This was sort of like a cheeseless gratin. It would have been even better with gruyere melted on top, but I wanted to make a vegan dish. It was still delicious, and very light. After caramelizing the fennel and leeks in olive oil I layered them with the potato slices and fresh thyme, and then filled the dish with just enough vegetable stock to reach the top layer. As the potatoes cooked they absorbed all of the stock and held together nicely when sliced into portions.
Cooking
February 21, 2012
February 17, 2012
February 16, 2012
February 15, 2012
Scallops in White Wine & Caper Sauce
This is a very light, yet robust sauce without any butter - only a small amount of olive oil, shallots, dijon, parsley, capers and lemon juice in a reduction of pinot grigio. I did not saute the scallops, but merely poached them briefly in the sauce.
February 13, 2012
Penne al Limone
A velvety combination of egg yolks, lemon zest, Pecorino Romano and black pepper. I first tempered the yolks with the salty, starchy pasta water before whisking in the lemon zest and parsley and tossing all the ingredients together right before serving.
February 10, 2012
Caramel Pudding
This was very much like making vanilla pudding with the additional step of caramelizing the suger, into which I whisked the milk and corn starch.
February 09, 2012
Wild Mushroom & Fontina Pizza
I topped this pizza with a combination of oyster, shiitake and portobello mushrooms, slices of fontina cheese and lots of chopped chives.
February 08, 2012
Pickled Cucumbers
After discovering how simple and quick it was to make pickled red onions I decided to try the same recipe with an English cucumber. These pickles turned out perfectly sweet and sour. I plunged dill into the steaming liquid which added a subtle note of flavor.
February 07, 2012
Grapefruit, Avocado & Pickled Red Onion Salad
This salad is so bright and refreshing it would be terrific for lunch on a hot summer afternoon, but I made it last week for dinner because I enjoy citrus in winter. After cutting supremes of grapefruit I used the fruit's juice to make the dressing for a bed of chopped endive on which I placed slices of avocado, pickled red onion, mint leaves and the grapefruit supremes. It was an interesting combination of sweet and sour and bitter.
February 06, 2012
Poached Rock Shrimp & Monkfish
If you have never tried rock shrimp you really must. They are like tiny nuggets of lobster. Also similar to lobster in texture, but not taste, is monkfish, which is sold in long meaty medallions. I like to cook all kinds of fish in simmering liquids as soups or stews. Here I poached the seafood in a combination of fish and vegetable stocks with white wine, chopped fennel and onion, saffron and cilantro.
