Slow cooked baby back ribs

The East coast is still hovering between winter and spring. Fortunately, within the greenhouse the climate is temperate and seeds germinate in anticipation of their planting mid May. In the freezer, I still have some of my fall tomato sauce. Although the cycle has not gone full circle yet, I derive inspiration from the promise of the fruit and the reality of the stock. Always one to anticipate the good things to come, I am preparing baby back ribs the easy (and healthy) way of the slow cooker. To retain both moistness and grilled taste, I first sear the ribs before adding the tomato sauce, vinegar and ketchup.
The slow cooked baby back ribs recipe serves 4.

Another (good) reason to slow cook

I have already made obvious my love of slow cooking. Until now there were two reasons: taste and convenience. The faculty is now confirming this choice and adding a medical component. New studies on advanced glycation end products, AGEs in short, indicate that those compounds, which form when meat is seared at high temperature, the famous Maillard reaction, increase inflammation (i.e. risks of heart disease, artherosclerosis, diabetes and arthritis) in human bodies. Because we love this charred taste and smell, the food industry has added a lot of synthetic AGEs to their products. The usual suspects are the good guys in our fight against AGEs: we should eat more vegetables and fruit, use fresh products AND cook at slow temperature. In other words, favor boiling, steaming and poaching over grilling. My recipe of the week respects all this criteria and more. A pork rib roast gains flavor from an association with cumin and citrus fruit. A long simmering in the natural juices from both meat and fruit insures a not too sweet taste. Served with rice, it is a perfectly satisfactory dinner for four to be enjoyed without guilt.

Sophisticated Jerusalem Artichoke

The few spring days we were blessed with were just enough to dig out a few Jerusalem artichokes from my garden to use in a sophisticated soup. I first got the idea from a Paris restaurant. Their recipe combined sun chokes, chestnuts and foie gras. As I do not particularly care for warm foie gras, I picked instead bay scallops, which are much cheaper and in season. Their delicate slightly sweet taste adds a nutty texture to the smooth soup. Pancetta brings the dish together. I like the fact that the soup relies on four ingredients only to provide a fairly complex taste. An extra advantage is the time saved by preparing the soup ahead. As it is the only time consuming operation, the meal can be assembled in less than ten minutes, provided the soup is made ahead of time.
The quantities are enough for four people as a main course or eight appetizers.

Sunny jerk lamb

Winter shows its might on the East coast of the United States and blankets prettily country sights and city views. It is a great time to slow cook meats and concoct yet another twist on old favorites. While away in the sun, we came across a Caribbean jerk mix. My friend Michael integrated the spices in a wet rub to enhance a baked quartered chicken. Back home, I craved lamb and decided to use the mix to modify an old Moroccan dish: the seven hours slow cooked lamb, the only dish men traditionally prepare. Part of the fun came from guessing what was in the mix. After adding oil to a teaspoon of the coarse powder one can taste the ingredients: rosemary and thyme, allspice, red pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. I added turmeric and cumin seeds. To round up the savors and sweeten the kick, I put in a tablespoon of honey. For the same reasons, I decided to serve it with buttercup squash chips and creamed French flageolets, the French version of dry beans.

Light Sea Casserole

A sea casserole is one of the easiest and most impressive dishes you can serve. Flounder fillets, shrimps and minced vegetables steam together above a ginger seaweed broth perfumed with clamshells and oysters. No half-shell treatment required as the heating will naturally insure the opening of the shells. The same broth is used in a reduction finished with a dash of heavy cream and a generous sprinkle of pepper. The secret is all in the timing of the different cooking stages from immersion of the shells to the steaming of vegetables and then the fish. The taste is naturally briny. The earth vegetable needs a generous sprinkle of salt to match the one naturally contained in the sea products. I like to soak my bread in the sauce. If you feel more Japanese than French, sushi rice will fulfill the same function.

The dish feeds 4.

Sea casserole

(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 15 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:

4 small flounder fillets

1 inch (2.5 cm) ginger root piece

8 oysters

8 clams

8 raw shrimps shell reserved

1 cup Japanese seaweeds (Hiziki, Arame)

1 Kombu sheet

2 leeks

Several leaves of Chinese cabbage,

8 carrots

¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream

Salt and Pepper

Material:

1 fish steamer

1 food processor mincing attachment on

Salad bowl

Strainer

Saucepan

       Place the seaweeds in a salad bowl and cover with cold water.

       Carefully clean the oysters shells and clamshells in cold water.

       Cut off the greens from the leeks. Slice off the bottom and immerge in cold water. Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage and wash 6 of the internal leaves. Peel the carrots and slice off the bottom part. Grate all the vegetables in the food processor.

Fill the steamer ¼ of the way with water, the sliced ginger root and a Kombu sheet (the basis of dashi soup in Japan). When the water boils, remove the kombu sheet and add the reconstituted seaweeds. At the boiling point, add the oysters, clamshell and the shells of the shrimps. When they open, remove oysters and clamshells. Reserve until ready to serve.

Strain a cup worth of broth and place in a saucepan to reduce with the cream.

Return the bottom part of the steamer with its remaining content to the gas stove. Insert the upper part of the steamer with the minced vegetables and a spoonful of salt in the steamer. Cover and steam for 10 minutes. Add the fish and shrimps. Turn the gas off after three minutes.

Place a layer of vegetables on each plate. Top with the fish fillet, clams and oysters meat and shrimps. Pour generously the creamy broth on top and serve.  

Not So Traditional Fast Skate

As you well know, I am always intrigued by variations on old classics. When they give birth to new dishes, which can be made in less than ten minutes, my enthusiasm is unbound. Add to this a lesser fat content than the original and the timely use of seasonal vegetables and I am totally sold. Taste matters. Whereas, skate bistro style is traditionally cooked in butter and dressed in a sharp lemon and caper sauce, I have been toying with a meatier but lighter version. To add richness, I like to sauté onions, or in this case, shallots in butter or olive oil. Balsamic vinegar and red wine are added to obtain a wine reduction. At this point, the sauce could equally be at home on a rib eye steak. When my daughters were young and could not be made to eat “smelly” fish, I layered that sauce on top of white breaded fish fillets. The plate was emptied without a groan. For a more adult palate, I like the fish to be just grilled. The crispness of the shallots goes well with the skate flesh texture. Butternut chips, besides being in season, complement the sweetness of the balsamic reduction.

Skate “wine merchant”, a literal translation from the French, which emphasize the use of wine in the recipe, and its garniture serve 4 and is elegant enough for guests and equally enjoyable in a less formal dinner.

Skate wine merchant

(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 10 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:

2 lb (1 kg, 2 pieces) skinned skate*, bone in

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot peeled and finely sliced

¼ cup (60 ml) balsamic vinegar

1 cup (230 ml) red wine

 Material:

1 frying pan

1 saucepan

       Sauté the shallot slices in a little oil until soft. Add to the saucepan the vinegar and the wine. Reduce until about ½ (120ml) a cup is left.

       Sauté the skate in a large frying pan for about 3 minutes on each side. Cut each piece in two and place on a warm plate.

       Pour the sauce on top and serve with butternut chips

Butternut chips

(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 10 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:

2 medium butternut squashes

Vegetal oil

Coarse salt

Material:

Potato peeler

Grapefruit spoon

Slicing meat machine

Deep Fryer

       Peel the squashes and halve them. Slice them as thinly as possible in the slicing machine. Put ½ in the frying basket.

       Set the deep fryer at 375F (190C). When it has reached the right temperature, immerge the basket for 5 minutes. When the chips are crisp, place them in a salad bowl lined with paper towels. Repeat the operation a second time with the remaining chips.

* If the skinned version is not available at the seafood shop, cook the skate wings in boiling water to which 3 tablespoons of white vinegar have been added for 2 minutes, until the skin starts to come off. Strain the wings and  peel off and discard the skin.

   

Worldly tapas

Light meals are in. The Spanish have a tradition we can borrow from. They eat “tapas”. At first it was a way not to drink on an empty stomach and consisted of little more than a garnished piece of bread. But soon the vast array of Spanish cuisine came to the rescue and contemporary tapas include any food preparation in smaller quantities. A bar fare generally includes 4 to 6 different preparations. It is not necessary to confine oneself to Europe and Asia has much to offer to enrich the repertoire. Here is my selection of 6 worldly dishes. They bring to mind countless hot afternoons spent leisurely sharing good conversation, wine and food under the shade of a tree. The memory sustains us in the long cold winter, while the food miraculously lifts our spirit.
To prevent last minute panic, start by the marinade for the lamb chops, continue with the Japanese vegetables, which you can ready and then reserve in the oven until dinner is served. Prepare the ham and cheese rolls, which can also be kept warmed in the oven. Make and refrigerate the chocolate sauce. When the guests arrive, prepare the truffle quail eggs crostini and grill the Asian chops. It will take about 5 minutes.

Spanish Meatballs
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 20 minutes, A little pricey)
Ingredients:
½ lb lamb meat from the shoulder
2 slices of bread
2 tablespoons of milk
1 egg
Dusting of flour
½ lb Spanish cheese (Manchego)
1 slice foie gras
Material:
1 food processor
1 frying pan
1 ovenproof dish

Remove the crust from the bread and soak in the milk.
Grind the meat and the bread in the food processor with the sharp blade on.
Add the egg and mix well. Dust a plate with flour and roll out bite-sized meatballs.
Fry them on all faces and place them in the ovenproof dish. You can refrigerate them until ready to serve.
Turn on the oven at 360F with the grill option on. Place the partition in the oven on the upper tier.
Add a shaving of cheese on the top of the meatballs. Cut the foie gras in small pieces and add to the meat. Cook until cheese and foie gras have melted.
Serve immediately

Asian chops
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 10 minutes, Marinade: 2 hours plus, Reasonable)
Ingredients:
6 tiny lamb chops
1 slice ginger
1 garlic clove
2 stems cilantro
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcester sauce
Material:
1 salad bowl
1 blender
1 frying pan

Place all the ingredients except for the lamb chops in the blender and run the machine.
Marinate the lamb chops in the blended sauce for at least two hours.
Stir-fry the lambs for three minutes on each side and serve immediately.

Truffle quail eggs crostini
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 10 minutes, Cheap)
Ingredients:
6 quail eggs
6 slices of baguette
Truffle oil
6 asparagus stems
Salt and pepper to taste
Material:
Toaster
Frying pan
Sprinkle truffle oil on top of the bread and toast until crisp and gold.
Add the olive oil to the frying pan and sauté the asparagus until lightly charred. Set the asparagus on top of the bread.
Crack the eggs in the lightly oiled pan and cook them sunny side up. Place each egg on top of the bread. Add salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Ham and cheese rolls
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 40 minutes, Cheap)
Ingredients:
6 thin slices cooked ham
6 slices Gruyère
1 tablespoon cream
2 tablespoon scream cheese
1 potato peeled and cubed
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
2 eggs
Breadcrumbs
Olive oil for frying
Material:
Saucepan
Whip
Frying pan
Toothpicks
Place the potato cubes and milk in the saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the butter, cream and cream cheese. Whip into a purée. Bring to room temperature.
Lay down a slice of ham. Cover with the Gruyère slice. Top with a little purée. Roll up and secure with two toothpicks. Refrigerate until ready to eat dinner.
Dip the roll in the beaten egg and coat with breadcrumbs.
Fry in abundant oil. Serve immediately.
Japanese vegetables
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes, Resting time: 60 minutes, Cheap)
Ingredients:
¾ cup (180 ml) soda water
2/3 cup (105 g) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1½ teaspoons salt
1 sweet potato
1 broccoli stem
Red pepper flakes
Vegetable oil for deep frying
For the sauce (facultative):
1 tablespoon Daikon radish grated
2 tablespoons Mirin sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Frying oil
Material
Tongue
Fry maker or a deep saucepan
Ovenproof dish
Paper towel
Salad bowl
Bowl
Sifter
Pour the soda water in the bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch and salt. Whisk until blended. Cover and refrigerate for 45-60 minutes.
Put all the sauces together in a little bowl. Add the grated daikon and red pepper flakes.
Peel and form fries out of the sweet potato. Cut the broccoli florets, keeping the broccoli stems for a soup. Wash and dry them.
Heat the oil to 375F (190C). Dip the vegetables in the batter. With the tongue, remove each piece and fry four at a time for about two minutes. Transfer to an ovenproof dish lined with paper towel in a low (200F/95C) oven while you finish up frying. Prepare in the oven and keep until ready to serve.
Serve with or without the sauce.
Strawberries dipped in chocolate
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 10 minutes, Cheap)
Ingredients:
18 strawberries washed, stem on
3 oz dark chocolate
¼ cup heavy cream
1 pinch Espelette powder
Material
1 bowl
Melt the chocolate with the cream. Whip in the powder. This can be prepared ahead and can be micro waved before serving.
Serve surrounded with the strawberries to dip.