Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Kentucky Derby...


WOODFORD RESERVE MINT JULEP
3-4 mint leaves
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
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2 teaspoons water
2-21/2 ounces Woodford Reserve bourbon
Crushed ice
Muddle mint and sugar in the bottom of a julep glass. (i.e., gently crush leaves and stir them together) Add water and continue to muddle. Add bourbon. Pack the julep glass with crushed ice. Add a mint sprig for decoration and a sipping straw.
If you don't want to muddle every julep individually, make them with mint syrup.
Start by making the quantity of mint syrup you think you'll need: combine 1 part water, 1 part sugar and 1 part loosely packed fresh mint. Bring sugar and water to a boil while stirring to dissolve. Add mint and take off heat. Let stand for 20 minutes, then strain into a glass or jar, let cool and refrigerate until ready to use.
Then make each drink: 2 ounces Woodford Reserve or other bourbon, 1 ounce simple mint syrup, crushed ice
Tip: You can buy crushed ice by the 8-pound or 40-pound bag at Dusing Bros Ice. It's available only at the plant, because it tends to melt easily and re-melt into a block of ice. It's best to pick it up on Saturday, otherwise, you'll have to break it up again. 3607 Dixie Highway, Elsemere, 859-727-2720
From Woodford Reserve
Named for the headwaiter at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, who first whipped it up in 1881, the real recipe is a secret. It's meant to be served with beef tenderloin.


HENRY BAIN SAUCE
1 14-ounce bottle ketchup
1 12-ounce bottle chili sauce
1 10-ounce bottle A-1 Steak Sauce
1 10-ounce bottle Worcestershire sauce
1 8-ounce bottle Major Grey's chutney
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
Combine all ingredients, mixing well, and pour into bottles. The sauce can be refrigerated for months.

ASPARAGUS ROLL-UPS
12 slices white bread, with crusts on
1 8-ounce carton whipped cream cheese
2 tablespoons chopped chives
8 slices bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled
24 spears asparagus, lightly steamed
1/4 cup melted butter
Flatten bread with a rolling pin. Mix cream cheese, chives and bacon. Spread on bread slices. Place two spears of asparagus on each slice of bread and roll up. Cut into 4 bite-sized pieces or leave whole, if you wish. Place seam-side down on buttered cookie sheet, brush with melted butter and bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until crisp.

CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE
1 flaky pie crust
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons Kentucky bourbon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups pecans, chopped and toasted
1 cup chopped semisweet chocolate
1 egg with 1 teaspoon water
Whipped cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pie crust. Fit into a 9-inch pie pan, crimp the edges, and place in freezer for 15 minutes.
Line pie crust with parchment paper, fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 20 minutes; then remove the paper and pie weights, and allow to cool.
By hand, stir flour, butter, sugar, corn syrup, eggs, bourbon and salt in medium bowl. Stir in pecans and chocolate. Pour into crust.
Whisk egg and water and brush over the edges of the pie.
Bake for 40 minutes. Allow to cool. Serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream.

From "How to Throw a Great Derby Party"
This way of making biscuits is so quick, you can easily turn out a batch to bake fresh. Split in half and fill with thin slices of ham. Use country ham for authenticity, or a baked ham for wider appeal.

CREAM BISCUITS
2 cups White Lily flour (or all-purpose)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
11/4 cups heavy cream, plus more for brushing
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add cream and stir just until a dough forms.
Gather dough into a ball, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead 6 times. Pat dough into a 10-inch round. Cut out as many rounds as possible with a cookie cutter, then gather scraps, gently pat out and cut out more rounds. Brush tops of rounds with cream. Bake until pale golden, 12-15 minutes.
Makes 12 2-inch or 8 3-inch biscuits.
From "The Gourmet Cookbook"

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