Easter Sunday Appetizers

CREAM CHEESE CHEESE DEVILED EGGS

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs
2 T. baking soda
5 ounces of cream cheese, softened
3 T. Dijon mustard ( or any mustard of your choice )
1 T. vinegar
1 t. Bourbon Smoked Pepper
1 t. Bourbon Smoked Salt

Garnish:
Bourbon Smoked Paprika for garnish
2 T. fresh-cut scallions or chives

Option:
2 pieces of Bourbon Smoked Pepper Bacon

Method:

Place the eggs in a medium-size saucepan and then cover them with water. Use a lid if you have one. It will help the eggs cook faster. Sprinkle some baking soda into the pot. Place the pot full of water, eggs, and baking soda on the stove and let it come to a rolling boil on medium/high heat.
This will take between 7-10 minutes, depending on the type of stove you have.

Let the eggs come to a rolling boil for two minutes, remove the pan from the heat and gently set it in the sink.
Remove the lid and let the cold water from your sink bathe the eggs until they become cool to the touch.
Pro chef tip: You can also add some ice to this process and create your own ‘ice bath.’
Once the eggs are cool to the touch, remove the water from the pan. Give the eggs in the pan a gentle shaking motion. I like to start to crack my eggs in the pan by rolling them around. This gentle motion of rocking the eggs back and forth gives you a jump start on the de-shelling process.
Peel eggs.
Discard the shells after this process is complete.
Using a small knife – dip the knife in clean water every time before you cut the eggs in half. This will aid in the egg not breaking and will result in a clean look. You can cut the eggs vertically ( like in the photo) or horizontally. Remove the cooked egg yolk and set it aside for filling.

Filling:
Add Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt, Bourbon Smoked Pepper, mustard, and vinegar to a medium-sized bowl.
With a hand mixer, mix the softened cream cheese in the same bowl. Add cooked egg yolk to the mixture.
Mix on high for about 2 minutes, scrape the bowl halfway through.
Fill eggs with the mixture.

Chef's Tip: Grab two spoons and dollop the mixture into the eggs.
Use one spoon to collect and drop the creamy mixture and the other spoon to push it into the eggs into the hole –– about 1/2 T. into each egg.

Garnish the eggs with Bourbon Smoked Paprika and greens, onions, chives, or cooked bacon.

Option: For garnish, bake your bacon on a foil or parchment paper-lined sheet tray in an oven for 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees. Carefully remove once it has been cooked to a ‘beef jerky’ texture. Once it’s cool, cut it into small bite pieces that will fit on top of each egg.

Bourbon Barrel Aged Sorghum and Bourbon Smoked Pepper Goat Cheese

EDAMAME AND SHIITAKE SALAD

Serves 8-10 as a side dish

Ingredients:

8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound shelled edamame, frozen
1 tablespoon Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt
4 large radishes, julienned
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Bluegrass Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ tablespoon Bourbon Smoked Togarashi
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Method:

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and sauté mushrooms for 8-10 minutes or until browned and crispy. Remove from pan, place on a paper towel-lined plate, and allow to cool.

Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt and edamame. Blanch for 2-3 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

Combine edamame, radishes, mushrooms, and green onions in a large bowl and toss with Bluegrass Soy Sauce, rice vinegar, Bourbon Smoked Togarashi, and roasted sesame oil. Serve immediately.

HENRY BAIN’S STEAK CROSTINI WITH HORSERADISH CREAM

Makes 18 crostini

Ingredients:

For the Horseradish Cream Sauce:
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup horseradish, grated
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp Bourbon Smoked Salt
¼ tsp Bourbon Smoked Pepper

For the Crostini:
18 French baguette slices, ½” thick cut on a bias
olive oil for drizzling
¾ pounds sirloin steak
¼ tsp Bourbon Smoked Salt
1/8 tsp Bourbon Smoked Pepper
3 Tbsp Henry Bain’s Sauce
1 scallion, green part only, thinly sliced

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet.
Drizzle each slice with some olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes to lightly toast. Set aside
and allow to cool. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the horseradish
cream. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Heat oven-proof skillet over med-high heat. Season steak with smoked salt and
pepper. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and sear the steak for 3 minutes on each
side. Roast in the oven for 5 minutes for med-rare. Remove and rest the steak for 5 minutes.

Place a dollop of horseradish cream sauce on each crostini. Slice the steak thinly
and toss the steak in a bowl with the Henry Bain’s sauce. Lay a few slices of steak on
each crostini. Garnish with sliced scallions and serve on a platter.

MAPLE CANDIED BOURBON SMOKED PEPPER BACON

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Bourbon Smoked Pepper Bacon
• 1/3 cup Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup Bourbon Smoked Sugar (desired sweetness)

Method:

1. Place Bourbon Smoked Bacon on a wire rack on a foil-lined baking pan, brush top of Bourbon Smoked Pepper Bacon with Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup and sprinkle on 1/2 Bourbon Smoked Sugar.
2. Bake in a preheated 400 degrees oven for 15 minutes, flip the bacon, brush with maple syrup and sprinkle on the remainder Bourbon Smoked Sugar and bake for another 15 minutes or until it reaches the desired level of crispiness.

Henry Bain's Meatballs

Makes about 40 meatballs

Ingredients: 

• 2 slices white bread, crusts removed, cut in small pieces
• ¼ cup milk
• ½ pound ground pork
• ½ pound ground beef
• ½ medium onion, finely diced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Bourbon Barrel Aged Worcestershire Sauce
• 1¼ teaspoons Bourbon Barrel Garlic Salt
• ½ teaspoon Bourbon Barrel Citrus Pepper
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup Henry Bain’s Sauce, plus more for serving

Method:

1. In a small bowl, combine bread and milk.  In a large bowl, combine pork, beef, onion, parsley, worcestershire, garlic salt, and citrus pepper. Mash bread and milk to form a wet paste and add to meat mixture. Add egg and gently mix to combine. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop about 1 tablespoon of the mix and form mixture into meatballs. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1tablespoon olive oil. Add half the meatballs and cook until brown on all sides. Transfer to a foil lined, rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining oil and meatballs. Bake meatballs for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

3. Set broiler on high. Brush meatballs with the Henry Bain’s sauce. Broil for 3 minutes until burnished and glossy. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with extra Henry Bain’s sauce on the side.