With winter melting away, many of us are looking for lighter meals that fit with springtime appetites (and pre-summer diets). This is a gorgeous, tasty preparation - introducing your local market’s spring vegetables, as well as adding warm flavors to beat the chill that lingers in the air. It has the low-fat and flavorful benefits of poaching seafood and using the liquid for seasoning. It also incorporates a simple technique called “monter au beurre,” which involves whisking a small amount of butter into the broth at the last minute, producing a classic, satisfying velvety finish.
You will need:
olive oil
1 large leek, greens removed, thinly sliced
3-5 garlic cloves, smashed, peeled, and chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 large can fat-free, low sodium chicken broth (or 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth)
3/4 pound large sea scallops, cut in half horizontally
2 T chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomatoes
1 T fresh tarragon, minced
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 t salt
lots of freshly cracked black pepper
ground chili pepper to taste
1. Heat the oil over medium in a large, heavy stock pot. Add the leek and garlic and cook until tender.
2. Add the wine and broth, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir in the shrimp and scallops, and bring quickly to a boil. Immediately reduce heat, and simmer for around 3 minutes, or until shrimp are done.
3. Remove the shrimp and scallops from the pot using a slotted spoon, and keep them warm on the side. Bring the broth mixture to a boil again, and allow to cook for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and add the butter, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until the butter is melted and a satiny sheen appears on the surface of the soup.
4. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
5. Divide the seafood among 4 bowls, and cover with broth. Serve immediately.
This goes beautifully with light, crusty French bread and a glass of rose; try serving it with a plate of steamed, chilled crudite: fresh asparagus, green beans, spring carrots and broccoli, with a small side of garlic aioli.
Okay, so word on the street is that Barack Obama’s favorite foods include pizza, chili, and pumpkin pie - further proof that he is, after all, “a man of the people.” On the healthy side, he’s into trail mix, spinach, and broccoli, which may in part explain the fit physique of the next Commander-in-Chief. So, as a cook and as a person with a thing for dinner parties, I have to ask: what do you serve one of the most eagerly anticipated Presidents-elect on his big day? Wouldn’t you know - the Inaugural Luncheon includes nothing other than seafood stew. Feel like cooking along? We’ve got the recipe, so you can celebrate January 20th in truly Presidential style. Note - this serves 10, so invite your cabinet.
10 5-inch puff pastry rounds (available in most freezer sections)
2-3 egg whites, beaten lightly with a splash of water
10 soup ramekins
1. In a large soup pot, boil one gallon of water. Poach the lobsters, then remove them from the water with tongs. Set aside. Poach the shrimp, and remove. Next, add the cod to the water - do this carefully, to keep it from flaking apart. Finally, remove the cod and poach the scallops.
2. Keep the water boiling, and add the vegetables, cooking them until they are tender but not mushy. The potatoes will be the best judge of doneness; do not overcook. Remove the vegetables, allowing the water to continue to boil until most of it has cooked off, creating a light stock.
3. When only a quart of liquid remains, add the vermouth and heavy cream, and allow the entire broth to reduce by half. Season it with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. When the sauce will cover the back of a wooden spoon and not drain off completely, the desired thickness has been reached. Set the sauce aside to cool.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the seafood into bite-sized pieces, and gently fold them into the cooled sauce. Scoop this resulting mixture into the ramekins, taking care to distribute the seafood evenly and not to allow the pieces to break apart.
5. Cover each ramekin with a piece of puff pastry cut to size. Brush the tops with egg wash, and then set the dishes in the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Barack Obama’s inaugural menu also includes: molasses whipped sweet potatoes, winter vegetables (including asparagus - a veggie Obama claims not to be crazy about), and a cinnamon apple sponge cake (even though his children say he doesn’t enjoy sweets other than pumpkin pie). The menu was designed, after all, not according to Obama’s tastes, but to those of one of his role models: President Abraham Lincoln, who was fond of seafood, among other things. As reported in the New York Post, ”It’s always good to model yourself after a great president,” said Eric Foner, a professor of American history at Columbia University. “The proof will be in the pudding.”
For those of you who are cooking at home and don’t happen to have the “brace of American birds” on hand to roast with sour-cherry chutney - the Presidential main dish, following the seafood - try something lighter. Steam some broccoli and serve it chilled with lemon juice, a splash of nutty olive oil, and a pinch of salt as a lighter side to your stew.
This hearty stew uses traditional Indian flavors - coriander, cumin, mustard, turmeric, cayenne - to warm the palate, but lacks much of the intense heat of some Indian cuisine. This preparation is relatively delicate, and tastes best on the day it is prepared. Serve it over rice for a complete one-dish meal.
You will need:
1 1/4 lbs. white fish, such as halibut, cod, or rockfish, cut into 2″ cubes
2 medium russet potatoes, cut into the same size as the fish
vegetable oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1/4 tsp. turmeric
2 small serrano chilies, quartered length-wise
3-4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 cup water
salt
a 15-oz. can of coconut milk; I find that this is worth paying for - thinner, “low-fat,” or cheap varieties will provide cheap results
1 tsp. rice vinegar (apple cider vinegar will also work)
1. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a soup pot over medium heat, and saute the onion until golden. Add the turmeric and stir to coat the onions.
2. Toss in the potatoes, chilies, garlic, and ginger, and stir until the potatoes are coated in the oil, around 2 or 3 minutes.
3. Add the water and 1/2 tsp. salt and bring the entire mixture to a boil. Cook around 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
4. Add the coconut milk, the fish cubes, and another 1/4 tsp. salt. Let the entire stew simmer, but don’t bring it to a full boil. Cook only until the fish is opaque and springy to the touch - about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the vinegar and let the stew sit for a few minutes before serving.
Note - if you really want to reduce the heat of this dish, remove the serranos after the potatoes are cooked. However, pepper bellies may want to consider grinding an extra serrano and tossing it in as a paste to boost the heat. Be advised, however, that too much extra zing may overpower the delicate flavor of the fish. The vinegar in this dish creates a lovely balance with the curry flavors that you won’t want to miss.
Yum. Every once in a while, it’s nice to have a hearty stew you can throw together in under 20 minutes. We just went through the winter storm of the century, and this dish kept us warm on the coldest nights. I definitely recommend tracking down a frozen package of spiced Indian naan - toss a few in the oven to warm and serve them with this soup. The flavors mix beautifully and work perfectly for sopping up the last bits in the bowl.
You will need:
a medium onion, chopped
5 or 6 cloves of garlic, peeled, smashed, and sliced
a toe of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
a bay leaf
a large can of crushed tomatoes
a can of chickpeas
vegetable broth (either in paste, cube, or liquid form)
chili powder
hot sauce (I like Secret Aardvark habanero, but Sriracha or Tabasco work fine; Tabasco adds a lot of vinegar, which I’m not crazy about, but many cooks love)
1-2 T curry powder
cumin
2 cans of good quality, solid-pack tuna in water; for a real treat, sear fresh tuna fillets, slice, and add them at the last instant.
sour cream
1. Saute the onions and garlic in a soup pot with a little olive oil. Add the ginger and bayleaf, and keep frying until everything is fragrant and the onions begin to turn golden.
2. Add the cans of chickpeas and tomatoes, then stir in a can of broth (or water and bouillon base). Season liberally with chili powder, curry, cumin, and hot sauce. Adjust seasonings according to taste.
3. Let the stew simmer for 10 minutes or so to let it thicken, then add the tuna. Turn the heat low; the stew is ready as soon as the fish is heated through. Serve in warmed bowls or dishes with a large dollop of sour cream in the center, and a pile of hot naan.
If you’re feeling adventurous, try adding clams or rockfish in place of the tuna. Be careful not to overcook.
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