April 12, 2010

Montelimar-style Nougat

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Here is a treat for you this week: French Nougat. Not just any nougat but Montelimar-style nougat. The place known for this candy was mentioned in George Harrison's/Beatles Savoy Truffle and I have been looking for a recipe for maybe forever. Thank goodness for the internet and now you'll find plenty of similar recipes for Montelimar-style nougat. The recipe I chose to adapt seemed like the most authentic-sounding and I used lavender honey for the honey. I tell you the candies are soooo good. You can't eat just one.

To make the candies I used potato wafer sheets. The rice or potato papers taste and look like communion wafers (host) and are called ostia in Italy (torrone) and in Spain (turron). I love to wrap crunchy almond praline in it and munch on the plain scraps which always remind of Holy Communion. You can purchase the papers here or here.

Montelimar-style Nougat
two sheets rice or potato paper
1½ cups sugar
¾ cup honey
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
¾ cup water
3 egg whites, room temperature
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon brandy
1½ cups whole blanched almonds, toasted
3 tablespoons chopped pistachios
¼ teaspoon salt
  • Line a 7 x 11-inch pan with one rice paper and set it aside.
  • In a large saucepan, dissolve the sugar, honey, corn syrup, and water, and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Begin to beat the egg whites while the sugar mixture continues cooking. Clip a candy thermometer on the side of the pan and continue cooking without stirring.
  • Beat the egg whites on high until stiff, wet peaks form.
  • Once the sugar syrup reaches 300°F, pour it very slowly and steadily into the egg whites, whisking them the entire time. Add the lemon zest and continue whisking the hot nougat mixture for 10 minutes, until it cools slightly and thickens.
  • Stir the vanilla, brandy, almonds, pistachios, and salt into the nougat and quickly spread it onto the prepared pan. Gently place the second piece of rice paper on top of the nougat and evenly press it into the nougat so that no air bubbles remain.
  • Cover the nougat in an airtight container or plastic wrap and allow it to set for 3 to 5 days before cutting into 1-inch squares. Wrap individually in plastic film.

April 11, 2010

Rustic Bread

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Rustic Bread

Rustic Bread is one of the 3 recipes that we MellowBakers are baking this month of April, 2010. The other 2 are Bagels, and Light Rye Bread.

Jeffrey Hamelman's Rustic Bread recipe is a fairly easy bread to make although it takes 2 days. The first day is for the preferment which is making a stiff dough with flour, water, salt, and a small amount of commercial yeast, leaving it on the kitchen counter for 12 to 16 hours. The next day is pretty much the same, mix bread flour, a little whole rye and whole wheat flour with water, salt, yeast, and the preferment. Bulk fermentation is 2½ hours with two folds after every 50 minutes, then the dough is divided and shaped into rounds [I shaped mine into fat batards] and made to rise for 1½ hours then off they go in a 450°F steamy oven . Easy peasy.

The bread is soft, chewy, and flavorful and I like it even more the next day, but not after that. Well, they didn't last beyond 3 days so no problem there. This could be a regular bread in my house. It's good for sandwiches or dipping into soups or stews.

April 9, 2010

Pork Belly Sisig

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I have made pork belly sisig a few times already and it has become one of my favorite Filipino dishes. Its yummyness factor is way at the top, even Anthony Bordain loved it. Crispy pork is maybe the reason I won't consider being a vegan. I love vegetables as a side dish and tofu in all its forms but it's not fun to eat without meat and poultry dishes. The original pork sisig has a whole pork head but where in the world would I find that? Maybe at the farmer's market? Anyway, I made pork belly confit (bagnet or lechon kawali) and boiled some pork ears together with a few pieces of chicken livers. With lots of fresh calamansi juice I was in spicy hog goodness heaven. 

Pork Belly Sisig 
2 pork ears water 
2 pieces chicken liver 
2 teaspoons sea salt 
1 cup pineapple juice 
1 cup water 
¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns 
1 tablespoon calamansi or lemon juice 
freshly cooked lechon kawali, homemade or store bought 
1 tablespoon white coconut vinegar 
1 sweet onion, chopped 
sea salt and ground pepper, to taste 
bird's eye chili, chopped, to taste
  • Wash the ears well and place in a medium saucepan. Add water to cover and let boil. Drain and discard water. Add the chicken liver, salt, juice, water, and peppercorns. Let come to a boil, cover, and simmer over low-medium heat for 45 minutes.
  • Remove pork and liver and discard the boiling liquid. Grill the pork ears until brown and crisp.
  • Heat a cast iron skillet to sizzling hot.
  • Chop the lechon kawali, pork ears, and liver into small cubes and place in a glass bowl. Add the calamansi or lemon juice, chopped onion, vinegar, salt, pepper, and chilis. Mix well. Place the meat mixture into the sizzling skillet. Serve immediately with calamansi and chilies on the side.

April 4, 2010

Apple Caramel Turnovers

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stewed apples with gooey chewy caramel in flaky buttery crust

I can't remember the last time I ate Mickey D's apple pie turnovers. They are yummy and sweet and I like them even if they are so greasy and very hot they used to burn my tongue. Inspired by those turnovers I stewed some apples in a little sugar and water and baked a few pieces. Maybe I'll deep fry some just to compare the flakiness of the crust. For the filling I added 1 chopped caramel candy on top of the apple filling. The flavor of apples and caramel together is just divine. The apple becomes so soft and the caramel candy gooey, chewy, and sticky. Mmmmm.

Apple Caramel Turnovers
2 apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
½ tablespoon butter
homemade or store-bought pie crust
caramel candies, chopped
  • In a small skillet, cook the apples, water, and sugar until apples are tender but not mushy and the mixture is almost dry. Stir in the butter. Transfer into a small container, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
  • Roll pie crust into a rectangle until of desired thickness. Cut rectangles 8 x 3 inches long and wide. Place a tablespoon of apple filling in the middle of the half part of the rectangles. Top with 1 chopped caramel candy. Fold the other half over and seal the edges.
  • Place turnovers on a baking sheet. With the tip of a knife, make 2 small slits on top of each turnover. Bake in a 425°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Pie crust recipe is here.

 
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