Recipes by David Frost: Creme Brulee; Lemon Meringue Pie

David Frost's Creme Brulee

2 cups heavy cream
4 egg yolks
2 1/2 tbsps. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup sifted light brown sugar

Heat cream in double boiler. Beat egg yolks, adding granulated sugar gradually. Remove cream from heat and pour over egg mixture very slowly. Add vanilla; mix well. Pour into greased 1 1/2 qt. casserole. Place casserole in pan of hot water. Bake uncovered in preheated 325 degrees F. oven about 45 mins. (or until custard is set). Sprinkle with brown sugar. Run under broiler for a minute (or until sugar melts but does not burn). Chill well. Serves 6.

David Frost's Lemon Meringue Pie

9-inch prepared pastry
2 lemons
1 cup finely granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 cups water
2 eggs
2 tbsps. margarine
pinch of salt

Line pie plate with pastry; bake in preheated 425 degrees F. oven until golden brown (about 12 minutes). Cool crust. Wipe lemons. Grate rind very finely. Put juice and rind in saucepan with 3/4 cup sugar. Mix cornstarch with about 1/2 cup water, add remaining water to sugar and lemon. Heat lemon-water mixture, stirring. Stir small amount hot lemon syrup into cornstarch mixture, mix well; return to pan. Cook, stirring, until it reaches boiling point. Continue cooking about 3 mins., stirring constantly. Remove from fire. Separate eggs, beat yolks, stir into lemon mixture, cooking about 2-3 mins. (over very low flame) without letting it boil. Remove from heat, add margarine, stirring until melted. Cool; pour into baked pastry. Prepare meringue by adding salt to egg whites, whisk to form stiff froth. Gradually add remaining sugar; pile lightly on top of filling. Bake in preheated 325 degrees F. oven until meringue is golden. Chill. Serves 6.

Recipes by Leonard Frey: Chick a la Chuck; Scotch Eggs

Leonard Frey's Chick a la Chuck

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts
Paprika
Freshly ground pepper
Two 10 1/2-oz. cans "Italian-style" white clam sauce
2 tsps. minced scallion
1 1/2 tsps. Worcestershire sauce
A few drops of fresh lemon juice
Cooked white (or saffron) rice
Fresh minced parsley

1. Have chicken at room temperature. Cut in 1/2-inch strips. Season well with paprika and freshly ground pepper. Skim off fat that floats on top of clam sauce, discard. Heat sauce with scallion, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice to boiling. Cook to reduce in volume by one-third.

2 Add chicken, cook until meat is barely white through. Taste to correct seasonings. Serve the "whole business" over cooked white (or saffron) rice. Garnish With snipped parsley. Serve with endive, cherry tomatoes and red onion salad made with an oil and vinegar dressing. Serve with a well-chilled Graves wine. Serves 4.

Leonard Frey's Scotch Eggs

4 hard-cooked eggs
3 ozs. mild-flavored fresh pork sausage (in bulk)
Pinch of minced fresh parsley
A few gratings fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp. finely grated lemon rind
Pinch of dried sage (or thyme or savory)
1/2 beaten egg
Fine bread crumbs
Vegetable oil

1. Strips shells from eggs. Combine sausage, parsley, pepper. lemon rind and sage (or thyme or savory). Mix well. Roll out on lightly floured board. Divide into four portions. Enclose each egg in seasoned meat mixture.

2. Dip eggs in beaten egg and coat in bread crumbs. Cook in deep fat until crisp and golden. Serve whole or slice in half across the center. Place each half on a piece of fried toast. Serve as appetizer, savoury (a salty tidbit consumed by the English in lieu of dessert) or a supper dish.

Thoughts: Leonard's favorite "pub fare" can be made many ways with forcemeat (ground ham, minced suet, lemon rind, bread crumbs, parsley and sweet herbs or pounded anchovies). For a supper dish, the eggs can be oven-browned and served with an herb-flavored tomato sauce.

Aretha Franklin's Queen of Soul Ham

Aretha Franklin's Queen of Soul Ham

1 (12 to 14 pound) fully cooked, bone-in ham
cloves
1 (16 ounce) box light brown sugar
3 tablespoons French's mustard
1 (8 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained
1 (12 ounce) ginger ale (preferably Vernor's)
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple rings
baker's coconut for garnish, optional

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a paring knife, score the ham, creating a diamond pattern. Insert cloves into the corners of each diamond. Place the ham on a rack set in a 12 x 15-inch roasting pan. Cover loosely with foil and bake until ham appears juicy, about 30 minutes.

Place brown sugar and mustard in a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Gradually add ginger ale to brown sugar mixture until a pourable consistency is achieved; you may not need the whole can. Remove ham from oven and remove foil. Pour brown sugar mixture over ham, and, using a pastry brush, coat the sides. Cover ham with foil, return to oven, and cook for 1 hour, basting every 20 minutes. Remove foil for last 20 minutes. Serves 12.

Recipes by John Frankenheimer: Harlequin Souffle; Onion Tart

John Frankenheimer's Harlequin Souffle

1/2 tbsp. soft butter
5-cup shallow souffle dish
Granulated sugar
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup hot milk
1 1/4 tsps. vanilla extract
2 tsps. instant coffee dissolved in 2 tsps. boiling water
Grated rind of one orange
1 1/2 tbsps. Grand Marnier (or Cointreau)
Few drops orange food coloring
4 large egg whites
Pinch of salt

Spread butter evenly in souffle dish. Roll sugar around inner surface, evenly spreading over entire surface. Knock out excess sugar. Beat egg yolks, sugar and flour together. Add a bit of hot milk, beating constantly with whisk. Then pour egg-flour mixture back into hot milk, whisking constantly. Bring custard to boil. Cook over low heat two minutes, beating constantly. Divide custard equally into 3 bowls. To first bowl add vanilla extract; blend well. To second bowl add coffee extract; blend well. To third bowl add orange rind, Grand Marnier (or Cointreau) and orange food coloring, enough to give custard a deep yellow color. Keep bowls near heat to keep custard hot while preparing egg whites. Put egg whites and salt into cleaned copper bowl (clean with vinegar and salt to remove all traces of fat). Beat whites using large balloon whisk with vertical, circular motions until stiff peaks form. Add one-third of beaten egg whites to bowl containing vanilla-flavored custard. Fold in whites lightly and carefully, using rubber spatula. Work quickly. Repeat with remaining egg whites, folding into both coffee and orange-flavored custards. Pile pie-shaped wedges of each flavored souffle into prepared souffle dish alternating colors to form design. Repeat using up all the souffle in each of the three bowls. Place dish on center rack in preheated 375 degrees F. oven. Bake 30-35 minutes (or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean). Serve immediately. Serves 4.

John Frankenheimer's Onion Tart

For the crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks sweet butter
1/3 cup cold water

Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut butter in small pieces; work into flour-salt mixture until it is the texture of cornmeal. Add water gradually, forming a ball of pastry with floured hands. Roll out pastry on lightly floured board. Line a 10-inch flan ring (set on a baking sheet). Trim off excess pastry and crimp edges of pastry. Prick evenly with fork.

For the filling:

4 large yellow onions
3 tbsps. butter
3 large ripe tomatoes
1/4 lb. large pitted black olives (Mediterranean variety)
8-oz. can anchovy filets

Peel and slice onions fine. Saute in butter in casserole (or heavy skillet) slowly 15 minutes (or until quite dry). Arrange onions evenly in pastry shell. Blanche tomatoes quickly in boiling water to remove skins; cut in wedges. Arrange tomatoes on top of onion. Arrange anchovy filets and olives between tomato wedges to form an attractive design. Drizzle anchovy oil over all. Bake in preheated 400 degrees F. oven about 25 minutes (or until crust is crisp and golden. Serve with well-chilled Chablis or Pouilly-Fuissé. Serves 6.

Kay Francis' Dinner in a Dish

Kay Francis' Dinner in a Dish

"Butter the casserole generously," says Kay. "Press salmon together in a large mound in the center, then select any one of your favorite vegetables that is good when creamed, such as spinach, asparagus, or peas. Make a thick cream sauce in a saucepan and combine it with the cooked vegetable. Season well. Fill the casserole around the salmon with alternate layers of the creamed vegetable and rolled bread crumbs. Bake through and presto--you have a dinner and every vitamin the normal person needs is present."

Sergio Franchi's Pork and Salami Ravioli in Chicken Broth

Sergio Franchi's Pork and Salami Ravioli in Chicken Broth

For the filling:
1 1/2 cups cooked chopped pork
1/3 cup minced salami (or proscuitto ham)
1 1/2 tsps. minced onion
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
One egg yolk, beaten
2 tbsps. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. rosemary
Hint of ground nutmeg (three dashes)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

1. Lightly cook pork, salami and onion in oil; remove from heat. Add beaten egg yolk, Parmesan cheese, sage, rosemary, nutmeg and season to taste. Set aside.

For the pasta:
About 4 cups flour
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
Little water (about 1 1/2 tsps.)

1. Place flour and salt on board; make well in center, drop in eggs. Work eggs into the flour adding enough water to make a pliable stiff dough.

2. Knead until smooth; divide in half. Roll out half the pasta pastry to thickness of a dime. Repeat using remaining dough. Cover, let sit about 1 hour.

3. Drop teaspoon of filling at two-inch intervals on the layer of dough. Cover with top sheet. Press fingers around each mound of filling to seal. Cut into squares with pastry cutter (or a very sharp knife.)
Drop squares in simmering well-seasoned chicken stock; cook gently until barely tender (about 8 mins.) Serves 6.

A.J. Foyt's 500-Mile Chili

A.J. Foyt's 500-Mile Chili

3 pounds stewing beef, cubed
1 pound chorizo
2 large onions, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 jalapeno peppers, peeled and diced
3 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 can Mexican beer

Brown meat, onions, garlic and jalapenos together in olive oil. While mixture is browning, add cayenne and chili powder. Stir often. Add tomato sauce, salt, water and beer. Cover and cook on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often. Uncover and simmer for 2 hours. Serves 6 to 8.