Terra : Cooking from the Heart of Napa Valley (9780307815323)
Page 14
Boning Salmon
TO REMOVE THE PIN BONES FROM A SIDE OF SALMON, START BY RUNNING YOUR HAND DOWN THE ENTIRE SIDE FROM THE HEAD END. YOU’LL FEEL SMALL BONES PROTRUDING IN A LINE DOWN THE CENTER OF THE FISH AT ABOUT ½-INCH INTERVALS. THESE ARE THE PIN BONES. TO REMOVE THEM, USE FISH BONE TWEEZERS OR NEEDLE-NOSE PLIERS. GRASP THE END OF THE BONE WITH THE PLIERS, HOLDING THE FISH DOWN WITH YOUR OTHER HAND, AND PULL FORCEFULLY. YOU WILL PULL OUT A BONE ABOUT 2½ INCHES LONG. WORK YOUR WAY DOWN THE SALMON IN THIS MANNER UNTIL THE BONES ARE TOO SMALL OR SOFT TO FEEL WITH YOUR HAND. ATLANTIC SALMON HAVE SHORTER, MORE EASILY REMOVED BONES THAN PACIFIC KING SALMON. IN GENERAL, THE FRESHER THE FISH, THE MORE DIFFICULT IT WILL BE TO REMOVE THE BONES.
Top left: Peter and Genna of Forni Brown
Grilled Swordfish Steak on Caponata with Tuscan White Beans
Serves 4
Caponata is a big-flavored Sicilian relish made with zucchini and eggplant. Together with the pistou, it makes an exciting counterpoint to the mild meatiness of grilled swordfish. This is an easy dish for entertaining because you can make the caponata and the pistou in advance, then simply grill the fish and put the plates together at the last minute. It’s best to serve the caponata just warm, not piping hot.
Caponata
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup ½-inch-diced onion
½ cup ½-inch-diced zucchini
½ cup ½-inch-diced red bell pepper
1 cup ½-inch-diced eggplant
1 cup 1½-inch-diced peeled tomatoes
⅓ cup tomato puree
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chopped kalamata olives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 (6-ounce) swordfish steaks, about ¾ inch thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup cooked white beans
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons Pistou
4 fresh basil sprigs, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 300°. Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill.
TO MAKE THE CAPONATA, heat the olive oil, garlic, and chili flakes in a large ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. Sauté until the garlic just starts to caramelize. Add the onion, increase the heat to high, and sauté until the onion is soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the zucchini, bell pepper, and eggplant, and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, sugar, olives, and basil, and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Cut a circle of parchment paper that just fits inside the pan and cut a hole in the middle about 1 inch across. Place the paper on the caponata to cover, then bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender. Re-move from the oven, stir in the capers, and keep warm.
While the caponata is baking, mix together the olive oil, basil, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Coat both sides of the fish with the oil mixture and marinate for 30 minutes.
TO COOK THE SWORDFISH, season the steaks with salt and pepper. Grill for 2 minutes, then turn the steaks 45 degrees on the same side so that the grill will make a cross-hatch pattern, and cook 2 minutes longer. Turn over and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, or until opaque throughout. Or, heat a grill pan or skillet over high heat until very hot. Cook the steaks for 4 minutes on the first side, and another 2 to 3 minutes on the second side.
Meanwhile, combine the white beans and chicken stock in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and just before serving whisk in the pistou.
TO SERVE, place equal amounts of the caponata in the center of 4 warmed plates. Spoon the white beans and sauce around the caponata. Place the grilled swordfish on top of the caponata. Garnish each swordfish steak with a sprig of basil.
MEATS
Grilled Spice-Rubbed Pork Chops with Yam Puree and Pickled Red Onions
Grilled Spice-Rubbed Pork Chops with Yam Puree and Pickled Red Onions
Serves 4
These juicy grilled pork chops get their flavor two ways: from a spicy rub and an onion-garlic “mud.” Both are easy ways to add a lot of flavor to grilled foods, and you can vary the spices to suit your taste. Make some extra spice mix and keep it on hand. You’ll find it’s great on just about anything grilled or broiled—from steak and chicken to swordfish. The “mud” is fun to experiment with, but we recommend it for outdoor grilling only, because it creates quite a bit of smoke.
Da Spice Mix
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
5 dried bay leaves
Da “Mud”
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
⅔ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 (10-ounce) T-bone pork chops, each 1 inch thick
Pickled Red Onions
2 red onions, cut into ¼-inch-thick rings
1 teaspoon salt
⅓ cup rice vinegar
⅛ teaspoon minced jalapeño
2 tablespoons sugar
Yam Puree
1½ pounds jewel or garnet yams, peeled and cut into ½-inch discs
⅓ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
TO MAKE THE SPICE MIX, combine all the ingre-dients in a clean electric coffee grinder or spice grinder and process to a powder. (If you don’t have a grinder, use a mortar and pestle.) Set aside.
TO MAKE THE “MUD,” puree all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
TO MARINATE THE PORK CHOPS, spread half of the “mud” on the bottom of a glass baking dish large enough to hold all the chops in a single layer. Sprinkle half of the spice mix on one side of the chops and put them, spiced side down, on the “mud.” Sprinkle the remaining spice mix evenly over the chops and cover with the “mud.” Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or as long as overnight.
TO MAKE THE PICKLED RED ONIONS, separate the onions into individual rings and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with the salt, toss gently for 30 seconds, then set aside for 30 minutes. Put the onion rings in a clean towel and squeeze tightly to remove all the moisture. In a clean bowl, whisk together the vinegar, jalapeño, and sugar. Add the onion rings, toss well, and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to medium. Preheat the oven to 250°.
TO MAKE THE YAM PUREE, bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Add the yams and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain and return to the pan over high heat, shaking the pan to help evaporate the excess water (be careful not to burn the yams). Add the cream and butter and bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat. Force the potatoes through a ricer, or mash in the pan with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep hot.
TO GRILL THE PORK CHOPS, season them with salt. Put the chops, along with any of the “mud” that sticks to them, on the grill and cook for about 5 minutes, or until charred. Turn them over and cook 5 minutes longer, or until charred again. (Because of the natural sugar in the marinade, the pork chops will caramelize and get very dark but they will not have a burnt flavor, so don’t worry.) Transfer the chops to the oven to rest for about 3 minutes.
TO SERVE, divide the yam puree onto the upper left side of each of 4 warmed plates. Mound the pickled red onions on the right side of the plates. Place a pork chop to the front and center of each plate.
Lamb Shanks Braised in Petite Syrah with Black Mission Figs
Serv
es 4
We created this tender braised lamb to go with our family’s Stag’s Leap Petite Syrah, and originally we made it with a whole leg of lamb. We liked it so much that we came up with this scaled-down version made with lamb shanks for our menu. The intensity of the wine is just right with the flavor of the lamb, and the dried figs thicken the sauce, adding a note of sweetness that offsets the acidity of the wine. Serve this dish with the same wine you used to make it.
Braising Broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
¾ cup chopped onion
⅓ cup chopped carrot
¼ cup chopped celery
½ teaspoon dried basil
1 fresh thyme sprig
4 cups Petite Syrah or another Rhône-style red wine
¾ cup tomato puree
8 cups brown chicken stock
20 dried black figs (do not use fresh)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 (1½-pound) lamb shanks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Petite Syrah
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
3 ounces haricots verts or baby Blue Lake beans, stemmed
4 cups hot fontina cheese polenta
Finely julienned zest of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preheat the oven to 325°.
TO MAKE THE BRAISING BROTH, heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat and sauté the garlic until it starts to caramelize. Add the onion, carrot, celery, basil, and thyme, and sauté until the onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomato puree, stock, and figs, and return to a boil. Skim off any foam that develops, remove the pan from the heat, and lightly season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
TO SAUTÉ THE LAMB SHANKS, season them with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour and pat off any excess. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot, add the shanks, and sauté until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to the braising pan, and bring the braising broth to a boil. Skim off any foam that develops. Cut a circle of parchment paper that just fits inside the pot and a 1-inch hole in the center. Place the paper on the lamb mixture to cover, and bake in the oven for about 2 hours, or until tender. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully transfer the lamb shanks and figs to another container. Set aside and keep warm. Or, if making ahead, let cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
TO MAKE THE SAUCE, cook the braising liquid over medium-high heat until reduced to about 3 cups. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Return the sauce, shanks, and figs to the pan and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to reheat the shanks. If reheating refrigerated shanks, first bring the dish to a boil on the stove, then cover and heat in a preheated 325° oven for 20 minutes. Check each lamb shank to make sure it is hot by inserting a small knife in the thickest part for 30 seconds. Remove it and check to see if the knife is hot; if it is, so is the lamb. Add the Petite Syrah and butter to the pot and gently shake to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
TO SERVE, blanch the haricots verts. Ladle the polenta onto the center of 4 warmed plates and place a lamb shank on the polenta. Ladle the sauce and the figs over the shanks. Place an equal amount of haricots verts on top of each lamb shank. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and parsley.
Grilled Duck Breast on Foie Gras and Sourdough Bread Stuffing with Sun-Dried Cherry Sauce
Grilled Duck Breast on Foie Gras and Sourdough Bread Stuffing with Sun-Dried Cherry Sauce
Serves 4
This is one of those dream combinations that takes some work to pull off but is truly worth the effort: grilled duck breast with a sweet-savory dried-cherry sauce, with apple and sweet potato purée and a soul-satisfying bread stuffing. The stuffing is Hiro’s take on the old-fashioned Thanksgiving variety, with an added special touch: a luscious slice of foie gras terrine nestled on top. If you’re not up to making the terrine from scratch, buy a smooth, silky duck or goose liver terrine, not a chicken liver pâté.
4 (8- to 9-ounce) duck breasts
1 tablespoon verjus or red wine
2 teaspoons sake marinade
Sun-Dried Cherry Sauce
2½ cups Cabernet Sauvignon
2 cups duck stock or brown chicken stock
2 teaspoons sake marinade
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sun-dried sour cherries
⅛ teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
2 teaspoons cold unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sugar to taste (optional)
Stuffing
2 cups ¾-inch-cubed sourdough bread
1 to 1½ cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped bacon
½ teaspoon minced garlic
⅓ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped onion
¼ teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Apple and Sweet Potato Puree
3 teaspoons unsalted butter
½ Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced ¼ inch thick
14 ounces sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
¼ cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
16 snap peas, stemmed and blanched for 1 minute
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
4 ounces Foie Gras Terrine or a high-quality commercial foie gras terrine, cut into 4 sticks
4 fresh oregano sprigs, for garnish
TO MARINATE THE DUCK BREASTS, trim off the silver skin and cut away half of the thickness of the duck skin (fat) from the top of the breast. Score the skin in a cross-hatch pattern. Put the duck breasts in a medium bowl with the verjus and sake marinade and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
TO MAKE THE SAUCE, cook the wine in a medium, nonreactive saucepan over high heat until reduced to ¼ cup. Add the duck stock and sake marinade, and cook until reduced to 1 cup. Add the cherries and peppercorns, and simmer for 1 minute. Set aside and keep warm. Just before serving, add the butter and incorporate it into the sauce by shaking the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Taste the sauce; if it is too sour, add a pinch of sugar. Taste and adjust the seasoning again if necessary.
Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill.
TO MAKE THE STUFFING, preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet pan and toast in the oven until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a small saucepan, then decrease the heat to a simmer. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the bacon, and cook until lightly browned. Add the garlic, celery, onion, and oregano, and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Add the croutons and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, then add one half of the simmering chicken stock to evenly moisten (adding more chicken stock if necessary). Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside and keep warm.
TO MAKE THE PUREE, bring a saucepan of salted water to boil. Melt 1½ teaspoons of the butter in a small sauté pan or skillet over low heat. Add the apple and mix with the butter, then cover and cook until the apples are soft, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the sweet potatoes in the boiling water until tender, 8 to 10 minutes; drain. Return the sweet potatoes to the pan and add the cream, remaining 1½ teaspoons butter, and the apple. Return to a boil. Press the mixture through a food mill or mash it in the pan with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a double boiler to keep hot.
TO GRILL THE DUCK, place the duck breasts skin side
down and grill until the skin is crisp and golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side for about 3 minutes for medium rare. Or, to pan-roast the duck, increase the oven temperature to 500°. Heat a large ovenproof sauté pan or skillet over high heat until hot, add the duck, skin side down, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the duck over, place the pan in the oven, and roast the duck for 3 minutes. Remove the duck breast from the grill or oven and let rest for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, to cook the snap peas, melt the butter in a small sauté pan or skillet over medium heat, add the peas, and sauté for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
TO SERVE, finish the sauce by adding butter and adjusting the seasoning. Spoon the stuffing onto the center of each of 4 warmed plates. Place a stick of foie gras on top of the stuffing as in a nest. Spoon the puree next to the stuffing on the top side of the plate. Cut each duck breast lengthwise into 6 or 7 diagonal slices. Fan the slices over the stuffing. Spoon the sauce around the bottom edge of the plate all around the duck. Arrange 2 snap peas on either side of the duck and puree. Top the plate with oregano sprigs. If necessary, return the plates to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes to heat before serving.
Glass of verjus
Paillards of Venison with French Fries
Serves 4
This is a simple, bistro-style presentation—a thinly pounded paillard of grilled venison with garlic-parsley compound butter and a mound of crispy fries. Every component of this recipe has plenty of other uses. The paillard technique works with chicken, beef, pork, lamb, and other meats. The compound butter goes with many dishes, and the fries, well, they’re just always good. The secret to sensational French fries is the restaurant double-frying technique we describe here—frying first at a low temperature to blanch and cook the potatoes, then at a higher temperature to crisp and color them. They’ll be soft in the center and crisp on the outside. A second tip: Look for Kennebec potatoes. They’re white-skinned and oblong, and we prefer them for frying because their low sugar and moisture content means you can fry them longer, so they get crispy before they get too dark.