Alton Brown Recipes

CREPES

Steps:

• In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours.
• Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.

CHEESE SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Use room temperature butter to grease an 8-inch souffle mold. Add the grated Parmesan and roll around the mold to cover the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the freezer for 5 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a small saucepan, heat the butter. Allow all of the water to cook out.
• In a separate bowl combine the flour, dry mustard, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Whisk this mixture into the melted butter. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Whisk in the hot milk and turn the heat to high. Once the mixture reaches a boil, remove from the heat.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks to a creamy consistency. Temper the yolks into the milk mixture, constantly whisking. Remove from the heat and add the cheese. Whisk until incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until glossy and firm. Add 1/4 of the mixture to the base. Continue to add the whites by thirds, folding very gently.
• Pour the mixture into the souffle. Fill the souffle to 1/2-inch from the top. Place on an aluminum pie pan. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.
• Add the corn and peas to the lamb mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

YOGURT, HOMEMADE, FROM GOOD EATS, ALTON BROWN

Steps:

• Place yogurt in a bowl and bring to room temperature.
• Heat milk, dry milk and honey to 120 degrees; pour into a very clean container that will be used to make the yogurt.
• It should cool back to 115 degrees.
• Whisk 1 Cup hot milk into 1/2 Cup room temperature yogurt.
• Add yogurt mixture back to warm milk.
• Wrap container with a heating pad and set on low or medium low.
• Be sure to have the pad wrapped around your container so that the heat is evenly distributed around the container.
• Place inside a stock pot.
• Monitor the temperature of the liquid, your target is 115 degrees (perfect temperature for fementing yogurt) and adjust heating pad accordingly.
• If it gets above 120 degrees you'll kill the active cultures, so use a temp alarm if you have one!
• You can also do this on the heating element of your electric coffee maker, but it doesn't provide the heat as evenly as the heating pad and must be insulated with an oven mitt to prevent overheating.
• Allow to sit for 3-9 hrs depending on the consistency that you disire.
• The longer it sits the firmer it gets.

SEEDED CRACKERS - ALTON BROWN

Steps:

• Combine in a medium bowl: both flours, both seeds, salt, baking powder. Stir well. Stir in oil. Add water and stir until just combined.
• Turn dough out onto a floured board. Knead a few times, to ensure dough is evenly mixed and smooth. Cut into 8 pieces and cover with a towel 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Flatten one dough ball and pass through a pasta roller at the widest setting. Reduce the pasta roller and continue rolling through and tightening down until dough is about 1/8" thick. Place dough sheet on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using pizza cutter, cut sheets into 2x2" squares, removing any leftover irregular edges. Bake 8-12 minutes or until browned and crisp. Transfer to a rack and cool completely. Store in a zip top bag with as much air removed as possible. Use within 2 week.s.

CREPES -- ALTON BROWN

Steps:

• In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours.
• Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.
• *Savory Variation Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, spinach or sun-dried tomatoes to the egg mixture.
• *Sweet Variation Add 21/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur to the egg mixture.

ALTON BROWN'S BABY BACK RIBS

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well; place each slab of ribs on a large piece of heavy-duty foil, shiny side down; sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub and pat the rub into the meat.
• Securely wrap the ribs in the foil but leave one end wrapped a bit more loosely; refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour.
• Combine all ingredients for the braising liquid and microwave on high for 1 minute.
• Place the ribs on a baking sheet; open one end of the foil on each slab and pour half of the braising liquid into each foil packet; close the end of the packet and tilt it around to evenly distribute the liquid.
• Braise the ribs in a 250° oven for 2 hours (his original recipe said to braise for 2 1/2 hours but the ribs were almost TOO tender at that point!).
• Carefully open the packets (they'll be very hot) and transfer the braising liquid into a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer and reduce by half or until it's of a thick syrup consistency.
• Brush the glaze onto the ribs and place under the broiler just until the glaze caramelizes lightly.
• Slice each slab into 2 rib bone portions; place remaining hot glaze into a bowl and toss the rib portions in the glaze.
• *This recipe makes several batches of dry rub. If more rub is needed, it can be extended by any amount, as long as the ratio of 8:3:1:1 remains the same.