63. Coral Sea Islands

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Red Onions

Country: The Coral Sea Islands
Course: Side
Makes: 4 servings 

Ingredients:

• 20 oz Brussels sprouts (I used frozen)
• 10 oz red pearl onions
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring about 1 1/2 inches of salted water to a boil in a large suacepan. Pull off the outer leaves (if using fresh sprouts) and trim the stem ends to remove any brown coloring. With a small knife, cut a shallow X at the stem, then rinse and drain.
2. Put the sprouts in the boiling water and reduce the heat to a low boil. Cook for about 8 minutes or until tender. Drain and run cold water over them so they don't overcook. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, bring a different pot of salted water to a boil. Make a shallow X in each pearl onion with your small knife, then add to the boiling water. Replace the lid so that the pot is partially covered and boil for 4 to 6 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and run cold water over them until they are easy to handle, then remove the skins.
4. Melt the butter in a large skillet over a medium hot flame. Add the sprouts and cook until they start to brown (but don't stir). After about 3 or 4 minutes, start stirring and add the onions. Cook until the onions are hot, then season with salt and pepper and serve.

Grilled Island Strip Steak

Country: The Coral Sea Islands
Course: Main
Makes: 4 servings 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup dark rum
• 3 cups beef stock
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 4 8-oz strip steaks
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, onion and garlic and saute until translucent.
2. Add the rum and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about 2/3rds.
3. Add the beef stock and return to a boil. Reduce heat and add the molasses, whisking until well-incorporated. Keep simmering, uncovered, until you have about 2 cups of liquid (I actually reduced mine a bit more because I prefer a thicker sauce).
4. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and grill on both sides until they reach the desired doneness. Place them on warm plates and top with the sauce. Serve at once.

Garlic Roasted Mashed Potatoes

Country: The Coral Sea Islands
Course: Side
Makes: 4 servings 

Ingredients:

• 1 large head garlic
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 3/4 cup whole milk, gently heated

Directions:

1. Pull the excess husk off the garlic and then cut off the top of the head to expose the cloves. Pour a little olive oil over the garlic and add some salt and pepper.
2. Place the garlic in a small ovenproof dish with the rosemary. Add a little bit of water and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
3. Roast at 325 degrees for 30 or 40 minutes, until the garlic is soft.
4. Let cool and then squeeze the soft pulp from the garlic skins into a small bowl. Mash and set aside.
5. Put the peeled potatoes in a large saucepan and add just enough cold water to cover with 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Drain and then return to the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously (this will evaporate off the remaining water).
7. Mash the potatoes, adding the garlic and the warm milk. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Elise Wiggins’ Maple and Fig Lamb Ribs with Goat Cheese and Walnut Dust (serves five)

For ribs:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary

2 tablespoons fennel pollen

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 half racks

1/2 cup Fig preserves

1/4 cup Champagne Vinegar

1/4cup of Maple Syrup

10oz Young Goat Cheese

4oz Finely chopped roasted walnuts

5 tablespoons of roughly chopped Italian parsley

Marinate and cook ribs: Stir together oil, garlic, spices in a small bowl. Remove membrane from the lamb ribs. Pat lamb dry and rub with spice mixture. Transfer lamb to a large sealable plastic bag and seal, pressing out excess air. Marinate lamb, chilled, at least 8 hours.

Bring lamb to room temperature, about 1 hour. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Transfer lamb to a 17- by 12-inch heavy shallow baking pan and cover pan tightly with foil, then bake 1 1/4 hours. Meanwhile, stir together fig preserves, maple syrup and vinegar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a 1-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Discard foil from lamb and carefully pour off and discard fat from pan. Allow to cool. Cut rack into rib servings. Brush lamb with some of marmalade glaze and roast, basting every 10 minutes (use all of glaze) and turning racks over every 20 minutes, until browned and tender and hot. To serve, stack 4 bones on top of each other, scoop a quenelle of goat cheese dip in walnut dust and plate beside the ribs. Garnish ribs with sprinkle of walnuts and roughly chopped parsley.

Rainbow Layer Cake

Ingredients

Cake

2

boxes Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ vanilla cake mix

2

cups water SAVE $

1

cup vegetable oil

6

eggs

2

packages (2.7 oz each) Betty Crocker™ classic gel food colors

Buttercream Frosting

1

cup shortening

1

cup butter, softened

1

bag (2 lb) powdered sugar

2

teaspoons vanilla

3

to 4 tablespoons milk

Buy Ingredients Powered by Chicory

Steps

1

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray.

2

In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among 6 small bowls, about 1 1/3 cups each.

3

Using food colors, tint batter in 1 bowl blue, 1 bowl red, 1 bowl green, 1 bowl yellow, 1 bowl orange (using red and yellow) and 1 bowl purple (using blue and red).

4

Refrigerate 3 colors of batter until ready to bake. Pour remaining 3 colors of batter into cake pans. 

5

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center and begins to pull away from side of pan. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks; cool completely.

6

Wash cake pans. Bake and cool remaining 3 cake layers as directed.

7

In large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light yellow. On low speed, gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until frosting is smooth. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy.

8

Trim rounded tops off cakes to level, if needed. On serving plate, place purple cake layer. Spread with frosting to within 1/4 inch of edge. Repeat with blue, green, yellow, orange and red cake layers. Spread light coat of frosting on top and side of cake to seal in crumbs, then frost with remaining frosting.

Expert Tips

Cake batter is stable enough to wait in the fridge till the first three layers are baked. Be sure to rinse the pans in cool water and dry them well before scraping the rest of the batters into the pans. If you only have two 8-inch pans, it’s okay to bake the layers in three batches.

Use a kitchen scale to weigh out the batter for each layer, so they bake up evenly.

Make this a party cake and switch up the colored layers as requested by the birthday girl or boy.

For guaranteed easy unmolding, line each pan with baking parchment. Set one of the pans on the paper and trace a circle around the base with the tip of a sharp paring knife to create a round that fits inside the pan; repeat to make enough for all the layers.

Using half shortening and half butter for the buttercream frosting ensures that it will stay firm enough at room temperature. Make it ahead and chill it for a while to firm it up before assembling the layers.

For a deeper red color, add a teaspoon or two of unsweetened baking cocoa to the red batter

If you only have two 8-inch cake pans, bake the cakes in three batches instead.

CORAL REEF COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS IN THE CORAL REEF COCKTAIL  

Units

2 oz

Plymouth gin

1 oz

St-Germain

3⁄4 oz

Aperol

Club soda

 

Garnish: 

1 Lemon twist

 

Glass: 

Highball

HOW TO MAKE THE CORAL REEF COCKTAIL

Add the gin, St-Germain and Aperol to a highball glass and fill with ice.

Top with club soda and garnish with a lemon twist.

(Good Eats:Turkey Re-Hash)