Mission: Cook! (4 page)
The goal in producing a pastry “dough” is a delicate flaky crust, a different goal from the preparation of bread dough. The ingredients of a dough used for pasta and bread benefit from the familiarity of experiencing a good massage together, which gives it the requisite elasticity (defined as “kneading”). However, in the world of pastry dough, familiarity breeds contempt.
Alternatively, you may wish to use prepared pastry. Most stores nowadays carry a wide selection.
Therefore:
- Pastry should be made as quickly as you can perform the task, withâ¦
- Not too much water (just enough to bind the dough together without being too crumbly to work), with an effort toâ¦
- Try to keep the water and your hands (to the extent that they are used)âand the kitchen for that matterâas cool as possible, to avoid melting the butter too much. (To assist in keeping your hands cool, dip them periodically into a large bowl of ice water and keep a clean dry towel on hand to dry them thoroughly each time before returning to the pastry.) However, the prime directive to remember isâ¦
- Never overwork your pastry dough.
There are two definitions of “flan.” The first is a tart, usually with some kind of cream filling. The other meaning is “custard.” The first definition of flan applies here. What differentiates the flan from, say, a pie is that it is a freestanding tart with vertical sides. The key to making a successful flan (of the tart variety) is the use of a flan pan, a tin with rippled sides whose secret is its removable bottom. One can be obtained at a gourmet cooking store, for less than $20âusually for less than $15âin either a standard or a nonstick variety. You can also use a flan ring, which necessitates its use on a baking tin to serve as the support for the bottom of your pastry crust as it bakes. Whilst you're at the gourmet cooking store, treat yourself to a long spatula with a blade that's not too thick, to help you disengage your “flan” crust from the bottom of the flan tin and to slide it gently to its destination.
A springform pan ring (of the type used to make cheesecakes) can also be used as a makeshift flan ring. Springform pans do not have rippled sides, so you will be fluting the top edge of your crust by hand (for visual appeal) to a height of only 1½ to 2 inches, which is shallower than the 3-inch depth of the typical springform ring.
Since my recipe for Warm Rock Shrimp and lobster Flan calls for the final baking to be done after the filling is poured into the crust, you can't use the following idea if you want a freestanding tart. However, in any
other
recipe where all of the baking of the flan crust occurs
before
the filling is poured in, an additional idea is to use two 9-inch cake tins. One cake tin is to contain the pastry, and the other one is nested on top of the unbaked crust to hold the pastry down whilst you prebake it. Be forewarned, however, in the use of the “two cake tins” method, you run the risk of a prebaked crust cracking when you try to remove it for a freestanding presentation.
What you
don't
want to use for a freestanding presentation is a mold with tapered sides, because under the weight of the filling the slanted sides are unlikely to stay intact once you attempt to make the flan freestanding. Of course, you can just make the recipe “pie style” (leaving it a pie dish) if the presentation is not that important to you. In that instance, the salad in the recipe here would be served on the side, rather than as a bed for the flan.
TIME LINE FOR FLAN, SALAD, AND DRESSING
| Preparation of pastry dough | 8 minutes |
| Rest time for dough overlaps with prep time for flan filling | 30 minutes |
| Roll out pastry dough and line pan | 10 minutes |
| Chill time for rolled-out dough (30 minutes) overlaps with filling cook time (2 minutes) and cool time (30 minutes) | 32 minutes |
| Bake time for pastry crust (30 minutes) overlaps with prep of sabayon (8 minutes) and salad prep (12 minutes) | 30 minutes |
| Cool time for crust | 20 minutes |
| Flan assembly | 5 minutes |
| Bake flan | 35 to 45 minutes |
| Rest time for flan | 10 minutes |
| Plating/presentation | 5 to 10 minutes |
| Total time required | about 3 hours |
To
make the pastry, I offer two methods. In both cases, aerate the flour by sifting it together with the salt into a large bowl.
1. Classical method: Add the butter in pieces and rub it in with your fingertips until you reach a texture similar to that of fine bread crumbs. (Try to keep your hands cool.)
Warm Rock Shrimp and Lobster Flan
Add ice water slowly, mixing in only enough water as you need to make the dough form.
2. “Modern” classical method (an oxymoron perhaps, but quite satisfactory in its results): Nowadays many people prepare pastry dough in a food processor equipped with a dough blade. To do so, you put the sifted flour and salt into the processor bowl and pulse whilst drizzling the ice water sparingly through the processor tube into the flour mixture until the dough comes together.
In either case, do
not
overwork the pastry dough.
Form the dough into a disk (for ease of handling), place it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or a clean damp towel, and allow the pastry dough to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
When the dough is rested, roll it out onto a
lightly
floured surface with a rolling pin, to a thickness of about
1
/
8
inch, and line a well-buttered 8-inch flan pan. (If you wish, you can also use four 4-inch individual molds instead.) Place back into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line the base of the chilled pastry shell with parchment paper. Then fill the shell with ceramic pastry weights (or dried beans) and place on a baking tray in the oven and partially bake (“blind bake”) for 25 minutes. Remove the weights, prick the base of the pastry to prevent if from bubbling up, and return it to the oven for a further 5 minutes to dry out the base.
Remove the pastry shell from the oven and allow to cool. Reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees.
To make the filling, whilst the shell is cooling, heat a little oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onion, tomato, chives, lobster, bacon, and shrimp, and cook until the shrimp turns pink, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool. (Whilst the shell and filling are cooling, you may want to prepare the champagne sabayon [dressing] if you have not already done so.)
Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese on the base of the cooled pastry shell. Then add the lobster and shrimp mixture once it too has cooled.
Whisk the eggs, milk, and heavy cream together. Season the mixture well with salt and pepper, then add the chopped chervil. Pour over the other ingredients, three-quarters to the top of the shell.
As with any liquid-filled pastry, to avoid a major oven cleanup, set the filled flan pan over a foil-lined cookie sheet to catch drips.
Bake in a 325-degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until when you pierce the flan with a knife in the center, it comes out clean.
Let the baked flan rest for 10 minutes, then, still wearing your oven mitts, push the base of the pan upward from the bottom to release the flan from the sides. You may want to use a spatula to also slide the flan off the base onto your serving plate; however, if it starts to break apart (this is more of a risk with a larger flan than with individual ones), the nearly invisible base of the flan pan enables you to use it for service with little consequence to your presentation.
To make the salad, soak the arugula in a bowl of cold water to remove sand, then repeat with a fresh batch of cold water. Rinse the arugula thoroughly in a colander and drain. To remove excess moisture, spin in a salad spinner or dry with paper towels. Remove the stems of the arugula and when ready to serve, toss with the pears and mango in a bowl.
A Note on Leafy Greens
South of Atlantic City (the scene of many of my culinary adventures) is Cape May, New Jersey, at the southernmost tip of the state. Cape May is an entire town that has been proclaimed a National Historic Landmark because of its Victorian architecture. For many years, visitors to its beach have been known to search for what are known as “Cape May Diamonds,” sizable pieces of pure quartz that tend to appear in the sand because of the way the currents flow from the ocean into the Delaware Bay. Since the warm sand along these shores of the Atlantic Ocean is soft and white, sifting through it in pursuit of the “diamonds” is part of what makes the activity so delightful. But if encountered in a salad or a soup, the sand will be anything but soft, which brings me to my point.
Arugula, like spinach and many other greens, has a staggering capacity to retain sand in the nooks and crannies of its leaves. (In general, people really don't know too much about arugula, although it is a welcome change to mixed lettuces and has a wonderful peppery taste.) When washing these greens, soak them in a bowl of cold water to let most of the sand sink to the bottom. Agitate the greens by shaking them whilst they are underwater. Repeat the process, making sure that you lift the greens out of the bowl to avoid disturbing the sand that has collected at the bottom of the bowl. Then set the greens on a towel and wash the bowl thoroughly to remove all traces of sand before refilling with subsequent batches of fresh soaking water. When it looks like you've gotten rid all the sand, lift the greens out of the soaking water (leaving the grit undisturbed at the bottom), transfer them to a colander, and rinse them from above with a stream of water from the spigot or handheld kitchen sink hose. The roughage for your Academy Awards viewing dinner should be crunchyâbut not gritty.
Also, a salad spinner is remarkably handy to get the greens dry enough to prevent them from making your flan crust soggy.
A Note on Crème Fraîche
Also known as French cultured cream, crème fraîche may be found in the dairy or cheese section of an increasing number of stores. You can also prepare your own crème fraîche, but you must allow yourself at least 32 hours in advance (8 hours at room temperature and 24 hours refrigerated), because of the culturing process. If you are positively unable to locate it, and don't have the time to make some, you may substitute ¼ cup heavy cream and an egg. However, I encourage you to use the crème fraîche if at all possible, because it is not too expensive and lends a unique taste that will elevate this dressing to something truly special.
To make the dressing, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and champagne in a double boiler over simmering water until thick ribbons appear.
Remove from the heat and let stand. Whilst this mixture is standing, whip the heavy cream and crème fraîche together with a beater until nice and thick, about 1 minute on high speed. Fold the two mixtures together, add the pepper, and keep refrigerated until needed.
PRESENTATION
Place a small amount of arugula salad in the center of the plate. Set a wedge of the warm lobster flan on top and drizzle with champagne sabayon.
SERVES 6
FOR THE RED PEPPER COULIS
3 large red bell peppers, washed, with stems and seeds removed
1 shallot, diced
2 minced garlic cloves
1 cup V-8 vegetable juice
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
EQUIPMENT
Oven mitts
A blender
PREPARATION AND COOKING TIME
Approximately 50 minutes
FOR THE FARMHOUSE GRITS
1 cup whole milk
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1½ cups stone-ground grits
1 cup grated sharp white Cheddar cheese
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper
¼ cup scallions, chopped on an angle
FOR THE FISH
Six 4-ounce red snapper fillets, boned and not skinned
¼ cup paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup grapeseed oil
