Apple Pandowdy Wednesday October 19, 2022

     Howdy, Apple Pandowdy. Pan-who-dee? P.A.N.D.O.W.D.Y. 

    Of course, this recipe's origins will never be known definitively but from what I've read, it dates back, at least, to colonial times in the North East. Also referred to as Apple Pot Pie, it is very much like an apple pie with only a top crust, with many variations, the one I chose to make has you dunk the pastry crust top into the apple juices about halfway through the cook time. Sounded interesting to me.

    I did adapt my recipe from America's Test Kitchen version, but, oddly, their instructions and the form of the recipe was very disheveled. It was downright annoying to try to follow it, you had to bounce from the top of the instructions to the bottom and back again. I am going to see if I can fix that. 

    Of course, I changed the type of apples they recommended to what I had on hand. They recommended Golden Delicious for their firmness, and recommended NOT to use Granny Smiths due to their deep tartness. I had Gala and Granny Smiths on hand. The Gala were fine, the Granny Smiths were way too tart for this 't application. I'll give ATK that one. The Galas held up fine, as long as they hadn't been cut too thin- 1/2 inch worked fine. 

So, here goes:

Cut 6 TBSP unsalted butter into 1/4 inch cubes and put in freezer for 15 minutes before you start.

Start the pastry first, as it has to chill for about an hour. 

ATK recommends using a food processor to make the dough, as I only have a mini one, it was not big enough, so I used my kitchen aide and finished with a pastry blender. I'll point it out as we go.

Mix 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (I use unbleached)

1 tsp granulated sugar and

1/2 tsp salt  until blended in a food processor or stand mixer or bowl

***add the 6 TBSP frozen butter cubes from freezer***

Pulse a few times until size of large peas (about 6-8 pulses) watch carefully if using stand mixer. You do not want to over process. If doing by hand/pastry blender/forks  cut butter in until size of large peas.

Mix 3 TBSP  ice water with 1 TBSP sour cream (sounds odd, but it worked fine)

Add water/sour cream mixture to flour/butter and pulse until there are large clumps and no dry flour left, scraping down the sides, 3-6 pulses. 20-30 seconds in stand mixer.

Remove dough from food processor or mixer or bowl press with fingertips into 4 inch disk and wrap tightly with plastic wrap, refrigerate for one hour.

While dough is resting peel, core and slice into 1/2 inch thick slices 2-1/2 pound  firm apples that will hold up to cooking (per ATK Golden Delicious work marvelously in this application- me, personally, am not a fan of any "delicious" variety- as I don't find them to live up to their name. But that's me. I do have to agree with ATK that Granny Smiths were way too tart. Next time I will either break down and try the Golden Delicious or my personal favorite for cooking, Cortland, if I can even get them in Florida. 

Mix 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice & 1/2 cup water in bowl. Add prepared apple slices to keep from browning. 

Drain apples well. To apples in a large bowl add 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, light or dark,

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Toss to coat apples.

Back to the dough:

Remove dough from refrigerator, and let sit at room temp about 5 minutes.

Roll into 10 inch round on lightly floured surface. Cut into 2-1/2 x 2-1/2 inch squares, the ends will be rounded but that works on the edges anyway. Lay pastry pieces out on a buttered flat pan or parchment paper covered pan and cover with plastic wrap and return to refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Start to preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt 3 TBSP unsalted butter in 10 inch ovenproof skillet on stovetop.

Add apple mixture, stir well, cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally over med-low heat for 10 minutes to start to soften apples and release their juices.

Mix 3/4 cup apple cider, 1 TBSP  cornstarch & 2 tsp lemon juice in small bowl until there are no lumps, add to apples in skillet, and cook for another 2-3 minutes stirring, uncovered until juice just starts to thicken.

Removed from heat and gently press apples down to try to get an even layer.

Working quickly, lay pastry pieces on top of apples, slightly overlapping, but cover most of the top of the apples. Brush pastry with 1 beaten egg, and  sprinkle w/ 1 TBSP granulated sugar mixed with 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon.

Bake at 400 degrees until pastry starts to puff up, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and with the back of a large spoon press the center of the pastry down so the juices start to run over the top. Repeat pressing the pastry fur more times around the edge of the skillet. return to the oven and continue to bake for about another 15 minutes until the top crust is golden brown.

Remove from oven, allow to cool at least 20 minutes on a wire rack. 

Serve warm, topped with vanilla ice cream.

  Still a lot of steps but it was very much worth it!

   Hope you enjoy this- it did end up very very delicious, and next time I will try other apples!

     Happy pandowdy! Until next time, Mangia!

~Aunt Barbara 

 

Bangers and mash Oct 18, 2022

 Just in time for National Pork month -bangers and mash! Bangers and mash, you say? What the heck is that? 

     Bangers and Mash is a British and Irish dish of sausage (bangers) and mashed potatoes with a savory onion gravy over the top. Sounds awesome to me! 
     Why are sausages called bangers? You ask? 
     According to the Spruce Eats (.com), “the British and Irish term “banger” is believed to date back to World War I, when meat shortages led to fillers being added to sausages, causing them to explode when cooked.” (Spruce 2022).
      I roared laughing at that because, even today, if you inadvertently prick sausages while cooking them, they explode with a rush of melted fat! 
       I don't know where I've been all my life that I had never heard of this dish until about 4 years ago when I went to a British pub in Venice, Fl with NaMaYA (Yvonne- friend since 1968) shortly after I moved to the great state of Florida. Saw this on the menu, gave it a quick glance and filed it away to be reviewed another day.

      T
      Today was that day. I picked up some sausage last week, tossed them in the freezer. The daily source of entertainment occurs  every morning when the husband and I look at each other and say, “what do you want for dinner?” We crack up, it’s practically EVERY morning! (But not tomorrow-we already know we’re having pot roast -discussed that yesterday-we had to plan around doctor visit.) But probably 25 out of 30 days a month we have this routine, and I call it that because it’s verbatim every time and we crack up-every time, even though we KNOW this conversation is going to happen. Anyway, I’m digressing… 
Onto the main reason for this post: Bangers and Mash!
    The instructions I got have you make this in three separate pots-one for the potatoes, one for the gravy, one for the sausage. Right off the bat I don’t get that…. Why why why?  So, naturally I changed it up a bit , but I did not stray too far. 
Sure, you boil and mash the potatoes in their own pot, I get that, but why can’t you do the gravy and sausage in the same pan? 
   Well, I did. I kept very on track with starting the gravy with slowly cooking down the onions., and adding the vinegar and sugar and simmering some more. But before adding the beef broth I removed the onions mixture to a bowl, cooked tree sausage, covered until 180 degrees, drainer their fat off, added the onions back to the pan, added the beef broth (and I used unsalted) let that go about 5 minutes then thickened up the gravy with a cornstarch slurry. Bam! Done! One less pot. My dishwasher (the husband)  thanked me for that consideration. 
     I have to say EASY, pretty quick, and downright tasty! This WILL be gracing my table again
Recipe courtesy of Spruce Eats: only alterations were used only 2 pans and substituted rice wine vinegar for the balsamic-didn’t have balsamic- you can also use apple cider vinegar, but add an extra teaspoon of sugar or whatever sweetener you prefer. 

Ingredients
1 Tbsp bacon fat
1 Tbsp unsalted butter 
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium  onions sliced thin
1tsp rice wine vinegar (or balsamic)
1tsp sugar (sweetener of your choice)
2-1/2 cups beef broth or stick
4 tsp corn starch mixed w/4 tsp water and a couple tsp hot broth(from pan).
One pack mild sausage any kind you like 5-6 links
Mashed potatoes ( I prefer russets but you do you-Yukon Golds or Red potatoes will work as well, I just prefer the fluffiness of russets.)
Instructions: Start by preparing your potatoes for boiling-peeled and cut into even sized pieces into cold water, once it comes to a boil add however much salt your family likes ( I tend to go light on the salt (my BP doesn’t like too much). 
     I’m not going to play-by-play how to boil potatoes, here, if you need pointers, ask, but I’m going to pretend you all know how to boil potatoes for mashing. (I’m praying over here).
     While your potatoes are cooking slice the onions into half rounds, melt the butter and bacon fat in the vegetable oil (no olive oil here, please), on medium-low heat, add the onions cover and cook low and slow about 10 minutes-you’re softening them not caramelizing them. 
     Add the vinegar and sugar to the onions and stir well. Cover with the lid and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes.
Here’s where I change instructions: remove onion mixture to heat proof bowl and set aside while you cook the sausages through. Use any method you want to cook the sausage -I usually start them in a pan with about 1/4 inch of water and let them stem , covered, for about 10-15 minutes. Remove the cover and check their temp-165 + is good, then I let the liquid evaporate and slowly brown the sausages on all sides until nicely browned. Drain off any excess fat, add the onions back to the pan with the sausages, add the 2-1/2 cups broth, simmer 5 minutes. Thicken the gravy with a corn starch-water -hot broth slurry and bring to a boil, boil 1minute, then lower heat and let simmer  about 5 minutes until gravy is slightly thickened 
Plate your mashed potatoes, put 2 sausage atop, top with the gravy. 
   Serve with any vegetable or a lettuce salad. 

   Man-o-man, easy but dang good. Husband gave two thumbs up...can add this to the meal rotation. He actually said, "please add this to the dinner rotation." 

Win-win in my book. 

    Now to get my photo to post...

    If you decide to give it a try, I assure you, if you like all the ingredients, and follow the directions, you should like this!

    Until next time...mangia!