A Very Updated Vegetable Chartreuse Recipes

A VERY UPDATED VEGETABLE CHARTREUSE

Steps:

• Cut the cabbage core/stem end. Separate off 12-13 leaves (several will be extra), choosing the biggest, most beautiful. Boil a pot of water, and salt until it tastes like pleasant seawater. Cook separated leaves in two batches, 3-4 minutes each, removing when they are pliable with a sieve or tongs to a baking tray lined with cloths or a large colander. Let them drain until very dry.
• From the remaining cabbage, very finely slice two cups of leaves, leaving the thick central stem behind (save/freeze for vegetable soup). Add the 1 1/2 cups julienne celery and leaves and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well, and leave sitting at room temperature for at least an hour and up to 2 hours, mixing occasionally.
• Combine 3 tablespoons butter and 1 of olive oil in a very large pan. Once butter is melted, add chopped onion, garlic, remaining celery and combined sage, rosemary and thyme, and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until onion is just translucent. If it starts to brown or stick, add a few drops of water. Add all diced mushrooms, and stir occasionally, cooking 15-25 minutes until the mushrooms' liquid has all emerged and evaporated. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Mix through, add white wine and cook for another minute. Turn off heat. Add parsley/celery leaves and crème fraîche, and mix through. Remove to a bowl, and refrigerate.
• Rinse spinach in a large colander. Put a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook spinach in batches with only the water clinging to the leaves until they are completely wilted. Remove to a colander to cool. Put the spinach in a strong clean kitchen cloth, and squeeze well, until completely dry. Put leaves through a food processor until very well chopped (or chop finely by hand). In a small pan, heat 5 tablespoons butter in 1 tablespoon olive oil until butter has just begun to brown. Add chopped spinach and nutmeg. Add 1 teaspoon sea salt, then sherry. Cook a few moments, until sherry is absorbed. Turn off heat. Add Parmesan and mix.
• Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter a 6- or 7-inch springform pan. Make sure the cabbage leaves are very dry. Put the prettiest cabbage leaf in the bottom of the pan, spreading it into a single layer. Trim any stem/central vein that overhangs. Use 5-7 more leaves to line the sides, pressing some of each leaf carefully into the bottom of the pan and the rest up the pan's side. There should be some leaf remaining overhanging the top. Continue, lightly overlapping the leaves, until sides are covered. Put a third of the mushroom mixture into the food processor, and blend to semi-smooth. Mix back into the rest of the mushrooms. Spread half the mushroom mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan, over the cabbage. Cover with an even layer of half the spinach. Drain the cabbage-celery slaw very well, pressing all the liquid. Spread the very dry slaw over the cabbage. Repeat with the remaining spinach, and then the remaining mushrooms. Cover the mushrooms with 1-3 more cabbage leaves, in a very thin layer, trimming to fit if necessary. Fold overhanging leaves to cover the bottom. Dot with remaining butter, divided. Put into the middle of the oven. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and let sit to cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Put a large plate over the cake pan. Invert the pan, and release the springform sides. Carefully remove the sides and top. Let the finished dish cool a few minutes more, then cut with a very sharp knife. Serve immediately, alone, or with a dollop of crème fraîche or ricotta on each serving.

JULIENNED POTATOES LYONNAISE

Steps:

• Peel potatoes and drop into cold water to prevent discoloration. Using shredding disk of food processor or hand grater, grate potatoes as finely as possible. There should be about six cups. Drop grated potatoes into basin of cold water and set aside.
• Cut the onion in half lengthwise. Cut each half crosswise into very thin slices. There should be about one cup.
• Heat oil in nonstick 10-inch or 11-inch skillet. When oil is hot, drain potatoes, pat dry and add them to skillet. Add salt and pepper. Cook over high heat, shaking skillet and stirring, so potatoes cook evenly, about 10 minutes. Add butter. Toss and stir. Continue cooking about 2 minutes. Add onions. Toss and stir to blend thoroughly. Continue cooking, tossing and stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.
• Using back of wooden spoon, press potato mixture to flatten well. Cook over moderately high heat about 2 minutes or until browned on bottom.
• Invert a round plate slightly larger than circumference of the skillet on top of skillet. Quickly turn skillet over so potatoes fall into the plate. Slip potatoes browned side up, back into skillet. Press down with back of wooden spoon.
• Cook on second side until nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

BRAISED LETTUCE ON ANCHOVY TOAST

Steps:

• Remove the outer leaves from the romaine, saving them for soup. Trim the stem, leaving it intact and leaves connected. Cut the head into 6 thin wedges, each wedge connected at the core/stem.
• Make anchovy butter by pounding the anchovies to a paste with the garlic paste, then mashing in 4 tablespoons butter. Combine well.
• Toast the bread.
• Warm a pan large enough to fit all of the lettuce wedges. Add remaining butter. Once it has melted, add the stock, and fit the romaine wedges closely into the pan in a single layer. Salt lightly. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, and turn all the wedges to another side. Salt again, and scatter with lemon zest. Continue to cook, turning once or twice more, until the liquid in the pan is absorbed and the lettuce is very wilted on the leaf end and tender on the stem end. Turn off heat.
• In the pan or on a cutting board, cut each wedge once or twice horizontally.
• Spread each piece of toast thickly with anchovy butter, then top with the sections of a wedge of lettuce. Sprinkle each lightly with salt again, if desired. Serve hot.

BLANCMANGE

Steps:

• Grind the nuts in a food processor to medium fine. Combine them with 2/3 cup of milk, lemon peel, cardamom and 1/2 cup of the cream in a small saucepan, and bring to just below a simmer, over medium heat. Turn off heat. Let steep 15 minutes. Sprinkle gelatin over remaining milk in a wide shallow bowl or gratin dish. Let bloom 10 minutes.
• Strain nut-milk-cream through a chinois or a sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth into a bowl. Firmly press the liquid through the cloth.
• Return the liquid to a clean saucepan, add the sugar and salt and heat over low, stirring until dissolved. Add the bloomed gelatin and stir well until thoroughly dissolved. Don't let the mixture come to a simmer. Stir in the vanilla. Set pan into a bowl of ice and cold water, and stir occasionally until cooler than your finger and the consistency of egg whites. If it sets too much, remove from cold water and whisk well.
• Beat the remaining cup of cream to just past soft peaks. Add a little of the whipped cream to the jelling nut-milk mixture to loosen, then add to the remaining whipped cream, folding thoroughly but gently. Brush a 6-to-7-inch cake pan or mold completely with vegetable oil. Add blancmange to oiled mold. Cover the surface directly with plastic, and chill, at least 6 hours or overnight. To serve, remove the plastic wrap, and lightly run a sharp knife around the blancmange's edge. If you've used an old, pretty mold, you may have to dunk it briefly in hot water to get it to release. Put an inverted plate over its top, and flip. Top with cherries or candied fruit or nothing at all.

CHICKEN FRICASSEE WITH VERMOUTH

Steps:

• Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat the butter in a skillet and add the chicken pieces skin side down. Cook over moderate heat about one minute without browning.
• Scatter the onion over all and cook 30 seconds. Add the garlic and stir it around. Cook the chicken about four minutes, turning the pieces often in the butter.
• Sprinkle the flour over all, turning the pieces so that they are evenly coated. Add the vermouth, chicken broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover and cook over moderate heat about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring two batches of water to the boil for the carrots and leeks. Drop the carrots into one batch, the leeks in the other. Let the carrots simmer about one minute and drain. Let the leeks simmer about four minutes.
• When the chicken has cooked for a total of 30 minutes (start to finish), add the carrots, leeks and cream. Let simmer about two minutes. Serve with rice.

SWEET-CORN SALAD

Steps:

• Scrape the kernels from each cob by holding it vertically in a large bowl, fat end up, and cutting kernels off, into the bowl, with a sharp knife. Freeze the empty cobs for soup stock.
• Heat a large, flat sauté pan. When it's warm, add a good amount of olive oil. Turn the heat down to medium-high, and add the garlic and onion.
• Sprinkle them lightly with kosher salt. Stir periodically for a few minutes, until the onions and garlic have begun to become translucent, then add the tomatoes or cucumbers (or combination). Let sizzle for two minutes, then add the corn and a sprinkle of water.
• Raise the heat, stir once or twice, taste for salt and adjust, then add a few drops of vinegar. Mix through. Turn off heat, add herbs, stir.

JULIENNE OF CARROTS WITH SNOW PEAS

Steps:

• Slice the carrots into julienne strips about 1 1/2 inches long.
• Place the carrots in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer 4 minutes. Add the snow peas, bring to a boil, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Drain.
• Heat the oil in a skillet and add the carrots, snow peas, garlic, soy sauce, scallions and pepper. Stir and cook 1 minute. Serve.