Jalapeño Cheddar Crackers
Makes 32 to 34 crackers
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
¹⁄8 tsp. baking powder
14 T (1¾ sticks) cold unsalted butter, ½-inch-diced
5 oz. extra-sharp white Cheddar, grated
1 T minced seeded jalapeño pepper
¼ tsp. chipotle chili powder
3 T ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 T milk, for egg wash
Fleur de sel or sea salt
Place the flour, kosher salt, and baking powder in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the Cheddar, jalapeño, and chipotle chili powder and pulse again. With the food processor running, add the ice water all at once. Continue pulsing until the mixture begins to form a ball. Dump the dough onto a floured board and roll it into a 14-inch log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Cut the dough in ³/8-inch-thick slices. Place the crackers on the prepared sheet pan, brush with the egg wash, and sprinkle with the fleur de sel. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Dukes Cosmopolitan*
Makes 4 drinks
4 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 oz. Cointreau
7 oz. cranberry juice cocktail
7 oz. good vodka, such as Grey Goose
Dash of raw egg white (optional) Ice
In a pitcher, stir together the lemon juice, Cointreau, cranberry juice cocktail, vodka, and egg white (if using; it will make the drink frothier). Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice and pour enough of the drink mixture into the shaker to almost fill it. Shake the cocktail for a full 30 seconds (it’s longer than you think!) and strain into martini glasses. Serve ice cold.
*From Dukes, the elegant London hotel and bar.
Seared Scallops with Celery Root Puree
Serves 6 as an entree; halve recipe and adjust cooking times for appetizer portions
5 T unsalted butter
6 c. chopped leeks, white and light green parts (4 leeks)
4 c. (¾-inch) diced peeled Yukon Gold potatoes (1½ lbs.)
4 c. (¾-inch) diced peeled celery root (2 lbs.)
3 c. heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 to 26 large “dry” sea scallops*
4 T grapeseed oil, divided
Basil-infused olive oil, for serving
Minced fresh chives, for serving
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large (8- to 10-inch) saucepan or Dutch oven. Rinse the leeks well in a colander, spin them dry in a salad spinner, and add them to the pot. Sauté them over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender but not browned. Add the potatoes, celery root, cream, 4 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper to the pot, stir, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to very low, cover the pot, and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Be careful—don’t let the vegetables scorch on the bottom of the pan! In batches, pour the mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until coarsely pureed. Taste for seasonings, return to the saucepan, and keep warm over very low heat. If the mixture gets too thick, add a little more cream.
If it hasn’t already been removed, peel off the tough strip of muscle on the side of each scallop. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and season them generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat two 12-inch sauté pans over medium-high heat (if using one pan, cook scallops in batches and keep warm in a 250 degree oven). Add 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil to each pan and, when the oil is almost smoking hot, add half the scallops to each pan. Cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes, until golden brown on the bottoms. Don’t crowd the scallops, or they’ll steam rather than sear.
Using a small metal spatula, turn the scallops and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until just cooked through. (If the pan is hot enough and you let the scallops cook undisturbed, they won’t stick to the pan.) Spoon the warm puree onto individual plates, place the scallops on the puree, drizzle with the basil oil, and sprinkle with the chives. Serve warm.
*Scallops are packed wet or dry; wet ones won’t sear, so buy dry.
Slow-Roasted Filet of Beef with Basil Parmesan Mayonnaise
Serves 6 to 8
1 whole filet of beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied (4½ pounds)
3 T good olive oil
4 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
10 to 15 branches fresh tarragon
Basil Parmesan Mayonnaise, for serving (recipe follows)
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Use an oven thermometer to be sure your oven temperature is accurate!
Place the filet on a sheet pan and pat it dry with paper towels. Brush the filet all over with the oil, reserving about half a tablespoon. Sprinkle it all over with the salt and pepper (it will seem like a lot, but believe me, it makes a difference). Place the tarragon branches around the beef, tying them in 4 or 5 places with kitchen string to keep them in place, and then brush the tarragon with the reserved oil.
Roast the filet of beef for 1¼ to 1½ hours, until the temperature registers 125 degrees in the center for rare and 135 degrees for medium-rare. (Place the meat thermometer horizontally through the end of the beef.) Cover the filet with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Slice thickly and serve warm or at room temperature with Basil Parmesan Mayonnaise.
Basil Parmesan Mayonnaise
Makes about 2 cups
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese*
1 T Dijon mustard
½ c. chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
½ tsp. minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground blac pepper
1 c. vegetable oil, at room temperature
½ c. good olive oil, at room temperature
Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, Parmesan, mustard, basil, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process for 20 seconds, until smooth. Combine the vegetable oil and olive oil in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. With the processor running, slowly pour the oil mixture through the feed tube to make a thick emulsion. Taste for seasonings—the mayonnaise is a sauce, so it should be highly seasoned. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use; it will keep for up to a week.
*For this recipe, “grating” Parmesan cheese in a food processor is preferable—it’s actually ground, which is better than grated.
Sticky Toffee Date Cake with Bourbon Glaze*
Makes one 9-inch cake
For the cake
¾ lb. dates, pitted and chopped
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ lb. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¹⁄³ c. granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1¼ c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1½ T baking powder
For the sauce
12 T (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
1 c. light brown sugar, lightly packed
½ c. heavy cream
¼ tsp. kosher salt
2 T good bourbon, such as Maker’s Mark
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Sweetened whipped cream, for serving**
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 x 2-inch round cake pan.
Place the dates in a deep saucepan with 1¾ cups of water. Bring to a boil, stirring a little to break up the dates. Allow to simmer for 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the baking soda (it will bubble up!). Set aside.
Meanwhile, in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla, scraping down the bowl. (The mixture may look curdled.) In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer still on low, slowly add it to the batter. With the mixer on low, add the hot date mixture in two batches to the batter, scraping down the bowl. The batter will be runny, but don’t worry! Stir in the baking powder, which will also bubble up. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the bourbon and vanilla and pour into a 2-cup heat-proof glass measuring cup. Set aside. As soon as the cake is done, poke holes all over it with a toothpick. Pour three-quarters of the sauce evenly over the cake while still warm and allow it to soak in for 30 minutes. Turn the cake out bottom side up onto a flat serving plate and pour the remaining sauce on top. Cool completely.
Serve at room temperature with sweetened whipped cream.
*Garten got this delicious cake recipe from her friend Laura Donnelly, the pastry chef at c/o The Maidstone hotel in East Hampton and granddaughter of the ultimate Hamptons style arbiters, Gerald and Sara Murphy. She added bourbon to the glaze.
**Beat together 1 c. cold heavy cream, 1 T sugar, and ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract until it forms stiff peaks.