Bourbon Custard Food

BOURBON-MUSTARD STEAK KEBABS

Steps:

• Make the marinade: Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is softened, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, carefully add the bourbon and then return to the heat. Simmer until reduced by more than half, about 5 minutes. Pour into a large bowl; whisk in the brown sugar, mustard and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let cool to room temperature.
• Add the steak to the bowl, toss well and let marinate in the refrigerator 2 to 6 hours.
• Soak twelve 8- to 10-inch skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent scorching. Preheat a grill to medium high. Drain the steak, discarding the garlic and thyme. Thread the steak and red onion onto the skewers. Season all over with salt and pepper.
• Oil the grill grates. Grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, until the onion and steak are well charred, 4 to 7 minutes for medium doneness.

BOURBON-BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until butter begins to brown and smell nutty, about 3 minutes. Add brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is starting to dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add cream, milk, bourbon, and salt; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
• Whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually add hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Wipe out saucepan. Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until custard bubbles occasionally and starts to thicken, 5-6 minutes.
• Remove saucepan from heat and transfer mixture to a blender. Blend briefly on low speed until smooth. Place ramekins or bowls on a rimmed baking sheet. Divide custard evenly among ramekins and chill until set, at least 3 hours. DO AHEAD: Puddings can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
• Top each pudding with crème fraîche and crushed gingersnaps, if desired.

SOUTHERN BOILED CUSTARD

Steps:

• Into the lower pot of a double boiler, add water. In the upper pot, add milk. Heat through over medium heat.
• Beat eggs together until light. Add sugar and mix well. Pour a small portion of hot milk into the eggs and sugar to warm and thin this portion. Pour slowly into hot milk.
• Cook, stirring constantly until it will coat a spoon. Do not over cook. Add vanilla extract. Chill in refrigerator before serving.

BREAD PUDDING WITH SOUTHERN BOURBON SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place stale bread in a bowl with milk and squeeze the bread with your hand until well saturated with milk.
• With an electric mixer on high speed in a separate bowl, beat eggs with sugar until thick and pale. Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter and raisins to the egg mixture. Add the soaked bread crumbs to the egg mixture and stir well. Let stand for 10 minutes. It is important to allow enough time for the bread to absorb the egg mixture or the bread crumbs will float to the top during baking, leaving a layer of custard on the bottom of the dish.
• Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish. Bake until firm, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let it slightly cool in the dish.
• Meanwhile, near the end of the baking time, make the sauce. With an electric mixer, beat egg yolks until thick and pale. In a saucepan, melt the butter and sugar. Pour the butter and sugar mixture over the egg yolks, beating constantly with the mixer, until well thickened. Stir in bourbon by hand. Serve the pudding warm with vanilla ice cream if desired. Pass the hot bourbon sauce separately.

EGGNOG CUSTARDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Place half and half in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Cover; steep 15 minutes. Discard vanilla bean.
• Whisk yolks, sugar, bourbon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and salt in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot half and half mixture. Strain custard into 4-cup glass measuring cup.
• Place six 3/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes in roasting pan. Divide custard equally among cups. Cover each cup with foil. Pour enough hot water into pan to come halfway up sides of custard cups. Bake until custard is just set around edges but still soft in center, about 45 minutes. Remove cups from water. Remove foil and cool. Cover custards and chill until cold, at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Sprinkle additional nutmeg over custards. Garnish with strawberries.