Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain Cookbook: Celebrate America’s Great Flavors
- Length: 272 pages
- Edition: 1
- Language: English
- Publisher: Clarkson Potter
- Publication Date: 2011-09-20
- ISBN-10: 0307461386
- ISBN-13: 9780307461384
- Sales Rank: #279357 (See Top 100 Books)
When Bobby Flay looks at a map of the United States, he doesn’t see states—he sees ingredients: wild Alaskan king salmon, tiny Maine blueberries, fiery southwestern chiles. The Food Network celebrity and renowned chef-restaurateur created his Bar Americain restaurants as our country’s answer to French bistros—to celebrate America’s regional flavors and dishes, interpreted as only Bobby Flay can.
Now you can rediscover American cuisine at home with the recipes in Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain Cookbook. Start with a Kentucky 95—a riff on a classic French cocktail but made with bourbon—and Barbecued Oysters with Black Pepper–Tarragon Butter. Choose from sumptuous soups and salads, including a creamy clam chowder built on a sweet potato base, and Kentucky ham and ripe figs over a bed of arugula dressed with molasses-mustard dressing. Entrees will fill your family family-style, from red snapper with a crisp skin of plantains accompanied by avocado, mango, and black beans to a host of beef steaks, spice-rubbed and accompanied by side dishes such as Brooklyn hash browns and cauliflower and goat cheese gratin. Bar Americain’s famed brunch dishes and irresistible desserts round out this collection of America’s favorite flavors.
Bobby also shares his tips for stocking your pantry with key ingredients for everyday cooking, as well as expert advice on essential kitchen equipment and indispensable techniques. With more than 110 recipes and 110 full-color photographs, Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain Cookbookshares Bobby’s passion for fantastic American food and will change the way any cook looks at our country’s bounty.
Featured Recipe: Sweet Potato Gratin
Definitely decadent, this sweet potato gratin is destined to become a do-or-die part of your family’s holiday spread. Cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg perfume the cream with their warm flavors and seep their rich taste of fall into each layer. A mandoline makes quick work of slicing the potatoes and is worth the investment for the time it will save you in prep work. Don’t forget to remove the cover for the last portion of baking time–the browned and bubbling crust is not to be missed.
Yield 8 servings
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1⁄8 inch thick on a mandoline
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Whisk together the cream, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg until smooth.
- In a 10-inch square baking dish, arrange an even layer of sweet potatoes. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the cream mixture and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and cream, seasoning with salt and pepper, to form 8 to 10 layers. Press down on the layers to totally submerge the sweet potatoes in the cream mixture.
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue baking until the cream has been absorbed, the potatoes are cooked through, and the top is browned, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.