Thursday, March 10, 2011

Flambe. It makes EVERYTHING better.

To Flambe: Cooking) dipped in or covered with a flammable liqueur and set afire when served; - usually used postpositively.




Giving in to my massive little pyro side I almost set the house on fire last night. (Hope the landlord doesn't read my blog!) Making a crimini mushroom reduction (to top husbanface's steak) I thought nothing could make this concoction better than a little cognac. So forgetting every lesson I ever learned about alcohol and fire I added a splash to the pan while my burner was on and in full force. Big big mistake. Let's just say our smoke alarms are working JUST fine thankyouverymuch. I placed a pan on top of my sauce and prayed it would still taste good, and then proceeded to run around my house like a maniac fanning smoke with brooms and pillows. Well don't worry bloggy friends because my sauce came out amazing and my home is still intact.

Should you want to add a little fire to your meal here are some tips before you risk firemen showing up at your house.

*Use a pan with well rounded, and deep sides. A long handle helps for safety as well.

*Turn burner off first before adding your liquor of choice.

* Do NOT pour the liquid straight from the bottle into the pan unless the bottle has a stopper. A man at culinary school did this and the fire went back into the bottle creating a rocket like effect and blowing out a window. It does happen so be safe.

*Don't add to much. It should complement the food not overpower it.

Good luck friends! I leave you with a recipe I found on www.Mydailyfind.com

Jack’s Cherries Jubilee

1 pound Bing or other dark, sweet cherries, rinsed and pitted (or use frozen pitted cherries)

1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1 cup orange juice

1 cup brandy, divided

1 teaspoon almond extract

1-quart premium vanilla ice cream





Bring cherries orange juice and zest to simmer in a 12-inch skillet. Add 1/2 cup of the brandy; simmer to blend and concentrate flavors, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in almond extract; pour in remaining brandy. Carefully ignite to burn off alcohol. In each of eight bowls, put 1/2-cup scoop of ice cream and spoon sauce over ice cream. Enjoy!

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