Spice (79 page)

For the Mussels

48 or 4 dozen mussels, a little more than a pound

1 cup dry white wine

1 clove garlic, skinned and smashed

4 to 6 cups canola or olive oil for frying

For the Tarator Sauce

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic (about 2 large cloves)

½ cup blanched whole almonds

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/8 lemon)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the Batter and Garnish

¾ cup flour

¾ cup cornstarch

1¼ to 1½ cups light-style beer, such as a Pilsner

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

8 leaves romaine lettuce

1 lemon cut into 8 wedges

To Make the Mussels

1.
Wash the mussels in a colander and pull off the beards, starting from the pointy end and pulling down and out of the lip.

2.
In a large pot, over medium-high heat, steam the mussels with the wine and smashed garlic for about 5 minutes, until the mussels open. Cool the mussels for at least 15 minutes, until they’re a comfortable temperature to handle.

3.
Pull the mussels out of their shells and set them aside.

To Make the Tarator Sauce

1.
Strain the mussel-steaming liquid through a fine sieve and pour ½ cup of it in a blender, followed by the extra virgin olive oil, chopped garlic, almonds, and lemon juice, in that order. Purée the mixture for at least 3 minutes, until it is thick and completely smooth. There shouldn’t be any almond chunks, and the sauce should be very creamy. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

2.
In a large saucepan, heat the canola on low heat until it reaches 350°F.

To Make the Batter and Garnish

1.
Meanwhile, combine the flour and cornstarch in a medium mixing bowl and whisk in the beer, parsley, salt, and pepper.

2.
Drop the mussels into the batter and fish them out with a fork, dropping them a few at a time into the hot oil. Fry the mussels until they’re golden brown, for about 4 minutes. Place them on a towel to drain off excess oil, and season them lightly with salt.

3.
Serve the mussels immediately on the romaine leaves, topped with plenty of tarator sauce and lemon wedges to squeeze over the top.

Sicilian Cremolata with Sugared Almonds

When my husband Chris and I were visiting Siracussa, Sicily, we ate a slice of warm, buttery brioche topped with a scoop of almond cremolata or gelato, which is normal fare for Sicilians in the morning during the hot summer months. It’s so civilized to eat ice cream on warm bread for breakfast!

When I returned to Oleana, I told pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick about our breakfast treats, and she created this dairy-free, incredibly satisfying dessert that has floated on and off our dessert menu for more than two years. The almond-milk base is mixed with sugar before freezing and churning; the rich nut oils create a soft and creamy texture without eggs or cream.

You can make Maura’s version at home without an ice cream churner, but you’ll need to prepare the recipe a day in advance to allow time for the mixture to freeze before whipping. If you’re lucky enough to own an ice cream maker, it will save you some time.

At Oleana, Maura sandwiches slices of brioche with chopped bittersweet chocolate, which she toasts in a sandwich press until the chocolate is melted. The gooey chocolate sandwiches are the perfect vehicle for absorbing the cremolata, little by little, as you eat.

S
ERVES
6
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8

Cheesecloth

4½ cups slivered blanched almonds

1 cup plus 6 tablespoons sugar

2 cups sliced almonds with skins on (7 ounces)

1 egg white

1.
Place a strainer over a medium mixing bowl and line it with a double layer of cheesecloth, larger than the strainer so that the cloth overlaps the edges of the strainer. Cheesecloth varies in thickness and fineness of the weave, so if the layers of your cheesecloth look thin and loose, add a third layer.

2.
Put 1½ cups of the slivered blanched almonds and 2 cups of water in a blender and process the nuts until they make a smooth liquid like thick milk, about 3 minutes.

3.
Pour the almond milk into the cheesecloth-lined strainer. Stir the milk gently to help push it through the sieve and to make room for the second batch of milk.

4.
Continue making almond milk by repeating the almond-blending process described in step 2 twice more, adding the mixture to the cheesecloth both times.

5.
Let the almond milk strain for 1 hour, stirring it occasionally with a large spoon.

6.
Gather the cheesecloth around the remaining almond paste left in the cloth and twist the top, slowly squeezing as much liquid out as possible. Keep twisting and squeezing until you’ve squeezed as much out as you can. Discard the almond solids. You should have about 5 cups of almond milk. This can be made up to 3 days ahead of time.

7.
Pour the milk through the unlined strainer back into the bowl and whisk in 1 cup of the sugar, until it dissolves, in about 1 minute.

8.
At this point, you can use an ice cream maker to process the cremolata by following the manufacturer’s instructions for making regular ice cream; then pick up at step 9, below. You can also freeze and process the cremolata yourself, as follows. First, freeze the almond milk overnight in a shallow baking pan or dish. The next day (or up to several days later), chip the frozen almond milk into small pieces and process about ¼ of the pieces at a time in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, for 20 to 30 seconds each time. Pulse the mixture once more, until it is smooth and turns white.

9.
Transfer the cremolata to a container, stir it all together, and freeze it, covered, for at least 2 hours or overnight. If it loses its creaminess overnight, rechurn it in the food processor and freeze it for another hour before serving.

10.
Put 6 to 8 glass ice cream dishes in your freezer for at least 20 minutes.

11.
Preheat the oven to 300°F.

12.
Make the sugared almonds by combining the sliced almonds with the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar in a small mixing bowl.

13.
In another small mixing bowl, whisk the egg white until foamy, for about a minute.

14.
Toss in the almonds and sugar, and stir them so that they are completely coated in egg white.

15.
Spread the almonds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

16.
Bake the almonds for 25 minutes, or until they are lightly toasted and dried. You will have to touch them to make sure they are dry enough, as they will be shiny from the egg white and may look wet.

17.
Cool the almonds completely for about 20 minutes at room temperature, and then break them into small pieces or clusters.