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SAFFRON, GİNGER, AND VANİLLA
These spices have very little in common individually, but they blend well together to create dishes that taste particularly Moroccan—a cuisine famous for sweet-savory combinations. Saffron lends an earthy flavor; ginger gives brightness, citrus, and spicy notes; and vanilla adds sweetness to the mix. Vanilla is typically used in sweet preparations but can balance out bold spices like saffron or ginger nicely.
These flavors, whether combined or on their own, create very different effects. Combined, they make rich, delicious broths for fish, meat, and vegetable stews. They also work well together with long braises of beef or lamb. Individually, they brighten or deepen fish, vegetables, soups, and meat dishes. Saffron blended with garlic creates a North African–influenced Spanish flavor that is particularly good with fish, shellfish, or rice dishes. Ginger is great blended with cumin or saffron or on its own as a spice for fish. For balance, vanilla should be blended with other ingredients—like earthy saffron or acidic tomato or tart tamarind—to add depth to fish, shellfish, and vegetable dishes.
SAFFRON
Saffron is the dried stigma (the female part of a flower, onto which pollen is deposited in fertilization) of a specific crocus that blooms in the fall. Its flavor is woody, bittersweet, and slightly honeylike. It must be used with a careful hand because it is strong; too much saffron can make a dish bitter. It’s a spice with a beautiful orange, sunny color that bleeds into food; the threads need to be infused in liquid for saffron to make a dish glow. Often, recipes call for a pinch of saffron, which is generally about 12 or 15 threads. It is famously expensive, since it takes 100,000 flowers to produce about a pound of saffron.
There are many varieties of saffron and many saffron-producing countries, including Spain, Greece, Iran, India, and Tasmania. Spanish saffron is the most common, but I find Persian saffron to have a floral aroma that is better suited for Arabic cooking. You can find Persian saffron online at www.amazon.com in the gourmet section. There are different grades of saffron, and if you see the term coupe used, it means that the saffron is pure stigma. Sometimes, saffron is sold with another piece of the flower, called a style, attached to the stigma. This makes the saffron about 20 percent cheaper, since the saffron is not pure stigma, but the flavor should still be the same. This kind of saffron is referred to as mancha in Spain. Sometimes fake saffron, such as safflower petals, is sold at spice markets.
Saffron is often used in Spanish and North African cooking. It is one of the spices that, when combined with others—such as paprika, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and ginger—gives North African food its signature taste. In Spain, saffron is most often combined with garlic, paprika, and citrus. Saffron lends its color and flavor to many stews, couscous broths, and the spice mix ras el hannout (page 16). Saffron is also the spice that colors many Indian rice dishes and makes risotto à la Milanese, bouillabaisse, and paella famous.
GİNGER
Ginger is the bulb or rhizome of a very leafy, tropical plant. When used in fresh form, its flavor is lemony, sweet, and spicy. In powdered form, ginger tastes similar, but lacks the lemony tones. Ginger can range in spiciness, so it’s best to smell or even taste a little before using it. If it’s particularly strong, use a little less in your recipe.
Although it’s most famous for flavoring Asian food, ginger is also found in Arabic cooking, particularly in North Africa, where it’s often combined with spices like saffron, vanilla, coriander, and turmeric. These spice mixtures give a sweet-savory or sweet-sour quality to a dish.
Fresh ginger is particularly good with fish; because of its lemony quality, ginger softens the salty sea flavors. Dried ginger works well in sweet desserts and with squashes, and it also brightens the flavors of slow-cooked stews.
Ginger is cultivated in Africa, India, Australia, and Jamaica. Jamaican ginger has the most delicate flavor and aroma.
VANİLLA
Vanilla, like saffron, is harvested from flowers. It comes from a particular kind of tropical orchid that grows in Mexico, Madagascar, Central America, Africa, and Hawaii. This orchid produces clusters of pods or beans, as well as flowers. A fresh vanilla bean is dark brown in color, moist to the touch, as pliable as a piece of licorice, and extremely fragrant. Vanilla smells sweet and has a slightly smoky, caramel taste.
I store vanilla beans in the refrigerator or freezer to keep them from drying out. Inside the pods are thousands of tiny, black, oily seeds, which you can remove by splitting the bean in half lengthwise and scraping the seeds out with the back of a small paring knife. You can then use the seeds for cooking or baking. The outer pod still has great fragrance. You can dry the pods by leaving them out in a cool, dry place for a day or in a gas oven overnight, with just the pilot light on. Then you can store the dried pods in a jar with sugar for at least a week to make vanilla sugar, or you can steep them for a month or so in alcohol—bourbon works particularly well—to make homemade vanilla extract.
Even though vanilla is widely known as a flavoring for sweets, cakes, and ice creams, its smoky, caramel quality also enhances shellfish. It works well with saffron, and it lends sweetness to the typical Arabic combination of savory flavors like cilantro and nuts. Vanilla gives a rich, caramel flavor to spiced broths; see the recipe for Spicy Fideos on page 47.
Avoid imitation vanilla, which is often made from chemicals and clove oil.
RECIPES WITH SAFFRON, GINGER, AND VANILLA
SPİCY FİDEOS WİTH CHİCKPEAS, VANİLLA, AND SAFFRON
EGG-LEMON SOUP WİTH SAFFRON AND CRAB
MONKFİSH WİTH GİNGER, CRÈME FRAÎCHE, AND SEARED GREENS
SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WİTH ORANGE-SAFFRON BUTTER AND RİCE CAKES
BRAİSED BEEF SHORT RİBS WİTH VANİLLA-GLAZED CARROTS
Sweet Potato Bisteeya
This is my version of bisteeya, inspired by the classic sweet/savory Moroccan pie made with chicken or squab, saffron, cinnamon, sugar, and nuts. Traditionally, bisteeya is made with brik pastry, which is a paper-thin crepe. Brik pastry is hard to find, so I substitute phyllo dough in its place. If you have access to Middle Eastern or eastern Mediterranean shops, look for “country-style” phyllo dough that is a little thicker than the regular brands. It’s easier to handle and is just as flaky. If you do have access to feuilles de brik or brik pastry, you will need about 6 sheets.
This spiced-up sweet potato pie is perfect for the fall and winter and is delicious on its own with an arugula, watercress, or spinach salad. It also makes a good accompaniment to chicken, beef, or venison.
MAKES ONE 10-İNCH PİE TO SERVE 6 TO 8 
2 pounds (about 4) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely minced (about 2 cups)
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
Pinch of saffron (about 12 threads)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Salt to taste
¾ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (or black pepper)
4 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley (about ½ bunch)
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro (about 1 small bunch)
¾ cup pine nuts
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar plus 1 tablespoon for dusting
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound phyllo dough (you will need only 9 sheets)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover them with water. Bring them to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium sauté pan over medium heat, melt and brown the butter. Stir in the onion, turmeric, and saffron. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft but not brown. Stir in the ginger and set aside.
4. Drain the potatoes, reserving ½ to ¾ cup of the cooking liquid.
5. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, purée the potatoes until they are creamy and soft, adding the reserved cooking liquid. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to purée them in two batches. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Add the eggs, lemon juice, and herbs and blend again until smooth. Scrape the mixture into a large mixing bowl, stir in the onion mixture, and season with a little more salt to taste. Set aside.
6. Place the pine nuts on a heavy baking sheet and toast them for 8 to 10 minutes in the oven, until golden brown. Cool.
7. Coarsely chop the pine nuts by hand or in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Place in a small mixing bowl and stir in ¼ cup of confectioners’ sugar and the cinnamon. Set aside.
8. Begin to assemble the bisteeya by brushing the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan with olive oil. Place one sheet of phyllo dough on the counter and brush generously with oil. Sprinkle with about a tablespoon of the pine nut mixture. Top with another sheet of phyllo dough and brush generously with oil. Add a third sheet and brush with oil.
9. Place these layers in the pie pan, allowing the edges of pastry to hang over the sides. Repeat the same process with another three layers of phyllo dough (one with nuts and two with oil only) and place over the other sheets in the opposite direction, so that the edges of the pan are completely covered and you have 4 equal flaps to eventually fold over.
10. Fill the dough with the sweet potato mixture. Make one last layer of 3 by repeating the same process of nuts and layered sheets. Place the dough on top of the sweet potato filling and fold the overlaying edges over on top so that the pie is completely covered.
11. Brush the top with oil and sprinkle the remaining nuts on top.
12. Bake the pie for 40 to 45 minutes, until puffy and golden brown.
13. Cut the pie into slices and dust with more powdered sugar. Serve the bisteeya warm or at room temperature.
Grilled Mushroom Banderilla
Banderilla is Spanish for “little skewer,” and the grilled mushrooms make a perfect tapas or snack. The mushrooms are first marinated in saffron, onion, and garlic, and then they are ready to grill.
Mushrooms’ availability will vary, and it is best to use them when they are in season. Mushrooms are foraged in the fall, and this dish lends itself to that time of year. My two top choices for mushrooms for this recipe are chanterelles or hen of the woods. Their piney, herbal qualities go well with saffron. Otherwise, cultivated oyster mushrooms, which are now widely available, make a good substitute at other times of the year.
This dish is especially good when paired with Garlic and Almond Soup (page 338), another delicious fall treat. It also works well as tapas, served with toasted almonds, and is excellent with Celery Root Skordalia (page 341).
Try serving it with a chilled Fino sherry or a light-bodied, low-tannin red wine, like tempranillo from Rioja.
SERVES 4
½ pound chanterelle or hen of the woods mushrooms, or 12 oyster mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ small white onion, finely minced
1 rib celery, peeled and finely minced
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 pinch (about 12 threads) saffron
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup white wine
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only, finely chopped (optional)
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
m8 bamboo skewers
1. Clean the mushrooms with a towel and trim the dry, dirty stems. Avoid washing them if possible, because they absorb too much water.
2. In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, cook 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the onion, celery, garlic, and saffron. Cook until the onions soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Do not brown the onions.
3. Stir in the tomato paste, wine, mushrooms, and thyme and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes, until the wine and liquid that the mushrooms release while cooking has reduced and glazed the mushrooms. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the lemon juice. Season well with salt and pepper. Cool and set aside.
4. Prepare a charcoal grill (Grilling Tips, page 100).
5. While your grill is heating, divide the mushrooms evenly among the skewers: about 6 chanterelles or hen of the woods mushrooms, or 3 oyster mushrooms to a skewer.
6. You’ll know that the grill is hot enough to use when the charcoal has turned from red and black to gray. Place the skewers on the edges of the grill, not directly over the fire, and sear the mushrooms for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. The mushrooms should be golden and crispy and smoky in flavor.
7. Serve the mushrooms warm.
Spicy Fideos with Chickpeas, Vanilla, and Saffron
Fideos is a Spanish pasta, made from little pieces of broken vermicelli, that is toasted and then cooked in a rich broth. The pasta absorbs the broth flavor and retains the starch, forming a creamy consistency.
Arabs brought fideos to Spain, along with the custom of toasting the pasta. Turks toast their ravioli, called manti, and add toasted vermicelli pieces to pilafs.
I once demonstrated how to make this dish at a conference in Rome, sponsored by Barilla Pasta and Oldways Preservation and Trust, called “Pasta Fights Back.” The conference included doctors, scientists, nutritionists, and a handful of chefs, who were all trying to inform the media that dried pasta (made from durum wheat) is a good carbohydrate and not a bad one. In essence, we were attempting to stop the sweeping Atkins crash diet before we all get diseased, fatty livers. The audience was full of Italians, who gasped as I started to crush the vermicelli into little pieces. Italians never crush pasta, and they always boil it in plenty of water, to remove a lot of its starch. I demonstrated this way of cooking pasta as if it were rice in a pilaf. They were skeptical, but once they tried it, they loved it.
This little pasta dish is packed with flavor and is great with lots of cooked greens like Swiss chard or spinach. Traditionally, Spanish fideos is made with fish and is cooked in a highly flavored fish broth and then finished with a homemade garlic mayonnaise to make it extra creamy. Here’s my vegetarian version, which is now a signature dish at Oleana. You can make the broth days ahead of time and freeze it.
Pair this vegetarian pasta dish with an Italian Barbera that is spicy, rich, and slightly smoky.
SERVES 6
1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 tablespoon salt plus more to taste
½ pound angel hair pasta coils, preferably De Cecco brand
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, washed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons peeled and smashed garlic (about 6 cloves)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon saffron
1/3 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, finely ground in a coffee grinder (see page 72)
4 ancho chilies, stemmed and most of the seeds removed (about 1 cup)
4 cups chopped, canned tomatoes with juice (28-ounce can)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
8 cups water or vegetable stock
Pepper to taste
1 large bunch Swiss chard, washed, stems removed, and leaves very finely sliced (about 1/8 inch)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup Lemon Aioli (page 50)
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Strain the chickpeas, place them in a medium saucepan, and cover them with water to double or triple their volume. Place on high heat and bring them to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 25 minutes, until very tender. Add a tablespoon of salt and let them sit.
3. Meanwhile, to make the fideos, crush the pasta coils with your hands into very small pieces (about ½ inch) over a large baking sheet. Spread the pieces out evenly on the sheet and then bake them for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside.
4. In a large saucepan, heat the canola oil over medium heat and add the onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaf, saffron, vanilla bean, coriander, and fennel. Stir well so that all the ingredients are coated with oil and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes, until the carrots and onion start to soften. Add the chilies, tomatoes, cocoa, and the water and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 55 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by about a third. Remove the bay leaf and the vanilla bean. Scrape the vanilla bean lightly and add any black seeds back into the broth.
5. Purée the broth with a handheld emulsion blender or in small batches in a regular blender until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve and season to taste with salt and pepper. You should have about 8 cups of well-seasoned, concentrated broth.
6. In a large sauté pan (about 11 inches) with deep sides, bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat, and add the chard leaves. Cook over low heat, until the chard wilts and starts to become tender, about 6 minutes.
7. Drain the chickpeas and add to the broth.
8. Reduce the heat to medium and add the fideos and ¼ cup of the olive oil. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta absorbs all the broth.
9. Season with salt to taste.
10. Add 4 tablespoons of lemon aioli and stir until the mixture becomes creamy. If the fideos are really thick, stir in a little water. The mixture should have the consistency of macaroni and cheese before baking. It should be nice and creamy but thick enough to stay on the spoon when you eat it. Serve immediately.
Lemon Aioli
After you add this lemon aioli to the fideos, you’ll have a lot left over. It’s delicious served with roasted potatoes, raw or roasted vegetables, cold poached shrimp, or the Halibut Cakes on page 76 (substitute the aioli for the olive oil lemon sauce).
MAKES 1 CUP
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic (about 2 large cloves)
Zest of 2 lemons, preferably organic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup canola oil
1. Using a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the egg yolks, mustard, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt until frothy, about 30 seconds.
2. With the machine running, slowly pour in the canola oil, little by little, until it becomes thick, like face cream.
3. Reseason with salt to taste.
A Substitute for a Richer and Deeper Flavor
In place of the lemon zest in the aioli, take the zest of 2 oranges and dry them out in a low oven (200°F) for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly toasted. For more information, see “Toasting Citrus Zest” on page 72. Cool and grind the toasted zest in a spice grinder. This zest adds a malty orange flavor that is absolutely fabulous with the fideos.
Egg-Lemon Soup with Saffron and Crab
This recipe is a twist on the classic Greek avgolemono or egg-lemon soup. It is rich and velvety—perfect for a cold day. I like to combine a bouillabaisse flavor like saffron to the lemony soup base. I’m partial to crab because I grew up eating so much of it in the Pacific Northwest, but you can also add or substitute lobster and shrimp to this dish if crab is not available or if you want to make a bigger meal. I like to use Spanish medium-grain or Arborio rice in this soup because it contains a little more starch than long-grain rice and helps to give the soup a silkier texture. If you need to substitute long-grain rice, add another half cup to the recipe. The fish broth that makes the base of this recipe is best when made the same day as the soup.
Try this soup as a first course before serving a meat dish, such as Lamb Steak with Turkish Spices (page 166) or Sarikopites (page 83) for a light meal. It is delicious with a glass of chilled sake.
MAKES ABOUT 10 CUPS TO SERVE 8
3 pounds cod bones or any white fish bones, with heads removed
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
1½ teaspoons saffron
½ teaspoon paprika
1 cup medium-bodied, non-oaky white wine, such as a dry Riesling
1 cup medium-grain Spanish rice, or round rice such as Arborio
Salt and pepper to taste
6 egg yolks
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, either Maine or Dungeness
1. Using a heavy knife or cleaver, chop the fish bones in 4-inch pieces so they fit easily in a large saucepan. Rinse the bones under cold water to remove most of the excess blood and drain them well.
2. In an 8-quart stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the fish bones. Stir, using a pair of tongs, so that the fish bones are coated in the oil. Let them cook for 5 minutes, still stirring to draw more flavor out of the bones.
3. Add the onion, bay leaves, garlic, celery, saffron, and paprika. Add the wine and then cover the bones with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Don’t cook the broth any longer, or it will turn cloudy and off-flavored.
4. Strain the broth through a fine strainer into another 4-quart saucepan.
5. Add the rice and season lightly with salt and pepper. The liquid will concentrate when reduced.
6. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and cooked through.
7. About 15 minutes before serving, whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl. Ladle 2 cups of hot soup into the egg mixture and whisk until combined. This will warm up the egg yolks and help to keep them from curdling when added to the rest of the soup.
8. Add the egg yolk mixture to the rest of the soup, whisking vigorously. Bring to a simmer over low heat and simmer for just a few minutes, to cook the yolks. Remove the soup from the stove.
9. Carefully blend the hot soup in small batches in a blender, or use a handheld emulsion blender, until smooth.
10. Using a small ladle or spoon, push the soup through a fine sieve to remove any bits of rice or egg yolk and to make the soup ultrasmooth. This step is optional but will achieve a worthwhile, very silky texture.
11. Bring the soup gently to a boil again over medium heat, reduce heat to low, and hold warm.
12. Place the crabmeat in a small bowl and sort through it with your fingers, removing any little bits of shell or cartilage. Squeeze out any excess water from the crab with your hands. Place the crab back into the bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper.
13. Spoon in ½ cup of the soup to gently warm the crab a little, and stir carefully to keep the large lump pieces intact.
14. Warm the bowls in the oven for a minute on low heat (250°F) or run very hot water over them, taking care to dry them well.
15. Divide the crab equally into 8 warm soup bowls. Ladle hot soup over the crabmeat and serve immediately.
Monkfish with Ginger, Crème Fraîche, and Seared Greens
Monkfish has a dense structure, like lobster, scallops, or tenderloins of pork or beef, so it can be cooked with powerful flavors such as ginger and is perfect for high-heat cooking and sweet fall flavors.
Try serving this dish with some roasted apples, figs, or peach slices. Brush some fresh-split figs or thick slices of apple or peach with extra-virgin olive oil, and then grill, or roast the fruit in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender.
Try a non-oaky chardonnay, such as chablis, with this dish.
SERVES 6
2 pounds monkfish, skinned (ask your fishmonger to clean them for you)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds green or red Swiss chard (about 4 small bunches)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 8 cloves)
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 cups crème fraîche
4 tablespoons flour
½ cup vermouth or dry white wine
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges for serving
1. Cut monkfish into 6 equal portions, each about 5 ounces, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Set them aside or refrigerate them while preparing the rest of the dish.
2. Trim the stalks from the Swiss chard and reserve them for another use or discard them. Wash the chard well and place it in a colander to drain.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet or deep-sided pan with a fitted cover. When the butter begins to brown, add the garlic, stirring constantly, and cook until the garlic turns golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the chard immediately and cover. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the chard is limp and becomes tender. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the ginger and crème fraîche and reseason if needed. Keep warm.
4. In another large skillet or sauté pan over high heat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and butter, until the butter starts to brown. Dredge the fish in the flour and shake off any excess. Fry the fish until it is golden brown both sides, about 5 minutes a side. If the fish is very thick, turn the heat down and cover the pan to brown it more slowly and cook it all the way through.
5. Add the vermouth to the pan and let it cook down to almost nothing. This should take less than a minute and should glaze the fish, by pulling up any sugars that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan.
6. Remove the chard from the pan, leaving the juices in the pan, and smother the fish with it.
7. Bring the liquid from the chard to a simmer and cook on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce becomes thick enough to coat a spoon.
8. Pour the sauce over the fish and chard and serve with lemon.
AUTUMN GREENS MADE SWEETER
One of my greatest pleasures in being a chef is the close contact I have with some of the farmers who provide me with the best possible ingredients for my restaurant. One of my favorite farmers (besides my husband, Chris) is Eero Ruuttilla, from Nesenkeag Farm in Litchfield, New Hampshire. In addition to farming, Eero has a real gift for poetry, and he likes to include his descriptions of the earth’s cycles with all of his communiqués every week via fax.
Autumn frost is deadly to a lot of vegetables. But when it frosts, many garden greens become sweeter. Here’s a communiqué from Eero, explaining this phenomenon, in the late fall of 2002:
A couple of frosts last week signal that the farm season is entering its last phase—not the end, but definitely the beginning of a steady but slow wind down. No hard tears shed because of the frost; it was past due. With the exception of a couple of fantastic rows of haricots verts, the wimpy frost-susceptible crops were starting to look ratty—definitely showing the wear of overextending their stay in field. Many of the current field greens and roots have been waiting patiently for the frosts; now they get to show off some real color and flavor as the plant stress triggers the sugars and colors. More than an acre and a half of greens are still untouched—inching into their designated baby size. So please note that the frosts hardly end the season; they just mark the final phase of New England–grown field greens glory. You, my loyal customers, are now rewarded with incredible flavor and color!
Persian Fried Chicken
The yogurt and saffron marinade in this recipe is a typical Persian seasoning for chicken kebobs. The yogurt acts as a tenderizer, so it’s important to let the meat sit in the mixture for at least 3 hours. Flouring and frying chicken is not part of the Persian tradition, but I love these golden-hued, crispy, and moist chicken nuggets.
Drink a pale ale from England with this dish—one that’s fruity, hoppy, earthy, malty, and buttery.
SERVES 4
2 cups plain, whole milk yogurt
½ teaspoon saffron
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8 pieces)
1 cup walnut pieces (almonds make a fine substitute)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon dried spearmint
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 cups canola or vegetable oil
4 lemon wedges
1. In a blender, purée the yogurt with a teaspoon of water and the saffron and garlic, until the mixture is smooth and bright yellow. Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs and mix well in a glass or stainless steel mixing bowl. Cover the chicken and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Spread the walnuts on a small baking sheet and toast them very lightly in the oven for about 6 minutes. The walnuts should be fragrant and oily but not dark brown, or they will taste bitter. Cool the walnuts and chop them finely by hand. Set aside.
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, paprika, mint, and a little salt and black pepper and set aside.
5. In a medium skillet (10 to 11 inches) with deep sides (that can hold 4 cups of oil so that it’s 5/8 inch deep), heat the oil over medium heat to 350°F. Use a thermometer to check the temperature. Drain off the chicken marinade and discard, and then dredge the chicken thighs in the flour mixture and shake dry. Fry 4 pieces at a time, until they are golden brown on both sides, about 7 minutes, seasoning with a little more salt and pepper to taste. Remove the chicken using a slotted spoon or tongs and drain them on paper towels. You can keep them warm by lowering the oven to 200°F and leaving them there uncovered while the last four fry.
6. Serve the chicken immediately with lemon wedges to squeeze over the chicken and sprinkle with the walnuts. The chicken is wonderful on a bed of Mazy’s Jeweled Rice (page 58) or with Rice Cakes (page 65).
Mazy’s Jeweled Rice
This is a special-occasion rice, not for everyday meals. It takes some time to prepare.
Mazy Mozayeni worked with me for a little more than a year, and this recipe was inspired by a traditional Persian dish that his family made. Mazy’s family used barberries instead of mulberries, which are harder to find without access to special shops. Dried mulberries look like little brown raspberries but taste like figs. They are used a lot in Turkish and eastern Mediterranean cooking, and they’re fantastic in desserts or combined with nuts for pilaf, as in this recipe. You can find them at www.tohum.com.
Serve Mazy’s Jeweled Rice with Persian Fried Chicken (page 56).
SERVES 8
2 cups basmati rice
½ cup dried mulberries, or chopped dried figs
¼ cup golden raisins
1 large carrot, peeled
1 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange
2 teaspoons butter
1 onion, finely diced
½ teaspoon saffron
1½ teaspoons Persian Spice Mix (page 60)
½ cup toasted pistachios
½ cup ground, toasted skinless almonds
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1. Soak the rice in cold water for about 1 hour. Drain in a colander or sieve.
2. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. (The rice needs plenty of water and room to cook.) Stir in the rice and cook uncovered, reducing the heat to medium-high, until just tender, for 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and rinse the rice under cold water until cool. Set aside in the rice-cooking pot.
3. While the rice is cooling, in a small mixing bowl soak the mulberries and golden raisins in hot water for 10 minutes or more, until plump.
4. Using a vegetable peeler, shave strips of carrot all the way down on all sides, stopping at the core. Set aside your pile of carrot ribbons.
5. Bring a small saucepan filled with 2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the sugar and return the pan to a boil. Add the orange zest and carrot ribbons and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, until the carrots are soft and candied. Drain and roughly chop the strips.
6. Drain the mulberries and raisins and add to the chopped carrots.
7. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
8. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until it starts to brown. Stir in the onion, saffron, and spice mix. Cook on medium heat until the onions are soft, for about 6 minutes. Stir in the pistachios, almonds, and carrot mixture.
9. Fold this mixture into the rice and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the olive oil.
10. Place the rice in a roasting pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the rice is a little crispy around the edges and is hot. Serve immediately.
Persian Spice Mix
This spice mix reminds me of others from around the world: French four-spice (quatre épice), Chinese five-spice, and pumpkin pie spice from the United States. It is used to add aromatics to pilafs, stuffed rice, and bulgur dishes. I think it’s also great sprinkled on cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash. At Oleana, we use a similar spice blend, without the rose petals or nutmeg, on our Turkish-style steak tartare.
You can find dried rose petals at kalustyans.com.
MAKES 1/3 CUP
¼ cup dried rose petals, ground or pressed through a medium-size sieve
¼ cup ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cardamom (black seeds only)
1/3 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
1/3 teaspoon ground coriander
Mix ingredients and store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
UNDERSTANDING RIESLING AND GEWÜRZTRAMINER
Theresa Paopao, Wine Director at Oleana
There is plenty of confusion about Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Some think these wines are always sweet, so they won’t go near them. Others who taste a dry Alsatian-style will insist that it’s gone bad. Then, there are many adjectives which confuse matters even more. So to clarify:
Dry = not sweet at all
Off-dry = just the slightest hint of sweetness
Medium-dry = the sweetest wine to be enjoyed with a meal without overwhelming it
Spritz = a slight hint of effervescence
Seared Sea Scallops with Orange-Saffron Butter and Rice Cakes
I enjoy scallops when they are cooked only on one side, from the bottom up, until the pan side is golden brown. Scallops contain high levels of sugar and will brown beautifully, like no other fish or shellfish. In browning, the sugars are drawn out, and the scallop’s flavor intensifies.
Orange saffron butter is fantastic on just about anything and really livens up simple dishes. It’s a flavored butter or compound butter and will freeze very well. You can take a little out at a time and try using it with other dishes: in finishing a fish soup, for example, or to flavor a tomato sauce for pasta.
Drink a dry Gewürztraminer (see page 61) from Alsace with this dish.
SERVES 8
1 teaspoon saffron
¼ cup dry vermouth
Zest of 1 orange and juice of half
Zest of 1 lemon and juice of half
2 sticks butter plus 4 teaspoons, softened to room temperature
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, ground finely in a coffee grinder (page 72)
1 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
32 large, dry sea scallops (see note)
4 tablespoons canola oil
1. To make the orange-saffron butter, place the saffron in a small mixing bowl and add the vermouth. Let it steep for about 5 minutes. Add the orange and lemon zests and juices, the 2 sticks of butter, garlic, parsley, paprika, fennel, and black pepper. Mix to combine the ingredients and season with salt.
2. Lay a piece of plastic wrap out and spoon half of the flavored butter in an even layer. Fold the edges of the plastic wrap around the butter mound and twist the ends to form a small log. Repeat this process with the remaining butter and chill both logs.
3. Remove the foot or muscle from the side of the scallop (sometimes it has a little shell stuck to it). It is a little tough but is edible. I prefer to remove them.
4. In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 teaspoon of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil until the butter starts to brown. Add 8 of the scallops and brown one side only, for 6 to 7 minutes, reducing the heat to medium if the scallops seem to brown too quickly or start to burn. The edges will turn from translucent to opaque, but the center on the top will remain a little translucent. Lift the scallops to check that they are brown with a golden crust and flip them over to cook the rare spot for 30 seconds.
5. Immediately remove the scallops from the heat and place them onto a platter. Dollop the scallops with 2 tablespoons of the orange-saffron butter and keep them warm by covering them with foil or by putting them into a small serving dish with a lid. The butter will melt from the heat of the scallops.
6. Wipe the sauté pan clean and repeat the searing process until all the scallops are cooked. It may be tempting to sear all the scallops at once, but the more crowded the pan is, the less likely you are to get a golden crust. Too many scallops cools the pan down, and they will start to steam instead of sear. If you have a very large pan, you can try to fit more scallops in at once, but leave about 1 inch between each. It’s tempting to move the scallops around once they are in the pan, but don’t do it. Allow them to attain a perfect sear.
7. Add 2 more tablespoons of orange-saffron butter to the scallops and stir to coat them.
8. Divide them evenly onto 8 plates and serve immediately with Rice Cakes (page 65) and Seared Greens (page 53).
A Rule of Thumb for Searing
When browning, it is essential to sear your ingredients in a hot pan. To make sure your pan is hot enough, use 3 parts vegetable oil (do not use extra-virgin olive oil; it breaks down easily because it has a low temperature threshold) to 1 part butter. Add the oil and butter to the pan, and when the butter starts to brown, the pan will be hot enough to get a good, golden-brown searing color. Oil prevents the butter solids from burning, and the butter solids help to brown your ingredients. You’re guaranteed a richer and more even color this way.
Use Dry Scallops
Ask your fishmonger for dry scallops. A good fish market will carry only this kind. Sometimes lesser markets will sell sea scallops injected with water or saline to plump them up, making them more expensive per pound. These scallops won’t brown well, as the water will release during cooking and cause the scallops to steam. Also, avoid using milky-looking scallops. During spring months, scallops start to spawn; it is during this time that they sometimes produce a cloudy liquid that makes them difficult to brown. I prefer not to wash scallops; however, if they are sandy, you must. Dry them well before cooking.
Rice Cakes
I love the sticky crust of a baked pilaf. I got frustrated that when I made pilaf in a big pot, there was never enough sticky crust to go around, so I came up with this recipe. By making individual rice cakes, everyone gets just the right amount of crust.
Yogurt and egg bind the rice in these little cakes. I sear them on the bottom side only so that they get golden and crispy, but the top stays soft.
MAKES 10 TO 12 MEDIUM RICE CAKES TO SERVE 5 TO 12
2 cups long-grain rice, such as jasmine or basmati
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
3 eggs
½ cup whole-milk plain yogurt, preferably Greek style
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon butter
1. Soak the rice for 20 minutes in warm water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt to remove some of the starch.
2. Bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil over high heat.
3. Drain the rice and sprinkle it into the boiling water, little by little. Stir well.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the rice, stirring from time to time, for 6 minutes, until tender.
5. Drain the rice and allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
7. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the yogurt until smooth and combined. Stir in the rice and season with salt to taste.
8. Heat a medium nonstick, ovenproof sauté pan over high heat, and add the oil and butter. When the butter browns, drop in four to six ½-cup scoops of rice and cook over medium heat until the bottoms brown, about 6 minutes. Repeat the process until all the rice cakes are cooked.
9. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. The bottoms of the rice cakes should have a beautiful crust and the tops should be soft. Serve immediately, with the crust side up, side by side with the Seared Sea Scallops (page 62).
Braised Beef Short Ribs with Vanilla-Glazed Carrots
These short ribs are a signature dish at Oleana. I created this recipe at Casablanca, the restaurant in Harvard Square where I cooked for five years before opening my own. I loved the ribs so much that I brought the recipe with me to Oleana
The ribs are like a decadent pot roast: they’re soft, sweet, and tart from the tamarind, a Middle Eastern and Asian fruit that brightens a slowly braised dish.
With this dish, try a Carmenère from Chile, which is a sweet/savory wine with dark fruit, spicy flavors, and round tannins.
SERVES 8
8 beef short ribs, weighing about 6 to 8 pounds
4 tablespoons kosher salt
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 whole carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup medium-bodied, non-oaky white wine, such as a dry Riesling (see page 61)
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
2 tablespoons tamarind paste (available in the Asian or Indian section of some grocery stores)
4 medium carrots, peeled
2 tablespoons butter
½ vanilla bean
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Season each of the short ribs generously with the kosher salt. Lay them side by side in a large, heavy roasting pan.
3. Scatter the onion, chopped carrot, and the bay leaf over the ribs.
4. Combine the vinegar, wine, brown sugar, and garlic in a small mixing bowl and pour the mixture over the short ribs. Place the tamarind in the same bowl and add 1 cup of hot water to dissolve it a little. Whisk the tamarind to loosen it and then add it and the liquid to the short ribs. There may be pulp and seeds from the tamarind, which you can strain out after cooking.
5. The liquid should come ¾ up the sides of the short ribs. Add more water if necessary.
6. Cover the pan tightly with foil and then again with a second layer of foil.
7. Place the pan in the oven and braise the short ribs for 3 to 3 ½ hours. Remove the foil and check that the short ribs fall apart when poked with a fork.
8. Remove the ribs carefully with tongs, place them onto a serving dish, cover, and set aside at room temperature.
9. Strain the liquid (you should catch any tamarind seeds or bits of garlic, onion, and carrot) through a fine strainer into a large container.
10. Chill the pitcher of liquid for at least 1 hour so the fat rises to the top. Remove the fat; it should form a large, solid chunk at the top when cold.
11. While the braising liquid is cooling, slice the carrots slightly on the bias into ½-inch-thick ovals.
12. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds with a knife into the melting butter. Add the carrots and ½ cup water. Season with salt and pepper.
13. Cook the carrots on medium heat until they soften and become lightly glazed, about 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and stir. Reseason.
14. In a large, deep-sided sauté pan over high heat, bring the skimmed braising liquid to a boil and add the short ribs. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the short ribs for 20 to 25 minutes, until they start to glaze in the sauce. The sauce will thicken after 15 minutes. Keep warm.
15. Roll the short ribs around in their sauce, using a pair of tongs, to make them a little more glazed and sticky. Place each short rib on a plate and spoon on a little extra sauce. Serve with glazed carrots.
Panforte
A cross between candy and cake, panforte, which means “firm bread,” is a specialty of Siena and is excellent with coffee.
Many southern Italian sweets are Arab influenced. According to my friend and invaluable resource Cliff Wright, the traditional spices used in panforte—coriander seed, mace, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg—were all bought by Italian merchants in the great markets of Aleppo or Alexandria. It seems likely that the merchants encountered all kinds of Arabic sweets and that many culinary ideas passed to Italian cooks through them. The use of almonds, sugar, honey, and spices are markers of Arab influence, especially the sugar and almonds, because the Romans knew honey but not sugar.
At Oleana, Maura Kilpatrick creates her own version of this classic. It carries the use of spices on into the dessert course, with strong flavors of ginger, cinnamon, and clove.
Try serving this dish with a traditional Tuscan sweet wine, such as Vin Santo.
You will need a candy thermometer to make this recipe.
MAKES A 9-İNCH ROUND FOR 16 SMALL PORTIONS
1 tablespoon soft butter
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup whole blanched almonds
1 cup whole blanched hazelnuts
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ cup dried apricots
½ cup candied ginger
½ cup dried figs
½ cup candied orange
½ cup currants
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup honey
Confectioners’ sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Butter a heavy 9-inch or springform pan and dust it lightly with some of the cocoa powder.
3. Toast the almonds and hazelnuts on a heavy baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and coarsely chop.
4. In a large bowl, combine the nuts with the flour, the rest of the cocoa powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper.
5. Chop the apricots, candied ginger, figs, orange, and currants into small pieces and combine with the nut mixture.
6. In a small saucepan, cook the sugar with the honey to 240°F on a candy thermometer.Immediately pour this mixture into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and stir quickly to moisten. The mixture gets stiff very quickly and will become difficult to stir. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. If the mixture gets too sticky, try wetting your fingers.
7. Lower the oven to 300°F and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until it bubbles around the edges. It shouldn’t brown.
8. When completely cooled, invert the panforte onto a serving plate or cutting board. Dust it generously with confectioners’ sugar.