The Big Book of Backyard Cooking (39 page)

Coarsely ground black pepper

Salt

Heat butter in a medium, heavy saucepan until hot and add onion. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar, and continue to cook until onion is very soft and browned, 8 to 10

minutes more. Add vinegar, wine, and raisins, and simmer until almost all of the liquids have evaporated and onion mixture is glistening and syrupy, about 5 minutes.

Stir in ¼ teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Taste, and if you would like marmalade slightly sweeter, stir in 1 to 1½ teaspoons extra sugar. (Marmalade can be prepared 3 days ahead; cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.)

CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

Parsley, vinegar, and oil are the basic ingredients in vibrant green-hued chimichurri sauce from
Argentina. It takes just minutes to assemble the sauce, which is traditionally used as an
accompaniment to beef steaks. It is also good on grilled chicken.

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

1
cup very tightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

½
cup olive oil

⅓
cup red wine vinegar

2
medium cloves garlic, peeled

¾
teaspoon red pepper flakes

½
teaspoon salt

½
teaspoon ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and process, pulsing machine, until mixture is puréed. (The sauce can rest at room temperature 3 hours before being used.)

CREAMY HORSERADISH SAUCE

Quickly assembled, this creamy sauce gets its zing from a generous seasoning of horseradish,
while crushed caraway seeds and minced tart apple enliven it even more. Try it as a garnish to
Bratwursts on Toasted Rolls with Caramelized Onions
(page 50)
or as a spread for corned beef
sandwiches on rye.

1
cup sour cream

¼
cup minced unpeeled Granny Smith or other tart apple

2
tablespoons prepared horseradish (not horseradish sauce)

1
teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
(see page 15)

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate sauce until ready to use. (The sauce can be prepared 2 days ahead.)

WHIPPED HORSERADISH CREAM

Whipped cream adds a light touch to this piquant condiment made with sour cream, horseradish,
and mustard. Green onions, capers, and chives add even more flavor. This sauce is delicious on
grilled beef steaks
(page 31)
or with grilled sausages.

MAKES ABOUT 12/3 CUPS

½
cup heavy cream

½
cup sour cream

¼
cup prepared horseradish (not horseradish sauce), drained, plus more if needed
¼
cup chopped green onions including 2 inches of green stems

2
tablespoons capers, drained and coarsely chopped

1½
tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided

1
teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Using an electric mixer, whip heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a medium nonreactive bowl, whisk together sour cream, horseradish, onions, capers, 1

tablespoon of the chives, mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Taste, and if needed, add more salt and pepper. If you want the sauce to be more spicy, add ½ to 1 teaspoon additional drained horseradish sauce.

Transfer mixture to a small serving bowl and cover and refrigerate for up to 3 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 10 minutes before serving and sprinkle with remaining chives.

DEEP SOUTH BARBECUE SAUCE

This barbecue sauce is an old family recipe that I discovered by accident when sorting through a
stack of old folders in the back of a filing cabinet. There on a tattered and yellowed index card I
found directions handwritten by my late father-in-law (who grew up in western Louisiana, near the
Texas border) for the celebrated barbecue sauce he slathered on his ribs. This sauce, which is
slightly tart and has no smokiness, is different from most commercial ones, which are sweet with
smokey undertones. It’s delicious on ribs
(page 110)
or mixed with chopped beef for burgers (page

40).

MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS

8
tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

¾
cup chopped yellow onion

5
medium cloves garlic, chopped

1
cup cider vinegar

½
cup chili sauce

½
cup ketchup

1
tablespoon light brown sugar

1
teaspoon dry mustard, preferably Coleman’s

1½
teaspoons salt

½
teaspoon black pepper

¼
teaspoon cayenne powder

1
lemon

Melt butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until just softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 2½ cups water, the vinegar, chili sauce, ketchup, sugar, mustard, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir well to blend. Mixture will be quite thin.

Halve lemon and juice it. Add juice and one of the juiced halves to the saucepan. Bring sauce to a simmer, lower heat, and cook, uncovered, at a brisk simmer, until sauce has thickened and reduced to about 1½ cups, about 1 hour. (The sauce can take up to 2 hours or more to reduce; it will depend on whether your saucepan is wide or narrow and the intensity of the heat from your burner.) Remove from heat when done and discard the lemon half. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. (Sauce can be prepared 1 week ahead. The sauce can also be put in an airtight container and frozen for up to 1 month.)
WARM CITRUS BUTTER

This quickly made butter is seasoned with bright splashes of lemon and orange, along with a dash
of heat from some hot sesame oil. It makes an admirable dipping sauce for shrimp and lobster.

MAKES ABOUT 1⅓ CUPS

2/3
cup fresh orange juice

2
tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

12
tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

2
teaspoons grated orange zest

2
teaspoons hot (spicy) sesame oil

Salt

Combine orange and lemon juices in a small nonreactive pan set over medium-high heat. Reduce liquids to ½ cup, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add butter, orange zest, sesame oil, and scant ¼ teaspoon salt.

Whisk until butter is melted. Taste, and season with more salt, if needed. (The butter can be prepared 1 day ahead; cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat, stirring, in a medium saucepan over low heat.)
CURRY BUTTER

Curry powder is blended with hints of thyme, cayenne, and cumin to season this butter. It can be
spread on hot ears of corn on the cob
(page 136)
or used to season grilled chicken or lamb.

8
tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

1
teaspoon curry powder

½
teaspoon dried thyme

½
teaspoon cayenne pepper

½
teaspoon ground cumin

¼
teaspoon salt

Blend all the ingredients together and shape into a log 1 inch in diameter. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm. (The log can be prepared 2 days ahead. Bring to room temperature to soften before serving.)

LIME CILANTRO BUTTER

The clean, bracing taste of lime pairs well with fresh chopped cilantro in this seasoned butter. It’s
delicious used on corn on the cob
(page 136),
works wells as a garnish to grilled swordfish (page
90), and would be good tossed with cooked green beans.

MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP

8
tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

2
teaspoons fresh lime juice

2
teaspoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1
teaspoon grated lime zest

1
teaspoon minced garlic

¼
teaspoon salt

Blend all the ingredients together and shape into a log 1 inch in diameter. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm. (The log can be prepared 2 days ahead. Bring to room temperature to soften before serving.)

RED BELL PEPPER BASIL BUTTER

Diced red bell peppers, minced garlic, and chopped basil are the simple but assertive seasonings
for this butter. It’s good slathered on corn on the cob
(page 136),
on slices of crusty bread, or
spread over grilled salmon or halibut fillets.

MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP

8
tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

3½
tablespoons minced red bell pepper

1
to
1
½ tablespoons finely julienned fresh basil

1
teaspoon minced garlic

¼
teaspoon salt

Blend all the ingredients together and shape into a log 1 inch in diameter. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm. (The log can be prepared 2 days ahead. Bring to room temperature to soften before serving.)

BLUE CHEESE WALNUT BUTTER

Crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts are the star ingredients in this seasoned butter, while
rosemary and chopped fresh parsley are colorful accents. The butter, which can be prepared 2

days in advance, is delicious on grilled beef steaks
(page 26)
and lamb chops. It also makes a
tempting topping for baked potatoes.

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

6
ounces blue cheese, crumbled

4
tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

3
tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¾
teaspoon dried, crushed rosemary

¼
cup (about 1 ounce) toasted walnuts
(see page 15)

Salt, if needed

Combine cheese, butter, parsley, and rosemary in a medium nonreactive bowl. Stir to blend well. Mix in walnuts. Taste and add salt, if needed; the blue cheese is quite salty, so you will probably not need any salt. (Blue cheese butter can be prepared 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.

Bring butter to room temperature before using.)

HOT APRICOT MUSTARD

This quickly assembled mustard sauce scented with apricot preserves and fresh rosemary is a fine
accompaniment to grilled sausages
(page 53)
or a delectable garnish to slices of baked ham
served at room temperature. The sauce can be made a day ahead and reheated when needed.

MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP

½
cup apricot preserves

¼
cup hot mustard (see note)

2
teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

Place apricot preserves in a small, heavy nonreactive saucepan. With kitchen scissors or a small, sharp knife, chop up any large pieces of apricot. Set pan over medium heat and whisk constantly until liquefied, 1 minute or less. Whisk in mustard and continue to cook until mixture becomes almost translucent and starts to simmer, 1 minute or less. Remove from heat and stir in chopped rosemary. (The glaze can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat, stirring, over low heat.)

NOTE:
Hot Mister Mustard, available in most groceries, works particularly well in this recipe.

GREEN MUSTARD SAUCE

Several years ago I was seduced by a delicious green mustard sauce served with roasted chicken
at Carole Peck’s Good News Café in Woodbury, Connecticut. I liked the sauce so well that I tried
to reproduce it in my own kitchen. I found that grainy Dijon mustard, whole cloves of garlic, and
chopped fresh spinach and arugula leaves could quickly be whirled together with sour cream and
light cream in a food processor to produce the verdant sauce. This condiment is especially good
with grilled salmon
(page 88)
or chicken.

MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP

2/3
cup coarsely chopped spinach leaves

2/3
cup coarsely chopped arugula leaves

¼
cup sour cream

¼
cup light cream

2
tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard

2
medium cloves garlic, peeled

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or in a blender and process 30 seconds or longer until greens and garlic are chopped finely and blended into other ingredients.

If not using immediately, place in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate. (The mustard sauce can be made 1 day ahead; bring to room temperature 30 minutes before using.)

BASIL MAYONNAISE

This basil-scented spread, made with store-bought mayonnaise, fresh basil, and garlic, takes no
more than 10 minutes to prepare. It’s a great addition to BLTs
(page 120)
and would be good on
sandwiches made with grilled or roasted chicken or lamb.

MAKES ABOUT 2/3 CUP

½
cup regular or reduced-fat (not nonfat) mayonnaise

½
cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil leaves

1
clove garlic, coarsely chopped

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 1 minute or less, until the basil and garlic are minced and blended into the mayonnaise. (The mayonnaise can be prepared 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate.)

CUMIN MAYONNAISE

This mayonnaise, which takes only minutes to assemble, makes a distinctive and easy
accompaniment to grilled pork chops. It also makes an excellent garnish for grilled turkey burgers
or could be used as a dipping sauce for shrimp.

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

4
teaspoons ground cumin

1
cup regular or reduced-fat (not nonfat) mayonnaise