CHOCOLATE CHERRIES

CHOCOLATE CHERRIES

2 (10-ounce) jars of maraschino cherries with stems
1- 1/2 cups chocolate chips

• Drain the cherries and discard the juice or use for another purpose.
• Put cherries on paper towels to drain completely.
• Place chocolate chips in a saucepan with a heavy bottom.
• Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted.
• Remove from heat.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Dip the cherries into the chocolate and swirl to coat completely.
• Place the cherries on the parchment lined baking sheet.
• Refrigerate until set. Makes about 5 dozen.

HOMEMADE HUNGARIAN SAUSAGE - MAGYAR HÁZI KOLBÁSZ

As a Pest dweller, my experience with peasant sausage was limited to the generosity of friends and relatives in the country. I don't know what was more exciting receiving a fresh box of disznótoros in winter or having a plate of dry kolbász brought up from the cellar during one of my summer visits. City folk lacked the knowhow of sausage making, something that was passed on to sons from their fathers. Access to equipment and storage was also a problem. During one of our visits to Hungary I once asked a cousin for his sausage recipe. Jenő was an architect, but he grew up in Siklós and made amazing sausage. What he could tell me was more of a method; the feel for the amount of ingredients he could not transcribe into a recipe.

Once a friend from Calgary brought us a box of Hungarian sausage that was strangely reminiscent of Jenő's sausage and I asked him to get the recipe for me. Imagine my surprise when he got the recipe from the generous butcher. . .

This sausage is not for the faint of heart or without sausage making equipment. But the taste of this sausage is excitingly reminiscent of Hungarian ‘házi kolbász’. Joe, our in-law makes Italian sausage. It is pretty good, but not as good as the Hungarian. I keep on dreaming that one of these days I will invest in a sausage making equipment…

Check out the recipe I made from only 500g of ground pork without casings and sausage making equipment following this same recipe here: Hungarian Homemade Sausage Roasted

HOMEMADE HUNGARIAN SAUSAGE

10 kg or [22 lb] pork meat combined with fat from the belly of a pig

[190 g] or [1/2 cup + 7 tsp] table salt

[20 g] or [3 Tbsp] black pepper, ground

[120 g] or [1 cup] sweet Hungarian paprika

[60 g] or [scant 1/2 cup] garlic, minced

[10 g] or [1 + 1/2 Tbsp] caraway seeds, ground

[20 g] or [1 + 1/2 Tbsp] sugar

[20 g] or [3 Tbsp] hot Hungarian paprika

Equipment needed:

Krups 402-70 The Butcher Shop Meat Grinder

medium hog casings

smoker

• Cut the meat and the fat into chunks.

• Place all ingredients in a large container and mix thoroughly.

• Cold meat grinds more easily, so keep the meat refrigerated until ready to grind.

• Put the seasoned meat through the meat grinder.

• Add 2 litres of pleasantly warm water. (The water will evaporate during smoking)

• Combine water-spice mixture with meat until thoroughly incorporated.

• Remove casings from refrigerator and knot one end.

• Lightly coat the stuffing funnel with cooking spray.

• Slip the other end of the casing over the mouth of the funnel.

• Continue to push remainder of casing up onto funnel until you have reached the knot.

• Begin to force the meat into the casing with one hand while using the other hand to control the thickness of the sausage as it is extruded.

• Remember, the sausage will shrink when it cooks, so you want a nice plump sausage. But be careful you don't overstuff or the casing will burst.

• Keep extruding until the casing is used up. Tie a knot in that end. You can either leave the sausage in a large coil or twist it at 6-inch intervals to make links.

• Rest the sausage refrigerated and covered up at least for overnight or up to two days before smoking.

• Smoke the sausage until the color turns to a nice red.

GLAZED HAM

Glazing ham was never a Hungarian specialty; consequently the fist time I’ve seen and tasted glazed ham was in Canada. It may have been started by the Germans to appease the god of Freyr, [the god of fertility and boars] during Pagan times. Hence the recipe is the product of fusion cooking; in it traditional ingredients are enhanced with considerable Hungarian influence. The result of course is brilliant! 

The rule of thumb is one hour baking per kilogram at 350F or until a meat thermometer registers 135F. After glazing bake the ham an extra 20 minutes. The recipe is for 1kg or a roughly 2lb ham and it should feed up to six people. The secret of tender ham is tenting the ham for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. Don’t cut into the ham right of way, or it will fall apart. 

GLAZED HAM

1 kg ham 

1 onion 

8 cloves garlic 

4 tsp apple cider vinegar 

1 cup orange juice 

10 cloves 

2 Tbsp oil 

Glaze: 

2 tsp honey 

2 tsp Dijon mustard 

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 

2 tsp brown sugar 

• Preheat the oven to 350F. 

• Place the ham bottom side down on the counter. 

• Score the top, in a diamond pattern. 

• Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. 

• Coarsely chop the onion and peel the garlic. 

• Scatter the chopped onion and the garlic around the roasting pan. 

• In a bowl combine the apple cider vinegar, oil, mustard, cloves and the orange juice. 

• Put a baking rack over the onion mixture and place the ham on top. 

• Bake the ham in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer registers 135F. 

• Reserving contents of the roasting pan transfer the ham to a tray. 

• Let the ham cool for 30 minutes. 

• Omit the next four lines if your ham does not have a hard rind. 

Trim away hard rind. 

Trim fat to a 1/4 inch layer. [Need not be even]. 

Place ham bottom side down. 

Score fat on top, in diamond pattern. 

• Remove the cloves from the onion mixture and pour the whole thing into a pot. 

• Add the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, honey and brown sugar. 

• Bring it to a boil. 

• Remove and discard the aluminum foil from the roasting pan. 

• Transfer the ham back to the roasting pan and spread the glaze all over it. 

• Put the glazed ham back in the 180 degree oven for 20-35 minutes until it gets a nice color.