Guinness - BRILLIANT!

Years ago, I saw Jamie Oliver make this hearty dish on his show "Jamie At Home". The recipe was not available online, so this is just an interpretation, but I'm sure Jamie would approve. This recipe has a lot going for it! The Guinness gives the beef a deep savory flavor, along with the Irish cheddar and puff pastry top, it's really, really good! (Perfect for my "Irish Dinner Night"! If you missed the beautiful starter, click here.) I also love the idea of serving the peas on the side, so they don't loose their color and texture in the stew. It may take a little time, but it's easy and looks impressive! This stew is better made a day ahead, which makes it a snap to put together for a party!

Steak, Guinness and Cheese Pie

Serves 4-6, Can be made in a large deep dish pie pan, or, to make it more dressy, I like to make individual servings in my Apilco Lion Head Soup Bowls.

Ingredients:

Day 1
3 pounds beef brisket, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 yellow onions, sliced
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
2 sticks of celery, finely sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
8 oz. mushrooms (whatever kind you want), sliced
1, 14.9 oz. can of Guinness
1 heaping tablespoon flour
1 cup beef stock, or more if needed

Day 2
2 handfuls shredded Kerrygold Irish White Cheddar
1 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets, thawed
1 egg, beaten
1 package frozen peas

Directions:

Day 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and saute until slightly browned. Next, add the rosemary and garlic, stirring constantly. When you smell the garlic (about 1 minute), add the butter. Then add the celery, carrots, and mushrooms. Stir. Now add the beef. Stir and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Add the flour and stir well to coat. Pour in the Guinness. Finally, pour in the beef stock just to the top of the stew. You don't want it to completely cover the meat. Bring just to a boil, cover, and throw in the oven for 2 1/2-3 hours, until the beef is tender. At this point, I allow the stew to cool and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2

Remove the stew from the refrigerator and remove the hardened fat on the top. Place on the stove over medium heat to rewarm, slightly. Remove from the heat and fish out the rosemary stem. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in 1 handful of the cheddar. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface, big enough to generously cover your pan. If making a deep dish, you may have to "glue" both pastry sheets together with a little water before rolling out. If making individual portions, cut into squares big enough to generously cover the tops of the containers. Carefully, with a sharp knife, lightly score the top of the pastry or pastry squares in a diagonal pattern in both directions. (Like a diagonal grid pattern.) Do not cut all the way through the pastry!

Pour the stew into your pan, or evenly distribute between individual containers. Top evenly with the remaining handful of cheddar. Brush the edge of your pan or individual containers with the beaten egg. Carefully lay the pastry on top, making sure it is sufficiently "glued" on. If using a deep dish pan, gather the excess pastry and lightly squish it together and inside the rim of the pan, making a crinkly ruffle around the edge. Brush the tops with the beaten egg. If using individual containers, place on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake for 40 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Remove from the oven. Cook the peas according to package instructions and place in a serving bowl, allowing each guest to spoon peas over each serving to their liking. Enjoy!

A Salmon Forest with Arugula Leaves?

Over the weekend, I had one of my best friends over for "Dinner Night"! She is Irish and brought her new boyfriend! We had a great time! My friend hates to cook and requested I make some of my favorite "Irish"-inspired recipes. Here's the menu:

I started with luxurious "Smoked Salmon Rolls with Arugula, Mascarpone, Chives, and Capers". These are so beautiful and delicious! Make the mascarpone mixture ahead, but assemble the rolls right before your company arrives. Otherwise, the arugula goes limp and looks disgusting! (Believe me, I know!)

  

Smoked Salmon Rolls with Arugula, Mascarpone, Chives, and Capers

Serves 6 as an appetizer, 12 as an hors d'oeuvre

Ingredients:

5 oz. mascarpone cheese (about 2/3 cup)

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 oz. smokes salmon, cut into 24 thin slices, 2-3 inches on the short side (I use presliced salmon)

48 small, tender arugula leaves

Directions:

Mix the mascarpone with 1 tablespoon of the capers, 1 tablespoon of the chives, and the lemon juice in a small bowl. Season well with salt and pepper.

Lay the salmon slices out on a cutting board with one of their short sides facing you and with plenty of space above and below each slice. (You can do this in batches.)

Put a spoonful of the mascarpone mixture on the narrow end of a slice. Lay 2-3 arugula leaves, fanned slightly, across the mascarpone, so that the leaves will extend several inches from one end of the roll. Roll up the salmon slice and stand it upright, leaves pointed up, on a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining slices.

When ready to serve, sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon chives and 1 tablespoon capers, and enjoy!

Recipe from In the Hands of a Chef, by Jody Adams and Ken Rivard.

*Keep checking my blog for the rest of the recipes from this menu!

Sicky Soup

It seems like everyone I know is feeling under the weather. At times like this, I always make this fabulous "Chicken-Rice Soup Tout Simple" from The Bonne Femme Cookbook, by Wini Moranville. Not only this recipe simple enough to hand over to the non-cook in your house, it is surprisingly quite delicious. Made with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, carrot, celery, onion, rice, and a dash of lemon juice, it makes me feel instantly better. It's so satisfying that you might want to make it even when feeling well! If you would like a more substantial meal, Wini suggests serving it with a platter of prosciutto and butter sandwiches. Also, I recommend a Sauvignon Blanc to accompany.

Chicken-Rice Soup Tout Simple

Serves 4 light main-dishes and approximately 45 minutes total.

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (2 cups if using leftover cooked chicken)

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced

1 celery rib, finely diced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup long-grain white rice (very easy to digest if ill)

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

1/4 cup celery leaves, chopped, for garnish (my favorite part!)

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the chicken thighs and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to an active simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and skim off any foam with a fine mesh strainer. Add the carrot, celery (not the leaves), onion, and rice to the pan and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from the heat. Remove the chicken from the soup and let cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into small pieces. Return the chicken to the pot along with the parsley, lemon juice, and celery leaves. Season with salt and pepper, plus more lemon juice, if you like. Reheat the soup if necessary and ladle into bowls to serve.

Hope you feel better soon!