LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2023

Seasonal Sensations from page 217

A Little Something from page 75

and cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 5 days. Serve at room temperature. 2. For the steak sauce, place all ingredients in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until all solids are very soft, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 30 minutes. Transfer to blender and process until smooth. Pass mixture through fine-mesh strainer, discarding solids. Cool and transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks. Use leftover steak sauce on sandwiches, steaks and burgers. 3. For the creamed spinach, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter in a large frying pan on medium-high until just starting to foam. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add in spinach in stages and cook, stirring constantly, until completely wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet to cool. When cool enough to handle, squeeze all liquid from spinach. Chop into small pieces and set aside. 4. Melt remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and glossy, about 10 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted, then Dijon and nutmeg. Cool 10 minutes, add in reserved spinach, mix thoroughly. Chill 1 hour before using. (Covered and refrigerated, creamed spinach will keep for 1 day.) 5. Form beef into four even patties to fit buns. Season with salt and pepper. 6. Heat a film of oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over high heat. Add patties and reduce heat to medium-high. Cook until nice crust has formed, about 3 minutes. Flip burgers and cook to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove pan from heat and let burgers rest in pan for 5 minutes. 7. While burgers are resting, preheat broiler on low. Once rested, divide creamed spinach on top of each burger, spread to coat evenly. Place pan under broiler until creamed spinach is browned on top, 3 to 4 minutes. 8. To serve, toast buns and spread a little steak sauce on the top and bottom of each bun, saving rest for another use. Spread about 2 tbsp (30 mL) red wine onions on bottom of each bun, saving rest for another use. Place patties on top, finish with top bun and serve immediately. Serves 4

EGGPLANT KUSHIYAKI Kushiyaki are grilled Japanese skewers most commonly made with chicken or beef. Eggplant is a more affordable, plant-based choice—it caramelizes beautifully while turning sweet and creamy. You can cook them on the grill or in a grill pan or skillet, or even under the broiler. The eggplant is threaded after cooking, so there is no fretting about burning skewers. If you have reusable metal skewers, by all means use them. 1/3 cup (80 mL) soy sauce 1 tbsp (15 mL) minced garlic 2 tsp (10 mL) minced ginger 1 tbsp (15 mL) sesame oil 2 tsp (10 mL) sugar 2 tsp (10 mL) roasted sesame seeds 3 straight Japanese eggplant, about 1/3 lb (150 g) each, trimmed Vegetable oil for grilling 24 small (6-inch/15-cm) bamboo skewers Cilantro leaves to garnish 1. In a shallow baking dish that will fit all the eggplant, stir together soy sauce, garlic, gin ger, sesame oil, sugar and sesame seeds. 2. Cut eggplants in half crosswise. Then carefully cut each half lengthwise into quarters. Place in marinade and toss to coat. Marinate, tossing occasionally, until all but 3 tbsp (45 mL) of marinade has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. Drain off excess marinade into a small bowl. 3. Preheat grill to high. Clean and oil grate. (Alternatively, you can use a large oiled grill pan or nonstick frying pan with a thin film of oil over medium-high heat.) 4. Carefully place eggplant pieces on grill, cut sides down. Cook, turning occasionally, until nicely charred and tender but not mushy, about 6 minutes. Brush with remaining marinade while cooking. Lower heat, if they’re charring too quickly. 5. Transfer eggplant to a baking sheet in a single layer. When cool enough to handle, insert skew ers, going full length of eggplant. Serve warm or at room temperature garnished with cilantro. Makes 24 skewers

DELUXE STEAKHOUSE BURGERS With sweet-and-sour onions, creamed spinach and homemade steak sauce, this burger is like a steakhouse on a bun. Ground dry-aged beef can be sourced from good independent butcher shops, or you could make life easy and order dry-aged beef burgers from Woodward Meats (woodwardmeats.com).

RED WINE ONIONS 2 cups (500 mL) diced red onion 2 cups (500 mL) dry red wine 1 cup (250 mL) red wine vinegar 1/4 cup (60 mL) honey 1 tsp (5 mL) salt STEAK SAUCE 1 cup (250 mL) pitted dates 3/4 cup (175 mL) raisins 1 cup (250 mL) diced onion

2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped garlic 2 tbsp (30 mL) tamarind pulp 2 tbsp (30 mL) Dijon mustard 1 cup (250 mL) stout or other dark beer 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) malt vinegar 1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh orange juice 1/4 cup (60 mL) Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp (10 mL) molasses 2 tsp (10 mL) salt 1/4 tsp (1 mL) curry powder CREAMED SPINACH 2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter, divided 1 tsp (5 mL) minced garlic 8 cups (2 L) washed baby spinach Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 4 tsp (20 mL) all-purpose flour 1/2 cup (125 mL) heavy cream 1/2 cup (125 mL) aged white cheddar 1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon 1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly grated nutmeg BURGERS 2 lbs (905 g) coarsely ground dry-aged beef, or 4 8-oz (225-g) dry-aged beef patties Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Canola oil for cooking 4 sesame seed buns, halved 1. For the red wine onions, place all ingre dients in a non-reactive medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and liquid has evapo rated, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a plate

WHAT TO SERVE Cave Spring Riesling VQA LCBO 234583, $16.95

This wine’s citrusy tang, light mineral character and delicate sweetness make it a perfect pair ing for the bold, flavoured-packed appetizer.

246 FOOD & DRINK HOLIDAY 2023