Another day at the Smithsonian....

What a crazy busy few weeks it's been! In the last 3 weeks, I've survived Valentine's Day, traveled to Boston for 3 days to train a new chef, and spent a day in Washington, DC, conducting a cooking demonstration at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. One of the casualties of this crazy schedule have been my days off (today is the first in 2 weeks), and the blog. Today is my day to catch up on both.

If you've been reading my blog this last year, you may remember that I was asked to do a cooking demonstration at the Smithsonian in July. The Museum of American History had built a kitchen demonstration stage and was doing a weekly series of presentations about food and it's influence and place in American history and culture. That series is continuing, although now only held once per month, and because of Sur La Table's partnership with the Smithsonian on this project, I was asked to conduct another demonstration. Because the segment was in February, shortly after President's Day, the topic was food and the presidency, with a specific emphasis on George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. (I know, what could food possibly have to do with either of them?)

After doing some research and talking with the Smithsonian representatives, we focused in on Lincoln. He was the first President to be born and raised on the American frontier, and the Smithsonian was very excited about the influence of his frontier upbringing on his presidency as well as the food. So I started to narrow my research.

It turns out that Lincoln wasn't much of a foodie. He prefered simple, plain food--roasted meats, boiled vegetables, corn bread, the stuff of a simple farm frontier life. He would often forget to eat, and his wife, Mary Todd, would ask the chefs at the White House to prepare simple dishes from his childhood to entice him to eat. In my research, I found many references to his fondness for chicken fricassee, so we settled on that for the first recipe for the presentation, to represent his frontier roots. 

Lincoln wasn't much for fancy foods, but he did have a sweet tooth, of which Mary Todd took full advantage during their courtship. Most of us associate the state of Illinois with Abraham Lincoln, but he was actually born in western Kentucky, then the American frontier. Mary Todd was also born in Kentucky, but to the landed, wealthy gentry, the bluegrass part of the state. It was the custom of the fine young ladies of the day to create a signature cake to serve to their beau when he came courting. Mary Todd's courting cake was a caramel cake, also called a burnt sugar cake, and Lincoln came-a-courtin' on a frequent basis.

I actually found a recipe for Mary Todd's courting cake, it was from a cookbook written by the granddaughter of Mary Todd's cousin. I was so excited, to have the actual recipe that Mary Todd followed, I couldn't wait to make the cake and taste it.

It was awful.

The cake was dry, tough, almost cardboard-like in texture. It was so unappetizing, that I threw it in the trash. It was only a few days before the Smithsonian presentation, it was too late to pick a different recipe, so I had to try and rework the cake. In the original recipe, only egg whites were used, so the first thing I did was to use whole eggs, hoping the additional fat from the yolks would improve the texture. The original recipe also said to whip the egg whites with a LOT of sugar, so much that the egg whites would only hold a soft meringue, minimizing the amount of air that could be held by the egg whites and therefore making the cake more dense. I changed the recipe technique from a sponge to a creaming method, and the result was a much more delicate and moist cake.

I suspect that the original recipe for the cake was meant to be somewhat dense and dry because classic technique would have the chef soak the cake in a flavored syrup. The texture of the cake is perfect for absorbing the sweet liquid. However, there was no reference to this in the original recipe, so I'm speculating. But I have to believe that Mary must have done something other than serve a slice of that dry tough cake to her future husband.

I hope you enjoy!

Chicken Fricassee Stew

The most basic recipe for a fricassee is to take a whole chicken, place it in a pot and cover it with water. Bring it to a boil and let it cook until the chicken is done. Stir in beaten egg, cream, or flour to thicken the gravy and serve. When developing the recipe, I decided that the chefs at the White House would probably have put a little more effort (and flavor!) into the dish. Mr. Lincoln didn't like anything too fancy, but I think he would have enjoyed my version.

Serves 8

¼ pound salt pork or smoked bacon, diced

2 whole chickens, cut into parts, or 5 lb bone in and skin on chicken thighs

all purpose flour for dredging

salt and pepper

2 yellow onions, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces

6 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces

1 large sprig of thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

water to cover

½ cup flour

¾ cup water

Add the salt pork or bacon to a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the fat has rendered and the bacon has browned.

While the bacon is cooking, season the chicken with salt and pepper and coat in flour.

Add the chicken pieces, skin side down to the Dutch oven. Work in batches as needed to avoid over crowding the pan. When the chicken is lightly browned, turn and cook on the second side until lightly browned. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken parts. Remove the last of the chicken to the plate and add the onions to the Dutch oven. Stir, cooking, until the onions begin to soften.  Return the chicken to the Dutch oven and top with the carrots and potatoes. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Add enough water to the Dutch oven to just cover the chicken and vegetables. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the stew to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

Whisk the ½ cup flour and ¾ cup water in a small bowl. Slowly pour the flour mixture into the simmering stew, stirring the stew to incorporate. The gravy will thicken as the stew returns to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprig.  Serve.

Mary Todd's Courting Cake

The glaze for the cake is not Mary Todd's recipe, it's one I adapted from a suggested frosting for her cake. Black walnuts would have been the traditional garnish, but I used pecans when I made the cake.  

Recipe adapted from Mary Gosford’s The Missouri Traveler Cookbook, published in 1958 by Farrar, Straus & Cudahy 

Makes one 8-inch layer cake

For the caramel sugar syrup:

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup hot water

For the cake:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

For the glaze: ½ cup unsalted butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

¹ /₃ cup whole milk

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Chopped black walnuts, toasted (optional, for topping)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.

Prepare the caramel syrup: Add the sugar to a heavy saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir continuously with a silicon spatula until the sugar melts and turns a very dark brown. Add the hot water and continue to stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Make the cake: Place the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium high speed, cream the butter and sugar together until pale in color and fluffy in texture. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix to incorporate, stopping and scraping down the bowl and paddle with a silicone spatula as needed.

In a separate bowl, sift together the baking powder, flour and salt. Add a third of the flour mixture to the butter-sugar bowl and mix, followed by half of the cooled caramel syrup. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture, and the remaining half of the syrup. Mix in the final third of the flour mixture.

Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans and bake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans and place on wire racks to cool completely.

While the cakes bake and cool, make the glaze: Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the dark brown sugar and cook over low heat for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Carefully add the milk and bring to a boil. Cool to lukewarm, then transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the powdered sugar. Increase the mixer speed and beat vigorously until the mixture is smooth.

Once the cakes are cooled, place one of the two layer cakes onto a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour a small pool of glaze onto the top of one of the two layer cakes and spread with an offset spatula to cover the top of the layer. Place the second cake on top and pour the remaining glaze over the top, allowing it to flow over and down the exterior of the cake. If the glaze has cooled too much, you may need to use an offset spatula to spread the glaze. Garnish with toasted black walnuts, if using, and serve.