Sweet Corn Soup With Roasted Corn Flan
Corn is all about the glorious days of summer. Here, we use fresh corn two ways – in a chunky, chowder-like soup, with roasted corn flan atop. The flan has a delicate custard-like texture. Similar savory flans can be made with asparagus, roasted peppers, artichokes and crabmeat. They’re great accompaniments to grilled chicken or fish.
Wine Pairing: This rich dish would go nicely with an Australian chardonnay. The Down Under wines have a sweet richness from all that sun, contrasted with a friendly little grapefruit zing in the finish that comes from the yeast they use in fermenting.
Roasted Corn Flan
6 4-oz. ramekins
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels
3 eggs
2 tablespoons grated Gruyere cheese
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter the ramekins. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream and corn kernels and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer slowly for 15 minutes, until kernels are soft, but not mushy. Chill the mixture in an ice bath.
When cool, puree the mixture in a blender, then pass through a strainer. Stir in the eggs, grated Gruyere and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Blend until well mixed. Pour the mixture into the ramekins. Place the ramekins into a deep roasting pan, filling the pan halfway with warm water. Cover pan with foil, place in middle of oven and bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Check for doneness by shaking the custards lightly – they should be firm. Remove from pan and cool.
Corn Soup
4 ears of corn, husks removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 slices bacon, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 onion, diced in 1/4 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, diced in 1/4 inch pieces
2 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
5 cups chicken stock
Pinch of saffron
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Using a sharp knife, remove the corn from the cob. Set aside.
In a stockpot over medium heat, add the olive oil and bacon. Cook the bacon slightly, until barely rendered. Add the onion, celery, potatoes and garlic. Saute for a minute or two until slightly soft. Drain off the bacon fat. Stir in the chicken stock, saffron and corn kernels. Bring the soup to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes start to thicken the soup. Skim off any fat, add the parsley, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
To assemble: Ladle the soup into six bowls. Unmold the flans, placing each flan atop the soup. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
Trick of the trade: The soup and flans can be made the day ahead, chilled, then reheated. (Add the parsley and salt and pepper before serving) Reheat flans in a water bath, then unmold into soup.
Minestrone with Zucchini, Peas and Asparagus
1 Cup dried Canellini beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, large, and finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves
5 each thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 tsp Kosher salt
3 cups of chicken stock
1 piece parmesan rind
1 leek, medium, trimmed, washed and diced
Salt to taste
2 each Zucchini, small, rinsed and diced
1/2 lbs asparagus, cut on bias about 1/2 inch thick
1 cup fresh green peas
2 cups spinach leaves, fresh and chopped coarsely
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly grated parmesan
Soak dried Cannellini beans overnight in 4 cups of water. Drain and transfer to a heavy – bottomed pot.
Add water to cover by 2 inches. Simmer gently for about 2 hours, until beans are tender but not falling apart. Drain beans and save cooking liquid.
(if using canned beans, drain and save liquid, adding water if needed to make 1 cup liquid )
Place a large heavy – bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil. When oil is shimmering, add onion and fennel. Lower heat and cook for about 15 minutes, until tender.
Add garlic, thyme, bay leaf and salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add 3 cups of chicken stock and parmesan rind, bring to a boil.
Add leeks. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
Add cooked Canellini beans, bean liquid, zucchini, asparagus and peas.
Simmer for 5 minutes, add spinach.
If soup seems too thick, add water or bean liquid. Remove parmesan rind and bay leaf.
Serve in a big bowl and offer grated parmesan and extra virgin olive oil
What to Drink
Select a crisp Chardonnay, not big, creamy and bold
Whitewater clams with tomato, basil and garlic
Years ago, a local fisherman came to the restaurant I was working at (Janjo’s) and gave me a bag of clams and introduced them as “Whitewater Clams” and said; “Chef, try these.’’
They were delicate with a powerful, but not over powering taste of the sea. We bonded quickly, and I have cooked with them ever since.
Steven, to this day continues to supply TWO CHEFS with fresh seafood
They were small, delicate clams, called Whitewater Clams, and were absolutely wonderful. Steve raises the clams at Whitewater Farm on Florida’s East Coast (see source list in back of book for ordering information).
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thinly
36 whitewater clams or littlenecks
2 tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and finely diced
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup basil, cut into julienne strips
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil. When the oil is near the smoking point — do not burn the oil — add the garlic and sauté until it starts to brown lightly around the edges. (This takes only a few seconds)
Add the clams, tomatoes, chicken stock and butter. Simmer until the clams have opened up, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Discard any clams that don’t open. Remove from heat, stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Pour the clam mixture into a large bowl or over toasted slices of French bread and serve at once. Serves 6.
Tricks of the trade: Cook quickly, serve quickly. The entire cooking procedure takes only 3 to 4 minutes.
Wine pairing: This dish is delicate, with a little acidic zing from the tomatoes; a good paring would be a crisp, lean chardonnay from Washington state or northern Italy, or one of the unoaked chardonnays they’re making now in New Zealand.
Tossed Field Greens with Shiitake Vinaigrette
The highlight of this recipe is the dressing, which incorporates the nutty and silky sensation known as umami. This is a recently documented fifth taste sensation, after bitter, salty, sour and sweet. In experimenting with this new sensation, I’ve discovered that roasting the shiitakes in extra virgin olive oil releases this nutty taste, which complements the greens and wine.
Salad
2 heads butter lettuce
1 head red, oak-leaf lettuce
6 bunches mache (lambs’ lettuce)
1 Belgium endive, cored and cut into thin strips
2 cups mung or sunflower sprouts
Wash the greens, drain well, and tear into small pieces. Place in large salad bowl and gently add in the endives and sprouts. Place greens on 6 salad plates. Set aside.
Shiitake Vinaigrette
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, wiped and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Pinch kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon miso paste
Juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons chicken stock
1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Toss the mushrooms, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Spread the mushrooms over a baking sheet and roast until crisp and amber brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove mushrooms from pan, saving the oil. Divide mushrooms over salad greens.
In a small bowl, add the miso paste, lemon juice, olive oil from roasting, honey, chicken stock, ginger, olive oil and remaining 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Do not mix for 15 minutes, letting the flavors absorb. Mix gently and drizzle a little of the dressing over the greens and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 6.
Wine pairing: The savory, nutty richness of the umami sensation calls for a smoky, oaky chardonnay from California. An earthy French white burgundy would go well too.
Jan Jorgensen
TwoChefs Restaurant
