MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
1 tablespoon saffron threads
1 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
Olive oil as needed (about 3 to 5 tablespoons)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and place on a baking sheet. Transfer the sheet to the oven and bake until the potatoes are mostly dried, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the saffron on a small baking sheet and bake just long enough to dry out the saffron, about 1 minute. Transfer to a spice grinder and buzz into a powder.
Pour the 1 cup cream into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until steaming. Meanwhile, working in batches, put the dried potatoes and the cubed butter in a ricer and rice them together into a large bowl (you can also put the potatoes and butter in the bowl, then mash with a potato masher). Make a large well in the potatoes and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the saffron powder into the well. Cover with ¾ cup of the hot cream and let steep for 2 minutes.
Mix briefly, then use a rubber spatula to push the mixture through a large sieve set over a large bowl. Once all of the mixture has been worked through the sieve, you should have a smooth, bright yellow puree with a nice taste of saffron. Mix in enough olive oil and the remaining ¼ cup cream to create a silky consistency (keep in mind that the potatoes will stiffen up as they sit). Taste and season with salt and pepper.
PREP AHEAD
You can make the puree up to 1 day in advance and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Gently warm it over low heat before using.
CORN CREMA
Crema is my go-to sauce for spreading on plates, ladling around vegetables or meat, or just licking off the spoon. Try this with everything from cauliflower and celery root to sweet potatoes and zucchini. Use the same method, maybe adding a little milk or cream if you like.
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS
6 tablespoons olive oil
Kernels cut from 5 ears fresh sweet corn (about 3 cups)
½ onion, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups water
½ to 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the corn kernels and onion and cook until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add the water, cover, and simmer until the onion is very soft and the corn is tender enough to burst easily when you bite into it, about 10 minutes.
Puree everything in a blender until smooth. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons oil and the vinegar to taste.
RICH CORN CREMA
Replace the water with milk. Omit the olive oil when pureeing. Just puree the corn and milk and season as directed. It should be thick, like tomato sauce.
SQUASH CREMA
Replace the corn with 1 pound finely chopped zucchini or yellow squash.
PREP AHEAD
Make the crema up to a day in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Gently warm it over low heat before using.
HORSERADISH CRÈME FRAÎCHE
Along with Pickled Eggs, this makes Potted Trout Terrine a knockout first course for an early-fall meal. Grate the horseradish on a Microplane grater so you get fine shreds instead of big chunks or all juice.
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
1 cup crème fraîche
1 to 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh horseradish
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine the crème fraîche and horseradish to taste in a bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
PREP AHEAD
Cover and store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
LEMON VINAIGRETTE
Add chopped garlic, herbs, a little spice like ground fennel seeds, or whatever you like to flavor this. If you want the vinaigrette to emulsify better, whisk in a speck of prepared mustard.
MAKES ¾ CUP
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Put the lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk in the oil in a thin, steady stream until incorporated with the juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
LEMON VINAIGRETTE FOR GRILLING
Replace half of the olive oil with grapeseed oil.
PREP AHEAD
The vinaigrette will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 1 week. Whisk to blend it back together before using.
ROSEMARY-GARLIC BRINE
Here’s the basic brine I use for most of my roasted and grilled meats. I change up the herbs and spices to match the meat. This version is especially good for Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder.
MAKES ABOUT 6 QUARTS
8 cups hot water, plus 8 cups cold water
3 cups kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1 large clove garlic, peeled
Leaves from 6 sprigs rosemary
8 cups ice
Combine the 8 cups hot water, the salt, and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from the heat and let cool. Chop the garlic and rosemary in a food processor or by hand.
Pour the 8 cups cold water into a small cooler, a tub, a clean heavy-duty trash bag, or another container just big enough to hold whatever it is you are brining. Pour in the cooled sugar/saltwater, the ice, and the chopped garlic and rosemary. The ice will melt as the brine sits. Add the meat and refrigerate or pack with ice in a large cooler for the entire brining time so that the meat stays cold.
PEPPERCORN BRINE
Use 2 cups hot water, 2 cups cold water, 1 cup kosher salt, ½ cup sugar, 1 clove garlic, leaves from 1 sprig rosemary, and 4 cups ice. Add 10 black peppercorns along with the garlic and rosemary. Great for Shaved Pork with Summer Fruit. Makes about 8 cups.
THYME BRINE
Use 2 cups hot water, 2 cups cold water, 1 cup kosher salt, ½ cup sugar, 3 cloves garlic, leaves from 2 sprigs rosemary, and 4 cups ice. Add the leaves from 6 sprigs thyme along with the garlic and rosemary. Great for Chicken Halves on the Grill. Makes about 8 cups.
FENNEL BRINE
This is a large batch intended for Spit-Roasted Suckling Pig, a whole lamb, or another whole 20-pound animal. Use 1 gallon hot water, 2 gallons cold water, 12 cups (about 6 pounds) kosher salt, 4 cups sugar, 10 cloves garlic, the leaves from 16 sprigs rosemary, and 2 gallons ice. Add 2 teaspoons black peppercorns and 1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds along with the garlic and rosemary. You’ll need a 1- or 1½-gallon stockpot for dissolving the salt and sugar, and a large cooler for holding the brined meat. Makes about 5 gallons.
PREP AHEAD
You can make the brine up to 1 week ahead of time and keep it covered and cold.
CANDIED HAZELNUTS
Use this recipe to candy any nut you like. My kids love to munch on them as a snack. You could also crush them up and mix them into Vanilla Semifreddo or Chocolate-Hazelnut Tartufo.
MAKES ABOUT 3½ CUPS
3½ cups (about 1 pound) hazelnuts
2½ tablespoons water
Nibble a hazelnut to make sure it is fresh and doesn’t taste rancid or bitter in the back of your throat. If it does, get new hazelnuts.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat or aluminum foil. Stir together the sugar and water in a wide saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer and simmer over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches 240°F, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the nuts, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The sugar will crystallize on the nuts. Continue stirring until the sugar melts, glazes the nuts, and turns a light caramel color.
Immediately spread the nuts in a single layer on the prepared pan and let cool comp
letely.
PREP AHEAD
The nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Chocolate Sauce
CHOCOLATE SAUCE
You can’t go wrong with chocolate and cream. Sometimes, I add a little shortening or butter to thicken up the sauce. Pour the warm chocolate sauce over gelato or Amaretti Semifreddo. Or make a chocolate milkshake with it.
MAKES 2 CUPS
¾ cup heavy cream
7½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably 58 percent cocoa, chopped
4 tablespoons shortening or unsalted butter, softened
4 teaspoons light corn syrup
4½ teaspoons sugar
4 to 5 teaspoons water
Pour the cream into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Put the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl and pour on the hot cream. Let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is blended.
In a clean saucepan (I just wash out the small one), combine the corn syrup, sugar, and 4 teaspoons of the water. Set the pan over medium heat until the sugar melts, then whisk it into the chocolate mixture. Whisk until smooth, adding another teaspoonful of water if necessary to thin the sauce.
PREP AHEAD
The chocolate sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week before using. Heat it in a metal bowl or the top of a double boiler set over gently simmering water, whisking constantly once it starts to warm up.
CANDIED CITRUS PEEL
I like to candy all kinds of citrus peels, from oranges and grapefruits to lemons, limes, and citron. If you like bitter tastes, include a little of the white pith under the zest, the colored part of the rind. Otherwise, peel carefully to avoid it.
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
1 cup ¼-inch strips citrus peels
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
Superfine sugar for dusting
Put the citrus peels in a saucepan with cold water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water boils, drain the peels and cover again with cold water. Repeat the process to blanch the peels 3 times.
Drain and pat the blanched peels dry. Combine the sugar and water in a small nonreactive saucepan and add the peels. Cook over low heat until the peels look translucent, about 30 minutes.
Remove the candied peels from the syrup using a slotted spoon and spread on waxed paper to cool. Save the citrus-scented syrup for another use. Roll the cooled peels in superfine sugar.
PREP AHEAD
Make the peels up to 1 month ahead and keep in an airtight container at room temperature. The citrus syrup you end up with will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for weeks. Use it for drizzling over Apple Fritters, Olive Oil Cake, or Baked Peaches with Almond Frangipane. By the way, if you can’t find superfine sugar, make your own by grinding granulated sugar in a clean coffee grinder or blender until very fine.
SOURCES
MOST OF THE EQUIPMENT AND INGREDIENTS called for in this book are widely available. Here are some of the purveyors I use or recommend. You can also find similar products at markets near you.
BREADS AND PIZZAS
ALLEN CREEK FARM
P.O. Box 841
Ridgefield, WA 98642
Phone/Fax: 360-887-3669
www.chestnutsonline.com
Chestnut flour.
DI BRUNO BROTHERS
930 South Ninth Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Phone: 215-922-2876
888-322-4337
www.dibruno.com
Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gorgonzola dolce, mozzarella di bufala, fresh ricotta, mortadella, prosciutto, pancetta, and other Italian foods.
FORNO BRAVO
The Monterey Peninsula
744 Neeson Road
Marina, CA 93933
Phone: 800-407-5119
Fax: 707-515-7396
www.fornobravo.com
Tipo 00 flour, pizza stones, and pizza-making supplies.
IL MERCATO ITALIANO
P.O. Box 9751
Green Bay, WI 54308
Phone: 877-202-8881
Fax: 206-339-2598
www.ilmercatoitaliano.net
Bottarga, salted anchovies, La Valle San Marzano tomatoes, amaretti cookies.
KING ARTHUR FLOUR
135 U.S. Route 5 South
Norwich, VT 05055
Phone: 802-649-3361
800-827-6836
Fax: 802-649-3365
www.kingarthurflour.com
Sir Galahad flour, King Arthur all-purpose flour, durum flour, semolina, almond flour, glacé cherries, SAF instant yeast, gram scales, and baking supplies.
PREVIN
2044 Rittenhouse Square
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-985-1996
888-285-9547
Fax: 215-985-0323
www.previninc.com
Ring molds, terrine molds, and other baking supplies.
WEBSTAURANT STORE
Phone: 717-392-7472
www.webstaurantstore.com
Vollrath stand mixers, baking stones, baking sheets, baking molds, pizza dough dockers, and other kitchen equipment.
PASTAS
BUON ITALIA
75 Ninth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
Phone: 212-633-9090
Fax: 212-633-9717
www.buonitalia.com
Tipo 00 flour, semolina, and other dry goods.
EURO GOURMET
10312 Southard Drive
Beltsville, MD 20705
Phone: 301-937-2888
800-799-EURO
Fax: 301-937-8214
www.eurogourmet.biz
Fresh sheep’s milk ricotta, burrata, buffalo mozzarella, and other cheeses.
FANTES
1006 South Ninth Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Phone: 215-922-5557
800-443-2683
Fax: 215-922-5723
www.fantes.com
Garganelli combs and boards, chitarras, pasta machines, and other pasta-making supplies.
KITCHENAID
Customer Satisfaction Center
P.O. Box 218
St. Joseph, MI 49085
Phone: 800-541-6390
www.kitchenaid.com
Stand mixers, extruded-pasta presses, pasta rollers, pasta cutters, meat grinders, sausage stuffers, and other attachments.
LA TIENDA
3601 La Grange Parkway
Toano, VA 23168
Phone: 800-710-4304
888-331-4362
www.tienda.com
Baccalà (salt cod).
SALUMI
BUTCHER & PACKER
P.O. Box 07468
Detroit, MI 48207
Phone: 313-567-1250
800-521-3188
Fax: 313-567-8938
www.butcher-packer.com
Sausage-making supplies.
THE GROW ROOM
8 Bridge Street
Nyack, NY 10960
Phone: 845-348-8811
800-449-9630
www.greenair.com
In-line hydrostats and thermostats.
THE SAUSAGE MAKER, INC.
1500 Clinton Street, Building 123
Buffalo, NY 14206
Phone: 888-490-8525
716-824-5814
Fax: 716-824-6465
www.sausagemaker.com
Sausage-making supplies.
PICKLES AND PRESERVES
INDIAN BLEND
Phone: 888-753-4299
www.indianblend.com
Pure mustard oil.
MEATS AND FISH
BARBECUE WOOD
P.O. Box 8163
Yakima, WA 98908
Phone: 509-965-0123
800-379-9663
Fax: 509-965-3553
www.barbecuewood.com
Oak, hickory, and other woods for grilling, roasting,
and smoking.
COUNTRY TIME FARM
3017 Mountain Road
Hamburg, PA 19526
Phone: 610-562-2090
www.countrytimefarm.com
Pork.
D’ARTAGNAN
280 Wilson Avenue
Newark, NJ 07105
Phone: 973-344-0565
800-327-8246
www.dartagnan.com
Duck, rabbit, lamb, suckling pig, and other meats.
JAMISON FARM
171 Jamison Lane
Latrobe, PA 15650
Phone: 800-237-5262
Fax: 724-837-2287
www.jamisonfarm.com
Lamb.
SAMUELS & SON SEAFOOD COMPANY
3407 South Lawrence Street
Philadelphia, PA 19148
Phone: 800-580-5810
Fax: 215-336-0251
www.samuelsandsonseafood.com
Halibut, tuna, monkfish, swordfish, squid, and other seafood.
SPITJACK
268 Boston Turnpike
Shrewsbury, MA 01545
Phone: 800-755-5509
508-425-3261
Fax: 508-755-8818
www.spitjack.com
Spit-roasters and grilling supplies.
WELLS MEATS
982 North Delaware Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19123
Phone: 215-627-3903
800-523-1730
Fax: 215-922-7648
www.wellsmeats.com
Duck, rabbit, oxtails, lamb, suckling pig, and other meats.
VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
BLUE MOON ACRES
P.O. Box 201
Buckingham, PA 18912
Phone: 215-794-3093
Fax: 215-794-2406
www.bluemoonacres.net
Lettuces, microgreens, and herbs.
CAYUGA PURE ORGANICS
18 Banks Road
Brooktendale, NY 14817
Phone: 607-793-0085
www.cporganics.com