I have a love affair with yeast -- the bloom, the aroma, the risen mass of pale flour, salt, leaven and water that will eventually turn into something truly delicious. I love it. I have actually been known to moan with delight at seeing the glossy dough as the gluten develops and strengthens. My husband might actually be jealous, but he forgives me since he loves these rolls.
If given the option between quick bread and yeast bread, I'll choose the yeast version every single time. So, when I read this Parker House Roll recipe from Alex Guarnaschelli in the November 2010 issue of Food Network Magazine, I knew it was a must-try recipe. I tried it out on my neighbors at my annual soup night. It was such a hit that I served it with Thanksgiving dinner two weeks later ... and then for Christmas ... and a New Year's Eve party ... and a teacher appreciation lunch ... and any other opportunity I can find to make these absolutely fabulous rolls. It needs no substitution or embellishment. It's perfect just the way it is.
Parker House Rolls
1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoon yeast)
1/2 cup sugar
7 1/2 to 8 cups all-purpose flour
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for brushing
2 cups whole milk, half-and-half or cream, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp kosher salt, plus more for sprinking
1. Measure 1/2 cup warm water (between 110 and 120 degrees). Sprinkle yeast into large bowl (not the mixer bowl), add the warm water and whisk in sugar. Let sit 1 minute (it should bubble and froth slightly), then gently stir in 1 cup flour. Set aside to bloom (develop) in warm place while you prepare the dough.
2. Mix the melted butter and milk in a mixer with dough hook on low speed. Add eggs and mix until blended. Scrape yeast mixture into mixing bowl and mix until incorporate. Add 6 1/2 cups flour and 1 tbsp salt. Mix until dough forms a ball, 2-3 minutes, adding up to 1/2 cup more flour is the dough is too wet and sticky. (It should still stick to your fingers slightly.)
3. Brush large bowl with softened butter (or spray with cooking spray). Transfer dough to the bowl, flip so that all sides of the dough are covered with the butter (or spray), cover with a towel and let rise in warm place 2 to 2.5 hours or until double in volume.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (I prefer to spray the parchment with cooking spray, but it's not really necessary.) Dust a clean flat surface with flour and turn the dough out into it. Flour your hands, then gently press the dough into a 16-by-8-inch rectable, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (do not use a rolling pin!).
5. With the short side of the dough in front of you, cut the dough in half lengthwise with a floured knife. Then slice crosswise into 12 strips.
6. One at a time, fold each strip of dough unevenly in half so the top part slightly overlaps the bottom half, then tuck the overhang underneath. Place the rolls seamside down on the prepared baking sheet in 3 tightly packed rows (the rolls should touch each other in each row, but not between the rows). The rows should be only an inch or two apart. (If making in advance, wrap the baking sheet tightly in plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 weeks.)
7. Bake until the rolls are bursting at the seams and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. (If frozen, bake 25 minutes at 325, then 10 minutes at 375.) Remove from oven and brush with softened butter. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately. Store leftovers in sealed bag to maintain softness.
Substitution Suggestions: One word -- don't! OK, you can substitute cream for the milk and the milk really doesn't need to be totally at room temperature, but if it's cold, the butter will harden into clumps when you combine them. In the end, it's not a big deal. I don't use margarine, so I don't know if the results will be as good with the oleo.
Lessons Learned: This makes the most beautiful dough I've ever seen. The milk and eggs are what makes this dough so glossy.
I typically have to add a little more flour than what the recipe calls for, but I live in a humid climate, so my flour has more inherent moisture in it than if I lived in a dry climate. Just remember that the flour will continue to absorb the liquid while you knead it, so if you add so much flour up front that it refuses to stick to your fingers, you've added too much flour. It's easier to add more than to take some out. And, using less flour will yield a more tender roll.
The recipe is somewhat mute on how long you should mix/knead the dough. I shoot for 7-10 minutes so the gluten has time and movement to develop. I always do the window pane test on my yeasted breads. Alton Brown explains it best (Google it for a variety of instructions.) Here's my version: Pinch (never tear) off a piece of dough and start pulling it in opposite directions. If it tears, the gluten isn't fully developed. If you can start to see light through the dough (like an translucent window pane) as it gets thinner and thinner before it tears, you're golden. Throw the dough back into the mixer and mix it back into the dough. Keep in mind that if you overmix the dough, it will also tear, so try the window pane test every minute or two until you're happy with the result.
I've successfully doubled the recipe. In fact, I usually do a 1.5 version of this recipe. I also cut my rolls smaller so they last longer. (Hey, you eat a whole roll at a time, regardless of the size, right?)
Bottom line -- these rolls are incredibly tender and have a beautiful crumb. There's a subtle sweetness inherent in this recipe thanks to the sugar and butter. They work great with thinly-sliced roast beef and creamy horseradish, with soup, with chili, with salad, with pasta sauces, with just about anything. They'd probably even taste good with green eggs and ham.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Nachos with Chipotle Lime Steak
Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words. And other times, a picture will ignite a thousand taste buds. That's what made me set aside all the other recipes in my "must try" binder and elevate this one to the very top. My husband wanted pizza for dinner (it's Super Bowl Sunday), but after I told him about this recipe and then let him smell the marinade, he quickly decided this sounded and smelled better than freezer pizza, proving that words (and smells) can be just as powerful as pictures.
Thanks go out to a colleague and to the Pioneer Woman for this recipe -- the colleague for introducing me to the Pioneer Woman's website and to the Pioneer Woman for posting her absolutely decadent dish. I've tweaked it enough to make it my own, so I've given it a new name, but wanted to give credit to the original creator. Enjoy!
Nachos with Chipotle Lime Steak
Flank Steak
1 whole Flank Steak
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lime juice
1 tsp. salt
5 whole canned chipotle peppers (with sauce)
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bunch Cilantro, divided
Nachos
1 red onion, thinly sliced and cut into quarters
1 cup bell pepper, sliced into bite-sized pieces (can use different colors)
1 cup frozen corn
Olive oil (for frying)
Lime tortilla chips
12 ounces Monterey Jack, shredded
Guacamole (optional)
Salsa (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)
1. To prepare the steak: Combine olive oil, lime juice, salt, garlic, chipotle peppers and half bunch of cilantro in a food processor or blender. Blend until totally combined. Place flank steak into a large plastic zip-topped bag. Pour marinade in bag, seal bag and make sure marinade coats the meat. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, massaging meat and rotating bag every few hours. Remove from fridge two hours before grilling.
2. When ready to make the nachos, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle olive oil on the grill and grill the meat over very medium-high to high heat, about 4 minutes per side or until medium. Remove steak from heat and let rest on cutting board for at least 10 minutes.
3. In a large skillet (or same grill pan as used for the steak), heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions, peppers and corn to pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are somewhat soft and starting to get black bits. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Slice half of the flank steak into strips against the grain, then chop slices into smaller bites.
5. Arrange tortilla chips on large ovenproof platter (or cookie sheet.) Sprinkle half of the cheese all over the chips. Layer the onion-pepper-corn mixture over the cheese, and then the steak over the peppers. Top with remaining cheese. Place platter in oven for 5 minutes or so, just long enough to melt the cheese (but not burn the chips.)
6. Top with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.
Substitution Suggestions: Chicken! You simply must try the marinade with chicken and then grill it. Oh. My. Goodness. I thought the steak was fabulous, but then I marinated a piece of chicken and threw it on the grill. It took this recipe to a whole new level.
Now back to the generic substitutions. You can throw in just about any veggie that goes well with a Tex-Mex, fajita-style dish like this. I used a frozen bell pepper mix to cut down on the prep time. There's no reason why sweet onions won't work if you don't have red onions. And for the marinade, you could squeeze fresh limes, but bottled is so much easier.
I'm a recent convert to fresh garlic. I'll never buy the jarred stuff again. Fresh tastes so much better, but if you don't have fresh, jarred will work.
The original recipe called for plain tortilla chips, but I loved the extra zing that came from the lime chips.
I suppose you could use any type of meltable cheese. I like Monterey Jack. Pepper Jack would be very good and add more kick since the dish is not spicy.
Lessons Learned: Don't let the thought of five chipotles scare you. There really is NO HEAT, just flavor in the marinade. I actually went with four chipotles the first time I made this, but upped it to five the second time around. (I'm so glad I didn't go with three, like I originally planned.) And, I loved using the same grill pan for my veggies. It picked up some of the charred marinade left over from grilling the steak. I may have smoked out my kitchen for a few minutes, but the end result was definitely worth the effort and smoke. If you grill the steak outside, just saute the veggies in a skillet (and add a touch of the marinade to the pan).
The original marinade did not contain any salt, but I think it could have benefited from it, so it's added here.
Don't go strictly by my cooking time for the steak. That's just an estimate. If you like your steak well done, you'll need to leave it on longer. It was a little rare for my family, but the few minutes in the oven to melt the cheese brought it to the medium color I was looking for.
I read a tip in a magazine recently that said it's easier to peel whole cloves of garlic if you place them in a metal bowl, top it with a plate and shake vigorously. I tried it and lo and behold, it really did make them easier to peel. The papers didn't fall off automatically, but they were much easier to peel.
In all, a terrific dish. I think it'll take a few days to finish digesting this (it's very filling), but I look forward to making it again and again. This much I can guarantee -- if you make it for a bunch of hungry guys watching a football game, you will have many new friends.
Thanks go out to a colleague and to the Pioneer Woman for this recipe -- the colleague for introducing me to the Pioneer Woman's website and to the Pioneer Woman for posting her absolutely decadent dish. I've tweaked it enough to make it my own, so I've given it a new name, but wanted to give credit to the original creator. Enjoy!
Flank Steak
1 whole Flank Steak
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lime juice
1 tsp. salt
5 whole canned chipotle peppers (with sauce)
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bunch Cilantro, divided
Nachos
1 red onion, thinly sliced and cut into quarters
1 cup bell pepper, sliced into bite-sized pieces (can use different colors)
1 cup frozen corn
Olive oil (for frying)
Lime tortilla chips
12 ounces Monterey Jack, shredded
Guacamole (optional)
Salsa (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)
1. To prepare the steak: Combine olive oil, lime juice, salt, garlic, chipotle peppers and half bunch of cilantro in a food processor or blender. Blend until totally combined. Place flank steak into a large plastic zip-topped bag. Pour marinade in bag, seal bag and make sure marinade coats the meat. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, massaging meat and rotating bag every few hours. Remove from fridge two hours before grilling.
2. When ready to make the nachos, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle olive oil on the grill and grill the meat over very medium-high to high heat, about 4 minutes per side or until medium. Remove steak from heat and let rest on cutting board for at least 10 minutes.
3. In a large skillet (or same grill pan as used for the steak), heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions, peppers and corn to pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are somewhat soft and starting to get black bits. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Slice half of the flank steak into strips against the grain, then chop slices into smaller bites.
6. Top with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.
Substitution Suggestions: Chicken! You simply must try the marinade with chicken and then grill it. Oh. My. Goodness. I thought the steak was fabulous, but then I marinated a piece of chicken and threw it on the grill. It took this recipe to a whole new level.
Now back to the generic substitutions. You can throw in just about any veggie that goes well with a Tex-Mex, fajita-style dish like this. I used a frozen bell pepper mix to cut down on the prep time. There's no reason why sweet onions won't work if you don't have red onions. And for the marinade, you could squeeze fresh limes, but bottled is so much easier.
I'm a recent convert to fresh garlic. I'll never buy the jarred stuff again. Fresh tastes so much better, but if you don't have fresh, jarred will work.
The original recipe called for plain tortilla chips, but I loved the extra zing that came from the lime chips.
I suppose you could use any type of meltable cheese. I like Monterey Jack. Pepper Jack would be very good and add more kick since the dish is not spicy.
Lessons Learned: Don't let the thought of five chipotles scare you. There really is NO HEAT, just flavor in the marinade. I actually went with four chipotles the first time I made this, but upped it to five the second time around. (I'm so glad I didn't go with three, like I originally planned.) And, I loved using the same grill pan for my veggies. It picked up some of the charred marinade left over from grilling the steak. I may have smoked out my kitchen for a few minutes, but the end result was definitely worth the effort and smoke. If you grill the steak outside, just saute the veggies in a skillet (and add a touch of the marinade to the pan).
The original marinade did not contain any salt, but I think it could have benefited from it, so it's added here.
Don't go strictly by my cooking time for the steak. That's just an estimate. If you like your steak well done, you'll need to leave it on longer. It was a little rare for my family, but the few minutes in the oven to melt the cheese brought it to the medium color I was looking for.
I read a tip in a magazine recently that said it's easier to peel whole cloves of garlic if you place them in a metal bowl, top it with a plate and shake vigorously. I tried it and lo and behold, it really did make them easier to peel. The papers didn't fall off automatically, but they were much easier to peel.
In all, a terrific dish. I think it'll take a few days to finish digesting this (it's very filling), but I look forward to making it again and again. This much I can guarantee -- if you make it for a bunch of hungry guys watching a football game, you will have many new friends.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)