Smauros Recipes

MACARONS

Steps:

• Place egg whites into a metal mixing bowl and refrigerate overnight. The next day, bring egg whites to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 280 degrees F (138 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a bowl. Beat the egg whites with salt in metal bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute; increase speed to high and gradually beat in superfine sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until the egg whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks, 3 to 5 more minutes.
• Gently fold almond flour mixture into whipped egg whites until thoroughly incorporated; spoon meringue into a pastry big fitted with a 3/8-inch tip.
• Pipe 1-inch disks of meringue onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between cookies. The batter will spread. Lift the baking sheets a few inches above the work surface and hit them lightly on the work surface several times to remove any air bubbles from the cookies. Let the cookies stand at room temperature until the shiny surfaces become dull and a thin skin forms, about 15 minutes.
• Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake with the oven door open slightly until the macarons' surfaces are completely dry, about 15 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on a baking sheet before peeling parchment paper from the cookies.
• Spread half the cookies with any desired filling, top with remaining cookies to make sandwiches, and refrigerate at least 2 hours to overnight to let the cookies soften.

SHORT RIB BOURGUIGNON OVER CREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the lardons and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and the fat has rendered, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Reserve the rendered fat in the Dutch oven.
• Generously season the short ribs with salt and pepper. In the same Dutch oven, working in batches, brown the short ribs in the remaining bacon fat over high heat, then remove to a plate and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the Dutch oven.
• To the Dutch oven with the reserved fat, add the carrots and shallots. Cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until slightly darker, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Remove about half of the carrots and shallots, and reserve.
• To the Dutch oven, add the wine, beef broth, cognac, short ribs and bouquet garni. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover, transfer to the oven and cook until the beef is very tender, 2 to 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Bring the Dutch oven from the oven to the stovetop. Remove the bouquet garni, carrots and shallots and discard. Bring the liquid to a simmer.
• Using a fork, in a small bowl, cream together the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and flour, using your fingers if necessary to mix well. Stir the mixture into the stew. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
• Serve the ribs over creamy polenta along with the mushrooms and reserved carrots and shallots. Ladle some of the sauce over the top before serving.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the milk, then add the cornmeal gradually, whisking constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Turn the heat to low, and cook, stirring often, until the polenta is very thick, but is still creamy, 30 to 35 minutes. If the polenta becomes too thick, whisk in additional milk or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is the desired consistency (it should be about the consistency of porridge).
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter using a wooden spoon. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

S'MAUROS: SKILLET S'MORES

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler on high.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter in the skillet, add the nuts and toast until fragrant. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the nuts. Spread the marshmallows over the chocolate chips. Place the skillet under the broiler until browned on top.
• Serve in the skillet and use graham cracker squares for dipping.

BBQ TOWER

Steps:

• In a large baking dish, arrange the chicken in a single layer and sprinkle with the BBQ seasoning. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
• When ready to cook, position the oven racks in the top and bottom levels. Clip 2 medium metal binder clips 12 to 14 inches apart in the center of the top rack of the oven, positioning them so that the clips are facing each other and the handles of the binder clips are hanging downwards. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat a small cast-iron skillet on the stove until searing hot. Add 2 cups dry cherry wood chips to the skillet and let the chips start to smolder and smoke.
• Remove the baking dish with the chicken from the refrigerator and drizzle the stock and olive oil over the chicken.
• Leaving the kielbasa connected in links, lightly prick each link with a skewer or the tip of a sharp knife. Drape the kielbasa links over a 16-inch-long, 1/4-inch-thick wooden dowel.
• Place the baking dish in the center of the bottom rack of the oven, directly underneath the binder clips. On the top rack, carefully slide the ends of the dowel through the handles of the binder clips so that the sausages are hanging above the baking dish. Note: You can also lay the sausages directly on the top oven rack, in the center.
• Place the skillet with the smoking wood chips on the bottom rack next to the baking dish.
• Bake until the chicken is very tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the sausage and the chicken from the oven. Use two forks to shred the chicken, and taste for seasoning. Transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with the remaining juices in the baking dish. Slice the kielbasa on the bias into 1-inch-thick pieces and transfer to a bowl.
• Build the meat tower with the chicken, kielbasa, BBQ sauce, corn, sweet rolls, pickles and your other favorite BBQ sides.