WILD HIBISCUS COCKTAIL and CUMIN AND CURRY SPICED LOTUS CHIPS and BRAISED BEEF TENDON and RABBIT STEW WITH OLIVES AND ROSEMARY and DUCK EGG POTS DE CREME

We welcomed our fellow food lovers from Supper Club into our home, and were excited and inspired to take our guests on a culinary adventure. We had many, many ideas of weird and wonderful foods to try and dishes to cook, but narrowed it down to seven courses and a "muse from the chef" - a sip of tomato soup and bite of grilled cheese sandwich - comfort food among all the strange dishes.
My husband was away in Fort Smith at a conference all day, but made it home in time to grill marrow bone and octopus to perfection.

WILD HIBISCUS COCKTAIL

5 ounces St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
5 ounces pink grapefruit juice
2 1/2 ounces wild hibiscus syrup
1 bottle of champagne
wild hibiscus flower

Pour Elderflower Liqueur, grapefruit juice, and wild hibiscus syrup evenly into champagne flutes. Top with champagne and garnish with a hibiscus flower.
Enjoy!

CUMIN AND CURRY SPICED LOTUS CHIPS

1/2 pound of lotus root
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat oven to 350F.
Soak lotus root in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and dry with paper towels.
Place lotus root, olive oil and sesame oil in a bowl and toss until well combined.
Add the cumin, curry powder, salt, pepper and cinnamon and toss until fully combined.
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon
http://www.spoonforkbacon.com/2012/04/cumin-spiced-lotus-chips/

BRAISED BEEF TENDON

2 pounds of beef tendon
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
6 cloves garlic
2 star anise
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 stick of cinnamon

Place the beef tendon in a pot, fill the pot with water, cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes. Pour off liquid until there is just enough to cover the tendon, add the wine, soy sauce and spices to the pot. Braise on low heat, checking hourly to see if its at the level of softness you like (I cooked mine all day!!).
Remove beef tendon from pot and cut into chunks. Serve with sauce over prepared udon noodles.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Instructables
http://www.instructables.com/id/Collagen-thickened-oxtail-stew-or-how-to-wash-you/?ALLSTEPS

RABBIT STEW WITH OLIVES AND ROSEMARY

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
8 rabbit hind quarters
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup red wine
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 rosemary sprigs
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup of Nicoise olives

In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the rabbit with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches, brown the rabbit over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until crispy all over, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the rabbit to a large plate.
Add the wine to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour the wine into a cup, wipe out the skillet.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil to the skillet. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and and rosemary and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the rabbit and any accumulated juices along with the reserved wine to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until sizzling, about 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of the stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover partially and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Add the olives and the remaining 2 cups of stock and cook until the sauce is slightly reduced and the rabbit is tender, about 20 minutes longer. Discard the rosemary.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, September 2009
www.foodandwine.com/recipes‎

DUCK EGG POTS DE CREME

3 duck egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups cream

Heat oven to 275F.
Set 4 ramekins into a large oven-safe baking dish.
Whisk the duck egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl, until yolks are slightly thickened and pale yellow in color.  Add cream to egg yolk mixture and stir to combine.
Pour custard mixture into prepared ramekins. Add enough hot water to the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Carefully place dish in the oven, bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until custards are just set.
Remove baking dish from oven and let the custards cool to room temperature. Then cover with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator until fully chilled.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Erica Strauss
www.pccnaturalmarkets.com › Cook › Recipes‎