Vanessa loves Halloween. More than most folks. We typically watch spooky movies throughout October and try to cook a 'scary' meal. This year, we had access to decent blood sausage and had seen this recipe online from Saveur magazine. The blood sausage was great, definitely an Iberian recipe (vice the heavier version from the UK). Lots of subtle spicing, and if you've never tried blood sausage, properly done...it's amazing.

Nice interplay between the sausage and the wine. Really happy with this one overall!

Favas with Blood Sausage and Bacon
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Recipe By: Saveur Magazine
Serving Size: 4

Summary:

This dish is traditionally made with the blood sausage called botifarra negra—it is unavailable in the U.S., but morcilla may be substituted. This recipe comes from Colman Andrews's Catalan Cuisine (Harvard Common Press, 1999).

Ingredients:

1 cup olive oil
8 ounces thick-cut bacon, 1 slice left whole and remaining slices diced
3 scallions, trimmed and minced
2 morcilla sausages, 1 cut into 1⁄2"-thick slices and 1 left whole
1 1/4 pounds fresh young favas, shelled, about 4 cups
1 teaspoon Pernod
1 bay leaf
1 sprig mint, minced
1 pinch sugar
salt

Directions:

Put oil, diced bacon, and scallions into a heavy medium pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until bacon is lightly browned, 6–8 minutes. Add sliced sausages and favas, stir well, and cook for 2–3 minutes. Add slice of bacon, whole sausage, Pernod, bay leaf, mint, sugar, and salt to taste.

Add enough cold water (about 1 cup) to pot to just cover beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until favas are tender and have absorbed water, 15–20 minutes. Discard bay leaf and cut slice of bacon and whole sausage into 4 pieces each before serving.

BBQ Pork Tenderloin with Macaroni and Cheese

After a long day Saturday, we got down to business with some good ol' Southern cookin'. You know the food was good through my clever use of apostrophes here. But seriously...

In any case, fans of the blog now know that Vanessa has taken over most of the cooking duties during the week, as my job now has me coming home quite a bit later. As she has picked up the slack, she is wanting to know about more cooking techniques. And though this pork recipe is written for the oven, we went ahead and threw it on the grill.

The meat came out tender and delicious, with a little zip. Perfect along with the Mac and Cheese, which is always a favorite.

Ted's Fiery BBQ Pork Tenderloin
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Recipe By: Matt and Ted Lee - Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
Serving Size: 4

Summary:

Becoming a certified barbecue judge requires a rigorous three-hour course of study, but we stuck with it and received our diplomas from the Kansas City Barbecue Society. We needed certification because we'd been invited to judge the prestigious Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbeque and weren't about to turn down the opportunity.

The first principle of barbecue is that nothing is called barbecue (or BBQ or bar-b-que) that has not been cooked for a very long time using wood smoke or coals for heat. In other words. we may get our diplomas revoked forgiving the name "BBQ" to pork tenderloin that has been seared, then roasted in a gas oven.

We'll risk it for this recipe (and one or two more in this chapter), which was inspired by the datil peppers we encountered in the Florida panhandle. The datil, a cousin of the habanero, was brought to Florida in the late 1700s by Minorcans who settled around St. Augustine. Traveling in the area today. you still find a few farmstands and kitchen "factories" turning out hot sauces and pepper jellies, sausages and pilaus, with datil peppers. Like a habanero or a Scotch bonnet, a datil is searingly hot, but it also has a soaring, aromatic flavor that most folks claim to be indescribable. Since we're in the business of pinning it down, we'd say it has hints of smoked bergamot tea and orange peel.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup bourbon
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 datil pepper or habanero chile, blistered over a burner or in a hot, dry skillet, then seeded and minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2x3/4 lbs. pork tenderloins
1/4 cup sorghum molasses or cane syrup
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

Directions:

In a shallow bowl, combine the bourbon, water, vinegar, ginger, chile, and garlic. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Remove the pork from the marinade; brush off any excess and pat dry. In a small saucepan, boil the marinade over high heat until reduced by one third, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the sorghum molasses and ketchup and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet. Brush the tenderloins lightly with oil and season them with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sear the pork over high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the barbecue sauce over the pork and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast for about 12 minutes, or until cooked through, turning the meat in the sauce. Transfer the pork to a work surface, cover with aluminum foil, and let stand for at least 5 minutes.

To serve, thickly slice the meat across the grain and serve with any remaining sauce.


Notes:

VARIATION - Fiery Pork Tenderloin with Sour Orange and Honey Glaze

In place of the bourbon, sherry vinegar, ginger and garlic, use 1 cup SOUR ORANGE SAUCE (page 528) in the marinade. Then substitute 1/2 cup honey for the 1/4 cup sorghum molasses and 1/4 cup ketchup.

KILLER LEFTOVER - Fiery Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

Refrigerate leftover barbecued pork and sauce. Reheat the following day in a skillet or a microwave oven and serve on a toasted hamburger bun.

WHAT TO DRINK: A zesty Sancerre (made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes)from the Loire Valley, or a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, with enough fruit flavor to balance the mix of spices and peppers that infuse the tenderloin.

Macaroni and Cheese
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Recipe By: Matt and Ted Lee - Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
Serving Size: 12

Summary:

In a chapter on vegetable dishes? Of course! At public schools throughout the South and in meat-and-threes we frequent (cafeterias built around meals that offer a choice of meats and three side dishes), mac 'n' cheese is always considered a vegetable. In our house it is, too.

How to make a great macaroni and cheese? One, high-quality cheese, and two, lots of it. In this recipe, we drench the macaroni in a cheese sauce made with extra-sharp cheddar and bay leaf Then we layer the sauced macaroni with more extra-sharp cheddar and slices of Swiss cheese for good, gooey measure.

If you have access to an aged Gruyere, substitute it for the Swiss, because it adds an appealingly funky character. But there's plenty of charisma already in this macaroni and cheese, so feel free to incorporate any of the brands of Swiss cheese you find at the supermarket, such as Cracker Barrel or Boar's Head. Either way, you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
3 bay leaves
6 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 lb. Gruyere or Swiss cheese, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Pour 2 quarts water into a large stockpot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and reserve in a large bowl.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat until frothy. Add the flour and cook, stirring continuously, for 3 minutes. Add the milk, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt, increase the heat to medium, and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. about 10 minutes. Add half of the cheddar cheese and stir until it is completely melted. Turn off the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and stir gently but thoroughly so that it is evenly distributed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread half the macaroni and cheese (about 4 1/2 cups) in the bottom of a 3-quart casserole and flatten into an even layer with a spatula or wooden spoon. Sprinkle half the remaining grated cheddar cheese over it, then place half the slices of Swiss cheese on top. Spread the remaining macaroni and cheese in the casserole, scatter the remaining cheddar cheese over it. and top with the remaining slices of Swiss cheese. Bake on middle rack of oven until bubbly, about 30 minutes. If desired. transfer to top rack for last five minutes to gently brown the top.

Serve immediately, and -as you would with greens, with okra or any other southern vegetable, really -pass a cruet of Pepper Vinegar (page 518) at the table.

Toro Steak with Teriyaki Balsamic Sauce

Some people cringe at the thought of "fusion" food and its probably because many don't do it very well. Nobu Matsuhisa is world-reknowned and has ben quite successful at marrying flavors from the Far East with Mediterranean flavors. This is no exception.

The cool thing about it is in the simplicity. This was by no means a large or complicated dish, but the notes matched up so perfectly and the shiso rounded the whole thing out with a bit of sharpness. We used premium grade ahi tuna (in ABUNDANCE here in Hawaii) and the rest of the ingredients were few and basic.

This would be a great starter dish, or even pared down further into one-bite amuse bouche portions.

Toro Steak with Teriyaki Balsamic Sauce
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Recipe By: Nobu Matsuhisa - Nobu West
Serving Size: 2

Summary:

You will probably be amazed at quite how sweet and subtly flavored roasted garlic can be, and here it makes the perfect accompaniment to lightly seared toro (tuna belly) steak.

Ingredients:

1 head garlic
2x100 g toro (tuna belly) fillets
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
BALSAMIC TERIYAKI SAUCE (see below), warmed through
1 handful baby shiso leaves
1 handful daikon cress (kaiware)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Trim the root and the head of the garlic and remove any loose outside skin but still keep the head intact. Wrap in foil, place in an earthenware dish and roast for 20 minutes.

While that is cooking, preheat a barbecue, grill or griddle pan. Season the tuna fillets with salt and pepper and briefly sear each of them on all the sides for 2-3 minutes, keeping the center rare.

To serve, spoon a little of the hot Balsamic teriyaki sauce on each of 2 plates, cut each tuna steak and the roasted garlic in half. Place the tuna steak halves in the middle of each plate and garnish with the shiso leaves and daikon cress, and a roasted garlic half.

Balsamic Teriyaki Sauce
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Recipe By: Nobu Matsuhisa - Nobu West

Ingredients:

250 ml balsamic vinegar
300 ml chicken stock
50 g granulated sugar
3 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon mirin
kuzu, arrowroot or cornflour mixed with a little water to thicken

Directions:

Put the balsamic vinegar into a nonreactive saucepan and boil until it has reduced by two-thirds.

Add the stock, sugar, soy sauce and mirin, and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Bring quickly to the boil and whisk in the kuzu to thicken.

Use while still hot. Any not used will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes:

It is not necessary to use an expensive balsamic vinegar as the flavor is intensified during the reduction.

Asian Chicken Coleslaw

Since I am now back at work, Vanessa has pretty much assumed the duties and responsibilities of chief cook for us during the week. This was a great light meal, that made a good amount. This dish also benefits from a night in the fridge, to really get the flavors to settle in. Used fresh herbs from our garden, too, which is probably the first time I've been able to say that. A fresh, crisp, light dish with a little zing.

Asian Coleslaw with Chicken
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Recipe By: Marcus Wareing - One Perfect Ingredient
Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

FOR THE SLAW
4 organic chicken breasts
4 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 head white cabbage
1 carrot
1/2 cucumber
200 g beansprouts

FOR THE DRESSING
50 g caster or granulated sugar
100 ml white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
juice of 1 lime

TO GARNISH
50 g roasted peanuts, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons mint, finely shredded

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 400F.

2. Lay the chicken breasts in a single layer on a large sheet of foil. Spread them with the chile sauce and sesame oil. Wrap the foil into a parcel and bake the chicken for 15 minutes. Cool, then shred or slice thinly on the diagonal, discarding any skin and bones. Set aside.

3. Slice the cabbage as finely as you can. Peel the carrot and cut into very fine julienne. Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and remove the seeds, then peel the flesh and cut into fine julienne. Mix all the cut vegetables in a bowl with the bean sprouts.

4. To make the dressing, dissolve the sugar in the vinegar in a pan over a medium heat, then being to the boil. Remove from the heat. add the remaining ingredients, and stir to combine.

5. Just before serving, add the chicken and dressing to the vegetables and toss together. Garnish with the peanuts and herbs.

Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Sauteed Broccolini with Garlic and Chile Flakes

We have been on the lookout for more interesting proteins to work with, and we sorely miss the nearly year-round availability of game birds that we enjoyed in the UK. Walking around our local supermarket, we spotted these game hens, which is something we've been wanting to cook for awhile. I had to wing it with the cooking time (turns out 25 minutes was fine) as my meat thermometer hasn't shown up yet. Nifty technique with stuffing the compound butter under the skin of the chicken. This turned out very juicy and yummy. Nice sharpness from the garlic and chile flakes, creating a nice foil to the richness of the hens. Looking forward to having the leftovers in a few days!

Roast Poussins or Cornish Hens
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Recipe By: Thomas Keller - Ad Hoc
Serving Size: 6

Summary:

We love the young chickens known as poussins for their tenderness. They're usually less than a month old and weigh about a pound. Of course, you can use Cornish game hens, which are older and a little larger; even an ordinary chicken is delicious prepared with this method. The birds can be stuffed with the gremolata butter up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before proceeding.

Ingredients:

BIRDS
6x1 1/4 pounds poussins or Cornish game hens

GREMOLATA BUTTER
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
(null) zest of 2 lemons
2 large cloves garlic, grated with Microplane or minced
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt

FINISH
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
canola oil
6 cloves garlic, smashed, skin left on
1 bunch thyme
fleur de sel

Directions:

Remove the poussins or hens from the refrigerator and set aside while you make the butter.

Using the pestle, grind the peppercorns in a mortar (or put them in a heavy-duty plastic bag and crush with a meat pounder or heavy pan). Add the lemon zest and garlic and mix into a paste. Put the butter in a medium bowl and mix in the pepper mixture, followed by the lemon juice, parsley and salt. Mix together until smooth and chill.

Remove the neck and innards if they are still in the cavities of the poussins or game hens, and discard. Rinse the inside of the birds and dry well with paper towels. Season the inside of the birds with salt and pepper. Cut out the wishbones. Leave any fat or skin at the neck attached, and trim any other excess fat.

Starting at the cavity end of each bird, carefully run your fingers between the skin and the flesh of the breasts and then the thighs to loosen the skin. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the butter under the skin of each thigh and spread the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter under each side of the breast.

Truss the birds (see page 23). Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, or until they come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Brush the birds with canola oil and season with salt. Place the birds on their backs in a roasting pan that will hold the birds in a single layer. Scatter the garlic and thyme evenly around them.

Transfer to the oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes; the temperature should register 160F in the meatiest portions of the bird (the thighs and under the breast where the thigh meets the breast), and the juices should run clear. If necessary, baste the birds, return to the oven, and roast; check every 5 minutes.

Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Transfer the birds, along with the garlic and thyme to the rack. Baste the birds with the pan juices, and let rest for 15 minutes.

Serve the birds whole, or cut into halves or quarters. Arrange on a serving platter, garnish with the thyme and garlic, and sprinkle with fleur de sel.

Sauteed Broccoli Rabe with Garlic and Chile Flakes
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Recipe By: Thomas Keller - Ad Hoc
Serving Size: 6

Summary:

I love the bitterness of broccoli rabe, which comes with a touch of sweetness and works well here with the nutty notes of the sliced and sauted garlic, and a little bit of heat from the dried red pepper. The technique of adding blanched vegetables to oil flavored with chile and red pepper flakes also works well with broccolini, chard and spinach. This versatile vegetable would be delicious with cod, grilled steak, roast pork, and chicken.

Ingredients:

4 bunches broccoli rabe
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons garlic, finely sliced
red pepper flakes
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Cut away and discard the thicker part of the broccoli rabe stems, cutting 1/2 inch below the smaller, more tender stems. Remove any torn or smaller greens.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (see page 147). Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet and line with paper towels. Prepare an ice bath.

Add half of the broccoli rabe to the boiling water and cook until tender but slightly resistant to the tooth. Remove with a skimmer and chill in an ice bath, then drain on the paper towels. Repeat with the remaining broccoli rabe.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until lightly browned and crisp. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and the broccoli rabe and cook, tossing often, for about 2 minutes, until heated through. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Peppery Chicken Curry

My express shipment hasn't arrived yet with all of the spices that I mailed myself from San Diego. So, I had to find something simple and delicious. We had to buy some turmeric, but that was about it.

Nice flavor from the slow-cooked onions, and clean, simple flavor from the pepper. This delivered pretty good flavor for something so simple.

Recipe By: Atul Kochhar - Simple Indian
Serving Size: 4

Summary:

Black pepper is a favored spice in Hyderabad. This recipe brings the full flavor of freshly crushed pepper into the sauce rather than drawing on its fiery heat. The final sprinkling of toasted pepper makes a huge difference.

Ingredients:

CHICKEN AND CURRY
1.2 kg whole chicken
2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons white vinegar, or lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 teaspoons black peppercorns, freshly crushed
2 large onions, roughly chopped
100 milliliters vegetable oil
2 medium onions, sliced

GARNISH
ginger julienne
mustard cress
1 teaspoon crushed peppercorns, lightly toasted

Directions:

1. Joint the chicken into 8 pieces and put into a shallow dish. Mix together the ginger-garlic paste, salt, vinegar, turmeric and 1 tsp crushed pepper. Spread over the chicken, cover and marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Put the chopped large onions into a blender or food processor and process to a paste; set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large deep saute pan, add the remaining 2 tsp crushed peppercorns and saute for 1 minute, then add the sliced onions. Cook gently until softened and golden. Next add the onion paste and fry gently for about 20 minutes until golden brown in color.

3. Add the chicken with the marinade and saute until the liquid evaporates. Add about 200mI water, bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes until the chicken is done. Serve sprinkled with ginger julienne, mustard cress and toasted crushed pepper. Accompany with Indian breads.

Spaghetti Carbonara

It has been a LONG time since I've posted here. Things got a bit hectic and frankly, I had lost interest. I am a bit refreshed now, having moved out to Hawaii for the forseeable future. We are renting a place and I am without my usual phalanx of cookware, but we're going to try to churn out some good food here.

I have made this dish a few times, the most recently was for a crowd in Newport, RI, just before we all went our separate ways from a school there. It went down a treat and is one of my favorites. It's really got all of the elements of good breakfast: eggs, bacon and cheese. This is super easy to throw together and delicious.

Dont wuss out about the egg yolk. It's a key presentation element and allows the diner to mix it in themselves, allowing the diner to "finish" the dish, which I think is fun.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara
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Recipe By: Mario Batali - Molto Italiano
Serving Size: 4

Summary:

A true carbonara has no cream, and it can be slightly tricky in its execution. The key is to toss and thoroughly mix the cooked pasta off the heat with the cheese, eggs, pepper, and pasta water, to create a creamy yet not overly thick sauce. I like to separate the eggs and present the individual egg yolks in nests of pasta; then each guest stirs the yolk into the pasta to cook it and form an even creamier sauce. Be sure to use the best-quality eggs you can get.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces guanciale (page 186), pancetta, or good bacon
1 lb. spaghetti
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 large eggs, separated
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, and add 2 tablespoons salt.

2. Meanwhile, combine the olive oil and guanciale in a 12- to 14-inch saute pan set over medium heat, and cook until the guanciale has rendered its fat and is crispy and golden. Remove from the heat and set aside (do not drain the fat).

3. Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until just al dente. Scoop out 1/4 cup of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta.

4. Add the reserved pasta water to the pan with the guanciale, then toss in the pasta heat, shaking the pan, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add 1 cup of the Parmigiano, the egg whites, and pepper to taste, and toss thoroughly mixed.

5. Divide the pasta among four warmed serving bowls. Make a nest in the center of each one, and gently drop an egg yolk into each nest. Season the egg yolks with more pepper and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano over the top. Serve immediately.

Spanish Summer Dinner

We had some foodie friends around Saturday night for a few dishes I had been dying to make for awhile. I thought all of the food came out pretty well seasoned and tasting good. There were a few presentation surprises that I thought were well-received. All in all, a highly successful evening!

AMUSE BOUCHE: Galician-Style Octopus '95 (from El Bulli)
OCTOPUS IN SAHSIMI
200 g octopus tentacle
200 g coarse salt

OLIVE OIL MASHED POTATO
375 g mashing potatoes
25 g single cream (35% fat)
water
salt
150 g virgin olive oil

OTHERS
virgin olive oil
ground paprika

OCTOPUS
1. Discard any the part of the tentacle which has a diameter of less than 3cm. Freeze to break the fibers.
2. Thaw out at room temperature and wash the tentacle in water. Dry, then cover in coarse salt for 3 hours.
3. Desalt the tentacle and wash it in plenty of cold water.
4. Blanch the tentacle for 3 mins in boiling water and drain.
5. Leave to cool down then wrap in cling film, shaping it into a cylinder. Freeze.
6. Slice the frozen tentacle, 0.2cm thick, in the slicer. Keep in parchment paper. Cut 32 slices of octopus.

MASHED POTATO
1. Peel and unevenly slice the potatoes. Put them in a saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil.
2. Drain and strain through a fine mesh strainer.
3. With a beater bind the mash with the hot cream and the cooking water necessary for an acceptable texture. Finish binding with 150 g of olive oil.
4. Salt to taste.
5. Cover well with parchment paper and keep warm.

FINISHING TOUCHES AND PRESENTATION
1. Arrange 8 slices of octopus around the plate in the form of carpaccio. They should not be touching each other. Leave space on the right-hand side of the plate.
2. On the right-hand side, place a hot quenelle of olive oil-flavored mashed potato.
3. Dress each octopus slice with a little virgin olive oil.
4. Garnish the octopus with a sprinkle of paprika.

STARTER: Evolution of the Hot 'Tortilla de Patatas Marc Singla' Foam (from El Bulli)
HOT POTATO FOAM
250 g mashing potatoes
100 g water used to cook the potatoes
125 g single cream (35% fat)
35 g virgin olive oil
1 ½-l ISI foaming canister
2 N2O cartridges
salt

PAN-FRIED ONION
250 g onion
50 g 0.4º olive oil
100 g water
salt

EGG SABAYON
40 g egg yolks
30 g water
salt

YOLKS AUCE
40 g pasteurised egg yolk

FINISH
50 g virgin olive oil

HOT POTATO FOAM
1. Peel, cut and then put the potatoes in salted cold water and bring to the boil. Cook for approximately 20 minutes.
2. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and keep the water to one side.
3. Put the cooked potatoes and 100 g of the cooking water in the Thermomix at 60 ºC. Blend and gradually add the cream. Repeat the process with the oil until you have a smooth, liquid emulsion. Season with salt.
4. Strain and fill the canister using a funnel.
5. Foam and keep in a bain marie at approx. 70 ºC.

PAN-FRIED ONION
1. Peel the onion, quarter and cut into a thin sticks ("julienne").
2. Stirring continuously, gently fry the onion in the 0.4º olive oil until it is golden brown.
3. Drain off any excess oil and deglaze with a little water. Continue cooking until the water has evaporated. Repeat the operation until the onions have the texture and colour of a caramelised conserve .
4. Season with salt and keep on one side.

EGG SABAYON
1. Put the egg yolks in a bowl, whisk using a hand whisk and drizzle in the boiling water. Beat quickly next to a heat source until it emulsifies.
2. Season with salt.

YOLK SAUCE
1. Sieve the egg yolks and keep in a baster.

FINISH
1. Fill a cocktail glass in the following order:
- a dessertspoon of pan-fried onion, which should be very hot.
- a teaspoon of yolk sauce
- two teaspoons of sabayon.
2. Make sure that the canister with the potato foam is hot. Shake and fill the top to just 1 cm below the rim. Drizzle a ring of virgin olive oil around it.

MAIN: Chicken Mar i Muntanya with Shrimp, Mussels, Green Beans, Piquillo Peppers and Chorizo (from Ad Hoc)

NOTE: This one has a few components!

Chicken Brine (makes enough for 10 pounds of chicken)

5 lemons, halved
24 bay leaf
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch thyme
½ cup clover honey
1 head garlic, halved through the equator
¼ cup black peppercorns
2 cups kosher salt
2 gallons water

Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot, cover and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then chill before using. The brine can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Saffron Rice
¼ cup canola oil
¾ cup onion, finely chopped (cut just smaller than a grain of rice)
kosher salt
1 teaspoon saffron
2 cups Calasparra or other short-grain rice
2 ¾-3 ½ cups CHICKEN STOCK or VEGETABLE STOCK

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and season with a sprinkling of salt. Reduce the heat and cook gently for 3 minutes. Add the saffron. Reduce the heat to very low, and cook for another 2 minutes; do not brown the onions and saffron. Add the rice and cook over medium heat, stirring often, to toast the rice for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add 2 1/2 cups of the stock, stir once, scraping the sides of the pan if necessary, and cover with a parchment lid (see page 120). Bring the stock to a simmer and simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary, for about 8 minutes, until most of the stock has been absorbed. The rice will still be firm. Gently stir the rice, scraping it up from the bottom, and reduce the heat to very low. Add an additional 1/4 cup of stock, cover with the lid, increase the heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 3 minutes, until the stock is absorbed. Taste the rice and, if necessary, continue cooking, adding up to 3/4 cup more stock 1/4 cup at a time, as necessary, until the rice is almost tender and the final addition of liquid is almost absorbed. Turn the heat to low to allow the rice to absorb the remaining liquid, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and keep warm.

Chicken Mar i Muntanya with Shrimp, Mussels, Green Beans, Piquillo Peppers and Chorizo

4 pound chicken
½ recipe CHICKEN BRINE
12 extra-large shrimp, shells on
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
piment d'esplette
canola oil
SAFFRON RICE, warm
3 piquillo peppers, cut lengthwise in 1/4"-wide strips
1 cup thin green beans, blanched
½ cup CHICKEN STOCK, warm
1 Spanish chorizo, cut in 1/4" slices
¼ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
18 small mussels
parsley leaves
fleur de sel

Cut the chicken into 10 pieces.

Pour the brine into a container large enough to hold the chicken, add the chicken, and refrigerate for about 12 hours (no longer or the chicken may become too salty).

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse under cold water, removing any herbs or spices sticking to the skin. Pat dry with paper towels, or let air-dry. Set aside.

Without removing the shells, using a small pair of scissors or a paring knife, make a shallow cut down the back of each shrimp from head to tail. Gently open up the shrimp and, with your fingers or the paring knife, remove the vein. Rinse the shrimp under cold water.

Combine 4 cups of water and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons salt in a medium bowl and stir to dissolve the salt. Add the shrimp to the brine and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Remove from the brine, rinse and drain on paper towels.

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and a sprinkling of Espelette. Heat some canola oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the dark meat skin-side-down, lower the heat to medium-low and cook until the skin is a rich golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. (If you turn the chicken too early, more moisture will be released from the meat and you will not get the crisp caramelized surface you are looking for.) Turn the pieces and brown for another 6 minutes, or until golden brown on the second side. Remove from the heat, transfer the dark meat to a plate, and set aside.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and add more oil as needed. Add the breasts skin-side-down and cook until the skin is crisp and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, until almost cooked through. Remove from the heat.

Spread the rice in the bottom of a large heatproof serving dish or baking dish. Arrange half of the piquillo peppers and half the green beans over the rice. Tuck the dark meat and the breasts into the rice, pour the stock over the ingredients, and put the dish into the oven.

Heat some oil over medium heat in a frying pan large enough to hold the mussels in one layer. Add the chorizo and cook until browned and crisp on the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to a plate and pour off the excess fat, leaving just a coating in the pan. Ad the shrimp to the pan and saute until just cooked through, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.

Add the wine to the pan, bring to a boil, and boil for 30 seconds. Add the mussels, cove the pan and cook until the mussels have opened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Arrange the chorizo, shrimp and mussels in the baking dish; set aside in a warm spot.

Return the frying pan to the heat, add the remaining peppers and green beans, and heat through. Arrange them over the chicken and shellfish, garnish with parsley leaves and sprinkle with fleur de sel.

DESSERT: Crema Catalana (from Mediterranean Escapes)

300 ml single cream
300 ml full-cream milk
Finely grated zest 1/2 orange
Finely grated zest 1/2 large lemon
7.S-em piece cinnamon stick, broken in half
4 large egg yolks
75 g caster sugar, plus 4 tablespoons
2 tablespoons cornflour

Bring the cream, milk, orange zest, lemon zest and the cinnamon stick halves to the boil in a non-stick pan. Set aside for 1 hour for the milk to become infused with the flavorings.

Put the egg yolks into a bowl, add the 75 g sugar and beat with a hand-held electric mixer until pale and creamy. Beat in the cornflour.

Bring the milk back to the boil and strain into a jug. Mix a few tablespoons into the egg yolk mixture to loosen it slightly, then stir in the remainder.

Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook over a low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring all the time, until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of the wooden spoon. But don't let the mixture boil.

Pour the mixture into 4 wide shallow dishes (terracotta if possible), measuring about 12 cm across. Leave to cool, then chill for 4-6 hours, or overnight. Shortly before serving, sprinkle the surface of each custard with 1 tablespoon of the remaining sugar and caramelize under a hot grill or with a blowtorch. Serve immediately - the sugar will only stay hard for about 30 minutes.

Goanese Potato Curry

This was an unexpected delight. Pretty simple, on the whole. The recipe (as written) didn't have enough heat to balance the sweetness of the coconut cream, in my opinion, so I added some cayenne and cumin. It turned out wonderfully!

• 750 g Jersey Royal or other new potatoes
• 2 onions
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small red or green chilli
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds or 3 tsp ground coriander
• 200 ml coconut cream
• 500 g tomatoes
• 100 g petits pois
• 1 lime
• 1 handful cilantro
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel and rinse the potatoes, then boil them in plenty of salted water until tender to the point of a knife. Drain and leave to cool. Meanwhile, peel, halve and thinly slice the onions. Heat the oil in a spacious frying pan or similarly wide-based saucepan until very hot. Stir in the onions and let them brown lightly. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until limp and soft.

Meanwhile, trim and split the chile and scrape away the seeds. Chop. Peel and chop the garlic. Stir the chile, garlic, cinnamon and coriander seeds or ground coriander into the onions and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the coconut cream. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, then remove and liquidize the mixture to make a thick, creamy, speckled beige sauce. Return the sauce to the pan.

Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, count to 20, drain and peel. Chop the tomatoes and place in a saucepan with 250ml water. Boil for about 10 minutes, then sieve the tomatoes directly into the sauce, pressing hard to extract maximum pulp. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized chunks and add them too. Finally, cook the petits pois in boiling salted water and add them to the dish. Season generously with salt and lightly with pepper. Cook for a few minutes, then squeeze over the lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve. Excellent hot, warm or cold.

Spaghetti Vongole

Had a great day out yesterday with some friends. Had the last of the homemade pasta in the fridge and all it took was a bunch of clams to make this one. I love the vongole dish! We always end up making it a few times a year, which is saying something in a house that doesn't run a lot of repeats! The clams were of superb quality and made the sauce excellent. This is a a super quick on to throw together.

2 kg fresh palourdes (carpet shell clams) in the shell
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
300 g dried spaghetti or linguine
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 fat garlic cloves, peeled
1 banana shallot, peeled and roughly sliced
1 small red chile, quartered lengthways
handful of basil stalks
75 ml dry white wine
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Scrub the clams under cold running water and discard any that do not close tightly when gently tapped on the work surface. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil for pasta. When it comes to a rolling boil, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.

Cook the clams about 6 minutes before the pasta will be ready. Heat another large pan and add the olive oil. Tip in the clams and throw in the garlic, shallot, chile and basil stalks. Pour in the wine and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Shake the pan and leave to steam for 3-4 minutes until the clams have opened. Tip the clams into a colander set over a large clean bowl. Discard any that have not opened.

Pour the clam juices back into the pan and boil for a few minutes until thickened slightly. Throw in the parsley, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Clams are naturally salty so you may find that you only need pepper.

Drain the pasta thoroughly. Immediately add to the sauce and toss to coat. Return the clams to the pan and toss again. Divide between warm plates and serve immediately, with chunks of crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Lobster Rolls

This is one of those quintessential New England dishes, right up there with clam chowder (or, chowdah, depending on where you grew up). Vanessa has been putting in some fairly serious time in the kitchen lately; she killed a lobster special for the making of this sandwich. It was delicious, you wouldn't know it had been made with lighter, healthier ingredients.

5 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
¼ cup celery, finely chopped
3 tablespoons onion, minced
2 tablespoons whole milk Greek-style yogurt (such as Fage)
1 ½ teaspoons dill, chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
1 lb. cooked lobster meat, cut into bite-sized pieces (about three 1.5-pound lobsters)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
8 hot dog buns
8 Bibb lettuce leaves

Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well. Add lobster to mayonnaise mixture; toss. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Brush butter evenly over cut sides of buns. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place buns, cut sides down, in pan; cook 2 minutes or until toasted. Line each bun with 1 lettuce leaf; top with 1/3 cup lobster mixture.