Sure Bets For Derby Day

 

By Kerry Shelby

 

As a Southerner, the Kentucky Derby for me is much more than a horse race.  It is the very definition of spring, fine clothes, celebration and happy (OK, inebriated) people.  The race is a great excuse for a huge party, complete with plenty of food, drink and unusual ladies’ hats.

 

 

 Louisville, the home of the Derby, has surprisingly emerged as one of the country’s hottest food towns in the last few years.  Restaurants like Proof on Main, 610 Magnolia and Basa (yes, Vietnamese food has made it to Kentucky!) are drawing national acclaim.  But when it’s Derby time, folks want to get back to basics, to the time-tested Louisville traditions before this culinary renaissance.

 

 

I’ll be celebrating with two classics:  the Hot Brown and, of course, several mint juleps.  The Hot Brown is the original hangover preventer.  It was served at the midnight dance break at Louisville’s Brown Hotel to give the partiers a little sustenance to survive the last hours of drinking and dancing.  The mint julep, according to the excellent website Cocktail Times, has been around since the 1700s, referred to in print in 1803 as “a dram of spirituous liquor that has mint in it, taken by Virginians in the morning.”  Wow!  Forget that grande latte!  Let’s have a morning julep!  Both traditions are still going strong, and deservedly so.  Here’s how to make them for your Derby Day party.

 

 

The Legendary Hot Brown (according to the Brown Hotel in Louisville)

To make two Hot Browns, melt 1½ tablespoons butter and add 1½ cups flour, whisking continuously to make a roux. Cook over medium low heat for a couple of minutes until the rawness of the flour is gone and the roux is browned (be careful not to scorch!).  Slowly whisk in 1½ cups heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Remove sauce from the heat and slowly whisk in ¼ cup Pecorino-Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce (the generic name for a cream sauce with cheese) is smooth.  Add a pinch of ground nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.

 

 

For each of the Hot Browns, place a piece of thickly-sliced, toasted white bread in an oven proof dish and cover with a generous layer of roasted turkey breast (either roast your own and shred it or buy good quality turkey at the deli).  Place a halved Roma tomato alongside and pour Mornay sauce over the dish to completely cover it.  Sprinkle with more Pecorino-Romano and broil until the cheese begins to brown and bubble.  Remove and top with two pieces of crispy bacon, paprika and parsley.

 

 

Classic Mint Julep

Muddle 3 ounces good Kentucky bourbon with 6 sprigs of mint and 1 teaspoon of superfine sugar, swirling to dissolve the sugar.  Let stand for a few minutes.  Fill a highball glass with shaved ice (you can use a blender, pulsing ice cubes carefully until they meet the right consistency) and strain the drink into the glass. Top with soda water and garnish with more mint sprigs.

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