TAUNTON'S

APRIL! MAY 1994 NO.2

FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO COOK

MAKING SOURDOUGH BREAD

GANACHE­ CHOCOLATE AND CREAM

HUNGARIAN STEWS

fine APRil/MAY 1994 ISSUE 2

DEPARTMENTS ARTICLES

Letters South Indian Chicken Curry by Aminni Ramachandran 4 20 Coconut milk and ten spices flavor its thick sauce Roasting coffee at 6 home, Q&A reheating bread in Marinating Vegetables Mediterranean Style the microwave, sweating 24 by Jeanne Quan Building up layers of flavor ingredients A Spring Menu for b by Bruce LeFavour Notes Pumpkinseed oil, 28 Simple cooking techniques Lamset you free to enjoy your guests 10 Chefs Collaborative, new KitchenAid blender Boning a lamb loin 32 Food Science Why Conquering San Francisco Sourdough by Phil Van Kirk cream sauces curdle 12 34 Make bread with a thick crust, moist crumb, and tangy flavor Tips Flaky pie crusts, Macaroons by Jane Spector Davis 16 crushing peppercorns, Simple ingredients make a classic cookie salvaging dry cake 38

Basics Roasting and From Simple and Distinct to Complex and Melded 72 peeling eggplant, clarified 42 by Gail Vance Civille How ingredients are blended butter, sugar syrups Hearty Hungarian Stews by Maria & Lorant Nagyszalanczy Reviews Cookbooks Goulash and its kindred make satisfying suppers 44 34 San Francisco 74 on sauces Sourdough Roast Chicken with Honey e Vinaigrette Flavorings Bay leaf 48 by Sarah Stegner Make everyday chicken something-Thym special 78 Calendar Cast.. Iron Cookware by Ruth Rohde Lively 79 Advertiser Index 50 It's inexpensive, cooks well, and will last for generations 79 Recipe Index Granitas by Diane Posner Mastro 81 53 Scraped Italian ices are refreshing, flavorful, and easy to make Tidbits 82 Home .. Cured Pork by Jean Jacob 58 Twenty minutes of work turns pork into velvety demi-sel On the cover: Mediterranean-style marinated vegetables, p. 24; Earthy Lentils by Kevin Taylor Granitas, p. 53. 60 Careful flavor pairings elevate this lowly legume Cover photO,lohn Kane; inset, Ruth Uvely.

This page: top. Susan Kahn; center, Sloan Howard; bottom, John Kane. Ganache-A Marriage of Chocolate and Cream

Back cover photo. Susan Kahn. 64 by Ortrud Carstens Confident handling unites these rich ingredients Tr iple chocolate cake 68 28 A Spring Menu ofSimple Tastes

Fine Cooking0 S 1072-5121) is published bimonthly by The Taunton Press, Inc., Newtown, cr064 70-5506. Tel. 203/426-8171. Applicaeion co mail ae second-class poscage raees is pending ae ewtown, cr064 70 and ae addieional mailing offices. GST paid regisrraeion # 123210981. U.S. distribution by ICDlThe Hearse Corporaeion, 250 Wese 55ehSt., New York, Y 10019and Eastern ews Distributors, Inc., 1130 Cleveland Rd., Sandusky, OH 44870.

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We invite you to share your thoughts, opinions, and comments with fellow third tin1e, knead it for 10 percent longer. readers. Please send your cards or Yo u'll build up the experience to know fin Fine Cooking, when dough is properly kneaded. letters to letters, PO Box Another option is a new mixer being 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506. developed by the K-T ec company in WOKINGPublisher/Editor Jan Wahlin Orum, Utah. As gluten develops, bread dough becomes stiffer; once gluten has Art Director Steve Hunter CUISINART'S POWER STRAINER passed its peak development, the dough Managing Editor Martha Holmberg E FOR PUR EING begins to relax and soften, requiring less Assistant Editors The article "Tools for Pureeing" in Fine power from the mixer. The K-Tec mixer Suzanne Roman, Dana Harris Cooking # 1 omitted one tool that I find employs a computer chip that tracks how Copy/Production Editor Li Agen essential and unsurpassed for many pro­ much power is needed to mix the dough, cessing tasks. Cuisinart's Power Strainer allowing you to stop mixing as soon as Editorial Secretary Kim Landi attachment is my number one choice fo r the dough shows signs of softening. For Contributing Editor Ruth Rohde Lively painlessly eliminating skin, seeds, and more information on the K-T ec, call stones from cooked fruit and for produc­ Charlie Coombs at 800/748-5400. Design Director Susan Edelman

ing purees of unrivaled smoothness. It's Editorial Director John Lively quick, easy to use, cleans up in moments, WHAT BOOKS DO CHEFS READ? Circulation Coordinator Sarah Roman and is notably quiet. To use the Power I was happy to see Yamuna Devi's The Strainer, you need Cuisinart's Citrus Art of Indian Ve getarian Cooking reviewed Public Relations Manager Donna Pierpont Juicer attachment. If your local Cuisinart in Fine Cooking # 1, and I liked the the­ Administrative Secretary N ancy Crider dealer doesn't stock them, both the Pow­ matic approach to the reviews and the er Strainer and the Citrus Juicer attach­ fact that older books as well as more re­ Advertising Manager Tom Leihbacher

ment are available by mail order from cently published ones were included. I'm Advertising Accounts Manager Doris Hanley Culinary Parts Unlimited, 80 Berry Drive, curious about what chefs read and refer Advertising Sales Coordinators Pacheco, CA 94553; 800/543-7549. to. Could you ask cooking professionals Margaret Capellaro, Nancy Clark -Amanda Burton, Emeryville, CA to write about their cookbook libraries? Marketing Secretary Christine Ferguson Each cook could highlight a fe w books, GLUTEN DEVELOPMENT either general reference books or books How tocontact The Taunton Press: EQUIPMENT on special topics, or even just one crucial I was very interested by the Food Science text (even if it's out of print), and tell Telephone: 800/283-7252 203/426-8171 piece on gluten by Professor Joseph G. why the books are useful, mention a fe w Ponte, Jr. (Fine Cooking #1, pp. 14-16) . techniques they teach, and name a fe w Fax: 203/426-3434 I often make bread and have wondered recipes from them that sing. Subscriptions: about recipes that caution against over­ -Joanne Bouknight, Greenwich, Orders: 800/888-8286 CT Customer Service: 800/477-8727 kneading. Professor Ponte mentions a de­ Advertising Sales: 800/283-7252 x 547 vice used by baking technologists to test UNWISE FERN CHOICE gluten development in dough. What is I've enjoyed reading the interesting, new Retail Sales: 800/283-7252 x 238 this equipment called, how much does it magazine Fine Cooking. However , I must Copyright 1994 by The Taunton Press, Inc. No reproduction without permission of The Taunton Press, Inc. Fine Cooking'" cost, and, if it's not too expensive, how comment on a reply concerning fiddle­ is a registered trademark of The Taunton Press, Inc. could I buy it? head fe rns. The fe rns most commonly Subscription rates: U.S. and possessions, $26 for one year, -Joan Black, Easton, CT sold and used for ea ting in this country $42 for two years, $58 for three years; other countries, $32 for one year, $52 for two years, $72 for three years (in U.S. are ostrich fe rns, not bracken. Members dollars, please). Single copy, $4.95. Single copies outside U.S. Joseph Ponte, Jr., replies: We use sever­ of the American Fern Society state that and possessions, $5.95. Address correspondence to the appropriate department (Subscription, Editorial, or al instruments to measure gluten devel­ bracken is considered a possible carcino­ Advertising), The Taunton Press, 63 South Main Sr., PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506. opment in dough as it's being mixed. genic, and discourage using them. Since these instruments cost several -Virginia D. Otto, We stborough, MA Writing an article thousand dollars each, I wouldn't recom­ Fine Cooking welcomes articles, pro­ mend them for a home baker. If you make Editor's note: We mistakenly added a ref­ posals, manuscripts, photographs, dough in an electric mixer, you can take a erence to bracken fe rns to Jasper White's and ideas from our readers, amateur more empirical approach by timing how reply. Ostrich fiddleheads, or Matteuccia or professional. We 'll acknowledge all long it takes to knead the dough until it's struthiopteris, are in fact the kind of fe rn submissions, return those we can't satiny smooth. Then bake the bread and most commonly sold fresh and canned. use, and pay for articles we publish. see how well it rises and what the crumb John Kallas of Wild Food Adventures in Send your contributions to Fine texture is. The next time you make that Portland, Oregon, suggests that you buy Cooking, PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT bread, knead it for 10 percent less time, fi ddleheads only from fo ragers who can 06470-5506. bake it, and evaluate the results. The identify them by their scientific name .•

4 FINE COOKI G

Q&A Have a question of general interest b Fine Cooking, tender. For reasons not well understood, ing. The cover keeps moisture in so the a out cooking? Send it to PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470- the energy from a microwave doesn't. ingredients soften and don't burn. For A final caution: be careful when even moister cooking, cover the ingredi­ 5506, and we'll try to find a cooking or microwaving baked products with icings, ents with a circle of parchment paper be­ food professional with the answer. high sugar-based fillings, or dried fruit fore putting on the lid. like raisins. These ingredients can heat While ingredients are usually sweat­ REHEATING BREAD very fast and may become very hot while ed in a small quantity of oil, which pre­ IN THE MICROWAVE the bread or cake portion stays much vents them from burning, you can also When I microwave bread products, cooler. So use very little microwave time, sweat them in a little stock or water, if they always end up tough and rubbery. and be careful when you take a bite. you need to reduce the amount of fat in Why does this happen? Is there a way I Robert Schiffmann is a consultant to the your recipe. can heat bread in a microwave success­ microwave industry in New York City. Keith Coughenour, CC, is Executive fully, or do I have to heat it in the oven? Chef of The Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh, -Jennifer Stevens, Chicago, IL SWEATING INGREDIENTS Pennsylvania. In recipes, I sometimes see the instruc­ Robert Schiffmann replies: Bread prod­ tion to "sweat" onions and other veg­ STORING WHOLE-WHEAT FL OUR ucts can be reheated in the microwave etables before adding the rest of the in­ I've heard that whole-wheat flour can without becoming tough. The trick is to gredients. What does this mean? go stale. Is this true? Does this happen wrap them in a paper towel and micro­ -Jill Lenkh, Denver, CO with other flours? How long does it wave them very briefly-five to ten sec­ keep without losing quality, and what is onds per roll or slice of bread. The paper Keith Coughenour replies: Sweating is a the best way to store it? towel acts as a barrier to keep the mois­ cooking technique in which an ingredi­ -Barbara McWilliams, ture in, yet it doesn't cause moisture to ent-usually a sliced or diced vegetable­ Gainesville, FL condense on the outside of the bread the is cooked in a very small amount of fat over way plastic wrap does. The bread will feel low heat. This slow cooking softens the in­ Brinna Sands replies: Whole-wheat and barely warm when you take it out of the gredient and develops its flavors. Ty pically, other whole-grain flours, which contain microwave because the heat is concen­ aromatic vegetables, like carrots, onions, the oil-rich germ of the grain berry, do not trated in the center, but by the time you shallots, and leeks, are sweated because go stale, but their oils can become rancid. get it to the table, the heat will have re­ they develop a desirable mellow sweetness Once you rupture the oily germ of the distributed more evenly. when slowly cooked. Sweating aromatics berry, which happens when you grind it Bread products become tough only to draw out their flavors is an important into flour, the oils are exposed to air and when they're microwaved fo r too long. preliminary step when making sauces. thus subject to oxidation. The result is Food scientists are researching and debat­ When you sweat something, you don't that those oils will slowly become rancid. ing why microwaving toughens bread. want to give .it any color-this is not Freshly ground whole grains, if they are Some believe it has to do with the way mi­ browning-you just want to soften the stored where it is cool and dry (not sum­ crowaves act on starch, while others think texture and, in the case of members of mer storage conditions) , will keep for the gluten proteins may be responsible. the onion family, let it turn translucent. about three months. In the refrigerator, if Hard and stale bread products don't To this end, use very low heat, stir the stored in an airtight container, they'll reheat well at all in the microwave, so items occasionally, and take your time. keep fo r six months. Freezing will increase warm them in a regular oven. The heat Sweat vegetables in a covered frying even further the storage life of whole in a regular oven softens the starch in or saute pan, or a larger saucepan as long grains, particularly if your freezer is one stale bread and makes it taste moist and as it has a heavy base to prevent scorch- (Continued on page 8)

The Taunton Press: Paul Roman, chairman; Janice books; Philip VanKirk,Tracie Pavlik, magazines. Video: Craig Umanoff, Thomas Taunton A. Roman, president; John Lively, editor in chief & Menard. Corporate Marketing: Peter Chidsey, director; Sarah Roman. Corporate PUBLICATIONS vice-president; Carolyn Kovaleski, administrative sec­ Trade Sales: Dale Brown, director; Thomas Johnson, Donna Pierpont, Diane Patterson, retary. Personnel: Carol Marotti, manager; Linda Barbara Buckalew, Marcie Seigel. Fulfillment & Operations: Thomas Luxeder, direc­ for fellow enthusiasts Ballerini, Christine Lincoln. Accounting: Wayne tor; Jane Torrence. Client Services: Patricia Williamson, manager; Carolyn Arneth, Reynolds, controller; Patrick Lamontagne, manager; Megan Sangster. Subscriber Services: Patricia Malouff, manager; Karen Lewis, Barbara Jeffrey Sherman, Mary Sullivan, Andrea DuBois, Carol Smith, Donna Weinstein, Siri Wheeler. Order Processing: Joyce McWilliam, manager; Diehm, Dorothy Blasko, Susan Burke, Lawrence Rice, Gayle Hammond, Judith Rivera, Dawn Bartram, Penny Lefferts, Barbara Lowe, Marylou Thompson. Data Entry: Carole Lydia Krikorian, Elaine Yamin. Corporate Design: Susan Edelman, director. Promotion: Ando, manager; Concetta Barczak, Bonnie Beardsley, Margaret Fainer, Madelaine Philip Allard, manager; D.J. Arneson, Wendy Bowes, Christopher Casey, Julia Brine, Frengs, Marie Pato, Andrea Shorrock, Denise Zor. Distribution: Paul Seipold, manag­ Mary Beth Cleary, Francesca Arminio, Donna Confalone. Book Art/Production:Robert er; Grace Aumuller, David Blasko, Michael Capalbo, James Chappuis, Mary Ann Olah, manager; Henry Roth, Catherine Cassidy, Jodie Delohery. Book Copy/Production: Costagliola, Maureen Flynn, Frederick Monnes, Alice Saxton, Astor Taylor, Robert Ruth Dobsevage, manager; Peter Chapman, Pamela Purrone. Manufacturing: Weinstein, Linnea Ingram. Purchasing & Facilities: William Schappert, manager; Lois Kathleen Davis, director. Prepress: Austin Starbird, manager; Robert Marsala, Chansam Beck, Christopher Myers, Charles Hollis, Susan Nerich, Arthur Williams, Donna Thammovongsa, Patricia Sigetti, Deborah Cooper, Richard Booth, Mark Coleman, Freeman, Kathleen Costello, Norma-Jean Taylor. Data Processing: S. Andrew William Godfrey, Laurene Jakab, Lisa DeFeo, Margot Knorr, Monica Murphy. Print Salisbury, manager; Brendan Bowe, Roger Seliga, Heidi Waldkirch, Arthur Caron, Production: Dee Flanagan, Lynda Morris, promotion; Thomas Greco, Deborah Baldwin, Gabriel Dunn, Robert Nielsen, j. Larry Kinnear, Laurie Yeager, Rebecca Fanning.

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7 Q&A with a stable internal temperature (that screw the top back on, and place it in the cast-iron frying pan or Dutch oven over is, one that isn't self-defrosting) . But refrigerator. I've kept wine fo r several moderate heat, pour in as many coffee freezing won't stop oxidation entirely. weeks this way with little deterioration. beans as you'll need for the day, and stir Flours that don't contain the germ, Third, you can get a Vacu-Vin, a with a wooden spoon, more or less con­ such as all-purpose bleached or un­ hand-held plastic pump that pumps the stantly, until the beans are dark and bleached, bread, and rye, all can be stored air out of the wine bottle and seals it with shiny with oil. The process should take indefinitely in a cool and dry place.Tu ck in a rubber stopper. I find this system works 20 to 25 minutes for two pots' worth of a bay leaf to discourage any grain-moth well for about three days, after which air coffee. The beans probably won't darken "visitors." When you're dealing with whole does begin to seep back into the bottle. evenly because of their different sizes and grains, it's best to buy small amounts often Fourth, you can buy Private Preserve, moisture content, but it doesn't really and use them up in something wonderful a small can of a nitrogen and carbon matter and can even add interest to the while they still taste that way. dioxide. Point the nozzle of the can into flavor. Chew a fe w beans as they brown Brinna Sands is the vice president of your open bottle of wine, give it a couple to taste how the flavor changes. To see Sands, Ta ylor, and Wo od, the producers of of quick bursts, and immediately stick how your home-roasting compares to the King Arthur Flour. the cork back into the bottle. Since the coffee shop's, buy some of the same vari­ gas mixture is heavier than air, it replaces ety of coffee already roasted and conduct STORING LEFTOVER WINE most of the oxygen in the bottle with a your own taste test. Roasting coffe e is a How can I best keep an unfinished bot­ blanket of inert, tasteless, odorless, non­ wonderfully satisfyingactivity fo r a week­ tle of wine, and for how long can I ex­ toxic, and nonflammable gas that retards end morning, remarkably effective at cre­ pect it to be good? Are there some wines oxidation. Each can of Private Preserve ating pleasant memories for others. that keep better than others? will preserve approximately 48 bottles of Drew Allen, owner of the Liberty Bar in -Mary Beth Wa itt, Boston, MA wine. Theoretically this will keep a bottle San Antonio, Texas, has been roasting coffee fresh fo r several weeks. Vacu-Vin and at home all his life . Mark Wessels replies: When you drink Private Preserve can be fo und at most half a bottle of wine, what you have left wine shops or kitchen-supply stores. SPRING LAMB over is half wine and half air. Oxygen in Yo ur final option is to freeze the unfin­ What is spring lamb? When does lamb the air slowly but steadily turns wine into ished bottle of wine. This will certainly become mutton? vinegar. Some wines naturally keep bet­ retard oxidation, but I find it to be a bit -Julia Putnam, Milwaukee, WI ter than others. Wines with a higher acid inconvenient when it comes time to content, say German rieslings, keep bet­ drink the remaining wine. Some people Priscilla Root replies: The term "spring ter than lower-acid wines, like California swear by this method. They simply thaw lamb" really doesn't have a meaning in chardonnays. Red wines with more tan­ out the wine in the microwave and report today's market. The idea of eating lamb nins, such as cabernet sauvignons, tend little difference in taste from before freez­ in the spring is a remnant of traditional to keep better than less tannic wines, like ing. I do recommend this method fo r stor­ fa rming days when lambs were born in beaujolais. Sugar and alcohol act as nat­ ing wine for cooking. I keep a couple of spring and then eaten a fe w months later. ural preservatives also; therefore, sweet 8-ounce plastic cups of wine in the freez­ Nowadays, lamb is produced year-round, wines keep better than dry wines, and er next to the chicken and beef stock. so young lamb is available in any season. fo rtified wines, such as port and sherry, None of these methods works for pre­ The USDA states that the term "lamb" keep better than table wines. If you find serving sparkling wines. may be used for an animal under twelve yourself with an unfinished bottle of Mark We ssels is a wine consultant at months old. Older than that, the meat is table wine, here are several options for MacArthur Liquors in Washington, DC. called "mutton." The average age of keeping it fresh for a few days. lamb on the market shelves is about five Since wine oxidizes at a slower rate at ROASTING COFFEE AT HOME months old. cooler temperatures, the simplest option I've read about people roasting green Priscilla Root is the Director of Product is to recork the bottle and refrigerate it. coffee beans, and I'm intrigued. Is it Publicity at the American Lamb Council in Refrigeration works better fo r younger worth it? How do I do it? Englewood, Colorado. • wines than for older wines, but with all -Jon Abernathy, Yakima,WA wines you'll notice their flavor has soured and deteriorated after a day or two. Drew Allen replies: Grinding your coffee #1 CORRECTION TO ISSUE Yo ur second option is to pour the left­ at home is well and good, but roasting it In Shirley Sarvis' reply to "What to drink over wine into a smaller container. Since to order is even better. Coffee begins to with cake," we transposed the terms in her oxygen is the culprit, it's much better to lose its flavor as soon as it's roasted. But discussion on the sweetness level of sparkling have a small bottle that's full than a larger unroasted, green coffee beans keep in­ wines other than champagne. The sentence bottle that's only half full. Keep a couple of definitely and even improve with age. should read, "With other sparkling wines, empty 12-ounce, screw-top, soft-drink Any shop that roasts its own coffeebeans the label designations are Extra Dry and bottles on hand for this purpose. Simply should be able to sell them to you green. Brut, with Extra Dry being the sweeter." fi ll the small bottle as much as possible, To roast coffee at home, put a heavy,

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Roasted Pumpkinseed Oil Powerful Blender The flavor of pumpkinseeds, or pepitas, is from KitchenAid integral to many Texan and Mexican KitchenAid's Ultra Power Blender jumps dishes that I cook, so I was eager to try to a powerful start, whether crushing ice Biolandbau's Pumpkinseed Oil, im­ or pureeing soup. As the blender works, a ported from Austria. computer chip senses how much muscle The oil has a marvelous, rich, is needed and adjusts accordingly. velvety-thick texture and a dark The KitchenAid blender's shape is roasted-green color. Dime-size drops unconventional, with extra long blades held their shape well on a plate. It sitting on a dome-shaped base inside a has a bold, toasted taste up front squat glass jar. The jar's wide bottom and with a round, mellow, nutty, straight sides make it easy to scrape out pumpkin finish. Thepumpkin­ the contents with a spoon or spatula, seed oil has such strong char­ without having to dig under the blades. acter that it can be thinned by Anyone who has tried to clean the half with a less expensive oil, crud from the front of a blender with a such as olive or safflower, and zillion buttons will appreciate the flush still retain its flavor and color. electronic control panel on the Kitchen­ I tried cooking with the oil, Aid, which has settings fo r continuous but when it got hotter than blending and pulse control. 375° to 400°F, it deteriorated The parts of the KitchenAid blender that fruits, vegetables, beans, breads, and rapidly, becoming smoky and snap together quite easily. The hard plas­ grains are the fo undation of good diets." charred. I think the oil tastes tic, nonstaining lid twists on securely, Hundreds of chefs across the country best in its raw, natural state, rather than just sitting on top like other have accepted these and five other prin­ treated the same way I'd treat a blenders. The 48-inch cord coils into a ciples as part of the Chefs Collaborative: dark, roasted sesame oil. slot under the base when it isn't needed. 2000, an educational initiative spon­ The first thing I made with As good as the KitchenAid is, it's still sored by Oldways Preservation & Ex­ the oil was a chipotle-lime a blender, and it can't do some things as change Tr ust. aioli, with Vz cup pumpkinseed well as a fo od processor can, like make Since drawing up the charter and oil, two chipotle chile peppers, one lime, fresh bread crumbs or puree chickpeas statement of principles in Hawaii last V4 cup roasted garlic, and no eggs. The for hummus. But if you're looking fo r a July at Oldways' Food Choices:2000 sym­ flavor was great-the smoky spiciness of new bar blender, or are tired of your posium, chefs attending the conference the chipotles and the zestiness of the lime pureed soups oozing out of the central have circulated the charter to chefs who juice complemented the silky nuttiness hole of your food processor, you'll want didn't attend for comment and refine­ of the oil. The greenish brown color to check out this blender. ment, and to get them to sign on. Now wasn't the most appealing, but I could see The five -speed Ultra-Power Blender the chefs are fo rming local chapters of it working as a garnish for white bean shown here and the three-speed Classic Chefs Collaborative:2000 to raise aware­ soup or chicken quesadillas. list for $139 and $119, respectively, and ness about how the food we cook affects Next I whipped up a cracked-pepper are available in many stores that carry our health and environment. vinaigrette with fresh basil, black pepper, small appliances. For more information, The collaborative is coordinated by balsamic vinegar, pumpkinseed oil, garlic, call KitchenAid's Customer Assistance Oldways, a fo ur-year-old nonprofit edu­ and fresh ginger-wonderful. Center at 800/422-1230. cational organization based in Boston. I also tried a cilantro pesto with pecori­ -Suzanne Roman, Fine Cooking Oldways works to preserve the healthy, no cheese, almonds, cilantro, a little lime environmentally sustainable food and juice, and bound it together with the Chefs Collaborate to agricultural traditions of many cultures, pumpkinseed oil. The pesto was delicious and to make the lessons of these tradi­ tossed with penne pasta and as a marinade Compose Creed tions more widely accessible by organizing for grilled chicken. "Sound fo od choices emphasize locally international symposia and creating edu­ Biolandbau's Pu mpkinseed Oil is grown, seasonally fresh, and whole or cational programs. Upcoming symposia available in 250ml (8.5-ounce) and minimally processed ingredients. will be held in San Francisco, Cambridge 500ml (1 6.9-ounce) bottles fo r $7.50 "Good fo od begins with unpolluted (Massachusetts), Crete, and Morocco. and $15, respectively. To find out where air, land, and water, environmentally sus­ For more information, contact Old­ to get it locally, or to order by mail, call tainable farming and fishing, and hu­ ways Preservation & Exchange Tr ust, Avocet Tr ading at 201/659-2497. mane animal husbandry. 45 Milk Street, Boston, MA 02109; -Jay McCarthy, Executive Chef at "The healthy, traditional diets of 617/695-2300. Cascabel10 in San Antonio, Texas many cultures offer abundant evidence -Suzanne Roman, Fine Cooking • FINE COOKING Bring e VeryBest ThYour Ie...

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APRIL/MAY 1994 11 FOOD SCIENCE Curdled custards and broken cream sauces

each protein in a tightly ready partially unwound, they curdle HOW CURDS FORM bound unit (see illustra­ very easily when heated. tion # 1 at left). In their Both the alcohol and tannins in wine natural state, the individ­ can cause proteins to unwind and curdle. ual protein molecules re­ In classic reduction sauces, the cook pel each other and stay deglazes the pan drippings with wine, separate. There's even adds a little stock, boils a minute or two, room for light to pass be­ and then adds cream and reduces the tween them, which is why sauce. If you add the cream first or add you can see through raw the cream and wine together, curds may egg white. form. But if you boil the wine for a When proteins are minute first, the bulk of the alcohol will heated, however, the evaporate and the tannins will combine bonds holding them in a with other compounds so that they won't tight unit pop apart, and affect the cream when it's added. Some­ the protein molecules un­ times when making a sauce, even the salt wind (see illustration #2 in the stock can cause a low-fat dairy at right) . These unwound product to curdle. (or denatured) proteins Enzymes also make proteins coagu­ float about with their late. In fact, cheesemaking utilizes the bonds sticking out, looking enzyme rennin to create curds in milk. fo r other molecules to Gentle heat gives you better con­ bond with. They soon col­ trol of coagulation-The trick to pro­ lide and join with other de­ tein cookery is to be gentle. Yo u want just In their natural state, long, twisted pro­ natured proteins. They ini­ enough heat or acid to make the proteins tein molecules in dairy products and eggs tially bond together in a unwind and join together loosely. have bonds across their curls, fo rming loose mesh with water trapped in the The temperature at which proteins individual wads. mesh. This is the point at which a cus­ coagulate varies depending on how fast tard becomes smooth and soft, and a hol­ the mixture is heated. If you heat a deli­ Cooking with dairy products and eggs landaise sauc.-e becomes smooth and cate, egg and milk custard (creme can be a nightmare. If you've ever had thick. If heating continues, the bonds anglaise) slowly over a double boiler and yogurt curdle when you stirred it into a tighten up and squeeze out the water stir constantly, the custard begins thick­ hot dish or had a custard turn into (see illustration #3, far right) . Then the ening around 160°F and gets to a good scrambled eggs, you know what I mean. proteins become firm and dry, and you'll "coat-your-spoon" thickness in the In both of these cases, proteins in the find your custard has broken and your 1 700s. Yo u have an ample window from milk and eggs changed from their natur­ hollandaise has turned into scrambled the time it thickens until it goes to al state and clumped together to form eggs. The tighter the bonds between the scrambled eggs at 180°. However, if you curds. But this joining together of pro­ proteins, the harder the curd. To watch heat the same custard over direct, high teins-coagulation-isn't always bad. proteins denature and bond over heat, heat, the custard doesn't start to thicken Custards set as the proteins in the milk just fry an egg. The egg white turns in the 1600s. In fact, it doesn't begin to and eggs pull together. Yogurt and sour opaque as the proteins pull together and thicken until it reaches 179°. Yo u have cream wouldn't have their thick consis­ block out light. only 1 ° of safety to take it off the stove tencies without the clotting action of Other agents of coagulation­ before it goes to scrambled eggs. proteins. Much of cooking with eggs and Acidic ingredients also cause the bonds Proteins need gentle heat in the oven cream involves preventing milk and eggs holding the proteins in individual units also. By baking custards in a water bath, from curdling when you don't want them to break, allowing the proteins to unwind you'll avoid the holes that form in the to, and helping them coagulate smooth­ and some to join together. With milk custard when the proteins get too hot ly and evenly when you do. products this is often desirable. In fact, and pull tightly together, leaving behind Heating causes coagulation-Pro­ sour cream, creme [raiche, yogurt, and a space. Yo u'll also have longer to re­ teins are long molecules that curl around buttermilk are made by introducing acid­ move the custard before it overcooks like springs or fo ld back on themselves producing bacteria that thicken or par­ and turns rubbery. in a great wad. These springs or wads tially curdle them. Since these cultured Preventing curds-You can prevent have bonds across their coils that hold dairy products have proteins that are al- dishes with eggs and milk from curdling

12 FINE COOKING FOOD SCIENCE

3

When heated or exposed to acid, the bonds pop and the proteins unwind. As unwound proteins bump into each other, the proteins bond together, forming curds. by putting obstacles in the course of un­ gently and stirred constantly? We ll, this they physically prevent the proteins wound proteins. Fat, sugar, and other custard has a cousin, pastry cream from getting together? substances will get in the way and slow (creme pdtissiere) , which contains the So far, I go with the explanation of­ down coagulation. That's why sauces same ingredients: flavored milk, eggs, fe red by Dr. Peter Barham, a polymer made with heavy cream don't curdle, and sugar. But it also contains a little physicist from the University of Bristol, while those made with low-fat yogurt do. starch-cornstarch or flour. Yo u simply England. He asserts that as long as you Heavy cream has a low protein content stir this custard together, place it on a have a starch that swells significantly at and a high fat content. When you heat burner, and heat and stir until it thick­ temperatures below the temperature at cream in a sauce, the fe w proteins that ens. No worry at all about scrambled which the protein coagulates (different are there might unwind, but they are eggs or milk curds. A little starch makes starches swell at different temperatures) , immediately coated with fat. There's lit­ all the difference. the starch will be so large that it physi­ tle danger that they'll join with other Is the starch actually bonding in cally separates the denatured proteins proteins to form curds. some way to the unwound proteins to and prevents them from joining. But loading dishes with butter, oil, or prevent their joining? Or are the swol­ Most starches available to the home sugar to prevent curdling defeats the len starch granules simply so big that cook (cornstarch, arrowroot, flour) will purpose of using a lower-fat milk prod­ prevent curdling. Yo u'll need to experi­ uct. Take heart, because there is some­ ment with your particular sauce to arrive thing you can add to keep milk from SCIENCE PROJECT at the perfect amount of thickener. curdling that has little effect on calo­ Here's an experiment to watch how Usually Vz to 1 teaspoon cornstarch per ries-starch. starch prevents eggs and milk from cup of liquid will prevent curdling and Starch granules swell with heat and curdling. Ta ke three egg yolks and thicken the sauce to the desired consis­ can become very large. When you stir one cup of milk, whisk them to­ tency. This will work with most low-fat starch into a liquid and heat it, liquid gether, and bring to a boil over dairy products in most sauces. Extremely seeps into starch's onion-like layers and medium-high heat, whisking con­ acidic sauces will be a problem. Reduce the granules begin to puff. At 90°, some stantly. Watch the mixture form the acidity or use a puree to thicken starch granules contain 200 times their curds. Now take three more egg them instead. weight of liquid, and near boiling they yolks, whisk in IV z tablespoons of -Shirley Corriher, a research bio­ contain 3000 times their weight of liq­ flour and then one cup of milk. chemist by training, teaches cooking and uid. The granules break open, the starch Bring the mixture to a boil over food science courses around the country. She rushes out into the sauce, and the sauce medium-high heat, whisking con­ has written a book about the science offo od thickens instantly. stantly, and watch what happens­ and cooking that will be published by Remember the creme anglaise that it becomes thick and smooth. Wi lliam Morrow this year. • turns to scrambled eggs if it isn't heated

APRIL/MAY 1994 13 !]Jenne ri'71l1essandria £B nly Bertolli, Italy's best-selling, best-lovedO olive oil, could bring out the true, subtle flavors of such delicious foods as this. Olive Oil has No Cholesterol. And Bertolli not only makes foods better, it's better for you, as olive oil is naturally cholesterol free. Of course foods like this are appreciated not only in Italy, where Bertolli has been made for over 125 years, but here, where families like yours have made it the best-loved olive oil in PenneAmerica d'Allessa today.ndria 6 red bell peppers, quartered, seeds 2gonic cloves, coarsely chopped onO stems discorded 1 b. �alion sausage, �iced(removed 6 Tbsp.Bertoli Extra Wgin Olive Oi fromc asings) So� and freshly ground block pepperI lb. penne or other tubular posta I lb. large whne mushrooms. �ed shope 1/2 cup pocked �oIion parsley leaves1/4 cup reserved posta cooking liquid 1 Tbsp. freshoregano leaves Grated Parmigiono-Reggiano, 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, stripped to' taste from stems

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Cut pepper quarters into 1/2" thick diagonal pieces. Place in 13x9" baking dish. Drizzlewith 3 Tbsp. of olive oil; salt, pepper to taste. Bake until peppers are charred on edges and tender, stirring occasionally, 30-40 min. Remove from oven. 2. Finely chop parsley, oregano, thyme, garlic together; set aside. Heat 3 Tbsp. of oil in large non-stick skillet. Add mushrooms, cook, stirring, over medium high heat until mushrooms are tender and golden brown. Add chopped herb and garlic mixture; saute, stirring, 2 min. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, transfer to side dish. Wipe out skillet. 3. Place sausage into skillet, cook, stirring, over medium high heat. until sausage is browned. Transfer to strainer. drain. To baking dish with roasted peppers, add mushroom mixture and sausage. Cover with foil. Keep warm in oven, set at lowest temperature. 4. Bail large pot of water. Stir in penne, salt. to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, over high heat. until pasta is tender. Ladle out 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid; reseNe. Drain pasta. 5. In large deep platter combine pasta, red pepper, mushroom and sausage mixture. Stir to combine. Add pasta cooking liquid to moisten pasta. Sprinkle with cheese. SeNes 4.

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To share your shortcuts or tricks with fellow readers, write to Tips, butter is chopped into small pieces, and the butter and brush the pan with a pas­ Fine Cooking, PO Box 5506, Newtown, then add ice water. This method requires try brush, and then immediately put the CT 06470-5506. Enclose a sketch if a bit more ice water than when hand­ pan in the freezer. This method allows mixing with cold butter. Pulse a few you to get the pans ready ahead of time, you like. We pay $25 to $50 for tips times, and then gather the dough into a and it keeps the butter from melting in we publish. ball and roll it out. the heat of a warm kitchen. For a nine-inch pie crust, I use two -Arline Slate-Davis, Hinsdale, MA cups flour, one teaspoon salt, cup but­ Easy�to�Skin Nu ts 3/4 ter, and about five tablespoons ice water. Crushing Peppercorns -Brenda Eitelman, Northville, MI

Salvaging Dry Cake If you have overbaked a cake to dry­ ness, you might be able to salvage it by imbibing it with a simple sugar syrup (see Basics). Cut off the sides and top of the cake and brush on the syrup with a pastry brush until it's well saturated; a dry cake can take a lot of syrup. The syrup will change the character of the cake, but it can be very tasty, especially if you flavor the syrup with a liqueur or brandy. -Krista Stanley, Once Upon a Cake, Mt. Kisco, NY If you want crushed peppercorns for Keeping Delicate coating a piece of meat or fish or to use Hazelnuts made me nuts until I learned in a sauce, you shouldn't use your pep­ how to get their skins off easily. Blanch Sauces Wa rm per grinder because the gauge is too fine the hazelnuts in boiling water with one To keep a delicate sauce, such as a beurre and the pepper will be too powdery. teaspoon of baking soda for 30 to 45 blanc or a bearnaise,warm and at a stable I crush peppercorns on my wooden cut­ seconds. Drain the nuts and dump temperature so that it doesn't break or ting board using the bottom of a heavy them on a dishtowel. Rub the nuts with curdle, pour it into a Thermos flask. It saucepan. I hold the handle in one the towel and the skins will fall right off. will keep beautifully up to two hours. hand and the rim in the other and then Dry them completely with the towel, -RhondaAbel, Charlotte, NC rock the pan bottom over the pepper­ and then roast them in a 400°F oven fo r corns until I've got the degree of about eight minutes to bring out the "crush" that I want. I don't try to do best flavor. De�Gritting Clams more than a tablespoon of peppercorns -T Skipwith Lewis, Marlborough, CT Before cooking clams, I soak them for at once, because they would roll all half an hour in a mixing bowl with water over the place. and two or three tablespoons of corn­ -Kathleen We st, Havre de Grace, MD Peeling Buttern ut Squash meal. The shellfish ingest the cornmeal To peel the reluctant butternut squash and spit it out again, along with what­ before cutting it up for cooking, micro­ ever dirt was inside the shells. Nonskid Cutting Board wave it for a few minutes. The peel will -June Cerrito, Wa kefield, RI A cutting board that skids around your be much easier to separate from the flesh. counter while you're slicing or chop­ -Betsy Schwartz, Glenville, CT ping is aggravating at best, unsafe at Bu ttering Pans worst. It's a good idea to lay a slightly When baking, you need to butter your damp dishtowel underneath your cut­ Flakiest Pie Crust pans ahead of time so they're ready to use ting board before you work. The single To make the flakiest pie crust, use when your dough or batter is finished. layer of dishtowel makes the cutti ng frozen, unsalted butter and a food But if you leave the pans sitting in a board nonskid, and if your board is a processor.'Cut the butter into one-to warm kitchen, the butter can melt and tiny bit warped, the towel helps to two-inch chunks and add them to the slide down the sides, leaving you with an level it. As an additional benefit, any processor after mixing the flour and salt unevenly bu ttered, and potentially juices that run off of your food are likely (Continued onpage 18) in it first. Process the mixture until the sticky, pan. To prevent this problem, melt

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to be absorbed by the towel, instead of panel. I usually use the produce depart­ dripping onto the counter. ment plastic bag that the fruit came in. Saving Ginger -Morgan Gallagher, Cleveland, OH Just hold it taut over the face of the Rather than end up with moldy bits of grater and grate as normal. leftover ginger in the crisper drawer of When you're finished, pull the plas­ my refrigerator, I peel the ginger, put it Easier Grating tic from the grater and almost all of the whole into a jar, cover with vinegar, and Grating citrus zest on a box grater can be zest will be on the plastic. Just shake or store it in the fridge until I need a bit of it frustrating because so much of the zest scrape it off. Yo u might think that you'd to grate or slice. gets stuck in the teeth or clings to the get little bits of plastic in with the zest, -Mary Schroeder, Seattle, WA grater panel. A good way to avoid this is but you don't. to stretch plastic film over the grater -Deborah Orfill, Dallas, TX Massaging Lemons To get the most juice out of a citrus fruit, Frozen Meat for Sausage first give it a massage. Roll the fruit back I make sausage several times a month and forth on the counter, pressing hard with the meat- grinderlsausage-horn with the heel of your hand. This will soft­ attachment to my mixer. To keep the en the fr uit and crush the juice cells meat from turning to mush in the within the membranes. It will be easier grinder, I've found it best to first cut to squeeze because the juices have al­ the meat into sizable chunks and put ready begun to flow. them in the freezer until not quite -Meg Perry, Akron, OH • frozen. This technique is especially im­ portant for chicken breast, which is such a soft meat. -Phillip Zook, Carrboro, NC

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South Indian Chicken Curry

Coconut milk and ten spices flavor its thick sauce

BY AMINNI RAMACHANDRAN

e land where I was raised in the southwestern what's in the dish and on what other dishes we're Grind your own spices r-r-:art of India is known as Kerala, the place of serving in the meal. Most of the spices are common for deeper flavorand coconut1 � trees. It is endowed with lush, tropical growth in American cooking, while some are more specific richer aroma. Spices the year round-coconut trees along the coast and, at to Indian and Asian cooking. rapidly lose their flavor higher elevations, an abundance of herbs and spices. Assembling the spices. In my chicken curry, once they're ground, so It's no wonder that in this region, curries-highly I like to use ten spices (see photo at right) . Three of to enhance the flavor of spiced dishes often flavored with coconut milk and them-fennel, cumin, and coriander-are the dried your curry, roast whole served with rice-are an important part of every din­ seeds of plants in the parsley family. I also use the green spices briefly on the ner. The meals, always cooked fresh, are quite time­ leaves and stems of coriander, which in its fresh form is stove and grind them in consuming to prepare. Chickens are purchased live often called cilantro in the United States. Black mus­ a spice or coffee grinder and butchered at home; fresh coconuts are cracked tard seeds, native to India, resemble poppy seeds and right before adding open, their meat shredded, and milk pressed from the are used whole. Strips of cinnamon bark, cardamom them to the curry. meat; and right before the cooking begins, a special pods, and dried cloves-the unopened flower buds of mix of spices fo r each dish is CURRY SPICE MIX · the clove tree-give the ground by hand in a mortar dish an almost sweet taste. Makes approximately li.t cup. and pestle. Black peppercorns and dried My taste fo r South Indi­ Oi/ chile peppers contribu te 1 tablespoon coriander seeds (2 teaspoons ground) an curries hasn't changed in 1 tablespoon fen nel seeds (2 teaspoons ground) heat. Finally turmeric, the the 22 years that I've lived in 1 teaspoon cumin seed (1 teaspoon ground) root of a plant similar to gin­ the United States, but my 4 cloves (li.t teaspoon ground) ger, supplies a bright yellow­ 2 cardamom pods (li.t teaspoon ground) method for preparing them liz-inch stick of cinnamon (lizteaspoon ground) orange, saffronlike color. has become much quicker . liz teaspoon peppercorns (liz teaspoon ground) All of these spices are By keeping dried spices on liz tablespoon ground turmeric commonly available in 1 hand and grinding them my­ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper supermarkets, except the self, using packaged, shredded coconut to make the black mustard seeds, which are sold in Indian mar­ coconut milk, and buying chicken and vegetables at kets and in many natural-foods stores. Since ground the supermarket, I can prepare a rich, flavorful chick­ spices quickly lose their flavor, it's best to buy the en curry in just over an hour. And it's almost as good as spices whole and grind them yourself. The two ex­ the curry I remember from Kerala. ceptions are turmeric and cayenne chile, which are usually sold already ground. SPICING THE CURRY There's no right or wrong way to spice curries. Indian cooks stock a number of spices that we use in Every cook has her own combinations of spices that varying amounts and proportions depending on she and her family like in different dishes. In fact, an enjoyable part of Indian cooking is playing with the Delicious chicken curry injust over an hour can be put to­ spices and fine-tuning the mix to come up with gether from off-the-shelf ingredients from your local super­ something that suits your personal taste. I like my market. Dried spices and milk made from groted coconut give curry quite spicy, and so I use about a quarter cup of it a distinctive, South Indian flavor. curry spice mix in a batch of chicken curry. If you're

APRIL/MAY 1994 21 not sure about your spice tolerance, you may want to water (see photo 1 at left) . Let the mixture sit fo r 10 to use only two tablespoons the first time you make it. 15 minutes, then put it in a blender or food processor If you don't have the individual spices on hand, and pulverize for 1 minu te. Line a bowl with cheese­ you can use a prepackaged mix. The curry powder cloth and pour in the wet paste, as shown in photo 2. that's sold in supermarkets is simply a mixture of Gather the edges of the cheesecloth and squeeze out spices commonly used in Indian cooking. Indian mar­ all the liquid in the coconut, as shown in photo 3. kets carry both ground and unground spice mixes, This will give you a rich, creamy, thick milk that you called masalas,specifically matched to certain foods, add to the chicken toward the end of its cooking time. such as chicken, fish, or vegetables. Once you've The pulp that's left behind in the cheesecloth goes fo und a mix that you particularly like, your dishes will through the same procedure again-soaking in a cup Make coconut milk taste the same every time you use it. of boiling water, chopping, and straining into another quickly with shredded, Roasting and grinding. To bring out the fullflavor bowl. This second batch is much thinner, but when unsweetened coconut. of the spices, roast them briefly before grinding them. preparing the curry, it's the one you add first. 1. Soak 1 cup coconut Leave out the black mustard seeds, which will be used It takes about half an hour to make the coconut in 1 cup boiling water whole in the curry. Put a frying pan over medium heat, milk, but you can use the time that the coconut is for 1 a to 15 minutes. and when it's hot, add about a teaspoon of oil. Once soaking to chop the vegetables and the chicken. You the oiltirrin is also hot, put the unground spices in the pan can also make coconut milk in advance and freeze it. and, s g frequently, roast them until they begin to brown and release their spicy aroma. The small ASSEMBLING THE VEGETABLES AND CHICKEN amount of oil develops the color and flavor of the Curries are variable dishes. Onion, garlic, and gin­ spices, but isn't essential. If you're using ground spices, ger are standard flavorings, but a variety of vegetables you can roast them very briefly, about 15 seconds, in a can be used as main ingredients. My favorites with dry frying pan over low heat. They burn quickly, so be chicken are green peppers and potatoes. The pota­ ready to remove them from the pan. toes nicely absorb the coconut curry sauce, while the Next, grind the spices fi ne. I use a small coffe e peppers taste sweet and meaty. Experiment with your grinder, which keeps the spices in constant motion own favorite vegetables. Squash, carrots, cauliflower, while the whirling blade grinds them. A blender or eggplant, and spinach are a few of the vegetables that food processor won't work because the blades are taste good with chicken. too high to cut the small spices. Yo u can also grind For this recipe, begin by peeling and mincing both them, of course, in a mortar COCONUT MILK the garlic and the ginger. Then and pestle. peel the onion and cut it Makes 1 cup thick milk and 1 cup thin milk. lengthwise into thin strips. Peel MAKING COCONUT MILK 1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut the potatoes, cut them into Yz ­ Coconut milk rounds out the 2 cups boiling water inch cubes, and soak them in 2. Liquefy the mixture taste of curries, and softens the harshness of the cold water until you're ready to use them. Next, cut in a blender, and spices. Often mistaken for the clear liquid inside a the green peppers in half and remove the seeds and strain through a piece fresh coconut, coconut milk is actually a white liquid veins. Slice the peppers lengthwise into YZ-inch-wide of cheesecloth. made from grated coconut meat. Whole coconuts strips, and then chop those strips into two or three take a bit of work to crack, peel, and grate, and in pieces each. Finally, wash the freshcoriander, pull off curries that have so many spices and ingredients, the the leaves, and set them aside. Chop the stems into a fresh coconut flavor isn't essential. While canned couple of pieces each. coconut milk can be used, I prefer not to cook with While you can of course make chicken curry with it because it is more expensive and is liable to have a an entire chicken cut into small pieces, I frequently "tinny" flavor. use just the thighs. Chicken thighs cook evenly, and I find that isthe best compromise between flavor and their meat is moist and tender, and because they're convenience to make the milk from dried, shredded small, the curry flavor deeply penetrates them. I coconut. I keep enough shredded, unsweetened remove the skin from the thighs before I cook them coconut on hand so that I can make coconut milk to keep the fat out of the curry and to make the whenever I need it. Indian markets carry very finely pieces more attractive to serve. shredded coconut, but the unsweetened grated coco­ nut found in grocery stores and natural-foods mar­ COOKING THE CURRY kets works well too. Make sure you don't buy sweet­ Once you've roasted and ground the spices, made ened coconut, which is too sweet to use in curries. the coconut milk, chopped the vegetables, and 3. Squeeze all the Making coconut milk is a three-step process, usu­ skinned the chicken, you're ready to cook the curry. liquid, or "milk, " out ally done twice to get all the flavor out of the coconut. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium of the coconut meat. First soak the coconut in an equal amount of boiling is heat until it very hot. Add Yz teaspoon black mus­ water-in this case, 1 cup of coconut and 1 cup of tard seeds, and let them sizzle for about a minute. Add

22 FINE COOKING To soften the flavor of the spices, and to make a creamy sauce, the author simmers the chicken for her curry in coconut milk.

the garlic, ginger, sliced onion, and coriander stems, scoop up the sauce. Finally, a dab of chutney, yogurt and cook them fo r 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add raita, or a hot pickle adds another flavor to the plate. the ground spices and continue cooking for 6 to 8 min­ utes until the onions are very soft, stirring often so that VARIATIONS the onions cook evenly. Then add the green peppers I love the taste of coconut-it has been a part ofmy and cook until they're soft also, about 4 minutes. diet since I was a baby. But even in the land of coco­ When the onions and pep­ CHICKEN CURRY nut trees, we've discovered pers are soft and have absorbed that the tropical oil in coco­ Serves six. the spices, start adding the nut makes it unwise to eat chicken, a little at a time. Stir 1 clove garlic, minced every day. I frequently make 1-inch piece of ginger, minced the pieces until they're coated 3 onions, sliced thin . this same curry, but instead of with the spices, and then add 3 potatoes, diced in 1,I;>-inch cubes using coconut milk, I use yo­ some more chicken. When all 2 green peppers gurt to make the curry creamy 3 stems fresh coriander (cilantro), the chicken has been stirred in, and tangy. To do this, use wa­ plus l4 cup loosely packed leaves pour the second, thinner batch 2 pounds chicken thighs, skinned ter in place of the thin cup of of coconut milk over the 1 tablespoon oil coconut milk and yogurt in 1,1;> teaspoon black mustard seeds chicken, add the salt and the place of the the thick cup. 2 to 3 tablespoons Curry Spice Mix (p. 21), drained potatoes, reduce the or curry powder Beat the yogurt before adding heat to medium low, cover, and 2 cups coconut milk, it and then mix it thoroughly simmer for 40 minutes. 1 cup thick, 1 cup thin (p. 22) with the chicken and onions When the chicken is 1 teaspoon salt to prevent it from curdling. cooked and the potatoes are tender, remove the cov­ Many Indians are vegetarians and enjoy curries er and bring the liquid to a boil. Let the liquid boil for made with two or three vegetables. A nice combi­ 3 to 5 minutes, until the sauce is thick. Then add nation is cauliflower, potatoes, and peas. Stir large the first batch of coconut milk and the coriander florets of cauliflower into the spiced onions, and leaves. Bring the liquid back to a simmer, season then add the coconut milk and potatoes. Add the with salt, and you're ready to serve. peas when the potatoes are almost tender because peas cook very quickly. SERVING Rice is an indispensable part of a South Indian meal, For Aminni Ramachandran, Indian ingredients are and it's a perfect starch to serve with chicken curry. easier to come by than they were when she first moved Put on a pot of rice before you start cooking the onions to Connecticut 22 years ago. Still, she brings back her so that the rice has time to cook and sit before the fa vorite spice mix every time she visits her home in chicken is ready. Serve thin, round chapati breads to Tr ivandrum, on the southern tip of India .•

APRIL/MAY 1994 23 Marinating Ve getables Mediterranean Style

Building up layers of flavor

BY JEANNE QUAN

e countries of the Mediterranean have long r-r-:een known fo r simple, home-style cooking. The1 best � of these dishes are deeply flavored and make abundant use of fresh vegetables. Mediter­ ranean cooks are also known for marinating vege­ tables, and for good reason. Marinating enables the cook to work in an easy and convenient way, varying vegetable types and amounts according to what's available. Marinating results in food with layers and layers of flavors, yet it allows each of the individual ingredients to have its voice. Marinated vegetable dishes also usually improve over time, a real boon to me because I'm inclined to make large quantities, a result of my years as a caterer. I work with a company that imports high-quality foods and wines from Greece. At home, I stock a pantry of good oils and vinegars, brine-cured olives and capers, along with favorite condiments like olive paste, herbs packed in olive oil, and preserved lemons. These form the base and flavoring of many marinades. With these provisions on hand and armed with the most basic of cooking skills, it's pos­ sible to prepare vegetable dishes that are both nutri­ tious and satisfyingly flavorful.

WHY MARINATE? There are several benefits to marinating vegetables. First and foremost, a marinade infuses its host with flavor. There is time for separate elements to mellow and balance one another. Rather than having any one ingredient dominate, sharp flavors meld with shy. The ideal in marinating is to honor and empha­ size the individual character of each ingredient while developing undertones as a result of the blending.

Marinated vegetables offer several advantages. Bread salad, shown with the author at right, combines vegetables and stale bread in a vinaigrette, and illustrates many of Quan 'sideas­ the layering of many flavors, using seasonal produce, good 24nutrition, and advance preparation. Marinating is an excellent way of tying "this to Grilling also brings out sweetness and adds a that," making the most of what I have on hand and smoky flavor. Piquant and smoky melitzanasalata thus avoiding waste. It isn't an accident that the (eggplant salad) is made of grilled eggplant that has healthiest diets are also frugal-using every bit of been chopped and seasoned with herbs and vinegar. what is fresh, and then marinating to tenderize, No matter how I cook them, I like to marinate dense flavor, or preserve food for lean times. vegetables while they're still warm. They seem to Convenience is a third benefit. Because most accept the marinade in a greedy fashion. preparation is done well in advance, I can dictate I marinate tender or juicy vegetables, such as the time schedule. Marinated foods allow me to tomatoes and cucumbers, raw and usually at room serve a number of small dishes at room temperature, temperatures so as not to spoil their texture. For these vegetables, I find myself choosing tender herbs like fresh dill, basil, and chervil. Nothing matches their fresh-cut fragrance when added to the dish at the last minute. I don't let tender vegetables linger too long in a marinade. If they do, water is extracted from them, which dilutes the marinade. Greens, even sturdy wild ones, should not sit too long either. When preparing dandelion, purslane, kale, and chard, I blanch them until tender but still bright green and quickly dress them with a good squeeze of lemon, a touch of herbs, and a sprinkling of sheep's milk fe ta cheese. This dish is everything I crave: tart, slightly bitter, salty, and herbaceous.

MARINATING INGREDIENTS Lemons, vinegar, olive oil, and sea salt are age-old preserving agents, helping to create conditions that inhibit the growth of bacteria. Acidic ingredients like lemon and vinegar lower the pH, salt extracts water, and olive oil seals out air. Because marinades permeate what sits in them, the flavor and quality of every ingredient is very important. It pays to be choosy when selecting them. Mediterranean Fresh lemons not only provide acidity but are bounty at hand. the way to truly appreciate their deepened flavors. also aromatic. I love to use them in marinades. In jars of preserved These marinated dishes are central to Mediter­ addition to their fresh juice, lemons yield highly fla­ lemons flank one of ranean dining-and are included in antipasto in vorful oil from the skin. I often add thin strips of pickled vegetables in Italy, meze in Greece, and tapasin Spain. zest to marinades as a flavor reinforcement and a jeanne Quan's colorful accent. Whenever possible I use Meyer kitchen. These deeply PREPARING VEGETABLES FOR MARINATING lemons for their soft, sweet taste. When buying flavorful concoctions Some vegetables benefit from advance preparation, lemons I look not for the cosmetically perfect but are ready to add to especially those that have a raw, green, or somewhat for those that feel heavy for their size and that yield recipes or to eat as is. bitter taste, like green pepper, asparagus, wild ever so slightly to the touch. These have the most (Recipes on p. 27.) greens, and broccoli; or dense ones like beets, pota­ juice. Before using a lemon, I roll it back and forth toes, and artichokes. Zucchini and eggplant lie under my hand on the countertop with moderate somewhere between dense and porous. Most of the downward pressure. This massage helps the lemon time I precook them. yield every drop. Blanching green vegetables brightens their col­ Preserved lemons, made by soaking salted ors, makes them tender, and helps them lose their lemons in olive oil, are a wonderfully mellow condi­ raw taste. Dense vegetables can be boiled, roasted, ment for Mediterranean recipes (see recipe, p. 27). or grilled. Roasting brings out natural sugars and They're easy to prepare and cost effective, because makes vegetables tender. Tr y roasted beets, carrots, you eat the whole lemon, not just its juice, and a lit­ parsnips, and onions-you may be surprised at the tle bit goes a long way. The oil also takes on a heav­ amount of natural sweetness they contain. One of enly flavor that's appropriate for many uses. my favorite salads is freshly roasted beets marinated Good vinegar gives both an aroma and an edge in orange juice, sweet vinegar, garlic, and herbs. to all preparations. I stock several kinds: aged red-

APRIL/MAY 1994 25 wine, glykadi(an aged sweet Greek vinegar similar to balsamic), rice, and sherry vinegars. Vinegar is only as good and as delicious as the wine from which it's made. A high-quality vinegar will not smell or taste harsh. Yo u can sip it from a spoon without making a face. While most cooks are familiar with lemon, lime, or vinegar as acid ingredients, consider their more gentle but equally interesting cousins like bittersweet Seville oranges, blood oranges, even pomegranate juice and well-seasoned yogurt. They're all excellent vehicles for seasonings that permeate and perfume. Extra-virgin olive oil is expensive but essential in marinades. Extra-virgin oil comes from the first cold pressing of the olives, and it has much more flavor than later pressings. For that reason, I can use less of it. Pure salt is an important ingredient in mari­ nades. Choose sea salt or kosher salt, both of which are one-hundred-percent pure, with no added ele­ ments or impurities.

ARTICHOKES WITH FENNEL BULB AND PRESERVED LEMONS This is one of my favorite recipes-I consider it Mediter­ ranean soul food. It's an adaptation of a recipe my em­ ployer and friend, Sotiris Kitrilakis, developed. For best flavor, prepare one day in advance. Serves six. 2 lemons, halved 6 medium artichokes 1 yellow onion, sliced thin V-t cup lemon-infused oil (preferably the packing oil from preserved lemons, but extra-virgin olive oil is a fine substitute) 8 oz. freshfe nnel (feathery tops included), sliced thin 8 Tbs. chopped fresh dill (6 for cooking, 2 for garnish) � tsp. dried thyme 4 carrots, chopped medium coarse Salt and pepper 1 cup water Artichokes, fennel, 4 to 6 Tbs. chopped preserved lemons (see recipe and carrots make up on opposite page) one of the author's 4 to 6 Tbs. chopped flat-leaf parsley favorite dishes (see the Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a large bowl of cold recipe at left). She calls water. Use the other to rub the artichokes as you trim it "Mediterranean them to prevent discoloration. Cut off all but 1 in. of the soul food. " artichoke stem. Starting from the base, bend each leaf back and snap off. Trim top to 1 in. Use a teaspoon to remove the choke. Trim and shape the base with a knife until no dark areas remain. Drop the artichoke into the prepared Bread salad is water. Repeat with the remaining artichokes. versatile, accepting In a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the many different kinds onion in 1,12 cup oil until light brown, stirring frequently. Add the remaining oil, fennel, dill, thyme, and carrots. of vegetables. The Season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to medium low author's version in­ and cook 3 min., stirring frequently. Add the artichokes cludes stale bread, (stem end up) and the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, ripe tomatoes, onion, cover, and simmer gently until the artichoke stems are ten­ cucumber, capers, der, about 30 min. Cool and refrigerate. olives, and feta cheese. To serve, spread the vegetables out on a platter with the artichokes on top, stem end up. Gamish with preserved (Recpei at right.) lemon, parsley, and dill.

26 FINE COOKING Preserved lemons are

a delicious condiment. 1 small head cauliflower Chop them up and 2 medium red peppers strew them over feta 1 medium yellow pepper 2 ribs celery cheese or salads, 3 small pickling cucumbers serve them alongside 1 lb. carrots (baby carrots are especially nice) seafood, or stuff 2 to 3 small Japanese eggplant 3 cups white-wine or rice vinegar them into the cavity 21f1 cups water of a chicken before 4 Tbs. sea salt or kosher salt roasting. 4 cloves garlic 2 to 3 small dried chili pods 12 peppercorns 8 large sprigs fresh dill Olive oil to top off

Thoroughly clean and trim the vegetables, removing all blemishes, seeds, ribs from inside the peppers, and tough cauliflower stems. Cut the vegetables to uniform sizes; I prefer them in 2-in. pieces. (Baby carrots can be left whole.) Blanch the eggplant for 1 min. in boiling salted water. Pack all vegetables snugly into a clean glass jar with a clamp lid. In a glass or ceramic bowl, mix the vinegar, water, salt, and seasonings. Pour the mixture over the vegetables to completely submerge them. Make more pickling liquid if BREAD SALAD FROM CRETE necessary. Top off with a V2 -in. layer of olive oil. Store in a cool pantry for two weeks before eating. This salad illustrates many ideas I've talked about: the layering of flavors, using the best of what's in season, PRESERVED LEMONS making it go a long way, and finally, good nutrition. Bread Preserved lemons were a revelation to me-they're versa­ salad stands as a meal on its own or accompanies grilled or tile, delicious, and easy to prepare. Experiment with differ­ roasted poultry, seafood, and meat. Feel free to change the ent combinations. For Mediterranean cooking, I prepare ratios of the vegetables, but I find the cool crunch of lemons with extra-virgin olive oil, oregano, bay leaves, and cucumbers and the sweetness of tomatoes or roasted pep­ peppercorns. For Indian recipes, I blend limes and key limes pers essential. Serves four. with canola oil, paprika, cayenne, and black mustard seed. 4 cups good-quality, densely textured, whole-wheat or Makes about 3 quarts. mixed-grain bread, cut into 1-in. cubes % cup extra-virgin olive oil 12 medium to large lemons, unsprayed, if possible . . \4 cup red-wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon JUice 2 Tbs. (approximately) sea salt or kosher salt 1 Tbs. dried Greek oregano . Herbs and spices of your choice-driedchili pods, oregano, 3 cups ripe tomatoes (in winter substitute roasted red bay leaves, peppercorns peppers), seeded and cut into lfl-in.pieces 3 to 4 cups (approximately) extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, or a combination 2 cups cucumber, seeded and cut into lfl-in. pieces 3 Tbs. capers Wash the lemons thoroughly. Slice each into eight lfl cup brine-cured olives, pitted and chopped wedges or crosswise into %-in. sections. Arrange the lfl cup red onion, chopped fine lemons in a single layer on a tray or dish, sprinkle with 2 Tbs. fresh mint, cut into thin strips 2 Tbs. fresh basil, cut into thin strips salt, cover with plastic wrap, and repeat until all the 4 Tbs. flat-leaf parsley,chopped lemons are laid out and salted. Let stand 24 hours. 2 tsp. or more black pepper (Refrigerate in hot climates.) 8 oz. sheep 's milk feta cheese (optional) Layer the lemons into a glass clamp-lid jar with herbs and spices. Discard the salty juice that has seeped from Allow the bread to dry several hours or overnight. Combine them. Cover with oil, submerging the fruit by at least V2 in. the oil, vinegar, and oregano and set aside. Give the jar a gentle rap to dislodge any air bubbles lurking Approximately 30 min. before serving, combine all the among the lemons. Keep the jar on the counter or in a ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Garnish with cool pantry. After two weeks, the lemons should be soft­ additional basil or mint leaves and crumbled feta if you like. textured, with a mellow-tart flavor. Once you've dipped The salad will get soggy after a time, but quite honestly, into them, refrigerate or store in a cool pantry. Always I like it even better that way. maintain a V2 -in. layer of oil on top. GIARDINERA (Marinated and preserved garden vegetables) Jeanne Quan has been a San Francisco Bay Area After some experimentation, I came up with this updated re tailer, caterer, and cooking teacher for more than version of the traditional Italian pickled vegetables. It's col­ seventeen years. Her special focus is on Mediterranean orful, spicy, easy, and it 'can be made up in small batches. foods and wines. As Direcwr of Market Development Giardinera is perfect as an hors d'oeuvre with ales and for Peloponnese, a Greek food importing company, she stouts. You can vary the selection and proportions of vegetables and adjust the amount to the size of the con­ talks w food producers, re tailers, and cusWmers tainer you're filling. Makes about 3 quarts. throughout the United States and Europe .•

APRIL/MAY 1994 27 A Spring Menu fo r Lamb

High ... quality ingredients and simple cooking techniques set you free to enjoy your guests

BY BRUCE LEFAVOUR

Search out the best ingredients. Profes­ sional chefs know that using top-notch ingredients can do more to improve the final dish than reading a host of cookbooks. Shown at right are the makings for Lamb Loin with Spring Veg­ etables. The recipe appears on p. 3 7 .

28 FINE COOKING hefs have anemic social lives. That's because you want. Ask for high-quality cuts and don't be too Cwe're always in the kitchen preparing the shy to comment when you're disappointed or de­ food while everyone else is having a good time. So, lighted. Similarly, ask the produce manager to buy during the 23 years that I was a professional chef, from local growers. Suggest varieties you know to be when I cooked at home for my guests, the meals good. This tactic may even work in a supermarket. were simpler than those I cooked in the restaurant, Cajole. Flatter. Plead. All this may seem like a lot the courses fe wer, the sauces and garnishes less elab­ of trouble to go to fo r the raw ingredients of a meal, orate. I fe el the same way today. I don't want to but if you're serious about your cooking, it's well spend any more time than necessary at the stove be­ worth the effort. Developing sources for fresh, high­ cause I want to talk and interact with the people my quality ingredients will do more to improve your wife and I have invited into our home. cooking than reading dozens of cookbooks. Therefore, my menu here fe atures those items that are in season and hence at their best: aspara­ THE MENU gus, lamb, and strawberries. By choosing ingredi­ SO, with all this in mind, let's consider the specifics ents that are at their peak of flavor, I can prepare of our spring meal. them simply, letting their own good taste make the Asparagus, the quintessential spring vegetable, meal memorable. is a perfect first course. It tastes so good that it needs Choosing the best possible asparagus, lamb, and only steaming and the simplest accompaniment to strawberries is all-important. A big factor in becom­ become extra special. The best and most delicious ing a successful chef is to establish solid relationships asparagus is the freshest, for as soon as the stalk is with the top growers, producers, and purveyors in cut, natural processes start to convert its sugars into the area: you become aggressive and demanding, al­ strings of fiber. (Refrigerating the spears with the cut ways seeking the best varieties of vegetables, fresher end kept damp slows but doesn't stop this degener­ fish, free-range eggs, tender organic meat. The qual­ ation.) Regardless of their thickness, fresh aspara­ ity, the good taste of everyingre dient used in the gus spears have firm stalks that are bright green, kitchen is important. waxy-looking, and not wrinkled from dehydration. The home cook, without an established network The cut ends should appear white and moist, show­ of suppliers, has a harder time, but there are some ing little or no gray from prolonged exposure to the things you can do no matter where you live. Estab­ air. The tips should be tightly closed and compact. lish personal relationships with area farmers. A good I like the taste of citrus with asparagus. Freshly place to do this is at fa rmers' markets or roadside squeezed orange juice, reduced on the stove, is the stands run by growers. Ifyou're lucky enough to have basis fo r a good but simple sauce (as shown in the a small grocery store nearby with an active butcher photo on p. 30). Here in California, blood oranges department, get to know the butcher. Te ll him what are available in spring, and their sweet, full flavor

MENU

Asparagus with Orange Sauce*

• Sauteed Lamb Loin with Spring Ve getables *

• Salad of Mixed Greens with Vinaigrette

Cheeses

• Strawberries with Creme Frafche

* recipe fo llows

APRIL/MAY 1994 29 ,� arugula), corn salad (mache), red mustard, mizuna, and leaflettuces is pleasing after the richness of the lamb. I also set out a plate with one or two cheeses along with a fresh supply of crusty bread. This gives my guests something delicious to nibble while they drink the last of their wine. The dessert is strawberries, as sweet and fu ll of flavor as I can fi nd. Finding really good berries can be a problem: appearances are deceiving. Those big red globes, shiny and overflowing the basket, can taste flat and bland as if they'd been injected with water. Unfortunately, most strawberry growers con­ sider long shelf life, color, and large size more im­ portant than flavor. As a rule, I look fo r small berries. Often they've been on the plant as long as the big guys, but they've spent that time building flavor in­ stead of taking on water. Sniff the berries. Flavorful ones have a powerful strawberry aroma. Any doubts can be dispelled by tasting a berry, something the grower or produce manager should always be willing to let the customer do. If you're lucky enough to fi nd just-picked berries, don't refrigerate them when you Let the flavor shine get home. Like tomatoes, strawberries lose sweet­ through. Steamed and red color make them perfect for this treatment; ness when chilled. Asparagus with however, any good, sweet orange variety, such as Once you have good berries in hand, keep the Orange Sauce is a navel or Valencia, or even a tangelo will do. service as simple as possible. I like plain strawberries simple, delicious, and Lamb is our main course. For many people, the served with confectioners' sugar and a bowl of creme spectacularly beautiful leg is the traditional cut to serve. Like many chefs, I frafche. (L acking creme fra fche, unsweetened firs t course. The sauce, prefer to cook leg of lamb for a short time at very whipped cream will do.) I serve the berries on a plat­ easily made from high heat to avoid drying out the meat. But I don't ter so that the guests can serve themselves, dipping freshly squeezed use this method at home because the smoke pro­ the berries in sugar and creme frafche as they like. orange juice, reduced duced during the 500°F roasting process rolls out of Sometimes I make flat, individual tart crusts from to half its volume and the oven like one of our local fo gs and overwhelms sugar-cookie dough and serve them with sugared lightly seasoned, lets my house's weak ventilation system. Also, the lamb berries and creme frafche. the natural flavor of odor lingers in the house for days, clinging to furni­ So the menu is set: asparagus with orange sauce, the asparagus speak ture, walls, even bedding. sauteed lamb loin with spring vegetables, salad, for itself. Therefore, the cut I prefer to prepare at home is cheese, and strawberries. Because all but the final the boned and defatted loin rack. The meat can be cooking for each dish can be done before your com­ quickly sauteed, with minimal smoke and fu ss, and pany arrives, you should be able to spend most of then sliced for the plate. Yo u probably won't see a the evening with your guests. lamb loin at the meat market; this is the part that is typically cut into chops. Yo u'll need to request whole lamb loins from the butcher. Yo u can either ask the ASPARAGUS WITH ORANGE SAUCE butcher to bone and trim the loins for you, or do this Freshly squeezed orange juice is an absolute must for yourself at home. (For a step-by-step explanation, this recipe; don't be tempted to substitute frozen concen­ trate. Use white pepper here if you can, to avoid black see p. 32.) specks in the sauce. I also prefer the taste of white pepper. Before my guests arrive, I simmer the bones and Serves six. meat scraps to make a stock with which, at the last 3 lb. asparagus spears minute, I deglaze the frying pan. The resulting liq­ 1 Tbs. unsalted butter uid, with the addition of a bit of butter, becomes the Salt and freshly ground white pepper sauce. To accompany the lamb, I steam several dif­ THE SAUCE: fe rent spring vegetables, say, fa va beans, small car­ Zest of 1 orange Zest of 1 lemon rots and turnips, peas, string beans, new potatoes, 3 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (sweet blood orange and baby crookneck squash (see photo at right) . if available) Following the main course, I serve a lightly 2 tsp. French champagne vinegar or other highest-quality, dressed salad. The acidity of a vinegar dressing over­ mild white-wine vinegar v., cup (approximately) lemon juice laying the sharp taste of a mix of rocket (also called Salt and freshly ground white pepper

30 FINE COOKING Lamb without the Before your guests arrive-Immerse the asparagus briefly LAMB LOIN AND SPRING VEGETABLES fuss and smoke. in cold water, stirring and rolling the stalks to remove any When buying the lamb, be sure to specify lamb loin on the The loin, boned and sand lodged in the tips. Snap off the tough bottoms, peel bone. Whether your butcher bones the lamb or you do, the spears, and then store them, wrapped in a damp towel, save the bones and meat scraps to make the lamb stock trimmed of fat, is in the refrigerator. Set up the steamer. (see the recipe on p. 33). The sauce for the lamb is light easily and quickly With a vegetable peeler, remove the zests from the and brothy, just the ticket for springtime. To drink with the sauteed at the last orange and the lemon in strips. Slice the strips lengthwise lamb, I would pour a red wine, perhaps a young merlot minute. Stock from into thin needles, blanch for 1 min. in boiling water and with lots of fruit and mild tannins. Serves six. the bones and trim­ then drain, dry, and roll in plastic wrap. Over low heat, re­ duce the orange juice by half in a heavy, large pan. Be care­ THE LAMB: mings makes a flavor­ 3 lamb racks from the loin ful because it boils over easily. Remove from the heat, add ful sauce for tender 2 Tbs. olive oil the Vinegar, and taste. The juice will still be quite sweet. Salt and freshly ground pepper steamed vegetables­ Add the lemon juice bit by bit until a pleasant balance is springtime on a reached between sour and sweet. Salt and pepper the THE VEGETABLES: dinner plate. sauce to taste and reserve. About a cupful of each of at least five spring vegetables, selected fo r a variety of colors: small new potatoes, fa va Just before serving-Put the sauce over a low flame to beans, small carrots and turnips, sugar snap peas, English reheat but not boil. Steam the asparagus just until tender. peas, tiny crookneck squash, young golden beets, little The exact timing depends on the size of the spears. After 2 creamer onions, baby leeks, French string beans (haricots or 3 min. (less if the spears are very small, more if they're verts), whole immature garlic bulbs, small zucchini. large), cut a slice off the base of a stalk and taste. If it's firm Extra-virgin olive oil but not crunchy at the center, the upper part of the stalk is Salt and freshly ground white pepper probably perfectly done. Eat a whole stalk to make sure. THE SAUCE: Remember that the asparagus will continue to cook from its 2 cups lamb stock (see p. 33) own heat even after it's on the plate. When done, roll the as­ 3 shallots, peeled and chopped fine paragus quickly in the butter. Salt and pepper lightly. Spoon 2 to 3 Tbs. unsalted butter 17 cup chopped fresh herbs-half tarragon, the rest parsley the sauce onto hot individual dishes or a platter. Arrange the asparagus on the sauce and sprinkle with the slivers of zest. and chives

APRIL/MAY 1994 31 Boning lambloin After you've negotiat­ a 5 ed your way around It isn't difficultto bone a lamb loin. One advantage to the bump, cut the loin doing it yourself is that you can be certain of getting every completely from the bone. bit of scrap and bone to add to the stock. When boning the lamb, avoid gouging the meat, and cut as close to the bone as you can. To do this, your knife should be very sharp, flexible, and pointed. To separate the loin 6 from the shell of fat Place the loin, fat side that clings to it, work 1 down, on the cutting carefully, making small board. To avoid slicing into cuts with the tip of your the meat, keep the sharp knife between the meat edge of your knife tilted and the fat. slightly toward the bone throughout the boning process. Start by cutting away the smaller filet.

Roll the loin toward 7 you as you free it from The bone of the loin its fa t. When this process is 2 is T-shaped. Complete complete, only a thin layer the freeing of the filet of very tough "silver skin" by cutting down the leg will remain on the meat. of the T.

Remove the silver skin 8 on both the filetand Now tum the piece of the loin by running your 3 lamb around. To free knife between the meat and the loin, start by working the skin. Also trim away around the bottom of the any remaining bits of fat. T. Feel with your fingers to find where the bones start. Cut back up the other side of the leg of the T.

The meat, free of the bones Right where the bone and all visible fa t, is 4 turns at the top of the now ready for T, there's a half-inch bump cooking. which you must carefully -B.L. C\it around. Do not hurry. Feel your way with your finger and the knife. Prepare the lamb for cooking and make the stock. If your butcher has not already done so, bone the lamb. (See the sidebar at left.) Each rack will yield two tubular pieces of meat, a larger, flatter one from the loin and a smaller one from the filet. Trim the meat, cutting away all fat and silver skin, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate. Discard the fat but save all the meat trimmings, scraps, and bones. Break the bones into small pieces with a heavy cleaver (or have the butcher saw them up) and use them to make the stock (see the recipe at right). Prepare the vegetables as required. Arrange them, covered, in separate bowls so that you can add each of them to the steamer at the right moment. Set up your vegetable steamer. Cook the lamb. Two hours before you plan to sit down at the table, take the lamb out of the refrigerator. Salt and pepper the meat generously and set aside, cov­ ered, in the kitchen so that it rises to room temperature. Raising the meat's temperature 30° or 40°F before cook­ ing allows you to cook the center of the meat to medium rare without overcooking the outside. After the meat is warmed, you should never keep it uncooked for use later. For health reasons, you must cook the meat after it comes up to room temperature. Fifteen min. before serving the asparagus, heat 2 Tbs. of olive oil in a heavy skillet that's large enough to hold the meat without crowding. Use two pans if necessary. Over Select vegetables with medium to high heat, saute the large pieces of lamb, push­ Divide the sauce among warm dinner plates. In the cen­ an eye to color. The ing and turning them frequently so that they brown and ter of each plate, arrange the loin slices and a piece of filet. author prepares sugar cook evenly. After 3 or 4 min., add the filet pieces and con­ Scatter the vegetables around the meat at random, sprinkle tinue cooking. The room-temperature lamb will cook with the rest of the chopped herbs, and serve. snap peas, fresh fava quickly, particularly the filets. I like lamb quite pink but not beans, baby leeks, blood rare. LAMB STOCK tiny string beans, Because the cooked loins will be resting in a warm place This stock makes a flavorful base for a sauce to accompany baby squash, and while the asparagus is eaten and the vegetables and the many lamb dishes. You can prepare the stock the day be­ small turnips, carrots, lamb sauce are prepared, you should undercook the meat fore you plan to use it. Makes 2 cups. somewhat. As it rests, it will continue to cook as the heat and potatoes. No 3 Tbs. olive oil penetrates to the center. When the lamb is cooked satisfac­ extra work is required, Lamb scraps and bones fr om 3 loin racks torily, place it on a rack on top of a larger plate. (Meat 7lQ large onions, chopped coarse because they're all that's allowed to sit in the hot juices that drain from it as it 3 large carrots, chopped coarse cooked in the same rests is liable to taste stewed.) Cover loosely with aluminum 6 cloves garlic, crushed but not peeled steamer-each veg­ foil and keep warm. 72 sprigs fresh thyme or 7 tsp. dried thyme etable added at the Prepare the sauce and the vegetables. Drain the 6 sprigs Italian parsley grease from the skillet, and, back on the fire, add the shal­ 7 bay leaf appropriate time. Water lots and then the lamb stock, bringing it to a boil as you scrape the bottom of the pan to dissolve the caramelized Over medium to high heat in a large, heavy pot, heat the cooking juices. Cook for a few minutes and taste. If the oil. Brown the bones and scraps, the onion, the carrot, sauce seems flavorful enough to you, set the pan aside. If and the garlic. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. When not, reduce it a little more. the meat and bones are nicely browned, add the herbs Just before serving, steam the vegetables, starting with and stir for a minute until you can smell the oils from the those such as potatoes, heads of young garlic, and creamer heating thyme. onions, which take the longest time to cook. At the appro­ Almost cover the bones with cold water (5 to 6 cups priate moments, continue to add vegetables until, at the should do it), and bring to a boil. Skim off any scum that last, you throw in those like zucchini and fresh fava beans rises to the surface and then lower the heat so that the liq­ that take only a few minutes. Ideally, everything will be uid just simmers. Reduce slowly until only 2 cups of liquid done at the same moment. remain. Discard the bones. Strain the stock through a fine Remove the cooked vegetables to a bowl and roll them sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract all the in a couple of teaspoons of olive oil, only enough to make liquid. After the stock cools, skim off and discard any grease the vegetables glisten (lacking good olive oil, use butter). that has risen to the top of the stock. Salt and pepper them liberally, rolling again to coat every­ thing evenly. The first time Bruce LeFavour ever worked in a Put the sauce on the heat and, when it comes to a sim­ restaurant was the day he opened The Paragon in mer, salt and pepper to taste. Add the juice from the resting meat and, just before serving, swirl in the butter and half Aspen, Colorado, in 1965. He has also owned restau­ the chopped herbs. Slice each large loin crosswise into six rants in Idaho and most recently in California'sNapa pieces and the filets into as many pieces as you have guests. Va lley, where he still lives .•

APRIL/MAY 1994 33 Conquering San Francisc(

Yo u make bread with a thick crust, moist crumb, and tanf can

Workingman's sour­ dough. The author bakes these crusty and sour loaves at home throughout the week, despite working a 9- to-5 job. He fits bread­ making into his sched­ ule by using two complementary sour­ dough starters-one to make the dough rise and the other to flavor the bread-ond by taking advantage of sourdough's natu­ rally long ris ing time.

34 ;ourdough

avor athome BY PHil VAN KIRK

Check for consistency. Mixed properly, the San Francisco sour- dough starter comes c off a spoon in sheets � (left). If the starter is � too watery and drools U)�§ off the spoon (center), .;; it quickly exhausts its � g food supply, and its • flavor is diluted when i mixed into the bread E[ dough. If it's too thick � (right), the starter will take longer to get sour.

ive years ago, after living in Northern Califor­ bacteria produce acids that give sourdough bread its Fnia for fifteen years, I moved back to the East legendary tang. Coast. Soon I began to long for the soul-satisfying Wild yeasts feed on starches and sugars and pro­ tang of San Francisco sourdough bread. Unable to duce the carbon dioxide that makes bread rise. Ye asts locate a good source for truly sour and crusty loaves, produce the greatest amount of carbon dioxide right I decided to make it myself. Tw o hundred batches after they've been fe d, then less and less until they've later, I'm happy to report that it's possible to make exhausted their food supply. Lactobacilli digest the world-class sourdough breads at home. same meal and give off acids. They slowly produce I'd heard that sourdough starters are fickle and more and more acid, making the starter tangier the fussy in comparison with commercial yeast. There is longer it sits. This means that a starter has the most some truth to this rumor. Before you can produce vigor to make dough rise right after it's been fed, but consistently good sourdough bread, you need to get not much tang. As it sits, it loses its rising ability but acquainted with a starter and to discover how often develops a more sour flavor. it needs to be fe d, how long it takes to make dough Yo u can create sourdough starters by luring wild rise, and what flavor it gives to the bread. yeasts and lactobacilli to a good meal. In a glass or Once you've figured out your starter, though, it mix ceramic bowl, two cups of flour with two cups of will give you bread with wonderful, haunting flavors either warm water, yogurt, milk, or the water that and a remarkably flexible bread-making schedule. potatoes have been cooked in. Cover the bowl with Since sourdough breads have long rising times, I can a clean dishtowel or cheesecloth and let it sit in a mix the dough at night, form it into loaves the next warm spot for three to four days, stirring it once a morning, and bake the bread that evening after work. day. If it bubbles and has a pleasant, sour smell, you I've made the schedule even more flexible by using have successfully attracted airborne yeasts and two complementary starters-one for muscle to friendly bacteria. Yo u then feed this culture a mix­ make the dough rise and one to give the bread tang. ture of flour and water or thinned mashed potatoes until you have enough active starter to work with. If FINDING A GOOD STARTER instead the starter turns moldy or has a peculiar A sourdough starter is a batter that contains wild smell, discard it and try again. strains of yeast and lactobacilli bacteria. Wild yeasts The two problems with making a starter are that work more slowly than commercially produced your kitchen may not have enough airborne yeasts yeasts, and the leisurely rising time allows intrigu­ to colonize the bait, and if the flour mixture does at­ ing flavors to develop in the bread. The lactobacilli tract wild yeasts, there's no guarantee that the cap-

APRIL/MAY 1994 35 Bubbly potato starter. Stretch and tuck. This robust and After dividing the speedy riser feeds on dough and working it boiled, pureed pota­ in his hands to force toes, sugar, and water, out trapped air, the and produces consis­ author shapes each tently light and moist half into a dome­ bread. shaped loaf. He rolls the outside of the dough and pokes the edges together to form smooth, round loaves.

tured microorganisms will make the dough rise well them together, however, I've sidestepped the prob­ or give the bread a pleasant taste. In the beginning, lem of catching a starter when it still has enough vig­ I made a couple of these starters from scratch, but or to make the bread rise and has become sour they didn't give the bread the flavor or the texture I enough for my taste. Hundreds of tasty loaves later, was looking for. I wouldn't think of making sourdough any other way. Next I sought out proven cultures, which you can beg or buy. A friend gave me part of her starter, MAINTAINING AND PRIMING THE STARTERS which had been fe d on mashed potatoes. The very I feed the starters regularly to replenish what I've fi rst loaf! made with it was a beauty: it rose perfect­ used, to keep the yeast and lactobacilli active, and to ly and had a dandy brown crust. The potato in the prime them for the next round of bread making. starter made the texture spec­ Once a week, I feed my San Francisco starter equal tacularly moist and chewy. parts of unbleached white flour and water, though In order to be a The only flaw was that the fla­ I'll adjust the amounts if necessary to keep the con­ vor wasn't the least bit sour. sistency like that of warm yogurt. sourdough bread maker, As nice as the potato The San Francisco culture needs at least 48 hours starter was, it was only at room temperature after fe eding to develop suffi­ you have to be willing scratching half my itch. I �ient tang. Once the starter is sour enough, I make needed that sourdough tang. bread with some of it and put the rest in the refrig­ to feed the masses. About a year into my sour­ erator to use later in the week. The cold tempera­ dough research, I was elated ture of the refrigerator slows the metabolism of the You'll have millions of to find a mail-order source in yeast and bacteria, preventing the starter fromget­ Idaho for a dried culture that ting too sour. hungry microorganisms contained Lactobacillus san­ I feed the potato starter every two weeks. The francisco, the bacteria unique meal is boiled Idaho potatoes, water, and sugar, depending on you. to the Bay Area that gives San mixed quickly in a blender to the consistency and Francisco sourdough bread its sweetness of a milk shake. The potato starter often Happily their needs characteristic flavor. Al­ doubles in volume while it eats, and stays active and though the starter gave all the bubbly for at least 24 hours. When it stops bubbling, are few and their tang I was looking for, I just I put it back in the refrigerator. couldn't coax it to produce diet simple. anything but hard, crumbly DOUGH (AND WHY I DON'T USE A SPONGE) bricks. I liked the taste of the bread it made too Unlike other sourdough bakers, I seldom make much to abandon the starter, so I worked to enhance bread within 24 hours of fe eding my starters, and I its rising ability. don't make a sponge. I wait two or three days until After dozens of tests, I solved the problem by the starters settle down so that the dough will rise combining the potato starter with the San Francisco slowly overnight or while I'm at work. Many bread­ starter when I mixed the dough. The robust potato makers first make a sponge before they mix the culture made the loaves light, while the flavorful but dough. A sponge is a soupy mixture of starter and wimpy San Francisco culture gave the bread its flour that rises for several hours, allowing the yeast proper tang. to multiply and the flour to fe rment and develop At first I was skeptical about using two starters. more flavor. I don't bother making a sponge because Maintaining them both was more work, and keeping I put a lot of yeasty, flavorful starter in the dough. two took more space in the refrigerator. By using Also, the long rising time characteristic of sour-

36 FI ECOOKING Stone and steam. Loaves sit on a clay pizza stone as they bake. The hot stone cooks the bottom of the bread, forming a thick, dark·chocolate· colored crust. Water poured into the pan on the oven floor quickly vaporizes into steam, which crisps the top of the bread. doughs allows complex, intriguing flavorsto develop a little lighter. I bake on a pizza stone to get the dark without taking the time to make a sponge. bottom crust and put steam in the oven to ensure a Additions to influence taste and texture. Al­ crisp top. though San Francisco sourdough is traditionally I preheat the pizza stone on the bottom of the made with just flour, water, culture, and salt, I didn't oven for 45 minutes at 500°F. Five minutes prior to have much luck using the classic fo rmula with baking, I take the stone off the floor, put it on the my starter. The bread was stiff and crumbly. By using bottom shelf, put a pizza pan on the bottom of the the mashed potatoes in the potato starter, I improved oven, and turn the heat down to 425°. I slash the top the color and texture of the crust and made the inte­ of each loaf with a razor blade, and then I slide the rior moist. A scant tablespoon of olive or safflower loaves off the peel and onto the baking stone. As oil per loaf makes the interior of the bread more soon as the loaves are on the springy and gives the crust better color. Milk powder stone, I pour about a cup of SOURCES FOR contributes to the fo rmation of a darker crust and water into the pizza pan and SOURDOUGH STARTERS makes a subtle but wonderful taste improvement: it quickly shut the door so the helps create the lingering sweet flavors that you steam doesn't escape. I bake King Arthur Flour Baker's Catalogue, PO Box taste after the tang. the loaves until the crust is 876, Norwich, VT 05055; 800/827-6836; fax, This bread tastes wonderful when made with very dark, from 50 minutes to 802/649-5359. Sells sourdough wheat and rye white flour or part whole-wheat flour. I've had ex­ an hour. starters, which are shipped only in the cooler cellent results using flour made from an ancient type months, from November to mid·May. of wheat called spelt, which is less bitter than regular COOLING AND STORING whole-wheat flour. Sourdough bread freezes well. Sourdoughs International Inc., PO Box As soon as a loaf has cooled 993·A, Cascade, ID 8361 1; 800/888·9567; MAKING THE BREAD completely, I put it in a re­ fax, 208/382-31 29. Sells dried sourdough I mix together 6 cups of unbleached bread flour, 2 sealable plastic bag and toss starters from San Francisco, Yukon, Egypt, cups of San Francisco starter, 1 cup of potato starter, it in the freezer. The bread Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, France, Austria, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of nonfat emerges, after a 2-hour thaw, Russia. Catalog available. dry milk, and 1 table spoon of salt, and knead the virtually the same as fresh. dough until it's satiny and smooth, about 15 min­ At room temperature, the Scrumptious Sourdough, 3605 Arctic Blvd., utes. I let the dough rise until it's about 2 Vz times its aging process quickly robs #2149, Anchorage, AK 99503; 907/248·3910. original size. (Depending on the ambient tempera­ sourdough bread of its tex- Offers a dried sourdough wheat starter. ture and how active the starters are, this can take 8 tural charm. Ta ke heart, to 12 hours.) Then I punch down the dough to re­ though: you can banish the curse of flabby crust lease trapped air, divide it in half, and form each part and cardboard crumb. Keep a plant mister near the into a round loaf. toaster and spray stale slices before toasting. With I put the loaves on a peel that's well-covered with practice you can recreate the exact moistness of cornmeal, cover them with a moist towel, and let the original loaf. them rise. In 4 to 6 hours, the loaves have doubled in size and are ready to bake. If! want the loaves to rise While he was in college, Phil Va n Kirk dreamed about more slowly than this, I'll stick them on the cool running a restaurant. After working for a couple of back porch or in the refrigerator. years in Californiabakeries and restaurants, he decid­ I like bread with a really crunchy crust and chewy ed to pursue a career in printing and publishing in­ crumb. The perfect loaf has a bottom crust that's the stead. He's continuing his quest for the perfect crust by color of bittersweet chocolate and a top crust that's building a wood-fired brick oven in his back yard .•

APRIL/MAY 1994 37 Macaroons Simple ingredients make a classic cookie

BY JANE SPECTOR DAVIS

have been happily baking and eating macaroons be made days or even weeks ahead of time, and, of !for many years, but only recently did I realize course, they're delicious. that within this tiny cookie lie centuries of history and tradition. The basic recipe for this delicate con­ A CULINARY TREK fe ction, based on almond, egg white, and sugar, has Long before Columbus, bakers in Spain were makingin survived thousands of miles as it left its original confections from the almonds that grew abundantly home in Spain and travelled around the world. the country's sunny climate. Still today, there are con­ While the macaroon is fascinating in terms of his­ vents in Spain legendary for their handmade almond tory, you can enjoy making macaroons for more macaroons. In the fa mous year of 1492, Spanish Jews practical reasons-they're quick to make, they can fleeing the Inquisition settled in other countries

Almond Pistachio Macaroons have a long and illustrious history. Delicious results depend on the right ingredients, careful measurements, and a close eye on the oven.

38 FINE COOKING Hallmarks of a good macaroon-light and crisp exterior, moist and chewy interior. around the Mediterranean-to Italy, Greece, Tu rkey, this wonderful cookie, which deserves a place year­ and many Arab countries (the Jews enjoyed excellent round among the home baker's favorite recipes, es­ relations with the Moors when they ruled Spain) . pecially now that so many of us are looking fo r The Spanish (Sephardic) Jews took their favorite healthier dessert recipes. Nut oils are mostly mono­ recipes with them, and as almonds had been growing unsaturated. A study published in the March 1993 in these other regions since Biblical times, they were issue of The New Englandloumal ofMedicine states able to continue their traditions of almond confec­ that nut oils show promise in helping to lower cho­ tionery, while adapting their recipes to local ingre­ lesterol, especially almond and walnut oils. Egg dients. The macaroon soon acquired names in the whites are, of course, fat-free. Our ancestors may languages of its new homes-macarone in Italian, not have been as aware as we are of these nutri­ maruchino in Turkish, hagdi badam in Arabic. As well tional benefits, but they knew that macaroons were as new names, new flavors were introduced to the a treat worth preserving for generations. basic recipe, such as the rosewater and pistachio The challenge in making a macaroon lies in its nuts in my recipe, which are used in Arab cuisine. simplicity: when there are fe w ingredients, each one In America, almonds flourish in the California becomes very important, and there is little room for sun. Their ready availability and reasonable cost error. When the challenge is met, the reward is an make them a staple ingredient in today's fine baking, exquisite taste and delicate texture, crunchy on the whether in recipes brought by immigrants or in outside and soft and moist on the inside. those developed on American soil. PREPARING THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS REDISCOVERING THE The ingredients for macaroons are inexpensive and HANDMADE MACAROON easy to obtain, but each one must be understood and Through the centuries, the macaroon remained a handled properly in order to get the desired results. favorite ofJewish holiday cuisine, with a starring role Almond paste is a dense, sweet paste of com­ at Passover, when all foods must be flourless. To day, mercially ground almonds, sugar, and almond flavor. most Passover macaroons in America are commer­ It's available in small cans or tubes in most super­ cially made with coconut in a variety of flavors, markets or specialty food stores, and it keeps well though vanilla and chocolate predominate. for months. The flavor of almond paste can't be du­ French pastry chefs include meringues aux aman­ plicated at home because true almond paste con­ des (almond meringues) among their beautifully tains oil of bitter almonds. Bitter almonds and apri­ made petits gateaux (cookies), and Italian pastry cot pits contain a toxic chemical that must be shops offer a selection of macaroons, from the soft neutralized by commercial processing. The FDA and chewy riciarelli of Siena to fragrant and crunchy prohibits the import or sale of bitter almonds to con­ amaretti di Saronno. sumers. You can grind almonds and sugar yourself, Unfortunately, this emphasis on professionally but the taste won't be the same as almond paste. made macaroons meant that home cooks thought Note that marzipan is not the same thing as almond all macaroons came from either a tin or a fine pastry paste, though the two products share the same in­ shop, and so many have lost touch with the tradi­ gredients. Marzipan is made to be sweeter (and tion of baking macaroons at home. I think it's time sometimes contains corn syrup) and has a slightly to reverse this trend and to begin a new tradition for grainier texture.

APRIL/MAY 1994 39 Sugars-I use granulated sugar and sifted or a dark coffee. I don't recommend using almond confectioners' sugar in this recipe. The granulated extract fo r flavoring because I think it has an artifi­ sugar's molecular makeup helps give the cookies cial, cloying taste. crunch and also helps to blend and aerate the al­ Nuts-In keeping with the Mediterranean theme, mond paste. The sugar crystals have sharp edges this recipe calls fo r unsalted (and undyed) pistachios, that act like tiny knives, cutting into the almond another nut from the ancient Middle East that's now paste and drawing in air at the same time. The con­ at home in California. The natural green color is fe ctioners' sugar gives additional sweetness while delightful in almond macaroons. I like to chop them keeping the interior of the cookie tender-using all so there are some big chunks as well as fine bits; the granulated sugar would make the cookie too crisp. uneven texture adds to the handmade appeal. Yo u Confectioners' sugar also contains a small amount of can substitute chopped unblanched almonds for the cornstarch, which helps bind the batter. pistachios-I think the skin gives a bit of lovely Egg whites-To avoid any risk of salmonella almond brown and adds more flavor than if blanched contamination, when handling raw eggs, be sure to almonds were used. Pine nuts are good, too. clean your counters, hands, and tools before moving on to the next ingredient. Laying a sheet of wax pa­ BAKING TIPS per on the counter when working with the eggs Macaroons will train your eyes to watch for subtle makes clean-up easy-just bundle up the paper, egg color and texture changes. Every good baker loves a shells, and any drips and discard. challenge, so here are a fe w notes to get you started. Egg whites become looser and better able to in­ Measuring by weight-Baking is chemistry: corporate air when they're warmed to room temper­ each ingredient has specific characteristics that per­ ature. That's why when egg whites are beaten alone fo rm different fu nctions, beyond the simple func­ to be used as leavening in cakes and souffles, they tion of providing flavor. For instance, eggs leaven by should be at room temperature. In macaroons, the trapping air; they carry flavor and create tenderness egg whites are used fo r their binding properties and because of the fa t in the yolks; and they bind be­ only secondarily as leavening, but they should still be cause of the properties of the whites. It's crucial, left at room temperature for about 30 minutes. therefore, that all ingredients combine in the right Flavorings-Here's where you can have fun. My proportion. Dry ingredients, such as the sugars, nuts, recipe calls fo r rosewater, which is used in Mediter­ and almond paste in my recipe, along with flour, ranean countries and is available in fine grocery chopped fruit, and chocolate, can be measured more stores, specialty food stores, or Middle Eastern accurately by weight (on a scale) than by volume stores. Yes, it's made from roses, and it gives a lovely (using a measuring cup) . scent to your macaroons. But you can also use a fine Flourless baking-Without the binding proper­ vanilla extract, or an almond liqueur like Amaretto, ties of the gluten that is found in wheat flour, flour-

Measuring by weight is more accurate than measuring by A properly cooked macaroon will pull away easily from the parchment when cool. Its volume, so the author uses an electronic scale; the digital dis­ underside will be an even light brown. play is mounted on the wall.

40 FINE COOKING Davis pinches the batter after mixing in the The right consistency. The batter is fine-textured, Shaping the cookies. A small ice-cream scoop is confectioners 'sugar-when ingredients hold light in color, and almost fluffy after the final ideal for shaping, making it easy to release the together, it's time to add egg whites. phase of beating. sticky batter and ensuring uniformity of shape.

Mixing the batter-Divide the almond paste into pieces less baked goods are fr agile and should be handled (about % cup each) and put them in the bowl of a heavy­ with care. On the positive side, they have un­ duty mixer fitted with a paddle. (Don't use a food proces­ matched intensity of flavor, because there's no sor; the batter is too heavy.) Add the granulated sugar. wheat batter to dilute the taste. Flourless macaroons Quickly turn mixer on and off a few times to draw the will stay fresher longer than cookies made with flour. sugar into the mixture so it doesn't fly out of the bowl. When stored in a tin or wrapped in plastic, they will Work on a low speed until the mixture forms coarse, even crumbs. Don't allow the mixture to go beyond this point remain unspoiled for weeks, with just a gradual shift to a paste, because it will be difficult to incorporate the in textures-more crispy and less chewy. confectioners' sugar. Tu rn off the mixer and add the con­ Creaming almond paste and sugar-It's cru­ fectioners' sugar. Mix on a low speed for 1 min. and a cial to blend these two ingredients (and subse­ medium speed for 1 to 2 min. until the mixture is very quently the egg whites) correctly. The almond paste smooth and begins to compact itself around the sides of the bowl or when pinched. Scrape the sides and bottom is very dense, and so you'll need to use a heavy-duty of the bowl. mixer, such as a KitchenAid, with a paddle. Don't Adding whites and flavorings-Add the egg whites, try to make this in a fo od processor-you'll burn out rosewater, and salt. Mix on a medium speed until com­ the motor. Tr ust me, I found out the hard way! bined, but still moist and tacky. Scrape down the sides Te sting for doneness-When completely cool, and bottqm of the bowl and paddle. Turn the mixer to a the ideal macaroon will have a crunchy, slightly medium-high speed for 2 min. or longer, until the mixture is light in texture and almost white in color. Reduce to a low cracked meringue-like shell and a moist and chewy speed, add half the pistachios, and mix until combined. center. While the cookie is still hot, however , the Shaping-Heat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 or 3 good­ outside will seem soft. It's critical to learn to recog­ quality cookie sheets with bakers' parchment. Use a #40 nize the point at which the cookie makes the transi­ (1 V2 -in.) ice-cream scoop to shape the macaroons. No tion from too soft and wet to perfectly cooked. The scoop? Use a heaping tablespoon. (You could also use a properly cooked macaroon will look slightly puffy. pastry bag, but only if you have very strong hands.) Place scoops of batter on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving When gently squeezed or pressed, it will be soft, yet room between each one. Sprinkle each macaroon with pis­ you'll feel that it has "set up" and is not flabby or tachios, and press down slightly so that the nuts stick. Some mushy. When lifted, it will pull away from the parch­ will fall off, but you can save them after baking and use ment paper without sticking. The underside will be them for the next batch, or have a toasted pistachio treat. Baking and cooling-Bake the macaroons for 25 to 28 an even light brown. min. They should be puffed and light and still feel a little ALMOND-PISTACHIO MACAROONS soft but not wet. The bottoms will be very light brown, not The technique of combining almond paste and sugar is dark. Put the cookie sheets on a rack and let the macaroons the same as for creaming butter and sugar, but almond cool completely before moving. Carefully peel the cookies paste is heavier than butter, so you must beat longer. from the parchment and store them at room temperature Makes 32 macaroons. in an airtight container.

18 oz. (2 cups) almond paste 7 oz. (1 cup) granulated white sugar Jane Spector Davis is the baker and owner of Ganache 7 oz. (2 cups) sifted confectioners ' sugar in Evanston, Illinois, a bakeryoff ering handmade l-2 cup (3 to 4 large) egg whites products, including macaroons, wedding cakes, and 2 tsp. rosewater, vanilla extract, or liqueur chocolate desserts. Before opening Ganache ten years � tsp. salt 4 oz. (1 cup) unsalted, undyed chopped pistachios ago, Davis was a historian and an avid home baker. •

APRIL/MAY 1994 41 From Simple and Distinct Knowing how fo ods blend is key to appreciating the dish

BY GAIL VANCE CIVILLE

n my work as a sensory analyst, I ex­ in which the main ingredients are cooked for a shorter time do not completely blend Iamine how food looks, fe els, and together in a sauce, sometimes pureed to­ to make for a unified sensory experience. tastes. Over the last few years, I've been gether, and held fo r hours or days. In Chinese stir-fry, freshly prepared rata­ thinking about a theory to describe how So what happens to a dish when its in­ touille, or fruit-at-the-bottom yogurt, for these food sensations are organized with­ gredients reach this high level ofblending? example, the elements tend to work with in the full range of cuisines. I've had lots The flavor "notes"-the individual com­ each other, but are not lost to each other. of fragmentary ideas, but I hadn't been ponents of flavor, such as astringency, bit­ Unlike foods in which the elements are al­ able to pull the theory together until a terness, spiciness-are so mixed that it's most fused into a new flavor, the ingredi­ colleague asked, "Why does stew taste difficult to separate them. For example, in ents in Category 2 dishes present bursts of good when left over, but Chinese fo od a basic tomato sauce, the "skunky" or sul­ individual flavor notes that balance with tastes terrible the next day?" furous character of tomato is softened by one another. In yogurt with fruit, we are Answering this question has led me to an onion-garlic complex. Likewise, the hit with separate bursts: the dairy complex think that all dishes fall into fo ur cate­ green fragrance of herbs smoothes offthe (including cultured milk taste, cooked gories according to how appearance, tex­ rough edge of the green "viney" character milk taste, and perhaps butterfat) and the ture, and flavor interact and are per­ of the tomato. The recipes for dishes in this fruit complex (containing some remain­ ceived by the diner. The categories are category are designed to include ingredi­ ing fresh fruit notes as well as the cooked based on how much or how little the in­ ents that, through time or cooking (or fruit flavors of the fruit mixture) . gredients are blended within the dish. both), will blend to yield a distinct new In stir-fried dishes or freshly prepared flavor-in this case, marinara sauce. ratatouille, not only do the ingredients re­ l-A FUSION OF FLAVORS In most Category 1 foods, textures as tain much of their own flavors, but also the Think curries. This group includes the well as flavorsare blended. The ingredi­ textures and appearances keep their in­ most highly blended foods---dishes that ents soften with cooking so that the tegrity. The crisp or chewy or satiny sensa­ combine several ingredients that are characteristics of hardness, moistness, tions stay separate, as do the various cubes, cooked or marinated together, usually for a and roughness or smoothness of all the strands, rounds, or feathered shapes. In long time. In these dishes, the liquids in­ ingredients are similar. Color, shape, sur­ many Asian cuisines, ingredients are termingle to blend flavors and colors, re­ face texture, and gloss blend as well. added solely for the purpose of adding tex­ sulting in a single impression. These dish­ ture and visual interest-lotus root for es are often fo und in Italian, French, 2-CONTRAST AND BALANCE crunch and its lacy pattern, tree ear fungus Mexican, East Indian, and other cuisines Think stir-fry. Foods processed together for chewiness and glossy undulation.

42 FINE COOKING to Complex and Melded

3-SEPARATE BUT example of a dish in its least complicated may be a favorite, but you can't say pre­ COMPLEMENTARY form: the appearance, flavor, and texture cisely why; it's not the ingredient flavors Think the traditional American dinner are easily accessible through the unclut­ per se that you enjoy so much. It's some­ plate. With meat (or poultry or fish) , a tered treatment. Though the fish may be thing else. Knowing that Indian food fa lls vegetable, and a starch, the sensory in­ accented with grated carrot or a sprig of into Category 1, you'll realize that blending terest in this traditional meal comes from green watercress, the color, shine, and many ingredients (some of which you may the contrasts and complements of flavors, visual texture are plain to see. The pure dislike by themselves) into a complex yet textures, and visuals on the plate. Even a fish flavor with its briny, sweet, and salty unified whole creates an entirely new fla­ novice cook knows that dishes of differ­ subtleties is more readily perceived with­ vor that you crave. Conversely, if you're a ent colors create interest in the meal. The out herbs, sauces, or marinades. The sashimi lover, knowing you like discrete items are expected to "go together" but contrasting flavor of soy sauce or wasabi bursts of pure, unalloyed flavor can lead to maintain their own identity by being is only added at the diner's discretion. you to discover new delights in Category 4. placed separately on the plate. They While not all Japanese dishes are so The fo ur categories I've described are, rarely actually blend, especially since the austere as sashimi, most are nonetheless of course, generalized divisions of the vast eating experience is usually sequential, very pure in appearance, flavor, and tex­ and complex field of cooking. Some dishes not simultaneous-a bite of chicken, a ture. Broths are made from only two or will fall squarely within one category, while fo rkful of potato, a nibble of salad. three ingredients, and many dishes are others may straddle two. Absolute catego­ 4-- cooked using water instead of oil, which rization is not important. Being able to PURE AND DISCRETE helps them retain their natural flavors think systematically (as well as intuitive­ Think Japanese. Not only are the food and textures. The overall impression of is ly) about cooking and eating important. items separated in space, as on the the meal is a series of simple and pure American dinner plate, but Japanese sensations (visual, savory, and tactile) to Gail Va nce Civil/e, president of Sensory foods are often separated in time, with be experienced and appreciated singly. Spectrum, Inc. of Chatham, New Jersey, is each dish served as a separate course to a sensory analyst of foods, pharmaceuti­ emphasize its simplicity and purity. Each USING THE CATEGORIES cals, and other consumer products. She item is perceived in its least complicated Think about these categories when you're teaches professional courses and has writ­ fo rm, no frills, nothing to add to or de­ choosing recipes or selecting items from a ten several articles and a textbook on sen­ tract from the "star" item on the plate. menu. Tr y to recognize the nature of dish­ sory evaluation techniques. She was assist­ Look at sashimi (raw sliced fish) as an es that you like. For example, Indian food ed by Michael Civille on this article .•

APRIL/MAY 1994 43 Gulyas is a hearty blend of beef, onion, vegetables, and pap­ rika. The authors' version has carrots, Hearty Hungarian Stews parsnips, potatoes, and tiny egg dump­ lings called galuska. Goulash and its kindred make satisfying suppers &: BY MARIA LORANT NAGYSZALANCZY

44 FINE COOKING fter we came to the United States from AHungary in the mid-1950s, we continued to cook the simple, nourishing foods we loved in our homeland. Nearly fo rty years later, we still make these dishes regularly. Over the intervening decades, we've refined some of the recipes to suit our taste and to accommodate the ingredients that are available in the United States. Gulyas (commonly spelled goulash and pro­ nounced goo-yash) was born on the Hungarian plains. The ancient Hungarians were cattle­ herding people. They called the herd of cattle gulya, and the simple beef soup they made gulyas. To make the very lean and tough beef tender, they cooked it slowly in a kettle with water and flavored it with onions, vegetables, and herbs such as parsley and sometimes marjoram. Spices like black pepper were too expensive for herdsmen. When finally pepper plants arrived in Hungary from America (via the Tu rks), they flourished in the good soil and climate. Both the fresh fruit and the ground paprika, which was made from dried red pep­ pers, were quite welcome. The paprika gave to the dishes a beautiful red color that had never been seen before in Hungary. The flavor varied from gentle and mild to burning hot, and paprika was readily available. The potato arrived from America about Cooking up Hungari­ the same time, so the perfect combination-beef, are many kinds. Most famous are chicken paprikas an specialties. The onion, paprika, and potato-could be combined in and veal paprikas. Nagyszalanczys have the gulyas. A very good vegetarian dish is the gomba been making gulyas­ (mushroom) paprikas, which we make in our home type dishes since they GULyAs AND ITS RELATIVES quite often. Hungarians also enjoy another veg­ came to the United The gulyas-type dishes that we cook fall into three etable variety, krumpli paprikas made with potato, States in 7956. One groups: "true" gulyas, parka It, and paprikas (pro­ onion, paprika, green pepper, and tomato. This refinement is to clean nounced pap-ri-kash) . simple but tqsty dish is a staple fo od of the Hun­ mushrooms a day Gulyas-The true gulyas is a soup made with garian common people, who can afford to eat meat ahead and let them sit onions, cubed beef, paprika, and cubed potato. Ve g­ only once or twice a week. on the counter until etables might be added too, and it is always served Of the many, many variations of these dishes, we it's time to use them. with bread. During the winter hunting season in most often make gulyas, parkalt made with beef or This gives the mush­ Hungary, gulyas was eaten outdoors. At home it was beef and pork, paprikas made with chicken, veal, rooms more intense served as part of a simple dinner, usually fo llowed by mushrooms, or potatoes, and Szekely gulyas. flavor and prevents a pasta dish. Among all the variations, most fre­ them fro m giving up quently seen in Hungary is the Szekely gulyas (Tran­ SELECTING INGREDIENTS so much liquid when sylvanian gulyas), made with pork, onion, paprika, These dishes all depend on the taste and color of the cooking. and sauerkraut. paprika; therefore, it's important to choose it care­ Porkolt is a thick stew, probably derived from the fully. When buying paprika, examine the color, gulyas. This is the dish that's called "Hungarian smell, and taste. The color should be bright red, the goulash" in the We st. Its major ingredients are meat, smell must not be moldy, and the taste should be just onions, fat, and paprika (no potatoes) , and it re­ to your own preference-as mild or as hot as you quires pasta, rice, or potatoes on the side as a com­ like it-without any bitterness. In Hungary, you can plement. The meat can be beef, lamb, veal, pork, find as many as two dozen varieties of paprika, from chicken, or even wild meat such as boar. Parkalt is mild to burning hot. We buy papFika at a Hungarian made essentially the same way as gulyas, but with grocery, but the Szeged brand available at most less water added (or none at all) , so that it's a stew supermarkets is perfectly acceptable. rather than a soup. In general, the hotter the paprika is, the less red it Paprikas is similar to parkalt, but sour cream, or is, because the light-colored veins and seeds are occasionally sweet cream, is added at the end. There ground in with the pepper flesh to produce the most

APRIL/MAY 1994 45 Red-pepper paste its own and won't bum at higher temperatures, such adds color and flavor. as peanut oil. In many dishes, the Finally, sour cream is sweeter in the United States authors like to use this than it is in Hungary. Some cooks mix a little butter­ mixture of pureed red milk in it to make it tarter, but this doesn't seem nec­ peppers and salt in essary to us. In fact, we sometimes make paprikas place of plain salt. with heavy cream instead of sour cream. The taste is even milder. GULYAS WITH DUMPLINGS This soup is similar to the original meal prepared by cattle­ men on the Hungarian plains. If you can't find Hungarian bread, use the best Italian or French you can buy. When the soup is done, make tiny dumplings (galuska) to finish it off. We like to serve a red Hungarian wine, such as a Bikaver, with gulyas. Serves fo ur.

FOR THE SOUP: 1 large red onion, diced or grated 2 Tbs. lard or oil 2 lb. lean beef,cut into 3,I.,-in. cubes 2 tsp. paprika, more or less to taste 1 green pepper, sliced 2 tsp. red-pepper paste (see recipe at right) or 7 tsp. salt 7 large potato, peeled and cut into chunks 7 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks heat. Yo u can buy both the mild and the hot and 7 large parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks mix to your taste; most Hungarian cooks do that. If FOR THE DUMPLINGS: you do use hot paprika, start with less than half the 7 egg Salt amount given in a recipe and add as needed. About � cup flour In addition to paprika, we frequently use a salty Make the soup. In a deep pot, saute the onions in the fat red-pepper paste in place of salt. This paste is simply until they turn a light golden color. Add the beef and a puree of red peppers ground in the food processor brown it on all sides. Add the paprika and a few slices of with noniodized salt added. (See the recipe on the the green pepper, the red-pepper paste or salt, and a little page opposite.) water to prevent burning. Cover and simmer for about ' Onions are just as important as paprika. When hour, checking and adding water periodically if needed. we came to the United States, we tried to make Then add the rest of the green pepper, the potato, carrot, and parsnip, and as much water as you like, depending on parkalt with Spanish onions, but they gave the dish how much broth you want. Cover and cook until the meat too hearty and rich a flavor. We find that red onions is tender, about 30 min. Ta ste for salt. are closest in flavor to Hungarian onions. Before us­ Make the dumplings. In a small bowl or a cup, beat ing the onion, we taste a small piece because some of the egg with a pinch of salt. Add enough flour to make a them are bitter. We always cut them at the last sticky paste and stir until perfectly smooth. Ta ke up a small amount of the paste-less than Va tsp.-on the tip of a minute; they might get bitter while standing in the teaspoon and dip it into the boiling soup to release it. Con­ air too long. Also, the dense root end is where a lot tinue until all the paste is used. Let boil another minute and of the bitterness is concentrated, so we're careful to then serve in soup bowls with thick slices of Hungarian cut that part out. bread on the side. In general, beef in Hungary is leaner than Amer­ GOMBA PAPRIKAS ican beef, so we buy the leaner cuts, such as round or (Mushroom paprikas) rump. Cooking takes longer than with more tender The day before we make this, we always clean the mush­ cuts, but we think these dishes taste better with less rooms and let them sit, uncovered, on the counter. This fat. Fresh ham is also fine in place of pork. Veal here enhances their flavor and prevents them from exuding so is quite different from that in Hungary. Hungarian much liquid while cooking. If you want this dish to be more calves are slaughtered before weaning, so the flesh is colorful, saute thin strips of red pepper with the onion. Two red wines that would go well with this are merlot and light, with a very delicate taste. Veal paprikas made pinot noir; for white, a riesling would be a good choice. here won't have the same taste as it does there. And Serves fo ur. the chicken dishes will taste different, too, unless 7 lb. medium to large mushrooms you find a free-range chicken. 2 Tbs. butter or oil In Hungary, fat for cooking is most often lard. 7 large red onion, chopped fine Butter is also used frequently, but never in gulyas or Black pepper 7 tsp. paprika parkalt. Instead of using lard, you can prepare these Salt � cup sour or heavy cream dishes with a cooking oil that has little or no taste of

46 FINE COOKING Ready for the cream, which makes it paprikas. Sour cream is added to browned mushrooms, onions, a few red pepper strips for color,and paprika before the paprikas is spooned over pasta.

Wipe the mushrooms and let them stand in a dry, 1 large red onion, chopped fine room-temperature place all day or ovemight. Slice them 2 Tbs. lard or oil Va in. thick. 2 lb. pork butt, cut into %-in. cubes 1 Melt the butter in a large frying pan and cook the onion green pepper, sliced 1 tsp. paprika slowly until transparent. Transfer to a plate. Increase the 1 small tomato, peeled and sliced heat to high and add a third of the mushrooms and a dash 2 tsp. red-pepper paste (see recipe at left) or 1 tsp. salt of black pepper. Stir constantly and cook the mushrooms Black pepper quickly so that they brown but don't soften. If you haven't 1!Qlb. sauerkraut, drained and rinsed had time to let the mushrooms sit out, be sure to cook until 1!Qcups sour cream, plus more fo r garnish all juice they exude is evaporated. Repeat until all the In a deep pot, saute the onion in the fat until light brown. mushrooms are browned. Lower the heat and stir in the Add the meat and brown it. Then stir in the green pep­ onion, paprika, and salt. Then add the sour or heavy per, paprika, tomato, red-pepper paste or salt, a pinch cream, heat, and serve over pasta. of black pepper, and enough water to cover the bottom RED-PEPPER PASTE of the pan. Cover and cook for about 45 min., stirring occasionally and adding a little water if needed. We like to use this paste in place of salt for the additional Mix in the sauerkraut and a little water or some of flavor and color it gives. Don't use iodized salt, which con­ the sauerkraut juice if it isn't too tart. Continue cooking tributes a chemical taste. until the meat is tender. Taste for salt and then mix in For a more pro­ 2 lb. red peppers, cleaned and cut into pieces the sour cream. Don't boil the sour cream. Serve topped nounced mushroom 8 oz. noniodized salt with a spoonful of sour cream and accompanied by flavor, moke mush­ Clean the peppers and cut them in pieces. Puree the Hungarian bread. room paprikas with peppers to a paste in a food processor. Mix in the salt, put heavy cream instead into jars, and refrigerate. It will keep indefinitely. Use it with Maria and Lorant Nagyszalanczy cook their Hungar­ of sour cream. The soups, gulyas, and paprikas dishes instead of salt. ian specialties at their home in Sherman Oaks, Cali­ result is delicious. SZEKELY GULyAs fo rnia. Luckily, there's a Hungarian grocery not fa r (Transylvanian gulyas) from their neighborhood where they can stock up on It's all right for the meat used in this dish to be slightly on imported food products from their homeland. • the fatty side. Sliced Hungarian sausage can also be added with the pork. Because of the sauerkraut, Alsatian wines, such as gewurztraminer or riesling, go particularly well with this dish. Serves fo ur.

APRIL/MAY 1994 47 Roast Chicken with Honey .. Thyme Vinaigrette

Make everyday chicken something special

BY SARAH STEGNER

n my cooking at the Chicago Ritz-Carlton, I like hurry, try adding the shallots to the roasting pan Ito use vinaigrette sauces with more than just sal­ when you add the vinegar to deglaze (see below). ads. Fish, poultry, and meat are all delicious when ac­ The flavor won't be quite the same, but it's an ac­ cented with this tangy, acidic sauce. This style of sauc­ ceptable shortcut. ing makes sense for home cooking, too, because a To prepare the vinegar, combine sliced shallots vinaigrette delivers loads of flavor without requiring and vinegar in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at time-consuming stocks and lots of other ingredients. least a day and up to a week. The vinegar becomes I think a perfect partner fo r a warm vinaigrette is more pungent the longer it marinates, so when you roast chicken. The chicken in this recipe is brushed think it has enough shallot flavor,strain it and re­ with thyme oil and roasted on a bedis of vegetables. frigerate it until it's time to use it. After it's cooked, all you have to do blend the juices and seasonings that have accumulated in the pan FRESH THYME FOR COLOR AND FRAGRANCE with vinegar, oil, and other flavorings. The result is a Thyme oil is used fo r basting the chicken as it roasts, vinaigrette sauce that has complex flavors but is easy as well as for whiski ng into the sauce. Only fresh to prepare. The chicken can be served with a mix of thyme will do, giving the oil a strong perfume and a salad greens, wilted just slightly by tossing with some bright green color. Use the oil within three days be­ of the sauce. Boiled new potatoes would be a nice cause the color and flavor will fade after that. accompaniment to round out the meal. Blend the oil and thyme. Strip the thyme There are three main components to this dish: leaves from the stems. (You're aiming for about a the chicken, roasted on a bed of celery and onion, third of a cup loosely packed leaves, but having a To make the skin as which makes fo r more flavor and keeps the chicken little less is all right.) Combine the thyme and olive crispy as possible, from sitting directly on the roasting pan and stick­ oil in a blender and process them until the thyme is and to add herbal ing; the thyme oil, which is olive oil blended with completely incorporated into the oil. Cover and flavor to the chicken, lots of fresh thyme, giving it a potent herbal flavor; store the thyme oil in the refrigerator, and then the author brushes it and finally the shallot vinegar, made by infusing red­ strain before using. generously with thyme wine vinegar with lots of sliced shallots. oil before and during I love the flavors in this recipe because the strong ROASTING TIPS FOR MOIST CHICKEN roasting. herbal fragrance of the fresh thyme is great with AND CRISPY SKIN chicken, and the red-wine vinegar is balanced by My goal when roasting a chicken is to end up with lavender honey. Yo u could use the same technique crispy golden skin and moist flavorful meat that's with other herb-and-vinegar combinations, too, perfectly done-both the delicate white meat and maybe pear and red-wine vinegar with fresh tarragon. the denser dark meat. I like to start my chicken at a really high heat to crisp the skin and seal in some of INFUSING THE VINEGAR the juices, and then finish cooking it in a moderate To get the best flavor, the vinegar should be pre­ oven. Brushing with thyme oil during cooking adds pared 24 hours in advance, if possible. If you're in a more flavor and makes the skin crisp and brown.

48 FINE COOKING ROAST CHICKEN WITH HONEY-THYME VINAIGRETTE Serves four.

6 small shallots, sliced l-2 cup red-wine vinegar 1 large bunch fresh thyme l-2 cup olive oil 3-pound chicken 3 tablespoons coarse salt Freshly ground black pepper 4 medium ribs celery, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 1 tablespoon lavender honey or other floral honey

Mixed salad greens (such as romaine, Bibb, frisee, red oak leaf), washed and torn in pieces (optional)

Serve the roast chicken on a bed of slightly wilted mixed salad greens, tossed with some honey-thyme vinaigrette. The vinaigrette sauce delivers loads of flavor without requiring time-consuming stocks. To protect the deli­ When we roast poultry in the restaurant, we of­ 50 minutes. If the breast meat is cooking too quickly, cate breast meat, ten cook it until the breast meat is done, carve off cover it with one or two of your lettuce leaves. the author covers it that portion, then return the bird to the oven, and When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the halfway through the continue cooking until the dark meat is done. Yo u roasting pan and keep it in a warm place. Put the roasting time with may not want to try this method at home because roasting pan directly on a burner and turn the heat some lettuce leaves carving the hot chicken takes an experienced hand. to medium high. (Don't fo rget that the pan has been fr om her salad greens. Instead, just cover the breast meat halfway through in the oven and will be very hot.) Add the vinegar to cooking with a couple oflarge, hardy lettuce leaves, the vegetables and chicken juices in the pan (add such as romaine. This protects the meat, but doesn't the shallots, too, if you haven't infused them with stick to and tear the skin the way a "tent" of alu­ the vinegar) and boil until the liquid reduced by minum foil might. about half, scraping to dissolve any drippings from To roast the chicken, first remove any giblets the bottom of the pan. from the chicken and pull off all excess fat. Rub the Strain the liquid into a small, deep-sided bowl skin and the cavity with coarse salt, let the chicken and press on the vegetables with a spoon to extract sit for about an hour, and then wipe off all the excess their juices. Now whisk in the honey. Ta ste the salt. (This salting process is optional, but I think it sauce. The oil from basting and the accumulated gives the chicken a better flavor and texture.) chicken juices serve as the "oil" part of the vinai­ Heat the oven to 500°F. Brush the chicken gen­ grette, but if the sauce is too sharp, whisk in a little erously with some of the thyme oil and season with more thyme oil to mellow it. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. salt and pepper. Put the celery and onion in a flameproof roasting pan, season with salt and pepper, and then put the Sarah Stegner is chefof The Dining Room at the Ritz­ chicken on top of the vegetables. Roast the chicken Carlton Chicago. Among other awards, she was at 500° for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° named 1992 Chicago Wo man Chef of the Year. She and continue cooking until the juices from the cavi­ recently spent a few months training at the Michelin ty run clear when the chicken is lifted, another 45 to two-star restaurant Pierre Orsi in Lyon, France .•

APRIL/MAY 1994 49 Cast, Iron Cookware

It's inexpensive, cooks well, and will last for generations

BY RUTH ROHDE LIVELY

The original nonstick efore Calphalon, before Te flon, before Club handed down from one generation to the next. For an pan. Well-seasoned Baluminum, there was cast iron. For genera­ expert's advice on this subject, see the sidebar at right. cast iron has a stick­ tions, cooks have relied on this material's durability There are two camps when it comes to cleaning proofsurface that's and heat-holding capacity to make everything from cast iron-those who wash their cast iron and those easy to clean. Thick, pancakes to stews to fried green tomatoes. Despite who don't. According to the people who do, washing dark, and durable, the trend toward high-tech wonders, cast iron sur­ in a mild soapy water and scrubbing with a plastic cast iron heats slowly vives. Why? There are many good reasons. Cast iron scrub pad doesn't harm the finish. The other camp and holds heat well, browns food beautifully, cooks evenly, and is widely wouldn't think ofletting soap touch a seasoned pan. rendering it suitable to available and inexpensive. And there are health I find that a good rinsing in hot water, followed by a both low- and high­ benefits, too. Studies show that certain foods cooked rub with a tablespoon or so of salt, is usually all it heat cooking. In addi­ in cast iron can contain considerably more iron; takes to get a pan clean. tion to frying, skillets some more than double their available iron content. are great for baking, There are other reasons I keep reaching for cast­ HOW CAST-IRON POTS ARE MADE too. The recipe for the iron pots and pans when I have copper, stainless­ There used to be a number offo undries in this coun­ puff pancake shown steel, aluminum, and enameled vessels on hand. I'm try making cast-iron cookware. With the advent of here appears on p. 52. intrigued by the fact that the nonstick finish in my cheap, lightweight, fast-heating aluminum, fo llowed cast-iron utensils has been developed, a layer at a by upmarket lines of anodized aluminum or stainless time, over years. And I fi nd it very satisfying to use steel sandwiched with copper or aluminum, the use of the same pot my husband's grandfather cooked his cast iron declined. To day there are only two U.S. mak­ stews in, or my great-grandmother's griddle, or my ers, Lodge Manufacturing and Wagner's General mother's corn-stick pans. Housewares. Cast-iron cookware is also manufac­ There are disadvantages to cast iron. One is its tured abroad, and it's not unusual to findTa iwanese weight. The stuff is heavy. A lO-inch skillet weighs skillets next to those from Lodge or Wagner. around 4Yz pounds, while a lO-quart Dutch oven Despite some automation at the fo undries, the comes in at a hefty 22 pounds. The second drawback process of casting has remained essentially un­ is that cast iron isn't great for cooking highly acidic changed over the last hundred years. Cast iron is foods such as fruits or tomato sauces because they'll made by combining cast scrap (returns from previ­ eat the finishoff the interior of the pot. It doesn't hurt ous castings), scrap steel, and pig iron with small the fo od or the pot, but I'm not willing to sacrifice my amounts of other elements that help control hard-won cast-iron finishes. I'd rather cook high-acid strength, fluidity in pouring, brittleness, and hard­ foods in enameled cast iron or stainless steel. ness. These elements are heated to 2800°F and then Also, it takes time for a truly nonstick coating to de­ poured into sand molds. When the molten iron is velop. That's why well-seasoned pans are prized and cooled and hardened, it's broken out of its mold.

50 FINE COOKING Seasoning and cle g cast.. iron utensils anin

BY BILLIE HILL

We ll-seasoned cast iron is truly stickproof and easy to clean. Most problems arise from using an improperly seasoned utensil, or from not main­ taining the finish, usually by bad cleaning habits. SEASONING NEW CAST IRON-The only time I ever wash cast iron in hot soapy water is when it's brand-new. Wa shed and dried, it's ready for seasoning. I don't like to use oils for this. Corn, olive, sunflower, and peanut oil are too thick to be absorbed quickly into the porous cast iron, and sometimes they leave a sticky MAINTAININ G THE coating. I prefer melted vegetable shortening, FINISH-Remove cooked such as Crisco. I drop a soft cloth into the melt­ fo od immediately froma cast­ ed shortening, which has the consistency of wa­ iron vessel. While the utensil is ter, wring it out, and wipe the utensil inside and still hot, rinse it in hot water and, if New and old cast out, covering every surface. Cast-iron lids must necessary, scrub with a stiff bristle brush or rub iron. Many people be seasoned the same way. I then put the cook­ a spoonful of salt on the interior. Don't let it air­ don't associate the ware into a 350°F oven, upside down (with a drip dry. Instead, wipe the utensil with a soft cloth. shiny, new utensils on pan on the shelf below) and bake for at least an If you live in a humid climate, you can add a store shelves with the hour, usually two. Every 30 minutes, I take the protective coating by spraying the just-dried black ware they have cookware out and lightly wipe the inside again item inside and out with Pam or a similar spray. at home. With use, with a thin coat of melted shortening. At the end Then wipe it dry with a paper towel. Don't store cast iron turns black of the two hours, I turn the heat off and let the cast iron with the lid on: the least bit of moisture through oxidation and utensil cool in the oven. The seasoning process trapped inside could cause the pot to rust. the seasoning process. has begun, but it is by no means complete. Should food stick badly to your cast-iron The unseasoned skillet FURTHE R SEASONING-A well-seasoned utensil, fill it with water, boil it on the stove, and on the left has a pol­ utensil is one that's been coated many times then scrub it with a stiff brush. Most of the time, ished finish. With good with fat, which penetrates the pores of the iron this will do the trick. If you have to scour, use a care and a lot of use, and forms a coating on the surface. There are plastic scouring bun. Using a wire scouring bun it will have as smooth several ways to continue seasoning. For a skillet, means the utensil will have to be reseasoned. and satiny an interior simply fry bacon in it for a month or so. Don't Likewise, after cooking high-acid foods, such as the other. wash it; just drain off the grease, rinse with as tomatoes, beans, and fruits, you'll need to scalding water, wipe dry, and store until the next season it again in the oven. use. Use Dutch ovens and deep pots at least half a dozen times for frying or popping popcorn be­ Billie Hill a custo merservice representative for is fore attempting any watery cooking, such as Lodge Manufacturing in South Pittsburg, Te nnes­ making soups, stews, or roasts. see. She's been cooking with cast iron all her life.

Then the utensil is cleaned, sharp edges are ground their pores are fi lled with oil, the range of expansion smooth, and it's given a protective wax coating. and contraction is reduced, and the danger is past. Compared with copper or aluminum, cast iron HOW CAST IRON COOKS heats up slowly, but it holds heat well. And because Although hard and durable, cast iron is also porous it's thick, cast iron heats evenly, without hot spots, and brittle, especially when new. It expands when which suits it fo r cooking at high heat. heated and contracts as it cools. Heated quickly and Everyone knows that cast iron is perfect fo r cook­ unevenly, a new utensil is liable to crack or break as the ing food in fat-for frying bacon, potatoes, pancakes, hot area expands and the cool area tries to stay put. and chicken, for popping popcorn, and fo r deep-fat This can be a problem with large pieces like griddles or frying. Due to its excellent ability to brown fo ods, cast fish fryers that extend far beyond the reach of a gas iron is also great for baking. Cornbread and biscuits ring or electric element. The answer is to heat large are probably the most frequentlycited examples. Tw o pieces slowly. Eventually, when they're seasoned and dishes I always bake in my No. 8 (IOY2-inch) skillet

APRIL/MAY 1994 51 A fe w of many cast­ iron utensils. Skillets, Dutch ovens, griddles, and muffin and corn­ stick pans are among the most popular cast­ iron items, but you could almost outfit a complete kitchen with the stuff, right down to the wok and the waffle iron.

are puff pancake (see the recipe below) and tarte markets, and yard sales are good places to find vin­ Ta tin, an upside-down, caramelized apple tart. And tage pieces. I bought my favorite skillet and accom­ because cast iron holds heat well, it's ideal for long, panying lid at an estate sale. The skillet is beauti­ slow cooking, like stewing, braising, and simmering. fu lly cast and well seasoned, perfectly smooth to the touch, with an interior that looks like black satin. WHAT'S AVAILABLE AND WHERE TO FIND IT At $17 for both, they were a steal. More likely, how­ There's a huge variety of cast-iron cookware. Skil­ ever, the finish will be less than perfect. Pennsyl­ lets and Dutch ovens come in several sizes. In addi­ vania potter and artist Jeanne Sollman cooks almost Wa tch out for rough tion, there are chicken fryers, fish fryers, and deep exclusively in cast iron and likes to buy used pieces. spots. Well-cast fryers, griddles, cornbread pans, muffin pans, cov­ If one is caked with baked-on grease, she puts it in and -finished pieces ered kettles, and camp cookers-large pots that sit her kiln and fires it to around 1000°. The crust and shouldn 't have rough up on three legs so you can set them right in the grime turn to dust and can be removed with a wire edges that were coals. Lodge also makes a waffle iron, a wok, even a brush. She then starts the seasoning process all over missed by the grinder. cast-iron grate that fits in a We ber grill. again. You could accomplish similar results by run­ But if they do, you can There are two kinds of finish to cast-iron pieces. ning the utensil through the cleaning cycle of a self­ usually smooth off Most commonly, you'll find the natural finish, which cleaning oven, which reaches 850° to 900°. rough areas with a file. is dark gray in color and slightly pebbly in texture. Whether you're buying new or used, look for a Some pieces have a polished finish, the result of one piece that has been correctly finished. It should have extra step in the manufacturing process. The pol­ no rough spots around the edges or on the handle ished surface is smoother and slightly shiny, but it (see photo at left). If there are places the grinder doesn't necessarily improve how the utensil cooks. missed, you can simply smooth them off with a file. Housewares departments and kitchen stores sell cast iron, but you can also find a reasonable selec­ Ruth Rohde Lively uses her cast-iron cookware in New tion at many hardware stores. Antique shops, flea Haven, Connecticut .•

MAKING A PUFF PANCAKE IN CAST IRON Set the oven to 45QOF and put a large skillet or Dutch oven Baking a puff pancake is a great way to season a skillet be­ cause nothing ever sticks to the pan, well lubricated as it is in to heat. In a bowl, beat the eggs, flour, milk, and salt to­ 2 eggs with butter. A puff pancake, traditional Saturday morning gether. It's important to mix all the ingredients together at !.-2 cup flour fare in our household, is simply a thin batter of eggs, flour, once; otherwise, your pancake won't puff. The more air !.-2 cup milk and milk that's baked in a sizzling hot skillet. In the oven, you beat into the batter, the higher it will rise in the oven. Dash of salt When the oven is hot, toss the butter into the skillet and let 4 tablespoons butter the edges of the pancake creep above the sides of the skil­ let and the center puffs dramatically. It comes out delicious­ it melt. Pour the batter into the skillet and return it to the oven. Bake for 12 to 15 min., or until the pancake is puffed ly golden brown and crispy on the bottom. This is a perfect breakfast for two, and it's a cinch to whip up while the cof­ and golden. Cut in half and serve immediately with warm fee's brewing. Serves two. maple syrup, coffee, and the morning paper.

52 FINE COOKING Icy texture and in­ tense flavor charac­ terize granitas. Most are based on pureed fruits. The flavors in the colorful palette at right are: 1-Green Kelsey plum; 2-Sunset plum; 3-Rhubarb­ cinnamon-rosemary; 4-Peach-champagne; 5- ltalian plum; 6- Mango; 7-Red rasp­ berry; B-Pineapple-vin santo; 9-Blueberry­ pomegranate; 1 0- Golden raspberry.

am a lover of flavor: the lush flavor of ripe rasp­ Granitas I berry, or the warm, sunny flavor of blood-orange zest. If cakes and tarts are the novels of flavor, then surely granitas-those intensely flavored Italian Scraped Italian ices are scraped ices-are the poems of flavor. Yo u could think of granitas as the first snow coolly refreshing, intensely cones. Sicilian peasants would gather pure moun­ tain snow into cloth bundles, take them back to the flavorful, and easy to make village, and add crushed fruit and juices. For me, though, a good granita is more than just a flavored ice. It's an example of the characteristic Italian love and respect for flavor. BY DIANE POSNER MASTRO Granitas are easy to prepare. Yo u don't need any special equipment-some tool fo r pureeing the fruit, a covered container, a large spoon or ice-cream scoop, and a freezer. Almost any fruit can fo rm a

APRIL/MAY 1994 53 granita base. What's more, granitas are fat-free and use relatively small amounts of sugar because they derive most of their sweetness from the fruit.

WHAT IS A GRAN ITA? Most granitas are made by combining fruit purees with simple syrup, which is a mixture of sugar and water. I always add a pinch of salt and a little lemon juice to fruit granitas to bring out the flavor and to balance the sweetness. And I frequently include a couple of tablespoons of a wine or liqueur to en­ hance the base flavor. The mixture is frozen until solid; it's then scraped and served like ice cream. There are obvious similarities between granitas and sorbets, which are also frozen desserts made with fruit purees and simple syrup. The main difference between the two is their texture. Sorbets often con­ tain beaten egg white and are processed in ice-cream machines, which gives them a silky, creamy texture. Granitas contain less sugar, which allows ice to form in larger crystals. And the fact that granitas are sim­ ply frozen and then scraped further contributes to their icy texture. The root of the word granita, grana, means grain and describes accurately this dessert's Scraping a mango texture; it is quintessential fresh fruit flavor captured sugar and water together until it boils, stirring occa­ granita. Using an ice­ in tiny chunks of ice. sionally. Then cool the syrup and store it in the re­ cream scoop or a While usually eaten as a dessert, a granita can frigerator, where it will keep for several weeks. It's heavy spoon, Mastro also act as an intermezzo between two very flavorful best to have the syrup made ahead and chilled, be­ scrapes toward her courses-a little something to mitigate the richness of cause warm syrup won't give you the most accurate body in several short the previous course, cleansing the palate for the next indication of the flavor of the frozen granita. Flavors strokes until she's dish. An icy granita, with its clean, fresh taste, is per­ are slightly dulled by cold. shaved enough of fect in this role. In my restaurant, I often serve inter­ I frequently infuse the syrup with herbs or even the granita to form a mezzo granitas, perhaps a blood-orange-rosemary nuts to add another layer of flavor to a granita. To solid ball. She removes granita between a rich, gorgonzola-sauced pasta and make an infused syrup, tie fresh herb leaves or sprigs the ball to a chilled a grilled lamb chop, or a tomato-sage granita between or a handful of nuts in cheesecloth or a muslin infu­ bowl and repeats the a pasta alia carbonara(with egg, pancetta, and cheese) sion bag, and cook with the sugar and water. (If you procedure until she's and a seared swordfish steak. My intermezzo granitas have a fine mesh strainer to pour the fi nished syrup scraped as many are less sweet than dessert granitas. through, you can throw the herbs or nuts loose right servings as she needs. into the pot.) When the mixture boils, take it off the THE COMPONENTS OF GRANITA-MAKING heat, let it steep fo r twenty minutes, and then re­ All granitas are made pretty much the same way. move the flavorings. Left to steep longer, they might The differences lie in how the fr uit is prepared. leave a tannic, bitter aftertaste. I always taste an in­ The simple syrup sweetens the fruitpuree and fused syrup before using it, to be sure I like its flavor. brings it to the correct consistency to produce the If you already have simple syrup on hand, you can desired texture when frozen. Because sugar and wa­ infuse as much as your recipe calls fo r by bringing it to ter content varies from fruit to fruit and from crop to a boil again with the herbs or nuts and letting it steep. crop, I sometimes have to adjust the weight of sim­ Choose and prepare the fruit with care. Look ple syrup I add. Wa tery produce like tomatoes or for fruit that's at its peak of ripeness but not overripe. melons need a heavier syrup, one made with a Full flavor, sweetness, and juiciness are important, greater proportion of sugar to water. too. Some fruits, like mango, pineapple, and all the Making the simple syrup is easy. You just cook soft summer berries, need only to be pureed with a

54 FINE COOKING Double-duty labels. Because Mastro con­ stantly varies the flavorings, she labels the containers care­ fully. She includes not only the ingredients strain the puree to remove the fibers. but also the quantities Combining the ingredients is a simple step, so she can replicate but it's the point where some crucial decisions must the most successful be made that affect both flavor and texture. I puree batches. salt, lemon juice, and spirits if I'm using them, with the fruit to distribute their flavors better. I know that bit oflemon juice and a pinch of salt. Firm fruits like to get the best frozen texture, I need a mixture that rhubarb, pears, and apples need to be cooked to soft­ thinly coats a wooden spoon, so if a recipe gives a en them and to release their colors, flavors, and nat­ range of simple syrup, I start with the smaller ural sugars. I prefer to cook peaches and plums, too; amount. I taste as I go, correcting with extra salt and , " I find that doing so produces a granita that is more lemon juice if the mixture's too sweet; if the mix­ richly flavored, more complex, and more refined ture is too tart, I add a touch more syrup, some con­ than if! use raw peaches or plums. centrated pomegranate juice (see box, lower left), I pay close attention to the texture of the fruit or some confectioners' sugar mixed with water. I'm using, because the texture of the finished grani­ Freezing takes a day. I freeze the granita in a ta is every bit as important as its flavor. Watery or fi­ plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Yo u need a brous fruits present special problems. Pineapples container with an opening large enough to allow you must be perfectly, fully ripe, and they must be pureed to scrape the ice. Flat, rectangular food-storage con­ in a food processor until they're as smooth as can tainers are ideal (see the photo at left) . I usually just be. Otherwise, the small fibers will float and the pop the containers into the freezerand fo rget about syrup and juice will sink. Melon purees are liable to them for a day, but some granitas need occasional stir­ separate because the fruit is quite watery. Generally, ring until they begin to solidify,to keep them from mangoes make a wonderfully creamy, dense granita, separating. The tomato-sage granita is a good exam­ but some mangoes are very fibrous. Avoid those, or ple. Until you become familiar with how various gran­ itas freeze up, it's a good idea to check them every now and then. Ifyou see signs of separation, stir. After Concentrated pomegranate juic� freezing the mixture for approximately 24 hours, you should have a solid (or almost solid) block of ice. If you make granitas a lot, you might want to keep one particu­ Scraping takes a little time and effort. Using an ice-cream scoop or a large spoon, I make a few lar item on hand. Concentrated pomegranate juice is a staple in test scrapes to see how hard the ice is. Some grani­ my granita ingredient list. Reduced to a syrupy consistency, the tas-mango, for instance-scrape easily right out of dark red-brown juice adds color, flavor, and tartness to granita the freezer. Usually, though, I need to let the grani­ mixtures that are too pale or too insipid of flavor. I also use this ta sit on the counter fo r about twenty minutes. Then juice to add body when the mixture is too watery. Concentrated I roll up my sleeves and scrape toward my body with pomegranate juice will darken light-colored granitas, like those several strokes, transferring the scraped ice to a made of pineapple or green or yellow plums.-D.P.M. chilled bowl as necessary. If you want, you can scrape all the granita at once, and put it back in the freezer SOURCES until it's time to serve it. Concentrated pomegranate juice, sometimes called pomegranate molasses, Granitas will keep for six weeks in the freezer syrup, or paste, is available in many Middle Eastern grocery stores. The following without deteriorating, but they probably won't be stores will ship: around that long. Serve them in a chilled dish with little cookies or a garnish of freshfruit or mint leaves. Alvand Market, 3033 Suite G, K. Kalustyan,12 3 Lexington Ave., South Briston, Costa Mesa, CA New York, NY 1001 6; 212/685-3451. TROUBLESHOOTING 92626; 71 4/545-71 77. Middle East Trading, 2505 W. Granitas are easy to make, but whenever you cook International Food Bazaar, Devon, Chicago, IL 60659; 312/262- with fruit, things can go wrong. Wa ter content, sug­ 915 SW 9th Ave., Portland, OR 2848. Checks and COOs only. ar content, depth of flavor, and depth of color all 97205; 503/228-1960. Shiraz Food Market, 7397 SW 40th vary with every batch. Here are some potential prob­ St., Miami, FL33155; 305/264-8282. lems and solutions. (All quantities are fo r the size of the recipes that fo llow.)

APRIL/MAY 1994 55 Granita mixture is too sweet-Add one to two tablespoons lemon juice and a dash of salt to help balance the sweetness. Granita mixture is too sour-Add a little more simple syrup (no more than one tablespoon per cup of mixture). Or whisk a tablespoon of confection­ ers' sugar in a bowl with just enough water to make a slurry, add to the mixture, and blend well. Flavor isn't intense enough-For any fruit gra­ nita where some additional red color isn't a problem, add two tablespoons to half a cup of pomegranate syrup to bring up the flavor (see the sidebar on p. 55). Some fruits need For light-color fruit granitas, add a little vanilla ex­ cooking to release tract or lemon juice. Or make the granita with syrup their flavorsand to infused with mint leaves or a vanilla bean. soften their textures. Color isn't intense enough-This is a problem As shown at left, with strawberry granitas. Add a tablespoon of pome­ Mastro cooks blue­ granate syrup to four cups ofliquid. berries until their skins Granita separates during freezing-Stir every burst, and then com­ half hour until the mixture is solid enough so that it bines them with herb· doesn't separate. infused simple syrup Frozen granita is too icy-If the granita is stub­ and pomegranate bornly hard to scrape, there's too much water in the juice or wine. Roasting fruit or in the simple syrup. Let the granita melt un­ rhubarb with cinna­ til you can break it into chunks. Spin the ice chunks mon sticks and rose­ in a food processor until crushed and refreeze. Then mary, above, softens it's easy to scrape. Ifyou make the same granita again and flavorsthe fruit. with fruit of similar quality, concoct a heavier syrup, perhaps three cups of sugar to four cups of water. Wash and pit the peaches. Put them in a nonreactive pot Mixture is too slushy, won't freeze solid­ with the salt, lemon juice, and champagne. Cook until soft, There's too much sugar either in the fr uit or the stirring often so the peaches don't scorch. Cool, and then puree in a food processor until smooth. Combine with syrup. Add up to half a cup of water to the granita, simple syrup and freeze. puree again to mix thoroughly, and refreeze. TWO PLUM GRANITAS SIMPLE SYRUP Follow the directions for the Peach-Champagne Granita, but use the following ingredients. Each makes about 5 cups. Simple syrup keeps for up to three weeks. To make an herb­ infused syrup, tie eight to ten large herb leaves or two or 2lt2 lb. green Kelsey plums three sprigs of herbs in cheesecloth or a muslin infusion Pinch of salt 1 bag. Cook with the sugar and water, and then let steep no Tbs. lemon juice 2 Tbs. Tuaca liqueur (or other orange liqueur) more than twenty minutes. Makes about 3 cups. % cup simple syrup 2lt2 cups water OR 1 % cups sugar 2lt2 lb. Italian prune plums Pinch of salt Put the water and sugar in a nonreactive pot and cook over 1 Tbs. lemon juice medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture boils. 2 Tbs. sweet muscat wine Cool and then store in a covered container in the refrigerator. % cup simple syrup PEACH-CHAMPAGNE GRANITA FRESH SUMMER BERRY GRANITA Makes about 6 cups. Makes about 5 cups.

3 lb. ripe peaches (about 10) with skins 3 pints fresh ripe berries (blackberries, raspberries, or Pinch of salt boysenberries) 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice Pinch of salt 3 Tbs. champagne 1 Tbs. lemon juice 34 to 1 cup simple syrup 1 cup simple syrup

56 FINE COOKING Puree the berries with the salt and lemon juice. Strain to BLUEBERRY-POMEGRANATE GRANITA remove the seeds (leave a quarter of the puree unstrained if Makes about 4 cups. you want some of the seeds for texture). Combine with the 4 to 5 cups fresh blueberries, washed and stemmed simple syrup and freeze. 2 Tbs. freshpomegran ate juice MANGO GRANITA 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice Pinch of salt Makes about 5 cups. v., to 1 cup simple syrup

6 ripe mangoes, peeled and seeded In a nonreactive pot, cook the blueberries, pomegranate Pinch of salt and lemon juices, and salt until the berries soften and begin 1 Tbs. fresh lemon or lime juice 1 cup simple syrup to burst, releasing their color and flavor. Puree when cool. Combine with the simple syrup and freeze. Puree the mangoes with the salt and citrus juice until smooth. Combine with the simple syrup and freeze. TOMATO-SAGE INTERMEZZO GRANITA Not just for dessert. ROASTED RHUBARB GRANITA I like this best during a seafood dinner. Use the most flavor­ Served after a rich ful tomatoes you can find. Stirring slows down the freezing Makes about 5 cups. course, a not-too­ process, so make this granita two days before you plan to serve it. You really have to watch the sweetness when mak­ sweet granita cleanses 2 lb. rhubarb stalks, washed, trimmed, and cut into I-in. pieces 1 cinnamon stick ing an intermezzo granita. If the mixture tastes too sweet, and refreshes the 1 3-in. branch rosemary correct with more lemon juice and salt. Makes about 4 cups. palate, preparing the 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice FOR THE GRAN ITA: diner for the next dish. Pinch of salt 1 cup rosemary-infused simple syrup 3 lb. plum or medium-size standard tomatoes The To mato-Sage v., tsp. coarse salt Put the rhubarb in a nonreactive baking dish with the l4 tsp. black pepper Granita shown below cinnamon and rosemary. Sprinkle with the lemon juice 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil is a perfect intermezzo and add a pinch of salt. Cover with aluminum foil and 1 to 1l-7 cups sage-infused simple syrup (see below) between a creamy roast in a 375°F oven for 40 min., or until the rhubarb is Juice of 1l-7 lemons or 2 limes pasta and a seared soft. Remove the cinnamon stick and rosemary. Puree the FOR THE SYRUP: fish steak. rhubarb, combine with the simple syrup, and freeze. Juice from tomatoes 2 cups water 1 cup sugar 8 to 10 clean, fresh sage leaves

Prepare the tomatoes. Score the stem end of the tomatoes and drop them, a few at a time, into a large pot of boiling water for 90 seconds. Transfer them to a large bowl of ice water to cool. Peel, cut in half, remove all the seeds, and cut away any core. Puree the tomatoes in a blender with the salt, pepper, and olive oil. Strain the puree, reserving both the pulp and the juice. You should have about 3 cups of pulp. Make the sage syrup. In a heavy, nonreactive pot, combine the tomato juice, water, and sugar. Tie the sage leaves in cheesecloth or a muslin infusion bag and toss into the pot. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, and let steep 20 min. Remove the sage and let the syrup cool. Combine the ingredients. Start by whisking 1 cup of sage syrup into the tomato pulp. Add the lemon or lime juice to taste, and more salt if necessary. Whisk together. If the mixture coats a wooden spoon thinly, it should be just right. If the coating is heavy, add more simple syrup. Trans­ fer the mixture to a plastic container and freeze. Stir every 30 min. until the mixture starts to become solid, and then leave it to freeze completely.

Diane Posner Mastro's specialty is northern Italian cuisine, specifically the cooking of the Piedrrwnt. She concocts her granitas at Restaurant Enoteca Mastro, the restaurant she co-owns in Albany, California. •

57 Home,Cured Pork

Tw enty minutes of work and a week's wait turns pork into versatile, velvety demi--sel

BY JEAN JACOB

Turn fresh pork into sweet and salty cured meat in one week by soaking it in a brine bath of salt, sugar, and saltpeter. When properly cooked, this pork, called demi-sel, ome of the strongest memories from my child­ move some of the fat and salt, demi-sel can find a more has a velvety smooth Shood in North Africa are the sights and smells prominent place in dishes such as peas or potato salad, texture that melts in in my uncle's charcuterie (pork -butcher's shop) . I to which it imparts a fresh, sweet-salt flavor. Demi-sel your mouth. used to watch him lower cuts of pork into the huge plays a major role in some traditional French dishes, wooden vats of brine that filled his large, open such as cassoulet (bean-and-meat casserole, shown at Demi-sel made from kitchen. When the meat was cured, he would tie right) and poree (the French equivalent of New Eng­ the loin is shown at one of his long aprons around my waist so that I land boiled dinner, pictured above) . right in a dish called could help him remove the cured pork, known as Regardless of how you use demi-sel, it's important potee, the French demi-sel, from the brine vats. The distinctive sweet, to keep in mind that the curing method I'll describe equivalent to New salty aroma of demi-sel has stayed with me since here is not a substitute for cooking. While the brine England boiled dinner. childhood, lingering like a woman's perfume. bath flavors the meat and gives it a silky, melt-in­ Literally, demi-sel means half-salt. In other words, the-mouth texture, the pork is still fundamentally salt makes up about half the curing ingredients that raw and has to be fully cooked before eating. preserve the pork. Sugar and saltpeter are included Demi-sel is practically unknown in America, yet as well. Curing the pork in this sweet brine for a it's simple, quick, and quite different in flavor and week gives the meat a smooth texture, pink color, texture from most hams you can buy. The brine and fresh sweet-salt flavor. takes minutes to prepare, and the curing process After being pickled in the sweet brine, demi-sel is an requires nothing more than patience. extremely versatile product in the kitchen, either as a flavoring ingredient in a recipe or fe atured as a main MEAT CU TS TO USE FOR DEM/-SEL course. For example, diced demi-sel can be used as part Though most demi-sel is usually made with pork of the fat when sauteing onions. After poaching to re- belly, many other cuts can be cured this way, and it's

58 FINE COOKING common to find a variety of demi-sel pork parts in French butcher shops. Cuts appropriate for demi-sel, from the least to the most expensive, include the boneless neck, shoulder shank, shoulder, bone-in or boneless leg (fresh ham) , and loin. Less costly than any of these is the belly of the pig, or sow belly, which is where bacon is cut from. In European butcher shops, the belly includes the boneless breast-the lower tip of the section, which in the United States is used for spareribs. Thus demi-sel made with this cut is a bit meatier than plain bacon. To purchase fresh (un­ cured) bacon, either with or without the boned rib section attached, you will probably have to order from a specialty butcher. Besides cooking belly demi-sel in traditional cassoulet, it can also be diced, browned, and includ­ ed in leafy green salads, in quiche, or in any dish in which you like bacon. Sliced and fried demi-sel makes a great sandwich, and the fat rendered during cooking is good for frying onions or potatoes. Likewise, the meatier cuts, such as shoulder and leg, can be cooked just as you do ham and served in Strain any un­ as many ways. I especially like to make potee with dissolved ingredi­ demi-sel, sausages, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and ents or impurities green beans. from the brine before combining THE METHOD it with the meat The curing process fo r demi-sel is simple. My pro­ in a crockery, portions for the brine bath are 12 ounces sea salt, glass, or plastic 12 ounces sugar, and 4 heaping tablespoons salt­ container. peter in 3 quarts of unchlorinated bottled water. This is enough brine for 5 to 6 pounds of meat. I France's tradi­ think the salt from the sea tastes the best, and I tional cassoulet prefer bottled water so that there's no taste of chlo­ of beans and rine. In the old days, we used rainwater, which is cured meats often probably not safe now with the acid rain. Yo u can includes demi-sel, buy saltpeter (sodium nitrate) at any drugstore. It's shown here a white powder that's a partial preservative, and it around the edge turns the meat pink. of the platter. Yo u'll need a large pot, a sieve, cheesecloth or muslin, a large crockery, glass, or plastic container, and, traditionally, a sterile board to keep the meat under the surface of the brine. Clean all the equip­ ter six days, remove the demi-sel. It's ready to cook. ment thoroughly with baking soda and rinse with Some main-course demi-sel preparations I didn't hot water to reduce the liability of bacterial mention (but now can't resist) are demi-sel roasted contamination. and sliced on top of mashed potatoes, sauteed slices Put the brine ingredients in the pot and bring to a with a succulent raisin and prune sauce, or sauteed boil, stirring occasionally. Skim off the froth and dis­ slices served on chestnut puree with an apricot pose of it. Let cool. Pour the brine into the crock sauce, including the pan drippings, of course. Keep through a cloth-lined sieve (see the photo above) to in mind that demi-sel is salty. When using it in a strain out any impurities or undissolved salts. Add recipe, be careful not to oversalt. the meat and submerge the cuts by weighing them down with the board. Now put the crock in the re­ }ean}acob was born behind a charcuterie and practi­ frigerator. In France, we don't cure meat in the re­ cally grew up in the shop. Wi th two of llis brothers and frigerator, but the climate in Washington, DC, where now his son, he has run The French Market in the I have my shop, makes refrigeration a good idea. Af- Georgetown area of Wa shington, DC, for 35 years .•

APRIL/MAY 1994 59 •

Earthy Lentils Gentle cooking and careful flavor pairings elevate this lowly legume

BY KEVIN TAY lOR

nce a forgotten foodstuff in modem Amer­ Oican cooking and relegated to the "soup of the day" in country clubs and diners, lentils are starting to get some respect. Often looked upon as a boring food, good for you but not very good, lentils are usually boiled down to a thick, nourishing, but uninspiring mush. But now lentils are showing up on plates where rice and other starchy grains would normally sit. Ta king cues from French, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines, innovative chefs are incor­ Pair strong herbs porating lentils into eclectic menus. with lentils. Both I find lentils an interesting and challenging food common brown lentils to work with. They're what I call a "f ood of the at left and the more earth," meaning almost earthy in color, consistency, delicate French green and flavor, and they need to be combined with other lentils at right benefit big, robust flavors. When cooked properly and com­ from the big flavor of bined with the right partners, lentils become a fe a­ sage, chives, thyme, tured part of beautifully prepared dishes. rosemary, and parsley.

MY FAVORITE LENTILS Lentils, like other legumes, are seeds that grow in­ side of pods. What distinguishes lentils from the thousands of other legumes such as peas, beans, and peanuts is their double-convex, lens-like shape. In fact, the word lens comes from the Latin SOURCES FOR FRENCH OR LE PUY LENTILS word for lentil. There are many varieties of lentils, diffe ring in Bess' Beans, PO Box 1542, Williams-Sonoma, PO Box 7456, color, texture, and flavor. I like the meaty green and Charleston, SC 29402; 800/233-2326. San Francisco, CA 941 20-7456; brown lentils because of the way they hold their Checks and COOs only. 800/541-2233. shape when cooked. Of these lentils, the finest Dean & Deluca, 560 Broadway, Zingerman's Delicatessen, available are the ones cultivated around Le Puy, France. They are small, round, and have a marbled New York, NY 1001 2; 800/221-7714. 422 Detroit St., Ann Arbor, MI 481 04; green and black color that makes them easy to dis­ 31 3/663-3400. G.B. Ratto & Co., 821 Washington St., tinguish from other lentils. Le Puy lentils have a Oakland, CA 94607; 800/325-3483. Each of these companies offers a catalog. more delicate flavor and less starchy texture than the larger, more common brown lentils. Le Puy

60 FINE COOKING lentils also cook quickly and retain their shape well, sage, and chives; and spices, like cumin, coriander, which contributes to their reputation as the aristo­ turmeric, and black pepper, bring out and enhance crat oflentils. the characteristic flavorof the lentils. Though they're more expensive than most Third, a meat, poultry, or fish partner must have lentils, often $3 to $5 a pound, Le Puy lentils are a big flavor to hold its own with lentils. High-oil­ worth trying. If you're not a fan oflentils already, this content fish like salmon or sea bass work well as a variety may make you one. Look fo r these small, background for lentils' flavor. Gamey meats like green lentils in specialty food stores in boxes labeled lamb and venison taste wonderful accompanied by Lentilles du Puy, Le Puy lentils, or French lentils (see lentils. Bistro dishes, in which cheap but flavorful mail-order sources at left) . cuts of meat are simmered or braised until full­ The larger, mealier, brown and greenish-brown flavored and tender, are great vehicles for lentils. lentils are the kind that people are most familiar Fourth, lentil dishes need some acidic ingredients with. I love Le Puy lentils for special dishes, but to round out their flavor; otherwise, the dishes frankly I use the brown lentils more. They're readily would be flat and dull. Wine vinegar, red wine, available and quite inexpensive. If you take care not tomatoes, marinated artichokes, and lemon are to overcook them so that they still have a little bite good sources of acidity to pep up lentils. and hold their shape, they come competitively close Finally, a little fa t at the end smoothes the dish. A to Le Puy lentils in flavor and texture. tablespoon or so of olive oil or butter will soften the sometimes acrid or one-dimensional flavor oflentils. GENTLE COOKING In dishes other than soups and stews, where lentils are cooked until mushy, it's important that lentils have "bite" to them, though how much is up to you. I like them stiff and chewy, with their skins intact. If they're soft and mushy, then they don't interest the mouth, and they aren't as pretty on the plate. The only exception is when I use lentils to bind other in­ gredients. Then it's helpful to cook them until they're very soft and easy to puree. Lentils are quick and easy to prepare. Unlike most beans, they don't need to be soaked first, and they cook thoroughly in 30 to 40 minutes. Before cooking, first rinse and carefully pick through them to remove rocks and pieces of hull that may have gotten through the sorting process. Then cover them with cold water and salt lightly. Gently sim­ mer the lentils, checking periodically to make sure they remain just covered with water. Yo u don't want to flood them with water or cook them too vigor­ ously because that washes out the flavor, breaks up the pods, and makes them mushy. Start tasting the lentils after 25 minutes, and remove them from the heat when they're soft enough to bite through and are no longer crunchy. The lamb stands up LAMB, LENTIL, AND ARTICHOKESA LAD Unless you're making them into a soup, rinse the to the bold flavor cooked lentils and drain them well. Lentils can be I like to use lamb loin in this salad: when roasted and sliced, of the lentils in this it's tender, delicious, and visually appealing. Loin chops, cooked several days ahead and stored in the refrig­ salad, while the acidic served one per person, are a good substitute if you can't erator in a sealed container. find a boneless loin. This salad also tastes great with leftover artichoke hearts and cooked lamb. Serves four. Rosemary-Pepper SUCCESSFUL lENTil DISHES % cup dried lentils Vinaigrette add the As with other beans and grains, the final flavor of 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme, or 'l4 tsp. dried leaves zing that pulls the lentils depends largely on what other ingredients 1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley dish tagether. 1 tsp. chopped fresh sage, or � tsp. dried they're paired with. When I construct a lentil dish, I 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary, or 'l4tsp. dried keep five factors in mind. First, lentils work best with l-2 tsp. minced fresh garlic vegetables that complement their earthy tones­ 8 oz. boneless lamb loin, or 4 loin chops, l-in. thick Salt and pepper fe nnel, carrots, celery, onions, and leeks. Oil Second, strong herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, (/ngredienllisl cOIllinued OIl nexl page)

APRIL/MAY 1994 61 For a substantial beginning to a vegetarian meal, serve Curried Lentil Cakes. Thin, grilled slices of eggplant envelope spiced lentils, and cumin-flavored vinaigrette adornsand flavors the dish.

Artful presentation boosts lentils' image. � cup finely diced fe nnel CURRIED LENTIL AND EGGPLANT CAKES To turn homely ingre­ � cup finelydiced tomato You'll need about sixteen thin slices of eggplant, about dients into an eye­ � cup finely diced shallot three inches wide, so choose one large, evenly shaped egg­ Assorted salad greens-romaine, red and green oak leaf, and mouth-pleasing plant, or two medium-sized ones. These cakes can be as­ mache, arugula, radicchio, endive, watercress lamb salad, Ta ylor 1 cup quartered marinated artichoke hearts sembled in advance and baked right before serving. They arrangesa plume of make a nice first course accompanied by salad greens and chopped tomato. Serves four. lettuce leaves behind Rosemary-Pepper Vinaigrette (see recipe below) the bed of len tils be­ Put the lentils in a saucepan and cover them with lightly 1 cup dried lentils 1 large eggplant, or 2 medium fore he fans the slices salted cold water. Cover and simmer until tender, about Olive oil 40 min. Rinse, drain, and reserve. of lamb on top. Lemon juice Mix the herbs and garlic together and rub over the Salt lamb. Season with salt and pepper, and then let the lamb 2 tsp. to 1 Tbs . curry powder sit for 15 min. to absorb the flavor. 1 onion, diced Grill or broil the lamb on a lightly oiled rack 3 to 4 min. 1 Tbs. red-wine vinegar on each side until medium rare. Remove them from the 1 small garlic clove, minced heat and keep warm. 1 small tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced 1 Mix the lentils and diced vegetables together and sea­ Tbs. mixed chopped fresh herbs-thyme, rosemary, parsley, chives son to taste with salt and pepper. Heat the lentil mixture Fresh cilantro sprigs for decoration in a double boiler or microwave until warm. Mound a quarter of the lentils in the center of each Cumin Vinaigrette (see recipe at right) plate. Arrange the lettuce leaves in a cluster behind the lentils. A radicchio leaf on top is a nice touch. Place the Put the lentils in a saucepan and cover them with lightly artichoke hearts in a semicircle around the front of the salted cold water. Cover and simmer gently until tender, plate. Cut the lamb in thin slices and fan atop the warm about 40 min. Remove, rinse, and drain half of the lentils lentil mixture. Finally, drizzle the salad with the Rosemary­ and reserve. Continue cooking the rest until they're very Pepper Vinaigrette. soft; then drain well and puree. Slice the eggplant lengthwise into Va-in. slices. (An elec­ tric slicer or mandoline makes this easy.) ROSEMARY-PEPPER VINAIGRETTE Lightly coat the eggplant slices in a mixture of two parts Makes 1 cup. olive oil to one part lemon juice, and sprinkle lightly with -?3 cup extra-virgin olive oil salt. Charbroil on a hot grill or broil in the oven until the 4 Tbs. balsamic vinegar eggplant has browned slightly, about 1 min. per side. (It 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice doesn't have to be thoroughly cooked at this point.) Leave 1 shallot them to cool. 1 Tbs. fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp. dried Put the curry powder in a dry frying pan and toast light­ � tsp. freshly ground black pepper ly until it just begins to brown, about 30 seconds. Immedi­ Salt to taste � teaspoon brown sugar ately add the diced onion and 1 Tbs. olive oil and, stirring frequently, cook over medium heat until the onion is soft Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and and caramelized, 5 to 7 min. blend at high speed until smooth. Add the vinegar to the pan and deglaze, scraping to

62 FINE COOKING To assemble the lentil cakes, spoon a mixture of both pureed and whole lentils into molds lined with eggplant slices. Then fold over the exposed ends of the eggplant to cover the filling, making nicely sealed packets.

Lentils mellow the spicy heat of dissolve what remains of the onion and curry powder. Add lentils with a squirt of lemon and a few drops of extra­ Pepper-Coated the whole lentils, lentil puree, garlic, tomato, and herbs. virgin olive oil, and accompany the dish with a glass of Salt to taste. Cook until heated through. pinot noir. Serves four. Salmon. The salmon Coat four 8-oz. molds with butter or oil. Line each mold is served on a bed of � cup dried lentils with about four slices of eggplant so that the inside of the \.2 cup black peppercorns lentils sauteed with mold is completely covered and the edges of the eggplant 4 6-oz. salmon fillets, approximately 1\.2-in. thick fe nnel, carrot, celery, hang over the mold (see photo above). Salt leek, and onion. Fill each mold with a quarter of the lentil mixture and 2 Tbs. olive oil fold over the eggplant ends to cover. \.2 cup finely diced fe nnel Bake the molds in a 350°F oven for 20 min., or until \.2 cup finely diced carrot \.2 cup finely diced celery thoroughly heated. \.2 cup finely diced leek Tu rn out each cake onto a warmed plate and drizzle \.2 cup finely diced onion with the Cumin Vinaigrette. Decorate with a few sprigs of I tomato, peeled, seeded, and finely diced fresh cilantro. I Tbs. chopped mixed fresh herb�thyme, rosemary, parsley, and chives CUMIN VINAIGRETTE Extra-virgin olive oil Makes I cup. Lemon juice I Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro Put the lentils in a saucepan and cover them with lightly 2 cloves roasted garlic, or I clove raw garlic salted cold water. Cover and simmer until tender, about 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice 40 min. Rinse, drain, and reserve. 14 cup red-wine vinegar Coarsely crack the black peppercorns on a wooden cut­ I Tbs. gr ound cumin ting board with a mallet or the back of a heavy frying pan. \.2 cup extra-virgin olive oil Lightly salt the salmon fillets, then generously coat them 14 cup canola or other vegetable oil I Tbs. brown sugar with the pepper, pressing lightly to stick. Salt Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in a frying pan until it's very hot. Add the fennel, carrot, celery, leek, and onion and saute Combine the cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, and vinegar and them until they're translucent and starting to brown. Add puree well in a blender or food processor. Strain through a the tomato, herbs, and lentils and season with salt. Remove fine mesh sieve. from the heat and keep warm. Put the cumin in a dry frying pan and toast lightly until Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in a frying pan and saute the it just begins to brown, stirring frequently. Add to the vine­ salmon over high heat for about 3 min. on each side, until gar mixture. the fish is only slightly translucent inside. Whisk in the oils and brown sugar, and salt to taste. Mix Divide the warm lentil mixture among four warmed the vinaigrette immediately before using, as the mixture plates. Top each with a salmon fillet and drizzle the extra­ won't remain emulsified for long. virgin olive oil and lemon juice on top. PEPPER-COATED SALMON WITH LENTILS In my restaurant, I finish this dish with a pinot noir sauce Kevin Ta ylor, a professional cook since he was sixteen, that I make with rich veal stock. For a quicker home opened his own restaurant, the Zenith American Grill, version, you can round out the flavors of the salmon and in downtown Denver five years ago .•

APRIL/MAY 1994 63 Ganache A Marriage of Chocolate and Cream Gentle but resolute handling leads to a successful union of these rich ingredients

BY ORTRUD CARSTENS

Ganache is wonderful. Rich chocolate is mixed into hot cream, and as it melts, fine droplets of cocoa butter disperse into the cream, forming a shiny, silky�smooth mixture. You've probably had ganache in one of its many forms-in truffles and 64 FINE COOKING other chocolate confections, as a fill­ because of their high cocoa-butter con­ ing and frosting in cakes and petits fours, tent, innovative flavors, multidimen­ as a shiny glaze, as a rich sauce, or as sional character, smooth texture, and hot chocolate. depth of flavor. Yo u can find Valrhona Probably originating in the mid-1800s and other couvertures in specialty food in southwestern France, ganache (pro­ shops, and you can order them through nounced gah-NAHSH) comes from the the mail from confectionery suppliers word ganacher,which means to paddle (see sources for chocolate, p. 69). Try a or wade through something-in this fe w brands in a blind tasting to zero in on case, chopped chocolate and cream. your own chocolate preference. Ganache's uses are many because, by varying the proportion of cream to CREAM chocolate, it can be made thin and Ganache is usually made with heavy pourable or thick and dense. Ganache cream, which has between 36 and 40 can even be whipped into an airy, percent butterfat. A ganache made with mousselike consistency. a chocolate low in cocoa butter benefits To make ganache, you gradually but from the fat in the heavy cream, while resolutely stir finely chopped pieces of one made with chocolate high in cocoa chocolate into hot cream until all the butter may taste too oily if made with chocolate is melted. It isn't difficult to heavy cream. When I use rich Valrhona make, yet the process is always fraught chocolate, I like to blend two parts heavy with tension, because if the cream and cream with one part half-and-half chocolate don't come together to fo rm a (which has 11 percent butterfat) to get homogeneous and stable emulsion, the the butterfat content slightly below 30 ganache will curdle and turn out dull and percent. If you're concerned about the wrinkly instead of glossy and smooth. By high fat content in ganache, experiment paying attention to the temperature of with less fatty creams, which I can assure the cream and by working slowly and you will produce very satisfactory results. steadily, you can practically eliminate the Use pasteurized rather than ultra­ risk of curdling. pasteurized cream, if available, because the high heat used in ultrapasteurization CHOCOLATE can give cream a burnt taste. In any case, Any bittersweet, semisweet, sweet, milk, use the freshest cream you can find. or even white bar chocolate can be used to make ganache. The flavor and texture PROPORTIONS of the chocolate come through quite The ratio of cream to chocolate deter­ clearly, and so it pays to use the best mines the texture of ganache. The more chocolate that you can get your hands cream you add, the softer the ganache. on. I prefer to use couverture, or coating To achieve the intense flavor and dense chocolate, because it's made from texture necessary for truffles, I use any­ higher-quality cocoa beans and is more where from 7 to 8Yz ounces of cream for painstakingly processed than eating every 12 ounces of Valrhona chocolate. chocolate. Most importantly, couverture For a rich cake or pastry glaze that's solid contains at least 32 percent cocoa but­ enough to fo rm a thin, hard shell yet ter, which gives chocolate its high gloss, soft enough to cut through, equal parts smooth texture, and lovely melting prop­ of chocolate and cream work well. erties. Yo u'll pay more for couverture be­ Ganaches for cake fillings and frostings cause the cocoa butter is the most ex­ are usually light and airy, yet firm enough pensive ingredient in chocolate, but your to support the layers above. While heav­ mouth will know the difference. ier butter cakes call for a ganache with There are many good brands of equal parts of chocolate and cream, chocolate on the market, like Valrhona, lighter sponge cakes such as a genoise can Lindt, To bler, Suchard, Carma, Cacao use a ganache with up to twice as much Barry, Callebaut, Van Leer, and Nestle, cream as chocolate. and each brand has a range of choco­ Since all chocolates differ in composi­ lates, from sweet to bitter. I prefer tion and density, these proportions are Valrhona's eleven varieties of chocolate meant only as guidelines, which you

APRIL/MAY 1994 65 should adapt to your brand of chocolate, Heat the cream. to your plan for using the ganache, and Slowly bring the cream to a full boil and to the degree of richness and density that then let it simmer fo r about 15 seconds you like. to eliminate any bacteria that may be present. Tr ansfer the cream to a large MAKING BASIC GANACHE round-bottomed metal bowl and let it While the guidelines fo r the proportions cool for about a minute before mixing in of cream to chocolate are loose, the the chocolate. technique for preparing ganache is not so forgiving. Pour the chocolate onto the hot cream and wait. You want the finely Chop the chocolate. ground chocolate floating on the cream to start to melt a little bit around the edges before you begin mixing it in. Some people recommend pouring the cream on top of the chocolate instead, but I have fo und that with more sensitive couverture choco­ late, the change in tempera­ ture is too abrupt and the mixture is liable to curdle.

Gradually stir in the chocolate.

Break the chocolate into small pieces with the tip of a knife, then chop it into smaller granules in a fo od processor, pulsing it on and off to avoid over­ heating and melting the chocolate. If you don't have a food processor, slice the chocolate into thick shavings with a knife. I don't recommend using a

Using a plastic or rubber spatula, which won't conduct heat, stir a small amount of chocolate in the center of the bowl potato peeler or a grater because the into the hot cream with an energetic, cir­ very thin pieces that they produce will cular motion until it becomes shiny. melt too quickly. Once you have a well-emulsified pool of

66 FINE COOKING ganache, gradually widen the circles. Stir Cover the ganache. relentlessly until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is homogeneous.

If you're not going to use the ganache right away, put a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ganache to prevent a crust from fo rming. Let it cool completely before putting it in the refrigerator. A properly emulsified ganache will stay fresh for about a day at room tem­ The texture of the now-tepid mixture perature, a week in the refrigerator, and should be smooth and glossy, like an up to a month in the freezer. Seal the amorphous, melted glass curtain drop­ bowl with plastic wrap to prevent mois­ ping off the spatula. ture and air from entering.

Check for un melted chocolate. ADDING FLAVOR AND TEXTURE While plain ganache made with high­ quality chocolate is wonderful as is, adding well-matched flavors makes the ganache more complex.

Infusing flavor. Ganache can be flavored by steeping fresh herbs such as mint and thyme, seeds such as anise and fe nnel, citrus peels, vanilla beans, and even coffee and tea in the cream before it's mixed with the chocolate. Here mint If all the chocolate doesn't melt before leaves are brought to a boil with the the cream cools off, put the bowl of cream and left in fo r 15 minutes to in­ ganache inside another bowl filled with fuse a strong mint flavor. The cream is warm tap water (90° to 95°F). Stir slowly then strained and measured and any and gently until all the chocolate melts evaporated liquid replenished. and incorporates into the mixture. If the ganache is glossy, there's little danger Mixing in flavor. that it will separate at this point. Many flavoring ingredients can be mixed into the ganache once it has cooled com­ Strain the ganache. pletely but has not set (after an hour or For a silky-smooth ganache, pour the two at room temperature). Try mixing in mixture through a fine sieve to remove a dash of cognac, Grand Marnier, Coin­ any coagulated bits of cream and air treau, marc de Champagne, or any other bubbles. liqueur or eau de vie. Small quantities of

APRIL/MAY 1994 67 Tr iple chocolate cake

This cake combines three chocolate flavors---cocoa in the cake layers, semisweet In a small, heavy saucepan, heat the water and sugar over medium chocolate in the whipped Let the cream cool briefly (about Remove the bowl from heat and, 1 min.), and then pour the heat, stirring until the sugar is dis­ filling, and a less sweet using either a hand mixer or the solved. Increase the heat and boil chopped chocolate on top and let wire whip on a countertop mixer, bittersweet chocolate in the until the syrup is completely clear it begin to melt. Slowly stir the whip the eggs at high speed until glaze. While the contrast (about 1 min.). Remove from the chocolate and cream in a circular the mixture is thick and forms a rib­ heat and, when the syrup is cool, gives the cake complexity, motion, working out from the bon trail when the beater is lifted. add the rum or other liqueur. you can use the same center of the bowl. Keep stirring Sift together the flour and the until all the chocolate is melted cocoa powder. With a rubber GANACHE GLAZE: chocolate for the fi lling and and the ganache is smooth and the glaze if you can't find spatula, gently fold the flour mix­ 1 cup (8 oz.) heavy cream glossy. Cover the surface with ture into the whipped eggs and 2 Tbs. light corn syrup(opti onal) both semisweet and bitter­ plastic wrap and refrigerate until sugar, mixing only until the flour 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine sweet chocolate. All the well chilled-at least two hours. is incorporated. Fold in the luke­ elements can be made one warm clarified butter. Make the glaze following the in­ CHOCOLATE GENOISf CAKE: to two days in advance. In 4 large eggs Immediately pour the batter structions for the ganache filling. .y" cup oz.) sugar into the greased and floured cake fact, the assembled cake (5 If you choose to use the corn 1 cup (4 oz.) all purpose flour will keep well for a day in pan and bake on the middle rack syrup, which gives the glaze a 14 cup (1 oz.) cocoa powder of the oven for 30 to 35 min. little more shine, heat it with the the refrigerator. y" cup (2 oz.) butter, clarified When done, the top of the cake heavy cream. Air bubbles in the GANACHE FILLING: Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and will spring back when lightly glaze are very noticeable on the 2 cups (16 oz.) heavy cream flour a 9-by 2-in. round cake pan. pressed. Turn the cake out onto a cake, so to prevent their forma­ 8 oz. semisweet chocolate, In a large mixing bowl set over a rack, and let cool completely. tion, stir the glaze gently. Firmly chopped fine pan of simmering water, whisk tap the bowl on the counter sev­ SYRUP: In a small, heavy saucepan, bring together the eggs and sugar until l-2 cup water eral times to release any air bub­ the heavy cream to a boil, and the sugar has dissolved and the l-2 cup (3 l-2 oz.) sugar bles that do form and cover with then transfer it to a large bowl. mixture feels warm to the touch. 1 to 2 Tbs. rum or other liqueur plastic wrap.

68 FINE COOKING softened butter, cooked and sweetened fruit purees, soft caramel, dried or can­ died fruit, and nuts change the texture TO ASSEMBLE: and add another flavor to ganache. To make the cake easier to fill and One of my favorite combinations is glaze, place it on a 9-inch card­ chocolate and orange. To get a wonderful­ board cake circle. Slice the cake ly fresh-tasting orange flav or, zest an with a serrated knife into two even orange by firmly and briskly rubbing all six layers. Using a pastry brush, lightly moisten the bottom layer with half sides of a sugar cube against the orange the syrup. With a wire whisk or the whip attachment on an electric mixer, whip the chilled filling just until stiff peaks form. It's like whipping cream-if you don't whip long enough, it will be soft and flabby, but if you whip too long, the fat mid weather can make emulsification separates and the texture gets difficult. Ganache made with high-fat grainy. couverture chocolate is more prone to Spread a third of the whipped curdling than ganache made with more ganache on the bottom cake layer, and cap it with the top cake layer. stable eating chocolate. Ganache can Brush the top of the cake with the also curdle if the boiled cream is too hot remaining syrup. Spread the re­ when mixed with the chocolate, or if the maining filling over the top and mixture is overbeaten. sides of the cake, making the sur­ I've never had much luck completely face as smooth as possible. Chill skin, being careful not to reach the bitter the cake in the refrigerator for at restoring curdled ganache. Sometimes least an hour before glazing. white pith underneath. Continue with a stirring in a tablespoon or two of hot Glazing-Check the consis­ second and third cube until all the zest has cream will make the ganache less tency of the glaze by pouring a been removed. Crush the flavored sugar wrinkly looking. Another method is to little over your fingemail. If you can cubes with 2 tablespoons softened, unsalt­ melt the curdled ganache, chill it, and see the outline of your nail through ed butter and keep mashing until the mix­ slowly reheat it. the glaze, the consistency is right. If you can't, you'll need to thin the ture is completely smooth, with no trace If you're going to eat the ganache right glaze by heating it over a saucepan of sugar crystals. Gently but thoroughly away and don't mind its dull appearance, of gently simmering water. mix the flavored butter into the ganache. you can certainly use the curdled Place the cake on a wire rack set ganache. If presentation is very impor­ on a baking sheet with rims. The Whipping the ganache. tant, or if you're going to let the ganache glaze will set quickly once it touches When the mixture is cold and firm, you set for later use, you should make a new the chilled cake, and so you don't have much time to fuss with it. Pour may want to beat it briefly with a whisk to batch. Add hot milk to the curdled the glaze on the center of the cake, aerate it. This extra step gives the ganache and you'll have a wonderful hot­ and let it run down the sides. If any ganache a mousselike consistency. (Don't chocolate drink. gaps remain on the sides, quickly confuse this with the classic chocolate scrape up some glaze from the bak­ mousse, which incorporates eggs.) I don't ing sheet and cover them. Once like to work finished ganache too much the cake is completely covered, pick SOURCES FOR CHOCOLATE up the cake, including the baking fo r fe ar that it will separate. Chocolate Gallery, 34 West 22nd St., New York, sheet and rack, and gently tap it on NY 1001 0; 212/675-CAKE. Catalog available. the counter to dislodge any air bub­ WHY GANACHE CURDLES Dean & Deluca, 560 Broadway, New York, NY 1001 2; bles. Immediately pop any remain­ Sometimes, despite your best efforts, the 800/221-7714. Catalog available. ing bubbles with a pin. Don't try to ganache will not form a smooth and Ferncliff House, PO Box 177, Tremont City, OH 45372; smooth out the glaze at this point-you'll only mar it. glossy emulsion. If it looks wrinkled, dull, 513/390-6420. Catalog available. Chill the cake in the refrigerator and lumpy, it has curdled (see photo Maid of Scandinavia, 3244 Raleigh Ave., Minneapolis, until you're ready to serve it. above right). It will taste fine when it's MN 5541 6-2299; 800/328-6722. Catalog available. warm, but as it cools and hardens, the Maison Glass, 111 E. 58th St., New York, NY 10022; Jean-Pierre Marquet is a texture will tum stiff and crumbly, and 800/U-CAll-MG. pastry chef in New York. He it won't have the high gloss for which makes this ganache cake at his ,,2� ganache is known. ba kery, Marquet Patisserie, c Ganache curdles when droplets of Ortrud Carstens, a largely self-taught in Brooklyn. i cocoa butter don't remain well dis­ chocolatier, makes fine, handmade confec­ ------��------�j� persed within the cream. Hot and hu- tions in New Yo rk City.•

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70 FINE COOKING

BASICS

In this department, experts define cooking terms and describe basic To peel off the skin, put the eggplant solids will drop to the bottom of the pan, techniques. Where needed, they on a cutting board, pinch a piece of skin, and a layer of white foam will form on supply foundation recipes and, and pull down lengthwise with the grain, top. Remove the pan from the heat­ being careful not to tear the flesh, which gently, so you don't disturb the layers­ where appropriate, variations. can make seed removal more difficult. spoon off the top layer of foam, and care­ Any small specks of charred skin may be fully pour off the pure butterfat into a blotted away with a dry paper towel or clean container. Discard the milky Roasting, Peeling, simply left to blend in with the flesh. residue from the bottom of the pan. To remove the seeds, trim off the Another method is to melt the butter and Seeding Eggplant stem and insert a sharp paring knife and then actually boil it until the milk halfway through the eggplant. Make an solids coagulate and clump together at incision that runs down the length of the bottom of the pan and the butterfat the eggplant. Gently fo ld back the egg­ floats on top. If this method is taken fur­ plant halves so it opens like a book. Yo u ther to the point where the milk proteins will see clusters of seeds running length­ harden and darken slightly, the butterfat wise. With your fingertips, lightly stroke intensifies in fl avor and color and is down the seed lines to separate them known as ghee, which is a mainstay ofIn­ from the flesh. Insert the tip of your par­ dian cooking. The smoking point of ghee ing knife at about a 20° angle just under is slightly higher than that of regular clar­ the seeds and slice along one side to sep­ ified butter. Again, carefully decant the arate the seeds from the fl esh. Slice clarified butter and discard the milky down the other side of the seed cluster leftovers, or strain it through a sieve lined to release it entirely. with paper towel or cheesecloth. Finally, appraise your work. A few Once you've made clarified butter, scattered seeds will do no harm, but too you can store it in the refrigerator for sev­ many-particularly mature ones that are eral weeks, but be sure to keep it covered hard and bitter-will detract from the because fat absorbs odors easily. Use it for Lift the eggplant's seed cluster and slice it from sweet silkiness of good roasted eggplant. sauteing, for flavoring cake or crepe bat­ the flesh. A gentle touch will keep the cluster in· -Kaysey McLoughlin, private chef and ters, for tossing with steamed vegetables, tact for easier removal. caterer in Pulaski, Tennessee. or for brushing on a piece of poached fish for moisture and shine. Smoky roasted eggplant is a delicious ad­ -Martha Holmberg, Fine Cooking dition to many dishes, but preparing it Making Clarified Butte r can be a messy chore if not undertaken Clarified butter, sometimes called drawn with a systematic approach and a sharp butter, is regular butter that has been Sugar Syrups paring knife. treated to remove any nonfat elements Many dessert recipes call for sugar syrup. The best heat source for roasting in order to improve its qualities as a It can moisten, sweeten, add texture, and eggplant is an outdoor grill fueled by a cooking medium. Butter has two main even be used as a cooking medium. Sug­ fragrant wood, but a regular gas range components: butterfat and milk proteins; ar syrup is made by dissolving sugar in will do the trick nicely, as well. A third, there's also a lot of water, sometimes up water or another liquid, bringing it just but less satisfactory, method is to use to 18 percent. Salted butter of course to a boil, and then taking it immediately your broiler; position the eggplant as contains salt, too; for clarified butter, use from the heat, with no appreciable water close to the heat as possible. Ifyou're us­ only unsalted, as salt can lower the smok­ evaporation. (Some chefs call this type ing a gas stove, line the burners first ing point of the finished product and de­ of syrup a "simple" syrup. I use the term with aluminum fo il. fe at the purpose of clarifying. simple syrup to refer to a syrup made with The goal when roasting eggplant is to Without the milk proteins, clarified a one-to-one ratio of sugar to water.) A preserve as much as possible of the natur­ butter can be heated to higher tempera­ sugar syrup is different from a "cooked­ al shape of the eggplant because it will be tures without fo rming brown specks or sugar syrup," in which the syrup is boiled much easier to peel and seed if its struc­ eventually burning, so it's good for gentle for a longer time, so that the water be­ ture is intact. Place the eggplant directly sauteing, or for more vigorous frying gins to evaporate and the syrup takes on on the burner with the flame set to low when mixed with a little olive or veg­ new characteristics, described by terms and leave it to char. Carefully turn it by etable oil to boost its smoking point. like "soft ball" or "hard ball." the stem to char the entire surface. Make The standard method for making Cooked-sugar syrups are used for sure the eggplant is thoroughly blackened clarified butter is to melt the butter gen­ making confections that require a lot of on all sides, but don't cook it so long that tly in a sturdy saucepan until you see the body, like Italian meringue, buttercream it loses its shape and becomes mushy. Set butterfa t separating out and forming a icings, and especially candies. Sugar it aside to cool completely. thick layer in the pan. Most of the milk syrups are mainly used to imbibe (moist-

72 FINE COOKING BASICS

en) baked goods, to sweeten and pro­ undissolved sugar. If you see any sugar making sorbets and granitas, both as a duce the right texture in ices and sor­ crystals on the side of the pan, wash sweetener and as a means of controlling bets, and to poach fruit. them down with a natural-bristle pastry texture. Sugar affects freezing, so the Yo u can fl avor a sugar syrup with brush and a little water; synthetic right amount of sugar syrup will produce many ingredients-fresh herbs, spices, or brushes lose bristles easily. Stir until the a flavorful ice that is soft enough to scoop alcohols are popular choices. To infuse a sugar dissolves, but not after the syrup and shape. The ratio of sugar to water syrup with something nonalcoholic, add comes to a boil, because more stirring will vary according to the sweetness of the flavoring to the hot syrup and leave can also cause crystallization. When the the base mixture, but a range of 25 to to infuse for several minutes or up to syrup has boiled and is perfectly clear, 50 percent sugar should yield the right 12 hours, depending on how easily the take it off the heat. Some chefs add a balance of sweetness and texture. item gives off flavor. For example, a fe w drops of lemon juice to the syrup; For poaching fruit, a ratio of one part bunch of fresh mint would only need the acid in the lemon juice helps pre­ sugar to fo ur parts liquid is standard. In 15 to 20 minutes infusion, while some­ vent early crystallization. Crystallization poaching fruit, however, sometimes much thing tougher like star anise might bene­ is more likely to occur in a cooked-sugar of the water is replaced by wine, cham­ fit from an overnight soak. For flavoring syrup, where the sugar content is very pagne, or fruit juice. Once the fruit is pre­ with alcohol, such as liqueur or brandy, high, but it's a good idea to take precau­ pared, place it in the hot syrup and sim­ add it only to cool syrup: alcohol dissi­ tions with all syrups. Cool the imbibing mer slowly until the fruit is soft. The fruit pates with heat, so the full flavor would syrup to room temperature and store it is best ifleft to cool in the syrup overnight be lost if added to a hot syrup. in the refrigerator. The syrup will last al­ to enhance both flavor and appearance. To make a syrup for imbibing cakes most indefinitely, but take care to keep The syrups fo r ices and poaching fruit and other pastries, such as savarins or it tightly covered because it can easily are made using the same method as for babas au rhurn,bring one part sugar and absorb odors. the imbibing syrup. one part water to a boil in a stu rdy, To imbibe a cake, brush on the syrup, -Meridith Ford, Chef-Instructor at the scrupulously clean pot. Dirt or other using a daubing stroke. A three-layer cake International Baking and Pastry Institute at foreign matter on pots or utensils can will take one half to one cup of syrup. Johnson & Wales University in Providence, cause the sugar to crystallize, as can Sugar syrups are often used when Rhode Island .•

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APRIL/MAY 1994 73 REVIEWS Cookbooks with Sauce

by variations. The latter are not actual­ The book does provide insight into ly recipes, but brief descriptions with no how a professional approaches sauce­ instructions or amounts given. For making, but as the instructions are example, the "recipe" for Countess cryptic and require extensive knowl­ Sauce is merely "Fish veloute flavored edge on the part of the reader, The with lemon juice, mounted with an­ Sauce Bible doe sn't live up to the chovy butter." Some recipes appearing promise of its name. in different areas of the book have the same names, without explanation. For Sauces-Classic and Contemporary example, there are fo ur different Riche­ Sauce Making, by James Peterson. VAN

NOSTRAND REINHOLD, 1991. $39.95, HAROCOVER; lieu sauces, three Bercy sauces, and two Aurora sauces. On the other hand, 504 PI' ISBN 0-442-23773-1. there are four identical recipes for creme [raiche, plus a fifth one with an unexplained modification. Nine pages of the book are devoted to a useful discussion of thickening agents, from starches like flour and cornstarch to more esoteric thickeners like foie gras and lo bster tomalley. Larousse also includes some fifty rec­ Almost every course of a meal can in­ ipes for dishes to serve with sauces, in­ clude a sauce, from vinaigrettes to pesto cluding a lobster strudel and a chicken to hot fudge sauce, but making many tra­ liver mousse. ditional sauces is intimidating, and A curious fe ature of the book is that knowing how to make the right sauce for all the sauces are designated by English the right dish can be a challenge. In the titles instead of French ones. At first past fe w years, three notable books have glance, this might seem a welcome been published that address making and change for the non-francophone read­ serving sauces. er, but it soon becomes silly when refer­ ring to Dutch Sauce (hollandai se), The Sauce Bible-Guide to the Sauci­ Butcher Sauce (sauce charcutiere) and er's Craft,by David Paul Larousse. JOHN Chief Ranger Sauce (sauce grand Sauces is a true sauce bible-a thor­ WILEY & SONS, 1993. $50, HAROCOVER; 384 PI' ISBN veneur) . Another annoying fe ature of ough treatise on sauce recipes, tech­ 0-471-57228-4. the book is that none of the recipes in­ niques, and history. Although the book is With such a name, The Sauce Bible in­ dicate the final yield or number of serv­ written with professionals in mind, it's vites high expectations. Unfortunately, ings. An experienced cook could de­ easily accessible to home cooks. The it doesn't deliver. While the book is over­ duce this information, but a novice book is organized by classic French sauce flowing with information, that informa­ would benefit from some guidance by types, with two chapters that include tion is inadequately organized and often the author. non-French sauces like salsas, pureed incomplete, making the book perhaps a While Larousse's emphasis is on tra­ sauces, and infused oils. Peterson's writ­ good reference for the already proficient ditional sauces, he does include "con­ ing is crystal-clear and informative, and saucemaker, but not for the cook looking temporary innovations" on the French his instructions are flexible. While he of­ to learn more. classics. The book also includes an fe rs structured recipes, he also includes The chapters are organized by sauce illustrated section on sauce painting, notes on the many variations of and pos­ type, including French classics, such as defined by the author as "an arrange­ sibilities for a given dish. brown sauce, cream sauce, and com­ ment of two or more sauces on a serving Ingredients for master recipes are list­ pound butter, and non-French sauce dish, manipulated into a visually stun­ ed with both American measurements types, such as pesto, salsa, and relish. ning design." Sixteen pages of color and metric equivalents, and methods are The recipes in each chapter are orga­ photographs demonstrate this artistry clearly presented and quite(Continued detailed, on page in- 76) nized around master recipes, followed with sauces.

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APRIL/MAY 1994 75 REVIEWS

cluding advice like keeping a bowl of cold along with a wealth of general culinary water by the stock pot so that you can information. Sauces is an essential-and rinse your ladle each time you skim the fun-to-read-reference fo r anyone seri­ stock. The recipe variations indicate ous about cooking. how much of an additional ingredient to add to the basic recipe, and when. This A Fresh Look at Saucing Foods, by attention to detail can give the sauce­ Deirdre Davis. ADDISON WESLEY, 1993. $25, HARDCOVER; 386 PP. ISBN 0-201-57710-0. making initiate the confidence to at­ tempt a tricky sauce and can also edu­ Deirdre Davis has an extensive pro­ cate the more experienced chef, if not in fessional knowledge of saucing, yet she the "hows" of classic sauce technique, manages to make complicated tech­ then in the "whys." niques unintimidating to the home cook. Occasionally, the book includes non­ While many of her sauces have their sauce recipes to exemplify particular foundations in classic French method, techniques. Tw o chapters are devoted to she of fe rs a more contemporary and "integral" sauces fo r meat and for fish, eclectic approach to saucing and cook­ which are made from juices released by ing than do Peterson and Larousse. the food while it's cooking. For example, What's more, her recipes are great. the burgundy-based braising liquid for The first part of the book contains Coq au Yin is reduceda to a fl avorful master recipes on sauce elements such as Each recipe, be it fo r salad, potatoes, sauce. Sea Scallops la Nage are stocks and essences, and chapters on beef, or cake, is accompanied by its own poached in and served with the same sauce categories including tomato sauces, sauce recipe. vegetable broth. reduction sauces, flavored oils, and yo­ Davis's recipes are not only inspiring The clarity and depth of Peterson's in­ gurt and sour cream sauces. in their originality, but also in their over­ formation provides the reader with valu­ The second part of the book consists all simplicity. A fe w are more complex, able technical saucemaking recipes, of nine chapters organized by course. but most fo llow relatively streamlined

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76 FINE COOKING REVIEWS procedures that yield fantastic results. Celebrating Alaskan Food Stew, and Real Hot Chocolate, then fe el Virtually every recipe concludes with a the relief and celebration of summer, section listing several sauce and recipe The Riversong Lodge Cookbook, by when the thaw subsides and Wildflower combinations. For example, for a simple Kirsten Dixon. ALASKA NORTHWEST BOOKS, Pasta, Summer Squash with Lamb and roast chicken, she suggests six possible ac­ 1993. $22.95, OVER; 270 PP. ISBN 0·882-40431-8. Herb Stuf fing, and White Chocolate companiments, any of which can be pre­ "GoodHARDC food doesn't have to be com­ Rose Petal Tart come on the scene. pared while the bird cooks. These include plex or expensive. In fact, the simplest of Scattered throughout the seasonal a curry and cranberry sauce garnished fresh, nutritious foods can often bring the chapters are engaging vignettes on life at with toasted almonds, a red wine sauce greatest aesthetic pleasure," says Chef Riversong, including experiences with made with dried mushrooms, an Indian­ Kirsten Dixon in her new book, The native wildlife, local legends, memorable inspired yogurt sauce, a spicy lemon aioli, Riversong Lodge Cookbook. Dixon has meals, and the special experiences that an essence of chicken and citrus, and a been called "one of America's ten best come with running a lodge and raising a cider, apple, and ginger sauce. The ease young chefs" by Esquire magazine, and family in the shadow of Mt. McKinley. and creativity of Davis' recipes extend to she hails not from one of our cosmopoli­ This cookbook embodies Dixon's sophis­ desserts as well as savory dishes, as in the tan culinary meccas, but from a log fish­ ticated talents and simple pleasures in all refreshing Orange and Lime Cake with ing lodge named Riversong just outside the best foods that Alaska has to offer. Mango and Lime Sauce. of Anchorage, Alaska. She and her husband have created a The technical aspects of A Fresh Look Kirsten Dixon's cookbook is a testa­ unique, perfect haven for the avid fisher­ at Saucing Foods make the basics of tradi­ ment to building a top-notch culinary lo­ man or anyone interested in getting away tional sauces accessible to the busy home cale in the Alaska bush. Riversong Lodge from it all. Preparing her exceedingly sat­ cook. The wealth of innovative recipes is a long way fr om the nearest grocery isfying recipes should bring some of will inspire the cook to integrate deli­ store. If they can't grow it or catch it Riversong's rustic sophistication into cious sauces into day-to-day cooking. nearby, they don't serve it, so there's a your kitchen and perhaps remind you of -Lise Stem, editor of "The Cookbook very real tie to the seasons in these pages. what it means to cook with the seasons Review, " a bimonthly newsletter published Yo u'll feel the heavy chill of winter as you and from the heart. in Cambridge, Massachusetts. read about White Bean Chili, Moose -Cynthia Nims, Seattle, Wa shington .•

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Bay Leaf

Bay leaves have been held in high esteem throughout his­ LAURUS NOB/LIS tory. In Greek mythology, Apollo wore a wreath of The female bay tree has dark purple or black fruit. laurel leaves in dedication to Daphne, who was turned into a tree to escape his embrace. So be- gan the tradition of wearing crowns of laurel as symbols of honor. The European or true bay leaf, Laurus nobilis, comes from a species of medium­ size, aromatic, evergreen tree, which is native to the Mediterranean area. Here in the United States, there are shrubs and trees whose leaves are frequently used as substitutes for bay. In the low country of South Carolina and Georgia, the red bay, Persea borbonia, is used to add spicy overtones to the regional cuisine. The same is true of Mexican laurel, Litsea glaucescens, which grows throughout Mexico and is used as a bay substitute there and in southern Te xas. There is a third substitute, California laurel, indispensable in making tree in well-drained pot­ Umbellularia californica, with longer, court bouillons for poach­ ting soil and during the winter, more slender, pointed leaves. This vari­ ing fish, meats, and vegeta­ keep in a cool, well-lighted area. ety contains a proven neurotoxin, how­ bles. I even like to infuse the In summer, move the plant outside ever, and should not be used in quantity. milk used in desserts such as to partial shade and water it fre­ The European bay leaf has long en­ puddings, where bay's inim- quently. Fertilize with an organic fe r­ joyed a reputation as a valuable herb, itable herbal clovelike fla- tilizer, such as fish emulsion, during partly due to its essential oil, which con­ vor prompts people to ask, the two to three active growth spurts tains 1,B-cineole, alpha terpinyl acetate "What's in this?" that occur during the year. and linalool, plus traces of eugenol, giving Unlike most herbs, fresh If you've never used fresh bay leaves in it antibacterial properties, as well as mild bay leaves are more concentrated than cooking, then you're in for a real taste sedative and narcotic qualities. These im­ dried bay leaves, so less of the fresh bay is treat. The complex flavor, with the hint part overtones of eucalyptus, lavender, needed when substituting amounts in of eucalyptus, clove, and lavender, is al­ bergamot, and clove fragrance, which recipes. When using bay leaves in cook­ most nonexistent in dried bay leaves, and make it such a useful culinary herb and ing, leave them whole so they can be eas­ it is this quality of the fresh leaf that im­ help to prevent bacterial contamination. ily removed from the food. If you must parts that incomparable depth of flavor I use bay leaf in beef stews, soups such crumble them to release the oils, then and bouquet to so many foods. as bouillabaisse, tomato-based sauces, wrap the bits in cheesecloth. shellfish boils, and in roasting or braising Bay trees are root hardy to about 20°F. Patricia K. Reppert, owner of Shale Hill meats, including game, veal, and pork. However, they will lose their leaves if ex­ Farm Herb Gardens in Saugerties, New · & Bay is nearly always fo und in the spice posed to frost. Yo u can grow potted bay Yo rk, is president of the International Herb mixtures for making pickles. The tradi­ trees in your home, and I encourage you Growers & Marketers Association. She has tional French herb combination bouquet to do so, as there is simply no substitute a daily cooking program on radio station gami always includes a bay leaf, and bay is fo r fresh bay leaves in cooking. Plant the WGHQ 92AM in Kingston, New Yo rk .•

78 FINE COOKING CALENDAR

Sponsoring an event that you tvant readers tok now about? Send an announc ement toCalen dar, Fine MASSACHUSETTS PENNSYlVANIA Cooking, PO Box 5506, New town, CT 06470· 5506. Be sure toinclude dates, a complete address, Conference-"The Chef and the Earth: Friendly Festival-Rhubarb Festival, May 21, Kitchen Ket· and the phone number tocall formore inform ation. Food, Products, and Services." Northeastern tle Village, Intercourse. Rhubarb cooking contest, Listings are /ree,but restricted toevents of direct Regional Conference of the American Culinary other events. For information, call SOO!732·353S. interest tocooks. We go topress three months before Federation, April 9-1 1, Park Plaza Hotel, Boston. RHODE ISLAND the issue date of the magazine and must be notified Seminars, trade show. For information, call Irwin Gelber, 617/576·SS02. well in advance. The deadline for entries in the Symposium, recipe contest-Symposium on food t/September issueis May I. trends, April 15; National High School Recipe Augus MICHIGAN Contest, April 16. College of Culinary Arts, Johnson & Wales University, Providence. For infor· Festival-The ational Morel Mushroom Festival, May 13-15, Sunset Park, Boyne City. Foraging for mation, call linda Beaulieu, 401/455·2919. CALIFORNIA wild edibles, National Morel Mushroom Hunting TENNESSEE Conference-Annual Conference of the Inter· Championship, other events. For infonnation, call national Association of Culinary Professionals, 616/5S2·6222. Festival-9th annual River Roast, May 20--21, Ross's April 20--24, The Fairmont, San Francisco. For Landing, Chattanooga. Barbecue cook· off competi· information, ca1l 502/5S1·97S6. NEW YORK tion, music, river activities. Call 615/265·4397. Classes-French Culinary Institute, 462 Broad· COLORADO way, ew York City. Career programs leading to a TEXAS Festival-The Aspen Food & Wine Festival, grande diplome. Nine months beginning May 12, Workshops-Blanco River Cooking School, Rte. 4, June 17-19. For information, call SOO/4·WINE·94. Mondays, We dnesdays, and Fridays, 5:30 P.M.ro Box 1745, Wimberley. Seafood and Tropical Fruit, 10:30 P.M.;six months beginning May 20, Monday April 16; Eclectic Contemporary Cuisine, April 17; CONNECTICUT through Friday S:30 A.M ro 2:30 P.M.For informa· An Exploration of the Wo nders and Pleasures ofthe tion, call 212/2 19·SS90. Mediterranean Ta ble, May 2 J. Call 512/S4 7·25S3. Festival-The 5th Annual Heublein Grand Chefs Festival, May 31 through June 9, Hartford. Chef authors paired with local restaurants for special Dinners, awards ceremony, and reception­ WASHINGTON, DC AREA meals and presentations. For information, call Beard Birthday Fortnight commemorating the Classes-Peter Kump's School of Culinary Arts at 203/525·S200. birthday of the late James Beard, April 23 through Sutton Place Gourmet, 10323 Old Georgerown Rd., May 5, various locations in New York City. For Bethesda. Te chniques of French Cooking I, April2S FlORIDA schedule of events, contact The James Beard Foun· through May 26; Te chniques of French Cooking II, Festival and auction-Florida Winefest & Auc· dation, 167 West 12th St., New Yo rk, NY 1001 I; April 27 through May 25. Call 703/S23·5647. tion, April 21-23, Resort at Long Boat Key Club, 212/675-49S4. Sarasota. For information, caIl S13!922·62 11. WEST VIRGINIA Classes-China Institute in America, 125 East Classes-La Varenne at The Greenbrier, White LOUISIANA 65th St., New Yo rk City. Basic Chinese Cooking, Sulphur Springs. Five·day sessions running consecu· Festival-The Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, six weekly sessions May to through June 7. For in· tively from April 10--29. Guestchefs, wine tastings. May 6-8. For information, call 31S/332·6655. formation, call 212!744·S1Sl. For information, call SOO/624·6070, ext. 7S63.

ADVE RTISE R INDEX

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APRIL/MAY 1994 81 TiDBITS The "Oh� ell" Cuisine I '.

One rusted iron skillet, a dented alu­ dessert. I peeled the fuzzy little fruits with a those subscription cards that are fo rever minum spaghetti pot, and a slightly melt­ steak knife and mushed them up in my bar falling out of magazines spread the choco­ ed plastic spatula were all the cooking blender. But I couldn't figure out how to late perfectly. The dessert was delicious. equipment I had in my bachelor's apart­ get all those nasty little black seeds out-I Eventually I acquired a decent pot or ment. In 1981, inspired by the "nouvelle didn't own a strainer. Company was on the two and even broke down and bought a cuisine" movement, I boldly strode into way, so I got creative. I ripped the nylon strainer. The little money I saved I spent this sorry excuse for a kitchen with great mesh out of a screen door in the garage on restaurants where I could sample the ambition to prepare extraordinary meals. and squeezed the puree through it-not cooking of superstars. My understanding My first attempt at making veal stock altogether sanitary, but very effective. of cooking grew and so did my repertoire. in the spaghetti pot was a scorched mess. The triumph of my bachelor innova­ Now I still make mistakes in my cook­ I threw a bunch of potatoes and carrots in tions was a dessert called Pink Pe ars with ing, but they tend to be less drastic than it and called it "veal soup." Another time, Dark Chocolate. The dish fe atured pears they used to be. Ye t I will always remember I cooked salmon steaks in the unseasoned poached in red wine served on a bed of the lessons I learned cooking the "oh-well" iron skillet without any oil. I called the shaved chocolate curls. Poaching the pears cuisine: good cooking does not require the resulting mess "salmon hash"-tasty, but was easy enough, but the shaved choco­ most expensive equipment. When people a little weak on presentation. late required some ingenuity. serve their failed experiments, be tolerant. My roommate actually enjoyed eating The recipe specified a marble cutting And raw fish glues itself to hot iron. my nouvelle cuisine disasters. We had a board and a long, flexible icing spatula to But most of all, cooking the "oh-well" lot oflaughs comparing the food we were spread the chocolate, neither of which I cuisine taught me about humility. Cook­ eating to what the cookbook described. owned. The idea was to spread melted ing is an erratic art form. Sometimes the I named my style of cooking "oh-well" chocolate over a slick surface with the results are so wonderful they surprise even instead of nouvelle, because "oh well" spatula and then shave it off into curls. you. And sometimes, no matter how big a was what I said as I served up my latest I searched the house fo r a slick surface. chef you are, you fa ll on your face. Then failed experiment. After some scrounging around, I fi nally you just serve it up and say, "Oh well." Over time, my cooking improved. I spotted the glass shelf in the bottom of the -Robb Wa lsh is the food editor of the never had the money to buy the kitchen refrigerator over the crisper drawers. Austin Chronicle in Te xas .• equipment I needed, but somehow I got I cleaned it up and pressed it into service. better at getting by with what I had-or Now fo r the matter of the spatula. The We buy stories about culinary adventures. what I could find lying around the house. melted plastic one I used to flip eggs didn't Send them to Fine Cooking, PO Box 5506, Like the time I made a kiwi puree fo r a work. A credit card was too stiff. But one of Newtown, CT 06470-5506.

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