LCBO Food and Drink Autumn 2016

HOT potatoes from page 121

pesto pairings from page 129

October FEAST from page 106

CIDER & DARK-LAGER- BRAI SED PORK POT ROAST The combination of pork, apple cider and dark lager is a delicious one. This long-cooked pot roast’s gravy is further enriched with onions that eventually break down, turning the sauce velvety and sweetening it further. Avoid pur- chasing vac-packed pork for this recipe as it tends to throw off a lot of diluting moisture while cooking. 4 lbs (2 kg) tied, boneless, skinless pork shoulder roast Salt and freshly ground pepper

HASSELBACKS These potatoes are quite dramatic in pre- sentation. Don’t be tempted to use unpeeled potatoes, as they won’t become truly crispy,

PICKLED PESTO This super-tangy play on the original is per- fect with charcuterie, cheese and hard-boiled eggs. When mixed in equal parts with cream cheese, chèvre or mayo, it also makes an amazing sandwich spread. Find pickled garlic scapes at thegarlicbox.com.

1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter 2 onions, thinly sliced 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 cup (250 mL) apple cider

which is the point of all the slits. 6 medium to large potatoes, such as starchy baking or all-purpose yellow 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil 1 large garlic clove, crushed but intact ½ tsp (2 mL) salt Several grindings of black pepper

¼ cup (60 mL) apple cider vinegar 1½ cups (375 mL) dark lager, divided 3 whole cloves 1 sprig sage, 5 to 6 leaves 1 sprig thyme, plus 2 tsp (10 mL) finely chopped 6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thirds 2 tbsp (30 mL) cornstarch 1 Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

8 cups (2 L) lightly packed fresh basil leaves and tender top parts of the stems, washed and spun or patted dry ¾ cup (175 mL) extra virgin olive oil ½ cup (125 mL) grated Parmesan or Romano cheese ½ cup (125 mL) coarsely chopped pickled garlic scapes ¾ cup (175 mL) capers, drained, divided ½ cup (125 mL) roasted, salted peanuts 2 tbsp (30 mL) pickle juice from the pickled scapes, capers or your favourite jar of pickles

1 Peel potatoes and place each between 2 wooden spoon handles, about ⅓ inch (8 mm) in diameter. Cut slits closely together down to spoon handles, but not through potato bot- tom. Rinse under cold running water, fanning slits slightly to wash out starch. Submerge in cold water; repeat as needed. (Potatoes sub- merged in water can remain at room tempera- ture for several hours.) 2 Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). 3 Drain potatoes, cut-side down, on a tea towel while heating butter, oil and garlic over me- dium heat in a heavy or cast iron 8- or 9-inch (20- or 23-cm) skillet capable of going into the oven. 4 Remove and discard garlic when it is golden. Place potatoes cut-side up in hot fat. Spoon some of fat in pan over slits. Sauté for 5 min- utes; turn cut-side down for 5 minutes. Then turn slit-side up; brush with some of the fat in the pan. Season with salt and pepper. 5 Bake 45 to 60 minutes, basting with fat in pan every 15 minutes. Potatoes are done when golden brown and crispy and a skewer inserts easily into the centre of the potato. Serve immediately. Makes 4 to 6 servings

2 Season roast generously with salt and pep- per. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat. Once foaming, add roast and brown on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes total. Remove to a plate. 3 Reduce heat to medium, add onions to pot and cook until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chopped garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the apple cider, apple cider vinegar and 1 cup (250 mL) of the lager; stir in cloves. Nestle roast into pot, tuck in sage and thyme sprig; bring to a simmer, cover and place in preheated oven. Cook for 1½ hours, tuck carrots around roast and into liquid, cover and return to oven for another 1½ hours. 4 Remove carrots to a bowl; cover and set aside. Remove pork to a board and tent with foil to keep warm. Skim as much fat as pos- sible from braising liquid and discard. 5 Whisk together remaining ½ cup (125 mL) lager with the cornstarch. Bring braising liq-

1 Into the bowl of a food processor add the basil and pulse to break down just enough to make room for the rest of the ingredients. 2 Once all the basil is in the food processor, add olive oil, cheese, garlic scapes, ½ cup (125 mL) of the capers, peanuts and pickle juice. Blend on high, stopping every so often to scrape down the sides. Blend until fairly smooth; a few identifiable bits are fine. 3 Add the remaining ¼ cup (60 mL) of capers and pulse once or twice just to mix them in.

Makes about 2½ cups (625 mL)

158  FOOD & DRI NK AUTUMN 2016