The Art of Blending: Stories and Recipes from La Boîte's Spice Journey
Page 4
Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 425°. Place the baking sheet in the preheating oven and roast the vegetables until golden brown on the bottom, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, stir in the cherry tomatoes and continue roasting, stirring once more, until the tomatoes have started to release their juices, about 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove the ratatouille from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 500°.
Meanwhile, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a dough scraper or a sharp knife, quarter the dough crosswise. Working with one portion at a time, stretch the dough into a 12-by-4-inch rectangle. Transfer to a large cornmeal-coated baking sheet. Lay slices of provolone cheese over the stretched dough and top each with 1 cup of the ratatouille (you will have 1 to 2 cups of ratatouille left for another use).
Bake the pizzas until the crust is crisp and golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. (For a browner crust, broil the tops of the pizzas for a few minutes.) Remove the pizzas from the oven, sprinkle with the grated cheese and additional Iris and serve.
YEMEN This blend takes inspiration from and reflects the desert landscapes and cultural traditions of the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Yemen N.10 came about when I took on the challenge of creating a spice that could be incorporated into a cup of coffee. The white sand dunes of Socotra and Yemen’s tradition of serving white coffee made me consider how to deliver a depth of flavor without straying from this simple, muted palette. The addition of ginger, cinnamon and allspice deliver a brightness that elevates beverages, soups and sauces; they also speak to the history of the spice trade at Yemen’s many ports.
Recipe Ideas
-1- Sprinkle over or stir into your favorite coffee drink (cappuccino, espresso, etc.).
-2- Simmer cubed celery root in milk and Yemen. Purée, then season to taste with more Yemen.
-3- Blend with softened butter and brown sugar and use as a filling for baked apples.
Also great with
french toast
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english pea soup
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cauliflower gratin
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white russian
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beurre blanc
Recipe from Dominique Ansel, Dominique Ansel Bakery, New York City
I met Dominique when I worked at Daniel and was immediately struck by his talent and innovative vision. Yet throughout his long career (including a stint at Fauchon, the legendary Parisian market), he’s always remained true to simple, full-flavored desserts such as this ice cream. The Yemen spice blend’s ginger, allspice and cinnamon flavors work surprisingly well with dairy, so they’re a perfect pairing to this frozen treat’s rich, creamy texture.
INGREDIENTS
MAKES 1 QUART
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
Pinch of kosher salt
3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
5 large egg yolks
11⁄2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons Yemen N.10 spice blend
1⁄3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large saucepan, heat the cream, milk and salt over medium heat until the mixture just begins to boil, 3 to 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture becomes pale yellow. Slowly pour in the warm-milk mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pan and set over low heat. Stirring constantly, cook until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon (or just reaches 180° on a thermometer). Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Add the butter and Yemen spice blend and whisk until incorporated.
Place the bowl over an ice bath and stir until chilled. 4. Process the chilled mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions, adding the crystallized ginger just before the ice cream is finished churning. Transfer to a container and freeze until firm before serving.
CANCALE It’s amazing how quickly something can change from a waste to a want. Fleur de sel is hand-harvested in Brittany, where I worked with chef Olivier Roellinger at Les Maisons de Bricourt’s fine-dining restaurant. For many years, fleur de sel was considered a by product, a top layer of the salt basin that was thrown away in favor of what lay beneath. Today, fleur de sel is one of the most coveted salts in the world and is included in countless recipes. I consider Cancale N.11 my “counter blend” because you can leave it on your kitchen counter and add it to just about anything. This blend combines the “flower of salt” with a hint of orange peel and fennel seeds from the plants that grow wild on Brittany’s cliffs. It’s my tribute to Olivier and Les Maisons de Bricourt.
Recipe Ideas
-1- Wet the rim of a margarita glass with lime juice and coat with Cancale.
-2- Toss thin asparagus spears with Cancale, lemon juice and olive oil.
-3- Sprinkle on mango slices for a quick snack.
Also great with
beef carpaccio
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chocolate chip cookies
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tomato salad
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tuna tartare
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spinach salad
Recipe from Paul Kahan, Blackbird, Chicago
Paul is one of those chefs you always want to hang out with. We spend hours talking about music, beer, life and above all what he calls “honest” food. This recipe is proof that it doesn’t take much to create a memorable meal. The heroes here are fish, lettuce and the delicate, citrusy Cancale N.11 spice blend; when you taste them together, you’ll want to make this dish again and again.
INGREDIENTS
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
4 red or white spring onions (or 8 scallions)
1⁄2 cup Champagne vinegar
1⁄4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Four 6-ounce portions of boneless flounder, sole or skate wing
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Cancale N.11 spice blend
2 small heads Little Gem or romaine hearts, separated into dark-green leaves and light-green hearts
Hazelnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Pickle the onions or scallions: Remove the root and outer membrane; using all of the white parts and about 3 inches of the green parts, slice the onions on the bias into 1⁄4-inch pieces. Place the onions in a Mason jar.
In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, water and 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes, then pour over the onions. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Pat the fish dry with paper towels and season both sides with half of the Cancale spice blend and black pepper.
In a large skillet, heat the grapeseed oil until just smoking. Add the fish and cook over high heat until golden brown on one side, about 1 minute. Turn the fish over, add the butter and, when the butter begins to foam, baste the fish with it until the fish is cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer the fish to a plate; leave the butter in the skillet and remove the skillet from the heat.
Add the dark-green lettuce leaves to the skillet and gently toss in the browned butter until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide the wilted lettuce among the plates and top with the fish. Sprinkle with the remaining Cancale. In a small bowl, combine the light-green lettuce leaves with a few pinches of the pickled onions. Dress gently with hazelnut oil and a little of the pickling liquid, if desired. Top each plate with the salad and serve.
BLUE GRASS I’ve always been fascinated by the American South and Cajun food. People with French Creole, Native American, African A
merican, Spanish and British roots all landed there and produced a remarkable and unmistakable cuisine. In my Blue Grass N.12 blend, the rust-colored paprika from South America and the slightly bitter oregano and piquant cayenne pepper from Mexico combine harmoniously to enrich the flavors of gumbo and fresh crawfish. Created for chef Marc Forgione, this blend has the remarkable ability to stretch its range beyond the flavors of Cajun cuisine to anything from grilled calamari to sautéed bok choy. A melody that lends itself so perfectly to improvisation, Blue Grass N.12 is my tribute to the rhythms of the South.
Recipe Ideas
-1- Toss mixed nuts with melted butter, sprinkle with Blue Grass and roast in a 350° oven.
-2- Steam corn on the cob until tender. Brush with vegetable oil, sprinkle with Blue Grass and quickly finish on a hot grill.
-3- Sprinkle on baby bok choy and sauté with garlic in olive oil.
Also great with
beef ragù
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minestrone soup
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grilled calamari
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chicken skewers
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dirty rice
Recipe from Jake Dickson and David Schuttenberg, Dickson’s Farmstand Meats, New York City
The Blue Grass N.12 spice blend is a tribute to Southern American cuisine, which is known for its slow-cooked, deeply flavored dishes. The team at Dickson’s Farmstand is known for tirelessly searching out the best cuts of meat. In this stew, the dried herbs and cayenne in the Blue Grass blend are like a guitar: The longer you play, the better it gets.
INGREDIENTS
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
1 pound poblano chiles
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 11⁄2-inch cubes
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons Blue Grass N.12 spice blend
1⁄4 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion (1⁄4-inch pieces)
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
3⁄4 cup diced celery (1⁄4-inch pieces)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1⁄4 cup cornmeal
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
Freshly ground pepper
One 15-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
INSTRUCTIONS
Roast the poblano chiles over a gas flame or under a broiler, turning frequently, until charred all over. Place the chiles in a sealed container or a plastic bag to steam. When they’re just cool enough to handle, peel the blackened skin off the chiles, remove the stems and seeds and cut into 1-inch strips.
Season the pork with kosher salt and 1 tablespoon of the Blue Grass spice blend. Heat the grapeseed oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Working in batches and taking care to not crowd the pot, sear the pork on all sides until well browned, taking care not to burn the bits left on the bottom. Transfer the pork to a plate as it finishes and set aside; leave the oil in the pot.
Add the onion, garlic, celery and jalapeño and cook for 2 minutes on low heat. Add the cornmeal and cook for another minute. Deglaze with the white wine while scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer and reduce the liquid by half, about 3 minutes. Add the pork and the tomato paste, chicken stock and remaining 2 tablespoons of Blue Grass. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 11⁄2 to 2 hours or until the meat is tender.
While the pork cooks, roughly chop the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes, their liquid and the poblanos; bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Serve immediately or let cool to room temperature and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Reheat, covered, over low heat.
GALIL Galil N.13 is what Galilee, in northern Israel, smells like in the spring when everything is in bloom. The citrusy, floral scent of verbena—along with the slight bitterness from blanched white cardamom and sage—conjures fragrant memories of my birthplace. And although these aromatic elements are grown in places far from Galilee, their collective aroma floats up in the steam of hot herbal tea or the delicate broth of poached fish and brings back memories of orchards and the rain that falls over the mountains.
Recipe Ideas
-1- Combine 1 tbsp Galil per 2 cups of water in a French press to make hot tea (or chill to make iced tea).
-2- Add 1 tbsp Galil to a quart of fish stock for poaching shrimp.
-3- Quarter fresh peaches, brush with honey and sprinkle with Galil. Grill and serve with shaved Manchego cheese.
Also great with
steamed clams
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spiked hot cider
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poached pears
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pork curry
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roast duck
Recipe from Gail Simmons, author of Talking with My Mouth Full and Judge/Host of Bravo’s Top Chef
Gail and I started working at Daniel around the same time. Since then, our careers have followed new paths. A native of Eastern Canada, Gail grew up where Prince Edward Island mussels were abundant; the recipe here combines them with my Galil spice blend’s exotic notes of verbena, sage and cardamom. I think these floral flavors work well with the briny bivalves. You’re going to need extra bread to soak up every drop of this broth; it’s so simple and addictive.
INGREDIENTS
MAKES 4 MAIN-COURSE OR 8 APPETIZER SERVINGS
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced (about 3⁄4 cup)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1⁄2 large fennel bulb, fronds chopped and reserved for garnish, bulb very thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups off-dry Riesling
2 tablespoons Galil N.13 spice blend
4 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Crusty bread, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the shallot and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring to ensure the garlic does not burn, for 1 minute. Add the fennel and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Add the Galil spice blend and stir well to incorporate, then add the mussels. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and steam the mussels until they open, about 8 to 10 minutes; shaking the pot a few times while the dish cooks to distribute the ingredients evenly.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a large, shallow bowl (or individual bowls), discarding any mussels that do not open. Add the butter, lemon zest and lemon juice to the broth, swirling until the butter melts. Simmer to slightly reduce the cooking liquid, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Slowly pour the broth over the mussels (distributing it evenly if they are in individual bowls), stopping before you reach the bottom of the pot (to avoid any accumulated grit). Sprinkle with the chopped fennel fronds. Serve the mussels with the crusty bread.
SRI LANKA The spicy-sweet scent of cinnamon always brings back childhood memories of doughy confections and candies wrapped in red cellophane. But that’s not what I wanted this blend to represent. In places like the Middle East and Persia, cinnamon is integrated into savory dishes, including lamb and soups, and infused into warm beverages. This blend, which includes star anise to counter soft-stick cinnamon’s sweetness, nods at Chinese five-spice powder in the way it delicately balances the yin and yang of savory cuisine. Named after the island where this variety of cinnamon predominantly grows, Sri Lanka N.14 encourages people to experience a softer and more floral cinnamon that differs from the hard-bark variety they’re used to.
Recipe Ideas
-1- Toss sliced ap
ples with Sri Lanka and brown sugar and use as apple pie filling.
-2- Mix with confectioners’ sugar and sprinkle on doughnuts or waffles.
-3- Season thinly sliced duck breast with Sri Lanka. Sauté in a hot skillet with red onions and bell peppers.
Also great with
roast venison
* * *
mulled wine
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sweet potato purée
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carrot soup
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lamb stew