The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Sixties Cookbook (23 page)

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Authors: Rick Rodgers

BOOK: The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Sixties Cookbook

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MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Like many other French dishes that found their way into American homes, there is a time-saving twist that steers it away from
la tradition Française
. In this case, it’s the blender, that magical appliance that does so much more than just make Daiquiris. Instead of painstakingly whisking the butter into the yolks drop-by-drop, you can whirl up a sauce in a minute or so.

HOLLANDAISE SAUGE

4 large egg yolks, preferably from pasteurized eggs (see Note)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 pound asparagus, woody stems trimmed

1.
To make the hollandaise sauce, in a blender, combine the egg yolks, 1 tablespoon water, the lemon juice, salt, and white pepper. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. With the blender running, slowly add the warm melted butter through the vent in the lid, processing until the sauce is thick and smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more water to thin it. Transfer the sauce to a heatproof bowl. Cover and place over (but not in) a saucepan of hot, not simmering, water to keep warm. (The sauce is not supposed to be piping hot. The residual heat from the asparagus will sufficiently warm it.)

2.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and cook until barely tender, about 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Drain well.

3.
Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter. Spoon some of the hollandaise sauce on top, and transfer the remaining sauce to a small serving bowl. Serve at once.

NOTE:
This recipe uses raw eggs, which have been known to carry the potentially harmful salmonella bacterium. Pasteurized eggs, available at some supermarkets, are safe to use. If you use standard eggs, do not serve this to the very young, elderly, or infirm people with compromised immune systems.

CREAMED CORN

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

How did this lush dish fall out of fashion? Let’s not talk about fat grams, let’s talk about flavor. Make it with summer corn, serve at a backyard barbeque, and sit back and wait for the moans to start. Or try it with fried chicken. Actually, there are many main courses it could enhance. Let’s take this dish back from the babies. In Sixties-sized portions, it’s well worth the calories.

5 ears fresh corn, husked

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup finely chopped yellow onion

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1¼ cups heavy cream, heated

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.
One at a time, stand an ear of corn on its wide end (cut off the end so the ear doesn’t rock, if needed). Run a large knife down the cob to cut off the kernels. Scrape the blade of the knife along the cob to release the “milk” (the juices and corn germ). You should have 4½ cups kernels and milk.

2.
Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and stir well. Whisk in the cream and cook, whisking often, until simmering and thickened. Stir in the corn. Cook, stirring often, until the corn is heated through and tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

KITCHEN TIME MACHINE

This dish is best with fresh corn. However, you can substitute 2 (10-ounce) boxes of corn kernels, thawed, for the fresh corn.

Flash Frozen

Clarence Birdseye wasn’t the first person to freeze food for consumers. He was the first person to get it right. While working in the fur trade in northern Canada in 1912, he observed how Eskimos used ice, wind, and temperature to instantly freeze the fish they caught. The process of rapid freezing at extremely low temperatures didn’t damage the cell walls of the food, meaning when they were defrosted, they kept their color, texture, and most importantly, taste.

He returned to the United States and invented a machine for quick freezing. It worked, and his family was one of the few with cabbage in the winter. But he was a little ahead of his time. While he rolled out a line of frozen vegetables and fish in 1930, not many Americans had freezers in their homes. When they finally got them, they were wary of Birdseye’s “flash frozen” technique, as other conventionally frozen foods did not hold up well through the thaw. Birdseye persisted, collecting nearly 300 patents during his life. By the 1960s when America finally caught up to Birdseye’s vision, he had sold the company that bore his name, and it became a market leader. Birds Eye, now owned by Pinnacle Foods, still flash freezes their products to this day.

Random trivia: Family legend says that the Birdseye name was given to the family by an English Queen when an early ancestor saved her life by shooting an attacking hawk in the eye.

GREEN BEANS IN MUSHROOM SAUCE

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

By the early Sixties, the green bean casserole made with frozen green beans, a can of mushroom soup, and French fried onions was already an iconic dish—a must-have at holiday meals. Here is a restaurant-quality from-scratch version with fresh green beans and mushrooms, with the classic recipe following.

GREEN BEANS

1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup finely chopped yellow onion

10 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1½ cups whole milk

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

ONION RINGS

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

1 medium onion, cut into ⅛-inch-thick rounds and separated into rings

½ cup all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. (The green beans can be made up to 1 day ahead, cooled, wrapped in paper towels, and refrigerated in a plastic storage bag.)

2.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until their juices evaporate and they are beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir well. Whisk in the milk. Cook, whisking often, until simmering and thickened. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until no raw flour taste remains, about 5 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be made up to 2 hours ahead, stored at room temperature. Reheat before using.)

3.
Add the green beans and bring to a simmer. Cook until the green beans are heated through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover to keep warm.

4.
Meanwhile, pour enough oil to come halfway up the sides of a large, heavy (preferably cast-iron) skillet. Heat over high heat until the oil is shimmering or reads 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Line a baking sheet with brown paper.

5.
In batches without crowding, toss the onions in flour and shake off the excess flour. Add to the oil and cook until golden brown, about 1½ minutes. Use a wire spider or slotted spoon to transfer to the paper to drain. Season the onion rings with salt and pepper.

6.
Place the onion rings on the green beans and serve hot.

KITCHEN TIME MACHINE

For the classic “can of soup” Green Bean Casserole, mix 1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, ½ cup milk, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and a dash of freshly ground black pepper in a 1 ½-quart casserole. Stir in 2 (10-ounce) boxes of frozen cut green beans, thawed, and half of a 2.8-ounce can of French fried onions. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until bubbling, about 25 minutes. Stir and top with the remaining onions. Bake 5 minutes more. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

NOT-FROM-A-BOX MACARONI AND CHEESE

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Raise your hand if you
didn’t
glue macaroni to something in elementary school. Yeah, we didn’t think so. There’s something decidedly magical about macaroni in the classroom . . . and the kitchen. Whether the kids are climbing the walls or you’re just in from a night on the town, boxed mac ’n’ cheese is a blessing. But if you want to taste the best homemade macaroni and cheese you’ve ever had, try this Sixties baked cheesy macaroni casserole. Feel free to add tomato slices to the top.