Bobby Flay's Throwdown! (27 page)

3.
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer running at low speed, add the butter, one piece at a time, and continue beating until the mixture resembles moist crumbs. Add all but ½ cup of the milk mixture and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 1½ minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining ½ cup milk mixture. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds more. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 20 seconds longer. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

4.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool in the pans on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Then run a small knife around the sides of the pans and invert the cakes onto the baking rack. Remove the parchment paper and let cool completely, about 45 minutes.

5.
To make the coconut filling,
combine the custard and cream in a bowl and whip until soft peaks form.

6.
To make the coconut buttercream,
beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the coconut custard and salt, and beat until smooth.

7.
To assemble the cake,
use a long serrated knife to slice each cake horizontally into 2 layers. Reserve one of the flat bottom layers for the top of the cake. Place another one of the layers on a cardboard round, cut side up, and brush with some of the coconut simple syrup. Spoon one-third of the coconut filling onto the cake, and using a small offset metal spatula, spread it into an even layer, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge of the cake. Repeat with 2 more layers. Brush the cut side of the reserved cake layer with the remaining syrup. Place the layer, cut side down, on top of the cake. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the buttercream. Pat the toasted coconut onto the sides of the cake and sprinkle some on the top.

1.
Combine the milk, coconut milk, and vanilla bean and seeds in a medium nonreactive saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.

2.
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together in a large bowl. Slowly whisk the warm milk into the egg mixture. Then return the mixture to the pan, set it over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened. Scrape the mixture into a bowl, remove the vanilla bean, and whisk in the rum and vanilla extract. Let cool to room temperature; then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.

1.
Combine 1½ cups water and the sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Stir in the coconut, remove from the heat, and let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

2.
Strain the liquid into a clean saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Let cool.

SERVES 12 TO 16

1.
To make the filling,
combine the cream, sugar, and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Mix the cornstarch, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl, and slowly add this to the boiling cream mixture, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the coconut. Cover and refrigerate for at leastc 6 and up to 12 hours.

2.
To make the cake,
preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray three 10-inch cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

3.
Beat the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl, and mix until creamy.

4.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a separate bowl.

5.
Mix the cream, vanilla, and coconut extract together in a third bowl. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and wet ingredients to the batter in three additions, starting and ending with the dry.

6.
Divide the batter evenly among the 3 pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and let cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Then remove from the pans, remove the parchment, and let cool completely, about 2 hours.

7.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the filling just until soft and creamy.

8.
To assemble,
trim off the domed top of each cake. Brush the top of one layer with simple syrup. Spread 1½ cups of the filling evenly on top. Continue with the remaining 2 cake layers, stacking them on top of each other and brushing each layer with simple syrup before spreading with filling. Refrigerate the cake until firm to the touch, about 4 hours.

9.
To make the frosting,
combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla seeds and beat for 30 seconds. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar on low speed. Then raise the speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

10.
Ice the top and sides of the cake with the frosting, and pat the toasted coconut around the outside. Chill for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Combine ¾ cup water and the sugar in a small saucepan over high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

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Name: Phil DiGirolamo
Establishment: Phil’s Fish Market & Eatery
Hometown: Moss Landing, California
Website:
www.philsfishmarket.com
Phone: (831) 633-2152

We made our way to northern California in search of a regional classic: cioppino. Making this seafood chowder is second nature to Phil DiGirolamo, and his cioppino was the one to beat.

Cioppino originated in the San Francisco Bay Area. Legend has it that this great American dish was first made with the scraps that local fishermen who worked the docks were able to pull for their own use. The dockworkers would “chip in ” those seafood odds and ends (thus the name “cioppino”) to a stew pot of tomatoes and fish stock.

Phil’s Fish Market, down the coast in Moss Landing, near Monterey, began as just that when it opened in 1982. A Sicilian American who grew up by the sea, surrounded with a family who loved to fish and to cook, Phil started his business by selling what interested him most: fresh, locally caught fish. But Phil soon realized that there was a growing clientele interested in buying prepared dishes made with his first-rate seafood. So he raided his family’s treasure trove of recipes and expanded his business.