Scallion Mayonnaise

I suspect that most people have never made mayonnaise from scratch.  I bet the odds are even less that most have not used potatoes in their mayonnaise.  I use this recipe in many ways but one of my favorites is to drizzle it over a salad of bitter greens tossed in balsamic vinaigrette with crispy fried calamari.  The combination of the acidic vinaigrette, the crispy savory calamari and the rich cooling of the mayo makes for a great day.

In case your wondering, the potato in this recipe helps to hold the emulsification of the mayo...its an old kitchen trick.  I use this method when I want to keep the consistency and not have to worry about my mayo separating.  By all means, you can omit the potato if you wish...doesn't really matter too much.

• 1/4 bunch of flat leaf parsley
• 1 bunch of scallions, diced
• 1 1/2 cup of canola oil
• 1oz of roasted garlic
• 3 egg yolks, I like to use pasteurized yolks for safety reasons if feeding this to a group
• 1 each lemon juice
• 1/2 of a medium Yukon Gold potato, cooked, chilled, then peeled
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Using a blender, blend the parsley, scallions and oil to a fine puree.  In a food processor, puree the egg yolks, potato, garlic and a tablespoon or so of water until pureed.  Add the lemon juice then drizzle the scallion oil into the processor bowl and puree until well combined and relatively smooth.  Chill for service.

Basil Buttermilk Dressing

With our recent run of record high temperatures in the Springfield area, I feel like my mind skipped directly to summer type dishes.  One of the flavors (actually smells, I like the smell better than taste) I look forward to most is fresh basil.  Luckily, fresh basil is easy to grow in your window sill or to purchase.  I'm not exactly sure where I first came across this recipe for Basil Buttermilk Dressing, perhaps it was the Hanover Inn.  Either way, I really like it drizzled over tender bibb lettuce or first cuttings of red and green leaf lettuces. 

• 1 pint of buttermilk
• 1 quart mayo
• 1 large bunch of fresh basil, picked of most of the stems
• 1/2 large bunch of mint, stems removed
• 4T Dijon mustard
• salt and fresh ground black pepper

Place all the ingredients into a blender and process until the herbs are finely chopped and well combined.  Chill for service.

Pickled Fennel and Smoked Mackerel Salad

Even though its a little early in the season for fennel and a tad late for smoked fish (seasonally anyway), this dish reminds me of spring.  Perhaps I like this salad BECAUSE the ingredients straddle the season so well...maybe its due to my undying love of smoked meats.  Either way, I'm sure you will find this to be a nice first course or perhaps a perfect light lunch.

• 2 cups rice wine vinegar
• 4T sugar
• 2T salt
• 3T pickling spice
• 3 bulbs of fresh fennel, shaved on a slicer or sharp mandolin...the thinner the better
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 1/2 lb of smoked mackerel, I like Ducktrap brand.  Peppered is my favorite.

Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, salt and pickling spice in a small pot.  Bring to just a boil.  Strain the hot liquid over the shaved fennel, toss to combine and then cool to room temperature.  Drain any excess liquid from the now pickled fennel and toss with the parsley.  Chill.

With your fingers gently flake the smoked mackerel onto a plate.  The exact size of the flakes of the fish is really up to you but I like large pieces for both mouth texture and presentation purposes.  

Place a tight pile of the pickled fennel onto the center of the plate.  Scatter about 3 oz of the fennel throughout the plate.  Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil if you have it.

Culinary Foundations: Dry Heat vs. Moist Heat Cooking

In both professional and personal situations, I am often asked about the appropriate ways to cook a particular item.  My first questions invariably center around the obvious;  what are you cooking, how does the product look, what type of cooking apparatus do you have, etc...  My next questions may be slightly less obvious but just as important;  what appearance are you looking for, what is the final flavors you desire, what else are you serving.  All of these considerations are very important in deciding the most appropriate method to cook a particular item.

There are two predominate cooking methods of cooking.  Your chosen method will vary depending on the type of food cooked and the desired outcome.  Generally, with the exception of braising (my personal favorite) you will choose either dry heat cooking or moist heat cooking method. 


Dry Heat Cooking
The dry heat cooking method, at the most elementary level, involves cooking a food item in the absence of a liquid. In dry heat cooking, heat transfer to the product takes place through a dry medium such as air, direct metal or stone, cooking oil (explained in a bit) or directly in the flame.  Examples of dry heat cooking are:

• roasting/ baking
• grilling
• broiling
• sauteing
• deep frying
• and pan frying. 

In order for dry heat cooking to be effective, you generally want a temperature above 300 degrees.  This will allow a process called Maillard Reaction (caramelization of the proteins and amino acids in meat, caramelization of natural sugars and starches in vegetables) to occur and will give your product a nice color and aroma.  Dry heat cooking is best suited for cuts of meat that are less tough and do not require a liquid to help break down the muscle fibers for tenderness.  Dry heat will help to evaporate any water in the product and concentrate the flavors.

One note about deep frying or cooking with oil is that this method of cooking is definitely a dry heat process.  Since oil is not water soluble, there is no transfer of liquid to the product and there is the opportunity for caramelization of the outside of the product.  Deep frying as a dry heat cooking method is, of course, predicated on cooking at the proper temperature...remember, above 300 degrees.  If you are cooking much lower than that, you are actually poaching the product in the fat and you have a much different dish altogether.


Moist Heat Cooking
Moist heat cooking utilizes a liquid as the medium for heat transfer.  This cooking method is usually performed with lower heat and over longer periods of time.  Remember from high school physics that water boils at 212 degrees (at sea level) and will not let the temperature rise above that point until all the liquid in the system has evaporated...212 degrees is the hottest the cooking liquid will get unless you put it under pressure.

The act of cooking with moist heat at moderated temperatures and extended time periods will result in a moister, more tender product...IF DONE CORRECTLY.  Proper temperature control of both the cooking medium and the actual product are crucial in cooking with moist heat.  Contrary to popular belief, is entirely possible to have a dry, tough product even if cooking in liquid.  To test this statement, take a chicken breast and boil it until the internal temperature of the chicken is 170 degrees, remove it from the liquid and let it cool a few minutes...dry chicken. 

Since moist heat cooking usually involves some sort of flavor transfer, it is best to make sure your cooking medium is tasty.  Flavor your broth well, fill your steaming liquid with aromatics and make sure you add plenty of other ingredients in your stew to ensure a tasty finished dish.

The most common moist heat cooking methods are:

• poaching
• simmering
• boiling
• steaming
• sou vide
• and braising.

Braising is actually a combination of dry and moist heat cooking and incorporates a brief initial browning of the meats for flavor and appearance then is followed by a low and slow cooking process to allow for maximum flavor transfer and tenderness....thus, my favorite way to cook!

I encourage you to test the different cooking methods to see how each procedure affects your finished dish.  If you learn a couple basic techniques in each method, your repertoire, versatility and confidence will be greatly increased.


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Vermont Crunchies--The Cookie

This last (hopefully) blow of winter has reminded me of my years in Vermont where the only thing predictable about the weather is that it could always snow.  Vermonters had a knack for making the best of any weather situation, especially the colder months.  As a result, it seems like all the baked goods and cold weather food items tasted that much better. 

As a young culinary student in Vermont, I was especially intimidated by the baking and pastry arts due to my utter lack of knowledge on the subject.  While I will save a description on the intricacies and science of the straight dough method or how to use fondant for a later post, I do want to share one my favorite cookie recipes I acquired as a student.  This recipe for Vermont Crunchies was most likely taken from one of my bakery instructors while I was a student at New England Culinary Institute, although I do not remember exactly who, so it is important that I do not take credit for its creation.  I will, however, take credit for bringing it to Springfield.  All of my baking recipes are scaled to be measured in weight ounces.  You will need a scale for this recipe.

• 10wt oz white sugar
• 1lb brown sugar, I like dark brown
• 8wt oz butter, softened
• 1.5lb crunchy peanut butter
• 6ea eggs
• 2tsp vanilla
• 4tsp baking soda
• 21wt oz oatmeal, not quick cooking
• 4wt oz chocolate chips
• 4oz pecans, chopped
• 4ox raisins, not those yellow ones!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large mixing bowl or a large stand mixer, combine both sugars and the butter.  With a mixer attachment, mix these ingredients until a smooth paste is formed and the ingredients are fully incorporated.  Add the peanut butter and combine again until fully mixed together.

Slowly add the eggs, one by one, into the sugar/ peanut butter mixture, combining fully each egg prior to adding another.  Add the vanilla at some point during this process as well.  Add the baking soda and oatmeal in one batch to the mixing bowl and combine with a rubber spatula until just incorporated.  Finally, fold in the chocolate, nuts and raisins. 

Scoop 2 Tablespoon (or whatever size you want) portions of the cookie dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake until the edges are slightly browned but the center of the cookie is still soft.  Remove from oven and cool completely.