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Dear reader…
The following recipes are from years of putting pen to paper, or today, fingertips on a keyboard (1-2 at a time). The recipes are not just a matter of measuring, but also small anecdotes of where, when and why they were cooked. Not all recipes are invented by me, but dishes that were cooked with care, and a passion for the trade. Many of the recipes to follow have seasonal inspirations, as well as daily challenges from awesome people like yourself who were craving a specific dish.
Enjoy….
Chickpea Soup with Pumpkin and Huancaina
Serves 6
This is a popular luncheon soup at the restaurant. It’s not too heavy because it’s thickened with pumpkin, making it not only delicious but healthy-ish. The huancaina, a type of chili pepper, gives the soup a little kick.
Ingredients:
● 2 cup garbanzo beans, soaked in water overnight and drained
● 1 gallon chicken stock
● 1 onion, cut in half
● pinch of saffron
● 1 teaspoon honey
● 1 Aji Amarillo chili pepper, seeded and diced
● 1 bouquet garni: thyme, black pepper, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, 1/2 cup total
● 3 cups fresh pumpkin meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
● salt and pepper to taste
● freshly grated nutmeg to taste
● 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
In a large stockpot, add the beans, chicken stock, onion, saffron, honey, huancaina and bouquet garni. Bring to a light boil. Lower heat and simmer for two hours. With a slotted spoon, remove the onion and huancaina. Simmer for another hour or so, until the beans are tender. If the soup evaporates more than 20 percent, add a bit more chicken stock.
When the beans are tender, add the pumpkin. Simmer until the pumpkin is tender, approximately 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, mash a few pieces of the pumpkin up against the sides of the pot. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour into six soup bowls. Sprinkle with nutmeg and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Pan-Roasted Soft Shell Crab with Fermented Black Beans
Serves 4
Soft shell crab, much sought after when it arrives in the Spring, is always a harbinger of summer fun. Soft shells can be cooked a number of ways, generally all hot and fast.
The blue crab is the animal associated with this delicacy. It is harvested after having recently molted its hard shell and while in the process of developing a new one which, of course, takes time to harden, hence, “soft shell.” Blues are most closely associated with the Chesapeake Bay, but they are found all along the East Coast.
Ingredients:
● 4 large soft-shell crabs
● 1 cup flour
● 1 cup corn starch
● salt and black pepper
● olive oil or peanut for sauteing
First clean the crabs. The squeamish should look away! With a pair of scissors, cut off the tail flap, then the gills/beards hidden under the side flaps, then the “face” (the eyes).
Mix the flour, starch, salt and pepper. In a large skillet, bring the oil to medium-hot temperature, dredge the crabs one by one in the flour mix, shake off excess flour, place crab, top side down, gently into the hot oil. Do two at the time if the skillet is not large enough to host all four crabs at once.
Once crispy and brown on the first side, flip each and repeat. Remove from oil, and let drain on a paper towel.
The black bean mix:
● 1 cup fermented black beans, washed thoroughly, drained of their water
● 4 oz fresh peeled ginger root
● 6 garlic cloves, peeled
● 2 soup spoons honey
● 1/4 cup olive oil
● juice from 1 lemon
● pinch of Thai chili flakes
On a cutting board, finely chop the beans with a knife, place in a bowl. In a blender pulse the rest of ingredients until chopped and mixed, then combine with the beans. Set aside
The black bean sauce:
● 5 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
● olive oil
● 1/2 stick of butter
● 1/2 cup chicken stock
● juice from 1 lemon
● 1 cup tomato concasse
● 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
● salt and black pepper
In a pan, heat the olive oil, add the garlic and toast until light brown, add a soup spoon of black bean mix, then chicken stock and lemon juice, and check seasoning. Add more black bean mix if needed after checking the seasoning. Add butter and tomato concasse and stir. Add chopped cilantro and check seasoning.
Place crabs on individual serving plates, spoon over the fermented black bean sauce.
Serve with Basmati rice on the side or a salad.
Poached Chicken with Parsnip and Celeriac
Serves 4
A great dish during root vegetable season, especially in the early part of the season, where the roots are young, full of flavor and aromatic, celeriac being a bit perfumy and parsnips somewhat earthy, but they both deserve respect and proper roasting to highlight the ample sugars behind their structure.
It was my friend Kathryn who first made roasted roots for me, I believe it was around Thanksgiving. They were sweet, awesome and opened up a completely different flavor profile than I was accustomed to. They could now complement a glass of red wine. Normally they would be boiled, and used as a supporting ingredient, like a mirepoix. But on their own and roasted, they soar.
I’m choosing to poach the chicken instead of roasting it as well, because I want the dish to be on the healthy side as well as more complementary with a lighter-style red like Pinot Noir. The great thing about this dish is that it results in its own sauce from the poaching liquid, finished with a liaison.
Ingredients:
● 4 A-line chicken breasts (wing bone left on along with the skin)
● 2 cups chicken stock
● bouquet garni
● 1/2 cup white wine
● peel of 1 lemon
● peel from the celeriac
● 1 carrot, cut into pieces
● parsley stems
Place the chicken breasts in a pot, add the remaining ingredients, and slowly bring the stock to a gentle simmer, skimming off the scum as it rises. Poach for 15 minutes until the chicken feels firm to the touch. Set aside and let rest for about 1/2 hour. Remove chicken from the poaching liquid, strain the liquid into a sauce pan/pot.
Remove the skin with a small sharp knife, cut the skin into julienne and render until crispy in a small pan.
The roots:
● 1 celeriac root (about the size of a large tennis ball, peeled)
● 4 medium parsnips, peeled
● olive oil
● 6 garlic cloves, smashed
● 2 sprigs rosemary
● 2 sprigs thyme
Cut the celeriac and parsnips into 1-inch cubes, toss them in the olive oil along with the aromatics, and place them in a roasting pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and roast in a 325-degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until fork tender.
Once tender, remove the foil and let them roast until golden brown, developing a sweet crust.
Arrange the roasted root vegetables on a serving plate, or platter for family-style service, and place the chicken breasts on top.
The sauce:
● A liaison with a spoonful of mustard added
● 1/4 cup chopped parsley
● salt and black pepper
Reduce the poaching liquid until it’s about a cup and a half. Turn off the heat and whisk in the liaison (mustard). Pour over the chicken while it’s hot and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Season to taste.
I hope I have inspired you to have a bit of fun, maybe challenge a dusty pot and pan to return to the stove. Otherwise, call 305-663-2100 for reservations.
Jan Jorgensen, Two Chefs Restaurant
To see more #Miaminews from #Aventura to #Coralgables to #SouthMiami, #Pinecrest, #Palmetto Bay and #Cutler Bay and all throughout #Miamidadecounty go to:
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