Arancini alla Siciliana

"To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything."

— Goethe, Italian Journey

Sicilian cuisine shows traces of all the cultures which established themselves on the island over the last two millennia. Although its cuisine undoubtably has a predominantly Italian base, Sicilian food also has Spanish, Greek and Arab influences.

Known as arancini, or "little oranges," in Italian, these little rice balls coated with breadcrumbs are said to have originated in Sicily in the 10th century during the Kalbid rule. The main type of arancini sold in Sicilian cafes are arancini con ragù, filled with meat, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and/or peas.

Suggested Pairing:
Corvina, California Zinfandel, Argentinian Malbec

Optional Accompaniments:
Tomato Sauce (for dipping)
Escarole Salad with Lemon Viniagrette

Serving Size: 4 servings

• 1½ cups long-grain rice
• 1/4 cup butter
  
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• scant 1/2 cup ground lean beef
• scant 1/2 cup dry, white wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3½ ounces mozzarella cheese, diced
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• salt
  

Preparation:

• Cook the rice in plenty of salted, boiling water for 15-18 minutes until tender.
• Drain, tip into a bowl, and stir in half the butter and the parmesan, then spread the rice out on the counter and let cool.
• Melt the remaining butter in a pan, add the beef and cook, stirring frequently, until browned all over.
• Sprinkle with the wine and cook until it has evaporated.
• Stir in the tomato paste, cover, and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, then season with salt and remove from the heat.
• Shape the cooled rice into croquettes as large as small oranges and hollow out the centers.
• Fill with a little meat sauce and a cube of mozzarella and seal with more rice.
• Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt in a shallow dish and spread out the flour in another shallow dish.
• Dip the croquettes in the beaten eggs, then in the flour and shake off any excess.
• Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or pan to 350-375°F or until a cube of day-old bread browns in 30 seconds.
• Deep-fry the croquettes in the hot oil until golden brown all over.
• Drain on paper towels and serve.
  

Preparation Notes:

• Use a dry, un-oaked white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
• It takes some time for the oil to get up to temperature, so make sure you start heating it before you begin breading the arancini. And don’t start frying until all your arancini are breaded.
• Arancini can be formed and chilled up to 12 hours ahead of time. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to finish them, bread and fry them.

Recipe Source:
The Silver Spoon, by Phaidon Press

Additional Resources:

• Regional Italian Cuisine, Rustico Cooking
• Spaghetti with Fried Eggs, NY Times. Aka our latest, late-night standby dish, aka "poor man's spaghetti"
  

Bucatini con Finferle E Proscuitto (2nd course)

(Bucatini with Chanterelles, Spring Peas, and Prosciutto)

serves: 6 servings

1 cup shelled fresh peas or frozen peas, defrosted and drained
salt
1 pound fresh chanterelle mushrooms
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 ounces Prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced and chopped
freshly ground pepper
1½ pounds ripe fresh plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and crushed
¼ cup fresh Italian Parsely, chopped
1 pound bucatini
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated

If using fresh peas, parboil them in a small saucepan of boiling salted water until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain them and set aside. Trim the tough ends and wilted spots from the mushrooms. Wipe them clean with a damp paper towel or wash them quickly and dry them well. Slice them thin and set aside.

Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Whack the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and add them along with the prosciutto to the oil. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, season them lightly with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until they are lightly browned and wilted, about 7 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes, season them lightly with salt and pepper and bring the sauce to a boil. Lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer and cook 5 minutes. Stir the peas and chopped parsley into the sauce and cook until the peas are tender, about 3 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, stir the bucatini into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 10 minutes.

Drain the pasta, return it to the pot and pour in about three-quarters of the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta t0 a boil, tossing to coat the pasta with sauce. Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Transfer the pasta to a warm platter, top with the remaining sauce and serve immediately.


From my favorite Italian cooking show.. Lidia's Italy

http://www.lidiasitaly.com/recipes/detail/308

Italian (Course 3): Veal Osso Buco

Ingredients:

Four 12-ounce veal shanks

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery ribs, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

6 garlic cloves, sliced

1 cup dry red wine

4 cups veal stock or chicken stock

3 cups chicken stock

3 cups canned plum tomatoes, drained and crushed

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon grated fresh horseradish (see Note)

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation:

1. Lay the veal shanks in a shallow baking pan and sprinkle liberally on both sides with salt. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

2. Rinse the veal shanks of their salt and pat dry with paper towels. Wrap each veal shank once around the circumference so that it holds the bone and meat together in the center. Tie the twine with a good knot. Season the veal shanks with pepper.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

4. Heat a large, ovenproof casserole over high heat. Put the oil into the casserole and let it heat.

5. Meanwhile, put the flour in a shallow bowl, dredge the veal shanks in it, and pat off the excess. Brown the veal shanks in the hot oil for about 5 minutes on each side, or until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. If the oil turns dark during the process, discard it and heat a fresh cup of oil.

6. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the pan and cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook for about 2 minutes, or until reduced by half.

7. Add the stocks, tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf to the pan. Return the veal shanks to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the liquid boils, cover, transfer to the oven, and cook for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender and falling off the bones.

8. Remove the herbs from the braising liquid and discard. Let the veal shanks come to room temperature in the braising liquid. Remove the veal shanks and set aside. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or chinois into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until reduced by a quarter. Using a skimmer or large spoon, skim off any grease or foam that rises to the surface. Return the strained vegetables to the liquid and taste for seasoning.

9. To serve, cut and discard the twine, put a single osso buco (veal shank) in a bowl, and ladle about 3/4 cup of the sauce and vegetables over it. (If the sauce and the meat are not still warm, heat them together very gently over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes.)

10. Garnish each osso buco with the fresh horseradish, lemon zest, and chopped parsley and season with pepper.

Note: If you cannot find fresh horseradish, you can use prepared. It will taste stronger, so it’s a good idea to wrap the horseradish in a double thickness of cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess liquid.

Source:

Epicurious | April 2010

by Rick Tramonto

Osteria ( http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Veal-Osso-Buco-358371)

Voyage to Vietnam

After a scheduling snafu (Tim and I take full responsibility) and deep frying calamari panic, we pulled off our Vietnamese meet-up without further drama and relative delicious success.

ps. note to self (next meet-up is January 2nd, repeat next meet-up is January 2nd...repeat) :)

Muc Rang Muoi (salt and pepper calamari)

Banh Cuon (Rice Rolls)

Beef Pho Noodle Soup

Banana Fosters, Toasted Coconut Ice Cream, Coffee Jelly (Thạch Cà Phê)

Pho Phundamentals and Calamari

In light of the fact that we only had one week before the next meeting, we decided to get on testing the pho dish before we had the meeting.

We went to Ranch 99 to get all of the ingredients. They had nice beef leg soup bones already in packages. We also got some beef flank for the cooked meat, and ready-sliced eye of round (they had them in packages for hot-pot) for the raw meat.

We parboiled the beef bones for 6 minutes.

At the same time, we charred the ginger and onions.

Once the bones were initially boiled, we took out the bones and washed the pot. This is when we realized that our pot was not big enough for the 6 quarts of water needed. So Andrew ran out to buy a new stock pot from the Marina Market.

Nice new stock pot, 20 qt capacity outta do the job. We were good to go with the spices and fish sauce. Actually it's amazing to me that this was practically all you needed for the broth. It was soooo fragrant while the broth simmered.


We let the stock simmer for 4 hours. After which, we strained the broth and then refrigerated it. The next morning the broth had a nice layer of fat on top which we took off with a slotted spoon.

Before we served, we re-boiled the broth and got all of the other ingredients ready in the bowls. We also added a lot more salt, another tablespoon of fish sauce and another half lump of rock sugar, to bring the stock to "a bit on the strong side" for seasoning, as the recipe suggested.

The pho turned out pretty good. We were surprised it tasted like pho, since the stock by itself smelled very anise-y, and we thought it'd never taste like the restaurant soup. But with all the ingredients together it indeed was a nice bowl of noodle soup. We also felt free to drink the broth since we knew there was only good stuff in there.

For appetizer, we decided to try the Salt and Pepper Calamari. We got the calamari and five-spice from whole foods, and proceeded to cut and batter it up.

We then made the spice mixture. But cut back a bit on the five-spice since it smelled very strong.

The recipe was a bit confusing at this point. It seemed like calamari should be deep fried until crispy, like many calamari appetizers elsewhere. However the recipe only called for 2 tablespoons of oil, which seems nowhere enough. We went ahead and followed the recipe anyway, but as a result ended up with something more like stir-fried calamari. However, the batter did not work well in stir-fry mode, and we ended up with a bit of a clump of calamari and spices all together. We think that next time will definitely dis-regard the recipe and deep-fry everything with more oil (like salt-pepper chicken style).

3rd Course: Pho Bo (Beef Pho Noodle Soup)

Who doesn't love noodles soup? In the Vietnamese repertoire, beef pho noodle soup is a classic. In fact, it's practically the national dish of Vietnam. Below is my family's recipe for the quintessential Vietnamese food -- pho noodle soup. You may have had bowls of pho in Vietnamese noodle shops, in Vietnam and abroad. but have you made some yourself? Before leaping into this beef pho noodle soup recipe, check out Pho Secrets and Techniques post for a primer on bones, charring the onion, saving some fat, etc. Also, read about the history and evolution of pho in Vietnam and America. Making pho noodle soup takes time but most of it is passive cooking. And remember, you can freeze pho broth for future bowls of steamy hot pho noodle soup!

If beef isn't your thing, then take a look at the chicken pho noodle soup.

Beef Pho Noodle Soup Recipe (Pho bo)

Makes 8 satisfying (American-sized) bowls

For the broth:
2 medium yellow onions (about 1 pound total)
4-inch piece ginger (about 4 ounces)
5-6 pounds beef soup bones (marrow and knuckle bones)
5 star anise (40 star points total)
6 whole cloves
3-inch cinnamon stick
1 pound piece of beef chuck, rump, brisket or cross rib roast, cut into 2-by-4-inch pieces (weight after trimming)
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons fish sauce
1 ounce (1-inch chunk) yellow rock sugar (duong phen; see Note)

For the bowls:
1 1/2-2 pounds small (1/8-inch wide) dried or fresh banh pho noodles ("rice sticks'' or Thai chantaboon)
1/2 pound raw eye of round, sirloin, London broil or tri-tip steak, thinly sliced across the grain (1/16 inch thick; freeze for 15 minutes to make it easier to slice)
1 medium yellow onion, sliced paper-thin, left to soak for 30 minutes in a bowl of cold water
3 or 4 scallions, green part only, cut into thin rings
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (ngo)
Ground black pepper

Optional garnishes arranged on a plate and placed at the table:
Sprigs of spearmint (hung lui) and Asian/Thai basil (hung que)
Leaves of thorny cilantro (ngo gai)
Bean sprouts (about 1/2 pound)
Red hot chiles (such as Thai bird or dragon), thinly sliced
Lime wedges

Prepare the pho broth:

Char onion and ginger. Use an open flame on grill or gas stove. Place onions and ginger on cooking grate and let skin burn. (If using stove, turn on exhaust fan and open a window.) After about 15 minutes, they will soften and become sweetly fragrant. Use tongs to occasionally rotate them and to grab and discard any flyaway onion skin. You do not have to blacken entire surface, just enough to slightly cook onion and ginger.

Let cool. Under warm water, remove charred onion skin; trim and discard blackened parts of root or stem ends. If ginger skin is puckered and blistered, smash ginger with flat side of knife to loosen flesh from skin. Otherwise, use sharp paring knife to remove skin, running ginger under warm water to wash off blackened bits. Set aside.

Parboil bones. Place bones in stockpot (minimum 12-quart capacity) and cover with cold water. Over high heat, bring to boil. Boil vigorously 2 to 3 minutes to allow impurities to be released. Dump bones and water into sink and rinse bones with warm water. Quickly scrub stockpot to remove any residue. Return bones to pot.

Simmer broth. Add 6 quarts water to pot, bring to boil over high heat, then lower flame to gently simmer. Use ladle to skim any scum that rises to surface. Add remaining broth ingredients and cook, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours. Boneless meat should be slightly chewy but not tough. When it is cooked to your liking, remove it and place in bowl of cold water for 10 minutes; this prevents the meat from drying up and turning dark as it cools. Drain the meat; cool, then refrigerate. Allow broth to continue cooking; in total, the broth should simmer 3 hours.

Strain the pho broth through fine strainer. If desired, remove any bits of gelatinous tendon from bones to add to your pho bowl. Store tendon with cooked beef. Discard solids.

Use ladle to skim as much fat from top of the pho broth as you like. (Cool it and refrigerate it overnight to make this task easier; reheat befofe continuing.) Taste and adjust flavor with additional salt, fish sauce and yellow rock sugar. The pho broth should taste slightly too strong because the noodles and other ingredients are not salted. (If you've gone too far, add water to dilute.) Makes about 4 quarts.

Assemble pho bowls:

The key is to be organized and have everything ready to go. Thinly slice cooked meat. For best results, make sure it's cold.

Heat the pho broth and ready the noodles. To ensure good timing, reheat broth over medium flame as you're assembling bowls. If you're using dried noodles, cover with hot tap water and soak 15-20 minutes, until softened and opaque white. Drain in colander. For fresh rice noodles, just untangle and briefly rinse in a colander with cold water.

Blanch noodles. Fill 3- or 4-quart saucepan with water and bring to boil. For each bowl, use long-handle strainer to blanch a portion of noodles. As soon as noodles have collapsed and lost their stiffness (10-20 seconds), pull strainer from water, letting water drain back into saucepan. Empty noodles into bowls. Noodles should occupy 1/4 to 1/3 of bowl; the latter is for noodle lovers, while the former is for those who prize broth.

If desired, after blanching noodles, blanch bean sprouts for 30 seconds in same saucepan. They should slightly wilt but retain some crunch. Drain and add to the garnish plate.

Add other ingredients. Place slices of cooked meat, raw meat and tendon (if using) atop noodles. (If your cooked meat is not at room temperature, blanch slices for few seconds in hot water from above.) Garnish with onion, scallion and chopped cilantro. Finish with black pepper.

Ladle in broth and serve. Bring broth to rolling boil. Check seasoning. Ladle broth into each bowl, distributing hot liquid evenly so as to cook raw beef and warm other ingredients. Serve your pho with with the garnish plate.

Note: Yellow rock sugar (a.k.a. lump sugar) is sold in one-pound boxes at Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. Break up large chunks with hammer.

Variations: If you want to replicate the splendorous options available at pho shops, head to the butcher counter at a Vietnamese or Chinese market. There you'll find white cords of gan (beef tendon) and thin pieces of nam (outside flank, not flank steak). While tendon requires no preparation prior to cooking, nam should be rolled and tied with string for easy handling. Simmer it and the beef tendon in the cooking broth for two hours, or until chewy-tender.

Airy book tripe (sach) is already cooked when you buy it. Before using, wash and gently squeeze it dry. Slice it thinly to make fringe-like pieces to be added to the bowl during assembly. For beef meatballs (bo vien), purchase them in Asian markets in the refrigerator case; they are already precooked. Slice each one in half and drop into broth to heat through. When you're ready to serve, ladle them out with the broth to top each bowl.

Other pho recipes to explore:

Chicken pho (on this blog)
Chef Didier Corlou's (Hanoi pho seminar booklet)
Food writer Nicole Routhier's (RecipeSource.com)
Chef Emeril Lagasse's (Food Network)
30-minute version (Food Network, Gourmet)
Viet restaurateur Ha Guthrie's recipe (Spicelines.com blog)

Washoku Meet-Up

Sorry this post is a bit behind, next time I'll save a placeholder.

The pictures below plus more of the babies can be found here at Washoku pictures.

Full Kitchen

shrimp tempura
First Course - pureed corn soup, shrimp tempura, and nigri sushi

Second Course - sesame tofu

Pickled cabbage and seaweed side dishes

Third Course (Entree) - miso salmon, miso soup, rice, side dishes

Fourth Course (dessert) - Zensai Parfait

Sous chefs in the making

First course - Muc Rang Muoi (salt and pepper calamari)

Who doesn't like fried calamari? Since there is already a rice roll type of dish for the 2nd course we wanted to either do a salad or something fried (typical in Vietnamese appetizers). We decided to try this version of Vietnamese style fried calamari.

Note the recipe is in grams so it is helpful to get a kitchen digital scale which can be found cheaply in many places. If you don't already have one, a scale makes weighing ingredients so much more easier. It's the only way the pros cook (and bake!) :)

Recipe here:

http://www.vietnamese-recipes.com/vietnamese-recipes/seafood/salt-and-pepper-calamari.php

2nd Course: Banh Cuon

Banh Cuon is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes. Traditionally, these are steamed in a special pot lined with cloth, but this version is a more accessible and popular method used in home kitchens. This recipe is from Mai Ham’s Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table. -- Lee

Banh Cuon (Rice Rolls) -- stovetop method

Batter

• 1 1/2 cups rice flour
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 3 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon begetable oil

• plus extra for cooking and oiling sheet

Filling

• 1chopped
• 1/2 pound minced raw shrimp or ground pork
• 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1/2 yellow onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 3 tablespoons dried wood-ear mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, drained, chewy centers removed and finely
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Garnishes

• 3 cups bean sprouts, blanched in boiling water for 10 seconds
• 1/3 cup green perilla or red perilla (shiso), or mint leaves, cut in thirds
• 1/3 cup Asian basil leaves, cut in thirds
• 1/4 cup fried shallots
• 1 1/4 cups Light Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

1. Make the batter: Combine the rice flour, potato starch, water, salt and 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl and whisk until smooth. (The batter will be thin and watery.) Strain to remove any lumps and let stand for 30 minutes.
2. Make the filling: Placce the 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a skillet and heat over moderate heat. Add the shallots and stir for 10 seconds. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook until the onion bits are translucent and soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp, fish sauce, sugar and white pepper and stir until the shrimp turns pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Oil a cookie sheet and place it near the stove. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in an 8-inch nonstick pan over low heat. Use a paper towel or brush to distribute the oil evenly. Stir the batter thoroughly and ladle 2 1/2 tablespoons into the pan. Quickly swirl the pan so the batter completely covers the surface. The batter should set immediately upon contact. If it sizzles and develops bubbles beyond the edges, reduce the heat slightly and start again. Cover and cook until the rice sheet pulls away from the pan, 30 to 40 seconds. Invert the pan over the oiled cookie sheet and tap lightly to loosen the rice sheet. Rice flour settles to the bottom readily so it’s important to stir the batter vigorously before making each rice sheet. Also allow the pan to reheat for at least 1 minute between making a new rice sheet. Repeat until you have used up the batter. Do not stack the sheets. (After you get the hang of it, you may want to use two pans to expedite the process.) Let the rice sheets cool for 30 seconds, then proceed to stuff them.
4. To make the rolls, make a 1-inch fold from the bottom of the rice sheet and neatly place 1 1/2 teaspoons filling on top. Fold the sides over and roll into a cylinder about 2 1/2 inches long and 2/3 inch wide. Banh cuon can be made in advance up to this pint and stored in the refrigerator for 2 days.
5. To serve, divide the rice rolls among 4 plates. Top each plate with one-quarter of the bean sprouts and herbs, then garnish with fried shallots. Invite guests to drizzle several tablespoons of sauce on top before eating.

Bananas Foster: A Vietnamese Variation

Created at Brennan's restaurant in New Orleans in 1951, this classic dessert was named after loyal customer, Richard Foster, who served with Owen Edward Brennan on the New Orleans Crime Commission, a civic effort to clean up the French Quarter. Richard Foster, owner of the Foster Awning Company, was a frequent customer of Brennan's and a very good friend of Owen. Little did anyone realize that Bananas Foster would become an international favorite and is the most requested item on the restaurant's menu. Thirty-five thousand pounds of bananas are flamed each year at Brennan's in the preparation of its world-famous dessert.

In the traditional recipe, firm, ripe bananas are sautéed in a rum-infused caramel sauce, then flambéed in front of diners and spooned over vanilla ice cream. For our Vietnamese variation, we'll be pairing the bananas and rum-infused caramel sauce with Toasted Coconut ice cream topped with whipped cream, chopped peanuts, and cubed, Vietnamese Coffee Jelly.

Suggested Pairing:
Moscato d'Asti, Asti Spumante, Late Harvest Riesling, Sherry, Tawny Port, Madeira

Bananas Foster
Serving Size: 4 servings

• ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup banana liqueur
• 4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved
• ¼ cup dark rum
• 4 scoops Toasted Coconut Ice Cream
• Coffee Jelly Cubes
• Chopped Peanuts for topping
• Whipped Cream for topping

Preparation:

1. Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet.
2. Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
3. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan.
4. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum.
5. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum (Note: for extra pyrotechnics, throw a pinch of cinnamon onto the sauce as it flames.)
6. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and pair two pieces with each portion of ice cream.
7. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream, top with whipped cream, peanuts, and coffee jelly and serve immediately

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream (Kem Nước Cốt Dừa)
Serving Size: 1 pint

• 1 cup dried shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• Big pinch of salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, or 1 teaspoon rum

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring it frequently so it toasts evenly. Remove it from the oven when it’s nice and fragrant and golden brown.
2. In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, 1 cup of the heavy cream, sugar, and salt and add the toasted coconut. Use a paring knife and scrape all the vanilla seeds into the warm milk, then add the pod as well. Cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
3. Rewarm the coconut-infused mixture. Set a mesh strainer over another medium saucepan and strain the coconut-infused liquid through the strainer into the saucepan. Press down on the coconut very firmly with a flexible rubber spatula to extract as much of the flavor from it as possible. Remove the vanilla bean halves (rinse and reserve them for another use), and discard the coconut.
4. Pour the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into a large bowl and set the mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm coconut-infused mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
5. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Mix in the vanilla or rum and stir over an ice bath until cool.
6. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Coffee Jelly (Thạch Cà Phê)
Serving Size: 4 servings

• 2 cups Vietnamese coffee
• 1 tablespoon gelatin powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons water
  

Preparation:

1. Mix the gelatin powder and the water in a small cup.
2. Put the coffee, sugar, and the gelatin in a sauce pan.
3. Stir well over low heat until the sugar and gelatin dissolve.
4. Strain the mixture and pour into ice cube trays or a square container (if used for a topping) or serving cups if the jelly will be served directly from the container.
   
5. Cool the jelly in the refrigerator until it is set.
6. Serve by cutting into smaller cubes if used for a topping or directly from the container topped with whipped cream or condensed milk.

Recipe Sources:
Brennan's New Orleans, by Chef Paul Blangé
The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz
About.com Recipes, by Setsuko Yoshizuka

Additional Resources:

• A Very Different Kind of Coffee Cake, Salon Magazine
  
• High-Tech Vietnamese Coffee, VietWorld Kitchen
• 100 Vietnamese Foods to Try, Wandering Chopsticks
• Vietnamese Recipes, Wandering Chopsticks

Photos from Washoku Club Meeting.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnjoh/sets/72157625047427582/

You had me at Zenzai. Washoku dessert: Zensai Parfait.

From the Washoku cookbook by Elizabeth Andoh: "I top a scoop of green tea ice cream with a shower of crunchy corn flakes (trust me on this - it works) and a spoonful of warm, chunky bean jam (think hot fudge sauce), repeat the order, and then top the whole thing off with a dollop of whipped cream and a bright yellow chestnut."

To make the green tea ice cream, we needed matcha powder, but only found bags with a combination of leaves and powder.

So we improvised and used a sifter to get the amount of powder needed.

Boiled some simple syrup and mixed a small amount to the tea powder and then to the entire pot of simple syrup.

Strained the powder + simple syrup mixture into a mixture of milk and cream.
Mixture went into the ice cream maker and voila, home-made green tea ice cream 30 min later. We liked how using the tea leaves and powder combo left some speckles in the ice cream, similar to vanilla bean ice cream.
Starting the red bean jam

After several rinses with fresh water plus boiling/reducing (minimum 3 times) with the addition of brown and white sugar and a dash of light soy sauce, we finally had our puree 2+ hours later. You can tell it's the right consistency when you can draw a line down the middle with a spoon.

The rest was simply assembly: green tea ice cream, red bean jam, cornflakes, repeat, then topped with home-made whipped cream (which we made but didn't take pictures of) with the finaly topping of a sugary glazed chestnut (purchased in a glass jar from a Japanese market).

Overall a tasty, refreshing and light dish with multiple layers of flavor and texture. Would definitely make the green tea ice cream again, but not sure the red bean jam was worth the effort. I'd probably purchase it if making this again. It would cut down the time in the kitchen by more than half!

Washoku Round-Up

TBD _e.t.y

Miso-Marinated Broiled Black Cod & Ling Cod

Miso-Marinated Broiled Black Cod & Ling Cod.

This is one of my favorite Japanese dishes, so I am excited to see that it's on the cooking club menu! Since Andrew and Agnes both made the dish and both questioned the necessity of the cheesecloth, I thought we should try it without the cloth to see whether it made a difference. We bought 2 pieces of black cod and 2 pieces of ling cod.We used the zest of two meyer lemons (a little more than 1/2 T zest), 1/4 cup mirn, and then..... recipe calls for 2-3 cups of sweet, light miso? It's 6:30pm on Friday night and John's parents are coming over, so we are going to work with what we've got. I added our miso paste, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, and mixed into the marinade. About 3 teaspoons and it tasted about right, but we will find out Sunday =)

Lot of learning today:

The recipe calls to broil on shallow alluminum pan or broiler pan. I used a baking sheet and it warped in the oven! Once cooled, it straightened back out, but that was a first.

I forgot to scrape away marinade and just put the pan with marinated fish straight into the broiler. At 2.5 minutes, there was smoke coming from the oven. I went to check on it and noticed the marinade was scorched on the sheet and the fish was browned. I flipped the fish and set the timer for another 3 minutes. Less than 2 minutes into it, our smoke detector let us know that dinner was ready =/

I think if you marinate the fish the 6 hours or more, I would use the cheesecloth to keep the moisture and balance. I am still not sure whether it is necessary for the impatient method, but it can't hurt.

Great dish and potentially easy to make. I am keeping this a a go-to recipe for fish. I love flavor and texture of miso-marinated fish, and love how it works with so many different types of fish.

Salted and Drying out the Fish.

Lemon Zest.

Adding the Lemon Zest to the Marinade.

Broiling the Fish.

Warped Pan.

Broiled Fish.

Plated Miso-Marinated Broiled Fish.