A sampling of Joe Beef recipes for the cold winter months

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This article was published 04/12/2018 (2831 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO – The team from Montreal’s lauded Joe Beef restaurant are back with a new cookbook, “Joe Beef: Surviving the Apocalypse.” A look at some of the recipes, including warm buns for cold nights, a hearty bone broth often seen on their winter menu, and a fried French classic:

CRISPY FROG LEGS

Serves 4

You will need: deep-frying thermometer, deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot with tall sides

20 pairs of frog legs

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons salt, plus a pinch for seasoning the legs and more for final seasoning

2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 teaspoon mustard powder

Pinch of cayenne pepper

2 cups (500 ml) whole milk whisked with 4 large egg yolks

3 cups (210 g) panko bread crumbs, pulsed in the food processor until fine (a few pulses at most)

12 garlic scapes

neutral oil for frying

Place the frog legs under running water in a strainer and give them a good rinse. Pat dry and toss in a bowl with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt.

Preheat a good 2 inches (5 cm) of oil in a fryer or heavy-bottomed pan to 350F (180C).

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, white pepper, salt, mustard powder, and cayenne. Mix well.

Place the whisked milk and egg yolks into a shallow bowl and the panko crumbs in yet another one. And set up the bowls with the spiced flour, milk and egg yolks, and panko crumbs in a line. Working with a few sets of frog legs at a time, move them carefully from the flour to the milk mixture to the crumbs, taking great care to not drag along too much of the previous dredge. Place the breaded legs on a plate.

Fry the legs in batches, along with a few garlic scapes. Do not overload the fryer — it will cool your oil too much. When the legs look crisp and light brown, 2 to 3 minutes, transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. We recommend you cut the first set of legs open to check for doneness, so you can proceed in full confidence. Don’t forget to let your oil return to 350F (180C) before plunging in the next batch of legs. We like to serve these with aioli, a few lemon wedges, or a red wine sauce.

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POT-AU-FEU D’HIVER (WINTER)

Serves 4 with leftovers

1 1/2 pounds (675 g) beef brisket

2 pieces (1 pound/454 g) bone-in beef short ribs

1 whole veal tongue

Two 1-pound (450 g) flat-iron steaks

4 white onions, each studded with 1 clove

1 head garlic, cleaned

1 bouquet garni: 6 fresh thyme sprigs,

1 tablespoon black peppercorns, 4 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs wrapped tightly in the reserved leek greens and tied with butcher’s twine

1/8 to 1/4 cup (30 to 60 ml) Kikkoman or other naturally brewed soy sauce

Salt and white pepper

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

4 marrow bones, 2 inches (5 cm) tall 1 large carrot, cut into 4 pieces

1 yellow turnip, peeled and cut into 4 pieces

1 leek white, greens reserved for the bouquet garni

To serve

Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley Baguette

Dijon mustard

Gherkins

Coarse sea salt

Pepper mill and peppercorns

Preheat the oven to 300F (150C).

Like most of our recipes, this one starts with a large Dutch oven — not a shameless plug for Le Creuset, we swear; we just seriously appreciate the brand’s ability to distribute heat evenly and maintain a solid seal! So, place the brisket, short ribs, tongue, flat-iron steak, onion, garlic, and bouquet garni in a large Le Creuset.

Add 1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce then enough water to barely cover. Add 2 generous pinches salt and the vinegar. Cover and transfer to the oven.

After 2 hours, retrieve the pot and add the bones, carrot, turnip, and leek white. Add a little more water to cover, but not drown, the veggies. Cover and return to the oven for another 1 1/2 hours.

Check the pot-au-feu for doneness: When you touch the meat, there should be no resistance; it should yield to a gentle touch from your finger without bouncing back. Using a skimmer or a slotted spoon, gently transfer each ingredient to a clean sheet pan, being careful to maintain its structural integrity. Cover the pan with plastic wrap.

Give the remaining broth a good boil, skimming off any impurity that threatens to betray your reputation as a champion meat-liquor maker. Season with salt and white pepper to taste, adding a splash of soy sauce as you see fit.

Divide the pot-au-feu ingredients equally among shallow bowls, discarding the bouquet garni. Ladle some broth into each bowl and sprinkle each with parsley. Serve with the baguette, mustard, and gherkins, with salt and pepper on the side and a jug of the remaining hot broth. Provide soup and marrow spoons.

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SQUASH STICKY BUNS

Makes 1 dozen buns

You will need: Offset spatula and a 9 x 13-inch (22.8 x 33-cm) Pyrex dish, generously buttered

For the dough

1 cup (240 ml) whole milk

1/2 box (50 g) instant vanilla pudding

1/4 cup (55 g) margarine

1/4 cup (60 ml) water

2 teaspoons instant yeast 2 large eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 cups (480 g) all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup (30 g) for rolling out the dough

For the filling

3/4 cup (170 g) soft butter

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar, plus ½ cup (80 g) for sprinkling

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves Pinch of ground star anise 2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the shredded squash

4 cups (960 g) coarsely grated butternut squash

1/3 cup (80 ml) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup (70 g) pumpkin seeds, roasted and unsalted

Make the dough: In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together the milk and instant vanilla pudding, beating well for 2 minutes. Switch to the dough hook attachment, then add the margarine, water, instant yeast, eggs, sugar, salt, and flour to the bowl. Knead for 3 to 4 minutes at medium-low speed. Transfer the dough to a nicely buttered mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place for a minimum of 2 hours, or until it doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).

While the dough is resting and proofing, in a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients: the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, star anise, and salt. Set aside.

For the squash: In a large bowl, mix the grated squash with the melted butter until well coated. Using your hands, spread the mixture on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Once the dough has doubled in size, lay a sheet of parchment paper (12 x 17 inches/30 to 43 cm) down on your work surface and sprinkle with the remaining flour. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin to cover all of the parchment paper-the dough should be about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Brush off any excess flour on the top of your dough.

Using an offset spatula, spread the cooled butter/spice mixture evenly across the dough. Next, spread the cooked squash evenly, followed by a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds and the reserved 1/2 cup (80 g) brown sugar.

Now, starting at the bottom edge of the dough, roll it upward, trying to maintain an even log shape throughout. When you come to the end of the roll, make sure you rotate the roll so that the seam is positioned toward the bottom. Transfer to a cutting board, and, using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log into 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) wide sections. Carefully pick up each roll and lay it sideways (cut side up) into the Pyrex dish, leaving a thin space between each one.

Cover the dish with buttered plastic wrap and move to a warm spot in your kitchen or inside the microwave. Let the buns proof for 1 hour, until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Bake the buns for 45 minutes, until golden and bouncy when you press on their centres.

Note: Count on a minimum of 2 hours for proofing the dough.

— from “Joe Beef: Surviving the Apocalypse” (Penguin Random House Canada)