Despite the constant flurry of cocktail creativity, I don’t understand a martini unless it’s made with gin, I eschew blended daiquiris and I like my margaritas shaken and served neat.

I’m a real snob. Except when I’m not.

Lisa Barlow, of locally owned Vida Tequila, sent me this margarita recipe that called for, of all things, grapefruit flavored hefeweizen. It was invented by Richie Spare of The Boneyard in Park City.

Ingredients

2 oz. Vida Blanco
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 oz. simple syrup (but we used agave syrup)
2 oz. Shofferhofer Hefeweizen

Shake tequila, lemon juice and sweetener together over ice and pour over ice in a tall glass. Fill glass with beer.

Wow! It’s a very un-Maloufy concoction but it’s curiously refreshing. With this in my hand, I think I can survive the heat wave.

Frito, hiding under the table in this photo, will stick to the shady side of things.

Meditrina’s Coq au Vin, photo by Adam Finkle

Coq means rooster, and that’s a clue to the nature of this dish—a tough old rooster requires long, slow cooking. These days, it’s most often made with chicken, browned then braised in red wine (traditionally Burgundy, but not necessarily), mushrooms, salt pork, onions and garlic.

Here is how Meditrina does it.

Ingredients

12-15 small cipollini onions
4 chicken thighs and legs, or 1 large chicken, cut into serving pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup flour
8 oz. slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
20-30 medium-sized cremini mushrooms
3/4 cup brandy
1 1/2 (750-ml) bottles red Burgundy
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
8–10 cloves garlic
bundle of fresh thyme
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup butter

Slowly cook the bacon in a big sauté pan over medium heat until it is golden brown and crispy. Remove bacon from the pan and set aside. In the same pan and fat, saute the onions and mushrooms. Remove from the pan and store in the fridge until ready for use.

Season the chicken on all sides. Place it into a big plastic bag with the flour and shake to coat it well. Brown chicken in the same bacon fat (you may need to add some olive oil) until deep golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a large enameled cast-iron pot.

Pour off any remaining fat and deglaze the pan with the brandy and 2 cups of the wine. Reduce by half.  Pour this into the pot along with the chicken stock, tomato paste, onion, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme. Add remaining wine. The chicken should
be almost covered.

Place the chicken (and the entire enameled cast iron pot) in the oven at 275 to 325 degrees and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is tender enough to fall off the bone. Make sure the chicken remains at a low simmer—no more.

Remove cooked chicken and keep it in a warm oven. Strain the sauce to remove the vegetables, then pour it in the pot and reduce by half. Add the bacon, onions and mushrooms and heat. Off-heat, whisk in the butter a little at a time. Add chicken.

Individual Shrimp Cocktail

Serves 15

1 quart canola oil
1 pack of egg roll skins cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 pound rock shrimp
1/2 cup Old Bay seasoning
2 lemons
2 bay leaves
fresh chives
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
fresh chive and candied lemon zest for garnish (optional)

The shrimp: In a sauce pan heat canola oil to approximately 325 degrees using a candy thermometer (if you do not have a candy thermometer, keep the oil over a medium high heat). Place the egg roll skins into the hot oil one at a time, flipping them when hey become crisply. Remove from the oil and set on a paper towel to drip dry. Fill a sauce pan with enough water to cover the shrimp and bring it to a simmer. Add Old Bay seasoning, juice of 1 lemon and bay leaves. Bring back up to a simmer and add the rock shrimp. The rock shrimp should only take about 5–7 minutes to poach. Strain the shrimp from the water and rapidly cool under cold water. Set aside.

For the sauce: Blend ketchup in a mixing bowl with horseradish, juice of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve: Toss the shrimp in your cocktail sauce and place them on top of wonton discs. Garnish with chive and candied lemon zest.

VARIATIONS

1. Coarsely chop cooked shrimp and mix with tomato and lime juice, roasted green chiles and avocado, and minced cilantro and onions. Serve in a shot glass.

2. Puree 8 ounces softened cream cheese with 3 teaspoons wasabi paste. Spread on rice crackers and top with cooked shrimp.

If you are looking for the perfect, light, refreshing and delicious dessert to serve, look no further. Below is a recipe for Cuisine Unlimited’s Fresh Watermelon Cake with Whipped Cream. It is an easy-to-make show stopper that is sure to impress your guests.

Ingredients (serves 10)

• 1 large, seedless watermelon
• 2 16 oz. fresh heavy cream
• 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups fresh assorted berries
• 1 cup fresh, whole mint leaves

Directions

In a mixing bowl, whip cream adding in sugar and vanilla extract slowly. Whip until stiff peaks form. Place in refrigerator to chill. Slice off the short ends of the watermelon and reserve for alternative use. Sit the watermelon flat and cut away rind to create a cylinder shape. Frost with chilled whipped cream and top with fresh berries and mint. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Slice like a cake.

Emily Lavin is Cuisine Unlimited Catering & Special Events’ marketing director and a contributor to utahstyleanddesign.com.

Ingredients:

1/2 sheet pre-made frozen pastry puff
1/3 cup almond cream*
5–6 peaches (not too ripe) cut into thin slices
Melted butter for brushing
Vanilla sugar** for sprinkling
1 egg, beaten

Roll the puff pastry into a circle 1/8-inch thick. Work quickly to keep it from getting warm. Spread the almond cream in the center out to 1.5 inches from the edge of the circle. Starting from the outside working in, slightly overlap the slices in a spiral toward the center. Fold the edges over the peaches crimping as you go. Brush the crust with egg wash and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Back at 375 F for 35–45 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the fruit has been caramelized.

*Almond cream

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. butter
5.5 oz. almond paste
1 egg
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. rum

Cream butter and almond paste. Add eggs one at a time to mixture, and then add cornstarch and rum (if using). Wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

**Vanilla sugar

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 new vanilla bean or two used beans

Slice the new bean down the center lengthwise. Using the back of the knife, scrape the seeds out and mix into the sugar. Place the sugar and the bean into an airtight container for at least a week. The sugar will absorb the oils in the bean.

Chef Jeff Masten never meant to be king of pies. When he opened Left Fork Grill, he planned to serve cheesecake, pudding and layer cake along with pie as part of his comfort food menu. But word of his pie prowess spread, and he now serves 12 to 14 different pies every day. Savvy regulars know to get in orders for their favorite slice even before they’ve decided between corned beef hash or meatloaf for the main meal.

Chef Jeff Masten, the Pie Man

 

Tips from the Pie Man

• Always use a glass pie plate, not metal.
• If available, try to use MacIntosh apples.
• After you lay the bottom crust in the pie plate, rap the pan sharply on the cutting board to make sure the dough is fitted to the plate.
• Use unsweetened frozen fruit.
• Use scissors to cut off the excess bottom crust and don’t cut off too much.
• Brush the edge of the bottom crust with water before laying on the top crust to create a strong seal between the two.
• Brush the top crust with an egg beaten with a few tablespoons of milk for a shiny, brown finish.

Jeff Masten’s Pie Crust

• Makes one 9-inch pie crust. For a 2-crust pie, double the recipe.
• 1 cup flour (Masten only uses Gold Medal flour, unbleached. His mother told him to.)
• 1/3 cup lard
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 to 4 Tbsp. water
• Chill the lard at least 4 hours. Sift flour and salt together. Cut the lard in pieces. Add half the lard to the flour and cut in with a pastry blender until it looks like corn meal.
• Then add the other half of lard and cut it in, leaving the pieces bigger. (“The first blending stirs up enough gluten to make the crust hold together; the second ensures flakiness.”) Masten spins the stainless steel bowl as he cuts the fat and flour together.
• Using a fork, stir in water, dribble by dribble, until the dough clumps. Knead lightly and briefly on a floured board. Shape into a flat round and let rest while making the filling. Roll out the dough.
• Tips: Chef Masten sifts in the flour and salt, then cuts in the lard before adding ice water just until the dough forms a ball easily. He rolls it out on a floured board, places it in a glass pan. Apple slices are mixed with a tablespoon or so of flour, plus sugar and spices, then spooned into the crust so they mound up. He brushes the edge of the bottom crust with water, unfolds the top crust over it, pressing it to seal. Then he places the pie on a can so he can turn it as he trims and crimps the crust. Finally, he vents the crust and brushes the top with a mixture of milk and beaten egg for a shiny finish.

How I make my pies

• Cut 1 stick of butter into teaspoon-sized chunks. Put it in the freezer. Be sure you have some ice water.
• Put the clean, dry bowl and blade of your food processor in the fridge. Heck, if your kitchen is really hot, put your 1 cup of flour in the fridge, because cold is the first key.
• Pulse 1 3/4 cups flour and 1 tsp. salt in the processor. Add the butter and pulse on and off for a few seconds at a time, until the mizture is crumbly. With the processor running, dribble in drops of ice water. The second the dough starts to clump, stop the water and turn off the processor. Form dough into a flat ball, wrap it in plastic and let it rest in the refridgerator at least half an hour. That’s the second key.
• Roll it out, using as little flour as possible, to 1/4 inch thick. Fold in quarters, drape over a pan, and cut the edges.
• Slice 5-6 cups of peaches. Mix in 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup raspberries. FollowMasten’s instructions (above) for filling and topping the pie, then bake it for 10 minutes at 450, lower oven to 350 and bake for 30-35 minutes. Serve warm.

Upside Down Pie, by Les Madeleines’ Romina Rasmussen

The classic version is, of course, French. Tarte tatin is an upside-down apple pie. Les Madeleines’ Romina Rasmussen makes hers with carmalized apples flambéed in brandy in puff pastry.

• Line a 9-inch pie plate with foil. Smear 2-3 Tbsps. softened butter over foil.
• Press 2/3 cup toasted sliced almonds and 1/3 cup light brown sugar into butter.
• Cover with bottom crust, then fill and cover with top crust. Seal, flute, and prick.
• Bake at 450 for 10 minutes; lower heat to 375 and bake 35-40 minutes. Let pie cool completely before turning out and removing foil.

Crust options

• Freeform: The French call it a galette, and you can, too. Instead of fitting your dough to a pie plate, make a freeform tart. Roll out the dough and place it on a baking sheet. Heap the filling in the middle, leaving several inches of crust bare around the perimeter. Fold those edges up, pleating as you go and leaving a center portion of the filling uncovered. Dot that filling with butter and bake.
• Handpies: Particularly popular in the South, where they are often fried. Roll out smaller disks of dough, put a few tablespoons of filling just off-center, then fold the circle of dough in half. Be sure to brush with water and seal well. Brush with egg wash and bake.
• Purchased: If even the thought of making your own crust makes you want to lie down and cry, never mind. Frozen dough is fine. The dough you put in the pan yourself is better than the stuff that is sold in the pan. But anything is better than a no-pie existence.

The parallel trends of craft beer and artisanal cocktails have crossed streams: “Hoptails,” cocktails using beer as a mixer, are the latest twist on libations. Combining the personality of a cocktail with the food-friendliness of beer results in a beverage that’s eminitely drinkable. As craft beers continue to rise in popularity, bartenders are increasingly concocting beer cocktails in Utah and nationwide.

MICHELADA

This hoptail is famous as a summer quaffer. Here’s our version of the Michelada, a Mexican beer and tomato cocktail.

INGREDIENTS

Juice of 1/2 medium lime
Ice
Mexican beer, such as Corona
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. tomato juice
1 tsp. hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1/2 tsp. Maggi or soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
Smoked salt, for rimming the glasses
Green onion brush, lime wheel and cherry tomato for garnish.

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix lime juice, Worcestershire and hot sauce together. Rub the rim of a glass with cut lime, then dip in smoked salt. Fill glass with ice, pour in tomato mixture and fill glass with beer. Garnish.

Sweet-and-sour pork from China Star in Roosevelt

As promised in our May/June 2015 issue, here are writer Billy Yang’s recipes for chow mein and sweet-and-sour sauce, along with editor Mary Brown Malouf’s go-to recipe for orange chicken.

Chow Mein

2 tsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into thin strips
12 oz. chow mein noodles, cooked
2 Tbsp oil
1 small nappa cabbage, cut into thin strips
2 baby bok choy, cut into thin strips
5 oz. water chestnuts, drained and sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
2 green onions, chopped

Combine the 2 tsp. soy sauce, the rice vinegar, and the sesame oil in a small bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat thoroughly. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a wok or large skillet. Add the chicken and stir fry until cooked, then remove it.

Add the rest of the oil, then add the cabbage, bok choy, water chestnuts and garlic. Stir until vegetables start to wilt. Add the chow mein noodles and cook until hot, then add the soy sauce and oyster sauce and toss well. Add the chicken and toss to combine.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
4 tsp. cornstarch, mixed with 4 teaspoons water
1 cup canned pineapple chunks, drained with 1/2 cup reserved juice
3 Tbsp. light brown sugar
3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup onions

Cook red and green peppers for about 1 minute. Stir in pineapple chunks, juice, sugar, vinegar and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce begins to reduce. Stir in cornstarch mixture and bring liquid to a simmer. Cook until thick, about 5 minutes. Toss with cooked chicken or pork chunks and serve over rice.

Orange Chicken 

(4 servings)

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. sesame seeds
1 green onion, sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1 tsp. Sriracha or chili oil
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

In a large bowl, whisk together chicken broth, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, orange zest, hot sauce and ginger.

In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and 2/3 cup of the marinade; marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour. Then drain the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade.

Heat remaining marinade in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir together 2 tablespoons cornstarch combined with 2 tablespoons water. Bring marinade to a boil and stir in cornstarch mixture gradually. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened about 1-2 minutes; keep warm.

Working one at a time, dip the chicken into the eggs, then dredge in remaining 1 cup cornstarch, pressing to coat.

Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan or wok. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil.

Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onion. Serve with rice.

Ceviche de Camarones

Serves 6

1 1/2 lb. raw, medium-sized tiger prawns, shelled and de-veined
Fresh-squeezed lime juice (enough to submerge prawns)
Salt and pepper
8 ripe roma tomatoes, diced
1 large white onion, diced
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
Fresh whole jalapeño chiles, seeded and diced (optional)
Juice of 1 large orange
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
Lemon juice to taste

Remove tails and slice prawns into thirds. Submerge prawns in lime juice, add salt and pepper and let marinate for 3 hours. Mix all diced vegetables with prawns. To finish, add the orange juice, olive oil, cilantro and lemon juice. Keep refrigerated and serve with chips or crackers. Garnish with whole boiled shrimp or a sprig of cilantro.