Terra : Cooking from the Heart of Napa Valley (9780307815323)
Page 23
12 ounces puff pastry, made with unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon water
Chocolate Fudge Sauce
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
¼ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup coffee or water
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
Caramelized Bananas
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Myers’s rum
¼ cup heavy cream
4 ripe bananas without large brown spots
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 pint Myers’s Rum–Currant Ice Cream
TO MAKE THE FEUILLETÉES, preheat the oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper. On a lightly floured board, roll the puff pastry out into an 11 by 7-inch rectangle that is ¼ inch thick. Using a very sharp knife, trim the edges and cut the pastry into 4 pieces, each 5 inches by 3 inches, and lay the pieces on the parchment paper, evenly spaced. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk with the water to make an egg wash. Carefully brush the top of the puff pastry with the egg wash, being careful not to let it run down the sides, because the pastry will not rise in that spot. Refrigerate until the puff pastry is very cold again, about 30 minutes. Place the pan in the upper third of the oven and bake for 7 minutes, then rotate the pan and decrease the oven temperature to 350°. Continue baking until richly brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pastries to a wire rack to cool.
TO MAKE THE SAUCE, melt the chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water (don’t let the water touch the bottom of the bowl, or the chocolate will get too hot). In a small nonreactive sauté pan or skillet over high heat, heat the corn syrup, coffee, and sugar to a boil. Add the cocoa powder and instant espresso, and whisk constantly until the liquid is dark and slightly thickened and you can no longer taste the graininess of the cocoa. Remove from the heat and whisk in the melted chocolate. Return the pan to medium heat and cook the mixture for a few minutes until reduced slightly and the mixture is thick and sticky and has a glossy shine. The sauce can be made in advance and reheated gently in a double boiler over hot water. It also keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator.
TO CARAMELIZE THE BANANAS, melt the butter in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat, add the sugar, and cook until the sugar turns a dark golden brown, about 4 minutes, stirring as necessary to keep the sugar from burning. Remove the pan from the stove and add the rum (make sure the pan is not near an open flame, or the mixture could ignite). Return the pan to medium heat and gradually add the cream, swirling the pan to help incorporate the cream (again, be careful, as the mixture will splatter). Decrease the heat to low. Peel and cut the bananas in half lengthwise, then in half crosswise. Add to the caramel and let cook without stirring for about 2 minutes, or until still firm but heated through. (To make ahead, make the caramel but don’t cook the bananas until just before serving.)
TO SERVE, preheat the oven to 325°. Place the feuilletées on a baking sheet pan and heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Cut each one in half horizontally and place the bottom layer of each in the center of each of 4 dinner plates. Dust the top of each feuilletée with the confectioners’ sugar and set aside. Spoon 4 banana pieces onto each feuilletée, letting the ends of the bananas stick out, 2 from each side in a chevron, or “V” shape, pattern. Spoon the caramel sauce over and around the bananas. Top the bananas with 2 small scoops of ice cream and quickly put the other piece of feuilletée on top of each serving (this will help to hold the ice cream in place). Drizzle the warm chocolate sauce around the bananas and a little over the caramel sauce.
BASIC TECHNIQUES AND RECIPES
Preparing Artichoke Hearts and Baby Artichokes
PUT 4 ARTICHOKES IN A LARGE, NONREACTIVE POT and add 8 cups water, the juice of 1 lemon, ½ cup rice vinegar, and 2 tablespoons salt. Put a small plate on top of the artichokes to hold them under the water. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until easily pierced with a bamboo skewer or a meat fork. Remove from the heat and let the artichokes cool to room temperature in the cooking liquid. (This can be done up to 1 day in advance.) Remove all the leaves and dig out the choke with a teaspoon. Peel and trim the stem.
Baby artichokes (1½ to 2 inches in diameter) have almost no choke, so it doesn’t need to be removed. To cook 10 to 15 baby artichokes, peel off the outer leaves leaving only the pale green to yellow leaves (these are very tender). Using a large knife, trim ½ to 1 inch off the top of the leaves to remove all spines. With a paring knife, peel the stem down from the bottom and around the diameter of the heart to remove any tough outer fiber, then trim off the end of the stem. As you finish each artichoke, drop it into a bowl of 4 cups of water mixed with the juice of 1 lemon. Set aside.
In a large, nonreactive pot, combine 4 cups water, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then drain the artichokes and add to the cooking liquid. Put a small plate on top of the artichokes to hold them under water and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until easily pierced with a bamboo skewer or a meat fork. Remove the pot from the heat, and let the artichokes cool in the cooking liquid to room temperature. Before using, check for any artichokes that have a couple of small purple leaves in the center. If there are any, gently pull them out, as they will be tough.
Preparing Artichoke Hearts and Baby Artichokes
Deveining Foie Gras
TO DEVEIN FOIE GRAS you first need to understand there are 2 lobes or pieces to a foie gras, a larger, more rounded posterior lobe and a smaller, flatter anterior lobe. These are connected by membranes, nerves, and veins that need to be removed. When cleaning foie gras for a terrine it is important to keep the individual lobes as intact as possible. The foie gras should be at room temperature so that it won’t break as easily when you work on it; it usually comes in a vacuum pack, which can be left out of the refrigerator for 2½ to 3 hours.
Once the foie gras is at room temperature, start by separating the 2 lobes. Because of the temperature of the fat, the foie gras should have the consistency of soft clay. You should be able to clean each lobe without having it break apart into pieces. You will need to use your fingers and a small paring knife as you clean the foie gras. Place the larger lobe of foie gras smooth side down, and locate the area where the connecting membranes and veins are severed. Grasp the principal connecting membrane with your right hand and gently tug it to reveal the location of the central vein. As you pull, use your other hand to gently peel back the flesh of the liver, tracing the location of the vein. The central vein extends roughly two thirds down the middle of the large lobe before it forks into two separate directions, forming an upside down Y. Continue tracing the path of the vein by gently tugging it, pushing aside the flesh to reveal the vein, and removing any evidence of coagulated blood, vein, or membrane you encounter. The point of a small paring knife may help lift out these imperfections. Be sure to cut away any green discoloration (evidence of bile) that will give the liver a bitter taste, and use moist paper towels to clean your hands and knife as you work. Use the same procedure for the smaller lobe. When you are finished you should be left with 2 flattened, somewhat misshaped lobes of liver that are largely intact, a few smaller pieces that have broken off, and membranes and veins. Discard the membranes and veins.
Preparing Beets
We cook beets in one of two ways, steaming or roasting. Either way will work fine for our recipes. Roasting the beets intensifies the flavor and lessens the moisture content. Steaming allows the beets to keep their natural moisture and will be more like store-bought canned beets. Adjust the cooking time based on beet size and age: if fresh, the beets will take a shorter time to cook. We use beets the size of ping-pong balls.
TO COOK THE BEETS, cut off the green top but leave some of the stem and wash in cold water. Be sure not to break t
he skin, or juice will escape while cooking. If roasting, preheat the oven to 400°. Place the beets on a baking sheet pan and bake for 15 to 25 minutes, until the beets can be pierced easily with a skewer or toothpick. Let cool, then peel and cut as required. If steaming, arrange the beets in a single layer in a steamer over boiling water and steam for 15 to 25 minutes, until the beets can be pierced easily with a skewer or toothpick (check the water level periodically and add boiling water as necessary). Remove and let cool, then peel and cut as required.
Roasting and Peeling Bell Peppers
If you’re roasting peppers, make a big batch and pack some in olive oil. They’ll keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. This roasting and peeling technique also works with fresh chili peppers.
COOK THE PEPPERS ON AN OPEN FLAME or 2 inches from a broiler, turning them until the entire skin turns black. Put them in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 5 minutes. To peel, use your fingers or a small knife to remove all the charred skin. Cut off the top and remove the seeds.
Blanching and Shocking Vegetables
This technique is used to retain a vegetable’s color and crispness. After blanching and shocking, the vegetable can be either eaten or recooked later.
TO BLANCH VEGETABLES, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the vegetables all at once. It’s important to use a lot of salt, which helps keep their bright color. Don’t overcrowd the pot; cook in batches as necessary, since you want the water to return to a boil as quickly as possible. When the vegetables are crisp tender (this can take a few seconds or a few minutes depending on the density of the vegetable), use a wire-mesh skimmer or slotted metal spoon to remove them from the water. To shock, plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process. As soon as they’re cooled, remove the vegetables from the water to prevent them from losing flavor.
Peeling and Seeding Tomatoes
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES chefs use to peel a tomato. The easiest and most widely used is to core a tomato and make a small X in the bottom with a paring knife, then immerse it in a large pot of boiling water for one minute, or until the skin right next to the X starts to curl up. Only do a couple of tomatoes at a time, so the temperature of the water does not fall too much and the tomatoes overcook. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into ice water. Once cool, peel the skin off. The other technique is more difficult, and you will need a very sharp knife or peeler. Core the tomato, then using a sawing motion remove only the skin.
TO SEED A TOMATO, cut it in half horizontally so that you can easily remove the seeds with a spoon or your finger.
TO MAKE TOMATO CONCASSÉE from a whole peeled tomato, cut a small piece of the top and bottom from the tomato, about ¼ inch, then cut the tomato lengthwise into quarters. Lay the wedges facing up, and with a sharp knife cut away and discard the seeds and interior flesh from the outside of the tomato. The 4 pieces of tomato should be flat, cut into strips lengthwise ¼ inch wide, then cut across the strips to make a ¼-inch dice.
Oven-Dried Tomatoes
Oven-Dried Tomatoes
Makes 24
This technique intensifies the flavor of any tomato—even one that’s not remarkably flavorful to begin with. You end up with something halfway between a fresh and a sun-dried tomato that retains its shape and juiciness and won’t dissolve in a dish. These are excellent in sauces, tossed into salads, or drizzled with a little olive oil and served as part of an antipasto platter.
6 ripe Roma (plum) tomatoes (about 4 ounces each), cored
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 225°. Cut the tomatoes lengthwise into quarters. Put a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet pan and lay the tomatoes on the rack, skin side down. Season very lightly with salt and pepper. Put them in the oven and dry for 3 to 4 hours, or until they shrink to three fourths their size but are still soft inside. (If you use a convection oven, it takes only 1 hour.) Remove from the oven and let cool. Store in a single layer in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Tomato Sauce
Makes about 3 cups
If tomatoes aren’t in season, use canned Italian plum tomatoes and remove the seeds if possible. To scale this recipe up, don’t increase the pepper flakes and garlic quite as much as the other ingredients.
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons minced garlic
⅔ cup finely chopped onion
2 cups diced peeled tomatoes
1 cup tomato puree
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
HEAT THE OIL, pepper flakes, and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat until the garlic is lightly browned. Add the onion and sauté until very soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and tomato puree, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Clarified Butter
Makes about 1½ cups
Removing the milk solids from melted butter increases its smoking point, so you can cook with it at higher temperatures with less risk of burning.
IN A SMALL SAUCEPAN, melt 1 pound (4 sticks) of unsalted butter over very low heat. The butter should melt but not boil. Once completely melted, it will separate into three layers. On top is white foam, then a clear golden layer that is clarified butter, and under that is a milky liquid that is milk solids. Skim off the foam and discard. Ladle the clarified butter into a container; cover and re-frigerate indefinitely. Discard the milk solids.
Garlic-Parsley Compound Butter
Makes about 1¼ cups
This flavored butter is great on grilled steak or fish. It will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator or up to a month in the freezer. To create your own variations, just replace the parsley with one or more fresh herbs, such as chervil, tarragon, or dill.
About 1½ ounces (12 cloves) garlic
About ¾ ounces (2½ cups) flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3½ teaspoons dry white wine
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
IN A FOOD PROCESSOR, combine the garlic and parsley, and process until finely chopped. Add the butter, salt, and pepper, and process for 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides with a spatula, then process for another 10 seconds. With the machine running, slowly add the white wine and lemon juice through the feed tube and process until well blended. Transfer to an airtight con-tainer and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.
Degerming Garlic
PEOPLE SOMETIMES COMPLAIN ABOUT HAVING DIFFICULTY DIGESTING GARLIC. WHAT THEY’RE HAVING TROUBLE DIGESTING IS ACTUALLY THE GERM—THE GREEN SPROUT THAT RUNS THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE GARLIC CLOVE. REMOVING IT MAKES GARLIC MUCH EASIER FOR YOUR BODY TO PROCESS. CUT DOWN THE CENTER OF THE CLOVE AND PULL OUT ANY GREEN YOU SEE; IT SHOULD COME OUT IN A SINGLE STRIP, THE LENGTH OF THE CLOVE.
Mayonnaise
Makes about 1 cup
There are two tricks to making your own mayonnaise. First, add the oil very slowly in a thin stream. And second, don’t expect the finished product to look like the store-bought kind. A food processor is a great tool for making mayonnaise.
1 egg yolk
4 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅔ cup corn oil
IN A FOOD PROCESSOR, combine the egg yolk, vinegar, mustard, salt, white pepper, and lemon juice. Process until blended. With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream and process until emulsified.
Aïoli
You’ll find this garlic mayonnaise as a condiment and flavor accent in several recipes in this book. It’s also great in sandwiches and as a dip for fresh vegetables.
; IN A BOWL, combine 1 cup mayonnaise with ¼ teaspoon grated garlic and ¼ teaspoon saffron threads. Stir to blend. Let sit for 1 hour, then stir again.
Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette
Makes about ¾ cup
We suggest making this dressing fresh each time you use it, but if there’s any left over, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. This is a versatile vinaigrette that has lots of uses: add some fresh herbs and use it as a marinade for chicken, or add a little tomato concassée and you’ve got a light, fresh sauce for fish.
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
IN A BOWL, whisk together all the ingredients.
Terra House Vinaigrette
Makes ½ cup
This classic vinaigrette will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons corn oil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced shallot
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste