Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook (13 page)

Transfer the tomato juices to a blender and add the tomato skins. Tear up 3 sheets of the nori, add them to the blender, and add 24 of the basil leaves. Grate the zest from the limes onto a plate and leave the zest at room temperature to air-dry. Juice the limes and strain the juice into the blender. Turn the blender on low, increase the speed to high, and puree until smooth. Transfer the nori vinaigrette to a bowl, cover, and reserve in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Use a vegetable peeler to peel the jalapeño. Use a mandoline to slice it into slices that are ¹/
₈
inch (3 mm) thick and put them in a bowl of ice water for at least 1 hour. This will help tame the heat of the raw peppers and give them a crisp texture.

Drain the jalapeño slices and pat them dry. Put them into a bowl, add the lemon olive oil, and mix to coat evenly. Spoon the nori vinaigrette onto the bottom of a platter. Arrange the tomatoes on the platter and then top the tomatoes with the slices of jalapeño. Drizzle the lemon olive oil from the bowl over the tomatoes. Sprinkle the dried lime zest over the tomatoes. Tear the remaining nori sheets and basil leaves into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces and scatter them over the tomatoes and the platter. Serve immediately.

CUCUMBER KIMCHI & POTATO SALAD

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN EVERYONE WAS BUYING SMALL
butane torches to make crème brûlée at home. The problem was that no one knew what else to use the torches for. We discovered that they are very handy for charring fruits and vegetables without actually cooking them. This gives them a great caramelized outer layer while preserving most of their texture and some of their fresh uncooked flavor; the char is especially nice in salads such as this one, which is good in summer and winter. This recipe makes a lighter and more refreshing potato salad than classic mayo-based ones—and there’s no fear of letting this sit out on a picnic table. The heat of kimchi is surprisingly addictive juxtaposed with the creamy texture of the spuds. You’ll end up with extra cucumber kimchi, which is good, as it’s wonderful on sandwiches and hot dogs. If you happen to have some fresh herbs kicking around, they make an excellent finishing touch to the salad.

SERVES 8 AS A SIDE DISH

CUCUMBER KIMCHI

12
baby cucumbers

2 tablespoons
/
25 grams
sugar

2 teaspoons
/
12 grams
fine sea salt

1 bunch
scallions,
trimmed

About 7 inches
/
50 grams
fresh ginger

2
jalapeños,
peeled

5
garlic
cloves, peeled

1
lime

¼ cup
/
55 grams
whey
or rice vinegar

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon
/
50 grams
Grade B maple syrup

2 tablespoons
/
28 grams
fish sauce

1½ tablespoons
/
25 grams
tamari soy sauce

1 teaspoon
/
2 grams
Korean red chile flakes

POTATO SALAD

10 medium
Yukon Gold potatoes
(3¼ pounds
/
1,480 grams)

1 tablespoon
/
18 grams
fine sea salt

MAKE THE CUCUMBER KIMCHI:
Slice the cucumbers into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds and put them in a bowl. Sprinkle the sugar and salt over them and toss to combine. Put the cucumbers into a colander set over another bowl to drain for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the scallions, ginger, jalapeños, garlic, and lime on a wire rack set over a baking pan and use a butane torch to lightly char the surface of the vegetables and fruit on all sides. Zest and juice the lime into a blender and add the ginger, garlic, whey, maple syrup, fish sauce, soy sauce, and chile flakes. Turn the blender on low and increase the speed to high to puree the pickling liquid into a smooth paste.

Drain the cucumbers and put them in a medium bowl. Strain the pickling liquid through a fine-mesh sieve over the cucumbers. Thinly slice the charred jalapeños and add them to the bowl. Roughly chop the charred scallions, add them to the bowl, and mix everything together. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The cucumbers can be stored for up to 1 week.

MAKE THE POTATO SALAD:
Peel the potatoes and cut them lengthwise into quarters. Cut each piece of potato crosswise at an angle into irregular ¾-inch (2 cm) triangular pieces. Put the sliced potatoes into a medium saucepan and cover with water. Season the water with the salt and bring the potatoes to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn the heat down to medium and cook the potatoes until just tender when pierced with a cake tester, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Add half of the cucumber kimchi and stir to combine. Serve the potato salad immediately or cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

KALE SLAW
WITH RUSSIAN DRESSING

WE LOVE COLESLAW, BUT WE GET TIRED OF THE SAME OLD
cabbage. So, we turned to kale, which is full of sweetness and holds its shape nicely whether it is braised or sautéed. Kale slaw has a great vegetal flavor that is softer and richer than cabbage slaw. We’ve put together a Russian dressing that adds raw vegetables and pickle juice to the mix. If you have any left over, try it on corned beef and pastrami sandwiches, with or without melted Swiss cheese. We also enjoy it with
Oven-Fried Lemon Chicken
or
Korean-Style Chicken Wings
. This particular slaw holds up quite well for a few days in the refrigerator, which means that you get to enjoy every bite until it’s all gone.

SERVES 8 AS A SIDE DISH

2 bunches
kale,
preferably Tuscan

1 large
carrot,
grated

RUSSIAN DRESSING

½ cup
/
100 grams
mayonnaise,
preferably Duke’s or Hellmann’s

¼ cup
/
65 grams
ketchup

¼ cup
/
60 grams
sweet pickle juice

1 tablespoon
/
15 grams chopped
onion

1 tablespoon
/
15 grams chopped
celery

1 tablespoon
/
15 grams chopped
carrot

1 teaspoon
/
5 grams
prepared horseradish

4.5 ounces
/
125 grams
Gorgonzola dolce cheese,
crumbled

Remove and discard the kale stems. Finely slice the leaves about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, then wash and dry them in a salad spinner. Put the kale in a bowl and add the grated carrot.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle juice, chopped onion, chopped celery, chopped carrot, and horseradish. Pour the salad dressing over the sliced kale and carrots and stir to evenly coat the mixture. Put the kale slaw into the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 24.

To serve, put the kale slaw in a bowl and crumble the Gorgonzola cheese over the top.

KAMUT
TABBOULEH SALAD

KAMUT IS A HIGH-PROTEIN GRAIN RELATED TO WHEAT
. However, many people with wheat sensitivity are able to eat Kamut, perhaps because it has a lower gluten content. We like it because it tastes good, especially when you toast it and it develops a rich nutty flavor. This is a spin on classic tabbouleh salad. The lighter flavor and the slightly chewy texture of Kamut make it a nice change from the traditional bulgur wheat, and a pressure cooker makes cooking it a breeze. Coconut helps accent the natural sweetness of the grain and adds a hint of richness to the dish. We make this year-round and find it especially refreshing in the wintertime when salad greens are in short supply. You can find preserved lemons online and at gourmet groceries and spice stores; or you can try the recipe in our first book,
Ideas in Food.
Our local markets always have fresh parsley, and its refreshing herbal flavor can brighten up even the coldest afternoon.

SERVES 8 AS A SIDE DISH

1⅔ cups
/
300 grams
Kamut

4⅓ cups
/
980 grams
coconut water

½ teaspoon
/
3 grams
fine sea salt

1½ cups
/
75 grams
unsweetened large coconut flakes

½ teaspoon
/
3 grams
sugar

⅛ teaspoon
/
0.15 gram
ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon
/
0.3 gram
ground cumin

⅛ teaspoon
/
0.4 gram
garlic powder

⅛ teaspoon
/
0.75 gram
fine sea salt

1 bunch
parsley,
leaves only, chopped

3.9 ounces
/
110 grams
preserved lemons,
finely chopped (about 5 tablespoons)

Set a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. When the skillet is smoking, add the Kamut to the pan. Let it sit undisturbed for 30 seconds and then begin to stir the Kamut with a wooden spoon. Cook until it begins to sizzle and crack, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the Kamut to a pressure cooker. Add the coconut water and ½ teaspoon (3 grams) salt and cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure dissipate naturally.

Strain the coconut water into a medium saucepan, reserving the cooked Kamut in a heatproof bowl. Set the pan over medium heat, bring the coconut water to a simmer, and simmer to reduce it to thick syrup, about 20 minutes. Pour the syrup over the cooked Kamut and stir to coat. Cool the Kamut and reserve in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, stir together the coconut flakes, sugar, cinnamon, cumin, garlic powder, and ¹/
₈
teaspoon (0.75 gram) salt. Transfer to the baking sheet and bake until the flakes are golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, stir the coconut, and let cool completely. Store the toasted flakes in a zip-top bag until ready to use, or for up to a week.

Add the parsley and preserved lemons to the Kamut. Stir and refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 4 hours to let the flavors develop.

To serve, spoon the Kamut onto a large serving platter and sprinkle the toasted coconut over the top.