All you need is Clove

Where I work we have a garlic festival every year which runs for the entire month of April. This year we had an  amazing menu that included everything from Rabbit Confit, Arctic Char and Crab Cakes to a Garlic Granita for desert.

Garlic, also referred to as “the stinking rose” should be it’s own food group.  The edible bulb is made up of sections called cloves, that are encased in a parchmentlike membrane. Three major varieties are available: the white-skinned strongly flavored American garlic; Mexican and Italian garlic, which have mauve-colored skins and a somewhat milder flavor; and the white-skinned, mild flavored elephant garlic, which is not a true garlic, but a relative of the leek. Green garlic, is young garlic before it begins to form cloves; resembling a baby leek, with a long green top and white bulb. Garlic’s essential oils remain in the body long after consumption, affecting breath and even skin odor.

A few things to remember when pureeing, chopping or generally working with garlic. DO NOT add oil when chopping or pureeing your garlic.  Adding oil during this stage will turn your garlic into a paste and cause it to burn much more quickly.  Add oil only after it has been chopped or pureed. It will saute up well, and will not burn.
When sauteing garlic, you will only need to saute for a short period of time so as to release the full flavor, before adding  the rest of your ingredients. If you add the garlic to your food without sauteing you are only poaching the garlic, and will not allow the full flavor of the garlic to be released.

ROASTING WHOLE GARLIC

6 ea          Garlic Bulbs
1/4 c        Olive Oil
250 ml      Vegetable Stock
To Taste    Sea Salt
To Taste   Cracked Black Pepper
Fresh Thyme Leaves

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.       Slice tops of garlic bulbs off and remove some of the white loose skin.
3.       Place in a shallow baking pan. Fill the pan up tp 1/2 inch deep with vegetable stock.
4.       Place the thyme evenly over the garlic, season with salt and pepper.
5.       Drizzle the olive oil over the garlic.
6.       Cover the pan with foil and bake 45 minutes to about 1 hour until garlic is soft.
7.       The roasted garlic will keep in the fridge for up to one week. When serving, the entire garlic bulb           may be reheated in the oven for a couple of minutes and spread on crostini.
8.      Other serving suggestions include using the roasted garlic in soups, sauces, dressings or with          pasta.

CRAB CAKES

250 gr       Crabmeat

2 Tbsp      Bell Peppers (red, green, yellow) small dice

2 Tbsp      Fresh Breadcrumbs

1 tsp        Dijon Mustard

1              Whole Egg (divided)

2 Tbsp     Cream

1/2 tsp    Garlic, minced

1 tsp        Shallots, minced

1 Tbsp     Italian Parlsey, chopped

To Taste  Seas Salt and Cracked Black Pepper

Panko Bread Crumbs

Grapeseed Oil for Frying

1.    Saute, the bell peppers until tender.

2.    Carefully pick through the crabmeat, removing any pieces of shell. Keep the lumps of crabmeat as large as possible

3.    Combine the crab meat, cooked bell peppers, parsley, garlic, shallots, bread crumbs, cream and Dijon mustard and mix together gently by hand.

4.    Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

5.    Using a mould or by hand, form the crab mixture into a coke of the desired size and gently roll them in Panko Bread Crumbs.

6.    Saute the Crab Cakes in grapeseed oil until golden and hold in a warm oven until ready to serve.

7.    Arrange the crab cake on a plate, drizzle with an apricot compte and top with mixed greens. Dress mixed greens with a drizzle of olive oil and Maldon Sea Salt.

8.    Serve immediately.

If you are wondering why I am adding vegetable stock to the garlic for roasting, stock will keep the garlic moist during the roasting process. In keeping the garlic moist it also allows the sweetness of the garlic to be released as well.

If you wish to puree the garlic once it has been roasted, add the liquids for the roasting pan to the puree. This will add flavor to the pureed garlic as well.

Panino – the new craze

Panino, or Panini (plural) seem to be the newest craze in the city. They are an amazing sandwich that is usually made from either ciabatta or focaccia bread, and can be served either hot or cold and are usually stuffed with meat or vegetables.
In Italian, ciabatta means “slipper,” leading some people to call the bread “slipper bread.” The name is a reference to the shape, which does sort of resemble a slipper. Ciabatta bread tends to be short, wide, and long, which makes it ideally suited to sandwiches. It is also offered with olive oils and other dips, since the crumb absorbs dips and liquids very well, and it may be toasted when served for this purpose
Focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread, which may be topped with onions, herbs or other foodstuffs, related to pizza. It is a bit softer than ciabatta, and outside of Italy it is primarily used as sandwich bread.
Both of these breads are readily available at Thrifty’s, Sobeys or your favorite grocery store or bakery. I have been making these sandwiches for about 10 years now and am surprised that they have taken so long to catch on. They are quite simple to make and definitely add a new twist to the standard sandwich.
If you wish to make these sandwiches using Smoked Salmon, Prosciutto or mayonnaise they should be served cold with the bread slightly toasted on the outside. Smoked salmon and prosciutto have already been cured and should never be heated up. Mayo will just not stand up to the heat and will separate, creating a horrendous sandwich.

BABY SHRIMP PANINO
3 c Baby Shrimp
Mayo/ricotta mix
Focaccia
Romaine Lettuce

Mayo/Ricotta mix
250 ml Mayo
250 ml Ricotta cheese
1 tsp Fennel, roasted and then crushed by hand
Salt and pepper
Mix together
Add desired amount to the shrimp.

VEGETABLE PANINO
1 ea Zucchini, small dice
1 bunch Asparagus
1 ea Bell Pepper
Handful of brown mushrooms, sliced
Pesto
Mayonnaise
Mozza, grated

In a sauté pan, over med heat add oil and garlic. Saute the garlic for a couple of minutes. Add salt, pepper, basil and oregano and sauté for approximately another minute.
Add your zucchini, asparagus and pepper. Sauté until they are almost cooked then add your mushrooms. Sauté until mushrooms are almost soft, add a wee bit of white wine. Allow wine to evaporate and remove from heat. Place in a colander and allow the moisture to drain and cool.
Mix pesto and mayo together for the spread. (I usually add equal amounts of pesto and mayo)
Spread pesto/mayo mix on ciabatta and add your vegetables. Sprinkle a bit of mozza cheese on top.

For those of use with nut allergies, Knorr makes a great pesto product that does not contain nuts.

Risotto – The Ultimate Comfort Food

Risotto is a simple but luxurious dish from Northern Italy, that is the ultimate in comfort food. It is incredibly versatile, as you are limited only by your imagination in terms of ingredients. You can play around with flavors and ingredients but the method in which to make it stays the same. Once you master the basic technique you are on your way to the most amazing work of art ever created.

The simpleness of risotto is the four basic ingredients which are rice, butter, stock and cheese. It is made by stirring hot stock into shallots and rice until it has been absorbed, which results in a creamy but firm dish.

The most important ingredient that you will need will be the rice. Risotto rice has plump grains that are high in starch which is what gives it it’s texture. There are two different kinds of starch in risotto rice….amylase, which is the inner kernel and is a firm starch and breaks down slowly. This gives the centre the all important bite. The second starch is called amylopectin, which swells and dissolves as it cooks which is what makes the risotto creamy.

There are five rices that can be used for risotto. Some are easy to find others are harder to find as they are not as well known yet.

Arborio -  This is the most widely used and the most readily available. The grains are wider and  longer than Carnaroli or Nano. It is not as starchy and does not absorb liquid quite as well as others.  This brand is available anywhere.

Baldo – A relatively new rice. It is most comparable to arborio in shape and starchiness. It is the quickest cooking of all risotto rices.

Calriso – A hybrid of California and Italian varieties. Similar to Arborio in it’s cooking characteristics, but will expand quite a bit more.

Carnoroli - is known as the king of the rice. It is a superfino grain with a good balance of the two starches. This will make the creamiest risotto and will be more resistant to overcooking than Arborio.

Vialone nano – it will absorb twice it’s weight in liquid. It’s starch content is almost as high as Carnoroli. This will make a very creamy risotto as well while still retaining it’s bite as the center of the grain is harder and remains “al dente”.  This rice is not available in Alberta due primarily to price. It can be bought in B.C. however.

The rest of the ingredients will be a good quality stock, preferably homemade. If you don’t have the time to invest in making a good homemade stock, find your favorite brand at your local grocery store but find one that is low in sodium.  Butter, which is added at the end, cold, to keep it from splitting as well as to add to the creaminess of the risotto. Parmesan cheese, preferably Grana Padano, or Parmigiano Reggiano (finely grated). This is added at the end as well which will dissolve and cause the dish to emulsify (blend).

About 20 – 25 minutes after you have added stock to your rice your risotto should be ready. It should be creamy, with individual grains while still having a “bite” to it.  Add your cheese and butter and mix it in thoroughly. Remove it from the heat and serve it immediatly.

FOUR CHEESE, ROASTED GARLIC RISOTTO

3 c           Arborio or Carnaroli Rice

3 Tbsp    Olive Oil

3 Tbsp    Shallots, chopped fine

1/2 c       White WIne (optional)

3 Tbsp     Roasted Garlic

6 c           Chicken Stock

1/2 c       Asiago Cheese

1/2 c       Pecorino Cheese

1/2 c       Grana Pandano Cheese

1/2 c       Fontina Cheese

1/2 c       Green Onions (cut on the bias)

1 c           Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

1.       Heat the Olive Oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

2.       Add the garlic and shallots and cook until fragrant ( usually a couple of minutes)

3.       Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon to coat completely with the oil.

4.       Deglaze with white wine

5.       Add 1/2 cup of Chicken stock. Stir until absorbed. Continue adding stock in 1/2 cup ladels. Cook

until almost all the liquid is absorbed.

5.      Stir in the cheeses to incorporate. Add the green onions and tomatoes. Serve immediatly.

I prefer using Carnaroli rice for my risotto. For other variations I also like to use a tri – colored lentil blend as well as barley in place of rice.