There are a couple of things that we almost always order at restaurants when we’re traveling if we happen to find them on the menu. One of them is escargot, which not everyone enjoys, but it is certainly a favorite of ours. Occasionally they are served in their shells, but often they are served on a special baking dish specifically designed to nestle the escargot in their own little cavity. We have had them in many different locations throughout Europe where they are more popular than they are here in the United States.
Escargot at a French BistroCheese Covered Escargot
The most traditional way to have them is baked in butter with lots of garlic and herbs. As good as the actual snail is to eat, the real treat is dunking bread into each of the little holes to soak up the garlic butter. It is a little decadent, but well worth the calories. On a couple of occasions we had them where they were covered in cheese as well, which we found to be an interesting take on them.
Snails and Potato CakesGruyere Covered Snails for an Extra Cheesy Treat
Since we don’t always find them on menus, when we do it is almost a guarantee that we will order them. It isn’t something that we’ve ever cooked for ourselves, but that doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t try it in the future. For those that have never tried escargot, we would highly recommend that you don’t let the thought of eating a snail deter you from trying this delicacy.
With the holidays approaching, this is the time of year when we tend to make something a little more special for dinner. Although we will sometimes treat ourselves to some meats that are a little more expensive like lamb, prime rib, duck, or goose, it doesn’t have to be exotic. Sometimes it is simple as taking chicken and making a special meal out of it. Obviously, it is time for a big turkey or ham dinner here in the States, but the holidays can be an opportunity for something a little different. Here are some of our favorite meals to cook during this festive time of year.
Leg of Lamb with Gravy, Roasted Potatoes, and Sautéed Spinach
Roasted Leg of Lamb with Gravy – Even though it is more food than the two of us can eat, we love cooking a leg of lamb and enjoy making savory dishes with the leftovers. Even if you don’t like rare meat, leg of lamb is best when it is cooked to medium-rare at most, otherwise it can get a little tough.
Prime Rib with Yorkshire Pudding
Prime Rib with Yorkshire Pudding – This is definitely a holiday tradition for our family and something that we look forward to every year. As good as it is the night of the dinner, it is great for sandwiches for days afterwards. It is elegant and easy to cook, making it great for entertaining or just a dinner for family at home. Obviously, you don’t need to make the Yorkshire pudding, but if certainly makes for an extra special treat.
Tender Duck Breast
Roasted Duck with a Plum Glaze – We don’t understand why duck is so expensive here in the United States, but it certainly isn’t something that we get very often. Whether cooking duck or goose, it is important to render out the fat that is in the skin. We tend to cut the duck into breasts and thighs as opposed to cooking it whole so that we can control the cooking more easily. The best way to render out the fat is to start it, skin side down, in a cast-iron skillet and then transferring to the oven to finish cooking.
Tuscan Chicken with Crispy Skin
Tuscan Chicken with Green Beans and Bacon – Like most people, we have chicken on a regular basis. That doesn’t mean that chicken can’t be turned into an elegant dinner for the family to enjoy. By using fresh ingredients and adding a butter under the skin, it is not only delicious and moist, but makes for a great presentation. This is definitely not your boring chicken dinner.
Medium-Rare Lamb Chops
Rack of Lamb – Although this is something that you might think of ordering at an upscale restaurant, it is something that you can cook for yourself at home. For the best presentation, the chops should be “French cut”, which is simply the technique of trimming the meat and fat from the bone tips. This is definitely a meal for a special occasion or when you truly want to impress your guests.
Do you have meals that you prepare for special occasions?
We don’t often eat breakfast because we’re usually out and about first thing in the morning. We do, from time to time, have breakfast for dinner. When we were in Telluride, we had breakfast where we got a poblano egg scramble, which was quite delicious. Since our poblano pepper plant had several ripe peppers on it, we decided to recreate it over the weekend. A scramble is nothing more than an omelet where you scramble up the eggs as opposed to letting it set. We always add milk to our eggs since we find them to be fluffier. We did end up having this for dinner, but obviously it is perfect for breakfast. This recipe was just for the two of us, but it easily scales to more people.
Poblano Pepper Plant
INGREDIENTS
4 Large Eggs
1/4 cup Tomatoes – diced
1/4 cup Poblano Peppers – seeded and diced
1/4 cup Red Onion – diced
1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese – shredded
2 tbsp Milk
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
Fresh Ingredients
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the butter in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add the tomatoes and cook for about another 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk together the eggs and milk and add to the skillet. Stir frequently until the eggs are almost cooked to the firmness that you prefer and then add the cheese for the final minute or two.
Scramble the Eggs Sauté VegetablesAdding the Cheese to the ScrambleThe Poblano Pepper Scramble
