a guilty pleasure

In as much as I consider myself a pretty serious foodie, I have to admit that when my hubby offers to take me out for dinner what inevitably sounds the best is a killer blue cheese burger with some seriously skinny fries (not skinny in the low-fat sense just to clarify). And while that combo is hard to beat, for me it’s all about the fries. Yes the fries. I have made it a personal mission to locate the best places for these slim, salty jumbles of crunchy finger lickin’ good potatoes in Orange County.

On a recent outing to a favorite local dining spot, the hubby and I were working our way through a plate of these little lovelies. He looks over at me and says “I bet you could make these.”

Hmmm.

So after a little experimenting, I think I came up with a pretty darn good recipe. So good in fact, that after making up a batch, we ate almost the whole pile before the rest of dinner was plated. The trick for these is in the double frying. Fry the potatoes once to sort of get them going, take them out to drain. Raise the temperature and fry again. This insures that they come out perfectly crisp and cooked all the way through. Although a sprinkling of salt and pepper is perfectly fine for serving, I decided to make a Meyer Lemon Gremolata to serve on top. The fresh parsley, garlic and lemon zest mixed with the warm fries looks, smells and tastes great.

They were wicked good!

Enjoy!
Shannon

Wicked Good Fries with Meyer Lemon Gremolata
should serve 4 if your lucky

4 Russet Idaho Potatoes
Peanut oil for frying
salt & pepper

Meyer Lemon Gremolata

3 Tbsp. chopped parsley
3 Meyer lemons, zested
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

To make the Gremolata, mix together the chopped parsley, grated Meyer Lemon zest and the finely chopped garlic cloves. Set aside until ready to serve.

Attach a candy thermometer to the side of large heavy deep pot (do not let tip touch bottom). Add enough peanut oil to pot to reach depth of 3 inches. Heat oil over medium heat to 300°F.

While the oil is coming up to temperature, peel the potatoes and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Toss into a large bowl with very cold water until ready to fry. When oil is up to temperature, take the potato strips out of the water and place on 2 large baking sheets lined with paper towels, pat dry with additional paper towels.

Working in batches, add potatoes to oil and cook until potatoes are just tender, stirring occasionally and maintaining heat at 300°F, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer potatoes to 1 prepared baking sheet to drain. Heat same oil until temperature reaches 360°F to 365°F. Working in batches, add same fries to oil and cook until golden brown, maintaining temperature between 360°F and 365°F, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to second prepared baking sheet to drain. Transfer french fries to serving dish; sprinkle with salt and pepper and then top off with the Gremolata.

a word on "curd"

The word “curd” has never sounded very appealing to me. But when the word “lemon” is in front of it, well that’s another story. It’s then that my jaw tightens and my glands begin to salivate anticipating that something tasty is on the horizon.

Lemon curd, with its silky smooth and tart creaminess is hard to resist. Put into a crepe, or between layers of a decadent yellow cake it has outstanding results. It is wonderful on a warm blueberry scone, a waffle hot off the griddle or my preferred vehicle for enjoying lemon curd… a spoon.

I have been a little compulsive lately with Meyer lemons. They are in season right now and I’ve been like a mad scientist in the kitchen using them in this and that.

The fruit of the Meyer lemon is yellow and rounder than a typical lemon we can find in the markets year round (such as the Eureka or Lisbon). It has a slight orange tint when ripe and is sweeter and less acidic in flavor. The flowers of the Meyer lemon are white with a purple base and are quite fragrant. This is the time of year here in Southern California that the citrus trees are loaded down with fruit and the fragrances of the blossoms are intoxicating.

Even if you cannot find Meyer lemons in your area, you could use the typical Eureka lemon or whatever is available and add some fresh squeezed orange juice at a ratio of 1 part orange juice to 3 parts lemon juice to get a similar taste to the Meyer. Either way, making your own lemon curd is easy and worth the effort. The results are so much better than what you can buy in a jar.

Enjoy!
Shannon

Lemon Curd
Recipe by Karen Solomon from the book jam it, pickle it, cure it

Prep ahead: You will need clean jars to store your bounty. Make sure they are free of rust and odors and the lids seal tightly. Prepare a label that lists the contents and date prepared.

6 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 12 lemons)
10 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Zest of 2 lemons, removed in large pieces with a vegetable peeler

In a large saucepan, with a whisk, beat the eggs and egg yolk thoroughly, then whisk in the sugar and lemon juice. Stir together until thoroughly combined. The sugar should be completely integrated into the liquids, which will result in a much creamier curd. Place the pot over medium heat and gently warm the mixture. After 3 minutes, add the butter and the zest pieces. Whisk constantly for 7 to 8 minutes, until the butter melts and the mixture becomes very thick.

Pour the curd into a clean glass jar and let it cool at room temperature, uncovered. Remove zest and discard.

Serve warm or refrigerate, in a covered glass jar, up to 10 days.

Makes about 2 cups

well preserved

Okay I did it. I finally “canned” something. I have been a little intimidated by the whole idea: the process, the equipment, as well as the whole bacteria thing. But actually, it wasn’t that bad. I followed each step carefully and ended up with something that is so good, it is actually “blog worthy.”

Most of us probably remember our mothers or grandmothers painstakingly canning tomatoes or pickles outside on a sweltering summer day so they’d be able to grab them from the basement or pantry come winter. But seriously, “who still does this?” I thought. Honestly, I never thought I would ever want to “can” something. But when I found Eugenia Bones' book last spring, she inspired me. Her recipes are updated for the palate of today with things like: strawberry balsamic jam, pear, port and thyme conserve or figs in brandy. Or on the more savory side stewed onions with marjoram, zucchini flower sauce and marinated baby artichokes. I was hooked.

No more putting it off, it was time.

Her recipe for Three-Citrus Marmalade looked so tasty, and since Meyer lemons and Blood oranges are in season right now it seemed as good a time as any to jump right in and bite the bullet. This marmalade is wonderful on scones and toast or warmed up and poured over vanilla ice cream or toasted cake, but because it is not too sweet, this marmalade would be terrific with cooked fish, poultry or even pork.

So if you’ve been considering the possibility of trying your hand at canning, I would encourage you to do so. There are many great resources out there that will take you through the process step by step. And the satisfaction of being able to take the seasons’ delicious bounty to savor later in the year is totally worth it, as well as never again having to open your cupboard or refrigerator and lament that there’s “nothing to eat!” Instead, you’ll be whipping up the seasons’ best meals all year long.

Enjoy!
Shannon


Three-Citrus Marmalade
From Eugenia Bones’ book Well Preserved

1 grapefruit (red preferred)
3 oranges (blood or Honeybell)
3 Meyer lemons
5 cups sugar
½ tsp. unsalted butter

Peel the skin off the fruit in as big pieces as you can use your hands or a paring knife. Cut most of the white pith off the peels of 1 orange and 2 lemons by scraping it away with a paring knife. Discard the remaining peels or save for other uses. Cut away any pith remaining on the peeled fruits. It’s okay if you don’t get all the pith off the fruit and rind.

Cut the reserved rinds into little matchsticks. You should have about 1 cup.

Cut the fruit in half along the equator and pop the seeds out with the tip of a paring knife. Grind the fruit in a food processor to a chunky pulp. There should be about 5 cups. But measure the pulp you have, as there can be some variation in the amount of pulp a piece of fruit produces, and you will have to adjust the amount of sugar you add accordingly: 1 cup sugar for every 1 cup of pulp.

In a medium pot, cover the silvered rinds with 3 cups of water. Cook over medium heat until the rinds are tender, about 25 minutes. Do not drain. Cool, then add the pulp and let it rest for 2 hours, covered in the fridge. (I did this the day before)

Transfer the pulp, the rinds, and their cooking water to a large, wide heavy pot. Add the sugar and the butter. (the butter help keep the marmalade from foaming up, although it will still foam up some.)

Cook over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes until it reaches 220°. It must reach this temperature to jell properly. (mine took much longer, more like an hour) If you have a candy thermometer, simply stick it in the hot marmalade and let it rest against the side of the pot.

While the jam is cooking away, bring 4 half-pint jars to a boil in a large pot of water fitted with a rack. Boil for 10 minutes to kill any bacteria. Remove the jars with tongs (the tongs don’t need to be sterilized). Simmer new lids in a small pan of hot water to soften the rubberized flange. When the jars are dry but still hot, pour in the marmalade, leaving ½ to ¾ inch of headspace at the top of each jar. Wipe the rims, set on the lids, and screw on the bands finger tip tight.

Place the jars in a pot fitted with a rack and add enough water to cover the jars by 3 inches. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Process the marmalade for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and, after about 5 minutes, remove the jars. The marmalade will seem runny at first. It’s okay. It will thicken up as it cools. You will hear a popping noise as the vacuum is created in the jars. Allow the jars to sit, untouched, for 4 to 6 hours. When they are cool, test the seals. (You can test a seal by unscrewing the band and lifting the jar by the edges of the lid. If you can lift the jar, the seal is good. If the lid comes off the seal has failed and you must reprocess the jars with new lids. Don’t worry though; the failure rate is really quite low.)

Store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Refrigerate after opening.