Make the Bread, Buy the Butter - Jennifer Reese [22]
LEMON CURD
A company called Dickinson’s makes a lemon curd you can find in the jam section of some supermarkets. The label on the jar features a pastoral vintage design much like what I imagine is the chintz upholstery pattern in a Cotswold cottage. It looks vaguely British and I assumed the curd was imported, but it is actually made in Oxnard, California, by a division of Smucker’s. When I learned this I instantly liked it less, for no admirable reason. It’s fine, but not in the same category with homemade lemon curd.
Make it or buy it? Make it.
Hassle: Squeezing and grating lemons. A double boiler. Constant whisking. Sieving. Hassle.
Cost comparison: Homemade: $0.16 per tablespoon. Dickinson’s: $0.34 per tablespoon.
½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
½ cup sugar
3 large eggs
1. In the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, whisk together all the ingredients. Continue whisking until the curd is thick and shiny, about 10 minutes.
2. Pour the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to strain out any bits of zest and egg.
3. Keeps about a week, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.
Makes 1 cup
COFFEE YOGURT
Homemade is creamier than Dannon, with a robust mocha flavor.
Make it or buy it? Make it.
Hassle: None
Cost comparison: Homemade: $0.35 per serving. Dannon: $0.89.
1 tablespoon sugar
1½ tablespoons warm brewed coffee
¾ cup homemade yogurt
Dissolve the sugar in the coffee. Cool. Stir into yogurt.
(If you don’t have brewed coffee on hand, dissolve ¾ teaspoon instant coffee and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 teaspoon of hot water to form a thin paste. Stir into ¾ cup yogurt and adjust for sweetness.)
HASH BROWNS
I assumed diner hash browns were homemade until I made hash browns at home, at which point it became clear that most diner hash browns come out of a freezer bag. Mine are even better than french fries and will spoil you forever for truck stop breakfasts. The outer layer of potato forms a salty, crunchy, toast-colored crust while the inner shreds soften and melt.
Make it or buy it? Make it.
Hassle: It takes less time to make hash browns from scratch than to wait for grub-like Ore-Ida shreds to cook.
Cost comparison: Homemade: $0.11 an ounce. Ore-Ida prepared according to the package instructions: $0.18 per ounce.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound russet potatoes (2 or 3 medium)
⅓ cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Start heating the butter in a wide skillet right before you begin peeling and shredding.
2. Peel the potatoes and shred on the coarse blade of a grater, either a box grater or a food processor.
3. When the butter is hot, add the potatoes and spread across the surface of the pan in a single layer. Let them sizzle and cook until you have a good, brown bottom crust, about 10 minutes or so. Don’t rush this; patience is the key to crispy hash browns.
4. When the crust is golden brown, pour the cream over the potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Flip. Don’t worry about keeping it all in one piece. Hash browns are plural. Cook until golden on this side. Serve immediately, ideally, with ketchup, hot sauce, and fried eggs.
Serves 4
BUTTERMILK PANCAKES
Homemade pancakes are lopsided, mottled, creamy, and soft. Eggo frozen pancakes are stiff, yellow, and perfectly round, like miniature Frisbees. “They’re kind of crunchy,” said Owen. “Like a cross between a pancake and a Ritz cracker.”
Make it or buy it? Make it.
Hassle: Homemade require four minutes to mix, 5 minutes to cook. Versus: 90 seconds to unwrap and microwave frozen pancakes.
Cost comparison: Homemade pancakes: $0.10 per ounce. Eggo frozen pancakes: $0.27 per ounce.
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg, beaten
2 cups buttermilk, homemade (recipe follows) or store-bought