There's Not Enough Whiskey

I get together with some friends every Tuesday night to do some tabletop gaming. D&D, Eclipse Phase, board games, that kind of thing. Usually we just go out for food, or order in, but once in a while I like to cook something up for the group. This time it got a little out of hand. Acorn squash stuffed with rice pilaf, grilled flank steak in a savory marinade, and a bruschetta of baguette with pear and almonds. Here’s the final result:

As for the individual bits, here’s what I used -

Acorn Squash with Rice Pilaf

Preheat your oven to 400F. Halve two acorn squash and scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff. I recommend a good, large chef’s knife and a rubber mallet. They can be tough. Melt 1/4 cup of salted butter in a saucepan and brush it over the cut sides of the squash halves. Give them a liberal coat. Place in a baking sheet or large pan and add about 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the pan. This will prevent the squash rind from burning, and keep some moisture in the squash. Bake until the tops of the squash are browned, about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

For the pilaf, steep a small pinch of saffron strands in 1/4 cup of hot water. Dice up about 1/4 cup of chantrelle mushroom, then dice half an onion and half a red bell pepper. Sweat the onion and bell pepper in a pan with two tablespoons of melted butter and a hefty pinch of kosher salt, until aromatic. Add two cups long grain rice and stir until the rice is coated. Continue stirring until the rice takes on a nutty smell, then add 2 3/4 cups of chicken broth, and the saffron, along with the water it was steeped in and the mushroom. Add a bay leaf and bring to a boil. Top it with a moistened dish towel, then lid the pan and fold the corners of the towel over the lid. Place this in the oven with the squash for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and rest while the squash finishes.

Once the squash is nice and brown, remove it from the oven and let it sit for about five minutes. Scoop pilaf into the hollowed pits and place back in the oven for about 12 minutes, until the liquid has baked off. Remove and rest for five minutes before serving.

Marinated Flank Steak

In a medium bowl, mix 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, two tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons worcester sauce, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, two cloves of minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Pour over flank steak in a glass container, turning to completely coat. Cover and let sit in fridge until cooking time, longer is better. I shoot for around six hours.

Prep your grill for medium-high heat. Brush with oil and grill your flank steak roughly five minutes per side if you want medium. If you want it cooked more than that, go write a letter of apology to your tastebuds while you wait for the meat to finish. Rest for about five minutes, slice on a bias and serve.

For dessert, I went with Bruschetta of Baguette With Brie, Pear and Almonds

Preheat your oven to 450F. Slice baguette into 1/2 inch slices and brush one side with olive oil. Place on baking sheet, olive oil side down and top with thin slice of brie. Camembert would work well here, also. Toast in the oven for about five minutes, until the cheese is nice and creamy. While this is toasting, toss 1/4 cup slivered almonds in a hot pan with a little melted butter until they darken a bit. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup diced pear. I used red bartlett this time just because I’d never had them before. Bartlett or d’anjou pears would work just as well. Tos with the almonds to heat the pear a little and mix it all together. Remove the bruschetta from the oven, plate, top with the almond pear mixture and then drizzle with some clover honey.

It was pretty time consuming to prepare this all in one night, but very well worth it. The dessert was especially awesome (if I say so myself). If you have any questions, leave a comment.