Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 (39 page)
Read Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 Online
Authors: Todd Wilbur
• MAKES 4 SERVINGS.
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE SYDNEY’S SINFUL SUNDAE
MENU DESCRIPTION:
“Vanilla ice cream rolled in toosted coconut, covered in chocolete sauce and topped with whipped creom.”
“Vanilla ice cream rolled in toosted coconut, covered in chocolete sauce and topped with whipped creom.”
Here’s an easy-to-make dessert that will give you a cool way to use the vanilla ice cream that’s calling to you from the freezer. The key to this recipe is to plan ahead just a bit by placing your serving plates into the freezer (give ’em at least 30 minutes). While the plates are chilling out, you toast some coconut flakes in the oven. After that, it’s all about the presentation. You can top your master-piece with canned whipped cream or make your own from the simple recipe included here.
WHIPPED CREAM1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt
1 cup shredded coconut
4 large scoops vanilla ice cream
1 cup fudge topping
8 large, ripe strawberries
1. Put four dinner plates into the freezer
2. Make whipped cream by combining cream with sugar, vanilla and salt with an electric mixer on high speed. It helps if the bowl has been chilled ahead of time. When cream makes stiff peaks, cover and chill until you need it.
3. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
4. Spread the coconut over the bottom of the inside of a large oven pan. Shake the pan a little to spread the coconut evenly.
5. Bake the coconut for 25 to 30 minutes or until the coconut is a light, golden brown. You may have to stir or shake the coconut in the last 10 minutes to help it brown evenly. Allow the coconut to cool on a plate or in a large bowl.
6. Heat up the fudge topping for 15 to 20 seconds in the microwave. Get the plates out of the freezer and make a circle of fudge on each of the plates.
7. Roll each scoop of ice cream in the coconut until it is well coated. Press down on the ice cream to help the coconut stick. Place a coconut-covered scoop of ice cream onto the center of the plate, then spoon about 2 tablespoons of fudge over the top of the ice cream.
8. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop a large portion of whipped cream and stack it on each of the scoops of ice cream.
9. Cut the stems from the strawberries. Cut four of the strawberries lengthwise into quarters. Position the sliced strawberries around the base of each scoop of ice cream on the ring of fudge. Place a whole strawberry onto the whipped cream on the top of each dessert. Serve with a spoon and a smile.
• MAKES 4 SERVINGS.
P. F. CHANG’S MAI TAI
MENU DESCRIPTION:
“It’s our signature recipe.”
“It’s our signature recipe.”
Bring the tropical spirit of this drink to your house with a clone of this potent cocktail from the growing Chinese bistro chain. Mai tai is Tahitian for “out of this world,” and P. F. Chang’s recipe is one of the best and most authentic. The secret to a true mai tai is found in the original recipe developed by Trader Vic in 1944: It’s almond-flavored syrup called “orgeat.” You can find the sweet stuff in stores that sell coffee flavorings (Torani is one very popular brand), or from bar supply outlets. Not only can you use the orgeat for making the best cocktails on the planet, but you can also use the syrup to wake up your next cup of Java. If you can’t find orgeat, there’s a clone recipe included in Tidbits.
1
½
ounces Bacordi light rum
¾
ounce triple sec
¾
ounce orgeot syrup
3 ounces orange juice
3 ounces pineapple juice
splash Bacardi 151 rum
splash dark rum
GARNISHpineapple wedge
maraschino cherry
1. Fill a 16-ounce glass with ice.
2. Add the light rum, triple sec, orgeat, orange juice, and pineapple juice; then give the drink a quick stir
3. Splash the 151 and dark rum on top. Do not stir
4. Make a small cut in the pineapple wedge, then stick a toothpick into the pineapple wedge on the opposite edge. Pierce a maraschino cherry onto the toothpick. Slip the pineapple slice onto the rim of the glass (into the cut that you made). Add a straw, and serve.
• MAKES I DRINK.
TIDBITS
You can maker a pretty close version of orgeat syrup from scratch by dissolving ½ cup granulated sugar in ½ cup boiling water. Add ½ teaspoon of almond extract and ¼ teaspoon coconut extract. Cool before using, then measure as you would the real thing.
P. F. CHANG’S CHANG’S SPARE RIBS
MENU DESCRIPTION:
“Wok-seared with Chang’s barbecue sauce.”
“Wok-seared with Chang’s barbecue sauce.”
One of the most popular eats on P. F. Chang’s kickin’ appetizer menu are the spare ribs that arrive slathered with Asian-style barbecue sauce. The Asian flavor comes from the addition of sweet hoisin sauce to a fairly rudimentary barbecue sauce formula. Chang’s menu says these ribs are spare ribs although they appear to be much smaller, more like baby backs. You can certainly use either for this recipe, just be sure to trim the ribs first, since the restaurant version is lean, clean ribs with no extra meat or fat hanging off. There are several ways to cook pork ribs—P. F. Chang’s likes to boil theirs first then move on to a quick deep fry. After that, the ribs are tossed with the sauce in wok and served piping hot. A serving of these ribs at the restaurant is 6 individual ribs, but since a full rack is as many as 12 ribs, this recipe will make twice what you get in a serving at the bustling bistro.
SAUCEI cup ketchup
1 cup light corn syrup
½
cup hoisin sauce
½ cup water
⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons minced onion
I tablespoon rice vinegarI rack pork spare ribs
4 cups vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
I tablespoon diced green onion
1. Make the sauce by combining ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until thick. Cool.
2. To cook the ribs the P. F. Chang’s way, you will need to first boil them in water Heat up 12 to 16 cups of water in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add a couple teaspoons of salt to the water As water boils, trim the excess fat and meat off the ribs. Slice between the bones of each rib to separate the ribs. When the water is boiling, toss the ribs in, bring the water back to a boil and boil the ribs for 12 to 14 minutes. No pink will show when they are done. Remove ribs to a plate to cool.
3. When the ribs have cooled you can either store them in an airtight bag in the refrigerator until you are ready for the final cooking step, or you can move on to that step now by heating up 4 cups of vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. The oil should be about 375 degrees. You can also use a deep fryer for this step, but your fryer will likely require more oil.
4. When the oil is hot, drop 4 to 6 ribs at a time into the oil. Fry for 2 to 4 minutes or until the meat browns. Drain off the ribs on a rack or paper towels. Fry all the ribs before moving on to the next step.
5. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, toss in all the ribs and coat with the sauce. Simmer the ribs in the sauce for about a minute while stirring and dump the ribs onto a serving plate when they are all coated with sauce.
6. Sprinkle the ribs with sesame seeds and about a tablespoon of diced green onion, and serve with a pile of napkins.
• SERVES 2 TO 4 AS AN APPETIZER.
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