Read Saveur: The New Comfort Food Online
Authors: James Oseland
Saveur: The New Comfort Food (25 page)
Few things are more satisfying than a crusty gratin, straight out of the oven. Years ago, when I learned to make the dish, I took great pains to shingle layer upon layer of the sliced potatoes carefully into the baking dish before covering them with cream and cheese, repeatedly pressing down on the slices so that they would remain submerged in the liquid while they baked. It was laborious and slow and, I discovered, kind of a waste of time. No careful layering or ovenside tending is needed if you add a simple preliminary step: Combine all the ingredients except the cheese in a pot, cook until the mixture thickens (the potatoes cook partially, releasing some of their starch and absorbing some of the cream), and transfer the mixture to a casserole dish before topping it with cheese and baking it. You still get the same delicious result without any of the fuss.
—Todd Coleman
This central Mexican specialty of deep-fried chiles filled with melted cheese and served with a cinnamon-scented tomato sauce is popular in restaurants and home kitchens on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. We love this recipe from La Abeja, a Mexican-American café in Los Angeles, for its airy egg-white batter, which puffs and crisps around the chiles as they fry.
2 lbs. ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
5 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus more to garnish
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 serrano chile, roughly chopped Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 Anaheim or poblano chiles, about 6 inches long Canola oil, for frying
8 ½ x ½ x 4-inch long strips Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup flour
8 egg whites, plus 1 yolk Crema or sour cream, to garnish Crumbled cotija or feta cheese, to garnish
Serves 8
1. Combine the tomatoes, salt, cinnamon, garlic, cilantro, onions, and serrano chiles in a blender and purée until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a 2-qt. pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10-12 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and set aside to keep warm.
2. Using a paring knife, cut about ½ inch from the bottom tip of each Anaheim chile. Using a thin knife, scrape out and discard veins and seeds and set the chiles aside.
3. Pour oil to a depth of 2inches into a 6-qt. Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°F. Add the chiles and cook, turning occasionally, until their skin starts to brown and blister, about 2-3 minutes. Using tongs, lift the chiles from the oil to let drain and transfer them to a baking sheet. Let them cool slightly and then peel and discard skins. Remove pan from heat.
4. Stuff each chile with 1 strip of Monterey Jack cheese. Place ½ cup flour in a shallow bowl and dredge the chiles in the flour, shaking off the excess, and set aside. Whisk the egg whites in a medium bowl until soft peaks form, then add the remaining flour and egg yolk, and whisk to combine, making a batter.
5. Heat oil to 350°F. Working in 2 batches, hold each chile by its stem and dip it into the batter, letting the excess batter drain. Nestle the chile into the frying oil. Cook, turning once, until the chiles are deep golden brown and crisp, 6-8 minutes. Transfer the chiles to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
6. Divide the sauce between serving plates and top each with a fried chile. Garnish with crema, cotija cheese, and cilantro and serve immediately.
Anyone who has tried Korean food knows kimchi, the pungent pickled vegetables used both as a condiment and an ingredient in spicy, soulful dishes like these crisp-fried pancakes, made with paechu (cabbage) kimchi and ground pork. The recipe makes about 25 small pancakes, but you can also cook large ones that fill the bottom of the skillet and then slice them into wedges to serve.
¼ lb. ground pork
2 cups chopped cabbage kimchi (paechu)
1 cup flour
½ cup rice flour
6 scallions, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
10½ tbsp. canola oil Kosher salt, to taste
Serves 4-6
1. Combine the ground pork, kimchi, flour, rice flour, scallions, egg, and 1 cup ice-cold water in a bowl; whisk to combine. Set the batter aside to rest for 10 minutes.
2. Working in 7 batches, heat 1½ tbsp. oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Scoop four 2-tbsp. portions of batter into the skillet and flatten each portion with the back of a spoon. Cook until the edges crisp, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until set, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the pancakes to paper towels and wipe out the skillet after each batch. Repeat with the remaining oil and batter. Serve the pancakes sprinkled with salt.
Though cabbage (paechu) kimchi and daikon (mu) kimchi are the two best-known versions of the food, literally hundreds of other kinds exist. Pictured are nine varieties that hint at the astonishing diversity of flavor, color, and texture that kimchi can possess.
1
Tongchimi kimchi, or water kimchi, can be any number of fermented pickles that are often served in their brining water; the version shown contains Asian pear, daikon, scallions, pomegranate seeds, and chiles.
2
Uong kimchi is made with woodsy-tasting, crunchy burdock root and is usually aged for just a day or so.
3
For muchae kimchi, crisp daikon radishes are shredded into long strands before being fermented in a thick, pungent paste of chile powder and garlic.
4
The broad leaves of the herb perilla (also known as beefsteak), which have a distinctive cinnamon-like flavor, are the base for kaennip kimchi, which has a refreshing bite.
5
Paechu kimchi—brined cabbage leaves rubbed with a paste of ground chiles, garlic, salted shrimp, anchovy sauce, and scallions and aged in jars—is a staple in Korean households and the most widely available kimchi in Asian markets in the United States.
6
Gat kimchi is an intensely flavorful pickle of mustard leaves and stems that have been fermented with anchovies and glutinous rice paste.
7
The big, pumpkinlike squash called rumbo that’s harvested in the fall in Korea is frequently used as the base for a sumptuous, mildly sweet dish called hobak kimchi.
8
A kind of Korean wild lettuce called kodulpaegi is the base for this slightly sour kimchi; over time, the firm leaves become soft and pliable.
9
Naeng-myun kimchi is a striking, peppery pickle of thin-sliced daikon radishes that have usually been aged for only a few days and are often garnished with scallions and sliced chiles.
Tua Kaek Pad Prik Pao
The roasted chile paste called nam prik pao—a pantry staple in Thailand that can be found in most Asian markets in the United States—lends smoky heat and an earthy, salty-sweet flavor to stir-fried green beans.
3 tbsp. peanut oil
8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
3 tbsp. nam prik pao (Thai roasted chile paste, or any jarred Asian chile paste)
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1 cup torn Thai basil leaves
Serves 4
1. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a skillet over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil is hot and almost smoking, add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 10 seconds. Add the green beans and stir-fry for 1 minute.
2. Stir in the chile paste, toss to coat the green beans, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. (Sprinkle in a little water if the pan gets too hot and the beans brown too quickly.) Add the fish sauce and basil, toss to combine, and serve.
Kolokitho Keftedes
On the Greek island of Crete, cooks transform bumper crops of summer vegetables into a wide array of mezedes, or small dishes. These parsley-flecked zucchini fritters can be served hot or at room temperature.
1 lb. zucchini, grated
2 tsp. kosher salt
½ cup minced flat-leaf parsley
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano
½ cup dried bread crumbs
1 medium yellow onion, grated
1 egg, beaten Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Pinch of cayenne pepper Olive oil or canola oil, for frying
Serves 4
1. Mix the zucchini and salt in a strainer; set a weighted plate on top and let drain for about 30 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to a tea towel and squeeze out the liquid. Mix together the zucchini, parsley, cheese, bread crumbs, onions, and egg in a bowl. Season with the pepper and cayenne. Divide the mixture into 12 balls and press the balls into ¾-inch thick patties.
2. Pour oil into a 4-qt. pot to a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 315°F. Working in 2 batches, fry the patties, turning once, until browned and crisp, 5-6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fritters to paper towels to drain. Serve warm or at room temperature.