Recipe: Croque Madame Muffin

Is there any dish in French cuisine more wonderfully child-like in its whimsy as the Croque Madame? The delightful grilled ham and cheese sandwich, topped with a fried egg, is one of my favorite brunch dishes. This updated version, in muffin form, is tasty on its own or paired with a dressed arugula salad.

Ingredients:

4 Slices white bread, crust cut off
4 eggs yolks (reserve the whites for light omelets tomorrow)
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 oz ham cubed

For the Mornay Sauce:

3 Tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup light cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan reserved for garnish

To Make the Mornay Sauce:

Melt the butter over medium heat, add onions and sweet till translucent. Add flour, stirring until it forms a paste. Add Salt and pepper. Gradually add both broth and cream over low heat, stirring constantly until combined and thickened. Cook for 5 minutes while stirring to prevent the cream from burning. Stir in cheese until melted, remove from heat.

To Assemble:
Preheat oven to 350º, Then flatten the slices of bread, brushing both sides with melted butter. Press the bread into a muffin tin, the bread should overhang the top of the tin. Add 1/4 oz of ham to each slice of bread, then add egg yolk. Cover with Mornay sauce, about two tablespoons, and sprinkle with reserved grated Parmesan. Bake for 13 minutes for a loose yolk, 20 minutes for a firm yolk. Serve immediately.

Tonight's Episode: Closing a Door

Ask most Charleston natives over the age of, oh I don't know 30 maybe, their thoughts on Big John's Tavern and you are likely to hear "Oh that sketchy place that lets teens drink?" Now ask the same question of your random 20something and you are likely to hear "You mean the bar at The Green Door?" That change is significant. The day food truck vet Cory Burke opened his funky little slice of culinary heaven, the entire vibe changed for Big John's. Suddenly, this place that seemed better suited to a Law & Order: SVU episode became a destination. People talked about it again. It mattered. But not for long.

The Post & Courier's Hanna Raskin set the Charleston food scene ablaze last night when she broke the news that The Green Door was getting the boot. In the follow-up article we meet the building's owner, Ryan Condon. See Ryan bought Big John's from it's struggling owner John Cannady to keep the spirit of the bar the same. What made Big John's so special? According to Mr. Condon it was the kind of place parents felt safe letting their teens drink. Let that sink in for a moment. He took the bar back from his nephews, who had been running it, because "That's just not what the business was intended to be." I'm assuming he means the menu at The Green Door, not the enforcing of the legal drinking age, but that seems open to interpretation. 

Mr. Condon isn't new to the Charleston food scene. He co-owns the Charleston Crab Shack chain, most famous for providing mediocre fried seafood and crab legs identical to any other such chain across the country. It is that mediocrity that Mr. Condon feels is best for his business. He wants to return it to its glory. From Hanna Raskin's article we hear this:

“I want to return Big John’s to what Big John’s was when I started going there,” says Condon, who started hanging out at Big John’s as a high schooler. “If Big John would ever have seen The Green Door, he would have rolled over in his grave. I don’t even know what the hell grilled kimchee is; I just want to restore Big John’s the way it was.”

What, other than having high schooler's like Mr. Condon getting drunk, made Big John's so special? Ham sandwiches and football on TV. Yes, Mr. Condon hopes Big John's can fill that void in Charleston of places to get a ham sandwich and watch TV. 

Listen, I do not begrudge a businessman doing what he thinks is best for his business, but if THIS is the move he wants, then the failure he will endure will be of his own making. I also don't think Chef Cory is without blame. I hope he has learned a valuable lesson about getting it in writing.  I hope Chef Cory keeps his funky eclectic food in Charleston. We need someone to help tip the scales of generic mediocrity that the Ryan Condon's of the world want to spread. 

PS- The Girl thinks Ryan Condon deserves to stub his toe AND get a paper cut in the same day.

Recipe: Bourbon Sorghum Glazed Ribs

Maple syrup is EXPENSIVE. No way around it. If you want to get a good glaze on your ribs you're going to have to shell out some big bucks to do it. Unless you use that sweet Southern staple sorghum. At 1/2 to 1/3 the price, this iron and vitamin dense molasses replacement is perfect for my Bourbon ribs.
(If you can't track down Sorghum, use a 1:1 ratio for molasses)

What You will Need:

1 Slab of Pork Ribs

1 1/4 Cup Sorghum Syrup

1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar 

1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup Bourbon (Like with wine only cook with what you would drink)

1/4 Cup of Sea Salt

2 Tsp White Pepper

1 Tsp Chili Powder

1 1/2 Tsp Garlic Salt

1 Tsp Paprika

1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 Tsp Cumin

I'm Serious when I say only cook with what you drink, I go with Bulleit

Step 1:

Clean your Ribs! The membrane on the back of your ribs has to go. Just use a paring knife to cut it away to ensure maximum flavor penetration.

Step 2:

In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. This is your rub. Commence rubbing. Every last inch of your ribs needs a liberal rubbing. This is the base for your flavor, and without it you will have sad ribs. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Step 3:

Pull your ribs out so they can reach room temperature, and preheat the oven to 275. Yes I said oven. These ribs are NOT going to touch the grill.

Step 4: 

TIGHTLY wrap the ribs with heavy duty aluminum foil, and place in the oven for 2 hours.

Step 5:

At the half-way point combine the cider, Bourbon, and sorghum in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, stirring on occasion until mixture has reduced by half into a beautiful glaze. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Step 6: 

Remove the ribs from the oven. Place a lined baking sheet on the bottom rack to catch any drippings. Unwrap ribs, glaze on both sides,  place on top rack, and drop the temperature to 250. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, glazing every 25 minutes. 

Step 7: 

Once the meat starts to separate from the bone, turn the broiler to high. 3-5 minutes under the broiler will crisp up the ribs giving them that perfect grill taste.

Step 8: 

Carve, hand out napkins, and serve with your favorite potato salad!

Tonight's Episode: Anything you can do I can do better!

America loves a classic. America loves a modern take on a classic. The Southern General  uses this conciet as the basis of their John's Island sandwich cafe. And boy does it pay dividends.

Take the humble Cheese Steak. Why not make it with Pot Roast with braised sirloin and bourbon mushroom gravy? Sounds like a great idea to me. But what if you (like The Girl) just want a traditional cheese steak? Well......serve that, too! That is what makes The Southern General such a uniquely fun joint. They take the Harvey Dent approach to a menu; give them both faces. A classic shaved sirloin with peppers and onions will set you back $8.5, and so will the modern take.

How about a burger? What is more classic than that? For $8 you can do the 1/2 pound Angus burger.....or you can be like me and spend $9 for the Brat Burger. House made bratwurst patty with a spicy beet cheese mustard and broccoli slaw. The slight bite of heat is balanced by the cool slaw. One of the more fun takes on a burger that I've ever seen.

Even the classics can get a slight update. With the Pulled Pork ($7.5), a sweet tea BBQ sauce lends that cool bite you expect from a black tea. Or you can go the new school route with the Super Butt ($8.5) with smoked sweet onion mustard relish, spicy sweet potato cream cheese, and house potato chips.

The house potato chips also go well with the smoked sweet onion dip ($7). Super thin herbed chips bring a nice saltiness to this VERY onion forward dip. And I mean that as a compliment, though $7 seems a touch high for this particular dish.

Another tasty plate to share is the Poutine ($9). This Canadian classic has herbed fries and gravy, with fried cheese curds. Would be nice if the curds were a little smaller, but tasty all the same.

And thanks to our waitress Holly I now know to check the menu board. Otherwise I would have missed the adult Sloppy Joe ($8) with spicy ground pork, red Creole sauce, and pimento cheese. I.....LOVE....this sandwich. I mean in a creepy stalker kind of way. The perfect balance of childhood memories and a modern palate.

The Girl and I stopped in the second time on our way out to Edisto, and I think it is best to point out that the location MAY be hard to find. It is in the back of a shopping center with another restaurant and an Irish Pub. If you find yourself on John's Island, or just want to try a little something different, completely worth a stop. The fact that they serve full menu til 1am Friday and Saturday doesn't hurt either.

The Scores:

Ambiance: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Food: 8.5/10
Value: 5/5

Overall: 21 out of 25 Fun funky little sandwich joint with a split personality.

Tonight's Episode: Interview with Cook It Raw's Alessandro Porcelli

Rene Rdzepi (Noma), Daniel Patterson (Coi) and David Chang (Momofuku)

Cook It Raw is perhaps the most anticipated culinary adventure around. For the last few years, CIR has brought together the greatest culinary minds working in the world's finest kitchens for a collaboration with local farmers, hunters, foragers, and craftsmen for one-off dinners unlike anything you have ever or will ever see. 

Cook It Raw came to public awareness when Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations followed the event (and Charleston Chef Sean Brock) to Japan. Now, for the first time, the public will have a chance to join in the fun when Cook It Raw BBQ Perspectives comes to Charleston ($100, Oct 26 2013), bringing in 40 chefs from around the world (everyone from Albert Adria of Tickets in Barcelona to Phil Wood of Rockpool in Sydney) to show their own spin on Lowcountry BBQ and all things local.  The focus on the local bounty is a thematic necessity of the event. 

Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana), Petter Nilsson (La Gazzetta), Magnus Nilsson (Fläviken), Fredrick Anderson (Mistral)

I was lucky enough to score an interview with Cook It Raw Director and Founder Alessandro Porcelli. This Italian ex-pat has been a driving force in turning Denmark into one of the world's culinary destinations. His first book, a compendium of Cook it Raw events, is available now.

Foodmancing The Girl: If you could, just explain why the general public should pay attention to Cook it Raw?

Alessandro: Cook It Raw is a blank canvas that at the end of each gathering it turns into a painting, drawn by heterogeneous minds and expert hands dedicated to highlight unique foodways through collaboration, creativity, tradition and sustainability. We encourage chefs, producers, artisans, farmers and academics to think as a team and to learn from each other. We work with the visiting country and its people to portray, together with a number of chefs and us from the organisation, a cultural food snapshot of a specific area creating an arena or exchange of ideas while allowing the flow of connectivity to spark new friendships and mindful experiences. Basically our main aim is to support changes in the way we're looking at food at all levels, from avant-garde cuisine to everyday cooking.

FTG: What is it about getting the chefs out of the restaurant that seems to get them so jazzed to participate?

Alessandro: Chefs, as many other creative professionals, are subject to routines. Routines are the antithesis of creativity. Cook it raw breaks this chain allowing chefs to experience people and culture and content which take 1 year to put together.

FTG: Up til now, Cook it Raw has been an invitation-only event. Why open it to the public?

Alessandro: Cook it Raw still is and will remain a gathering for a limited number of participants. It's a learning and engaging experience that is organized and documented better and better as we learn from it and grow with it. We want to share this experience through communicating it in as many ways and means as possible. The public event we're having this year is to share the dining aspect with a larger number of consumers.

FTG: What is it about BBQ in general, and Charleston in particular, that led to the decision to have this event here? Not that I am complaining, but going from Ishikawa and Poland to South Carolina seems rather odd.

Alessandro: Cook it Raw is about understanding and innovation, and the BBQ and Lowcountry cuisine that come out of Charleston provide a unique opportunity to do just that. This cuisine is a confluence of cultures, and Charleston is a place where modern chefs and producers are taking a strong look at the heritage and the complex history of the place to innovate moving forward. Charleston has just as much to offer to the international culinary conversation as Copenhagen or Collio, and we are here to learn and be inspired.

FTG: This is a question that we have debated after a few drinks: if you were one of two survivors of a plane crash in the Andes, what chef would you want along for the ride?

Alessandro: Without a doubt Eric Werner (Heartwood), not only he'll build us a spectacular wooden oven but he'll hunt down anything that moves and find any edible stuff men and animals can think, while having a great conversation!!!




(Photos by Eric Refner and Eric Olsson)