“All Texas-proud fare from a West Texas boy, new ways of thinking about old-school Texas flavors.”
—San Antonio Express-News, 10/29/11
“Lambert and co-author June Naylor have written a cookbook that makes me want to rope steer and toss bales all day just to enjoy these down-home, hearty recipes to their fullest.”
—Austin Post, 9/8/11
“Lambert’s book brings a trained chef’s techniques and know-how to a roster of dishes that speak to the foodie heart of Texas. Biscuits, gumbo, fried green tomatoes, brisket, oysters, tacos and macaroni and cheese make nice with more sophisticated presentations of rack of lamb, braised duck, crab-stuffed trout and gingered pear fried pies. Still, it’s all Texas-proud fare from a West Texas boy; new ways of thinking about old-school Texas flavors.”
—Houston Chronicle, 9/7/11
“One of Texas’ most beloved chefs, Louis Lambert, embraces the foods, cooking styles and heritage of what it means to be a Texan.”
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9/6/11
“My favorite recipe in the whole book is Gingered Pear Fried Pies. Lambert takes one of our state’s best-loved desserts, the fried fruit turnover, and gives it a city spin with candied ginger and a classy French crust. It’s everyday cooking with style.”
—Patricia Sharpe, executive editor / food writer for Texas Monthly
“One of the great pleasures of living in Texas is discovering Lou Lambert cooking behind a cloud of smoke. I love Lou’s food—the gutsy West Texas flavors that he grew up with reinterpreted through his smart urban filter. For a cowboy, he’s awfully good with vegetables—I’d buy this book for the Achiote-Seared Chickpeas alone!”
—Paula Disbrowe, author of Cowgirl Cuisine and senior travel editor for Southern Living magazine
“Being a fifth-generation West Texan myself, Lou had me at ‘When I was a kid in Odessa. . .’ Reading this colorful and thoughtfully conceived book makes me long for my youth when life was simpler and Fried Green Tomatoes alone could brighten an otherwise dreary day. Much has been written about Texas food over the years, but to my mind, no one has quite captured the true essence of the genre like Lou. The Beer-Battered Quail with Jalapeño Peach Glaze is worth the price of the book itself, but add the clear, concisely written recipes and helpful sidebars and guides and you have the makings of a real Texas classic. Excuse me while I return to my childhood with Stacked Chili Con Carne Enchiladas with Fried Eggs.”
—Stephan Pyles, restaurateur, cookbook author, and recipient of the Southwest’s first James Beard Award for Best Chef
x Foreword
1 Introduction
Salads
11 Beef Salpicon Salad
12 Lambert’s Chopped Salad
13 Ranch Steak Salad Niçoise
15 Red Grapefruit and Avocado Salad with Honey-Poppy Seed Dressing
16 Romaine with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
17 Sunday Three-Bean Salad
19 Fried Green Tomatoes with Crab Rémoulade
21 Warm German Potato Salad
23 Roasted Beet Salad with Shaved Fennel and Candied Shallot Vinaigrette
25 Spinach Salad with Smoked Bacon Vinaigrette and Blue Cheese
Soups & Stews
29 Roasted Poblano and Cheddar Soup
31 Ancho Chicken Tortilla Soup
32 Cannellini Soup with Parmesan and Baby Greens
35 Gingered Acorn Squash Soup
36 Sherried Onion Soup with Gruyère Toast
38 Norma’s Oyster Stew
39 Curried Chicken and Potato Stew
41 New Mexico Pork and Green Chile Stew
42 Port Arthur Seafood Gumbo
45 Seafood Posole Verde
47 West Texas Venison Chili
Sausages, Pâtés & Cured Meats
53 Maple and Fennel Breakfast Sausage
55 Chicken Sausage with Parmesan and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
56 Jalapeño and Cheddar Beef Hotlinks
58 Spicy Oak-Smoked Chorizo
59 Brandied Chicken Liver Terrine with Caramelized Onions
62 Hunters’ Country Venison Pâté
64 Foie Gras Mousseline
65 Pecos Wild Duck Rillettes
67 Hot Smoked Pecan-Cured Salmon
69 Pickled Cajun Shrimp
71 Peppered Lamb Pastrami
Beef, Lamb, Pork & Game
77 Adobo-Grilled T-Bone with Red Chile and Cheese Enchiladas
80 Bock-Braised Beef Short Ribs
82 Beef Tenderloin with Blue Crab and Béarnaise
83 Pan-Seared Peppered Strip Steak with Roasted Garlic Butter
85 Salt- and Pepper-Crusted Prime Rib of Beef
88 Smoke-Braised Beef Brisket with Chile-Coffee Rub
89 Maple Sugar- and Mustard-Crusted Rib Eye
91 Mint Pesto Roasted Rack of Lamb
92 Coriander Roasted Leg of Lamb with Border Chimichurri
95 Valley Grilled Porterhouse Pork Chops
97 Panfried Pork Cutlet with Parsley-Caper Butter Sauce
99 Slow-Smoked Pork Butt with Vinegar Barbecue Sauce
100 Crispy Wild Boar Ribs with Fresh Plum Barbecue Sauce
Poultry
106 Chicken Potpie with Tart Apples and Country Sausage
109 Herbed Chicken and Potato Dumplings
111 Panfried Buttermilk Chicken
114 Pan-Seared Rosemary Chicken
117 Wood-Roasted Chicken with Mexican Chocolate Chile Rub
118 Sabine Braised Duck with Wild Mushrooms and Port
121 Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Quail with Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing
122 Beer-Battered Quail with Jalapeño Peach Glaze
Seafood
129 Broiled Oysters with Spinach, Bacon, and Pernod
131 Mexican Ceviche Cocktail
132 Seafood Frito Misto
133 Scampied Barbecued Shrimp
135 Shrimp Rigatoni Puttanesca
136 Redfish with Shrimp Creole
139 Panfried Trout with Crab and Shrimp Stuffing
142 Romesco-Crusted Snapper with Basil Beurre Blanc
145 Roasted Halibut in Saffron Tomato Broth with Corn Fritter Dumplings
147 Grilled Coriander Salmon with Mint-Cucumber Relish
Tex-Mex
153 Beef Chiles Rellenos in Spicy Tomato Broth
155 Spanish Rice
156 Creamy Chicken Casserole with Hatch Chiles
159 Chicken Sopes with Roasted Corn Crema
163 Green Chile Queso
164 Puffy Tortilla Chips
165 Serrano Escabeche
166 Smoked Beef Barbacoa Tacos
167 Chunky Avocado Salsa
170 Spicy Pork Tamale Gratin
173 Stacked Chili Con Carne Enchiladas with Fried Eggs
Vegetables & Sides
177 Grilled Asparagus with Broken Tomato Vinaigrette
179 Achiote-Seared Chickpeas
181 Sugar-and-Tomato Baked Beans
183 Green Chile Grits
184 Loaded Garlic Mashed Potatoes
185 Ricotta Spinach Gratin
187 Joann’s Stewed Okra and Tomatoes
189 Parmesan Potato Gratin
190 Corn and Cheddar Pudding
191 Three-Cheese Macaroni with Country Ham
193 Braised Greens with Smoked Ham Hock
Breads
199 Brunch Buttermilk Biscuits
200 Buttery Parker County Dinner Rolls
201 Citrus Scones
203 Green Onion Skillet Corn Cakes
205 Jalapeño Corn Muffins
207 Onion Flatbread
208 Governor’s Mansion Potato Rolls
Desserts
213 Buttermilk-Honey Ice Cream
214 Buttermilk Chocolate Cake
216 Carmelita Bars
217 Chocolate Mocha Ice Cream
219 Mexican Flan
221 Gingered Pear Fried Pies
224 Lambert’s Fudge Brownies
225 Maple Bread Pudding
227 Lemon Pound Cake
228 Peach Cake Cobbler
229 Roasted Peanut and Peanut Butter Cookies
232 Tres Leches Cake
Stocks & Sauces
237 Brown Beef Stock
238 Chicken Stock
239 Shrimp Stock
240 Fish Stock
240 Court Bouillon
241 Béarnaise Sauce
241 Creamy Horseradish Sauce
242 Basic Beurre Blanc
243 Brown Beef Sauce
244 Wild Mushroom Ragout
245 Border Chimichurri
246 Ancho Mole Sauce
246 Fennel Salsa Verde
247 Carmen’s Green Salsa
247 Red Table Salsa
249 Rustic Chile Pepper Sauce
249 Salsa Roja
250 Fruited Herb Grain Mustard
250 Cider-Mustard Barbecue Sauce
251 Texas Barbecue Sauce
251 Vinegar Barbecue Sauce
252 Sources
253 About the Authors
254 Index
