Once I open a package of yeast, I like to use the whole things. That's why this recipe yields two large pies. If you'd like a little variety, halve the potato topping and use something else for the second pie. I recommend caramelized onions, crumbled Gorgonzola, and olive oil steeped with chopped fresh rosemary. Even easier is ricotta cheese flavored with basil pesto.
(serves a crowd)
The Dough
500 grams flour (about 3¾ cups)
1 pkg active dry yeast
¾ tsp sugar
¾ tsp kosher salt
olive oil
The Topping
3 Tbs kosher salt
5 lb potatoes
2 medium onions, chopped
⅔ c olive oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbs fresh rosemary
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add 1⅓ cups room-temperature water. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the dough is well blended. (It will be a little sticky.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it doubles in size, about 2 hours.
2. Dissolve the 3 tablespoons of salt in 2 quarts water to make a brine. Using a food processor fitted with a slicing blade, slice the potatoes thinly. Soak the potato slices in the brine until they wilt, about 1½ hours.
3. Using a spatula to scrape as necessary, transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. After forming a rough ball, cut the dough in half and separate the two resulting pieces by 3–4 inches. Cover with a moistened kitchen towel and let rise again for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Drain the potatoes in a colander, pressing down with your hands to force out any excess moisture. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the chopped onion, olive oil, and pepper. Toss to combine.
6. Using olive oil, lightly coat two 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheets. Remove the kitchen towel from the dough. Place one of the dough pieces in the center of a baking sheet, inverting it as you go so that the moist side of the dough (the one contacting the wet towel) is facing down and the dry, floured side is facing up. Using your fingers, press the dough out to fill the pan. If any holes develop, pinch them closed. Repeat with the second piece of dough and second baking sheet.
7. Spread the potato mixture over the prepared crusts. (Place a little extra around the edges because they cook more quickly.) Sprinkle evenly with the rosemary.
8. Bake until the crusts pull away from the pan sides and the potatoes are golden brown, about 25–30 minutes.
TIPS
• It takes a little practice to get the hang of spreading out the dough to fill the pan. The key is maintaining an even thickness. Fortunately, the stickiness of the dough makes it simple to mend tears.
Showing posts with label Recipes: Appetizers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes: Appetizers. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Pork Satay
Over the weekend in DC, I served this dish to a group of Habitat for Humanity friends that my wife, Julia, and I made last year at the Carter Work Project in Thailand. Reminded us all of Chiang Mai.
(serves 12 as an appetizer)
2 pork tenderloins (about 2 lb)
The Marinade
2 Tbs coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
¼ c canola oil
¼ c coconut milk
2 Tbs fish sauce (nam pla)
2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
6 cloves garlic, grated
2 Tbs sugar
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
The Dipping Sauce
1 14-oz can (less ¼ c) coconut milk
½ c peanut butter (oreferably smooth)
2 Tbs red curry paste (or green curry paste)
1. Place the pork tenderloins in the freezer until they are firm but not frozen, about 30 minutes. Cut each in half crosswise to yield shorter "logs" about 4-5 inches long. With one hand pressing the pork down into a cutting board and the other holding a sharp knife parallel to the board, cut each lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. ( Each piece should yield about 9 slices, or 36 slices in all.)
2. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. When the spices have cooled a bit, grind them in a spice mill (or crush them with a mortar and pestle).
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground spices with the rest of the marinade ingredients. Add the pork and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
4, Prepare the dipping sauce (which can also be made in advance and refrigerated). In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the coconut milk, peanut butter, and curry paste. Simmer until the flavors combine and deepen, about 20 minutes.
6. Soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes so that they don't burn.
5. Preheat the grill to high. Thread each marinated pork slice onto a skewer. Cook until slightly charred on one side, about 3-4 minutes. Turn and cook until done, about 3 more minutes. Serve with the dipping sauce, which can be either warm or at room temperature.
TIPS
• It's nearly impossible to find fresh Thai ingredients in this country (have you ever seen a kaffir lime leaf?), so I don't even try. Instead, I buy the little jars of red and green curry paste sold under the Thai Kitchen brand. These pastes contain kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and a host of other hard-to-find ingredients. Admittedly, it's a convenience food, but I compromise because it's such a great convenience.
• Don't let the coconut milk quantity for the dipping sauce throw you. The point is that I don't want you to open a second can for this recipe. Take 1/4 cup for the marinade and then simply use the rest of the can for the dipping sauce.
(serves 12 as an appetizer)
2 pork tenderloins (about 2 lb)
The Marinade
2 Tbs coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
¼ c canola oil
¼ c coconut milk
2 Tbs fish sauce (nam pla)
2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
6 cloves garlic, grated
2 Tbs sugar
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
The Dipping Sauce
1 14-oz can (less ¼ c) coconut milk
½ c peanut butter (oreferably smooth)
2 Tbs red curry paste (or green curry paste)
1. Place the pork tenderloins in the freezer until they are firm but not frozen, about 30 minutes. Cut each in half crosswise to yield shorter "logs" about 4-5 inches long. With one hand pressing the pork down into a cutting board and the other holding a sharp knife parallel to the board, cut each lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. ( Each piece should yield about 9 slices, or 36 slices in all.)
2. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. When the spices have cooled a bit, grind them in a spice mill (or crush them with a mortar and pestle).
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground spices with the rest of the marinade ingredients. Add the pork and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
4, Prepare the dipping sauce (which can also be made in advance and refrigerated). In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the coconut milk, peanut butter, and curry paste. Simmer until the flavors combine and deepen, about 20 minutes.
6. Soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes so that they don't burn.
5. Preheat the grill to high. Thread each marinated pork slice onto a skewer. Cook until slightly charred on one side, about 3-4 minutes. Turn and cook until done, about 3 more minutes. Serve with the dipping sauce, which can be either warm or at room temperature.
TIPS
• It's nearly impossible to find fresh Thai ingredients in this country (have you ever seen a kaffir lime leaf?), so I don't even try. Instead, I buy the little jars of red and green curry paste sold under the Thai Kitchen brand. These pastes contain kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and a host of other hard-to-find ingredients. Admittedly, it's a convenience food, but I compromise because it's such a great convenience.
• Don't let the coconut milk quantity for the dipping sauce throw you. The point is that I don't want you to open a second can for this recipe. Take 1/4 cup for the marinade and then simply use the rest of the can for the dipping sauce.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Carrot Paté
This spread tastes even better a day or two after you make it. I like to serve it on garlic toasts, which I make using thin slices of baguette. Just mix pressed garlic with some softened butter, spread the result on the bread, and bake in a moderate oven for 20-30 minutes.
3 large carrots
1 small onion
1 Tbs olive oil
¼ c orange juice
¼ c cold water
½ tsp (or more) curry powder
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbs mayonnaise
1 tsp coarse-grained mustard
1. Peel the carrots and slice them thinly. Chop the onion.
2. Using a skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over a medium flame. When the oil is hot, sauté the onion until soft, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the carrots, orange juice, water, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Reduce the flame to low. Cover and simmer until the carrots become tender, about 20 minutes. (If the liquid evaporates too quickly and the carrots start to burn, add more water and orange juice.)
4. When the carrots have softened, uncover the skillet, raise the flame, and boil off the remaining liquid.
5. Transfer the carrots to the bowl of a food processor. Add the mayonnaise and mustard. Puree.
3 large carrots
1 small onion
1 Tbs olive oil
¼ c orange juice
¼ c cold water
½ tsp (or more) curry powder
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbs mayonnaise
1 tsp coarse-grained mustard
1. Peel the carrots and slice them thinly. Chop the onion.
2. Using a skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over a medium flame. When the oil is hot, sauté the onion until soft, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the carrots, orange juice, water, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Reduce the flame to low. Cover and simmer until the carrots become tender, about 20 minutes. (If the liquid evaporates too quickly and the carrots start to burn, add more water and orange juice.)
4. When the carrots have softened, uncover the skillet, raise the flame, and boil off the remaining liquid.
5. Transfer the carrots to the bowl of a food processor. Add the mayonnaise and mustard. Puree.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Chopped Liver
When making chopped liver, you have a choice. If you’re looking for a finely grained paté, you should use a food processor to purée the ingredients. But if you prefer (as I do) the traditional method that my grandmother used, then you’ll want to chop the liver by hand. The result is a nicely rustic spread.
3 eggs
1 large onion
1 small onion
1 lb chicken livers
olive oil
kosher salt
1. Hard-boil the eggs (see tip below).
2. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Chop the large onion finely and sauté it in the oil until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Meanwhile, chop the small onion finely and set aside.
3. Rinse and pat-dry the chicken livers. Using the same skillet (and adding a little more oil, if necessary), sauté the livers over medium heat until firm but still a touch pink in the center, about 4 minutes. (Overcooking the livers makes them tough.) Set aside.
4. Once the livers have cooled, chop them coarsely on a large cutting board. Add the hard-boiled eggs and continue chopping. Add the cooked onion and continue chopping, mixing the ingredients together as you go. Add some of the raw onion and continue chopping. Season with salt and taste. To adjust the flavor, add more raw onion or salt. To adjust the texture, add more olive oil. Continue chopping and mixing until the spread reaches a consistency that you like.
TIPS
• Here is a foolproof way to hard-boil eggs: place them in a single layer in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover them by two inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the eggs cook an additional 15 minutes. Then rinse them in cold water to stop the cooking process.
• In the old country (by which I mean the Bronx), chopped liver was made not with olive oil but with schmaltz (rendered chicken fat). Should you be roasting a chicken any time soon, save and refrigerate the fat that collects in the bottom of the roasting pan and use it instead of the olive oil.
3 eggs
1 large onion
1 small onion
1 lb chicken livers
olive oil
kosher salt
1. Hard-boil the eggs (see tip below).
2. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Chop the large onion finely and sauté it in the oil until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Meanwhile, chop the small onion finely and set aside.
3. Rinse and pat-dry the chicken livers. Using the same skillet (and adding a little more oil, if necessary), sauté the livers over medium heat until firm but still a touch pink in the center, about 4 minutes. (Overcooking the livers makes them tough.) Set aside.
4. Once the livers have cooled, chop them coarsely on a large cutting board. Add the hard-boiled eggs and continue chopping. Add the cooked onion and continue chopping, mixing the ingredients together as you go. Add some of the raw onion and continue chopping. Season with salt and taste. To adjust the flavor, add more raw onion or salt. To adjust the texture, add more olive oil. Continue chopping and mixing until the spread reaches a consistency that you like.
TIPS
• Here is a foolproof way to hard-boil eggs: place them in a single layer in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover them by two inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the eggs cook an additional 15 minutes. Then rinse them in cold water to stop the cooking process.
• In the old country (by which I mean the Bronx), chopped liver was made not with olive oil but with schmaltz (rendered chicken fat). Should you be roasting a chicken any time soon, save and refrigerate the fat that collects in the bottom of the roasting pan and use it instead of the olive oil.
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