Gorgonzola Potatoes with Panceta, Onion and Peppers

I know, another potato recipe? The last post was made because it was a,  what needs to be used up before it goes bad dish. This recipe is a take on my mothers dish that I have loved all my life. Its really easy to make. If you have a mandolin I advise using it. You can slice the potatoes and onions super thin and this allows it to cook quicker in the oven. You can also substitute any pepper or potato you like. I love the subtle and sweet  funkiness of Gorgonzola and especially the Sweet creaminess of dolce, but you can substitute your favorite soft blue cheese. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients: serves 2

1/2 pound potatoes
1 medium white onion
1/2 poblano pepper
3 or 4 slices of Pancetta or bacon
3 ounces of Mountain Gorgonzola Dolce
Parsley for garnish
Dry white wine
Salt and Pepper
Oil


Saute your Pancetta until crispy. In the mean time slice your onions as thin as you can get them and dice the pepper very fine. After you have pulled the pancetta out of the skillet throw the onions and peppers into the pancetta fat. Saute on med-low until they are a light brown and very soft. Add a little white wine if it starts to dry out while cooking down.

Slice your potatoes as thin as you can. Oil the bottom of a small baking dish. Line the bottom of the baking dish with a layer of potatoes.

 Next place the onion and pepper mixture on top of the potatoes.

 Then crumble half the pancetta over the onion and pepper mixture. Add another layer of potatoes, onion and peppers. Finally crumble the Mountain Gorgonzola Dolce and the remaining pancetta over the top.

Place into a 350* oven for 25 to 30 mins or until its brown on top.  Finish with some chopped parsley or Basil.

I served this as a side dish with a Pecan smoked Rib-Eye, Venison sausage, and some black truffle deviled eggs! 

Potatoes Morbier

Potatoes Morbier

This is my take on  the classic alpine resort dish, Raclette. This dish is really easy to prepare and only takes about 30 minutes to make. I like to use waxy potatoes because they hold together better during boiling. Traditionally Raclette cheese is used  but I find that  Raclette has a mild flavor. I use Morbier because it has a pronounced nutty kind of funky flavor and melts very well.  Also the ash that runs through the middle looks cool. Instead of serving with the traditional pickled onions and cornichons,  I simply sprinkle some champagne vinegar over the top immediately  after being pulled from the oven. A garnish of chives or thinly sliced scallions adds some onion flavor and brightens up the dish. You can serve this a side dish or just to share with friends and a great glass of dry Alsace Riesling.

2 pounds of white or other waxy potato
1/2 pound of Morbier
1 clove of garlic
chives or scallions
champagne vinegar
salt
pepper

Cut the potatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Boil in heavily salted water until tender. Drain and let cool.
While the potatoes are cooling add enough olive oil to the bottom of a oven proof dish to cover it. Crush a clove of garlic and rub it in the oil. This will add a lot of flavor and aromatics when it is cooking in the oven.
Remove the rind from the cheese and slice into very thin strips.
Place the potatoes in the dish in a single layer. if you have a few left place on top of the first layer. Layer the cheese strips on top of the potatoes.

Place in a 400* oven for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven.
While still hot sprinkle with champagne vinegar. Add as much as you like. I like quite a bit, but champagne vinegar can be very strong and to much for some people.

Garnish with some chives or chopped scallions.

Smoked Prime Rib with Garlic and Herb Rub

 Smoked Prime Rib with Garlic and Herb Rub

A five pounder ready for the garlic herb rub

Who doesn't like Prime Rib? I love it, and it  is one of my favorite ways to serve beef to guests. People assume prime rib has to be expensive. The term, prime rib, actually refers to the grading of the meat. Prime, being the best grade possible, is very expensive and his hard to find. Any beef rib roast that is of good quality, such as choice, will do fine. I picked New York Strip for this dish. The trick is when the grocery has bone in beef such as strip or rib eye on sale, ask the butcher to give you some that has not been cut. The one I used was five pounds. Have the butcher trim it. I am smoking this one so I asked them not to trim the fat to much. 

1 five pound bone in beef rib roast

4 tablespoons fresh sage

4 tablespoons fresh thyme

4 tablespoons fresh rosemary

4 tablespoons fresh parsley

1 head of garlic

salt and pepper

olive oil

Chop all the herbs and place in a bowl. Finely chop the garlic and form a paste using the side of your knife. Add to the herbs. Generously season herb and garlic mixture with salt and pepper. Mix together while adding olive oil until you form a paste. Rub mixture on to the roast. Let rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Overnight is even better.

Ready to be smoked out!

 

 

Smoking it up!

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Fire up the smoker! I used a wood combo of pecan and oak. Pecan for the flavor and oak for heat. Place the roast on indirect heat of about 250* for about 6 hours.Rotate the meat a quarter turn every hour.

Feeling relaxed after a good rest!

Let rest for an 20 minutes.

Perfectly pink and tender on the inside with a crispy bark outside!

Slice and serve!!!

Poached Pears in Cognac and Spices with Blackberry Citrus Reduction

 

Poached Pears in Cognac with Spices and Blackberry Citrus Reduction

 This easy and delicious desert is as elegant as it is beautiful. I got inspired after spotting some gorgeous  pears and some local blackberries. If you do no want to spring for the cognac you can defiantly use brandy since it is practically the same thing. This was a dinner for my moms birthday we decided to use the good stuff. Serve with some local vanilla ice cream.

• 3 medium pears 
•  1 pint of fresh Blackberries
• 1 orange
• 1 large lemon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup cognac
• a piece of cinnamon and a couple of cloves

In a sauce pan combine the water, cognac, cinnamon, and cloves. Bring to a boil.  In the mean time cut a large piece of the rind from the orange and the lemon  at least an inch wide and the juice from each. Add to boiling water and cognac. Wash the pears and cut them in half. Remove the pit. Slice the pears into about 6 to 10 slices without cutting all the way to the stem. This will keep them intact. Add them to the pot and poach for about 10 minutes. remove and let cool.
Add the blackberries and the sugar to the pot. Reserve a few berries for garnish, at least 2 per plate.  Reduce until it forms a thick  syrup. Stain the sauce and  loosen the it with a little cognac.
Fan out the pear on a plate. Spoon the sauce over the pears. Garnish with a some fresh blackberries and serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Seared Fish with Butternut Goat Cheese Ravioli In Sage Butter Sauce

Seared Fish with Butternut Goat Cheese Ravioli in Sage Butter Sauce

 

This savory dish is easy to prepare and always impresses your guests. You can use any kind of fish you like and is also great with pork, chicken and especially seared duck breast.  If you have the time make the pasta for the ravioli from scratch, it’s worth it. It adds an extra level of depth of flavor and texture to the dish. In this case I was short on time so I used wonton wrappers.  You can cut and crimp them to look just like ravioli or just make them into triangles. This recipe served three.

 

1 small butternut squash

3 firm fish filets

20 leaves of sage

1 tablespoon fresh chives

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

2 cloves garlic

4 ounces goat cheese

1 stick of unsalted butter

Wonton wrappers

Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Roast the butternut squash in a 375* oven for about an hour or until tender.  After cooling, dig out all the squash and transfer to a bowl and mash it up. Wrap up the squash in a cheese cloth and squeeze gently until liquid stops flowing out.  Finely chop five of the sage leaves, chives and parsley and add to the bowl of squash. Chop the garlic and make a paste using the side of your knife and to the mixture. Now add the goat cheese and blend. 

Make an egg wash and brush the edges of the wonton wrappers. Place a teaspoon of the butternut squash mixture into the center of the wonton and fold to form a triangle. Be sure that none of the mixture is coming out of the edges. It will leak out during boiling if it is. Dust them with a little flour and let rest in the fridge until you’re ready to boil them. 

In a small sauce pan melt the butter on medium low heat. Once melted add the sage leaves. Season with salt and pepper. I do a rough chop on them but you can chop them any way you want. Let simmer while pasta is boiling.

Boil the ravioli in salty water for about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from the water and let drain in a colander.

Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper and lightly dust with a little flour. This will let them brown without over cooking the fish. In a saute pan heat some olive oil and sear the fish.

Plate the ravioli with seared fish on top and cover with the sage butter.