Bangkok Mussels

Just found these scribbles on a napkin from a back alley Bangkok restaurant.  The result of pestering another poor chef, this time following him into his kitchen and watching him put this dish together "a la minute".  I've not tried it, just wanted to get rid of the napkin.  It was absolutely yummy.

mussels (already steamed and open, leave in a half shell)

small red chile

chopped garlic

salt

herbs:  thai basil, minced lemongrass, lime leaf & more red chile

thin soy sauce

thick soy sauce

sugar

water

nam ploc

green peppercorn (key!)

1. put equal parts of chile, garlic & salt in mortar and crush to a paste
2. put all other ingredients in a bowl 
3. heat oil in wok until very hot
4. put in few tblsp of paste & peppercorns, stir
5. pour in ingredients of bowl, mussels as well
6. add a little water if necessary for sauciness
   

Spring Greens, Roquefort & Pickled Walnuts

I got inspired from a salad I had at Cafe Boheme.  The sweet vinaigry pickled walnuts make the dish, worth the effort getting them otherwise won't be quite as tasty!

broad beans (handful)

fennel (1 stalk)

young celery stalk with lots of leaves

asparagus (6-8 tips)

crisp lettuce leaf 

EVOO

cider vinegar

lemon

dijon mustard

S&P

Poudre de piment d'espelette (cayenne if you must)

English pickled walnuts 

1. boil broad beans, de-shell, dress with EVOO, S&P, squeeze of lemon, PPd'E
2. boil asparagus but maintain the crunch, put in ice water when done boiling
3. slice fennel through mandarin, dress with EVOO, S&P, squeeze of lemon, PPd'E
4. make mustard vinaigrette, thickish
5. slice celery thinly on diagonale, dress with vinaigrette
6. best to assemble on individual plates:  1) spread lettuce leaves over plate, dress with EVOO, squeeze of lemon, S&P; 2) dip asparagus tips in vinaigrette and place in middle of plate; 3) sprinkle broad beans around sides, as well as fennel & celery; 4) crumble cheese & spinkle over everything; 4) slice up walnuts & add to salad as well; 5) sprinkle celery leaves, more S&P to top it off.

Gnocchi & Gorgonzola

The key thing with gnocchi is to get them airy and light and not too chewy. The less flour you can get away with the better. If the dough is still a bit wet and sticky add just the right amount of flour to eliminate the stickiness. The coarse semolina in this recipe gives these light gnocchi a slightly rustic edge which works well I think.

1 kg Desiree or king Edward potatoes (floury type)
Maldon sea salt, fresh ground pepper, grated nutmeg
2 large egg yolks
150 gr 00 flour
100 gr coarse semolina flour
chives
olive oil
parmesan

Gorgonzola sauce:
284 ml container single cream
thick slice of gorgonzola, to taste (roughly half or 2/3 amt of cream about right so that melted cheese does not stiffen up as temperature falls once in your plate)
pepper, salt

1. Cook potatoes with skin on in large pot of salted boiling water. Drain and peel while hot. The potatoes must be very dry!
2. Put potatoes through a food mill; lightly fold in eggs and flours (which have been combined and mixed together). Add salt, pepper and a tad of nutmeg to taste. Work together to obtain dough.
3. Divide dough into four. On clean surface roll out each piece of dough into long cigar shapes. Cut into 2-3 cm lengths. The more irregular the better. Scatter some semolina flour on work surface and roll each piece over the back of a fork to make indentations which will pick up the sauce.
4. Put cream in large frying pan, add chopped gorgonzola when hot, keep stirring til cheese melts into cream, add pepper.
5. Bring large pan of salted water to boil. Add gnocchi and cook over high heat until they rise to the surface. Remove with slotted spoon and put directly into pan with gorgonzola sauce. Coat gnocchis with sauce, serve in bowls, add small sprinkling of chives, ground black pepper, dash of olive oil, tad of parmesan.

Spaghetti Vongole My Style

I did this last night for my parents, and I think it's one of the better vongoles I've made.  The bottarga is the trick. 

spaghetti (1 pack for four people)

fresh red chile

4-5 dried pepperoncini

clams--small ones

parsley- 2 handfuls

bottarga- 2 tblsps

EVOO

S&P

5 cloves garlic

white wine

butter-- 2 tblsps

lemon

1. in  a big pan, saute garlic and pepperoncini in a few tblsp of EVOO until former is lightly goldened; let sit in oil for so that flavor develops
2. turn heat up, add clams, cover
3. when clams open, add half cup of wine, maybe a bit more, til alcohol burns off
4. take pepperoncini out, put in chopped fresh chili
5. while above is happening, cook spaghetti 6 mins until very al dente
6. put pasta in pan, stir, add S&P, parsley & bottarga (latter mainly as seasoning!)
7. at very end, add butter, stir until melts, plus another splash of EVOO
8. serve with lemon wedges

Bresaola Bombs

Couldn't help but notice these in Paris over the weekend! They kept creeping up, whether it was at an AUP cocktail, Au Bon Marche or a little Italian epiceria on Rue de Bretagne. I love the cheese mixture!

marscapone

ricotta

nutmeg

EVOO

S&P

herbs

1. mix equal parts of the two cheeses, grate some nutmeg and S&P, dash of EVOO, and chopped herbs--finely minced parsley probably best.
2. the cheese should hold well, allowing one to roll the bresaola around say 1-2 tblsp of cheese mixture depending on how big your meat slices are.
3. lay out on tray, can be eaten with hands.

Rigatoni Alla Gricia

A firm favorite ever since I first tried it at Maccheroni in Rome, some 7 years ago now.  I've done a lot of chef pestering and recipe reading ever since, and I conclude that a true gricia consists simply of guanciale (cured pig cheek), pecorino romano and ground black pepper. A great gricia, however, and I agree with Maccheroni on this, includes a splash of white wine. But that is where I draw the line; adding garlic and herbs, or replacing pancetta for guanciale, or parmesan for pecorino, just doesn't cut it.  

rigatoni, or tortiglioni no 23 (500 gr)

1-2 tblsp EVOO

guanciale, about 12 slices-cut thinly but not as thin as you would prosciutto

pecorino Romano, ground in food processor until smooth but not completely

black pepper corns crushed with pestle & mortar until ground

5-6 tblsp pasta water

half cup white wine

1. boil water, add salt 
2. slice up guanciale into ribbons, about half/one inch wide
3. put EVOO in large pan, put on medium heat, add guanciale when hot
4. let guanciale crisp up only very slightly, simply to caramelize the edges, before turning heat back down (absolutely key to preserve the guanciale fat)
5. add white wine into pan, turn heat up 1 minute or so, until alcohol evaporates & pan deglazes
6. undercook pasta by 1-2 minutes, approximately 6 minutes, before putting into pan with guanciale (reserve some pasta water!)
7. coat pasta with fat, add enough pasta water and a tblsp of pecorino to get an emulsified sauce; pasta doesn't need to be in pan more than a minute otherwise will overcook.  
8. when happy with the consistency of sauce, sprinkle pepper (more than you ordinarily would on a dish)
9. serve up in HEATED bowls, add 1-2 tbsp of pecorino and eat ASAP

Scallops Nobu Style

This is a classic Nobu recipe. Incredibly easy but tasty.

1 scallop and coquille per person
best butter
parmesan
best soy
garlic--pureed
lemon
maldon sea salt

1. put scallop in its shell
   
2. grate garlic very finely and rub on top of scallop
3. add a couple thumbnails of butter depending on size of scallop
4. sprinkle soy sauce on top, but just a bit
   
5. sprinkle at least a tsp of parmesan
   
6. put under the grill (at 200 degrees) for no more than 3-4 minutes--again depending on size
   
7. to serve, put a mound of rock salt on a platter and set shells on top (looks nice & they don't wobble!)
8. place lemon wedges on side, give a quick squeeze for each right before they go in the mouth