Kentucky Derby Day: Cocktails, Sandwiches & Secretariat

Secretariat at Belmont 1973 (true confession, this picture is my screen-saver)

I am a sucker for horses and have been since childhood. Aside from the pure unfettered joy of riding these perfect creatures full out (giving you the addictive sensation of gliding on air while vitally connected to a powerful life-force), watching them run is the next best thing. A great racehorse loves to run.

There are racehorses and then there is Secretariat. “It’s like God said, “You just think you’ve seen horses, I’m gonna show you a horse.” Then he built Secretariat.”, said renowned equine sculptor Jim Reno inThe Horse God Built: The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World's Greatest Racehorse

Secretariat had a heart twice the size of a normal horse (nearly 18 pounds) and a stride angle of 110º that is the largest of any known racehorse (a cheetah, the fastest land animal, has a 125º stride angle, most thoroughbreds are in the 80- 90’s).

I will never forget the day I saw Secretariat run ‘The Race’ at the 1973 Belmont Stakes WATCH HERE , the 2nd jewel in the Triple Crown.

I was not alone with the rest of the audience who thought our hearts were going to burst from the overwhelming emotion (tears were running down my cheeks) from watching the greatest performance in the history of the sport that day as Secretariat (who was only running for himself) went 31 lengths ahead of his competitors...I still feel that way every time I watch it.


Mike Hindman said “Secretariat's…World Record at a mile and a half, set in the 1973 Belmont Stakes has never been broken.

"Secretariat would be like a hitter who routinely smashed 600 foot homers; a long jumper who popped a 35 footer; a sprinter who ran 100 meters in 8 seconds; a golfer who shot four rounds of 60.... In all four majors.... In one year."

Secretariat at the Preakness 1973
Secretariat.com told the story this way:

“As Secretariat rounded the sweeping Belmont far turn (the turns at Belmont are the longest of any track in North America) he seemed to be on cruise control, with jockey Ron Turcotte just steering. Not asking. Secretariat's lead widened from seven lengths to 20 lengths on that turn. On to the wire, Turcotte did not ease the horse, but let him run on. On any other day, the rider would have been pulling the horse up through the lane, letting him take a bow under wraps. Saving something for another day. But THIS was the day, and the savvy rider knew the horse was running well within himself. Turcotte knew the time had come to let the horse show the world what he could do.

All that power. All that balance. All that heart. All that speed. Secretariat was ready to roll. And the margin kept widening, and widening, and widening.


By mid-stretch the Big Red Horse was ahead by 28 lengths, with the margin finally to reach 31 lengths by the finish. As he flew down the stretch he stretched out in stride past thousands of wildly cheering fans…

And then it was over.

The moment froze. What we are left with are those fleeting glimpses - a blazing pace, a huge running machine, a visual roar of acceleration, an ever-widening margin, the coat darkening, a white vapor of feet, a jockey sitting chilly, a horse alone - and one long-lasting moment frozen in memory. ”

Secretariat at 1973 Belmont Race

Although my first love had always been Man O’ War, the original ‘Big Red’ (of whom his trainer said “he was hell to break, a headache to handle and a catapult to ride”) that day Secretariat took first place in my pantheon of equine gods.

Man O' War

So to honor the sport of kings and the magnificent animals that run their great hearts out with staggering strength and courage, here’s to the first leg of the Triple Crown, The Kentucky Derby, that I nearly never miss and love to watch, Champagne glass in hand with cucumber Benedictine Sandwiches at my side, my breath coming faster as the horses prance to the post, “My Old Kentucky Home” sounds and… They’rrrre OFFFFFF.

Kentucky Derby

The Benedictine Sandwich was invented by Miss Jennie C. Benedict in the 1890s and can be found in her amazing book of Southern cuisine and hospitality, The Blue Ribbon Cook Book . These little sandwiches have become a Kentucky classic for the Derby.

Benedictine Sandwiches (adapted from Saveur Magazine)

6 oz. cream cheese


1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated


1 medium yellow onion, peeled and grated


2 tbsp. mayonnaise
 *

1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce


Salt


Green food coloring (I used 2 T watercress)

1 cucumber sliced paper thin

Watercress for garnish and color

1. Place cream cheese in a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth. Wrap cucumber in cheesecloth, then squeeze out and discard juice. Put in the blender with the with some of the watercress and pulse a few times. Add cucumber mixture to cream cheese and mix thoroughly.

2. Wrap onions in cheesecloth and squeeze juice into cream cheese mixture, then discard onions.

3. Mix mayonnaise and Tabasco sauce and add to cream cheese mixture. Season to taste with salt, then add 1 drop green food coloring if you would like more color than the watercress supplies and mix well. Serve on thinly sliced white sandwich bread. Garnish with cucumber slices and watercress

*Jennie Benedict's Mayonnaise

Yolk of 1 hard-boiled egg
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 small bottle of olive oil (1/2 cup?)
1 t. mustard
yolk of raw egg well beaten
vinegar to taste
white of one egg beaten stiffly

Rub yolk through a sieve. Add mustard, salt and pepper, and raw yolk. Add the oil and the vinegar slowly and lastly the egg white

And now for the libations, did you think I’d forgotten? Champagne is a traditional drink for the Derby as is the Mint Julep. I thought that I would make 2 champagne cocktails for this special occasion.

Early 19th Century Champagne Flutes

The first uses a fabulous product from my friends at Craft Distillers who made the delectable Absinthe I got to play with in February (read that post HERE This time it is a smooth, artisanal whiskey (aged in 3 kinds of oak and made of hardwood-toasted barley) to swirl in in blissful congress with my sweet mint syrup and sparkling wine.

Sparkling Mint Julep Cocktail

Mint Syrup

1 c water
1 c sugar ( I use organic because it has just a hint of warm molasses in it... sugar in the raw could work too)
Pinch of allspice and pinch of cinnamon or a few crushed cassia buds (if you have them around-they are the best)
6 sprigs mint, crushed
Make sugar syrup by dissolving the sugar in the water. While it is still warm, add the crushed mint and spices and allow it to cool. Strain the mint from the syrup.
6 sprigs mint for garnish
Bottle champagne or other sparkling wine
6 – 12 T ST. GEORGE Single Malt Whiskey

Add one tablespoon of syrup and 1-2 T of whiskey to a champagne glass. Top with sparkling wine and 
garnish with a mint sprig


.
My Old Kentucky Sparkling Peach Cocktail for 4

1 ripe peach (peeled, stoned and roughly chopped)
1/3 c. BRIOTTET Crème de Pêche liqueur from Craft Distillers
2 T. mint syrup (less if your peach is sweet)
1-2 t lemon juice
1 drop of vanilla extract
1 drop nutmeg absolute from Aftelier or 1/8 t nutmeg
1 small drop black pepper essential oil from Aftelier or ½ t pepper
1 tiny pinch cardamom
1 bottle champagne or sparkling wine
*you can add a T of MAISON SURRENNE Cognac if you want to amp up the alcohol!
4 sprigs of mint for garnish

Blend the peach in the liqueur, lemon juice, vanilla, mint syrup, nutmeg, pepper and cardamom. Spoon a portion in each glass and add sparkling wine to taste. Garnish with mint.

Now, sit back, sip your drink and enjoy the race!

Secretariat Statue at Belmont Park

Craft Distillers

Aftelier Perfumes

Valentine's Duck Breast with Orange Rose Madeira Sauce

Miniature of the "Ménagier de Paris", 15th century

While thinking about an appropriate dish to serve for Valentine’s Day, I came upon a wonderful recipe with the soul of a rose in its sauce. It comes from one of the earliest cookbooks, The Goodman of Paris (Le Menagier de Paris) from 1393 that was written by an older husband for his young wife. In it are remarkably thorough lessons on keeping house, being a good wife and hostess, gardening and even sexual advice as well as fine recipes (more like suggestions since ingredients and instructions are loosely provided). Janet Hinson translates the passage:

"Item: partridge must be plucked dry, and cut off the claws and head, put in boiling water, then stick with venison if you have any, or bacon, and eat with fine salt, or in cold water and rose water and a little wine, or in three parts rose water, orange juice and wine, the forth part."


Menagier de Paris, 15th C Copy, Lancelots.ex

I thought about this for a spell and decided to mix it up a little and use duck, another fowl with an affinity for oranges.



Both Delmonico's chef Ranhoffer (I wrote about him here) and Antoine Careme use Sauce Bigarade for their duck, a bitter orange sauce that was traditionally made with a floury espangnole sauce to thicken it ( I included the recipe for bigarade for you to see the old style sauce). I decided I wanted it a little brighter and then added a bit of rose absolute to honor Le Menagier recipe and Valentine's Day. Think of it as distilling 500 years of cooking!


James Auduban, 1821-34

And then we come to the duck. While researching antique American menus, I found canvasback duck appeared frequently as the sine qua non of duck… often costing twice as much as other things on a menu (that and terrapin). I really wanted to use this duck. Further digging found some interesting facts.


William Vinje for USFWS

The name of the lovely creature in Latin, Aythya valisineria, is based on its eating habits… it loves wild celery, Vallisneria Americana which is what gave it its extraordinary flavor (perhaps Heston Blumenthal thought of this when he was feeding his Christmas goose fennel pollen!). What I also didn’t know is that its popularity nearly drove it to extinction.



An article from an 1890 NYT tells the story of the dilemma and the efforts of sportsmen to reverse the trend and save them for future generations. I was amazed that such thinking goes back so far. Thanks to them, however, sportsmen today can still bring a few of them home from hunts and taste their delicious meat… not as delicious as before however since the wild celery is nearly gone… a victim of encroaching civilization on its habitats.

Hank at Honest Food has tasted a west coast canvasback and raves about its flavor in his wonderful blog. I have never had the pleasure but hope one day to have a morsel -- just not this time.
I decided to use a lovely magret du canard from a moulard duck, at the suggestion of Hank via the lovely purveyors D’Artagnan (that also happen to be neighbors of mine!)

I do not have words to describe the dish... it was that good... swoon good, to die for good. The caramel with the reduced orange and madeira and the rose... you will think you have entered sauce heaven!!!

Duck with Orange Rose Madeira Sauce and Gingered Sweet Potatoes on Radicchio
for 2-4

2 duck breasts (12 oz or more muskovy or the lighter 8 oz moulard)*****
salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

With a sharp knife score the fat of the duck breasts in a criss-cross pattern. Season the duck with salt and pepper. Warm a cast iron skillet over medium heat Place the duck breasts, fat side down, in the skillet to render the fat, about 6 minutes. Turn the duck breasts over and sear for 1 minute. Turn the fat side down again and place the skillet into the oven to roast for 7 minutes, until breasts are medium rare. Rest them for 5 minutes then slice.

***** Duck breasts can come in smaller sizes than the hefty muskovy. If you are using a smaller size (8 oz) only roast in the skillet in the oven for 4-5 minutes.

**This recipe for the duck breast comes from the food network. It had been in my files and I did not know who to attribute it to. now I do.


Blood Orange Rose Madeira Sauce

2 Blood Oranges (you can of course use regular oranges) 

1/4 c sugar (I use Whole Food's Organic)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 c Charleston Sercial Special Madeira
1T 1922 D'Oliveira Bual (optional)
2 Drops Rose Absolute or 2 t. rosewater or to taste

1 shallot, finely chopped 

1 sprig of marjoram if you have it, thyme if you do not 

1 c chicken stock
2 T unsalted chilled butter
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Zest one orange. Blanch for 5 minutes in boiling water, drain and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the oranges and set aside. Dissolve the sugar in a heavy pan over moderate heat and cook to a deep caramel. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour in the vinegar.

Stir in the madeira and return the pan to the heat. Dissolve the sugar, add the shallots and marjoram, then bring the madeira to a good simmer. Reduce to about 1/2 of what it was, then pour in the stock and 3/4 of the orange juice. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and reduce by half. Strain through a fine sieve and discard the shallots and marjoram.

Start whisking in the butter, a piece at a time, then stir in the orange zest. Simmer for a few minutes. Add the lemon and reserved orange juice to taste (the sauce is sweet and the juices will brighten it). Add the rose absolute (or rosewater) and old madeira at this point... do not overheat. Slice your duck and pour the sauce over the slices.

Thanks to Gordon for inspiration for this!

Sweet Potatoes with ginger and lime for 2 to 4

1 large sweet potato
1 t. grated ginger
zest of 1 lime and juice of 1/2 the lime

4 T cream

1/4 t salt
Cook the sweet potatoes till tender then rice them. Add the rest of the ingredients then whip.
For those of you who want to try it old school:

Sauce bigarade: Antonin Careme's recipe:

1 bigarade orange (or a bitter orange).
1.5 dl of finished espagnole sauce*.
20g butter.
a pinch of cracked pepper.

Cut the zest of the orange making sure that there are no white bits on it. Blanch them briefly. Press the orange.

In a thick bottom pot, place the orange zests and the juice and reduce by half.
Add the espagnole sauce and and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Skim from time to time. Add the cracked pepper and strain through a fine chinois.

Just before serving, whisk in the butter