When you think of sophisticated fish and elegant preparations, Cod is not the first fish to come to mind. However, Cod's mild flavor and tender texture can highlight whatever sauce or side it is paired with. Cod is also one of the more affordable fish and therefore an asset for many chefs.
I created this recipe to showcase Cod and the way it brings all the elements in a dish together. The flavor profiles in this dish are outstanding. The smokiness of the ragout, the sweet and salty of the yams & sun-dried tomatoes, the mild meatiness of the Cod and the subtle brightness of the vinaigrette, not at all fishy by the way, come together to create a flavor masterpiece.
WILD COD WITH CELERY ROOT RAGOUT, JAPANESE YAM & ANCHOVY VINAIGRETTE
Serves 4
Celery Root Ragout
Ingredients
3 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 clove Garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup Red Onion, sauté slice
1 cup Celery Root (about ½ medium celery root), julienne
¼ cup Pancetta or Canadian Bacon, chopped
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Umeboshi Vinegar
2 teaspoons Lime Juice
Salt to taste
Preparation
1. Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in sauté pan. Add onion & garlic and sauté until they begin to caramelize. Add celery root, balsamic, umeboshi & salt.
2. Continue to sauté on low heat until celery root is soft and flavors have combined (about 30 minutes). Add lime juice & toss. Season to taste.
Japanese Yam with Sun-dried Tomato
Ingredients
1 ½ lb. Japanese Yam (about 2 small yams)
¼ cup Sun-dried tomatoes (soaked in water)
¼ cup Silk Tofu
2 teaspoons Ghee (or melted butter)
Preparation
1. Pierce yams with knife and bake yams at 350 until soft, approximately 45 minutes.
2. While yams are baking, soak tomatoes for 30 minutes, until soft. Mince and add to tofu. Whip mixture together until creamy. Add salt to taste.
3. Remove yams from oven. Let rest for 5 minutes and peel off skin. Add tomato mixture a spoonful at a time and mix with yams. Drizzle with Ghee. Smash yams but keep chunky. Add additional tomato mixture as needed.
Anchovy Citrus Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon Anchovy Paste
Juice of 1 Lemon
Juice of ½ Lime
1 Tablespoon Cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon Thyme
¼ Cup Brown Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
½ Cup Olive Oil
Preparation
1. Combine paste, lemon juice, lime juice, vinegars & herbs.
2. Drizzle in Olive Oil while whisking dressing. Season to taste.
3. Serve over fish & drizzle onto plate.
Seared Wild Cod
Ingredients
4 4oz.-6oz. Wild Cod Filets
4 Tablespoon Olive Oil
sea salt & freshly ground pepper
Preparation
1. Remove any bones from each filet. Sprinkle both sides of each filet with salt & pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in large sauté pan over medium high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, right before it smokes, add the Cod filets and cook until the sides of the fish become solid white on each side, about 4 minutes. Turn filets over and continue cooking additional 3-4 minutes.
3. Plate fish as follows:
1-Spoonful of celery root ragout in the center of the plate
2-Top with spoonful of smashed yam
3-Place fish on top of yam
4-Drizzle anchovy vinaigrette over fish and in a circle around plate
5-Serve immediately
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Perfect Neighborhood Trattoria...wish it were in my hood.
A few weeks ago we celebrated our friend Jeff's birthday. Instead of cocktails in the village, Jeff decided on laser tag in Long Island City followed by brunch in Astoria.
If you don't live in Astoria I'm sure you've never heard of Vesta. If you do live in Astoria, you've probably still never heard of Vesta. Located on the corner of 30th Avenue, Vesta Trattoria and Wine Bar is as unassuming as the neighborhood it's in.
Walking into Vesta you are met with an environment that is both friendly and sophisticated. The front is filled with high wooden tables and casual window seating. A bar lines the middle of one side of the restaurant, featuring some of Vesta's many Italian wines. Dark woods and neutral colors fill the space and nostalgic photos and prints hang on the walls.
Vesta's entire wine list is Italian and is written on a long chalk board hanging high on one of the walls. They serve wines by the bottle, glass and shot...very smart. They also offer a "Classics" list. Sold only by the bottle, this is a select list of high quality "Classic Italian Varietals" offered at reduced prices.
We arrived for brunch, with only half our party, and were immediately shown to our table. There was no "we cannot seat an incomplete party" attitude, which was good as there is very little space to stand and wait, especially during Saturday brunch. The host/bartender/server asked us for a drink order while we waited for the rest of our party and promptly brought us water.
We ordered coffee, teas and hot chocolate. They have a wide array of organic teas and bring them to your table for selection. My coffee was a wonderful freshly brewed Italian roast, served in an old fashioned Italian coffee cup. The hot chocolate was like a molten chocolate delight...creamy, steaming and rich.
Vesta's cooking philosophy is "inspired by Italy, the local green market and a compliment to a menu without boundaries". Their Executive Chef, Michelle Vido, reflects this philosophy by using local vendors, organic ingredients and Italian influences in her menus. The brunch menu consists of Breakfast favorites, Italian inspired egg dishes, Pizzas, Pastas & Salads.
We decided to begin with one of the most interesting sounding items on the menu, "The Hangover Pizza". A fusion of classic breakfast items and traditional thin crust pizza, the dish combines pancetta, potatoes, fried eggs and tomato sauce. Clearly this was either going to be a huge hit, or major miss.
The first bite said it all. The spiciness of the tomato sauce and pancetta off-set the rich creaminess of the egg yolk and cheese. The savory flavors of the sausage and potatoes worked beautifully with the thin crispness of the crust. Nothing was overpowering, everything worked in harmony. Vesta's had set the bar very high.
For my main course, a friend and I shared two dishes, the "L'Italiano", poached eggs on grilled Italian bread with hot sopresatta & ricotta cheese and "A Warm Bankie" fried eggs with creamy polenta, asparagus, wild mushrooms & truffle oil.
"A Warm Bankie" is aptly named. It is a comfort dish, although like many things at Vesta, it is also very sophisticated. Creamy, warm and deliciously truffled, the polenta is the star of the dish. The other ingredients are used to compliment the polenta with texture and taste. The mushrooms and asparagus, are well seasoned and firm and the eggs are crisp on the edges with a gooey center.
The "L'Italiano" uses some interesting ingredients for an egg dish, such as ricotta and sopressata. Creamy, spicy, crunchy, there are a lot of elements that should work well together. When I tasted the dish however, the flavors were lost. In addition to salt, the dish needed a sauce to bring out the flavors and tie the dish together.
Other highlights of the meal included the Brioche Burger and Linguini. Buttery and thick, the freshly baked brioche bun held the juices of the pink plump burger. Topped with aged white cheddar, grilled onion and thick sliced tomato and served with thin, golden fries, this burger eats more like a well seasoned chopped steak. It also requires more than one napkin so do not attempt to eat this gracefully.
The "Linguini with seasoned bread crumbs, pepperoncini, garlic & olive oil" is another joy in taste and texture. The taste/texture combo between the bread crumbs and pepperoncini is savory and salty, crispy and chewy, enough to go bite for bite until the very end. Plus the olive oil adds a lovely fragrant overtone that gives the dish an authentic feel.
As we were celebrating a birthday, our attentive server/bartender/host presented the guest of honor with Vesta's signature "Baby Jesus" Cake. This simple yet serious cake is served warm, with fresh whipped cream and a light caramel sauce. It is moist with delicate pieces of dried dates for texture. It tastes sinful yet wholesome at the same time. And, although we all said we could not eat another bite, the dessert was gone in less than five minutes.
I'm a Manhattanite and have always believed that the best restaurants are in Manhattan. However, take away my Manhattan bias and Vesta is better than half of the trendy places in the East or West Village for a third of the price with none of the attitude. So I guess the only question is "Can they call me a cab at the end of the meal?"
VESTA
Trattoria & Wine Bar
21-20 30th Avenue
Astoria, NY 11102
718-545-5550
www.vestavino.com
If you don't live in Astoria I'm sure you've never heard of Vesta. If you do live in Astoria, you've probably still never heard of Vesta. Located on the corner of 30th Avenue, Vesta Trattoria and Wine Bar is as unassuming as the neighborhood it's in.
Walking into Vesta you are met with an environment that is both friendly and sophisticated. The front is filled with high wooden tables and casual window seating. A bar lines the middle of one side of the restaurant, featuring some of Vesta's many Italian wines. Dark woods and neutral colors fill the space and nostalgic photos and prints hang on the walls.
Vesta's entire wine list is Italian and is written on a long chalk board hanging high on one of the walls. They serve wines by the bottle, glass and shot...very smart. They also offer a "Classics" list. Sold only by the bottle, this is a select list of high quality "Classic Italian Varietals" offered at reduced prices.
We arrived for brunch, with only half our party, and were immediately shown to our table. There was no "we cannot seat an incomplete party" attitude, which was good as there is very little space to stand and wait, especially during Saturday brunch. The host/bartender/server asked us for a drink order while we waited for the rest of our party and promptly brought us water.
We ordered coffee, teas and hot chocolate. They have a wide array of organic teas and bring them to your table for selection. My coffee was a wonderful freshly brewed Italian roast, served in an old fashioned Italian coffee cup. The hot chocolate was like a molten chocolate delight...creamy, steaming and rich.
Vesta's cooking philosophy is "inspired by Italy, the local green market and a compliment to a menu without boundaries". Their Executive Chef, Michelle Vido, reflects this philosophy by using local vendors, organic ingredients and Italian influences in her menus. The brunch menu consists of Breakfast favorites, Italian inspired egg dishes, Pizzas, Pastas & Salads.
We decided to begin with one of the most interesting sounding items on the menu, "The Hangover Pizza". A fusion of classic breakfast items and traditional thin crust pizza, the dish combines pancetta, potatoes, fried eggs and tomato sauce. Clearly this was either going to be a huge hit, or major miss.
The first bite said it all. The spiciness of the tomato sauce and pancetta off-set the rich creaminess of the egg yolk and cheese. The savory flavors of the sausage and potatoes worked beautifully with the thin crispness of the crust. Nothing was overpowering, everything worked in harmony. Vesta's had set the bar very high.
For my main course, a friend and I shared two dishes, the "L'Italiano", poached eggs on grilled Italian bread with hot sopresatta & ricotta cheese and "A Warm Bankie" fried eggs with creamy polenta, asparagus, wild mushrooms & truffle oil.
"A Warm Bankie" is aptly named. It is a comfort dish, although like many things at Vesta, it is also very sophisticated. Creamy, warm and deliciously truffled, the polenta is the star of the dish. The other ingredients are used to compliment the polenta with texture and taste. The mushrooms and asparagus, are well seasoned and firm and the eggs are crisp on the edges with a gooey center.
The "L'Italiano" uses some interesting ingredients for an egg dish, such as ricotta and sopressata. Creamy, spicy, crunchy, there are a lot of elements that should work well together. When I tasted the dish however, the flavors were lost. In addition to salt, the dish needed a sauce to bring out the flavors and tie the dish together.
Other highlights of the meal included the Brioche Burger and Linguini. Buttery and thick, the freshly baked brioche bun held the juices of the pink plump burger. Topped with aged white cheddar, grilled onion and thick sliced tomato and served with thin, golden fries, this burger eats more like a well seasoned chopped steak. It also requires more than one napkin so do not attempt to eat this gracefully.
The "Linguini with seasoned bread crumbs, pepperoncini, garlic & olive oil" is another joy in taste and texture. The taste/texture combo between the bread crumbs and pepperoncini is savory and salty, crispy and chewy, enough to go bite for bite until the very end. Plus the olive oil adds a lovely fragrant overtone that gives the dish an authentic feel.
As we were celebrating a birthday, our attentive server/bartender/host presented the guest of honor with Vesta's signature "Baby Jesus" Cake. This simple yet serious cake is served warm, with fresh whipped cream and a light caramel sauce. It is moist with delicate pieces of dried dates for texture. It tastes sinful yet wholesome at the same time. And, although we all said we could not eat another bite, the dessert was gone in less than five minutes.
I'm a Manhattanite and have always believed that the best restaurants are in Manhattan. However, take away my Manhattan bias and Vesta is better than half of the trendy places in the East or West Village for a third of the price with none of the attitude. So I guess the only question is "Can they call me a cab at the end of the meal?"
VESTA
Trattoria & Wine Bar
21-20 30th Avenue
Astoria, NY 11102
718-545-5550
www.vestavino.com
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Hungry for Hungarian: A Meal Rich in Flavor and Family
My husband Erik and I just returned from visiting my grandmother in Florida. As usual, our visit consisted of eating, listening to the same stories over and over, eating again and deciding where to go to eat.
Like many of the women in my family, my grandmother is a wonderful cook. However, as she gets older and her eyesight deteriorates she prefers to eat out for every meal, except breakfast when she makes two pieces of Cinnamon Raisin French Toast drowned in maple syrup.
Erik and I love eating out and enjoy a good early bird special as much as the next senior, but the thought of eating dinner at 4:30pm for our enire visit was not appealing. There had to be another option.
We were listening to my grandmother tell, for the second time that day, the story of her childhood journey to America, when it hit me… I would MAKE dinner and prepare all of Grandma's Hungarian favorites... Chicken Paprikash, Beef Goulash, Nukeli (also known as Spaetzle) and Cucumber Salad. That night we ate at 7pm… and it was DELICIOUS.
CHICKEN PAPRIKASH
Passed down from my Great-Grandmother, this Chicken Paprikash recipe is moist, tender and full of wonderful depth of flavor. It is also a one pot dish that is easy to prepare. It is naturally healthy and may be made lower in fat by using all white meat chicken, trimming or removing the skin or omitting the sour cream.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Medium Yellow Onions
1 Green Pepper
1 Tablespoon chopped Garlic
1 Tablespoon & 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1 Organic Chicken, quartered
1/4 Cup Smoked Hungarian Paprika
2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
2 Tablespoons Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon Black Ground Pepper
1 box Spaetzle *(may be found in most Supermarkets, in pasta aisle)
1 teaspoon Dill, chopped
2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
Preparation
1. Cut one onion into medium dice and combine in bowl with the garlic. Cut the green pepper into medium dice and add to onion and garlic. Thinly slice the remaining half onion and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, salt pepper and 2 tablespoons paprika. Rub spices all over chicken until the chicken is thoroughly coated. Set aside until ready to use.
3. In a large braising pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Once oil begins to shimmer, add half onion, pepper and garlic mixture. Sweat vegetables until they begin to become tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, skin down and cook uncovered for 5-7 minutes to brown the skin.
4. Add remainder of the onions, pepper & garlic. Turn chicken pieces over and sprinkle the remaining 2 Tablespoons of paprika over chicken. Add sliced onions over top. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid and continue cooking 25-30 minutes.
5. While chicken is cooking, fill 4 quart sauce pot 2/3 with salted water and bring to boil. Add spaetzle and cook 25 minutes or until tender. Drain and toss with chopped dill and 1 teaspoon olive oil.
6. Remove lid from chicken. In small spoonfuls, add sour cream to sauce that has formed in bottom of pot. Replace lid and cook additional 5 minutes.
7. Remove chicken from heat. Serve straight from the pot with spaetzle and cucumber salad.
CUCUMBER SALAD
Serves 4
Ingredients:
3 Kirby Cucumbers, peeled & very thinly sliced (1/8" thick)
1/4 Cup Yellow Onion, very thinly sliced (1/8" thick)
3 Tablespoons granulated Sugar
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Distilled White Vinegar
1/4 Cup Water
1 Tablespoon chopped Dill
Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients in medium sized mixing bowl. Toss to ensure that cucumbers are well coated and sugar and salt are dissolved. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
2. Serve as side dish with Chicken Paprikash.
Like many of the women in my family, my grandmother is a wonderful cook. However, as she gets older and her eyesight deteriorates she prefers to eat out for every meal, except breakfast when she makes two pieces of Cinnamon Raisin French Toast drowned in maple syrup.
Erik and I love eating out and enjoy a good early bird special as much as the next senior, but the thought of eating dinner at 4:30pm for our enire visit was not appealing. There had to be another option.
We were listening to my grandmother tell, for the second time that day, the story of her childhood journey to America, when it hit me… I would MAKE dinner and prepare all of Grandma's Hungarian favorites... Chicken Paprikash, Beef Goulash, Nukeli (also known as Spaetzle) and Cucumber Salad. That night we ate at 7pm… and it was DELICIOUS.
CHICKEN PAPRIKASH
Passed down from my Great-Grandmother, this Chicken Paprikash recipe is moist, tender and full of wonderful depth of flavor. It is also a one pot dish that is easy to prepare. It is naturally healthy and may be made lower in fat by using all white meat chicken, trimming or removing the skin or omitting the sour cream.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Medium Yellow Onions
1 Green Pepper
1 Tablespoon chopped Garlic
1 Tablespoon & 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1 Organic Chicken, quartered
1/4 Cup Smoked Hungarian Paprika
2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
2 Tablespoons Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon Black Ground Pepper
1 box Spaetzle *(may be found in most Supermarkets, in pasta aisle)
1 teaspoon Dill, chopped
2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
Preparation
1. Cut one onion into medium dice and combine in bowl with the garlic. Cut the green pepper into medium dice and add to onion and garlic. Thinly slice the remaining half onion and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, salt pepper and 2 tablespoons paprika. Rub spices all over chicken until the chicken is thoroughly coated. Set aside until ready to use.
3. In a large braising pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Once oil begins to shimmer, add half onion, pepper and garlic mixture. Sweat vegetables until they begin to become tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, skin down and cook uncovered for 5-7 minutes to brown the skin.
4. Add remainder of the onions, pepper & garlic. Turn chicken pieces over and sprinkle the remaining 2 Tablespoons of paprika over chicken. Add sliced onions over top. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid and continue cooking 25-30 minutes.
5. While chicken is cooking, fill 4 quart sauce pot 2/3 with salted water and bring to boil. Add spaetzle and cook 25 minutes or until tender. Drain and toss with chopped dill and 1 teaspoon olive oil.
6. Remove lid from chicken. In small spoonfuls, add sour cream to sauce that has formed in bottom of pot. Replace lid and cook additional 5 minutes.
7. Remove chicken from heat. Serve straight from the pot with spaetzle and cucumber salad.
CUCUMBER SALAD
Serves 4
Ingredients:
3 Kirby Cucumbers, peeled & very thinly sliced (1/8" thick)
1/4 Cup Yellow Onion, very thinly sliced (1/8" thick)
3 Tablespoons granulated Sugar
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Distilled White Vinegar
1/4 Cup Water
1 Tablespoon chopped Dill
Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients in medium sized mixing bowl. Toss to ensure that cucumbers are well coated and sugar and salt are dissolved. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
2. Serve as side dish with Chicken Paprikash.
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