Issue 136 | Saveur

Eggplant Caponata

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:35:59 +0000

Photography by Linda Xiao; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen

This silky, tangy eggplant dish is an iconic Sicilian specialty, typically served as an appetizer or side dish. Beautifully absorbent, eggplant does an excellent job of soaking up the sweetness of the caramelized onions and raisins and the briny pungence of the capers and olives. Eleonora Consoli, a cooking teacher in Sicily, includes the unexpected addition of chocolate in her signature version of the dish. This eggplant caponata recipe first appeared in our March 2011 issue with the story, “Home Cooking in Sicily,” by Nancy Harmon Jenkins.

Yield: 4

Time: 50 minutes

3 cups olive oil
2 lb. eggplant, cut into 1-in. cubes
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. tomato paste, thinned with ¼ cup water
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
6 oz. green olives, pitted and finely chopped
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup salt-packed capers, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. finely grated unsweetened chocolate
½ cup finely shredded basil
2 Tbsp. pine nuts

Instructions

To a large skillet set over medium-high heat, add the oil. Working in batches, add the eggplant and fry, tossing occasionally, until browned, 3–4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant to a large bowl and set aside.
Pour off all but ¼ cup of the oil (you can reserve it for another use) and return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery, season lightly with salt and black pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, add the tomato paste, and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture is a deep rust-brown color and the liquid has almost completely evaporated, 1–2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and continue cooking until slightly reduced and just beginning to thicken, about 10 minutes. Stir in the olives, raisins, vinegar, capers, sugar, and chocolate; cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened to the consistency of a loose paste, about 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat then pour the sauce over the eggplant. Add the basil and pine nuts, and stir well. Season to taste with more salt and black pepper, and set the caponata aside to cool to room temperature before serving.

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Cherry on Top: Fabbri Amarena Cherries

Beth Kracklauer — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:53:36 +0000

As we tested cannoli and zeppole recipes for this issue’s feature on Sicily, we made a discovery we haven’t stopped talking about since. Luscious, intensely flavorful amarena cherries, the garnish called for in both recipes, aren’t, truth be told, even Sicilian. They’re a product of Emilia-Romagna, where local wild cherries—a fleshy, dark red variety with a flavor that’s both sweet and scrumptiously bitter (or amare in Italian)—are preserved in a rich syrup made from the juice of the same fruit. saveur contributing editor Nick Malgieri recommended the amarene in place of ordinary candied cherries, and we’ve been finding no end of excuses to dip into the jar—itself a thing of beauty, from the Italian company Fabbri, which has produced the preserved cherries for nearly a century. We’re drizzling the syrup over pancakes. We’re dropping the cherries into champagne. On ice cream, in a clafouti, even in a glass of seltzer—what luxury!

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Haitian Stewed Chicken (Poulet Creole)

Organic — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:23:26 +0000

This traditional stewed chicken dish owes its bright, spicy kick to a marinade with fiery Scotch bonnet peppers. Todd Coleman

This traditional Haitian stewed chicken dish owes its fiery kick to a marinade with Scotch bonnet peppers. This recipe first appeared in The Light of Morning, a story about a town in northwest Haiti where putting good food on the table is both a serious business and a reassuring ritual.

Yield: serves 6-8

1 (3–4-lb.) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
3 cloves garlic
2 scallions, roughly chopped
2 sprigs parsley
1 sprig thyme, stemmed
1 Scotch bonnet chile, split
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
¹⁄₂ red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. tomato paste

Instructions

Place chicken in a shallow baking dish. Purée salt, garlic, scallions, parsley, thyme, Scotch bonnet chile, half the green bell peppers, and 1⁄2 cup water in a food processor and pour over chicken. Chill for 4 hours.
Heat oil in a 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Scrape marinade from chicken; reserve marinade. Add chicken to pot and cook, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside. Add remaining green bell peppers, onions, and red bell peppers to pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until soft, 8–10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Return chicken to pot, along with reserved marinade and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover pot slightly; cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender, 25–30 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Correction: August 22, 2011 The printed headnote for this recipe mentioned lime. However, the recipe does not contain lime. The headnote has been corrected to reflect this.

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Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Puffs)

Organic — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:24:20 +0000

If you can't find sour tapioca starch to make this Brazilian cheese bread, sweet tapioca starch will yield equally delicious results. Get the recipe for Pão de Queijo ». Todd Coleman

If you can’t find sour tapioca starch to make this Brazilian cheese bread, sweet tapioca starch will yield equally delicious results. This recipe appeared in our March 2011 issue as a part of Dorothy Irwin’s profile on cassava, Taking Root.

Yield: makes 16 rolls

1 cup sour tapioca starch
1 cup finely grated Parmesan
¹⁄₂ cup plus 2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
¹⁄₂ tsp. active dry yeast
³⁄₄ cup milk
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
2 eggs

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, whisk together tapioca starch, Parmesan, flour, salt, and yeast. Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until butter melts. Pour mixture into dry ingredients along with 1 egg and stir until dough forms; cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Using a tablespoon, portion out dough and roll each into a ball. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spaced 2″ apart; beat remaining egg in a small bowl and brush balls with egg. Bake until browned, 25 to 30 minutes.

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Colombian Pork, Beef, and Chicken Soup (Puchero)

Organic — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:28:51 +0000

This hearty soup is made with cassava, beef, chicken, and pork. Todd Coleman

This recipe for a hearty soup made with cassava, beef, chicken, and pork is based on one in Secrets of Colombian Cooking by Patricia McCausland-Gallo (Hippocrene, 2004). This recipe appeared in our March 2011 issue with Dorothy Irwin’s profile on cassava, Taking Root.

Yield: serves 12

2 tbsp. olive oil
³⁄₄ cup thinly sliced scallions, plus 3 whole
¹⁄₂ cup peeled and chopped tomatoes
3 ¹⁄₄ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
¹⁄₄ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
¹⁄₄ tsp. ground cumin
¹⁄₄ tsp. saffron
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
6 tbsp. minced cilantro, plus 5 sprigs
1 ¹⁄₂ lb. pork spareribs, cut into riblets
1 lb. beef brisket, cut into 2″ cubes
(1) 3-4 lb. chicken
2 lb. cassava, peeled and cut into 2″pieces
2 lb. medium potatoes, peeled, quartered
¹⁄₂ small head cabbage, thinly sliced
3 avocados, peeled, pitted, and quartered, for serving
Cooked white rice, for serving

Instructions

Heat oil in an 8″ skillet over medium heat. Add sliced scallions, tomatoes, 1⁄4 tsp. salt, pepper, cumin, saffron, and 2 cloves garlic; cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tbsp. minced cilantro, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 20 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Place remaining salt and garlic, whole scallions and cilantro sprigs, spareribs, brisket, and chicken in a 12-qt. pot and cover with water by 1″. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Remove chicken, cut into 10 serving pieces, and discard skin and carcass. Place chicken on a plate, cover, and set aside. Add cassava and potatoes to pot and cook for 10 minutes. Add cabbage, cover loosely, and cook until vegetables are tender, 20-25 minutes. Return chicken to pot, stir in reserved scallion—tomato sauce, and season with salt and pepper; cook for 5 minutes. Ladle stew into large serving bowls and sprinkle with remaining minced cilantro. Serve with avocado and rice on the side.

See how to prepare cassava in the photo gallery »

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Pho Bac

Organic — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:45:40 +0000

Pho Bac. Todd Coleman

This heady Northern Vietnamese-style beef and rice-noodle version of pho derives much of its richness from beef bones; author Andrea Nguyen prefers the flavorful leg bones from grass-fed cattle. This recipe is based on Nguyen’s, and appeared in our March 2011 issue along with Nguyen’s story about the original pho, Heaven in a Bowl.

Yield: serves 8

4 large shallots, unpeeled
1 (4″) piece ginger, unpeeled
1 tsp. fennel seeds
5 star anise
1 (3″) stick cinnamon
1 pod black cardamom, crushed
5 lb. beef leg bones, cut into 2″–3″ pieces
1 ¹⁄₂ lb. boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 4″ x 2″ x 1 1/2″-thick pieces
¹⁄₂ oz. dried scallops
2 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more
¹⁄₄ cup fish sauce
8 scallions, green parts thinly sliced, white parts left whole
1 ¹⁄₂ tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
2 serrano chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced crosswise
2 lb. small, flat rice noodles
8 oz. beef sirloin, cut across grain into 1/6″-thick slices
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes
¹⁄₃ cup cilantro leaves
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Arrange a rack 4″ from broiler and heat. Put shallots and ginger on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and broil, turning often, until blackened, 15–20 minutes; let cool. Scrape peels off shallots and ginger; halve ginger lengthwise, press each piece with the side of a knife to flatten, and set aside with shallots. Heat fennel seeds, star anise, cinnamon, and cardamom in a small skillet over medium heat and toast, swirling pan, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer spices to a small bowl and set aside.
Place bones in a 12-qt. pot and cover with cold water by 1″. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes; drain and rinse bones. Clean pot and return bones to pot along with reserved shallots and ginger, beef, and 6 qts. cold water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; add reserved toasted spices, scallops, and 2 tbsp. salt. Cook, skimming surface, until beef is tender, 1 1⁄2 hours.
Using tongs, transfer beef to a bowl of ice water and cool for 10 minutes. Drain beef and thinly slice crosswise; transfer to a plate, cover, and refrigerate. Continue cooking broth for 1 1⁄2 hours more. Remove from heat and pour through a cheesecloth-lined fine strainer set over a clean 6-qt. pot; discard solids and skim fat from surface. Stir in fish sauce and scallion whites and keep hot. Combine vinegar and chiles in a small bowl and set aside.
Pour boiling water over noodles in a medium bowl and let soak until al dente, about 10 minutes. Rinse noodles in cold water, drain, and divide between 8 serving bowls. Top each with chilled, cooked beef and raw sirloin; top beef with onions, then scallion greens and cilantro. Season with pepper, and then ladle broth over each serving, placing one white scallion piece in each bowl. Serve with chiles on the side.

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Crêpes with Maple Sugar and Syrup

Organic — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:32:54 +0000

Layered and rolled with sweet amber sugar and syrup, these make an indulgent breakfast or dessert. Get the recipe for Crêpes with Maple Sugar and Syrup ». Matt Taylor-Gross

This recipe for crêpes au sucre et au sirop d’erable comes from Bas-St-Laurent, Quebec’s second-largest maple syrup-producing region. Layered and rolled with sweet amber sugar and syrup, they make an indulgent breakfast or dessert.

Yield: serves 12

1 ¹⁄₂ cups milk
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 cup flour
3 tbsp. sugar
¹⁄₂ tsp. baking powder
6 tbsp. maple sugar
12 tbsp. maple syrup

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk milk, 4 tbsp. butter, and egg. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, and baking powder; add milk mixture and whisk until smooth. Set aside for 10 minutes. Grease a 10″ nonstick skillet with ½ tbsp. butter and heat over medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup batter; swirl pan to spread batter. Cook crêpe, turning once, until browned, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a warm plate and repeat with remaining butter and batter. To serve, sprinkle ½ tbsp. maple sugar onto each crêpe and drizzle with 1 tbsp. maple syrup. Roll up into a cylinder and serve immediately.

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Hearts of Palm Fries with Chipotle Mayo

Organic — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:22:30 +0000

These addictive fries, served at Yerba Buena restaurant on New York City's Lower East Side, can be made with fresh hearts of palm for a crispier texture. This recipe appeared in our March 2011 issue with Tyla Fowler's story about hearts of palm, A Good Heart. Get the recipe for Heart of Palm Fries with Chipotle Mayo ». Todd Coleman

These addictive fries, served at Yerba Buena restaurant on New York City’s Lower East Side, can be made with fresh hearts of palm for a crispier texture. This recipe appeared in our March 2011 issue with Tyla Fowler’s story about hearts of palm, A Good Heart.

Yield: serves 4-6

1 cup mayonnaise
2 chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. soy sauce
¹⁄₂ tsp. sesame oil
Canola oil, for frying
4 cups panko bread crumbs
2 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
4 eggs
2 (28-oz.) cans hearts of palm, large pieces halved lengthwise
Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, chiles, lime juice, honey, soy sauce, and sesame oil; set chipotle mayo aside.
Pour oil into a 6-qt. Dutch oven to a depth of 2″ and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 375°. Meanwhile, place bread crumbs and flour on 2 separate shallow plates and set both aside. Whisk together buttermilk and eggs in a medium bowl; set aside. Working in batches, toss hearts of palm in flour until evenly coated, shaking off excess, and then dredge in egg mixture. Place in bread crumbs and toss to coat. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and season with salt. Serve warm with chipotle mayo.

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Maple Squares with Walnuts

Organic — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:15:48 +0000

Serve these chewy dessert squares in shallow bowls, with a pitcher of cream to be poured over the top. Todd Coleman

Serve these chewy dessert squares, known in Quebec as Carre Érable et Noix, in shallow bowls, with a pitcher of cream to be poured over the top.

Yield: serves 8-10

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled, plus more for pan
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. flour, plus more for pan
¹⁄₄ cup plus 2/3 cup maple sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup chopped walnuts
¹⁄₄ tsp. kosher salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°. Butter and flour an 8″ square baking pan; set aside.
In a food processor, process butter, 1 cup flour, and 1⁄4 cup maple sugar until combined; transfer to pan and press evenly into bottom. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
Whisk remaining flour and maple sugar with maple syrup, walnuts, salt, and eggs in a bowl; pour over baked crust. Bake until filling is golden brown and set, 30 to 35 minutes.

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Roast Leg of Lamb with Potatoes (Cosciotto di Agnello con Patate)

Organic — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:42:39 +0000

For this simple Sicilian Easter dish, cosciotto di agnello con patate, a leg of lamb is roasted over a bed of potatoes. Get the recipe for Roast Leg of Lamb with Potatoes ». Todd Coleman

For this simple Sicilian Easter dish, Cosciotto di Agnello con Patate, a leg of lamb is roasted over a bed of potatoes. This recipe appeared in our March 2011 issue as a part of our special feature, Soul of Sicily.

Yield: serves 8

³⁄₄ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. crushed red chile flakes
2 tbsp. dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch parsley, minced
1 (6–7-lb.) leg of lamb, trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

Instructions

Heat oven to 500°. In a medium bowl, combine oil, chile flakes, oregano, garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper to make a paste; rub paste over surface of lamb. Set lamb in a large roasting pan and place pan in oven; roast until lamb is browned, about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400°, cover lamb with aluminum foil, and continue cooking for 40 minutes. Remove foil, add potatoes to pan, and toss with rendered fat; continue cooking until potatoes are tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of lamb reads 140°, 45–50 minutes more. Let rest for 20 minutes before serving.

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