Spice (64 page)

For the Rich Veal Stock

5 pounds veal bones

¼ cup tomato paste

1 Spanish white onion, roughly chopped

2 large carrots, roughly chopped

1 rib celery, roughly chopped

1 head garlic, split in half horizontally, skins left on

For the Soup

1 ½ sticks butter

1 cup flour

10 cups rich veal stock

1 wheel brie (about 1 kilo or 2 pounds), trimmed of most of the rind

¼ cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

¼ cup brandy or cognac

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ¼ lemon)

Salt and pepper to taste

3 to 4 cups vegetable or canola oil for frying

¼ cup fine cornmeal or polenta

½ teaspoon paprika

32 to 40 freshly shucked oysters, drained well in a colander or sieve

8 whole sage leaves

To Make the Rich Veal Stock

1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2.
Place the veal bones in a heavy roasting pan and roast them for about an hour, until browned.

3.
Add the tomato paste and chopped vegetables to the roasting pan, toss to combine, and continue roasting for 30 minutes.

4.
Transfer the contents of the roasting pan to a large stockpot (that can hold 2 gallons) and fill it with 8 quarts of water. Bring this to a boil over high heat and skim off any foam that forms on the surface. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 5 to 6 hours, skimming fat from the surface every hour or so.

5.
Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve. Cool and refrigerate the stock for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 1 month. Makes 1 gallon.

To Make the Soup

1.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and cook it for a few minutes until it starts to bubble and just begins to turn brown. Make the roux by stirring in ¾ cup of the flour and whisk until it forms a smooth paste. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking constantly.

2.
Add the veal stock, whisking to incorporate the roux and thicken the broth slightly. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low, simmering for about 15 minutes.

3.
Break up the brie into chunks and stir it into the soup, allowing a few minutes for it to melt. Add the cream, chopped sage, brandy, and lemon juice.

4.
Allow the soup to cool for 20 minutes or so and then place it in small batches in a blender or use a handheld emulsion blender. Be careful using the blender when puréeing hot soup; the heat causes expansion and can pop the top off. You must hold the top firmly and only fill the blender ½ full. Start the blender on the lowest possible speed. If using an emulsion blender, you can blend the soup right in the pot. Blend the soup until smooth.

5.
Strain the soup through a fine sieve or china cap to remove little bits of brie rind and make the soup as silky as possible. Season the finished soup with salt and pepper and set it aside over very low heat.

6.
About 20 minutes before serving, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until it reaches 350°F. You can check the temperature with a thermometer or you can tell when it’s hot enough if one drop of tap water sizzles when flicked into the oil. If the oil smokes, it’s too hot; you can then reduce the heat to very low and let it cool off.

7.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, mix together the remaining ¼ cup flour with the cornmeal and paprika. Add the oysters and shake them around in the dredge until they are coated. Place them in a sieve and shake off as much excess flour as possible.

8.
Drop the whole sage leaves into the hot oil, one at a time, and carefully stand back: the oil will spatter from the water in the sage. Fry the sage leaves until the oil becomes quiet and the leaves are crisp and slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Remove the leaves with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper towel. Sprinkle the leaves with salt and set aside.

9.
Drop the oysters into the oil in batches of 8. Fry them until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside, about 4 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper towel. Repeat the frying process until all the oysters are fried.

10.
Meanwhile, warm 8 soup bowls under hot tap water or in a 200°F oven for a few minutes.

11.
Arrange 4 to 5 oysters in the bottom of each soup bowl and top each with a fried sage leaf.

12.
Ladle hot soup into gravy pitchers or small water pitchers and pass them around the table to pour over the oysters and sage. You can also ladle the soup into each bowl yourself, just before serving. But remember that the longer you wait to add the soup, the crisper the oysters will stay.

Green Tomato Soup with Summer Savory

This summer favorite is my interpretation of a traditional Greek recipe that my friend Gökcen Adar and I once discussed during a ferry ride across the Bosporus.

Green tomatoes are unripe, and their flesh is tart and meatier than ripened tomatoes. While they are practically inedible raw, they soften and keep their shape when cooked. Look for green tomatoes just before tomato season starts: usually late June for New England.

M
AKES
8
CUPS TO SERVE
8

6 tablespoons butter

½ cup flour

1 small onion, roughly chopped

6 cups roughly chopped green tomatoes (about 1 pound)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped summer savory leaves plus a few sprigs for garnish or basil to substitute

¾ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese or grated kasseri cheese

2 heaping tablespoons Greek-style or plain whole-milk yogurt

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ¼ lemon)

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1.
In a large heavy stockpot or saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. When it starts to foam, make a roux by adding the flour and cooking for a minute while stirring or whisking. Do not brown the roux.

2.
Stir in the onion to coat and cook, stirring for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion begins to soften.

3.
Stir in the tomatoes and cover with 4½ cups of water. Season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.

4.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the summer savory leaves and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep anything from sticking to the bottom, until the tomatoes are soft. Remove from the heat. With a slotted spoon, remove ½ cup of the cooked tomatoes, chop them finely, and set them aside for a garnish. Allow the soup to cool for at least 20 minutes.

5.
Carefully purée the soup in a blender with the parsley leaves, cheese, and yogurt, until smooth. You will need to do this in 2 to 3 batches, depending on the size of your blender. Strain the soup through a china cap or fine sieve into a medium saucepan. This will make the soup ultrasmooth.

6.
Gently reheat the soup and taste it for seasoning. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with nutmeg, a sprig of summer savory, and a spoonful of reserved tomato. Serve immediately.

Fried Green Tomato Parmesan

Because of the movie with the same name, I had always thought that fried green tomatoes were an American dish straight out of the south. After eating many delicious plates of them at Uglesich, my favorite New Orleans restaurant, I was inspired to research green tomatoes in other cuisines. My friend Lydia Giambarella from the Calabria region of Italy, told me that she prepared green tomatoes similarly in her hometown. I have since found recipes from Greece, Turkey, and all over the Mediterranean that use green tomatoes. This one is my favorite.

Serve this bubbly casserole with a salad in the summer for a vegetarian meal or as a side dish with grilled meat.

An earthy, medium-bodied red wine, like a Chianti Classico, is just right with this dish.

S
ERVES
8
TO
10

4 large green unripe tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

1½ cups all-purpose flour

3 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

2 cups fine unflavored or plain bread crumbs, such as the Japanese Panko brand (see page 156)

1 to 1½ cups olive oil

2 balls fresh buffalo-milk mozzarella (about 12 ounces total), sliced into ¼-inch slices

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano or summer savory

4 cups tomato sauce with caramelized butter (see Grilled Skirt Steak, page 26)