Uni Risotto with Seared Japanese Scallops, Truffle Vinaigrette and Ikura

Recipe courtesy Chef Rodelio Aglibot, Koi, Los Angeles
FoodNetwork.com

Cook Time:  25 min
Level:  Easy
Yield:  1 serving

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup prepared risotto cooked in dashi
• 2 tablespoons uni puree (reduced cream with ratio of 1-ounce uni to 1 1/2 cups cream)
• 2 (10/20 count) scallops, preferably "dayboat" or Japanese
• Salt and white pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 pieces fresh uni
• 1 teaspoon ikura (salmon roe)
• 1 teaspoon truffle vinaigrette (either store-bought or homemade), or sherry vinaigrette finished with white truffle oil

Directions
As the risotto finishes cooking, stir in the uni puree to coat the risotto. Set aside and keep warm.

Remove the "foot" of the scallops and pat them dry. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Add scallops and sear until golden brown on 1 side. Turn scallops over and sear on the other side until golden brown and just cooked through in the middle. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

To serve, place risotto in a bowl and top with scallops. Carefully position a piece of uni on each of the scallops. Garnish with ikura and drizzle with truffle vinaigrette.

Shakshuka

from Tasting Table
Recipe adapted from John Gorham, Tasty n Sons, Portland

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced roasted green peppers (about 2 peppers; see Note)
1 cup thinly sliced roasted red peppers (about 2 peppers; see Note)
¾ teaspoon paprika
¾ teaspoon piment d'Espelette or red pepper flakes
¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
1 small bay leaf
1 cup whole canned tomatoes, with juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large eggs
Crusty bread, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large, ovenproof skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and the garlic and cook until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the green and red peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Add the paprika, piment d'Espelette, sugar and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes longer.

2. Preheat the oven to 400˚. Add the tomatoes and their juice to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down, about 20 minutes longer. Discard the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.

3. Bring the sauce back to a simmer. Crack the eggs over the sauce so that they are evenly distributed across the surface. Transfer to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still soft and runny, about 7 minutes. Serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping.

Note: To roast the peppers, place the peppers on a hot grill or hold them over a gas flame on the stove until black and blistered on all sides. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 15 minutes. Peel, seed and stem the peppers. Set aside until ready to use.

Black Label BBQ Sauce

1 tb EVOO
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs Johnnie Walker Black Label
2 tbs BBQ sauce
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp dried herbs
Pinch of black & red peppers

Bacon-Cheddar Biscuits

Recipe adapted from Pig: King of the Southern Table (Wiley)

Yield: About 18 biscuits

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
⅓ cup chilled lard, cut into small cubes, plus more for greasing baking sheet
½ pound sliced applewood-smoked bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
½ pound extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne. Add the lard by cutting it into the flour with a pastry blender (or two knives) until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the bacon, cheese and milk and stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened.

3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 4 to 5 times--no more or the biscuits will become tough. Gently pat the dough into a round about ½ inch thick, and cut out rounds with a 2-inch-round biscuit cutter. Pat the scraps together and repeat.

4. Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet about ½ inch apart and bake in the upper third of the oven until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm, or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Mangoes and Raspberries in Prosecco Syrup

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis


Ingredients

Syrup:

1 (750-ml) bottle Prosecco
1/2 cup sugar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 large, ripe mangoes, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces or 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen mango, thawed
2 cups (8 ounces) raspberries

Whipped cream:

1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 lemon, zested

Preparation

For the syrup:  In a medium saucepan, bring the Prosecco, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, star anise, and cinnamon stick to a boil, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat, until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer for 35 minutes until the mixture has reduced by half. Add the mangoes and raspberries to the syrup and allow the mixture to cool for 1 1/2 hours. Using a slotted spoon, remove the fruit and spoon into serving bowls. Discard the cinnamon stick and star anise. Pour the syrup into a pitcher. Refrigerate the fruit and syrup until ready to serve.

For the cream:  In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream at high speed until thick. Add the sugar and continue to beat until the cream holds stiff peaks. Add the lemon zest and mix until just combined.

To serve:  Put a dollop of cream on top of the fruit and drizzle each dish with the Prosecco syrup.

Squash and Red Pepper Pilaf

by Ruth Cousineau
from Epicurious

yield: Makes 6 servings
active time: 20 min
total time: 50 min

A pilaf enriched with butternut squash, red pepper, and toasted pumpkin seeds is wonderful with Spanish white beans and spinach.  It would also be terrific with roast chicken.

Ingredients

3/4 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups water
1/4 cup raw green (hulled) pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted

Preparation

Cook squash, bell pepper, onion, and bay leaf in oil with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add rice and stir until well coated, then add water and bring to a vigorous boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, tightly covered with lid, until vegetables and rice are tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with seeds.

Light and Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

Recipe adapted from Bromberg Bros. Blue Ribbon Cookbook (Clarkson Potter)

Yield: 15 pancakes

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2½ cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for serving
Pure maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and oil. Gradually stir the wet ingredients into the dry.

3. In a large skillet or griddle, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Working in batches, spoon ¼ cup of the pancake batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes until the edges have begun to brown and air bubbles form on the surface, about 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Serve hot, spread with butter and drizzled with maple syrup.

Variation: To make banana pancakes, fold 2 cups of sliced fresh bananas into the batter just before cooking.