Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Holiday Traditions

It has been way to long and I must say that I am at fault for not maintaining this blog. Sometimes life gets in the way of sharing however; I am planning to begin anew with the new year. Yet I needed to take the time to share perhaps one of the best recipes that I have ever come across. This meal while for some is a Sunday tradition has become my family's traditional Christmas meal. Please leave a comment and let me know what yours is....

I will admit that I can be easily intimated by meals that are this big, but I must give a big thanks to Gordon Ramsay for making me feel comfortable enough to give this a try....
Roast beef with Yorkshire Pudding and Red Wine Gravy

Gordon Ramsay

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

2 3/4 to 3 1/3-lbs rib beef, on the bone (I used an 11 lb. boneless Rib Eye Roast)

1/2 tsp sea salt plus more for seasoning beef

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs, beaten

11/4 cups milk

About 4 tbsp vegetable oil (or beef dripping) for cooking

3 to 4 sprigs thyme

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

2 red onions, peeled and sliced

4 plum tomatoes, halved (I use two tablespoons of Tomato Paste)

1/2 bottle red wine (about 11/2 cups)

5 cups beef stock



DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Season the beef with salt and pepper and sear in a hot roasting pan with the olive oil to brown on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to the oven and roast, allowing 15 minutes per 1 lb for rare or 20 minutes per 1 lb for medium.

For the Yorkshire pudding batter, sift the flour and ½ tsp of salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs and half the milk and beat until smooth. Mix in the remaining milk and let the batter rest.

When the beef is cooked, transfer it to a warmed plate and let it rest, lightly covered with foil, in a warm place while you cook the puddings and make the gravy. Increase the oven setting to 450 degrees F. Put 1 tsp of vegetable oil or, better still, hot fat from the beef roasting pan, into each section of a 12-hole Yorkshire pudding tray (or muffin tray) and put it in the oven on the top shelf until very hot, almost smoking.

Whisk the batter again in the meantime. As soon as you take the tray from the oven, ladle in the batter so each tin section is three-quarters full (it should sizzle) and immediately put the tray back in the oven. Bake for 12 to 20 minutes until the Yorkshire puddings are well risen, golden brown and crisp. Don’t open the oven door until the end or they might collapse.

To make the gravy, pour off the excess fat from the roasting pan, place it on medium heat, and add the thyme, garlic, onions and tomatoes. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, then pour in the wine and bring to a simmer. Squash the tomatoes using a potato masher to help thicken the sauce. Pour in the stock and bubble until reduced by half, for about 10 minutes until reduced by half. Pass the gravy through a sieve, pressing the vegetables to extract their flavor. Bring it back to a boil and reduce to a gravy consistency. Check the seasoning.

Carve the beef thinly. Serve with the gravy and Yorkshire puddings, along with sautéed cabbage, glazed carrots and roast potatoes.

This recipe was taken from “Gordon Ramsay’s Sunday Lunch” ©Gordon Ramsay. Published by Quadrille Publishing, 2006.

Oven Roasted Potatoes - Cook time - 1 hour

Ingredients

Fingerling or other small potatoes about 1/3 pound per person
1/4 cup of chopped flat leaf Parsley
1/4 cup of thyme leaves
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
4 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Using a cookie sheet or other shallow dished pan place cleaned potatoes in pan, sprinkle with parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper, add garlic cloves and pout olive oil over potatoes. One hour before the roast is done put the potatoes in the bottom rack of the oven and let roast.

Honey Glazed Carrots- cook time - 15 min

Ingredients

• 1 pound baby carrots

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons Thyme honey

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup chopped Thyme

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until crisp tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the carrots and add back to pan with butter, honey and lemon juice. Cook until a glaze coats the carrots, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.

Sautéed Cabbage - cook time 15 min

Ingredients

• 1 small head white cabbage, including outer green leaves (2 1/2 pounds) 

• The drippings from the browning of the roast
Directions

Cut the cabbage in half and, with the cut-side down, slice it as thinly as possible around the core, as though you were making coleslaw. Discard the core.

After browning roast, set pan aside, about 15 minutes to serving time reheat pan and add cabbage, saute for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and begins to brown. Season, to taste, and serve warm.






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