Poutine râpée

Adapted from Practically Edible and Acadian Genealogy: Acadian Recipes

Poutine râpée is an Acadian boiled dumpling, made from grated and mashed potato, with pork in the center. They can be eaten savoury in a soup, or with butter, salt and pepper, mustard, or ketchup; or sweet with brown sugar, maple syrup, cranberry sauce, fruits, sugar, or molasses. Day old dumplings can be sliced and fried in butter.

The ratio is 2 parts raw to 1 part boiled potato.

Variation: Add salt, baking powder, and flour to the grated potatoes. Steam in a large cotton bag.

1/2 pound (250 g.) fatty salt pork
10 potatoes, raw, grated
5 potatoes, boiled, mashed (no butter or milk)
salt and pepper
flour

Soak the salted pork overnight to remove the excess salt. Cut into cubes.

Grate the uncooked potatoes and extract the water by putting them in a cotton bag and squeezing vigorously. Mix the grated potatoes with the mashed potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Roll the potato mixture into balls about the size of a large orange, make a hole in the center with your thumb, and add a tablespoon of the cubed salted pork. Close the hole, roll the poutine in white flour, then gently lower into a large pot filled with boiling salt water.

Simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

Grilled potatoes with garlic and rosemary on a gas grill

From Cook's Illustrated

Serves 4. Published July 1, 2007.

This recipe works best with small potatoes that are about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. If using medium potatoes, 2 to 3 inches in diameter, cut potatoes into quarters. If potatoes are larger than 3 inches in diameter, cut each potato into eighths. Since potatoes are cooked in microwave, use wooden skewers.

Ingredients

	Vegetable oil for grill rack
4	tablespoons olive oil
9	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 3 tablespoons)
1	teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
	Kosher salt
2	pounds Red Bliss potatoes (about 18), scrubbed, halved, and skewered according to illustration below (see note above)
	Ground black pepper
2	tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Instructions

1. 1. Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until very hot, about 15 minutes. Use grill brush to scrape grill clean; oil cooking grate. Leave primary burner on high and reduce other burner(s) to medium.

2. 2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in small skillet over medium heat until sizzling, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until garlic is light blond, about 3 minutes. Pour mixture through fine-mesh strainer into small bowl; press on solids. Measure 1 tablespoon solids and 1 tablespoon oil into large bowl and set aside. Discard remaining solids but reserve remaining oil.

3. 3. Place skewered potatoes in single layer on large microwave-safe plate and poke each potato several times with skewer. Brush with 1 tablespoon strained oil and season liberally with salt. Microwave on high power until potatoes offer slight resistance when pierced with tip of paring knife, about 8 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking time. Transfer potatoes to baking sheet coated with 1 tablespoon strained oil. Brush with remaining tablespoon strained oil; season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. 4. Place potatoes on hotter part of grill. Cook, with lid down, turning once, until grill marks appear, about 4 minutes. Move potatoes to cooler part of grill; and continue to cook with lid down until paring knife slips in and out of potatoes easily, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Remove potatoes from skewers and transfer to bowl with reserved garlic/oil mixture; add chives and toss until thoroughly coated. Serve immediately.

The decadent burger

From Washingtonian.com

How To Build a Better Burger, part 2

The Decadent Burger

By Fabio Trabocchi of Maestro

Headcheese terrine:

1 pig head (about 6 pounds)
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 small onion, skin removed
1 celery heart
1 rosemary sprig
3 garlic cloves
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons rock salt
2 tablespoons crushed white peppercorns
5 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons Osetra caviar (for topping)

Set the pig’s head under cold, running water for 6 hours. Cover the head in a stockpot with salted water, ice, and the white-wine vinegar. Refrigerate overnight.

Drain the water from the stockpot and set it aside. Set the head under cold running water as you prepare the rest of the ingredients or about 1 hour.

Place the head and reserved water in a pot just big enough to hold it. Set the pot over medium-low heat. Skimming the surface frequently, simmer for 20 minutes, until water is slightly cloudy. Add the onion, celery, rosemary, garlic, bay leaves, rock salt, and white pepper.

Simmer very slowly for 8 hours, skimming occasionally and making sure the water stays above the head.

When the head is cooked (its flesh falls off the bone), remove the pot from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Drain the liquid and place the head on a sheet pan. Pull all the meat from the bone and set aside.

Pull flat a piece of plastic wrap 1 foot by 2 feet across a countertop. Arrange the pieces of meat along the side of the plastic closest to you. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Pull the edge of the plastic over the meat and roll into a tightly packed cylinder until all the plastic is used. Tie each end of the cylinder with kitchen string. Refrigerate overnight.

Cut the terrine into 1/2-inch slices and drizzle with olive oil. Let the slices rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Split a bun and toast lightly. Place 2 tablespoons of potato salad (recipe follows) on the bottom of the bun, then top with a slice of headcheese terrine. Finish with a quenelle of Osetra caviar. Serve immediately.

Potato salad:

3 cups canola oil
11/2 pounds small red-skin potatoes, diced
1/2 pound bacon, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 bunch of dill, leaves only
4 egg yolks
1/2 small shallot
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
2 eggs, hard-boiled and diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Place 2 cups of canola oil in a sautee pan over high heat. Heat the oil to 350 degrees temperature. Working in small batches, shallow fry the potatoes until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes each batch. Drain the potatoes on a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

Set a sautee pan over low heat and render the fat from the bacon. Once the bacon is crispy, discard it and add the diced onion to the fat. Sauteethe onion until soft and translucent. Strain, cool, and set aside.

In a food processor, puree the dill, egg yolks, shallot, half of the lemon juice, and the white-wine vinegar until smooth. While the processor is running, slowly add the remaining cup of canola oil. Once the mixture is blended into a smooth green mayonnaise, season to taste.

In a bowl, fold together the potatoes, sauteed onions, diced egg, and vinaigrette. Season to taste.

Creamy scalloped potatoes, vegan style

From FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Usually scalloped potatoes have to bake for an hour or so. I've cut the baking time by pre-cooking the sliced potatoes. But be careful--sliced potatoes can become over-cooked quickly.

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (I used 8 medium)
water, to cover
Paprika or white pepper
Salt (optional)
Sauce ingredients:

1 1/4 cups water
1 cup plain soymilk
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons raw cashew butter
1 teaspoon white miso

Place a large pot, half-filled with water, to boil while you prepare the potatoes. Using a mandolin, food processor, or a very steady hand, slice the scrubbed potatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices. They need to be a uniform size, so a mandolin is preferred.

When the water is boiling, add the potato slices and make sure they are covered with water. If not, add just enough to cover. Boil for 5-8 minutes, just until barely tender. Be very careful--they go from raw to falling apart in seconds. You do not want them to fall apart!

As soon as the potatoes are tender, remove them from the heat, pour them into a colander to remove the water, and rinse them with cold water.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Prepare the sauce by blending the sauce ingredients together, either in a blender or with a hand blender, until smooth.

Place the potato slices into an oiled casserole dish one layer at a time. Sprinkle each layer with a little salt and paprika or white pepper before adding the next layer. Stir the sauce, and pour it over all the potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes, or until sauce has thickened throughout. Serve warm. Make your kids taste it!

Holiday scalloped potatoes, with real cream

From Tastefully Done

This one is from Cook's Illustrated and it's really rich and creamy...not really for weeknights, but perfect for Easter/Christmas. I think the food processor is a necessary tool for getting the potatoes the right size...

Serves 8 to 10. Published February 1, 2005.

For the fastest and most consistent results, slice the potatoes in a food processor.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion , minced
2 medium cloves garlic , minced (about 2 teaspoons)
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 pounds russet potatoes , peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, melt butter in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until foaming subsides, about 1 minute. Add onion and sauté until it turns soft and begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cream, milk, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and potatoes and bring to simmer. Cover, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain light simmer, and cook until potatoes are almost tender (paring knife can be slipped into and out of center of potato slice with some resistance), about 15 minutes.

2. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Transfer potato mixture to 3-quart gratin dish and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cream has thickened and is bubbling around sides and top is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Peanut flavored potatoes

From Dutch Girl Cooking

Okay, so sometimes I’m definitely a few sandwiches short of a picnic, but I do have my moments! Oh yes, I do! This is one of them!

This recipe has been brooding in my mind for some time now. I have this thing for incorporating peanut butter into my recipes; it really adds depth to meat, chicken and even soups and stews come to life when you add a slight hint of peanut flavor to them. Or at least I like to think it does. I’ve created lots of ‘peanut dishes’ over the years, but mainly meat or chicken based recipes.

I’ve got my Nigerian Suya with chicken and regular peanuts, which is yummy. And my Ghanaian peanut soup, Indonesian Chicken Salad as well as my Indonesian Steak Sandwich all call for peanut butter. I guess it’s safe to say I’m a bit of a peanut freak.

This time I wanted to see if I could get a little peanut flavor into a simple side-dish as well. Especially with BBQ season right around the corner, and well, a BBQ without a few good side-dishes is no BBQ to me. Then it hit me! I absolutely love satay sauce with my fries or even on top of my baked potatoes. Why not bake them together to begin with?

You’re gonna love me for this one, mark my words!

Ingredients:

1 pound potatoes
3 tbsp peanut butter
5 tbsp chicken broth
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp curry powder
1 small chili pepper
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 garlic clove
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp oil

Directions:

Peel, wash and dice 1 pound potatoes. Cut them in about 1 1/2 inch pieces.

Parboil them in generously salted water until slightly fork tender but not cooked all the way through. You’re aiming for potatoes that still have a little bite to them, so to speak. I popped mine in the microwave and gave them about 10 minutes. (zout means salt, in case you were wondering:)

I like it real spicy, so I’ve de-seeded and chopped a small green chili pepper. Feel free to tone it down a little if this is too spicy for you—you can also use a pinch of cayenne, but you do want to have a little kick to the potatoes later on, so don’t leave it out all-together.

Grate or mince a large garlic clove as well. Two if you’re really into garlic, or when you have a serious vampire problem in your neighborhood.

I’ve combined 3 heaping tbsp peanut butter, 1 tsp oil, 2 tbsp soy sauce, a heaping 1/8 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp curry powder and 2 tbsp chicken broth with each other. To keep this a vegetarian dish, simply replace the chicken with vegetable broth.

Start whisking until you end up with a thick paste.

Add the minced chili pepper and garlic and stir it in.

Finally, add 3 more tbsp chicken (or vegetable) stock and 1 tsp (or more) sugar and stir to combine.

In the mean time, back at the mansion… the potatoes should be done. Well, not done done. You should be able to pierce them with a fork, yet feel they’re still slightly undercooked. Drain them and dab them dry.

Transfer them to a baking dish where they’ll fit snugly together, yet won’t be stacked on top of each other. Pour the peanut dressing in there and coat every potato with it. The rest will lurk at the bottom. Pop them in a pre-heated oven and bake at 350F (175C) for 45 minutes.

Flip them over every 15 minutes or so. This to prevent the peanut sauce on top from burning and to make sure they’re evenly coated with peanut flavor.

Roughly 45 minutes and 3 turns later, they should have a nice brown peanut layer to them. If you want to give them a little extra tan, turn on the grill for an additional 5 minutes.

Garnish with chopped parsley, serve them, sit back and check out the faces of people taking their first bite… it’s fun! I’m easily amused. These babies taste every bit as good as they look!