Winter Jams

Even though it's winter, you can still play with fruit! At my new job, I get to do all sorts of fun projects. My current new favorite task is making the jams and jellies we serve with our breakfasts. Now, this will probably get even better in the spring when my palette of seasonal ingredients expands, but for now I am finding all kinds of great recipes to explore. We use them up so fast that I do not have to get involved in the canning process so I have not included it in the instructions, but it's not that complex and you can find excellent instructions elsewhere online. Here are 4 to try at home:

Grapefruit and Campari Marmalade

Ingredients 
6 pink grapefruits (or Ugli Fruit, which I used)
2/3 cup Campari
5-6 cups sugar (the amount is based on volume of prepared fruit)
Procedure
Peel the grapefruit, remove the white pith, and cut the rinds into 2-inch pieces. Bring some water to a boil in a small pot. Drop in the rinds and boil for 1 minute. Drain and discard the water. Repeat two more times using fresh water each time.  When done drain the rinds well. Chop the peeled grapefruit flesh into chunks and pick out the seeds (or just use seedless ones, d'oh!). Discard the seeds. Place the chopped fruit and accumulated juices into a food processor fitted with a cutting blade and process for 1 minute, until the mixture is well-chopped and frothy. Measure the amount of chopped fruit and juice. Return 1 cup of the fruit to the food processor. and process with the rinds till they are in small bits. Now use the same amount of sugar as the total amount of the fruit and juice mixture. Place the sugar in the pot with the fruit. Stir the chopped rinds into the fruit and sugar mixture in the large heavy pot. Stir in the Campari. Bring to a boil, stirring, and reduce heat to maintain a constant simmer. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring gently to prevent scorching and boil-overs. The color will darken as the marmalade thickens.

If you have any doubts, you can test the marmalade: put a tablespoon on a small plate, put the plate in the freezer for three minutes. The marmalade is ready if it no longer is runny. Note: it's a traditional marmalade in the sense that it's a bit bitter — much like myself. This recipe makes about 12 half-pint jars.

Grilled Anjou Pear Butter

Ingredients
3 pounds ripe Anjou pears quartered, seeded, skin on
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 cup water

Procedure
Take your quartered pears and brown them on a grill (or in the broiler). Combine the charred pears with all the ingredients in a large pot. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until very tender. Run the mixture through a food mill, which will remove the peels (and any seeds you missed) and leave you with a lovely purée. Pour the purée into a pot and simmer on the stove till thickened, about 1 hour on a very low flame. Or you can roast in at 300 degree oven for about 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes so it won't stick, until it reaches the consistency you like.

Red Grape and Cassis Jelly

Ingredients
3 pounds (about 2 quarts) of flavorful grapes, Concord are best, but ruby red work well, too
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Cassis black currant liqueur
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons apple pectin
1/4 cup lemon juice

Procedure
Wash and stem grapes — don't worry if small stems remain on the fruit, since they will be strained out along with the seeds. In a nonreactive, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring grapes, water, and Cassis to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer grapes, periodically stirring and crushing, until they've begun to lose their shape, you can see their color changing, and the liquid increases — about ten minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Set a food mill (with the smallest sieve in place) over a large, heatproof bowl or pitcher, and pour grapes and cooking liquid through. Mill until all that remains are the seeds, skins, and stems. You will have about 4 cups (32 ounces) of grape pulp. In the same nonreactive saucepan, stir grape pulp together with sugar, pectin, and citrus juice and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture registers 220 degrees on a candy or instant read thermometer. Turn off heat and skim any foam with a spoon. This will gel as it cools.


Strawberry and Vanilla Preserves with Balsamic Reduction

Yes, yes, I know strawberries are not a winter fruit, but they are really cheap right now, and sometimes only a berry jam will do!

Ingredients
2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in quarters
5 cups sugar
1 tablespoon Balsamic Reduction (see below)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

Procedure
In a pot, combine the strawberries and sugar. Bring to a rolling boil and cook, stirring frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the berries start to fall apart and temperature of the mixture has reached 220 degrees, which means it will be nice and thick and set. Now stir in the balsamic reduction and the vanilla. Wasn't that was easy?

balsamic reduction

What's Balsamic reduction? Just what it sounds like, you take Balsamic vinegar and cook it down until the volume is reduced, and the flavor is concentrated. In a medium-sized, nonreactive saucepan bring 1 cup of vinegar to a simmer over medium-high heat, and then turn down to low. Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes to thicken and reduce. Keep an eye on it — you don't want it to burn. When it coats the back of a spoon, you're good to go.

Cassis

Excellent Ingredient of the Week
Ever since I made my first roast duck with my dad — smothered in Cassis sauce — I have loved the flavor of this French black currant brandy. It is a great flavoring to add to your repertoire. The Brits make a great jellied candy with it, as well as a beverage called Ribena, which they forced the children to drink during the war for extra nutrition because it was high in vitamin C and some other good stuff.

So what is Cassis? Crème de cassis (its formal name) is a beautiful, red, sweet, blackcurrant-flavored liqueur. The black currants are smashed into refined alcohol, with sugar subsequently added. Cassis is one ingredient of a Kir Royal, which is a cocktail made with champagne. While crème de cassis is a specialty of Burgundy, it is made in other cities of France, as well as in Luxembourg and Quebec.

I like to use it in vinaigrettes and sauces. Here is a classic duck recipe and a wonderful ice cream recipe using Cassis. It’s also great in whipped cream, but who isn’t?

Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Cassis Compote

Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) boneless duck breasts
3 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
4 shallots, minced
1/4 cup crème de Cassis
1/2 cup black currant jam (unsweetened if possible),
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the duck skin-side-up. Using a sharp knife, cut diagonal slits across the skin at a 45 degree angle. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper over the meat side of each duck breast.

Heat a well-seasoned skillet or nonstick pan over high heat. When pan is hot, add duck breasts, skin side down, and cook for 5 minutes, or until skin is brown and crispy. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove pan from heat (save the drippings) and transfer duck breasts, skin side up, to a cooking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake on the top rack of the oven for 6 minutes.
Carefully discard all but 2 tablespoons of duck drippings from the pan. Return pan to medium heat and add shallots. Stir occasionally for 3 minutes, or until shallots begin to turn golden. Add Cassis to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen up the browned bits left by the duck. Add jam, vinegar, and remaining teaspoon of black pepper, and stir occasionally for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove duck from the oven and slice each breast at a 45 degree angle into 1/4-inch-thick strips (properly cooked duck should resemble medium-rare steak). Arrange in a fanlike pattern on a warmed plates and spoon Cassis compote overtop. Serve immediately. Call me!

Cassis Ice cream

Ingredients
2 cups half-and-half
1/3 cup red currant glaze
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup Cassis liqueur
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Procedure
Scald the half-and-half in a saucepan. Add currant glaze and stir over medium heat until glaze is dissolved. In a medium-size bowl, beat egg yolks until light and fluffy. Gradually add honey and beat until thick and smooth. Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture, stirring with a whisk. Beat until well blended. Return mixture to saucepan, place over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and smooth (about 5 to 7 minutes). Cool, and then chill in a freezer for about 10 minutes.

Stir in Cassis and refrigerate until cold. Whip cream and fold into the mixture. Pour into container of ice cream freezer and process until thick and smooth. Spoon into tightly covered container and put into deep freeze to harden.

Chilled Rhubarb Soup

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Keeping with the rhubarb theme, here is an unusual recipe for chilled rhubarb soup, which is served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A great make-ahead dessert or a nice surprise addition to a Sunday brunch menu.

Ingredients
1 cup crème de cassis
1 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 cloves
1 star anise pod
1 cinnamon stick, halved
One 3-inch strip of lemon zest
1/2 vanilla bean, split
1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, stalks peeled and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Procedure
In a saucepan, bring the Cassis, wine, brown sugar, cloves, star anise, cinnamon, zest and vanilla bean to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat and discard the flavorings. Stir in the rhubarb and return to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; refrigerate until chilled. Puree mixture in blender. Spoon the soup into bowls. Top each with a scoop of ice cream and serve.

El Diablo

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
Black currants are not so common around here. But you can always find this exotic flavor on a well-stocked liquor store shelf, in a bottle of Creme de Cassis. I use it in cooking all the time, from a splash in my vinaigrettes to a rich deep sauce for duck, it just works. So why not drink it as god intended it as a cocktail? Here’s a great recipe for a beverage called El Diablo.

Ingredients
Ice cubes
2 ounces Tequila
1/2 ounce Cassis
Ginger ale (or I use Fresca)
1 lime wedge

Procedure
Half fill a Collins glass with ice. Pour in the tequila and the Cassis then top it up with the ginger ale. Squeeze the lime into the drink then drop it in the glass. Stir with a clean finger and drink up!