Spice (13 page)

6.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and cooked through.

7.
About 15 minutes before serving, whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl. Ladle 2 cups of hot soup into the egg mixture and whisk until combined. This will warm up the egg yolks and help to keep them from curdling when added to the rest of the soup.

8.
Add the egg yolk mixture to the rest of the soup, whisking vigorously. Bring to a simmer over low heat and simmer for just a few minutes, to cook the yolks. Remove the soup from the stove.

9.
Carefully blend the hot soup in small batches in a blender, or use a handheld emulsion blender, until smooth.

10.
Using a small ladle or spoon, push the soup through a fine sieve to remove any bits of rice or egg yolk and to make the soup ultrasmooth. This step is optional but will achieve a worthwhile, very silky texture.

11.
Bring the soup gently to a boil again over medium heat, reduce heat to low, and hold warm.

12.
Place the crabmeat in a small bowl and sort through it with your fingers, removing any little bits of shell or cartilage. Squeeze out any excess water from the crab with your hands. Place the crab back into the bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper.

13.
Spoon in ½ cup of the soup to gently warm the crab a little, and stir carefully to keep the large lump pieces intact.

14.
Warm the bowls in the oven for a minute on low heat (250°F) or run very hot water over them, taking care to dry them well.

15.
Divide the crab equally into 8 warm soup bowls. Ladle hot soup over the crabmeat and serve immediately.

Monkfish with Ginger, Crème Fraîche, and Seared Greens

Monkfish has a dense structure, like lobster, scallops, or tenderloins of pork or beef, so it can be cooked with powerful flavors such as ginger and is perfect for high-heat cooking and sweet fall flavors.

Try serving this dish with some roasted apples, figs, or peach slices. Brush some fresh-split figs or thick slices of apple or peach with extra-virgin olive oil, and then grill, or roast the fruit in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender.

Try a non-oaky chardonnay, such as chablis, with this dish.

S
ERVES
6

2 pounds monkfish, skinned (ask your fishmonger to clean them for you)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 pounds green or red Swiss chard (about 4 small bunches)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 8 cloves)

1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger

2 cups crème fraîche

4 tablespoons flour

½ cup vermouth or dry white wine

1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges for serving

1.
Cut monkfish into 6 equal portions, each about 5 ounces, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Set them aside or refrigerate them while preparing the rest of the dish.

2.
Trim the stalks from the Swiss chard and reserve them for another use or discard them. Wash the chard well and place it in a colander to drain.

3.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet or deep-sided pan with a fitted cover. When the butter begins to brown, add the garlic, stirring constantly, and cook until the garlic turns golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the chard immediately and cover. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the chard is limp and becomes tender. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the ginger and crème fraîche and reseason if needed. Keep warm.

4.
In another large skillet or sauté pan over high heat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and butter, until the butter starts to brown. Dredge the fish in the flour and shake off any excess. Fry the fish until it is golden brown both sides, about 5 minutes a side. If the fish is very thick, turn the heat down and cover the pan to brown it more slowly and cook it all the way through.

5.
Add the vermouth to the pan and let it cook down to almost nothing. This should take less than a minute and should glaze the fish, by pulling up any sugars that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan.

6.
Remove the chard from the pan, leaving the juices in the pan, and smother the fish with it.

7.
Bring the liquid from the chard to a simmer and cook on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce becomes thick enough to coat a spoon.

8.
Pour the sauce over the fish and chard and serve with lemon.

AUTUMN GREENS MADE SWEETER

One of my greatest pleasures in being a chef is the close contact I have with some of the farmers who provide me with the best possible ingredients for my restaurant. One of my favorite farmers (besides my husband, Chris) is Eero Ruuttilla, from Nesenkeag Farm in Litchfield, New Hampshire. In addition to farming, Eero has a real gift for poetry, and he likes to include his descriptions of the earth’s cycles with all of his communiqués every week via fax.

Autumn frost is deadly to a lot of vegetables. But when it frosts, many garden greens become sweeter. Here’s a communiqué from Eero, explaining this phenomenon, in the late fall of 2002:

A couple of frosts last week signal that the farm season is entering its last phase—not the end, but definitely the beginning of a steady but slow wind down. No hard tears shed because of the frost; it was past due. With the exception of a couple of fantastic rows of haricots verts, the wimpy frost-susceptible crops were starting to look ratty—definitely showing the wear of overextending their stay in field. Many of the current field greens and roots have been waiting patiently for the frosts; now they get to show off some real color and flavor as the plant stress triggers the sugars and colors. More than an acre and a half of greens are still untouched—inching into their designated baby size. So please note that the frosts hardly end the season; they just mark the final phase of New England–grown field greens glory. You, my loyal customers, are now rewarded with incredible flavor and color!

Persian Fried Chicken

The yogurt and saffron marinade in this recipe is a typical Persian seasoning for chicken kebobs. The yogurt acts as a tenderizer, so it’s important to let the meat sit in the mixture for at least 3 hours. Flouring and frying chicken is not part of the Persian tradition, but I love these golden-hued, crispy, and moist chicken nuggets.

Drink a pale ale from England with this dish—one that’s fruity, hoppy, earthy, malty, and buttery.

S
ERVES
4

2 cups plain, whole milk yogurt

½ teaspoon saffron

1 tablespoon chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8 pieces)

1 cup walnut pieces (almonds make a fine substitute)

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon dried spearmint

Salt and black pepper to taste

4 cups canola or vegetable oil

4 lemon wedges

1.
In a blender, purée the yogurt with a teaspoon of water and the saffron and garlic, until the mixture is smooth and bright yellow. Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs and mix well in a glass or stainless steel mixing bowl. Cover the chicken and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

2.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

3.
Spread the walnuts on a small baking sheet and toast them very lightly in the oven for about 6 minutes. The walnuts should be fragrant and oily but not dark brown, or they will taste bitter. Cool the walnuts and chop them finely by hand. Set aside.

4.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, paprika, mint, and a little salt and black pepper and set aside.

5.
In a medium skillet (10 to 11 inches) with deep sides (that can hold 4 cups of oil so that it’s 5/8 inch deep), heat the oil over medium heat to 350°F. Use a thermometer to check the temperature. Drain off the chicken marinade and discard, and then dredge the chicken thighs in the flour mixture and shake dry. Fry 4 pieces at a time, until they are golden brown on both sides, about 7 minutes, seasoning with a little more salt and pepper to taste. Remove the chicken using a slotted spoon or tongs and drain them on paper towels. You can keep them warm by lowering the oven to 200°F and leaving them there uncovered while the last four fry.