Chef Daniel Angerer's Blog

HOT & SEASONAL - the blog

If I think about the popularity of vegetables Brussels sprouts are for sure the most asked for vegetable of the year in my field. Especially now when the autumn season has arrived in the North East the peak of the Brussels season last from late September to mid November. Last week I "harvested" the first stalk of Brussels sprouts at my local farmers market. The little button-looking sprouts were about an inch small. Biting in one of those proved to have mild cabbage flavor. Remembering prior years of successful preparation I suggest to roast Brussels sprouts. Indeed it makes them utterly satisfying.

Brussels on the stalk

Sprout roasting
Usually I simple cut them of the center stalk then halve them. I roast them on medium heat setting, this way they become golden-brown colored and tasty. The other day I still had preserved lemon in my refrigerator that I made many weeks ago for some other cooking project. They were citrusy and had an enjoyable level of salt. I chopped the lemon finely and tossed into the Brussels just before plating Some Tabasco spiced cashews sprinkled over the dish added a welcome buttery/spicy quality.

pan roasted Brussels sprouts

Roasted Brussels with Spicy Cashews
(recipe for 4 servings)
2 pounds Brussels sprouts.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil such as grape-seeds or canola
1/2 teaspoon sea salt and more to taste
5 grinding black pepper from the mill
1 lemon, juiced freshly

1) If the Brussels sprouts have woodsy stalks cut 1/8 of the bottom off and then lengthwise in half. Remove any yellow leafs.
2) On medium heat setting, in vegetable oil cook Brussels in a 9-inch skillet. Add salt then cook for 15 minutes stirring every minute to prevent scorching. Look for evenly browned Brussels. Add pepper and season with salt to taste.

Spiced Cashews
(recipe makes 1 cup)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
Pinch cayenne

1) Heat skillet on medium heat setting. I suggest to use small nonstick skilled for that. Add maple syrup and spices and bring boil then add cashew and toss. Cook mixture for 1-2 minutes. Cashews should be coated with spices and dark-brown if not add 1 tablespoon of water and cook for another minute. Stir mixture constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent scorching.
3) Transfer mixture to a greased plate. Once cooled sprinkle cashews over the roasted Brussels.

Chefs Note: You can buy preserved lemons in Middle Eastern type of stores or online here.

 

ARE THESE ROSES I’M EATING? - the blog

This is the time of the year when I stroll through a farmer’s market and get super excited about one fruit in particular. That fruit reminds me of the seductive aroma of roses. Can you guess the fruit – are you ready for a little food trivia?

quince on the tree

Irresistible & tender
The fruit is yellow when ripe and is the size of a small apple. It can't compete much in a beauty contest since the surface is not that smooth, but if you put your nose to it an amazing floral scent will tickle your nostrils. Actually, it’s botanically related to the rose family, and in the same token that makes it related to apples and pears. The taste of it will remind you of these when it is cooked. In fact, it has an astringent flavor profile in its raw state and is not enjoyable. It's said that it was the famed fruit that Adam and Eve bit into instead of an apple.

quince compote

Enough with the story telling. You might have solved the riddle by now. 

Ta-da
I'm writing about quince! The quince is one of those fruits that stresses a cook’s brain cells more than a little bit. In order to bring the raw fruit’s seductive rose scent to a dinner’s plate, it needs to be cooked. After some time in a flavorful broth, its yellow color becomes a feminine pink with a tender texture. Its high natural pectin content makes it ideal for preserving. It can also be crushed with a table fork or simply put in a food processor, which makes it spreadable on breakfast toast. To me it has a delectable mouth-feel that can be described as soft with a gentle texture. Cooked wedges of quince are also terrific grilled. My favorite combinations to serving them with are venison or pork.

Let’s cook quince
When it’s available at your local food market, I encourage you to look out for quince and pick a few pieces up. Follow this simple cooking method below to make your quinces shine.

Poached Quince
(recipe for 4 pieces quince)
4 quinces
3 cups water
1 cup agave
1 tablespoon honey
1 stick cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of clove powder, optional
1/2 vanilla bean (see chef's tip below)
10 grindings black pepper from a mill
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1) Peel quinces with a vegetable peeler and cut into four wedges. Remove the cores with a small paring knife.
2) Combine quince and all other ingredients in a gallon-sized pot.
3) On high heat bring mixture to a boil then lower to a simmer and cook for 60 minutes. At this point the quinces should be soft when pierced with a knife – if not, cook another 20 minutes.

Chef's tip: I recommend using intensely flavorful vanilla bean in this recipe instead of vanilla extract; it will make the quince particularly enjoyable. I suggest to do the following: With a small knife cut the vanilla bean lengthwise, open, then scrape out the small black seeds with the back of the knife. Cook vanilla seeds and the scraped vanilla pod in the cooking liquid. Store the leftover piece of vanilla bean in saran wrap in the freezer.

Chef's note: Poaching describes the cooking process where liquid stays just under the boiling point. It retains the natural identity of the item being poached. If you own a cooking thermometer, use it during the poaching process to keep the liquid around 190 degrees Fahrenheit. To me, that's the ideal poaching temperature for quince.