Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook (19 page)

Add the chicken broth, Kombu, and remaining ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt and cover the pressure cooker. Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure dissipate naturally. Strain the liquid from the seeds, reserving the liquid separately, and return the seeds to the cooker. Scoop out one-third of the seeds and puree in a blender with the cooking liquid until smooth. Stir into the reserved sunflower seeds. The risotto can be finished immediately or chilled and refrigerated in a covered container for up to 48 hours.

Put the risotto in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. If the texture seems a bit thick, add a little water to thin it out.

Meanwhile, remove the skin from the smoked trout and flake it into large pieces, discarding any bones.

When the risotto is hot, stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons (42 grams) butter and two-thirds of the cheese, and taste to check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if desired. Fold in the lemon zest, sliced scallions, crème fraîche, and flaked trout and cook for 5 minutes to warm up the trout.

Spoon the risotto into 8 serving bowls and top with the remaining cheese and some freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

JUST-PRESSURE-COOKED SUNFLOWER SEEDS; FINISHED SUNFLOWER SEED RISOTTO

Audrey Saunders awakened us to the possibilities of
VERMOUTH
several years ago at an event where she served white vermouth infused with apples. It made for a complex and wonderful drink that seemed like so much more than the sum of its parts. It prompted us to take a closer look at the wine. Vermouth is a fortified wine that has been infused with a variety of botanicals. The name comes from wormwood, one of the original ingredients that was later outlawed for being poisonous. Vermouth comes in two varieties commonly associated with cocktails, dry and sweet. Dry vermouth, first made by Joseph Noilly of France, is made from white wine and is typically used for martinis. Sweet vermouth, first made commercially by Antonio Benedetto Carpano in Italy, has a red wine base and is commonly used in Manhattans. Noilly Pratt dry vermouth and a variety of sweet vermouths from Carpano, notably Punt e Mes, to this day are considered delicious examples of this wine. An open bottle of vermouth will keep well for up to six months in the refrigerator and adds great flavor to recipes, making it perfect for both the kitchen and the bar.

PUMPERNICKEL FRIED FLUKE
WITH THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING

A PUMPERNICKEL BATTER IMPARTS ITS SPICY FLAVOR AS AN
accent to fried fish. We use a whipped cream dispenser to lighten the beer batter even further so that it fries up like the most delicate tempura you’ve ever tasted. It shatters under your teeth, giving way to the firm juicy fish underneath. Paired with Thousand Island dressing, it makes a delicious twist on classic fried fish.

SERVES 4 TO 6

1 tablespoon 7 grams
caraway seeds

10 tablespoons 65 grams
dark rye flour,
plus more for dredging the fish

⅓ cup 50 grams
all-purpose flour

3½ tablespoons 25 grams
cornstarch

3 tablespoons 18 grams
tapioca starch

5½ teaspoons 15 grams
Dutch-process cocoa powder

1½ tablespoons 6 grams
egg white powder

1 teaspoon 4 grams
sugar

¼ teaspoon 1.5 grams
fine sea salt

⅛ teaspoon 0.75 gram
baking soda

1 cup 150 grams chopped
Zucchini Pickles
, plus whole pickle slices for serving

Russian Dressing

12 ounces 338 grams
IPA beer

2 teaspoons 15 grams
molasses

2 pounds 1,000 grams
fluke fillets

Peanut oil
or canola oil, for frying

Put the caraway seeds in a small saucepan set over medium heat and cook until the caraway is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the seeds to a plate to cool. Grind the seeds in a spice grinder to a fine powder and then sift through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Add the rye flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, tapioca starch, cocoa powder, egg white powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda and stir to combine. Reserve until you’re ready to fry the fish.

Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Set a wire rack in a baking sheet.

Stir the chopped pickles into the dressing.

Cut the fluke fillets in half through their middle seam and remove any random bones. Put some rye flour in a shallow baking dish. Pour 2 inches (5 cm) of peanut oil in the bottom of a large pot and heat to 350°F (177°C). Dredge each fillet in rye flour, shaking off the excess, and then put the fillets onto a baking sheet.

Add the beer and molasses to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the canister of a whipped cream dispenser and charge with one CO
₂
charge. Shake the canister vigorously. Extrude some of the batter into a large bowl. Dip 2 of the fluke fillets in the batter and then slowly lower them into the hot oil. Cook the fish for 2 minutes and then flip them over. Cook the fish for 2 minutes more. Transfer them to the rack in the baking sheet and put in the warm oven while frying the remaining fish. Serve immediately, topped with whole pickle slices, and with the dressing on the side.

SEARED SCALLOPS
WITH GREEN SAUCE

WE HAVE A FAVORITE TRICK FOR SEAFOOD: A QUICK 10-MINUTE
brine in a 0.5% salt solution. The amount of salt is calculated as a percentage of the weight of the amount of water used for the brine. This soaking period firms up the outer layer of the flesh and rinses off exterior proteins so that the seafood cooks up cleanly, with less undesirable white albumen forming on the outside of the fish. The albumen is less of an issue with scallops, but we do find that they sauté up more evenly and seem to have a slightly firmer texture once cooked. When searing, it’s important to use a heavy pan and leave the scallops alone long enough for them to form a beautiful crust. As a last step, the scallops are basted with butter to highlight their sweet flavor. The green sauce then mixes with the natural juices of the scallops on the plate to take this dish into the stratosphere.

SERVES 8

SAUCE

10 medium
garlic
cloves, sliced

7 tablespoons 100 grams
olive oil

¼ teaspoon 0.5 gram
crushed red pepper flakes

Leaves from 1 bunch fresh
parsley,
chopped

Leaves from 1 bunch fresh
cilantro,
chopped

Leaves from 1 bunch fresh
basil,
chopped

2 tablespoons 28 grams
fish sauce

SCALLOPS

16 U-10 dry packed
scallops

2¼ cups 500 grams
water

1¾ tablepoons 25 grams
fine sea salt,
plus more for seasoning

3 tablespoons 45 grams
olive oil

3 tablespoons 45 grams
unsalted butter

MAKE THE SAUCE:
In a small saucepan, combine the garlic, olive oil, and pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and turn the heat down to low. Cook the garlic until it is just turning golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Put the herbs in a blender and pour the hot oil and garlic over them. Turn the blender on low speed. Increase the speed to medium-high and add the fish sauce. Continue to blend until smooth. Turn the blender off and strain the green sauce through a fine-mesh sieve. Set the sauce aside to cool.

PREPARE THE SCALLOPS:
Remove the tough “catch” muscle from the sides of the scallops. Put the water into a large bowl and stir in the salt until it is dissolved. Put the scallops in the brine for 10 minutes. Remove the scallops from the brine, pat dry, and continue to the next step or refrigerate on a covered plate for up to 24 hours.

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over high heat. If you do not have a pan large enough to cook all of the scallops, cook them in two pans. Remove the scallops from the refrigerator, pat them dry, and season them with salt. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the scallops to the pan. Once the scallops are in the pan, turn the heat down to medium-high. A crust will start to form on the bottom of the scallops after 3 to 5 minutes. At this point, flip the scallops, add the butter to the pan, and use a large spoon to baste the scallops as they cook. Turn the heat down if the butter starts to brown. Once the bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes, flip them over and continue to baste the scallops for another minute.

Remove the scallops from the pan and put them on a plate in a warm place. Put the green sauce in a small pot set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Remove the pot from the heat.

To serve, put the green sauce and 2 scallops on each of 8 plates and spoon the plate juices over the top.

SOAKING THE SCALLOPS; DRY THEM COMPLETELY BEFORE COOKING

FISH TACOS

FISH TACOS DONE RIGHT ARE HARD TO BEAT. HERE WE MAKE
a seasoning blend and mix it with olive oil to brush on the fish before marinating. It adds flavor to the dish, as the spices toast when you grill the fish, and the oil keeps the fish from sticking to the grill. A cool, fresh tomato-avocado salad and shredded cabbage make great complements to warm fish in a great homemade tortilla.

MAKES 8 TACOS

1 pound 455 grams
white flaky fish
fillets,
such as mahimahi

½ teaspoon 1 gram
garlic powder

½ teaspoon 1 gram
onion powder

¼ teaspoon 0.5 gram
ancho chile powder
or other mild chile powder