156 posts tagged “pepper”

Flaked Salmon Tartare
Serves 6

1 large egg
1 pound salmon fillet, skinned
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus wedges for garnish
Dash of hot sauce
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped drained capers
3 cornichons, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Place egg in a small saucepan, and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover, and let stand 13 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove egg, and rinse under cold water until cool. Gently press against a hard surface to crack shell; peel. Cut egg in half lengthwise. Grate each half on the small holes of a grater into a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place salmon in a 13-by-9-inch nonreactive baking dish. Brush with 1 teaspoon oil; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover with foil; bake until salmon is cooked through and flakes easily, about 15 minutes. Uncover partially, and let cool slightly in dish on a wire rack. Using a fork, gently flake salmon into large pieces. Transfer to a large bowl.

Whisk together lemon juice, hot sauce, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, whisking until emulsified. Drizzle dressing over salmon, and toss gently. Divide among plates. Scatter shallot, capers, cornichons, chives, parsley, and egg over each, dividing evenly; season with pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.

Shrimp Potstickers
Makes about 30

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
1/2 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 large egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons chile oil, or 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil mixed with a pinch of cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 medium carrot, grated
3/4 cup finely chopped (about 2 ounces) Napa cabbage
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 small scallions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced (about 1 small) shallot
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 package 3-inch round Chinese dumpling wrappers, available at large supermarkets
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice-wine vinegar
1 scallion, sliced

Finely chop 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves. Set aside. Coarsely chop half of the shrimp by hand, and set aside. In the bowl of a food processor, combine remaining shrimp, egg white, chile oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Puree into a smooth paste. Transfer to a medium bowl, add chopped cilantro, reserved chopped shrimp, carrot, cabbage, ginger, scallions, shallots, salt, and pepper, and mix well.

Place 1 teaspoon of filling toward the front of a dumpling wrapper. There are two methods of sealing dumplings. Pleating one edge of the wrapper gives the dumpling its distinctive curved shape and allows it to stand upright in the pan. Do this by moistening edges with water using your finger. Bring two edges together, forming a taco shape, and pinch edges together only in the top center to seal. Pinch six small pleats (three on either side of the sealed center point) along one thickness only of the wrapper. Seal dumpling by pressing pleated and unpleated edges tightly together, enclosing filling. Alternatively, moisten wrapper edges with water, fold in half into a crescent shape around the filling, and pinch edges tightly closed. While forming dumplings, keep remaining wrappers covered with plastic wrap. Place filled dumplings on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and cover with plastic wrap.

In a small serving bowl, whisk together ingredients for dipping sauce.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a well-seasoned 11-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Arrange half of the dumplings tightly together in heated skillet, and cook until deep golden brown, shaking the pan one or two times, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup hot water, partially cover, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until the bottoms of the dumplings are very crisp and all the water has evaporated, about 4 to 5 more minutes. Slide a spatula under dumplings to loosen them from the pan. Serve this batch of dumplings immediately or place them on a baking sheet, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in a low oven. Wash skillet, and repeat process with remaining dumplings. Transfer to a plate, garnish with remaining cilantro leaves, and serve with dipping sauce.

Morel and Scallions Omelet
Serves 2

1/2 ounce dried morel mushrooms
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 large eggs
4 large egg whites
Freshly ground pepper

Cover mushrooms with 1 1/4 cups hot water in a medium bowl. Set a small bowl on top of mushrooms to keep them submerged. Let stand until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon. Cut large mushrooms lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips; keep small mushrooms whole. Set aside. Strain soaking liquid; set aside.

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until scallions are wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in mustard, mushrooms, and 1/4 cup soaking liquid. Cover; cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes more. Set aside. Whisk eggs, egg whites, remaining salt, and 2 pinches of pepper in a medium bowl. Melt 1/2 teaspoon butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half of the egg mixture. Stir gently with a rubber spatula to create curds. Use spatula to pull cooked egg awayfrom sides, allowing raw egg to flow underneath; cook until almost set, 3 to 4 minutes. Top with half of the mushroom filling. Cook until set, 1 to 2 minutes more. Gently fold one half over the other. Slide omelet onto a plate. Repeat with remaining butter, eggs, and filling. Season with pepper.

Salmon Nicoise Salad
Serves 4

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
12 ounces (4 to 5) red new potatoes
8 ounces green beans, trimmed
2 (8-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
3 large Hard-Cooked Eggs
4 to 12 large leaves Boston or bib lettuce
4 plum tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
One 2.8-ounce jar or tin anchovy fillets, drained (optional)
1/4 cup Kalamata (or black) olives
Dijon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

In a 5-quart pot, bring 1/2 inch water to a boil; add salt and potatoes. Cover; cook, turning occasionally, until tender, 14 to 16 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a bowl. Set aside to cool. Add green beans to the pot of boiling water. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Rinse under cool water, and set aside. Fill a deep skillet with 1/4 inch water, season salmon on both sides with salt and pepper; place in the skillet. Bring water to a gentle simmer; cover, and cook until the salmon is opaque throughout, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate; flake with a fork, and let cool.
 
While salmon is cooking, quarter potatoes. Peel and quarter eggs, using a wet pairing knife to make neat cuts. Form a cup using 1 to 3 lettuce leaves in each of 4 bowls. Arrange salmon, green beans, potatoes, eggs, tomatoes, onion, anchovies, if desired, and olives in lettuce cups. Serve with the vinaigrette.

Dijon Vinaigrette
Serves 4

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

In a medium bowl, whisk the juice, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper until combined. Whisking constantly, add the olive oil in a steady stream; whisk until thickened and creamy. Alternatively shake all ingredients in a small jar.

Peppered Steak Sandwiches
Serves 4

2 boneless strip steaks, (about 3/4 pound each)
Cracked black pepper
1 baguette
Olive oil
1 clove garlic
Salt
1/4 pound Roquefort cheese
Caramelized Onions (recipe follows)
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Trim excess fat from steaks. Dry them well, coat all sides with cracked pepper, and refrigerate until needed. Split baguette in half lengthwise. Toast in the oven until golden brown. Drizzle with olive oil, and rub lightly with garlic clove. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat, and sear the steaks on both sides. Turn heat down to medium, and cook to desired doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Sprinkle with salt, and let steaks sit for 5 minutes. Cut toasted baguette into four equal pieces. Make four sandwiches, placing thinly sliced steak atop slices of Roquefort, then sprinkling with caramelized onions and rosemary. Serve immediately.

Caramelized Onions
Makes about 1 cup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, (about 1 1/2 pounds), sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)

Heat butter and oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, and cook until they begin to soften, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add sugar, salt, and pepper; raise heat slightly, and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally, 30 to 35 minutes. Stir in thyme, if using, and serve warm.

Seafood Paella
Serves 6

3 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
2 cups low-sodium clam juice
Pinch saffron
1 cup sugar-snap peas, tough strings removed, cut in half on the bias
2 links chicken sausage, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 squid, (about 1 pound), cleaned and cut into 1-inch rings
1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch-long matchsticks
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch-long matchsticks
1 pound uncooked paella rice
1 pound cockles and mussels
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Olive-oil cooking spray

Place stock, clam juice, and saffron in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.

Prepare an ice bath. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, and blanch sugar snap peas until bright green and just tender, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer peas to ice bath; let cool. Drain, and set aside.

Coat a paella pan (or a 6-quart Dutch oven that measures 11 inches in diameter and 5 inches in height) with cooking spray; set over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and cook until well browned, turning, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook 1 1/2 minutes. Add squid, and cook until opaque, about 1 1/2 minutes more. Transfer seafood and sausage to a plate, and set aside. Add onion, garlic, and bell peppers to paella pan; sauté until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add uncooked rice; sauté until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add 4 cups reserved stock mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, and cover. Cook until most liquid has been absorbed and the rice is just tender, about 10 minutes.
 
Meanwhile, place remaining cup of stock mixture, cockles, and mussels in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cover, and bring to boil. Cook until all shells have opened, 2 to 3 minutes; discard any that remain closed. Add paprika, black pepper, tomatoes, shrimp, squid, and sausage to rice mixture; combine. Add cockles, mussels, and cooking liquid to mixture, being careful to leave behind any residue in sauté pan. Stir in parsley; garnish with peas. Serve immediately.

Pan Bagna
Serves 6 to 8

1 loaf Italian or country bread with crust that is not too heavy
1 large clove garlic, halved
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1 large ripe tomato, thinly sliced
8 anchovy fillets, drained
1 small roasted red bell pepper, cut into strips
Oil Poached Tuna (recipe follows)
12 basil leaves
12 oil-cured black olives, pitted and minced

Halve bread horizontally. Pull out the soft interior, to within 1-inch of the crust; discard interior or reserve for another use. Rub the inside of bread all over with garlic, then drizzle with oil and vinegar. Cover the bottom half of the bread with onion and tomato slices. Top with anchovies and pepper strips. Evenly distribute tuna and basil.

Spread the top half of bread with minced olives, and place it olive-side down over filled bottom half. Wrap in plastic wrap. Place on a large plate, and top with a second plate. Weight with several heavy cans. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, cut into 6 to 8 wedges or slices.

Oil Poached Tuna
Makes 1 1/2 pounds

1 1/2 pounds fresh tuna
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large garlic, smashed
3/4 to 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 lemon thyme, (or plain thyme plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest)
2 bay leaves

Season tuna with salt and pepper. Place in a saucepan with garlic and enough oil to just cover. Bring to a gentle simmer, and cook over low heat until the fish is opaque, about 10 minutes. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat, and add lemon thyme and bay leaves. Let stand until room temperature. Use immediately, or transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using.

Prosciutto and Pesto Panini
Serves 4

1 10-ounce loaf ciabatta, halved horizontally and soft interior removed
1/3 cup Pesto (recipe follows)
1/3 pound Prosciutto de Parma, thinly sliced
Tapenade, optional (recipe follows)
1 roasted red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into strips
1/4 pound fontina cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 cup baby arugula or basil, optional
Extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat or a panini press. Spread one cut side of ciabatta with the pesto and the other with olive oil. Layer one side of ciabatta with prosciutto, tapenade, if desired, red pepper, and arugula or basil, if desired; top with cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining bread.

Brush top and bottom of the sandwich with olive oil. Place on grill pan and weight top of sandwich with a heavy skillet or a foil-wrapped brick. If using a panini press grill according to manufacturer's instructions. Grill 3 to 4 minutes on first side, turn, weight down, and continue cooking until sandwich is golden and cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes.
Cut sandwich into quarters. Serve immediately.

Pesto
Makes enough for 1 panini

1/3 cup pine nuts
4 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves (about 2 ounces)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until golden and fragrant, tossing once, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheet to prevent further browning. Let cool completely.

In a food processor, combine nuts, basil, cheese, garlic, and red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper. Process until finely chopped. With machine running, pour oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until smooth.

Tapenade
Makes 1 cup

1 cup Kalamata or Nicoise olives, pitted
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed
3 oil-cured anchovy fillets
Zest of half a lemon
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, optional
1 to 2 quarts extra-virgin olive oil

Coarsely chop olives garlic, capers, anchovies, and lemon zest on a parchment covered cutting board. Place chopped mixture in a bowl. Add pepper, mustard, parsley, and stir in enough olive oil to bind the mixture together.

Churros
Serves 6

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
Vegetable oil, for frying
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Chocolate Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup water, butter, sugar, and salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, and sift in flour, stirring for 1 minute. Transfer flour mixture to bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. On low speed, add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition; spoon mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large open-star tip.

Heat 4 to 5 inches oil in a large Dutch-oven until it registers 325 degrees; on a deep-fry thermometer. Holding pastry bag a few inches above the oil, squeeze out batter, snipping off 4-inch lengths with a knife or kitchen shears. Fry, flipping once, until deep golden brown all over, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer churros to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Roll churros in confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately with Chocolate Dipping Sauce.

Chocolate Dipping Sauce
SERVES 6

1 dried chile
1 cup plus 5 teaspoons heavy cream
1 cup plus 5 teaspoons glucose
4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon hot paprika
1/2 tablespoon Chinese red pepper

In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Turn off heat, and add dried chile; let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain liquid; cut chili into small pieces.
Combine cream and glucose in a small saucepan set over medium heat; bring to a simmer. Add chocolate, chili, paprika, and red pepper, stirring until chocolate melts to combine. Serve on the side.

Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes
Cut potatoes and boil in water. Drain. Add butter, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, bacon, green onions, and cheddar cheese. Mash together. Put more cheese on top and place in oven until it's all melted.  Garnish with extra bacon and green onions.

Mashed Potatoes Variations:
**Mash with milk and butter (one stick of butter to 5 lbs of potatoes)
**Mash also with cream cheese (at least 4 oz cream cheese to 5 lbs of potatoes) or sour cream
**Boil potatoes in water and chicken stock to give them more flavor