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Cioppino with Fennel and Saffron

September 9, 2015

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Cioppino with Fennel and Saffron

Author: Lincoln WordPress Theme

Serves: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

1 pound (450 grams) raw clams in their shells
1 pound (450 grams) raw mussels in their shells
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for finishing the soup
1/4 teaspoon gently packed saffron threads, crumbled
a handful of fresh thyme sprigs
1 large onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
1 large fennel bulb, fronds removed and reserved for garnish, bulb thinly sliced
3 large cloves garlic
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
broth from cooking the clams and mussels (see below)
2 cups vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 pound (225 grams) cooked, peeled shrimp
1 pound (450 grams) white fish (such as Tilapia), cut into 1-inch chunks
a handful of parsley leaves and fennel fronds
cracked black pepper
lemon wedges

Instructions

Place the clams and mussels in a steamer basket set in a pot over 2 cups of water. Cover and bring to a simmer, steaming the mollusks until they open. Remove the mollusks and strain and reserve the broth.
In a large soup pot, heat the oil and saffron over a medium flame until the oil shimmers, then add the thyme, onion, and fennel. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender, 10 minutes, then stir in the garlic, cook for 1 minute, and add the salt, tomatoes, white wine, mollusk steaming water, vegetable stock, and bay leaf. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 20 minutes.
Add the fish and continue to simmer until cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Add the shrimp, mussels, and clams and cook to heat them through. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if you feel the soup needs it.
Ladle the soup into wide bowls and top with a good drizzle of olive oil, a shower of parsley leaves and fennel fronds, a few turns of black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.

Notes

Images & recipe courtesy The Bojon Gourmet

Lavender Kumquat Shrub

August 23, 2015

Lavender Kumquat Shrub

Serves: 20

Ingredients

1 pound whole kumquats, quartered
1 cup mild honey
3 tablespoons lavender buds
1/2 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 cup apple cider vinegar
Sparkling water
Ice

Instructions

Place the kumquats, honey, and lavender in a glass bowl or large jar and muddle to draw out the juices and oils from the citrus. Stir in the lemon juice and vinegar. Cover the shrub and let it sit at room temperature for 2 full days. After two days, strain the shrub, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.
Store the shrub in the refrigerator for up to a month. To serve, pour a few tablespoons into a glass. Add ice and fizzy water until you like the way it tastes; 1 part shrub to 3 or 4 parts fizzy water is usually about right. Enjoy.

Notes

Images & recipe courtesy The Bojon Gourmet

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Rum-Kissed Banana Butterscotch Cream Tart

August 23, 2015

Rum-Kissed Banana Butterscotch Cream Tart

Serves: 12

Ingredients

Gluten-Free Cocoa-Buckwheat Press-In Crust:
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 T tapioca starch
1/4 cup unrefined sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
Banana Rum Butterscotch Custard Filling:
1/2 cup + 2 T unrefined muscobado sugar
3.5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, in several pieces
2 tablespoons black rum
3 large ripe but firm bananas

Instructions

Make the crust: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Place a 9″ tart pan with removable bottom on a rimmed baking sheet.
In the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer, combine the almond flour, buckwheat flour, cocoa powder, tapioca starch, muscobado sugar, salt, butter pieces, and vanilla, and process until the mixture forms large, moist clumps, about 30 seconds. (You can also do this in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a bowl with your fingertips.) Dump the crumbly dough into the tart pan. Press the dough first up the sides, then into the bottom of the pan, taking the time to make the crust even and square where the sides meet the bottom. (If the dough is soft or sticky, chill it for 5-10 minutes until it will behave.) Prick the bottom of the dough all over with the tines of a fork.
Freeze the crust until firm, at least 15 minutes (or wrap and freeze for up to several months). Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry, toasty-smelling, and fairly firm to the touch, 20-25 minutes. Scatter the chopped chocolate in the hot shell, let sit for a minute or two to melt, then use the back of a spoon or a small, offset spatula to spread the melted chocolate into a thin layer in the bottom of the tart shell. Let cool to room temperature.
Make the custard filling: In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and vanilla pod and seeds. Whisk in the half and half. Bring the mixture to a slow boil over medium-high heat, whisking the dickens out of it, making sure to scrape the bottom and corners of the pans with the whisk. You’ll have to stop whisking for a few seconds to verify that the pudding is boiling, which you’ll know by the big bubbles that pop gloopily. Once the mixture comes to a boil, continue cooking and whisking for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, whisk in the butter, then the rum. It should be the consistency of creamy yogurt.
Strain the pudding through a sieve and into a bowl. Press plastic wrap right on the surface of the pudding, and let cool at room temperature until warm, 30-45 minutes.
Assemble the tart: When the pudding has cooled, spread half of it into the chocolate-lined shell. Peel and slice the bananas, and spread the slices in circles over the pudding. Cover with the remaining pudding. Cover with plastic wrap pressed to the surface of the pudding. Chill until set, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
Whip the cream with the mascarpone and sugar until it billows softly. Add the rum and vanilla and continue whipping until it holds firm peaks. (If you take the cream too far and it begins to look grainy, you can usually rescue it by gently folding in additional heavy cream until it loosens up again.)
Remove the plastic wrap from the tart, and spread the cream evenly over the top, swirling it with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with the cacao nibs, then use a vegetable peeler to shave chocolate over the top as though you were peeling potatoes (optional).
Chill the pie for 30 more minutes to set the cream, if you have the patience. Remove the ring from the pan, place the tart on a cutting board, and use a sharp chef’s knife to slice the pie into wedges, wiping the knife clean between each cut.
Store leftover pie airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days.