Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New profile posts
Latest activity
Internet Search
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Forums
General Discussions
Healthful Living / Natural Treatments
Beware - an update and vent
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 205406" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>Just a thought, if you want. I offered on another thread, to share my bearnaise sauce recipe. Once it's made you can keep it in the fridge for ages. It sets solid almost like butter, so I roll it into a log about finger thick, then wrap it in cling wrap and keep it in the freezer. Then when you want to have a steak or something, you cut off a cm or so and let the heat of your steak melt it back into a sauce.</p><p></p><p>Nothing bottled or factory-made can taste this good. And the thing is, although a good diet should have you avoiding sugar and fat, a small amount as in a sauce (if you really only use a small amount!) IS permissible in most diets. Learning to value good flavour also keeps you from over-using manufactured (and less tasty) sauces. You end up with the healthier options as well.</p><p></p><p>This is easy, I cook it in the microwave. The main problem (from the point of view of my kids) is that it makes the kitchen smell of tarragon vinegar for days!</p><p></p><p>I have to make about 2 Litres of it for difficult child 1's wedding. I'm starting tomorrow.</p><p></p><p>First step, if you can, is to make tarragon vinegar. I use a cider vinegar from the store as a base but you could also use a white wine vinegar. Right now in the US is a bad time to make this unless you still have the last stems of a tarragon harvest not yet gone to seed. Unlikely. by the way, if you WeRE growing tarragon, DO NT assume it is an annual. Yes, it dies back after flowering until all you have is dead sticks. But don't dig it up - next spring it probably will all grow back. The stuff is amazing.</p><p>To make tarragon vinegar - just put some tarragon into the vinegar, in a jar, and leave it for a month or more. It's great splashed onto salads, too.</p><p></p><p>Bearnaise sauce - get a one cup glass jug and put in it 120 ml tarragon vinegar, one chopped shallot (or two slices of white onion, chopped finely) and 3 chopped tarragon sprigs. Boil in the microwave oven until the volume is reduced to 60 ml. Drain, strain, and allow it to cool.</p><p>Meanwhile in the same jug - melt 225 g (8 oz) butter. </p><p>While the butter is melting, use a 1 L jug to blend 3 egg yolks and the now-cooled reduced vinegar. I use a stick blender for this.</p><p>When the butter is melted and HOT, pour it straight into the egg yolk mixture while blending. This should at least partly cook the egg and it should begin to thicken.</p><p></p><p>Final step - set up a water bath in the microwave oven. A large plastic container that can take the 1 litre jug is what you need. Be careful to not let any water get into the sauce. I put hot water outside the jug in the plastic container, then put the whole thing in the microwave oven, microwave it on medium for about 10 minutes, stopping it every 2 minutes to stir it and check it for thickness. If it over-cooks and looks curdled on the edges, blend it again with the wand or whisk. Scrape it away from the sides (where it cooks/thickens fastest) and then whisk. It is amazing - you can get it smooth again if you're quick. I sometimes set up the whole water-bath assembly on a strong plastic tray (microwave-safe) so it's easy to lift it out without risking scalding myself or spilling anything.</p><p></p><p>And when it's done - serve it warm. Serve it on steak, on asparagus, on a baked potato - but go easy on a diet, it does have a lot of butter. When using it, treat it as butter or oil in your considerations of quantities.. The flavour is strong so you will get the same sense of luxury from less amount than if you just used plain butter.</p><p></p><p>Just think - I have to make 8 batches!</p><p></p><p>Anyway, have fun with it. If you haven't got any tarragon vinegar to begin with but you CAN get a bunch of tarragon, just use a lot more of it chopped into the vinegar and let it steep as you simmer it a bit longer. The aim is to extract as much tarragon flavour as you can. The more flavour you van extract, the less sauce you need to use - healthier.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 205406, member: 1991"] Just a thought, if you want. I offered on another thread, to share my bearnaise sauce recipe. Once it's made you can keep it in the fridge for ages. It sets solid almost like butter, so I roll it into a log about finger thick, then wrap it in cling wrap and keep it in the freezer. Then when you want to have a steak or something, you cut off a cm or so and let the heat of your steak melt it back into a sauce. Nothing bottled or factory-made can taste this good. And the thing is, although a good diet should have you avoiding sugar and fat, a small amount as in a sauce (if you really only use a small amount!) IS permissible in most diets. Learning to value good flavour also keeps you from over-using manufactured (and less tasty) sauces. You end up with the healthier options as well. This is easy, I cook it in the microwave. The main problem (from the point of view of my kids) is that it makes the kitchen smell of tarragon vinegar for days! I have to make about 2 Litres of it for difficult child 1's wedding. I'm starting tomorrow. First step, if you can, is to make tarragon vinegar. I use a cider vinegar from the store as a base but you could also use a white wine vinegar. Right now in the US is a bad time to make this unless you still have the last stems of a tarragon harvest not yet gone to seed. Unlikely. by the way, if you WeRE growing tarragon, DO NT assume it is an annual. Yes, it dies back after flowering until all you have is dead sticks. But don't dig it up - next spring it probably will all grow back. The stuff is amazing. To make tarragon vinegar - just put some tarragon into the vinegar, in a jar, and leave it for a month or more. It's great splashed onto salads, too. Bearnaise sauce - get a one cup glass jug and put in it 120 ml tarragon vinegar, one chopped shallot (or two slices of white onion, chopped finely) and 3 chopped tarragon sprigs. Boil in the microwave oven until the volume is reduced to 60 ml. Drain, strain, and allow it to cool. Meanwhile in the same jug - melt 225 g (8 oz) butter. While the butter is melting, use a 1 L jug to blend 3 egg yolks and the now-cooled reduced vinegar. I use a stick blender for this. When the butter is melted and HOT, pour it straight into the egg yolk mixture while blending. This should at least partly cook the egg and it should begin to thicken. Final step - set up a water bath in the microwave oven. A large plastic container that can take the 1 litre jug is what you need. Be careful to not let any water get into the sauce. I put hot water outside the jug in the plastic container, then put the whole thing in the microwave oven, microwave it on medium for about 10 minutes, stopping it every 2 minutes to stir it and check it for thickness. If it over-cooks and looks curdled on the edges, blend it again with the wand or whisk. Scrape it away from the sides (where it cooks/thickens fastest) and then whisk. It is amazing - you can get it smooth again if you're quick. I sometimes set up the whole water-bath assembly on a strong plastic tray (microwave-safe) so it's easy to lift it out without risking scalding myself or spilling anything. And when it's done - serve it warm. Serve it on steak, on asparagus, on a baked potato - but go easy on a diet, it does have a lot of butter. When using it, treat it as butter or oil in your considerations of quantities.. The flavour is strong so you will get the same sense of luxury from less amount than if you just used plain butter. Just think - I have to make 8 batches! Anyway, have fun with it. If you haven't got any tarragon vinegar to begin with but you CAN get a bunch of tarragon, just use a lot more of it chopped into the vinegar and let it steep as you simmer it a bit longer. The aim is to extract as much tarragon flavour as you can. The more flavour you van extract, the less sauce you need to use - healthier. Marg [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
General Discussions
Healthful Living / Natural Treatments
Beware - an update and vent
Top