Terra : Cooking from the Heart of Napa Valley (9780307815323)

by Sone, Hiro; Doumani, Lissa; Puck, Wolfgang (FRW)

TWIST THE HEADS OFF THE PRAWNS, then shell and devein. Reserve the head and shells for the sauce; refrigerate the cleaned shrimp.

  TO MAKE THE SAUCE, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion, carrot, and garlic until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp shells and heads, increase the heat to high, and sauté for 3 minutes, using a wooden spoon to crush the heads and shells so they release their juices. Add the curry powder and sauté for 1 minute. Add the Cognac and carefully ignite it with a long-handled match. When the flames have subsided, add the stock, cream, tomato paste, and fennel seeds. Return the mixture to a boil, skim off any foam that develops, and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Rinse out the pan and return the sauce to the pan. Cook the sauce over medium heat until reduced to 1 cup. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

  Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large nonstick sauté pan or skillet over high heat. Season the prawns with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 1 minute on each side, or until they turn red. At the same time, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in another large sauté pan or skillet over high heat, and cook the shallots until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and snow peas and sauté for about 2 minutes, then add the tomato concassée and sauté for 10 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

  TO SERVE, divide three-fourths of the sauce among 4 warmed plates. Evenly distribute the black trumpet mushrooms and snow peas over the sauce. Arrange 5 prawns on top of each serving of mushrooms and snow peas. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the prawns.

  Grilled Lingcod with English Peas and Peeky Toe Crab Risotto

  Serves 4

  We like the depth of flavor and contrasting textures that come from using more than one cooking technique in a single presentation. In this case, the creamy richness of the risotto sets off the smokiness of the grilled lingcod beautifully. Both the fish and the risotto work well on their own, too. You can serve the lingcod with just the sauce and some simple vegetables, and the risotto makes a perfect first course or lunch entreé. If you’re lucky enough to find fresh English peas, don’t let them sit out or in the refrigerator for long. Their sugar will begin turning to starch, and they’ll be less sweet. Instead, shuck and blanch them the minute you get them home; they can then be kept for up to a day. Peeky Toe crabs come from the same family as Dungeness crab, but they’re smaller and sweeter.

  4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless lingcod fillets

  1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  Sauce

  2 teaspoons olive oil

  ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

  1 teaspoon minced garlic

  2 tablespoons dry white wine

  ⅓ cup tomato concassée

  ⅔ cup fish stock or chicken stock

  ¼ teaspoon saffron threads

  Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

  Risotto

  3 to 4 cups chicken stock

  1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  ½ cup chopped onion

  1 teaspoon minced garlic

  1 cup arborio rice

  ¼ cup dry white wine

  Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

  ¼ cup English peas

  ½ cup fresh lump Peeky Toe, Dungeness, or Blue crabmeat, picked over for shell

  ⅛ teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

  ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

  2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese

  12 oyster mushrooms, each about

  3 inches long, cleaned

  1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

  Garnish

  12 sugar snap peas, stemmed

  4 fresh tarragon sprigs

  MARINATE THE LINGCOD in the olive oil for at least 1 hour. If grilling, prepare a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill. If pan-roasting, preheat the oven to 350°.

  TO MAKE THE SAUCE, heat the olive oil, chili flakes, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat until the garlic is golden brown. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomato concassée, stock, and saffron, and return the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

  TO MAKE THE RISOTTO, bring the stock to a simmer. In a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, add the onion and garlic, and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon until the outside of the rice becomes opaque. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir constantly, scraping the entire bottom of the pan until almost all the wine is absorbed by the rice. Add 1 cup of the simmering chicken stock. The rice should be kept at a fast simmer and not a boil as you stir and add stock. Stir the rice constantly until almost all the stock has been absorbed. Add ½ cup of the simmering stock, stirring constantly, until almost all the stock has been absorbed. Repeat the process until the rice is almost tender yet firm, 10 to 12 minutes (the amount of stock added may be decreased to ¼ cup as the cooking progresses). Add the peas and crabmeat and cook, stirring constantly, until the risotto is tender but firm. Add the tarragon, Parmesan, and mascarpone, and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

  Just before the risotto is ready, season the lingcod with salt and pepper, then grill for about 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned on the outside and opaque throughout. Or, heat an ovenproof sauté pan or skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the lingcod, and cook for 2 minutes on one side or until lightly browned, then turn it over and put the pan in the oven to roast for 3 to 4 minutes, or until opaque throughout.

  Meanwhile, coat the oyster mushrooms with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill or sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

  Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the sugar snap peas and blanch for 1 minute or until crisp-tender.

  TO SERVE, reheat the sauce. Divide the risotto among 4 warmed shallow bowls. Place a piece of lingcod on top of the risotto. Arrange the oyster mushrooms and sugar snap peas around the lingcod, then spoon the sauce on top of the fish and around the risotto. Place a tarragon sprig on top of each serving of lingcod.

  Pan-Roasted California White Bass with Preserved-Lemon Beurre Blanc and Roasted Shad Roe

  Serves 4

  Shad roe is the holy grail of seafood. True aficionados will go to any lengths to get their hands on these succulent eggs of the small North American shad herring, available only in the late spring. If you can’t find it, don’t let that stop you from trying this recipe; just leave the roe out. We love the mild flavor and succulent texture of California white bass, and even without the shad roe it’s a beautiful dish.

  Preserved-Lemon Beurre Blanc

  1 cup dry white wine

  2 teaspoons chopped shallot

  ⅓ cup heavy cream

  ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

  2 teaspoons chopped preserved lemon rind

  Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

  4 (5-ounce) California white bass fillets, at least 1 inch thick, skin on

  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  Flour for dredging

  2 tablespoons clarified butter

  ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

  2 (8-ounce) shad roe

  4 cloves garlic, smashed

  3 tablespoons tomato concassée

  ¼ cup veal stock or brown chicken stock

  1 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  1 ounce shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and sliced

  8 cups spinach leaves

  ⅛ teaspoon minced garlic

  ¼ cup water

  TO MAKE THE BEURRE BLANC, combine the wine and shallot in a small nonreactive saucepan, and cook over high heat until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add the cream and cook until reduced by t
wo thirds. Decrease the heat to low and whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time. If the butter starts to melt instead of incorporating into the cream, remove the pan from the heat for a minute and continue whisking. Add the lemon, salt, and pepper (preserved lemon is salty, so go lightly on the salt). Keep warm in a double boiler.

  TO COOK THE BASS, preheat the oven to 500°. With a small, sharp knife, make 2 to 3 slits across the width on the skin side of the fillets; this will keep them from curling. Season them with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in flour. Heat the clarified butter in a large ovenproof sauté pan or skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the bass, skin side down, and cook until the skin is crisp and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the fillets over, put the pan in the oven, and roast for 2 to 3 minutes, or until opaque throughout. Remove from the oven and keep warm.

  TO COOK THE SHAD ROE, season them with salt and pepper, then lightly dredge in flour. Melt the butter in a medium nonstick sauté pan or skillet over low heat. When the butter starts to bubble, add the shad roe and garlic and cook until the shad roe are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Be sure to keep the butter temperature low, because if the temperature gets too high, the eggs will explode. When the garlic is brown, remove it with a slotted spoon. Once the shad roe are cooked, add the tomato concassée and veal stock, and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, season with salt and pepper, then add the parsley and gently mix in. Set aside and keep warm.

  TO COOK THE VEGETABLES, melt the butter in a large sauté pan or skillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms, spinach, and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the water, cover the pan, and steam just until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

  TO SERVE, mound the mushroom and spinach mixture on 4 warmed plates. Top each mound with a piece of bass. Spoon the sauce around the bass, then cut the shad roe into 12 pieces and place 3 pieces of roe around the mushrooms on the sauce on each plate. Top each piece of roe with the roe sauce.

  “Mounting” a Sauce with Butter

  THIS FINISHING TECHNIQUE, KNOWN IN FRENCH AS MONTER AU BEURRE, IS USED TO ROUND OUT THE FLAVOR OF A SAUCE, THICKEN IT SLIGHTLY, AND GIVE IT AN ATTRACTIVE SHEEN. IT’S DONE RIGHT AT THE LAST MINUTE. ONCE THE SAUCE HAS FINISHED COOKING AND YOU’RE READY TO SERVE, REDUCE THE HEAT TO VERY LOW OR REMOVE THE PAN FROM THE HEAT ALTOGETHER. THE BUTTER SHOULD BE COLD AND IN SMALL PIECES THE SIZE OF ALMONDS. ADD THE BUTTER AND GENTLY SHAKE THE PAN OR STIR THE BUTTER IN WITH A WHISK. YOU WANT THE BUTTER TO MELT SLOWLY SO IT BECOMES EMULSIFIED INTO THE SAUCE. IF IT MELTS TOO FAST, IT WILL SEPARATE AND COAT THE TOP OF THE SAUCE. ONCE FINISHED IN THIS WAY, A SAUCE CANNOT BE REHEATED (THE BUTTER WILL SEPARATE), BUT IT CAN BE KEPT WARM FOR A SHORT WHILE OVER A WATER BATH.

  Broiled Sake-Marinated Chilean Sea Bass with Shrimp Dumplings in Shiso Broth

  Broiled Sake-Marinated Chilean Sea Bass with Shrimp Dumplings in Shiso Broth

  Serves 4

  We like to joke that this dish doesn’t need us any more. It’s so popular, it can have a restaurant of its own. In fact, we could never take it off our menu because people ask for it year after year. The fish takes on a deep mahogany glaze and it sits in a beautiful broth with shiso leaves and delicate shrimp dumplings. It’s a great choice for entertaining because you can prepare everything ahead of time and finish the dish in just a few minutes.

  4 (6- to 7-ounce) Chilean sea bass fillets, about 2 by 2 by 4 inches each

  ¾ cup sake marinade

  Shrimp Filling

  5½ ounces rock shrimp, deveined

  2½ ounces scallops

  1 tablespoon beaten egg

  ¼ teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger

  ¼ teaspoon grated fresh garlic

  2 teaspoons sugar

  2 teaspoons mirin

  2 teaspoons soy sauce

  Pinch of freshly ground white pepper

  1 tablespoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil

  1 egg yolk

  ¼ teaspoon water

  20 wonton wrappers

  Shiso Broth

  2 cups chicken stock or water (really)

  1 tablespoon soy sauce

  2 teaspoons mirin

  2 teaspoons rice vinegar

  ⅛ teaspoon grated garlic

  ⅛ teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger

  ½ teaspoon sugar

  ½ teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil

  ¾ ounce shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and thinly sliced

  20 thin slices peeled carrot

  ¼ cup julienned leek (white part only)

  1 cup spinach leaves

  Garnish

  4 shiso leaves, cut into chiffonade

  1½ teaspoons white sesame seeds, toasted

  TO MARINATE THE SEA BASS, put the fillets in a nonreactive container and pour the marinade over the tops, making sure the fillets are completely covered by the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

  TO MAKE THE FILLING, combine all the ingredients except the sesame oil in a food processor and process until smooth. With the machine running, gradually add the sesame oil through the feed tube and process to mix.

  In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk with the water to make an egg wash for the wonton wrappers. To assemble the dumplings, follow the directions for ravioli. Use 1 scant tablespoon of the filling for each dumpling.

  TO MAKE THE BROTH, whisk together all the ingredients in a medium bowl.

  TO COOK THE SEA BASS, preheat the broiler. Take the sea bass fillets out of the marinade and place on a baking sheet pan. Broil 3 inches from the heat source for about 10 minutes, or until a deep mahogany in color outside and opaque throughout. Set aside and keep warm.

  Meanwhile, being a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the shrimp dumplings and cook for 3 minutes, or until translucent; drain. In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a boil and add the shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and leek. Lower the heat to a simmer, then add the spinach and dumplings and simmer just to warm, about 5 seconds.

  TO SERVE, divide the dumplings, vegetables, and broth among 4 warmed large shallow bowls and sprinkle with the shiso. Place a fillet in the center of each bowl and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

  Pan-Roasted Medallions of Salmon on Brandade with Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce

  Serves 4

  All over Europe, a favorite way to prepare salt cod is to soak it in water, then whip it with olive oil and other ingredients into a fluffy purée. It’s baccalà in Italy, brandade in southern France. And in St. Helena, we like to make our own version using fresh Chilean sea bass, which we salt overnight, then poach and purée with mashed potatoes. Our brandade makes an ideal base for grilled or broiled fish, and we love how it tastes with these peppered salmon medallions. The hearty cabernet sauce that finishes this dish gives you the perfect excuse to break out a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to serve with it.

  Brandade

  8 ounces Chilean sea bass fillet, cut into 1-inch cubes

  2 teaspoons salt

  ⅔ cup hot mashed potatoes

  Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce

  2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon

  1 teaspoon minced shallot

  ½ cup veal stock

  2 tablespoons tomato puree

  2 teaspoons cold unsalted butter

  Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  Sugar to taste (optional)

  28 ounces center-cut salmon fillet, skinned and pin bones removed

  ½ teaspoon cracked black peppercorns

  Salt

  4 tablespoons unsalted butter

  1 teaspoon minced shallot

  1 ounce morel, chanterelle, or oyster mushrooms, cleaned

  12 yellow wax beans, stemmed and blanched

  1 tablespoon tomato concassée

  12 fresh chervil sprigs

  TO START THE BRANDADE, put the sea bass in a small bowl, toss with the salt, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

  TO PREPARE THE SAUCE, combine the wine and shallot
in a small, heavy nonreactive saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Add the veal stock and tomato puree and cook until reduced to ½ cup. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and return to the saucepan. Just before serving, bring the sauce to a simmer and remove it from the heat. Add the butter and incorporate it by gently shaking the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning with a pinch of sugar if the sauce is too acidic.

  TO FINISH THE BRANDADE, bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add the sea bass and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until white throughout; drain well. Place it in a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the hot mashed potatoes and beat until well blended. Set aside and keep warm.

  TO COOK THE SALMON, preheat the oven to 400°. Cut the salmon fillet crosswise into 4 equal strips. Roll each strip into a medallion, starting with the thicker end and moving towards the thin end, with the former skin side inside. Tie each medallion with a piece of kitchen string. Sprinkle one side of each medallion with the cracked peppercorns and press gently. Season with salt.

  Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in an ovenproof nonstick sauté pan or skillet over medium heat, add the salmon, pepper side down, and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the salmon over, put the pan in the oven, and roast for 2 to 3 minutes for medium rare. Set aside and keep warm.

  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium sauté pan or skillet over medium heat and sauté the shallot and morel mushrooms for 2 minutes, or until the shallot is translucent. Add the beans and tomato concassée, and cook for 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper.

  TO SERVE, divide the brandade among 4 warmed plates and place a salmon medallion on top of the brandade. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the sauce around each medallion. Arrange the mushroom mixture over the salmon and garnish with 3 sprigs of chervil.