Cook of the Week



The Kentucky Derby is coming up on Saturday, May 6. This derby is an annual event usually held on the first Saturday in May. Many people watch it on TV, and some gather for a get-together and eat and watch the derby and cheer on their favorite horse. There may have been some people who have attended the derby, and they had an exciting experience.

The largest attendance was in 2015, when over 170,000 people watched from the grandstand!

I am sharing a couple of recipes, if you are going to a gathering and need to take a favorite food served at the derby.

One recipe is a hot brown sandwich, which is a broiled, open-face turkey, bacon, tomato, and cheese sandwich. The other recipe is for an alcohol-free mint julep. This is a good recipe for someone who does not drink alcohol, or if you are making it at home for the family.

Original Hot Brown

Sauce:

1 / 2 cup butter

1 / 2 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups milk 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Sandwiches:

8 slices white bread, toasted

2 pounds sliced roasted turkey

1 tomato, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 / 4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

8 slices crispy bacon

Make sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook and stir until it begins to brown slightly. Gradually whisk in milk so that no lumps form; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Mix in Parmesan cheese and stir in beaten egg to thicken; remove from heat and stir in cream.

Preheat the oven’s broiler.

Make sandwiches: For each hot brown, place two slices toast into the bottom of an individual-sized casserole dish. Cover with a liberal amount of roasted turkey and tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper; spoon sauce over top of each one and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Place the dishes under the preheated broiler and cook until speckled brown on top, about 5 minutes. Remove and arrange two slices bacon in a cross shape on top of each sandwich.

Alcohol-Free Mint Julep

1 / 4 cup water

1 / 4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

2 cups crushed ice

1 / 2 cup prepared lemonade

Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar and 1 tablespoon of chopped mint. Stir and bring to a boil. Cook until sugar has dissolved, then remove from heat and set aside to cool. After about an hour, strain out mint leaves.

Fill 2 cups or frozen goblets with crushed ice. Pour half of the lemonade into each glass and top with a splash of the sugar syrup. Garnish each with a mint sprig and a straw. Serve on a silver platter.

Leave a Reply