Blog - Flying Fourchette

Appetizer Main course Recipes Vegetarian

Cheddar and Potato Soup

January 25, 2013

As frigid temperatures and bitter cold winds have taken over the Northeast these past few days, I can hardly think of a better time to whip up a big pot of cheesy soup to warm me from the inside out. I could honestly eat any kind of soup every day during wintertime but right now calls for some serious decadence and this Cheddar and Potato soup really fits the bill.

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this sumptuous soup so don’t skimp on them, i.e. get a really good cheddar and buy fresh sage as they are both crucial to the dish’s flavor. The result is a thick and creamy potato base in which you scatter to your liking chunks of cheddar cheese, a unique and playful way to enjoy this popular duo. You can be as liberal or stingy as you wish with the cheese (I’m definitely of the former camp!) which gives you control over the richness of the soup, though any way you decide to go it’ll still end up being the rich and super comforting solution to your winter blues. Now all you have to do is fill a big bowl, grab a piece of thick bread, and go hide under the covers until the storm passes…

Cheddar and Potato Soup

Recipe from the restaurant Alias in New York

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Makes 4 servings

2 cups milk

1 qt heavy cream

8 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

½ tablespoon kosher salt

½ lb aged cheddar cheese

10 fresh sage leaves

Fresh cracked black pepper

Pour milk and cream into a saucepan. Add potatoes and kosher salt and bring to a steady simmer (never boil the potatoes).

When the potatoes are fork tender, strain and save liquid.

Mash potatoes and add milk and cream back (use potato masher or blender). The texture should coat the back of a spoon.

Chunk up cheese with a fork so they are about ½-inch chunks and cut sage into strips.

Presentation

Pour soup into 4 warm shallow soup bowls until about ¼ inch below rim. Add cheese around the bowl liberally (you should see the chunks). Sprinkle each bowl with sage and grind fresh black pepper over the entire soup.

[print_link]

2 Comments

Main course Recipes

Apricot-Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

January 21, 2013

While the world seems to have chosen the wings as their favorite chicken parts to snack on, I’ve always preferred the humble drumstick. From my days as a kid eagerly scooping them out of the bucket of KFC to today’s more grown-up versions I make at home, their superiority is still unrivalled. Let’s be honest, they require a lot less work, are a lot less messy to eat, are pretty cheap and their huge chunks of fatty meat makes them really hard to overcook.

Instead of the usual BBQ sauce, this recipe is packed with classic Asian sweet and tangy flavors and is a perfect make-ahead dinner. Let them marinate overnight and just pop them in the oven when you’re ready. Apricot preserves are the secret weapon for making quick and tasty glazed chicken drumsticks (or wings or breasts…you could use it on anything here, even pork). The chicken ends up nicely charred and moist, fall off the bones tender with a rich, deep flavor which will pair nicely with some steamed broccoli florets, spinach, or green beans.

Apricot-Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

Recipe from Gourmet Magazine

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 9½ hours

Makes 8 servings

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (2 large)
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
2/3 cup soy sauce
1½ cup apricot preserves
16 chicken drumsticks (4 1/2 pounds)

Cook shallots and ginger in oil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar and boil until reduced by about half, about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, preserves, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

Purée sauce in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then cool to room temperature.

Divide chicken between 2 large sealable bags and pour marinade over chicken. Seal bags, pressing out excess air, and marinate, chilled, turning bag over occasionally, at least 8 hours (can be marinated up to 24 hours).

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Line a 17- by 12-inch shallow heavy baking pan with 2 slightly overlapping sheets of foil, then lightly oil foil. Arrange chicken (with marinade) in 1 layer in pan.

Roast chicken, turning once, until deep brown, cooked through, and glazed, about 40 minutes total.

[print_link]

New York Restaurants

La Vara, Brooklyn

January 15, 2013

I’m always a little hesitant when it comes to reviewing fantastic restaurants in my neighborhood, but as much as I’d like to keep La Vara to myself, looks like the word is already out as shown by the small crowds lining the sidewalk on Clinton street most nights. One more tapas restaurant rarely seems like something to write about unless it serves something so distinct and unique you have to travel ‘all the way to Brooklyn’ to see what the fuss is about.

Jewish-Spanish cuisine is, I must admit, something I’m really not familiar with and La Vara is on its way to putting it on the culinary map. It’s not especially daunting as you’ll still recognize a few of your favorite dishes but it feels special enough to make you want to know more about the history of medieval Jewish and Islamic cuisines that existed in southern Spain a long time ago as you bite into the excellent Moorish fare.

What’s daunting though is the menu. Its sheer size lists anything from bites, breads, fried stuff, cold dishes, hot plates, salads, etc. and that’s not including the 6-8 specials every day which means only one thing: you should come here with a group to sample as much as you can. Trust the owners of Txikito and El Quinto Pino in Manhattan to bring their fearless cooking and love of Spain amongst the beautiful brownstones of cutesy Cobble Hill and whatever you order will be a memorable trip, even better washed down with their homemade sangria…

A special salad of sauteed green beans, serrano ham, and chopped eggs

Coca de Cebes – sweet onion and blue goat cheese on Mallorcan flat bread

Alcachofa – fried artichokes paired with a creamy anchovy aioli

Ajo Blanco – scallop tartare is garnished tableside with white gazpacho made from Marcona almonds

Berenjena con miel – crispy eggplant with honey, melted cheese, nigella seed

Another daily special – fried bread, chorizo, grapes

Albondigas (lamb meatballs) with mint yogurt

Fideúa with clams, squid, and shrimp

Spanish goats milk cheese with candied squash

Natillas De Arroz Con Leche – cinnamon-rose and rice scented custard with grapefruit and rosemary

Egipcio – orange blossom scented date walnut tart, lemon curd, sweet cream

La Vara

268 Clinton Street

Brooklyn, NY 11201

T: (718) 422-0065

map

Appetizer Breakfast / Brunch Recipes

Pork Cretons and Rillettes

January 10, 2013

Having just gotten back from a short trip home in Quebec in sub-zero temperatures and a massive snow storm (20 inches in one day!), no wonder I’ve been craving all kinds of comfy food that reminds me of home in the wintertime. I could have made a number of things such as tourtière or ragoût de boulettes, but somehow the idea of cooking up a batch of homemade pâté on a lazy afternoon while enjoying the last few days of my Christmas tree and festively decked out apartment seemed a lot more appropriate.

Cretons are probably the favorite spread of Quebecois all over, usually eaten at breakfast but enjoyable any time. They’re essentially a pork spread, delicious served on toast or crackers and can even make a decent sandwich, any way you like. They’re similar in ingredients to French style rillettes, the main difference being in the way they’re finished: one by hand (rillettes) and the other by machine (cretons), resulting in two very different texture and taste. I do love a bit of variety so how perfect that I found a recipe that would combine the two!

Surprisingly, they’re incredibly simple to make and the only thing you need to consider is the time investment (i.e. better done on a weekend). Essentially you’ll be slow-cooking a pork shoulder in a flavorful broth and then reducing the broth to bind the cooked meat together, easy. Traditionally some lard is added to the pot, leaving the pork to poach in its own fat, though we’ve omitted this step here, making a lighter version for those post-holidays resolutions!

What you’ll end up with is two versions of unctuous ‘pig jam’, tasting nothing but pure, unadulterated pork and leaving you with only the tough decision of choosing between the creamy cretons or rustic and coarser rillettes…or why not mix the two! They’re better served at room temperature, and adding a bit of onion jam or any other sweet fruit jam or jelly as topping is always a good idea. Make them for yourself when you’re in need of some old fashioned French fare, or better yet serve them at your next dinner party – it’s crazy how a simple pot of homemade rillettes will get you impressed stares on a ‘I can’t believe you made this’ level.

Pork Rillettes

Adapted from ‘Cuisine Revisitee’ by Ian Perreault

Active time: 45 minutes

Total time: 8 hours

Makes 12 servings as an appetizer

1kg pork shoulder, cut into big pieces

250g mirepoix (finely diced celery, carrots, onions, leeks)

2 bay leaves

10 black peppercorns

4 juniper berries

½ bunch of fresh thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste

50ml extra virgin olive oil

Juice of two oranges

*Optional:

50ml hazelnut oil

80g powdered, roasted hazelnuts

Put all of the ingredients (except for the hazelnut oil and powdered hazelnuts if using) in a large saucepan.

Add water up to 7.5cm (3 inches) above the meat. Cook for about 3 hours over medium heat while regularly skimming the surface to remove impurities.

Remove the cooked pieces of meat from the saucepan and finely shred them, discarding the fat. Set aside.

Skim the broth and reduce to about 1/6 of its original quantity, slowly, while regularly skimming the surface.

Mix the reduced broth with the meat in a mixing bowl (you might not need the entire broth but make sure the meat is very moist and tender). Season to taste with salt and pepper and store in a plastic container for a minimum of 4 hours. They are then ready to be eaten!

If you want to try a different texture, put half of the prepared rillettes in a food processor with the hazelnut oil and powdered hazelnuts. Mix well until very smooth and serve with a good baguette.

[print_link]

2 Comments

Main course Recipes Vegetarian

Spaghetti with Caramelized Onions and Yogurt

January 5, 2013

Still basking in the souvenirs from my recent trip to the Middle East, I find myself looking for unusual tastes to transport me back somehow. While their cuisine is one of sunshine, mezze, and exotic spices, it’s easier than one think to incorporate some of it into a winter appropriate comfort dish.

Few people have ever seen the combination of pasta and yogurt before, a classic and delicious pairing in Lebanese, Turkish, and Greek cuisines. Thick yogurt gives creaminess without the fat and calories of a cream-based sauce and the caramelized onions round out the depth and richness of the dish, which can be consumed hot or at room temperature. This is a healthy, easy to make meal and a great way to put a Middle Eastern twist to your usual spaghetti dinner.

Spaghetti with Caramelized Onions and Yogurt

Recipe from Martha Stewart’s Living Magazine

Active and Total time: 1h30

Makes 6 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 pounds onions, halved and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti
3/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 cups plain low-fat yogurt

Combine oil, onions, thyme, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large saute pan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and golden brown, about 1 1/2 hours. If the pan becomes dry, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent onions from burning.

Add wine, and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. When wine has evaporated, remove pan from heat; discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta; cook until al dente. Drain. Stir pasta, parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt into onions; season with pepper.