Masala Farm
Page 11
Pour in the port and red wine, and stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to release the browned bits. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed by the onions but the pan is still wet, about 30 seconds. Add the warm vegetable broth, water, and Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (if using) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.
While the soup cooks, adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the broiler to high. Slice the baguette on the bias into ¼-in-/6-mm-thick slices. (If you are serving the soup in wide-mouthed bowls, make the slices longer by angling your knife more. If your bowls are smaller, adjust the length of the bread slices accordingly.) Place the slices on an aluminum foil–lined baking sheet and drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil over the top. Broil until browned and toasted, about 1 minute. Remove from the oven, turn the slices over, and sprinkle the tops of the untoasted bread with the cheese. Broil until the cheese is browned and bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes.
Divide the hot soup into bowls. Place a few slices of Gruyère toast, cheeseside up, in each bowl and serve immediately.
Peanut Chaat
This snack is one of my favorite chaats to make, as it never fails to surprise and delight with its contrast of crunchy peanuts, crisp curry leaves, tender onions, and juicy tomatoes (chaat means “to lick” in Hindi). It is so simple and basic but so satisfying and delicious, plus peanuts are a wonderful cholesterol-free source of protein, which is especially important if you eat a primarily meat-free diet.
Peanut Chaat was a big hit when I made it for the annual Chef’s Brunch during the Al Fresco Weekend at the Courthouse Community Center in Salem, New York. I went through 60 lb/27 kg of peanuts in the blink of an eye, and had I been feeling more generous, I’m sure I could have dished out 100 lb/45 kg of peanut chaat without a problem. You can make it as mild or as spicy as you like by adding to or subtracting from the cayenne and chaat masala called for here.
Serves 8
2 tbsp peanut oil
12 fresh or 18 frozen curry leaves (see Farmhouse Basics), very finely chopped
¼ tsp cumin seeds
6 cups/875 g roasted, salted peanuts
1 large red onion, very finely chopped
1 jalapeño, halved and seeded (leave the seeds for a spicier flavor)
1 large tomato, halved, seeded, and finely chopped
½ cup/20 g fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1½ tsp chaat masala (see Farmhouse Basics)
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp kosher salt
Juice of 1 lime, or more to taste
Heat the peanut oil, curry leaves, and cumin seeds in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the curry leaves are crisp and the cumin seeds are golden, about 2 minutes. Add the peanuts and cook, stirring often, until they’re golden and glossy, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the onion and jalapeño, and cook just until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat; stir in the tomato, cilantro, chaat masala, cayenne, and salt; and then stir in the lime juice. Using tongs or a spoon, mix well and serve warm.
VARIATION: SOUTH INDIAN PEANUT CHAAT
For a southern Indian flavor, omit the chaat masala and add ½ tsp brown mustard seeds along with the curry leaves and cumin seeds. Add 2 tsp Sambhaar Powder (see Farmhouse Basics) along with the cilantro and remaining ingredients.
Chaat Fries
These homemade fries are absolutely worth the time and effort it takes to make them. Panditji, my parents’ cook, always made them for my brother and me on days when we had cricket practice. He knew we’d invade the house with our teammates, all of us ravenous. We’d keep devouring these fries, which are flavored with a spice blend called chaat masala that is at once salty and savory and wonderful, until he ran through as many potatoes as he could possibly have in the house—often up to 20 lb/9 kg!
Chaat masala is integral to chaat and is perhaps my favorite Indian seasoning. Sprinkle it on just about anything, from grilled corn to roasted sweet potatoes.
Serves 4 to 6
3 lb/1.4 kg Yukon gold potatoes
2 tsp chaat masala (see Farmhouse Basics)
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 cups/1.4 L canola or vegetable oil
Peel the potatoes and slice them lengthwise into third-inch/8-mm-thick planks. Slice each plank into third-inch/8-mm-wide sticks. As you’re slicing the potatoes, place them in a large bowl of ice water so that they don’t oxidize and discolor. Mix together the chaat masala, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
While you peel the potatoes, slowly heat the canola oil to 275°F/135°C in a wok or saucepan (you should have at least 2 in/5 cm of oil in the pan). Place a clean kitchen towel on your worksurface and lift about one-third of the potatoes out of the bowl, shaking off as much of the excess water as possible. Place them on the kitchen towel to drain, blotting the potatoes dry as best as you can (an extra towel and paper towels may come in handy).
Heat the oven to 250°F/120°C/gas ½. Drop the first batch of potatoes into the hot oil, reduce the heat to medium, and, using a frying spider or slotted spoon, turn the potatoes often so that they cook evenly. Once the temperature of the oil dips to 250°F/120°C, after 5 to 7 minutes, increase the heat to medium-high and cook the potatoes until they become golden brown, about 7 minutes more. Transfer the fries to a paper towel–lined plate to drain and then place on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with one-third of the spice mixture and keep them warm in the oven while you cook the remaining potatoes in batches. Serve immediately.
“I Can’t Believe It’s Not Meat” Ragu Over Fettuccine
This is the ragu I turn to when I crave something robustly flavored, hearty, and substantial. It is so deeply seasoned that many dinner guests never guess it is a vegetarian sauce. The trick is to chop the vegetables in a food processor, so they give the sauce heft and body and the slightly rough texture of a meat sauce. For a spicier version, add ½ tsp red pepper flakes and double the amount of black pepper. Sometimes I like to add a dash or two of balsamic vinegar at the end for a slightly sweeter sauce.
Serves 8
1 large red onion
4 medium carrots
4 medium celery stalks
1 lb/455 g cremini mushroom caps
¼ cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
3 whole cloves
1-in/2.5-cm cinnamon stick
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp dried rosemary
1/8 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp salt, plus 1 tbsp
4 cups/900 g canned or boxed crushed tomatoes
½ cup/120 ml dry red wine (like Grenache)
1 tsp Herbes de Hebron or herbes de Provence
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 lb/455 g whole-grain, multigrain, or nutrientenriched fettuccine pasta
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving
In the bowl of a food processor, process the onion until it’s very fine but not a paste. Scrape it out into a small bowl and set aside. Process the carrots and celery until fine and scrape into another bowl. Process the mushrooms until fine and set aside (they can stay in the food processor bowl).
Heat the olive oil with the cloves, cinnamon stick, pepper, basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme in a large pot over medium-high heat until the cinnamon stick begins to unfurl, about 2 minutes.
Add the onion and the 2 tsp salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is browned, about 12 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is somewhat reduced, about 4 mi
nutes.
Pour in 1 cup/240 ml water and the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours for a more deeply flavored ragu (if after 1 hour the soup looks thick and jammy, add an extra ½ cup/120 ml water). Add the Herbes de Hebron and butter and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes longer to allow the flavors to come together.
While the ragu simmers, cook the fettuccine. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the remaining 1 tbsp salt and the fettuccine and cook, following the package instructions until the pasta is al dente. Drain the fettuccine in a colander and turn it out into the ragu. Toss to coat the pasta with the sauce and divide among 8 bowls. Top with Parmigiano-Regggiano and serve.
Farro and Mushroom Burgers
The farm has become a wonderful draw for friends from around the world who want to come to visit us and experience our new life. I encourage everyone to make our home their home, with full kitchen privileges. Charlie and I were smitten when our friend Joyce Goldstein, the incredibly talented award-winning chef, trendsetter (she steered the café kitchen at Chez Panisse for years), and author of more than twenty-seven cookbooks, came to visit us at the farm. We happily cooked together and learned from each other.
While I shared my ideas and techniques for cooking with Indian flavors, Joyce introduced us to farro and how wonderfully delicious it is. Farro is now always in my pantry. I love using it in this recipe for veggie burgers. In addition to protein and heart-healthy fiber, the texture it contributes is incredibly hearty. You can sandwich the burgers in a bun (top with Tomato-Onion-Peanut Chutney, see Farmhouse Basics) or eat it as a cutlet with chutney and a green salad on the side. When Charlie, Raquel, and I were working on recipes for this book, Raquel came to the farm eight-months pregnant; she and her four-year-old son devoured these burgers with such voracity that I am convinced neither missed the presence of meat! If you can’t find farro, you can make the burgers with quinoa instead.
Makes 10 patties
¾ cup/125 g farro
1 lb/455 g red potatoes (about 3)
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
6 tbsp/85 g unsalted butter
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lb/455 g cremini mushroom caps, finely chopped
1¼ tsp kosher salt
5 to 8 tbsp/75 to 120 ml extra-virgin olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp dry white wine, dry vermouth, or water
½ cup/50 g finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 cup/50 g panko bread crumbs
Bring 2¼ cups/540 ml water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the farro, return to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low, cooking until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, fluff the farro with a fork, cover, and set aside.
While the farro cooks, boil the potatoes. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add the potatoes, return the water to a boil, and cook until a paring knife easily slips into the center of the largest potato, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Once the potatoes are cool, peel them and place them in a large bowl.
Remove the needles and leaves from the rosemary and thyme sprigs and place them in a large frying pan along with the butter and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Once the herbs start cracking, after about 1½ minutes, add the mushrooms and salt. Cook until the mushrooms release their liquid and the pan is dry again, 6 to 7 minutes, stirring often. Transfer the mushrooms to the bowl with the potatoes and set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in the same frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until they are soft and just starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and stir to work in any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and scrape the shallots into the bowl with the mushrooms and potatoes. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano along with the cooked farro. Use a potato masher or fork to mash the ingredients together.
Form the mixture into ten patties. Place the panko in a shallow dish and press the top and bottom of each patty into the panko to evenly coat. Heat 4 tbsp/60 ml of the olive oil in a clean large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add five patties and cook on each side until nicely browned and crusty, 8 to 10 minutes total. Remove the patties from the frying pan and place them on a plate. Repeat with the remaining patties, adding more oil between batches if necessary. Serve hot.
Peanut Fried Chicken
The fried chicken that I serve at my restaurant, Dévi, has a true following. The secret is in the spice-packed buttermilk brine and the spiced flour mixture I use for the breading. I apply those same tactics to this completely gluten-free recipe for fried chicken. Instead of wheat flour, I use a combination of peanut flour (see Farmhouse Resources), cornmeal (for crunch), and either amaranth or rice flour (for a shatteringly crisp coating). Fried in a cast-iron frying pan, every bite of this spice-laden country staple instantly transports me from my quiet farm to the bazaars and souqs of faraway lands where the air is laced with spices and the staccato of marketplace banter.
Serves 4
FOR THE BRINE
3 cups/720 ml buttermilk
¼ cup/50 g kosher salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp Garam Masala (see Farmhouse Basics)
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp sweet paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
One 3½- to 4-lb/1.6- to 1.8-kg chicken, cut into 8 pieces and breasts halved crosswise if large
4 to 6 cups/960 ml to 1.4 L peanut oil for frying
1½ cups/135 g peanut flour
½ cup/80 g amaranth or rice flour
1 cup/160 g cornmeal
1 tbsp Garam Masala (see Farmhouse Basics)
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Kosher salt for serving
To make the brine: Whisk together the buttermilk, salt, sugar, garam masala, coriander, pepper, paprika, and cayenne in a large bowl until the salt is dissolved.
Add the chicken and turn to coat in the brine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 36 hours. (To save space in the fridge, divide the chicken between two 1-gl/3.8-L resealable plastic bags, making sure to evenly cover with brine.)
Pour the peanut oil into a large pot or deep cast-iron frying pan, making sure the oil fills the pan to a depth of 1 to 1½ in/2.5 to 4 cm. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F/180°C on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the chicken from the brine and place on a plate. Whisk both flours and the cornmeal with the spices in a large bowl. Add the chicken to the dry mixture and toss around to coat evenly. Let the chicken sit in the spiced flour while the oil heats. Add the chicken to the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides, about 12 minutes for the wings and legs, and 15 minutes for the breasts and thighs. (If at any time during frying the temperature of the oil dips below 300°F/150°C, increase the heat to medium-high.) Using tongs, transfer the fried chicken to a cooling rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and let cool for at least 5 minutes before sprinkling with salt and serving. Serve warm (the chicken can be kept warm in a 200°F/95°C oven if you like) or at room temperature.
Farm Yarn:
The Battenkill Kitchen
Charlie and I strive to help make our community a food-centric one. One cause we are particularly committed to is the Battenkill Kitchen, a shared-use licensed facility that is available for food start-up ventures, as well as culinary education classes.
Say you have a bumper blueberry crop one year—well, for just $25 an hour, you can rent the kitchen to make blueberry pies or to can blueberry jam to sell. The kitchen is licensed, certified, and maintained, so entrepreneurs don’t have to worry about the red tape of production. In addition, the kitchen is equipped for large-scale production, so people can make large b
atches of whatever it is that they plan to sell.
Charlie has been a Battenkill Kitchen board member since 2008 and has focused on raising funds to keep the kitchen sparkling, maintained, and equipped. To raise money, he brings in top chefs, like Joyce Goldstein, Hiroko Shimbo, and Rose Levy Beranbaum, to teach culinary classes to intimate groups of twelve to sixteen students. In addition to the students who pay the full face value for a spot in the class, the kitchen offers a free spot to a Salem Food Pantry customer so that he or she can learn how to incorporate the fresh vegetables received from the pantry into interesting dishes to make at home for his or her family. Other classes emphasize in-season fruits and vegetables and are taught by Annette Nielsen, a local foodie, journalist, and community activist.
As much produce as possible is brought in from the food pantry so that chefs can highlight various ways to cook with veggies grown on nearby farms. In addition, many farms donate produce in exchange for a reduced class fee—Hicks Orchard gives the kitchen the crispest and most flavorful heirloom New York state apples, while Slack Hollow Farm donates greens and alliums; corn and potatoes are regulars from Pat Sheldon’s farmstand, and Meg Southerland of Gardenworks gives beautiful local berries. While North Country may not have the most sophisticated restaurant scene, we are trying our hardest to bring the best culinary experiences and quality produce to the people who live here.
Herbed Pheasant Breasts with Spiced Pomegranate Reduction