Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook (20 page)

½ teaspoon 3 grams
fine sea salt,
plus more for seasoning

2 tablespoons 28 grams
olive oil

3 large
tomatoes,
chopped

3
scallions,
sliced

1 medium
jalapeño,
seeded and finely chopped

2
avocados,
chopped

Juice of 2
limes,
plus 2 limes, quartered

¼ head
red cabbage,
shredded

1 cup 18 grams fresh
cilantro leaves

8
Smoked Tortillas

1 cup 240 grams
sour cream
or
Toasted Coconut Crème Fraîche

Cut the fish into eight 2-ounce (57-gram) portions, checking to be sure there are no remaining bones, and put the fish in a baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, ancho powder, ½ teaspoon (3 grams) salt, and olive oil and use a pastry brush to mix together. Brush the mixture generously over the fish so that each piece is well coated.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, scallions, jalapeño, avocados, and lime juice. Mix gently and add salt to taste. Put the cabbage in a serving bowl and season lightly with salt (0.5%). Put the cilantro leaves in a separate serving bowl.

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (400°F/205°C). Grill the fish for 30 seconds on each side, and then turn the pieces of fish 90 degrees and cook for an additional 30 seconds on each side so that it is nicely crosshatched and just cooked through. Transfer to a large plate. Grill the tortillas lightly on both sides, so that they are marked and warmed through but still flexible. Stack them on a plate and cover them with a clean, damp linen napkin or towel.

Serve the fish, tortillas, tomato-avocado salad, cabbage, cilantro, lime quarters, and sour cream so that people can build their own tacos.

SMOKED TORTILLAS

MAKES TEN 8-INCH / 20 CM TORTILLAS

We love tortillas, but we always get caught in the endless debate of flour versus corn. This recipe brings both flours together for the best of both worlds—including smoking the masa corn flour for an added layer of flavor. The perfect balance of flavor and texture, these tortillas are pliable enough to wrap around a filling without breaking but have that nutty corn taste and feel. We usually eat at least one straight from the pan just because they taste so good.

1 cup 150 grams
instant masa harina

1 cup 150 grams
all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon 6 grams
baking powder

¾ teaspoon 4.5 grams
fine sea salt

1 teaspoon 5 grams
bacon fat,
at room temperature, or canola oil

¾ cup 170 grams
water

¼ cup 65 grams
whole milk

Cold
smoke
the masa harina for 45 to 60 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the masa harina, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center. In a microwave-safe 2-cup measuring cup, combine the bacon fat, water, and milk and microwave on high for 45 seconds until the liquid is warm and the bacon fat has melted. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and use your fingers or a rubber spatula to stir together, starting from the inside and working your way outward. Once it begins to come together into a soft dough, turn it out onto a clean countertop and begin to work the flour still remaining in the bowl into the dough. Add an extra tablespoon or two of water if necessary to form a soft, pliable dough. Knead the dough a few times, then wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Divide the dough into 10 equal portions and roll each portion into a ball. Roll out the first ball on a well-floured surface until it is about ¹/
₈
inch (3 mm) thick. Put it into the hot skillet and let it cook while you roll out the next tortilla. (Alternatively, you can roll out and stack all of the tortillas, putting a piece of parchment or wax paper between each one before cooking. If you do it this way, be sure to keep them covered with a towel or plastic wrap so they don’t dry out.)

Once the tortilla begins to bubble and has turned a light golden brown on the bottom, 30 to 45 seconds, flip it and cook the other side until it is a pale golden brown, 30 to 45 seconds more. Transfer the tortilla to a tortilla warmer or a basket lined with a cloth napkin to stay warm and immediately add the next tortilla to the skillet, adjusting the heat slightly if the pan starts to get too hot. Continue to cook and stack the tortillas until they are all finished. Once cool, the tortillas can be kept in a zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 5 days.

GINGER SCALLION SQUID

CALAMARI IS ONE OF THOSE INGREDIENTS THAT REQUIRE EITHER
quick cooking or long, slow cooking if it is to emerge tender, not rubbery. The key technique in this recipe is quickly cooking the squid sous vide at 162°F (72°C) to give it a silky texture with a hint of chew. The water bath is also ideal for cooking the pears and infusing them with ginger. The final step of charring the ginger adds flavor without compromising the texture. This is a wonderful chilled seafood salad with a range of textures and flavors, none of them rubbery.

SERVES 8 AS AN APPETIZER

4½ cups 1,000 grams
water

8 teaspoons 50 grams
fine sea salt

2 pounds 875 grams
cleaned large squid

3.5 ounces 100 grams peeled
fresh ginger

2¼ pounds 1,028 grams
Bosc pears
(4 medium)

1¼ cups 150 grams
pistachios,
roasted

¼ teaspoon 1.5 grams
smoked salt

0.4 ounce 12 grams
palm sugar,
grated on a box grater, or 4 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar

Grated zest of 2
limes

¼ teaspoon 0.5 gram
jalapeño powder
or cayenne pepper

8
scallions

½ tablespoon 8 grams
honey

1½ tablespoons 21 grams
rice vinegar

2 teaspoons 10 grams
tamari soy sauce

½ teaspoon 3 grams
fine sea salt

¼ cup 56 grams
extra-virgin olive oil
or pistachio oil

Preheat a circulating water bath or large pot of water to 162°F (72°C); see
this page
.

Put the water and salt in a large bowl and stir to dissolve the salt. Put the squid into the brine and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Remove the squid from the brine and divide it between 2 vacuum bags—the bodies in one bag and the tentacles in another—and seal, or alternatively, put them into 2 zip-top bags, remove the air, and seal. Cook in the water bath or stockpot for 10 minutes. Transfer the bags to an ice water bath and let cool.

Increase the temperature of the circulating water bath to 181°F (83°C).

Meanwhile, put the ginger on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and put it on top of the stove. Use a butane torch to completely char the exterior of the ginger on both sides. Let the ginger cool and then use a mandoline or sharp knife to thinly slice it.

Peel the pears and put 2 pears in each of 2 vacuum bags. Divide the ginger between the bags, covering the pears with the slices. Vacuum-seal the bags, or alternatively, put the pears and ginger into 2 zip-top bags, remove the air, and seal. Cook in the water bath or stockpot for 55 minutes. Transfer the bags to an ice water bath. Once completely cool—after about 30 minutes—put the pears in their bags in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

In a food processor, combine the pistachios, smoked salt, palm sugar, lime zest, and jalapeño powder. Pulse the ingredients until they form a small uniform crumb. Do not process continuously because you don’t want to make a pistachio paste. Reserve in a zip-top bag or a covered container.

When you’re ready to serve, slice the scallions into ¹/
₈
-inch-thick (3 mm) slices. Put the honey, vinegar, soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon (3 grams) salt into a bowl and stir to dissolve the salt. Add the scallions and stir to coat. Cut the pear bags open and pour any juices into the bowl. Add the olive oil and stir to combine.

Cut each pear lengthwise into eighths. Use a paring knife to remove the core and seeds from each piece. Slice each piece of pear crosswise into ¼-inch-thick (6 mm) slices. Add the pears to the bowl with the scallion dressing and stir to combine.

Cut open the bags of squid and pour off the liquid. Slice the squid bodies into ¼-inch (6 mm) rings and separate the tentacles into individual legs. Add them to the bowl with the pears and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into 8 small bowls and sprinkle the pistachio mixture on top. Serve immediately.

CHARRED GINGER

VACUUM-SEALED PEARS WITH CHARRED GINGER

SMOKED MAPLE & MISO GLAZED
WILD ALASKAN SALMON