Lemon Custard Pie, Done Right This Time

I recently wrote about my misadventure with Lemon Custard Pie.  It would have turned out great, except that I got distracted while putting it together and used salt in place of sugar in making the crust. This resulted in the pie being so salty that it was not edible.  I could tell this one had a lot of potential, though, so I decided to give it another try - this time without the added salt - and to try out some ideas I'd come up with to boost the lemon flavor.

First off, credit where due.   The recipe I ended up with is closely based on two different Cook's Illustrated recipes.   CI originally printed their recipe for Lemon Custard Pie in the May 1999 issue, while their Foolproof Pie Dough for a Single Crust Pie recipe (a variant of their famous "vodka pie crust") was published in November, 2007.   I started with these recipes and made changes from there.

The biggest change I made to CI's Lemon Custard Pie recipe was to up the amounts of the lemon zest and lemon juice in order to boost the lemon flavor.  I balanced out these changes by adding a bit more cornstarch, to help the custard set while including a bit more liquid.   I also added just a bit of fresh-ground nutmeg to the custard.  Juli's father, who is a vastly better baker than I, uses a bit of nutmeg in a lot of his creations, and I've found that this adds a bit of depth to a variety of baked goods without being overwhelming or obvious.   

In regard to the crust, the big change I made was to add in some extra flavoring, so the crust would reflect and support the lemon flavor of the filling.   I've experimented with this concept in a couple different pie recipes (I'll cover the other in a different post), and so far it's worked like a charm.  In this case, I added a bit of lemon zest to the dough, to give the pie crust a bit of lemon flavor of its own.  I was a bit worried this addition would mess with the texture of the crust, but that wasn't the case, and several people - starting with Juli - said they found the crust delicious. 

The crust wasn't the only thing that turned out great, though.  The filling was wonderfult - rich, creamy custard with a bold lemon flavor - and the pie as a whole was just plain excellent.  The last one looked fine, but this one looked just as good, and it tasted even better.  I've made a few pies now, and this one was very possibly the best one I'd made to date.

Lemon Custard Pie

yield = 8 servings

Crust
1 1/4       cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces)
1             tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2          teaspoon table salt
6             tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch slices
                 and chilled
1/4          solid vegetable shortening, cut into 2 pieces and chilled
1             teaspoon freshly-grated lemon zest
2             tablespoons vodka, chilled
2             tablespoons cold water

Filling
2             cups whole milk
1             cup heavy cream
3             large eggs
2/3          cup sugar
3             tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1             teaspoon vanilla extract
3             tablespoons + 1 teaspoon freshly-grated lemon zest
2             tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1/8          teaspoon table salt
1/8          teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg

Instructions:
Crust:
Add 3/4 cups flour, sugar and salt together in a food processor until combined.  Add butter and shortening and process until dough starts to collect in uneven clumps (there will be some very small pieces of butter remaining).  Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around the processor blade.  Add lemon zest and remaining 1/2 cup flour and pulse until combined.  Empty mixture into medium bowl.

Sprinkle vodka and water over dough.  Use a rubber spatula in a folding motion to mix, pressing down on the dough until it sticks together (it will still be a bit tacky).   Flatten dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour (or up to 2 days). 

Lightly spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray (preferably a variety designed for baking).  Lay out overlapping sheets of waxed paper and generously flour the wax paper.  Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on the waxed paper, making a 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick.  Lift waxed paper and carefully tip it downward so one edge of the dough touches the outer rim of the pie plate, then carefully flip it so the dough settles onto the pie plate with a bit of overhang on all sides.  Ease dough into the pie plate by gently lifting the edge with one hand while carefully pressing the dough into place with the other.  Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.  Adjust oven rack to lowest position.  Place rimmed baking sheet on oven rack and heat oven to 425 degrees. 

Trim overhanging dough to 1/2 inch beyond the lip of the pie plate.  Fold overhang under dough so the folded edge is flush with the edge of the pie plate.  Press tines of a fork against the dough to flatten it against the rim of the pie plate, or flute it using fingers.  (If the dough has started to get warm or to soften, refrigerate again until firm, about 20 minutes).

Line crust with foil and fill with pie weights.   Bake for 15 minutes.   Remove foil and weights, rotate the pie plate and bake until the crust is golden-brown and crisp (5-10 minutes).  Remove baking sheet and pie plate from oven, keeping the pie plate on the baking sheet.  Reduce heat to 375 degrees.

Filling:
After you put the pie crust into the oven, heat milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming.  While the milk mixture is heating up, whisk together eggs, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, two tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

Once the milk mixture is steaming, pour it into the egg and cornstarch mixture in a slow, steady stream while whisking. 

Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat.  Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping bottom of the pan, until the custard begins to thicken; when a layer of custard sticks to the spoon when scraping the bottom of the pan, the custard is ready.

Pour custard into the hot pie crust and return pie and baking sheet to the oven (if the crust isn't still hot, or if you baked it ahead, put it in the oven for a few minutes to warm it up).  Bake until the custard has set around the edges but still jiggles in the center when shaken (12-15 minutes).  Transfer pie plate from the oven to a wire rack.  Sprinkle remaining tablespoon lemon zest evenly atop the custard.  Allow pie to cool to room temperature (about 2 hours).  Cut into individual portions and serve. 

Cooking Tip:
The recipe above is for a 9-inch pie.  To make a pie for a 10-inch pan (such as the Fiesta pie plates), adjust the amounts of ingredients in the filling by approximately 1/4.  You can do the same with the crust, but the pie will also bake up just fine if you simply roll the crust out a bit thinner. 

Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy

I've written before about my attempts to make a good chicken fried steak.  My previous attempts haven't been dreadful, but they haven't been fully satisfying, either.   Thankfully, I think I've finally found a chicken fried steak recipe we can be satisfied with.

I started out with a really good chicken fried steak recipe featured recently at one of our favorite blogs, One Perfect Bite.  It was a pretty basic recipe, but I felt satisfied with using it as a place to start, since Mary's recipes turn out pretty reliably good.   At the same time, I saw some things I knew I'd want to do differently, mostly regarding seasoning.   I figured I'd follow Mary's cooking instructions, but insert some additional seasonings of my own.  I started by just adding a bit of seasoning to the breading, but as Juli and I worked on the gravy, we ended up bolstering that with a fair bit of extra seasoning, too. 

We were happy with how this turned out.   The steaks were cooked just right, the breading was crisp and tasty and the gravy was just plain excellent.

After making these, I checked out some of the links on Mary's blog (one of the neat features of her blog is that her entries include links to other bloggers' versions of the same recipe).  I did see one idea on one of those blogs that I will probably try out next time I make chicken fried steak.  Cooking by the Seat of My Pants suggests soaking the steak pieces in buttermilk for at least four hours (preferably overnight) to tenderize the meat, and to give the steaks a bit of tangy buttermilk flavor.   That sounds pretty good to me, so I'll probably give that a shot at some point and report back on how it went. 

Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy

yield = 4 servings

2         pounds beef bottom round roast, trimmed of excess fat
           salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2   cups all-purpose flour
3/4      teaspoon garlic powder
1/8      teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8      teaspoon baking powder
3         eggs, beaten
1/4      cup vegetable oil
2         cups chicken broth
1/2      cup whole milk
1/2      teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4      teaspoon onion powder
1/4      teaspoon paprika
1/2      teaspoon dried sage

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Cut beef with the grain into half-inch thick slices.  Season each piece on both sides with salt and pepper.   Place flour, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, cayenne pepper and baking powder into a low, flat bowl or pie plate and mix thoroughly.  Place eggs into another low, flat dish.

Dredge meat slices through the flour mixture on both sides.  Thoroughly tenderize and flatten the meat slices until each is 1/4 inch thick.   Once tenderized and flattened, dredge meat again in flour mixture, then in the eggs and finally in the flour again.  Place meat on a rack and allow it to sit 10-15 minutes before cooking.

Pour enough vegetable oil (approximately 1/4 cup) into a large skillet to cover the bottom of the skillet.  Heat at medium high until shimmering, then add meat in batches, being careful to not overcrowd the pan.  Cook each piece of meat on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side.  Transfer steaks to a wire rack set on a baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm.  Repeat until all the steaks are cooked.

Add oil to skillet to total of 1 tablespoon.   Add 3 tablespoons of the flour mixture left over from dredging.  Add chicken broth and whisk until the gravy boils and starts to thicken. 

Add milk, thyme, remaining 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and sage and whisk until the gravy is thick.  Add more salt and pepper to season to taste.  Serve the gravy over the steaks. 

I served the Chicken Fried Steak with Jo Jo Potatoes, made with a recipe from the current issue of Cook's Country, and carrots.    Jo Jo Potatoes are potato wedges baked with a coating of panko crumbs and seasoning.   Apparently they're popular in the east coast (though not the northeast). 

I thought the recipe looked and sounded pretty good, but the result was not so great.   In fact, the potatoes weren't very good at all.   The flavors of the coating didn't sink into the potatoes at all, and the coating itself was dry and crumbly.   I won't be making those again, and can't really recommend the recipe.   In fact, it was possibly the worst thing I've ever made from a Cook's Illustrated or Cook's Country recipe.  Thankfully the Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy was plenty filling on its own, and so good that even the not-good potatoes could spoil the meal. 

Glorious Morning Glory Muffins

The current issue of Cook's Country (April/May 2011) included a recipe for Morning Glory Muffins.  Apparently they were a pretty common variety of muffin back in the 1970s, but I'd never heard of them before reading this article.   A muffin full of carrots, raisins, nuts, coconut, pineapple and apples sure sounded pretty good to me, though!

Something that caught my eye while reading the article was the mention of some other recipes including other ingredients, such as cloves and ginger, that she left out of her recipe.   I'm not a huge fan of cloves, but as our regular readers probably remember, I'm a big fan of ginger, so that sounded pretty good to me.   This got me curious about what was included in the other recipes out there, so I looked in some cookbooks and online to check some of them out.   None of them really had anything else I felt needed to be there, and some suggestions - such as sunflower and sesame seeds - struck me as just plain wrong for these muffins.    I did, however, decide on an addition all my own, namely orange zest.

After looking over the Cook's Country recipe and making a few other changes to make it more to my liking, I was ready to try out my own version.   I finally made up a batch last Saturday morning, and Juli and I were both quite pleased with the results.

The result was a batch of really, really excellent muffins:  Tons of flavor, nicely browned, great texture.  Juli and I loved them for breakfast, and warmed up the next day, and when I took the remainder to share with my coworkers, they were a big hit there as well. 

As always, I want to give credit where due.  In addition to using Sarah Gabriel's recipe in Cook's Country as a starting point, I also followed her suggested techniques, and I believe one of those techniques is a big factor in making these muffins great.  Specifically, she came up with the idea of squeezing as much juice as possible out of the apples and crushed pineapple included in the muffins, then cooking that juice down to concentrate the flavor  while cutting back the amount of liquid to a reasonable amount.   That sounded like a pretty good idea, and I took it further in my own version, adding the juice from the grated ginger and what I could squeeze out of the orange zest and cooking those liquids down as well.  I think that touch was a big part of why my muffins ended up with a bold fruit flavor and wonderful texture.

I will definitely be making these again, and probably often.  If you try them, I'm pretty sure you'll feel the same way.

Glorious Morning Glory Muffins

yield = 12 muffins

3/4          cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2          cup walnut pieces
2 1/4       cups all-purpose flour
3/4          cup granulated sugar
1 1/2       teaspoons baking powder
1             teaspoon ground cinnamon
5/8          teaspoon table salt
1/2          teaspoon baking soda
1             can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple
1             Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and shredded
                (use large holes of a box grater)
1             tablespoon orange zest
1             teaspoon fresh grated ginger
8             tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
3             large eggs
1             teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2       cups shredded carrot
1             cup golden raisins

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350 degrees.  Spray 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.  

Add coconut and walnuts to a medium skillet over medium-high heat.   Toast, stirring often, until the coconut has started to brown and the walnuts are fragrant.  Transfer to food processor.  Finely grind coconut and walnuts, then add flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and baking powder.  Pulse until combined, then transfer to a large bowl.

Place pineapple, shredded apple and orange zest in a fine-mesh strainer set over a large liquid measuring cup.  Press fruit and zest dry, collecting liquid (probably about 1 cup) in the measuring cup.   Add any ginger liquid to this mixture.  Bring juice to boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup.  Let cool slightly.

Whisk juice with melted butter, eggs and vanilla until smooth.  Stir wet ingredients into dry mixture until combined, then add pineapple/apple/orange zest mixture, grated ginger, carrots and raisins and stir to thoroughly mix.

Evenly divide batter among muffin cups.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean (24-28 minutes).  Cool in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and serve. 

Cooking Tip:
Raisins don't stay moist forever, and shrunken, chewy raisins don't make for good muffins, so make sure to use raisins that are soft and moist. 



30 seconds in the microwave and these muffins were just as
good two days old as they were fresh from the oven.

Lemon-Sesame Rice

I needed a rice dish to go with the wonderful Thai Ribs I made recently, preferably something that also had a Thai feel and flavor to it.  Nothing I could find in my cookbooks or online really quite fit the bill, so I made up one of my own. 

My idea was to make some rice that was strong with sesame flavor, due to roasted sesame seeds and a bit of sesame oil, as well as a bit of lemon undercurrent.  I figured I could get the lemony quality I wanted by mixing in some lemon zest and a bit of lemon juice at the end.  Since I wanted a Thai-flavored dish, jasmine rice was a natural, and after some consideration, I decided cooking the rice with some chunks of ginger and sprinkling the finished rice with a bit of cilantro would round out the dish.

This turned out even better than I'd imagined.   The rice was fragrant and delicious, with a strong roasted-sesame presence and an accent of lemon.  It also looked great, and the sesame seeds provided some nice variety in texture as well.

This one's a keeper.  No doubt about that.

Lemon-Sesame Rice

yield = 4 servings

1/4          cup sesame seeds
1 1/2       jasmine rice
1             one-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin discs
1             teaspoon Asian (dark) sesame oil
1/4          teaspoon salt
2 1/2       cups water
1             tablespoon lemon zest
1             tablespoon lemon juice
2             tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Spread sesame seeds evenly across bottom of a small, dry skillet.  Dry-roast the sesame seeds on medium-low heat, stirring often, until they have turned golden brown.  Transfer sesame seeds to a small bowl and set aside.

Add rice, ginger, sesame oil, salt and water to a large saucepan over high heat.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low, letting the rice simmer until all the water is absorbed.  This should take about 15 minutes.  Stir the rice once, about halfway through that time, to make sure the flavors blend evenly.  Remove from heat.

Remove and dispose of the ginger discs.   Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and sesame seeds.  Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with cilantro.  Serve and enjoy.

Storage Tip:
When preparing leftovers for later, and especially when preparing to freeze them, use a removable marker to label and date the container.   This might seem like a no-brainer, but we used to not take the couple minutes necessary to add this step, and then often we couldn't tell what was in the various containers when we were looking for something to take for lunch.  Dating the container tells you when something is past it's time.

Thai-Seasoned Baby Back Ribs: The Best Ribs You'll Ever Have!

I've long thought that as far as ribs went, nothing could possibly beat a barbecued rack.   It turns out I was wrong, but this is one time I don't mind being wrong, since in proving myself wrong, I ended up with the best ribs I've ever made, or had.

I saw a recipe for Thai Spareribs in the February 2011 issue of Bon Appetit.  That recipe looked okay, but there were clearly some things missing - like, something to provide heat! - so I redesigned the ingredient list to my taste, though I ended up more or less following the techniques suggested in that recipe.  I braised the ribs in the oven, then soaked them overnight in a flavorful marinade, then I roasted them on a baking sheet, basting them frequently with the marinade, and cooked down the remaining marinade and some pan drippings to make a sauce. 

I'm not often at a loss for words, but I'm not sure I can adequately express how darn good these ribs were.  For starters, they were fall-off-the-bone tender, incredibly moist, and not the least bit fatty or greasy.  And then there's the flavor.... sweet, savory and nutty, with just the slightest bit of heat.  After finishing off an extra-large helping, it was hard to not keep going.   These ribs were that good.  

Juli here.  I suggested that this post should be titled "Best Ribs Ever, world without end, AMEN!" ... but Jeffrey thought not.  They really are the best ribs I've ever eaten, though- easy to get off the bone (important if I'm to be able to eat the leftovers at work without getting hopelessly messy) and wonderfully full of flavor.  They're quite a production to make, but worth every minute.  I highly recommend!

All winter long, I've been waiting for spring so I could get out the grill and barbecue some ribs.   I'm certainly not going to give up on the wonder that is a perfect rack of ribs hot off the grill, but since these ribs spend a lot of time in the oven - first for the braising, then baking them - now I'll also be eagerly awaiting cooler weather so I can make up another batch of these, and experiment further with the core techniques to try some other flavor combinations.

Thai-Seasoned Baby Back Ribs

yield = 6 servings

2             racks of meaty baby back spareribs (about 6 pounds total)
5             stalks lemongrass
2             Thai chili peppers or 1 large jalapeno, seeded
                 and chopped
1/2          cup + 5 tablespoons tamari
1/2          cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2          cup mirin (rice wine) or dry sherry
3             tablespoons Thai peanut sauce
2             tablespoons Asian (dark) sesame oil
4             large cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1             2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thin
1             cup coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Remove membrane from the back of the rib racks, if it was not removed by the butcher.   Slice each rack of ribs into segments of 2 ribs apiece.  Trim away any excessive fat. 

Arrange ribs in a single layer in a large roasting pan and add just enough water to cover the ribs.  Cover the pan with foil and place it in the oven to braise for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool, still covered, 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare the marinade.  Cut the woody, root-end from the bottom of each lemongrass stalk and cut off the top part of each stalk about 4 inches from the bottom.  Discard the upper and root portions, then peel away the loose, outer layers of each stalk.  Slice each stalk into thin rounds, then transfer to food processor.   Add Thai chilis (or jalapeno), 1/2 cup tamari, brown sugar, mirin (or sherry), peanut sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger and process until almost smooth.  Add coconut milk and remaining 6 tablespoons tamari and process together.

After the pan with the ribs has cooled, remove the foil, transfer the rib segments to a large zipper-lock bag and discard the cooking liquid.  Add marinade to the bag with the ribs, seal the bag and shake to coat the ribs thoroughly with the marinade.   Refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Use tongs to arrange the rib segments in a single layer on a large, foil-lined baking sheet.  Transfer marinade to a medium bowl.  Brush rib segments with marinade and roast uncovered, basting the ribs with the marinade every 15 minutes or so, until the ribs are very tender (about 1 1/2 hours).

Use tongs to transfer ribs to a serving platter, then cover with foil.   Pour remaining marinade into a small saucepan.  Using a spatula, scoop up any marinade that isn't burnt black from the baking sheet and stir it into the saucepan.    Bring to a boil and cook until thickened (3-5 minutes), then pour atop the rib segments and serve.

Pepperoni, Sausage and Mushroom Pizza Braids

One of our favorite blogs, For the Love of Cooking, recently featured Turkey Italian Sausage and Mushroom Pizza Braid.  I liked the idea presented there, so I decided to make my own version.  I'm glad I did, because I've now found a really fast, easy and wonderful go-to recipe.

This recipe is somewhat unusual for me, in that instead of making much from scratch, the core ingredients - pizza dough and pizza sauce - are pre-prepared supermarket items.   In general, I'm not real fond of that approach to cooking - it tends to result in a lot of fast but flavorless stuff based on cans of soup and the like - but here it works great.   Of course, it helps that I was able to back up the prefab ingredients with excellent fresh stuff, including sausage, pepperoni and cheeses from Graziano Bros. Grocery.   

These really were fantastically good.  In fact, they looked so great that by the time I sliced one of the braids into servings, Juli and I were in such a hurry to try them that I forgot to take a picture of one of the servings on a plate.   That's too bad, as showing a sliced cross-section would be a great way to show how mouthwatering these things really are.   I suppose that's as good a reason as any to make these again, though.

Pepperoni, Sausage and Mushroom Pizza Braids

yield = 4 -5 servings

1/2         pound sweet Italian sausage
1/4         pound pepperoni
2            tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil + 1/4 cup
1            onion, grated
6            ounces button mushrooms, sliced thin
2            teaspoons minced garlic
1/2         teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2         teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4         teaspoon table salt
2            tablespoons cornmeal
2            cans refrigerated thin pizza crust
1 1/3      cup canned pizza sauce (we used Dei Fratelli)
8            ounces mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded
2            tablespoons + two teaspoons freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
1            teaspoon dried basil
1            teaspoon dried oregano


Cook sausage in a small skillet, breaking it into small pieces with the side of a wooden spoon.   Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

While the sausage cooks, line a microwave-safe plate with two layers of paper towels.   Spread pepperoni slices over the paper towels, cover with another paper towel and microwave for 60 seconds.  Repeat until all the pepperoni slices are cooked.

Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add onion and mushroom and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and the mushrooms have released all their liquid. 

Clear a space in the middle of the pan and add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.  Cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then add pepper and salt, stir to mix, and remove from heat.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon corn meal on each baking sheet. 

Spread one pizza crust on a baking sheet in a rectangle.  Spoon 2/3 cup of pizza sauce along the middle third of the dough.  Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut even slits on both sides of the sauce.   Sprinkle 2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese atop the sauce, then top with 1/2 of the onion and mushroom mixture and 1/2 of the pepperoni slices, 1/2 of the cooked sausage.  Spread another 2 ounces of mozzarella atop these toppings, then sprinkle with one tablespoon grated romano cheese.   

Starting at one end, fold alternating strips from the sides of the dough over the filling at an angle.

Brush the top of the pizza braid with olive oil, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and one teaspoon romano cheese.   Bake until nicely browned, about 30-35 minutes, then remove from the oven to a cutting board and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Slice and serve.  Repeat with the other prepared baking sheet and the remainder of the ingredients.