Witchy Kitchen

Tag: steak

  • Ginger Steak Wraps with Ginger Tomato Chutney

    Ginger Steak Wraps with Ginger Tomato Chutney

    Ginger Snaps, the 2000 Canadian horror movie written and directed by John Fawcett, is all about transformation. It stars Katharine Isabelle and Emily Perkins as sisters Ginger and Brigitte, who are delightfully morbid (the opening sequence of their death-inspired school project photoshoot is fantastic), and grow up with only each other for friends and a death pact to seal their friendship and sisterhood.

    However, when Ginger is attacked by a mysterious creature, everything begins to change. There are so many themes that are well served by this werewolf narrative; adolescence and budding sexuality, sisterhood, loneliness, mortality, and how people change and relationships rarely stay the same.

    Steak is probably pretty obvious for a werewolf inspired recipe (I also cooked up Universal Classic Monster-inspired Wolf Man Steaks with Silver Bullet Lemon Butter). Well, to be fair, gingersnap cookies are probably the most obvious, but steaks are a close second. However, these were an excellent excuse to use lots and lots of ginger, which I love, for a nice spin on a classic.

    Ginger Steaks

    • 2 fillets (or cut of your choice – I did filet mignon which was appropriately popular in the 90s/early 2000s just like this film)
    • coarse salt
    • fresh ground pepper
    • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 2 inches ginger, peeled and finely chopped (reserve some matchsticks for garnish)
    • spritz of lime juice

    For a detailed steak-cooking technique, I recommend this method from The Kitchn, but I’ll give you a quick run down. Pat steaks dry, and salt and pepper well on all sides. Allow to sit for 20 minutes at room temperature.

    Heat oven to 425°. Heat coconut oil in a cast iron skillet until screaming hot, don’t be afraid. I opened the windows and warned the kids that I’d probably set the smoke alarm off, which I did. Sear steaks for 5 minutes on each side then move to the oven for 5 minutes for medium well. Remove to a plate and allow to rest.

    Return the skillet to the stove and on medium heat, add butter, ginger, and lime juice. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened and pour over steaks. Garnish with ginger matchsticks. Serve as is, or, once rested, slice steaks in strips against the grain.

    But we’re not done yet! I transformed this (eh? Ok I’m sorry that was really cheesy) into wraps with baby spinach and a ginger tomato chutney for even more gingery flavor. This also helps stretch an expensive cut of meat; two steaks fed 5 of us with leftovers (with soy and ginger marinated tempeh strips for a vegetarian version).

    Ginger Tomato Chutney

    • 2 tablespoons neutral flavored oil
    • 2 shallots, finely diced
    • 2 inches ginger, peeled and grated
    • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
    • pinch cayenne (or more to your taste!)
    • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
    • 1 can diced tomatoes
    • 3/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    • spritz lime juice

    In a saucepan, heat oil until shimmering. Saute shallots until they begin to turn golden, then stir in ginger, garam masala, cayenne and turmeric and cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes, and cook, stirring often, until thick and jammy. Stir in brown sugar and lime juice and cook for just another minute and remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, may need a pinch more salt.

    To make wraps, arrange a layer of baby spinach on flatbreads, then strips of gingery steak, top with a dollop of ginger tomato chutney, wrap, slice and serve.

    First published on Nightmare on Film Street.

  • Universal Classic Monsters Menu

    Universal Classic Monsters Menu

    The monster movies made by Universal Pictures in the 1920s through the 1950s are the backbone of American horror cinema. The films introduced audiences to iconic monsters, spun a thrilling shared universe, and inspired countless sequels and remakes. To celebrate these films we’re taking a trip through the decades and putting together a charmingly retro menu inspired by three classic monsters. 

    First up is a cocktail inspired by 1931’s Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi in one of his most famous roles. It’s a play on the champagne cocktail French 75, with a Transylvanian twist. The original drink was created in the 1910s but remained popular throughout the prohibition era when Dracula was filmed. To give it that Romanian touch, it features a fruity simple syrup. Romanian liquors are often made with fermented fruits, such as Țuică, the traditional liquor made of fermented plums. While this drink would be lovely with a plum simple syrup, plums aren’t in season so I made this with frozen dark cherries. The color is beautiful – of course a Dracula drink must be tinted bloody red – and the flavor light and sparkly. 

    Transylvanian 75

    For the simple syrup

    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup dark cherries (fresh or frozen)
    • 1 cup water

    Bring all ingredients to a boil, and remove from heat. Let stand 20 minutes, mash, strain, and cool.

    For the cocktail

    • 1.5 ounces vodka
    • 2 tablespoons cherry simple syrup
    • 4 ounces champagne

    Combine in a pretty glass and garnish with lemon. 

    Dinner is a Monster Surf and Turf. The red meat portion is aptly inspired by The Wolf Man, the 1941 film starring Lon Chaney Jr., as well as 1944’s House of Frankenstein in which the wolf man is killed with a silver bullet. It’s a nicely pan seared steak, served with lemony compound butter silver bullets. The seafood portion is a swampy shrimp in green sauce inspired by Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954). Centuries of passion – for shrimp! – pent up in his savage heart!

    Wolf Man Steaks with Silver Bullet Lemon Butter

    For the steaks

    • 2 fillets (or cut of your choice)
    • coarse salt
    • 2-3 tablespoons butter

    I’m not here to take you to steak cooking school, but I’ve had good luck on the stovetop in a screaming hot cast iron pan and this technique from The Kitchn. 

    For the silver bullet lemon butter

    • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
    • zest of one lemon
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • generous pinch coarse salt
    • edible silver pearl dust (you can find this in the baking section of craft stores)
    • vodka or lemon extract for painting

    Mix butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt thoroughly. Refrigerate to firm it up a bit, then using a melon baller, measure out 5 balls. Gently roll them with your hands to round. Return to the refrigerator until cold.

    To paint: mix the pearl dust with a tiny bit of vodka or lemon extract to make a paint. Use a clean paintbrush to paint each of the balls. Allow to dry, and serve with steak or use it on bread. 

    Creature from the Black Lagoon Shrimp with Green Sauce

    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 10 chives
    • 1 handful parsley
    • 1/4 cup vegetable stock
    • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
    • lemon to finish

    Heat oven to 500. In a food processor, combine garlic, olive oil, chives, parsley and vegetable stock. In a roasting dish, toss shrimp with the sauce and spread in an even layer. Roast for 7-8 minutes, stirring halfway through, until shrimp is pink. Finish with a squirt of lemon juice.

    Serve this classic meal with crusty bread for sopping, and a nice green salad. If you are noting that there’s no dessert…well there is! It’s inspired by 1933’s The Invisible Man. It’s invisible.

    Let us know who what you’re having for dinner this Halloween season on Twitter, Reddit, and in the Horror Movie Fiend Club on Facebook. Bon Appetite!