Great for entertaining! All recipes from The Silver Palate, Workman Publishing Company, 2007.
MUSHROOMS STUFFED WITH WALNUTS & CHEESE12 medium-size mushroom caps
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
5 ounces frozen chipped spinach, thoroughly defrosted and squeezed dry
1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled
1 ounce Gruyère cheese, crumbed
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1. Remove the mushroom stems and save for another use. Wipe the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil and butter together in a small skillet, over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, covered, until tender and lightly colored, about 25 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 400˚F
4. Add the walnuts and garlic to the onion and cook for another minute. Add the spinach and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Stir in the cheeses, dill, salt, and pepper.
5. Arrange the mushrooms, cavity side up, in a baking dish. Divide the spinach mixture evenlty among the mushroom caps.
6. Set the baking dish on a rack in the upper third of the oven. Bake, until the filling is browned and the mushrooms are thoroughly heated, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Yields 12 mushrooms, 3 or 4 portions
MINIATURE LAMB KEBABSThese little kebabs liven up any party, whether an informal get-together or something more upscale. The marinade makes the lamb deliciously fragrant, savory, and tender.
Cubed lamb (1/4 pound per person)
Marinade for Lamb (recipe follows)
Cherry tomatoes
Green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch squares
Small white onions, peeled
1. Cut the lamb into ½-inch cubes and marinate overnight, covered and refrigerated.
2. Preheat the broiler.
3. Remove the lamb from the marinade and drain on paper towels. Slide the cubes onto skewers (either metal skewers or wooden ones that have been soaked in water), alternating with 2 cherry tomatoes, a square of green pepper, and a small white onion.
4. Broil until done, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Other great skewer combinations:-Shrimp and green grapes
-Melon and prosciutto with smoked turkey
-Apple chunks and ham
-Lime-marinted sea scallops and avocado chunks
-Cherry tomatoes and vinaigrette-marinated cubes of roast beef
-Swiss cheese cubes, ham cubes, and watermelon pickle
SEVICHE2 pounds bay scallops
1 fresh hot red pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into julienne
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into julienne
½ small red onion, cut into julienne
2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups fresh lime juice
½ cup fresh lime juice
2 avocados, peeled and cut into 16 slices, brushed with lemon juice, for garnish
Chopped parsley, for garnish
1. In a large glass bowl combine all the ingredients except the avocados and parsley for garnish. Toss gently but thoroughly being certain the scallops are well-coated with citrus juice.
2. Cover and refrigerate until the scallops lose their translucent appearance, at least 5 hours. Stir them occasionally during the marination.
3. Serve in individual bowls garnished with avocado slices and additional chopped parsley.
8 portions as a first courseTAPENADE DIP½ cup imported black olives, such as alfonso or kalamata, pitted
¼ cup imported green olives, such as Sicilian, pitted
4 anchovy fillets
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons capers, thoroughly drained
2 tablespoons oil-packed tuna, drained
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry, or more to taste
¼ cup best-quality olive oil
¼ cup Homemade Mayonnaise (optional)
HOMEMADE MAYONNAISELuscious and versatile, and ready in minutes. Use very high quality, fresh eggs.
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups corn oil or other vegetable oil, or best-quality olive oil
1. Combine the egg yolks, whole egg, mustard, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and half of the lemon juice in a food processor. Process for 1 minute.
2. With the motor running, dribble in the oil in a slow steady steam. When you have added all the oil, shut the motor off and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
3. Taste the mayonnaise. Correct the seasoning if necessary; if you are using vegetable oil, you will probably need the remaining lemon juice. Scrape the mayonnaise into a storage container, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. The mayonnaise will keep safely, if refrigerated, for at least 5 days. Let it return to room temperature before stirring and using.
3 cupsLAYERED VEGETABLE TERRINEThree layers—tomato, leek, and white bean—combine in a rich, spicy, and satisfying pâté. Serve as is or garnished with Aïoli Sauce or Tomato-Basil Mayonnaise.
White Bean Layer4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup canned white cannellini beans
¼ cup Basil Purée (see below)
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1. Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan or skillet over low heat. Add the onions, cover, and cook slowly until tender and lightly colored, about 20 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to the onions, and cook, uncovered, for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Rinse the beans and drain them well. Combine the beans, onion mixture, and basil purée in a food processor, the process until smooth.
4. Add the whole egg and egg yolk and process again until the eggs are completely incorporated. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until chilled.
Tomato Layer4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
4 medium-sized tomatoes (about 1 ½ pounds)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
3 tablespoons Basil Purée (see note)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1. Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan or skillet over low heat. Add the onions, cover, and cook slowly until tender and lightly colored, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cut a small X in the bottom of each tomato and drop them into boiling salted water for 10 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, drop them into a bowl of ice water, and let cool. The skins will peel off easily when the tomatoes are cool. Cut the peeled tomates into halves crosswise, scrape out the seeds, and squeeze out and discard the juice. Chop the tomatoes and add them to the onions. Cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring often, for 20 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, basil purée, tomato paste, chili powder, and salt and pepper, and cook until the mixture is very thick, 15 minutes or longer. Taste and correct the seasoning. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cool to room temperature.
4. Beat the whole egg and egg yolk together in a small bowl and stir into the tomat mixture. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
Note: Basil Purée: Process or blend 7 cups washed and dried fresh basil leaves or 7 cups fresh parsley leaves and 1 tablespoon dried basil, with 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and refrigerate.Leek Layer6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
4 cups (about 8 medium-sized) thinkly-sliced, well-rinsed leeks, white part only
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
½ cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1. Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan or skillet over low heat. Add the leeks, cover and cook slowly until very tender, about 30 minutes.
2. Add the curry powder, garlic, parsley, pepper, and salt, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
3. Beat the whole egg and egg yolk together in a small bowl, an stir into the cooled leek mixture. Cover and refrigerate.
To Complete the Terrine2 carrots
6 thin asparagus spears
12 large leaves of green cabbage (avoid the coarse outer leaves)
Unsalted butter
1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Have ready a large bowl of ice water.
2. Scrape the carrots and cut them lengthwise into quarters. Drop them into the boiling water and cook until very tender but not mushy. Lift from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and drop them into the ice water.
3. Trim the woody ends from the asparagus and drop the spears into the boiling water. Cook until tender, remove from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and drop them into the ice water.
4. Drop the cabbage leaves into the boiling water and press with a spoon to be certain they are submerged and cooking. Blanch them until they begin to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove the cabbage leaves from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and drop them into the ice water.
5. When all the ingredients are cool, drain them and pat dry. Lightly butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf of bread pan. Trim the heavy ribs from the cabbage leaves. Line the loaf pan with the leaves, covering the sides, ends, and bottom, and overlapping the leaves slightly. Be sure you have 2 or 3 leaves left for the top of the terrine.
6. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the water bath.
7. Remove the leek, tomato, and bean mixtures from the refrigerator. Stir the leek mixture to be sure the ingredients are well combined and spoon it into the bottom of the loaf pan. Smooth with a spatula and arrange lengths of carrot on top.
8. Stir the tomato mixture and spoon it on top of the leek mixture, being arrange the asparagus spears on top of it.
9. Finally, pour in the bean layer and smooth it. Rap and loaf pan several times on your work surface to expel any air bubbles. Cover the terrine with the remaining cabbage leaves tucking the excess down the sides of the pan.
10. Wrap the loaf pan in aluminum foil and set it in a larger baking pan. Pour boiling water into the baking pan so that it comes about halfway up the sides of the loaf pan. Set the pans on the center rack of the over and bake until the center of the terrine feels firm to the touch, 2 hours.
11. Remove the loaf pan from the hot water and unwrap it. Let it cool for 15 minutes, then weight it down by placing another loaf pan on top and putting a weight inside, such as canned good or coffee mugs, until completely cool. Remove the weights, cover, and chill thoroughly.
12. To unmold, dip the pan briefly into hot water and run a thin knife around the sides of the pan. Set a platter upside down over the terrine and invent; the terrine will drop out onto the plate.
13. Serve cold, sliced and garnished with any of the sauces suggested in the headnote.
8 to 10 portions as a first course
