Based on his last name, you can tell Chris Ouellette is French. This recipe comes from a long line of Ouellettes back in New Hampshire and even Quebec (yes, the French part). It was a favorite of Chris’ dad. Feel free to use your favorite Burgundy, though Chris prefers a Petite Sirah.

“My dad says, ‘This is better made a day before, refrigerated and reheated gently,’” Chris says. “I feel it’s mandatory.”

If necessary, add more wine to thin the sauce while reheating or, if you prefer it thicker, that is what the potato starch is for. Finally, this is cooking (not baking). All measurements are merely guidelines. Chris advises: try it, tweak it and make it your own.

Boeuf Bourguignon
Ingredients
3 lbs. boneless beef chuck
1 stick butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. brandy
1 medium onion (yellow or red)
chopped to 1/2” pieces
2 lbs. fresh crimini mushrooms
chopped in quarters
2 1/2 Tbsp. potato starch
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 cubes beef boullion
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups Burgundy
1 cup dry sherry
1 cup ruby port
1 10 1/2 oz. can condensed beef
broth, undiluted
3 bay leaves
Parsley

Instructions
WIPE beef with paper towels.
With sharp knife, cut into 1” cubes.
SLOWLY heat 5-quart dutch oven
with light fitting lid.
ADD in 2 Tbsp. of hot butter. Over
high heat, brown beef well all
over—do about 1/4 at a time, enough
to cover bottom of dutch oven so all
cubes cook evenly.
TURN beef with tongs. Lift out as
it browns. Continue until all of the
beef is browned, adding more butter
as needed (takes about 1/2 hour).
Once done, return all cubes to the
dutch oven.
HEAT 2 Tbsp. brandy in small
saucepan just until vapor rises.
IGNITE and pour over beef (this
part is optional and I usually skip
after nearly burning my house down
… twice). As the flame dies (if
you’re brave enough to have ignited
it), remove beef cubes to another pan
and set aside.
ADD 2 Tbsp. butter to dutch oven at
medium heat.
ADD onions and cook over medium
heat, covered, until onions brown
slightly, stirring occasionally.
ADD mushrooms and cook, again
stirring occasionally, roughly 5 minutes
or enough time to fully sweat
the onion/mushroom combo.
REMOVE onions and mushrooms
with slotted spoon to a separate
bowl, leaving the “juice” behind.
REMOVE dutch oven from heat.
STIR in tomato paste, red wine,
sherry, port, boullion cubes
and beef broth using a wooden
spoon or whisk.
PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees.
BRING wine mixture in dutch oven
just to boiling then lower heat to
low. While stirring, add beef, pepper,
bay leaf, onions, mushrooms and
remaining brandy; mix well.
PLACE a large sheet of waxed paper
over top of dutch oven; place lid
on top of paper.
BAKE covered, stirring occasionally.
COOK 2 hours or until beef is tender
when pierced with a fork.
SPRINKLE with parsley and let
cool a while (usually an hour for me)
then put in the refrigerator overnight.

Fall Off the Bone

Babyback BBQ Ribs

Ingredients

Rack of Babyback ribs

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Equal parts sea salt and

ground pepper

Sriracha BBQ sauce or one

with a kick

 Instructions

PREHEAT oven to 275 degrees.

 RINSE and dry the ribs.

REMOVE any membrane material.

 COAT top side of the ribs with olive oil.

SPRINKLE with equal parts salt and pepper.

WRAP and seal ribs in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet.

 PLACE on center rack and back for 3 to 3.5 hours.

REMOVE and open the top of the foil.

SLATHER on the sauce and broil on center rack for 8 to 10 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling to a caramelized perfection.

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, OCWS member and self-proclaimed chef Denise Scandura got busy in her kitchen. She started a blog, titled it Dishes by Denise and aspired to post a recipe every day. Her Chicken Pot Pie was one of them. The dish also garnered Chef of the Evening honors at the Gold Medal Mini-Tasting last fall.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts

3/4 stick of butter

7 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 cups chicken broth (left over from cooking chicken in the crock pot)

1/2 cup of heavy cream 12 oz. frozen vegetables (carrots, peas, corn and green beans)

Salt and pepper

Paprika

Egg

Premade pie crusts (2)

Instructions

ADD chicken breasts to slow cooker in a single layer. Cook on low 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. Let cool then shred. Be sure to save the broth from the chicken.

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees.

MELT butter in an oven-safe pan, then add the flour, stirring constantly until it becomes a roux. This takes a few minutes; wait until it becomes slightly brown.

SLOWLY add the warm broth and cook until the mixtures thickens, then add heavy cream (or half & half).’

HEAT vegetables in microwave on high 4-5 m

The Chefs are:  Don & Mary Ann Mayer

This classic berry pavlova recipe filled with lemon whipped cream filling and garnished with assorted summer berries.

Pavlova (named after the ballerina Anna Pavlova) is a crisp,

yet soft meringue shell, fresh fruit topping, and some variety of whipped cream filling.

 Meringue Ingredients:

• 4large egg whites room temperature
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1cup (200 g) fine caster or granulated sugar
• ½teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2teaspoons cornstarch
• 1teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Lemon Berry Filling:

• 1¼cups (300 mL) heavy whipping cream cold
• 3tablespoons high-quality store-bought or homemade lemon curd
• 1teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• zestof 1 lemon
• 2cups fresh mixed berries such as raspberries, blueberries, blackberries
• confectioner’s sugar for garnishing (optional)

Instructions 

Prepare the Meringue Shell: Preheat your oven to 275°F with a rack in the center position. Using parchment paper, trace a 8-inch diameter circle on the paper with a pencil. Flip the parchment paper over, so that the pencil side is facing down.

Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl. Whisk over medium speed until the egg whites soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to high. Slowly add the sugar, sprinkling in one tablespoon at a time, and continue beating for roughly 3 minutes. Continue to whisk over high speed until the meringue mixture reaches stiff peaks and is glossy, an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the vanilla extract, cornstarch and lemon juice, and whisk on high speed for an additional minute until well combined. Fold with a spatula to ensure that all the ingredients are incorporated well.

Gently transfer the meringue to the center of the circle on the parchment-lined sheet pan. Smooth the meringue into a thick disk using the edges of the circle as a rough guide. The meringue should be roughly about 2½ to 3 inches tall.

Bake the meringue until crisp, pale in color, and dry to touch, roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and prop open the oven door. Allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 to 1½ hours. It should be crisp, dry to touch, and have a slightly cracked appearance.

 Prepare the lemon berry filling: Just before serving, place the chilled heavy cream in a clean bowl and beat the cream, starting at a low speed and gradually increasing to high, until it reaches soft peaks. Using a spatula, fold in the lemon curd, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

 Carefully transfer the meringue shell to a flat serving platter; meringues are very fragile, so you may want to use the parchment paper to do this or alternatively, serve it on the sheet pan. Top the meringue with the lemon curd cream, followed by the mixed berries, and dust with powdered sugar.

Serve in large scoops. Pavlova is best enjoyed the day it is baked, as meringue will gain moisture and lose its crispness with time; leftovers can be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Lime Meringue Pie
Kevin Donnelly

Having a lime tree in my backyard, I am very fond of lime desserts, including my Key Lime Pie. For this Mini-Tasting, I chose to take a Lemon Meringue Pie recipe, and substitute limes for the lemons.

Ingredients

• Homemade Pie Crust*
• 5 large egg yolks(use the whites in the meringue below)
• 1 1/3 cups (320ml) water
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (38g) cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup (120ml) fresh Lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. lime zest
• 2 Tbsp. (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

Meringue

• 5 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Pie crust: I like to make sure my pie dough is prepared before I begin making Lime meringue pie. I always make pie dough the night before because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling out and blind baking (next step).
2. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Partially blind bakey our pie crust. (Follow blind baking instructions through step 9.) Tip: You can get started on the Lime meringue pie filling steps while your crust is blind baking. But making the filling is time sensitive because you will temper the egg yolks, so if multi-tasking isn’t your thing, just wait until your crust is done blind baking before beginning the filling.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (177°C).
4. Watch the video above to see how I work through each of the following steps.
5. Make the filling: Whisk the egg yolks together in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup. Set aside. Whisk the water, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, Lime juice, and Lime zest together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. The mixture will be thin and cloudy, then eventually begin thickening and bubbling after about 6 minutes. Once thickened, give it a whisk and reduce heat to low.
6. Temper the egg yolks: Very slowly stream a few large spoonful’s of warm Lime mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Then, also in a very slow stream, whisk the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan. Turn heat back up to medium. Cook until the mixture is thick and big bubbles begin bursting at the surface. See my video above as an example. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the butter. Spread filling into the warm partially baked crust. Set aside as you prepare the meringue. (Don’t let the filling cool down too much as you want a warm filling when you top with the meringue in step 7. The warm filling helps seal the two layers together, preventing separation.)
7. Make the meringue: With a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and salt, then continue beating on high speed until glossy stiff peaks form, about 2 more minutes. Spread meringue on top of filling. (I like to make decorative peaks with the back of a large spoon. See video above.) Make sure you spread the meringue all the way to the edges so that it touches the crust. This helps prevent the meringue from weeping.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the meringue is browned on top. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour before placing in the refrigerator to chill. Chill for 4 hours before slicing and serving.
9. Cover any leftovers and store in the refrigerator. Lime meringue pie tastes best on day 1 because it doesn’t keep very well. No matter how hard you try to prevent it, the meringue will wilt and separate over time. Best to enjoy right away.

Shrimp, Bean & Leek Stew

Ingredients
1 tsp. fresh lemon zest and 2 Tbsp.
lemon juice
1 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves, grated
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 lb. peeled, deveined large shrimp
(tails removed)
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1 large bunch of leeks, trimmed and
halved lengthwise, white and green
parts sliced crosswise 1/2-inch
thick (or 1 large onion, minced)
1 (15-oz.) can cannellini beans or
other white beans, rinsed
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions
COMBINE lemon zest, paprika, garlic, 3/4 tsp. salt and 3/4 tsp. pepper in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss
to coat.

MELT butter over medium-high heat
in large pot.

ADD shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and starting to curl, 2-3 minutes.

TRANSFER shrimp to plate using aslotted spoon; set aside.

ADD leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until leaks are soft and starting to brown on the edges, 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

ADD beans and chicken broth and bring to a boil over high.

LOWER heat and simmer, 8-10 minutes.

STIR in reserved shrimp and any juices from the plate, parsley and lemon juice.

SEASON with salt and pepper.

—Recipe courtesy
OCWS member Janet Peal

After Janet Riordan tried this Milk Chocolate Pistachio Tart at her women’s group dinner, she just had to share it with OCWS members at the last Mini-Tasting.

“I loved it immediately (I mean really, chocolate crust with a chocolate filling, toss in pistachios, damn, yum),” says Janet, a 20-year member. “I enjoy baking and always try to include new recipes.”

While this version calls for safflower oil, Janet substituted cannoli oil for its taste. When it comes to the chocolate, Janet uses Dove milk chocolate candies. She also notes that she made the tart the day before serving and it was just as fresh and delicious.

Milk Chocolate Pistachio Tart

Ingredients

Vegetable oil cooking spray for pan

Crust:

¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, chopped

¼ tsp. salt

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup sugar

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Pistachio Paste:

½ cup unsalted shelled pistachios

¼ cup sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. safflower oil

Filling:

5 oz. milk chocolate, chopped

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup whole milk

1 large egg, beaten

Garnish:

Finely chopped pistachios

Directions

Crust:

COAT 9-inch fluted round tart pan with removeable bottom with cooking spray. Make the crust

WHISK together flour cocoa powder, chopped pistachios and ¼ tsp. salt.

BEAT butter on medium speed until fluffy, about three minutes.

ADD sugar and beat until pale, about two minutes. Reduce speed to low and add vanilla, then flour mixture until just combined and dough holds together when pressed between two fingers.

PRESS dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

ROLL out dough between two pieces of clear plastic wrap to create an 11-inch round, ¼-inch thick piece.

PRESS dough into bottom and up sides of tart pan. Trim excess dough flush with edges of pan using knife.

REFRIGERATE until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.

PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees.

BAKE until firm, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely; reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Pistachio Paste:

PULSE pistachios, sugar and ¼ tsp. salt in food processor until mixture begins to clump together.

ADD oil and pulse until smooth and paste-like.

SPREAD evenly into bottom of cooled tart shell, pressing firmly with the bottom of a measuring cup until flat and smooth.

Filling:

PLACE chocolate in heatproof bowl. Heat cream and milk in saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling; pour over chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes.

WHISK slowly until smooth. Let cool 10 minutes.

STIR in eggs until combined.

PLACE tart shell on baking sheet and pour in filling.

BAKE until just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool.

GARNISH with finely chopped pistachios.

Dino Amico credits his mom for this version of Venetian Mac and Cheese served at a recent Mini-Tasting.

“My passion is to cook for crowds and that is usually weekends; I like to heighten our experience with wine and food and put a satisfying feeling in our bellies,” Dino says. “In the end, I just want all guests to be happy and joyful.”

Dino likes to mix up the cheeses to provide different flavors to the traditional all-Italian, so he’ll venture into German or American cheese flavors.

Venetian Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

12 oz. wide egg noodles

2 1/2 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

2 tsp. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup (packed) grated fontina cheese

3/4 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup (grated) mozzarella cheese

4 oz. cooked boiled ham, diced (optional)

2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

PREHEAT oven to 450 degrees. Butter 9”x13”x2” glass baking dish.

COOK noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Drain well (do not rinse).

WHISK milk, cream, flour, salt and pepper in large bowl to blend.

STIR the in 1 cup of the fontina, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, the ham and parsley.

ADD the noodles and toss to coat. Transfer noodle mixture to prepared baking dish.

COMBINE remaining 1 cup of fontina, ¼ cup of Parmesan and ¼ cup of mozzarella in small bowl; toss to blend.

SPRINKLE cheese mixture over noodle mixture.

BAKE until sauce bubbles and cheese melts and begins to brown on top, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Congratulations to all of the winners and a big thank you to the hosts. Please send your recipes to George Cravens at george@ocws.org for possible publication on the OCWS website.