The Antarctic Book of Cooking and Cleaning: A Polar Journey
Page 16
ZUCCHINI TOASTS WITH TAPENADE
I may never have thought of this sweet and savory combination if I hadn’t run out of crackers. Zucchini bread cut into bite-sized pieces, toasted and topped with a lemony tapenade makes a delicious appetizer. You can use the tail end of the loaf or make it specifically for this. Your favourite carrot bread or muffin just might work too.
Zucchini Spice Bread
2 medium zucchini // cup maple syrup // 6 tablespoons butter // 2 eggs // teaspoon vanilla // 1 cup all-purpose flour // 1 cup whole wheat flour // teaspoon salt // 2 teaspoons baking powder // teaspoon each of nutmeg and ginger // teaspoon each of allspice and cinnamon // cup walnuts // cup currants
Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a medium loaf pan or a muffin tin. Grate the zucchini (you should have about 2 cups). Place it in a colander over a bowl for 10–20 minutes, then press out any excess moisture. Put the maple syrup into a large bowl and beat at high speed for about 5 minutes. Melt the butter and add it to the bowl along with the eggs and vanilla, then beat several minutes more. Put the dry ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Add the dry ingredients to the maple syrup mixture in three stages, alternating with the zucchini so that you begin and end with the dry. Blend gently but thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the nuts and currants. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan or muffin tin. Bake until golden brown, 55–65 minutes for the loaf, 18–20 minutes for muffins or 10–12 for mini-muffins.
Makes one loaf, 1 dozen muffins or 4 dozen mini muffins.
Tapenade
1 cup kalamata olives // 4 cloves of garlic // 1 tablespoon capers // 2 to 3 anchovies // 2 tablespoons olive oil // juice of half a lemon // 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Pit the olives and combine them with the garlic, capers and anchovies in a food processor or blender. Pulse to form a paste. With the motor still running, drizzle in the olive oil and lemon juice until blended. Stir in the lemon zest.
Makes about cup.
To make zucchini toasts, slice the zucchini spice bread or muffins into manageable pieces—about inch thick and two bites worth in size. Lay the slices on a baking sheet and broil each side until the edges start to brown, about 2 minutes.
LENA’S CABBAGE PIE
Lena’s Cabbage Pie
Cabbage is right up there with root vegetables, dried fruits and legumes for reliable expedition foods. My appreciation for the humble cabbage’s versatility increased immensely over the duration of our project, especially after I made this savoury pie with Lena. The pastry is an exceptional hybrid of a yeast dough worked like puff pastry. Served with a light salad, a good sharp cheese, dried sausage, pickled onions, cornichons and grainy mustard it makes an impressive lunch. Lena claims it is her family’s pie—it could be your family’s too.
For the pastry
6 eggs // 1 cup warm milk // 1 tablespoon yeast // 2 tablespoons sugar // 3 cups all-purpose flour // 1 teaspoon salt // 1 cup butter at room temperature //
For the filling
1 onion // 3 cloves of garlic // 1 medium cabbage (about 8 cups chopped) // 3 bay leaves // 1 teaspoon dried basil // 4 tablespoons olive oil // salt and pepper to taste // a darning needle
Hard-cook four of the eggs. You can keep the yolks nice and yellow if you start them in cold water; cover and bring to a boil then remove the pot from the heat immediately. Let them stand for 20 minutes and then drain and submerge the eggs in cold water until cool enough to touch. I like to remove the shells right away so that I’m not in a rush at the last minute.
To begin the dough, dissolve 1 tablespoon of the sugar in the warm milk in a medium bowl. Whisk in the yeast and let it stand until frothy, about 10 minutes. When the yeast has proofed, whisk in one of the remaining eggs along with the salt. Gradually add the flour, using a spoon to mix. When you can no longer stir, dust your hands with flour and gather the dough into a ball. Turn it out onto lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl after greasing it with butter, turning to coat the dough all over. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and put it in a warm place to rise for about 1 hours.
While the dough is rising, mince the garlic and finely chop the onion and cabbage for the filling. Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium-low heat and cook the garlic and onions until softened. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of sugar and the basil. Add the cabbage and bay leaves and sauté covered until tender, stirring frequently so as not to brown the cabbage, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, remove the bay leaves and set aside to cool.
When the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto lightly floured surface and let it sit for a few minutes. Roll it out into 9 by 18-inch rectangle, about -inch thick. Spread two-thirds of the rectangle of dough with one-third of the butter ( cup) and fold the unbuttered portion back onto a buttered part of equal size. Fold the remaining piece back over to make three neat layers. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 45 minutes (or 20 minutes in the freezer). Return the dough to the floured surface and roll, butter, fold, wrap and refrigerate again. You’ll do this a total of three times. After the final stint in refrigerator, cut the dough in half and shape each piece into a disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
To assemble the pie
Roll out one of the disks into a 13-inch circle on a lightly floured surface and place it into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the edge to leave a -inch overhang and roll out the remaining disk into the same-size circle so that it is ready. Chop the hard-cooked eggs and arrange them evenly in the pie shell followed by the cabbage mixture mounded up nicely. Place the second piece of dough over the filling and trim it so that it extends just beyond the bottom piece of dough. Fold the overhang under the pastry rim and flute the edge to seal. To let steam escape during baking, cut decorative vents or prick the pastry with a darning needle or fork.
Whisk the remaining egg with one teaspoon of cold water until smooth and brush it evenly over the pie. Bake in the bottom third of a 400°F oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake until the crust is golden brown, 20–25 minutes longer.
Makes enough for six to eight people.
CHOCOLATE AND CREAM
Many chocolate mousse recipes incorporate eggs, but you can still create a satisfying dessert when you need to work around food allergies or save eggs for breakfast and baking.
cup Grand Marnier // 1 tablespoon sugar // 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate // 2 cups whipping cream
Pour the Grand Marnier into a tempered glass or stainless steel bowl and sprinkle in the sugar, stirring to dissolve. Put about 2 inches of water in a mid-sized pot and bring it to a gentle simmer. While the water is coming up to temperature, chop the chocolate and add it to the bowl. Set the bowl over the pot and reduce the heat so that the water is barely simmering. Stir occasionally until the mixture is glistening and not quite smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside. The residual heat from the bowl will finish the melting while you prepare the cream.
In a large bowl whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Add about a quarter of the whipped cream to the chocolate and whisk together. This will prevent the melted chocolate from seizing when it hits the cream and make it easier to bring the mousse together uniformly. Gently pour the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream and use quick, delicate strokes to fold until smooth and luxurious. Transfer to a serving bowl or individual bowls or glasses and refrigerate until firm. Chocolate cream can be made a day or two in advance. Serve with chocolate shavings or curls.
Makes enough for six to eight people.
To make chocolate shavings, draw a sharp vegetable peeler down the side of a block of chocolate.
For curls, melt a small amount of chocolate over hot water and use an offset spatula to spread it over the bottom of a baking sheet. Place it in the refrigerator to set, about 15 minutes. When the chocolate has cooled sufficiently, pull the side of a spoon along it in one long definite stroke—a 4-inch pull makes a nice curl.
Place the curls on a wax paper-lined pan and refrigerate until you are ready to use them.
GREAT WALL DUMPLINGS (JIAOZI)
It must have been a slow science day when I went to the Great Wall station to learn how to make dumplings. A steady stream of people abandoned their labs and crowded into the kitchen to catch a glimpse and take photographs of a foreigner getting a cooking lesson. Many offered pointers. Dumplings are a delightfully serious undertaking.
This recipe makes 24 dumplings with meat or vegetable filling. You can also halve the filling ingredients and make 12 of each kind.
For the dough
1 cup all-purpose flour // cup water
Mix the flour with the water in a small bowl. Mr. Wong says to use warm water in the winter and cold in the spring, summer and fall. If the water is too hot the dough will be too difficult to work with. Su Chung says his family always uses cold—everyone has their own approach. Let the dough sit for 10 minutes or so, but not longer than 30 minutes or it will be too soft to work with. While it rests you’ll have just enough time to prepare the filling.
For meat filling
2 green onions // 2 cloves of garlic // a thumb of fresh ginger (about 1 teaspoon minced) // pound minced pork or beef // water or sesame oil
Peel and mince the onions, garlic and ginger and put them into a small bowl. Add the meat and mix together well, then add enough water or oil to make the mixture sticky.
For vegetable filling
2 green onions // 2 cloves of garlic // a thumb of fresh ginger (about 1 teaspoon) // 1 stalk celery // 10 snow peas // 1 carrot // 10 bamboo shoots // 2 water chestnuts // 5 Chinese black mushrooms (soaked in advance) // sesame oil
You are going to want a really fine mince. Start with the green onions, garlic and ginger and set them aside in a medium bowl. Mince the celery, snow peas, carrot, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and mushrooms and place in a sieve, pressing out any excess water. Add to the bowl, mix well and then drizzle in enough sesame oil to make the filling sticky, about 2 teaspoons. Set aside until you are ready to make the dumplings.
To make the dumpling skins, dust your hands with flour and knead the dough in the bowl for a few turns. It will still be quite soft so you will want to work quickly. Scoop it into a ball, and then transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll out one of the pieces into a long rope, about 1-inch in diameter throughout. Cut the rope into equal-sized knobs, dust with flour and roll into small balls. Repeat with the remaining dough—you should be able to get about 24 balls. To form each skin, press one of the balls with the palm of your hand then switch to a rolling pin. Roll out from the centre in both directions to make a uniform circle, about 2-inches in diameter. Taper the edges as you go. Alternatively, you can form the skins using the flat side of a cleaver and a forceful smack.
Have a small bowl of water ready. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of filling in the centre of a skin. Brush water around the outer edge and fold one side over to make a half-moon. Press the edges together then pick up the dumpling. Using the palm of your hand to support the bottom, crimp the outer edges together like a fan. As you get better at it you may be able to increase the amount of filling you add and make a really fancy edge. Continue until all the skins are filled.
To cook the dumplings, bring 2 quarts of salted water to boil in a large pot or wok. Add the dumplings, return to a boil, then pour in cup cold water to take the boil down. You are going to do this two more times. When the dumplings have come to boil a total of three times, strain and rinse under cold water to keep them from sticking. Serve with malt vinegar or soya sauce.
Makes enough for four to six people.
UKRAINIAN CABBAGE ROLLS
Thank goodness for Patricia, the dear Ukrainian woman who helped look after my family when I was growing up. She never actually taught me how to make her cabbage rolls, but when I felt compelled to give them a try in Antarctica I found I could because I’d watched her so many times. There is a strong argument for letting kids get underfoot in the kitchen in here.
It was my mother’s idea to top them with pineapple. The sweetness was a surprise to the Russians when I shared a batch with them—they claimed Russian food was not as “flavourful.”
2 heads green cabbage // 4 onions // 6 cloves of garlic // 3 tablespoons butter // cup long grain rice // 2 cups water // 2 pounds lean ground beef // salt // pepper // 1 can tomato juice (48 ounces) // 1 can crushed or chopped pineapple (14 ounces)
To prepare for blanching the cabbage, put a large pot of salted water on to boil. You are also going to want to have large bowl full of ice water ready (the sink is even better) and some tea towels laid out to drain the leaves.
Core the cabbages and remove any tired-looking outer leaves while you are waiting for the water to boil. Blanch the cabbages one at a time for 5–8 minutes until the leaves are softened. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cabbage from the pot and then immerse in the ice water.
When the cabbage is cool enough to touch, working from the core end, gently peel back the leaves and place on the tea towels to drain. Pop the cabbage back into the boiling water for 2–3 minutes when the leaves start to resist. You should be able to pull off 12–15 leaves before they become too difficult or small to remove. Reserve some leaves to cover the rolls in the pan as well.
Repeat with the second cabbage. Before moving on to the filling, smash the coarse veins on the larger leaves with the palm of your hand or a mallet. This will make them easier to roll.
Mince the onions and garlic. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic until they are quite soft. Add the rice and cook for a minute or so, stirring to coat each grain with butter. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Scrape the rice mixture into a large bowl and let cool for 5–10 minutes. Stir in the ground beef, salt and pepper, using a fork at first to distribute the rice, then switching to your hands to really bring things together.
Have a roasting pan and lid ready. Lay out 24 to 30 cabbage leaves.
Scoop about cup of the meat mixture onto the centre of each leaf, making adjustments to the quantity based on leaf size and condition. Using your hands, press the filling together. Fold the top and two sides of the leaf over the filling, then roll up from the bottom to form a neat bundle. Place seam side down into the roasting pan arranging half of the cabbage rolls in the first layer and nestling the remaining ones on top.
Pour in the tomato juice, making space between the rolls as needed so that it makes its way to the bottom. Top with the pineapple—the chunks are nicer looking, but crushed pineapple adds more flavour. Cover with the reserved leaves to prevent the rolls from scorching. Cover and bake at 350°F until tender, about 2 hours. I don’t think cabbage rolls need to be served with anything—eat them on their own until you’ve had your fill. They keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Makes enough for 15 people.
CANADA HOUSE CAZUELA
Canada House Cazuela
A traditional South American slow-cooked dish with large chunks of meat and vegetables, cazuela is a one-pot meal that defines rustic elegance. Fernando’s transcription of his recipe is one of my favourites. Written in Spanish, it’s more of a shopping list with cooking times noted beside ingredient groupings. An illustration shows the type of zapallo (squash) needed, but there is no indication of method. The two times I was served it at Frei base it had been made with beef. The day I visited his kitchen he’d made the cazuela with chicken. I make mine from memory.
One beef eye of round (about 5 to 6 pounds) // 1 tablespoon coarse salt // 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper // vegetable oil
For the broth
2 onions // 6 cloves of garlic // 2 carrots // 1 sweet red pepper // 1 tablespoon each of dried thyme and oregano // 3 bay leaves // water
For the cazuela
6 medium-sized potato
es // 2 carrots // 1 medium butternut squash // 4 ears of corn // pound green beans
Season the beef on all sides. Warm a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add enough oil to make a thin coating on the bottom. If you don’t have a pot large enough, try a roasting pan and set it over two burners.
When the oil is hot put the meat in the pot and sear until the first side is well browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the beef onto another side and sear for several minutes. Continue in this manner until the entire roast is nicely crusted and the meat juices have caramelized along the bottom of the pan, about 15 minutes. Don’t be afraid to go back over a side if you think you can get more colour from it.
While the meat is browning, prep the vegetables for the broth: leave the skin on the onions and cut them in two; smash the garlic, skin and all; peel and halve the carrots; seed and quarter the pepper. Arrange the vegetables around the roast as it finishes searing, then add the thyme, oregano and bay leaves. Pour in enough water to come halfway up the roast, cover partially and bring just to a boil.
Reduce the heat and gently simmer until tender, 3–4 hours. Turn the meat twice over the course of the cooking time and skim off fat as necessary. You’ll also need to keep an eye on the level of the braising liquid and top it up with hot water so that the roast is always half immersed. When the meat is tender, remove the pot from the heat and set aside to cool. I like to cook the beef a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator immersed it in its broth until I’m ready to finish the cazuela. This makes it easier to remove any fat and renders the beef even more succulent.