Orange Cranberry Vodka

Homemade Orange Cranberry Vodka 

Yield: 1 large bottle, 2 small bottles

Ingredients

• 2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4-5 strips of orange zest, 1-inch by 3-inches long
• One 750 ml bottle of vodka

Step 1

In a small saucepan, cook cranberries, water and sugar over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries pop. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and add to the cranberry mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until mixture thickens slightly.

Step 2

Transfer to a large bowl or jar and add in vodka. Stir well and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and let stand for 1-3 days, shaking 1-2 times a day to mix the ingredients around.

Step 3

Strain mixture through a fine strainer to remove cranberry solids. Transfer orange peels to your new bottle or jar (dividing them between two smaller bottles, if you are bottling half-batches) and add in a handful of fresh, whole cranberries. Pour in the strained spirit, which should be clear.

Hot Crab Puffs

Hot Crab Puffs

Serves 24 (Makes about 48 puffs)

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 pound crab meat
26 ounces puff pastry (3 sheets), thawed in the refrigerator overnight
Finely chopped chives, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, butter, salt, celery seed, and Old Bay until smooth. Add the crab meat and stir to combine.

Cut the puff pastry sheets into 2-x2-inch squares. Gently press the squares into a mini muffin tin. Add a scant tablespoon of crab mixture to each square. Bake until the puff pastry just begins to brown at the edges, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with chives and serve hot.

Recipe Notes

• Make-ahead puffs: The puffs can be assembled the day before, covered in plastic wrap, refrigerated overnight, and then baked off the following day. They reheat well, in a warm oven, the same day they were cooked, but once cooked, the texture declines overnight.
• I prefer backfin crab meat over lump in this recipe because it fits better in the mini tarts.
• I have made these with two different brands of puff pastry and both required 3 sheets, with some scraps discarded. You can measure a sheet of puff pastry ahead of time to determine how many 2-x2-inch squares it will make.

Crab Rangoon Dip

Crab Rangoon Dip

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Yield 8 servings

A take-out favorite made into the creamiest, cheesiest dip of all, served with the easiest homemade wonton chips!

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) package 2-inch won ton wrappers, halved diagonally
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 12 ounces lump crab meat
• 1 cup shredded Black Creek Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place won ton wrappers onto a baking sheet; coat with nonstick spray. Place into oven and bake until golden brown and crisp, about 5-6 minutes; let cool and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9-inch baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in crab meat, 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese, Parmesan, green onions, Worcestershire, soy sauce, sesame oil, Sriracha and garlic powder; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Spread crab mixture into the prepared baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese.
• Place into oven and bake until bubbly and golden, about 20-25 minutes.
• Serve immediately with won ton wrappers.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

The Best Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

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About This Recipe

YIELD:	Serves 6
ACTIVE TIME:	1 hour
TOTAL TIME:	1 1/2 hours
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:	Dutch oven, immersion blender,
THIS RECIPE APPEARS IN:	The Food Lab: How to Make the Best Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 3 poblano peppers
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed
• 2 Serrano peppers
• 3 medium cloves garlic
• 2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 cup loosely packed picked fresh cilantro leaves and fine stems, plus chopped cilantro for garnish
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds bone in, skin-on chicken thighs (see note above)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 16 soft corn tortillas
• 8 ounces shredded pepper Jack cheese, divided
• 1 cup Mexican-style crema, divided (see note above)

Procedures

1. 1
   
   Adjust broiler rack to 8 inches below element and preheat broiler to high. Place poblanos, onion, tomatillos, serranos, and garlic on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place under broiler and broil, turning vegetables occasionally, until tomatillos are completely softened and lightly charred, about 10 minutes. Transfer tomatillos to a bowl. Continue broiling until poblanos are charred on all sides, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a separate bowl and cover tightly with foil. Continue broiling until onion, Serranos, and garlic are softened and charred, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to bowl with tomatillos along with any juices and set aside.
2. 2
   
   Adjust oven rack to middle position and set oven to 375°F. Add chicken stock to bowl with poblanos and peel poblanos while submerged in stock. Transfer flesh to bowl with tomatillos, leaving skin and seeds with the stock. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer into the bowl with the tomatillo/pepper mixture. Discard skins and seeds. Add cilantro to mixture. Set mixture aside.
3. 3
   
   Season chicken pieces on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Add chicken skin side-down and cook without moving until well browned on first side, about 6 minutes. Flip chicken and continue cooking until lightly browned on second side, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to a bowl and pour off excess fat from Dutch oven, reserving and brown liquid.
4. 4
   
   Add tomatillo/pepper mixture to the Dutch oven and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Using an immersion blender, puree mixture into a chunky sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return chicken to pot, bring to a simmer, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and place in oven to warm.
5. 5
   
   When chicken is cooked, remove from heat and transfer chicken to a large bowl using tongs. Allow to rest until cool enough to handle. Shred chicken into thin strips, discarding skin and bones. Add 1 cup of sauce, half of cheese, and half of Mexican crema to chicken and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. 6
   
   Remove tortillas from oven and unwrap. Spread 1/3 of the remaining sauce in the bottom of a 13- by 9-inch casserole dish. Dip each tortilla in the remaining sauce and stack on a cutting board. Working one tortilla at at time, place 2 tablespoons of chicken filling in a line down the center and roll up tightly. Place in the casserole dish seam side-down. Continue until all the tortillas and filling are used (the casserole will be tightly packed).
7. 7
   
   Spread remaining sauce on top of enchiladas and lay the remaining cheese down in a line through the middle of each row of enchiladas. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly, about 10 minutes longer.
8. 8
   
   Remove enchiladas from oven, drizzle with remaining crema, sprinkle with chopped cilantro, and serve immediately.

Jaew

Jaew

Yield: 1/2 cup to serve 4

Ingredients

• 2 large stalks lemongrass
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons light (regular) soy sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon Thai seasoning sauce or Maggi Seasoning Sauce
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh Meyer lemon juice or unseasoned rice vinegar (to mellow the regular lime juice)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Palm Sugar Simple Syrup
• 2 to 3 teaspoons Toasted Chile Powder
• 1 tablespoon Toasted Sticky Rice Powder
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro stems

Method

1. Trim the lemongrass down to the tender center. Cut crosswise into sections, then halve lengthwise. Thinly slice. Pound with a mortar and pestle to a coarse paste, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, seasoning sauce, lime and lemon juices (or vinegar), sugar syrup and chile powder.
2. Stir to combine, then set aside for 1 hour to bloom. Or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days, returning to room temperature before finishing. To finish, add the sticky rice powder and cilantro. Stir then serve with the grilled meat of your choice!

Adapted from Pok Pok by Andy Ricker and J J Goode

Thai-Style Pork Ribs

Thai-Style Pork Ribs

Sii Khrong Muu Yaang

Yields: 3 to 4 servings as a main dish, 6 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons honey, a dark amber one is what I used
• 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A pinch of grated nutmeg
• 2 pounds (1 kg) pork spareribs, cut across the bone into 2-inch-wide strips (ask the butcher for an assist)
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) Jaew dipping sauce

Instructions

1. In a bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of honey with the soy sauce, rice wine, ginger, sesame oil, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Taste and tweak, if needed, for a salty-sweet flavor. Set the marinade aside briefly.
2. Put the ribs in a large zip-top plastic bag and pour over the marinade. Close the bag, expelling excess air. Rub on the bag to coat the ribs well. Set the bag flat in a baking or casserole type dish so the ribs are well exposed to the marinade. Refrigerate for 2 hours or as long as overnight. Return to room temperature before cooking.
3. Before cooking the ribs, stir together the remaining 4 tablespoons of honey with 2 tablespoons of hot water. This will glaze the ribs during cooking.
4. Preheat the oven to 250F (120C / gas mark 1/2) and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Put a rack on the baking sheet.
5. Put the ribs on the rack and roast for 2 hours, turning midway and rotating the baking sheet if your oven is uneven. Increase the heat to 300F (150C / gas mark 2) and continue to cooking for 45 to 60 minutes, brushing on the honey every 15 minutes and flipping the ribs. When done the meat will have pulled away from the bones a bit, and be chewy-tender.
6. Cool for about 10 minutes before cutting between the bones. Pile onto a plate and serve with the sauce.

Adapted from Pok Pok by Andy Ricker and J J Goode