The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (3 page)
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Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Too often, appetizers require more work than they’re worth. And while a cheese tray is an easy option, it does get tiresome and lacks the creative oomph we often want to display on an appetizer spread. We set out to create a few cheese-oriented appetizers that went beyond the usual but were still simple to prepare. We found that stuffing pitted dates with a small piece of nutty Parmesan made for an elegant bite perfect for enjoying with a glass of wine. Another great complement to cocktails is the Italian favorite frico, which is simply grated cheese pan-fried into crispy wafers.
SERVES 8
Use high-quality dates (such as Medjools) and only the finest Parmigiano-Reggiano in this antipasto.
16 | whole dates |
4 | ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, room temperature |
Slit dates lengthwise and remove pits. With paring knife, cut or break cheese into thin pieces roughly same length as dates. Place piece of cheese in each date, close date around cheese, and serve.
MAKES ABOUT 8
Traditionally, Montasio, an Italian cheese that has a delicate, mildly fruity and nutty flavor, is used, but we found Asiago also works well and is easier to find. Serve frico with drinks and a bowl of marinated olives or marinated sun-dried tomatoes. Frico is also good crumbled into salad, crouton-style.
1 | pound Montasio or aged Asiago cheese, grated fine (8 cups) |
1.
Sprinkle 2 ounces (about 1 cup) grated cheese over bottom of 10-inch nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Use heat-resistant rubber spatula or wooden spoon to tidy lacy outer edges of cheese. Cook, shaking pan occasionally to ensure even distribution of cheese over pan bottom, until edges are lacy and toasted, about 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow cheese to set for about 30 seconds.
2.
Using fork on top and heatproof spatula underneath, carefully flip cheese wafer and return pan to medium heat. Cook until second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Slide cheese wafer out of pan and transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining cheese. Serve within 1 hour.
A GOOD WAY TO STORE CHEESE
Whether you’ve got leftovers from your party cheese platter or a single wedge of Parmesan that you want to make last, the issues are the same—storage. Storing cheese presents a conundrum: as it sits, it releases moisture. If this moisture evaporates too quickly, the cheese dries out. But if the moisture stays on the cheese’s surface, it encourages mold. Specialty cheese paper avoids this problem with a two-ply construction that lets cheese breathe without drying out, but usually requires mail-ordering. To find a simpler method, we tried wrapping cheddar, Brie, and fresh goat cheese in various materials, refrigerated the cheeses for six weeks, and monitored them for mold and dryness. Cheeses wrapped in plastic—whether cling wrap or zipper-lock bags—were the first to show mold. Cheeses in waxed or parchment paper alone lost too much moisture and dried out. The best method: waxed or parchment paper loosely wrapped with aluminum foil. The paper wicks moisture away, while the foil cover traps enough water to keep the cheese from drying out. Wrapped this way, even highly perishable goat cheese kept for about a week, and the Brie and cheddar were almost like new more than a month later.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Today, most marinated mushrooms have morphed into little more than white button mushrooms soaked in bottled Italian dressing for days on end. The result is slimy, rubbery, brown orbs—hardly the life of the party. As a classic Italian antipasto, foraged wild mushrooms have an earthy flavor that, when blended with the right combination of bright acidity, heady herbs, and fine olive oil, will pack a punch in one small bite. We found that cremini and white mushrooms won points for flavor and availability. Crowding the mushrooms in a 12-inch skillet generated, at first, an alarming amount of liquid; cranking up the heat, however, reduced that liquid down to a potent glaze with concentrated mushroom flavor. Best of all, the seven or so minutes that it took to reduce the liquid produced a tender yet al dente mushroom, with no slime in sight.
MAKES ABOUT
3¹⁄
2
CUPS
Cooking the mushrooms over relatively high heat encourages them to quickly release liquid, which can then be reduced to a concentrated, flavorful glaze.
¹⁄ | cup extra-virgin olive oil |
¹⁄ | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
Salt and pepper | |
1 | pound cremini or white mushrooms, trimmed, left whole if small, halved if medium, quartered if large |
3 | tablespoons lemon juice |
1 | garlic clove, sliced very thin |
1 | large shallot, minced |
¹⁄ | small red bell pepper, chopped fine |
1 | teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or basil |
1.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil, pepper flakes, and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms release moisture, moisture evaporates, and mushrooms have browned around edges, about 10 minutes. Spread mushrooms in single layer on large plate or rimmed baking sheet; cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
2.
When cooled, transfer mushrooms to medium bowl, leaving behind any juices. Stir garlic, shallot, and bell pepper into mushrooms, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 6 or up to 24 hours.
3.
Allow mushrooms to stand at room temperature about 1 hour. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
KEEPING MUSHROOMS FRESH
Mushrooms are a common ingredient in the test kitchen because we love the complex meatiness they contribute to soups, sauces, meats, and stuffings, or simply stuffed or marinated on their own. But due to their high moisture content, mushrooms are very perishable; most mushrooms can be kept fresh only a few days. Over the years we’ve tested numerous storage methods to find the best approach. Commonly suggested techniques of wrapping mushrooms in a paper bag or covering them with a damp paper towel only speed up their deterioration. We recommend storing loose mushrooms in a partially open zipper-lock bag, which maximizes air circulation without letting the mushrooms dry out. Packaged mushrooms should be stored in their original containers, which are designed to maximize the life of the mushrooms. When it comes to cleaning, you can ignore the advice against washing mushrooms, which exaggerates their ability to absorb water. As long as you wash them before they are cut, we found that 6 ounces of mushrooms only gained about a quarter ounce of water. If you plan to serve the mushrooms raw, however, you’re better off brushing them off with a dry toothbrush, as rinsing can cause discoloration.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Deviled eggs often fall to the extremes, with fillings that are either smooth, pasty, and monotonous or reminiscent of chunky egg salad. We had in mind the deviled eggs of our childhood: perfectly cooked nests of egg whites cradling a creamy filling made with simple ingredients and quickly whipped together. Naturally, it was key to start with perfectly hard-cooked eggs. We combined the yolks with mayonnaise, country-style mustard, cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce, which gave us a full-flavored, but balanced, filling. We like to use a pastry bag for filling the eggs, but a zipper-lock bag with the corner snipped off also works well.
See “FILLING DEVILED EGGS” illustration that follows recipe.
MAKES 1 DOZEN
During testing we found it usual for a couple of the cooked whites to rip at least slightly, which worked out well because it meant the remaining whites were very well stuffed. If all of your egg white halves are in perfect shape, discard two. If you have a pastry bag, use it to fill the eggs with a large open-star tip or a large plain tip. Alternatively, a plastic bag can be used to fill the eggs—see
FILLING DEVILED EGGS
. Fill the eggs as close to serving as possible for fresh, bright flavor.
7 | large eggs (cold) |
3 | tablespoons mayonnaise |
1¹⁄ | teaspoons cider vinegar (or vinegar of your choice) |
³⁄ | teaspoon whole grain mustard |
¹⁄ | teaspoon Worcestershire sauce |
Salt and pepper |
1.
Place eggs in medium saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water, and bring to boil over high heat. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill medium bowl with 1 quart cold water and about 14 ice cubes (1 tray). Transfer eggs to ice water with slotted spoon; let sit 5 minutes.
2.
Peel eggs and slice each in half lengthwise with paring knife. Remove yolks to small bowl. Arrange whites on serving platter, discarding 2 worst-looking halves. Mash yolks with fork until no large lumps remain. Add mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix with rubber spatula, mashing mixture against side of bowl until smooth.
3.
Fit pastry bag with large open-star tip. Fill bag with yolk mixture, twisting top of pastry bag to help push mixture toward tip of bag. Pipe yolk mixture into egg white halves, mounding filling about ¹⁄
2
inch above flat surface of whites. Serve at room temperature.
TO MAKE AHEAD:
You can make the deviled eggs up to 2 days ahead. Wrap the peeled egg-white halves tightly with a double layer of plastic wrap and place the filling in a zipper-lock plastic bag (squeezing out all the air). Refrigerate until ready to fill and serve.
Rinse, dry, and finely chop 8 anchovy fillets. Mince 2 tablespoons basil. Mix anchovy fillets and 2 teaspoons minced basil into mashed yolks along with mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper. Sprinkle filled eggs with remaining 4 teaspoons shredded basil.
Drain and finely chop 2 ounces canned tuna (you should have about ¹⁄
2
cup). Rinse and drain 1 tablespoon capers; chop 1 tablespoon chives. Mix tuna, capers, and 2 teaspoons chives into mashed yolks along with mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Omit Worcestershire. Sprinkle filled eggs with remaining 1 teaspoon chives.