. I have been trying to “get-it-right” for quite a few years now and finally figured out I kept adding too much flour trying to make it the consistency of bread dough. This time it turned out just like grandma’s so I decided to share it with you. Just remember that the dough is extremely sticky so use a dough scraper when you are working with it.

Orange Rolls

Grandma Arrington

3 eggs - slightly beaten
1/2 c. sugar
Combine beaten eggs, and sugar
1 c. whole milk
1/2 t. salt
3 T. butter
Combine whole milk, salt and butter in a saucepan. When milk mixture is lukewarm add egg mixture and mix well.
2 1/4 t. instant yeast
1 c. all-purpose flour
Stir the yeast with 1 cup flour.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat well. Let sponge rise about 2 hours covered in warm, draft free place.
3 c. all-purpose flour
Add the remaining 3 c. flour to sponge. Stir, but do not knead at any time. Let rise 2 hours longer.
Roll out on floured board and spread with:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 orange - grated rind of
Roll and cut as for cinnamon rolls. Let rise in greased muffin tins 2 hours.
Bake in hot oven (375) for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 15 to 20 biscuits.
You need to start these in the morning so they will be done for dinner as they do require a few hours to rise and they need to be eaten within a day as they dry out very fast. Print this post