Dutch Oven World Cook-off, March 18, 2011

We made it to the World cook-off again this year.  We are just excited to be here.  It is just plain fun!!  We came on Thursday and walked around, visited with old friends, took a few pictures.  then we cooked on Friday. 
We cooked Beef Wellington, Lemon tart, Garlic Herb rolls.  We thought it was a good menu, and everything turned out good.  And the best part, is that we had fun doing it.

This was the Lemon Tart.  We have had lots of compliments on this tart.  We got a garnish book, so are garnish was pretty cool looking.  What fun we have experimenting with this stuff.

Name of Recipe:  Lemon Tart

Category:  Dessert

Dutch Oven Size:  12”  Cooking Temp:  350 ̊

Number of Charcoal:  Top:  12-14      Bottom: 8

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups flour                                         2/3 cup powered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt                                 1 cup cold unsalted butter

Lemon Filling:

10 ounces cream cheese, room temp.

1 cup sugar                                         1 cup fresh lemon juice

4 eggs                                                          2 Tablespoons grated lemon zest

Topping:

2 cups heavy whipping cream                4 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions:

Crust:  Mix the flour, powered sugar, salt and cold butter until it starts to come together and form clumps.  Place in a deep 12” Dutch Oven lid, press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  Pierce the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork.  (This will prevent the pastry crust from puffing up while it bakes.  Cover and place in cooler for about 15 minutes.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until it starts to brown.

Filling:  Mix the cream cheese and sugar together, and mix well.  Add the eggs 1 at a time.  Add the lemon juice and mix well.  Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake about 25-30 minutes or until done.  

Topping:  Whip the cream and powdered sugar until it forms peaks.  Put the whipped cream in a pastry bag and pipe the topping onto the tart. 

Garnish as desired.

These are the Garlic Herb rolls.  They don't look to exciting....but, they smell so good, and have a great flavor to them.  And they are real easy to make.

Name of Recipe:  Garlic-Herb Rolls

Category:  Breads

Dutch Oven Size:  12”  Cooking Temp:  350 ̊

Number of Charcoal:  Top:  12-14    Bottom:  8

Ingredients:

4 – 4 ½ cups flour                     ¾ teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons sugar                    ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

2 tablespoons SAF yeast              ¾ cup milk

2 teaspoons dried basil               ½ cup water

1 ¾ teaspoons dill weed             ¼ cup butter, cubed

1 ½ teaspoons salt                     1 egg

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cup flour, sugar, yeast and seasonings.  In a small Dutch oven, heat the milk, water and cubed butter until it is warm.  Add the dry ingredients; beat just until moistened.  Add egg; beat until smooth.  Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 4 – 6 minutes.  Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Divide dough up and form into rolls.  Put them into the prepared 12” Dutch Oven.  Cook for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. 

Brush with butter, if desired after they are cooked. 

Garnish as desired.

This is the Beef Wellington.  It is amazing to the taste.  But really hard to make it brown on the outside, and not overcook the meat on the inside.  And one of the roses feel off when it was cooking...this might be easier to cook in the oven in the house.

Name of Recipe:  Beef Wellington

Category:  Main Dish

Dutch Oven Size:  Oblong  Cooking Temp:  350 ̊

Number of Charcoal:  Top:  15      Bottom:  12 - 15   

Number of Servings:  6 – 8

Ingredients:

For the Duxelles:

3 pints (1 ½ pounds) white button mushrooms                   2 Tablespoons butter

2 shallots, peeled and chopped                       2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only

4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped       2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt & fresh ground pepper

For the beef:

2 - 3 pound beef, top Sirloin roast                  

1 pound puff pastry sheets

Extra virgin olive oil                                       2 large eggs, beaten

Sea salt & fresh ground pepper                       ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

12 thin slices prosciutto                                  Minced chives, for garnish

6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only                 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

Flour, for rolling out puff pastry

Directions:

To make the Duxelles:  Chop finely - mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme.  Add butter and olive oil to a large cast iron skillet and cook for about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

To prepare the beef:  Tie the roast in 4 places so it holds the shape while cooking.  Drizzles with olive oil, then season with salt and paper and sear all over, including the ends, in a hot cast iron skillet coated with olive oil, about 2-3 minutes. 

Set out the prosciutto on a sheet of plastic wrap.  Layer the prosciutto so it forms a rectangle that is big enough to encompass the entire roast.  Then cover the prosciutto with a thin layer of duxelles.  Season the surface of the duxeles with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.  When the beef is seared, remove from heat, cut off twine and smear lightly all over with Dijon mustard.  Allow to cool slightly, then roll up in the duxelles covered prosciutto, tuck the plastic wrap around it completely.  Set in the cooler for about 30 minutes.

Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface to about 1/4 “ thick.  Set the beef I in the center and wrap it up, brushing with egg wash to seal.  Trim ends if necessary then brush with egg wash and seal up the ends.  Brush the top and sides with the egg wash, sprinkle the course salt on top.  Make a couple of slits on the top to create vents.  Bake for about 40 – 45 minutes or until desired temperature.

Garnish as desired.

We came in I think it was 7th place out of the 11 teams that day cooking.  You have to be in the 5 to advance onto the final day.  We went the next day to see the final day of cooking.  Our friends the Johnson's won!  They cooked some amazing dishes.