Mini Gumbo Pot Pies (Take 2)

A few months back, I put up a recipe for mini seafood gumbo pot pies, spicy little pescatarian pots of joy that were topped with puff pastry crust. After visiting New Orleans, I decided to revisit this recipe and tweak it here and there. I learned so much on my trip and got a serious lesson in NOLA cooking from my friend, Gwendolyn Scott, who owns her own catering company out there. We caught the whole thing on film and wrapped it into my first webisode of Exotic Table, which I’ll post a little later this week! (All of the pics here are from the video.)

That NOLA smoked sausage is just irresistible, so you know I had to throw a little andouille in…I also made some changes to my “holy Trinity” ratio (holy Trinity is Louisiana’s catch phrase for onions, celery and peppers, which are key to their cooking) and added in a lot more okra to help thicken up my gumbo.

Thick, rich, spicy and hearty, but elegant enough to serve to dinner guests – little mini gumbo pot pies are a fun twist on an old favorite. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 8 10-ounce ramekins

1 stick unsalted butter

¾ cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsps butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 green pepper, finely chopped

1 celery, finely chopped

1 fresno, finely chopped

1 (1/2 lb) andouille sausage, diced

4 or 5 garlic cloves, minced

Creole seasoning (recipe follows, a little over 4 tbsps)*

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups sliced okra

1/3 cup peas

½ cup heavy cream

2 dried bay leaves

½ cup sliced green onion

small handful of cilantro, finely chopped

small handful of parsley, finely chopped

1 lb mixed seafood (lump crab, rock or small shrimp, bay or small scallops, shelled lobster)**

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

lemon juice to taste

1 egg (beaten with a bit of cream or water)

2 sheets of puff pastry, thawed according to package directions

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400° F.

I like to start by making the roux since it takes some time to develop color. That is, melt butter in a heavy bottomed cast-iron pan (large enough) or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk. Continue to whisk at very frequent intervals (semi-constantly) for 15 to 20 minutes until the mixture has turned a deep chocolate brown. Be careful not to burn.

In a separate skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat and add onions and a bit of salt (to draw out the moisture). Cook for about 2 minutes and add peppers, celery. Cook for another 5 minutes, and push to veggies one side. Crank up the heat, and brown the sausage in that side of the pan. When browned, add minced garlic and creoled seasoning, mix in the veggies, and let cook for about 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant. Remove from heat, and, if the roux is ready (good timing!), add directly to the roux.

To the cooked roux, add the chicken stock and whisk to fully incorporate. Add the onion mixture as discussed, okra, peas, heavy cream, and bay leaves. Make sure none of the roux is stuck to the bottom or in the crevices of the pot. Bring mixture up to a boil and lower to a simmer for 20 minutes. You want it to thicken up, so leave it partially covered.

On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to about 1/8th of an inch thick. Using pastry cutters or a glass that’s larger than the diameter of your ramekins, cut out 8 circles. Make sure they are large enough to fit over top the ramekins.

To the gumbo, add the green onions, chopped herbs, and seafood. Adjust seasonings at this point, adding salt, pepper and a shot or two of lemon juice, if needed. Ladle gumbo evenly into ramekins.

Brush the tops of the ramekins on the outside with the egg wash. Place puff pastry circles on top, crimp to your desired effect, and brush entirely with the egg wash. Use a knife to make slits into the top to let the steam escape. Place ramekins on baking sheets and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is brown and crusty.

*Creole Seasoning:

1 tsps onion powder

2 tsps garlic powder

1 tsps dried oregano leaves

3/4 tsp dried sweet basil

1 tsps dried thyme leaves

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp white pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (whatever you can stand!)

½ tsp celery seed

2 tsps sweet paprika

½ tsp ground mustard

**For the seafood, I like to use small pieces for a few reasons. (1) The seafood has to fit into the ramekins with room for all of the other great stuff, and (2) I only put the seafood in right before it goes into the oven – small pieces will cook perfectly (without overcooking) and pre-cooked items, like crab, don’t turn to mush. If you are using larger shrimp or decide to do this in a casserole dish rather than individual ramekins, adjust your cooking time accordingly.

Crispy Asparagus with Fenugreek Aioli

Asparagus can be polarizing, lovers and haters – I happen to be a lover. I’m a huge fan of throwing asparagus in an oven with some olive oil, salt and pepper (and maybe a pat or two of butter…) and letting it roast to perfection while I’m making the rest of my meal. With the abundance of beautiful, thick and luscious asparagus in the greenmarket, I’ve found myself going beyond simple roasting and grilling techniques to figure out ways to single it out and highlight its taste at this time of year. This recipe is one lovely variation.

I know. The old adage that frying makes everything taste better is a bit overused, but, in this case, it is so true! This requires basic breading, but I like to spice up the flour for dredging a bit and use panko to form the crispy crust. The asparagus are then shallow-fried until they just yield under the bite.

Homemade aioli is the perfect accompaniment. It’s cheaper and easier to make your own mayo, and this one is scented with a bit of fenugreek powder. Fenugreek is one of the key spices in curry. I actually love it on its own, without the rest of the spices that comprise curry. It definitely has a bitter edge to it though, so a little goes a long way. Some garlic, a touch of mustard, and you have a deliciously creamy sauce. The crisp asparagus dipped into the garlicky aioli with hints of curry are the perfect summer side. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

For the asparagus:

¼ cup all purpose flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

black pepper to taste

2 eggs, beaten

1 ¼ cups panko breadcrumbs

1 bunch of asparagus (approximately 1 lb)

oil for frying

For the fenugreek aioli:

2 or 3 garlic cloves

large pinch salt

1 egg yolk, room temperature

2 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

½ tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp + a small pinch finely ground fenugreek

½ cup oil*

Procedure

For the asparagus, using three trays or bowls, set up a breading station. Whisk together the flour, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper into one. Set up another with the beaten eggs, and a third with the panko. If you like, pulse the panko in the food processor to make it a bit finer before using.

Dredge the asparagus in the flour mixture, tapping off any excess. Dip into the beaten eggs, and, finally, coat with the panko. Transfer to a rack over a baking sheet and work in batches to bread all of the asparagus.

Heat ¼” to a ½” of oil in a large skillet to medium heat. You don’t want the oil to be too hot or the breading will brown (and burn) before the asparagus cooks through. I like to shallow-fry about 2 to 3 minutes per side on a medium heat to get that golden brown crust and perfectly-cooked asparagus.

Transfer back to the rack over the baking sheet and sprinkle with additional salt if you like. If you aren’t serving immediately, keep warm in a 200° F oven.

For the aioli, place the garlic and salt in a food processor and pulse until chopped as finely as possible. Conversely, you can do this by hand and chop the garlic finely and make a paste with the salt. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, mustard and fenugreek and pulse or whisk until blended and uniform. Start the processor or continue whisking and add in the oil in a thin stream until all is completely incorporated.

Serve the asparagus warm with a side of the aioli.

*To save a bit, I like to use a combination of regular olive oil (extra virgin can turn bitter) and canola or other vegetable oil.

“Morir Soñando” Semifreddo

Food phases. I don’t know if any of you have them, but I go through periods of craving where I want the same thing over and over again. In college, I had this extended phase with Dominican food. For dinner, I would trek out to an area of town where there was a big Latin American community. The Dominican spots were amazing! And for like $5, you would get a heaping plate of stewed chicken, saffron rice and fried plaintains with garlic. I was a bit obsessed (and had the resulting 15 lbs to show for it…), and would always order a morir soñando, an orange creamsicle-like drink, to go with my meal.

Morir soñando translates to “to die dreaming.” How romantic is that? That pretty much sums up the deliciousness of this drink – orange juice blended with evaporated milk, sugar and ice and sometimes vanilla and cinnamon. I was thinking about a dessert that captures these flavors best and decided on a semifreddo.

For those of you that don’t have an ice cream maker / attachment (or do but no desire to deal with it…), a semifreddo, Italian for “half cold”, is the perfect, delicate, frozen, ice cream-like treat and requires no extra equipment. The custard requires a bit of finesse, but once you’ve mastered it, it’s like riding a bike.

Here, I spike the custard with concentrated blood orange juice (you can use any orange you like) and cinnamon and then fold in a vanilla-bean whipped cream. A few hours in the freezer and you have an elegant dessert. It’s a great do-ahead item; I plan to freeze it in popsicle forms this summer to grab as a treat out of the freezer. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 12 servings (using a standard muffin tin)

10 small blood oranges or any orange you like, juiced (approximately 1 ½ cups of juice)

1 cinnamon stick

8 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

½ tsp orange zest

1 ¾ cup heavy cream, cold

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Procedure

In a small saucepan, bring orange juice with the cinnamon stick up to a simmer and let reduce 2/3rdsuntil you have about a ½ cup of concentrated juice. Set aside to cool.

Prepare an ice bath and set aside. Bring a saucepan with a few inches of water up to a simmer over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together yolks, sugar, salt, zest and cooled, concentrated orange juice. Set bowl over the simmering saucepan of water to form a double boiler. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water but sits comfortably on top. Whisk continuously until the mixture becomes frothy, thick and creamy. This could take anywhere from 4 to 6 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should register 160 F, but you can also eyeball it and see that the mixture will more than double in size when it’s ready. Set bowl over ice bath to cool completely.

Using a stand or hand mixer, beat heavy cream with vanilla until the peaks are firm. Carefully, fold whipped cream into the cooled egg yolk custard. Incorporate completely but try not to deflate the mixture.

Line a standard muffin tin with cupcake liners. Carefully, scoop semifreddo mixture into cupcake liners and level off the tops. Wrap tin in saran wrap and freeze for a minimum of 6 hours. An alternative would be to freeze in ramekins in which you plan to serve the semifreddo.

Serve soon after removing from the freezer (because it begins to melt quickly) and garnish with a little cinnamon and orange supremes/pieces.

* Remember to refrigerate whipped cream if not using immediately. The custard must be completely cooled before folding in the cream.

St. Lucian Rum Punch

Hope everyone had a fun Memorial Day! I was in St. Lucia this past weekend for a wedding and was awed by the beauty (and cuisine) of the island. Now, I usually post recipes that I create, but I made a special request to learn how to make this delicious cocktail and just can’t keep it to myself. This rum punch will be the signature drink this summer for all of my bbq’s and cookouts.

Now, it’s my understanding that each island lays claim to the original rum punch, and I am not taking any sides! But this version is fruity, a bit strong, but goes down easy (it may have supplied a significant percentage of my vitamins this weekend…). I also wasn’t completely exact with my measurements here (i’ll let you guess why!), but it’s easy enough to do to your personal tastes.

As with all rum punches, it’s best to make this a day or two in advance to let the flavor intensifies. Juices, bitters, rum, and a few key spices make this a gorgeous warm weather cocktail.

Enjoy! and thank you Diane for the tutorial!

Ingredients

Serves 10 to 12

3 cups orange juice

3 cups pineapple juice

1 cup lime juice

a healthy pinch of cinnamon

a healthy pinch of nutmeg

6 generous shakes of angostura bitters

2 1/2 cups dark or light rum

grenadine syrup (will give amount in the procedure)

1 1/4 cups simple syrup

Procedure

In a large bowl or pitcher, mix together juices, spices, bitters and rum. Add grenadine syrup until the punch reaches the color of a flaming sunset. Grenadine syrups differ in sweetness, so I like to add the simple syrup after this point and taste along the way to make sure it’s not too sweet.

Again, it’s great to refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight to let the flavors combine, but it’s also delicious served immediately. Serve over ice.

Mandazi (East African Donuts)

One of my earliest cooking memories was when I asked my aunt to teach me how to make mandazis. I think I was about 8 or 9 years old, and I was very serious about learning how to do these. For some reason, we wouldn’t make these delectable little donuts at home. I got to eat them when I traveled to see my family, and only the old school grandmas and aunties knew the secret. Of course, East African restaurants were pretty much nonexistent in Florida where I grew up (not that I can find any now that serve these in NYC…I’m just saying). So I felt I had to carry on the tradition!

Of course, the dish was a bit ambitious for an 8 year old (in one ear…and out the other!), and I was more focused on enjoying the fruits of my aunt’s and my labor than on getting the technique down. As an adult, however, I decided I wanted to perfect my own using the tad more culinary knowledge I now have.

I should be clear: mandazis are savoury. They shouldn’t be too sweet or too salty. One of my most treasured food memories is sitting, facing the Indian Ocean, in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania, using the (hollow) mandazis to scoop up a tender stew of pigeon peas in coconut milk with fresh chilies and cilantro (called barazi). But, of course, you can eat them however you like; I’m partial now to having them for breakfast.

These are very easy to make. A little yeast leavens the dough, and I use a combination of all-purpose and rice flour to make them even lighter. A touch of sweetness, lightly coconut-scented, and that signature cardamom flavor. Heavenly…Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 2 dozen donuts

¼ cup sugar

1 ½ tsp yeast

2/3 cup warm water

½ cup coconut milk

1 ¾ cup all purpose flour

¾ cup rice flour

¾ tsp salt

3 tbsp dried grated coconut (preferably unsweetened, adjust sugar if not)

¾ – 1 ¼ tsps ground cardamom*

oil for frying

salt & powdered sugar

Procedure

This can easily be made in a stand mixer or by hand.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water and let bloom 5-10 minutes. It should become foamy and frothy. Turn the mixer on low and add coconut milk.

In a separate bowl, sift flours together and mix in salt, grated coconut and cardamom. Add contents to liquids in the mixer and knead on low for 5 to 10 minutes. Conversely, you can also knead by hand – the dough should get pretty smooth (except for the grated coconut) and relatively sticky.

Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for a minimum of 2 hours.

On a floured work surface, divide dough into 4 even pieces. Form each piece into a ball and flatten to a disc. Roll each circle out to about ¼” thick and cut like a pie into six triangular pieces. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet while working on each piece.

In a dutch oven or pot, heat 3 to 4 inches of oil to 360 F. Working in batches, carefully drop a few triangles into the oil. Don’t overcrowd or the oil temperature will drop. As soon as the triangles puff, quickly flip them over. This will ensure that both sides cook – if they become lopsided, it will be hard to keep them on the less inflated side to brown. Cook for a few minutes, flipping at intervals until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet and lighltly salt.

Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

They are best served warm as they can get a touch chewy once they’ve cooled. If you need to reheat, do so in a very low oven or on a low power in the microwave.

*Traditionally, cardamom is roughly ground and added to the mandazi batter. This results in biting into delightful pieces of cardamom while eating the donuts. I add about 1 ¼ teaspoons when I’m using roughly ground cardamom and more like ¾ teaspoon when I use the powdered / ground form.

Fava Purée Topped with Sumac Onions

The terms spring and vegetables really go hand-in-hand – earthy artichokes, thick, luscious asparagus, comical fiddleheads and, one of my personal favorites, fava beans. Yes, they are a bit labor-intensive as they have to be shelled from their pods and then each individual fava has to be peeled…but the taste, the creamy butteriness, makes all of that work worthwhile.

Fava beans, or broad beans as they are sometimes called, are actually very popular in the Middle East, North Africa and Mediterranean regions. In fact, ful medames, a dish consisted of slow-cooked favas with garlic, lemon and spices, is a typical breakfast dish in Egypt often served with eggs and pita. Seasonally, fresh favas may be available, but year-round, dried favas are a staple in the Egyptian diet.

Fava purée is a great way to enjoy the seasonally abundant, fresh favas at the greenmarkets. I like to add similar ingredients to the Egyptian dish – garlic, lemon, spices, but I also add potato to give the purée a bit of body. For a silky mouthfeel, I gently stir in extra virgin olive oil at the end; blending too vigorously with the rest of the ingredients can make the oil bitter. To top this puree, I soften sweet onions in a pan with tart spice sumac. The result is a beautiful side dish or starter that’s creamy, luscious, and bright. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields approximately 1 ½ cups of puree

Fava Puree:

2 cups shelled fresh favas (from about 2 lbs unshelled)

3 tbsp butter (1 tbsp is optional, melted)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 yukon gold potato, peeled and shredded

¾ tsp ground cumin

pinch of chili powder

5 garlic cloves, minced

juice of half a lemon

½ cup chicken or vegetable stock

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and black pepper to taste

Sumac Onions:

3 tbsps butter or olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp ground sumac

Procedure

For the fava purée, bring a medium pot of salted water up to a boil over high heat. Add favas and cook for 90 seconds to 2 minutes (they should be bright green). Drain and shock in an ice bath or run under cold water to stop cooking. Peel outer layer of skin from favas – they should slip out pretty easily. Discard skins and set peeled favas aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, potato, cumin, chili and favas (and a pinch or two of salt) and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until potatoes and favas are softened. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Add lemon juice and chicken stock and bring up to a simmer.

Transfer fava mixture to a blender and purée to desired texture. Add a bit more stock if necessary to achieve a smoother texture. Remove to a bowl and stir in extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of melted butter to get a creamy, mouthfeel. I like to stir in the oil, rather than blend, so that it doesn’t get bitter from overprocessing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the sumac onions, heat butter or oil over medium heat. Add onion and sumac and cook until softened.

Serve fava purée warm, topped with sumac onions and a side of pita or toast points.

Rhubarb-Kewra Granita

I mentioned screw pine extract (kewra) a few weeks back and its intoxicating, floral perfume. When I spotted some beautiful rhubarb at the greenmarket, I just knew it was a match made in heaven. As the weather has been warming up, I thought a spiked granita would be a great way to showcase both of the flavors.

Granitas are awesome because they are great for lazy cooking days. They require so little – water or juice, fruit or another base ingredient, sugar, any other fun items you want to throw in, and a freezer. No ice cream maker is necessary, and in a few hours, you have a lovely frozen treat. I added a bit of vodka to make mine, but it can totally be left out for a kid-friendly/nonalcoholic version.

Screw pine, which is used in Asian and Middle Eastern cooking, is found in both sweet and savoury dishes. When sweet, the dish is often a milk-based dessert – a fantastic way to feature the delicious scent. But, truthfully, it’s really complimentary to fruits and balanced the tartness of the seasonal rhubarb here perfectly.

Here, I cooked the rhubarb down with some sugar and lemon juice, puréed, strained, and added the kewra and vodka. Ridiculously easy. A few hours of freezing and scraping with a fork, and the granita was complete – crunchy, melt-on-your-tongue ice, sweet, tart and floral. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8

3 ½ cups rhubarb, cut into ½” pieces (approximately 5 to 6 stalks)

2 ½ cups water

1 cup sugar

generous squeeze of lemon juice

3 tbsps screw pine extract

¼ cup vodka (completely optional but nice)

Procedure

In a medium pot, add rhubarb, water, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring up to a simmer and simmer covered for 3 to 5 minutes until rhubarb basically falls apart.

Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. (Be careful when blending hot items! Hold down the top with a towel.) Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer (cheesecloth-lined preferably) in a bowl. Add screw pine extract and vodka, if using.

Transfer mixture to a metal baking dish – I used a 12”x14.5”x2.5 inch lasagna pan – and place uncovered in the freezer. Remove after an hour and use a fork to scrape / disrupt the ice crystals. Repeat process every 45 minutes for the next 3 or 4 hours until completely frozen and desired texture.

Cover with plastic wrap if not serving immediately.

Pork Belly “Griot”

A signature dish in Haitian cooking is Griot. Cubes of pork shoulder are marinated overnight or for a few days in a combination of habanero chile, garlic, shallot and bitter oranges. The pork is then stewed in its juices until cooked through. Finally, the delectable pieces are deep-fried to a crispy finish and served with an eye-wateringly good sauce, Sauce Ti Malice, again spiked with habanero.

My version of this dish is a bit labor-intensive, I have to admit, but is completely worth it. If you are one of those people that shy away from fatty pieces, this dish is not for you, but for those that love pork belly, the method I used can be adapted to any flavors you like and results in a meltingly delicious dish.

I like to start by brining the pork belly to keep it juicy during the cooking process. I infuse the brine with the same marination ingredients used in the original dish. If you have extra time, you can start with a dry marinade the first day, then brine and cook the next, and finish the third. Whew! Three day pork belly…are you up for the challenge?

The belly is then cooked confit, which is to say its cooked in its own fat. You can use olive oil or duck fat if you like as a substitute. I like the belly to cool in the cooking fat overnight. The flavor develops, and, in fact, since confit has long been used as a method of preservation, you can keep it like that for at least a week. The belly is then carved up, seared to create a crisp exterior, and served however you like. I make a Haitian habanero-infused vinegar, called pikliz, and dress a light salad with it. The pork belly is crackingly crisp with an indescribable melting tenderness, peppered with hints of garlic and habanero. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8 as an entrée; serves 12 to 16 as an appetizer

1 (3 ¼-½ lb) pork belly, with skin

3 lbs lard (or olive oil / duck fat to cover)

Brine:

9 cups water

1 ¼ cups kosher salt

1/3 cup light brown sugar

12 garlic cloves, minced

2 shallots, minced

zest of 1 lemon

zest of 2 oranges

2 habanero peppers, minced

2 tsps black peppercorn

4 cloves

8 bay leaves

1 small bunch of thyme

Procedure

As I mentioned, I infuse the brine with the flavors of a typical Haitian griot marinade. If you have time, you can marinate the pork belly in the garlic, shallots, zests, and habaneros overnight, and make the brine without these ingredients. Otherwise, we’ll start with the brine.

In a medium-sized saucepan, heat 4-5 cups of the water with all brine ingredients. Cover and bring up to a boil. Boil covered for 2 minutes and then pour into a pitcher that contains the remaining amount of water, making sure that this water is ice cold (to cool down brine). This allows you to save time and not wait for the brine to cool thoroughly before pouring over the pork belly.

I like to use a 1 to 2 gallon ziploc freezer bag for the brining. Place the belly in the bag and pour in the cooled brine. Remove as much air as possible before sealing. Let brine at room temperature for 5 hours. Conversely, you could also keep it in the refrigerator overnight for a maximum of 8 to 9 hours.

Preheat oven to 225° F.

Melt lard in a dutch oven. Remove pork belly from brine, rinse off excess salt and ingredients, and dry thoroughly. Carefully, slip pork belly into the lard and cook in oven for 3 ½ to 4 hours until fork tender. Move belly to a baking dish or other storage container and cover completely in lard. Refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours.

To finish, make sure the pork belly has had time to sit out, so the lard can easily be wiped of. Remove skin with a sharp knife (it peels off pretty easily). Cut into serving-sized pieces (smaller for hors d’oeuvres or appetizer, larger for entrée size).

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pan should be pretty hot. Place pork belly, fat side down into the skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Some of the fat should render out – pour out if too much is accumulating in the pan. Flip, when brown (3 to 5 minutes), and finish the other side. If it’s a thick piece, after browning, place on a baking sheet in a 300° F oven to warm through.

Harissa-Cheese Stuffed Fried Olives

When I opened up the menu at Balaboosta a few weeks back, the words Fried Olives jumped off the page and into my imagination. I tasted them mentally before they even got to the table, and then when they did…let’s just say it only reinforced the fact that I’m trying these goodies way too late in life. Why are they NOT more popular? The world (or at least you lovely readers) should know about this delicacy…

I did a bit more research, and it seems like fried olives may have originated in the Le Marche region of eastern Italy. There, they take pancetta, ground meats, cheese, herbs and spices and stuff large green olives, breading them and then deep-frying them to a golden crisp. Olive all’Ascolana is the name of the dish.

I felt a slightly North African take on this tradition would be delicious. I stuffed them with a spicy, harissa cream cheese before rolling them in breadcrumbs laced with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. A bit of tang from the cream cheese, some fiery heat from harissa, a touch of sweetness from honey – the briny olives become even more complex and with a deeply satisfying, deep-fried crunch. If you have never tried fried olives, now is your chance. They are incredibly easy to make and work for everything from a movie night to an elegant hors d’oeuvres for a dinner party. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 50 fried olives

2 tbsps ricotta cheese, room temperature

2 tbsps cream cheese, room temperature

2 tbsps harissa*

2 tsps honey

50 large pitted green olives, rinsed and dried**

½ cup panko or plain breadcrumbs

¼ cup parmesan

¼ cup flour

1 egg, beaten

Oil for frying

fleur de sel (optional)

Procedure

In a bowl, mix together ricotta, cream cheese, harissa, and honey until uniform. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with the smallest pastry tip you have. You can also use a Ziploc bag to do this, and use scissors to cut off a small piece of the corner of the bag. Pipe filling into all of the olives.

Set up a dredging station. Mix together the breadcrumbs and parmesan in one bowl. Place the flour in another and the beaten egg in between. Roll the olives in the flour and dust off any excess. Dip into the egg and then roll in the parm-breadcrumb mixture until all are coated.

In a dutch oven or pot, heat 3 to 4 inches of oil to 360° F. Carefully, drop olives into the oil, working in batches depending on the size of your vessel. Fry until a deep golden brown and remove to a paper towel-lined plate. If the olives are not too salty, sprinkle with a little fleur de sel.

Let cool slightly before serving / eating.

* For harissa you can use my version here or use the store-bought kind. Feel free to adjust the amount to your heat tolerance depending on the type of harissa you end up using.

**For the olives, I like to use the ones that are oil-cured, rinsing them of any herbs and spices and then drying them thoroughly. Water and hot oil don’t do well together, so I would avoid using olives soaked in a water-based brine that may have absorbed some of the liquid.

Amarena Cherry & Dark Chocolate Clafoutis

I am showing you all of my cards today. A secret of mine is whenever I am having guests over and haven’t given dessert much thought, I fall back on my old standby of dark chocolate and cherries. I create a dessert – a tart, a pudding, a trifle, whatever – where I can work in those flavors, often with heavy doses of cream. I think it started from childhood, where black forest was my birthday cake of choice (yes…every year). It’s such a beautiful combination and, I think, a real crowd pleaser.

I have already professed my love for all things amarena cherry, so when trying to think of delicious ways to cook with them, I decided to (1) keep it simple and (2) not resist the urge to combine them with dark chocolate. On the first point, I went with a clafouti because cherries in clafoutis are a time-honored, classic tradition. Of course, I then had to go and grate dark chocolate all over them.

Clafoutis should be part of your culinary arsenal. The sweetened, crepe-like batter takes literally minutes to make in your blender, and you can use most fruits you like – cherries, blueberries, strawberries, plums. The fruit is spread in a baking dish or, like here, in individual ramekins, batter is poured in, into the oven and, within the hour, you have a beautiful, custardy, fruity dessert. Here, I drain Amarena cherries (in syrup) in lieu of fresh fruit, since it’s not quite the season yet. I also reduced the sugar amount because of that, so bump it up if you are using fresh fruit. I love the shaved dark chocolate as well – just gives it a nice finish. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 6 6-ounce ramekins

2 eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 tsps almond extract

3 tbsps light brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

¼ cup all purpose flour, sifted

butter and white sugar for greasing/dusting ramekins

1 cup Amarena cherries, drained of syrup

dark chocolate for grating

confectioner’s sugar, for garnish (optional)

Procedure

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a blender, blend together eggs, heavy cream, extracts, sugar and salt. Add flour and blend for 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend for another 10 to 15 seconds until flour is incorporated and there are no lumps. Rest batter in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Grease the ramekins and lightly dust with sugar, shaking out any excess, and place on a large baking sheet. Spread the cherries evenly between the ramekins. Pour batter evenly into the six ramekins. Using a microplane or other grater, grate dark chocolate (to your desired level) over each.

Transfer baking sheet into the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. Remove and let cool slightly before serving. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Spicy Creole Ketchup

As a promised follow up to the smoked herring croquettes I posted on Monday, here is a delicious dipping sauce for them or wherever you’d usually use ketchup. In Haiti, smoked herring is often eaten in a Creole sauce that contains onions, tomatoes, habaneros, vinegar and ground cloves. To me, that translates almost directly to ketchup!

If you read the recipe, one thing I do might seem a bit strange if you haven’t seen it before. I cook the sugar in oil first, almost to the point of burning. This is actually how a lot of West Indian stews start off, though many use a jarred product called browning which is effectively the same thing. It imparts a caramelized flavor that isn’t altogether unlike molasses, and it worked really well as a ketchup base.

The resulting ketchup is a touch smoky, with heat from the habaneros and spice from the cloves and nutmeg. It will keep for weeks as is but is also safe to load into sterilized bottles if you wish to keep it longer. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields approximately 2 cups

1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes in purée

2 tbsps olive oil

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 small red onion, cut into a medium dice

½-1 habanero pepper, seeded and ribbed, finely chopped

healthy pinch of ground cloves

healthy pinch of ground nutmeg

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp sundried or regular tomato paste

1/3 cup cider vinegar

Salt to taste

Chives, finely chopped

Procedure

In a blender, pour entire contents of the can of tomatoes and purée until smooth.

Heat a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add oil. Add sugar and cook stirring for 2 to 3 minutes until the sugar turns gelatinous and sticks together. It should darken in color, and you should smell like its about to burn. Add chopped onion, habanero, and spices, and cook for another 4-5 minutes until the onions have softened. Don’t worry if the sugar solidifies when you add the onions – it will redissolve. Add minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add puréed tomatoes and vinegar. Bring to a slow bubble and simmer for an hour, stirring every now and then.

Remove from the heat and let cool. Return everything to the blender and purée until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Fold in chopped chives before serving. This ketchup will keep for about a month – longer if placed in sterilized jars.

Smoked Herring Croquettes

One of the infinitely amazing things about living in New York City is the rich food culture and history we have. There are grocers or markets or shops to cover every ethnic cuisine, and, if you are a boutique food shopper like me, there is so much pleasure to be derived from sourcing ingredients, exploring shops, and developing your “go-to’s”.

If you live in the city and haven’t been to the Lower East Side institution, Russ and Daughters, you are missing out on some world famous smoked salmon and one of the best sources for Eastern European Jewish foods. The shop has been around since 1914, and they have everything from hand-rolled bagels and spreads to caviar and halvah.

This is another recipe I developed for the event I’m cooking for in April. Smoked herring is eaten throughout the Caribbean, and Russ and Daughters has some lovely, really woodsy fillets. I was inspired by a Haitian dish that has smoked herring in a Creole sauce to create these crisp and fluffy croquettes. I’m still working on a recipe for a Creole ketchup of sorts to dip these into so look out for that, but these would be delicious with an aioli, a mustard-based sauce, or just by themselves.

I love using beautiful Yukon gold potatoes in croquettes like these. You get all of the flavor of the smoked herring, which is pretty intense (warning: use gloves when handling the herring unless you want your hands to smell like them for days…), but the potatoes lend a pillowy lightness. You can bread them in Panko if you like, but I went for old-school Progresso plain breadcrumbs to get the texture I wanted. Crispness followed by a delicate bite, smoky, salty, a touch of heat…these are fantastic as hors d’oeuvres but could be made bigger or flatter into a cake and pan-fried for a great appetizer or entrée. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields approximately 2 dozen croquettes

2 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 smoked herring fillets*

2-3 tbsps unsalted butter

1 shallot, finely diced

½ habanero, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 green onion, finely minced

1 ½ tbsps cilantro, finely chopped

1 egg yolk

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 egg, beaten

½ cup plain breadcrumbs

Frying oil

Procedure

In a saucepan or small pot, cover potatoes with cold water by 1 inch. Bring up to a boil and boil, uncovered, for 20 minutes until very tender. Drain and set aside.

In another medium-sized saucepan, bring water up to a simmer. Add herring filets and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, just until cooked through. Remove and drain / dry off thoroughly. Flake into a bowl and set aside.

Heat a small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add butter. Once foam subsides, add diced shallot, habanero and a pinch of salt to draw out the moisture. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until shallot is translucent. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute and remove from heat.

In a bowl, mash potatoes. Add flaked herring, shallot mixture, minced green onion, chopped cilantro and egg yolk. Combine thoroughly and season to taste.

To form the croquettes, I like to use a small ice cream scoop or medium melon baller to get uniform pieces. Then, I use my hands to shape them into balls.

Set up a breading station with a bowl each for the egg and breadcrumbs. Dip croquettes in the egg and then coat with breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess.

In a dutch oven or pot, heat 3 to 4 inches of oil to 360° F. Carefully, drop croquettes into the oil, working in batches. Fry until a deep golden brown and remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

Serve warm with dipping sauce of your choice.

*The smoked herring fillets I got were deboned for the most part (except for a few pin bones). They also were not extremely salty. If you are using salt-crusted or salt-cured smoked herring, you want to soak the herring in several changes of boiling water to remove some of the saltiness. Again, use gloves when handling unless you want to smell like smoky fish for days…

Crab & Callaloo Quiche

So I’ve been flushing out dishes for an event for April. The event is for Heifer International and honors their Pass on the Gift tradition, specifically for their Haiti projects. It’s an incredible organization that promotes sustainable solutions for impoverished families worldwide, and I’m really excited to be involved with them.

I’m designing some Haitian-inspired dishes for the event, and this one comes from a popular West Indian side called callaloo, made from the eponymous greens. The greens are the leaves of the dasheen bush or taro plant and are also used in Pacific Island and Asian cooking. They can be found at West Indian markets but swiss chard, spinach and even collards make a great substitute here.

Callaloo, the side, is thick and stew-like with roots tracing back to West Africa. The greens are flavored with salt pork, shallots or onions, garlic, ginger, habanero pepper and bouillon. The mixture is roughly blended and coconut milk is used to thin it out. Oftentimes, crab is added, and it’s such a rich, distinctive dish. I was eating a spinach and bacon quiche one day, and the callaloo just mentally translated. I had to see what would happen if I changed its form.

My husband went a bit nuts for this, I have to admit. He grew up eating callaloo and couldn’t get over how the flavor of the dish could transplant into a quiche. The greens, the crab, a salty porkiness, garlicky and heat from the chilies – it’s an exciting combination. Oh, and this crust recipe, though involved as most tart shells are, is pretty easy and foolproof as far as crusts go – crunchy, buttery and neutral (could definitely work for sweet applications). It’s my go-to crust. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Crust:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

1 egg

1 tsp water

Filling:

1 slice thick-cut bacon, cut into small dice

½ habanero pepper, seeded and ribs removed, minced

1 small shallot, cut into a small dice

¼ tsp minced ginger

2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch callaloo, spinach, or swiss chard, roughly chopped, blanched and squeezed of excess water* (equivalent to 1/3rd cup cooked)

¼ lb peekytoe, lump, or jumbo lump crabmeat

1 scallion, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

1 egg

2 egg yolks

3/4 cups coconut milk

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Procedure

Preheat oven to 375° F.

For the crust, in a food processor, pulse together flour, salt and sugar. Scatter the cold cubes of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut in and the texture looks like sandy peas or a coarse meal. In a small bowl, lightly beat together the egg and water. Add in increments, pulsing, until the dough sticks together. There will still be a lot of crumbly bits that haven’t incorporated – that’s okay.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface or a piece of parchment paper. LIGHTLY, knead the dough to make sure everything is incorporated. I literally just press it together a bit. Place into plastic wrap and create a flattened disk. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 to 3 hours (and up to a day).

On a floured work surface or in between pieces of parchment paper (with flour), carefully roll out the dough with a rolling pin until uniform thickness and large enough for a 9 or 9 ½ inch tart shell. Carefully transfer to the greased tart shell and press carefully into the sides. Try not to stretch the dough at all. Trim any excess edges and dock or prick holes all over the surface of the dough with a fork. Wrap shell in plastic wrap and freeze for a minimum of a half hour.

Remove tart shell from freezer and plastic wrap and place on a baking sheet. Fit a piece of parchment paper on the surface of the dough and weight down with dried beans or baking weights. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove baking weights or beans and parchment paper and bake for another 10 minutes to brown. Let cool slightly.

Turn oven temperature down to 350° F.

For the filling, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and brown. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Turn heat down to medium-low, and add pepper, shallot and ginger. Add a touch of salt to draw out the moisture. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until shallots are translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Remove to a bowl and let cool.

Add to the shallot mixture, the browned bacon, blanched callaloo, crab, scallion, thyme and cilantro. Mix thoroughly and season to taste.

In a separate bowl, beat together egg, egg yolks and coconut milk and lightly season.

Spread crab and callaloo mixture evenly over the bottom of the tart shell. Pour egg / coconut milk mixture evenly on top. Bake for 25 minutes. The edges should be firm and the middle slightly jiggly.

*Callaloo should NOT be eaten raw. It contains a toxin, calcium oxalate, that can cause itching and constriction of the throat. Always cook callaloo thoroughly before consuming. To blanch the callaloo or other greens, bring water in a medium-sized pot up to a boil. Add a great deal of salt. Also, prepare an ice bath (a bowl with ice and cold water). Add callaloo to pot. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain and plunge into the ice bath to stop cooking. Remember to wring out any excess water from the greens.

Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken

A few weeks back on Facebook, I asked people to share their favorite family dishes – authentic, traditional food they love to eat at home. As you know, I love to take old world flavors and traditions and reinvent them in ways that we can use in our every day cooking. One dish that came up was aji de gallina, a typical Peruvian dish. Chicken is cooked and topped with a rich creamy sauce that includes walnuts, garlic, breadcrumbs, and parmesan and is spiced with the yellow aji amarillo pepper. The sauce is incredibly addictive and the aji lends such distinctive flavor and just the right amount of heat.

I had a craving the other night for roast chicken, which I think is the ULTIMATE in winter, comfort food. Roast chicken is also a complete blank canvas, and, like everyone else, I’m constantly searching for ways to take it to the next level. When I looked at the components of the Peruvian sauce, the ingredients called to mind a tasty stuffing, so I decided to convert aji de gallina into a roast chicken spiced with aji amarillo and filled with a beautiful, nutty, cheesy stuffing.

If you can get past the whole trussing part, roast chicken is extraordinarily easy and satisfying to make. This recipe creates a gorgeous result – golden brown, tender and juicy, and snap-crispy skin. The aji and cumin butter rub is what gives the skin that great texture. The stuffing – bacon, onion, garlic, spices, walnuts, parm – creates the moisture inside the chicken. I always make a little more stuffing than what fits in the bird and throw it into some ramekins because stuffing always goes quickly! Enjoy!

Ingredients

Stuffing:*

2 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into small dice

1 medium onion, diced

1 ½ tsps ground aji amarillo

½ tsp ground cumin

3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup white wine

¼ cup chicken stock

¼ cup heavy cream

5 slices white Pullman bread, cubed

½ cup raw walnut halves, toasted and crushed

1/3 cup ground parmesan

1 egg, beaten

Chicken:

5 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ½ tsps ground aji amarillo

½ tsp ground cumin

1 4 – 5 lb roasting chicken

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Procedure

Before I start, there are a few keys to a crispy, succulent roast chicken. First, the chicken must be completely dry. After removing the covering and rinsing and drying the inside of the chicken, I like to place it, uncovered, on a rack on a baking sheet on a low shelf in the fridge (not touching anything!). I leave it there for a couple of hours or even up to a day. The air circulates and dries out the chicken from all sides. Second, the chicken has to be at room temperature before putting it in the oven. Take it out of the fridge at least an hour before you plan to cook. The next things are a hot starting temperature and lots of salt! Which we’ll get to…

Preheat the oven to 475° F.

For the stuffing, in a medium skillet on medium heat, add the diced bacon. Cook for a few minutes until browned and crispy, remove using a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate, and set aside. Add the diced onion, aji, and cumin back into the pan with the bacon fat (should be enough but add a little oil or butter if not). Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are translucent, add the minced garlic and cook for another minute. Add the white wine and let reduce, stirring, until it’s almost all evaporated. Add in the chicken stock and cream and reduce the heat, simmering for another 2 to 3 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and let mixture cool.

In a large bowl, add the bread cubes, crushed walnuts, parmesan, egg, bacon and onion mixture. Stir to evenly distribute. (Don’t do this until you are ready to stuff the chicken, so the stuffing doesn’t get soggy.)

For the chicken, combine softened butter with aji and cumin. Massage butter all over the outside and inside of the bird. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stuff with the stuffing.

At this point, you want to truss the bird for even cooking. Here’s a great video (http://ruhlman.com/2010/07/how-to-truss-a-chicken.html) .

Place the stuffed, trussed chicken on a rack in a roasting pan, breast-side up, and into the oven. Cook for 25 minutes and reduce the heat to 375° F. Cook for another 45 minutes or so. The safe internal temperature of cooked chicken is 165° F. I check the temperature with a thermometer inserted into the thigh joint and actually take mine out of the oven around 155° F. I then rest it on a cutting board for 15 minutes to finish cooking.

Slice (the juices should run clear) and serve!

*For this dish I create more stuffing than I can fit in the bird because I don’t think what can fit inside is enough for a side dish! I like to take the leftover stuffing and throw it into buttered ramekins or a small, greased baking dish. For the last 25 minutes of cooking, I throw the excess stuffing into the oven and let it get browned and crispy.

Lamb Biryani

So I’m going to disclaim this recipe by pointing out that I generally try to showcase recipes that are relatively easy to recreate in the home. But every now and then, in order to achieve that superlative dish or in keeping with the authenticity of a food, the recipe requires a little more blood, sweat and tears…this happens to be one of those. The spice list alone is daunting! It looks like the kitchen sink (of spices, so to speak) is thrown in here but I swear that it is all additive to the flavor…

My mother-in-law is to blame. You see, this is a celebratory food, had at weddings or other special occasions, and so a lot of time and care is taken with the preparation. She had this at our wedding celebration a few years back and recently developed a craving. I promised to show her how to make this and so created this slightly modified recipe for her (yes, it could get even MORE complicated).

The dish originated in Persia but was brought by traders to South Asia where it’s been popularized. It’s eaten all over the region as well as in the Middle East. There are a million different versions out there – meat, chicken, mutton, game, fish, vegetables, potatoes, egg, different spices, nuts, and dried fruits. Each family has its own secret ingredients and preferences, and I’m sharing mine with you…

At first glance, this looks a lot like pilau, but the flavors are completely different. This is a layered casserole – with a rich thick meat stew forming the base and rice, fried onions, nuts, saffron and other spices layered on top. The dish is rich and heady, not so much from heat but the spice blend packs a punch. The meat is cooked until falling apart, the fried onions a bit crispy, soft rice texture and then some crunch from the almonds. This is the type of dish that sits in the fridge and can be eaten for days as its taste improves…enjoy!

Ingredients

3 lbs trimmed boned lamb shoulder or beef chuck, cut into 1 ½- to 2-inch cubes

2 medium white onions, cut into thick strips

4 black peppercorns

4 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

3 black cardamom pods, cracked open

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp nigella seeds

½ tsp aniseed

1 tsp dill seeds

2 crushed, dried bay leaves

2 pinches of saffron

1 tsp garlic powder

¾ tsp turmeric

1 ½ tsps chili powder

¾ tsp ground fenugreek

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp paprika

1 or 2 green chilies, finely chopped (jalapeno or serrano)

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsps ginger, minced

2 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 cup chicken, beef or lamb stock

1/3 cup yoghurt, beaten*

¾ cup milk

8 to 10 mint leaves, chopped

Large handful of cilantro, chopped

lemon juice to taste

3 ½ cups of rice, half-cooked with 1 clove, 2 peppercorns, 1 cinnamon stick, and 1 black cardamom**

¾ cup sliced almonds, toasted

2 tsps black cumin seeds, toasted

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Canola oil

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Heat a dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot that has a fitted lid over medium-high heat. Season cubed lamb or beef generously with salt and pepper. Add a few tbsps of oil to coat the bottom of the pan, and sear the meat for 2 minutes per side in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. You want to develop a nice brown and overcrowding will steam the meat. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Turn heat down slightly, and add the onions to the same pot. You want to brown the onions to develop the signature taste of biryani. Cooking time will vary for this, but it takes about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove onions to a separate plate.

Add all of the whole and ground spices (use only 1 pinch of the saffron), chilies, garlic and ginger and cook for 3 to 4 minutes being careful not to burn (reduce heat if necessary). You are looking for a change in the smell, a toasted nuttiness that will signify the spices are cooked.

Add back in the meat (along with any juices), half of the onions (reserving the other half for later), as well as the tomato and stock. Bring mixture up to a boil, cover tightly and place in the oven. Cook for an hour. Remove from the oven, stir in the beaten yoghurt, and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes.

In the meantime, heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Add the saffron and turn off the heat. The saffron should infuse the liquid with its flavor and color, and we are going to pour this over the rice at the end.

Remove pot from the oven, place on the stovetop, take off the lid, and simmer on medium uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes. You want to remove any excess liquid as the resulting stew should be pretty thick. Add in the chopped mint and cilantro (reserving some for garnish), add lemon juice and season to taste.

Layer half of the partially cooked rice right on top of the meat mixture. Cover with the remaining browned onions, half of the toasted almonds, and chopped herbs. Create another layer with the rest of the rice. Pour the saffron-milk mixture all over the top. Add the remaining toasted almonds as well as the black cumin seeds and chopped herbs. Cover tightly and place back in the oven for another 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is cooked through.

*It is a well-known “secret” that beating yoghurt with a whisk before adding it to a curry or stew will prevent it from breaking.

**When you partially cook the rice, remember to season with salt generously and include some of the whole spices for added flavor. If you are boiling or using a rice cooker, strain any excess water before adding it to the meat mixture.

Arabic Coffee Panna Cotta

Panna cotta is one of my all-time favorite desserts to serve when I’m having people over. It’s incredibly elegant, and, though it sounds fancy, shamefully easy to make (what your guests don’t know, won’t…). It’s one of those do-ahead-and-forget-about-it dishes that always comes out rich, creamy, and crowd-pleasing. I made this a few years ago for a massive Thanksgiving feast we had. The night before, I was struggling for time and a delicious dessert. I quickly whipped up the panna cotta mixture, poured it into champagne flutes, and was all set!

If you’ve ever had a cup of Arabic or Turkish coffee, that slightly menthol taste comes from cardamom. I grew up drinking coffee that was steeped with both cardamom and cinnamon, a tradition that’s found throughout the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (check out this recipe on the Republic of Brown!). To me, the combination of cardamom and coffee flavors is distinctively beautiful. In some versions, saffron and clove are added, but I kept it a bit simple here. Feel free to experiment.

What’s nice about panna cotta is that it requires zero baking. Simply heat up the liquid, infuse it with flavors, and use gelatin to work its magic while it cools in the fridge. Here, the heavy cream takes on the coffee, vanilla bean (the lovely specks!), cardamom, and cinnamon flavors. I don’t like mine super sweet, so taste and add more sugar if you need. A quick chill, some chocolate espresso beans (I’ve also used tasty amaretti cookies) for garnish, and that’s it…simple, luscious, decadent. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

2 cups heavy cream

½ cup espresso or very strong coffee

½ vanilla bean, split and scraped

3 cardamom pods, split open w/seeds

1 cinnamon stick

¼ cup sugar

¾ envelope gelatin powder

chocolate-covered espresso beans, crushed (for garnish)

Procedure

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring heavy cream, coffee, vanilla bean, cardamom, cinnamon, and sugar up to a boil and immediately turn off the heat. (Be careful that it doesn’t boil over.) Cover and let steep for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, ladle some of the heavy cream mixture. Add the gelatin powder, and whisk to dissolve completely. Pour the mixture back into the pot, and whisk to ensure even distribution. Strain mixture to remove whole spices and any leftover gelatin and pour into ramekins, espresso cups, or little pots de crème . Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours.

Serve chilled with crushed espresso beans on top.

Spicy Seafood Gumbo Pot Pie

Pot pie is one of those winter comfort foods that is really unmatched. A warm, creamy, thick (typically, chicken) soup-like interior with delicious vegetables topped or, better, encased in crusty, buttery pastry dough. It really wasn’t something I ate regularly growing up and always felt like such a treat.

I was trying to come up with a way to get the soul satisfaction of a pot pie but with a little more kick to it. I didn’t feel like going WAY spiced – say, with a Thai or Indian base – and yet I wanted something more. Gumbo immediately popped into mind, and that was it! All of those Creole spices, that rich thickness…gumbo pot pie was born.

I decided to go with all seafood because I actually created this recipe for some pescatarian friends of mine, but feel free to add some andouille (yum!) or whatever you like in there. I also cook the roux for this to a milk chocolate color (time saving…) though I know people who cook their roux for at least an hour and a half to get that super dark chocolate look. Finally, I make these individual-sized for fun and only put the pastry on top to keep it easy and, perhaps, slightly healthier. The gumbo is rich, spicy, hearty and has some heat to it (depending on your hot sauce and cayenne doses) and tastes amazing with bites of the pastry dough…Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 12 8–ounce round ramekins

1 stick unsalted butter

¾ cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsps butter

3 cups chopped onion, small dice (approximately 2 medium onions)

1 cup chopped bell or small sweet pepper, small dice (approximately 4 or 5 small sweet peppers)

¾ cup chopped celery

Creole seasoning (recipe follows, a little over 4 tbsps)*

4 or 5 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup sliced okra

½ cup peas

6 cups of chicken, seafood or vegetable stock

a few dashes of Worcestershire

a few dashes of hot sauce

2 bay leaves

½ cup sliced green onion

small handful of cilantro, finely chopped

small handful of parsley, finely chopped

½ cup heavy cream

1 ¾ lbs mixed seafood (lump crab, rock or small shrimp, bay or small scallops, shelled lobster)**

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

lemon juice to taste

1 egg (beaten with a bit of cream or water)

2 sheets of puff pastry, thawed according to package directions

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400° F.

I like to start by making the roux since it takes some time to develop color. That is, melt butter in a heavy bottomed cast-iron pan (large enough) or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk. Continue to whisk at very frequent intervals (semi-constantly) for 15 to 20 minutes until the mixture has turned a deep chocolate brown. Be careful not to burn.

In a separate skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat and add onions and a bit of salt (to draw out the moisture). Cook for about 2 minutes and add peppers, celery and creole seasoning. Cook for another 5 minutes, add minced garlic and let cook for about 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant. Remove from heat, and, if the roux is ready (good timing!), add directly to the roux.

To the cooked roux, add the onion mixture as discussed, okra, peas, stock, Worcestershire, hot sauce and bay leaves. Make sure none of the roux is stuck to the bottom or in the crevices of the pot. Bring mixture up to a boil and lower to a simmer for 20 minutes. You want it to thicken up, so leave it uncovered.

On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to about 1/8th of an inch thick. Using pastry cutters or a glass that’s larger than the diameter of your ramekins, cut out 12 circles. I like to poke holes now while it’s on a flat surface, so use a fork to poke little holes or a knife to make a few slits in each circle.

To the gumbo, add the green onions, chopped herbs, seafood and heavy cream. Adjust seasonings at this point, adding salt, pepper and a shot or two of lemon juice, if needed. Ladle gumbo evenly into ramekins.

Brush the tops of the ramekins on the outside with the beaten egg. Place puff pastry circles on top, crimp to your desired effect, and brush entirely with the egg wash. Place ramekins on baking sheets and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is brown and crusty.

*Creole Seasoning:

1 ½ tsps onion powder

1 ½ tsps garlic powder

1 ½ tsps dried oregano leaves

1 tsp dried sweet basil

1 ½ tsps dried thyme leaves

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp white pepper

¼ – ½ tsp cayenne pepper (whatever you can stand!)

½ tsp celery seed

1 tbsp sweet paprika

½ tsp ground mustard

**For the seafood, I like to use small pieces for a few reasons. (1) The seafood has to fit into the ramekins with room for all of the other great stuff, and (2) I only put the seafood in right before it goes into the oven – small pieces will cook perfectly (without overcooking) and pre-cooked items, like crab, don’t turn to mush. If you are using larger shrimp or decide to do this in a casserole dish rather than individual ramekins, adjust your cooking time accordingly.

Valentine’s Day & Fig Sundaes

Valentine’s Day. It signifies different things to different people, and, for many, it’s completely meaningless. I think of it as a day to celebrate someone or people you love – partner, girlfriend, boyfriend, family, or friends. Since it’s coming up next week, I started to think about a menu from recipes on the site that would work well if you happen to be cooking for someone or even for a group. I also came up with a delicious dessert, vanilla sundaes topped with sweet wine-poached figs and toasted almonds – it’s light-hearted enough for an early paramour, fun for a family (sans wine for kids!), and all about love for that someone special.

I think a great Valentine’s menu would start with spiced sunchoke soup. Sunchokes are still in season, and this dish is an easy do-ahead one for an elegant starter. For the main course, I’d go with berbere-spiced lamb chops and freekeh with summer squash and brown butter (using winter squash, of course). The lamb is super easy. I like to sear ahead and then finish in the oven while everyone’s eating the starter. Also, the vegetables for the freekeh can be roasted a day ahead and reheated once thrown into the freekeh.

This dessert was very much an accident. I had eaten some beautiful sweet cheese-stuffed Turkish apricots that inspired me to do something similar with dried figs. I thought it would turn out artful and pretty, but my version sort of looked stuffy to me. The figs are cooked in a sweet white or dessert wine until glazed, and you end up with this honey-wine-fig-infused syrup. Drizzled over vanilla ice cream with the poached figs and a sprinkling of some toasted, nutty almond slices – heaven! If you ask me, a sundae as a Valentine’s Day dessert wins in my book. Oh, and figs and almonds also happen to be aphrodisiacs… Enjoy!

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 ½ cups Sauternes, Riesling, or any dessert/sweet white wine you like

½ cup water

2 tbsps sugar

2 tbsps honey

¼ tsp lemon zest

½ lb (8 to 10) dried figs (I used Calimyrna figs but Black Missions are also great)

1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

vanilla ice cream

Procedure

In a saucepan, bring the wine, water, sugar, honey, and lemon zest to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes uncovered. Add the figs, cover and boil for another 10 minutes to plump up (they will significantly). Remove the cover and boil for another 10-15 minutes until the liquid reduces to a syrup consistency.

Top ice cream with figs, a drizzle of syrup, and a sprinkle of the toasted sliced almonds.

Za’atar Compound Butter

I had a few friends over a couple of Sundays ago to watch a game and was already making some of my lamb meatballs with a spicy yoghurt dipping sauce. Wine was a given with each girlfriend independently deciding to bring two (two!) bottles each, and I had a delicious, simple cheese plate going with a beautiful Parmigiano Reggiano, a French Double Cream Brie, a Jura Erguel, and some speck and olives from Murray’s Cheese.

I had that (way paranoid) feeling that I wasn’t serving enough stuff and (gasp!) that someone might leave hungry and remembered I had some parbaked French baguettes in the freezer. I came up with this butter to slather on some toasty, crunchy pieces of the baguette, and it was super simple and a quick fix.

I’ve mentioned za’atar previously, so I won’t go into the whole history of it. But it’s lovely on its own or mixed with a little olive oil to dip. The first four ingredients of my recipe below make your basic za’atar. I like to add a little roasted garlic, which you can omit if you want it simpler. Mix it all up with some room temperature butter, and you have a great compound butter. Nutty from the sesame, a bit tart from the sumac, earthy from the thyme – casual for a game night or elegant for a sit down dinner. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields approximately ½ cup compound butter

1 tbsp sesame seeds, black or white or some combination of both

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tsp sumac

½ tsp salt

4 or 5 cloves roasted garlic (optional)

1 stick unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

Procedure

In a small skillet, toast the sesame seeds over medium-low heat until fragrant and slightly golden in color (for the white seeds).

Over a small bowl, place dried thyme in your palms and rub palms together to pulverize thyme and get oils going. Add toasted sesame seeds, sumac and salt and mix thoroughly.

Add roasted garlic, if using, and softened butter and mix until za’atar is evenly distributed.

Lamb Meatballs with Quince & Black Olives

Lamb with quince is a truly classic combination and features heavily in the cuisines of Morocco, Tunisia, Greece, Turkey, the Republic of Armenia, and throughout the Middle East. I recently had a stew with both that was the inspiration for this recipe – that perfect combination of sweet, tart, and textures along with the slow-cooked lamb was heavenly.

If you haven’t tried quince, it’s a hard, yellow, apple-looking fruit that is pretty tart. The ones in the East are sweeter and more palatable raw, but both truly mellow and deepen in flavor with cooking. I’ve been told beating them with a rolling pin helps bring the juices to the surface if you happen to be cooking them down for a jam or jelly. They are also positively delicious poached in wine with spices and sugar and served with a bit of cream.

I went for a meatball here because there was a game on and my husband and his friend were playing guinea pigs. These are, without a doubt, man-friendly. The quince jam adds the perfect touch of sweetness and acidity, and I threw in the black olives for a briny touch. I like to use both dried and fresh mint here because they offer different flavors, and I served these with a kicked-up, Greek yoghurt dip of sorts to add a bit of spice. I personally prefer my meatballs a bit softer and melt-in-your-mouth rather than firm, so these meatballs are super moist and tender with a bit of char from the browning. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Serves 6

3 shallots, chopped into chunks

5 garlic cloves

2 lbs ground lamb

2 scallions, finely chopped

2 tsps salt

2 ½ tsps cumin

¾ tsp paprika

½ tsp cayenne

½ tsp black pepper

2 ½ tsps dried mint*

½ cup black olives, pitted and finely chopped

1/3 cup quince jam

¾ cup plain breadcrumbs

2 egg yolks

8-10 mint leaves, finely chopped

handful of parsley, finely chopped

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Procedure

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a food processor, pulse shallots and garlic until finely minced / almost a paste.

To a large mixing bowl, add the ground lamb and make a well in the center. Add shallot/garlic mixture and rest of the ingredients except the vegetable oil. Carefully, mix to ensure even distribution. I like to make a claw with my hands and fold over the meat mixture repeatedly. You don’t want to mash or over mix as it will make the meatballs tough.

Using wet hands, roll even-sized pieces of the mixture into balls until all of the mixture is finished. I make my meatballs about 1 ½ inches in diameter, so if you make yours larger or smaller, adjust the cooking time appropriately.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and place meatballs into the pan. These brown pretty quickly, so I cook for about 30 seconds to a minute on each side. Work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, and place browned meatballs in a baking dish.

Once all have been browned, cover baking dish with foil, and place in the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cooked through but tender.

Serve warm alongside your favorite dipping sauce.

*For the dried mint, rather than putting it straight from the jar, I like to crush it between my palms and then dust it into the bowl. It helps to bring out the natural oils..

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