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Topics - Miranda

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1
Bread / Flat Breads with Two Toppings (Laganes)
« on: August 16, 2010, 03:58:12 am »
Hi everyone!  I haven't made it, but it sounds delicious. I haven't done the TM conversion. Is that ok? 
Also, I've been experimenting on cooking flatbreads on the electric griller/press thingy.  Works pretty well, and then they can be toasted immediately after the toppings have been added!  Cheers, Miranda

Flat Breads with Two Toppings
(Laganes)

 
1 1⁄2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 1⁄2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup fine semolina
3⁄4 cup whole wheat flour
1⁄2 cup barley flour
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
1 tsp. ground coriander
1⁄2 tsp. ground caraway seeds
1⁄4 tsp. ground mahlepi (optional)
1⁄4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper,
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil,
    plus more for brushing
1⁄2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. tomato paste
3⁄4 cup marsala wine or port
1 tbsp. honey
1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp. crushed red chile flakes or 1⁄2 tsp. Aleppo pepper, plus more
1  28-oz. can crushed  tomatoes,
2 medium zucchini, julienned
14 oz. feta, crumbled
 

1. In a large bowl, stir together yeast and 1 3⁄4 cups water heated to 115°; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, semolina, whole wheat and barley flours, salt, coriander, caraway, mahlepi, and pepper until combined. Add yeast mixture and stir to form a dough. Transfer dough to a floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl; cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce: Heat 6 tbsp. oil in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, until glossy, about 2 minutes. Add marsala, honey, cinnamon, chile flakes, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Season sauce with salt and set aside.

3. Heat remaining oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 8 minutes; set aside.

4. Uncover dough, divide into 16 portions; roll each into a ball. Transfer dough balls to a floured baking sheet and cover with a damp tea towel; let rest for 30 minutes. Working with one dough ball at a time, transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and use a rolling pin to roll dough into an 8" disk about 1⁄2" thick; transfer the disk to a parchment paper–lined, floured baking sheet, sprinkle with more flour, and repeat with remaining dough, placing a piece of parchment paper between each rolled disk. Cover disks with plastic wrap until ready to use.

5. Heat a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Working with one dough disk at a time, brush with olive oil and place in skillet. Cook, flipping once, until puffed and golden brown, 3–4 minutes. Spoon tomato sauce or zucchini over top and 
sprinkle with feta and more chile flakes. 


2
Hi all.  Found this info while spending too much time researching recipes instead of cooking!  Hope it is of some interest. Have included the whole recipe for the info on squeezing.  I'm of the just ok butter makers, and need to improve my technique.

Homemade Butter


We found that ripening the cream a bit first—in essence, culturing it—yields a more fully flavored butter.

Start by pouring a quart of the best-quality organic heavy cream into a large bowl; then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the cream sit at room temperature (ideally, around 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit), undisturbed, for six hours so that it begins to sour slightly. In the meantime, line a colander with cheesecloth and set it inside another bowl.

1. Begin slowly whisking the cream using a balloon whisk; as the cream reaches the soft-peak stage, speed up the whisking motion.

2. Butterfat, in the form of tiny granules, will begin to accumulate on the sides of the bowl as it separates from the buttermilk (the liquid portion of cream); continue whisking until the butterfat granules are about half the size of a pea.

3. Pour the entire contents of the bowl into the cheesecloth-lined strainer and let the mixture drain for several minutes.

4. Gather the ends of the cheesecloth together and squeeze, pushing downward to extract as much additional liquid as possible; then unwrap the butter solids from the cheesecloth. (Reserve the butter milk to use in your favorite biscuit recipe, if you like.)

5. Pour cool water over the butter and rinse, carefully squeezing and folding the mass in on itself, until the water runs clear.

6. Put the butter into a bowl and sprinkle it with 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt.

7. Using a wooden spoon, smear the butter mass repeatedly against the side of the bowl to aerate it and thoroughly incorporate the salt; pour off any additional liquid the butter may release.

8. Using the wooden spoon, transfer the salted butter onto the center of a piece of wax paper and form it into a single, smooth-sided brick.

9. Wrap the butter tightly in the wax paper and refrigerate it overnight before you use it, to allow its flavor to develop. It will keep for about three weeks.

From the American cooking magazine, Saveur. http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Homemade-Butter

3
Condiments and Sauces / Chlorophyll Paste
« on: June 05, 2010, 05:12:14 am »
Hi everyone!  This is my first post, but I've been reading the site for ages and have found it very useful and stuffed with yummy ideas!
Anyway, I had this Chlorophyll Paste recipe that I sourced ages ago, just in case i needed it.  After Masterchef last night, I think it may be time to give it a go!.  Taste buds tingling at the thought of it added to mashed potatoes! 
Happy Saturday everyone!   Miranda



http://www.ukthermomix.com/recshow.php?rec_id=33

Chlorophyll Paste - Tom Cockerill, Entropy Restaurant

There is an enzyme within green plant matter called chlorophyllase, which at moderate temperatures 66-77˚C, attacks the bright green chlorophyll pigment within the plant making chlorophyll water soluble. This is why green vegetables cooked in water that isn’t close enough to the boil lose their vibrancy, since the bright green pigmentation leeches out into the cooking water. 

This recipe uses the thermomix’s controlled heating & puréeing functions to deliberately cause this effect in order to obtain the pigment for culinary use, and the ice used at the end minimises the cooking time to prevent the pigment itself from dulling.

Ingredients

750 gm water
250 gm washed baby spinach leaves
80 – 150 gm soft herbs (depending on desired strength of flavour)
500 gm ice cubes

Method

Weigh the ice into the bowl of the Thermomix.  Crush by Turbo pulsing several times and then tip out the crushed ice into a large mixing bowl.

Weigh the water directly into the Thermomix bowl and bring up to precisely 70˚C (approx 5-6 minutes/ 70˚C/ Speed 1).  Stop the Thermomix, remove the lid & weigh in the baby spinach & herbs.
Blitz on full power 6 minutes/ 70˚C/ Speed 10 and then immediately pour into the bowl of crushed ice.

Pour the contents of the bowl into a sieve lined with muslin.  Ideally leave to drain over night.

The resulting paste left in the muslin is the chlorophyll.  This may be kept refrigerated for up to two days.

Chef's Tips

Chlorophyll Paste provides a natural colour & flavour base for a variety of uses: added to soups at the last minute it gives a bright verdant colour, it also works well with cream based sauces, risottos & mashed potato. Any type of soft herb can be used when following this recipe to impart a distinctive flavour to the finished dish.

Many thanks to Tom Cockerill, Chef/Proprietor, Entropy Restaurant, Leicester. "Which" Good Food Guide, Best Newcomer 2006.

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