Josh Kilmer-Purcell's Blog, page 96
July 15, 2012
Whole Poached Chicken
We used to think of poached chicken as something fancy ladies ate for lunch when they were “reducing”. It seemed like a bland, not-preferable alternative to a delicious roasted or fried chicken. The few times we’d had poached chicken, it was tough and tasteless.
Now that we have the farm, however, we find ourselves poaching our chickens (and roosters) all the time. Mostly out of necessity, because by the time our chickens are ready to be eaten they are too old and tough to be roasted. Plus, because they are naturally active, they are leaner and more muscly than most store-purchased poultry. But when we slow-poach our birds they are as tender as any roasted restaurant chicken. And much more flavorful, given their varied diet. Plus, poaching a whole chicken also results in a beautiful chicken broth which can be frozen for use in other recipes.
There is a trick to poaching a whole bird, we’ve found. It must be done very slowly. Most of the tough poached chicken you’ve tried is really just boiled. But if you take the time to bring the bird to a boil very slowly, then immediately cooled to a low, barely detectable simmer, the result will be fork tender meat and a crystal clear broth.
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There is a lot less white meat on Beekman 1802 chickens…which we prefer. The dark meat has more flavor, and when cooked correctly, better texture.
Beekman 1802 Whole Poached Chicken
1 whole chicken (If store purchased, remove any bags of giblets.)
1 Tablespoon salt
3 sprigs of thyme (or chervil)
1 onion, peeled and quartered
Place all ingredients in a large soup or stock pot. Fill with water until chicken is completely covered. Cover with lid, and bring to a boil over medium heat, slowly. Keep watching. As soon as water is at medium boil, reduce heat to medium-low. Cool until barely simmering. Just a few bubbles coming to the top. Keep covered. If a foam rises to the surface, remove with wooden spoon. Continue at very low simmer until total cooking time is approx 2 hours.
The key here is to slowly heat the meat, and keep it at very low temperature to cook. It should be more like giving the chicken a warm bath than a boil.
Once chicken is poached, remove chicken from broth with tongs and use fork to shred meat from bones. The resulting meat can be used in any recipe that calls for cooked chicken meat. Like our Gooseberry Chicken Pasta Salad.
Reserve the remaining liquid. Because there is a very generous amount of broth, it tends to be weaker in flavor. We prefer to keep the strained liquid on the heat at a medium simmer until reduced by half for a more concentrated broth. (This could take an hour or more.) Once reduced, place in refrigerator overnight. Any fat will congeal on surface. Remove fat before use or freezing.
Note: Some people like to create a more complex broth, or stock, while poaching the chicken. Since we’re never sure what we will use the broth for, we try not to over-flavor it. Plus, whatever is added to the poaching liquid will lightly flavor the chicken meat, which is not always preferable. (ie: garlic in the stock may make the meat too pungent for a light chicken salad.) But if you do know what you’ll be using the stock for in the future, any flavorings can be added to the poaching liquid, including the traditional celery, carrot, pepper, garlic, or herbs.
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We usually poach three chickens at once. Because our chickens are much leaner, they take up a lot less room in the pot. The meat from one supermarket chicken probably equals three Beekman 1802 Farm chickens, for the sake of most recipes.
Old Fashioned Gooseberry Pie
A traditional gooseberry pie is tough to improve upon.
Everyone knows how much we love pie at Beekman 1802 Farm. And even though we’re always trying some new experiments with our pies, we always agree that the more traditional the recipe, the better it tastes. Why do grandma’s recipes turn out best? Because she experimented in her youth too, and realized that her grandmother was right all along. That’s the nature of heirloom cooking.
It’s tough to find a more traditional pie than a gooseberry. These sweet-tart fruits have been popular for centuries. Too popular, actually…the Gooseberry Craze of the 19th Century resulted in the fruit’s eventual overuse and antiquated reputation. (Read more about it here.)
We resisted the urge to adulterate our Beekman 1802 Old Fashioned Gooseberry Pie. The only additional flavorings are a little orange and ginger. Which, actually, are pretty traditional in themselves. Because gooseberries contain so much liquid, we bake the bottom crust first before adding filling to keep it from getting soggy. We then lay cut out pastry circles on the top, with a center hole and space around the edges to allow steam to escape and the filling to thicken. As with all high-liquid pie fillings, any sort of open lattice top crust will help firm up the filling.
We hope you enjoy it…and if you can’t resist the urge to experiment, let us know what you tried in the comments section.
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Because we pre-bake the bottom crust to keep it from getting soggy, we can’t use a traditional top crust. (Can’t crimp raw pastry edge with baked pastry edge.) This works to our benefit, though, because keeping the edges of the pie uncovered (along with a center hole) allows steam to escape, helping to thicken the very liquid filling.
Old Fashioned Gooseberry Pie
For the crust:
2.5 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 sticks, (16 Tablespoons) very cold butter, cut into cubes.
Approx 4 Tablespoons of ice cold milk (plus 4 more, if needed.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
One egg beaten together with 1 tablespoon milk for glazing top crust.
For filling
5 cups whole gooseberries
1.5 cups sugar
2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
Juice and zest of one orange
1/3 cup instant tapioca
4 Tablespoons butter
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To make the crust, use stand mixer with paddle beater. Beat together butter, flour, sugar and salt until butter is in flakes, coated with flour. Do not over mix. Slowly add very cold milk, one or two tablespoons at a time. When dough first begins to form ball, stop beating. Do not add too much liquid. Dough should barely hold together. Divide dough into two balls, press into a thick disk with hands, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer.
While dough is chilling, begin preparing the filling. Combine all ingredients except butter in a large sauce pan, and place over medium heat. Cover until gooseberries begin to soften and burst (about 5 minutes.) Then uncover, and keep barely simmering on medium-low heat for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool while rolling out pastry.
Once dough has chilled, remove from refrigerator and roll out one disk on a lightly floured surface until large enough to cover bottom and sides of pie dish, with 3/4 inch overhang. Crimp edges decoratively, and set pie weights on top of bottom crust. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Do not let edges of crust burn. Cover with aluminum foil or pie guard if necessary.
While bottom crust is baking, roll out second pastry disk. Using small biscuit cutter or rim of small juice glass, cut out circles from rolled dough. Place circles on baking tray and return immediately to refrigerator or freezer to keep chilled. (Do not re-roll scraps of extra pastry dough, they will become tough. Bake on separate baking sheet to snack on with ice cream.)
Once bottom crust has baked, and filling has cooled, pour gooseberry filling into bottom crust. Slice 4 tablespoons of butter on top of filling, then decorative layer of pastry circles in concentric pattern, leaving a hole in the middle and around the outer edge. Brush top disks with beaten egg/milk mixture. Use aluminum foil strips, or pie guard over crust. Return to oven and bake for 35 to 50 minutes, or until juices are vigorously bubbling. (Be sure to place a baking sheet on rack below pie to catch any spilling juices. There will be some.)
Allow pie to cool completely before serving. Serves 8.
July 13, 2012
C.V. Turnpike
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Sharon Springs is situated at the intersection of U.S. Route 20, east-west, and State Route 10, north-south. The roads of upstate New York all have their histories, reflecting the growth of the state itself. Many of course started as Indian trails, then became wagon and carriage roads, and eventually carried motorized vehicles along hills, plateaus, and valleys. Route 20 is the longest numbered highway in the United States, extending east-west some 3,365 miles from Boston, Massachusetts, to Newport, Oregon. Its 372 miles in New York make it the longest surface road in New York State. It has special significance historically since it was rebuilt from a series of toll roads making up what was known as the Great Western Turnpike.
In 1799, almost two decades after the frontier towns of New York were embroiled in the Revolutionary War, the First Great Western Turnpike Corporation received a charter to build a road from Albany, the capital of New York, to the outlying town of Cherry Valley. The Second Great Western Turnpike Corporation extended the road from Cherry Valley to Sherburne by way of Cooperstown in 1801, part of that stretch later becoming State Route 80. In 1803, the Third Great Western Turnpike Corporation received the charter to extend the road from Cherry Valley west to Cazenovia, completing the new road by 1811.
The first and the third Great Western Turnpikes came to be known collectively as the Cherry Valley Turnpike. The name also came to refer to an untolled extension of the road west to Skaneateles.
Along the tolled sections, gate-keepers collected tolls at toll-gates. The mostly dirt road, with some planking, was organized into divisions. Each division was managed by a superintendent who had two men under him maintaining the road daily with a cart, plough, scraper, and two horses.
The Cherry Valley Turnpike provided a direct route westward to pioneers seeking new lives on the frontier. New towns came to be established along the route. Regular freight transportation lines were also established, allowing for growing commerce. The traffic became so great that by 1815 along the 52-mile stretch between Albany and Cherry Valley, some 62 taverns served customers; 15 of them, along with 10 retail liquor stores, four distilleries, and one brewery were located in and around Cherry Valley. Moreover, Cherry Valley had eight blacksmith shops. The Cherry Valley Turnpike became a stagecoach route in 1816, and more than 100 stage horses were kept on hand in Cherry Valley for the line.
After the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, the importance of the Cherry Valley Turnpike as a commercial thoroughfare waned. The advent of the New York Central Railroad lines – the first line opening in 1831 – also diminished traffic along the route. After 1857, the Cherry Valley Turnpike was no longer a toll road.
In the meantime, the town of Sharon, formed from New Dorlach in 1797, had developed its own special commerce. After the first boardinghouse was built near the mineral springs in 1825, the town became a major destination as a resort area. Sharon Springs was incorporated as a village in 1871. By then, thousands of visitors were using the Turnpike to come to the resort town, and luxury carriages had become a regular sight along the country road.
In the early 20th century, with the growing automobile traffic, New York State began to pave and maintain roads. It designated the Cherry Valley Turnpike as Route 20 in 1926. The road remained a major east-west thoroughfare until the completion of the New York Thruway in the 1950s, after which most traffic became local.
Like the roads crisscrossing the state, the Erie Canal and the New York Central Railroad have fascinating histories, and we’ll be writing about them. But when driving along Route 20, the old Cherry Valley Turnpike, try to envision what passed that way in the course of the 19th century – covered wagons with pioneers; freight wagons with materials, supplies, and the latest household products; and stagecoaches and carriages with passengers from all walks of life. And, remember, some of the historic houses you pass by once were taverns hosting weary and thirsty travelers.
The History Boys are
Chris Campbell has made his permanent home in Cherry Valley, NY. The Campbell family dates back to 1739 in this town, situated about eight miles from Sharon Springs. Some family members were captured by Tories and Iroquois allies in the Cherry Valley Massacre of 1778 during the American Revolution and taken to Canada, released two years later in Albany as part of a prisoner exchange. Chris is a rare book and map collector and has had a lifelong interest in history, especially relating to upstate New York and colonial land patents. He was the founder and first chairman of the Cherry Valley Planning Board and has worked as a surveyor and realtor as well as a researcher for the Otsego County map department. His hobbies include Ham radio.
Carl Waldman, also living in Cherry Valley, is a former archivist for the New York State Historical Association in Cooperstown. He is he author of a number of reference books published by Facts On File, including Atlas of the North American Indian and Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, both originally published in the 1980s and both in their third editions. He is the co-author of Encyclopedia of Exploration (2005) and Encyclopedia of European Peoples (2006). Carl has also done screenwriting about Native Americans, including an episode of Miami Vice entitled “Indian Wars” and the Legend of Two-Path, a drama about the Native American side of Raleigh’s Lost Colony, shown at Festival Park on Roanoke Island in North Carolina. His hobbies include music and he works with young people in the Performance and Production Workshops at the Cherry Valley Old School.
July 12, 2012
5 Beautiful Things
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This new feature is designed to inspire you to look at the world around you, to take note of the season at hand and to capture it – in memory or on film – for posterity. I will be choosing five photos each week for Beekman1802.com with this aim in mind. We’re calling the feature, The Five Most Beautiful Things In The World This Week
Paper Cuts
The idea of a paperless society terrifies me. Sure, I understand the need to reduce our consumption of this raw material for the benefit of our planet, but please let’s never give up on it entirely! Ever since I was a child I have been fascinated by paper, particularly its decorative and artistic uses. I was always drawing on my dad’s file folders (much to his chagrin) and on any bare paper surface I could find around the house. As I got older I began to appreciate its finer uses, learned how to make it by hand and dye it. I studied all the beautiful ways it could be manipulated into stationery, wrapping paper and works of art. It wasn’t until I discovered paper artist Elsa Mora, however, that I truly understood paper’s capacity to convey beauty. Elsa, and a series of other modern artists and crafters, uses a series of knives, scissors and folding techniques to create astounding works of art using only paper to create sculptures that stir the imagination and inspire wonder. The detail and precision of their cutting techniques speaks to their patience and their commitment to creation. Below are examples of some two-dimensional and three-dimensional cut-paper creations by some of my favourite artists. I’m sure you’ll agree that their work is captivating.
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The Artists:
1. Helen Musselwhite
2. Terry Morton
3. Julene Harrison
4. Elsa Mora
5. Anna Wili-Highfield
Andrew Ritchie is the creator of Martha Moments, a blog devoted to Martha-Stewart related content and her community of supporters. He lives and works in Toronto, Canada, and has been a longtime friend of Brent & Josh, Beekman 1802 and Sharon Springs. Each week he’ll scour the world (wide web) to find the 5 most beautiful things to inspire you. Follow Andrew on Pinterest.
July 10, 2012
Manly Bread
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We like to call this our loaf for oafs because it has the rich, dark aroma of beer and is VERY easy to make. Hmmm…maybe a man CAN live on bread alone.
Ingredients:
12 ounces of a dark beer or ale or stout
1 cup of whole wheat flower
1.5 cups of all-purpose flower
3 tablespoons of melted butter
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 tablespoon of sugar
1.5 teaspoons of salt
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan with butter or olive oil
3. Mix all of your ingredients in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined
4. Place in the oven on the middle rack. After 45 minutes, start checking every 5-10 minutes until a toothpick stuck into the center of the loaf comes back clean
How easy was that?!! Let us know in the comments section below.
Choosing Cheese
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One of the most difficult and intimidating things about planning a sophisticated party (aside from walking into the wine shop), is putting together a cheese plate. Let’s face it, sometimes cubes of cheddar, swiss and jack just don’t convey the image you are trying to project. Looking into a cheese case can be overwhelming, but the cheesemonger WANTS to help you.
Blaak, the artisanal cheese that we make at Beekman 1802, is unlike any other cheese currently produced in the world. We wanted to create a cheese that would wow all of the senses—visually and texturally as well as the palate. You can put together a cheese tray for your party that does the same. Our tips for assembling the perfect plate goes something like this:
Something old (a hard, aged cheese–like manchego or parmesan)
Something new (a soft, young cheese like chevre or brie)
Something stinky (yes there are people who love these cheeses)
Something bleu (a great bleu cheese rounds out any cheeseplate)
Having a cheese from each category will wow every guest and make you look like a true afficionado.
One thing we hate about shopping for cheese is the lack of creative accompaniments. Most anywhere you go, you’ll find the usual fig preserves and quince. Both good, but there’s so much more you could do. Every season when the first wheels of Blaak are ready to come out of the cave we introduce a new condiment to serve along with it to celebrate the occasion. Last year’s selection was Blaak Onion Jam, and then year we’ve create Rosemary Creamed Honey from the hives on the farm. A good rule of thumb when choosing accompaniments is “opposites attract”: A hard cheese likes something soft like a baguette whereas a soft cheese is perfect on a crispy cracker. A salty cheese begs for something sweet like a jam or preserve and a dry cheese loves a serving a juicy fruit.
Of course, our first pick is going to be a product from our own farm.
Otherwise, we always recommend making as many selections as you can from the local producers. Most cheeseshops and even larger grocery chains will have a section devoted to local or regional cheeses. Support your local farmers!
Try Blaak for yourself. Click here
July 9, 2012
Beer & Cheese
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People often think that wine and cheese are the ultimate companions, probably because such fine examples of each come from France, but traditionally, it was much more likely to pair cheese with beer. And here’s why:
Cheese and beer were historically farmhouse staples (we know quite a bit of those) and along with bread occupied a sizable portion of the caloric intake on small farms throughout Europe and the Americas.
The reason so many of us can’t resist the taste of cheese is the combination of two of life’s most delicious things: fat and salt. The malty sugars in beer contrast nicely with the salts of the cheese and the bitterness of the hops helps to invigorate the palate. The carbonation helps cut through the fats in the cheese so that they don’t coat the tongue. This enables the taste buds to really assess the complexity of the beer.
Each year, Beekman 1802 celebrates the arrival of Blaak by creating a new accompaniment for the cheese. First there was Blaak Onion Jam, then Rosemary Creamed Honey followed by the Blaak Drizzle.
This year we are honored that our neighbors at Brewery Ommegang have developed a limited edition beer to pair with Blaak. Biere d’Hougoumont is a French-style farmhouse ale brewed in the Bier De Garde style with 8 malts and French hops and then aged on white oak and hard maple wooden staves.
Taste Blaak and Biere together by touring the Brewery Ommegang on your next visit through upstate NY. Click here for more information.
See why Blaak has become one of the world’s most famous cheeses. Click here
July 8, 2012
The Beekman Shandy
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Variations of the Shandy can be found in countries from Germany to Africa. (We first tasted one while traveling in China!) Classically, a Shandy is made by filling a glass half-full with a dark beer and then topping it off with lemonade. A Shandygaff is made by mixing beer and ginger ale or root beer, and a Snakebite is the mixture of beer and apple cider.
Whatever the poison, it’s a wonderful drink for a summer evening.
Here’s how we do it at Beekman 1802.
The Beekman Shandy
Ingredients
A dark beer or ale (we use Three Philosophers from the nearby Brewery Ommegang)
Pure lemon juice (either fresh-squeezed or bottled)
Preparation
Pour an ice cube tray full of pure lemon juice and freeze solid
Fill a frosted bar glass with the lemon ice cubes and then pour the beer over the ice cubes
If you happen to have ginger root laying around, shave a few thin curls of ginger onto the top for garnish
Cheers!
July 4, 2012
Five Beautiful Things
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This new feature is designed to inspire you to look at the world around you, to take note of the season at hand and to capture it – in memory or on film – for posterity. I will be choosing five photos each week for Beekman1802.com with this aim in mind. We’re calling the feature, The Five Most Beautiful Things In The World This Week
A Canadian Admirer
Americans will never fully understand the excitement a visitor experiences when they venture through your borders. Having visited the U.S. from Canada dozens of times since my childhood, I am lucky to be able to call myself a true and faithful neighbor to the great land so many of you Beekman readers call home. Each visit has held new adventures, new flavors, new landscapes and new friends, in many cases.
I’ve always thought of Canada and the U.S. as a happily married couple, not always agreeing but making the most of our partnership to achieve a greater good. The United States is the extroverted husband, the business mogul, the enterprising go-getter with an eye for opportunity and justice. Canada is his younger, introspective bride – a mirror image of his truest ideals, only softer, more reflective and shy with a soothing temperament. Together, they create a continent that is rich in resources, brimming with innovation and ideas.
Each time I visit the U.S. I feel more and more at home there. This is because of your innate hospitality, your welcoming smiles, your loving embraces and your sincere curiosity about who I am and what brought me there. I love Americans. I call many of them friends. In fact, I am married to one. Happy Fourth of July, America, from a Canadian admirer! I found these beautiful images of the American flag proudly on display: patriotism at its finest.
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Photos:
1. southern accents magazine
2. southern-charmer.tumblr.com
3. 30.media.tumblr.com
4. newenglandprepster.tumblr.com
5. nestegg.typepad.com
Andrew Ritchie is the creator of Martha Moments, a blog devoted to Martha-Stewart related content and her community of supporters. He lives and works in Toronto, Canada, and has been a longtime friend of Brent & Josh, Beekman 1802 and Sharon Springs. Each week he’ll scour the world (wide web) to find the 5 most beautiful things to inspire you. Follow Andrew on Pinterest.
July 3, 2012
Cherry, Forever
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No fruit signals the beginning of summer at Beekman 1802 farm more than the pie cherry.
Over the years we’ve made
and even Sour Cherry Bounce
But we’re certainly not the first to carry out a love affair with the cherry. It turns out it’s a very sexy fruit.
At harvest parties in the orchards of Middle Ages England, a common game used two cherries joined at the stem. A young lady would grip one of the cherries between her teeth and the boy took the other cherry in his mouth. They would then nibble the cherries and the game ended in a kiss.
But some young couples were so enamored by the season that they went off into the woods. Many a young girl stopped being a maiden during the cherry festival games and a trip through the cemeteries of cherry growing areas will reveal that many births happened exactly nine months after the cherry festival dates.
So if you try any of our recipes, be very, very careful. They’re so delicious someone may just take your cherry.
