November Sunny Saturday Lunch (under the spell of garlic)

The Squirrel and her Collaborator decided to celebrate the unexpected sun of this November’s  Saturday of the Dead by dedicating themselves to kitchen creativity. With amazing results that make one’s mouth water. Here’s how to get there.

First, you need a sunny November day. Sun-day is also acceptable, although Saturday is the classic. Second, you need lots of garlic (the Holy Graal of the kitchen). Third, patience and other collateral means for hunger relief is always a plus.

The end products… KapiaFruit Pork steak drowned in wine (with garlic), mashed celeriac and potatoes (with garlic), Nutty Quince desert.

And here come the details.

For the Drowned Steak, you need to have… 500 g lean pork tenderloin, 2 red peppers (eastern European Kapia), 1 apple, 2 slices quince, MANY garlic cloves (a big fist full of), 2 spoons olive oil, 500 ml dry white wine, salt, pepper, rosemary

… and to do… make vertical notches on the tenderloin and insert uncut gloves. Sprinkle tenderloin with salt, pepper and ground rosemary (if you use fresh herbs, add them in the notches with the garlic). Put in a deep oven tray. Chop peppers, apple, and quince. Throw over pork. Sprinkle with oil and 1 glass of the wine. Put in preheated oven, low fire. Every 15-20 min, add sauce over pork, 2-3 cloves, and 1/2 glass of wine in the tray. Allow to cook for about one hour.

For the mashed potatoes and celeriac, you need to have… 1 celeriac, 3 potatoes, 25 g butter, 1/2 glass of milk, salt, pepper, 3 garlic cloves, rosemary.

… and to do… peel and chop celeriac, boil for some 20 minutes in salty water. When soft, add pealed and chopped potatoes. Leave for 10 more minutes on fire. Remove from fire and drain almost all water. Mash until creamy. Add butter, milk, salt, pepper, ground garlic, rosemary, and mash some more.

For the Nutty Quince, you need to have… 4 quinces, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 cm vanilla stick, 1 orange (zest and juice), 50 g walnuts, few drops of cognac

…and to do… grate 3 quinces, chop 1. Cut vanilla stick longitudinally. Add to quinces, sugar, 1/2 glass water. Place pot on very low fire (could be useful if you have a hob). Stir every once in a while. Add orange zest and juice. Keep stirring, don’t lose patience! Simmer for around 1 hour, stir constantly. Add nuts. Remove from fire, add cognac. Allow to cool. Serve with cinnamon cookies and whipped cream.

There you are, food’s ready, (s)mash it & enjoy! Go for a walk, or walk at least to the balcony, and breathe in the last rays of sun.

 

 

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