Spice (75 page)

1.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the beans to a boil with the water, onion, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes, until the beans are very tender. Skim off any white foam that forms at the top as the beans cook.

2.
Drain the beans into a colander and discard the bay leaf.

3.
While the beans are still warm, toss them with the walnuts, garlic, and butter in a medium mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper. You will need at least 1½ teaspoons of salt. Stir until everything is combined and the butter has softened and is evenly distributed throughout.

4.
Purée the mixture in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, until smooth and creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. You should have a thick bean puree or paste.

5.
In a small mixing bowl, mix the herbs together and then blend half of them into the beans.

6.
Spread the purée ¼ to ½ inch thick onto a small baking sheet, lined with plastic wrap.Cool completely at room temperature, for at least 30 minutes.

7.
Sprinkle the purée generously with the ¼ cup pomegranate seeds and remaining fresh herbs, and then roll the purée into a log from one end to the other, using the plastic wrap to help roll.

8.
Wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap and chill it again for 2 hours or overnight.

9.
Cut the log into ½-to 1-inch-thick slices and garnish with walnuts and pomegranate seeds.

Maria’s Feta Sauce with Shrimp, Melon, and Tomato

This is another recipe from the kitchen of my good friend, Maria Hatziiliades.Like most sauces, it can be put to many uses. Its wonderful combination of smoky, salty, spicy flavors makes it ideal for grilled vegetables, lamb, and beef. In the summer, I love to serve Maria’s feta sauce with grilled shrimp and chunks of melon and heirloom tomatoes.

Serve a light, effervescent Gavi from the Piedmonte region with this dish.

M
AKES ALMOST
3
CUPS SAUCE TO SERVE ABOUT
6

For the Sauce

1 to 2 jalapeños or 1 small Hungarian hot pepper

14 to 16 ounces creamy French feta, roughly crumbled (2 cups)

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus about 1 tablespoon for brushing

¼ cup hot water

1 pinch salt

For the Salad

6 skewers

18 to 30 peeled and deveined shrimp

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 to 3 brandywine, German Johnson, or other heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1-to 2-inch chunks (about 3 cups)

¼ seedless watermelon, cut into 1-to 2-inch chunks (about 3 cups)

1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil leaves

To Make the Sauce

1.
Prepare a charcoal grill (see Grilling Tips, page 100).

2.
Grill the peppers on all sides for about 3 minutes, until the skins have charred and blistered a little. Keep the grill going for the shrimp skewers. You can alternatively char the peppers on your stovetop, following the directions for roasting and peeling peppers on page 97.

3.
When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel them and remove some of the seeds. The more seeds you leave in, the hotter it will be.

4.
Combine the peppers, feta, olive oil, hot water, and pinch of salt in a blender and purée until smooth and creamy, for about 2 minutes, stopping once to stir and scrape the sides.

To Make the Salad

1.
Place 3 to 5 shrimp on each skewer. Brush the shrimp with a little olive oil on both sides and season them with salt and pepper.

2.
Grill the shrimp for about 3 minutes on each sides, or until the shrimp are pink and no longer translucent, and cooked through.

3.
Season the chunks of tomato and melon with salt and pepper.

4.
Serve the grilled shrimp on a platter with the chunks of melon and tomato surrounding a bowl of feta sauce for dipping. Sprinkle with oregano.

Garlic and Almond Soup

There is a saying in Provence: “
Aigo bouido sauva la vido,
” which means “garlic soup saves lives.” It is true that garlic has immune-stimulating properties, and it has been used for millennia to heal a range of ailments. Although this soup just may save lives, it’s also plain out-of-this-world delicious.

I created this recipe in 1993 when I was the chef at Aigo Bistro in Concord, Massachusetts, and it has followed me from restaurant to restaurant ever since. It’s a favorite of loyal customers and has become a signature dish. I was originally inspired by the Provencal soup called
aigo bouido,
which means “boiled garlic” in old Provencal dialect, and then I gave the soup a Spanish twist by adding a
picada
—a mixture of puréed almonds and bread crumbs—to thicken it.

It’s important to use a blender to prepare this soup because the blade pulls in and gives a smoother and tighter purée, leaving no chunks of almonds or bread. The garlic becomes sweet, soft, and silky when it’s roasted, making for a sweet, creamy soup. I like to garnish it with a parsleyed olive oil, which I make in the blender until the parsley liquefies and the natural chlorophyll turns the oil bright green. I also add a little vitamin C to the oil to help keep its vivid green color for up to a week.

Drink some rosé from Provence or Spain with this soup and serve it with Grilled Mushroom Banderilla (page 45).

M
AKES ABOUT
10
CUPS TO SERVE
8

6 whole heads garlic

4 tablespoons canola oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter

2 large onions, peeled, halved, and cut into thin strips

½ cup dry bread crumbs (Panko Brand or plain unseasoned, not sourdough)

1 cup blanched whole or slivered almonds (no skins; see Note, page 340)

8 thin slices French bread or baguette

8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade