Terra : Cooking from the Heart of Napa Valley (9780307815323)
Page 10
TO SERVE, spoon the ravioli and sauce into 4 warmed shallow bowls, sprinkle with the basil chiffonade, drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and garnish with a sprig of fresh basil.
Kabocha Pumpkin Ravioli with Pecorino Cheese
Serves 4
This dish is our adaptation of Tortelli di Zucca, a specialty of northern Italy that Hiro learned to make while doing a stage at Dal Pescatore restaurant in Canneto sull’Oglio. The classic Italian filling is made with butternut squash. Hiro thought he’d try it with kabocha, the most popular pumpkin in Japan, where it’s prized for its sweetness and density. We think it lends just the right balance to the saltiness of the pecorino. Serve these ravioli as a first course, a main dish for lunch, or as a side dish with grilled chicken or quail.
Kabocha Pumpkin Filling
2½- to 3-pound kabocha pumpkin or butternut squash
½ cup freshly ground pecorino cheese
1 to 1½ tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 egg yolk
¼ teaspoon water
36 wonton wrappers
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups spinach leaves, cleaned and stemmed
3 tablespoons freshly ground pecorino cheese, for garnish
TO MAKE THE FILLING, preheat the oven to 350°. Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Place the pumpkin, cut sides down, on a baking sheet pan lined with aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until soft. Scrape off and discard the brown part of the pumpkin that was against the baking sheet pan. Scoop out the flesh and press it through a food mill or a ricer. Let cool. Combine the pumpkin, cheese, brown sugar, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Taste for sweetness; you may need to add a little more brown sugar. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
Combine the egg yolk with the water to make an egg wash. To assemble the ravioli, see the directions. Use 1 scant tablespoon of the filling for each ravioli.
TO FINISH THE DISH, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large saucepan over high heat, brown the butter. Carefully add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Lower the heat to a simmer. Add the ravioli to the boiling water and cook until they become translucent, about 3 minutes; drain. While the ravioli drains, add the spinach to the chicken stock and stir to wilt, then add the ravioli and simmer for 10 seconds.
TO SERVE, divide the ravioli, spinach, and sauce among 4 warmed shallow bowls and sprinkle with pecorino cheese.
Foie Gras Tortelloni in Game Jus with Périgord Truffle and Fava Beans
Foie Gras Tortelloni in Game Jus with Périgord Truffle and Fava Beans
Serves 6
This dish is absolutely simple in its presentation, but wonderfully complex in the eating. As you bite into the tortelloni, they explode with the rich flavor and silky texture of warm foie gras. And the added luxury of black truffles from Périgord puts the whole thing right over the top. If you don’t have time to make your own terrine, buy a high-quality foie gras pâté made only with the livers and seasonings.
6 ounces Foie Gras Terrine
2 egg yolks
2 ounces Périgord truffle, or ½ teaspoon black truffle oil
½ teaspoon water
24 wonton wrappers
3 cups game stock or brown chicken stock
6 fava bean pods, shucked, blanched for 1 minute, and peeled
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
TO MAKE THE FILLING, combine the foie gras terrine and 1 of the egg yolks in a small food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl. Chop ½ ounce of the Périgord truffle and fold it into the pureed foie gras. If using truffle oil, fold ¼ teaspoon into the pureed foie gras. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining egg yolk and water to make an egg wash for the wonton wrappers. To assemble the tortelloni, follow the directions. Use 2 teaspoons of the foie gras mixture for each tortelloni.
TO FINISH THE DISH, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Meanwhile, bring the game stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Slice the re-maining truffle, 1/16 inch thick. Add the tortelloni to the boiling water, and once it returns to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer. Gently cook the tortelloni for 2 to 3 minutes, then drain and transfer to the game stock. Add the fava beans, truffle slices, and butter. Gently shake the pan to incorporate the ingredients, and bring the mixture back to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.
TO SERVE, ladle the tortelloni into warmed shallow bowls and divide the sauce, fava beans, and truffles evenly among them. If using truffle oil, drizzle a few drops over each serving.
Potato Gnocchi in Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
Serves 4
Here’s a really good basic gnocchi recipe that also works well with a tomato or mushroom sauce. For this version, look for a good-quality Italian Gorgonzola. Rice the potatoes while they’re still hot; they’ll be easier to handle, and their texture will be fluffier and less glutinous, resulting in lighter gnocchi. This is a great choice for a dinner party because you can make the gnocchi and the sauce earlier in the day and put them together just before serving. These gnocchi make a fine first course, and they’re also a perfect side dish with grilled steak.
Gnocchi
2 pounds large russet potatoes
1 egg
1 to 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup ricotta cheese
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Rice flour for dusting
Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
1½ cups heavy cream
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup Italian Gorgonzola cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
1 cup 1-inch strips spinach or radicchio
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
TO MAKE THE GNOCCHI, preheat the oven to 400°. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet pan. Bake until soft, about 1 hour. Peel while hot, then press through a ricer or food mill into a medium bowl. Add the egg, 1 cup of the flour, Parmesan cheese, ricotta, and nutmeg, and mix well. Add more flour if the dough is still sticky. (Each potato has a different moisture content, so you have to adjust each time you make the gnocchi.) Knead in the bowl for about 1 minute, or until the dough comes together. Lightly flour a work surface with rice flour. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll each piece into a ¾-inch-thick rope. Cut each rope on the diagonal into 1½-inch-long pieces and transfer to a baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper and sprinkled with rice flour. Cover with a dry towel and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
TO MAKE THE SAUCE, combine the cream, cheeses, and butter in a large saucepan and bring just to a boil while whisking until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
TO FINISH THE DISH, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for about 2 minutes, or until they are all floating on the surface. Meanwhile, add the spinach to the sauce and bring to a boil. Using a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer the gnocchi from the pot to the sauce. Swirl the pan to gently coat the gnocchi.
TO SERVE, divide the gnocchi and sauce among 4 warmed shallow bowls and sprinkle with pine nuts.
How to Toast Nuts and Seeds
PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 325°. SPREAD THE NUTS OR SEEDS IN A SINGLE LAYER ON A BAKING SHEET PAN AND PUT IN THE OVEN. CHECK AFTER 2 MINUTES, AND EVERY MINUTE THEREAFTER, STIRRING OCCASIONALLY, UNTIL THE NUTS ARE A LIGHT GOLDEN BROWN.
Chinese Egg Noodles with Gulf Shrimp, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Pea Tendrils
Serves 4
Pea tendrils, the shoots and leaves that appear on the top of new pea plants in the early days of spring, ar
e tender little greens that taste like a cross between peas and spinach. They have a relatively short growing season and can be hard to find. Look for them in Asian produce markets, where they’re sometimes sold under their Cantonese name, dau miu. If you can’t find them, substitute spinach and a few sprigs of watercress. If fresh Chinese noodles are not available, use dried ones or fresh angel-hair pasta. And if you don’t have time to make lobster or shrimp stock, you can use a rich chicken stock instead. Having said all that, we want to encourage you to try to round up all the ingredients we use for this recipe at least once. Once you do, the dish comes together very quickly, and it’s an experience no one should miss.
Lime-Soy Mixture
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon Thai yellow curry paste
¼ teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon grated garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil
½ teaspoon sugar
10 ounces Chinese egg noodles
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
20 medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
8 shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and sliced ¼ inch thick
1½ cups lobster stock or shrimp stock
3 cups pea tendrils, loosely packed
TO MAKE THE LIME-SOY MIXTURE, whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
TO PREPARE THE NOODLES, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes; drain.
TO ASSEMBLE, melt the butter in a large, preferably nonstick sauté pan or skillet over high heat until it starts to foam. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and the shiitake mushrooms and sauté until the shrimp start to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Add the lobster stock and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Add 2 tablespoons of the lime-soy mixture to the shrimp and mushrooms, then add the noodles and pea tendrils and toss to combine. Simmer for 10 seconds.
TO SERVE, divide among 4 warmed shallow bowls.
Deveining Shrimp
THE INTESTINAL “VEIN” SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM A SHRIMP BEFORE COOKING, BOTH FOR COSMETIC REASONS AND BECAUSE, ESPECIALLY IN LARGER SHRIMP, IT CONTAINS GRIT, WHICH IS UNPLEASANT TO EAT. NOT EVERY SHRIMP WILL HAVE ONE, THOUGH. TO REMOVE, USING A BAMBOO SKEWER, INSERT THE POINTED END ABOUT ⅛ INCH DEEP INTO A SHRIMP ACROSS THE CENTER OF THE CURVE. GENTLY PULL UP ON THE SKEWER, AND A THIN DARK STRAND SHOULD COME OUT. KEEP PULLING UNTIL IT COMES FREE OF THE SHRIMP; DISCARD.
Spaghettini with Tripe Stew
Spaghettini with Tripe Stew
Serves 4
When Hiro started cooking in Japan, one of his first jobs was cleaning tripe. And now, when he prepares it, he still thinks about those early days and the chef who inspired him to pursue a career in cooking. Tripe isn’t for everyone, but we think that a lot more people would love it if they could just taste a well-prepared version. That’s why we’ve had it on the menu at Terra since the day we opened, sometimes served as in this recipe and sometimes as an appetizer without the pasta. One of our servers had a ready answer for the often-asked question, “What kind of fish is tripe?” With a perfectly straight face, he would reply, “Oh, that would be a land fish.”
Blanched Tripe
2 pounds honeycomb tripe, cleaned well
2 gallons water
¼ cup rice vinegar
½ carrot
1 stalk celery
½ onion
5 bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon salt
Stew
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped peeled carrot
½ cup chopped celery
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon dried basil
⅔ cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup tomato puree
1 cup tomato concassée
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
⅔ cup cooked white beans
1 pound spaghettini
⅔ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
TO BLANCH THE TRIPE, put it in a large stockpot with the water and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that develops. Add the vinegar, return to a boil, and skim again. Add the remaining ingredients, and place a lid smaller than the pot inside the pot to hold the tripe underwater. Simmer for 45 minutes, or until the tripe can be pierced with a bamboo skewer. Drain and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet pan to cool. Remove any fat from the tripe and cut the tripe into 2½ by ½-inch strips. Set aside.
TO MAKE THE STEW, preheat the oven to 350°. In a large ovenproof saucepan over high heat, heat the olive oil and garlic and sauté until the garlic is lightly browned. Add the onion, carrot, celery, pepper flakes, and dried basil. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the blanched tripe and wine. Bring to a boil, then add the chicken stock, tomato puree, and tomato concassée, and return to a boil. Skim and season with salt and pepper. Cut a circle of parchment paper that just fits inside the pan. Place the paper on the stew to cover. Cook in the oven for 1 to 1½ hours, or until the tripe is tender. Remove the paper and place the pan over medium heat on top of the stove. Add the white beans and simmer for 5 minutes.
TO FINISH THE DISH, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the spaghettini and cook until al dente; drain. Stir ⅓ cup of the Parmesan cheese, the fresh basil, parsley, and 1 tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil into the stew. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked spaghettini and mix well; return to a boil.
TO SERVE, divide the pasta and stew among 4 warmed shallow bowls. Sprinkle with the remaining extra virgin olive oil and the remaining ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese.
Capellini with Smoked Salmon, Sevruga Caviar, and Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette
Capellini with Smoked Salmon, Sevruga Caviar, and Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette
Serves 4
We think this is the ultimate cold pasta dish. The richness of the smoked salmon, the saltiness of the caviar, and the tangy acidity of the vinaigrette create a different flavor balance with every bite. We like to use sevruga caviar, but if that’s not in your budget, buy the best you can. Don’t make this dish ahead of time. The pasta needs to be cooked and cooled just before tossing with the other ingredients. If it sits, the flavors will become muddy as the acid in the vinaigrette breaks down the caviar and the pasta. Tobiko, or flying fish roe, has a mild flavor and a delicately crunchy texture.
Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette
1 teaspoon minced capers
Pinch of grated garlic
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon soy sauce
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper
4 ounces dried capellini pasta
4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut into 3 by ½-inch strips
¼ cup tomato concassée
1 teaspoon chopped shallot
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon tobiko caviar
2 Japanese cucumbers, or 1 hothouse cucumber, cut into very thin circles on a mandoline or with a very sharp knife
4 teaspoons sevruga caviar
12 fresh chervil sprigs
TO MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE, whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
TO COOK THE CAPELLINI, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the capellini and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked a little more than al dent
e. Drain the pasta and immerse it in ice water to chill. Drain again and gently press to squeeze out any excess water. In a medium bowl, combine the capellini, smoked salmon, tomato concassée, shallot, chives, tobiko caviar, and vinaigrette. Mix well with your fingers to keep from breaking the pasta.
TO SERVE, place a 3-inch metal ring or a 3-inch-diameter glass or bowl as a guide in the center of a chilled large plate. Overlap the cucumber slices in a circular pattern around the ring; remove the ring or bowl and repeat with the remaining plates. Place an equal amount of the capellini mixture in the center of each plate. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the sevruga caviar on top of each mound, then top with 3 chervil sprigs.
FISH AND SHELLFISH
Sautéed Maine Scallops on Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Chanterelle Mushrooms and Parsley Nage
Sautéed Maine Scallops on Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Chanterelle Mushrooms and Parsley Nage
Serves 4
The combination of scallops, chanterelles, and vibrant green parsley sauce is strikingly beautiful on the plate, and just as pleasing on the palate. Nage, by the way, is a French word that literally means “swimming” and refers to a dish served with a brothy sauce.
Parsley Nage
2 teaspoons minced shallots
⅓ cup dry white wine
½ cup heavy cream