Winter 2007 - Seasonal Recipes

Table of Contents | Flavor Most Fowl | Five Star Night | What's In Season | Seasonal Recipes

SEASONAL RECIPES

BY CURTIS DECARION, CHEF-OWNER AT CAFÉ ESIN

Citrus is important to our cooking at Café Esin, perhaps because it is embedded in our backgrounds. Esin and I grew up in different countries-she is from Turkey and I am from Miami-but both of us had fruit trees at our homes as children. I had kumquats, oranges, avocados, mangoes and bananas trees. Esin had Seville oranges, lemons and tangerines, along with many other fruits and vegetables. As a young child I would pick the kumquats, eat some of the puckery fruit and then throw some at friends. I didn't realize their value until later in life. Esin's mother would make jams with the Seville oranges and her family would utilize the lemons and other citrus in many Mediterranean dishes.

If we had to choose one citrus as a favorite at Café Esin it would be the lemon. It is quite versatile and will brighten the flavor of many dishes. This time of year we have the wonderful Meyer lemon, which has a hint of orange flavor and is not as sour as a conventional lemon. Esin incorporates the Meyer lemon into her meringue tart with gingersnap crust.

Cafe Esin
2416 San Ramon Valley Blvd. Suite 140
San Ramon, CA
(925) 314-0974
www.cafeesin.com

ESIN'S LEMON MERINGUE TART
WITH GINGERSNAP CRUST

Crust
6-7 gingersnap cookies
2 tablespoons melted butter

Crush cookies in a food processor until fine. Stir in melted butter. Press mixture into bottom and sides of 9-inch tart pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.

Filling
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
5 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Zest of Meyer lemons

Whisk together eggs and egg yolks in a stainless steel bowl. Add lemon juice and sugar, stirring until smooth. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly until it thickens. Remove from heat and immediately submerge the bowl in an ice water bath just enough to cool the outside of the bowl-about 10 seconds. Remove from the ice bath. Add butter piece by piece. Add lemon zest and stir lightly to combine. Pour the lemon filling into prepared tart pan. Bake about 10 minutes until filling has set. Take it out of the oven and let it cool.

MERINGUE
½ cup egg whites (about 4), warm
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Place egg whites in mixing bowl. Place the bowl in a warm water bath to heat the bowl. With the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks begin to form. Raise speed to high and gradually add the sugar. Beat the mixture until stiff and glossy peaks form. Spread the meringue over the tart, covering to the edges. Create peaks the meringue while spreading it by pulling up with the spatula. Form enough points to cover entire tart. Use a kitchen blow torch to brown the meringue all over.

CAFÉ ESIN'S GRILLED SALMON
WITH WINTER CITRUS SALAD
Serves 4-6

1 navel orange, zested, peeled, sectioned, juice    reserved
1 blood orange, peeled and sectioned, juice    reserved
1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned, juice reserved
1/2 Meyer lemon, zested, juice reserved
1 tablespoon shallot, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups baby lettuces
2 cups watercress or arugula
1 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons toasted pinenuts
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
4 4-ounce filets of salmon, either grilled or    poached

VINAIGRETTE

In a mixing bowl measure ¼ cup of the reserved citrus juices. Place shallots, 1 tablespoon of zest from citrus and parsley in the bowl with the juices. Slowly whisk in the extra virgin olive oil and add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

SALAD

In a large mixing bowl place lettuces, watercress, and enough vinaigrette to coat the leaves. Lightly toss the greens and place on large platter or individual serving plates. In the same bowl place the segments of fruit and avocado, and add 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and very gently toss to coat. Sprinkle the segments over salad or arrange around edge of plate. Distribute the pinenuts and crumbled feta over the top of salad. Serve with medium rare grilled salmon or crumbled poached salmon over the top of the salad.

BRINED PORK CHOPS WITH KUMQUAT-CHERRY CHUTNEY FROM CAFÉ ESIN

4 to 6 10-ounce pork chops with bone in, brined

BRINE

2 quarts water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 juniper berries
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
2 garlic cloves
1 celery stalk diced
1/2 onion diced
1 carrot diced
1 bay leaf
5 peppercorns

Bring all ingredients to boil, chill and then submerge pork chops for 14 hours. Remove, pat dry and grill or roast pork chops. Top with chutney.

KUMQUAT-CHERRY CHUTNEY

1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup dried cherries, rough chopped
8 ounces candied fresh kumquats, cut into 1/4 inch-thick rounds, seeded (recipe follows)
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice

Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chutney thickens and kumquats are translucent, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Cool completely. Discard cinnamon stick.

CANDIED KUMQUATS

3 cups sugar
3 cups water
1 pound kumquats

Boil sugar, water, and kumquats for 15 minutes, until tender and refrigerate for 3 days before using. Prepare kumquats: with a sharp knife cut slits (1/2 inch deep) at right angles on the blossom end.