Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (71 page)

Preheat the broiler or oven to 400ºF.

Place the dried mushroms in a spice mill or a coffee grinder and grind to a powder. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and add the ground beef, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper. Combine the mixture well with your hands, then pat it down in the bowl and score the meat into 4 sections with the side of your hand. Form 4 small patties from each section, for 16 patties total, making them a bit thinner in the center for even cooking.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the EVOO in a medium skillet. Add the shallots to the hot oil, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir the sherry into the skillet and turn off the heat. Add the butter to the pan and toss until it melts.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, place the sliders in the pan (as many as will fit comfortably, don't crowd the party!). For medium doneness, cook the patties for 2 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile arrange the buns on a baking sheet and lightly toast them under the broiler.

Pile a little lettuce on each bun, add a patty, and top with a hearty scoop of the carmelized shallots and a bun top. Serve each person 4 sliders and enjoy the show!

MAKES 16 SLIDERS

Place the cubed tuna in the bowl of a food processor and pulse it to coarsely grind the fish.

Transfer the tuna to a medium mixing bowl and add the garlic, tamari, chives, and some salt and pepper. Pat the meat down in the bowl and use the side of your hand to roughly score the mixture into 4 equal portions. Form 4 small patties from each portion, each 2½ to 3 inches in diameter and ½ inch thick, 16 in all.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO. When the oil is hot, place the sliders in the pan (as many as will fit comfortably—don't crowd the party!). Cook until golden brown on the outside, 1 minute on each side for pink centers, 2 minutes on each side for cooked-through fish.

While the burgers are cooking, heat the broiler. Split the buns, arrange them on a baking sheet, and toast them lightly under the broiler.

Assemble the sliders by placing a patty on each bun bottom and topping with pickled ginger, cucumber, and duck sauce or plum sauce. Set the bun tops in place.

MAKES 32 PORTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Pop open the tubes of pizza dough and unroll them onto baking sheets. Sprinkle the garlic evenly over the dough. Cover the pizzas with the shredded cheese and top each pizza with 8 slices of prosciutto, overlapping at the edges. Bake until crisp, 15 minutes.

Toss the arugula with the lemon juice, EVOO, and salt and pepper.

When the pizzas come out of the oven, top them with the greens, cut each pie into 16 pieces, and serve.

MAKES 32 PORTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat with the butter and EVOO. When the butter melts into the oil, add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, for 25 minutes or until caramelized.

Unroll the pizza dough onto baking sheets. Top each pizza with equal amounts of the cheeses and the caramelized onions. Sprinkle the sage over the pizzas and bake until brown and crisp, 15 to 18 minutes. Cut each pizza into 16 squares and garnish with the parsley.

MAKES 2 QUARTS POPPED CORN

Combine the popcorn and oil in a large kettle or pot with a tight-fitting lid and place over medium-high heat. When the corn begins to pop, shake the pot constantly. When the popping slows, remove the pan from the heat. Pour the hot butter over the popcorn, sprinkle with the pepper and cheese, and toss well.

MAKES 2 QUARTS POPPED CORN

Combine the popcorn and oil in a large kettle or pot with a tight-fitting lid and place over medium-high heat. When the corn begins to pop, shake the pot constantly. When the popping slows, remove the pot from the heat and pour the butter over the top. Combine the spices and toss with the popped corn.

Golden Ice Cream Cakes

MAKES 12 ICE CREAM CAKES

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with plastic wrap.

Slice 2 of the pound cakes into twelve ½-inch slices. Using a small round cookie cutter or a rinsed-out 5-ounce can (such as a tomato paste can), cut 12 circles from the cake slices. With the remaining 12 slices, use a 15-ounce can to make slightly larger circles of cake for the tops. You should end up with 12 small circles and 12 large circles.

Slice both of the remaining 2 pound cakes lengthwise into 6 slices about ¼ inch thick, then cut those slices into strips about an inch wide.

Set the small circles of cake into the muffin tins. Bend the long strips of cake to line the sides of each tin. Fill each cake cup with a scoop of ice cream and place the larger circles of cake on top to form a lid. Wrap the whole tin in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least an hour to firm up.

To serve, gently lift each individual ice cream cake out of the tin, using the plastic wrap to help release it. Invert each cake onto a dessert plate. Squirt some whipped cream on top. Heat up the caramel or butterscotch sauce and drizzle it over the cakes.

Fourth of July Burger Bash

FOURTH OF JULY BURGER BASH
ULTIMATE BBQ BURGER

•
THE ULTIMATE BBQ BURGER WITH CHIPOTLE RANCH SAUCE

• NOT POTATO SALAD

• RED, WHITE, AND BLUE SLAW

The spice blend in this burger gives the meat the sweet-smoky flavor of barbecue, while the chipotle ranch sauce heats things up and then cools them off. This one will be a summertime hit at your next backyard barbecue. Serve with a super simple and tangy red, white, and blue slaw, and a gnocchi salad—a potato salad without—the fuss of peeling the spuds. Try it on the Fourth for some real fireworks!

SERVES 4

In a mixing bowl combine the sugar, grill seasoning, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and ground allspice. Add the ground meat to the bowl and mix with your hands. Press the meat down in the bowl and score it into 4 portions using the side of your hand. Form 4 burgers, making them thinner in the middle than at the edges for even cooking and to produce flat burgers once they bulge up during cooking.