Peanut Butter Coconut Curry Ice Cream

My introduction to Hedy Goldsmith came with my first visit to Michael's Genuine in Miami. It's one of our favorite restaurants and Hedy is the pastry chef there. She's an amazingly talented chef; her desserts are imaginative, unusual and every plate an adventure in flavor combinations. They are each compositions with several elements, but the portions are not so large as to be overwhelming. Trust me, you won't want to share. Share tastes, yes, so if you are fortunate enough to visit Michael's, have everyone order something different. 

Once I enjoyed a dessert described as Basil Panna Cotta with Strawberry Consomme, Pine Nut Madeleines and Pickled Peaches. The mini-madeleines were quite delightful and certainly the simplest element on the plate, so when I noticed Hedy working in the kitchen, I asked the waitress to ask if she would share the recipe. I watched the waitress approach Hedy and I was refused by a head shake....absolutely not. Well, I understand. Why would a chef give away her secrets? So I did what all of you would do: went home and made them for myself! 

But now, Hedy has a cookbook out. (No pine nut madeleine recipe though.) It's called Baking Out Loud. Not only is this cookbook fun to read, but the recipes are single elements and not the intricately-designed dessert plates Hedy creates at Michael's. The recipes all have marvelous and unusual flavors, with a Hedy Goldsmith twist like Red Velvet Twinks (Twinkies) and Mochaccino Whoopie Pies. But it doesn't stop there. There are some exotic ice cream flavors...licorice ice cream for one, or how about a ricotta gelato? And then there is a tangerine creamsicle pot de crème and the most divine looking lemon meringue tart. 

So what did I decide to make? Brace yourselves as it's so unlike me: her Peanut Butter Coconut Curry Ice Cream. Hedy describes this as not for the faint of heart, with one foot in sweet and the other in savory. And, she suggests if you don't like it, pour it over tandoori chicken. Hah! Really, how could I resist making an ice cream described thus?

Peanut Butter Coconut Curry Ice Cream
From Baking Out Loud by Hedy Goldsmith

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon natural coconut extract
2 vanilla beans, split (I used 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (preferable organic) at room temperature
2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 to 1 teaspoon curry powder (Hedy uses a curry powder called vadouvan)  
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:
Combine the cream and milk. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds out and add, along with the beans. Add all the remaining ingredients and heat, whisking, until nearly boiling. Remove from heat and taste. They curry flavor should be prounounced as it will mellow mellow slightly. Add another 1/4 teaspoon if desired. Cool and then refrigerate until cold. You can chill up to 2 days before churning.
Fish out the vanilla beans and churn according to manufacturers directions.

                                                                                                                                       MY Pine Nut Madeleines
                                                                                                                                       

Robert May's Poached Salmon with Oranges and Red Wine

Quite some time ago, while watching the Two Fat Ladies cooking series reruns, I was intrigued by a salmon recipe one of them made, attributed to Robert May. If you're familiar with their series, it was in Episode Two, Season Two, the Vintage motorcycle rally in Hesket, New Market. I've made the dish many times since and thought to share it with you today.

Robert May was born in 1588 and was an English Chef who trained in France. His father was also a chef and May was sent to Paris at the age of 10, for 5 years, to train as a chef. This was probably due to the fact that he was catholic and his parents wanted to protect him from the unrest in England at the time. After May served an apprenticeship in London, he came back to work for his father, one of several chefs doing so. Following that, Robert moved around the country serving in other "suitable" (meaning aristocratic and Catholic) households, one of which was  Sir Anthony Browne, Viscount Montague, England’s Ambassador to Rome and a Knight of The Garter. His country estate was Cowdray House, west Sussex. 
During the period of the English Civil War, May began work on his book, The Accomplisht Cook, though it was not published until the year of Charles II's restoration (1660), by which time Robert May was already 72 years of age. His cookbook was an extraordinary thing at the time as chefs jealously guarded their secrets and this was the first substantial recipe book to be published in England. Over the following years Robert May updated the book, with the 1665 edition (about the fifth) being the final one that he edited himself. Robert May died in his 80s in 1664/1665. 

Deana, from Long Past Remembered, has several posts on Robert May and his recipes. And if you know Deana, you know she's the dedicated authority on all chefs and recipes past. She'll have much more detailed information on Robert May. Be sure to check out at least one of her posts HERE. 

May's poached salmon dish is quite perfect, the orange a marvelous foil for the salmon and it's made with only two ingredients, (aside from the salmon) which you probably have in your pantry already. The only pesky thing is peeling and slicing the oranges. :) So as a shortcut, if you're cooking for one or two, just use the wine and orange juice and save the orange slices as a presentation feature when you have company. You'll notice very few measurements here as The Two Fat Ladies were annoyingly vague in that department, although I do think they put out a cookbook at the time. You'll have to do some guessing, depending on how much salmon you use. This particular recipe serves two. 

BTW: Not the first time I've posted something from The Two Fat Ladies series (see Spatchcocked Game Hens) and we love both recipes.

Robert May's Poached Salmon in Oranges and Red Wine
Seen on Two Fat Ladies, Season Two, Episode Two

Ingredients:

salmon fillet

orange slices (blood oranges would be wonderful)

3/4 cup orange juice

3/4 cup good quality red wine

freshly grated nutmeg (don't omit!)

Salt and pepper

Method:

Peel the oranges and slice. Place a layer in a skillet or pan and lay the salmon on top. Lay more orange slices around the the salmon and then add salt, pepper and nutmeg to the very top of the salmon. Finish by topping with remaining orange slices. Pour orange juice over the top and then red wine.

Place skillet on the stove, cover, and poach for about 10 or 15 minutes. Watch carefully. Much depends on the size of your salmon. Nothing is worse than overcooked fish!

Strawberry Pistachio Semifreddo

Have you always thought of Memorial Day as the first day of summer? We always have. It was also the first day we were allowed to swim in the river in front of our house. Sometimes a bit too chilly, but we all jumped in anyway, determined for summer to begin no matter what. There was always a parade in our little town, followed by a ceremony honoring the fallen in the Armed Forces. And then, of course, a picnic to end the day. Either at the local park, or on the boat, which we all preferred of course.

Because Memorial Day still means a picnic to most of us, I wanted to post an ice cream or a semifreddo recipe of some kind, a simple one that didn't take a lot of time to make. I found a lovely recipe for a Strawberry Semifreddo and thought it would appeal to everyone. It was a snap to make and really, I was all set to make it when the latest issue of Martha Stewart's Living magazine landed in my mailbox. And with it, an even more impressive semifreddo recipe, this time for a Strawberry Pistachio Semifreddo. It was so darn pretty, a little more involved to make, but I thought it would make a wonderful Memorial Day post.  Because I loved the idea of adding some Grand Marnier (as the first recipe did...click on the link above to see how easy that semifreddo is to make), I incorporated it into the Martha Stewart recipe. I folded about 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier into the whipped cream. Turned out very nicely as you can see, and was delicious. That pistachio cream was divine. It does take an overnight (or at least a 12 hour) freeze, but all the better when you're trying to get things done in advance.

Strawberry Pistachio Semifreddo

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, June 2013 issue

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted roasted shelled pistachios

8 ounces strawberries, hulled (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided

3 large egg yolks, room temperature

1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

Line a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2 inch overhang on all sides. Pulse pistachios in a food processor until coarsely chopped. (Some will end up in crumbs, that's OK.) Transfer to a new bowl. Do not wipe processor clean. Place strawberries and 3 tablespoons sugar in processor. Purée until smooth and transfer to a fine sieve set over a bowl. Stir purée, pressing on solids ton extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids.

Combine egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Beat on high speed until pale yellow and tripled in volume. Transfer bowl to larger bowl of ice water. Stir until mixture is very thick and cool, about 3 minutes.

Beat together whipping cream and vanilla in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Whisk 1/3 of the whipped cream into egg mixture, whisking until smooth, then fold remaining cream with a spatula just until incorporated. At this point, I divided the whipped cream in half and added the Grand Marnier to the half reserved for the strawberries because I wanted the pistachio cream to taste like pistachios, not Grand Marnier.

Pour 1/2 of cream mixture into strawberry puree. Gently fold together until incorporated, then pour into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Fold the pistachios into remaining cream mixture and pour evenly over strawberry mixture. Smooth top. Fold plastic wrap over surface and freeze at least 12 hours. 

To serve, peel plastic off the top, invert pan onto dish and unmold, removing plastic, and cut crosswise into 3/4 inch pieces.