Appetizers and Snacks

Maker’s Mark Bourbon Chocolate Bread Pudding for Your Valentine

Posted 2:05 pm February 14th, 2011

Bill Samuels, Jr. of Maker’s Mark Bourbon says that while he knows we are all trying to stick to those New Year’s resolutions, he still wanted to share with BourbonBlog.com this recipe for Bourbon Chocolate Bread pudding for Valentine’s Day.

Bourbon Chocolate Bread Pudding

2 cups whole milk
4 eggs
1/3 cup Maker’s Mark Bourbon
8 ounces 72% dark chocolate, chopped
4 cups day-old French bread cubes (packed)
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together milk, eggs, and bourbon. In a large bowl, combine the liquids with the chocolate, bread cubes, and sugar. Toss to coat and set aside to soak for about 45 minutes, gently stirring once or twice.

Posted in Blog, Desserts and Sweets, Food Recipes, Recipes, Valentine's Day Cocktails | 4 Comments »

Campari-Macerated Treefruits and Berries with Yoghurt

Posted 4:16 pm September 11th, 2010

I’ve done this recipe, by request, a couple times since that evening. For many a heavy confection-laden dessert is not what they have in mind. Just some berries in a glass will do well, thank you. Pair that with a nice porto and the diners and I are happy children.

Combine diced treefruits such as plums, pears, apricots, etc. with

a variety of seasonal berries.

Cover with a mixture of 80% Campari, 20% water.

Let sit for 2+ hours.

Strain.

Place in individual martini glasses.

Top with plain yoghurt.

Garnish with mint sprigs.

Article written and Recipes created by BourbonBlog.com Chef/Mixologist Stephen Dennison

Posted in Desserts and Sweets, Food Recipes | No Comments »

Bourbon Sugar Brûléed Wild Salmon

Posted 4:01 pm September 11th, 2010

Sweet and savory. Hard and soft. This dish revels in juxtaposition. Candied fish? With Bourbon? Yes- it works!

For the rub:

1 part bourbon of choice (We used Woodford Reserve)
2 parts sugar

Mix both well, spread out over a baking sheet, and allow to crystallize – exposed.

Take this mixture and cover:

4-6 oz cuts, wild Pacific salmon, skin on and carefully de-boned

Sear the salmon, skin-side down for 4 minutes. (The coloration will be creeping up the side of the filet.) Take a Brûlée torch and caramelize the sugared top-side, while still in the pan. Look at the sides of the fish. There should be a round, cooked patina, with a bolder, ocher-looking center. If appearing too raw, finish in a 400 degree oven. Serve with a smile.

On a side note, the intended side dish was my mistake. It was meant to be an orzo/Bourbon rehydrated apricot/almond pilaf. The almonds took two attempts(chefs learn to smell when things are finished in the oven – when nuts begin to smell, they are burned… Doh!) The orzo was undercooked. The apricots never had a chance. Oh well!

Article and Recipe Created by BourbonBlog.com Chef/Mixologist Stephen Dennison

Posted in Blog, Entrees and Main Courses, Food Recipes | 1 Comment »

Aquavit Baby Artichokes

Posted 3:50 pm September 11th, 2010

Sooner or later, I have to set something on fire! Here I pair the softer flavor of baby artichoke with the back-nuance of caraway-laced Linne Aquavit. Aggressive in approach, after the flambe’ the dish balances out quite well.

¼ pound butter, cut into slices
8 baby artichokes, cleaned of excess leaves- stem on
½ cup Linne Aquavit
salt and pepper, to taste
squeezed lemon, to taste

Blanch artichokes. Place in acidulated water, so that they will not become brown.

Place butter in deep sauté pan. Bring to heat, until foam forms. Strain artichoke. Add artichokes to butter, sautéing for 5-6 minutes, tossing occasionally. Remove pan from fire. Add aquavit. Place back above fire and tilt pan, or light with fireplace lighter – always away from your face! Allow the flames to consume the excess alcohol. Add salt and pepper. Taste. Add lemon. Taste. Adjust seasonings. Serve.

Recipe created by BourbonBlog.com Chef/Mixologist Stephen Dennison

Posted in Entrees and Main Courses, Food Recipes | 1 Comment »

To Build a Vinaigrette

Posted 3:15 pm September 11th, 2010

This recipe is a raw utilization of a spirit. The rhubarb infusion is unexpected in that is doesn’t drink sour, like the raw product tastes. Instead, like a gin, it has a vegetal profile. Go figure. Here we build a vinaigrette, so you will not see exact proportions, instead I will explain the concepts behind designing a dressing/marinade that you can truly call your own.

For the infusion:

1.5 L Vodka (we use Vikingfjord Vodka) with 0.2 of 1.0 of the bottle emptied and replaced with

2 large rhubarb stalks, cut into batons

1/1 simple syrup, to fill

Let steep for at least 3 days. Enjoy.

For the vinaigrette:

Rhubarb Infusion
Lemon
Salt and Pepper
EV Olive Oil

The trick to building a great emulsion is this: build your spices and acids first. Then you incorporate the olive oil by whisking this liquid while drizzling in the oil, just a bit at a time. You can see the emulsion come together. Keep lots of spoons nearby, because you have to taste the product as it is built. The trick is to come in soft on any of the elements, because you can always add more but you can’t take it away. Close your eyes. Not enough acid? Add more lemon. Lacking body? More oil. No alcohol prevalence? Add a skosh. When done, marinate buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes in the vinaigrette, for 2-4 hours. Garnish with whole basil leaf as is tradition.

Posted in Appetizers and Snacks, Food Recipes | No Comments »

Bourbon Escargot

Posted 2:55 pm September 11th, 2010

In this recipe, I use just a slight amount of bourbon to affect the nuance. Normally, when spirits are cooked with, they are flamed in order to reduce alcohol prevalence. Here I adjust the proportions so that they provide that same nuance without the prevalence (and flammability). By the way, I found some excellent petite gris snails, canned, at our local market that are of high quality and at a surprisingly low price. I have since bought them out!

1 8 oz can Petit Gris Snails, drained
4 oz. butter, high-quality, sliced into ½ oz pieces
3 oz. (approximate) flat-leaf parsley, chiffonade
1 tbsp. Bourbon of choice (we used Four Roses Single Barrel)
1 clove garlic, sliced thin as possible
bread boule, hollowed out and toasted

With butter in it, bring pan to medium-high heat. When butter begins to foam, add escargot, then garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes, shaking often. Add Bourbon and parsley. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, shaking often. Pour inside toasted boule. Serve, allowing guests to soak up the butter mixture with the pulled interior of the bread.

The toasted crust also makes for a delicious critter tapas – as my neighborhood raccoon can attest. (I laid out this for the morning birds, yet he had designs of his own!)

Article and Recipe by BourbonBlog.com Chef/Mixologist Stephen Dennison

Posted in Appetizers and Snacks, Blog, Food Recipes, Recipes | No Comments »

“Big Red” Onions Recipe

Posted 4:30 pm August 25th, 2010

Kentuckians like Texans and vice versa. Perhaps it’s because we gave them Daniel Boone at the Alamo, or that they gave us chili (the average Kentuckian’s favorite [it’s not Kentucky burgoo] meal.) I’d honestly bet that it’s because we share the same soda- Big Red.

This stuff has traditionally been released to select states, yet it’s a prominent part of the culinary landscape in these places. Now, you can actually order Big Red from their website from where you live. I personally was bottle fed this soda- red, yet not a crème. It is simply described as “Red,” to be truthful.

Next, we will show a familiar recipe that illustrates the use of a soda simple syrup in a culinary role. This will be based in part upon our last two articles from the Maker’s 46 series including our Blueberry/Coca-Cola Infusion and Maker’s and Coke Reengineered. We hope that you enjoy the technique and will enjoy using it with some of your own local soda selections.

For the Syrup:

1 part Big Red or local soda variation
1 part Sugar

Bring Soda to a boil. Add sugar and dissolve. Let sit to room temperature. Store refrigerated, up to two weeks. Combine:

1 part Soda Syrup
1 part water
1 part white vinegar

Warm till just below simmer.

Add: 1 medium onion, yellow, sliced.

Cover.

Let sit overnight. Serve.

Recipe and article by BourbonBlog.com‘s Chef/Mixlogist Stephen Dennison

Posted in Appetizers and Snacks, Blog, Food Recipes | 1 Comment »

Smackin-Cracklin Bacon

Posted 3:30 pm May 10th, 2010

Smackin-Cracklin Bacon by Stephen Dennison

What you will need:

Sheet Pan

Large Plate

Paper Towels

Sautee Pan

Whisk

Ingredients:

2 oz. Butter

2 oz. Margaritaville Dark Rum

3 Tbsp. Sugar

10 Pieces Thick-Cut Bacon (we used hickory-smoked)

Food Release Spray

Black Pepper

Procedure:

Lay out bacon on sheet pan. Bake in 300d oven. Cook until still soft, almost crispy, approx 10-14 minutes. Remove from oven. Place on paper towel-lined plate. Pat dry.

In sauté pan, add butter and rum. Melt on medium heat until incorporated, whisking occasionally. Add sugar and whisk until fully incorporated. Reduce heat to low. Add bacon, taking care not to over-crowd the pan. Allow bacon to sit in the glaze for 2 minutes. Remove and place upon the sheet pan, wiped free of excess bacon fat and sprayed with food release. Do not allow the bacon slices to touch each other! Pepper, to taste. Allow to set for at least 3 minutes prior to serving.

Article written and recipe created by BourbonBlog.com’s Beverage Consultant Chef/Mixologist Stephen Dennison.

Posted in Appetizers and Snacks, Food Recipes, Recipes | No Comments »

Kentucky Native Bun Cake with Maker’s Mark

Posted 2:24 pm January 19th, 2010

Maker's Mark Bourbon Whisky Bottle Sandra Davis, author of That Special Touch, the official Maker’s Mark cookbook, just shared this Maker’s Mark dessert recipe for Kentucky Native Bun Cake with BourbonBlog.com!

Kentucky Native Bun Cake

1 (18.25-oz) package yellow cake mix with pudding
4 eggs
2/3 C vegetable oil
1/3 C water
1 (8-oz) carton sour cream
1/2 C firmly packed bround sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2/3 C chopped pecans
Glaze

- Combine first five ingredients in a mixing bowl; beat at medium
speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Set aside.

- Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans; set aside. Pour half
of batter in a greased and floured 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan.
Sprinkle half of sugar mixture over batter. Repeat procedure.
Gently swirl batter with a knife.

- Bake at 350F degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick
inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Drizzle
glaze over cake, and cool. Cut into squares. Makes 15 to 18
servings.

- To make glaze: Combine 1 C sifted powdered sugar, 2 Tbs. milk
and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. Beat at medium speed with an electric
mixer until smooth. Makes 1/3 C.

I use the following sauce on this cake. The liquor adds a little
different and unique taste.

Kentucky Sauce

1/2 C unsweetened apple juice
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C Maker’s Mark bourbon whisky
2 Tbs. margarine
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
2/3 C water
2 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

=> Combine apple juice and next four ingredients in a small saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until sugar dissolves.

=> Combine water and cornstarch; stir well, and add to apple juice
mixture. Bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Serve warm. Yummy!

Posted in Blog, Desserts and Sweets, Food Recipes, Recipes | 7 Comments »

Maker’s Mark Hot Fruit Salad

Posted 2:20 pm January 19th, 2010

Maker's Mark Bourbon Whisky Bottle Sandra Davis, author of That Special Touch, the official Maker’s Mark cookbook, just shared this Maker’s Mark dessert recipe with BourbonBlog.com!

Medium can sliced pineapple
Medium can peach halves
Medium can apple rings
Medium can pear halves
Medium can apple halves

Sauce:

2 Tbs flour
1/2 C brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 C Maker’s Mark bourbon (adjust to taste)
1/4 C apple juice or water

- Drain fruit well and place in alternate layers in a 2-quart
casserole dish.

- In top of double boiler, combine sauce ingredients. Cook,
stirring over hot water until thick and smooth.

- Pour hot sauce over fruit; cover and refrigerate overnight or
several days. When ready to serve, heat in preheated 350F oven for
25 to 30 minutes until bubbly.

Posted in Blog, Desserts and Sweets, Food Recipes, Recipes | 1 Comment »