Crackers & Dips (14 page)

FRESH ARTICHOKE DIP

This creamy, decadent dip is for true artichoke lovers, folks like myself who drool in anticipation of artichoke season every spring and fall and eat steamed artichokes (and nothing else) for dinner as soon as they come to market. This outstanding dip tastes nothing like the oily, flinty-textured dip recipes out there that use jarred artichokes. Instead, it tastes like true fresh artichoke hearts in all their buttery glory. It takes a little patience to trim the artichokes to get to the heart, but you’ll get the hang of it quickly, and once you taste fresh artichoke dip, you’ll never go back to the greasy, coarse recipes you’ve had in the past.

MAKES 1¾ CUPS/420 ML

1 lemon

2 artichokes

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 tsp finely grated organic lemon zest

½ cup/120 ml crème fraîche (see Dip Tip,
page 118
) or sour cream

¼ cup/60 ml mayonnaise

3 tbsp grated pecorino romano cheese

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Fill a medium bowl with about 1½ cups/355 ml cold water and squeeze the juice of half of the lemon into the water. Using a serrated knife, trim the stalk of one artichoke to within 1 in/2.5 cm of its base. Saw off the top half of the artichoke leaves and snap off the remaining tough, dark green leaves around the outside of the artichoke until you reach the pale yellow cone of leaves in the center. Cut or pull off the pale yellow cone of leaves until you reach the fuzzy choke.

Using a sharp paring knife, trim away the tough green parts around the base and stem to get to the light green or white layer of the vegetable, rubbing the cut surfaces with the remaining lemon half to prevent discoloration. Quarter the artichoke heart and cut or scrape away and discard the furry choke from the heart. Chop the artichoke into ¼-in/6-mm pieces and quickly place in the lemon water until ready to use. Repeat the process with the remaining artichoke.

Drain the artichoke hearts. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the artichoke hearts, shallot, and thyme and sauté until the vegetables are beginning to brown, 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add ¼ cup/60 ml water. Cover and simmer gently until the artichoke is tender, 6 to 10 minutes, adding 2 to 3 tbsp water if the pan begins to look dry.

Mash the artichoke mixture with a potato masher until about half of the vegetables are mashed. Transfer to a medium serving bowl and allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes. Add the lemon zest, crème fraîche, mayonnaise, cheese, and cayenne and stir to combine. Season with salt and black pepper. The dip can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to use.

ROSEMARY CANNELLINI DIP

Soaking and cooking dry cannellini beans makes this classic dip exceptionally smooth and flavorful. This dip is perfect with the Paper-Thin Semolina Cracker Sheets (
page 45
), Cheater’s Sesame Lavash (
page 88
), and Black Pepper Taralli (
page 53
).

MAKES 3 CUPS/720 ML

1¼ cups/255 g dried cannellini beans

½ cup/75 g chopped onion

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 tsp dried rubbed sage

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove, peeled

One 2-in/5-cm sprig of fresh rosemary

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Place the cannellini beans in a large bowl; add water to cover by 2 in/5 cm and soak for 12 hours. Drain the beans and rinse them. Put the beans in a pot with the onion, carrot, sage, bay leaf, garlic, and enough cold water to cover by 1 in/2.5 cm. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until tender, 1 to 1½ hours. Add the rosemary sprig and ½ tsp salt, stir, and set aside for 15 minutes.

Drain the beans again, reserving 1 cup/240 ml of the cooking liquid. Pull the rosemary leaves from the stem and add them to the beans. Discard the bay leaf and rosemary stem. Transfer the beans and rosemary leaves to a food processor and process, adding a bit of cooking liquid if necessary, until the mixture is smooth. Season the dip with salt and pepper. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl, drizzle with the olive oil, and serve. To store, cool the dip completely in the refrigerator before sealing in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

MOLTEN BLACK BEAN AND CHORIZO DIP

Every cook needs a great spicy bean dip in his or her repertoire, and this is mine. I start with canned black beans, give them a kick with chipotle chiles, and make the otherwise guilt-free dip “molten” by adding a layer of
queso blanco
(a mild Mexican melting cheese), with a smattering of sautéed chorizo sausage on the top. The resulting dip is a fiesta of textures and flavors, with just enough warm gooey cheese to qualify it as comfort food at its best. This dip begs to be attacked with Corn Bread Crisps (
page 29
) or tortilla chips.

MAKES 3 CUPS/720 ML

1 tsp cumin seeds

Two 15-oz/425-g cans black beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup/10 g lightly packed chopped cilantro leaves, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo (see Dip Tip)

¼ cup/60 ml freshly squeezed lime juice

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup/115 g grated
queso blanco
or Monterey Jack cheese

6 oz/170 g Mexican chorizo sausage, casings removed

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas 4. In a small saucepan over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds until they are fragrant, 45 seconds. Grind the toasted cumin seeds using a mortar and pestle or clean spice grinder until they are a fine powder.

Place the black beans, cilantro, green onions, garlic, chipotle, lime juice, and cumin in a food processor and pulse until nearly smooth, stopping once to scrape down the sides of processor. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the bean mixture to a 4-cup-/940-ml-capacity oven-proof baking dish and cover with the cheese. In a small sauté pan, cook the chorizo over medium heat, stirring constantly, until cooked through and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Drain off the fat and sprinkle the chorizo over the top of the dip. Bake the dip until the cheese has melted and it is bubbling around the edges, 40 minutes. Serve hot.

DIP TIP:
Chipotle chiles are smoked jalapeños packed in tomato purée. Be careful when handling them: unlike the rather innocuous raw jalapeño chiles grown these days, chipotles pack a real punch. It’s a good idea to wear gloves when handling them.

SMOKED SALMON CRÈME FRAÎCHE DIP

You might not think the words
Norway
and
culinary tour
go together, but I went absolutely food-crazy when vacationing there. I was especially taken with the smoked fish, caviar, and rich crème fraîche that are served everywhere as part of the
smørbrød
open-face sandwich buffet tradition.

This simple dip is homage to the pure flavors of those Norwegian pig-outs. Since the dip is quite elemental, it’s important to buy the best cold-smoked salmon you can get; I am partial to wild Alaskan salmon. Crème fraîche is inexplicably expensive in the United States, especially considering how easy it is to make at home! I’ve included a simple recipe in the Dip Tip.

MAKES 1¾ CUPS/420 ML

4 oz/115 g cold-smoked salmon slices

1 cup/240 ml crème fraîche

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives

4½ tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus

2 tsp finely grated organic lemon zest

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

1 tbsp drained capers

Ground white pepper

Fine sea salt

Finely chop the salmon into pieces that are no larger than ¼ in/6 mm square. In a medium bowl, gently fold together the fish, crème fraîche, chives, lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, capers, and ¼ tsp pepper. Refrigerate the dip for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld. Season with salt and more pepper, if needed. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

DIP TIP:
For 1 cup/240 ml crème fraîche, combine 1 cup/240 ml heavy whipping cream with 2 tbsp buttermilk in a glass jar or container. Cover with plastic wrap and let the mixture stand at room temperature until it is the consistency of thin sour cream, 12 to 24 hours. Whisk well and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

CERVELLE DE CANUT

This tangy, creamy cheese spread means “brain of a silk worker” in French, but calm down, it’s vegetarian! The dip originates in Lyon, France, where silk workers
(canut)
formed a large part of the working class in the eighteenth century.

This unique dip is delicious and simple; think Boursin, but with a college education. It’s great on neutral-flavored crackers like the Paper-Thin Semolina Cracker Sheets (
page 45
), but it’s zesty enough to stand up to highly seasoned crackers like the Middle Eastern Falafel Crisps (
page 56
).

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP/240 ML

½ cup/120 ml
fromage blanc
(see Dip Tip) or puréed small-curd cottage cheese

½ cup/120 ml crème fraîche (see Dip Tip,
page 118
)

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus 1 tsp finely grated organic lemon zest

½ shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, green sprout in center discarded (if present), finely chopped

1½ tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 tbsp chopped fresh chives

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, combine the
fromage blanc
, crème fraîche, lemon juice, lemon zest, shallot, garlic, thyme, and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve chilled. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

DIP TIP:
Fromage blanc
[froh-MAHZH BLAHNGK] is a fresh cheese with a loose, creamy consistency similar to farmer’s cheese, but with very little, if any, fat. Find it at cheese shops and grocery stores in little tubs, or use blended small-curd cottage cheese instead.

SCONNIE BEER AND CHEESE FONDUE

You can take the girl out of Wisconsin (a.k.a. Sconnie), but you can’t take the beer and cheese off her menu. I grew up in the lovely lakeside town of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where beer and cheese are considered two of the major food groups. One of my favorite recipes from home is beer and cheese fondue. The proteins in the aged Cheddar and the acids in the beer and lemon juice in this recipe help to keep the fondue from separating, so it stays creamy and dippable for a few hours if you keep it warm in a fondue pot or electric mini–slow cooker.

Serve this dip with the Paper-Thin Semolina Cracker Sheets (
page 45
), apples, and grilled sausages for an elegant winter supper, or pair it as a snack with Spelt Pretzel Rounds (
page 59
) at your next party.

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS/480 ML

1 garlic clove, peeled and halved lengthwise

1 cup/240 ml lager or IPA beer

4½ tsp cornstarch

2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2⅔ cups/225 g grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, at room temperature

1⅓ cups/115 g grated aged Gruyère cheese, at room temperature