Kentucky Derby 2012

Let cheese and butter come to room temperature. Stir together cheese, butter, and remaining ingredients with a fork until thoroughly blended. Serve immediately. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week. Today is Derby Day, the fastest two minutes in sports. I think it is a good excuse to have friends over and a good time to try one of those mint juleps. It is probably the only day I have one but since the mint is growing strong it’s just a perfect time to give this Southern drink a try. To add to the drink one should have some great little appetizers and some biscuits and ham to go with the drink. I have devised a menu that can be done ahead so you can enjoy your friends and the race. I could not resist and used the recipes from Southern Living, May 2012. They just looked so good and they were!                     

Derby Julep

1 serving

3 to 5 fresh mint leaves

2 Tbsp. julep syrup (recipe follows)

Crushed ice

¼ cup bourbon

1 fresh mint sprig

Place mint leaves and syrup in a chilled julep cup, and muddle (use the back of a spoon to press mint leaves against sides of cups; twisting slightly to release flavors). Pack cup tightly with crushed ice; add bourbon and mint sprig.

Mint Syrup

Boil 1 ½ cups sugar and 1 ½ cups water, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add 15 fresh mint sprigs, and cool completely. Cover and chill 24 hours. Strain syrup; discard solids.

The mint syrup is good also to flavor ice tea---if you have any left.

Roasted Brown-Butter Pecans with Rosemary (These are so good.)

Makes 4 cups

¼ cup butter

4 cups pecan halves

2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. sugar

 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

Garnish: Fresh rosemary leaves

Preheat the oven to 350ᴼF. Cook butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 3 to 5 minutes or until butter begins to turn golden brown. Immediately remove pan from heat, and stir in pecans. Arrange pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and sugar.

Bake pecans at 350ᴼ for 10 to 12 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Sprinkle with rosemary. Bake 2 more minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet (about 30 minutes). Store in an airtight container.

The next recipes are for the cream cheese biscuits, fig chutney, and blue cheese butter. You need some ham of course for this dish, but I did not have time to cook a ham so bought some good ham from Whole Foods.

Fluffy Cream Cheese Biscuits

Makes 18 biscuits

1 (1/4-oz.) envelope active dry yeast

¼ cup warm water (105ᴼ to 115ᴼ)

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 (8-oz.) Package cold cream cheeses, cut into pieces

½ cup cold butter, cut into pieces

1 ¼ cups buttermilk

Parchment paper

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400ᴼ. Combine yeast and warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; cut cream cheese and cold butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly.

Combine yeast mixture and buttermilk, and add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 6 to 8 times (about 30 seconds to 1 minute), sprinkling with up to ¼ cup additional flour as needed to prevent sticking.

Roll dough to ¾-inch thickness. Cut with a 2 ½-inch round cutter, rerolling scraps once. Arrange biscuits on 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Bake at 400ᴼ for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter.

Figgy Port Chutney

Makes about 1 ¼ cups

1 Tbsp. butter

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 cup chopped dried Mission figs

½ cup port

¼ cup honey

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/8 tsp. salt

½ cup fig preserves

2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add shallot, and sauté 3-5 minutes or until tender. Stir in figs and next 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until liquid is almost completely absorbed. Remove from heat, and stir in preserves and thyme. Cool 30 minutes. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week. (If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving.)

Blue Cheese Butter

Makes 1 cup

1 (5-oz.) wedge soft ripened blue cheese, rind removed

½ cup butter

1 green onion, minced

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper

Spread biscuits with blue cheese butter, add ham, top with chutney and enjoy.

May the best horse win!

I’m going to be looking at Alpha from Godolphin Stables.  Godolphin was founded by Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai.  Sheikh Mohamed also founded in 1996 the Dubai World Cup—the world’s richest race.  I used to live in Dubai and knew Sheikh ‘Mo’ and on a return visit a few years ago got to go to the Dubai World Cup.  Sheikh ‘Mo’ has had several horses in the Derby over the years but has never won.  Will this be his year?