Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook (8 page)

CRÈME FRAÎCHE

MAKES JUST OVER 1 PINT / 540 GRAMS

1 pint / 480 grams
heavy cream

¼ cup / 60 grams
cultured buttermilk,
homemade (opposite) or store-bought

Put the cream and buttermilk in a pint container, close the lid, and shake to blend. If your container holds exactly 1 pint, omit ¼ cup (65 grams) of the cream. Leave the covered container out at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours until it has thickened to the desired consistency. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

ENGLISH MUFFINS

DEVELOPING THIS RECIPE WAS AN EXERCISE IN FRUSTRATION.
In order to get the coveted honeycomb structure inside the bread, you need wet, floppy dough that is hard to cut out and control. The key here is to wet both your hands and the cutter when you’re working with the dough. Using semolina to dust the outsides instead of the classic cornmeal lets you reroll the scraps one time without destroying the texture of the inner crumb. Once mastered, homemade English muffins are easy. To get perfectly round muffins, you can buy English muffin rings; we use flan rings that we already own. You can also make these free-form; the irregular shapes give the muffins character. If using rings, remember to grease the inside and not to overfill them or it can be difficult to remove the bread after cooking. One final step to success is to be sure that your griddle is not too hot. We flip our muffins regularly to ensure even cooking throughout. A lower temperature is essential to making sure the insides are fully cooked before the outsides burn.

MAKES ABOUT 12 MUFFINS

SPONGE

1⅓ cups 200 grams
all-purpose flour

7 ounces 200 grams
water

1 teaspoon 3 grams
instant yeast

ENGLISH MUFFINS

5 cups 750 grams
all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon 1.5 grams
instant yeast

1 tablespoon 18 grams
fine sea salt

1 tablespoon 12 grams
sugar

About ½ cup 90 grams
sourdough starter

3 cups 675 grams
water

Semolina,
for dusting

MAKE THE SPONGE:
In a small bowl, combine the flour, water, and yeast. Stir to blend into a smooth mixture. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours, until the mixture is bubbly and has doubled its original volume.

MAKE THE ENGLISH MUFFINS:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar and whisk to blend thoroughly. Add the sponge, the sourdough starter, and water and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until everything is well blended and there are no lumps of flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 4 hours.

Remove the plastic wrap. Gently loosen the dough from the bowl. Slide a bench scraper or plastic spatula under one side of the dough. Fold that side of the dough into the center and press it down gently so it adheres to itself. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the folding process 3 more times. After the fourth fold, flip over the dough so the seams are on the bottom. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 6 and up to 12 hours, until you are ready to make English muffins.

Set a large sauté pan or griddle over medium-low heat, or preheat an electric griddle to 325°F (165°C).

Gently loosen the dough from the bowl and then turn it out onto a counter that has been generously dusted with semolina. Sprinkle the top with more semolina and wet your hands with cool water. Gently press out the dough to a thickness of ½ inch (13 mm), rewetting your hands as needed. Sprinkle the top with more semolina and then use a 3-inch (8 cm) round cutter, dipped in water, to cut out your muffins. Remove the scraps and set them aside. The dough may be pressed together and rerolled one time.

Coat your pan or griddle lightly with cooking spray and slide 4 muffins into the pan to cook. If you are using muffin rings, make sure they have been lightly greased on the inside and put one around each muffin as soon as you put them in the pan. Cook until they are golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Flip them over, still inside the rings, if using, and cook until they are golden brown on the second side, about 5 minutes. If they are still soft in the center, continue to cook the muffins, flipping them every 2 minutes or so until they are cooked through. This may take up to 12 minutes more. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely. If the muffins are browning too quickly you can finish them in a low oven (200°F/95°C) until they are cooked through. Let the muffins cool completely before cutting or breaking them open to toast.

THE DOUGH AFTER 12 HOURS IN THE REFRIGERATOR

A SPONGE—which is what gets made in step 1 of this recipe—is used to give breads additional flavor. Also known as a biga, a poolish, or a pre-ferment, it is usually made of equal parts flour and water with a bit of commercial yeast. This soupy mixture is left to ferment at room temperature for at least 2 hours and up to 18 to activate the yeast and develop flavor before being added to dough. It is often used in combination with sourdough starters to help develop lighter breads with a bit less acidity and a thinner crust.

PARSNIP-PEAR QUICK BREAD

PARSNIPS HAVE A SWEET, EARTHY FLAVOR. LOOK FOR ONES
that aren’t too big, because large cores can get tough and woody. This great quick bread is perfect at breakfast time with cream cheese or in the afternoon with a cup of tea. The recipe makes two loaves and you can easily freeze one.

MAKES TWO 9 × 5-INCH / 23 × 13 CM LOAVES

2 pounds 907 grams
parsnips

1 cup 225 grams
rice bran oil
or canola oil

¾ pound 340 grams
red Anjou pears
(about 2)

3 large
eggs

12 ounces 350 grams
palm sugar,
grated on a box grater, or 1¾ cups packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons 8 grams
vanilla extract

2 cups 300 grams
all-purpose flour

1 cup 140 grams
whole wheat flour

¹
⁄
₁₆
teaspoon 0.15 gram
ground cloves

⅛ teaspoon 0.25 gram
ground cardamom

Grated zest of 1
lemon

1 teaspoon 5 grams
baking soda

½ teaspoon 3 grams
baking powder

1 teaspoon 6 grams
fine sea salt

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons 150 grams
hazelnuts,
roasted

⅓ cup 65 grams
dried pears,
chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and flour two 9 × 5-inch (23 × 13 cm) loaf pans.

Wash the parsnips and cut off the tips and stem ends. Peel the parsnips and put the peels into a small saucepan. Add the rice bran oil and set the pan over medium heat. Cook the peels until they turn golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, use the large holes on a box grater to grate the parsnips until you have 4 cups (330 grams) of grated vegetable. Peel the pears and grate them as well.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Add the fried peels and the cooled parsnip oil and whisk to combine. Add the grated parsnips and pears and stir with a rubber spatula.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flours, cloves, cardamom, lemon zest, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the hazelnuts and dried pears and stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake the loaves on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Rotate the pans from front to back and bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the internal temperature of the loaves registers 205°–210°F (96°–98°C), about 25 minutes (a total of 1 hour 10 minutes). Let the bread cool for 20 minutes in the pans. Turn them out onto wire racks and let cool completely before serving.

GREEN GAZPACHO

CHINESE CELERY SOUP WITH CRAB SALAD

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

NEW ENGLAND BAKED BEANS WITH PORK BELLY

APPLE-CHEDDAR SOUP WITH BACON-CHEDDAR FRITTERS

MUSHROOM SOUP

BEEF CHILI & WAFFLES

GREEN GAZPACHO

A NEAT PLAY ON GAZPACHO, THIS “SOUP” IS FROZEN AND SHAVED
for serving, creating an incredibly light texture that slowly melts down into a smooth, cold soup in your mouth. It is refreshing on a hot summer day, a gazpacho version 2.0, if you will. Note that you’ll need three ice cube trays to accomplish the freezing.

Almost all herbs flower in the summertime and we’ve added these small blossoms to the soup for great intense bursts of flavor. We are particularly fond of chive, basil, and thyme blossoms, which are usually abundant in our garden and herb pots. You can also sprinkle thinly sliced herbs over the top of the shaved ice, if you can’t find blossoms.

SERVES 8

2 cups 250 grams shelled
raw pistachios

¾ pound 340 grams
seedless green grapes
(about 1 bunch), stems removed

2 pounds 930 grams
honeydew melon
(about 1), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch 2.5 cm chunks