Bruce Aidells' The Great Meat Cookbook
See how one guy—Healdsburg chef Bruce Aidells—and two books changed the way Americans think about meat.
Since we are now enjoying sausages all day long thanks to Aidells, it was kind of him to offer a new breakfast alternative. And an insanely decadent and delicious one at that!
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 4 Serving(s)
Waffles
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pinch each freshly grated nutmeg, ground
- cardamom and ground ginger
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup Guinness or other stout or dark beer
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Ham and Maple Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups 1⁄2 -inch-diced leftover ham
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup Ham Stock
- 1 cup real maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh chives, as garnish
Ham Stock
- 1 meaty ham bone or 2–3 ham hocks (about 2 pounds total)
- 1 onion, unpeeled, studded with 2 cloves
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 3 pieces
- 2 celery stalks, each broken into 3 or 4 pieces
- 1 fresh thyme sprig
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Instructions
TO PREPARE THE WAFFLES
Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together the egg yolks, milk, stout, bourbon, sweet potatoes and butter. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, stirring until just combined.
Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Gently fold them into the batter (it’s OK if a few streaks of egg white remain). Hold until you are ready to bake and serve.
TO PREPARE THE HAM AND MAPLE SAUCE
Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ham and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream, leftover sauce, maple syrup and mustard. Simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
TO SERVE
Bake the waffles as directed by the waffle iron manufacturer. Top the waffles with the ham sauce, garnish with the chives and serve.
*Cook’s Notes:
• Alternative Cuts: Chopped ham steak; diced smoked pork chops or smoked pork loin (Canadian bacon); or slab bacon, cut into small chunks (pour off the grease before adding the cream). Cooking times may vary.
• If you don’t have stout or other dark beer, use light beer or even water.
• Maple syrup can be pricey, but the lower-grade, and often lower-priced, maple syrups are fuller in flavor. Feel free to go for the budget-friendly Grade B maple syrup for this recipe; its deeper flavor is a perfect match for the smoky ham.
TO PREPARE THE HAM STOCK
Yield: About 2 quarts This stock provides a hearty underpinning for soup.
Throw the ham bone or hocks into a soup pot and add everything else. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 21⁄2 to 3 hours, or until the broth has a nice hammy flavor or the ham hocks are tender. Strain and reserve any bits of ham or ham hock meat.
Refrigerate the meat and stock separately and remove any congealed fat before using.
Recipe from The Great Meat Cookbook by Bruce Aidells with Anne-Marie Ramo. Copyright © 2012 by Bruce Aidells. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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