As a wannabe, it is a common practice to play the "How would I cook this in an AGA?" game. Having played this game for some months now, I have come up with a few recipes that are oven-based that I enjoy. I want more recipe ideas from other wannabes and from AGA owners. Send them to me. I'll post them here, and make sure you get the proper credit.
(I came up with this one after finding a Le Creuset knock-off dutch oven at a local discounters. It's a very nice hunk of enameled cast iron, and it inspired me to come up with something that would let me play with it all day... :)
Simmer 1/2 lb of dry white beans in enough water to cover by 1/2 inch for about an hour, or until tender. Set beans aside with any liquid.
Place a chunk of bacon in a Le Creuset knock-off cast iron casserole in baking (350 degree for us wannabe's) oven until bacon is cooked but not crisp.
Add 3 peeled cloves of garlic and two yellow onions, cut into eighths. Drizzle on some good olive oil , sprinkle on some paprika, and stir together. Put the whole thing back in the oven uncovered for an hour, stirring halfway through to prevent scorching.
Dice four big juicy tomatoes and add to the casserole. Sprinkle with a bit of salt. Return to the oven for another hour, stirring every 20 minutes. By now you should have a fairly thick mass of tomatoes with a very strong garlicky aroma.
Add the beans and whatever reserved liquid you had to this mess, and stir it all together. Cover with 4 slices of sourdough bread which has been cut into cubes. Make sure you keep the crusts on, as this will add to the texture later. Cut up at least 1/2 a stick of butter into 1/2 pats and distribute it on top of the bread cubes. Shred about 1/2 lb of Monterey Jack cheese on top of the bread and butter. Put the whole thing back in the oven for another 20-30 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and nicely brown...
This should not have very much liquid in it when it's done...I served it with a Pork Butt that had cooked on the rack below this dish for about 4 hours. Just covered it with lime juice & salt, and place some cloves, peppercorns & allspice berries on top of it so the flavor could drip down with all that fat...
(I usually keep a pound or two of bacon in the fridge just for cooking. When I need it, I cut a few hunks off the frozen pound, dice them, and toss them into the pan. This works well as a flavoring, and the rendered fat makes everything cook better)
Put some bacon in a 12" cast Iron skillet in the oven at 450 (roasting oven temp) for ten minutes. Wash 4 potatoes and prick them with a fork. Roll the potatoes in the bacon fat & bits at the bottom of the skillet, put it back in the oven for 30 minutes. Cut up some mushrooms and a small onion. At the 30 minute mark, push the potatoes to one side of the skillet, dump in some more bacon, the mushroms, and the onions. Sprinkle salt, pepper and lime juice on the mushrooms, put it all back in the oven for 20 more minutes. When it's done, you'll have baked potatoes with very crispy skins, and some nicely flavored mushrooms & bacon to put on top. Don't forget the butter, cheese, and sour cream....
{As printed in the Sunday Boston Globe Magazine}
(OK, I don't know how I would do this one in the AGA, all I know is this tasted GOOD! I got it right on the first try, and I am not a baker, by any means...so give it a shot:)
4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
4 egss, separated
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup lemon juice {takes about 4 lemons - Marc}
grated rind of 1 lemon
pinch of salt
Confectioner's sugar (for sprinkling)
Set the oven at 325 degrees. Butter a 1 1/2 quart
baking dish {I used a pyrex bowl - Marc} and set it in a large roasting pan.
In an electric mixer {Or in a regular old mixing bowl with a hand beater - Marc}, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar. Add the 4 yolks, one by one, beating well after each addition.
With the mixer set on its lowest speed, blend in the
flour, milk, lemon juice, and rind.
In another mixing bowl, with clean beaters, beat the 4
egg whites with a pinch of salt and the remaining 2 tbsp of granulated sugar.
When the whites form soft peaks, stir one-quarter of them into the batter.
Fold in the remaining egg whites.
Spoon the batter into the prepared dish. Carefully pour hot tap water around the dish to come halfway up the sides. Transfer the roasting pan to the hot oven and bake the pudding for 45 to 50 minutes or until the top is set {It will be nice and brown on top...from the picture in the magazine, it's supposed to be - Marc}
{Take the pudding out of the oven and } Let the pudding cool for 20 minutes. Lift the dish from the water. Spoon the cake into 4 shallow bowls. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and serve at once.
Give it a shot. Like I said, I am NOT a baker, but
I got this one to work well on the first try. I would love to know
if someone with an AGA can get these to work in individual ramekins in the
baking oven. It would make a great dessert for company, but the 50
minute baking time, the need to pull them and cool them for 20 minutes, and
the caveat to 'serve at once' could make timing it right a little nerve
wracking. My thought is that spooning it into 4 ramekins would
allow it to cook faster, and that, rather than cooling them on the counter,
they could simply be held in the warming oven indefinitely in their warm water
bath. That way, you could actually have them finishing a few minutes
before the guests arrive, put them in the warming oven, and let them sit there
until ready to serve with no adverse affects....
Final comment: these things have a very strong lemon
flavor, what with all that fresh lemon juice. They would benefit from
something creamy (either fresh whipped cream or plain vanilla ice cream)
served alongside.
This is one of my recurring basic recipes. It has many faces, and can be changed to fit your mood, time, requirements, and the contents of your refrigerator. In fact, one version of the schmeer is already in the bean recipe above. The basics for a schmeer are onions and a little oil. From there, there are any number of possibilities, so my instructions are deliberately vague. But the steps are as follows:
1. Heat a good heavy skillet on the simmering plate, add olive, butter, lard, bacon, or all of the above.
2. Once the oil/fat is up to temp, add in 3-4 onions, quartered. Toss them in the oil.
3. Season. Possible combinations include salt/pepper/lemon, salt/rosemary/parsley/marjoram, lime/hot pepper, orange juice/curry powder.
4. Throw in some or all of the following: mushrooms, garlic, small diced potatoes, diced bits of leftover pork products from other happy fat meals, sweet peppers..I'm guessing the list is pretty large, but all of these have worked for me.
5. Cut up and add a couple of tomatoes.
6. Put more oil/fat in and toss one more time.
7. Leave in the baking oven for 3 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. If you have less time, you can get pretty much the same effect in an hour in the roasting oven, but it's not as schmeer-y. If you have only 10 minutes, cover the whole thing with balsamic vinegar, put it in the roasting oven, then toss with pasta.
Schmeer is really good if you put it on pita bread. It's even better if you toast the pita bread first, then rub it with garlic. It's amazing if you then cover it with cheese and pop it back in the oven until the cheese bubbles.
Schmeer is good as a side dish. It adds a spot of intense flavor between the more usual meat, starch, and vegetable. I've seen people eat three helpings of schmeer on crusty bread before even touching the rest of the food on their plates.
Schmeer can be used to season other foods. Stick some schmeer under the skin of your chicken before you bake it.
Tell me if you come up with new ways to schmeer.
I'm a big fan of side dishes. This one's quick and easy, and like schmeer, can be changed to fit your needs. The type of mushroom, as well as the size, cut, and seasonings are all changeable. The basics:
Heat 1/2 stick butter in a cast iron skillet. Add in 12oz clean mushrooms (I use button), and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the juice of one lime. Put skillet in the simmering oven for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Or put in the baking oven for one hour, or in the roasting oven for about 30 minutes. Serve hot as a side dish, or chop, and serve over pasta with butter, parmesan, and lemon, to make Spaghetti deLemos.