Posts filed under ‘Lunch’
Pan-Roasted Mussels in Miso Broth
I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I was not always the omnivore I am today. There was a time when only hamburgers and rice were allowed to pass through these lips, and anything collected from the ocean was categorically forbidden. In a stunning example of mind over matter, however, at 20 years old I determined that fish were good for my health and thus I WOULD LIKE THEM. Beginning with steak-y fish like swordfish, tuna, and salmon, I gradually incorporated the entire classification. From there, mollusks made their debut — mussels leading the charge.
The appeal of mussels for me was really their connection to European culture (moules frites…mmm…), the obligatory slice of buttered and toasted bread served alongside, and the endless variety of delicious broths they swam in. My first experience was a tomato based broth laced with white wine, fennel, and plenty of garlic. To this day, it is my favorite preparation. Purists may prefer the simple white wine, garlic, shallots, and creme fraiche version, aka moules marinières. More adventurous souls have probably seen mussels served with curry or, as demonstrated below, miso. These Asian preparations are a wonderful diversion and can truly impress at a dinner party.
While you have to buy and cook your mussels the same day, you can make the base of your broth early, and your dinner party will come together in an astonishing 5 minutes — faster than it takes to toast your baguette! Also, this is a mussels prep that few people have tasted before: Bonus!
A note on mussels: don’t freak out or anything, but it is important to note that mussels can die between their moment of harvesting and when you are ready to cook. Nothing ruins the memory of a good dinner party like a bad shellfish, trust me! To eliminate these evil-doers, throw out any mussels in the bag that have broken or cracked shells. Mussels that are open and do not close tightly when rapped against the side of the sink or a countertop should also be tossed. After cooking, if you have a mussel that still hasn’t opened up in the heat of the pan, chuck it. WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT! Prevent mussels from dying on your watch by keeping them in a mesh bag on a bed of ice in your fridge. Do not suffocate them in a plastic bag, or you’ll end up tossing a ton of them.
Pan-Roasted Bouchot Mussels with Os, from the Momofuku
(serves 4)
1/3 cup denjang, or shiro (white) miso
2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
2 Tbs. minced peeled fresh ginger
2 Tbs. sliced scallions (greens and whites)
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4-5 lbs. mussels
1/4 c. grapeseed or other neutral oil
1 c. dry sake (use dry vermouth if you can’t find sake)
Clean the mussels: Put them in a large bowl of cold water and let them sit for a few minutes to purge any grit, then scrub their shells clean of any debris, and rip off the ‘beards’ — the little fuzzy strands sticking out of the side of the shells. Smash together the denjang, sherry vinegar, ginger, sliced scallions, and garlic cloves in a small bowl. Set aside.
Pour the oil into a deep wide pot with a lid that will later comfortable accommodate all the mussels, and set over high heat. After a minute or so, when the oil is hot but not smoking, add the mussels. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the sake. Cover the pot and steam the mussels until they’ve all opened, about 4 minutes.
Remove the lid from the pot, scoot all the mussels to one side, and add the denjang mixture to the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Stir to incorporate it, which should happen rather quickly, then toss the mussels to coat them with the sauce and pan juices.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to four deep bowls. Discard any mussels that did not open. Pour the broth-sauce from the pot over the mussels, and garnish each portion with a heavy dose of black pepper and some of the julienned scallions. Serve at once.
Panzanella Salad
When I wrote my recent post about my “Hearty and Refreshing” Arugula Salad, I definitely struggled over the title. Are “hearty” and “refreshing” oxymoronic? And if so, how better to describe a salad which is at once light, zesty and supremely satisfying? And now, I give you another data point to consider: a hearty salad with a cornucopia of flavors, all harmonizing beautifully, which both sates and invigorates.
Panzanella is a wonderful concept – using day-old or even stale bread to make a fantastic and substantial salad — and can be endlessly varied. A former classmate of mine from Needham (another Sweet Basil adherent, perhaps?) offers both a traditional recipe and some ideas for variants on her blog, Two Blue Lemons. As for me, I don’t see much need for tweaking with this recipe, which combines savory roasted garlic, tangy marinated onions, sweet mozzarella and lots of fresh herbs. While both the garlic and the onions take their own time and instructions to make, I recommend making the full batches outlined below and saving any extras for future creations.
Panzanella, from The Sweet Basil Cookbook – [Printable Recipe]
(serves 4-6)
1 recipe balsamic vinaigrette [recipe below]
6 generous handfuls mixed greens
1 cup roasted garlic [recipe below]
2 (8 oz) balls fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
1 Tbs. marinated onions [recipe below -- I used about 1/4 cup for the salad]
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, wedged [I used cherry tomatoes]
2 roasted red peppers, sliced in 1/4 inch strips
1 c. kalamata olives, pitted
1 c. croutons [recipe below]
Fresh basil, chiffonade, for garnish
Fresh parsley, chiffonade, for garnish
Shaved cheese (such as Asiago or Parmesan) for garnish
Follow the instructions to prepare the balsamic vinaigrette. In a large bowl, toss the greens with one-half of the balsamic vinaigrette. Then, in a separate bowl, toss the remaining vinaigrette with the roasted garlic, mozzarella, marinated onions, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives and croutons. Add this mixture to the mixed greens, tossing to combine.
Evenly distribute the dressed greens among serving plates, and then garnish with the basil, parsley, and cheese. Serve immediately.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
In a mixing bowl, whisk together 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard and 1/3 c. balsamic vinegar. Once they are well combined, slowly whisk in 2/3 c. olive oil until it is incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Roasted Garlic
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place 4 garlic bulbs [each bulb yields approximately 1/2 cup roasted garlic] with their tops trimmed off by 1/2 inch, cut-side-up, in a casserole dish just big enough to hold the bulbs comfortably. Cover the garlic with 4 cups olive oil, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and then roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the garlic is soft. Remove the dish from the oven and allow the garlic to cool for 20 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oil, and then squeeze the garlic cloves out of the skin, reserving the oil for cooking.
Marinated Onions
Combine 1 red onion, as thinly sliced as possible, 1 clove of garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.), 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil, 1 Tbs. fresh basil chiffonade, 1 Tbs. fresh parsley chiffonade, kosher salt and pepper in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to an airtight container.
Croutons
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Arrange 1 pound bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, on a baking sheet, drizzle with some olive oil, and then top with a few pinches of butter and a couple sprinkles of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the bread is brown and crispy, flipping periodically to avoid burning.
If serving the croutons immediately, sprinkle them with a bit of grated parmesan cheese; if saving the croutons for later, transfer them to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place for up to 1 week.
Zucchini-Tomato Gratin
Well, she’s got another winner. I am so very glad that I instituted the “Cookbook Challenge” um, for myself, because before this week I hadn’t picked up Patricia Wells’ The Paris Cookbook in many, many years except to hunt down restaurant recommendations. What a great resource it is! Despite its major failing, the utter lack of food porn, each of the three recipes I made this week has been absolutely delicious. From the earthy, layered flavors of the lentil salad to the creamy texture of the cheesy polenta to this newest revelation – a bright, fresh-tasting gratin – Patricia Wells has not disappointed me yet.
When I generally think of gratins, my mind’s eye sees a heavy spoonful of stacked sliced potatoes oozing cream and dragging strings of elastic cheese from the serving dish. It is a lovely picture, indeed, yet the subject of today’s post is rather the opposite in terms of the key words “heavy”, “oozing”, and “cream”. Thankfully, the cheese remains, standing alone as it were, to defend the moniker “gratin”.
The internet reveals a bit of a controversy over the exact definition of a gratin. Some define the term as “A top crust consisting of browned crumbs and butter, often with grated cheese”, and others deny the primacy of the bread crumbs, defining au gratin as “any dish having a lightly browned, crisp crust on top, esp. one topped with bread crumbs or grated cheese and broiled briefly.” About.com gives an explanation for the discrepancy: “In English, au gratin usually means ‘with cheese,’ whereas in French it’s more like ‘baked dish with crusty top.’” Anecdotal evidence on the same site verifies that this crust may be composed of any number of alchemic reactions: “According a French friend of mine, le gratin dauphinois, aka pommes de terre dauphinoises, should never include cheese. The real thing is made with potatoes baked in a simple béchamel sauce or a mix of milk and cream which cooks away and leaves the impression of a kind of cheesy sauce.”
Whatever your definition of gratin, I would argue that cheese-on-top is never a bad call. This dish uses Parmigiano-Reggiano to create a bubbling, browned surface layer that belies the vibrant, clean flavors beneath. Since Patricia is such a stickler for “very good” and “fresh” and “the best you can find” ingredients throughout her book, I felt it would be a failure to do anything less than OBEY on this first Cookbook Challenge. Thus, I used day-old sourdough bread from a local bakery, San Marzano canned tomatoes, and authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano from my favorite cheese shop. I can’t tell you if it made a difference, since I’ll never make it any other way – this was really really good. I’ll also never look at the word ‘gratin’ with such a narrow mind – it seems that the possibilities for layering, binding, and topping this shallow-dish creation are truly infinite. Just don’t forget the crust…
Richard-Lenoir Market Zucchini-Tomato Gratin, from Patricia Wells’ The Paris Cookbook
(4 Servings)
1/3 c. fresh breadcrumbs
1 lb. small fresh zucchini, scrubbed and cut into thin rounds
fine sea salt to taste
12 zucchini blossoms (optional)
2 c. Tomato Sauce (see below recipe)
1 c freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. In a 1-quart gratin dish, layer half of the bread crumbs, half of the zucchini, a fine sprinkling of sea salt, half of the zucchini blossoms, if using, and half of the tomato sauce. Continue with the remaining bread crumbs, half of the cheese, the remaining zucchini, a fine sprinkling of sea salt, the remaining blossoms, if using, the remaining tomato sauce and the remaining cheese.
Place the dish in the center of the oven and bake until the gratin is bubbling and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tomato Sauce (makes 3 cups)
4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
2 plump, fresh cloves garlic, peeled and minced
sea salt to taste
Two 28-oz. cans peeled tomatoes in their juice
1 bouquet garni: several sprigs of fresh parsley, several bay leaves, and several celery leaves, tied in a bundle with cotton string
In a large skillet, heat the oil, onions, garlic, and salt over moderate heat. Cook just until the onions are soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Place a food mill over the skillet and puree the tomatoes directly into the pan. Add the bouquet garni and stir to blend. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. The sauce may be used immediately, stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Spring Cleaning, Lentil Salad, and the Cookbook Challenge
This past weekend, RJ and I began our Spring Cleaning. Even though our home is only 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, a kitchen and a big living area, our spring cleaning could not be completed even over the three-day Patriot’s day weekend. We prefer the marathon method to a sprint 
We began in the basement, piling up old boxes leftover from the mold infestation of 2008 as well as remnants from our first apartment which have never seen the light of day here in our condo. The pile, unfortunately, is still sitting there, blocking the route to the washing machine, as RJ’s allergies took a violent turn at about 3 pm Saturday. Sunday we turned to the kitchen, scrubbing down stainless steel appliance fronts (man, those things look dirty in a sunny kitchen!), mopping the floor, and reorganizing the freezer.
Finally, on Monday we decided to tackle the backyard – the last frontier. While our upstairs neighbor installed a large patio and laid out landscaping in her half of the yard, RJ and I haven’t touched ours but to cart in our new grill. Armed with a rototiller, however, RJ made easy work of the weeds and wild grass in our backyard (not to mention the peonies…) and we were left with a 22′x16′ plot of dirt, on which we sprinkled grass seed and starter fertilizer. With the recent rains, we are in good shape for the start of a real lawn!
All this is to say that I think we’ve finally hit springtime in New England – we have 80 degrees in the weekend forecast, a couple of brilliantly cleaned surfaces in our house, and a budding green lawn. It is that promising feeling of renewal and rejuvenation that April seems to bring every year.
In that spirit, I have decided to try and rethink my cookbook-tackling strategy. While I have absolutely LOVED the way this blog has encouraged me to experiment with new recipes and open up some of my more dusty cookbooks, I feel that I’m not spreading the wealth enough. Bon Appetit and Fine Cooking and Ina Garten have all gotten more than their fair share of features here, and I have so many books that I still haven’t picked up (see Exhibit A here)! Not to mention the fact that I just bought two
So the new plan is to go one book at a time. Interspersed with my usual random entries, I will post regular installments to the Cookbook Challenge. I challenge myself to make, inside of a week, 3 recipes from a single book in my collection (different every time). By this method I will ensure that, going forward, I can say that every cookbook I own has proven itself under fire. The first victim? Patricia Wells’ The Paris Cookbook
Though I would love to pass along that recipe to you, I do not dare attempt to recreate those in my own kitchen for two reasons: 1) they could be excellent and thus not compel RJ to take me back to Paris every couple years OR 2) they could be a severe disappointment and possibly make me doubt that they were, in fact, the best fries I’ve ever tasted. So… instead I bring you another treat from The Paris Cookbook, lentil salad.
Back in September, my friend Caroline asked me to supply her with the recipe of that “incredible lentil thing” I had made for my first spring picnic several years ago. I couldn’t remember where I had found it, and thus passed along an Ina Garten recipe which was as likely as any other to be the one I used. However, it was a grave disappointment to Caroline, and I soon realized that it couldn’t be the same one. The true “incredible lentil thing” is below – I entreat you to make it for your first spring picnic this year, and to thank Patricia Wells for another winner.
Ambassade d’Auvergne‘s Lentil Salad with Walnut Oil, Recipe #1 from Patricia Wells’ The Paris Cookbook
(Yields 8 servings )
2 Tbs. goose fat or extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, peeled and minced
2 oz. smoked ham, cut into tiny dice (I used Canadian bacon)
3 cups (1 lb.) French Lentils, preferably lentilles du Puy
1 qt. homemade chicken stock (or the best storebought you have)
1 Tbs. dijon mustard
2 Tbs. best-quality red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
2/3 c. best-quality walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil (I used almond oil, since I had it, but I would think hazelnut oil or even perhaps pumpkinseed oil would be delicious)
1 shallot, peeled and finely minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 oz. lean slab bacon, rind removed, cubed (1 cup)
3 Tbs. minced fresh chives
In a large, heavy saucepan, melt the goose fat over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ham and sweat – cook, covered, over low heat – without coloring until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl. Set aside.
Place the lentils in a large fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water. Transfer them to the same heavy saucepan. Cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat. When the water boils, remove the saucepan from the heat. Transfer teh lentils to a fine mesh sieve and drain over the sink. Rinse the lentils under cold running water. Return the lentils to the saucpan, add the chicken stock, and bring just to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer. With a slotted spoon, skim off any impurities that rise to the surface.
Once the liquid is clear of impurities, simmer gently, uncovered, over low heat until the lentils are cooked yet still firm in the center, about 30 minutes (the cooking time will vary according to the freshness of the lentils: the fresher they are, the more quickly they will cook).
Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette: in a large salad bowl, combine the mustard and vinegar and whisk to blend. Add the walnut oil and shallots, and whisk again. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
Place the bacon in a large nonstick skillet and fry over moderate heat until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon cubes to a plate covered with a double thickness of paper towels.
Pour the lentils into a fine-mesh sieve, draining and discarding any remaining liquid. Transfer them to the salad bowl and toss with vinaigrette until evenly and thoroughly coated. [the cookbook never tells you what to do with the reserved ham and onion you sweated in the first step. I added mine here -- it just felt like the right thing to do...]. Let the lentils sit until they have absorbed the vinaigrette, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the cubed bacon and chives. Taste for seasoning and serve warm.
I wasn’t going to say anything but… after all the beautiful pictures above were taken, tragedy ensued. A stray dribble of oil on the side of my salad bowl caused it to slip out of my hands. Good news? It fell in the sink. Bad news? My bowl was expensive and made of glass, so it shattered to bits. I think it says a lot about how good this salad really is that both my mom and I risked internal injuries to continue eating it out of the wreckage:
