Risotto alle Castagne

December 14, 2009 / Ren

Creamy risotto with chestnuts, wild mushrooms, onions, spinach, Parmigiano-Reggiano and freshly-grated nutmeg..

For the Vegetable Stock (recipe from Gourmet magazine)

1/2 lb portabella mushrooms, caps and stems cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb shallots, left unpeeled, quartered
1 lb carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs (including stems)
5 fresh thyme sprigs
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves (not California)
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 qt water

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Toss together mushrooms, shallots, carrots, bell peppers, parsley and thyme sprigs, garlic, and oil in a large flameproof roasting pan. Roast in middle of oven, turning occasionally, until vegetables are golden, 30 to 40 minutes.

Transfer vegetables with slotted spoon to a tall narrow 6-quart stockpot. Set roasting pan across 2 burners, then add wine and deglaze pan by boiling over moderate heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes. Transfer to stockpot and add bay leaves, tomatoes, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Pour through a large fine sieve into a large bowl, pressing on and discarding solids, then season with salt and pepper. Skim off fat. Use within 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.

For the Risotto (adapted from a recipe by Judith Jones)

2 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon pastured butter
1/4 cup Spanish onion, diced
1/4 cup wild mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup chestnuts, peeled, blanched and sliced
1/4 cup fresh spinach, blanched, squeezed and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 oz white wine
2/3 cups Arborio rice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4-1/2 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Heat the butter in a stainless steel skillet over medium heat and sauté the onions, mushrooms and garlic until soft and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the chestnuts and sauté another minute.

Add the white wine, salt and pepper and reduce. Slowly add half the stock and cook, stirring continuously until absorbed. Add the spinach, nutmeg and the rest of the stock and cook, stirring continuously until almost all the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Serve immediately.

This post is in support of Meatless Monday, whose goal it is to goal is to help reduce
meat consumption by 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.

Pan-Roasted Duck Breast with Blackberry and Cranberry Chutney

November 27, 2009 / Ren

Succulent, aged Moulard duck breast with thyme, bay and a hint of freshly-grated nutmeg is pan-seared, then quickly roasted to a perfect medium-rare. Served with Armagnac-flamed pan juices, asparagus with garlic and parsley root, and gingered wild blackberry and cranberry chutney..

Pan-Roasted Moulard with Blackberry/Cranberry Chutney

For the Chutney

1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon rendered duck fat
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly-grated ginger
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons wildflower honey
1 cup fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1/2 cup wild blackberries
salt and pepper

Sauté the onions in duck fat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger, vinegar, honey and cranberries. Lower heat, cover and simmer until all the cranberries have popped, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Adjust sweetness/tartness with a little vinegar or honey if you think it needs it, then season to taste with sea salt and cracked pepper. The finished mixture should be thick.

For the Duck (adapted from a recipe by Thomas Keller)

1/2 fresh Moulard duck breast (about 1 pound)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup Armagnac

Use a sharp, thin knife to score a cross-hatch pattern into the fat side of the duck breast, taking care not to cut into the muscle. Season on all sides with salt, pepper, thyme and nutmeg, then lay bay leaves against the flesh, loosely wrap in butcher’s paper and refrigerate overnight.

Allow to duck breast to sit on the counter for 20 minutes while you pre-heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the duck breast skin-side down to the hot pan, then reduce heat to medium low and cook, moving often, until the skin is golden brown and much of the fat has been rendered out.

Flip the breast over and sauté for 1 minute, then pour off the fat and place the pan in a 375 degree oven until almost medium-rare, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the duck to a cutting board and allow to rest at least 5 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, de-glaze the pan with Armagnac, and add a small knob of butter. Sauté diced parsley root until tender/crisp, then add garlic and thinly-sliced asparagus (a great way to use up leftover stalks) and sauté until the asparagus is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Slice the duck breast on a 1/4-inch bias and arrange on a warmed plate. Spoon asparagus and pan juices over the top and garnish with blackberry/cranberry chutney.

Penang Goat Curry

November 6, 2009 / Ren

Pastured goat seared, then slowly simmered in coconut red curry with fried tomatoes, onions and Thai dragon peppers, with fresh ginger, garlic and Kaffir lime leaves..

Penang Goat Curry

Serves 2

1 pound goat stew meat
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 small white onion, diced
1 teaspoon freshly-grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 red or green chiles
1 tablespoon traditionally-fermented soy sauce
1 tablespoon poivron rouge
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon true cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves, ground
2 kaffir lime leaves, slivered
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup thick, raw coconut milk
1 cup filtered water
coconut oil or ghee for frying

In Austin, pastured goat and kaffir lime are available from Farmhouse Delivery.

Trim goat meat of fat and silver-skin and cut into 1-inch cubes. Thoroughly rinse then pat dry. Heat raw coconut oil or ghee in a heavy skillet over medium heat until the first wisp of smoke appears. Add the goat and sear until dark brown with a slight surface crustiness. Transfer meat to a plate.

Stirring frequently, fry tomatoes, onions and chiles until until the onions are translucent and the tomatoes lose some of their moisture. Add ginger, garlic and dry spices and cook until a thick paste is formed.

Add coconut milk, goat meat and lime leaves and simmer until goat is tender, about 75 minutes. Stir the pot now and then, adding water as needed to keep it from thickening too much.

Taste for salt, then add chopped cilantro just before serving.

This post is part of The Food Renegade’s Fight Back Friday!

Thai Green Curry Halibut

July 6, 2009November 14, 2016 / Ren

Wild Alaskan Halibut simmered in coconut milk with nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom and cloves and fiery homemade green curry paste, cilantro, basil and toasted coconut..

Separate 1 large BPA-free can of heavy coconut into milk and cream and set aside.

Cut fresh or fresh-frozen wild Alaskan halibut into 1 inch cubes and refrigerate. You’ll need about 6 ounces per person.

In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse soy sauce, fish sauce, dried shrimp, fresh garlic, green chilies, galangal, lime leaves, lemon grass, coriander and cumin seeds with just enough coconut milk to keep the blade from seizing up. The result should be a thick but soft paste. Set aside.

Prepare Thai red rice according to package directions. Keep hot.

Meanwhile, poach the halibut in the remaining coconut milk with nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom and cloves. We want it a little underdone for now.

Fry the curry paste in hot oil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Reduce heat to low and add the poaching liquid. Whisk in reserved coconut cream then add the halibut and simmer until the fish is snow white and flakes easily when pressed with a fork.

Make a ring of rice in the center of the plate, then spoon halibut and curry into the middle. Garnish with toasted coconut flakes, fresh basil and chili oil.