When my girls want something really special for breakfast, they
go for the gold: round, brownish-gold aebleskiver, with their
tender insides and crispy outsides. They’re Danish donuts, sort of,
only lighter and puffier. About the size of a golf ball, it’s a
cinch to eat a half dozen or more at one sitting.
When my girls want something really special for breakfast, they go for the gold: round, brownish-gold aebleskiver, with their tender insides and crispy outsides. They’re Danish donuts, sort of, only lighter and puffier. About the size of a golf ball, it’s a cinch to eat a half dozen or more at one sitting.
Which is why I don’t haul out the cast iron aebleskiver pan that often. The cook (that would be me) stands at the stove and makes six at a time in the special 10-pound pan while the diners (that would be the girls), eat them faster than I can produce them. I make some plain to dip in sugar. Others get a dollop of jam in the middle – the girls like these the best.
Cast iron can be a challenge: first it’s too cool, then it becomes too hot and you can’t cool it down. Finally it’s perfect. The smoking jam can burn your fingers and the truth is, no matter how much batter I make, it’s never enough.
I’m complaining, but I really do love to make aebleskiver. They taste divine and they remind me of the times I’d watch my non-Danish mother trying to master them while my very Danish father offered sage advice. He has offered me the same advice every time I make them: “You need a knitting needle to turn them. It works the best.”
I used to tell him I didn’t own a knitting needle, but a very lovely reader mailed me one last time I wrote about aebleskiver, so now I don’t have that excuse. And Dad was right, the knitting needle does work best.
I like making aebleskiver because it reminds me of Denmark and the great breakfasts I have eaten there. It’s one of the things that helps me pass along a part of the culture to my girls and husband. Though they’re not Danish, I’ll be they feel a little bit like a Dane with that warm dollop of jam and aebleskivers in their bellies. I’d better get out the pan …
• Try it for yourself: If you don’t have an aebleskiver pan, you’ll need to get one. There’s just no substitute. However, they’re inexpensive and available at many kitchen sites on the Internet, like epicurious.com. I have also seen them at the cooking stores in the Gilroy outlets occasionally. If you happen to be near Solvang, they sell them there, too. In San Francisco, try the Danish store in Ghirardelli Square. There are many different aebleskiver recipes; this one is the easiest and most consistent I’ve tried.
Aebleskiver
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
Beat eggs and sugar well. Sift dry ingredients and add to mixture. Add buttermilk and beat until batter is smooth.
Fry in aebleskiver pan: Heat pan over medium heat. Melt one teaspoon butter in each hole. Fill holes completely, let bake for a few minutes and turn aebleskiver with a fork or a knitting needle. Fry until golden brown. Roll in sugar to coat lightly.
Note: Applesauce, jam or a small slice of apple may be dropped in each aebleskiver before turning. Serve hot with jam and sugar.
• Sunday supper: Next time you feel like a relaxed Sunday meal, try this roast pork. I would suggest a bone-in roast, as they are generally juicier. However, if you hate to cut around the meat, use a boneless roast and it will taste great, too. This is an Italian recipe from Naples.
Roast Pork with Sage
and Potatoes
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 T. minced fresh sage leaves (or 3 tsp. dried)
Salt and pepper to taste
About 2 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 T. olive oil
3 to 4 lb. pork loin roast, bone in (or 2 lb. boneless roast)
Mix together garlic, sage, salt and pepper. In a bowl, toss potatoes with a little olive oil and about 2 tsp. of the spice mixture. Make slits all over the roast and rub in the rest of the spice mixture.
Place roast in roasting pan, surround with potatoes, and drizzle remaining olive oil on top. Roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Lower heat to 325 degrees and continue to cook for about 45 minutes more. During this time, stir the potatoes every 20 minutes or so and baste roast just as often.
When meat thermometer reads 150 degrees, remove pork and let meat rest for 10 minutes. Check potatoes: if they are done, keep them warm. If not, put them back in the oven while the pork is resting.
You can make a gravy with the pan drippings, if desired.
• Party time: I received two requests for easy hors d’oeuvres for end of the summer impromptu cocktail parties. Here are two fun ones from “The New Basics” cookbook by Rosso and Lukins. These take no time at all and are so fun to eat. I think I might double the recipe, as they get eaten faster than you can imagine.
Herbed Chevre Bites
11 oz. chevre cheese
1 T. heavy cream (not sweetened)
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
In a bowl, mix chevre and whipping cream. Shape into balls, about 1 tsp. each. Roll in walnuts and parsley. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving.
Jalapeño Bites
2 fresh jalapeño peppers, cored, seeded and minced
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1-2 T. heavy cream (not sweetened)
2 T. minced cilantro
Combine peppers and cheeses in a mixing bowl and blend well. Add as much cream as needed to get batter to hold together. Mold into balls, roll in cilantro. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving.
End notes: Don’t forget to send your restaurant reviews. I’ll be back from vacation on Aug. 15 and I would like to see a few from Hollister, Gilroy and Morgan Hill or surrounding areas. E-mail them to jd****@****ic.com. Thanks! Happy cooking!
This week’s tip
According to the USDA, smaller hams are usually made from bits and pieces and glued together with gelatin. To me this means buy the largest ham you can afford or make sure there’s a bone in it.
Notes
• Coffee time … Did you know … in the U.S., coffee is only grown on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano at elevations of 1,500 to 2,000 feet. The volcanic soil keeps all diseases away from the coffee trees, the only place in the world this is known to occur.
• Stinky shrimp? … From the U.S. Fisheries Association … If shrimp develops a strong odor, it’s probably started to deteriorate and should not be eaten. Shrimp cannot be refrozen and almost all shrimp you buy has been frozen. Use it the same day you buy it, or the next day, or throw it out.
• Big BBQ crowd pleaser … From Dr. Myles Bader: When you need to barbeque for a large crowd and your grill isn’t so large, you can put hamburgers between two sheets of foil on a cookie sheet. Bake for 350 degrees for 25 minutes, then finish on the grill in only 5-10 minutes.
• Did you know … the color of an egg’s yolk depends entirely on the hen’s diet. Hens fed on alfalfa, grass and yellow corn lay eggs with darker yolks than wheat-fed hens. The nutritional value of the yolk is the same, no matter the color.
~ Jenny Midtgaard
