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Subterranean Homepage News
4.11.2001 00:23
Easter eggs, ham, and spuds -- made easy
BY JANE SNOW
Knight Ridder Newspapers
Today we present a primer on everything Easter. If you're hazy about the length of time to cook a ham or want to know why some hard-boiled eggs are so darn hard to peel, read on.
Hard-cooked eggs
Notice we didn't write "hard-boiled." Boiling produces that greenish ring around the yolk and makes the egg rubbery.
The best method for hard-cooking eggs is to place clean, uncracked eggs in a pan of cold water. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Your eggs will be firm but not bouncy, with an almost creamy (but fully cooked) yolk.
Doesn't it drive you crazy when the hard-cooked egg white sticks to the shell? The solution is to buy your eggs several days -- preferably a week -- in advance. The shells of older eggs slip right off, while the shells of very fresh eggs stick like glue.
The explanation for this is that eggs are porous. Over time, air enters the shell and forms a pocket between the shell and the tissue-thin membrane lining the shell. When eggs are very fresh, there is no air pocket and the shell sticks to the egg white.
Don't allow hard-cooked eggs to remain at room temperature for longer than two hours. Yes, your grandmother and maybe even your parents let the colored eggs sit out all day and no one became ill. But in your parents' day, there was no such thing as salmonella enteritidis, a nasty bacterium that has infected some of America's in-shell eggs. Refrigerate the eggs to be safe. Hard-cooked eggs will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
To help the egg dye cling to the shells, use hot water and add a splash of vinegar.
The ham
In order of preference, based on how much water has been added, here are the four categories of ham:
Ham. Nothing is added, and the ham goes through a long, slow cure. This is the dry-cured ham known as country ham. It's seldom found in stores.
Ham with natural juices. No water is added, but the curing is quicker.
Ham -- water added. Some water is injected into the ham.
Ham and water product. Lots of water has been injected into the meat. You're paying for water at ham prices.
The label will tell you which kind of ham you're buying. If the ham has water added, make sure that is reflected in the price. Also, look for "naturally smoked" on the label. This means it was smoked over a smoldering fire, rather than injected with smoke flavoring.
Most hams are fully cooked, but heating brings out the flavor. A modern cured ham (not a country ham) should be baked uncovered at 325 degrees for 15 minute per pound.
The potatoes
Making decent scalloped potatoes is not difficult.
The French gently cook the sliced potatoes before layering them in a casserole. The potatoes are simmered in milk or -- if you want to go all-out cream. The milk or cream permeates the potatoes and creates an almost silken texture.
Next, the potatoes are layered in a casserole with gruyere cheese (real Swiss cheese, before the flavor is cooked out of it by commercial cheese processors). The final touch is a dusting of nutmeg. Now that's scalloped potatoes.
Here are a few recipes for Easter dinner
HONEY-MUSTARD HAM GLAZE
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
Combine all ingredients. Thirty minutes before ham is done, remove from oven and spoon on glaze. Continue baking for 30 minutes, basting occasionally with glaze.
FRENCH SCALLOPED POTATOES (GRATIN DAUPHINOIS)
9 large potatoes (about 3 pounds)
2 cups milk
Salt
White pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
1 clove garlic, cut in half
11/2 cups shredded gruyere cheese (Swiss cheese)
3 tablespoons butter
Peel potatoes and cut into thin slices. Do not rinse. Dry with paper towels.
Bring milk to a boil in a large saucepan. Add salt, pepper, a dash of nutmeg and potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes, lifting potatoes gently now and then to keep them from sticking to pan. Be careful not to break potato slices.
Rapidly whisk a small amount of the hot milk into the beaten egg. Stir into the potato-milk mixture.
Rub the insides of an ovenproof casserole with the cut sides of the garlic, then with a little of the butter. Spread half of the potato-milk mixture in the dish. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Add remaining potatoes and remaining cheese. Dot with the butter.
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. The potatoes should be crisp on top and creamy inside.
Makes 8 servings.
-- From Cuisine of the Rose by Mireille Johnston
STUFFED EGGS
12 hard-cooked eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
2 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Cayenne, salt, paprika to taste
Slice eggs lengthwise and carefully remove yolks. Mash yolks with remaining ingredients and pile back into egg whites, mounding in center. Chill.
Makes 24.
-- From The Complete Book of Egg Cookery by Ann Seranne
Here are other seasonings to add to egg yolks when making deviled eggs. Each recipe is for three eggs. For very full-stuffed eggs, cook 1 extra egg for each 3 eggs, and add the extra yolk to the filling.
TARRAGON, PAPRIKA AND MAYONNAISE
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1 to 2 pinches paprika
Pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
OLIVE AND MAYONNAISE
2 teaspoons prepared black olive tapenade
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
Freshly ground pepper
CILANTRO, CURRY AND MAYONNAISE OR YOGURT
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon mayonnaise or plain yogurt
Pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
-- From The Artful Chicken by Linda Arnaud (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $29.95)
Easter eggs, ham, and spuds -- made easy
BY JANE SNOW
Knight Ridder Newspapers
Today we present a primer on everything Easter. If you're hazy about the length of time to cook a ham or want to know why some hard-boiled eggs are so darn hard to peel, read on.
Hard-cooked eggs
Notice we didn't write "hard-boiled." Boiling produces that greenish ring around the yolk and makes the egg rubbery.
The best method for hard-cooking eggs is to place clean, uncracked eggs in a pan of cold water. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Your eggs will be firm but not bouncy, with an almost creamy (but fully cooked) yolk.
Doesn't it drive you crazy when the hard-cooked egg white sticks to the shell? The solution is to buy your eggs several days -- preferably a week -- in advance. The shells of older eggs slip right off, while the shells of very fresh eggs stick like glue.
The explanation for this is that eggs are porous. Over time, air enters the shell and forms a pocket between the shell and the tissue-thin membrane lining the shell. When eggs are very fresh, there is no air pocket and the shell sticks to the egg white.
Don't allow hard-cooked eggs to remain at room temperature for longer than two hours. Yes, your grandmother and maybe even your parents let the colored eggs sit out all day and no one became ill. But in your parents' day, there was no such thing as salmonella enteritidis, a nasty bacterium that has infected some of America's in-shell eggs. Refrigerate the eggs to be safe. Hard-cooked eggs will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
To help the egg dye cling to the shells, use hot water and add a splash of vinegar.
The ham
In order of preference, based on how much water has been added, here are the four categories of ham:
Ham. Nothing is added, and the ham goes through a long, slow cure. This is the dry-cured ham known as country ham. It's seldom found in stores.
Ham with natural juices. No water is added, but the curing is quicker.
Ham -- water added. Some water is injected into the ham.
Ham and water product. Lots of water has been injected into the meat. You're paying for water at ham prices.
The label will tell you which kind of ham you're buying. If the ham has water added, make sure that is reflected in the price. Also, look for "naturally smoked" on the label. This means it was smoked over a smoldering fire, rather than injected with smoke flavoring.
Most hams are fully cooked, but heating brings out the flavor. A modern cured ham (not a country ham) should be baked uncovered at 325 degrees for 15 minute per pound.
The potatoes
Making decent scalloped potatoes is not difficult.
The French gently cook the sliced potatoes before layering them in a casserole. The potatoes are simmered in milk or -- if you want to go all-out cream. The milk or cream permeates the potatoes and creates an almost silken texture.
Next, the potatoes are layered in a casserole with gruyere cheese (real Swiss cheese, before the flavor is cooked out of it by commercial cheese processors). The final touch is a dusting of nutmeg. Now that's scalloped potatoes.
Here are a few recipes for Easter dinner
HONEY-MUSTARD HAM GLAZE
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
Combine all ingredients. Thirty minutes before ham is done, remove from oven and spoon on glaze. Continue baking for 30 minutes, basting occasionally with glaze.
FRENCH SCALLOPED POTATOES (GRATIN DAUPHINOIS)
9 large potatoes (about 3 pounds)
2 cups milk
Salt
White pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
1 clove garlic, cut in half
11/2 cups shredded gruyere cheese (Swiss cheese)
3 tablespoons butter
Peel potatoes and cut into thin slices. Do not rinse. Dry with paper towels.
Bring milk to a boil in a large saucepan. Add salt, pepper, a dash of nutmeg and potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes, lifting potatoes gently now and then to keep them from sticking to pan. Be careful not to break potato slices.
Rapidly whisk a small amount of the hot milk into the beaten egg. Stir into the potato-milk mixture.
Rub the insides of an ovenproof casserole with the cut sides of the garlic, then with a little of the butter. Spread half of the potato-milk mixture in the dish. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Add remaining potatoes and remaining cheese. Dot with the butter.
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. The potatoes should be crisp on top and creamy inside.
Makes 8 servings.
STUFFED EGGS
12 hard-cooked eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
2 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Cayenne, salt, paprika to taste
Slice eggs lengthwise and carefully remove yolks. Mash yolks with remaining ingredients and pile back into egg whites, mounding in center. Chill.
Makes 24.
Here are other seasonings to add to egg yolks when making deviled eggs. Each recipe is for three eggs. For very full-stuffed eggs, cook 1 extra egg for each 3 eggs, and add the extra yolk to the filling.
TARRAGON, PAPRIKA AND MAYONNAISE
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1 to 2 pinches paprika
Pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
OLIVE AND MAYONNAISE
2 teaspoons prepared black olive tapenade
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
Freshly ground pepper
CILANTRO, CURRY AND MAYONNAISE OR YOGURT
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon mayonnaise or plain yogurt
Pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
