Tagliatelle with Lemon Buttercream & Shrimp

 

Why is it that the best pasta sauces have the simplest ingredients? This is one of them. It's absolutely delicious and couldn't be easier. Lovely, light, luscious, and creamy, it's an addictive lemony treat. A quintessential summer dish from the Amalfi coast in the Campania region of southern Italy where they grow exquisite lemons, creamy Tagliatelle al Limone with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano is like sunshine on a plate. Perfect on it's own, or with grilled or quickly sautéed seafood, this is one of my absolute favourite pastas.

Tagliatelle al Limone e Parmigiano con Gamberetti
Serves 4-6

1 lb Tagliatelle egg pasta
8 tbsp butter, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon zest plus juice of one lemon
1 cup fresh cream
1/2 cup sour cream or crème fraîche
1 lb wild Florida shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for sprinkling
Fresh ground white pepper
1 bunch chives, finely chopped for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to boil. In a large sauté pan, bring the butter, cream and sour cream to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the lemon juice, white pepper and lemon zest, and reduce by about half. Then remove from the heat. Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons of butter to a frying pan over medium-high and sauté until almost cooked through, about 3-4 minutes, then turn off the heat and let rest in their natural juices. Add the pasta to the water and cook al dente. Drain the pasta, add to the lemon butter, and toss to coat over medium heat. Add the cheese and toss a few more seconds. Pour into heated bowls, garnish with some lemon curls and a grinding of black pepper and top with the sautéd shrimp and garnish with fresh chives.

Homemade Oven Roasted Tomato Soup

There's something enormously comforting about a bowl of hot soup on a cold winter day. This easy and delicious Oven Roasted Tomato Soup blends the fabulous flavours of fresh basil, garlic, onions and oven roasted tomatoes for a luxuriously smooth soup that's full of rich Italian flavours. Slow roasting caramelizes and intensifies the flavour of the tomatoes, enhances their natural sweetness, and lends extraordinary depth to this hearty and satisfying soup — ideal with a hot grilled cheese sandwich! 

Oven Roasted Tomato Soup
Serves 6-8

3 lb ripe plum tomatoes, washed, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onions
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-oz can plum tomatoes, with their juice
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
4 cups chicken stock 
1/2 cup heavy cream, optional

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the tomatoes together in a large bowl with 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Place the tomatoes, cut side up, in one layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and lightly caramelized. 

In an large stockpot over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic with two tablespoons of olive oil, butter and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, thyme and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Using a hand immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth and taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold with a little cream if you would like a richer soup.

Aloo Gosht: Punjabi Mutton & Potato Curry

A memoir-cookbook which celebrates the rich and distinctive flavours of Pakistan, and evocatively explores the beautiful and diverse country through its food, 'Summers Under the Tamarind Tree' by former lawyer-turned-food writer and cookery teacher Sumayya Usmani, captures the rich and aromatic pleasure of Pakistani cooking through more than 100 personal and family recipes as she celebrates the heritage and traditions of her home country. As she looks back on a happy childhood spent in the kitchen with her grandmother and mother, Usmani brings to life a cuisine which features Arab, Persian and Indian influences, yet remains uniquely its own. "My mother’s family come from Pakistani Punjab, where flavours are simple and no meat stew is cooked without a vegetable. This is a land of agriculture and seasonal produce, and the simplicity of this dish is a celebration of what the land provides without it being masked by spice. Aloo Gosht is so revered in Punjab that poetry has been written about it. This Punjabi Mutton and Potato Curry recipe was passed on by my mother’s cousin, Tanveer Khala, and has graced many family meals over the years. This cookbook is a tribute to the women of my family. Some still here, others no longer and the people of my homeland. I hope that Summers Under The Tamarind Tree, a memoir filled with the flavours I grew up with, whets your appetite just as much as it fuels my love for Pakistan and it’s authentic cuisine".

Her first published book, Summers Under the Tamarind Tree: Recipes & Memories from Pakistan 

by Sumayya Usmani, features over 100 recipes and beautifully written stories.

Sumayya Usmani abandoned a career as a lawyer to share memories and recipes 

of the home cooking of her native Pakistan

Aloo Gosht: Punjabi Mutton & Potato Curry

Serves 6

Recipe courtesy of Sumayya Usmani

3 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil 

1 large red onion, finely chopped

1/2" piece ginger, peeled and grated

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 lb bone-in goat meat, cut into 2-inch chunks

1-2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp ground turmeric 

1 tsp unsmoked paprika 

1 tsp red chilli powder 

1 1/2 cups water 

3-4 tbsp vegetable oil 

2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tsp coriander seeds, dry-roasted and ground 

1 lb new potatoes, peeled and quartered - optional

Garnish:

1 tsp garam masala

2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

2 green chillies, finely chopped

Heat the oil in a large saucepan with a lid over a medium heat. When hot, add the onions, ginger and garlic and cook for 7-8 minutes until the onions are light brown. Add the mutton pieces, salt, turmeric, paprika and red chilli powder then add 1/2 cup water and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover the pan with the lid and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the mutton is tender and the curry is reddish brown, checking the water has not dried up – if it does add about 4 tsp of water to ensure that the mutton is just covered.

Increase the heat to medium high, add the vegetable oil, tomatoes and ground coriander seeds. Stir-fry to allow the oil in the pan to cook through the tomatoes and create a thick red sauce with oil separating and rising to the surface of the curry.

Add the potatoes and 3/4 to 1 cup water, depending on how watery you prefer the curry (traditionally it is quite watery), then reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. The curry should be red, with oil rising to the surface, but watery. If this has not happened yet, keep the saucepan on a very low heat for a further 5-10 minutes, but make sure not to overcook the potatoes.

Turn off the heat, cover with the lid and let the curry simmer in its own heat for about 10 minutes before serving. When ready to serve, transfer to a serving dish and garnish with garam masala, chopped coriander and chopped green chillies. This is best served with plain basmati rice or naan bread.

Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary, Garlic & Anchovy

There are few meals as impressive as a roasted bone-in leg of lamb. Studded with garlic, rosemary, lemon zest and anchovies, this simple and delicious roast makes a succulent centrepiece for any social occasion. Puréed into a coarse paste, the marinade is stuffed into small incisions around the boneless leg of lamb, then rubbed with olive oil and generously seasoned with salt and pepper. Roasted on high at 450°F for 15-20 minutes, then slow roasted at 325°F for about an hour, the results are pinky perfection. Lamb, like beef, doesn’t need to be cooked all the way, and is best at a rosy medium-rare — 135°F to 140°F when finished. Whether served as part of a traditional Easter dinner or quiet Sunday lunch, this recipe is easy to prepare, absolutely delicious, and goes especially well with my Mother-in-Law's special homemade mint sauce!

Roast Lamb with Rosemary, Garlic, Lemon & Anchovy Marinade
Serves 6-8

5 lb leg of lamb, bone-in
4 cloves garlic
6 anchovies
3 sprigs of rosemary, leaves only
1 lemon, zest only
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and pepper, to taste

Using a small food processor, blend together the garlic, anchovies, rosemary leaves, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of olive or anchovy oil until a coarse paste. Then using a sharp knife, make small incisions in the thickest portions of the lamb and fill the pockets with the garlic-herb paste, pressing the mixture in deep with your fingers. Rub any remaining paste over the top of the lamb and season with salt and pepper. Rub 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over the whole leg, then arrange on a roasting pan and preheat the oven to 450°F. 

Roast the lamb at 450°F for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F and continue cooking for 90 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the middle of lamb reads 135° for medium rare. Once the lamb is ready, remove from the oven and tent with foil for 15-20 minutes, allowing the juices to retract and make the roast lovely and moist.

To serve, slice the leg of lamb onto a decorative platter and serve with Cannellini Beans with Rosemary and Sautéed Rapini, for a truly Tuscan feast.

Murgh Kari: Classic Indian Chicken Curry

 

One of my favourite Chicken Curry recipes, a classic Punjabi dish from Northern India — Murgh Kari — was inspired by a small spiral-bound copy of Time-Life 'Foods of the World - Cooking of India' cookbook that I permanently borrowed from my Mom's food library many years ago. A popular series of 27 cookbooks published by Time-Life from 1968 through to the early 70s, the cookbooks provided a broad survey of many of the world's major cuisines, and quite possibly lit the first spark that ignited my lifetime love affair with food history. The series combined recipes with wonderful food-themed travelogues to show the cultural context from which each recipe sprang, with each volume coming in two parts: the main book was a large-format, photograph-heavy hardcover book, while the recipes were presented in small spiral-bound booklets. Quick, easy and delicious, this Chicken Curry recipe is also light, flavourful and can be made an hour or two before dinner, then allowed to simmer on low heat until you're ready. Served with basmati rice, papadam and a few mini samosas, this Chicken Curry is one of my favourite 'go-to' recipes. Foolproof and guaranteed delicious.

Murgh Kari Chicken Curry
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy of Time-Life 'The Cooking of India'

1 1/2 lb chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp vegetable, or olive oil
6 oz finely chopped onion, about 1 medium onion
2 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 1/2 tsp chopped ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground fennel seeds
6 tbsp water
1 lb can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
6 tbsp plain Greek yogurt

Cut up the chicken breasts into quaters, pat dry and sprinkle with salt. Heat the oil over high heat in a large skillet, until water flicked into it splutters instantly. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until each piece is white and fairly firm. Transfer the chicken to plate. When cool enough to handle, tear up into smaller pieces.

Add the onions, garlic and ginger to the oil remaining in the pan and sauté for about 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the onions are soft and golden brown. Reduce the heat to low, add the cumin, turmeric, ground coriander, fennel and 1 tablespoon of water, and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro, the yogurt and the remaining teaspoon of salt.

Increase the heat to medium and add the chicken plus any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Pour in the rest of the water. Bring to a boil, turning the chicken over in the sauce to coat the pieces evenly. Sprinkle the top with garam masala and the rest of the fresh cilantro. Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is tender but not falling apart. I often extend the cooking time up to 60-90 minutes with great results. The chicken just ends up breaking up a bit more.

To serve, arrange the chicken attractively on a heated dish, pour the remaining sauce over top, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. I usually accompany the Chicken Curry with steamed basmati rice, crisp papadum and warm naan.

Radicchio Salad with Watermelon Radish & Pecans

Delightfully bitter and wonderfully vibrant, this colourful Mixed Radicchio Salad with watermelon radish and toasted pecans makes the perfect winter salad by balancing big flavours and glorious textures. On a recent culinary excursion to Lady York, a specialty Italian supermarket in North Toronto, we discovered white Castelfranco Radicchio, which has yellow leaves dotted with burgundy as if they were splattered with red wine, and spectacular Watermelon Radishes, an heirloom variety of peppery daikon radish. Drizzled with a tangy orange vinaigrette, this gorgeous salad is absolutely delicious and almost too pretty to eat.

Radicchio Salad with Watermelon Radish & Pecans

Serves 2

Radicchio di Chioggia, 6 leaves

Castelfranco Radicchio, 6 leaves 

Belgian Endive, 6 leaves 

Baby Gem, 6 leaves

2 stalks celery with leaves, coarsely chopped

Watermelon Radish, 6 very fine slices

10 pecans, raw or lightly toasted

Citrus Vinaigrette:

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Juice of 1 orange

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the citrus vinaigrette by adding all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until emulsified, then set aside. Wash and dry the radicchio, endive and baby gem in a salad spinner, tear into bite size pieces and add to a salad bowl. Add the chopped celery, toasted pecans and watermelon radish, and dress the salad with the citrus vinaigrette. 

Croissant Bread Pudding with Rum Butter Sauce

Think bread pudding, only so much more luxurious. Arguably brioche and challah are the classic choices for bread pudding, but buttery croissants in a rum soaked raisin custard topped with buttery rum sauce is the secret to this show stopping pudding. It's also a great way to use leftover or stale croissants. 

Croissant Bread Pudding

Serves 4-6

Recipe adapted from Salt & Pepper

1/3 lb croissants, about 2 large croissant
3 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/8 cups whole milk
2/3 cups sugar
1/3 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup golden raisins soaked in Rum

Rum Butter Sauce:
1/8 cup butter
1/8 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tbsp Rum
8 tsp heavy cream

Slice the croissants with a sharp serrated knife into 1” cubes, then place onto a parchment lined baking sheet pan in a preheated 225°F oven until dried out, about 30-45 minutes, then cool slightly. Stale croissants can also be used and don't need to be baked.

While the croissants are in the oven, soak the raisins in the Rum. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then whisk in the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla extract until dissolved.

Butter a 8x8” baking dish, then place the dried croissants in the dish. Drain the raisins and place in the custard mixture, reserving the Rum for the sauce. Pour the custard over the croissants, mixing and pushing them down with your hands to fully submerge all of the bread and raisins. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the bread pudding uncovered for about 40 to 50 minutes until the top is puffed up and golden. 

While the the pudding is baking, prepare the rum sauce by combining the butter and brown sugar in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat, and stir until melted and smooth. Add the rum and cook for 30 seconds before adding the cream. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Keep warm and serve spooned over the bread pudding.

Linguine with Broccoli, Leeks, Anchovies & Chives

 

The best recipes tend to be those that are deceptively simple, absolutely delicious and take very little time to prepare. Inevitably, they're also the dishes that we prepare over and over again. This easy and inexpensive Broccoli, Leek & Anchovy pasta sauce is one of those recipes. The key is to sauté the broccoli, leeks and anchovies in olive oil until they virtually dissolve into a luscious paste that coats the pasta for a delicious and soul satisfying simple dinner. 

Broccoli, Leek & Anchovy Linguine with Chives

Serves 4

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp butter

1 leek, trimmed, washed and finely sliced

1 bunch fresh broccoli, broken into small florets

12 flat anchovy fillets, chopped very fine

1 lb dried pasta, such as linguine, spaghettini, orecchiette etc

1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1/4 cup cream, optional

salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

4 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped plus some whole for garnish

Add the oil and butter to a sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil begins to warm up, add the chopped leeks and cook until soft, about 6-8 minutes. Then place the broccoli florets and chopped anchovies into the pan and cook, stirring and mashing the mixture with the back of a wooden spoon, to dissolve them as much as possible into a paste. You may need to add a little more oil if the mixture becomes too dry. Add some fresh cracked black pepper, then taste for seasoning, adding a wee bit of salt if you like, keeping in mind that anchovies are already quite salty. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil over high heat and cook the pasta until it is 'al dente' - firm yet tender. Drain the pasta in a colander placed into your kitchen sink, shaking off excess water then toss into the sauce and toss to coat. Add half of the grated cheese, and toss thoroughly once again. I added a little cream at the end for some extra richness and finished with a garnish of fresh chopped chives. The pasta should be served immediately with the reserved parmigiano-reggiano on the side, for guests to serve themselves.

Lamb Chops with New Potatoes & Avocado on Arugula

 

Inspired by a recipe from Nigella's cookbook Nigellissima, this lovely fresh, lean and tender New Zealand Rack of Lamb is simply seasoned and grilled with a handful of sautéd new potatoes and served on a bed of bright green arugula with some sliced avocado and good quality shaved Parmigiana. As she says, "If you put your halved baby potatoes on to steam before you get started on the lamb chops, you can fairly effortlessly rely on a proper meat-and-potato supper in around 20 minutes. Steaming the potatoes is, for me, an important stipulation: a steamed spud is a sweet spud; more than that, cooked this way, rather than by boiling, the potatoes are dry when done, which makes them easy to fry to crisp bronzedness". Bronzedness? I don't know if that's a word, but it's certainly a fabulous recipe, and one that I make over and over again.

Lamb Chops with Fingerling Potatoes on Arugula
Serves 2
Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson's Nigellissima

1 lb new potatoes, washed and halved but not peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1 rack of New Zealand lamb, cut into single chops
3 1/2 oz wild arugula

1 avocado, spooned as big lumps
1 tsp Maldon salt & fresh ground black pepper

Shaved parmigiana, for garnish

Put the halved new potatoes on to steam. Place the lamb chops in a dish that will fit them all in a single layer and coat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the red pepper flakes, dried mint, celery seeds and salt, then turn them until they're well coated. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes. 

Set a large nonstick pan on medium high. When it's hot, place the lamb chops and the spiced oil to the pan and grill about 3 minutes per side for medium rare, or longer for more well done. While the chops cook, check that the potatoes are tender, which they should be by now, in which case, turn the heat off under the steamer. 

Arrange the arugula on a large platter and when lamb is done, but still juicily pink, arrange on top of the greens. Meanwhile, tip the steamed potatoes into the same non stick pan with the residual spiced oil, and fry cut side down for 3-4 minutes, then turn them over and fry for another 3 minutes, shaking the pan every now and again to make them tumble and turn in the hot oil. Using a slotted spatula, transfer the potatoes to the platter and garnish with the avocado and shaved Parmigiana. Season with a flurry of Maldon salt and pepper, and enjoy. 

Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies

 

Crispy, chewy, and irresistibly good, peanut butter cookies never go out of style. With their iconic crisscross pattern, these classic cookies are a childhood favourite for many and still are — even for grown up kids. Made with both white and brown sugar, peanut butter, flour, butter and eggs, they are the perfect balance of sweet and salty with a wonderfully soft, melt in your mouth texture. One thing is sure, peanut butter cookies are a classic for good reason!

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes 7 dozen

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth 
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2  1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars together in a bowl, then beat in the eggs. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then stir into butter mixture. Put the dough in refrigerator for 1 hour. Once chilled. roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a crisscross pattern. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Using a spatula, remove the cookies from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack. 

Baby Gem Lettuce Salad with Feta & Olives

This lovely salad features tender Baby Gem lettuce, a smaller, sweeter variety of romaine, adorned with tangy Greek feta, sliced green and black Kalamata olives in a gorgeous garlic confit vinaigrette. Inspired by chef Ben Heaton's Baby Gem Salad which we enjoyed at Estia two years ago in Toronto's stylish Yorkville neighbourhood, it's now one of our favourite salads. I added an extra dimension of flavour to the vinaigrette with Yotam Ottolenghi's Garlic Confit, a fabulous recipe I pick up from his online Masterclass course. The confit should be made well ahead of time for the maximum flavour bomb.

Baby Gem & Feta Salad with Garlic Confit Vinaigrette

Serves 8

1 1/2 lb Baby Gem lettuce, about 8-9 heads

1 cup Greek feta, crumbled

1/2 cup green and black Kalamata olives, halved

Maldon salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Vinaigrette:

8 cloves of confit garlic (see recipe below)

2 tsp red wine vinegar 

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp Maldon salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

In a blender, whisk together garlic confit, vinegar and dijon mustard. Slowly add the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.

To serve, arrange the lettuce on a large platter and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish with crumbled feta and sliced olives, and finish with a flurry of Maldon salt and fresh ground pepper.

Garlic Confit & Oil

Makes 1 cup

Recipe courtesy of Yotam Ottolenghi

12 peeled garlic cloves

6 thyme sprigs

1 green chili

1 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cover and cook until the garlic is soft and just beginning to colour, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Leave the lid on, remove from the heat, and set aside for 10 minutes; the garlic will continue to cook in the heat of the oil.

Strain the oil into a clean glass jar and spoon in the garlic, thyme, and chili.

Once cool, transfer everything to an airtight, sterilized jar and store at room temperature for several weeks.

Pan Seared Pork Chops with Lemon and Thyme

 

Thick-cut juicy bone-in pork chops pan seared in a cast iron skillet with fresh lemon and thyme is a soul satisfying meal anytime of the year. Tender, moist and delicious, choose chops at least 1 to 1 1/2-inches thick for optimum results.

Pan Seared Pork Chops with Lemon and Thyme
Serves 2

2 1" thick bone-in pork chops, patted dry
Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
2 tbsp vegetable oil 
1 tbsp butter

1 lemon, sliced in half
3-4 sprigs thyme, plus extra for garnish

Preheat oven to 375°F. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper on each side. Heat the cast iron skillet on the stove over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the oil and butter, with some sprigs of fresh thyme and give them a stir until fragrant. Place the pork chops in the skillet and cook each side for 2 minutes, using tongs to rotate each chop 45 degrees to make a diagonal crosshatch or 90 degrees to make a square crosshatch, halfway through. Flip when the first side has turned golden brown, and repeat the process another 2 minutes.

Place the skillet in the oven with 2 pieces of lemon placed cut side down, and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F in the centre for medium doneness. Remove from the oven and baste the pork chops with the pan juices, then move to a warm plate and cover with foil. Rest the chops for 5 minutes before serving with the grilled lemons, a garnish of fresh thyme and a final drizzle of extra jus.

Creamy Crabmeat Wontons: Crab Rangoon

 

These crisp fried wontons with a creamy crabmeat filling were a family favourite of ours when we used to go to Trader Vic's at the bottom of the Hilton Hotel in London, in the 70's and 80's. We'd always start with the pupu platter, which included Crispy Prawns, Char Su Pork, BBQ Spare Ribs and Crab Rangoon. Although some recipes suggest these wontons can be baked, I find they're much flakier, more delicate and soul satisfying deep-fried. Not the healthiest of appetizers, they're a decadent treat and the ideal pupu for a Polynesian-inspired Tiki evening with Ma Tai's and listening to the beautiful music of the late great Hawaiian singer, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. 

Crab Rangoon Wontons

Makes 36

8 oz cream cheese

8 oz crabmeat, drained, squeezed dry and flaked

2 tsp A1 Steak Sauce

1 large egg

1/3 cup scallions, finely chopped

36 wonton wrappers, 4-inches square

1/4 cup water

4 cups vegetable oil, for deep-frying

In a medium bowl, combine the crab, cream cheese, A1 sauce, egg and chopped scallions, and mix well with a wooden spoon until smooth. 

To make the wontons, lay a wrapper on a clean dry surface and using your finger, moisten all four edges with water. Place a rounded teaspoon of the filling in the centre of each wonton wrapper. To seal, press 2 opposing corners together over the middle of the filling and crisp  sealing the wonton to create a triangle. Then bring the other opposing corners to meet the top of the triangle and crimp all of the edges to form a small pyramid — it should look like an X-shape looking down on it. Repeat with the remaining wontons and filling.

To deep fry the wontons, heat 3-4-inches of oil in a saucepan over medium-high until the heat registers 375°. Fry the wontons for 10-20 seconds or until they become crisp and golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove immediately and drain on paper towels. 

The wontons can be filled, folded at refrigerated up to a few hours or day in advance, but are best enjoyed immediately once they're deep-fried. They can however be kept warm in a single layer on a baking rack set on a baking sheet in a 250° oven for up to 30 minutes, which is what I did, and they were delicious.

Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter & Walnuts

These are incredible little brownies. Moist, dense and fudgy in the middle. Chewy on the outside with a wafer thin candy-like crust. Bon Appétit featured these decadent wee wonders on their February 2011 cover. It piqued my interest even more with the huge text proclaiming "Best-Ever Brownies," heralding an entire feature section devoted to chocolate desserts penned by none other than Alice Medrich — an author, dessert chef and chocolatier who has been affectionately called 'The First Lady of Chocolate.'

Alice Medrich has been affectionately called 'The First Lady of Chocolate.'

Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts by Alice Medrich

Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter & Walnuts
Makes 16
Recipe by Alice Medrich 

10 tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, chilled
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup walnuts pieces

Position rack in the bottom third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Line the inside of an 8" x 8" square metal baking pan with parchment paper, pressing the paper firmly into the corners of the pan, leaving a 1 or 2 -inch overhang. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking until the butter stops foaming, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, and immediately add the sugar, cocoa, 2 teaspoons of water, vanilla and a 1/4 generous teaspoon of salt. Stir to blend, then let cool 5 minutes. Add the eggs to the hot mixture one at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition. When the mixture looks thick and shiny, add the flour and stir until well blended. Mix in the chopped nuts, and transfer to the prepared pan, smoothing the top before baking. 

Bake for about 30 minutes or more, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out almost clean. If there is still a tiny bit of moist batter at the very bottom that's okay. Remove the brownies from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, remove the brownies from the pan using the aluminum foil overhangs, then pull the aluminum foil away from the brownies and cut them into 16 square pieces. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to three days.