Blackberry-Blue Cornmeal Pancakes with Guajillo Honey Butter
Heirloom blue cornmeal, fresh local blackberries, pastured eggs, cultured butter, fresh buttermilk and wild guajillo honey with a pinch of chili powder..
Blackberry-Blue Cornmeal Pancakes with Guajillo Honey Butter
1 cup organic stone-ground blue cornmeal
1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup fresh blackberries or blueberries
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
2 large pastured eggs
2 tablespoon cultured butter, melted plus 2 tablespoons cold
2 cups fresh buttermilk
1 teaspoon bacon drippings
2 tablespoons wild guajillo honey
Sift cornmeal, flour, baking soda, chili powder and salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and melted butter. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring just enough to combine. Gently fold in blackberries and allow mixture to stand 5 minutes.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon bacon drippings in a heavy griddle or comal set over medium heat. Drop batter by the quarter-cupful onto the hot pan and cook until the batter puffs up and bubbles appear along the edges, then flip and cook until golden brown. If making a large batch, pancakes may be kept in a low oven until ready to serve.
To serve, arrange pancakes on a plate and top with guajillo honey and semi-melted butter. Garnish with additional fresh berries and serve hot.
Guajillo Pods
“Guajillo honey looms large in the history, culture and economy of southwestern Texas, particularly in the development of Uvalde County, located about 165 miles southwest of the state capital, Austin. During the 1870’s when settlers were establishing farms and ranches in Uvalde County, they discovered caves and hollow trees full of bees and honey- a bee paradise. The land was nicknamed ‘brush country’ because of the cat claw, kinnikinnick, white brush and Guajillo bushes…” -Slow Food USA
Chappal Kebab with Fresh Green Chutney and Almond-Raisin Basmati
Freshly-ground pastured lamb with onions, garlic, chiles and toasted spices is sizzled in cardamom-scented ghee and served over almond-raisin basmati with a chutney of fresh mint, coriander, ginger and yogurt..
Chappal Kebab with Fresh Green Chutney and Almond-Raisin Basmati
For the Chutney (adapted from a recipe by Madhur Jaffrey)
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Wash fresh mint and coriander (cilantro) leaves, pat dry and place in the bowl of a food processor along with the ginger, yogurt and lemon juice. Pulse until finely chopped, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the Rice
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons raisins, chopped
2 tablespoons raw almonds, blanched, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon dried rose hips (optional)
1 teaspoon good curry powder
Cook rice in stock in the normal manner, then add raisins, almonds, rose hips and curry. Stir to combine. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons pan juices from the following recipe just before serving.
Chappal Kebab
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted
6 cloves
1 tablespoon sweet cinnamon shards
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/3 of a whole nutmeg
1 pound freshly-ground pastured lamb
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 hot green chiles, minced
2 tablespoons ghee
6 green cardamom pods
1 sprig fresh curry leaves
1 fresh bay leaf
Grind the first 6 ingredients together in a coffee or spice grinder and set aside.
Loosely combine ground lamb together in a bowl with onions, garlic, chiles and ground spices. Divide mixture into 8 2oz pieces, using your hands to roll each into a not too-tightly packed ball, then set aside.
Heat ghee in a heavy skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add cardamom pods, bay and curry leaves and sizzle 2 minutes. Add lamb and cook until cooked through and crispy-brown on the outside, about 15 minutes. Briefly set aside to drain, then strain some of the butter & pan juices into the rice.
To serve, spoon rice into the center of a serving dish and arrange lamb over the top. Dress with chilled green chutney and serve immediately.
Khorma Pilau
Pastured chicken pieces are marinated in yogurt with lots of fresh ginger, garlic and ground coriander, then seared in ghee with yellow onions, green chiles, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and mace before being slow-simmered in coconut cream thickened with ground almonds. Extremely flavorful, but not too spicy..
Khorma Pilau
1 whole chicken
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons freshly-grated ginger
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1-2 green chiles
8 green cardamom pods
2 black cardamom pods
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sweet cinnamon shards
1 teaspoon turmeric
6 whole cloves
1 blade mace
1 sprig fresh curry leaf (optional)
1 cup unsweetened coconut cream
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Cut a fresh, pastured chicken into 8 pieces and remove skin. Place into a glass bowl and toss with yogurt, ginger, garlic and coriander. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Heat ghee in a heavy skillet over medium heat, then add onions, chiles, cardamom, cumin and curry leaf and sauté until onions are browned. Add chicken with its marinade, cinnamon, turmeric, coconut cream and water and stir to combine.
Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until chicken is just tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in ground almonds and cook 10 minutes more. Adjust seasoning with sea salt freshly-ground black pepper.
Serve over basmati rice pilaf and garnish with chopped cilantro.
Blackberry-Chipotle Cornbread
Old fashioned, locally ground yellow cornmeal, pastured dairy, seasonal berries, raw honey and smoky chipotle are combined in this variation of traditional skillet cornbread..
Blackberry-Chipotle Cornbread
1 1/4 cups stone-ground cornmeal
1 1/4 cups unbleached, organic all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 aluminum-free teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1 large pastured egg
1 3/4 cups fresh buttermilk
3 tablespoons cultured butter
1/2 pint fresh blackberries
1/2 cup filtered water
1 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons raw honey, more or less to taste
1-2 chiles chipotle morita
Remove the stem, seeds and ribs from one or two small chiles chipotle morita and grind into a fine powder. Place the blackberries in a non-reactive pan with the lemon juice, water and chile powder and simmer over medium-low until reduced and thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool to about 100 degrees then stir in honey to taste. Allow to cool completely.
Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the egg and buttermilk. Slowly stir the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture until just combined. Don’t over-mix.
Allow the batter to stand while you melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet in a 400 degree oven.
Swirl the cooled blackberry-chipotle sauce into the cornbread batter, leaving it streaky. Remove the skillet from the over and swirl to coat the sides with the hot butter. Pour the batter into the skillet and bake uncovered until just set in the middle, about 25 minutes.
Brush the top of the cornbread with a little more blackberry-chipotle sauce if you think it needs it, then allow to stand 5 minutes before serving.
Elote Particular
This variation of Mexico’s popular street food elote (roasted corn on the cob) uses freshly-ground chili powder, pastured butter, lime, sea salt and homemade crema Mexicana with toasted cumin and cilantro..
Elote Particular
For the Chile Powder (all amounts may be adjusted according to taste)
2 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and split
2 arbol chiles, stemmed, seeded and split
1/2 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon cacao powder
Toast the chiles on a dry comal over medium heat until fragrant, about 45 seconds per side. Take care not to let the chiles burn, or they will be bitter.
Once cooled, add the chiles and the rest of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse into a fine powder. Store in an airtight container up to 3 months.
For the Cumin Crema
1/2 cup fresh heavy cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/3 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
Toast the cumin in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Allow to cool, then crush in a mortar or spice grinder and set aside. Freshly-toasted cumin tastes nothing like that jar of powdered stuff that’s been in the back of your cabinet for 2 years..
Using an instant read thermometer, warm the cream on the stove to 98 degrees then remove from heat, cover and allow to stand overnight at room temperature. Transfer the now somewhat thickened cream to the refrigerator and chill 4 or more hours. Stir in cumin, salt, cilantro and lime 20 minutes before serving.
For the Corn
Pull back the husks and remove the silk. Put the husks back in place and tie closed with kitchen string. Plunge into a pot of lightly-salted boiling water, cover and parboil 5 minutes. Transfer the corn to a wood-fired grill and cook turning often until tender, about10-15 minutes depending on size, etc.
Peel back the husks and slather the corn with butter, chili powder and crema. Use the husks as a handle to eat the corn popsicle-style, offering cotija cheese and lime wedges on the side if desired.
This post is part of the Nourishing Gourmet’s Pennywise Platter Thursday!
Olive Oil Cake with Lemon, Rosemary and Mascarpone
Tart and savory with just a hint of sweetness, this luscious cake gains body and complexity from extra virgin olive oil combined with cultured butter, pastured eggs, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, rosemary and raw honey. Try it topped with homemade mascarpone or a simple lemon glaze..
Olive Oil Cake with Lemon, Rosemary and Mascarpone
For the Mascarpone
1 pint raw, fresh cream (ultra-pasteurized cream will not work)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon filtered water
Heat the cream in a double-boiler until it reaches 185 degrees. Mix water and lemon juice and add to the cream; it should thicken right away. Keep mixture at 185 degree for a full 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Transfer mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. Transfer to a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a clean bowl, refrigerate allow allow to separate 12-24 hours. Mascarpone will keep in the refrigerator for about 1 week.
For the Cake (adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten)
1 cup organic AP flour
1/2 cup sprouted spelt flour
4 oz cultured butter at room temperature
1/4 cup raw honey
2 large pastured eggs at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup preserved lemon peel, minced
Cream the butter and honey together in a bowl until fluffy. Beat in the lemon peel and eggs, one at a time.
Sift together the flours, baking powder & soda and salt in a bowl. Combine the olive oil and lemon juice in another bowl and alternately add the flour and oil mixtures to the honey butter mixture.
Lightly grease an 8×8 glass dish with olive oil, then pour in the batter and smooth with a spatula. Bake in a 350-degree oven until a toothpick comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Let cake cool at least 15 minutes, then serve topped with mascarpone and garnished with slivered lemon peel and a sprig of rosemary.
