Marisa Sung’s Holiday Weekend Feast

November 16, 2014 Joshua 0 Comments

This recipe is my late Nana’s. She used to cook this dinner all the time while working at Buckingham Palace and then later for a very wealthy family on Park Avenue. This Menu = Dinner for 4 people.

Prime Rib, Yorkshire Pudding, Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce and Baked Potato with Sour Cream and Chives. For Dessert: a decadent Chocolate Cranberry Cake. The upcoming Holiday Weekends give you a free pass to indulge. They only come but once a year so enjoy! 🙂

1. Prime Rib
Ingredients:
Prime Rib Roast (standing rib roast), at room temperature (very important)
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Steps:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Pat the room-temperature standing rib roast (prime rib roast) dry with paper towels or napkins. Smear the cut ends only of the roast with the butter.
Do NOT salt the outside of your prime rib roast, as salt draws out moisture from the meat while cooking. You can use other seasonings, if desired, but I find it is not necessary. I know that some people do salt their prime rib roast before cooking, but trust me and don’t salt – the result will be a juicy, delicious roast to serve your family and guests!
Place the roast, ribs down or fat side up, in a heavy stainless-steel Roasting Pan or other metal roasting pan. Select a roasting pan that has sides at least 3-inches deep. (I do not recommend using nonstick pans, as these pans yield fewer of the cooked-on bits that make the tasty au jus juice or gravy.) The rib bones are a natural rack; you will not need a metal one.
Sear the rib roast (prime rib) for 15 minutes at the higher oven temperature (450 degrees F.), then turn the oven to the lower temperature (325 degrees F.) for the rest of the cooking time. Every 1/2 hour, baste the cut ends of the roast with the fat accumulated in the roasting pan. Do Not Cover the roast.
About 45 minutes before the estimated end of the roasting (bake) time, begin checking the internal temperature (use a good instant-read digital meat thermometer). Play it safe and start checking early, as you don’t want anything to go wrong. This is even more important if you are adjusting for High Altitude Baking.

For a perfectly cooked rib roast, invest in a good meat thermometer. Internal temperature, not time, is the best test for doneness and you don’t want to blow this meal!
When checking the temperature of your prime rib roast, insert meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of beef, not resting in fat or touching bone. Cook until rib roast reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees F. (or your desired temperature). Remove from oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let sit approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Cutting into the meat too early will cause a significant loss of juice. Do not skip the resting stage.

2. Yorkshire Pudding
Yield = 6 Servings
Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup pan drippings from roast prime rib of beef

Steps:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Sift together the flour and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together the eggs and milk until light and foamy. Stir in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Pour the drippings into a 9-inch pie pan, cast iron skillet, or square baking dish. Put the pan in oven and get the drippings smoking hot. Carefully take the pan out of the oven and pour in the batter. Put the pan back in oven and cook until puffed and dry, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise
Yield = 4 Servings

Ingredients:
Asparagus:
1 pound medium asparagus
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Steps:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Trim the woody ends from the asparagus. Spread the spears in a single layer in a shallow roasting pan baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roll to coat thoroughly. Roast the asparagus until lightly browned and tender, about 10 minutes, giving the pan a good shake about halfway through.

Meanwhile, put the egg yolk, lemon juice, and cayenne in a blender. Pulse a couple times to combine.

Put the butter in a small microwave proof bowl and heat in a microwave until just melted. With the blender running, gradually add the melted butter into the egg to make a smooth frothy sauce. If the sauce is really thick blend in a teaspoon of lukewarm water to loosen it up. Season with the salt and serve immediately or keep warm in a small heat-proof bowl set over hot (but not simmering) water until ready to serve.

Spread the roasted asparagus on a serving platter. Grind a generous amount of pepper over the top. Please note that this recipe can be easily doubled. If you double the recipe, be sure to place the stems on the baking sheet so that the tips are pointed toward the center, and the bottoms are pointed out, toward the edges of the pan. Since the tips are thinner than the stems, they tend to cook faster. However, when roasting, items at the edges of the pan cooked more quickly than those in the center. Taking the time to lace them this way helps the asparagus cook evenly.

4. Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives
Ingredients:
4 baking potatoes
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/2 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon coarse salt
A good grinding white pepper
1/3 cup freshly chopped chives

Steps:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Skewer the baking potatoes with metal skewers, so they cook through faster and place them directly on the middle oven baking rack for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Meantime add the sour cream to a bowl with the whole-grain mustard, salt, white pepper and chopped chives, leaving a teaspoon back to sprinkle on top. Stir all the ingredients together and scatter over the remaining chives. If you are not eating it straight away store it covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.
When the potatoes are ready with a crisp skin and soft inside, remove them from the oven, take them off the skewers and cut a cross in the top of each of them and slightly squeeze them so they open out and place them into bowl. Serve the potatoes with the chive sour cream on the side and have people help themselves.

5. Chocolate Cranberry Cake for Dessert:
Ingredients:
Cooking spray with flour
1 box chocolate cake mix (15-16 oz) or make chocolate cake from scratch like I do.
1 (14-oz) can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 1/4 cups water
3 large eggs (or 3/4 cup egg substitute)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1 cup bittersweet chocolate morsels
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
whipped topping (optional)

Steps:
1. Combine all ingredients (except morsels and sugar) in medium bowl; mix with electric mixer 2-3 minutes or until well blended. Stir in morsels; transfer to baking dish.
2. Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out dry. Let stand 10-15 minutes to cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar; serve with whipped topping.

A few bottles of The Carletto Estate Ricco Rosso 2012 would serve as an excellent accompaniment to this lovely meal! 🙂
http://www.wine.com/v6/Carletto-Ricco-Rosso-2012/wine/126846/Detail.aspx

Dinner at Downton Abbey