Issue 130 | Saveur

Thai Green Mango Salad (Som Tum Mamuang)

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:50:01 +0000

Photography by Linda Xiao; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen

A street food favorite in the night markets of Thailand, this Thai green mango salad recipe, known as som tum mamuang, is a refreshing adaptation of a more widely known version made with papaya. Usually served as an appetizer, this spicy-sweet salad makes splendid use of crunchy and tart unripe mangoes.

A fruit shredder can make quick work of slicing the mangoes. A mortar and pestle is also key for extracting flavor and fragrance from the aromatics and fruit (and is a worthwhile investment for all kinds of cooking). When making this dish, cooks in Thailand traditionally use a larger mortar than what is typically found in the U.S.

This recipe originally ran in our June/July 2010 print issue with the story “Everything Is Illuminated,” by James Oseland.

Yield: 2

Time: 25 minutes

2 Tbsp. small dried shrimp
8 red bird’s eye chiles, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ medium shallot, finely chopped
3 small, green unripe mangoes (about 1½ lbs.), peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
18 green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-in. lengths
14 grape tomatoes, halved
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. palm sugar or brown sugar
2 Tbsp. roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Instructions

In a large mortar and pestle, pound the shrimp until coarsely ground; transfer to a small bowl and set aside. To the mortar, add the chiles, garlic, and shallot and pound until bruised. Working in batches, add the mangoes and pound, using a spoon to scrape the sides and combine well after each batch, until the fruit is softened slightly and fully coated in the aromatics. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside.
To the mortar, add the green beans and tomatoes and lightly pound to extract their juices. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar, then transfer to the bowl with the mango mixture and toss well. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter, garnish with the crushed dried shrimp and peanuts, and serve at room temperature.

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Grilled Lobster with Cilantro-Chile Butter

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:20:45 +0000

Photography by Penny De Los Santos

Grilled lobster is an unexpected delight in New England, especially when skilled lobstermen know how to take advantage of the full versatility of the sweet and often abundant crustaceans. If you want to go a step beyond steaming or boiling lobsters, pre-cracking the shells, then slathering the meat with brightly flavored cilantro-chile butter is a good place to start. (Cutting a live lobster in half can be a bit grisly for some, but it is well worth the task to ensure that the lobster meat gets direct contact with the grill.) Find all of our favorite lobster recipes here.

Yield: serves 2-4

Time: 30 minutes

8 tbsp. (4 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
4 Fresno or Holland chiles, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
2 tbsp. finely grated lime zest
Two 2-lb. live lobsters
¼ cups extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

In a small bowl, stir together the butter, cilantro, chiles, and lime zest; set aside.
Using a heavy cleaver, split each lobster in half lengthwise through its head and tail. Scoop out and discard the yellow-green innards and cut off the claws. Transfer the lobster halves, shell side down, to a baking sheet. Using the dull side of the cleaver, crack the claws and transfer them to the baking sheet. Generously drizzle the lobster halves and claws with olive oil and season lightly with salt and black pepper.
Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Place the lobster halves (flesh-side-down) and claws on the grill and cook for 5 minutes. Turn over the lobster pieces and spread each with some of the cilantro-chile butter; continue cooking until the shells are bright red and the tail meat is just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Serve hot, with lime wedges for squeezing.

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Tabbouleh

Organic — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 10:00:00 +0000

Tabbouleh. Matt Taylor-Gross

Cinnamon and allspice add distinctive flavor to this version of the classic Middle Eastern parsley salad. The recipe comes from writer Anissa Helou, who tasted a tabbouleh like this one while exploring the markets of Damascus.

3 tbsp. fine bulgur
1 lb. ripe tomatoes, cored and minced
3 ¹⁄₂ cups minced flat-leaf parsley
1 ¹⁄₄ cups minced mint leaves
¹⁄₃ cup fresh lemon juice
5 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
¹⁄₄ tsp. ground allspice
¹⁄₄ tsp. ground cinnamon
4 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Combine bulgur and 1⁄2 cup warm water in a bowl and let soak for 10 minutes. Drain bulgur, rinse thoroughly, and transfer to a large bowl along with remaining ingredients. Toss to combine; serve immediately.

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Roast Pork with Summer Vegetables

Organic — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:47:15 +0000

Bright, earthy and spicy, this garlicky cilantro sauce hits all the right notes for a summer-time cook-out. Todd Coleman

Chef Peter Hoffman of Savoy, the now-closed New York City restaurant, shared this recipe for roast pork shoulder with a garlicky cilantro sauce, roasted chiles, and market vegetables.

Yield: serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the Pork

1 tbsp. coriander seeds
1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tbsp. turbinado or light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (3-4-lb.) piece trimmed, boneless pork shoulder
Kosher salt, to taste
4 shallots, unpeeled and halved lengthwise
2 tbsp. canola oil
Cilantro Mojo

For the Vegetables

2 large sweet potatoes
4 tomatillos, peeled
2 poblano peppers
6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic
¹⁄₂ bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed and blanched until crisp tender

Instructions

Prepare the pork: Put coriander, fennel, and cumin in an 8″ skillet over medium heat and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until seeds are toasted, about 5 minutes. Coarsely grind seeds in a spice grinder and transfer to a small bowl. Add paprika, sugar, and garlic and stir to combine. Put pork on a plate and season generously with salt. Rub pork with coriander mixture and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour or refrigerate overnight.
Roast the vegetables: Heat oven to 475°. Put sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake, turning once, until tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Increase heat to broil and arrange a rack 4″ from heating element. Put tomatillos and poblanos on baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tbsp. olive oil. Broil, turning once, until charred and tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer tomatillos to plate with sweet potatoes and transfer poblanos to a bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes. Peel poblanos, discarding seeds and stems, and tear poblanos into 1⁄2″-wide strips; set aside.
Heat remaining olive oil in a 12″ skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add broccoli rabe; cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and remove pan from heat; set aside.
Reduce oven to 350°. Heat canola oil in a 12″ cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Place shallots cut side down under pork. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork reads 125°, 30 to 50 minutes. Transfer pork and shallots to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. To serve, slice pork thinly and transfer to a platter along with shallots. Cut sweet potatoes into small pieces and halve tomatillos. Transfer potatoes, tomatillos, poblanos, and broccoli rabe to platter. Spoon Cilantro Mojo over pork.

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Razor Clams with Chiles and Garlic (Navajas al Ajillo)

Organic — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:29:09 +0000

Razor clams cook quick but look especially impressive, especially in this popular Spanish-style tapas preparation. Todd Coleman

Razor clams take well to quick-cooked preparations like this one, a popular order at Bar Pinotxo, a tapas counter in La Boqueria, Barcelona’s covered market.

Yield: serves 2-4

5 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3–4 dried chiles de arbol, crumbled
1 ¹⁄₂ lb. razor clams, rinsed thoroughly
¹⁄₄ cup white wine
1 ¹⁄₂ cups loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves, minced
Kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

Heat oil, garlic, and chiles in a 12″ skillet over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until garlic is pale golden brown, about 6 minutes. Increase heat to high, add razor clams and wine, and cook, covered, until clams are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add parsley and season with salt; toss razor clams to coat with sauce. Transfer clams to a serving platter and drizzle with remaining sauce.

Pairing Note: Cava (a sparkling wine), like the bright Juve y Camps Reserva de la Familia 2005 ($15), is a natural partner for this dish.

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Pickled Tomatoes

Organic — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 19:30:00 +0000

These quick pickles will improve as they sit; make them ahead and keep them in the fridge for up to two weeks. Todd Coleman

Whole pickled tomatoes are a perennial favorite in Russia.

Yield: makes about 2 quarts

1 tsp. black peppercorns
6–8 small vine-ripened tomatoes
8 small jarred pepperoncini
4 small fresh bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh dill, stemmed
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 ¹⁄₂ tbsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. sugar

Instructions

Combine peppercorns, tomatoes, pepperoncini, bay leaves, dill, and garlic in a 2-qt. glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Bring vinegar, salt, sugar, and 1 1⁄4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Pour vinegar mixture over tomatoes.
Seal jar; let cool. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

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Hungarian Sour Cherry Cake

Organic — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:42:50 +0000

Sweet and tangy, this Hungarian cake pairs perfectly with coffee. Frozen and thawed cherries can be used whenever fresh sour cherries are not in season. Todd Coleman

Sour cherries grow abundantly in Hungary and are a staple in the country’s markets in summer. This cake is typically served with coffee for breakfast.

Yield: serves 12

2 lb. pitted fresh sour cherries or frozen and thawed sour cherries
¹⁄₄ cup flour, plus more for pan
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
1 ¹⁄₂ cups sugar
3 tbsp. kirsch or brandy
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
2 ¹⁄₄ cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
³⁄₄ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup milk

Instructions

Heat oven to 400°. Toss cherries with 1⁄4 cup flour in a bowl; set aside.
Grease a 13″ x 18″ x 1″ baking sheet with butter and dust with flour; set aside. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, kirsch, and vanilla with a hand mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add egg; beat until incorporated.
In a medium bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, alternately add flour mixture and milk in 3 batches to make a batter. Spoon batter onto reserved baking sheet and smooth evenly. Sprinkle cherries over the top. Bake until cake is golden brown, 45-50 minutes. Let cake cool 30 minutes, then cut into 12 squares.

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Farm-Fresh Asian Greens

Georgia Freedman — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:50:21 +0000

Penny De Los Santos

The easiest to find is crunchy Napa cabbage, which is particularly prized in China, where it’s used in everything from hearty dumplings to soups. Bok choy is also widely available in the U.S., especially the tender “baby” varieties like the green-hued, round-leafed Shanghai bok choy and the squat dwarf bok choy; you can simply cut heads of both varieties in half lengthwise and stir-fry them with meat or chicken. Increasingly, you will find more obscure types, like Taiwanese bok choy, a longer, thinner version. Another Chinese green, gai lan, also called Chinese broccoli, is popular for its broccoli rabe-like flavor and its crunchy stems, which take well to blanching or steaming. Gai lan‘s more fibrous cousin, choy sum, or oil seed rape, which is popular in Southeast Asia, has an even more bitter, mustardlike flavor and fibrous stems. Even some ingredients that are considered specialty items in Asia are making their way to our shores: spinachlike yam leaves can be found in cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, where Hmong and other Southeast Asian immigrants have settled; try stir-frying yam leaves with sliced red chiles. Stem lettuce, or “celtuce,” long popular in China, has a crunchy texture and asparagus-like flavor; it tastes great raw in salads dressed with garlic, vinegar, and soy sauce. Yellow chives, which are simply green chives grown in the dark, add a cheerful color and subtle sweetness to stir-fries.

See a gallery of Asian greens varieties »

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Fougasse (Provençal Bread with Olives and Herbs)

Organic — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:36:07 +0000

The recipe for this bread, sold as a market specialty in the south of France, comes from author Patricia Wells. See the recipe for Provençal Bread with Olives and Herbs ». Todd Coleman

The recipe for this bread, sold as a market specialty in the south of France, comes from author Patricia Wells. Here are the step-by-step instructions for shaping the loaves.

Yield: makes five loaves

1 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
4 ¹⁄₂ cups flour
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing loaves
1 tsp. kosher salt
Cornmeal, for dusting
¹⁄₂ cup minced kalamata olives
¹⁄₄ cup minced green olives
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
2 tbsp. minced fresh thyme
1 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a large bowl, stir together yeast, sugar, and 1 1⁄3 cups water heated to 115°; let sit until foamy, 10 minutes. Stir in flour, oil, and salt and mix until a dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead for 6 minutes. Cover with a damp towel; let sit until doubled in size, 1 1⁄2 hours.
Heat oven to 500°. Divide dough into 5 equal pieces. Working with one dough piece at a time, roll into a rough 8″ x 5″ triangle. Transfer rectangle to a cornmeal-dusted, parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut three lengthwise parallel slashes in middle of dough and one small slash below and parallel to middle large slash. Spread slashes apart with your fingers. Cover with a damp towel; let rest until puffed, about 30 minutes. Combine olives and herbs in a bowl. Lightly brush each dough piece with oil; sprinkle with olive mixture and season with salt and pepper. Bake, one at a time, until golden brown, about 15 minutes each.

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Japanese Pickled Cucumbers (Kyuri Zuke)

Organic — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:50:10 +0000

See the Recipe. Photography by Todd Coleman

The recipe for this pickle is a version of one described in The Folk Art of Japanese Country Cooking by Gaku Homma (North Atlantic Books, 1991).

Yield: makes About 3 Cups

3 Japanese cucumbers or 6 kirbys, halved lengthwise, seeds removed
¹⁄₃ dried wakame (seaweed), soaked in water for 10 minutes, roughly chopped
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 small carrot, grated

Instructions

Break cucumbers by hand into small bite-size pieces; toss in a large bowl with wakame, soy sauce, vinegar, and carrots. Continue tossing until cucumbers release some of their liquid, 2-3 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes; serve chilled.

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