Gifting: Best Butterscotch Sauce

He who eats with most pleasure is he who least requires sauce. – Xenophon 

Sauce, a jar and a spoon. A perfect small gift that won't break the bank.

Although true for the most part, I certainly can’t picture a banana spit without strawberry, chocolate and butterscotch sauce. Mmmm, butterscotch.

Butter. Scotch. There’s a reason why those two words are in the name of this delicious topping.

Before boiling.

In my mind you have to use Scotch. It’s like making seafood chowder with no seafood. It’s just not right.

In truth, butterscotch is a sweet delight that contains only brown sugar and butter, although corn syrup, cream, vanilla, and salt are common in recipes. Actual Scotch in butterscotch recipes is a little harder to find.

There are several theories on the origin of the name “butterscotch.” One is a connection to Scotland. Another that the word Scotch was derived from “Scorch.” The word "butterscotch" was first recorded in 1817 by a candy maker in Doncaster, UK. Doncaster certainly isn’t in Scotland, but at least it’s in the same country.

Butterscotch is a cousin of toffee, the difference is butterscotch is boiled to the soft crack stage instead of hard crack. Butterscotch sauce is most commonly used as a topping for ice cream. But it can be used in other ways as well, for example drizzled on whipped cream on cocoa or coffee.

About a minute before total cooking time.

This recipe is a breeze and makes picture perfect gifts. I bought two jars and two nice spoons at the Dollarstore. Yes, some Dollarstores have decent, heavy cutlery. Combined, they make a lovely little hostess (or host) gift that anyone would be happy to receive.

The recipe comes together in about 12-15 minutes, including boiling and cooling. I know. I made this twice. The ingredients listed below make 350 ml of butterscotch. The jars I bought were 330 ml.

Since this was the first time I made this I thought I would err on the side of caution and make one jar. If it was an abject failure I wouldn’t be wasting all the ingredients.

It wasn’t an abject failure. Quite the contrary. The recipe makes a dark brown butterscotch, almost like a light chocolate sauce.

If you prefer a lighter coloured sauce, use light brown sugar and white corn syrup.

I’m not sure who’s going to get these cute little pots yet, but I’m sure I’ll find someone deserving of my minimal effort!

I used Johnnie Walker Red, because it was on
hand. Any good Scotch can be used.

Best Butterscotch Sauce

Cook: 8 min  | Yield: 350ml

1-1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed*

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup butter

3 tbsp golden corn syrup*

1/4 cup whisky

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Place the sugar, cream, butter and corn syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium (still boiling) and let cook for 8 minutes. Stir often.

At the end of the 8 minutes the sugar will be completely dissolved, the bubbles will be light but the underlying liquid will be thick and dark.

Let cool for about 5 minutes. Then stir in the Scotch and vanilla.

Pour into a jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate. The sauce will thicken considerably when chilled.

If you wish, heat the sauce slightly before serving for a warm topping on ice cream, cake, etc.

* For a lighter coloured butterscotch, use light brown sugar and white corn syrup.

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Gourmet Gifting or Buffet: “Faux” Foie Gras

In any ethical situation, the thing you want least to do is probably the right action. – Jerry Pournelle 

Many gourmet gifts, plus a couple for the chef!

Some foods are rightly called guilty pleasures. There’s many reasons for this. Some are high in calories, some are decadent and rich, some are bad for your health, and some are ethically bad.

Yes, that's one cup of butter.

What this recipe mimics – for many folks – falls into the last category. Foie gras (French for "fat liver") is the liver of a duck or goose that has been purposefully fattened. I have to admit, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it a few times when dining out.

Foie Gras was considered a delicacy thousands of years ago by the Egyptians. It came from the geese that had migrated from their summer habitat in Scandinavia to their winter one on the Egyptian Delta. 

They discovered that these birds had very large, fatty (and delicious) livers. This was due to the geese stocking up fuel in their liver for the long flight from northern Europe to Africa.

Don't be tempted to taste. It's still raw!

Clever goose farmers learned that you could force feed the animals and get the same, if not greater, result. Today the liver of a force-fed goose is six to ten times its normal size.

On an episode of Diary of a Foodie, a show by the now defunct Gourmet magazine, we were taken to a French foie gras farm where the geese seemed to be treated quite well, and were free-range. They were force-fed, but didn’t seem to be harmed in any way or caused much, if anything, in the way of distress.

As you can imagine, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) tends to think the contrary. I just read what they have posted about foie gras. Suffice it to say I don’t want to repeat any of it here. They painted a nasty picture.

There are good farmers and bad farmers everywhere. I would imagine, like everything else, the truth lies somewhere between. The extremes of either end of an ethical question should equally be mistrusted.

So how about if you could avoid the issue all together? No one cares about chickens, right?

Evenly space the dishes in a 9x13.

Well, this recipe makes a pâté that is very, very reminiscent of foie gras without any of the guilt. It is smooth, creamy, rich and delicious.

I took the main recipe from the one shown on the Diary of a Foodie episode I spoke of above, but made some alterations.

This is a great thing to have out on a buffet, or as a host/hostess gift, or as part of a food basket gift.

To gift I purchased four cage-top jars at the Dollarstore. I think they were about 1/2 cup in size. In hindsight I should have purchased more, or bigger ones. I filled four plus two other containers.

I know many people who will be very happy to receive a pot of this. All it needs is a crusty baguette. Which I am making today!

When baked, the mousse will be set through to the centre.
No jiggling when moved. Let cool completely before
sealing with the gelée.

“Faux” Foie Gras

Adapted from Diary of a Foodie, Season 1: Contraband Cuisine

Prep: 45 min  |  Total time: 3 hours (includes cooling)

Special: 6 or 8 x 125 ml cage-top jars

For the mousse

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup butter

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp truffle oil (optional)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 lb chicken livers, trimmed of visible fat*

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper, plus more for in gelée

For the gelée

1 cup chicken stock

2 tsp unflavored gelatin

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp hot sauce

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.

To make the mousse, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium low until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the truffle oil and remaining butter. Stir until the butter melts.

To show the result I dipped in with a spoon before they were
refrigerated. They will firm up more. This is really rich,
delicious stuff. The truffle oil makes a world of difference.

Clean any sinews and fat from the chicken livers. Place the onion mixture and cream in a food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth.

With the motor running drop the livers in, one at a time. Add the salt and pepper and process until very smooth. The mixture will be very light in texture.

Arrange the mousse baking dishes in a 9”x13” dish. Fill each small dish to about 1/4” from the top with the mousse mixture. Wrap the top of each one with foil and fill the 9x13 with water to about halfway up the sides of the mousse containers.

Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. The mousse will be set through to the centre.

Remove from the water bath and let cool for at least 2 hours on the counter. Once the mousse is cool, make the gelée.

Pour the chicken stock into a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin on top of the stock and let soften for about one minute. Slowly heat the mixture to just below boiling, swirling to make sure the gelatin dissolves.

Remove from the heat, stir in the sugar and hot sauce. Sprinkle a generous amount of cracked black pepper (must be cracked, not ground) on top of each pâté. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the gelée on top and let set.

Once the gelée sets, cover tightly and refrigerate.

* If you can find them, duck livers would make this even closer to real foie gras. I don't think you can get them here in Halifax.

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Booze of the Week: Jalapeno Lime Liqueur

All creative people want to do the unexpected. – Hedy Lamarr 

The green devil.

It is 4AM as I write this post. I have been up for an hour and a half. I hate it when I can’t sleep. There's a nap later in my day I bet.

The first boil with the peppers.

What would a sane person do in the same circumstance? Maybe have a cup of cocoa and try to go back to sleep? Not me. I do the unexpected. I make liqueur.

Actually, it’s more of “I ‘finish’ making liqueur.” I started this one a week ago. It’s for Holiday gifting, and I was planning on bottling it today, bust just not so early… 

It’s a bit of an oddity, this one:  jalapeno lime liqueur.

Jalapeno liqueur may sound a bit unusual, but it’s not unheard of. Can you imagine the unexpected boost it would provide to Christmas or New Years cocktails or martinis?

After infusing for one week.
Kind of sickly yellow-green.

If you start making this liqueur in the next day or two you can have it ready for December 31. Just think of the fun you can have!

I was going to post a drink recipe that uses this green devil, but instead I think I’ll post a link. If you click HERE you’ll open a window to  barnonedrinks.com that lists 11 different alcoholic drinks that use jalapeno pepper.

I would suggest that you could simply do a substitute. Where it lists jalapeno, use 1/2 or 1 ounce of this jalapeno liqueur.

There’s some interesting names: Cajun Martini, Life in Hell shooter, and Sweet heat cocktail are only three. The last one in the list has an interesting name, too. You’ll have to go to see it.

Strain through cloth.

Hmm. Shooters. I never thought of that. I bet this liqueur would be very good in a shooter. Scarily good.

So how hot is this? For the most part it’s up to you. I’ve listed 4 to 6 jalapenos. The number of jalapenos depends on two factors: the size and how hot you want your final liqueur to be. I used four jalapenos, but they were on the large size.

My end result has quite a tingle on the tongue.

The drop of food colouring serves an important purpose. It tints the liqueur a delicate green, and it also serves as a visual warning that jalapenos were used in this liqueur’s creation.

I hope the friends on my gift list appreciate spice!

A beautiful light green, and evil.

Jalapeno Lime Liqueur

Time: 1 week  |  Yield 4 x 375 ml

750 ml vodka

4-6 jalapenos, with seeds

2-1/2 cups sugar

2-1/2 cups water

rind of 1 lime

1 drop of green food colouring

Wash the jalapenos well and pat dry. Trim off the stem ends and slice the remaining pepper.

Combine 2 cups of the sugar, 2 cups of water, the sliced pepper and lime rind in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes. At the end of the time, place the mixture in a Mason jar (or other non-metal container with a tight fitting lid) and refrigerate for one week.

A the end of the week place the mixture, including the peppers and rind, back in a saucepan. Add the final 1/2 cup of sugar and water. Bring to a boil again and cook for 5 more minutes.

Strain the mixture through a cloth-lined sieve. Let cool slightly. Then combine with the vodka and bottle.

Label the bottles clearly. This is quite spicy!

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Gifting: Mission Fig Preserve

Memory: what wonders it performs in preserving and storing up things gone by – or rather, things that are. – Plutarch

Savoury and tart – perfect with cured meats, pâté and cheese.

Preserves are our way of storing up the bounty of the fruit harvest to enjoy all winter long. Homemade preserves are always a welcome gift, no matter what the celebration.

Most times when we think of preserves we think of sweet jams and jellies with toast for breakfast. Delicious strawberry, or raspberry, orange, grape plum, currants...

Essentially, chop, cook and bottle.

But there are savoury preserves too. You would be right to think it a little strange that all that sugar in the fruit could turn into something more savoury than sweet, but it does.

Savoury preserves are the perfect accompaniment for cured meats, pâtés or cheeses. All you really need for a wonderful Holiday evening is some fresh, crusty baguettes. And some wine. Don’t forget the wine.

Preserves include a wide range of kitchen products like jams, jellies, and marmalades. The word refers to the act of “putting up” fruits in cooked spreads where they can be shelved for long periods of time. In essence, preserving the fruit for later.

Some preserve recipes may contain seeds and/or skin, depending on the cook’s preference. Usually only fruits high in pectin and natural sugars are used for preserve recipes, since other fruits are harder to make gel. 

Figs are a low pectin fruit. For jam they are usually combined with a high pectin fruit, like apple. It doesn’t mean you can’t make a preserve from them alone. Just don’t expect it to be jellied like your strawberry jam. This is more of a "cooked spread.” As such it won't have the shelf life of a jam or jelly, and needs to be refrigerated.

Bring to a boil...

The Mission fig (Black Mission or Franciscana) is a very common variety of fig (Ficus carica). It was first introduced to North America in 1768 when Franciscan missionaries planted trees in San Diego, California.

Mission figs are the purple and green ones we see fresh in grocery stores here in Nova Scotia. When dried, they become very dark—essentially black. In that form they are available year-round. I purchased mine at the Bulk Barn.

Mission figs are sugary-sticky, sweet and contain plenty of fibre. They are widely considered one of the highest-quality fruits grown in the United States. 

This recipe will make some of those on my Holiday gift list happy. I still have to get around to making pâté to go with it, and finally baguettes. But the bread will have to wait until the 23rd or 24th.

And let cook until basically dry. But stir so it won't stick.

I’m going to try to make “faux gras” tomorrow night (recipe from Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie). So come back in a day or two to find out how to do it. I’m getting closer all the time to finishing my list!

Before I forget I should tell you the best place to get “cage top” jars. It’s the Dollar Store. Yup. Just make sure you check the seal to ensure it closes tightly. You can’t beat the price ($1 to $1.50), and they look really great containing your homemade gifts.

Mission Fig Preserve

Prep: 10 min  |  Cook: 30-35 min  |  Yield 3 x 250 ml jars

3 cups dried Mission figs

1 small onion

2 cups water

1 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

juice and rind of 2 oranges

2” piece cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Cut the stems off the figs and place in a food processor. Add the onion and orange rind to the figs and process until fairly small.

Combine in a saucepan with the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium high and cook until almost dry. This will take about 1/2 hour.

Stir often while it cooks, breaking up any larger pieces of fig with the spatula as it cooks.

Let cool slightly and then pack in clean, sterilized jars. Let the preserve finish cooling on the counter and then refrigerate.

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Gourmet Homemade Gift: Peppermint Syrup

I like to have a martini, Two at the very most. After three I'm under the table, after four I'm under my host. – Dorothy Parker

Syrupy goodness for your next martini?

Here’s a quickie that you can make in less than 1/2 hour. I  had such success with the gingerbread syrup (see yesterday's post) that I thought this would make a good companion for it when gifting this season.

All you need is sugar, water and peppermint extract.
The drop of red food colouring is optional, but nice.

Syrups are multi-purpose. Not only do they add unexpected delight in a steaming cup of coffee or cocoa, but they also fit more than comfortably in martinis or other mixed drinks.

How you use it is limited only by your imagination.

Syrups are not cheap to purchase. Because of the cost many people just don’t bother to buy them. They’re a bit of a luxury.

So why not give a homemade luxury gourmet gift this Christmas? It’s sure to be appreciated, and can be done essentially at the last minute.

If you’ve already bought presents for everyone on your list, you could whip up some syrups to make your holiday parties oh-so-interesting. Think of the smiles on the faces of guests when offered a gingerbread or peppermint martini. 

They would be certain to bring out the caroller in just about anyone. Deck those halls!

If you want to make a peppermint martini, try this:

2 oz vanilla vodka

1/2 oz white crème de menthe

1/2 oz peppermint syrup

candy canes, crushed or whole

lime, optional

1/2 oz cream, optional

Shake the vodka, crème de menthe and syrup with ice in a martini shaker. If using the cream include it when you shake.

Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with a whole candy cane. If you’re fancy, crush a couple candy canes in a mortar and pestle to make a powder. Wet the rim of the glass with lime and then dip in the candy cane powder.

Mmmmm, festive. And dangerous!

Peppermint Syrup

Cook: 20 min  |  Yield: 2 x 375 ml

3 cups water

2-3/4 cups white sugar

1 tbsp peppermint extract

1 drop red food colouring

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil and let cook (without stirring) on full heat for 18-20 minutes. At the end of the time the temperature of  the liquid should be about 210°F.

Remove the pot from the heat, let cool slightly and then add the peppermint extract and food colouring.

Bottle and refrigerate.

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Gifting: 14th C. Lumbard Mustard

Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. – Samuel Ullman 

Two 250 ml jars, nearly full.

You know you’re special when you’re given something really out of the ordinary. How much more out of the ordinary can you get than a mustard recreated from an ancient recipe?

The Forme of Cury. Photo: University of Manchester Library website.

This is an old recipe. Very old to be exact. It's from a medieval manuscript. Believe it or not, mustards are among the most mentioned sauces in surviving medieval food texts. 

Mustard was cultivated and eaten in Rome, was known in France in the late 700s, and in England and Germany by the 1100s. Like the Romans, medieval mustard was created by pounding seed in a mortar and moistening with vinegar. 

Differences occurred regionally as well as nationally. French mustards usually had spices. An English recipe of 1615 added onion and pepper. This recipe is English, but far earlier in date.

The use of mustard in medieval times was widespread. This had quite a lot to do with their health, or at least what they supposed would benefit their health.

Mustard as a medieval medicinal

Up until the 1800s, medicine was a blend of observation and spirituality. This is illustrated by the medical theory of "humours."

The theory stated that within every person there were four humours (principal fluids) – black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. These were thought to be produced by various organs in the body, and they had to be in balance for a person to remain healthy. 

The four humours were also associated with the four seasons: black bile with autumn, yellow bile with summer, phlegm with winter and blood with spring.

As an example of their thought process, too much phlegm in the body caused lung problems. The phlegm wasn’t a result – it was the cause. The balance of humours could be realigned by diet, medicines, and blood-letting (leeches). 

The wet, winter humour (phlegm) was considered a common hazard. Since phlegm was cold and wet, the heat and "dryness" of mustard could therefore restore balance.

The basic recipe for mustard was simple. Ground mustard seeds (black was considered better than white) were moistened with grape must, vinegar or wine. Other ingredients were added depending on region.

The Forme of Cury

This is my departure point to recreate this ancient condiment:

The Forme of Cury: A Roll Of Ancient English Cookery,

Compiled, about A.D. 1390, by the

Master-Cooks of King Richard II

The Forme of Cury, 'the (proper) method of cookery,' is the best known surviving guide to medieval cooking. The surviving manuscript contains around 200 recipes, compiled by the master cooks in the Royal Household of Richard II of England. 

The original is now in the possession of the University of Manchester in the UK. They are currently digitizing it so we can all see it.

The recipes outline the foods prepared for the highest classes, including stews, roast dishes, jellies, tarts and custards. Contrary to what we may think about food for the rich, most recipes are rather basic by today's standards with little in the way of spice or sweetness.

  

As written in the manuscript:

LUMBARD MUSTARD. XX.VII. V.

Take Mustard seed and waishe it & drye it in an ovene, grynde it drye. farse it thurgh a farse. clarifie hony with wyne & vynegur & stere it wel togedrer and make it thikke ynowz. & whan ou wilt spende erof make it tnynne with wyne.

Got that? I think I do. Just so you know, the wine vinegar only cost about $1.50 and the mustard seeds were $1.19. Pretty cheap for two most definitely gourmet gifts.

Lumbard mustard. It's got quite a bite, which will mellow
somewhat as it ages. It beckons for ham.

14th C. Lumbard Mustard*

Makes a scant 2 cups

100g brown mustard seeds

1 cup white wine vinegar

2 tbsp mustard powder

2 tbsp honey

3/4 tsp sea salt

Place the seeds in small jar with a cover. Pour the white wine vinegar into the jar with the seeds. Shake and then let sit undisturbed for 24  hours.

Place the seeds and soaking liquid in a blender or food processor with the mustard powder, honey and sea salt. Process to a paste consistency.

Put in glass jars, and let sit at least 4 days before serving. The flavour will deepen over time.

*The original did not soak the mustard seeds, but since I wasn’t in the mood to hand grind 1/2 cup of seeds I opted for soaking and letting the blender do all the work.

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