Trout en Croute for Daring Cooks

The last week of November was quite hectic. I was travelling soon after and there were so many bakes to finish before I could take leave of my oven. As it also happened to be the Thanksgiving week, the time pressure was more. Amidst the dinners and entertaining, I had to find time to complete the month's challenge for Daring Cooks!! Fortunately, this month's challenge was easy enough to put together and completely stress-free, so, I just about managed it! :)

The 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Simone of Junglefrog Cooking. Simone chose Salmon en Croute (or alternative recipes for Beef Wellington or Vegetable en Croute) from Good Food Online.

You will notice that my title says trout and not salmon. Well, I just took some creative liberties with the protein element. You see, when I went to the fish stall, the trout looked way more appealing and fresher than the salmon. Besides, salmon to me is best eaten raw in sushi form. Butter poached salmon from steak houses have just put me off the cooked fish. Also, trout is a softer fish than the salmon and I think that worked really nicely with the sauce in this dish.



Anyway, happy as a beaver, I set off on making lunch. I had the pastry dough ready. I used store bought dough (I know that is blasphemous to all you conservatives out there but when is time is short... :)). I made the cream sauce with cream cheese, arugula, basil and spinach flavored lightly with lemon zest.

Packed and trimmed, with those neat little bows (cute, aren't they?!), the fish in pastry looked really pretty and ready for the oven. Thirty minutes later, I took it out, in heavy anticipation. Simone's sample photos of the challenge looked so beautiful, so true to the adage of eating with your eyes first. Unfortunately, I was in for a disappointment. My cooked pastry looked nothing like Simone's!! For some reason, it was neither glamorous looking nor young and taut as hers.



Nevertheless, I put my disappointment at the back of my mind and set about photographing, so we could get on with the eating. My heart was heavy but it lightened quite a bit once I took a bite of the dish! It was awesome! Light and flaky, the trout had absorbed the flavors, from the sauce, well. I had been generous with packing the sauce in the pastry, so we did not even need more on the side.

All the while, there was the nagging question in my subconscious mind about the lackadaisical appearance of the pastry. It was only later in the evening that the answer came to me. You see, as I was reading the recipe for the short crust pastry, it somehow stuck in my mind that it was like puff pastry. So, I had wrapped the fish in puff pastry. Only later, as I was mulling over the recipe, did it strike me that it was like tart crust, not puff pastry!! So there, mystery solved. Next time, I will be sure to use the right pastry. LOL!



Interestingly, the dish reminded me very much of a Parsi dish that my MIL makes, Chutney Fish. It is of similar concept; the chutney is made with coriander, green chillies and a hint of tamarind, the fish (usually pomfret) is generously coated with it and then wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed. It's incredibly delicious!

Btw, if you would like a complete en croute meal, check out my Curried Egg Pastry Cups for appetizer and Brie en Croute for dessert.


Salmon en Croute
(serves 4)

5.2 ounces/150 gr Mascarpone or creamcheese
0.6 cup/4.2 ounces/120 gr Watercress, rocket (arugula) and spinach
17.6 ounces, 500 gr Shortcrust pastry
17.6 ounce/500 gr Salmon/trout fillet (skinless)
1 egg

Heat the oven to 200°C/390 F. Put the mascarpone or cream cheese in a food processor with the watercress, spinach and rocket and whizz the lot until you have a creamy green puree. Season well.

Roll the pastry out so you can wrap the salmon in it completely (approx. 2-3 mm thick) and lay it on a buttered or oiled baking sheet (it will hang over the edges). Put the salmon in the middle. If it has a thinner tail end, tuck it under. Spoon half of the watercress mixture onto the salmon.

Now fold the pastry over into a neat parcel (the join will be at the top, so trim the edge neatly), making sure you don’t have any thick lumps of pastry as these won’t cook through properly. Trim off any excess as you need to. Make 3 neat cuts in the pastry to allow steam to escape and make some decorations with the off-cuts to disguise the join if you like. Brush with the egg glaze.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and browned. To test wether the salmon is cooked, push a sharp knife through one of the cuts into the flesh, wait for 3 seconds then test it against the inside of your wrist; if it is hot, the salmon is cooked. Serve with the rest of the watercress puree as a sauce.

Shortcrust pastry

While this is not mandatory to do, I highly recommend making your own shortcrust pastry as it is very simple to do! As mentioned in the notes; please make sure to not add too much water as that is the key to having a successful shortcrust pastry.

450 gr (15.8 ounces or 3.2 cups ) of plain all purpose flour
200 gr ( 7 ounce) cold butter
pinch of salt

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. If you have a food processor you can use that as shown in the above video.

Stir in the salt, then add 2-3 tbsp of water and mix to a firm dough. Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface. Wrap in cling film and chill while preparing the filling.

For best results make sure the butter is very cold.

Pumpkin Bars with Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting

I have just finished reading Ken Follet's World Without End. Do you remember his earlier novel Pillars of the Earth? This is a sequel to that book, picking up a few generations after Tom Builder built the Knightsbridge Cathedral. Like the first book, it is set in Medieval times, now sometimes referred to as the Dark Ages, when the church was in high command and the Pope was more powerful than the King of England.

It is a great read and if, like me, you like period stories, it is a must-read! Besides, I have always liked Follet's writing style; although this book is over a 1000 pages, it is a real page turner and I read it in all of two days. I just couldn't put it down. It actually helped me overcome my jet lag! Scout's honor! I was so engrossed in the characters that I did not even notice the clock strike one in the morning and when I did put it down, I fell into a deep slumber and woke up refreshed at an earthly 9 am rather than the ungodly 5 am I was dreading! :)



So, in answer to your question about what I am upto these days in my home country, it is just that - reading, relaxing and enjoying home food! One of the first things I did since I landed here was to go to the lending library, renew my dormant membership, and borrow a pile of novels and comics to pass time...

I love the libraries here. There is absolutely no luxury in there; no air conditioning even during the sweltering summer, no chairs to sit and peruse book; it is just functional; yet, there is a sense of comfort! They are small but have been around forever, definitely since my mom was ye high. Despite my intermittent presence over the last few years, the guy, who runs it, still remembers my face (and all the fines I run up for late returns!)..



So, I came home arms filled with books and I was happy. We have a gorgeous garden here that is delight, especially, in the evenings. Sitting in a comfortable chair out in the garden, with a book in hand and cup of hot ginger tea and I really can't ask for more.... Oh! except perhaps a piece of the Pumpkin Harvest Bar I had made back in New York! :)


Harvest Pumpkin Bars with Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)

makes 9 to 16 bars)

Pumpkin Bars

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cups brown sugar
1 cup fresh pumpkin puree
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup toasted chopped almonds or other nuts
1/4 cup raisins
more whole almonds for garnish
Dulce de Leche cream cheese frosting (Recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat together sugar, pumpkin, eggs, and oil. Add the flour mixture to it in three parts, beating each time to incorporate well. Fold in the chopped nuts and raisins.

Pour the batter into an ungreased 8x8 inch baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is springy to touch.

Cool in pan on a wire rack. Once the cake is completely cool, generously spread the cream cheese frosting in an even layer. Cut the cake into bar sized pieces. Garnish each bar with a whole or chopped nuts.


Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting

2 oz cream cheese at room temperature (Can use low fat)
2 T butter, softened
4 T Dulce de Leche
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add Dulce de Leche and beat to mix completely. Continue beating and gradually add powdered sugar until the mixture is smooth.

Romancing with Rose & Basil Seed Macarons with Cherry Cream Cheese

I am in Chennai now.. where is the weather is just pleasant enough to sit comfortably without a fan and the cool evening breeze from the sea makes the leaves on the trees in my garden sway to an enchanting tune. Ofcourse, I am also being happily pampered by the family in every which way; lots of good food and my every wish fulfilled immediately. And, I have a good few weeks of this to cherish. Oh it's bliss! Ok, perhaps it won't last forever; once the novelty of my presence wears off but until then I am enjoying it all very very much! :)

I landed here yesterday and am still soaking in everything, including the time zone. So far, I have been walking through the day in a sorta jet lagged haze.. I wake up, eat, sleep, eat, sleep and try to get to used to the new day and night system. Pretty good living eh?! I think so too. I'll be fine in a couple of days though, fret not! :)



Now, despite all that, I cannot ignore my blog and leave all you loyal readers (surely there is one?!) hanging until I get back to the States? No siree, that isn't done! So, I made a few things, before departing on my vacation, to be posted about, in leisure, this month.

So, am starting off with Macarons! Remember my tribulations and eventual triumph, with Cardamom and Ganache macarons, in making this delicate French desserts?! Even as I was whooping with joy in October over having made a successful batch of these tricky treats, I decided that I would not be a one-trick pony. I have to recreate that magic if only to justify the baker in me. I must show who is the master and ofcourse the thought of playing with new flavor combinations just made it all very appealing.



Jamie's and Deeba's call for a monthly macaron challenge, Mac Attack, served just the perfect excuse to try my hand at them again. They have dedicated a whole blog, MACTWEETS, to macs with a lot of information on getting it right. And ofcourse, a blogroll of all the wonderful and creative Mac Bakers!

My entry for this month's challenge is Rose and Basil Seed Macaron with Cherry Cream Cheese filling. The inspiration behind it was the Indian Falooda. Falooda is a refreshing summer drink made with cold rose milk, vermicelli and puffed basil seeds. It is an adaptation of the Persian dessert Faloodeh and was brought to the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal period. I love rose milk and the basil seeds add an interesting texture element like the tapioca baubles in Chinese bubble tea!



I had a packet of Falooda mix at home and it struck me that it would great flavor experiment for macarons! And, so it came to be. For this challenge, I also wanted to stress test my learnings from my last success. My first few unsuccessful attempts were with Helen's recipe and I wanted to try the recipe again and see if I had after all grown in macaron baking. Oh! I am happy to report that it worked. I am not a one-trick pony after all!!!

So ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I present to you my newest Mac creation! :) Much love to you all!

Before you go, I have another piece of news to share. Foodista has invited me to contribute to their Best of Food Blogs Cookbook. This is a real dream opportunity for me but to make it real, I need your help in voting for me and my recipes to be part of the book. I have submitted some of my favorites. I will be greatly obliged to you if you could vote for me! Thanks very much for your love!!

Indian Cashew Fudge (Kaju Barfi) - Vote here

Pesto Rolls - Vote here

Roasted Pumpkin and Barley Risotto - Vote here

Mango and Saffron Ice Cream - Vote here


Rose and Basil Seed Macarons with Cherry Cream Cheese

**
I used rose sugar for flavoring. If you can't find any, you can use 1/2 tsp of rose extract. Add to the egg whites and whip as per directions.
**

For the macarons shells:
basic macaron shell recipe adapted from Tartelette)

1 egg white
1 T granulated sugar
1/2 cup + 1/2 T powdered sugar
1/3 cup + 1/2 T ground almonds
2 tsp rose flavored sugar for the meringue
2 tsp rose flavored sugar + 1/2 tsp basil seeds for garnish

For the whites: the day before (24hrs), separate your eggs and store the whites at room temperature in a covered container. If you want to use 48hrs (or more) egg whites, you can store them in the fridge.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to a foam, gradually add the sugar until you obtain a glossy meringue. Do not over beat your meringue or it will be too dry. Combine the almonds and powdered sugar in a food processor and give them a good pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add them to the meringue, give it a quick fold to break some of the air and then fold the mass carefully until you obtain a batter that flows like lava or a thick ribbon. Give quick strokes at first to break the mass and slow down. The whole process should not take more than 50 strokes.

Test a small amount on a plate: if the tops flattens on its own you are good to go. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple of turns.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip (Ateco #807 or #809) with the batter and pipe small rounds (1.5 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper or silicone mats lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with the crushed sugar or violet petals. Preheat the oven to 280F. Let the macarons sit out for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells a bit and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size.

Let cool. If you have trouble removing the shells, pour a couple of drops of water under the parchment paper while the sheet is still a bit warm and the macarons will lift up more easily do to the moisture. Don't let them sit there in it too long or they will become soggy. Once baked and if you are not using them right away, store them in an airtight container out of the fridge for a couple of days or in the freezer. To fill: pipe or spoon about 1 big tablespoon of butterceam in the center of one shell and top with another one.


Cherry Cream Cheese filling

1-1/2 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1 T butter at room temperature
1/8 tsp burgundy powder food color
2 tsp kirsch or cherry liqueur
4 T powdered sugar

Whip the ingredients together to make a smooth paste. Refrigerate until ready to use. Fill a ziplock bag and snip off a small bit. Pipe out the filling onto the cooled macaron shells. Top with another and press gently to seal.

Homemade Gnocchi and Thanksgiving Giveaway Winner ...

It's been a nice long weekend.... A friend came over for Thanksgiving and to celebrate her birthday in style in the Big Apple. So there was much indulgence in food and sweets, a lot of catching up on things and people in our lives and those that intersect both, more catch-ups with more friends and house dinners and some more eat outs...

And since it is NYC, how can a visit be complete without a long wait to get a good meal?! On the Friday after the Thanksgiving, we wanted to fortify ourselves before diving headlong into the Black Friday throngs. Since we were hosting the out-of-towner we thought we must introduce her to some of the finest that the NYC streets had to offer; the Vendies!!!

She is vegetarian. We thought, we must must give her the chance to taste the Vendie award winning biriyani at the cart on 46 and 6th. Truth be told, the chicken biriyani from that cart is totally worth the 20 minute wait we always seem to have to endure (It is freshly made right there!!!). So, it was definitely expected to be a treat!

So, we set off on this blisteringly windy and hence cold Friday to midtown west and waited patiently in line for our turn. It just seemed to be the day for large orders and short staffed carts. There was just one short order cook manning all those flying orders! We patiently waited, cracking jokes and entertaining ourselves and trying to ignore our freezing extremities. Those who know me will realise that alone is a testament to the food here!..

Anyway, we waited for 45 minutes. When, finally after what seemed like eternity and our hands, ears and lips were frozen over, our turn came, we asked for the vegetable biriyani. The guy looked at us blandly and responded "No vezzie stuff today" !!!! $%#@&* GAH!!

So, after recovering from our dumb amazement at the turn of events, we shuffled off to a rather popular south Indian vegetarian restaurant, where again, we had to wait before being seated.... And then guess what, the kitchen closed before we could finish filling ourselves up....Sighhh

Seemed like there was nothing left to do but shop to make up for the day and that we did! :)

Anyway, none of that had anything to do with making Gnocchi; just wanted to share my moments with you! :) I like gnocchi and that pillow-y fluffiness makes it so irresistible! I used Heidi's recipe to make the pasta and topped off with a simple fresh tomato sauce. They were fun and tasty but not yet perfect! I need to work on incorporating more airy lightness into the pasta and I plan to...

OK, it's time to announce the winner of my Thanksgiving book giveaway. The note out of the hat had Sala Kannan's name on it... Congratulations Sala!!! RCR Creative will be sending your copy of Notes on Cooking soon. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.


Also, another piece good news for me this Holiday season. My photo of Pomegranate Yogurt Ice Cream was chosen as one of the finalists of the POM Wonderful Photo Contest at Refrigerator soup. It is currently being featured on the website! Thanks very much for the honor. I am soo thrilled!!!