Try this for your next fancy spring dinner, or maybe even part of your Easter holiday.

Grilled lollipop lamb chops using the reverse sear method opened up a whole new way for me to approach meat. It was spectacular.

What is a lollipop lamb chop?

There are three types of  lamb chops. The lollipop chop cut off of what we know as the rack of lamb has the long thin bone, is the most tender, and most expensive chop. You want to cook this right! You can find an affordable rack of lamb at Costco.

The average price is around $18 and will feed two or make four lollipop lamb chops with double bones. I know that’s expensive, but this same dish out in a restaurant will cost an average of $30 per person, and I promise you, if you follow this recipe, it will rival any fine dining.

What is a reverse sear?

A reverse sear means you cook the meat first up to a certain internal temperature low and slow or on indirect heat, and sear the outside on high heat at the end. I had no idea it would make such a difference, but it does. The chops were tender and juicy, and perfectly seared. I’ll never go back to my old way of doing things.

How do you prepare the lollipop lamb chops for the grill?

The first thing you need to do before you cut the chops on the rack is trim all the fat and remove the silver skin, that very thin transparent sheath. Then salt the lamb and if you choose, marinate. 

Should I marinate my lollipop lamb chops?

• If you have the time to marinate, use some chopped garlic and olive oil, perhaps some herbs like rosemary and thyme.
• Salt your chops first to increase their flavor.
• Marinate up to three hours. I’ve made successful chops marinating for only twenty minutes using this method.
• Cook to medium rare to medium. Anything past medium and the lamb tastes gamey.

What is mint pistou?

Mint pistou is made with only garlic, mint, parsley,  and olive oil. Pistou is different from pesto which contains nuts, as I did here with a pistachio mint pesto. Either of these would be great with this lollipop lamb chops but I prefer the pistou for simplicity.

Recipe for Mint Pistachio Pesto here. Notice the nuts. Leave those out and you have pistou. 

How do you reverse sear grilled lollypop lamb chops?

• Once you are ready to grill, heat only one half of the side of the grill.
• You will be placing your chops on medium indirect heat, the side with no fire. Leave your lamb chops there until the internal temperature reaches 115 Degrees F.
• Turn that other side of the grill up to high and move the chops over to the direct heat.
• Grill about one minute per side.

What temperature should we eat lamb at?

We want a pink inside with a well done, seared outside, either medium rare or medium.  

• Lamb is done medium rare when the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F. and is my preference.
• Lamb is medium when the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. 

Allow to rest for ten minutes. Top with Mint pistou. 

This is a delicious, easy recipe, one I know you will make over and over, once you get the love for the reverse sear as I have. 

You may also love this post: Seven Scrumptious Lamb Recipes You Need to Make Now

What sides go well with lamb chops?

• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Cider Vinaigrette
• Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette  
• Lemon Dijon Roasted Potatoes
• Dijon Garlic Roasted Potatoes
• Smashed Buttery Fingerling  Potatoes

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Grilled Lollipop Recipes, Reverse Sear, Mint Pistou

How to do a reverse sear for a medium rare grilled lollipop lamb chops.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Keyword lamb, lamb chops, lollipop lamb chops, mint, pistou

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Marinating Time 1 hour hour

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

Lollipop Lamb Chops

• 1 rack of lamb about 8 bones
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Marinade (optional)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons rosemary chopped
• 2 cloves garlic chopped

Mint Pistou

• handful fresh mint
• handful fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 lemon juice and zest
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Prepare Lamb Chops

• Trim the fat off of the lamb. Lamb rack is covered in thick fat and silver skin. It will take about 15 minutes to carefully trim. I leave the meat around the bones on.
• Cut rack into 4 lollypop chops (two bones each).
• If you decide to marinate, mix marinade ingredients together and set lamb in dish with marinade. I only marinated for twenty minutes and chops were very tender. Marinate up to three hours.

Reverse Sear Grill Lamb Chops

• Take lamb chops out of refrigerator 30 minutes in advance to take the chill off of them.
• Light one half of gas grill on medium heat. Place lamb on indirect heat until the internal temperature is 115 F. degrees.
• Turn the other side of grill up to high. It's time to sear. Place chops on the hot side of grill for one to two minutes per side until the internal temperature is at 135 degrees for Medium Rare. Or if you prefer, 145 degrees for medium.
• Allow to rest for at least five minutes before eating.

Mint Pistou

• Mix all ingredients except salt and pepper in blender.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lamb.

The post Grilled Lollipop Lamb Chops, Reverse Sear, Mint Pistou appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I am super excited about this recipe for uncomplicated beef bourguignon.

Almost giddy. I’ve been wanting to make beef bourguignon for ever. The ingredients didn’t intimidate me, but the instructions sure did. There were too many pans and too many unnecessary steps, which is so very much like the French.  Beef Bourguignon started out as peasant fare originating in the Burgundy region using Charolais bulls.

It was elevated by Escoffier to haute cuisine as he used a whole piece of beef. It was Julia Child who chose to used beef cubes.  This reminds me of this Italian Beef in Red Wine I made some years back using the whole piece of meat.  Both recipes are amazing.

After Italian food, french food is my favorite and there are so overlaps in the cuisine. Italians seems to know how to cook with less ingredients and the recipes are usually more approachable.

Sometimes the French don’t know how to streamline and I’m thinking maybe all these steps were ways for the chef to boss his crew around or simply elevate peasant food as mentioned above.

Since I am Italian, I’m not about to compromise on taste or quality so even though this recipe saves many steps (and I won’t even go into them here), the result of this wine braised beef is amazing and should be your very next dish for company.

You Can Do the Prep in Advance

So much of the prep can be done in advance and honestly there’s about 30 minutes  of active cook time. The dutch oven does all the work, as well as a fine bottle of wine that takes plain old beef cubes to the next level and above.

I took some license with the flour that typically goes into a stew and used tapioca starch, also known as tapioca flour to keep this grain free, gluten free.

Let me take you through the ingredients and I ask you not to scrimp or make substitutions. If you do I cannot guarantee your beef bourguignon will be exquisite.

The French spelling is bœuf à la Bourguignonne. We can say Beef Burgundy in English. It’s basically beef stew braised in red wine and we refer always to Julia Child who made this dish famous. In fact all the recipes on line are versions of her dish.

This recipe has the same ingredients, while using some shortcuts that we believe make no difference to the gist and flavor of the dish.

What are the Ingredients for Beef Bourguignon?

• Beef Cubes
• Red Wine
• Bacon
• Tomato Paste
• Mushrooms
• Pearl Onions
• Carrots
• Garlic Cloves
• Beef Broth
• Flour or Tapioca Flour

Crock Pot or Dutch Oven

You can begin this recipe in a large pot and then transfer to a slow cooker. I prefer to make this in a dutch oven and put it into the oven on low for about 3 hours. Either way, it will be delicious.

My Favorites

• Slow Cooker
• Dutch Oven (This is the one I use every day. It’s Le Creuset and yes it’s worth the price).

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What is Beef Bourguignon?

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Beef Bourguignon

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon cut into lardons 1 inch cubes
• 3 pounds Stew Meat 2 inch pieces
• salt
• pepper
• 1 large white onion small diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced or thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons flour I used tapioca flour
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 bottle dry red wine like a pinot noir
• 2 cups beef stock see notes
• 1 carrot cut into 2 inch pieces added in beginning
• 2 carrots cut into discs added later towards end
• 1 package pearl onions frozen
• Herbs parsley, thyme, 2 bayleaf which are removed later
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 package white or brown mushrooms quartered (more if you love mushrooms)

Instructions

• Brown bacon to crisp. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels.
• Dry meat with paper towels
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Flour the meat and brown in the bacon grease. Remove to a bowl.
• Using same pan or dutch oven, soften onion and add carrots.
• Add garlic and sauté briefly.
• Put beef cubes and bacon back into a dutch oven or crock pot.
• Add wine and tomato paste, pearl onions.
• Add enough beef stock to cover the meat.
• Cook in dutch oven for three hours.
• You can do this on top of stove, but I prefer to place dutch oven in a 325 degree oven.
• OR, you can put in a crock pot on high for 3 to 4 hours.
• One hour before serving, add the carrot discs. (remove the carrot that is in there).
• Remove the carrots pieces in the stew along with the bay leaf and other herbs.
• Thirty minutes before serving sauté mushrooms in olive oil.
• You can cook the carrots separately and add at the end if you desire.
• Add in cooked mushrooms.
• Cook until carrots are done.
• Top with fresh chopped parsley.
• Serve over mashed potatoes or creamy polenta.

Notes

I replace wheat flour with tapioca flour to make this recipe gluten free, paleo and lower carb. There is no taste difference.

The post Uncomplicated Beef Bourguignon, Paleo, Keto Friendly appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is an amazing recipe that has me so re-excited, I am going to try it several different ways. Just the tomato with the goat cheese with the honey is enough of a flavor busting combination to make me want to give it a paleo twist. Never would I think that honey should touch tomatoes.

Never would I think that a grainy mustard belongs in this combination. But it does and when you taste all three together with a backdrop of tart crust, you will smile. Smile big. I promise. It will take you by surprise the way the boy you didn’t like all that much kisses really well and you go wow! It’s the nice surprise of the day.

I used my end of season tomatoes, some honey cultivated via blueberries, and a good goat cheese log. Surpassing the recipe for tart crust, I simply added an egg to my own basic pie crust, but changed the quantities and added in a egg yolk.

This summery, french tomato tart is not really about me, even if tarts are my favorite food. This tart is about a combination of many hands, hard at work, and a love story high on a hill with a dairy goat or two.

Nobel Springs Dairy Goat Farm – Tennessee

Just ten minutes from my house, Nobel Springs Dairy sits on a 230 acres in Franklin, Tennessee. It’s the result of a romantic love story that began in the childhoods of Justyne McCoy and Dustin Nobel who fell in love with goats in childhood. They met when Justyne was in high school at a goat show. Together they fulfilled their individual dreams of raising goats on a dairy farm.

Yes, it’s romantic. And, yes, it’s hard work. They often work 14 or more hours a day, milking, cleaning, processing, and selling cheese at 8 different farmer’s markets and to local grocers. But, they love it because they are following their passion. Dustin and Justyne are getting married in July.

This picture of the goat was 15 years ago. Wow, how time goes fast.

The Process for French Tomato Tart

This tart from David Lebovitz. When I found it on his site, I felt as if I could taste the freshness of tomatoes, the buttery crust, and the golden browned, honey dripped goat cheese through the screen. It immediately went on my mental “to make” list. And, it synched perfectly with my visit to Nobel Springs Dairy.

• Tomatoes should be cut on the thick side and very ripe. Be generous with tomatoes, as they shrink up.
• Be generous with the honey. I went back in and drizzled more. I used a blackberry honey just as recipe called for.
• I increased my oven to 400 degrees and still had to cook much longer than 30 minutes, closer to 50 minutes, until my cheese browned enough. Next time, I may blind bake the pastry shell for a few minutes.
• I used fresh thyme, basil, and a little rosemary but you can use any fresh herbs you like

Honey is a secret ingredient here, drizzled over the cheese prior to baking.

It seems that as recipes get adapted, we find our own short cuts and tips. This is yet another exciting way many hands work to create a dish.

A special thanks to Nobel Springs, and if you are in the Nashville area, or shopping at one of our many farmer’s markets or Whole Foods, be sure to pick up some Nobel Springs goat cheese.

Special Diet Tart Crust Recipes

• Gluten Free Tart Crust
• Low Carb Tart Crust

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Goat Cheese, Honey, Tomato Tart

Goat cheese, honey, tomatoes comes together to make a delicious end of summer or anytime tart with fresh herbs adapted from David Lebovitz.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Tart Crust (makes 1 large tart)

• 1 1/2 flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter placed in freezer for 15 minutes
• 1 tablespoons iced cold water
• 1 egg yolk

Goat Cheese Honey Tart

• 1 tart shell or pie crust
• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
• herbs such as thyme tarragon, basil
• 3 large meaty tomatoes not too juicy sliced thickly
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces of goat cheese in a log easy to slice
• 2 tablespoons of honey may use more

Instructions

Tart Crust with Food Processor

• Using a food processor, mix together flour, sugar, salt.
• Blend in butter and on medium speed, count to 10 seconds.
• Blend in water and blend for a few seconds.
• Blend in egg.
• Bring together to form a dough ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least.

Using Hands for Dough

• Mix together the dry ingredients. Blend in the butter until you have a mealy flour mixture. Add in water and egg and knead gently until the dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roll out to three inches more than size of tart pan.
• Gently place in tart pan, and using rolling pin, roll off the edges.

Goat Cheese Honey Tart

• Fork the bottom of the tart shell. Spread on mustard until the base is covered.
• Cover with a scattering of fresh chopped herbs.
• Arrange slices of tomato, keeping in mind that tomatoes do shrink.
• Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange 6 to 8 round discs of goat cheese cut about 1/2 inch thick on top of the tomatoes.
• Drizzle honey over the entire tart, saving some honey for drizzling once tart is out of the oven.
• Bake at 400 degrees F. for 30 minutes. If making smaller tarts, reduce baking time.
• Goat cheese will bubble and turn a golden brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.
• Add more fresh herbs.

Notes

I found it best using lots of honey.

The post French Tomato Tart with Goat Cheese and Honey appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Somehow youtube knew this and showed me a French chef of the French Cooking Academy, who teaches in English for the home cook. I became obsessed with watching his videos and how he explained sauces in an easy to understand way with tips.

Buy his book: The French Cooking Academy Cookbook

I’ll let you know my experiences cooking the dish and the tips I found to be most important.

I have made a boneless mustard chicken before here, which is very good, but this is a sauce for whole pieces of thicken. I chose to make this with chicken thighs, but it would be very good with chicken breasts on bone cut in half.

The dijon sauce is very easy to do. Make sure to gather all of your ingredients first and plan to spend a few minutes active time.

Ingredients for Dijon Chicken

• 40 grams butter
• Chicken pieces on bone with skin
• Butter
• Garlic
• Bayleaf
• White wine
• Heavy Cream
• Egg Yolks
• Dijon Mustarad
• Herbs
• Salt, Pepper

More From Spinach Tiger

• Boneless Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce
• Mashed Potatoes
• Mash Cauliflower
• Keto Parmesan Boneless Chicken Bake with Cauliflower

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What to Buy

• French Cooking Academy Cookbook

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Dijon Chicken

Dijon Chicken cooked stovetop in a dijon mustard sauce.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 pieces chicken with skin and on bone
• salt and white pepper
• 40 grams butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• fresh thyme
• 200 ml white wine
• 200 ml heavy cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• dash umami seasoning
• parsley for garnish

Instructions

• Melt butter in frying pan and place chicken in and continue to cook on both sides until chicken in golden brown,
• Remove chicken from pan.
• Deglaze pan with white wine. Make sure to burn off alcohol before next step.
• Add cream to pan and boil for about two minutes.
• Add a small amount of cream to the egg yolks to temper and add to pan. Do NOT BOIL THE YOLKS.
• Add mustard and umami seasoning (if you have that). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add chicken back into the pan and cook on low to reheat chicken. Add thyme sprigs and bay leaf.

  Chicken must be at 165 degrees F.
• Serve with mash potatoes or cauliflower rice.

The post Dijon Chicken from a French Chef appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

The Entrecotê must be good, because there is always a line, and the sauce is a secret. So secret, in fact, that many chefs on line have tried to figure it out and come up with their own versions. It seems that no matter what recipe they use, they all love their version.

I tried a version and thought it was so good, I wanted to share it with you.

Stephane of the French Cooking Academy has an “almost” recipe he got from a Paris cookbook, which is delicious. By the way follow his youtube channel if you want to learn how to cook French food without intimidation. I’ve made a few of the dishes and will probably make many more.

Maybe when I get back to Paris, I’ll try the real thing and let you know. In the meantime, while it’s not the exact steak sauce, it’s delicious and worthy.

After making this green entrecotê steak sauce three times, I put my own spin on it, adding in a lot more parsley, which is what makes the sauce more green and I think more appetizing. Some other chefs have made the sauce adding in walnuts and a few other things like capers. I may try a version with walnuts in the future.

Don’t limit this entrecotê green sauce to steak. I noticed during a dinner everyone was also putting the sauce on these crispy smashed potatoes. Now that’s a match.

Ingredients for Entrecote

• 1 cup chopped parsley (measured after chop)
• 2 stems thyme
• 2 stems rosemary (or tarragon)
• 1/2 cup salted butter (use good butter)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 large shallots
• black pepper
• umami seasoning (option, but great addition) This one is from Trader Joe’s

The process is very easy. Just make sure to get all of your ingredients together, chopped, measured and ready before you cook your steak. While your steak is cooking, especially if you do reverse sear, you can make the sauce. If prepped, it will take you less than ten minutes.

However, you can make this ahead of time and gently reheat.

Freeze

I tested this out and you can freeze this sauce and gently reheat. You may need to add a tablespoon of cream.

Great Steak Recipes from Spinch Tiger

• The Perfect New York Strip Steak Recipe, Pan-Fried, Oven-Roasted (Sear and Roast Method).
• Perfect Ribeye Steak (pan fried, roasted)
• Reverse Sear Tomahawk Steak
• Teres Major (a more affordable cut of meat that mocks filet)
• Tenderloin Tails

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Entrecote Sauce

Course Sauce

Cuisine French

Keyword entrecote sauce, french sauce

Ingredients

• 2 handfulls parsley 1 cup, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 large shallots
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs rosemary finely chopped
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon umami powder
• salt, pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

• Put butter, shallots, herbs umami powder, dash salt, into a sauce pan. Heat on very low for five minutes.
• Allow to sit off stove for five minutes. Add heavy cream. Add lemon juice.
• Blend in a blender until smooth.
• Season with salt, pepper to taste.
• Serve immediately. If you can't keep it warm or gently reheat when your food is ready.

The post Entrecotê Steak Sauce (my version) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

First let me tell you a funny, which has a sad moment to it, but in the end, I think you’ll smile.

My mother passed away October 30, 2019. . My friend, Rhonda called sobbing, as she loved my mom who we call Retro Rose. Every year, Rhonda and Retro Rose would team up at my Galentine’s party, eat fried eggplant and laugh a lot. We had a celebration of life for Retro Rose and Rhonda didn’t show up, something quite surprising. But wait.

She showed up the next day, the wrong day. She wondered why I was in workout clothes; I wondered why she was at the door. Long story short, we showed her the video, she cried again, and then proclaimed, “I’m hungry.” Well just by luck, or Retro Rose magic, I had just completed making this mixed seafood recipe  for the blog and it was only 4:00.

She’s on the keto diet and I said “believe it or not I have food and a keto dessert.”

This mixed seafood recipe is easy for a French dish.

I’ve been to France twice and I absolutely love French food, especially the dishes cooked with wine and butter. I’m about to go to Paris is May and am excited to be taking a bread baking class, which I’ll report on later this summer.

It’s a little fussier than most of my recipes, because it’s adapted from the cookbook, Le Cordon Bleu at Home. When I first started blogging almost eleven years ago, I cooked out of this book for a year with a group of bloggers wanting to take on the French recipes.

I learned a few things about French cooking that year. You use a lot of pots and pans. Often the recipes seem a bit over-complicated. The end result is always delicious, even surprisingly so. I thought this dish was going to be boring, but I was so wrong.

Scallops are delicate, decadent and expensive. The good news here is you only need a half pound, and you can replace with small bay scallops, which are sometimes more affordable.

Best Way to Prep Scallops

• You must clean the sand off the scallops by quickly rinsing in cold water.
• Remove the side muscle. It pulls off easily. Otherwise, you’ll get a bad, fibrous bite you do not want.
• Dry well with a clean towel or paper towel.

Mixed Seafood Recipe with Butter and Wine is Naturally Lower in Carbs

This recipe is naturally lower carbs because it’s protein and fat. If you don’t care about that, serve this with rice, or crusty bread. It’s a great dish to put together for a dinner party or over the holidays when you’re ready to run from turkey and beef. For a very fancy dinner, serve over store bought puff pastry.

Mushrooms and Mixed Seafood

Let’s talk about mushrooms. There was a time I wouldn’t dream about mushrooms and seafood, but this works. If you hate it, skip them and add in more seafood. I’ve been to two fine dining restaurants this year, where mushrooms was paired with seafood and it was brilliant.

Wine Butter Sauce

Classic and delicious, wine butter sauce can turn almost any plain dish into something special.

More Scallops Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Seared Scallops with Pasta
• Seared Scallops with Fennel
• Anchovy Basil Pesto with Seared Scallops 
• Seared Scallop with Edamame Pasta (low carb)

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Shrimp and Scallops in Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 pound shrimp
• 1/2 pound scallops sliced across
• 1 shallot finely diced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups mushrooms sliced
• 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Peel and devein shrimp.
• Remove the side muscle of the scallops. Slice across.
• Heat butter in pan. Cook scallops until just done about 2 minute per side. Remove to dish. Set aside.
• Add shallot just until soft, then add wine and parsley and simmer until alcohol is cooked off.
• Slice mushrooms and sautè quickly in large sautè pan in 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add scallops, and uncooked shrimp. Shrimp will only take a few minutes to cook.
• Add in heavy cream and continue to cook. Add parsley.

The post Mixed Seafood in Wine Butter Sauce appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

We quickly looked up a few recipes and made garlic confit. They he and the boys ate nearly a loaf of sourdough bread with the softened garlic. You can call that a good day.

Since then, I thought of of a way to improve that first go around. But before I get into that let’s answer a few questions about garlic confit.

What is Garlic Confit?

Confit is cooked covered in fat. Duck confit is slowly cooked in duck fat. It was a method of preservation. Vegetables can be cooked confit style slowly cooked in olive oil.

Garlic confit is peeled, covered in olive oil and either cooked very slow and low on top of the stove or in the oven.

How Long Does Garlic Confit Last?

Although confit was originally discovered for preservation, I suggest making garlic confit in small batches and eating within a reasonable time.You can keep your garlic confit in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and frozen for up to 3 months.

How Do You Peel Garlic?

My method is simple. I put the garlic heads in a stainless bowl, cover it with another bowl and shake up and down. The skins will fall off. Please don’t buy pre-peeled garlic. Use fresh whole garlic heads for this recipe (or any recipe). Pre-peeled garlic goes rancid quickly.

How to Make Garlic Confit in the Oven

• Peel garlic.
• Put in oven proof dish. I use an onion soup crock so I can pile up the garlic cloves and completely cover with olive oil.
• Add olive oil and some peppercorns.
• Add fresh thyme sprigs.
• Bake at 275 degrees F for 1 hour until the cloves turn soft and golden.
• Spread on bread and be in heaven.

How to Use Garlic Confit

• Spread on Sourdough Bread.
• Add to ground meat, like meatballs. The sweetness of garlic confit is better than adding raw garlic. I did this yesterday and so yum.
• Add to soups, stews, tomato sauce.
• Spread on steak
• Add to mashed potatoes.
• Add to cooked vegetables like eggplant spread or white beans dip.
• Spread on burger buns or hoagie buns.

Store in airtight jar in the refrigerator.

Don’t forget to try duck confit.

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Garlic Confit

Garlic Confit, baked in olive oil and thyme to spice up your favorite dishes.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword garlic, garlic confit

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 3 garlic heads
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 1 cup olive oil more if needed
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns

Instructions

• Peel garlic cloves. An easy way is to place garlic in stainless steel bowl. Top with another stainless steel bowl and shake. The peels will come off.
  
• Place garlic cloves in oven proof bowl. I used a soup crock. Top with olive oil. Cover with foil.
  
• Bake at 400 degrees F. for about 1 hour, 15 minutes, until garlic is golden and softened.
  
• Store in jar in refrigerator for up to two weeks.
  

The post How to Make Garlic Confit in the Oven appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I had a friend, Jayne, who just returned from Paris, bragging about the soup I also remember from a trip there long ago and it dawned on me that I had never made French Onion Soup. I loved the idea of having to find a new recipe, tweak it to my personal taste and inviting her over.

The first thing I had to do was order authentic french onion crocks that I could put under the broiler to lightly brown and melt the cheese.

I read quite a few recipes with various opinions on onions, cheese, croutons, wine, sherry vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. I can happily say I hit it well on the first try, but pulled it tighter on the second try.

I made it twice within a few days, mainly to tweak the bread and the cheese. The soup itself was rich and delicious. The onions were perfectly caramelized to yield a sweet flavor amid an umami broth made with white wine and organic beef broth.

The Best French Onion Soup Crocks

The first thing I did was to order the soup crocks on Amazon. So many choices:

• Size which range from 16 ounce to 28 ounce.
• Color (the traditional beautiful brown crock or the newer modern neutral crocks).
• Oven safe, specifically, broiler safe.
• Lid or No Lid.

I chose these 22-ounce traditional brown crocks that can sit under a broiler while the cheese melts. They are timeless, beautiful and serve for many other purposes. I opted no lid, for stackable reasons.

What is French Onion Soup?

Ingredients for Onion Soup

You have to make a few choices in making French Onion Soup.

• Onions (Yellow or White)
• Bread (French Baguette or Croutons)
• Wine (White or Red Wine)
• Sherry Vinegar or Worcestershire (maybe both)
• Cheese (Gruyere or Swiss)
• Beef Broth (Boxed or Homemade)
• Thyme Sprigs

What Kind of Bread to Use for French Onion Soup?

The best kind of bread is French Baguette, because it toasts very crispy to almost crouton style. The bread is small in diameter, so I like to use two pieces, side by side. You might also be able to use a sourdough bread, but test out how well it toasts. Just don’t use white toast bread, as it will quickly disintegrate into the soup.

What Kind of Onions for French Onion Soup?

The first time I made the onion soup, I used yellow onions, which are the ones in the brown skin. The second time I mixed it up just to see if there would be a difference. I think the yellow onions caramelize better. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use other onions. This is a very flexible recipe, if you get the technique right.

Process for Caramelizing Onions

• Slice onions thinly and do your best to slice evenly.
• Add butter and oil to pan, on low heat.
• Turn about every ten minutes.
• TIP: Use a cast iron pan for this part for best results. You can use an enameled dutch oven, but they don’t brown as easily

What Kind of Wine is Best for French Onion Soup?

I went back and forth between using red wine or white wine and both times I used white wine. I learned from Marcella Hazan that white wine is the premier choice for bolognese or tomato sauce against the heavier tomatoes, whereas red wine can sometimes be bitter. Thus, I chose Pinot Grigio. You could use a sauvignon blanc or chardonnay. However, I’ve seen some like Tasting Table swear by red wine.

What Kind of Cheese is Best for French Onion Soup?

The first time I made the soup, I used a pre-sliced Boar’s Head Gruyere. The second time I used an imported Swiss Cheese from Boar’s head which is lactose free and my favorite choice.

What Best Accompanies French Onion Soup?

Simple Green Salad

French Onion Soup is rich and filling. Accompany this with a simple green salad with a champagne vinaigrette dressing. I like to buy fresh green leaf lettuce (not in bags). It saves money and the salad greens last longer. Dress lightly with vinaigrette, salt and pepper.

French Desserts

• Pots de Creme
• Sugar Free Pots De Creme
• Italian Chocolate Mousse
• Sugar Free Chocolate Mousse
• French Raspberry Tart

Tips for Making French Onion Soup

• Make the broth and onions the day before. Heating it up the next day results in more flavor.
• Use French Baguettes sliced evenly and toasted well so they hold up in the soup.
• Slice the onions as easily as you can, so you won’t have any burnt pieces.
• Use broil on low. It takes about 4 minutes to properly melt the cheese.

More French Recipes

• Steak Au Poive
• Duck Confit
• Frisee Salad with Poached Egg, Shallot Vinaigrette
• Grilled Lollypop Lamb Chops, Mint Pistou
• Mixed Seafood in Wine Butter Sauce
• Sole Meuniere
• Beef Bourguignon
• French Tomato Tart
• Veal and Turnip Stew with white wine

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French Onion Soup Recipe

How to Make Authentic French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 yellow onions
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire or fish sauce
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon umami seasoning optional
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 8 slices gruyere or swiss cheese
• 4 slices french baguette see notes

Instructions

• Peel and slice onions.
  
• Melt butter and oil in pan. A cast iron frying pan will caramelize faster than an enameled cast iron.
  
• Keep the heat on low and turn onions every ten minutes for the next 40-50 minutes until the onions are a golden amber color.
  
• Season onions with salt.
• Stir in flour until all onions are covered.
• Deglaze with wine for about five minutes until alcohol burns off.
• Add in beef broth, thyme sprigs, bay leaf.
• Add in worcestershire or fish sauce and black pepper.
• Add in sherry vinegar to add brightness.
• If you can make this part a day in advance and then reheat for boosted flavor.
  
• Make sure you start with hot soup. Preheat broil on low.
• Dish out soup among four bowls. Top with toasted baguette and cheese.
  
• Broil on low mode of broil for five minutes.
• Top with chopped parsley or thyme.
  

Notes

Some french baguette are small and I used two slices per bowl, side by side.

The post French Onion Soup Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is only the second time I’ve made duck confit. The first time I used a crock pot. This time I discovered making duck confit in the oven is more optimal if you have the luxury of baking in the oven for 3 hours.

What is Duck Confit?

Confit is French for preserve. When we refer to anything “confit” we refer to food salted and cooked in its own fat using a technique that was originally meant to preserve meat.

This cooking technique goes back at least five centuries as hunters and cooks would salt the meat, cook and preserve in its own fat. Stored in a cool place, the meat could be preserved for months.

We no longer need to worry about preserving meat for months, but the technique is still used, especially with duck legs which require a long cooking time. Other meats that you can confit include goose, pork belly, turkey, brisket. Sometimes you will see even vegetables confit or another favorite, garlic confit, (baked in olive oil).

Baked Vs. Slow Cooker

Now that I’ve made baked duck confit and the slow cooker method, I prefer baked. When the duck is baking even at a very low temperature, the skin browns a little. The slow cooker method is great if you’re wanting the meat for pasta or tacos, but it’s harder to keep the legs from falling apart.

Best Process for Oven Baked Duck Confit

• Step 1 – Salt duck legs. Prepare herb mixture and marinate duck overnight.
• Step 2 – Arrange duck legs in roasting pan. If using duck fat, heat and pour over duck legs. They should be fully covered. You can use olive oil if you don’t have duck fat and will not need to heat.
• Cover with foil. Bake at 190 degrees F. for 3 hours. Remove foil for last hour.
• Step 3. Heat a cast iron pan to high heat. Brown the duck legs skin side down to get a very crispy skin. I cover with parchment and place a heavy pot for about a minute. You could also cover a brick with foil. The point is to press down the duck legs to ensure crispy skin.
• Serve with prepared white beans, side of fingerling potatoes and a simple salad with vinaigrette to cut through the richness.

Garlic Rosemary White Beans

Beans are a great accompaniment to duck confit. Cannellini beans are especially creamy and serve as a great foundation to the dish, but you can use any kind of canned white beans.

• Plan on three to four cans of beans to four duck legs.
• Rinse beans under cold water, removing excess sodium. Drain well. Dry with paper towels.
• Heat olive oil and sliced garlic in frying pan.
• Add beans to olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
• Top beans with chopped rosemary.
• Top with more olive oil if needed before serving.
• Serve duck over a bed of beans.

What to Serve with Duck Confit

A simple salad with a lemon thyme vinaigrette is a perfect side for such a rich dish.

• Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette
• Red Wine Shallot Vinaigrette

Favorite Baking Tools for this Recipe

• Oxo Baking Dish with Lid (My favorite as it’s great for storing)
• Tongs for Turning the Duck Legs
• Mezzaluna My Favorite tool for chopping herbs

More Recipes

• Stovetop Chicken Thighs with White Wine
• Chicken White Bean Soup
• Duck Confit with Lentils in Slow Cooker

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Oven Baked Duck Confit with Garlic Rosemary White Beans

How to Make Duck Confit in the Oven with Rosemary White Beans

Course Entree

Cuisine French

Keyword duck, Duck confit, duck legs

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Marinating Time 12 hours hours

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

Duck Legs

• 4 duck legs with thigh
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 shallots sliced
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme thyme, sage, rosemary
• 1 cup duck fat See Notes for Substitute
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley for ending garnish

Garlic Rosemary White Beans

• 3 cans white beans see notes
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 squeeze lemon
• dash red chili flakes
• 2 rosemary

Instructions

Duck Legs

• Marinate Legs in fresh herbs, salt, pepper, overnight. Rub garlic onto the meatiest part of the legs.
• If using duck fat, gently heat before pouring over duck. If using olive oil, no need to heat.
• Rinse off under cold water. Use large baking dish for oven. Don't overlap and make sure you fully submerge in fat.
• Oven Bake: 290 degrees F. for 3 hours, prior to taking out of the fat and crisping.
• Crisping Duck: FRY METHOD: You can transfer skin-side down to frying pan to crisp skin. You can place something over to press duck into frying pan. I take parchment and then place heavy pot over the duck to ensure a crispy skin. BROIL METHOD: You can place duck skin side up under the broiler.
• Save the fat. You will now have some duck fat. Drain and freeze.
• Freeze: You can freeze the duck confit in the fat prior to crisping skin for up to three months. Defrost and then follow instructions for crisping.
• Rosemary Garlic White Beans
• Rinse canned beans and drain well. Dry with paper towels to get most of water off.
• Slice garlic thinly and cook in olive oil until golden. Add beans. Season with salt, pepper, chili flakes. Hit with squeeze of lemon.
• Add chopped rosemary and stir.
• Serve crispy duck over white beans.

Notes

Herbs: Use fresh thyme and Bay Leaf for Duck. Add in some sage if you have it. 

Fat: Duck fat is expensive. You can use a light olive oil or avocado oil in its place. I  also used a little broth in the crock pot. 

Lentils:  Use French Lentils or Brown Lentils. 

The post Oven Baked Duck Confit with Garlic Rosemary White Beans appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

What is Duck Confit?

Confit means to cook food in its fat. Initially, confit was used for preserving food prior to refrigeration. Duck was was salted, slow cooked, and preserved in its own fat.

Duck confit in simple terms is typically duck legs cooked in duck fat. Actually duck confit has always been the whole duck cooked in duck fat, as peasant food or farm food, always including nose to tail cooking.

Here in America when you see duck confit, you will most likely be served duck legs that have been slow roasted in duck fat, and often served on top of french lentils.

Duck confit has always been a bit of a mystery to me, as I didn’t grow up eating this dish, but I’m always drawn to order it every time it’s on the menu (which is not that often).

I purchased these duck legs at the Nolensville Farmer’s Market directly from the farmer who processes them with a few directions on how to cook duck confit.

After browsing several recipes for how to cook duck confit, I chose my favorite earthy herbs, (sage and thyme) and braised them with a combo of oil, duck fat and a little bit of broth, long and slow. After 7 hours on low, I then placed them in a hot oven to crisp the skin. You could fry them on top of stove skin side down as an option.

Lentils are often coupled with duck legs and adds to the earthiness of this dish. Don’t confused earthiness with gamey. The duck legs remit a fork tender, fall apart delicious meat, not far from chicken, which at once feels fancy and simple.

If you can find duck legs, you should totally try this recipe and serve with a crusty french baguette and side salad with a simple champagne vinaigrette. If you want to go all out french, try this Frisee Salad with or without a Poached Egg.

Fast and Easy Lentils

I prefer French lentils in this recipe, as they hold together well for a side dish, however, brown lentils will be just fine.

• Make sure to rinse well, looking for little pebbles.
• No soaking required. Add lentils to boiling water.
• Use plenty of water, and infuse with herbs like bay leaves, rosemary, sage, thyme and garlic cloves.
• Cook covered on low for 30-45 minutes. I tested at 30 minutes and then again to make sure they were soft enough.
• Salt at the END, so they don’t become tough.
• Stir in some olive oil throughout the lentils. Season with salt and pepper.

How to Cook Duck Confit

• Marinate overnight with salt and herbs, up to 24 hours.
• Warm Duck fat so it can be poured over duck legs prior to cooking. I didn’t have enough fat, so I used olive oil (and a little broth). This did not affect the recipe. The good news is that after making this recipe, you will be left with duck fat (from the legs cooking, and you can freeze for another time).
• Cover completely with duck fat (and olive oil, if needed). I was able to arrange the legs in my large crock pot on low for 7 hours. If you are going to bake in oven, bake for 2 to 3 hours at a low temperature (300 degrees F. ).
• Carefully remove the legs to a dish you can use under the broiler. By this time the duck legs will be falling apart.
• Broil for five minutes or so to crisp skin. Picture below is what the duck legs will look like before crisping.

Ways to Serve Duck Confit

• Serve as is on top of french lentils for authentic touch or whatever you choose.
• Shred, make duck ragu and serve with pasta. (recipe coming)
• Shred and make duck tacos. (recipe coming)
• Use for Cassoullet (recipe coming)
• NOTE: When making pasta or tacos, you won’t use skin, so no need to crisp up.

More Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Lentil Sausage Soup
• Beef Bourgignon
• Steak Au Poivre
• Keto Chocolate Pots de Creme
• Sole Meunière
• Keto French Chocolate Mousse
• French Tomato Tart with Goat Cheese

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Oven Baked Duck Confit with Garlic Rosemary White Beans

How to Make Duck Confit in the Oven with Rosemary White Beans

Course Entree

Cuisine French

Keyword duck, Duck confit, duck legs

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Marinating Time 12 hours hours

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

Duck Legs

• 4 duck legs with thigh
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 shallots sliced
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme thyme, sage, rosemary
• 1 cup duck fat See Notes for Substitute
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley for ending garnish

Garlic Rosemary White Beans

• 3 cans white beans see notes
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 squeeze lemon
• dash red chili flakes
• 2 rosemary

Instructions

Duck Legs

• Marinate Legs in fresh herbs, salt, pepper, overnight. Rub garlic onto the meatiest part of the legs.
• If using duck fat, gently heat before pouring over duck. If using olive oil, no need to heat.
• Rinse off under cold water. Use large baking dish for oven. Don't overlap and make sure you fully submerge in fat.
• Oven Bake: 290 degrees F. for 3 hours, prior to taking out of the fat and crisping.
• Crisping Duck: FRY METHOD: You can transfer skin-side down to frying pan to crisp skin. You can place something over to press duck into frying pan. I take parchment and then place heavy pot over the duck to ensure a crispy skin. BROIL METHOD: You can place duck skin side up under the broiler.
• Save the fat. You will now have some duck fat. Drain and freeze.
• Freeze: You can freeze the duck confit in the fat prior to crisping skin for up to three months. Defrost and then follow instructions for crisping.
• Rosemary Garlic White Beans
• Rinse canned beans and drain well. Dry with paper towels to get most of water off.
• Slice garlic thinly and cook in olive oil until golden. Add beans. Season with salt, pepper, chili flakes. Hit with squeeze of lemon.
• Add chopped rosemary and stir.
• Serve crispy duck over white beans.

Notes

Herbs: Use fresh thyme and Bay Leaf for Duck. Add in some sage if you have it. 

Fat: Duck fat is expensive. You can use a light olive oil or avocado oil in its place. I  also used a little broth in the crock pot. 

Lentils:  Use French Lentils or Brown Lentils. 

The post How to Cook Duck Confit with Lentils appeared first on Spinach Tiger.