Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 17 April 2003 — Page 29

The Muncie Times • April 17. 2003 • Page 29

COOKING

SALMON CROQUETTES MAKE 6 SERVINGS Croquettes for breakfast? They're a favorite of the breakfast crowd at Sylvia's . These croquettes can be made entirely ahead of time and panfried at the last minute. Serve them with fried eggs and grits and pass a basket of warm biscuits

2 large eggs 1 /2 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black

pepper

Vegetable oil for cooking Drain the can of salmon and place the salmon in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. The croquette mixture should be moist and not too chunky. Grease one or two large heavy skillets lightly with oil and heat over medium heat. ( A seasoned cast-iron skillet is perfect.) Use about 1/4 cup of the croquette mixture to form patties 3 inches across and about 1/2 inch thick. Cook the croquettes, turning them once, until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes. Serve hot.

1 15 1/2 ounce can pink salmon 1 medium onion, diced 1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded

and diced.

Note: You may have to cook the croquettes in batches. Keep the cooked ones hot on a baking sheet in a preheated 250 F oven while cooking the rest.

SYLVIA’S WORLD-FAMOUS TALKED-ABOUT SPARERIBS MAKES 8 SERVINGS These are the real thing. People come from around the corner, around the city, and around the world to eat these ribs at Sylvia’s. The secret ? Tangy, not too sweet barbecue sauce and a special way of preparing the ribs that’s described here. 2 slabs pork spareribs (about 3 1/2 pounds total) 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 1/2 teaspoon salt flakes 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 to 3 cups white wine vinegar To make the ribs easier to handle, cut each slab between the middle bones into 2 equal pieces. Rub the salt, black pepper, and red pepper into both sides of the ribs. Place the ribs in a deep baking dish, cover them, and refrigerate overnight. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Pour the vinegar over the ribs and bake 1 1/2 hours. Rotate the ribs two or three times during baking and spoon some of the pan juices over them. Remove the ribs from the baking dish and place in a single layer on baking sheets. (Line the baking sheets with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.)"Bake 450 F for 1 hour. The ribs should be tender and well browned. This much can be done up to a day in advance. Cool The ribs, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature for about 1 hour before continuing To finish the ribs, preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut the slabs between the bones into individual ribs. Place the ribs in a baking dish large enough to hold them comfortably. Spoon enough of the barbecue sauce over them to coat lightly. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve with additional barbecue sauce on the side.

BARBECUE SAUCE MAKES ABOUT 5 CUPS Ruth developed this recipe because she found most barbecue sauces too vinegary or bitter, and it’s the secret to our popular ribs. Simple to prepare and absolutely delicious, once made and strained it keeps for quite a while, at least a month-that is, if you can keep from using it that long. 16 ounces Red Devil Hot Sauce 3 cups tomato puree 2 1 /2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes 1 1/2 cups water 1 small onion, sliced 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 small stalk celery, sliced 1 lemon, sliced Combine all ingredients in a heavy pot and heat just till hot. Don’t bring to a boil or the sauce will turn dark and become thin. Cool the sauce to room temperature, strain it, and store it in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator.