Piemont Risotto

What a superb embodiment of Piemont in a dish.

2 tblsp butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup cooked ham cubes
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup white wine
6 cups heated chicken or beef stock
1/4 pound fontina cheese - chopped in 1/4 inch dice to yield 3/4 cup
1/4 cup grated parmesan
meat gravy
white truffle (optional)

1. melt butter in large pot and saute onion til soft
2. add ham cubes, cook until just warmed (about 1 min)
3. add rosemary and rice and stir until butter is absorbed
4. add wine and simmer until it evaporates, then add enough stock to cover the rice and stir
5. keep adding hot stock as it is absorbed into the rice, continuously stirring well with a wooden spoon
6. when rice is about half-cooked (10 min), add fontina cheese and cook another 10 mins, continuing to add stock as needed
7. finally add the parmesan, a few spoons of gravy if desired, and serve; grate white truffle generously over all, if you like

Puntarelle Roman Style

One of the best salads ever. Fortunately I am able to get tons of this in Hong Kong, courtesy  of my friendly internet wholesaler who delivers it to my doorstep live and direct from Italy.

puntarelle, sliced into shreds 

red wine vinegar

best quality, rinsed salted anchovies

lots of ground pepper

EVOO

squeeze of lemon

1. make sure as you slice the puntarelle to put into a bowl of ice water; the shreds will curl up like beautiful ribbons
2. make vinaigrette, crushing the anchovy into bits but do not obliterate
3. add lemon to taste, but black pepper like there's no tomorrow

Agnolotti & Walnut Sauce

I had my fair share of these in Turin, especially with a nice meat stock drizzled over them. These are simple agnolotti, senza plin (pleat), which is reserved for special occasions. This is  a recipe from one of my favorite British (Italian) chefs, Jacob Kennedy. This is how he ate it at his local trattoria in Rome, Marcello on Via dei Campani.

filling
150 gr cabbage or escarole
25 gr butter
400 gr braised veal & pork
4 sage leaves
80 gr parmesan
1 egg
nutmeg

walnut sauce
100 gr shelled walnuts
60 gr bread weighed without crust
4 tblsp milk
1 tblsp picked oregano leaves (or 5 sage leaves)
80 gr parmesan, freshly grated
150 ml EVOO
300 ml water
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper

crumbled walnuts
freshly grated parmesan

1. to make the filling, boil the greens in salted water until tender; drain well and leave to steam dry out on a cloth; chop finely and squeeze any extra water out in your hands, then fry gently in butter for a few minutes; leave to cool then combine with other ingredients in a food processor until smooth
2. for the agnolotti, cut the rolled pasta into 5 cm rounds and dab a piece of filling the size of a chickpea in the center of each; agnolotti only need two minutes of boiling
3. make walnut sauce by soaking the bread in milk, then combine with the nuts, oregano and parmesan in a food processor; grind well to achieve a finely textured, creamy sauce; add oil then gradually 300 ml water; season with salt and pepper
4. make pasta dough using this blog's "silky pasta" recipe
5. heat the walnut sauce, adding a touch of water if need be; when cooked the sauce should be as thick as cream
6. to serve, put the pasta in the pan with the walnut sauce
7. cook until well coated, serve with parmesan and crumbled walnuts

Crab & Pink Grapefruit

A Heston recipe, made it for Christmas and just want to make sure I don't forget in case of a repeat! I love the unlikely addition of truffle. I would not use pomelo because it is not as acidic as grapefruit.

300 gr white crab meat
120 gr home-made mayonnaise
chopped chives
tarragon leaves
maldon sea salt
truffle oil
1/2 pink grapefruit
chicory salad
1 avocado

pink grapefruit jelly
180 gr fresh pink grapefruit juice
1 tblsp sugar
1 tsp powdered gelatine

pink grapefruit vinaigrette
1/2 pink grapefruit
10 gr dijon mustard
20 gr white wine vinegar
60 gr grapeseed oil
chives
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper

1. jelly: make the grapefruit jelly by heating the grapefruit juice in a small pan over a medium heat and add the fructose, stirring until it is dissolved; sprinkle the gelatine into the pan and stir over a gentle heat until dissolved; strain the liquid into a clean shallow container and allow to set in the fridge; cut the jelly into 5 mm cubes and keep in the fridge until ready to serve
2. vinaigrette: take a pink grapefruit; peel then break in half, reserving half the segments. Squeeze the other half through a sieve into the bowl.  Mix the juice with mustard, vinegar and whisk together. Begin adding the grapeseed oil in a thin stream while whisking in order to form an emulsion.
3. salad: mix crab eat with mayo; finely chop herbs and add most of the chives and all of the tarragon into the bowl; season with salt; add small drizzle of truffle oil to mixture,
4. separate the reserved half of the pink grapefruit into segments and remove the pith; slice each segment in half lengthways, then each of these into about 8 pcs.
5. when ready to serve, dress the lettuce with the grapefruit vinaigrette and divide half of it between 4-6 glass bowl or glasses; add a layer of crab mixture followed by a layer of grapefruit jelly cubes, before adding another layer of lettuce; garnish with remaining chopped chives and grapefruit pieces to taste.

Blue Cheese & Cherry

From Greg Marchand's cookbook.  Twice I've shown up early for lunch and twice his restaurant--Frenchie-- was closed. Next time in Paris. He is clearly inspired by his old boss Jamie Oliver, but with a French twist. He along with many other young French chefs who have gone abroad and returned have gotten Parisiens very excited about their fresh and modern take on French food, focusing on simple and delicious combinations without too much fuss. This is a perfect example of a beautiful combo.

400 gr bleu des Causses (or any mild variant of Roquefort)
1 pot of Fabbri amarena cherries in syrup
zest of 1 lemon
baby basil leaves

1. take cheese out a couple hours before serving
2. put a chunk of bleu on a rustic wooden platter
3. grate lemon zest over the bleu
4. sprinkle the basil leaves on top 
5. serve with a little bowl of cherries alongside

Sea Urchin Mojito

This sounds divine, from Nobu. A big chain indeed, but that's because he's done some wonderful things.

1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup Hokusetsu sake
2 tblsp white soy sauce
1/4 cup mint-infused syrup
9 large pieces of sea urchin (1.5 per person)
6 large mint leaves, finely chopped
3 shiso leaves, finely chopped
gooseberry (optional)

mint-infused syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup mint leaves

1. make syrup by combining sugar and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil; remove from  heat and add mint leaves; cool to room temperature and strain
2. make the mojito mix; measure out 1/4 cup mint-infused syrup and combine with the rest of the ingredients
3. place sea urchin, mint and shiso into a shot glass
4. barely cover with the mojito mix
5. if you have gooseberries, cut in half and garnish each glass with one

Pork Butt, Kimchi & Oysters

This is straight out of David Chang's cookbook. Something I've been wanting to make, and nothing's stopping me now.

1 8-10 pound pork butt/shoulder
1 cup sugar
1 cup plus 1 tblsp maldon sea salt
7 tblsp light brown sugar
1 dozen oysters
1 cup cabbage kimchi
1 cup pureed cabbage kimchi
1 cup ginger scallion sauce
ssam sauce
a few heads of bibb lettuce, leaves separated
maldon sea salt

ssam sauce
1 tblsp fermented bean and chile paste (ssamjang)
1/2 tblsp chile paste (kochujang)
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup grapeseed oil

1. put the pork into a roasting pan, ideally one that fits it snugly
2. mix sugar and salt together then rub over the meat
3. discard any excess sugar/salt mixture
4. cover the pan with plastic wrap and put into fridge overnight
5. heat the oven to 300 degrees F; remove pork from the fridge, discard any juices
6. put the pork in the oven and cook for 6 hours, basting with fat and rendered juices every hour
7. make ssam sauce by combining all above ingredients, stirring well
8. pork can be eaten right away or mellowed out at room temperature for up to an hour
9. when ready to serve, sauces made, oysters are shucked, lettuce ready, etc., turn oven to 500 degrees F
10. stir remaining salt and brown sugar and rub mixture all over pork, put it in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the sugar has melted into a crisp, sweet crust
11. serve the pork whole and hot, surrounded by accompaniments

Calamari Carbonara

Finally going to make this for the bistro in Singapore next weekend.  From Jean Francois Piege's restaurant in Paris. When I first tried it, I knew I had to make it. Essentially this is a spaghetti carbonara replacing the spaghetti with strands of squid. This is four eight people, hence, one egg per person.

800 gr squid
200 gr Spanish cured pork belly with paprika (or pancetta seasoned with paprika)
8 egg yolks
1 bunch of chives
300 gr parmesan
1 tblsp EVOO
maldon sea salt
ground pepper
1 black pepper corn "reduit en mignonette"

Pork Belly Cream
60 cl single cream
2 slices of very smoked pork belly (50 gr each)
3 cloves of garlic

1. make the pork belly cream by browning the pork belly in a pot, add butter and garlic in their skins; add cream until it boils
2. let simmer until sauce thickens; pass through a sieve
3. slice the squid in 1 mm ribbons like spaghetti
4. chop the chives
5. put egg yolks in separate small glasses for easy use after
6. cut the paprika pork belly/pancetta into small cubes and saute, drain and place on paper towel
7. put squid in baking tray, season with EVOO and salt
8. put squid in the oven and grill for a few minutes
9. when finished, mix the squid, then add cream
10. season with lots of pepper, and chives
11. serve in heated bowls, first the squid, then the pork belly/pancetta
12. put an egg on top of each serving
13. ground some pepper over this, as well as some grated parmesan 

Creamy Pancetta Shells

A robust and rich pasta to serve on a colder day. Tasted very authentic.

pancetta
tinned peeled italian tomatoes
single cream
rosemary
minced garlic
1 dried pepperoncini
EVOO
maldon sea salt
ground pepper
parmesan

• saute pancetta, garlic and rosemary
• once pancetta browning a bit, add tomatoes
• cook 20-25 minutes until sauce reduces
• add cream
• boil pasta, drain and add to sauce
• coat well, sprinkle parmesan on top

Watermelon Jam

From the chef at the Como Shambala in Ubud.

2.5 kg watermelon
600 gr sugar
1 liter water
3 pieces lemon zest
3 tblsp orange juice
4 pieces gelatin leaves

1. cut watermelon into small cubes
2. mix all the above ingredients until it thickens

Scamorza & Lardo Kebabs

Seeing an old scribble that I should try. I like the idea of sticking the scamorza on a rosemary branch.

rosemary sprigs
scamorza
thinly sliced lardo
pepper

1. cut scamorza into 1" x 1" cubes
2. wrap with lardo
3. slide these onto a rosemary sprig with most top needles removed
4. sprinkle with pepper, heat in the oven until the lardo and scamorza begin to take on some color

Mash, Sobrasada & Egg

From chef Oriol Rovira at Els Casals in Catalonia.

4 eggs (goose eggs specified)
1 tblsp EVOO
750 gr potatoes
350 gr butter
maldon sea salt
100 gr sobrasada
4-5 cubes quince paste
chervil
honey

1. peel the potatoes and cut into pieces; boil until soft then drain; season with salt, add butter and beat until they are the right texture
2. heat sobrasada in the oven
3. pour EVOO into a small, deep non-stick pan and heat until it smokes
4. carefully add the egg and fry until just turning brown
5. to serve, arrange the mash on a small plate, with a an indenture to hold the egg
6. place egg in the indenture, add some sobrasada on the side, with the quince and chervil; drizzle a bit of honey near the sobrasada

Fennel Remoulade

What a great idea. From La Lucciola in Bali. From what I recall, this is what the chef told me.

2 fennels

2 tblsp capers

1 tblsp lemon zest

1 tsp minced garlic

3-4 tblsp EVOO

1 tblsp lemon juice

2 tblsp home-made mayo

1. slice fennel on a mandolin
2. make vinaigrette, let set for 15-20 minutes so the garlic can mellow
3. dress the fennel, toss in zest and capers, let marinate a few hours
4. fold in mayo

Bali Observations

Places we liked in Bali recently, for future reference and visitors.

• Mozaic: one of the more upper scale restaurants in town, with a French-American at the stoves.
• Murni's Warung: a bit touristy but that's because it's an institution that serves excellent local food in a casual setting; a table on the big balcony affords a nice view into the forest.
• Naughty Nuris: a rib shack on the road; feels like the Bayou in Bali.
• La Lucciola: a favorite with authentic Italian but also a good location on the beach with a large clipped lawn. Had a delicious fennel remoulade, the first time I've tasted remoulade this way.
• Sardine: French-owned foodie spot focusing on fish; most memorable was a caramelized onion and curry bread served beforehand. 
• Potato Head Beachclub: a bit disappointed in the Seminyak beach clubs, particularly Ku De Ta, but this locally-owned alternative had the right vibe.

Paella Notes

A few reminders that I will update periodically as I improve my paella-making skills.

• 300 gr of rice & 180-190 ml of broth is about the right proportion of starch to liquid, resulting in relatively dry but still moist rice
• season all along the way; for above portions about 3 big pinches of maldon sea salt was just the right seasoning
• if using chorizo, best not to use the overpowering type loaded with paprika
• if using green beans (sliced on the diagonal), best to add 5-6 minutes before end 
• for the squid ink paella, two big pinches of salt works; also, follow directions precisely because by putting the paella in the stove about 4-5 minutes earlier than instructed, it did not develop a crust.