Trout Salad and Risotto of the Vigil

 

 

 

It has been cold and rainy in Los Angeles (although it is now warm again and I am writing this wearing a tee-shirt and shorts). Bea remains a semi-invalid in her house (she still can’t walk, but hopefully will in just a couple of more weeks). It seems funny not having our favorite guest over. Soon.

We made a Smoked Trout Salad that was excellent. It is from a cookbook that is a little fancy for us: Bouchon by Thomas Keller, but this recipe is really good. It uses Belgium Endive and is very crispy. The smoked trout is chunked into pieces and combined with the salad. It lasted for 3 days!

Every winter we make Risotto of the Vigil from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. It is a very hearty Risotto made with lots of ingredients. We hadn’t made it yet this winter and this was the ideal weather for it! We still had prosciutto left from the piece that Chris at The Cheese Store of Silverlake had given us, so th is was a perfect use for it. The left over risotto can be frozen or reheated in a microwave. This is one of those great recipes we seem to make once a year and then put away for the next cold winter.


Endive Salad with Trout and Lemon Vinaigrette
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LEMON VINAIGRETTE
2 large lemons
1 hard-cooked egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon minced cornichons
1 tablespoon minced drained nonpareil capers, preferably Spanish

POTATOES
8 ounces small iingerling potatoes (no wider in diameter than a quarter)
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leai
2 garlic cloves, skin left on, smashed Kosher salt

SALAD
4 small heads Belgian endive
4 small heads red Belgian endive
8 ounces smoked trout fillet, skin and bones removed
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/4 cup minced chives
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon drained nonpareil capers, preferably Spanish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
'/4 cup chervil leaves
'/4 cup tarragon leaves
1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves
12 caper berries, drained


This is a traditional smoked fish salad, with a crisp flavorful lettuce, potatoes, and a thick, creamy, lemony vinaigrette. Here again a preserved food, critical to the bistro kitchen, is at the center of the dish. Smoked fish and potatoes always make a great combination because the potatoes carry the smoked flavor so nicely. This salad also works well with watercress or any spicy lettuce. In the fall, you can add some crisp tart apple, finely sliced or julienned.

FOR the VINAIGRETTE: Remove the zest from the lemons (a Microplane grater does an excellent job). Finely chop the zest. (You should have about 1 tablespoon.) Set aside. Squeeze 2 tablespoons juice from 1 of the lemons; reserve the remaining lemon for another use.

Place the egg yolk in a small deep bowl and crush it with a fork. Add the lemon juice and mustards and combine well with a hand blender or a whisk. With the blender running, or whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the oil until emulsified. Mix in the lemon zest, cornichons, and capers.

FOR THE POTATOES: Wash the potatoes and slice them into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Put the potatoes, peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf, and garlic in a medium saucepan. Add cold water to cover by 1 inch and season the water with salt until it tastes like the sea. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender; drain. Discard the seasonings and garlic.

FOR THE SALAD: Remove and discard any bruised outer leaves from the heads of endive and cut each head lengthwise in half. Cut out and discard the cores. Place the endives cut side down on a cutting board and cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Combine the endive and potatoes in a bowl.

Break the trout into 1 to 11/2-inch chunks and add to the bowl, along with the shallots, chives, and capers. Toss the salad with about l/2 cup of the dressing, or as needed to coat the ingredients, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the chervil, tarragon, and parsley leaves.



Imola's Risotto of the Vigil
Risotto della Vigilia di Natale
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The Splendid Table Lynne Rossetto Kasper

A saute of beef and cabbagesimmers in a risotto of tomato and wine. Carrot and onion browned with fresh sage and a hint of garlic boost the flavors of this country dish. Breaking Christmas Eve's meatless vigil with this one-dish feast was the tradition in the farmhouses of lmola's countryside.

Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main dish

About 4 cups water
3ounce lean salt pork, cut into small dice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces lean beef chuck, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
1 small stalk celery with leaves, coarsely chopped
1 medium to large onion, coarsely chopped
3 large fresh sage leaves, or 3 large dried sage leaves
1 medium Savoy cabbage (about 1 pound), halved, cored, coarsely chopped
4 cups Poultry / Meat Stock (beef or veal stock)
1 cup water
1 1/4 cups (8 ½ ounces) imported Superfine Arborio or Roma rice wine
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 cup canned tomatoes with their liquid
1 tablespoon choppecl fresh basil leaves
2 cups (8 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 marrow bone approximately 1 inch soaked 1st.

Working Ahead: The risotto is best cooked just before serving, but its base can be prepared several hours ahead. Refrigerate the browned beef. The sauteed vegetables can be held up to 3 hours at room temperature in their covered pot.

Blanching the Salt Pork: Bring the water to a boil, drop in the salt pork, and boil about 4 minutes. Drain, rinse, and pat dry. (We use end of a procsutto and simply cut off the required amount of meat)

Making the Base: In a heavy 5-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the salt pork and cook slowly 8 minutes, or until it has given up much of its fat and turned golden brown. Remove the pork bits with a slotted spoon, and reserve. Pour off and discard all but 3 tablespoons of the fat. Turn the heat to high and add the beef. Quickly brown 8 minutes, or until dark and crusty on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon, and reserve. Stir the carrot, celery, onion, and sage into the pot, and cook over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion is golden brown. Add the cabbage, and stir frequently over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes, or until wilted.

Cooking the Rice: Warm shallow soup dishes in a low oven. Bring the stock and 2 cups of water to a simmer in a saucepan. Add the rice to the vegetable mixture, and stir over medium heat about 2 minutes. Blend in the wine and garlic and cook at a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, 5 minutes, or until the wine has been absorbed. Then add the tomato sauce or canned tomatoes and basil, along with the reserved salt pork and beef and cook another 5 minutes, stirring to keep from sticking.

Keep heat at about medium so the mixture simmers. Add 1 cup of the stock mixture and stir until it has been absorbed by the rice. Repeat, stirring in 1 cup until the rice is still a little too firm to be eaten. Then start adding the liquid in 1/4-cup quantities until the rice has only slightly more bite than you would like.

Finishing and Serving: The risotto's consistency should be like a thick soup. Fold in about 2/3 cup of the cheese, remove from the heat, and season with salt and pepper. Let the risotto rest, uncovered, 5 minutes. Mound the risotto in the heated soup dishes land serve, passing the remaining cheese separately.