The Epicurious Cookbook (29 page)

Authors: Tanya Steel

BOOK: The Epicurious Cookbook

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1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F, with the rack in the middle.

2.
Shred the daikon and carrot in a food processor fitted with the medium shredding disk. Stir together the vinegar, sugar, and salt and toss with the shredded vegetables. Let the slaw stand, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

3.
Meanwhile, heat the baguette on the rack in the oven until crusty, about 5 minutes. Cut off and discard the round ends, then split the baguette lengthwise.

4.
Mix the oil, fish sauce, and soy sauce and brush on the cut sides of the bread. Spread the liverwurst on the bottom layer of bread and top with the chiles, onion, and cilantro.

5.
Drain the slaw in a colander.

6.
Arrange the chicken, slaw, and lettuce on the cilantro. Spread the top layer of bread with mayonnaise and cut the sandwich crosswise into fourths.

“The only modification I made was to decrease the fish sauce to 1½ teaspoons. Also drained the slaw by squeezing it thoroughly with my hands till almost dry. Great sandwich with and without mayo.”

A cook, Riverside, California

crispy pancetta, burrata, and tomato sandwiches

Think the BLT couldn’t get any better? This recipe pumps up the flavors of the classic sandwich with gourmet Italian ingredients like pancetta and arugula. Burrata, which means “butter” in Italian, has an exterior similar to mozzarella but with a soft center that gives it a creamy, spreadable quality. Plain mozzarella will do, but try to find this extra-special cheese, sold at specialty foods stores, Italian markets, and cheese shops. It’s worth the effort.

YIELD: MAKES 6 SERVINGS

4 (3-ounce) packages thinly sliced pancetta

6 (¾-inch-thick) slices ripe Costoluto Genovese tomatoes or other red heirloom tomatoes

½ cup (packed) coarsely torn fresh basil leaves

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

½ teaspoon fleur de sel or kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

12 (½-inch) slices egg bread or brioche, lightly toasted

18 ounces burrata cheese

About 4 cups baby arugula or mixed microgreens

1.
Working in batches, cook the pancetta in a heavy large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

2.
Place the tomato slices in a shallow baking dish. Add the basil, oil, oregano, and fleur de sel. Sprinkle with pepper and turn to coat. Let stand at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

3.
Place 6 toasted bread slices on a work surface. Divide the burrata among the bread slices and spread to edges. Top each with 1 tomato slice, then the pancetta slices, dividing equally. Top with arugula. Cover with the remaining 6 toasted bread slices, and press each slightly to adhere. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.

“Buffalo mozzarella was an easy substitution and was delicious! I used homemade bread, which kicked it up a notch, but even without that, it would have been fabulous.”

Dag556, Washington, D.C.

do ahead:

The
PANCETTA
can be cooked 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

featherlight yeast rolls

These yeast rolls are the creation of legendary chef and cookbook author Edna Lewis. The mashed potato is traditional in yeast dough and tenderizes both the rolls and contributes to their airy rise. Serve piping hot from the oven, or bake them in advance and warm before serving.

YIELD: MAKES 2 DOZEN ROLLS

1 russet (baking) potato (½ pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter

½ cup whole milk

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 (¼-ounce) package active dry yeast

2⅔ cups all-purpose flour

1.
Cover the potato with cold water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, until very tender, about 10 minutes. Reserving 1 cup cooking liquid, drain potato. Meanwhile, melt 2½ tablespoons butter. Mash the hot potato in a large bowl with a fork. Stir in the milk, salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons melted butter (mixture will be lumpy).

2.
Cool ½ cup cooking liquid to warm (105 to 115°F). Stir in the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast and remaining cooking liquid.) Stir the yeast mixture into the potato mixture, then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.

3.
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead, dusting the surface and your hands with just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (dough will be slightly sticky). Brush a large bowl with some of remaining melted butter, then turn dough in bowl to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator, 8 to 12 hours.

4.
Punch down the dough (do not knead), then halve. Roll each half into a 12-inch-long log on a lightly floured surface with lightly floured hands. Cut each log into 12 pieces and roll each into a ball. Arrange ½ inch apart in a buttered 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Cover the pan with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth). Let the rolls rise at warm room temperature until doubled (they will fill pan), 1 to 1½ hours.

5.
Preheat the oven to 375°F, with a rack in the middle. Melt the remaining 1½ tablespoons butter. Brush the top of the rolls with melted butter and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Loosen the edges with a sharp knife, then transfer the rolls to a rack and cool slightly.

“Put the potato through a ricer—it was a snap and produced a light, fluffy mashed potato that mixed easily with the rest of the ingredients.”

Airportannie, Elizabethtown, Kentucky

cook’s note:

The
ROLLS
are best the day they’re baked but can be frozen, wrapped well, up to 1 month. Thaw, then reheat, uncovered, on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven, 5 to 10 minutes.

summer fruit
with praline fondue

This deconstructed praline version of fondue wows time and again thanks to its simplicity and unexpected flavor. While it’s great any time of year, it’s especially suited to the summertime, when you want to keep cooking to a minimum and you have an abundance of berries, melons, peaches, and grapes at peak flavor. This setup is ideal for parties, as it encourages interaction; there’ll be no wallflowers when you set this out.

YIELD: MAKES 4 SERVINGS

½ cup crème fraîche

1 cup plus ½ tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar

½ cup chopped toasted pecans

Assorted fresh fruit (cherries, grapes, berries, sliced peaches, and plums, etc.)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons water

2½ tablespoons dark rum

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1.
Beat together in a medium bowl the crème fraîche and ½ tablespoon brown sugar. Transfer to a small serving bowl.

2.
Place the pecans in another small serving bowl. Place the crème fraîche and nuts on a platter and surround with the fruit.

3.
Melt the butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Increase the heat to medium high and add the remaining 1 cup sugar and the water. Stir 1 minute (mixture will bubble vigorously), then stir in the rum and vanilla.

4.
Transfer the butterscotch to a bowl. Serve with the crème fraîche, nuts, and fruit.

“This was so easy, and with peaches, cherries, plums, grapes, and mango, it was hard to say which fruit tasted the best with the sauce, nuts, and double-thickened cream.”

A cook, Sydney, Australia

Pistachio Semifreddo

pistachio semifreddo

An airy dessert, this creamy semifreddo can stand alone on the dessert platter or top a cake as a dreamy icing. Using whipped raw egg whites (be sure they are from very fresh eggs) adds lift to this easy dessert, and slowly folding the meringue into the cream gives it a light texture. Save time by freezing it the day before, and sprinkle some cracked pistachios on top for a crunch.

YIELD: MAKES 2 QUARTS

1½ cups shelled salted pistachios (6½ ounces)

1 cup sugar

6 large egg whites

2 cups chilled heavy cream

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1.
Pulse 1 cup of pistachios with ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor until very finely ground. Add the remaining ½ cup pistachios and pulse until just coarsely ground.

2.
Beat the egg whites in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. Beat in the remaining ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, a little at a time, then increase the speed to high and beat until the meringue just holds stiff, glossy peaks. Beat the cream with the almond extract in a wide bowl with mixer at high speed until it just holds soft peaks.

3.
Fold the meringue into the cream gently but thoroughly, then fold in the nut mixture in the same manner. Spoon into a 2-quart dish and freeze, covered, until firm enough to scoop, about 4 hours. Let soften slightly before serving.

“I lined a loaf pan and put a layer of chopped nuts in the bottom before putting the custard in. Makes for a beautiful presentation when unmolded. Served with butter cookies and a drizzle of dark chocolate sauce.”

A cook, Crystal Coast, North Carolina

peach
sorbet

This refreshing dessert from Epicurious member
Danita Sam Lai
of Los Angeles is a crisp, delicious treat. Limoncello and Grand Marnier are optional but recommended, as the alcohol imparts a pleasing softness to the finished sorbet. Keep in mind that alcohol slows the freezing process, so freeze overnight before serving—unless you’re one of the many folks who likes a slightly slushier sorbet, in which case a few hours in the freezer will do nicely.

YIELD: MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART

4 large peaches, peeled, pitted, and roughly chopped (about 4 cups total)

Juice of 1 orange

Juice of 1 lemon

1⅓ cups sugar

2 tablespoons limoncello (optional)

3 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier (optional)

Special equipment: ice-cream maker