Chef Daniel Angerer's Blog

BUDDING VEGETABLES!

The beauty of Spring lies not only in new vegetables at the green market but even before they start growing most of them go through a flower budding stage. I don’t want to overlook this glorious stage because it presents a beautiful collage of colors and scents. Spring flowers make my nose tingle.

Flowers Everywhere
Orchids, tulips and daffodils are colorful and bright but can you eat them? Maybe but they are not very tasty – when I tried them they were bitter and kind of tough textured.  Right now there are pea flowers, cress flowers, pansies, daffodils, thistles and so on Nature’s lawn and they are already showing themselves at some green markets.

(sea urchin, baby squid, octopus, king crab with flower petals)  

My Mom’s Spring Flowers
Now don’t understand this wrong -- you should not chop your mother’s vase filled with Spring flowers or run to your local florist and sprinkle them over your culinary creations. Flowers used in cooking are not sprayed with chemicals and are not treated with pesticides. And they are meant to be eaten and have a different taste and texture than your potted tupil plant!

(pansies & arugula flowers in salad) 

Pretty & Tasty Flower Additions …
Cooking with flowers adds texture and visual appeal and you get a lot of ooh and ahhs without  much preparation, for example …
· Zucchini flowers are too clunky and actually just taste like grass intheir raw state, but when you pickle them they make an interesting companion for grilled fish and such.
· Chive flowers can be plucked from their flowering head and sprinkled over green Spring pea soup adding a little burst of pungent-onion flavor.
· Cress flowers bring a sharp and complex taste to salads – a big surprise in a little bud. It does not take much -- a squeeze of lemon juice, a sprinkle of French sea salt, a few gratings of fresh black pepper paired with some goat cheese in a buttery bibb lettuce, salad dressing isn’t even necessary. 
· Purple violet petals can be candied and strewn over fresh picked berries adding a welcoming textural crunch making your berry bowl visually appealing and even more delicious.
 
(left photo: honey caramelized peanut butter mousse with banana chips and violets)
(right photo: chocolate marshmallow cake with rose petals)
 
The Essence of Flowers
Something worth metioning - the essence of roses and orange blossoms can be extracted by steeping them in hot water and then filtering them.  The water will have a wonderful aroma which does magic when added in creamy desserts!

(green pea soup with Monte Enebro cheese and cress flowers) 

Green Pea Soup with Sheep’s Cheese & Chive Flowers
(recipe yields four soups)

Soup
¼-cup vegetable oil such as canola or grape seed oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cups fresh peas (frozen greens peas may be substituted)
3 cups hot water
Sea salt such as Baline (to taste)
4 pinches cayenne 
2 ounces hard sheep’s milk cheese such as Manchego
2 blooming chive flowers

1. Heat vegetable oil in a pot (1 quart sized) then cook cut garlic on medium heat setting for 2-3 minutes.
2. Combine peas, cooked garlic with cooking oil, salt and cayenne in a kitchen blender then add hot water (water should be close to boiling heat when adding to the peas). Process mixture 3-5 minutes or until pureed.
3. Put pureed pea mixture into a fine mesh strainer, line strainer with a bowl catching strained green pea mixture - push pea mixture with a small laddle through the strainer.
4. Shave cheese with a vegetable peeler into long strands then sprinkle over soup.
5. Pick chive flowers f crom chive bud head then sprinkle over soup.

Chef’s Note: Peas soup may be served hot or chilled

 

I'M IN A BIND!

“When are you going to put ramps and baby carrots on the menu”! I was asked by some customers of mine.  My hands are tied since they are not available yet locally (I cook in New York).
As a chef I’m in a bind now because we’re all longing for Spring and the only seasonal vegetables left at the open air market are rutabaga, sunchokes, parsnips and plenty of different kinds of potatoes - it really gets spare around this time of the year – HELP. 
Meanwhile, until the Spring vegetables are in abundance, I introduced a three course cheese & early Spring vegetable or “bridging the seasons” menu.

(macaroni pasta with spring peas) 

Macaroni with a trio of Alpine Cheese & Spring Peas
This dish is like a football game where the ball is thrown back and forth between seasons.  There is the comfort of wintery pasta with three different cheeses from the Alps – nutty Appenzeller from Swizerland, stinky Tilsiter from Austria and Gruyere which brings the right meltability to the trio. Peas are nestled in between which gives a little burst of Spring flavor and a promise of what’s to come.  

For the main dish I use an Amish-style chicken from Pennsylvania served with green asparagus and porcini mushrooms. These birds have plenty of land to roam around on and they feed on grain - they don’t contain any steroids or antibiotics because they don’t need it.

(chicken piccata stuffed with Pecorinio)  

Pecorino Larded Chicken Piccata with Green Asparagus
 (recipe yields four portions)
4 chicken breasts (out of 2-1/2lb heavy chickens)
2 ounces pecorino cheese (grated)
Kosher-style salt
black pepper corn grindings
2 large eggs
1 cup unbleached flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil such as canola or grape seed
8 jumbo green asparagus spears

1. Remove chicken skin from breasts and discard. Put chicken breasts between two layers of plastic wrap. With a meat hammer gently pound chicken breast flat (1/2 inch thick).
2. Season pounded chicken breasts with salt and pepper then distribute ground pecorino evenly over the chicken breasts. Roll chicken breast into a sausage-like shape (it should be rolled tightly). I call that a roulade
3. Prepare two plates, one filled with flour and the second with mixed eggs. Dip rolled/stuffed chicken breasts in flour then into egg (making sure to cover all sides with flour and egg)
4. Cook in skillet in vegetable oil on medium temperature (10 minutes or until chicken juices are clear when punctured with a small knife)
5. Transfer cooked chicken to a paper lined plate to absorb excess fat
6. Blanche asparagus in boiling water (45 seconds or so).
7. See photo for plating suggestions

Chef’s Note: larding is usually done with bacon fat or such but in this recipe I replace it with spicy/salty pecorinio cheese.
Chef’s Tip: tratitionally a piccata is served with thin lemon slices and capers - cook these for one minute or so in the remaining skillet fat then pour over the cooked piccata.

(ricotta cheese cake with roasted pears)  

Fresh Ricotta Cheesecake with Pears
Classic at Last - for dessert I did not stray far; I serve a fresh Spring ricotta cheesecake. Tonjes dairy farm (which is a family owned farm close to the  metropolitan NY area) makes a ricotta from their Hollstein cows and it speaks for itself. It tastes kind of plain which is what ricotta is in general, but it raises my cheesecake to a whole other level because it has a wonderfully rich texture.

I sweeten my cheesecake with a touch of honey from a local beehieve and I add roasted pears tossed with Italian grappa – you must try it, it’s delicous!

So until Spring has finally announced itself enjoy the first gifts with the final bounty of Winter. 

 

LONGER DAYS AT LAST!

My focus over the past few weeks has been cheese making, pickling and curing, sort of wintery subjects, so I really need a change of pace. As the days get longer now and noticeably warmer -- at least in my neck of the woods -- I was excited to get a phone call last week “I got a pach of ferns do you wan’em”?   “Of course” was my answer since fiddlehead ferns are one of those vegetables which announces Spring to us cooks, and soon other Spring vegetables will follow such as ramps, morels and nettles.
 
(fire-charred fiddelhead ferns with spring pea shoots and bbq sauce) 

Fiddleheads
If you are lucky enough to live close to a lowland forest and close to a body of water such as a lake (fiddleheads like a lot of water to grow) on your next stroll trough the woods pay attention to the forest floor – there is a good change you’ll see tiny grennish gray spirals on a small stem reaching out for Spring warmth like many of us at the moment.
Fiddlehead ferns are protected by a furry-brownish overcoat. Around this time of the year they are most likley harvested close to the Great Lakes. In a few weeks, when weather permits, they will be available from Nova Scotia to the Husdon Valley all the way down the East Coast. 
 
(sauted fiddleheads with fried parsley and smoked spring onion broth)
 
Bitter but Pretty Looking
The flalvor of fiddlehead ferns is reminiscent of asparagus - it has a slight bitter taste to it and the look of this vegetable is elegant almost like vegetable jewlery or a musical note with its coiled shape.

(Spring party treat: fiddlehead fern skewer with goat milk and Hungarian paprika) 

Preparation Tips
-I fhere is more than a one inch stem attached to the little spiraled vegetable snip it off with a knife
-I don’t recommend storing them longer than three days in the refrigerator because they will darken rather quikly
-To clean fiddlehead ferns, place them in a bowl filled with luke warm water (keep changing the water until the water is not brown anymore). Rub them with your bare hands aganst each other in the water (this scrapes off any dirt and the protective brown layer)
-Preparatinon can be versatile from pickling to sauteing them in a skillet

Adding Musical Notes to a Simple Dish
Recently I was asked to participate in a panel discussion of a giant pasta company (not allowed to tell name currently, contractual obligation) on how to make supermarket pasta more appealing. How about with the help of local, seasonal vegetables? So folks here is my suggestion.

(spaetzel pasta with fiddles and candy striped beet ribbon with garlic/parsley pesto)  

Pasta with Fiddlehead Ferns and Garlic-Parsley Pesto
(recipe yields four portions)

1 knob garlic
3 cups fiddlehead ferns
1 cup Italian-flat leaf parsley
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
4 cups of durum wheat pasta such as penne or orecchiette
Salt such as Baline (to taste)
Fresh black pepper grindings (to taste)
2 tablespoons grated hard cheese such as Parmesan

1. Cut head-cap (1/4-inch) from garlic then wrap in aluminum foil. Transfer wrapped garlic into a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven and roast (roast for 1 hour or until garlic is soft when pierced with a small knife). Squeeze cooked garlic cloves out of peel then combine with parsley, salt and cayenne in an electric kitchen blender. Process mixture then add olive oil to puree smoothly (add 1-3 tablespoons of water if mixture does not blend to a smooth puree).
2. Bring a 1-gallon sized pot filled with water to boil then add salt.
3. Cook fiddlehead ferns in boiling water (3-4 minutes or until soft and but still holding their shape). With a slotted spoon transfer cooked fiddlehead ferns to a plate and reserve the water.
4. Cook pasta (cooking time will depend on pasta brand and pasta shape) in fiddlehead fern cooking water. I prefer to cook my pasta al dente (pasta will have a bite to it instead of a soft texture). Poor cooked pasta into a colander (reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid).
5. Combine pasta, cooked fiddlehead ferns and garlic/parsley pesto in pot and season to taste.  Add reserved pasta cooking liquid to your preference (this will add moisture to the pasta).
6. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the dish before serving.

Chef’s tip: Instead of parsley switch herbs such as chervil or oregano for the pesto making (this will give an intense herbal flavor to the pasta).

IS CEVICHE A FANCY WAY TO SAY "PICKLED FISH"?

I can’t wait until the first warming sunrays shine in our faces and things get a little more Spring-like.  Tulips appear, colorful foods return to the greenmarket and we can shed the wool sweaters and hats.  I’m done with winter. Stews and pot roasts move over for lighter foods!

(Spanish mackerel ceviche with lime juice, mango, red peppers and rainbow trout caviar)  

A healthy method of preparing fish comes to mind when I think of Spring and Summer cooking  – ceviche.  Preparing ceviche does not involve heat, therefore it helps to preserve nutrition and vitamins, similar to sushi. And there is something sexy about ceviche … maybe it’s the word, the vibrant colors, the glass it’s usually served in, the citrusy punch .. all of it.

(King salmon ceviche with black salt, cucumber and baby apples) 

Pickled Fish?
Before I came to the USA I was not familiar with the technique of marinating fish or meats. It is similar to pickling vegetables but with different ingredients – and pickling I knew.  But marinating fish and meat opened a whole other spectrum of “cooking” – if you can call it that – and thus I discovered ceviche. I’m grateful to my Ecuadorian chef colleagues who taught this Austrian chef a whole lot about it.  

(fish "candy" fluke around caper berries with pop rocks for textural contrast) 

Peruvian, Mexican, Ecuadorian
It seems that ceviche originated in Latin America from the time when most homes lacked refrigeration.  It provided a way of preserving fish especially in warm climates and now it is a signature dish of many Latin American countries, made in a particular regional, signature style. This natural preservation is obtained by adding citrus juices such as lime and spices and often hot peppers such as chilies to fish, which inhibits bacterial growth enabling fish to stay fresh for up to several days. Marinating in this way changes the appearance of raw fish and makes it look glassy and makes the texture silky smooth and tender when done right.

(diver sea scallops right out of the shell with button mushrooms and shiso cress)  

What Happens To Raw Fish
Citrus juices have a high ph level which penetrates the fish protein (it denaturizes the protein) and breaks it down thereby softening the texture and changing its color to white or a translucent appearance. It does not kill bacteria as cooking does, so you must use impeccably fresh fish. We don’t really worry that much any more about storing fish over a length of time since we have the means of refrigeration and ice but the technique is still used now quite simply because it’s delicious. 

(a squeeze of lime juice - ten minutes later the fish turns opaque) 

Ceviche versus Escapeche
Ceviche refers to preparation with seafood and citrus juice.  Escapeche is a similar preparation but fish is mostly prepared with vinegar and sometimes citrus juices, and it is usually fried or poached (gently cooked in liquid) before being marinated in acidic juices.

Ceviche Novice Recipe
(recipe for 4 appetizer portions)

½ cup fresh lime juice (4 limes)
2 teaspoons sea salt such as Baline 
3 pinches cayenne
1 jalapeno pepper
2 scallions
1 pound fish such as fluke, salmon, mackerel (skinless)

1. Combine lime juice, sea salt, cayenne in a non-reactive bowl (stainless bowl) then mix with a wire whisk.
2. Cut jalapeno pepper in half then remove seeds and white jalapeno inside-walls (if you like your ceviche spicy, leave white walls attached to the jalapeno, for really spicy ceviche save jalapeno seeds for your dish). Cut jalapeno into slices 1/8-inch thick.
3. Cut scallions 1/8-inch wide.
4. Cut fish into slices with a sharp knife (I use a knife with a flexible blade to cut the thinnest slices possible).
5. Combine cut jalapeno, scallions and fish in the lime/spice mixture and marinate for 5 minutes or so – the fish will turn pale white and will tenderize.

Chef’s Note: It’s of utmost importance to use fresh, disease-free, and parasite-free fish.
A potential hazard can be controlled by using frozen fish for ceviche (freeze for 1 day), which will kill parasites like tapeworms and roundworms.

Once you have mastered the above basic recipe try different combinations such as your favorite spicy pepper, and try lemon juice or key lime juice in your ceviche recipe. I like red onions in ceviche which I dip into boiling water for 15 seconds or so before I add them to the ceviche mixture.