How To Flambé

By the time my parents were entertaining in the 1970’s flambé desserts were passé. To the horror of my mother and the delight of us kids my dad would insist on doing his Cherries Jubilee. We would excitedly gather as the suspense built and the flames would fly and we would all giggle! In the food world everything old is new and as far as trends go the art of flambé is hot once again.

The Term Flambé (Flahm-BAY) is a French word meaning to pour liquor over food and light it in order to burn off the alcohol and impart the flavor of the liquor to the food. It is done with dramatic effect richly flavoring the food. Traditionally it is Crepes Suzette, Cherries Jubilee and Bananas Foster. Chefs have been playing with the concept of setting fire to liquor to include sauces for meats and vegetables as well.

You must use extreme caution here, you will be dealing with a liquid that is on fire; do not carry the dish while flaming, this is best done on a side board away from your guests or sometimes for less formal events I will invite them in the kitchen to watch me play with fire.

In selecting a liqueur to use for a flambé, choose a liqueur that is at least 80 proof so the flames will last long enough to flavor the food. While any 80 proof liqueur may be used, you will need to pick one that the flavor will be adding something to the dish that you are flambéing.

To start you must heat the liquor. It must be heated until just warm, and is done when you see billows rise from the liquid. Do not overheat your liqueur, or the alcohol will evaporate, and it will not catch the flame. To warm your liqueur, place the amount needed for your recipe in a tiny saucepan. Now place the saucepan on the stove under low heat. Once you can see the billows rising from the liqueur, ignite the billows in the saucepan. Ignite with a long fireplace type of match or lighter. They will only ignite if the alcohol is warm enough or the alcohol has not evaporated. Now carefully pour it over the hot food. I will once again stress the importance of extreme caution. Watch out for hair clothes. I know from experience that watches and bracelets can heat up causing the skin to burn. It can be fun to share with the kids, but keep at a safe distance never near or touching the flame. Play with my Grand Marnier crepes (loosely based on traditional crepes Suzette) you can add so many fruit flavors and I have even added mini chocolate chips to the crepes and replaced the grand Marnier for a hazelnut or raspberry liqueur. I have included a popular pasta dish that is spicy and rich and always a crowd pleaser. First my dad’s cherries jubilee that should serve eight (yeah, right!) It can easily be doubled, but once again be careful. Enjoy the drama and intense flavor of Flambé. Next week the lost art of Fondue!

Jack’s Cherries Jubilee

1 pound Bing or other dark, sweet cherries, rinsed and pitted (or use frozen pitted cherries)

1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1 cup orange juice

1 cup brandy, divided

1 teaspoon almond extract

1-quart premium vanilla ice cream

Bring cherries orange juice and zest to simmer in a 12-inch skillet. Add 1/2 cup of the brandy; simmer to blend and concentrate flavors, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in almond extract; pour in remaining brandy. Carefully ignite to burn off alcohol. In each of eight bowls, put 1/2-cup scoop of ice cream and spoon sauce over ice cream.

Grand Marnier Crepes

4 eggs

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons milk

1 pinch of salt

1- teaspoon vanilla

1-tablespoon water

2 tablespoons butter

Beat the eggs, flour, milk salt, vanilla and water to the consistency of heavy cream. Heat in a frying pan or crepe pan with 2 tablespoons of butter. Pour in enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Move the pan to spread the batter thinly, and keep it moving. After one minute, turn the pancake upside down, and then turn it again, until it is golden brown. Fold the crepe in half, and fold again to form a triangle. Proceed to make the remaining crepes, adding butter to the pan only if the crepes begin to stick.

Grand Marnier Sauce

8 ounces Grand Marnier

1/4 pound butter

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a large frying pan. When it begins to bubble, pour in 6 ounces of Grand Marnier. When the mixture is warm, carefully flame the liqueur. Then plunge the folded crepes/pancakes into the warm sauce. Turn them, and add the remaining 2 ounces of blended liqueurs. When the fire dies down again, they are ready to serve. Garnish with thin strips of orange zest.

Red Hot Pasta Flambé

1/2-cup vodka

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)

2 cups Marinara Sauce

1/2 stick butter

3/4 cup half and half

Fresh basil, coarsely chopped

Fresh ground pepper

12 oz pasta of your choice

Parmesan Cheese

Soak the crushed pepper in the vodka for 1 hour. In a large pot bring salted water to a boil add pasta and cook until andante about 10 minutes. Meanwhile heat vodka mixture a large skillet over low heat. When hot light it with a match. Be very careful it will really flame. Add the butter, half and half and marinara sauce. Bring to a light boil. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce and coat well Sprinkle with basil, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Serve at once.

Back To The Kitchen: Mydailyfind.com

Back To The Kitchen: Mydailyfind.com

Mydailyfind.com

Hi there-
I will be giving more attention to this blog soon, but in the meantime check out http://www.mydailyfind.com/food/recipes-food for new recipes like the ones below and
http://www.mydailyfind.com/food/the-weekend-cocktail.

The end of fig season

While at the open-air market this week much to my surprise and delight there were an abundance of figs. It is almost the end of the season so go out and grab them quick! My daughter was so excited that she made me buy more than I thought I could use in a week. Her enthusiasm was so intoxicating that we raced all the way around to the back of the market to get prosciutto then round again to get goat cheese. We drove to the park and feasted. We went home and for dinner I tossed figs with mixed greens and chicken with a maple syrup balsamic dressing. Then we devoured the rest over vanilla bean ice cream! Figs are an odd fruit. The season for fresh figs is very short. Thankfully they are available dried year round. When I first moved to L.A and finding my way in the culinary world I had a neighbor who was an avid gardener. This time of year he would bring me buckets of these little gems and I had not a clue what to do with them. I called every foodie that I knew and got very little support. I started playing and creating. Figs became a part of my late summer menus. Because they are so festinating to look at I often use them whole as displays on my tables. Then I have lots around to create more wonderful dishes! So I say hurry up to the open-air market, the grocery store and grab some figs and make some of these recipes your own!


Fig and Orange Chicken
This is one of my most popular chicken dishes! It is so simple and is really a one-meal dish.

1 red onion, coarsely chopped
1/2-cup currants
10 Black Mission figs or 8 of the larger, amber-colored Calimyrna figs, cut into halves
1 1/2 cups orange juice
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce,
1-tablespoon curry powder
1-tablespoon soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 pounds chicken pieces or 6 boneless breasts
10 New potatoes, quartered
4 carrots, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste


Place washed chicken, carrots and potatoes in Pyrex or roasting pan. In a medium bowl mix the rest of the ingredients. Pour over chicken and bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes basting at least twice during cooking.


Fettuccine with Figs and Pancetta
I love the sweet savory flavors in this pasta. The rosemary gives it a beautiful finish.

1 cup pancetta, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-cup chicken stock
3/4 lb firm-ripe fresh figs, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
Juice of one lemon
1-pound fettuccine


In a large sauté pan heat oil. Add pancetta and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and rosemary and sauté for 5 minutes longer. Stir in wine and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in stock, figs, parsley, half of pancetta, and lemon juice.
Cook fettuccine in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2-cup cooking water, and then drain pasta in a colander.
Add fettuccine to fig mixture with 1/4 cup reserved cooking water and salt and pepper to taste. Heat over low heat, tossing gently and adding more cooking water if mixture becomes dry, until just heated through.
Serve pasta with the remaining pancetta and freshly shaved Parmesan on top.

Cranberry Fig Chutney
2 cups cranberries
2 cups Calimyrna figs, sliced
1 red onion, chopped
2 inches ginger minced,
1 cup packed brown sugar
1-cup water
1/3-cup balsamic vinegar
Juice of one lemon
1/2-teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
Chill in the refrigerator about 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Fig and Pecan Muffins


1-cup flour
1/2-cup whole-wheat flour
1/2-cup oat bran
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-teaspoon baking soda
1/2-teaspoon salt
2 cups dried Black Mission figs, chopped
1-cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/3-cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1-tablespoon vanilla extract
1 zest of one small lemon


Preheat oven to 400°. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Spray liners with Bakers Joy. Whisk first 8 dry ingredients in bowl. Stir in figs and pecans. Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl. Whisk in eggs, then buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon peel. Mix in dry ingredients. Divide batter among cups.
Bake muffins until browned on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool on rack.

Oatmeal Cookies with figs and Cranberries

These are really a traditional, rich, buttery cookie. The figs and cranberries give it a classy twist.
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4-cup baking soda
3/4-cup baking powder
1/2-tablespoon salt
1-teaspoon cinnamon
1/2-teaspoon nutmeg
2 sticks butter
1/4-cup sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1cup-dried cranberries, chopped
1 cup dried figs, chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy. In another bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Add to the butter mixture until blended and smooth. Add oats and fruit. Spray cookie sheets with bakers joy and drop a tablespoon of dough spacing about 3 inches apart. Bake until lightly brown and firm about 10 minutes. Cool on racks.