M-J’s Elegant Burger Canapés

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Hamburger Buns

Hamburger Buns Ready for Outdoor Barbecue, Photo Copyright M-J de Mesterton 2009

Hamburger Buns
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons of active dry yeast
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of warm water (110° to 115°)—hotter water will kill the yeast
• 1/3 cup of vegetable oil (do not use canola oil, which tastes fishy in baked goods; peanut, corn or pure vegetable oils are preferred)
• 1/4 cup of sugar, any variety
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 3 to 3-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Directions:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Then, add the egg, salt, and flour.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead for about four minutes, until smooth and elastic, adding flour as needed. Form the dough into a ball, cover, and let it rise for ten minutes. Divide the dough into 12 flat, round pieces. Place 3 inches apart on buttered baking sheets.
Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Bake on top oven rack at 400° for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Monitor closely to prevent burning. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. This recipe makes twelve hamburger buns. For dinner rolls, do not flatten but shape your twelve dough pieces into balls.

~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton, Elegant Survival 2008

Elegant, Economical British Dishes Presented by Elaine Lemm on Video

Delicious, Economical British Classics Presented by Elaine Lemm

Here are three classic British recipes presented in video form by Elaine Lemm on about.com: the Cornish Pasty (a favorite in my family for four generations, which I made for English-Speaking Union parties at my house many times); Bakewell Tart (invented in Bakewell, England), an elegant dessert, the taste of which  reminds me of Danish pastry; and Irish Colcannon–a vitamin-rich, green-and-white dish that could serve as an economical meal, which contains three vegetables.

Buttermilk Biscuits, a Surprisingly Good Accompaniment to Dinner

M-J’s Buttermilk Biscuits

3 cups of white or unbleached white flour

3 teaspoons of baking powder

One teaspoon of salt (I use Himalayan salt)

1 and 1/4 cups of buttermilk

One stick of butter (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup of lard (manteca)

1/2 cup of flour for working dough on the counter

¼ cup of melted butter and lard for brushing layers—composed of equal parts of each

Arrange bits of butter and lard over the 3 cups of flour in a large bowl. Toss butter and lard with flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the fats into the dry ingredients, and add a tablespoon of cold water, mixing until the dough looks like a bunch of small peas. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Put into refrigerator for about ten minutes. Remove to counter again and incorporate the buttermilk, mixing gently. 2. Turn dough out onto your counter, which has been dusted with flour. Gently knead the biscuit dough 3 or 4 times, adding a bit of extra flour if necessary. With floured hands, form dough into a rectangular shape, about ½ inch thick. Brush dough with a bit of your melted fat mixture, and dust it with flour. Fold dough over onto itself. Roll it out into a new rectangle, brush again with melted fat and dust with flour. Repeat the last two steps once more. Cut 3/4 inch high dough into biscuits with a small glass or my favorite, an empty, clean  tomato paste can. If you are using the biscuits for canapes, roll the dough 1/2 inch thick. Brush tops with melted fat. These layered biscuits are easy to crack open and fill with marmalade or, if one uses them as canapes, various meats. To make a croissant biscuit, cut the dough, which has been flattened to 1/8 inch, four inches wide and brush with melted fat as above. Roll and pinch ends together.

Bake biscuits in a pre-heated 450° oven until they are lightly browned.

Serve with chicken dishes of all kinds; these biscuits also complement beef and pork. If you have company for breakfast, making these fresh biscuits is sure to be appreciated, especially if served with a selection of jams, jellies and marmalade.

M-J's Buttermilk Biscuits

M-J de Mesterton, 2009

M-J's Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Patties

Recipe and Photo Copyright M-J de Mesterton 2009

Elegant Roast: Tri-Tip Beef

I’ve never had a tough piece of tri-tip beef, whether it’s steak or a loin roast.
I’ll be writing a recipe for this reliable cut of beef in a couple of days. Stay tuned to Elegant Cuisine!

Tri-Tip Roast with Chunky Mirepoix, Copyright M-J de Mesterton 2008

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Tri-Tip Pot Roast with Chunky Mirepois

Marinate a tri-tip roast in a little bit of red port wine, Worcestershire sauce, coarsely ground black pepper, seasoning salt, and a little bit of your favorite oil; olive, peanut or corn oil. After a few hours, dry the roast and reserve the remaining marinade for sauce. Dust the meat with salt and pepper. This absorbs the external moisture to help in searing the roast. In a Dutch Oven, or a big, heavy pot, melt a half-stick of butter on high heat, when the butter begins to brown, lower the meat into the pot. Brown it on all sides, Add coarsely chopped onion, celery, carrots (miniature peeled carrots are perfect for this dish), and some quartered potatoes. Stir these vegetables in the pot around the roast, cooking them  until their edges are brown, and then add one or two cups of beef broth (depending upon the size of your roast)  mixed with the marinade. Stir the vegetables again, let the liquid come to a boil, then lower the heat to simmering and and cover the pot. Cook to your desired degree. I cook mine about one hour, because we like it well-done. For company, you may want to cook it medium-well, leaving the middle pink. Remove the meat and vegetables. I make gravy from what is remaining in the pot. After the meat has cooled a bit, I slice it very thinly with a very sharp Japanese ceramic knife. You can put the sliced beef on a platter, on top of a shallow pool of the gravy. Trim the beef by placing vegetables around it. If you have a warming tray, set your platter on it to keep the dish warm. Alternatively, you may arrange the meat and vegetables in a buffet-handled pan and reheat on the stove just before serving.