Derby Trail Cook Book

[Downthestretch55]

Bizcochitos (Mexican Christmas Cookies) Recipe

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup lard (or shortening)
2/3 cup plus 2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp anise seed
1 large egg
1/4 cup orange juice
1 TBSP cinnamon

In a bowl, with mixer on high speed, beat lard, 2/3 cup sugar and anise seed until fluffy. Beat in egg until blended. On medium speed, mix in orange juice. Add dry ingredients. Stir to combine, then beat until well blended.

On a plate, mix remaining 2 TBSP sugar and cinnamon. Divide dough in half. Pat each half into a ball. On a well floured board, roll dough, a portion at a time, 1/4" thick. With floured cookie cutter, cut dough into shapes.

One at a time, dip top of each cookie in spiced sugar, pressing lightly so sugar sticks. Set cookies, sugar side up, about 1/2" apart on ungreased baking sheets. gather scraps into a ball, roll out and cut more cookies.

Bake cookies at 325°F degrees until bottoms are golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Debbie and Jamie's Cajun Christmas Squirrel

a Cajun Christmas Squirrel Delight

~ squirrels,cut into serving pieces, amount depends upon how many you can eat
~ olive oil
~ 1 large onion
~ 1 large green bell pepper
~ 2 cloves garlic
~ Cajun spice (Tony Chachere's recommended)
~ 2 tbsp Tabasco sauce
~ 4 tbsp ketchup
~ 1 tbsp Gumbo File seasoning
~ cooked rice


In a deep pot or dutch oven, heat some olive oil.

Season the squirrel on all sides with the Cajun seasoning. Add to the hot oil and turn to brown on all sides. Continue to cook until done.

Place the onion, bell pepper and garlic in a blender. Cover with water and chop. Add to the pot when squirrel is done.

Sprinkle the added vegetables with Cajun seasoning.

Add the Tabasco sauce, ketchup and the Gumbo File. Stir to mix well.

Serve over the cooked rice.

Enjoy.

[Downthestretch55]

Date and nut loaf

1 ½ cup boiling water
1 ½ cup dates -- chopped
1 ¼ cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 ½ cup flour
1 cup walnuts -- chopped

In large bowl, pour boiling water over dates. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in sugar, egg, baking soda, salt, vanilla, and butter. In small bowl, mix flour with nuts; stir into date mixture. Pour into two greased 1-lb. coffee cans or one 8 cup mold. Cover with foil and tie. Place cans or mold on rack in slow-cooking pot. Pour 2 cups hot water around cans. Cover pot and cook on high for 2 2/1 to 3 hours or until done. Remove from pot. Let bread stand in coffee cans 10 minutes; turn out onto cooling rack. Slice and spread with butter, cream cheese, or peanut butter.

[Downthestretch55]

Veal Scaloppine
1 1/2 C. veal scallops pounded to 1/8 inch thickness

flour

10 T. olive oil

1/2 lb. mushrooms

salt and pepper

1/2 C. pine nuts

12 sage leaves

3 anchovy filets minced

2 garlic cloves minced

1 C. dry white wine

4 T. butter

Pat veal dry and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Heat 2 T. oil in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and cook until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Add 2 T. of oil to the skillet. Add 1/3 of the veal scallops and saute about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to a platter. Salt and pepper scaloppine to taste. Repeat this process 2 more times, adding 2 T. of oil each time.

Add pine nuts to skillet and cook until golden brown. Add sage, anchovies and garlic. Return the mushrooms to the pan and stir in the wine. Whisk in butter and pour over veal.

Serve immediately.

[Downthestretch55]

Escargot

In medium bowl combine escargots (snails), mushrooms, line melted butter parsley, garlic salt and pepper.Set aside for 5 minutes. Prepare mushroom caps. Put half a teaspoon of bread crumbs in each mushroom cap. Spoon one escargot and garlic butter into each cap. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

[Downthestretch55]

This year I'm going to my "hunting buddy", Ken's house. He and his lovely wife Terry know that I love to cook. The appetizer will be chicken livers wrapped in bacon, chestnuts inside. The soup will be oyster stew. I'll post the recipe. Dessert will be NY cheese cake (see recipe above), plenty of cookies and the candy.
So it all comes down to the main course. Ken and I went round and round on this. He has 20 bob-white quail that I told him I'd do up in a nice grape sauce, so that main course will be on the table. I'm also bringing this one, just cause I love it...yup! Two main courses.

An Absolutely Perfect Roast Goose

1 10 to 12 lb. goose either -fresh or frozen and thawed

A frozen goose is perfectly adequate. Have thawed 24 to 48 hours before the meal (48 is better.) Prick the goose well all over, especially on the breast and on the upper legs, holding the skewer almost parallel with the bird so as to avoid piercing the flesh. Fill a very large pot 2/3 full of water (pot should be large enough to almost accommodate the bird) and bring to a boil. Using rubber gloves submerge bird (neck side down) for 1 minute (till goose bumps arise.) Repeat the process (this time with the tail side down.) Drain the goose, breast side up on a rack in a large roasting pan and set in the refrigerator, naked, to dry the skin for 24 to 48 hours.

When you are ready to roast the bird, on the big day. Make your favorite stuffing. I made one in "94" that seemed to be well liked. The night before Thanksgiving I cooked 1 1/2 cups (raw) wild rice in about 5 cups of water. Drained and chilled overnight. In the morning I added soaked, cut up dry ****ake mushrooms along with their soaking water with an egg beaten into it. A tablespoon of poultry seasoning, a sautéed onion, plenty of salt and freshly ground pepper.

Now you salt and pepper the bird inside and out, liberally. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees while you are stuffing and sewing up the bird. Place it in the oven in a roaster and on a rack on it's breast. For a 12 1/3 lb. goose I needed a full 5 hours but this is quite a large bird. Just close the oven and let it stay, undisturbed for 1 1/2 hours. After this time, take it out of the oven. Use a baster to draw out the fat that has accumulated in the bottom of the pan (schmaltz lovers, send up a cheer) You can strain this fat through a coffee filter, putting the schmaltz in small bottles which keep very well in the freezer for up to a year.) Turn the bird over on its back before you put it back in the oven. put it back in for another hour before you start checking for doneness.

The recipe gave the best advice on checking for doneness, at this point, that I have ever seen. With a piece of terry rag, squeeze the upper drumstick (not thigh) lightly. If it feels kind of squishy, like roast beef, it's done. Every bird is different so you must judge when it is done. When meat is done (be patient, it may take a while), raise the heat to 400 degrees. Remove roaster from the oven and transfer bird (rack and all) to a jelly roll pan. Put it back in the oven for 15 minutes to further crisp and brown the bird. Take it out and let it sit, uncovered for a half an hour.

Regarding the roaster, after you remove the bird to a jelly roll pan and put that in the oven, remove the fat from the roaster and put it over 2 burners adding about 2/3 cup of dry sherry and deglaze the pan with a wooden spoon. combine these drippings with your giblet broth either to make a gravy or to use later for goose carcass, slow cooker broth.

Quail and the oyster stew recipes to follow.

[Downthestretch55]

Ingredients:

4 quail - adjust for more
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
white pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup white seedless grapes
2 tbsp. toasted sliced almonds

Cooking Instructions:

Rinse the birds and pat dry inside and out, then drizzle with 1 tbsp. lemon juice and sprinkle with seasonings. Let stand for 1 hour then coat with flour. Sauté in butter in a saucepan until golden. Add wine and broth and remaining lemon juice, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the grapes and almonds and cook for 5 more minutes or until birds are tender.

Ready in: Approx. 1 1/2 hours