Crostini With Roasted Garlic Pea Purée And Roasted Asparagus Andersen Recipes

ROASTED GARLIC CROSTINI WITH ASSORTED TOPPINGS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the garlic in a roasting pan and drizzle on the olive oil. Toss to coat thoroughly. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the garlic bulbs are very tender but not overly brown. Test by carefully giving a bulb a gentle squeeze while protecting your hand with a folded kitchen towel or an oven glove. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• 2. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut each head of garlic crosswise in half, midway between its leaf and root ends, to expose all the cloves inside. Their pulp will be golden brown and as soft as butter. You can squeeze it out of each half by hand or scoop it out with a small spoon or knife. Transfer the roasted garlic to a small bowl, pour in any olive oil from the baking dish, and stir and mash with a fork to form a smooth purée. You'll have 1/3 to 1/2 cup of purée, depending on the size of the garlic heads.
• 3. To make the Roasted Garlic Crostini, preheat the oven to 375° F. Brush the bread slices with the olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake them until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool to room temperature. Spread the puréed roasted garlic evenly on the tops of the crostini. Top the crostini with any of the options listed above, or make an assortment. Spread some with 1 tablespoon each of goat cheese; then decorate the cheese with strips of roasted bell pepper or a mixture of sun-dried tomato strips and capers, or a smear of tapenade. In place of the goat cheese, top others with diced tomato tossed with some fresh basil, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar; with prosciutto and Parmesan cheese; with anchovy fillets and freshly ground black pepper; or with slices of Roma tomato and fresh mozzarella, topped with fresh basil leaves.

CROSTINI WITH ROASTED GARLIC PEA PURéE AND ROASTED ASPARAGUS ANDERSEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Cut 1/2-inch off top of garlic head and put head on sheet of foil. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over garlic and wrap tightly in foil. Roast garlic in middle of oven until very soft, 40 to 50 minutes, and cool.
• While garlic is cooling, arrange baguette slices in one layer on a large baking sheet and brush lightly on each side with additional oil. Bake slices in middle of oven until crisp and pale golden, 5 to 10 minutes, and transfer to rack.
• Squeeze roasted garlic from head into a food processor and add peas and salt and pepper to taste. Blend pea mixture until coarsely puréed. On baking sheet toss asparagus pieces with remaining tablespoon oil and sesame seeds and arrange in one layer. Roast asparagus in middle of oven, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 10 minutes.
• Spread toasts with pea purée and divide asparagus among them.

ASPARAGUS WITH ROASTED-GARLIC AïOLI

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Cut off and discard tops of garlic heads to expose cloves, then brush each head with 1/2 tablespoon oil. Wrap heads together in foil and bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Cool to warm.
• Squeeze garlic from skins into a food processor and purée with mayonnaise, vinegar, pepper, and salt. Transfer aioli to a bowl and stir in chives.
• Peel lower two thirds of each asparagus stalk with a vegetable peeler. Cook asparagus in a wide 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander and rinse under cold water until asparagus is cool. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Serve asparagus with roasted-garlic aioli.

ROASTED GARLIC-PEA PURéE ON SOURDOUGH CROUTES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Diagonally cut twenty-four 1/4-inch-thick slices from baguette with a serrated knife and arrange in one layer on a large baking sheet. Lightly brush tops of slices with about 1 tablespoon oil total and season with salt and pepper. Bake slices in middle of oven 5 minutes, or until golden, and transfer to a rack to cool.
• Separate garlic heads into cloves, discarding loose papery outer skin but keeping skin on cloves intact, and wrap together in foil, crimping seams to seal tightly. Roast garlic in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until soft. Unwrap garlic and cool slightly. Peel skin from each clove. Finely grate enough Parmigiano-Reggiano to measure 1/4 cup and chill remainder, wrapped in plastic wrap.
• In a saucepan cook peas in water, stirring, until just tender and heated through. In a food processor puree warm peas, garlic, grated cheese, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon oil, and salt and pepper to taste until smooth. Transfer puree to a bowl and cool completely. Puree may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring puree to room temperature before using and season with salt and pepper.
• With a vegetable peeler shave 24 thin slices from chilled Parmigiano-Reggiano. Spread about 1 heaping tablespoon puree on each toast and top with an arugula leaf and a Parmigiano-Reggiano shaving.
• Serve toasts drizzled with remaining oil.

CROSTINI WITH PEA PURéE, ROCKET & BROAD BEANS

Steps:

• Cook the broad beans in a pan of boiling water for 4 mins until just tender. Drain, cool under cold running water, then drain and set aside. In the same pan, fry the peas in half the butter until just cooked. Allow to cool, then blitz with a hand blender or in a food processor with the mint, yogurt and seasoning until smooth.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Melt the rest of the butter in a small pan, stir in the dill, then brush over the slices of bread. Bake for 10-12 mins until the bread is crisp and golden.
• Spread some pea purée onto each slice, then top with rocket, broad beans and radishes. Use a potato peeler to shave pecorino on top. Drizzle with olive oil, if you like, before serving.

PEAS, MINT & PARMESAN CROSTINI

Steps:

• Grill 12 slices bread and rub with garlic clove.
• Blanch peas in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes for fresh peas and 1 minute for frozen.
• Drain peas; transfer to a bowl. Season with kosher salt and extra-virgin olive oil and mash with the back of a fork.
• Spread about 1 tablespoon mixture over each toast. Garnish with shaved Parmesan, torn mint, and a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

ROASTED GARLIC CROSTINI

Steps:

• Trim tip off garlic head to expose cloves; place head on piece of foil.
• Drizzle oil over top; wrap in foil.
• Bake in 400°F oven until cloves are softened and caramelized, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, toast baguette slices on baking sheet in 400°F oven until golden, about 8 minutes.
• Spread pine nuts on small baking sheet; toast alongside baguette slices until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
• To serve, arrange baguette slices, garlic, pine nuts, goat cheese and parsley on serving plate.
• Using small fork, remove 2 roasted cloves from garlic bulb; spread on baguette slice.
• Top with goat cheese round, pine nuts and parsley.

SAUTéED SCALLOPS WITH ASPARAGUS PURéE

Steps:

• Asparagus: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously (make it as salty as seawater). Trim the woody ends from asparagus and discard; then submerge asparagus in the boiling water. Cover with lid just until the water comes back to a boil, then uncover and cook until al dente (tender but with just a little crunch), 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice water.
• Asparagus are done when they bend without snapping. Use a spider strainer to transfer them to the ice bath; submerge and stir to immediately stop the cooking. Reserve cooking water (to thin purée). Cut asparagus tips and reserve for garnish. Cut stalks into 2-inch pieces and set aside.
• Place asparagus stalks in the blender and cover with lid; pulse a few times. Remove the smaller cap in the lid and turn blender to medium speed. Ladle in a slow stream of cooking water (about ½ cup) to help the asparagus purée. Use caution, as the water and purée are hot! Replace the cap, then purée on high speed. When the purée is smooth, strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any fibrous strands. Salt the purée to taste and set aside.
• Scallops: Place scallops on paper towels in an even layer and pat dry; this is an important step to get a nice sear. Pull off and discard any tough side-muscles (their fibers run against the grain of the rest of the scallop). Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, then add oil. (Add more as needed to coat the bottom of the skillet.) When the oil begins to ripple, add scallops in an even layer without crowding. Let cook undisturbed, 60-90 seconds. Scallops are ready to flip when they are evenly caramelized and no longer stick to the skillet. Before flipping, sprinkle with sea salt. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the asparagus purée.
• When scallops are golden brown on the first side, they should release easily from the skillet. Using a small offset spatula, flip each scallop to sear the second side; continue sautéing, 30-45 more seconds, depending on size. Remove scallops to a paper towel-lined plate and let rest while finishing the sauce.
• Add half of the asparagus tips to the warmed purée. Add butter, then swirl the saucepan continuously until all the butter has melted and emulsified into the purée to make a rich sauce.
• Immediately before serving, add the lemon juice to the asparagus sauce and stir to combine; taste and adjust seasoning. Divide the sauce among plates or large bowls, then place the scallops on the sauce. Garnish with remaining asparagus tips and serve immediately.

FARFALLE WITH ROASTED GARLIC AND PEA PURéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425° F.
• Cut 1/2 inch off top of garlic head, discarding it, and wrap garlic tightly in foil. Roast garlic in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until very soft, and cool. Squeeze roasted garlic from head into a blender.
• In a saucepan boil thawed peas in 2 cups salted water until just tender, about 5 minutes, and in blender purée garlic, peas and cooking liquid, butter, lemon juice, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. In a saucepan keep purée warm, covered.
• In a 6-quart kettle bring 5 quarts salted water to a boil and cook farfalle, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta in a colander and in a bowl toss with sauce, snow-pea or pea shoots, and salt and pepper to taste.