Edible Berkshires

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Edible BerkshiresEdible Berkshires

Edible Berkshires is a local, independently owned publication dedicated to covering the unique culinary culture of Western Massachusetts.

Caramelized Onion Chutney

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, peeled and julienned
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup vegetable stock or water

In a large sauté pan, add oil and onions sauté over medium heat until browned and caramelized, about 15–20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Once onions are caramelized, add remaining ingredients. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and pulse mixture in a food processor until chunky, being careful not to over process.

HEIRLOOM MEALS: Jo Murko’s Cream Puffs

creamPuffs

By Chef Carole Murko, Heirloom Meals

Christmas season was all about the baking when I grew up. My most vivid memory, however, is not the actual baking—it’s of Nana’s hospitality table.

Each December the old wooden round folding table with a quilted top made its way out of the attic and into the dining room. My nana would adorn the table with a green wool felt cloth that she made.

She prepared her tiered stand with lace-cut doilies and a tray of cordials. Underneath the table was tin upon tin of cookies. The largest tin was piled high with our famous sugar cookies and other tins were filled with so many different cookies from fruitcake cookies to chocolate-dipped almond fingers.

My brother, sister and I would sneak in and “steal” a cookie from the tin whenever we thought the coast was clear. I am sure this brought pure joy to … Read the rest

CREAM PUFFS

creamPuffs

Preheat oven to 450°F.

1 cup water
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup of flour
4 eggs

In medium saucepan, combine water, butter, salt and sugar.

Bring to a full boil. Remove from heat, add vanilla and flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to form a ball. Place dough in a bowl of a stand mixer and set aside.

In a small bowl lightly beat 3 eggs. Separate 4th egg and place the white in a small dish and beat lightly; reserve yolk for filling. With the mixer on low, gradually add egg mixture with flour mixture. Once all in, increase speed to medium, until combined and you have smooth dough. Stop mixer, test dough—make sure it is supple enough to hold its shape but not pasty. If it is too stiff, … Read the rest

Stout Braised Short Ribs

stoutBraisedShortRibs

By Executive Chef David Slick of Public Eat + Drink

Serves 4

4 pounds short ribs (Chef sources from Vermont’s Family Farm, Enosburg Falls, VT.)
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 large Spanish onions, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cups stout (Chef suggests Gerry Dog Stout Bourbon Barrel Aged from Big Elm Brewing, Sheffield, MA.)
2 cups beef stock
12 medium carrots, peeled
4 purple-top turnips, peeled, medium chop
1 pound fingerling potatoes
6 cloves fresh garlic
4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed from stem and chopped
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed from stem and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup demi-glace

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Season ribs with salt and pepper. Place oil in cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven on high heat until almost smoking. Sear ribs to golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side, being careful not to crowd pan. Remove ribs … Read the rest

Chocolate Espresso Mousse Torte

chocEspressoTorte

Recipe by husband-and-wife chefs Franck Tessier and Rachel Portnoy

Enjoy this ultimate Chocolate Espresso Mousse Torte as the perfect make-ahead holiday dessert. It’s even better with a spoonful of Salty Caramel Sauce: All of the flavors explode in your mouth! The cake itself has lightness to it; it literally disappears on your tongue. It’s remarkable that something so richly flavored can have such a lovely, light texture.

For an extra touch, and a little crunch, you can make the garnish to go with it. When I originally looked around for something in my baking repertoire that was crunchy and gluten-free I came up empty-handed. The crunch in the photo, and what we serve at the restaurant, is a simple and delicious mix of our wonderful 65% bittersweet chocolate, melted, and Perky’s gluten-free crunchy flax cereal that we buy at the supermarket. Spread thin on a piece of parchment paper, let … Read the rest

Crab Gratin

 crabGratin

Recipe by husband-and-wife chefs Franck Tessier and Rachel Portnoy

Serves 4

1 pound Atlantic lump crab, Jonah crab or blue crab meat, picked through for bits of shell.
   (Raw blue crab available Guido’s, Price Chopper, seafood department.)
½ cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons lemon juice or juice of one lemon
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup very finely chopped parsley
3 scallions, finely sliced
½ red pepper, finely diced
1½ teaspoons lumpfish caviar
  (Caviars available Guido’s fish department early December through first week of January.)
  It will taste just as good without if not available.
Salt, pepper to taste
2 leeks, dark green removed (save for making stock), finely sliced
Or baby spinach
Vegetable oil
Baguette, sliced diagonally, toasted

Fold first eight ingredients together and taste for seasoning.

Sweat leeks in vegetable oil over low heat until melted; deglaze with splash of white wine, salt and pepper.

Alternatively, sweat some baby … Read the rest

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Preheat oven to 350°F.

1 pound fingerling potatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
¼ cup vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Toss until potatoes are coated.

Place in roasting pan large enough to hold in one layer. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

Parsnip Purée

1 pound parsnips, peeled and medium sliced
   (Chef sources from Mighty Food Farm, Pownal, VT.)
1 onion, peeled and chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled
3 cups whole milk

Place vegetables in a saucepan. Cover with milk. Bring to a boil. Continue cooking until parsnips are fork tender.

Cool mixture for 10–15 minutes. Place vegetables into a blender with 1 cup of milk; purée on high until very smooth. Add additional milk if needed.

Lamb Meatloaf

lambMeatloaf

By Executive Chef Rob Beuth of Hops and Vines

Yields 6 servings

Preheat oven to 325°F.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 pounds ground lamb (Chef sources lamb from Sky Dance Farms, Lanesborough, MA.)
2 eggs
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon fresh oregano chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
5 strips smoked bacon

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients except bacon. Mix until well combined.

Cover with plastic wrap. Allow mixture to rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature.

Using your hands, form lamb mixture into a loaf. Wrap the loaf in the smoked … Read the rest

Southern Shrimp & Grits

southernShrimpGrits

By Executive Chef Matt Schilling of The Hub

Serves 4

STONEGROUND GRITS

4 cups water
2 cups of grits, yellow cornmeal or polenta
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons salt, to taste

Bring water to a boil. Reduce to medium low, whisk in grits and cook, whisking frequently, for 5–8 minutes until grits are tender and creamy. Whisk in additional water if too thick; leave a bit loose so when cheese is added grits will not become too thick. Whisk in cheese, butter and salt to taste; cover and set aside.

SHRIMP

4 slices bacon
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
½ cup diced red bell pepper
½ cup finely diced shallots
1½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cajun seasoning (available in the dry spice rack at all stores)
½ cup white wine (Chef suggests dry, like Chardonnay.)
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley… Read the rest

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