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A-Z CHALLENGE
A to F
ADOBO CHICKEN
Makes enough for a family of 5-6
MARINADE
5-6 chicken thigh filets
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup white vinegar
4 fresh bay leaves or 3 dried
CHICKEN
2 tbsp vegetable oil, separated
3 garlic cloves , minced
1 small brown onion , diced
1 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp whole black pepper
2 green onions/scallions , sliced
Combine Chicken and Marinade ingredients in a gallon ziplock bag. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and place in the pan. Reserve marinade for later. Sear both sides until browned (you’re not cooking it all the way through) then set aside. Avoid crowding the pan, so you may have to do this in batches.
Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. Add garlic and onion, cook for a couple of minutes while scraping the bottom. Add the reserved marinade, water, sugar and black pepper to the pan. Bring it to a simmer then reduce the heat allowing the sauce to simmer for 5 minutes.
Add chicken back to the pan, smooth side down. Simmer uncovered until chicken is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes. You’ll want to turn the chicken around 15 minutes in. If the sauce isn't the consistency of a thick syrup, set the chicken aside and allow the sauce to simmer further. When your sauce has finished developing, return chicken to the skillet to coat in the glaze. Then serve over rice and garnish with the green onions then enjoy!
LESSONS LEARNED
1. This smelled so good and I was so hungry that I forgot to add the green onions - I'll try to fix this when I have this for dinner over the next 6 nights. I would also serve alongside some veggies with the Adobo sauce drizzled over.
2. I may have over reduced the sauce, but really that's all about preference. If you would prefer to have a thinner sauce, but let it go too long, you can add chicken stock or water to thin it out.
3. May not be traditional, but I wish there was some spice to the dish. I might add jalapeño to the marinade next time.
BRISKET AND BISCUITS
Makes enough for a family of 5-6
BRISKET
3lbs brisket
2 tbsp yellow mustard, enough to smother the meat
Equal parts salt and pepper (I used ¼ cup of both)
2 cups water
¼ cup liquid smoke
Smother the meat with mustard then coat with salt and pepper. Place on a wire rack over a rimmed pan. In another pan, mix the water and liquid smoke. Place the brisket on the top rack of your oven and the water/smoke mixture on the bottom.
Bake at 255 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 155, around 90 minutes for me. Pull the brisket and wrap it in foil, then place back in the oven. When the internal temperature reaches 205, remove the brisket from the oven and allow to rest for at least 1 hour. In total, about 4.5 hours of oven time. Reserve the drippings from the brisket in a separate container.
*Disclaimer* I do not have a smoker and this was my best option. I understand that this is Texas BBQ Blasphemy.
BISCUITS
(From Joanna Gaines's Magnolia Table Cookbook)
4 cups self-rising flour, plus more for the work surface
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 sticks salted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 large eggs, beaten, plus 1 large egg for brushing
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, or as needed, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing
BRISKET GRAVY
3 oz brisket, chopped into small pieces
3 tbsp brisket droppings
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk or cream
2 tbsp flour
chives, chopped (optional for garnish)
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the butter and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour until the pieces are even and about the size of peas. Stir in the beaten eggs then stir in 1 1/2 cups buttermilk until the dough comes together into a sticky mass. If it is too dry, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scrape the dough onto a floured work surface. Press it into a round roughly 14 inches across and about 1/2-inch thick. Use a 2 3/4-inch round cutter to cut out about 20 biscuits. If necessary, collect and pat out the scraps to cut more biscuits.
Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet, arranging them so that they all are touching. In a small dish, beat together the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon buttermilk. Brush the mixture on the top of the biscuits. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly in the pan on a rack.
While the biscuits are cooking, add the brisket, reserved brisket droppings and chicken stock to a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook down for a couple minutes. Add the milk and allow to simmer for a few more minutes while it reduces. Whisk in the flour to thicken the mixture making sure to not allow flour clumps to form. Remove from heat so the gravy can thicken further. Serve over the biscuits, top with a fried egg and enjoy!
LESSONS LEARNED
1. If you don’t have a wire rack, I would recommend buying one. My MacGyvered version was half assed and I was very lucky that it worked. You also need a meat thermometer. I got mine on amazon for $10.
2. I think I put too much mustard on the meat, so I adjusted the recipe from what I did. Also, the gravy can come out pretty salty because of the brisket droppings. I would recommend putting in less of the reserved droppings and tasting the gravy at the end, then you can adjust by adding more to enhance the brisket flavor.
3. I made these for my brother while visiting, and when we were taking pictures, he told me that the dish needed a pop of green. So far in this challenge, I'm 2/2 in neglecting the garnish. I'll learn some day.
4. Don't make Brisket in your oven if you can go out and buy real Texas BBQ Smoked Brisket. Liquid smoke is no BBQ pit.
CROISSANTS
Makes 12
(From Paul Hollywood's Blog)
500g bread flour, plus extra for dusting
10g salt, plus a pinch for the egg wash
80g extra fine sugar
10g instant yeast
300ml cool water
300g chilled unsalted butter
1 medium egg to glaze
Put the flour into a bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the salt and sugar to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Add the water and mix on a slow speed for 2 minutes, then on a medium speed for 6 minutes until a thick dough has formed. Shape the dough into a ball, dust with flour then put into a clean plastic bag and chill in the fridge for an hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle, about 23in x 7.5in; it should be about 1cm thick. Flatten the butter to a rectangle, about 15in x 7in, by bashing it with a rolling pin. Put the butter on the dough so that it covers the bottom two-thirds of the dough.
Fold the exposed dough at the top down over one-third of the butter. Now gently cut off the exposed bit of butter, without going through the dough, and put it on the top of the dough you have just folded down. Fold the bottom half of the dough up. You will now have a sandwich of two layers of butter and three of dough. Pinch the edges lightly to seal in the butter. Put the dough back in the plastic bag and chill in the fridge for an hour to harden the butter.
Take the dough out of the bag and put it on the lightly floured work surface with a short end towards you. Roll into a rectangle, with the same size as before. This time fold up one-third of the dough and then fold the top third down on top to make a rectangle. This is called a single turn. Put the dough back into the plastic bag and chill for another hour. Repeat this stage twice more, putting the dough back into the fridge for an hour between turns, then leave to rest overnight or 8 hours.
When you are ready to shape the croissants, line 2 or 3 baking trays with baking parchment, silicone paper or butter. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to a rectangle, a little more than 16in long and 12in wide.
Cut the rectangle lengthways into 2 strips, then cut triangles along the length of each strip. *See Lessons Learned. You should get 6 triangles from each strip. Before rolling, hold down the wide base of the triangle and gently tug the opposite thin end to cause a slight tension in the dough. Now starting at the thick end of the triangle, roll up into a croissant. You will have 12 medium-sized croissants. For a traditional crescent shape, turn the ends in towards each other.
Put the croissants on the prepared baking trays, leaving space in between them to expand; allow 4 – 6 per tray. Put each tray inside a clean plastic bag (or a clean non-scented trash bag) and leave the croissants to rise at cool room temperature until at least doubled in size. This should take about 2 hours.
Heat your oven to 200°C/392°F. Lightly whisk the egg with a pinch of salt to make an egg wash. Brush the top and sides of the croissants with the egg wash. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown and enjoy!
LESSONS LEARNED
1. This takes FOREVER! Do not start at 7pm on a Friday night. But be patient because the dough will tear when laminating and the butter will leak out.
2. I smashed the butter between two sheets of cling wrap while the dough was chilling, then allowed the butter to chill the remainder of the time.
3. Mine are tiny because I'm terrible at Geometry and failed miserably at understanding the directions on how to cut the dough. If you struggle like me, I made this handy cutting cheat sheet...
DUMPLINGS
Makes 50ish
1 1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb shrimp, cut into small pieces
1/2 lb green onions, chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp chicken bouillon
2 Packs of potsticker wrappers
Mix all of the filling ingredients in a bowl. To test the flavor, take a tablespoon out and microwave it then adjust seasonings. Once satisfied with the mixture, fold the dumplings. I used this video to figure out how to fold them.
Once folded, boil water and cook for five minutes. remove from water and pat dry. Pan fry the dumplings until the bottom is golden brown. Remove and pat grease off then enjoy!
LESSONS LEARNED
1. These are super easy to make and absolutely delicious. They take a while to fold, but I had some fun testing out the different shapes in the youtube video. I found it's easiest to fold the dumpling when the filling is spread out flat in a circular shape on the wrapper.
2. I also made the TikTok firecracker dumplings... the ones with rice paper. Now this, I would not recommend, but I included the picture so you can enjoy. Reason why I don't like this version: the flavor was meh, even after making a sauce, I just couldn't get behind it. The rice paper wrappers were difficult to work with and overwhelmed the taste and textures of the filling.
3. Make them all and store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. Just boil for an additional 1-2 minutes when ready to eat.
ENGLISH MUFFINS & EGGS BENEDICT
Makes 12
ENGLISH MUFFINS
625g bread flour
40g unsalted butter, soft
2 tsp instant dry yeast
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 ½ Tbsp granulated sugar
300g whole milk
135g water
Semolina flour
In your stand mixer (fitted with a paddle attachment) combine the flour, butter, yeast, salt, and sugar. Mix on low speed until the butter is well distributed, about 1-2 minutes. With the dough hook attached, add the milk and water to the bowl mixing on medium-high speed for 6-8 minutes, until the dough is relatively smooth, you want it to pass the window test. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl and cover with damp towel in the fridge overnight.
Prepare a large rimmed baking tray with semolina flour. Weigh the dough and divide by 12 then divide the dough by that much. Roll the dough into rounds by cupping your hand and rolling on the counter, the smoother the better. Place them on the sheet tray, making sure to leave about 1-2 inches of space between each round. Roll the dough in the semolina flour to coat the top and bottom, then flatten them to about ½ inch thickness. Loosely cover the rounds with a lightly damp dish towel. Let them proof for another 1 - 2 hour(s) at room temperature.
Once puffed, begin preheating a large griddle or well-seasoned cast iron pan over medium heat. Once the pan is preheated to about 300 - 350 °F, about 3-5 minutes, reduce the heat to low. Cook on the first side for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
Flip the muffin and gently flatten the muffin. Cook on the second side for an additional 7-8, or until golden brown and cooked through. The finished muffins should have an internal temperature of 200 degrees. Let them cool and enjoy!
EGGS BENEDICT
3 Egg Yolks
1 tsp paprika, additional teaspoon for garnish
1 tsp dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
Canadian Bacon
2 eggs, poached
Chives, chopped for garnish
Add 3 egg yolks into a food processor with paprika, mustard, and the juice of 1 lemon. After blending for 30 seconds, slowly pour in 1 stick’s worth of simmering unsalted melted butter. Pour into a pot once everything is thoroughly mixed and leave on low heat stirring occasionally to avoid forming lumps.
For the poached egg, crack an egg into a fine-mesh strainer, swirling several times before placing it into a pot of barely simmering water. After about 3 minutes in 190 degree water, remove the poached eggs and gently place on top of some fried Canadian bacon on top of your toasted English muffin. Drizzle your hollandaise sauce and garnish with chives and paprika then enjoy!
LESSONS LEARNED
1. I struggled with getting the muffins to cook without burning the bottoms, which I think you can clearly see in the picture. I think they were too puffy or I didn't press them down enough or the yeast was very potent. I ended up putting them in the oven until they reached 200 degrees internally. Honestly, they were so good hot out of the oven and the burnt parts didn't really matter for the Benedict.
2. Put all of the hollandaise ingredients into the blender before melting the butter - makes the process go a little smoother.
3. I will be making all of this again and again. It was phenomenal and I think my favorite meal in this challenge so far. And look at me, I finally remembered the garnish!
FRENCH ONION SOUP
Makes 4
(Adapted from Julia Child's The Art of French Cooking)
5 cups of thinly sliced onions
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1tsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
3 tbsp flour
2 quarts beef stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt & pepper
2 ounces of Swiss Cheese in very thin slices
1 tbsp Cognac
1 tbsp grated raw onion
12-16 1in. rounds of toasted French Bread
1/2 cups grated Swiss cheese and Parmesan cheese
Cook the onions slowly with butter and oil in a covered saucepan for 15 minutes. Uncover, increase heat and stir in salt and sugar. Cook for 45-60 minutes stirring frequently until the onions have turned a deep brown. Add in flour and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Remove sauce pan from heat and blend in boiling beef stock. Add the wine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return to heat and simmer for an additional 40 minutes. When done, set aside uncovered. While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and brown the slices of french bread, about 20 minutes. Baste with some olive oil and turn half way through.
Spread some butter in the bottom of the soup pot and layer a few croutons followed by a thin layer of Swiss cheese. Bring the soup to a boil and spoon into the soup pots. Add a tablespoon of cognac and the grated onion then float the croutons on top. Spread the grated Swiss cheese on top and sprinkle with oil then set for a minute or two under a preheated broiler to brown the top lightly then serve immediately.
LESSONS LEARNED
1. Julia is a genius... I already knew that lesson, but first time I tested it.
2. It takes forever for the onions to brown, so just be patient.
3. Add as much cheese as possible because life is short and cheese is amazing.