Corn Risotto ~ James Beard Great American Chef Rally

Corn Risotto

 Cristeta Comerford, Chef to 

U.S. President Barack Obama 

The first time that I enjoyed Corn Risotto was when I attended the James Beard Great American Chef Rally in Milan Italy, June 2015.  Chefs of heads of government from around the world were in attendance.  An interesting dialogue with the theme, "How Will We Feed The Population of The World in 2050" followed introductions.   I requested my photo taken with President Obama's private chef, Cristeta Comerford and she obliged.  We also toured the Lisbon Bakery which is home to the world famous Panetonne and a winery famous for its Prosecco.  This Rally was held in conjunction with the "EXPO 2015".

Ingredients:

Produce

• 2 tablespoons Chives, fresh
• 1 Garlic clove
• 1 Shallot
• 3 sprigs Thyme, fresh

Condiments

• 1/2 teaspoon Lemon juice, fresh

Pasta & Grains

• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

Baking & Spices

• 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
• 2 teaspoon Salt

Dairy

• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup Sour cream or creme fraiche

Liquids

• 4 1/2 cups Water, hot

Other

• 4 Large or 6 medium ears corn, 4 cups of kernels cut from cobs, divided, cobs reserved to make corn purée

  
  

  Directions:

  Prepare and measure all ingredients before you begin.

  Place olive oil in heated pan, add diced shallot and minced garlic.  When translucent add Arborio rice; stir to coat grains.  When edges appear to be lightly toasted add the 4 1/2 cups hot water and 2 thyme sprigs, stir and place the lid.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Cook for 15 to 17 minutes.  Stir twice, until al dente.

  
  Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and corn liquid, continue cooking while stirring for three minutes.
  
  

  Add corn kernals and continue to cook 5 additional minutes.

  
  

  Remove thyme sprigs: add fresh lemon juice, creme fraiche, 1 cup corn kernels.  Add additional hot water if necessary. 

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

Spiced Butternut Squash Cake With Brown Butter Carmel Sauce

Spiced Butternut Squash Cake 
With 
Brown Butter Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

Spiced Butternut Squash Cake:
2 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup maple sugar
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons molasses
2 large organic eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

Brown Butter Caramel:
4 ounces chilled unsalted butter, cubed 
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pinch sea salt

Optional (for garnish):
Blackberry jelly
Ice cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 360°F. 

Steam the butternut squash in a steamer set over a pot of boiling water until tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from the steamer and mash. Measure out 1 cup of the mash. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars and butter until light and airy. Add 1 cup butternut squash mash, mayonnaise, and molasses and mix. Slowly whisk in each egg until well incorporated. Add the spices and the baking powder. Slowly add the flour and mix until smooth. Spoon the batter into a greased 9-inch cake pan. Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until golden brown and the center springs back to the touch. 

Make the brown butter caramel: heat a thick-bottomed pan on medium heat. Add the cubed butter and whisk to let butter cook. Allow the butter to foam and slowly start to brown. Specks will appear.

Remove the brown butter from heat and set aside. In another saucepan, slowly cook the sugar until it’s slightly thick and golden. Add the brown butter and whisk. Add the cream and stir continuously for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the sea salt. (Note: the caramel will thicken as it cools.) Serve warm.

Clam Pasta

Ingredients

1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced
3 cloves garlic, 2 unpeeled and 1 peeled
Kosher salt
About 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus additional high-quality olive oil for finishing
4 ounces pancetta (or unsmoked bacon), cut into thin lengths
2 medium shallots, peeled and sliced
Generous pinch chile flakes
12 ounces rigatoni
5 quahogs, shucked and chopped, or 4 dozen little neck clams steamed open, shucked, then chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley; pick the leaves from half and chop the rest
About 2 teaspoons minced lemon rind
About 3/4 cup toasted homemade breadcrumbs
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the fennel, 2 unpeeled garlic cloves, and salt. Blanch the fennel and garlic until the fennel is tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the fennel and garlic from the water. Peel the garlic and purée it in a food processor with the fennel, adding a little water to smooth the purée. Reserve.

Sliver half the remaining clove of garlic and mince the rest and set it aside. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add a skim of oil (about 1 tablespoon) and then add the pancetta, shallots, and chile flakes. Give the pan a swirl, then turn the heat down to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pancetta is rendered and browned, about 5 minutes. Add the slivered garlic, turn the heat down and cook, stirring it frequently, until the garlic is toasted, about 1 minute.

Add the pasta to the boiling water. Stir a couple of times to keep the rigatoni from clumping. When the pasta is three-fourths done, about 7 minutes, finish the sauce. Add the fennel purée, the butter, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. If you are using raw clams, add them now so they have a few minutes to cook. Season the sauce with salt, then raise the heat to high and cook until the purée is bubbling and reduces slightly, about 2 minutes. Add pasta water as necessary to keep the clam sauce loose; you want it moist enough to coat the pasta—a ragù.

Cook the rigatoni until it is al dente (usually 10 to 12 minutes). If you are using steamed, chopped clams add them now. Using a slotted spoon, lift the pasta out of the water and into the sauce. Stir or toss to combine, adding more pasta water if necessary to loosen the sauce enough to coat the rigatoni. Add the parsley leaves and toss again. Combine the chopped garlic and lemon rind and add the mixture to the sauce. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt.

Spoon the rigatoni onto warm plates. Top each portion with breadcrumbs, season with pepper, drizzle with nice olive oil, and serve.

Fresh Pea and Fennel Salad ~ Slow Roasted Porchetta

Fresh Pea and Fennel Salad

Roast Porchetta

Ingredients

2 cups fresh peas, blanched (or raw if small), or frozen peas
4 small fennel bulbs, cored and thinly sliced, fronds reserved for garnish, plus 2 fennel bulbs for juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fennel pollen, plus extra for garnish
1 cup olive oil, or 1 cup pan drippings from the Slow-Roasted Porchetta recipe
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Combine the peas and sliced fennel in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. 

Optional: make the fennel juice. Remove the fronds from the remaining 2 whole bulbs, and cut the bulbs into pieces appropriate for your juicer tube. Push the stems and bulb through the juicer. (Note: if you do not have a juicer, then eliminate this step and double the lemon juice; the vinaigrette will still be delicious.)

In another medium bowl, combine the fennel juice, lemon juice, shallots, and fennel pollen. While whisking, slowly add the oil (or pan drippings) and whisk until just combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the peas and fennel, toss well, and adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the fennel fronds and a pinch of fennel pollen. Serve immediately.

Slow Roasted Porchetta 

Ingredients 

9 cups kosher salt for brining, plus 1 tablespoon for the spice mixture
Whole leg of pork, bone-in, skin-on (approximately 15 pounds)
1 cup fennel seeds
8 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 10 lemons)
2 cups spicy olive oil, such as Arbequina
Directions:
One week prior to cooking, brine the pork (note: you can ask your butcher to brine the leg for you, or do it yourself). Dissolve 3 cups salt in 2 gallons cold water in a 5-gallon bucket. After the salt is dissolved, add ice to bring the water up to the 3-gallon mark to ensure that the brine is very cold. Place the whole pork leg in the brine and refrigerate for up to a week. (If refrigerator space is a consideration, a sturdy 5-gallon bag, sealed tightly, would also work.) I like to change the brine every couple of days, using up to 9 cups of salt. 

The night before serving the pork, preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove the leg from the brine and allow it to air dry, or pat dry with paper towels. With a sharp paring knife, make parallel incisions about 1 inch apart down the length of the pork, cutting through the skin and fat of the leg almost to the meat. Repeat, covering the entire skin side of the leg with the incisions. 

Lightly toast the fennel seeds in a dry large nonstick pan over medium heat until just fragrant; let cool. In a food processor, pulse the cooled fennel seeds, garlic, red pepper flakes, and the 1 tablespoon salt until roughly chopped. Generously press the spice mixture into the incisions in the leg. 

Place the leg of pork in a roasting pan and roast for 45 minutes. The pork should be deep golden brown in color and very aromatic. Mix the lemon juice with the oil and pour over the browned pork leg. Turn the oven down to 225°F and continue to roast for about 12 hours. Baste with the pan juices every few hours, if you like, or just leave it to cook. In the morning I usually baste the pork a few times. Check the pork frequently after 11 hours; the meat should fall off the bone and the skin should be a deep golden brown. Reserve 1 cup of the pan juices for the vinaigrette for the Fresh Pea and Fennel Salad, if you'd like. 

To serve, remove the crackling skin and then pull the meat with a fork into long pieces. Drizzle the pork with the remaining pan juices, or serve the jus on the side. Serve the crackling skin, cracking it into pieces if you wish, as a garnish with the pork (some think it is the best part).