Spring Menu (2016 style)

5:30 at J&K's, Saturday the 21st! 

Be There or Be Square!

Appetizer:
F&L:  Roasted Chicken Wings with Scallion Ginger Sauce

Veggies:
C&C: Asparagus and Proscuitto bundles or Spinach Salad with Strawberries (Cook's Choice!)
T&J: Peas and Pea Shoots with Mint

Main Dish:
J&K:  Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Dessert:
Z&K:  Mango Basil Vacherin

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Linguine, From Cook's Illustrated, Nov/Dec 2000
Yield: about 9-12 servings

Please feel free to use Angel hair pasta instead of linguine if you prefer.  I think you could prepare this through step 2 ahead of time.  Then boil the pasta, warm the sauce, and finish the recipe just before serving.

Ingredients:

1.5 lb. large shrimp (31-40 per lb.), peeled and deveined
1.5 tsp. red pepper flakes, divided
9 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cognac or brandy
18 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1/3 cup), divided
3/4 tsp. sugar 1.5 (42 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained (or 1 28 oz and 1 14.5 oz can)
1.5 cup medium-dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1.5 lb. linguine

 Method:

1) Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

2) Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over high heat until the pan is very hot. Combine the shrimp, half of the red pepper flakes, 3 tablespoons of the oil, and half of the salt in a medium bowl; toss to blend. Add the shrimp to the skillet and spread into a single layer. Let cook without stirring until the bottoms of the shrimp turn a spotty brown, about 30-45 seconds. Off the heat, flip the shrimp over. Add the cognac or brandy to the pan. Let stand briefly to allow the cognac to warm slightly, about 5 seconds, then return the pan to high heat. Wave a lit match over the skillet until the cognac ignites. Shake the skillet until the flames subside, then transfer the shrimp to a bowl and set aside.

3) Cool the skillet for 2 minutes. Return the skillet to the burner and reduce the heat to low. Add 4.5 tablespoons of the oil and 4.5 tablespoons of the garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is sticky and light golden and begins to foam, about 7-10 minutes. Mix in the remaining red pepper flakes, the remaining salt, the sugar, tomatoes and wine. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer until thickened and fragrant, about 8 minutes.

4) While the sauce is simmering, add the linguine to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the now empty pot, add about 3/4 cup of the sauce and 3-5 tablespoons of the pasta water. Toss well to coat.

5) Stir the reserved shrimp and accumulated juices, remaining garlic and the parsley into the sauce. Simmer until the shrimp are heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 1.5 tablespoon oil. Divide the pasta among warmed serving bowls and top with the shrimp and sauce. Serve immediately.

Mango-Basil Vacherin

From Food and Wine: Mango-Basil Vacherin

Ingredients:

2 pints mango sorbet

BASIL ICE CREAM
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup packed basil leaves
2 pints vanilla ice cream, softened

LIME MERINGUE KISSES
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Finely grated zest of 2 limes

LIME WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lime

Diced mango and basil leaves, for garnish

Method:

MAKE AHEAD The basil ice cream can be frozen for up to 4 days. The lime meringue kisses can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

1) Using scissors, cut the cartons from the mango sorbet. Lay the sorbet on its side and cut each pint into 4 rounds. Arrange the sorbet slices on a plate lined with plastic wrap and freeze until firm.

2) In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the basil leaves and blanch just until wilted, about 30 seconds. Let cool slightly, then transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Let the puree cool. In a medium bowl, stir the basil puree into the vanilla ice cream; leave visible streaks in the ice cream. Freeze the basil ice cream until firm.

3)Preheat the oven to 225°. Arrange racks in the top, middle and bottom of the oven and line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk until warm, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat at high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in the lime zest.

4)Spoon the lime meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip and pipe 1/2-inch kisses onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1/2 inch apart. Bake for about 1 1/4 hours, until the lime meringues are firm and dry; shift the pans among the racks 3 times for even baking. Turn off the oven, prop the door open and let the meringues cool completely, about 1 hour.

5)In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream with the sugar until soft peaks form. Beat the grated lime zest into the whipped cream.

6)Arrange the frozen mango sorbet slices in the bottoms of shallow bowls or on dessert plates. Top with scoops of the basil ice cream. Top with some of the lime meringue kisses and dollops of the lime whipped cream. Garnish with diced mango, basil leaves and more lime meringue kisses. Serve the vacherin right away.

Roasted Chicken Wings with Ginger Sesame Sauce

Roasted Chicken Wings (adapted to make more suitable for the sauce from here)
Yield: 4 main-course servings

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken wingettes or chicken wings
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt, plus more to taste (remember the sauce will be salty)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon mild honey
1 teaspoon oil
Pinch of cayenne or dash of Sriracha

Method:

Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large shallow baking pan with foil and lightly oil it. Stir wings together with garlic, salt, soy, hoisin, honey, oil and cayenne or Sriracha until coated. Spread wings and any sauce that fell to the bottom of the bowl out on the prepared baking pan in one layer. Roast, turning over once, until cooked through, about 35 minutes.

 If you end up with a puddle of sauce in the bottom of your baking pan, after removing the wings, you can pour the extra sauce into a saucepan and reduced it until thick, then stir it over the roasted wings.

Ginger Scallion Sauce (Source)

Ingredients:

2 bunches of scallions (about 6 ounces) rinsed, dried and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 ounces of ginger, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup of peanut oil (or other neutral-ish vegetable oil that handles heat well)
1 Tbs kosher salt

Method:

Toss the scallions into the bowl of your food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped, stop short of a puree. Put the scallions in a large heatproof bowl or pot. Add the ginger to the food processor (no need to clean it between) and pulse until it is also finely chopped. Add the ginger to the heatproof bowl with the scallions. Add kosher salt to bowl. Now, heat the peanut oil in a saucepan until it is very hot. Just as it starts to smoke, pour the hot oil over the salty scallions and ginger. When you pour the hot oil over the scallions and ginger and salt it is going to steam and hiss and bubble and scare you. Keep your wits about you! Be careful! Wear long sleeves!

Asparagus and Prosciutto Bundles

ASPARAGUS and PROSCIUTTO BUNDLES (Ina Garten)
Serves 6 

Ingredients:

 Kosher salt
3 pounds medium-size asparagus, bottom thirds discarded
10 slices of Italian prosciutto
Good olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
Fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces grated Gruyère cheese

Method: 

MAKE IT AHEAD: Assemble the asparagus bundles, top with butter and cheese, and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Bake before serving.

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon salt, and bring to a boil. If the asparagus are thick, peel them halfway up the stalk with a vegetable peeler. Immerse the asparagus in the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the asparagus and put them immediately into a large bowl of ice water to set the bright green color. Allow to chill for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and pat the asparagus dry.

2) Gather 6 to 8 asparagus spears into a bundle with the tips together, and wrap a slice of prosciutto securely around the middle. Repeat to make 10 bundles. Brush a rectangular baking dish (large enough to hold the bundles in one layer) with olive oil. Place the bundles seam side down in the baking dish, arranged side by side, with the tips facing the same way. In a small saucepan, heat the butter and 2½ tablespoons of olive oil until the butter melts. Drizzle it over the bundles. Sprinkle with 1 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel, 3/4 teaspoon pepper, and the Gruyère and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the butter is sizzling and the cheese melts and starts to brown. Serve hot.

Peas and Pea Shoots with Mint

From Food and Wine

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1 pound frozen peas (4 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 medium spring onions (bulbing), sliced 1/4 inch thick (3 cups)
Salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups lightly packed tender pea shoots or small watercress sprigs
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1) In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the peas until they are just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain.
2) In the same saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the peas, cover and cook until heated through, 1 minute. Stir in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove from the heat and stir in the pea shoots until wilted. Stir in the mint, season with salt and pepper and serve.