Spice (76 page)

½ vitamin C tablet (optional)

½ bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 1 cup)

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Split the garlic heads in half widthwise, and season with salt and pepper. Place the cut sides down on a heavy baking sheet lightly coated with about 2 tablespoons of the canola oil.

3.
Roast the garlic in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the garlic is soft. Once the garlic is cool, after about 30 minutes, squeeze the garlic out of its skin. You should have about 1½ cups of squeezed garlic.

4.
Over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large, heavy sauté pan, until the butter begins to brown. Add the onions and sauté them over high heat until they begin to soften and become translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until the onions are golden brown. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

5.
Spread the bread crumbs and almonds evenly on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes.

6.
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the almonds and bread crumbs until very finely ground. Place them in a mixing bowl and set aside.

7.
Purée the onions and garlic in the food processor until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

8.
Make the croutons by brushing the slices of French bread on both sides with approximately 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place them on a baking sheet in an even layer and toast them in the oven for about 6 minutes, until golden and lightly crisp. Set them aside to cool at room temperature. Reduce the oven temperature to 220°F to warm the soup bowls later.

9.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, gently, for about 5 minutes.

10.
Make the picada by placing 2 to 3 cups of the hot chicken broth in a blender with the almonds and bread crumbs and blend until smooth and creamy, about 4 minutes, creating the smoothest texture possible.

11.
Scrape the picada into a medium mixing bowl and whisk in the garlic and onion purée, incorporating it to make a smooth paste. Whisk this mixture into the simmering chicken stock, and season the soup with salt and pepper. The soup should be smooth and creamy. If there are any chunks of nuts or it doesn’t look smooth enough, strain it through a medium sieve. Keep the soup warm on very low heat, until ready to serve.

12.
Place the remaining 5 tablespoons of olive oil with the vitamin C tablet (if using) and parsley leaves in the blender and blend for 3 to 6 minutes on high speed, making a bright green oil. The parsley should completely liquefy, and there shouldn’t be any flecks in the oil.

13.
Warm 8 soup bowls in the 220°F oven for just a minute.

14.
Ladle the garlic soup into warm bowls and top each with a crouton of toasted French bread. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of parsley oil over the top of each crouton and serve immediately.

Note

If you can’t find blanched almonds, you can bring 3 cups of water to a boil and add 1 cup of whole raw almonds, and continue to boil for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Drain. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then pop the almonds out of their skin one at a time by pinching the nut between your thumb and forefinger and middle finger. Spread the nuts out to dry.

Celery Root Skordalia

Traditionally, skordalia is a Greek potato and garlic purée that is served with just about anything—meats, vegetables, fish, and grilled bread—or as a common mezze. Like a garlicky mashed potato and lemon sauce, skordalia has the consistency of thick Greek-style yogurt.

As is frequently the case with Greek dishes, skordalia is all about garlic and lemon, and it doesn’t always include nuts. I use the Arabic technique of adding nuts in this recipe, though, to make a “milk” by puréeing them with oil, lemon, garlic, and water. This technique creates a sublimely creamy consistency without the heaviness of cream or butter.

This twist on classic skordalia is perfect in the fall, when celery root is in season and garlic has finished curing. Celery root, or celeriac, tastes like a rich, nutty cross between celery and potato.

At Oleana, we also make this recipe in the spring, using Jerusalem artichokes and parsnips. For a luxurious variation, you can also stir in black truffle shavings or white truffle oil before serving to impart a heady late autumn aroma.

This skordalia tastes great at room temperature or even cold as a mezze, and it pairs well as a side dish with grilled beef kebobs or with roasted beets as a mezze or salad course.

M
AKES ABOUT
6
CUPS TO SERVE
8

1 large or 2 small celery roots (2 to 2¼ pounds)

1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon whole-milk, plain yogurt, preferably Greek-style

2 baking or Idaho potatoes (about 1½ pounds), peeled and cut into quarters

¾ cup whole blanched almonds (see note, page 340)

1½ tablespoons garlic, roughly chopped (about 3 cloves)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

1.
Cut both ends of the celery root so it stands on a cutting board. Using a knife, peel it by following its shape, starting at the North Pole, rounding out at the equator, and ending at the South Pole. Shave it without cutting into too much of the vegetable. After peeling, rinse the celery root to remove any dirt and then cut it into eighths. Place the pieces in a medium saucepan. Cover them with warm water and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium and simmer about 25 minutes, until tender. Drain the celery root, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

2.
While the celery root is still hot, purée it in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, with the yogurt and 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid, until smooth and creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Place the purée into a medium mixing bowl and set it aside.

3.
Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover them and 1 tablespoon of the salt, and bring them to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the potatoes for about 18 minutes, until tender, and then drain them.

4.
While the potatoes are still hot, mash them through a ricer or food mill and mix into the celery root. The ricer or food mill gives you a fine, fluffy purée.

5.
Place the almonds, garlic, remaining cooking liquid, lemon juice, and olive oil in a blender with 2 teaspoons of the salt. Blend until completely smooth, for about 2 minutes, so that there are no bits of nuts left and the mixture is blond and creamy.

6.
Fold the nut mixture into the potato–celery root mixture and reseason with salt and black pepper.

Turkish Cheese Pancakes

Called
gozleme
in Turkish, these pancakes are similar to quesadillas and are often stuffed with spinach as well as cheese. In the Taxim neighborhood of Istanbul, you can watch women roll out the dough and stuff the pancakes by hand in shop windows.

At Oleana, we use a pastry called
yufka,
which has the texture of a very thin tortilla, to make the pancakes. You can also substitute a thick, country-style phyllo, which is available at Middle Eastern Markets. Or you can try making it yourself with the recipe below.

At the restaurant, we serve these pancakes under our Crispy Lemon Chicken (page 245) with plenty of lightly dressed greens, such as arugula in the summer or frisée in the winter.

M
AKES
8
PANCAKES TO SERVE
8

For the Homemade Yufka Dough

1½ cups unbleached flour (8 ounces)

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus a little extra for cooking crepes

8 pieces of waxed or parchment paper, cut into 6-inch squares

For the Filling