Kulfi

My dear old friend Ken has an exciting new venture in the Philippines. He is opening an Indian restaurant on the idyllic Bohol Island, so if you are passing through be sure to visit the Bohol Curry House & Bar. To mark this auspicious event I thought I would post my version of the classic Indian ice cream.

Ingredients 

1 1/2 pints whole milk
1 tbsp rice flour
14 fl oz sweetened, condensed milk
4 oz sugar
2 teaspoons milk
1 tbsp ground almonds
1 tbsp chopped pistachios

Method

Pour milk into a heavy-bottomed pan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon and scraping milk solids that form on the sides back into the pan. When the volume has reduced by almost half add the rice flour and sugar, and cook, stirring, until incorporated and smooth..

Cool the mixture slightly, stirring to prevent a skin forming. Add the can of sweetened condensed milk and mix it in thoroughly, along with the ground and chopped nuts.

Allow the mixture to cool completely then churn it in an ice-cream maker. After 20 minutes but before the kulfi is quite solid, divide it among 6 small, freezer-proof moulds (in India conical metal molds are used), seal and place in freezer.

To serve, remove the molds from the freezer and tap them or warm them slightly with your hands. The kulfi should be eaten immediately as it melts more quickly than other types of ice cream.

Potato Gratin

There's a recipe for this French dish in every cookbook. So why am I bothering to reproduce it here? Well, partly because I'm nearing the end of my cabbage soup week and writing about potatoes and cream is as close as I can get to licking the fork, and partly because people just don't cook this delicious, inexpensive and non taxing recipe at home any more.

Here's my version, with a nod to the late, great Jane Grigson who recommends using the whites of three leeks in place of my Mayan sweets in her The Cooking of Normandy. The layering and baking is similar to the process in my September post, Amy's Sweet Potatoes.

Ingredients for 6

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 large Mayan sweet onion
2 ounces salted butter
1 cup home-made, concentrated chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 small garlic clove
fresh parsley and thyme
salt and black pepper

Peel potatoes and slice them on a mandolin into a bowl of iced water. Slice the onion as finely as you can. Half garlic and rub cut halves vigorously around a shallow, ovenproof dish then butter it generously with some of the butter. Drain and dry the potatoes, mix them with the onion and layer into the dish, seasoning with salt, pepper, parsley and thyme, and finishing with an attractive layer of overlapping potato.

Mix stock and cream and pour over the dish to come just up to the top layer. Melt remaining butter and pour over the top of the dish. Bake in a slow oven, (325 degrees) increasing the temperature towards the end of the hour or more of cooking time, in order to brown the top and dry off any excess moisture.

The Cabbage Soup Diet

Winter festivities are behind us, the vernal equinox looms. Time to shed those excess pounds? This is my favorite diet, because...you can eat as much as you want - as long as it's cabbage soup. When you'd rather not eat than have another bowl of the soup, you know you are winning. The soup recipe is at the bottom of this post, and I find that making a batch at the beginning of the week and another in the middle of the week will see me through.

The principle of the diet, as you may know, is a strict daily regime for 7 days (don't attempt to do it for longer). Each day you may eat unlimited amounts of the soup, and drink plenty of water, also hot water with a squeeze of lemon, unsweetened herb or black tea, plus the following:

Day 1 - fruit (except bananas)

make it easier on yourself - prepare a fruit salad the day before and include your favorite, exotic fruits

Day 2 - vegetables

leaves are excellent - spinach, chard, arugula, etc; avoid beans/peas/corn; a baked potato will help you feel full and cut the cravings

Day 3 - fruit and vegetables

the ingredients you've used over the last two days (but no potato) - try exciting fruit-vegetable salad combinations (dressed with lemon or vinegar and herbs)

Day 4 - bananas and 0% milk

up to 3 bananas and unlimited milk (yes, this is the tough day, but hang in there...)

Day 5 - beef and tomatoes

up to 20 ounces of beef and 6 tomatoes; increase your water consumption on this day

Day 6 - beef and vegetables

unlimited amounts of beef, focus on leaves rather than root vegetables, and again no potato

Day 7 - brown rice, fruit juice, vegetables

unlimited amounts, fruit juice must be unsweetened

Critics of the diet cite poor breakfast provision, but lightly cooked spinach makes an excellent breakfast (and just imagine how good it will taste with an egg on top the following week!) on the non-fruit days, leaving only Day 5 somewhat problematic - I have been known to cheat and put a splash of milk (0% of course) in my tea on that morning, but that's our secret, okay?

JGH's Cabbage Soup Recipe

6 Mayan sweet onions

1/2 head of Savoy or other green cabbage

1 bunch kale

2 green peppers

15 heirloom tomatoes

1 head of celery

4 cloves garlic

2 pints of chicken or turkey stock, preferably home-made, all fat removed

black pepper, salt, fresh herbs such as sage, parsley, thyme

Bring 2 pints of water to the boil in a large pan. Add tomatoes for a minute, take out with a slotted spoon and remove skins. Chop the tomato flesh. Slice onion, greens, peppers and celery finely. Place the prepared vegetables in the pan along with the stock. Crush the garlic cloves and add to the pan. Season with black pepper, a little salt and the herbs. Return pan to boil then turn down the heat and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Adjust seasoning. Delicious!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Corned Beef and Cabbage, what else? Here's my take on this classic and satisfying dish. The recipe below serves 4-6. As a rule allow 1/2 to 3/4 pound of beef per person (trust me, it will shrink by half), and cook for one hour per pound. And which cut? Flat cut is less fatty than point cut, but the fat adds flavor; bottom round is another good option.

Ingredients

3-4 pound piece corned beef
1 medium head green cabbage
2 sweet onions
2 carrots
1 stick celery
4-6 potatoes
a bottle of beer (Irish*, of course)
6 cloves
2 bay leaves
black pepper
1 cup water

Method

Rinse corned beef under cold water to reduce saltiness. Place it in a large pan, fat side up. Peel onions and stud with 3 cloves each. Add these to pan along with prepared, whole  carrots and celery stick. Remove outer layers of cabbage, cut into big chunks and add to the pan. Add your choice of beer and sufficient water to cover the beef.

Simmer the beef or bake it at 350 F, reducing the heat to 325 after the first couple of hours. Check the liquid level hasn't gone down by much - add a cup of water as needed. When the meat is just tender add the potatoes to the pan, peeled and cut into rough chunks. Cook for a further 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are done.

Remove the beef from pan and place a weighted object on it. Arrange vegetables on a platter and keep hot. Strain liquid and boil to reduce a little, then check seasoning. Now slice the beef across the grain and add slices to the platter. Pour some stock over the platter, and serve the rest separately. Some soda bread would be a nice touch to soak up the delicious juices. Mustard is another traditional accompaniment.

*Murphy's, O'Hara's and of course Guinness should give you plenty of flavor choice. I have had great results with Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale.

Vichyssoise

That's what the French call this delicious soup. It's just leek and potato soup served well chilled. So if Spring is slow coming in your part of the world you may want to serve it piping hot instead.

Ingredients

1/2 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 pound peeled, chopped potato
1 pound sliced leek, washed well (discard the tougher dark green parts)
3 pints chicken stock
1/4 pint cream or half and half
Salt, pepper
2 tablespoons snipped chives

Sweat onion in butter for 5 minutes until soft; do not allow to brown. Stir in leek and potato. Add stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potato is soft.

Process in Vitamix or other blender. (For a finer, more delicate soup, now pass through a fine sieve.)

Add half of the cream or half and half. Taste and adjust seasoning*. If you are serving the soup cold, chill well, along with your soup bowls. Otherwise heat gently until just below boiling point.

Serve in individual bowls, swirling in remaining cream or half and half, and a sprinkling of chives.

Serves 8 as an entree.


*Salt has a weaker effect in a cold dish, so if you are serving this soup cold, be sure to add a little extra.

Cheesy Buttermilk Biscuits

The New York Times and David Page and Barbara Shinn's wonderful Recipes from Home have solid versions of the classic buttermilk biscuit. Here's my version, using aged Gouda which gives a fantastic earthy flavor and flecks of orange through the biscuit.

Ingredients for 12 biscuits

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 sticks butter
1/4 stick vegetable shortening
1 heaped tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup aged Gouda, grated

Method

Sift flour with baking powder, soda and salt. Stir in sugar. Cut in cheese and fat. Stir in buttermilk gently and quickly until the mixture just holds. Chill for 30 minutes.

Roll out 1/2" thick and cut with a pastry cutter, or shape into 6 squares and cut each in half to form triangles. Place on a greased baking tray a little apart from each other to allow for rising. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 F for 20-25 minutes, Cool a little on a wire rack - but these are best eaten warm.

Variation

Reduce cheese to 1/2 cup and add 1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon and a little torn, fresh sage with the buttermilk. (It's advisable to reduce the shortening, sugar and salt content a little, depending on the fattiness, sweetness and saltiness of your bacon.)

Posole with Hot Sauce

Here's a classic New Mexico dish for a feast. It's only taxing in that the preparation should be done in advance. But if you start it the day before you'll free up time to spend with your guests, and there's the added bonus that the flavors will develop and improve overnight.

Ingredients

1 pound posole (hominy), rinsed
2 pounds pork shoulder
1 onion cut in half, each half studded with 3 cloves
2 onions, chopped
3 stalks celery
5 cloves garlic
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano or marjoram
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander

Method

Place posole and 10 cups water in a large stewing pot. Bring to the boil on high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 4 to 5 hours, stirring every half hour, until the posole pops open. Add more water if needed.

In a large stockpot, combine pork, 8 cups water, the studded onion halves, celery stalks, cloves of garlic, herbs, spices and canola oil. Cook on medium heat for 3 hours, covered, with lid ajar. Add more water as needed to keep meat immersed; you're also creating the soup's base. The meat is ready when it flakes apart easily.

Remove pork from stockpot to a large bowl. Strain pork broth into the posole stewing pot, combining the two. Set to low simmer. When cool enough to handle, flake the meat in large chunks and add to the stew pot.

Pour the hot sauce (recipe below) into the stew pot. Combine all the ingredients and let simmer 2 hours. Adjust salt to taste.

Serve posole with tortillas or cornbread, allowing guests to top their own bowl with grated cheese, fresh cilantro, sour cream, avocado, or lime wedges.

Hot Sauce

10 to 15 dried red chile pods (stems and seeds removed)
6 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
Reserved water from the chile soaking pot

In a pot, cover chiles with water and bring almost to a boil. Turn off heat, stir and steep 10 minutes.

In a blender, combine chile pods, spices and chile water, filling blender to the halfway mark with liquid. Blend on medium-high for 5 minutes. 

Bara Brith

My great grandmother was from a Welsh coal-mining family. They moved to Jim Thorpe, PA in search of a better life, and her descendants migrated west until they reached California. My mother had the recipe for this tea bread on a scrap of paper in her grandmother's handwriting, and she would often bake it for us kids.

Ingredients

1 pound dried fruit

1 pint cold, strong black tea

12 ounces brown sugar

4 cups unbleached flour

5 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon each allspice, cinnamon and ground cloves

1 extra large egg

Method

Soak the fruit in the tea overnight in a large bowl. Next day mix the sugar and spices into it. Add the egg and mix well. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt, and incorporate gently with a wooden spoon.

Pour the mixture into a large, well greased bread or cake tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for 1 1/2 hours. Turn out and allow to cool. 

Serve spread thickly with salted butter or slices of cheese. It is traditional to serve Bara Brith with Caerphilly cheese, a saltier, crumblier version of Cheddar, which you can sometimes pick up at stores such as Dean & Deluca and Whole Foods.