Blackberry Sake-Tini

For Heidi's birthday we created a menu inspired by the flavors of the Pacific Northwest, Asia and France.  Naturally we had to have a fabulous cocktail that reflected the flavors of these three regions, and so the blackberry sake-tini was born,

These babies are delicious but be warned, they pack a punch!

Blackberry Sake-Tini

1 cup blackberries
1/4 cup sugar

1 part sake
1 part Chambord
2 Parts Absolut Grapvine Vodka (white grape, dragonfruit, papaya)
1 part fresh lime juice

Zest of two limes
1/2 cup sugar

Combine blackberries in a bowl with the sugar and microwave on high for 45 seconds until the blackberries begin to sweat.  Gently mix to create a syrup.

In a small food processor combine lime zest and sugar. Process until sugar is a pale green color.

Moisten the side of a martini glass with a wedge of lime.  Dip the glass edge onto a plate containing the lime sugar.

Place a macerated blackberry in the bottom of the glass and add 1 Tbsp of the blackberry juice.

Combine sake, chambord, vodka and lime juice over ice in a cocktail shaker.  Shake until chilled.  Strain into prepared glass.

Roasted Parsnip Vichyssoise with Mirin Glazed Shiitake Mushrooms and Savory Parmesan Hazelnut Lace Cookies

It's early spring and yesterday was the first nice day we have had in a very long time.  The sun was shining and the temperatures crept into the low 60's.  Perfect weather for an outdoor luncheon for Heidi's birthday!

This time of year can be tricky when trying to choose seasonal food.  It's a little early for much of the spring produce that will explode onto the grocery stands in about a month, and there is still a bit of winter chill in the air.  So I was thinking about making a dish that straddles that winter/spring line and thought Vichyssoise!

Vichyssoise (vee- shee- swahz) is the classic leek and potato soup, often served chilled, but it is also very good served warm.  But here is the sad thing about this delicious soup.  It is made with leeks.  Now I love leeks, but they don't like me.  They give me, ...well, there is no polite way to say this, they give me gas.

So since I was playing around with the idea of French-Pacific-Northwest- Asian fusion I made up this version of vichyssoise without leeks.  I substituted half the potatoes with Parsnip, substituted the leeks with garlic, and roasted all the vegetables in the oven to bring out their natural sweetness.  The result is fantastic.  The earthy flavors of the soup paired wonderfully with the shiitake mushrooms which were quickly sauteed in butter and deglazed with sweet mirin rice wine.  And the crispy thin savory lace cookie was fantastic!

Best of all this soup was really quick and easy to prepare!

Roasted Parsnip Vichyssoise with Mirin Glazed Shiitake Mushrooms and Savory Parmesan Hazelnut Lace Cookies
serves 8

For the Soup
14 oz parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks
14 oz yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
5 large cloves of garlic. peeled
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
4 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place the parsnip, potato and garlic cloves in a medium glass baking pan, season with thyme and sea salt.  Toss with olive oil and honey and bake for one hour.

Place hot roasted vegetables in a large pot and add chicken (or vegetable ) stock and bring to a simmer.  Simmer for 30 minutes to soften vegetables.

Puree stock and vegetables with an immersion blender.  Add cream and stir until well mixed.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serve hot or cold  garnished with a spoonful of Mirin-glazed Shiitake mushrooms.

For the Mirin-glazed Shiitake mushrooms
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
12 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed caps sliced thinly
1/8 tsp salt
3 Tbsp Mirin (Japanese sweetened rice wine)
2-3 drops black truffle oil (optional)

Melt butter in a skillet.  Add mushrooms and saute over medium heat until caramelized (about 20 minutes).  Add salt and Mirin and cook until liquid is reduced to a glaze (about 3 minutes). Add truffle oil and toss to mix.

For the savory parmesan hazelnut lace cookies
1 1/4 cups coarsely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine cheese and hazelnuts in a large bowl and toss to combine well. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Sprinkle about 1 1/2 Tbsp of the cheese nut mixture into 3-inch cookies.  Bake until cheese is melted and golden, about 5 minutes.  Cool on wire racks.

These savory cookiescan be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.  Then just reheat on parchment at 350 for about 2 minutes to re-crisp.

Miso-Glazed Scallops with Asparagus Salad and Sesame-Ginger-Miso Dressing

This is the perfect entree salad.  It is substantial, yet light.  It is both fresh and verdant but also earthy and loaded with umami flavor.  The combination of scallops and asparagus is mingles beautifully with the japanese miso glaze.  YUM.

Miso is a paste made from fermented rice and soybeans.  It is then aged and comes in a variety of colors, the colors getting deeper with increasing age.  I prefer red miso which is medium in it's intensity.  You can find miso in the refrigerated section of any Asian grocery.

When making this dish, prepare the dressing and toss with baby greens, then grill the asparagus before the scallops.  The scallops will only take a few miutes.

Miso-Glazed Scallops with Asparagus Salad and Sesame-Ginger-Miso Dressing
serves 8

For the Scallops
2 lbs sea scallops
1/3 cup sake
1/3 cup mirin
1/3 cup red miso paste
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
bamboo skewers soaked in cold water

Combine sake, mirin, miso, brown sugar and soy sauce in a bowl an whisk to combine.  Place scallops in a large sealable plastic bag, add glaze and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

Place two bamboo skewers side by side and slide about 5 or 6 scallops onto the skewers.  Grill over high heat until the scallops are just opaque and beginning to caramelize.  Serve hot with Asparagus salad.

For the Asparagus Salad
2 lbs Asparagus
4 quarts water
4 Tbsp salt
4 cups ice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb mixed baby greens
1 cup toasted sliced almonds

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil.  Add salt and return to a boil.  Add asparagus.  and cook until the water just begins to boil again.  Immediately drain the asparagus and plunge them into a large bowl of ice water.

When asparagus are cold, drain and toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil.  Grill the asaparagus over high heat until they just begin to char.  Place hot asparagus on a bed of baby greens tosses with sesame-ginger-miso dressing.  Top with additional dressing and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Sesame Ginger Miso Dressing
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp red miso paste
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, cut into chunks
1 large clove garlic.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Lemon and Chai Spice Financiers

Financiers.  The term literally translates to "bankers".  In this day and age the word "banker" may leave a bitter taste in your mouth, but these divine little cakes will not.

The Parisian bakery that first made these delicate little cakes was located in the financial district of Paris, and they are traditionally baked in a small rectangular loaf giving them the appearance of bars of gold (or so the story goes).  They have been a staple of the French patisserie ever since.

Financiers are delicate almond cakes made with brown butter (beurre noisette) and almond flour.  They are not too sweet and are a brilliant companion to any and all ice creams and sorbets.  Here I have added lemon zest and chai spices to add to their incredible fragrance.  They are very light, chewy on the interior and crunchy on the outside.  Best of all the batter can (and should) be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated until right before serving.  The financiers should be served warm from the oven and lightly dusted with powdered sugar.

I served these cakes as part of a Pacific-Northwest-French-Asian fusion menu and accompanied them with my raspberry-merlot sorbet. YUM.

Lemon and Chai Spice Financiers
makes 2 dozen small cakes

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (12 oz.)
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup pastry flour (I like White Lilly all purpose flour)
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
grated zest of two lemons
5 egg whites

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Continue to cook the butter until it foams and the milk solids precipitate to the bottom of the pan and the butter is lightly browned.  Immediately remove from heat and strain the brown butter through cheesecloth into a small bowl.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

In a food processor combine powdered sugar, flour, almonds, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, pepper, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest.  Process until almonds are very finely ground.

In a large clean bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Fold in the dry ingredients 1/3 at a time, being careful not to deflate the batter.  Add half of the brown butter and fold, then fold in the remaining butter, carefully folding until batter is well combined, but not deflated.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use (this can be made one day ahead of time).

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Butter and flour a mini muffin pan.  evenly distribute the chilled batter between cups.  Bake 5-10 minutes until cakes are puffed and just set.  Let cool 2 minutes before removing from pan.

Serve warm, dusted with powdered sugar and Raspberry-Merlot Sorbet.

Raspberry-Merlot Sorbet

Raspberries have a natural affinity for red wine.  There is just something synergistic about the combination.  The raspberries bring their bright exuberance and sweetness, the red wine adds depth and mystery, the combination is incredible.

This sorbet is wonderful on its own, but also pairs incredibly well with any chocolate or lemon dessert.  The red wine causes the sorbet to be soft even after it has been frozen for days, which makes it a dream for scooping, something I am always happy for when I am stealing a spoonful at 1:00am in my PJ's.

The formula for sorbet is incredibly simple.  Equal parts fruit and simple syrup.  Perfect every time.  Magic!

Raspberry-Merlot Sorbet
makes 4 cups

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
12 oz. frozen (or fresh) raspberries
1/4 cup red wine (merlot, pinot noir or port)

In a medium sauce pan combine sugar and water.  Heat over medium high heat stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Add raspberries and wine.  Puree with an immersion blender.

Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.  Chill mixture completely before freezing according to manufacturer directions of your ice cream maker.  Allow sorbet to "ripen" in the freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.

Mama Ozzy's Chicken 'n' Waffles with Jalapeno Cranberry Schmear

Earlier this week, my daughter Emma sent me a text message at 11:00pm that read: I am craving chicken and waffles.  I had to laugh.  Since Emma lives in southern Virginia and is a two hour drive away, there's not much I could do to remedy her craving, but I completely understood it.  Chicken and Waffles is very crave-able, and even though it is a Southern tradition, it is still a little difficult to find restaurants who serve it.

I am not sure where the tradition began, some say in Georgia, others credit late night diners in Harlem.  I do know this, while it may sound strange at first, the combination of fried chicken and waffles with syrup makes for some top drawer comfort food.

We are lucky here in Durham, NC because we have a restaurant dedicated to this comfort food, Dames Chicken and Waffles.  There is almost always a line at Dames and for good reason.  At Dames they serve something called a schmear with their waffles.  A schmear is basically a compound butter flavored with jam or pralines.  While it may sound fancy, it is incredibly easy to prepare.  As the compound butter melts on your hot waffle it bathes everything with its flavor.  YUM.

So anyway, since Emma is in town for a long weekend, I decided to whip up a batch of Chicken and Waffles complete with a homemade schmear.  I like to serve the dish with some hot sauce on the side.  The spicy acidity of the hot sauce is the perfect counter to the rich buttery sweet waffles.

Mama Ozzy's Chicken 'n' Waffles with Jalapeno Cranberry Schmear
serves 6-8

Spread a hot waffle with a generous amount of the schmear, top with maple syrup and a piece of chicken.  Serve with your favorite hot sauce.

For the Chicken:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 quarts water
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup molasses

1 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp dried Thyme
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika

Peanut oil for frying

In a large plastic container, combine the water, salt and molasses and stir until dissolved.  Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to overnight.

Preheat deep fryer to 375 F.

In a large bowl combine the remaining  dry ingredients and whisk to combine.  remove chicken from the brine and place directly in the seasoned flour, one piece at a time, turning to completely coat.  Allow dredged chicken pieces to rest on wax paper for 15 minutes before frying (this helps form the coating).

Deep fry the chicken 3 pieces at a time until crisp and golden brown (about 5 minutes).  Place on a paper towel-lined tray and keep warm in a 200F oven while you make the waffles.

Waffles
2 cups self rising flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups milk
6 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine self rising flour and sugar.

In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until they are just forming peaks, but still liquid.

In a third bowl combine egg yolks, milk, butter and vanilla and whisk to combine.  Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.  Gently fold egg whites into batter.

Cook on a lightly greased waffle iron.

Jalapeno Cranberry Schmear
1 stick of butter, softened
1/2 cup Jalapeno Cranberry Jelly

Combine everything in a food processor and process until smooth.
A schmear can be made with any kind of jam you prefer.  I happened to have Mama Ozzy's Jalapeno Cranberry Jelly on hand so I used that, but peach preserves, or strawberry jam would be equally delicious.  Get creative!

King Cake

Happy Fat Tuesday! Today marks the last day of the Carnival season (which begins on Twelfth Night [January 6th; epiphany]) and continues to the beginning of lent.  In New Orleans the last day of Mardis Gras is traditionally celebrated with an obscenely rich pastry known as King Cake.  Even if you aren't in New Orleans, you can still celebrate the season by making your own.

King Cake is more of a sweet yeast bread than a cake.  In fact the yeast dough is really a rich brioche dough scented with citrus peel, nutmeg and cinnamon.  King cakes are sometimes filled and sometimes not, depending on what you prefer.  Fillings range from sweetened cream cheese to fruit pie filling to pralined pecans.  The entire cake is traditionally glazed and decorated with sugar tinted in the traditional mardi gras colors: green (faith), gold (power) and purple (justice).

The recipe I have always used comes from renowned New Orleans chef Emeril Lagasse.  I think it is probably the perfect King cake.  It is moist and airy and buttery and is enrobed in a citrus glaze.  I like to add a praline filling to my variation of Emeril's excellent cake.

I know in some circles it is absolute sacrilege to make brioche dough any other way but by hand, but I have always used my Kitchen Aid stand mixer  fitted with the dough hook to perform the task with wonderful results. I'm such a renegade...

This makes a BIG cake.  I usually prepare it the day before Fat Tuesday and bring it in to work to feed my grateful hungry colleagues because I think there is nothing like seeding a little positive karma into the work environment before we enter 40 days of self-deprivation and pennance!

King Cake

1/2 cup warm water
2 packages dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
4-5 cups bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 cup warm milk
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature and very soft 2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 egg yolk mixed with 1 Tbsp water

Praline filling (recipe follows)
Citrus Glaze (recipe follows)
green, gold and purple tinted sugar

In the work bowl of a stand mixer dissolve 2 tsp sugar in 1/2 cup warm water.  Sprinkle yeast over water and allow to proof for 10 minutes until foamy.

Add 3-4 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, nutmeg, salt, orange zest, milk and egg yolks to the bowl.  Using the dough hook, mix everything together on low speed until a smooth and sticky dough is formed (about 7-8 minutes).

With the machine running, add the softened butter, 1 Tbsp at a time slowly and gently incorporating the butter into the dough.  Do not increase the speed of the mixer as this will generate too much heat and will melt the butter.  Melted butter = Disaster.  Be patient.

Once the butter in incorporated you will have a smooth and extremely sticky dough that is lightly glossy.  Sprinkle 1 cup additional flour onto a work surface and turn out the dough onto the surface.  Knead dough by hand, incorporating the additional flour into the dough until it is much less sticky, and very smooth.

Place the doughinto a large, well-buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let dough rise for 2 hours until doubled in bulk.

Ounch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Gently roll the dough into a 16 x 20 inch rectangle.  Sprinkle ground cinnamon over the dough and spread evenly with your hands.

Along one long side of the dough, about an inch from the edge, spoon the praline filling. Roll the dough up, jelly-roll style, encasing the praline filling.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment, from the dough into a large ring, gently pinching together the two ends.  Cover with a dry kitchen towel and allow to rise for 1-2 hurs until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Combine egg yolk and water for egg glaze and brush onto dough.  Bake for 30 minutes until a deep mahogany color. 

Brushed with egg glaze and ready for the oven...

...and fresh from the oven... let this cool for one hour before glazing!

Using parchment paper, pull cake onto a wire rack and allow to cool for 1 hour before glazing and decorating.

Praline Filling

1 cup chopped pecans
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Combine everythng in a bowl and mix well.

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
2 Tbsp water

Combine everything in a medium sized bowl.  Spread over cooled cake.