Roly-poly Fish Heads

I’ve always enjoyed canned sardines (see my post from May 10) but I’ve never had fresh ones. As you might imagine, here in DC, fresh sardines aren’t something you can just pick up at Safeway; they take some searching for. I found mine at Blacksalt Fish Market and Restaurant in the Foxhall neighborhood (http://www.blacksaltrestaurant.com/). Blacksalt is great. They sell only sustainability managed fish and shellfish. Also I have to give them an A+ for customer service. When I was there, they didn’t have sardines in the display case. When I asked when they might have sardines, the monger confided that they did have some in the restaurant’s refrigerator and if I didn’t need too many, he’d be willing to sell me a few. Score! I only needed six.

Sardines are very affordable. My pretty, little fishies only set me back 7-bucks and some change, though I did have to cut the heads off myself (weird!). I used a very simple recipe; marinating them in a little lemon juice, parsley and olive oil then a few minutes on the grill. I served them on a bed of arugula and a cucumber/watermelon salad (made extra marinade to use as salad dressing). In the interest of full disclosure, there were lots of little fish bones to deal with. However, the sardines were really delicious.


Grilled Sardines

Serves 2
6 medium whole fresh sardines, gutted, rinsed inside and out, and patted dry
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
•1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving


Directions

1. In a large glass bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Toss the sardines in the marinade coating them well inside and out. Let sit for about 20-minutes.

2. Heat a grill to a medium-high heat (you can also use a grill pan indoors). Coat the grill with cooking spray. Grill sardines until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Serve with a salad and lemon wedges.

Let me tell you about… Cultured butter.

Cultured butter is butter made from (slightly) fermented cream. It’s sometimes called “European-style” butter. It has more flavor and character then sweet cream butter, which is the kind commonly sold here in the US.

Cultured butter is easy (and kind of fun) to make. All you need is heavy cream and plain, active-culture yogurt. .Cultured butter is not at all sour, but has a more complex buttery flavor. You want to make sure the cream and yogurt don’t contain any added stabilizers or preservatives. I like to buy organic

A nice by-product of making your own cultured butter is the milky liquid that separates out from the butter. That milky liquid is buttermilk. It is delicious! Use it to make salad dressing or pancakes or heck, I usually just drink it.

How to:

1. In a quart size jar or other nonmetallic container, whisk 1/3 cup yogurt into 1 pint of cream. Let sit at room temperature for about 8-hours or overnight. After which, if you give the container a shake, the cream should be visible thickened. Also, it will have a slightly yellow tinge to it. You now have cultures cream, which will yield about a cup (or more) of butter. To be honest, my yield has varied. The last time I made butter, I let it sit more like 18-hours. That batch made more and tastier butter.

2. Now it’s time to start churning! You have a couple options here.

• Churn Method One: If you’ve used a bowl, transfer the cream to a quart size jar with a tight-fitting lid. Close it up tight and start shaking. This is a great thing for kids to do. Even toddlers can roll the jar around on the floor for a while. Lacking children at my house, my partner and I take turns shaking the jar. Just when you start to get bored with it the cream miraculously breaks into globs of creamy butter splashing around in a tangy buttermilk. It’s a simple thing, but truly amazing. Strain off the liquid and transfer the butter to a bowl. Use a wooden spoon to gather the butter against one side of the bowl and keep pressing and patting it to squeeze out the extra buttermilk.

• Churn Method Two: Use a hand-mixer on low speed. Start mixing like you would for whipped cream. After about 10-minutes or so the cream will break and butter milk will start flying all over the place. At this point use a wooden spoon to gather the butter against one side of the bowl and keep pressing it to squeeze out the extra buttermilk.

That’s it, you’ve made butter! At this point you can opt to add salt. It’s up to you. A half teaspoon is more than enough. Being a salt fiend, I like to add a little more though.

Store it in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.

Sourdough Ciabatta Bread

OMG I made a loaf of sourdough ciabatta bread that was so delicious it almost made me cry! This is significant (miraculous) because I am not a baker. The last cake I baked was over a decade ago for some friends’ engagement party. (Of course it was a beautiful confection of a thing topped with sugared pansies I grew myself). My bread machine has been gathering dust in the basement for at least 6-years (since Dr. Atkins but the cursed-fear of carbs into me). Also, back when I used to eat bread, I tried making sourdoughs with my own starters and they always came out more like bitter doughs (yuk).

Nonetheless a number of seemingly unrelated events have occurred over the last few months to stir up a bread baking fixation. First, I met Randy and Dan at a party and we chatted about my blog and their sourdough starter (named Herman). Then there is our basement renovation which means all the stuff in the basement needs to find a new home. I hauled the bread machine up, cleaned it up, and thought “hmmm, let’s see if this thing still works.” And now with our coming up trip to Provincetown; I am looking forward to sandwiches from Relish on their delicious ciabatta bread. Bread-obsession-bread-obsession-bread-obsession… and did a little recipe research online. Keep in mind that this is not an immediate gratification recipe; the starter itself is at least a weekend project and the bread takes about 4-hours for all the rising it need to do. …but Lordy is it ever worth it.

Now on to the recipes.

For starters, there is the starter. My online research came up with basically the same process; simply flour and water mixed together and left out to collect wild yeast and beneficial bacteria. This mixture is then “fed” additional flour and water 8- to 12-hours intervals. Keep in mind that your geographic location, the time of year, temperature/humidity all play a factor in the quality, or should I say the “personality” that develops in your starter. You’ll also need a container for your starter to “live” in while it is stored in the refrigerator. I use a mason jar with a clamp-down glass lid because it is very aesthetic. But any glass or plastic container with a lid will work (no metal, it can react adversely with the acid in the starter.) The container needs to be at least a quart-size or larger. The starter expands and rises as it does its thing.


Sourdough Starter

Ingredients 2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)2 cups warm water. One clean container

Mix two tablespoons of flour with two tablespoons of warm water in your container. Cover with a dish towel or cheesecloth. Set aside at room temperature for 8- to 12-hours.•

“Feed” your starter another 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons warm water and let sit covered for another 8- to 12-hours. Sometime after this feeding you should see bubbles starting to form in your starter and it should have a pleasant yeasty/beery smell to it. •

Feed it again with another 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons warm water and let sit covered for another 8- to 12-hours.•

By this time, my starter was bubbling away and filled ¾’s of the jar and smelled deliciously sour. If yours is doing the same, stir in a full cup of flour and a cup of warm and let sit another 6- to 8-hours and then it is ready to use. If yours is not so active, continue with another 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons warm water. Depending on the time of year, warmth/humidity in your home your starter may take more or less time to get started.•

That’s it. Your starter is alive and well and ready to make some fantastic bread. You should store your starter in the refrigerator. You need to continue feed your starter about once a week by stirring in a ¼ cup flour and a ¼ cup water.

A few notes on your starter.

Hooch – You may see a clear or light brownish watery liquid form on top or your starter. This is normal and is the alcohol produced of the yeast/bacteria. The research I’ve done says you’re not supposed to drink it (of course I did!) It tastes like sour, flat beer. So, you can either stir it back in at the next feeding or for a milder sour flavor, just pour it off. I’ve been opting to pour it off.
Using your starter – Before you use your starter take it out of the refrigerator and feed it a ¼ cup flour and a ¼ cup warm water. Allow it to sit for 4- to 6 hours to warm-up and get it active again.

Sourdough Ciabatta Bread
Many sourdough Ciabatta recipes can be found online. I chose this one because the recipe is sized for a bread machine. I let the machine do the kneading and I just have to form the loaf and bake it in the oven. The recipe can be found at: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Bread/Ciabatta.htm.

Dough:
1 1/2 cups bread flour*
1/2 cup semolina flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
1/2 teaspoon diastatic malt (optional)**
1 teaspoon instant yeast (I use Red Star Instant Active Dry Yeast) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F.)
1 cup sourdough starter, room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

* This bread will end up being a very sticky, wet dough. Do not add any additional flour to the dough.
** Diastatic malt contains active enzymes which help break starch down into sugar. The extra sugar feeds the yeast in the dough, helping the bread to rise, and also gives the bread a browner crust.

Method:
Place all ingredients in bread pan of your bread machine. Select dough setting and press start.

When dough cycle has finished, dough will be very soft (between a batter and a runny dough).

Remove dough from pan and place into a oiled large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in at room temperature approximately 1 1/2 hours or until tripled in bulk (dough will be sticky and full of bubbles).

On a baking sheet, place a sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle parchment paper with flour or cornmeal. Turn the risen dough onto parchment paper. Pat dough (do not punch down) into a rectangle and dust with flour. Press fingertips into dough in several places to dimple surface. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in bulk.

At least 45 minutes before baking, place baking stones on lowest oven rack in oven (optional) and set the temperature to 500degF. Allow the oven to heat for 30 minutes.

Remove the plastic wrap from the dough and brush the top of the dough with an egg wash (or water) and sprinkle with course salt.

Lower oven temperature to 400degF. If using baking stones, transfer loaf (with parchment paper) to the hot stones. If not using baking stones transfer baking sheet and all and bake 15 minutes or until pale golden. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 1 loaf***

***I tried dividing this recipe into two smaller loaves. Though the flavor was great, the loaves were thin and difficult to cut for sandwiches. The single loaf is much more satisfying.

What’s not to love?!!!

Spaghetti with Sardines, Dill and Fried Capers

I came across this recipe in the May 09 issue of Gourmet Magazine. It has all the delicious savory Mediterranean ingredients we love here at the Yellow Door! Even better the recipe comes together quickly and all of these ingredients are really inexpensive; great for a weeknight dinner. I used Goya brand sardines. There are three large fillets in each can. As the recipe suggests I made fresh breadcrumbs from a left-over baguette I had, but any bread would work just fine.

I served this with green salad on the side. Tossing in some steamed broccoli or asparagus would up the veggie quotient in this dish too.

A word of caution! We accidently ate the ENTIRE six-serving dish in one sitting; it is THAT good!!

How Much?
Spaghetti - $2.50
Sardines - $6.00 (2 cans @ about $3.00 each)
Capers (3oz) - $1.99
Fresh Bread Crumbs - $1.00
Fresh Dill - $1.50
Garlic - $0.75
TOTAL - $13.75

Spaghetti with Sardines, Dill and Fried Capers
Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup (about 3 - 4oz) drained capers, patted dry
2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (from a baguette)
1/2 cup chopped dill
2 to 3 (3 3/4-ounces) cans sardines in olive oil
4 garlic cloves (finely chopped or force garlic through a garlic press)

Preparation:

Cook spaghetti in a pasta pot of well- salted boiling water until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Fry capers until they "bloom" and are just a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Toast bread crumbs in same skillet, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with capers, dill, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Add sardines to skillet with their oil (if using 3 cans sardines, discard oil from 1 can) over medium-high heat and add garlic to the skillet. Sauté until sardines are golden in spots around edges, about 2 minutes.

Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta. Add pasta to skillet with cooking water and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Toss until pasta is coated and sauce is slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve topped with seasoned crumbs.

Bacon Fried in the Oven

Let me tell you about… Bacon Fried in the Oven.

Frying bacon in the oven provides all the put-it-in-and-forget-it convenience of microwave cooking but results in all the crispy, crunchy goodness of pan frying. As an added bonus, with no grease splattered stovetop and counter, clean up is easier.

No real recipe here. Just preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay bacon out evenly over a cookie sheet lined in aluminum foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes. When done to the desired crispness, drain on paper towels.

A few hits and suggestions:

Cram as much bacon on the cookie sheet as you can. Overlapping a little bit doesn’t affect the outcome since the bacon shrinks as it cooks. Refrigerate (or freeze) leftovers to use on salads, burgers, sandwiches etc.

Before cooking sprinkle raw bacon with crushed dried rosemary and freshly ground back pepper. (YUM)

Fold the edges of the foil up to form a rim to help contain the rendered fat.

Cuban Sandwiches

My partner, Gene, introduced me to Cuban sandwiches many years ago on trip to Miami. Cuban sandwiches are rich, meaty, delicious sandwiches filled with ham, roast pork, and a Swiss cheese. The roast pork is a little tricky; unless you make it yourself it’s sort of hard to come by. (…but so worth it!) I used leftover roast pork I’d made for dinner a few nights ago. I had marinated a pork butt in mojo sauce overnight and then slow roasted it (yum!)

The other key ingredient is Cuban bread, which is also hard to find (anywhere north of Florida). Cuban bread is long, like a baguette, but has a very thin almost papery yet crispy crust and a soft interior. French bread has a thicker, harder crust, but still substitutes pretty well.

Traditionally the sandwiches are pressed-grilled like a Panini to warm the filling and make the bread toasty, crisp. I don’t have a sandwich press and have tried using my waffle iron in the past with disappointing results. The waffle iron doesn’t open far enough to accommodate thick sandwiches and squishes them at an unacceptable angle. So as an alternative for my Cuban sandwiches, I toasted the bread and warmed the ingredients under the broiler for about a minute before assembling sandwich. I think next time I’ll try pressing them between two hot frying pans for a few minutes; they really are better flattened a bit.


The Recipe: Cuban Sandwiches
Makes two sandwiches
1 loaf Cuban bread (or French baguette)
Prepared mustard (yellow is traditional)
1/4 pound baked ham, thinly sliced (about 4-6 slices)
1/4 pound roast pork, pulled to shreds or thinly sliced
1 dill pickle sliced thinly length-wise (about 8 slices)
1/4 pound Swiss cheese, thinly sliced (about 4 slices)

Slice two 5- or 6-inch lengths of bread from the baguette, then slice each length horizontally to open. Spread a generous layer of mustard on top and bottom halves of bread.

Arrange ham, pork, pickle slices, and Swiss cheese evenly over the bread. Cover the sandwiches with the top halves of the bread.

Grill sandwiches in a hot buttered sandwich press until flattened a bit, the bread is browned, and the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.

All Puffed-Up for Sunday Brunch

Why?

Growing up, I remember my mom making soufflés. Well to be honest, I really only remember her making one soufflé and I recall not liking it that much. However, I was mesmerized by it as I peeped through the oven window watching it get higher and higher. Now, I love them. And a nice, slow, do-nothing Sunday morning is the perfect time for one.

Soufflés really aren’t that much work and you don’t have to tip-toe around while they bake. Honestly, its maybe 20-minutes of prep time and 30-40-minutes in the oven! Plus, its basic ingredients; eggs, cheese, some milk, a little butter, a little flour and you have a stunning, delicious brunch.

What?

So this recipe comes from the Larousse Gastronomique (subtitled: The World’s Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia.) The LG is a 7 ½ pound monster, over 1200 pages long. I have to admit I find it a bit intimidating but it’s got some fascinating information and quite a few recipes; in fact 2 ½ pages of soufflé recipes alone. This is where my spinach soufflé recipe comes from.

This is a classic soufflé recipe. You first make a béchamel sauce, add egg yolks and flavoring (spinach and cheese for mine), fold that into fluffy, whipped egg whites, pour the whole thing into a soufflé pan and bake. I was a bit skeptical of this recipe at first. For anyone who’s ever made a roux, I thought this one was a little off base. It called for way more flour than I thought it should have, so I reduced it from 6 tablespoons to 3 tablespoons, which still made for a really stiff, gloppy béchamel. The sauce did loosen up a little with the addition of the egg yolks and spinach and in the end the soufflé was gorgeous.

How much?

This assumes that you have basics like, flour, milk and butter (maybe a dollars-worth altogether).

4 eggs - $1.06 (based on dozen cage-free $3.19)

8 ounces frozen spinach - $0.70 (based on 16-oz bag at $1.39)

3 oz white cheddar cheese - $1.49 (based on $4.99 for 10-oz)

Total: $4.25

The Recipe

Spinach Soufflé

3 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

8 ounces frozen spinach

3 oz white cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper

Pinch of ground nutmeg

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 400°.

1. Thaw spinach and squeeze out excess moisture.

2. Separate four eggs, with whites in a large bowl and yolks in a small bowl.

3. Butter the inside of an eight inch soufflé pan.

4. Make a béchamel by melting the butter in medium saucepan, stir in flour and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the milk and bring it to a boil whisk often. Season with salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg. Cook over low heat for an additional 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

5. Add spinach, cheese, and egg yolks and stir to combine well.

6. Whisk egg whites until stiff peaks. Add 1/3 egg whites to the béchamel and gently stir to combine (to further lighten the béchamel). Carefully fold the béchamel mixture into the egg whites folding into the batter is fairly homogenous (it’s OK if those bits of streaks of egg white still in the mix).

7. Pour the batter into the soufflé pan and bake (see cook’s note) for 30 minutes without opening the door until well risen and the top is golden-brown.

Cook’s note: I don’t particularly like brown, crusty egg dishes, so I usually cook my soufflés a bain-marie to keep the sides from browning, but that’s up to you.

The Larousse Gastronomique really is a wonderful book with lots of useful information (like what is a bain-marie?) and would make a wonderful addition to anyone’s cookbook collection.