Florae

floræ

RECIPES BY M AX HU L L PHOTOGRAPHY BY C L AU DIA M AK

how to use this book All butter is salted All milk is whole All ingredients are fresh (i.e., not dried) All mayo is Kewpie All salt is Diamond Crystal kosher All olive oil is extra virgin Unless otherwise specified.

SALADS G R IL L ED R OM AIN E SAL AD R ADISH SAL AD G R IL L ED TOM ATO PAN Z AN EL L A B EET AN D G R IL L ED PEACH SAL AD

grilled romaine salad INGR E D I EN TS FOR THE ROMAINE

4 heads romaine 1/4 C mayo salt to taste FOR THE RAMP RANCH

1 C ramp leaves 2 sprigs parsley 1 Tbsp dijon 1/2 C sour cream 1 C buttermilk 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/4 C mayo salt to taste lemon juice to taste TO FINISH

grilled romaine Grana Padano ramp ranch

This is a great spring or early summer salad that takes advantage of the fact that it’s finally pleasant to grill outside again. The flavor of the grill along with the creamy dressing and sharp rich flavor of the ramps make this a satisfying salad, but it’s still light enough to have as an accompaniment to a meal or as a side dish.

Y I E L DS 4 POR T ION S

PR O C E DU RE

TO GRILL THE LETTUCE Preheat your grill. I favor charcoal for this job, but any fuel will work. Meanwhile, cut your heads of romaine in half lengthwise and wash and dry thoroughly.

Using a pastry brush or your fingers, spread cut sides of the lettuce generously with the mayo.

When your grill is hot, grill your lettuce cut side down until you have some nice marks and the lettuce has just barely started to wilt. Briefly touch the lettuce to the grill on the non-cut side, then remove from the grill and season to taste.

TO MAKE THE RAMP RANCH Blanch the ramp and parsley leaves for 15 seconds then shock. Once cool, remove the herbs from the ice and squeeze out as much water as you can.

In a blender, combine blanched herbs with remaining ingredients except salt and lemon juice. Blend on high until smooth and light green in color (about 2 minutes).

Season to taste with salt and lemon.

TO PLATE Spread a little ramp ranch on the bottom of four plates, then open up the leaves of the lettuce while still keeping them intact and spread a little ramp ranch in between the leaves. Place two halves of a romaine head on each plate, cut side up. Finish with a little more ramp ranch on top, and shaved Grana Padano.

NB, To be more soigné dress the lettuce with ranch and cheese on a separate tray, then move them to the dressed plate.

4

radish salad INGR E D I EN TS FOR THE SALAD

1 lb. watermelon radishes 1 poblano pepper 1 medium shallot 3 scallion greens

This is a hearty and refreshing salad that shines any time of year. In order for it to be its best, look for really great and fresh radishes.

Thankfully these can be found without too much trouble all year round.

The inspiration for this salad came from the unassailably fantastic Thai condiment nam prik.

Y I E L DS 4 -8 SER VIN G S

FOR THE DRESSING

PR O C E DU RE

2 limes 1 Tbsp nam prik ž cup olive oil

FOR THE SALAD

TO FINISH

salt to taste sugar to taste prepped salad vegetables prepped dressing mint and / or cilantro edible gold shimmer

Julienne the radishes, pepper, shallot, and scallion greens, then mix in bowl.

FOR THE DRESSING Zest the limes, then cut them in half and juice one and a half of them into a bowl. Add zest and nam prik to bowl, then whisk while drizzling in the olive oil.

TO FINISH Mix the dressing with the julienned vegetables, and season to taste with salt and sugar. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight. To plate, allow salad to drain for a few seconds before heaping it onto a plate. Arrange strands of julienned vegetables in one direction. Finish with herbs and gold.

NB, Any variety of radish will work for this salad, but watermelon radishes make for an impressive presentation. The gold shimmer is very optional, but life is only as fun as you make it.

6

grilled tomato panzanella INGR E D I EN TS FOR THE SALAD

2 slices crusty bread (1" thick) 2 tomatoes 2 Tbsp mayo 6" length green garlic 8 oz. fresh mozzarella Âź C cream salt to taste TO FINISH

Âź C olive oil 1 Tbsp squash seed oil 2 Tbsp basil chiffonade smoked finishing salt to taste pepper to taste

One of the most delicious salads around. The real key to this dish is the quality of your ingredients. Find the best bread, tomatoes, olive oil, mozzarella and cream you can. Ideally the tomatoes should be about baseball sized, perfectly ripe, never refrigerated, and acidic enough to carry the salad without the need for vinegar.

Y I E L DS 4 SER VIN G S

PR O C E DU RE

FOR THE SALAD Cut the tomatoes into 1"-thick slices, bisect the green garlic lengthwise, and spread Mayo onto the cut sides of the tomato slices, green garlic, and bread slices. Season to taste with salt.

Grill the tomatoes, green garlic, and bread over a hot grill until you have a light char on all ingredients. Allow to cool.

Pull the mozzarella into strands, and dress it with the cream and season to taste with salt.

TO FINISH Cut the bread and tomatoes into 1" cubes. Cut the green garlic into fine slices.

Arrange the tomatoes and bread on a chilled plate along with the green garlic and dressed mozzarella. Dress with the oils and a generous amount of black pepper. Pick and tear the basil leaves over the salad and finish with the smoked salt to taste.

NB, There is a small window during which green garlic and tomatoes may be in season together. Make this salad then, or preserve green garlic from earlier in the year. Two 1" thick slices of bread should be about as much bread as you would need for two meal-sized sandwiches.

8

beet and grilled peach salad A pretty and refreshing summer salad balanced with just a touch of bitterness from the praline. You can mix all the ingredients together with the dressing like a normal salad, but if you have the opportunity I recommend plating it piece by piece and drizzling dressing over top. I find in this case the flavors shine best if you can taste them individually.

YI ELD S 8 -10 SE R V I N GS

IN G R EDIEN T S FOR THE BEETS

6 medium beets oil to coat salt to taste FOR THE GRILLED PEACHES

2 medium peaches 1 Tbsp mayo FOR THE PRALINE PASTE

125 g blanched almonds 125 g sugar pinch salt FOR THE DRESSING

Âź C praline paste 2 Tbsp lemon juice Âź C neutral oil TO FINISH

roasted beets grilled peaches dressing opal basil parsley salt to taste pepper to taste

11

PRO CED UR E

FOR THE ROASTED BEETS

TO FINISH

Coat beets with oil and salt, wrap in aluminum foil, and roast at 400°F until tender (~1 hour). Peel beets when cool enough to handle. Allow to finish cooling

If mixing all together: cut beets and peaches into bite-sized pieces, dress with praline dressing until well coated. Finish with picked basil leaves, and chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

FOR THE GRILLED PEACHES

If plating individually: cut the beets and peaches into various shapes (cubes, batons, thin slices), and season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle a plate with a little dressing and arrange the peaches and beets around the plate, using the variations in cuts to create some height and dynamism in the plating. Finish with a little more dressing on top as well as picked basil leaves, and parsley stems cut into 1.5" lengths, then cut in half lengthwise.

Cut peaches in half, and remove pits. Brush a thin layer of mayo on the cut sides of the peaches and grill over a hot grill until cut sides of peaches are well charred. Allow to cool.

FOR THE PRALINE PASTE Roast almonds in 300°F oven for 15 minutes, and allow to cool. Heat the sugar in a saucepan until it creates a dark brown caramel. Stir in roasted almonds, and lay out on lined baking sheet. Allow to cool. Break into pieces, and process in a food processor or blender until it becomes a smooth paste.

NB, Praline, praline, praline, pray-lEEeEeen I’m beggin’ of you please don’t take my man. If you can’t be bothered to make your own praline paste, it can be purchased ready-made.

FOR THE DRESSING Mix praline paste, and lemon juice in a bowl, then gradually whisk in neutral oil to emulsify.

12

SNACKS DR ESSED R ICOT TA G UACAM OL E ELOT E SH ISH ITOS

dressed ricotta INGR E D I EN TS FOR THE RICOTTA

½ gallon non-UHT milk ¼ C lemon juice 1 tsp salt TO FINISH

2 slices crusty bread 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp maple syrup 1" length rhubarb oxalis leaves oxalis flowers violets wild chamomile fronds allium flowers garlic mustard leaves garlic mustard flowers

This is a beautiful little snack and a great addition to any dip plate.

Since this dish is incredibly simple, the quality of your end result is pretty much entirely up to the quality of your ingredients; get the best milk, bread, and maple syrup you can.

Y I E L DS 2 CU P S R ICOT TA

PR O C E DU RE

FOR THE RICOTTA Slowly warm milk to 200°F in a large pot. Remove from heat and gently stir in lemon juice and salt. Let sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Strain through a cheesecloth lined strainer. Let the curds drain until cheese has reached the desired consistency.

TO FINISH Toast the bread in a pan with the olive oil over low heat until golden and crispy.

Cut toast into dippable strips. Place a scoop of ricotta into a bowl and make a depression in the center. Fill the depression with the maple syrup. Slice the rhubarb very thin on a bias and decorate the rim with the slices, herbs, and flowers.

NB, Don’t worry if you can’t find all the finishing ingredients; any herbs and flowers of the moment will work fine. You can infuse the milk with flavor before curdling it to get a nicely flavored ricotta. For the maple syrup I use Very Dark Strong from Bobo’s Mountain Sugar, but you can use whatever real maple syrup you like. The more whey you leave in the curd the faster it will spoil, but it can dry too much.

16

guacamole INGR E D I EN TS FOR THE GUACAMOLE

4 avocados 2 limes 2 shallots 1 serrano ½ C rough chop cilantro FOR THE TORTILLA CHIPS

10 corn tortillas neutral oil for deep frying salt to taste TO FINISH

guacamole tortilla chips

This is a pretty good recipe for guacamole. In my opinion.

Y I E L DS 4 C U P S

PR O C E DU RE

FOR THE GUACAMOLE Zest one lime into a medium mixing bowl then add the shallots, minced; chillies, minced; cilantro, chopped and a few pinches of salt. Juice the limes directly into the bowl then, using a potato masher, mash ingredients together. Set aside while you dice the avocado.

Add diced avocado to the bowl along with a couple more pinches of salt. Mash the avocado until it achieves the desired consistency, and mix to make sure it is well combined. Season to taste, and set aside with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole until it is ready to use.

FOR THE TORTILLA CHIPS Heat neutral oil to 375°F. Meanwhile cut tortillas radially into 4-6 wedges depending on your chip size preference. Fry until golden and crispy, then drain and season to taste with salt.

TO FINISH Place guacamole and chips in respective serving vessels of your choice. If you used a molcajete you can serve right out of that.

NB, If you have a mortar and pestle or traditional molcajete you can use that to mash the ingredients together for an even better result. To scale this recipe for a party or get-together use one avocado per person, and the juice of half a lime per avocado. If you don’t feel like making your own tortilla chips you can put store bought ones in a single layer on a sheet tray and toast in a 375°F oven for five minutes. The improvement is considerable.

18

elote shishitos INGR E D I EN TS FOR THE CORN SAUCE

1 ear sweet corn 1 Tbsp mayo + extra for corn 4 Tbsp butter 1 lime salt to taste

This is a fun take on the legendary Mexican street food. Perfect for high summer, this dish takes advantage of peak season for both sweet corn and shishito peppers. It’s one of my favorite creations in this book and it works as a snack, a side dish, or an appetizer. Bring some to your next cookout!

Y I E L DS 2 - 4 SER VIN G S

PR O C E DU RE

FOR THE GRILLED SHISHITOS

20 shishito peppers mayo to coat salt to taste TO FINISH

1 tsp chilli powder ¼ C cotija ½ tsp lime zest 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

FOR THE CORN SAUCE Brush a layer of mayo all over the corn, and grill over a hot grill until lightly charred all over. Allow to cool, then cut all the kernels off the cob, harvest the juice from the cob and combine with the kernels in a blender. Zest the lime to use for finishing, and juice into the blender. Add the mayo to the blender and blend on high until very smooth. Reduce speed to low and add the butter one tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt and pass sauce through a fine mesh strainer.

FOR THE GRILLED SHISHITOS Toss the shishitos together with the mayo and salt, then grill over a hot grill until lightly charred and blistered.

TO FINISH Spread a thin layer of corn sauce on the bottom of a plate. Arrange a layer of grilled shishitos along sauce side to side with all the stems facing the same way.

Top with another layer of sauce and shishitos. Continue until you have used all the shishitos. Top with a final layer of sauce, then finely crumble the cotija over and finish with the chilli powder, lime zest, and cilantro NB, Very fresh chilli powder is a nice touch here. You could even grind your own from your favorite dried chilies.

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VEGGIE PLATES R ISOT TO PR IM AVER A R OAST ED CAU L IFLOWER YU X IAN G EG G PL AN T T U R N IP AN D SU N CH OKE SOU P CAR R OT TAR T

risotto primavera Risotto is an incredibly versatile dish. It’s rich and creamy with a luxurious texture, but since it has little flavor of its own it can be a perfect showcase for whatever ingredients you use. For this reason I like to use risotto to show off the delicate and verdant flavors in spring. Since spring vegetables are often so tender and sweet they really shine with very light, simple cooking. Since they are the focal point of this dish I like to make sure I’m keeping them at their best by cooking them individually and adding them to the risotto near the end of cooking.

YI ELD S 4 SE R V I N GS

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IN G R EDIEN T S FOR THE VEGETABLE

FOR THE VEGETABLES

STOCK

3 medium onions 30 g kombu 10 dried shiitake 1 large carrot 1 stalk celery ¼ orange with peel 6 black peppercorns ¼ C parsley 3 qt water

¾ C shelled English peas 1 C sugar snap peas 6 spring onion bulbs 2 baby summer squash 1 small bulb fennel with fronds ½ C cleaned fava beans ½ C butter ¼ C veg stock salt to taste

FOR THE RISOTTO

TO FINISH

3 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion 1 medium shallot 2 cloves garlic 2 C carnaroli rice 1 C dry white wine 6 Tbsp butter 2 C grated Grana Padano salt to taste pepper to taste

risotto cooked vegetables salt to taste pepper to taste olive oil ¼ C picked fennel fronds to taste

PRO CED UR E

FOR THE VEGETABLE STOCK Cut ingredients into large chunks and add them to a pot with the water. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the kombu. Simmer 35 minutes more then strain. Keep warm on stove.

FOR THE RISOTTO Fine dice the onion, mince the shallot and garlic. Sweat the onion and shallot in a large saute pan with the olive oil. When soft add garlic, and sweat for one minute longer. Add the rice and toast over medium heat for five minutes. Deglaze with the wine and reduce to sec stirring occasionally. Add 2 cups of warm stock to rice and simmer over low, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed.

Repeat process with 1 cup stock at a time until rice is cooked al dente. Add butter and cheese and stir until incorporated. Adjust viscosity with stock if needed. Season to taste.

FOR THE VEGETABLES To prep the vegetables, de-string the sugar snap peas and slice on a bias into ½"-thick pieces; quarter the spring onion bulbs lengthwise; oblique cut the summer squash; quarter

the fennel bulb, cut out its core, then cut into thin slices; and pick some fennel fronds for garnish. Warm the stock up to a bare simmer then mount in the butter. Cook each vegetable by adding to the pan along with some salt, and stirring or swirling continuously until just barely tender.

When done drain thoroughly. Reuse the mounted butter sauce to cook all the vegetables. Set aside.

TO FINISH Mix the vegetables into the risotto over low heat. Adjust seasoning if needed. Plate in a single layer, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and the fennel fronds.

NB, My constellation of vegetables for this dish is based on what was available at the market the week I made it, but this dish will be stellar with just about any combination of spring vegetables, so I encourage you to make it with whatever is at its best at any given moment even if you can’t find the exact items used. If you don’t have everything for the stock it will still be plenty delicious with only mirepoix, even store bought is fine. Carnaroli rice is my personal favorite risotto rice, but you can use arborio, sushi rice, or really any short grain rice. For a final touch of brightness consider finishing each plate with a bit of microplaned lemon zest.

26

roasted cauliflower For this dish I wanted to evoke the comforting flavors of broccoli with cheese sauce. This version has just a few changes to make it a little more interesting and, I hope, delicious. I like the combination of textures you get from roasting the cauliflower whole, and the crispy crumble is a welcome addition as a contrast to the rich silky cheese sauce. The sodium citrate is an ingredient most people don’t keep on hand, but if you like melting cheese into things it is a very solid investment.

YI ELD S 4 PO R T I O N S

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IN G R EDIEN T S FOR THE ROASTED

FOR THE CRUMBLE

CAULIFLOWER

1 C panko 2 cloves garlic oil to coat ½ C glaze salt to taste

2 heads romanesco cauliflower 1 C clarified butter ¾ C glaze FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE

1 C milk 1 C cheese of preference (cheddar, taleggio, gruyère, etc.)

1/2 tsp sodium citrate salt to taste pepper to taste FOR THE GLAZE:

¾ C hoisin ¼ C nam prik 2 Tbsp soy sauce 8 dashes fish sauce 2 Tbsp mirin 1 Tbsp rice vinegar

FOR THE PARSLEY OIL

1 bunch parsley 1 C neutral oil TO FINISH

1 slice glazed roasted cauliflower ¼ C crumble ½ C cheese sauce 2-3 Tbsp parsley oil

PRO CED UR E

FOR THE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER Heat the oven to 375°F. Trim the cauliflower of its leaves and any blemishes. Cut the stalk leaving 1" below florets.

Heat clarified butter in a skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Make a foil ring 1"-thick, and 5" in diameter and set on the bottom of the pan. Place the cauliflower in the ring so it’s standing up straight. Baste the cauliflower with the butter until the top is deep golden, then drain the butter and place pan in the oven to roast until almost tender (~40 min.). Remove from the oven, and spread glaze all over the cauliflower. Return to the oven and roast for ten minutes longer.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for ten minutes before slicing into inch thick cross sections.

FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE Bring milk to a simmer while you cut or shred cheese. Add cheese and sodium citrate to hot milk and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

FOR THE GLAZE Mix to combine.

FOR THE CRUMBLE Heat oven to 375°F. Finely mince garlic, then mix with remaining ingredients. Spread out on lined sheet tray into a layer about a 1/2"-thick. Bake, stirring occasionally, until panko is golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

FOR THE PARSLEY OIL Blanch, shock, and squeeze dry the parsley. Combine in a blender with the oil. Blend on high until completely homogenous. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, retaining solids in the strainer. When finished draining pour oil back through solids. Once oil has finished second pass through strainer, store in refrigerator.

TO FINISH Take a slice of glazed roasted cauliflower, and cover top with crumble then invert onto plate. Stir together the cheese sauce with the parsley oil until barely mixed. Oil should be very visible. Pour cheese sauce and parsley oil over cauliflower NB, To be more soigné pour the sauce for the diner table-side.

30

yu xiang eggplant INGR E D I EN TS FOR THE EGGPLANT

600 g Japanese eggplants (1–2 large) salt to coat neutral oil for deep-frying 1 ½ Tbsp Sichuan chilli bean paste (pixian doubanjiang) 1 ½ Tbsp garlic 1 Tbsp fresh ginger ½ C veg stock 4 tsp sugar 1 tsp light soy sauce 2 dashes fish sauce ¾ tsp potato starch 1 Tbsp water 1 Tbsp chinkiang vinegar 6 scallion greens TO FINISH

cooked eggplant reserved scallion greens steamed rice

This is one of my all time favorite dishes, and definitely my favorite use of this type of eggplant. The name translates roughly to “fish fragrant eggplant,” and though the dish traditionally contains no fish (the name is a reference to the ginger, garlic, and chillies that are a common flavoring of Sichuan fish preparations) I like to add a couple dashes of fish sauce as a wink at the name. Oh, and also because fish sauce is amazing and belongs in pretty much every savory dish.

Y I E L DS 4 S ER VIN G S

PR O C E DU RE

FOR THE EGGPLANT Cut the eggplant into 2" batons, or oblique cuts. Toss with just enough salt to coat and set aside for 30 minutes. Meanwhile mince the garlic and ginger, thinly slice the scallion greens on a bias, and mix the potato starch with the one tablespoon of water.

Rinse and drain eggplant, pat dry. In a wok heat the oil to 390°F and deep fry eggplant until tender and barely golden. Remove eggplant from wok and allow to drain on a wire rack. Work in batches.

Pour off all but a few tablespoons of the oil and return to medium heat. Fry the chilli bean paste until oil is red. Add garlic and ginger and stir fry until fragrant.

Add veg stock, sugar, soy, and fish sauce. Add the eggplant and simmer for two minutes. Stir the slurry then add to the wok bit by bit, allowing to thicken before adding next dose, until sauce has reached desired consistency. Add all but a handful of the scallion greens TO FINISH Plate the eggplant in a warm bowl and top with remaining scallion greens. Serve with steamed rice.

NB, If you don’t keep potato starch stocked cornstarch is a fine substitute. The veg stock used should be made with only mirepoix, mushrooms, and kombu; no herbs or spices. If you don’t own a wok any saute pan or skillet will work okay.

32

turnip sunchoke soup INGR E D I EN TS FOR THE SOUP

1 small onion, diced 1 C sunchokes 4 small hakurei turnips, diced 4 C chicken stock 6 Tbsp butter salt to taste pepper to taste FOR THE BASIL OIL

2 C tightly packed basil neutral oil to cover FOR THE BRIOCHE CROUTONS

1" thick slice brioche 3 Tbsp butter small pinch salt TO FINISH

soup croutons basil oil 1 small tomato, large dice 1 slice smoked salmon, torn 5 parsley leaves

I love the nuttiness you get from the sunchokes in this soup, and the turnips add just a little bit of sweetness along with their light vegetal flavor. The brioche and smoked salmon make this soup a bit of an indulgence, and the basil oil balances the profile with its assertive herbaceous punch.

Y I E L DS 1. 5 Q UAR T S OF SOU P

PR O C E DU RE

FOR THE SOUP Melt 4 Tbsp of the butter in a saucepan and add the sunchokes. Cook over low heat, shaking the pan frequently, until the sunchokes are a deep golden, and tender. Set aside. Sweat the onions in the remaining butter. Add turnips to the pan, cook for 1 minute then add the stock and sunchokes, reserving the butter in the pan. Simmer until tender, then blend on high speed with reserved butter.

Pass through a fine mesh strainer and season to taste. Chill in refrigerator.

FOR THE BASIL OIL Combine the basil leaves in a blender with just enough oil to cover. Blend on high until completely homogenous. Strain twice through a fine mesh strainer, retaining solids in the strainer and straining oil through them on the second pass.

FOR THE BRIOCHE CROUTONS Melt the butter in a skillet. Tear the brioche into bite sized pieces and add to the pan. Toast, stirring constantly, until croutons are golden and crispy. Lay out on a sheet tray, season, and allow to cool.

TO FINISH Using a ring mold, make a pile of tomato, salmon and croutons in the center of a chilled bowl. Pour the soup into the bowl around the edges then remove the ring mold. Finish by tearing the parsley leaves and placing them on top, then drizzle the soup with a generous pour of basil oil.

NB, this soup turns out to be delicious served chilled or hot.

34

carrot tart Though this recipe may seem daunting, it’s really only four components and some garnish. I like the idea of building a whole dish into a discrete package because you can dial in the flavors and make every bite exactly what you wanted. This tart works great in almost any situation. You can take it to a dish-to-pass, or have it as an appetizer, side dish, or even an entree. Not to mention it’s a somewhat unusual confection, so it’s sure to be a good conversation starter.

Y I E L D : 1 10" TA R T

37

IN G R EDIEN T S FOR THE CRUST

51/4 Tbsp butter 11/4 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 C AP flour 1 egg FOR THE CARAMELIZED

FOR THE ROASTED CARROTS

6-8 carrots neutral oil to coat 1 Tbsp cumin 1 Tbsp coriander 2 tsp smoked paprika salt to taste

ONIONS

2 large onions 4 Tbsp butter 1 star anise pod salt to taste FOR THE MISO PASTRY CREAM

2 C milk ½ C shiro miso 2 eggs 2 Tbsp cornstarch 1 Tbsp AP flour 31/2 Tbsp butter

TO FINISH

chilled tart crust caramelized onions miso pastry cream roasted carrots ½ C chèvre or feta olive oil for drizzling 2 Tbsp parsley

PRO CED UR E

FOR THE CRUST

FOR THE ROASTED CARROTS

Dice the butter, but keep chilled. Add butter, flour, salt, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle. Beat until mixture has the texture of gravel. Add egg and mix until dough is just smooth. Flatten dough into a disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to use.

Heat oven to 400°F. Toss ingredients together in a bowl, and lay out on a lined sheet tray in a single layer. Roast until just tender. Set aside.

FOR THE CARAMELIZED ONIONS Slice the onions thin while you melt the butter in a skillet or saute pan. Add the onions to the pan along with salt and star anise. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove the star anise pod, and continue to cook until onions are dark brown and completely soft. Set aside.

FOR THE MISO PASTRY CREAM Bring milk to a boil over medium heat. Meanwhile dice the butter and allow to come to room temperature. Whisk the eggs and miso together in a bowl. Whisk in the cornstarch and flour until fully incorporated. Temper the hot milk into the egg mixture and return to the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat whisking constantly. Allow to cook at a boil for 3 minutes while whisking. Remove from heat and whisk in the diced butter until smooth. Set aside.

TO FINISH Heat the oven to 400°F. Roll out the tart crust, line a tart pan with the crust and blind bake until lightly golden (10-15 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Meanwhile slice the roast carrots on a bias, crumble the cheese, and chop the parsley. When the crust is cool spread the caramelized onions across the bottom in an even layer.

Top with the pastry cream until the tart is almost full.

Arrange the sliced carrots on top of the pastry cream in an attractive pattern. Top with the crumbled cheese and return to oven until cheese is just starting to brown. Remove from oven and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Finish with the chopped parsley.

NB, For a more visually interesting tart you can use rainbow carrots.

38

DESSERTS R OAST ED ST R AWB ER RY ICE CR EAM SU N DAE APPL E FR IT T ER

roasted strawberry ice cream sundae This sundae is all about the strawberries. Each component is meant to enhance the strawberry flavor, while adding a wrinkle of complexity of their own. One of the best parts about this is that since it’s centered around frozen strawberries you can enjoy it any time of year.

YI ELD S A B O UT 1 QT O F IC E CRE A M

43

IN G R EDIEN T S FOR THE ROASTED

FOR THE CANDIED

STRAWBERRIES

BRIOCHE

1 lb frozen strawberries sugar to coat small pinch salt

1 C crumbled stale brioche 4 Tbsp butter ¼ C sugar

FOR THE ICE CREAM

TO FINISH

2 C milk 4 tsp cornstarch 1 ¼ C heavy cream ⅔ C sugar 2 Tbsp. light corn syrup ¼ tsp. salt 3 Tbsp cream cheese 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste 1 C roasted strawberries

roasted strawberry ice cream roasted strawberries candied brioche Balsamico di Modena

PRO CED UR E

FOR THE ROASTED STRAWBERRIES

FOR THE CANDIED BRIOCHE

Heat the oven to 275°F. Toss the strawberries in the sugar and lay out in a single layer on a lined sheet tray. Roast until they have darkened and contracted by about 25%. Remove from oven, and toss with salt. Seal strawberries inside a Ziploc bag and allow to cool and marinate in their own juice.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then add the remaining ingredients. Stir frequently over low heat until dark golden, then lay out on a lined sheet tray to cool.

FOR THE ICE CREAM Mix cornstarch with ¼ C of the milk to make a slurry. In a pot whisk together remaining milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook for four minutes, then stir in slurry. Return to boil and cook, stirring, until thickened (~2 minutes). Whisk cream cheese with ¼ C of hot milk mixture until smooth, then whisk in remaining mixture. Allow to cool while you roughly chop the roasted strawberries. Add vanilla and chopped strawberries to ice cream base and chill in the freezer, stirring occasionally, until it has reached 35°F. Process in ice cream maker, and allow to harden in freezer.

TO FINISH Place a scoop of ice cream into a chilled bowl, and make a depression in the center of the scoop. Fill depression with roasted strawberries, then drizzle with the balsamic. Finish with a spoonful of the candied brioche.

NB, Feel free to replace the roasted strawberries with fresh in both the ice cream and the topping, but only if your fresh strawberries are of impeccable quality. The best option for balsamic here is really really nice D.O.P. balsamic from Modena, but if you don’t have that other good options are condimento balsamico, or balsamic reduction with sugar or honey. Chilling the ice cream base so thoroughly before churning will result in a dense and very smooth ice cream.

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apple fritters One of my absolute favorite fall treats. These apple fritters are special because they use two of my favorite apple varieties ever: Ashmead’s Kernel and Esopus Spitzenburg. Not only that, they also use a good bit more apple filling than most apple fritters, and there’s a bit of calvados in the glaze to put the apple flavor over the top. If you can’t find these apple varieties near you, you can use any decent baking apple in their place, but the difference is so stark that I really recommend making an effort to find the real deal. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

YI ELD S 6 FRI T T E R S

47

IN G R EDIEN T S FOR THE DOUGH

9.5 g instant yeast 255 g AP flour 40 g sugar 1 g salt 0.5 g ground cinnamon 130 g milk 55 g eggs (1 egg) 40 g butter FOR THE FILLING

365 g Ashmead’s Kernel 255 g Esopus Spitzenburg 15 g butter 1 g cinnamon 30 g sugar 55 g apple cider vinegar

FOR THE GLAZE

40 g milk 2 g vanilla paste 40 g calvados ~ 500g powdered sugar TO FINISH

cold dough cooled filling glaze oil for deep frying

PRO CED UR E

FOR THE DOUGH

FOR THE GLAZE

Cut the butter into four 10 gram cubes and leave out to temper. Combine the yeast, flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.

Add the milk, and mix until incorporated. Add the eggs, and mix on medium for 5 minutes. While mixer is running add the butter 10 grams at a time. Mix until butter is fully incorporated, then continue mixing until you can pull a window in the dough (~10 minutes). Place dough in covered, lightly greased container to rise until doubled.

Punch down the dough, roll out on lightly floured work bench into ½"-thick square, then wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge until cold (~1 hour).

Whisk together the milk, vanilla, and calvados, then whisk in the powdered sugar bit by bit until glaze is nappe texture.

FOR THE FILLING Brown the butter in a medium saucepan while you cut the apples into 1" batons. Add the apples to the pan along with the cinnamon and sugar. Cook until the apples are just barely cooked through, then add the cider vinegar and reduce by half. Allow to cool completely.

TO FINISH Roll out cold dough into a ¼"-thick square, and spread the filling over the top. Roll the dough from the bottom up into a log, then roll the log up into a spiral. Flatten the spiral and roll out into 1"-thick square. Cut the dough into six equal pieces. Cover and allow to proof until doubled. Meanwhile bring oil up for frying to 350°F. When finished proofing, fry the fritters until dark golden, flipping once. Drain on a wire rack, and allow to cool before coating in the glaze.

NB, Peel the apples or don’t; un-peeled apples have more flavor of their unique variety, but failing to peel your apples will result in apple peels in your fritters. I don’t peel mine. If you have the capability, you could replace the apple cider vinegar with freshly pressed juice from the apples. Never peel an apple you’re juicing. The dough in this is basically an easy brioche dough, so if you already have some brioche scrap laying around why not chuck some apples in there and fry ‘em up?

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A COLLE C T ION OF R EC IPES THAT CAP T U R E T HE S E AS ONS .