This recipe was originally published for PastureLand Co-op

2/3 cup (2 ounces) pecans
1 1/2 cups (about 6 ounces) grated PastureLand Raw Milk Organic medium or sharp Cheddar, divided
1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (5 3/4 ounces) yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon double acting baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
5 tablespoons (2.5 ounces) PastureLand unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for brushing muffin tins if going that route
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup whole milk sour cream
1 large eggPreheat oven to 400°F.  Using non-stick food spray, lightly spray twelve 1/3-cup muffin cups or 24 mini muffin tins or brush with softened butter or use paper muffin cups.

At least here in the Midwest, tis the season for Meyer Lemons.  Now is the time to preserve this delightful fruit as they won’t be around for long.

This recipe is from Paula Wolfert’s book, Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco.  The important thing in preserving lemons is to be certain they are completely covered with salted lemon juice. With Wolfert’s recipe you can use the lemon juice over and over again.  She actually keeps a jar of used pickling juice in the kitchen, and when she make Bloody Marys or salad dressings and has half a lemon left over, she’ll toss it into the jar and let it marinate with the rest.  Use wooden utensils to remove the lemons as needed to keep the others pristine.

Sometimes one will see a sort of lacy, white substance clinging to preserved lemons in their jar; it is perfectly harmless, but should be rinsed off for aesthetic reasons just before the lemons are used. Preserved lemons are rinsed, in any case, to rid them of their salty taste. Cook with both pulps and rinds, if desired.

5 lemons
1/4 cup salt, more if desired

Optional ingredients that may be added:
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
5 to 6 coriander seeds
3 to 4 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, if necessary

Equipment:
Shallow bowl
Sterile 1-pint mason jar
Sharp knife

If you wish to soften the peel, soak the lemons in lukewarm water for 3 days, changing the water daily.

Quarter the lemons from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom, sprinkle salt on the exposed flesh, then reshape the fruit.

Place 1 tablespoon salt on the bottom of the mason jar. Pack in the lemons and push them down, adding more salt, and the optional spices between layers. Press the lemons down to release their juices and to make room for the remaining lemons. (If the juice released from the squashed fruit does not cover them, add freshly squeezed lemon juice — not chemically produced lemon juice and not water.*) Leave some air space before sealing the jar.

Let the lemons ripen in a warm place, shaking the jar each day to distribute the salt and juice. Let ripen for 30 days. To use, rinse the lemons, as needed, under running water, removing and discarding the pulp, if desired — and there is no need to refrigerate after opening. Preserved lemons will keep up to a year, and the pickling juice can be used two or three times over the course of a year.

According to the late Michael Field, the best way to extract the maximum amount of juice from a lemon is to boil it in water for 2 or 3 minutes and allow it to cool before squeezing.

Tips from Paula Wolfert

To sterilize a mason jar for the lemons, place it upside down in a steamer and steam for 10 minutes. Using tongs (wrap the ends in rubber bands for a better grip), remove the hot jar and dry it upside down on a paper towel-lined baking sheet in a warm oven. To sterilize the jar’s top, boil it in water for 5 minutes, then remove with tongs.

When you’re ready to use a lemon, remove it with clean utensils to avoid contaminating the inside of the jar with bacteria. This way, the remaining contents of the jar will not need to be refrigerated.

Chef’s rarely if ever use table salt for any number of reasons including the fact that they cannot pick it up with their fingers.  And, you’d never find a line cook reaching for a measuring spoon!  They keep a stash of salt in a bowl of some kind and always have it at hand to season and give life to what they may be cooking.

With salts now being harvested throughout the world, each with their own distinct flavor, there is now available a beautiful vessel to store and them close at hand.  For anyone who has been to Bret’s Table, you may have noticed such a box, made of oak and always sitting near the cook-top.  It’s my salt box handcrafted by my brother Kevin.  Kevin has always been great with his hands and for many years has used that talent as a full-time electrician.  In his spare time he built himself a workshop to construct and refinish furniture.

Knowing his talent with wood and my love of cooking, I bugged him for years to construct for me a salt box that had three compartments so that my various flavors would be close at hand.  He finally came up with a design that has compartments large enough  that one can easily retrieve a pinch of salt with their fingers or if baking, spoon out a teaspoon for a favorite cookie recipe.

Over the holidays, our dear friend, Chef Suvir Saran was visiting and noticed the box.  He immediately fell in love with it and begged Kevin to make him one as well.  From there a business was born.  Kevin now constructs boxes made from oak and cherry wood; with one to three compartments – they can be rectangle or round and all made by hand.

Below are just a few examples that he constructs.  If you would like purchase a box or need more details about these wonderful kitchen vessels please contact Kevin directly at srkban04@hotmail.com.

It was another baking  day with Jen and Kevin. This time, our friend Ingrid joined us. The mission was to each make a different croissant recipe, then bake, taste and compare the differences.  I know, I know — it was a chore, but we had to compare each for flavor and texture.

Kevin, Mr. Overachiever, actually took on two recipes from Le Cordon Bleu (LCB). To quote Kevin’s email, “So, I am reading my recettes from LCB. Glad I am reading today!  Recette says to mix flour, milk, water, sugar, salt, yeast, stir, not mix too much.  Sit on counter for ~ 1 hr then cover and overnight in fridge! So tomorrow will be the pounding and turns!”

2kg flour
400g milk
800g water
200g sugar
40 g salt
60g yeast
1.2 kg butter

“Interesting, the recette from the La Boulangerie traditionnelle recette includes milk.  The pate a croissants recette from the month long class has no milk.”

1kg flour
25 g salt
150g sugar
30 g yeast
580 ml water
600 g butter

“Are you guys using recettes with or without milk?” Jen and I also used milk in our recipes. According to several recipes, milk assists in the browning of the crescents.

Jen tested Shirley Corriher’s recipe from Bakewise and I tasted Jacques Torres’ recipe from Dessert Circus.  Here’s what we learned.

Kevin found out that fresh compressed yeast does not equal by weigh dry yeast. Therefore, he used 3 times as much yeast as was stated in the recipe.  For anyone who is interested, 1 ounce of fresh compressed yeast equals 1/4 ounce or 2 1/4 teaspoons of dry yeast (such as Red Star).

Jen realized that if you follow Ms. Corriher’s recipe to the letter,  one ends up adding too much oil and water as the dough is being rolled out. Therefore, Jen gave up on that idea after the first fold. Also, for the amount of flour that she used in her recipe, the butter was increased by 4 ounces as compared to my recipe.

I discovered that one does not have to add any flour to the butter before spreading it on the dough for which some recipes call. Also, there is a fine line between the dough and butter being too soft and just right for rolling and making the first fold without refrigerating beforehand.  For the first batch I was able to roll out and fold, then refrigerate.  The second batch got a little dicey, for when I started rolling it out the butter began oozing out the ends. Instead of fighting with it, I just stopped and put in the fridge to continue the next morning.

Also, when making Pain au Chocolat, be sure and use 2 if not 3 chocolate batons. The more chocolate the better, in my book!

Now comes the best part.  As expected, Kevin’s recipe rose the highest, but surprisingly, were not very yeasty tasting. He would cut back probably 1/3 of the yeast the next time. Jen’s recipe called for the most butter and most number of turns — 6 single turns (letter folds) with resting in between each fold.  Consequently, hers were the most flaky and buttery. Mine were a little less flaky and buttery, due to using less butter and did 1 single turn and 3 double turns (book folds).

All in all, it was a successful day. Making croissants is not as difficult as recipes profess. They just take patience and knowing when to take a break before proceeding, for example;  1) if the butter starts seeping out, refrigerate. or 2)  if the dough springs back when attempting to roll out, stop and let the dough rest.

To serve croissants for breakfast (okay, brunch), start the day prior. Then give yourself four hours before you want to serve them.

Croissants and Pain au Chocolat
Recipe adapted from one by Jacques Torres

Use a stand mixer for this recipe. Most hand-held mixers will not hold up to the strength of this dough.

For the dough:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Scant ¼ cup loosely packed fresh compressed yeast (I used 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast)
Generous ½ cup cold water
3 1/3 cups (500 grams) bread flour, plus extra if needed (I used unbleached all-purpose flour)
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Generous ½ cup whole milk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter

For the pain au chocolat:
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

For the egg wash:
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
Scant ¼ cup whole milk

1.    Prepare the dough: Melt the 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Allow the butter to cool to room temperature. It should be warm to the touch.
2.    In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the cold water. Place the flour, salt, sugar, milk, and melted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Set the mixer on medium speed and mix just until the ingredients are dispersed, about 5 seconds.
3.    Add the dissolved yeast and beat on medium-high speed until the dough is well combined and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl, about 1 minute. If the dough is too soft, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it is firmer. (The dough is too soft when it cannot hold its shape.) If the dough is too hard, add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until it has softened. (The dough is too hard when it is difficult to mix in the mixer.)
4.    Remove the dough from the mixing bowl. If the dough is slightly sticky and ropy, knead it with your hands for about 30 seconds, until it is smooth. Pat it into a ball. Place the dough on a lightly floured baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let it proof at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
5.    Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to an 8 by 15-inch rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Wrap the rectangle in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. The cold retards the rising process, allowing a slow fermentation to help develop the flavor of the dough.
6.    Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap the rectangle, and place it with a long side facing you on a lightly floured work surface. Spread the softened butter evenly over the right two thirds of the dough. Incorporate the butter by folding the (butterless) left third of the dough over the center, Then fold the right third of the dough to the left, to resemble a folded letter. Roll this out into another 10 by 30-inch rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Using a dry pastry brush, remove any flour that may be on the dough from rolling out. Fold each short end of the dough to the middle so they meet but do not overlap. Then fold one half over the other half and, if necessary, rotate the dough so that the seam is on your right (this is a book fold). Wrap the folded dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours.
7.    Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll it into a 10 by 30-inch rectangle and turn it so a long side faces you. Give the dough a single fold by folding the left third of the dough over the center, then fold the right third of the dough to the left. Now the dough should resemble a folded letter. (I did a book fold here, then repeated the process for a total of 3 book folds.) Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
8.    Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough into a 10 by 36-inch rectangle about ¼ inches thick. Keep the thickness even and the edges straight. This will make it easier to cut the croissants or pain au chocolat.
9.    For croissants: Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut out triangles with a 2 ½ inch base and 10-inch sides. Lay each triangle on a lightly floured work surface with the tip facing you. Gently pull the tip toward you; this light stretch adds layers to the finished croissant without adding density. Use the palms of your hands to roll each triangle up from the base to the tip. (At this stage, they can be frozen for up to 1 week if well wrapped in plastic wrap. Thaw on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding.)
10.    Place the rolled croissants on a parchment covered baking sheet; spaced about 2 inches apart. Loosely cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap. Allow the croissants to proof at room temperature until they have doubled in size and appear light and full of air; about 1 ½ to 3 hours depending on the temperature of the room and of the dough.
11.    For pain au chocolat: With a sharp chef’s knife, cut the dough into 3 ½ by 4 ½ -inch rectangles. Lay each rectangle on a lightly floured work surface, with a long side facing you, and place about ½ tablespoon of the chopped chocolate in the upper third of each one. (I used 2 chocolate batons.) Fold that third of the dough over the chocolate. Place about another ½ tablespoon of the chocolate along one seam of the folded dough. Fold the bottom third of the dough over the chocolate. (At this stage, they can be frozen for up to 1 week if well wrapped in plastic wrap. Thaw on a parchment covered baking sheet overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding.)
12.    Turn over the pain au chocolat so the seams face down. This will keep them from opening as they bake. Place them on a parchment covered baking sheet; spaced about 2 inches apart. Loosely cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and allow the pain au chocolat to proof at room temperature until they have doubled in size and appear light and full of air, about 1 ½ to 3 hours.
13.    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
14.    Make an egg wash by whisking together the egg yolks, whole egg, and milk in a small bowl until well combined. With a pastry brush, very gently coat the pastries completely with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
15.    Leftovers can be stored in the freezer if well wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 weeks. Thaw at room temperature and warm in the oven before serving.

4 cups water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 thyme sprig
2 flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves
½ carrot, peeled
½ onion, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon peppercorns
Fine sea salt

Place all ingredients except salt in a pot and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, strain and cool.

I recently taught a cooking class called Mid-Winter Appetizers at Cooks of Crocus Hill. It was an ambitious menu including a riff on a French Laundry hors d’voure called English Cucumber Cappellini with Pickled Oyster topped with Sterling Cavier and fresh Dill.

Another recipe was a Grilled Sardine on a bed of Roasted Beets with Fennel Marmalade and a pan-roasted Harissa Vinaigrette.

Here is the vinaigrette that I served along with the grilled sardines with roasted beets.

Pan-Roasted Harissa Vinaigrette

2 teaspoons Dijon style mustard
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed Lemon juice
2 tablespoons aged Balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Shallots – minced
½ teaspoon Sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste
½ cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
1 ½ tablespoons Harissa
1 ½ cups Parsley or Cilantro; washed, thoroughly dried and sliced

Combine first 5 ingredients, mixing well. Add salt & pepper to taste. Slowly add ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil to the mix.

Heat remaining olive oil in shallow pan to just before it begins to smoke. Add herb; then Harissa and cook until herb is bright green. Once bright green, plunge into dressing and stir well. Serve with the grilled sardines.

For those who participated in the Mid-Winter Appetizer class, it is my hope that you enjoyed it.

I will be Tackling the French Laundry at Cooks of Crocus Hill on Sunday, February 17, 2008, from 1:00 – 4:00 pm. The English Cucumber Cappellini with Pickled Oysters is on the menu again.