Big Sur Bakery Cookbook - Michelle Wojtowicz [92]
Serve whole or sliced into ½-inch-thick pieces cut diagonally against the grain. The ginger sauce can be spooned directly onto the plate or served in a separate dish for guests to help themselves.
Photographs by Sara Remington
Photographs by Sara Remington
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Butter Lettuce with Fennel, Herbs, Meyer Lemon Dressing, and Shaved Pecorino
The Meyer lemon tree is a native of China whose fruit is more orange-like, sweeter, and less acidic than normal lemons, and in Big Sur pretty much everyone seems to have one. Since all the trees start to bear fruit at the same time, we get hit with waves of locals all talking about their lemons—and wondering what to do with them. So this one is for the people. We like to add crunchy thin slices of fennel to complement the soft, silky texture of the butter lettuce. People have different preferences when it comes to the licorice flavor of fennel, so feel free to use as much or as little of the bulb as you like.
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INGREDIENTS
½ fennel bulb
2 heads butter lettuce
¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
½ cup Meyer lemon dressing
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces Pecorino, thinly shaved with a vegetable peeler (about ½ cup)
12 to 16 pieces candied Meyer lemon zest
Serves 4
Using a mandoline, carefully slice the fennel into paper-thin shavings. Tear the butter lettuce leaves from the cores, and put them in a large mixing bowl. Add the tarragon, shallots, chives, parsley, and fennel, and toss. Gently dress the salad with just enough Meyer lemon dressing to coat the leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the salad to a platter, top it with the shaved Pecorino, and garnish it with the candied lemon zest. Serve immediately.
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Pearl Barley with Kale and Butternut Squash
People who haven’t eaten barley don’t know what they’re missing. Hearty and spongy, when it’s cooked right, barley pops in your mouth. It’s an annual cereal grain and a member of the grass family—and a staple cereal of ancient Egypt, where it was used to make bread and beer. You can also use barley in soups and stews and even as a coffee substitute. We like serving it with spicy kale and sweet squash as a hearty side dish, or even as a vegetarian meal.
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INGREDIENTS
FOR THE BARLEY:
1 cup pearl barley
4 tablespoons rice bran oil or canola oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 small serrano chile, minced
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 flat-leaf parsley stem
2 cups Irish-style stout (such as Guinness)
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup beef broth
FOR THE SQUASH:
1 small butternut squash, peeled, halved, and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE KALE:
3 bunches kale
½ cup olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, sliced
5 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
FOR SERVING:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
1 whole scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
In a small bowl, mix the barley with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Scatter the mixture on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until the barley is golden—really golden—about 20 minutes. Set the barley aside but leave the oven on.
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons oil into it. Add the onions, carrots, celery, serrano chile, garlic, bay leaf, and parsley stem. Cook until the vegetables are caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the toasted barley and sauté for 2 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the beer, scraping any brown bits from the bottom