by EMERSON SLOANE
Summer time speaks to me in fresh greens, deliciously seasoned steaks, and one of my personal food weaknesses--onion rings. These happen to be the best onion rings I've ever made. We've followed up this dinner with a stunningly tasty lemon tart. The tart is ambitious, but it's worth every second. And what are Sunday dinners for if not ambition? Enjoy this meal by gathering family and friends around your table.
WINE PAIRING: Serve a Shiraz or a Zinfandel with this dinner. The bright berry and spice notes of the Shiraz will blend beautifully with the smokiness of the steaks.
Vinaigrette, Steak, And Sauce
2 tablespoons hazelnut, walnut, or olive oil
2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1½ pound hanger steak, center membrane removed, cut into 4 equal pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons black peppercorns, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons dry green peppercorns, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Onion Rings
Vegetable oil (for frying; about 3½ cups)
¾ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1½ cups all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, sliced ⅛” thick, rings separated
6 cups watercress leaves with tender stems
Vinaigrette, Steak, And Sauce
Whisk hazelnut oil and 1 Tbsp. vinegar in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Set vinaigrette aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season steak with salt and pepper and cook 6–8 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest 10 minutes.
While steak rests, cook butter and shallot in same skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until shallot is softened and starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Add thyme and peppercorns. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. vinegar and ½ cup water and simmer until flavors meld and sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 2 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and whisk in mustard; season with salt and pepper.
Onion Rings And Assembly
Fit a medium saucepan with thermometer; pour in oil to measure 3”. Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 350°.
Meanwhile, mix buttermilk and vinegar in a shallow bowl. Place flour in another bowl or baking dish; season with salt and pepper. Toss onion rings in flour mixture, shaking off excess, and transfer to a wire rack. Working in batches, dip in buttermilk mixture, letting excess drip back into bowl; toss again in flour.
Working in 2 or 3 batches and maintaining temperature of oil, fry onion rings until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes per batch. Let drain on paper towels; season with salt.
Toss watercress with reserved vinaigrette. Thinly slice steak against the grain. Serve steak with sauce, watercress, and onion rings.
Bob Cline's Lemon Tart
Straight from our Test Kitchen, this Lemon Tart recipe remains a devoted favorite with Haven readers, two years after we first published it. Images shot by Darrell Owens.
For the tart dough
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons Cake Flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1 stick + 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and cold
1 large egg mixed with 1 Tablespoon very cold water, additional cold water if needed
For the candied lemon zest
2 large lemons, preferably organic
2 cups water
2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
For the lemon curd:
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Finely grated zest of three lemons
1 ½ sticks + 1 Tablespoon butter, at room temperature
For the meringue
Egg whites from three large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
Tart Dough Instructions
1. Prepare the tart dough. Sift the flour, sugar and salt together onto a marble work surface.
2. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and cut in with a pastry blender or scraper. Continue to cut the butter down until it is consistently the size of small peas.
3. Form a well and pour the egg mix into it. Quickly incorporate the liquid into the butter/flour mixture until the dough holds together. You may choose to add the liquid in smaller increments so as to avoid adding too much to the flour mixture. Avoid over mixing the dough as it will become tough and leathery quickly.
4. Form the dough into a thick disk and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours before rolling out.
5. After the dough has rested, return it to a lightly floured work surface. You may also choose to flour your rolling pin. Use a light hand when rolling the dough. Begin rolling from the center outward, away from yourself, taking care not to roll all the way of the edge. Repeat this motion toward yourself and then carefully turn the dough 90 degrees. Repeat until the dough is approximately two inches greater than the diameter of your tart pan or flan ring – it should be approximately 1/8” thick.
6. Transfer the dough to a 9” tart pan or flan ring by gently folding it over the rolling pin (be cautious that it doesn't stretch during the transfer. Gently push (don't stretch!) the dough into the bottom and against the edges using light pressing movements. Pinch off any excess around the edges. The wall of the tart must be even all the way around. Ensure there are no holes in the dough before transferring back to the fridge to rest for at least 30 more minutes.
Candied Lemon Zest Instructions
1. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the lemons in large pieces taking care to avoid the bitter white pulp immediately under the skin. If you do end up with any pith, gently scrape it away with a paring knife. Cut the zest into thin strips.
2. Place the strips in a small saucepan with cold water and cover. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Once a boil is achieved remove from the heat and drain well (do not rinse). Repeat this process three times.
3. Combine the blanched zest with two cups of cold water in a medium sauce pan. Add sugar (reserving ¼ cup for later use) along with the corn syrup and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the zest is translucent and tender.
4. Drain the zest well using a fine mesh sieve and place the trips on a parchment covered wire rack to cool. This will only take a few moments once it is drained.
5. When the zest is cool, but still tacky to the touch, place the remaining sugar in a shallow bowl and roll each piece of zest in the sugar. Return to the wire rack to dry completely.
Tart Dough Instructions cont'd
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Remove the pastry shell from the refrigerator and place a 10” round piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the the shell pushing it up against the sides gently. Leave an edge with which you can lift it out of the shell later. Add pastry weights or dry beans, spreading them out in an even layer over the bottom of the shell.
3. Bake the shell for about 10 minutes or until the pastry is dry and chalky white. Lift the parchment paper and weights out and continue to bake for another 15 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned and cooked through. Keep in mind that more or less time may be required as ovens will vary. Set aside to cool.
Lemon Curd Instructions
1. Combine the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice with the grated zest in a heat-proof bowl, whisking to combine. Add the butter.
2. Fill a saucepan large enough to hold the bowl with water and place it over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium.
3. Place the bowl over the simmering water taking care that the bottom of the bowl does not come into contact with the surface of the water and that the saucepan is centered over the heat source. Cook, whisking gently to ensure even cooking, for about seven minutes, or until the mixture is quite thick. Very carefully monitor the curds exposure to the heat source as if it gets too hot the eggs will scramble and will be not be salvageable.
4. Remove the curd from the heat and pour it through a fine mesh sieve onto a plastic film-lined sheet pan. Discard any solids that are collected. Place a piece of plastic film directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate for about 1 hour or until well-chilled.
Assembly
Pour the curd into the the into the pastry shell using an offset spatula to smooth out. The curd should be poured such that it comes to the top of the tart wall.
Meringue and Final Assembly Instructions
1. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a medium stainless steel mixing bowl.
2. Fill a saucepan large enough to hold the bowl with water and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium.
3. Place the bowl over the simmering water, once again ensuring that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the surface of the water. Cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 130 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.
4. Remove the warm mixture from the heat and whisk vigorously until the meringue is cool and soft, but firm peaks will hold. You may alternatively use a mixer and beat to achieve the same result.
5. Scrape the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe a decorative design over the surface of the lemon curd to completely cover.
6. Using a handheld torch, lightly brown the meringue. You may alternatively brown the meringue under a broiler, but great care should be taken so that the curd itself does not get hot and soften and that the meringue does not burn.
7. Sprinkle candied zest over the tart and serve immediately or refrigerate and serve within a few hours.
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