Blanching green vegetables in a big pot with a lot of water and a lot of salt until they are thoroughly cooked is critical to the finished product. It’s entirely a color issue. I want green vegetables to be bright, bright green so their color can launch the flavor and impact of the entire dish. The old saying “We taste first with our eyes” is true. The faster a vegetable is cooked, the greener it becomes.
Raw green vegetables appear dull because a layer of gas develops between the skin and pigment. Heat releases this gas, and the pigment floods to the surface. But this happens fast, and pretty soon, as the vegetable cooks, the acids and enzymes in the vegetable are released, dulling the green color. At the same time, pigment begins to leach out into the water. So the challenge is to fully cook a vegetable before you lose that color, which means cooking it as fast as possible. There are three key factors to achieve this. First, blanch in a large quantity of water relative to the amount of vegetables you’re cooking, so you won’t significantly lower the boiling temperature when you add the cold vegetables. If you lose the boil, not only do the vegetables cook more slowly, but the water becomes a perfect environment for the pigment-dulling enzymes to go to work (these enzymes are destroyed only at the boiling point). Furthermore, using a lot of water means the pigment-dulling acids released by the vegetables will be more diluted.
Second, use a lot of salt—about a cup of salt per gallon of water. The water should taste like the ocean. Salt helps prevent color from leaching into the water. A side benefit is that the vegetables will be uniformly seasoned when they are done.
THE FINAL CRITICAL STEP: Stop the vegetables from cooking by plunging them into a large quantity of ice water. Leave them there till they are chilled through, then drain them. You can store them in a dry container for a day until ready to use.
The results are dramatic. You may need to be patient if your stove isn’t strong and your pot is big, or you may have to do your vegetables in small batches. But it’s not hard—you only have to decide to do it.
We don’t give times for big-pot blanching in the recipes. There is only one certain way to tell if a fava or a bean or pea is done: Put it in your mouth and eat it.
12 red pearl onions, peeled and an X cut into the root ends
6 white pearl onions, peeled and an X cut into the root ends
2 cups water
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sugar
24 asparagus tips
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons diced haricots verts
12 yellow wax beans
24 carrot batons (1 inch by ¼ inch)
¼ cup diced (¼ inch) roasted red and yellow bell peppers
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Eggplant Caviar
6 Artichokes Barigoule, cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices
Gray salt
½ cup Herb Salad
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Balsamic Glaze, in a squeeze bottle
½ cup Gazpacho (optional)
Cooking doesn’t always mean creating something new. Sometimes cooking is combining separate preparations in new ways. This great vegetarian dish features artichokes barigoule and gazpacho. The rest is a garnish of vegetables to complete the salad; use any or all of those listed above. I think carrot and onion are important to feature because they are used to flavor the artichokes. As a garnish, they give the dish strength, logic, wholeness.
Trim the pearl onions as necessary so that they are uniform in size and will cook evenly. Place them in two separate small saucepans. Add 1 cup of water, ½ teaspoon of the butter, and ½ teaspoon of the sugar to each pan; the water should just cover the onions. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the water has evaporated and the onions are tender and glazed but not browned. Remove from the heat and set aside.
One vegetable at a time, blanch the asparagus, haricots verts, and wax beans in boiling water until tender (see Big-Pot Blanching); chill in ice water; drain, and pat dry. Blanch the carrots in boiling water or strained barigoule liquid (reserved from the artichokes) until tender; chill, drain, and pat dry. Cut the wax beans on the diagonal into V4-inch pieces.
Lightly toss all the vegetables in a bowl with a few drops each of extra virgin oil and balsamic vinegar.
Place 1 tablespoon of the eggplant caviar in the center of each plate. Arrange about two thirds of the artichoke hearts around the spoonfuls of caviar. Artfully arrange the remaining vegetables, including the remaining artichokes, in a stack in the center and sprinkle with gray salt. Lightly dress the herb salad with olive oil and kosher salt and stack a small bunch on each salad. Squeeze dots of balsamic glaze around each plate.
If desired, spoon a generous tablespoon of gazpacho around each salad at the table.
makes 6 servings
2 cups water
2 cups dry white wine
4 cups Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
1½ cups olive oil
6 artichokes
2 lemons, halved
1 cup chopped sweet bunch carrots
1 cup sliced fennel
2 cups chopped onions
3 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 Bouquet Garni (recipe follows)
1 salt-packed anchovy fillet, bones removed, soaked in milk to cover for 1 hour, rinsed, and then soaked and rinsed two more times (optional)
A barigoule is a kind of stew of artichokes. A lot of restaurants serve it, L but like tapenade, there’s no standard proportion or classical recipe. We braise the artichoke hearts in olive oil, wine, chicken and/or vegetable stock, with carrots, onions, and garlic, thyme, and parsley. It’s a wonderful marriage of flavors absorbed by the artichoke.
In a large container, mix together the water, wine, stock, and 1 cup of the olive oil.
TO PREPARE THE ARTICHOKES: Hold an artichoke with the stem end toward you. Pull off the very small bottom leaves. Break off the larger leaves by pushing with your thumb against the bottom of each leaf as you snap it off about ½ inch above its base, so you are well above the meaty portion (which will become part of the heart), pulling it down toward the stem. A small portion of the bottom of the artichoke leaf should be left anchored to the base. Continue removing the leaves until the only ones remaining are tender and yellow. Cut off the top two thirds of the artichoke, to where the meaty heart begins. Using a paring knife, cut away the tough dark green parts of the leaves to expose the tender heart: This is easily accomplished by first cutting around the artichoke bottom in a strip. Then, holding the knife with the tip at a 45-degree angle, trim the base of the artichoke next to the stem. Peel the stem and cut off the bottom.
Remove the fuzzy choke of the artichoke, using a spoon to scrape the heart clean. Squeeze some lemon juice over the artichoke and submerge it in the stock mixture. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.
Heat the remaining ½ cup olive oil in a pot large enough to hold the hearts in one layer. Add the carrots and cook over medium heat for 2 to 2½ minutes. Add the fennel and continue cooking for another 2 to 2½ minutes. Add the onions, shallots, and garlic and cook for 4 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Remove the artichokes from the liquid, reserving the liquid, and position the artichoke hearts stem side up over the vegetables. Sprinkle with the salt, cover the pot, and cook for 10 minutes. (Cooking the artichokes without liquid to start will help arrest the discoloration that normally occurs when the artichokes cook directly in liquid.)
Pour the reserved liquid over the vegetables and add the bouquet garni. Place a clean towel over the top of the artichokes to keep them submerged. Cook at a slow simmer for 15 minutes. If using the anchovy, dry it, chop it, and add it to the artichokes. Cook the artichokes for an additional 15 minutes, or until there is no resistance when a heart is poked with the tip of a sharp knife. Transfer the artichokes and their liquid to a container (the artichokes should be submerged in the liquid) and cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. The artichokes can be stored for up to 1 week.
pictured here makes 6 artichoke hearts
3 outer green leek leaves, washed
5 sprigs Italian parsley
5 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
A bouquet garni is a classical combination of aromatic herbs and vegetables used to flavor liquids; because the herbs and vegetables are bundled with string, they can be removed easily from the liquid once they’ve given their flavor to it.
Lay out 1 leek green. Place the herbs on top and wrap in the remaining leaves to form a circular bundle. Tie the bouquet garni securely with string.
pictured here
6 ounces haricots verts, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
TOMATO TARTARE
½ cup finely chopped Tomato Confit (about 24 pieces)
1½ teaspoons finely minced shallot
1 teaspoon minced chives
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
RED WINE VINEGAR CREAM
⅓ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Chive Oil, in a squeeze bottle
1½ cups frisée (tender leaves only)
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Blanch the haricots verts in boiling salted water until they are just cooked through (see Big-Pot Blanching), 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the age and size of the beans. Chill the beans in ice water, drain, and dry on paper towels.
FOR THE TOMATO TARTARE: Combine the tomato confit, shallot, chives, and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Refrigerate until shortly before serving.
FOR THE RED WINE VINEGAR CREAM: Whisk the cream in a bowl set over a larger bowl of ice just until it thickens slightly and you can see the trail of the whisk in the bowl. Using the whisk, fold in the red wine vinegar and season with the salt and pepper to taste. Do not overbeat the cream, as it will continue to thicken when it is tossed with the beans.
TO COMPLETE: Place a 3-inch ring mold (see Sources) on a serving plate. Squeeze a ring of chive oil around the inside of the mold. Place about 4 teaspoons of the tomato tartare in the center and use the back of a small spoon to spread the mixture so it fills the bottom of the mold. Gently lift off the ring mold and repeat with the remaining five plates.
Toss the beans with just enough of the cream mixture to coat them. Stack about ¼ cup of the beans in the center of each tomato disk, leaving about a ¾-inch border of tomato.
Toss the frisée with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of salt.
For each plate, take about ¼ cup of the greens, twist it in the palm of your hand to make a compact bundle, and set the bundle on the stack of haricots verts. Sprinkle the top of each with a pinch of tomato powder.
makes 6 servings
Tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Thyme sprigs
This is one of our staple preparations—tomato “petals” slow-cooked in the oven with olive oil, thyme, and salt. We make tomato confit every day and use it as a garnish in many dishes. The roasting of the tomatoes, not unlike the reduction of a stock, intensifies the flavors.
Cut out the cores from the tomatoes and cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato. Drop the tomatoes into a pot of boiling salted water for a few seconds to loosen the skin. This will happen very quickly with ripe tomatoes. Immediately remove the tomatoes to an ice-water bath to cool.
Peel the tomatoes and cut them into quarters through the stem. Cut away the inner pulp, seeds, and any remaining ribs to leave a smooth “tomato petal.” Discard the seeds and save the trimmings to use in other recipes or for tomato powder.
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Drizzle the foil with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Lay the tomato petals (inside of the tomato facing down) on the foil. Drizzle more oil over the tops of the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each piece of tomato with a small sprig of thyme.
Place in the oven for 1½ to 2 hours, until the tomatoes have partially dried but still have some of their juices. Discard the thyme and refrigerate the confit in a covered container, with the oil, until ready to use, or for up to 1 week.
When beans are fresh and wonderfully crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, you can truly elevate them. For the Salad of Haricots Verts, I’ve treated the beans as asparagus is often treated in classical French cuisine, serving them with a red wine vinaigrette. I replace the oil in the vinaigrette with cream, adding a richness that isn’t usually associated with vinaigrettes, or with beans, for that matter.
TOMATOES
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 medium heirloom tomatoes (about 4 ounces each), peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
TAPENADE (makes about ½ cup)
6 to 8 salt-packed anchovy fillets (1 ounce), bones removed, soaked in milk to cover for 1 hour, rinsed, and then soaked and rinsed two more times
½ cup (4 ounces) Niçoise olives, pitted
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
BASIL VINAIGRETTE
½ cup packed basil leaves
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ recipe Puff Pastry
2 cups mixed baby lettuce leaves
This is my interpretation of pizza. I love tomatoes. I love pizza. But pizza dough isn’t elegant enough for a French Laundry dish. Puff pastry is. My pizzas are baked with tomatoes that have been partially dried, which prevents the dough from becoming soggy, then finished with the surprise of chilled tomatoes, topped by tapenade and a basil vinaigrette.
FOR THE TOMATOES: Preheat the oven to 250°F.
Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Gut 2 of the tomatoes into ½-inch slices (3 per tomato). Place the slices on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper, the thyme leaves, and 2 more tablespoons of the oil. Roast the tomato slices for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The slices should have dried out slightly but should still be moist. These can be prepared a day ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.
Slice the remaining 3 tomatoes into ⅛-inch slices (6 per tomato) and place them on a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 5 hours.
FOR THE TAPENADE: Drain the anchovies, pat them dry, and place them in a small food processor with the olives and mustard. Turn the machine on and slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube to make a purée, stopping the machine and scraping the sides as necessary. Remove the tapenade to a covered container and refrigerate until ready to serve. You will have more than you need for this recipe, but the extra can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
FOR THE BASIL VINAIGRETTE: Blanch the basil leaves in boiling salted water for 1 minute. Drain the leaves and cool them under cold running water; drain well and dry on paper towels. Purée the basil in a food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube, blending until smooth. This can be done up to 2 days ahead; store in the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature before using.
FOR THE PUFF PASTRY: On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into an 8-inch by 12-inch rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. Place the sheet on a tray and place in the freezer (frozen puff pastry is easier to cut).
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
When the pastry is frozen, cut out 3-inch rounds of pastry and place them on the baking sheet. Prick each pastry round several times with a fork, then top each round with a slice of roasted tomato. Bake for 25 minutes to 35 minutes or until the tops and bottoms of the pastries are crisp and they are well browned on the bottom. These can be baked up to 2 hours ahead.
TO COMPLETE: If you baked the tarts ahead, reheat them in a hot oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar to the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Toss the baby lettuces with just enough of the vinaigrette to lightly coat the greens.
Center a pastry round on each plate. Arrange 3 overlapping slices of chilled tomato on top of each roasted tomato and spoon ¼ teaspoon of olive tapenade onto the slices. Top each tart with a portion of the dressed greens and drizzle each plate with a small amount of the remaining vinaigrette.
makes 6 servings
FIGS
6 large or 9 medium figs, preferably Black Mission
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
Gray salt
ROASTED PEPPERS
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and cut into ¼-inch jullienne
1 yellow bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and cut into ¼-inch julienne
2 tablespoons minced shallots
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
FENNEL SALAD
1 small fennel bulb, top trimmed down to the bulb
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
¼ cup Fennel Oil
1 tablespoon Balsamic Glaze
1½ teaspoons fresh fennel buds, blanched in boiling salted water for 10 seconds and dried on paper towels (optional)
I love the licorice flavor in plants such as fennel and tarragon. For this salad, we make a fennel oil from the fronds, and we garnish it with the wild fennel buds. In summer, I’ll find a fennel patch alongside the road, where the buds are still green and haven’t blossomed, and I’ll cut all the tops off. We’ll pick out the buds and blanch them. They’re explosive. This salad is really about the Napa Valley, where we have the same problem of overabundance of figs as most people do with tomatoes.
FOR THE FIGS: Slice the figs into rounds about ¼inch thick. You will need a total of 18 slices. Place them on a plate, drizzle lightly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with the shallots and gray salt. Let them marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.
MEANWHILE, FOR THE PEPPERS: Toss the roasted peppers with the shallots and olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt to taste. Let marinate for 1 hour.
FOR THE FENNEL SALAD: Holding the stem end of the fennel bulb in your hand, cut it on a mandoline into paper-thin slices. You will need at least ½ cup. Place the shaved fennel in a bowl of cold water; it can be held for a few hours this way.
TO COMPLETE: Stir the fennel oil and balsamic glaze together. They will not emulsify, and the balsamic glaze should bead in the oil. Drain the shaved fennel and dry on a towel. Toss the fennel with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt to taste.
Center a round of fig on each serving plate. Twirl a few strips of the julienned peppers around a fork, place the peppers on a fig slice, and top with another slice of fig. Repeat the process so that there are three slices of figs and two layers of peppers, then repeat with the remaining plates. Stack the fennel salad on top of the fig slices and sprinkle with the fennel buds, if using. Drizzle the fennel oil/balsamic glaze mixture around the plates and sprinkle the plates with the fennel powder.
makes 6 servings
