Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook - Bobby Flay [29]
1 cup Bar Americain Barbecue Sauce or store-bought barbecue sauce
2½ cups chicken stock, homemade or store-bought
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
Squash Blossoms
1½ cups ricotta cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
18 squash blossoms
1 quart canola oil
2 cups rice flour
Black Pepper Vinaigrette
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. To braise the pork, heat the oil in a medium roasting pan over high heat. Season the pork on all sides with salt and pepper. Sear in the oil until golden brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate.
3. Add the onion to the pan and cook until softened, 4 minutes. Add the barbecue sauce and stock and bring to a simmer. Return the pork to the pan, cover the pan with foil, and braise in the oven until the meat is fork-tender, 1½ to 2 hours. Remove from the oven, uncover, and let the pork cool in the liquid.
4. While the pork is braising, put the ricotta in a strainer lined with cheesecloth set over a bowl and let drain in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
5. Drain the pork, reserving the liquid, and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Set aside. Put 2 cups of the braising liquid into a large sauté pan over high heat and boil until reduced to 1 cup and slightly thickened, 5 mintues. Add the vinegar and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the shredded pork. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
6. Put the drained ricotta into a large bowl; discard the liquid. Add the pork and season with salt and pepper. Gently fill each squash blossom with the mixture and twist the tops of the blossoms to secure the filling.
7. Heat the oil in large saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 365°F on a deep-fat thermometer.
8. While the oil is heating, whisk together 2 cups cold water and the flour until smooth. Season with salt and let sit for 10 minutes.
9. Dip the squash blossoms in the batter and let any excess batter drip off. Fry the squash blossoms in batches, turning once, until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
10. Drizzle some of the black pepper vinaigrette in the center of each of 6 dinner plates and place 3 squash blossoms on top for each serving.
BLACK PEPPER VINAIGRETTE
Makes about 1¼ cups
⅓ cup rice wine vinegar
2 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon honey
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and honey until combined. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified.
Gold Corn Johnny Cakes
GOLD CORN JOHNNY CAKES
BARBECUED DUCK, CRANBERRY BUTTER
Native Americans showed the Pilgrims how to cook with maize (corn) and probably taught them to make johnny cake, a dense cornmeal bread whose thick batter is shaped into a flat cake and baked or fried on a griddle. These cakes (basically just fried corn bread) are the perfect vehicle for many toppings. One of my favorites is barbecued duck and cranberry butter. Feel free to make your own cranberry relish, use what’s left over from your holiday meal, or purchase a good-quality prepared one.
Serves 4
Barbecued Duck
3 duck legs (1½ pounds), skin removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup Bar Americain Barbecue Sauce or store-bought barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups chicken stock, homemade or store-bought
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus whole leaves for garnish
Johnny Cakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon fine yellow or white cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 large eggs, separated
¾ cup whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for panfrying
Cranberry Butter
1. To cook the duck, preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Season the duck legs on both sides with salt and pepper and brush with ¼ cup of the barbecue sauce. Heat the oil in a large deep ovenproof pot over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Sear the legs on both sides until golden