jstv – Page 43

November 29, 2020November 26, 2020

Give thanks … for deep-fried goodness

bei-gnet

|ben' yá| 

a square of fried dough eaten hot, sprinkled with 
confectioners' sugar

These powdered pillows of deliciousness are essentially donuts.

A restaurant in New Orleans that made beignets famous, has boxed a mix that is really pretty good. However, we tried our hand at making them from scratch. We selected a New Orleans-style Beignet recipe featuring yeasted dough. It makes a difference.

The yeasted dough can sit in a refrigerator from 2 to 24 hours.

Once the dough is rested, you roll it out to a quarter inch thickness, then cut into two inch squares.

The cubes are dropped into a few inches of very hot peanut oil. They are fried to a crispy-chewy golden brown, then dusted with powdered sugar and served warm.

It takes a bit of time but these simple treats are easy to make and wonderful to eat.

Print Recipe

New Orleans-style Beignets

Ingredients

¾ cup warm water 110 to 115 degrees
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 ⅙ tsps active dry yeast
1 large egg room temperature
½ cup evaporated milk
1 ¼ tsps vanilla extract
3 ½ cups bread flour
¾ tsps salt
2 ½ Tbps unsalted butter room temperature
2 cups peanut oil
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Instructions

In a medium-size bowl, add the warm water, sugar, and yeast and whisk well to combine. Set aside for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture has bubbled up and become foamy.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and evaporated milk. Beat in 1 ¾ cup of flour until smooth. Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly pour in the yeast mixture being careful of splashing. Beat until smooth. Add the butter and beat until incorporated. Finally, beat in the remaining flour (1 ¾ cup) and salt. Beat until the dough is smooth and cohesive; about 2 minutes. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
Set a cookie cooling rack in a baking sheet and set to the side.
Put oil in a cast iron pan, about 4-inches, and heat to 360º F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a ¼ inch thick rectangle and cut into 2 ½ inch squares.
In batches, fry the dough until they puff up and are golden brown in color, about ½ minute a side. With a slotted spoon, transfer the beignets to the cooling rack and repeat.
While still warm (but not hot from the oil) roll batches of the beignets in a bowl of confectioners’ sugar to coat and return to the rack to continue cooling or to a plate and serve ... this is the best way.

November 22, 2020November 21, 2020

At the Tying Bench

Winter’s cold arrived this week. Coupled with the Governor’s “stay at home” request, our activities cooled as well.

We don’t stop fishing in the winter, just shift tactics. Some streams open all year, and of course fish don’t hibernate.

One thing that does pick up is activity at the tying bench.

Flyfishing, like most hobbies, offers lots of distractions to occupy time and resources, Some more essential than others. Fly tying is one of these side ventures.

Winter, or off season, at the bench serves two functions. First it replenishes boxes depleted by summer’s excursions . There are also some very different types of flies used in the cold months.

The art of dry dropper, wet fly, or Euro nymphing techniques is, for us, just in the formative stage, as are any patterns used in those tactics. It’s helpful to be able to sit down at the bench, work out different artificial based on what we see on the river.

There is also a cathartic and meditative side of attaching bits of feather, fur and tinsel to bends of wire.

Like standing in the middle of a stream … fly tying has its own sort of Zen.

With shortened days … that’s a good thing.

November 15, 2020November 14, 2020

Winter’s Return

Winter’s start is always messy. The warm days of fall still linger and melt early winter snows. This week we’ve had a mix of weather … most of it wet … much of that snow.

The week ended with a winter storm watch for the Cascades making passes un-passable. We’re not looking to get far. At present we will enjoy a crisp morning stroll that includes untracked powder.

The snow fall we got at the beginning of the week came under a cold front and frocked pine bows.

However, by the end of the week the temperatures warmed and the snow it brought was deeper but also heavy and hard to shovel. By afternoon the city plows were clearing the rutted streets of a slushy mix.

The shift to consistent cold is coming, but for now we have to contend with this snow and rain mix.

November 8, 2020November 7, 2020

A Quiet Day

This week, with constant din on social media and political static on email we thought it would be good to take a break. Phones were turned off and we headed to a favorite stream bank.

The days are cooler but not cold and there is the threat of ‘first snow’ in the forecast. But the Crooked River offered a quiet pause before dropping back into the media storm.