pernod

Savory Pies- Scallop Pot Pie

10 Nov 2011
scallop pot pie

Pie oh my! I have made it to the end of savory pie week. This Scallop Pot Pie is number seven and she's (he's??) a beaut!

What (I can hear you asking) have I learned about pie this week? Well, I learned seven days of pie leads to an expanded waistline. I also learned that I'd rather have pie than a skinny butt.

And I got a little closer to discovering the secret allure of pie. But it's not its flaky, buttery crust (or at least not completely) that keeps people's pie plates poised for the next bite. There is something else about pie that I had not really considered when I started the week long marathon.

It may seem counter-intuitive, partly because I am food blogger and I spend a lot of time cooking and trying to convince you that you should cook too. So maybe what I am about to say won't make a lot of sense.

But if I start with the phrase pot pie. Maybe you'll pay attention long enough that I can make my point.

Sometimes the less effort you invest in cooking the better.  Savory pies are often nothing more than one-pan wonders. Pot pie is especially comforting as a meal all unto itself.

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Scallop Pot Pie

Scallop Pot Pie
By jgreghenry Published October 25, 2011
Prep time: 120
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 3 c all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 t kosher salt
  • 8 oz (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 0.25 c ice water
  • 1 large onion, halved and sliced into slivers
  • 1 fennel bulb, cored, halved and sliced thinly
  • 4 oz unsalted butter
  • 2.5 c fish stock or clam juice
  • 1 T pernod
  • 1 T sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 pn freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 3 T heavy cream
  • 1 lb bay scallops
  • 2 c frozen peas
  • 0.5 c flat leaf parsley, leaves only, roughly chopped

Directions

Make the crust: Pulse 2 1/2 cups flour and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream until dough just comes together (no longer than 30 seconds). Divide dough in half, shape each into a disc, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days), or freeze for up to 1 month.

Make the filling: Saute the onions and fennel with the butter in a large saute pan on medium heat until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour and cook on low heat for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, Pernod, sea salt, and pepper and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add the heavy cream. Place the bay scallops, frozen peas, and parsley in a bowl. Pour the sauce over the mixture and check the seasonings. Set aside. Assemble the pie: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll each the chilled dough disc to fit a 9 or 9 1/2-inch round by 2-inch high ovenproof pie plate or baking dish. Place 1 crust in the dish, fill with the scallop mixture, and top with the second crust. Crimp the crusts together and brush with the egg wash. Make a few vents in the top crust and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Hey New Orleans, What the Heck is a Sazerac?

25 May 2011
sazerac

We all have bloggers we like. We all have bloggers we admire. We all have bloggers we are a little tiny bit jealous of (in a healthy non-competitive sort of way)… So I say let’s raise a glass to them.

Cheers. In this case the glass I am raising contains a very purposefully chosen cocktail. It’s a Sazerac.

Now a Sazerac is a classic cocktail from New Orleans. It’s also a hint at the blogger to whom I am referring here. I am raising my glass to Gisele of Pain Perdu Blog. She’s a talented cook (much better than I’ll ever be…) and kick-ass Los Angeles caterer (Small Pleasure Catering). I am pleased to call her a friend. I am pleased that the blogworld made us friends. I think you’ll be pleased to read her blog and become her friend. I hope you do. ‘Cuz this Sazerac is for her. Her New Orleans roots. And the stories she tells about both.

Now on to the Sazerac. While the origins of many cocktails are lost in a boozy fog, the source of the Sazerac is well-documented. In fact it may be the very first drink to actually coin the word ‘cocktail’. Which seems to have been a mispronunciation of the French word for eggcup– cocquetier.

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Classic Sazerac

sazerac
By jgreghenry Published May 19, 2011
Prep time: 5
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 1 t absinthe, pernod or herbsaint
  • 2 oz cognac or rye whiskey
  • 3 ds peychaud’s bitters
  • 0 lemon twist as garnish

Directions

Add the Absinthe (Pernod or Herbsaint) to an old-fashioned glass. Swirl the liquid allowing some to cling to the sides. Discard the rest. Set the glass aside. Add the Cognac (or rye whiskey) and the Peychaud’s bitters to a cocktail shaker half filled with cracked ice. Cover and shake vigorously. Strain into the prepared glass. Garnish as you choose with a lemon twist.

Notes:

serves 1

Cantaloupe and Orange Lassi with Anise

cantaloupe lassi smoothie
By jgreghenry Published July 19, 2009
Prep time: 10
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 ice cubes
  • 1 medium cantaloupe peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 orange, juiced
  • 0.25 c pernod
  • 1 c cold, plain low-fat kefir or yogurt
  • 2 T honey
  • 1 pn salt

Directions

1. Put the cantaloupe, orange juice, Pernod (if using) yogurt, honey and salt in a blender and blend until well blended. You may have to work in batches. In which case transfer the blended mixture to a pitcher while you finish the job. This may set aside up to one day in advance. 2. Make each lassi individually by adding 1/2 cup ice, and about 1/4 of the cantaloupe mixture to a blender. Blend until well blended. This may be best achieved by pulsing the mixture 6 or 8 times and then running the machine at high for about 1 minute. Machines vary in power so use your judgment. You goal is a thick frothy mixture that moves easily in the blender jar. 3. Taste the lassi and correct the seasoning with additional honey or salt, if desired. Pour into chilled glasses and serve at once garnished with orange slices and mint.

Notes:

serves 4 Source: SippitySup