Fettuccine with Asparagus and Prosciutto

Back

Ingredients:
6 ounces fresh pasta
(half recipe “Pasta Dough”)
1 large shallot, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 ounces asparagus, cut on bias
3 ounces thin sliced prosciutto, cut in half-inch ribbons
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Preparation:
In large skillet or stir fry pan, sauté shallot in butter until soft and translucent.  Stir in cream, lemon zest, half of the Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; remove from heat and set aside.

Boil pasta until al dente.  At the same time steam asparagus until tender but still green.  Drain pasta reserving half cup of water.

Add pasta, asparagus and pasta water to skillet with cream mixture.  Cook over medium heat, tossing, till the pasta is lightly sauced.  Add lemon juice and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  Scatter prosciutto on top and serve.

History:
Recipe modified from Milkstreet magazine recipe March-April 2022.

See : Pasta Dough

Paprika Rosemary Chicken and Fries

Back

Ingredients:
2 bone-in chicken breasts
1 cup Aioli
1 large lemon, juice and zest

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves                        

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Preparation:
Heat oven to 425 degrees and place a sheet pan on the lowest rack to heat.  Mix 1/4 cup aioli with lemon zest, paprika, rosemary, red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.  Season the chicken all over with salt.  Rub chicken all over with paprika aioli.  Set aside.

Halve the potato crosswise (no need to peel), then cut it into 1/4 inch-thick fries.  Drizzle fries with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place chicken breasts skin side down on heated sheet pan, then scatter the potatoes around the chicken in a single layer.  Roast on the bottom rack for 15 minutes, then flip the chicken so the skin side is up.  No need to turn the potatoes.  Roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the fries are browned underneath and the chicken registers 155 degrees in the thickest part.  Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes, then cut meat off the bone and slice.  Stir lemon juice into 1/2 cup aioli and serve with chicken and fries.

See also: Aioli

Lemon Butter Sauce

Back

Ingredients:

12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup white wine
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and white pepper

Preparation:

In medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Cook until the liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Reduce heat and add 3 tablespoons butter at a time whisking until it is completely melted. Do this until all the butter is incorporated. Once all butter is incorporated, season with salt and pepper.

Lemon butter sauce is great on fish.

Pasteis de Nata

Back

Makes 12 Tartes.

Ingredients:

For the rough puff pastry:

150 gr. all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

25 gr. unsalted butter, chilled and diced

50-75 ml chilled water

60 gr unsalted butter, frozen

For the custard:

375 ml whole milk

45 gr. all-purpose flour

2 strips of lemon zest

1 cinnamon stick

375 gr. confectioner's sugar

7 large egg yolks

Preparation:

For the pastry, mix the flour and salt together in a bowl.  Rub in the chilled butter, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Gradually add enough chilled water (about 4-6 tablespoons) to form a dough. 

Roll out the dough to a rectangle on a lightly floured work surface.  Grate half of the frozen butter over the bottom two thirds of the dough.  Fold down the top third and fold up the bottom third as if folding a letter.

Turn the folded dough 90 degrees and roll it out into a rectangle again.  Repeat the process and grate the remaining frozen butter on two-thirds of the dough and fold as before.  Wrap the dough in cling wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll and fold the pastry twice more, each time wrapping the dough in cling wrap and leaving it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a rectangle measuring 8" by 12".  Roll up the pastry tightly, from the short side, into a log and cut the log into 12 equal discs.

Place 1 disc into the cup of the muffin tin, swirl-side up.  Using wet fingers, carefully press the pastry up the sides with your fingers, working from the center outwards, until the pastry just pokes over the top.  Repeat with the remaining pastry discs.  Chill for 20 minutes.

For the custard, pour the milk into a pan and whisk in the flour.  Add the strips of lemon zest and the cinnamon stick.  Bring to a simmer over low heat, whisking continuously.  Cook for 2-3 minutes until thick.  Remove from heat.

Dissolve the sugar in 185 ml of water in a small pan over a low heat.  Then, increase the heat and boil until a drop of syrup placed in a glass of water forms a thread (or it reaches 106 - 112 degrees C on a candy thermometer).  Gradually whisk the boiling syrup into the milk mixture.

Put the egg yolks in a large bowl and strain the milk mixture over the top, whisking to combine.  Cover the surface with cling wrap and leave to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, remove the lemon zest and cinnamon stick.

Heat the oven to 475 degrees (don't use convection).  Pour the custard into the pastry cases, leaving a 1/4 inch gap at the top, then bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp and the custard is bubbling with tiny brown spots on top.

Cool the tarts in the tins for 5 minutes, then gently transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

History:

Recipe comes from the Great British Bake Off.

Puits d'Amour (Wells of Love)Makes 9 Pastries

Back

Ingredients:

For the Rough Puff:

165 gr. all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

115 gr. unsalted butter, frozen

6 to 7 tablespoons cold water

For the Compote:

250 gr. (8 oz.) strawberries, hulled

25 gr. confectioner's sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

50 gr. (2 oz.) raspberries

For the Crème Patisserie:

1 cup whole milk

1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 large egg yolks

3 Tablespoons AP flour

4 1/2 teaspoon turbinado sugar, ground (for Brulee)

For the Choux Pastry:
1 cup water
1 cup flour
4 ounces butter
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. sugar
1 cup of eggs (4-5), beaten

Beaten egg for brushing

Nibbed sugar for sprinkling

Preparation:

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Have available a 10 cm (4 inch) round cutter, large piping bag, 1 cm (0.4 inch) plain nozzle and a kitchen blowtorch.

Make the pastry.  In a large bowl mix the flour and salt together.  Using the course side of a cheese grater, grate long lengths of the frozen butter onto the flour.  Mix with a palette or butter knife. 

Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of the chilled water into the bowl and, using the knife, mix until the dough begins to hold together.  Quickly bring the pastry together with a floured hand.  (Add the remaining water, if necessary, to bring it into a soft, single lump.)  Shape into a flat rectangle of about 4 x 6 inches.  Wrap iin cling wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Unwrap the pastry and place on a lightly floured worktable.  Roll into a narrow rectangle of about 5 x 14 inches.  With the short end of the pastry closest to you, fold up the bottom third of the pastry onto the

middle third. then the top third down, as if you were folding a letter.  Wrap the pastry in cling wrap and chill again for 30 minutes.  Repeat the roll and fold once more, then chill again for at least 30 minutes, or until needed.

For the compote, put the strawberries into a pan with the sugar and lemon juice and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes.  Add the raspberries and cook for another 5 - 10 minutes, until reduced to a thick compote (but not a jam).  Remove from the heat, cool, then chill.

For the crème patisserie, put the milk in a pan with the vanilla pod and seeds.  Bring it to a boil, then remove from the heat.  Whisk the sugar, egg yolks together in a large bowl until mixture is pale yellow and "makes ribbons" 3 to 4 minutes.  Add flour; whisk until smooth.  Whisk a little hot milk into the sugar and egg mixture, then whisk in the rest of the hot milk until well combined.  Return to the pan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes.  Boil mixture, whisking constantly 1 minute.  

Remove from the heat and pass through a sieve into a clean bowl if lumpy.  Cover the surface with cling wrap and let cool to room temperature.  Mixture can be chilled covered for up to 3 days.

Heat the convection oven to 425 degrees.  Lightly dust your worktable and roll out the rough puff to a 14 inch square.  Using the 10 cm (4 inch) cutter, cut out 9 discs.  Place on the baking sheets and prick each disc all over with a fork.  Chill for 30 minutes.

For the Choux pastry, bring the water, butter and seasonings to a boil in a 2 quart saucepan.  As soon as the butter has melted, remove the pan from heat, pour in all the flour at once, and vigorously beat it in (with whisk or hand mixer).  As soon as blended and smooth, beat over moderate heat for a minute or more, until the pastry balls up, cleans itself off the sides of the pan.
  
Turn the pastry into a 3 quart bowl and stir with a wooden spatula or spoon for 30 seconds to cool it briefly.  Then make a well in the center of the warm pastry and beat in 1/4 cup of the beaten egg.  When blended (it will look strangely separated at first), repeat with another 1/4 cup egg then another 1/4 cup egg.  For the final 1/4 cup, drizzle in dough gradually so dough is not too moist.  Dough should just hold its shape when lifted in the spoon.  

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm (0.4 inch) plain nozzle.  Pipe the choux in a circle 1/2 cm (1/8 inch) in from the edge of each disc.  Brush each choux ring with beaten egg and sprinkle with nibbed sugar.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until puffed, crisp and golden.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To assemble, spoon the crème patisserie into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5 cm (0.6 inch) plain nozzle.  Spoon the strawberry compote into the pastry shells and pipe the crème patisserie over the top.  Sprinkle half a teaspoon of the turbinado sugar on top and using a blowtorch, brulee the sugar.  Serve immediately!

Variation:

Choose your favorite compote for a change.

History:

Most of this recipe comes from the Great British Bake Off.  I've had to use my own Cream Patisserie and Choux recipes as those included from the Great British Bake Off had too many errors in them.

Mini Lemon Pound Cakes

Back

Makes Three  5" x  3" Loaves

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 whole eggs

1 large lemon, zested (about 5 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cream

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray three mini pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.  In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stir in eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sour cream.  Scrape the sides and mix again.  With the mixer on low speed, incorporate all dry ingredients until just combined, then stir in cream. Scrape down sides and mix a few more times by hand.  Spoon batter equally into prepared pans filling 1/2 full.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown and a toothpick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes before removing from pans.

Variation:

These are great with coffee or try frosting them with the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Scallop Ceviche

Back

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. bay scallops
1 mango
1 Serrano chili
2 limes
2 lemons
5 leaves basil, chopped
3 leaves mint, chopped
1/2 tsp. black Pepper
Pinch of salt
Tortilla chips

Preparation:
Dry scallops with paper towels then cut into quarters and place in bowl.  Juice limes and place in bowl with scallops.  Toss and put in refrigerator to cure for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Peel mango then chop into quarter inch pieces.  Juice lemons and combine lemons and mango into separate bowl.  Seed and finely chop chili.  Add chili, basil, mint and black pepper to mango.

Drain scallops and add to mango.  Taste, add salt and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Variation:
Substitute sea bass, shrimp or other white fish for scallops.

History:
Chef George (at Chef Tech Cooking School) tossed this together in an effort to use some bay scallops (with water) that were purchased by mistake.  It ended up being the favored dish during the seafood class that included fried calamare.

Lemon Caper Rock Cod

Back

Ingredients:
4 rock cod fillets, about 2 lbs.
Flour for dusting fillets
1/2 cup butter, clarified
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbs. flour
4 oz. capers, drained
Salt and pepper

Preparation:
Salt and pepper fish fillets and dust with flour. Heat non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add clarified butter. When butter is hot, add fish fillets and cook for about a minute on each side - or until lightly browned on both sides. Remove from skillet and put in warm plate and cover.

Add flour to skillet and cook until it starts to brown stirring constantly. Add chicken broth gradually while stirring. When sauce thickens, add capers, lemon juice and lemon zest.

Serving Suggestion:
Place fillets on plates and cover with lemon caper sauce. We enjoy herbed basmati rice and steamed broccoli as sides to this delicious meal.

Variation:
This recipe is equally good substituting chicken or veal for the fish.

Lemon Caper Chicken (Chicken Piccata)

Back

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 2 lbs.

Flour for dusting fillets

1/2 cup butter, clarified

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 Tbs. flour

4 oz. capers, drained

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Place chicken breasts in baggies then pound until thin.  Salt and pepper chicken breasts and dust with flour.  Heat non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add clarified butter.  When butter is hot, add chicken breasts and cook for a minute or two on each side - or until lightly browned on both sides and cooked through.  Remove from skillet and put in warm plate and cover.

Add flour to skillet and cook until it starts to brown stirring constantly.  Add chicken broth gradually while stirring.  When sauce thickens, add capers, lemon juice and lemon zest.

Serving Suggestion:

Place chicken on plates and cover with lemon caper sauce.  We enjoy herbed basmati rice and steamed broccoli as sides to this delicious meal.

Variation:

This recipe is equally good substituting rockcod or veal for the fish.

Note:

This recipe is the same as the Chicken Piccata recipe in this section.  Why both recipes?  Because my boys look for Lemon Caper Chicken in the cookbook!