Burrata & Thomas Keller's Herb Gnocchi

There have been two very exciting developments in my food world recently.  The first is that the BC Law cafeteria is now stocking my favorite hot sauce!  If you do not know which hot sauce I am referring to, please see this post.  It has made my school lunch options infinitely better.  Also, I have decided what I’m going to be for Halloween next year!  I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before.

The other exciting development is that my local Whole Foods now has burrata!  My favorite cheese is notoriously difficult to find because it has an extremely short shelf life.  And since it is primarily imported from Italy, it usually comes with a steep price tag.  Luckily, more and more creameries in the U.S. are starting to make it!  Burrata is essentially mozzarella wrapped around creamy cheese curds.  This appetizer was inspired by the burrata at Dino, one of my favorite Italian restaurants in D.C.   Originally, I planned to make just the red pepper puree and not the tapenade.  But then I bought nicoise olives for the gnocchi...the store was out of pitted olives so I thought I would be able to just do it myself.  This did not go according to plan.  Have you ever tried to pit an olive without completely destroying it?!  Not so easy.  The only thing I could do was slice off thin layers around the pit so instead of putting these sad little slices in the gnocchi, I pureed them for the burrata.  Ten thousand hours later, I was left with a pathetically small pile (see the picture below).  Luckily, it was the perfect amount for the tapenade and I ended up with an accurate re-creation of Dino’s appetizer.  I also have a new appreciation for the people in charge of pitting olives. 

Some of my long-time readers may notice that I have already blogged about this gnocchi.  I decided it deserves another post since I never actually listed the full recipe.  This is actually a slight variation because I added corn to it for the first time (which I highly recommend doing).  Like many of Thomas Keller’s concoctions, this dish is a bit daunting and it has quite a few steps.  However, I’ve been making it for almost ten years now and I promise it is very forgiving if you make small mistakes or adjustments.   It is definitely time consuming but it is a fun project if you want to spend a day in the kitchen.  Prepare all of the ingredients before you start cooking the gnocchi because it comes together very quickly.  Your kitchen should look like a Food Network show set.  I made the summer version of the gnocchi because when I cooked it (this was a few weeks ago) it was hot in Boston and the summer produce looked better than the squash.  Now we are having a thunder/snow storm and it is FREEZING outside.  If you are also experiencing cold weather and want to make the winter version with butternut squash and shitake mushrooms, the recipe can be found here. 

Par-boiling the gnocchi

Drying after being lightly boiled.  At this point they can be frozen or used right away.

Everything ready to go!

GNOCCHI WITH SUMMER VEGETABLES
from the Bouchon Cookbook by Thomas Keller
makes 4 servings
6 to 8 ounces (2 small) zucchini
6 to 8 ounces (2 small) yellow squash
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ recipe Herb Gnocchi (click here for recipe), thawed if frozen
4 large sage leaves, cut into chiffonade
24 Nicoise olives, halved and pitted
8 ounces mixed heirloom tomatoes, halved
1 ½ tablespoons minced chives
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
½ lemon

Halve the zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise and remove the seeds by scraping them out with a small spoon.  Cut the squash into ¼ inch wide pieces.  Toss the squash with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour a light coating of olive oil into a large sauté pan and place over medium-high heat.  When the oil is very hot but not smoking, add the squash and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until tender but not browned.  Drain on paper towels.
The gnocchi should be cooked in a large pan.  Pour a light coating of olive oil in the pan and heat over medium-high heat.  Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the olive oil.  When the butter has browned, divide the gnocchi between the pans and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Once the gnocchi have begun to brown, add the sage to the pan, then shake and rotate so that the gnocchi brown and crisp on all sides, about 2 ½ minutes total.
Add the squash, olives, tomatoes, and chives and heat just through.  Spoon the gnocchi and vegetables onto serving plates and return the pan to high heat.  Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and cook until it is a rich brown, then quickly add the parsley to crackle for a few seconds.  Standing back (the butter will spatter) add a squeeze of lemon.  Spoon the brown butter and herbs over the gnocchi and around the plates.

BURRATA WITH TAPENADE AND RED PEPPER PUREE
3-4 roasted red peppers (I used jarred, but you can make your own if you don’t mind peeling the skin off)
1 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt to taste
½ cup Nicoise olives, PITTED
1 tablespoon olive oil

To make the red pepper puree, combine the red peppers, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and salt to taste in a food processer and blend until smooth.  Add more olive oil if necessary.
To make the tapenade, combine the olives and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Serve the burrata with the two purees and a baguette.

Seared Scallops with Summer Salsa

 My boyfriend makes fun of me by saying that I am “bragging” instead of “blogging” because most people wouldn’t bother to actually make many of the high maintenance recipes I post.  It is true my love of food leads me to spend exorbitant amounts of time in the kitchen, and I completely understand that most people enjoy devoting time to other endeavors.  However, I truly believe that every single recipe on my blog is accessible to cooks of all skill levels if they are willing to try.  That is not to say all recipes will yield perfect results every time, but messing up is a part of becoming a better cook (I just don’t tend to share my mistakes).  I always joke that I learned to cook from the Food Network, but in reality the years I spent trying recipes on my college roommates, family, and friends have taught me my most valuable lessons. 

So before you dismiss this recipe as something too complicated to try, let me try to convince you to at least attempt it.  First, much of the preparation for this recipe can be done ahead of time.  The salsa actually gets better the longer it sits, so whip it up the night before, clean up the mess, and simply spoon over the scallops right before serving.  Second, scallops take about 5 minutes to cook.  The trickiest part of making scallops is to avoid overcooking them so that they don’t become rubbery.  If you stick to the cooking times, it is pretty hard to go wrong.  My only disclaimer is that having fresh scallops that have never been frozen is absolutely key (this is an example of a lesson I learned from a cooking disaster).  If you can’t find them fresh, change your game plan and serve the salsa over grilled shrimp instead.  Finally, you should try this recipe because it will be delicious and it will show you that scallops really aren’t too complicated.  And it will prove my boyfriend wrong.

On another note, this post is kind of my farewell to summer.  Next week’s post will mark my blog’s 2 year anniversary (also known as a blogiversary) and I am planning a very autumnal treat.  It involves some deep frying so keep your fingers crossed that I don’t scald myself…Also, Navy Blue Kitchen will also have an updated look starting next week!  My understanding of blog technology has come a long way in 2 years so I decided to upgrade.

Seared Scallops with Summer Salsaserves 4 as an hors d'oeuvre
2 large heirloom tomatoes, chopped
½ red onion, minced
Juice from one lemon
½ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
8 fresh scallops that have NEVER been frozen
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Canola oil

Combine first four ingredients to make the salsa.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside until ready to serve. 

To prepare the scallops, remove the muscle on the side (it should come off easily when you pull- no knife necessary).  Rinse under cold water and then dry on paper towels.  Make sure the scallops are completely devoid of any moisture before searing them- this ensures they will brown nicely.  Season the scallops with salt and pepper.

In a non-stick skillet, add enough canola oil to cover the bottom of the pan.  Heat over moderately high heat until very hot.  You can test this by dropping a tiny bit of water in the oil- if it sizzles, it is ready.  Wear an apron because the oil will splatter.  Add half the scallops and cook without touching them for 1 minute.  Carefully turn them and cook for another 2 minutes.  Remove from pan and then cook the remaining scallops in the same manner.  Season the scallops with another sprinkle of sea salt and top with the salsa.  (Note: if you refrigerate the salsa, allow it to come to room temperature before serving).

Steamed Mussels with Coconut Milk and Thai Chiles

This recipe has been on my to-make list for months. I LOVE mussels and thought this would be a nice counterpart to the recipe I blogged about last year. There are quite a few mussels recipes on Tastespotting that use coconut milk but many of them also use curry paste. I am a big fan of curry but unfortunately I haven’t been impressed with the grocery store pastes that I have tried.  I was also worried that the curry flavor would overpower the mussels. Tyler Florence’s recipe caught my eye because it uses a bunch of fresh ingredients to add spice and flavor instead. I was also intrigued by the addition of lager to the cooking liquid. The broth was delicious and kind of reminded me of Tom Ka soup. The only changes I made from the original recipe were to add mushrooms and shallots. Next time I will also add more hot peppers because it wasn’t spicy enough- but you can adjust according to your spice preferences.


We had a ton of leftover broth so I added zucchini, onions, and more mushrooms the next night and served it over rice!

Steamed Mussels with Coconut Milk and Thai Chiles
makes 6 servings
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 Thai chiles, thickly sliced (or any other kind of hot pepper)
One 1 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup cilantro leaves
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pint cremini mushrooms, chopped
3 shallots, thinly sliced
Two 13 1/2-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
Juice of 2 limes
Salt
One 11- to 12-ounce bottle lager
5 pounds mussels, scrubbed

In a food processor, combine the garlic, chiles, ginger, cilantro, lime zest and olive oil and process to a paste; transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in the coconut milk and lime juice and season with salt.
In a large soup pot, sauté mushrooms and shallots in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until they begin to soften. Add the lager and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 7 minutes. Add the mussels, cover and cook, shaking the pot a few times, until the mussels just begin to open, about 4 minutes.
Uncover the mussels and stir in the coconut milk mixture. Cover and cook, shaking the pot a few times, until all of the mussels open, about 8 minutes. Spoon the mussels and broth into bowls and serve.

Prosciutto Pinwheels

These appetizers are a tradition in my family. I think we have probably made them every Christmas for the past ten years at least. They require very few ingredients and can be made days in advance, then sliced and baked right before guests arrive. It is important to get prosciutto that is very thinly cut at the deli. I’ve found that the pre-sliced packages are too thick for the puff pastry.

Get ready for a lot of posts in the next few days- I got a camera for Christmas that I am obsessed with plus I have lots of time to cook while I'm on break!

Prosciutto Pinwheels
from Simply Classic
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
Flour for dusting
4 tablespoons sweet hot mustard
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
¼ lb prosciutto, thinly sliced

Dust work surface with flour and roll puff pastry into a rectangle that is about 11x14 inches. Spread the mustard evenly over pastry, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Arrange the prosciutto in a single layer over the cheese. Starting at a long end, roll up the pastry until you reach the middle. Roll the other side until the two sides meet in the middle. Wrap with plastic wrap and place on a flat surface in the freezer. It should chill for at least 20 minutes to make it easier to slice. Or you can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the partially thawed roll into 1/4 inch slices and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Fried Squash Blossoms with Goat Cheese

I have never seen squash blossoms in the store before so I got SO excited when they had them at the Sunshine Market by my house in Chelan. There was a recipe in the most recent issue of Fine Cooking for tempura fried squash blossoms so I decided to make them. I stuffed mine with goat cheese because everything is better with goat cheese. Usually I hate frying things because it wastes so much oil, but this recipe only called for a half cup. Basically it coats the bottom of the pan and you flip the blossoms while they cook. Be careful of grease explosions though, I almost scalded my poor sister…
The tricky thing about squash blossoms is finding them. They have an extremely short shelf life (cook them the same day you buy them) so most grocery stores don’t carry them. Farmers markets or farm stands are your best bet.

Fried Squash Blossoms with Goat Cheese
adapted from Fine Cooking
makes 4-6 appetizer servings
1 1/3 cups flour
Kosher salt
1 ½ cups cold plain seltzer water (one 12 oz can)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
10-12 squash blossoms, stamens removed
10-12 tablespoons soft goat cheese (fresh ricotta would be good as well)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 200 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and a heaping 1/4 tsp. salt. Add the seltzer and stir to blend. The mixture should be the consistency of a semi-lumpy but loose pancake batter. Put about 1 tablespoon of goat cheese inside each squash blossom and twist the tops slightly to seal them.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. When a drop of batter sizzles in the pan, the oil is ready. Holding its stem end, dip a blossom into the batter. Swirl it around to coat. Drag the end of the blossom over the bowl’s edge to remove excess batter. Gently lay the blossom in the pan and repeat with 4 or 5 more blossoms, depending on the size (don’t over-crowd the pan). Cook until the blossoms are light golden-brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn the blossoms with tongs and cook until light golden-brown on the other side, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the blossoms to a rack covered with paper towels and set over a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and transfer to the oven to keep warm. Return the skillet to medium heat and repeat with the remaining blossoms.

Pita Bread and Htipiti

First of all, I would like to point out the new google search feature of my blog- it makes it a lot easier to find older recipes.  I am working on trying to figure out how to set up an index of the recipes as well...Also, if you want to subscribe to email alerts about new postings, follow the link to the google group and join.  Becoming a follower of the blog doesn't automatically give you alerts.  Thank you to everyone who has been sharing the blog with their friends and family- it is very exciting to hear from so many people who have tried some of the recipes.

So last night  I had a delicious meal at Tilth in Seattle and I loved their menu.  I especially appreciate the fact that they offer half portions of all their dishes to make it easier to try more items.  Small plates are almost always my favorite type of meal to have at restaurants because then I don't have to make as many hard decisions about my meal.  Last night I actually ended up doing the vegetarian tasting menu which I highly recommend.  My favorite item was their housemade pappardelle with fava beans, cipollini, and a sous vide egg.  I'm going to try to make some version of this very soon....

 Anyways, back to small plates.  In DC,  Zaytinia, José Andrés’ restaurant in Chinatown, has a delicious selection of Mediterranean inspired small plates.   I love going there with groups because although the items can get kind of pricey, they bring you unlimited pita bread so you never leave hungry, even if you don’t order the recommended four plates per person (which I think is a little overboard anyway).  The pita bread is amazing- especially when it first comes out of the oven.  It barely even resembles the cardboard-like equivalents that are sold in grocery stores.  Since Zaytinia’s pita bread ruined me for the store-bought alternatives, I decided to try to make my own.  I also made my favorite dip from Zaytini- htipiti (don’t ask me how to pronounce it) which is a simple blend of roasted red peppers, feta, and thyme.

Out of all the breads I have made this summer, I think that pita was the easiest.  It rises in an hour and a half and then it only takes 5 minutes to cook!  A pocket magically appears in each piece of bread and I swear the flavor was just as good as the ones from Zaytinia.  I actually had three people try the pita bread who have also been to Zaytinia and they agreed with me.  The bread was also pretty sturdy and I think the pocket would definitely hold up to being filled with sandwich or salad contents.  I want to try making wheat pitas next and I might make some kind of cucumber salad to stuff them with.   The pitas would also be a great accompaniment to grilled meats (like lamb kebabs) and yogurt sauce. 

Pita Bread

Recipe from The Fresh Loaf

makes 8 pitas

3 cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons yeast

1 ¼ cup water, at room temperature

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil, at room temperature

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients using a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball.  If it seems too dry, you may need to add a little water.

If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment and knead the dough at low speed for about 10 minutes.  If you do not have a mixer, knead it by hand (you may need to put some flour down since the dough is pretty sticky).  After kneading, place the ball in a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover it with plastic wrap and let rise until it doubles in size (1 ½ - 2 hours).

When the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough to release some of the gasses, then divide the dough into eight pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball, then cover the balls with a damp paper towel for 20 minutes to let the dough rest.  This makes it easier to roll it out. 

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 475 degrees and place a baking sheet in the oven (if you have a baking stone, this would work even better).  Using your hands or a rolling pin ( I just used my hands), flatten each ball of dough to about ¼ inch thickness.  The dough will not spread out at all in the oven but it will puff up and get thicker.  Cook the pitas on the hot surface of the baking sheet or stone for 3-5 minutes.  Mine took 5 minutes exactly.  If you want them a little crispier, leave them in longer.  Let them cool for a few minutes before you start eating them but don’t wait too long because they are best warm.

Htipiti

Inspired by Zaytinia

½ cup of roasted red peppers from a jar, roughly chopped

¼ cup feta, cubed or crumbled

1 ½ teaspoons thyme

~1 teaspoon olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until they are combined but not so much that it becomes a purée.  Its best to still have pieces of red peppers.  I don’t usually measure the olive oil so just kind of eyeball it.  The flavors together are delicious no matter what so proportions aren’t very crucial.