Scrumptious Street

Vote for my "Pumpkin Custard Tart with Spiced Port Caramel"

Here we are, heading into the thick of the holiday season and last week I was just contemplating  some new dessert ideas.  Out of nowhere while I was doing this, Bon Appétit contacted me with an invitation to enter their "Blog Envy Bake-Off" contest for holiday desserts.  It was perfect timing, I eagerly agreed and now we're off to the races.  Scrumptious Readers, please vote for my dessert as the stakes are high and I want to win. The winners are largely determined by popular vote and I was invited half-way through the voting so I've got catching up to do.  Show me some scrumptious love! There are nominees in each category so after you register, make sure you scroll through to the "Pie, Tart or Pastry" page and vote for my "Pumpkin Custard Tart with Spiced Port Caramel" by clicking on my recipe's picture.  It should be posted up there in a couple of days.  You should know the tart also has a ginger-pecan crust but that made the name way too long.

I guarantee you're going to LOVE eating this with friends and family in the next few months. Like most tarts or cheesecakes it does take some time investment, but it's definitely going to pay you back handsomely in pleasure and taste. 

For years I've struggled with the classic pumpkin desserts because I find them too cloying, too sweet, too filling after an already large meal.  So I made a light custard and added just a little bit of pumpkin.  It's the reverse ratio of most pies or cheesecakes you see out there.  My strategy was a gorgeous vanilla custard with a hint of pumpkin.  Also, the ginger-pecan crust is a unique twist that really adds some holiday tradition and also since ginger is a great digestive aid as well as spice, the body will love it as much as the palate.  I really enjoy desserts that mix sweet and savory and this one is a perfect example of my approach.  Often during the holidays I like drinking spiced wine or a deep port so this was my inspiration to make a spiced port wine caramel.  Another unique twist I employed; rather than putting all the holiday spices in the filling you'll noticed I divided them up and put a few in each component.  Some in the crust, some in the filling and some in the caramel.  With one bite, you get the layers of flavor and all of it composed in your mouth without one element being too strong or overwhelming.  I've got a gorgeous combination of textures, colors and flavors here so I hope you vote for me and that you enjoy this during the holiday season.

Here we go, it's a long recipe but I've got extra photos so you don't get bored.

Ingredients
Makes one custard tart

For the tart shell:
1/3 c. pecans, shelled
1/8 c. dried candied ginger, chopped
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/8 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. very cold unsalted butter, diced
1-2 T. very cold water

For the custard filling:
1/4 c. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped out and saved
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 T. granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten with a fork
3 c. whole milk
2 T. canned plain pumpkin puree (don't use the pre-spiced stuff!)
pinch of kosher salt

For the Spiced Port Caramel:
1/2 c. ruby port wine
4 whole cloves
1 two-inch whole cinnamon stick
3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 T. water

Method:
1. Make the tart shell: In a food processor with metal blade, grind the ginger and pecans to fine crumbs using the "pulse" setting.  Add the flour, brown sugar and salt and pulse to mix well.  Add the diced cold butter and pulse again until combined and resembling coarse bread crumbs. Sprinkle with the cold water and pulse once or twice until dough comes together then stop immediately.  Dump the dough onto plastic wrap and quickly shape into a flat disc.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Make the port wine caramel: Measure the port into a glass measuring cup and add the whole cloves and cinnamon stick to the wine so it can steep while you make the caramel.  In a medium saucepan bring the sugar and water to a boil over moderately high heat, washing down the crystals on the sides of the pan with a moistened pastry brush.  Do not stir! Cook until a deep amber caramel forms, about 6-7 minutes.  You should tilt and swirl the pan during this time but do not stir or whisk.  When you see the amber color in the 2nd photo below, then remove the saucepan from the heat.  Off heat, slowly and carefully pour in the wine and spices.  It will steam, sizzle, jump out of the pan and then immediately harden. Return the saucepan to the stovetop and cook over low heat, stirring to dissolve the hardened caramel.  Keep cooking and stirring until the caramel is reduced, smooth, thick and coats your wooden spoon nicely.  Remove from the heat, take out the cloves and cinnamon stick and pour into a small pitcher or squeeze-bottle. Place in the refrigerator to cool and thicken.

Here's a 3-step look at the caramel.  First shot it's just starting boil, second shot is when it's done boiling and ready to add the port and third shot is the addition of spiced port.  You can probably tell from the last shot that it's a bit chaotic and it is.  Make sure to follow the instructions and add the wine with the pan off the flame.  It will leap up and it will be loud and sizzling.  You're adding cooler liquid to screaming-hot caramel, so that's normal.  The caramel will immediately harden like rock candy.  Return it to the stove and gently stir with a wooden spoon.   Trust me, keep stirring and it'll go soft and smooth again.

3. Blind-bake the tart shell: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and lightly slap with a rolling pin to begin flattening.  Unwrap and transfer to a large piece of waxed paper.  Put a second piece of waxed paper on top and gently roll out the dough to a 12-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick.  I like to use waxed paper with this dough because it's extra delicate and moist from the ginger and pecans.  Work as quickly as possible and get it even on all sides.  Peel off the top waxed paper and gently pick up the dough from underneath the second layer.  Flip the dough upside down over a fluted tart pan with removable bottom, keeping the waxed paper in place to push the dough gently into the bottom and up the sides.  This helps keep it from sticking to your fingers or making the butter too warm.  Peel back the second layer of waxed paper and finish pressing the dough in the pan and patch any areas.  Cut off any excess dough and place the tart shell in the freezer for about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350˚F with the rack in the center of the oven.  Remove the tart shell from the freezer, line it with foil and fill it with dried beans or pie weights.  Bake the tart shell for 25 minutes, until golden.  Remove from the oven, take out the foil and pie weights and bake for 18-20 minutes more, until the shell is golden and smells delicious.  Remove the shell and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

4. Make the filling: In a medium saucepan stir together the flour, vanilla seeds, ginger, nutmeg and sugar. Add the egg yolks and stir again to incorporate and make a thick paste.  In essence you are making a roux, but using egg yolks instead of butter or oil.  Turn the heat on low and gradually add in the milk about 1/4 cup at a time.  Cook, whisking constantly like when making gravy, until very thick like the photo below. Whisk in the pumpkin puree to incorporate and remove from heat.  Scrape the custard into a medium bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the custard and let it cool.

5. Bake the entire tart: Spread the custard in the tart shell and smooth into an even layer.  Wrap the edges of the tart pan in foil, unless you have a cover for the edges.

Bake for about 1 hour 30 minutes, until the tart is firm and a gorgeous coppery orange color.  Transfer the tart to a cooling rack and remove the foil ring carefully.  Cool the tart to either warm or room temperature.  While the tart is cooling, remove the caramel from the refrigerator and let it come up to room temperature.  Cut the tart into wedges and squeeze a little caramel on top.  I'd encourage to go sparingly, the beauty of this dessert is that we don't want it too sweet and we want everything to be subtle, balanced and in harmony! 

Make ahead note: The caramel can be refrigerated for up to one month in advance.  Bring to room temperature before using.  The tart shell can also be frozen up to one month in advance. 

Enjoy my recipe, vote for me and Happy Holidays, Scrumptious friends.

Clafoutis, Flaugnarde? Both? Neither?

When the season's last beautiful plums were on plump display in the Farmer's Market I knew they deserved special treatment.  I had a class coming up teaching a French-style, local market produce-inspired class coming up so I wanted to make a clafoutis.  However, a clafoutis is traditionally only made with black cherries and well, I wanted to use these succulent plums.  So, I thought I'd call it my "Plum Clafoutis". 

Upon doing more research, including my ultimate reference Larousse Gastronomique, I learned that if the French cooks add fruit other than cherry (such as pear, peach, prunes) to a Clafoutis, it becomes a flaugnarde or even more confusing, often spelled flognarde.  So then I thought, "Easy, this is flaugnarde, not a plum clafoutis".  But upon reading the recipes it became very clear that wasn't exactly the whole truth either.  The recipe and portions are different between the two.  And, I was desiring the light yet dense, puffy almost custard-meets-crepe texture of the clafoutis.  Reading the flaugnarde recipe I saw that the result would be more crepe-like, there was more liquid, more egg and the same flour.  And I didn't want to mask these decadent plums, I wanted silky and creamy sponginess that showed them off. I also added vanilla, which usually isn't in a clafoutis. But flaugnarde usually includes not only vanilla, but often rum and orange-flower water or orange tree extract (WTF?) and sometimes cinammon.  Online research only confused me more. So, this is a lovely, phenomenal dessert without a perfect name.  If any French purists out there know, please enlighten me.  Otherwise, I'm calling it a Plum Clafoutis. Regardless, it was phenomenal!

Here's how I did it, give it a try if you still happen to have gorgeous plums in season or tuck this away for for next year.   

Ingredients
Serves 6-8

6-8 fresh plums, washed, pitted and sliced into wedges
1/2 c. sugar, divided into two ¼ c. portions
1 T. unsalted butter
1 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
pinch of kosher salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ c. whole milk
1 whole vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped from pod

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Dust the plums with ¼ c. sugar and let sit for 30 minutes.  Butter the inside of a pie plate or baking dish.  Arrange the plums on the bottom in a spiral from the inside to the outside edges of the pan.

2. Place the flour, a pinch of salt and the remaining ¼  c. sugar in a mixing bowl and stir.  Whisk the eggs in a smaller bowl and add the milk and vanilla bean seeds.  Whisk again. The batter should be like a very thick pancake batter.

3. Pour the batter over the plums and smooth to even.  Bake for 35-40 minutes until the clafoutis is completely set.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

4. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.  Serve while still warm and enjoy!

 

Scrumptious Friends Paella

Last week I hostessed a Girls' Night In and lovingly prepared a Spanish feast for my best NYC girlfriends.  I roasted Marcona almonds, had lovely olives, make a classic Spanish tortilla and had a gorgeous platter of Serrano Ham, Ahumado di Pria and Quince paste (Membrillo).  Also, I'd been researching paella all summer and wanted to make it for a lovely crowd rather than just two of us.  My friends are awesomely fantastic, and I wanted to make sure the dish was worthy of them. Everyone was happy with the food and I was pretty pleased too.  Family style, eating with both hands and utensils, delicious flavors and color/texture combination.  I'd put this up for any party with those one loves best!  Here's my "Chicken and Seafood Paella".

Paella is intended to be cooked over an open flame or wood fire with a grill on top so the whole huge pan cooks evenly.  It's a little trickier doing it indoors on a regular gas burner and you have to rotate the pan around the warmest spots every 15 minutes or so.  Nevertheless, we all ate it and it was the perfect meal to share in our convivial atmosphere.  Also, there is no "traditional" Paella.  There are traditional paella from specific regions in Spain.  Some of those truly authentic recipes are not easy to duplicate outside the locale of their origin.  So for you purists, I know this is a hybrid.  I tried to use authentic ideas and techniques but have mixed some of the ingredients.  Often, seafood and meat are never mixed and I have seen loads of "Paella is not surf & turf" arguments.  Alas, I used what I love best in my paella, what I really throw my culinary gusto behind.  So, no rabbit and yes, I mixed chicken and chorizo and seafood and no beans or peas (primarily due to dear friend's allergy).  So, here's my own version, closest to a "Paella Mixta" just the way my friends and I like it! And thanks to my fantastic local store in SoHo for providing many of these ingredients!

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

5 T. extra virgin Spanish olive oil
1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed and cut into large chunks
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 large non-spicy Chorizo, chopped
1 whole extra large vine-ripened tomato, diced
2 cups Bomba Cebolla rice (use short-grained rice always)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 tsp. saffron
about 6-8 cups of your best homemade chicken stock
1/2 tsp. smoked sweet Spanish paprika (Pimenton)
20 fresh mussels
18 fresh clams (Littleneck variety for me)
18 fresh prawns, peeled and de-veinedsalt and pepper to taste
lemon wedges for garnish

Method:

1. Prep all the ingredients first, chop the vegetables, cut the meat and scrub the mussels and clams.  Store the shellfish in the fridge on ice.  Rinse and dry the shrimp. 

2. Place the paella pan or very large, flat and wide skillet over your largest burner.  Turn on medium-high heat and add the olive oil to the bottom, generously coating the bottom's surface.  When the oil is hot add the onion and garlic and saute for a couple minutes, until the onion begins to soften.  Next add the chicken and cook until it's white on all sides.  Add the chorizo and peppers and stir to mix and get everything cooking.  Push everything to the edges and put the tomato in the middle and saute another 1-2 minutes.

3. Make space in the middle again and add the rice, toast it gently like you would for risotto for about 3 minutes. Add the wine and stir to incorporate.  Let the alcohol evaporate for two minutes and then add half the stock, the saffron and paprika. Stir everything together well, reduce the heat to a medium-low simmer and let it cook for about 20 minutes.

4. Taste for seasoning and add some salt and pepper.  Add the mussels and clams, nestling them at even intervals around the pan.  Add another cup or two of stock.  Make sure that you press the shellfish down in toward the bottom, so the simmering liquid is over the top of the shells at least halfway.  Now leave the dish alone for at least 40 minutes, do not stir.  If you stir too much, it will get gummy.  Check on the pan every 10-15 minutes, rotating so that it all cooks evenly and to make sure all the shellfish get equal flame-time.  The rice will and should look very wet during the cooking process.  If it begins to look dry before 45 minutes have elapsed, add more stock.

5. Close to the 40-45 minute mark, taste a bit of the rice from different areas in the pan to see if it is done and check for seasoning.  The rice should be soft but still have just the slightest bite to it, like al dente pasta and most of the liquid should be absorbed in the rice.   Make sure all the mussels and clams are beginning to open. Lastly, add the shrimp and any more stock or seasoning to finish cooking the rice.  If a little begins to stick to the bottom, that's great, it's actually desired to have a little crispy crunch on the bottom.  You just need to go slowly enough to make sure all the rice itself gets cooked properly (al dente) and the shellfish all open.

6. Once cooked, remove the paella from the heat, cover it to let it rest for about 5 minutes. Remove any mussels or clams that didn't open.  Slice some lemon wedges and garnish.  Serve family style on the table using a trivet or hot-pad underneath.  Enjoy!

Jean-Georges Molten Chocolate Cake

I don't care that Top Chef judges and hosts consider molten chocolate cake an outdated dessert. It's simply spectacular if you use a good recipe and can be viewed as timeless rather than tired.  It's also something that is pretty much universally uplifting just like playing with soap bubbles or eating ice cream or mac 'n cheese.  When the weather turns from warm to cool and we look for a sense of comfort and warmth in our cooking this dessert works.  Autumn is the time of year we open our homes more frequently to friends for dinner parties and I'm telling you this is a great way to end a meal with people you love. I warn you it produces very intimate moments like licking every crumb from your plate or spoon so hopefully you'll know your fellow diners well. Here's a look at my "Jean-Georges Molten Chocolate Cake".

My favorite chef is Jean-Georges Vongerichten (for a MULTITUDE of reasons) and this is definitely a variation on his recipe, which is one of the originals.  This recipe was also published by Food&Wine magazine and online, so this is a rare case where I'm posting something that's not completely "mine". I take no credit for it other than loving it and sharing it with you.

Upon our return to NY this summer Mr. Scrumptious and I visited our favorite restaurant, Jean Georges, and it's possible that in my husband's opinion it was solely to eat JGV's famous cake.  It happened to also be my birthday lunch, made more wonderful by a cameo in the dining room by The Chef himself.  So, I'm sharing this as a tribute and celebration to my favorite Chef, in my favorite City, in my favorite Season.  Enjoy this spectacular dessert and make sure to use the finest chocolate.  My choice is Patric chocolate, which I wrote about when I discovered it last year.  This is my tribute to a Master Chef and I hope you all enjoy it with gusto!

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, highest quality
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Butter and lightly flour four 6-ounce ramekins. Tap out the excess flour and discard. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet.
2. Fill a medium saucepan with two inches of water and place a bowl inside that is large enough to sit in the pan without touching the water.  Bring the water to a gentle simmer but not a boil.  (This is a makeshift double-boiler.)  Place the butter with the chocolate inside the inner bowl and melt gently over the simmering water. In a second medium bowl, beat the eggs with the egg yolks, sugar and salt at high speed until thickened and pale yellow.
3. Whisk the chocolate and butter until silky smooth and shiny.  Quickly fold the melted chocolate into the egg mixture, add the flour and fold until incorporated.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins and bake for 9-10 minutes, or until the sides of the cakes are firm but the centers are soft. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in the ramekins for 1 minute, then cover each with an inverted dessert plate. Carefully turn each one over, let stand for 10 seconds and then unmold by tapping gently on the bottom of the ramekin until the cake slides out on the plate.
5. Serve immediately. 

This cake is "molten" because the batter in the middle isn't fully cooked, nor is it meant to be.  If you want it gooier, bake it a minute or two shorter.  If you want it firmer, then longer.  Part of the joy of this cake is that it's not fully baked so don't use the "toothpick comes out clean" trick.  If you do and you bake it that long you've over-baked the dessert and missed the entire point!

You can garnish with sifted confectioner's sugar, vanilla bean ice cream, fresh berries or nothing at all.  In any variation, the cake is fabulous!

Fresh Summer Potato Gnocchi

Gnocchi is a wonderful dish that somehow, people tend to forget when they make Italian dinners.  I love it because of its diversity, heartiness and versatility.  More than pasta, it really absorbs the flavors you use with it.  If you can make it fresh yourself, all the better.  But if not, make sure to buy a quality fresh Italian brand.  I like vacuum-packed and fresh, instead of frozen.  The difference between "good" and "bad" is immense and comes down to gummy/pasty or light and pillowy.  This was a fantastic spontaneous gnocchi dish, celebrating the best of summer Italian flavors.  Here's my  "Summer Gnocchi with Fresh Caprino Tomato Sauce and Pistachios".

A few touches were crucial to this dish, and they truly were not only scrumptious but also sumptuous. The fresh Caprino cheese was the star for this sauce.  It is a mild, delicate and very creamy goat's milk cheese that made this sauce light but decadent-tasting.  the pistachios I used were fresh Sicilian with an intense flavor and gorgeous color.  The basil I used is from my balcony planter, and it's my favorite Bush Basil.  I love how it's more fragrant and flavorful than Italian basil and easier to grow in containers.    The fresh fennel too, is a very important component.  Instead of onions I used it to create a summery and fresh taste for the base of the sauce.  The green curlycue you see is a garlic scape and I love its soft and subtle garlic taste. 

Another note about this dish: rather than make my sauce with olive oil, which is usually my choice, I used good unsalted butter here.  I wanted the velvety texture of butter and since gnocchi is made from potatoes, I usually prefer butter-based sauces with it.  It's your choice, but if you're wanting the silkiest texture, use good butter in this one.

Here's my recipe

Ingredients
Serves 2

1 lb. fresh gnocchi
2 T. unsalted butter
1/2 bulb (about 1 cup) fresh fennel, diced
1 garlic scape or clove, minced
2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
3/4 oz. Caprino Fresco cheese or other fresh delicate goat's milk cheese
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1/4 c. Sicilian pistachios, chopped
2 T. fresh bush basil, minced

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boiling and salt lightly. 

2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the fennel and garlic scape and saute until the fennel turns transluscent.  Add the tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften.

3. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook just until the gnocchi floats to the surface, about 3 minutes.

4. Stir the Caprino cheese into the sauce gently, melting and incorporating it thoroughly.  When the gnocchi is finished cooking, skim it from the boiling water and add directly to the sauce.  You may need to use a ladle of water as well if the tomatoes are not too juicy.  Toss the gnocchi and sauce well, until thick and creamy.  Add the pistachios and basil, toss again and serve immediately.

This is my favorite dish of the summer so far.  Enjoy! Try to find the Caprino, it's incredible!