recipe: roasted marrow bones

the first time i tried roasted marrow bones was earlier this year. my friends and i headed to parkside restaurant in downtown austin for some more lushness after a night of drinking. as recommended by the server and some friends, i chose this succulent snack for my late night fix. this wonderful delicacy has been used to flavor foods in several different cultures, including vietnamese cuisine, and acted as vital sustenance for the early hominids. when one asks me what it tastes like i think "a rich and savory jelly that's perfect for spreading on toast." the richness is usually cut by the fresh vibrant flavor of herbs and a sprinkling of sea salt. i thought about recreating this dish in my own home all summer long, but found it rather silly to make a dish for 1. so i invited a friend over for dinner to act as my guinea pig. the outcome was a success (otherwise i wouldn't be posting this). this recipe was adapted from fergus henderson's recipe posted in the new york times.



roasted marrow bones
(serves 2)

ingredients:
2 - 2 1/2 lbs of beef marrow bones (also known as shank bones - these are usually cut in 3-4 inch pieces)
1 cup flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
2 tbsp capers
4 pieces of sliced bread (toasted)
coarse sea salt for sprinkling

instructions:
preheat the oven to 450 degrees. line a baking dish with foil and place the bones, marrow-side up, in the dish. roast the bones for 20 minutes or until the marrow starts to separate from the bones. it is normal for some of the fat to drip out from the bottom, but make sure not to overcook.

while the bones are roasting, rinse and chop the parsley and set aside in a small bowl. add capers to the bowl and toss. toast the pieces of bread and cut in a diagonal to create 8 triangular pieces.

remove the bones from the oven and plate the ingredients for each individual person. to enjoy, fork some of the marrow out from the bone and spread it on the toast. add some of the parsley mixture and a sprinkling of sea salt on top.

recipe: pate chaud

a few weeks ago, my roommates and i hosted a potluck dinner for a friend's birthday. our 20+ guests had various dietary restrictions that ranged from carnivorous appetites to i'm-a-vegan-but-i-wear-leather views. to accommodate for some of these preferences, i opted to make 2 types of lasagna rolls: one with prosciutto and one without. our birthday guest even brought delicious delights in the form of pint-sized pot pies. she had created 2 varieties as well: chicken and vegetarian. when i inquired about the seemingly-laborious nature of these pies, she simply replied "i bought the dough at the store and made the filling myself."



that had me thinking about my favorite savory meat pie: the pate chaud. this french-influenced vietnamese pastry is made with buttery puff pastry and filled with a simple aromatic meat filling, usually pork, beef, chicken or a combination of those mentioned. i don't find them often here in new york city, but with the convenience of puff pastry being sold at the stores, i decided to make some at home.




pate chaud
(makes 12 pastries)

ingredients:
1 pkg (12 oz) of puff pastry (thawed)
1/4 lb lean ground beef
1/4 lb lean ground pork
a quarter of an large onion (diced)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 black pepper

instructions:
in a large bowl, mix the ground meats, diced onion, minced garlic and salt and pepper thoroughly.

before working with the puff pastry, flour a clean surface area and roll out the dough to 1/8th inch thick. cutout 24 circles that are about 3.5 to 4 inches in diameter - i used a drinking glass to cut the pattern. you may have to combine the scraps in a ball and roll out the dough again to get all 24 circles. transfer the circles to 2 large baking sheets. after all the cutouts are made, scoop 2 tbsp of the meat mixture on 12 of the circles and press down on the middle of the meat patty so that they are not so rotund. for this method, i used a 2 tbsp cookie dough scoop and used the backside of the scoop to press on the meat patties. afterward, cover each meat-filled circle with the rest of the circles. seal the pies using a fork or your thumb by pressing down on the edges.

preheat the oven to 400 degrees. while the oven is heating up, lightly beat 1 egg and brush the tops of the pate chaud with the egg wash. bake these in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until a golden color develops. you may even freeze these pastries in the freezer until you're ready to eat them. let them thaw for 10-15 minutes first before brushing it with egg wash to bake.