Red Pepper Pancakes with Corn and Caviar

Recipe: Red Pepper Pancakes with Corn and Caviar
Page: 16
Date Cooked: May 20, 2012

I, like many people, love brunch. Not sure why brunch is so magical, but it appears to be that one meal where anything goes - sweet, savory, and both. And on a really great occasion, you can have "fancy brunch." Though this recipe was labelled a starter, it screamed fancy brunch to me and that is exactly what I sought.

Ingredients: red bell peppers, eggs, unsalted butter, lemon juice, all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, chives, crème fraîche, smoked salmon, corn, heavy cream, salmon caviar, and cilantro 

I began by roasting the red peppers on the stove top until blackened and blistered all over. I put the peppers in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, and steamed. I then peeled the peppers by hand, stemmed, and seeded them. I diced one of the peppers and put it aside.

(1) Roasting red bell peppers (2) Steaming bell peppers (3) Diced bell pepper

I blended the other red bell pepper in a food processor. I added egg yolks to the pepper puree and blended well. I whisked in some melted butter and lemon juice. I mixed the pepper puree mixture with flour, a pinch of salt, and baking powder. Finally, I whisked the egg whites to soft peaks and folded the whites into the flour-pepper mixture. I let the batter sit at room temperature.

Making red pepper pancake batter

In the meantime, I mixed the crème fraîche with the chives and cut the kernels off the corn.

Right: Kernels of corn
Left: Crème fraîche with chives 

I melted butter in a medium skillet and added the corn. After sauteeing for a few minutes, I stirred in the cream and diced red bell pepper. I finished the corn-pepper dish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Corn-red pepper sauce

I heated some butter in a large skillet and poured in a tablespoon of batter for each pancake. I cooked until the pancakes were lightly browned on each side. 

Cooking red pepper pancakes

Finally, it was time to plate. I arranged a few pancakes on a plate and topped each one with crème fraîche. I coiled salmon strips onto each pancake and placed caviar on top. I spooned the corn sauce around the pancakes and garnished with cilantro.

Red Pepper Pancakes with Corn and Caviar

Let's see.... Smoked salmon - delicious! Salmon caviar - delicious! Crème fraîche - delicious! All these items on their own are delicious. And of course, when you combine them (which is a pretty traditional pairing) is delicious. Those are the ingredients that had the most flavor and really sang. The red pepper pancakes...completely mediocre. Don't get me wrong, the whole dish was delicious. But the work it took to make the red pepper pancakes was not quite worth it. I think I could have made a regular blini, which would have taken half the effort, and the end product would be just as delicious. The corn-red pepper sauce tasted good, but I found the addition of heavy cream to be a bit gratuitous. I mean I am already eating crème fraîche! My overall verdict is that the red pepper pancakes were a bit overrated but the rest was delicious!

Enjoy!

Lemon-Lime Meringue Pie

Recipe: Lemon-Lime Meringue Pie
Page: 267
Date Cooked: May 9, 2012

Lemon-lime flavored desserts are some of my favorite. I love the tartness of the citrus paired with something sweet. It's refreshing and hits that sweet tooth. Accordingly, I was excited to try this recipe out and of course review the pastry crust I made for this pie.

Ingredients: My Pastry Crust, limes, lemons, eggs, unsalted butter, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and confectioners' sugar

I rolled out the pastry crust dough, fit it to my pie pan, and put it in the refrigerator.

Fitting pastry crust

In the meantime, I juiced the lemons and limes and grated the zest from the lemons. I also separated the eggs, placing the yolks in a small bowl and the whites in a large bowl.

Right: Juiced lemons and limes + grated lemon zest
Left: Separated eggs

I combined butter, sugar, and cornstarch in a saucepan and cooked over low while whisking together. I added the yolks to the pan, letting the yolks cook and constantly whisking. I slowly added the citrus juices to the pan. Finally, I added the grated lemon zest and cooked the mixture until thickened. I transferred the filling to a buttered bowl and covered it with plastic wrap.

Making lemon-lime curd

I took the pie shell out of the fridge and pricked it all over with a fork. I lined it with foil and filled it with rice. I baked the pie shell for several minutes. I then removed the foil and rice and baked until the crust was a golden brown. I set the crust aside to cool.

Baking pie shell

With an electric mixer, I beat the egg whites with salt until fluffy. I then added 2 tablespoons of sugar at a time and continued to beat until stiff peaks formed. I filled the cooled pie shell with the lemon-lime curd and topped the meringue over the filling.

Right: Lemon-lime curd in pie shell
Left: Pie topped with meringue

I put the pie under the broiler and watched it carefully. The moment I say peaks turn golden brown, I turned the pie accordingly. Once the meringue was evenly browned, I removed it from the oven and let it cool. Finally, I dusted the pie with confectioner's sugar.

Lemon-Lime Meringue Pie

I thought this pie was delicious! I absolutely loved the tartness of the lemon-lime curd. And the meringue was amazingly fluffy and light. The pastry crust, which I can now review, was delicious as well and really held up to the flavors of the lemon-lime curd. Overall, I truly enjoyed this dessert and I think it may show up on my kitchen counter again!

Enjoy!

And just for extra viewing pleasure, here is what is looked once you cut into it:

My Pastry Crust

Recipe: My Pastry Crust
Page: 266
Date Cooked: May 9, 2012

It feels somewhat strange to refer to this recipe as "My Pastry Crust" when in actuality it is Jonathan Waxman's pastry crust. Regardless, this is one of the quickest pastry crust recipes I have ever seen.

Ingredients: All-purpose flour, sugar, salt, unsalted butter, and ice water

In a large bowl, I whisked together the flour, sugar, and salt. I then made a well in the middle and added the cubes of cold water and water. I used my fingertips to work in the butter quickly, until the dough formed together.

Pastry crust dough in process

I then flattened the dough into a disk, wrapped it in plastic, and refrigerated.

My Pastry Crust

The recipe doesn't encompass actually cooking or tasting the dough (that will follow in the next post). Since, I cannot speak of those items, I can speak to the process. Well, there really was no process. It took little to no time, all stayed in the bowl, no mess and no fuss.

As for the verdict on flavor and texture, that's to be continued...

Grand Red Snapper Stew

Recipe: Grand Red Snapper Stew
Page: 210
Date Cooked: April 28, 2012

Living in Central Pennsylvania means there is a high premium for fresh (or as close to fresh as possible) seafood  and availability is sometimes in question. Furthermore, I shouldn't be surprised that it was hard to see red snapper at my grocer since they are said to be over fished. However, I did read an article saying that the fish was returning "from the brink." Regardless, if you can't find red snapper or prefer using another fish, JW does mention halibut, cod, grouper, or monkfish as suitable substitutes.

Ingredients: Fennel, red onion, garlic, celery, leek, olive oil, parsley, dry white wine, bay leaves, saffron, salt, pepper, red snapper fillets, unsalted butter, tomato, and sourdough bread

I began by prepping the components of the stew. I trimmed the fennel, keeping some of the fennel fronds. I thinly sliced the fennel bulbs. I cut the onion into thin strips. I thinly sliced the garlic. I cut the celery into pieces. I cut the carrot into coins. Finally, I sliced the leeks.

(1) Sliced fennel (2) Sliced red onion (3) Carrot coins

(1) Sliced celery (2) Sliced garlic (3) Sliced leeks

I heated olive oil in a Dutch oven and added the fennel, onions, garlic, celery, carrot, and leek. I sauteed the veggies for a minutes. I then added the parsley along with some wine, water, bay leaves, and saffron. I brought the stew to a simmer and let it cook. Finally, I turned off the heat and removed the bay leaves.

Making the stew

In the meantime, I prepared the garlic toasts. I placed the bread on a baking sheet and toasted them in the oven. I rubbed each slice of bread with a garlic half and brushed with olive oil.

Garlic toasts

To finish off the stew, I cooked the red snapper fillets. I salt and peppered the fillets and cut them into bite sized pieces. I melted butter in a large skillet, placed the fillet pieces skin-side sown, and cooked for only a minute.

Cooking snapper fillet

I added the snapper pieces to the stew and brought the stew to a simmer.

Adding snapper to stew

As the stew simmered, I sliced the tomato into rounds. I placed the tomato and garlic toasts into bowls. Finally, I ladled the stew into the bowls and garnished it with the reserved fennel fronds.

Grand Red Snapper Stew

I thought this dish was delicious. The fish held up nicely in contrast to the flavors of the root vegetables. I really enjoyed the licorice flavor of the fennel, it balanced well with the mild leek flavor and provided a textural contrast to the carrots and celery. Everything was seasoned to perfection. The sweet acidity of the tomatoes was great as well. And I think every great soup/stew needs a piece of bread to sop up all the flavors at the end. I could definitely see myself recreating the stew, but perhaps with the different piece of fish. Furthermore, it looked soo beautiful in the bowl.

Enjoy!

Sautéed Shrimp with Leeks and Roasted Peanuts

Recipe: Sautéed Shrimp with Leeks and Roasted Peanuts
Page: 222
Date Cooked: April 25, 2012

Jonathan Waxman introduces this recipe as a "triumphant combination of tropical and European flavors." I think he somewhat exaggerates the flavor combination. It simply has the typical Asian flavors most people know - lemon, lime, peanuts, ginger, soy sauce. And heck, he even throws in basmati rice, hinting on the South Asian side.

Ingredients: Onion, olive oil, basmati rice, salt, pepper, leeks, shrimp (forgot to put them in the picture), white wine, serrano chile, lime, lemon, corn oil, roasted unsalted peanuts, ginger, and soy sauce

The first step was preparing the rice. I minced the onion and cooked it with the basmati rice in some olive oil. I added salt and pepper to taste. Once the onions were softened and rice was toasted, I added water, brought it to a boil, lowered the heat, covered, and cooked the rice. I spread the cooked rice onto a baking sheet and let it cool.

(1) Cooking onions and rice (2) Cooking rice (3) Allowing rice to cool

I washed and trimmed the leeks. I julienned the green portion and sliced the white portion into rounds.

(1) Leeks rounds (2) Leek tops, julienned

I removed the shells from the shrimp and put the shells, leek whites, wine, and water into a saucepan. The stock mixture simmered for approximately half an hour. I strained the mixture and set the stock aside.

Making shrimp stock

I minced the chile. I juiced the lime and lemon. I also, formed the rice into cakes. I heated the corn oil in a large pot and deep-fried the julienned leek greens until they were golden. I let them drain on paper towels and seasoned them with salt.

Fried leek greens

I then tried to deep-fry the rice cakes. I just could not do it. The rice wouldn't stay together and the few cakes I attempted to deep fry just fell apart in the pot. You can see exactly that in the pictures below. After the first few failed attempts, I decided to give up. I did however drain the rice on paper towels.

My attempt at getting fried rice cakes

On to the shrimp. I heated olive oil in a skillet and added the shrimp. I then added the peanuts, ginger, and chiles, allowing them to cook briefly. I added the shrimp stock, citrus juices, soy sauce and let the mixture simmer for a few minutes.

(1) Shrimp (2) Shrimp with peanuts, ginger, and chiles (3) Shrimp with peanuts, ginger, chiles, shrimp stock, citrus juices, and soy sauce

Finally, it was time to plate. I put the rice on to a plate, topped it with the shrimp, and garnished with the fried leek greens.

Sautéed Shrimp with Leeks and Roasted Peanuts

Despite the fact that I couldn't get a decent rice cake, the dish itself was really great. The shrimp flavors were spot on. The peanuts added the perfect crunch to the dish. I really enjoyed the hints of spice from the chiles and ginger. The shrimp was also amazingly sweet, which likely speaks to the freshness of the product itself. But I do think adding that shrimp stock really brought it home, giving the whole dish that bold shrimp taste. The fried leek greens were a much more important component of the dish than I anticipated. That was where the salt element lay and I really liked it.

Looking back, I don't think I it was necessary to have fried rice cakes in this dish. The rice had flavor on its own. But the shrimp was the star. It had everything - texture, acid, salt, and all perfectly balanced. I would definitely make the shrimp again.

Enjoy!

Pears Poached in Beaujolais

Recipe: Pears Poached in Beaujolais
Page: 264
Date Cooked: April 6, 2012

Through this project, I've really begun to appreciate a good Beaujolais. Jonathan Waxman often uses it in braising meat and here it serves as the liquid for a simple dessert.

Ingredients: Bosc pears, Beaujolais, Cointreau, whole black peppercorns, and cinnamon sticks

The first step was to peel the pears and core them. I ended up core-ing them through the top and all the way down. But upon some research after the fact, I noticed one recipe halved the pears and used a melon baller to scoop out the seeds. I can easily see how either technique would do the trick.

Peeling and core-ing pears

I placed the pears, Beaujolais, Cointreau, peppercorns, and cinnamon into a saucepan and brought it all to simmer. The pears poached in the liquid until they got just about tender.

Pear in poaching liquid

I let the pear cool in the liquid and then transferred it to a bowl. I strained the poaching liquid and poured it onto the pear.

Pears Poached in Beaujolais

I'm not sure if a dessert could be simpler than this. It was a cold night and the warmth of the dessert is something I really enjoyed. But apparently, the dessert can be served at almost any temperature. The poaching liquid was full of flavor. I enjoyed the hint of spice from the cinnamon and peppercorns. They played nicely off the sweetness of the Beaujolais and Cointreau. I perhaps, would add a little more Cointreau the next time around. The orange flavor was really subtle and I personally wanted more of it. All in all, an elegantly simple dessert.

Enjoy!

Chilled Eggplant and Roasted Pepper Soup

Recipe: Chilled Eggplant and Roasted Pepper Soup
Page: 54
Date Cooked: April 6, 2012

This soup seemed to be the perfect dish for the somewhat spring like weather we are having here in Central Pennsylvania. And heck the last time I made a cream for a soup (Corn Soup with Saffron) in a JW recipe, it was pretty amazing.

Ingredients: Eggplant, olive oil, salt, pepper, red bell pepper, white onion, garlic, butter, chicken broth, bay leaves, tarragon sprigs, fresh ginger, heavy cream, and thyme

I cut the eggplant in half and scored the flesh. I tossed the eggplant in some olive olive and seasoned it with salt and pepper. I put the eggplant in the oven to roast until it was soft.

Roasting eggplant halves

I then did the ol' blacken and blister technique with the red bell peppers. I put them under the broiler till the bell peppers were blackened and blistered. I then placed them in a bowl, covered it with plastic wrap, and let them steam. Upon steaming, I peeled the pepper with the my hands. I stemmed, seeded, and cut the peppers into 1 inch squares. Finally, I tossed the red bell peppers in some olive oil.

(1) Blackened and blistered red bell pepper (2) Red bell peppers steaming (3) Cut into 1 inch squares (4) Tossed in olive oil

I thinly sliced the onions and minced the garlic. I melted some butter in a pan and added the onion and garlic until the onions became translucent. I then added the peppers and cooked for a few additional minutes.

Cooking onions, garlic, and red bell peppers

I coarsely chopped the eggplant and added it a Dutch oven with olive oil. I cooked the eggplant with salt and pepper until the eggplant turned golden brown. I then deglazed the pan with the chicken broth. I stirred in the onion mixture, bay leaves, and tarragon. The soup was brought to a gentle simmer and cooked for a bit. Once the soup was done, I pureed it with an immersion blender, adding a little water, poured it into a bowl, and placed it in the fridge.

Simmering soup

Then it was on to the ginger cream. I put minced ginger in a small saucepan with some water and brought it to a simmer. Once the ginger became tender, I drained it reserving both the liquid and the ginger. The cooking liquid went back into the saucepan and I reduced it down. The reduction was combined with the ginger and let it cool.

Ginger and ginger reduction

Finally, I added the cream to the ginger and beat it until the cream held soft peaks. I seasoned the cream with salt, pepper, and thyme.

Ginger cream

The soup is supposed to be served cold (or at the very least room temperature). I ladled the soup into some bowl and topped it with the ginger cream.

Chilled Eggplant and Roasted Pepper Soup

The soup was delicious. Amazing depth of flavor and I think I can attribute that to the roasting of the eggplant and red bell pepper. The consistency was quite good as well. It felt really hearty even though it was served cold. It had a great richness to it. Furthermore, the ginger cream was the cherry on top - an additional layer of flavor as well as a hint of spiciness from the ginger. The soup was relatively simple and had some big rewards at the end.

Enjoy!