Cheese (Topfen) Strudel

Aga's are made for baking. The strudel will be crispy and flaky. Your guests will love it. The Aga will reign supreme. Have mercy on the knob turners and flame dependents.

Follow the recipe for the cheese strudel here and try these tips.

• Melt the butter by putting it in the Baking oven for 5 minutes
• Bake the strudel in the Baking Oven with the wire rack on the floor for 15 minutes

Baked Brie & Marmalade Aga-fied

Bak-o-glide works wonders and is way cheaper than the French Silpats

Here are a few tips for the Baked Brie from the main page

• put the butter you need to melt in a small stainless bowl and in the Baking Oven
• the cheese takes ten minutes in the Roasting Oven with the shelf on the floor
• start the marmalade on the Hot Plate until it gets to a rolling boil then into an Oven. The marmalade will take longer in the Baking Oven but produce a better product. Add a knob of butter to keep the foam down. This will take about an hour. To test the doneness put a little on a chilled plate to see how it sets up.

Mac & Cheese Aga-fied

Following my recipe on the main page here are some tips for better use of your Aga

• pre heat your water for making the spatzle by putting the pot in the Roasting Oven first thing
• warm your milk for the bechamel by flashing it for 20 seconds on the Boil Plate then into the Simmer Oven while you make the roux
• Bake in the Baking Oven on the rack on the floor
• Roast broccoli is easy. Cut spears and onto your sheet pan with bak-o-glide down if you have any. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and into the Roasting Oven for arounf 10 minutes. Squeeze with a wedge of lemon when it's done.
• Don't for get to warm your plates

Roast Chicken Aga Style

I really do like chicken. I like the dark meat from a well cooked leg, moist lean breast meat and crispy skin. There are really good chickens available and I suggest you search them out. I taste tested four different birds recently and the local brand Misty Knoll was the hands down winner. It was better than my favorite national band  "Smart Chicken" by a smidge. It also cost 33% more. The Smart Chicken label is air cooled and has no messy purge compared to 2 ounces in a regular chicken. The cheapest chicken proved once again you get what you pay for. Let's look at three keys to succesful roasting.

Besides owning an Aga

Seasoning Before you do anything rinse off the bird inside and out. Pat dry with a paper towel and season generously with sea salt. Season the inside of the cavity as well.  Any herbs on the outside will dry out and do little to transfer any flavor. You can put them in the cavity prior to trussing or stuffing. Be generous. Rosemary, thyme and marjoram are my fav's. Same goes with garlic. I whole head stuffed inside is good, no need to peel just break up the cloves.

To truss or not to truss  Why do we truss poultry? Is it to keep the chicken together? No they only fall apart if you overcook them by several hours as my mother in-law does every fourth Thursday in Novemeber. We truss them to close up the cavity for more even cooking. If we leave it open the warm air gets inside and cooks the bird from the inside drying out the breast meat. We can simply cut up onions and lemons and fill the cavity then tie the legs to close it. This will keep everything cooking evenly and predictably. Smart Chickens come trussed already.If you need to truss your bird run string around the neck under the bird and then tie it closed where the two legs meet. Push the legs down and back to keep them tight closing the cavity opening.

Resting This may be the most important tip. Let the bird rest in a warm place, not in the holding oven. On top of or off to the edge of the Aga. I try to let things rest for 1/3 the amount of the cooking time. When the bird is pulled from the oven the outside is much hotter than the inside. We want the whole roast to even out its temperature. You also get the bonus of your guests looking at it and saying nice things about you.

Roasted Chicken Aga Style

• 1 nice fresh whole chicken 3 1/2 lb on average
• sea salt
• 1 lemon
• 1 head garlic
• 1 onion
• herbs fresh
• butchers twine aka cotton string

Follow my advice from above and place bird on a rack in the Baking Oven. Set timer for 45 minutes. Timer goes beep. Remove chicken, baste the breast with a little water and back in the oven in the opposite direction. Set timer for another 45 minutes. Timer goes beep. Remove bird and let rest in a warm place for at least 30 minutes or more.

Note  This is a guideline, bigger birds take longer. If the juices that accumulate while resting have a redish hue the bird is under done. If you pour out any juice from the cavity and it is still a little bloody the bird is under done. You can also check by taking the drumstick firmly in hand and giving it a twist. It should break away from the thigh bone easily

Flour Tortillas, Aga Style

my cream 3 oven in action

Anyone who knows me even a little will be quick to point out how much I love my Aga. I go on and on about how it improves this, is better at that, blah, blah, blah on and on I go. I even named my blog after my Aga. I have an Aga section in my blog but it's not front and center until now. This recipe works best on an Aga. It makes tortilla making a snap. Sure you can do this on a skillet with low to moderate heat on your conventional cook top and get a good product. It won't match up to the Aga. The cast iron simmer plate is made for tasks like this. Perfect gentle heat

Aga's cost a bit but still are less than a crappy car and will last longer, give you more enjoyment and no repair hassles. Our heating bill actually went down after we added our Aga. If you are curious go to a cooking demo or just talk to someone who owns one. We are a cult, but we don't dress in sheets and ask for money in airports. Yet.

What do I do with fresh tortillas?

Eat the first one warm off the griddle with a little sweet butter, fill the next two with some left over chicken, good cheese and some pickled peppers and make a quesadilla on the Simmer Plate. Invite 2 friends over for some fatty burritos, use one for huevos rancheros, deep fry any you have left for tortilla chips. They should disappear pretty quick.

Update: Novemeber 26,2009

Homemeade lard will kick this up way more than a notch. Watch your tortillas go from great to "holy pig, those are pigalicious!"

You will need a rolling pin and an Aga or a heavy flat skillet. This will make 8 outlaw tortillas and will cost you less than a $1.00.

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup lard or vegetable shortening
• 1 cup warm water

In a large flat bowl add the flour, salt and baking powder, mix well

Add the lard and break up into the flour

Make a well and add the water

Pull into a soft dough ball

On a well floured surface knead the dough for 10 minutes and it get elasticicky

Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

Divide into 8 equal pieces, keep covered while you working

Flatten into a disc and roll out into a 10"-12" circle

Gently place on the Simmer Plate and cook about 40 seconds until light brown a bubbly

Flip and cook on other side about 20-30 seconds longer

Place on a kitchen towel and cover with another towel

Repeat until all the dough is gone