Under Pressure

From the kitchens of TV shows like Top Chef to restaurants to home kitchens, pressure cookers are back.  In the past they had a reputation for being dangerous and difficult to use, but modern pressure cookers have new safety features and are no more difficult to use than a saucepan. 

When cooking things that benefit from long, slow cooking such as beans or tougher cuts of meat like short ribs, the pressure cooker is the ideal tool, using 50% less energy and 70% less time than the traditional cooking method. 


Above: Fissler Bluepoint Pressure Cooker
Upcoming Classes: Mastering the Pressure Cooker, February 29th 6:30-9:30.  Sign up here.

Boston Baked Beans

1    teaspoon          vegetable oil

2    ounces             blanched salt pork, coarsely chopped

¾   cup                  chopped yellow or white onion

1½ tablespoons     prepared mustard

1    teaspoon          tomato paste, optional

2    tablespoons     dark brown sugar

2    tablespoons     molasses

1    cup                  dried small white beans

2    cups                 water

½   teaspoon          salt

¼   teaspoon          freshly ground black pepper

PLACE the oil and salt pork in the pressure cooker.  STIR over medium heat until the salt pork begins to curl, about 1 minute.  ADD the remaining ingredients and STIR to mix.  LOCK on the lid and BRING to pressure over high heat, about 3 minutes.  REDUCE the heat to medium and COOK for 25 minutes.  REMOVE from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes to finish cooking.

With the stem vent pointed away from your face, gently RELEASE any remaining pressure.  Let SIT another 5 minutes, then serve.

Recipe taken from The Pressure Cooker Gourmet by Victoria Wise

Yield: 4-6 servings

Spring in a Bowl

We haven't had much of a winter here in New England, but that doesn't stop us from looking forward to spring.  It will be months before we start to get little boxes of fresh native peas from our CSA.  In the meantime, we turn to the next-best option: frozen peas.  Flash-frozen just after picking, if they are treated gently frozen peas can be very sweet and fresh-tasting. 

After months of heartier eating, we are ready for something just a little lighter and this ravioli recipe complements this transitory time perfectly. 

(We will be making this recipe and many others in our Pasta Party class this Sunday from 3-6:00.  Sign Up Here.)

Spring Sweet Green Pea Ravioli in Lemon Broth

For filling
1 cup thawed baby peas
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

¼ cup Marscapone cheese

¼ cup Ricotta
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
3 tablespoons fine fresh bread crumbs

Sauce
1 qt chicken broth
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
one recipe basic pasta dough (recipe follows)

Garnish: fresh chervil or parsley and cooked peas

Make filling:
Force peas through the fine disk of a food mill into a bowl to remove skins.

Cook shallot in oil in a small skillet over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Remove from heat and stir into pea purée with cheese and crumbs. Season filling with salt and pepper.

Roll out the pasta dough and fill with the Sweet pea filling.

Cook ravioli:
Combine broth, garlic, zest, and salt and pepper to taste in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes, then drain.

Divide ravioli among soup plates (3 each) and ladle broth over them, discarding garlic.


Cooks' note:
• Ravioli may be made, but not cooked, 1 day ahead and chilled, covered, in a pan lined with a dry kitchen towel.

Basic Pasta Dough

2-2½ cups all-purpose flour, King Arthur brand

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste

2 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 tablespoons of water as needed

Hand method:  Place flour on the countertop.  Make a deep well in the center.

Crack eggs in the well.  Add salt and oil.  Mix with a fork.  Begin bringing in the sides of the well with a fork. 

Bring in more flour to form a rough soft sticky mass when egg mixture is no longer a liquid.  Put on a lightly floured surface, cleaned off.

Knead as in bread making.  Add flour as necessary.

 

Dough should be smooth and elastic, and when cut in half, there should be no holes in the dough.  WRAP in plastic.

Let the dough rest for 30 minutes on a countertop.  ROLL out with a pasta machine.

CUT into desired shapes.

Food processor method:  Put flour and salt in the food processor bowl fitted with the metal blade. Add one egg. 

Pulse until ingredients are blended.  Turn onto full speed.

 Add the other eggs through the feeder tube.  Let run just until dough forms.

Put on a clean countertop.  Knead like bread, smooth and elastic, with no holes when cut in half.  Wrap in plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes. 

Roll out with a pasta machine.  Cut into desired shapes.

Under the Sea and Always in Season

Cooking mussels can be intimidating and it doesn't have to be.  Delicious and easy to prepare (not to mention environmentally sustainable and fairly inexpensive) mussels really deserve a place on every home cook's repertoire.

Most mussels are farmed in the US, so they are basically always in season.  The most important thing to look for when purchasing mussels is to look for shells that are intact and firmly closed.  If you do find one in the bunch that is open, give it a firm tap.  If it doesn't close it is dead and should be discarded.  Also discard any cracked mussels.  Once you have done that, wash the mussels well with cold water and remove the beard.  Along the side of the mussel shell, you will feel something that feels like hair.  That is the beard.  To remove it, just give it a firm tug.  Now you are ready to cook.

Preparing mussels can be as simple as bringing some tasty stock or wine to a boil, then adding the mussels, covering and allowing them to steam open.  That's it!  Serve them with some good bread and a salad and you've got an impressive meal.  If you want to get a bit (but not much) more complicated you can make curried mussels.  This is my favorite way to make them. 

Curried Mussels

2 lbs mussels, cleaned and beards removed

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil such as canola 

4 shallots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 red chilies, sliced

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon cumin

zest and juice of 1 lime

1 cup coconut milk (not low fat)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon fish sauce

Chopped fresh Cilantro to garnish 

Heat the oil in a large saucepan (should be large enough to acomodate the mussels with space left over) over medium heat, then add the shallots, garlic and chiles and saute for a couple of minutes.  Add the spices and lime zest and saute, stirring constantly for 30 seconds, thn add the coconut milk, soy sauce and fish sauce and bring to a boil. 

Once the coconut milk mixture is boiling, add the mussels, stir, cover and lower the heat.  Allow the mussels to steam, shaking the pan occasionally until they open, about 5 minutes.

  

Add the lime juice and the cilantro, transfer the cooked mussels to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Upcoming seafood themed classes at Eurostoves:

Under the Sea, Friday February 24th 7-10 (sold out)

Fish Lover's Favorites, Friday, March 30th, 7-10