2013-05-27

FRESH: Bite, Smoke, and Scent

auf Deutsch ansehen



And the Oscar goes to ... Buttermilk

Three main actors - brash wild garlic, gruff Black Forest ham, and elderflower, the decadent yet somewhat shy ingénue. But what does the delicate scent of elderflower have to do with the pungent bite of wild garlic and the smokiness of cured ham? Well, the setting of the play is a risotto ... our curtain rises as white wine comes to a boil. The characters' simmering conflict steadily escalates into an all-out brawl. Suddenly, buttermilk interferes to bring about a surprisingly harmonious resolution. Applause for dinner.



Risotto  Wild garlic  Black Forest ham  Elderflower  Buttermilk  Sunflower seeds  Shallots  Garden cress



Sweet roasted shallots, creamy whipped butter, crispy browned sunflower seeds and fresh nutty garden cress round out the cast of this tasteful drama. The aroma-supporting role, however, is brought to life by the tart and tangy buttermilk who intuitively craves delicately fragrant complements. She creates unexpected balance between characters as different as Bite, Smoke, and Scent and therefore wins the award for best supporting actress.








cost per person: EUR 3,40

time: 30 min


tools:


2 stove tops

2 pots + 1lid
1 pan
1 stick blender + mixing cup
1 spatula (silicon or wood)
1 knife
1 cutting board
2 glass bowls
1 sieve
  soup spoons


ingredients for two:


  30 young wild garlic leaves (look up)
    4 thin slices of Black Forest ham (look up)

100 g   risotto rice (look up)
  20 g   shallots (look up) 
  25 g   butter
  10 g   sunflower seeds
  25 ml buttermilk (look up)
  10 ml elderflower syrup
240 ml water
  10 ml oil

            garden cress (look up)
            fresh picked elderflower (look up)
            salt







Cut wild garlic leaves in thirds, put aside the middle segments ...


... blanch leaf ends and reserve blanching water...


... remove from the water using a sieve, quench with cold water, strain.


And here's how it works ...

  • Finely chop shallots, cut wild garlic leaves in thirds, keep the middle segments separate from the ends - put aside.
  • Roast sunflower seeds in a pan without oil - put aside.
  • Quickly blanch wild garlic leaf end sections, reserve blanching water.
  • Quench leaf ends with cold water, strain and discard cold water - put aside.
  • In a pot, roast shallots in oil until golden brown, add risotto rice and warm (do not fry).
  • Add white wine and let it evaporate while folding it into the rice.
  • Cover risotto rice with part of the wild garlic blanching water, gently boil for five minutes, cover with a lid, turn off the heat and let soak for 12 minutes.
  • In the meantime, finely blend buttermilk, elderflower syrup, and blanched wild garlic leaves with a stick blender.
  • Prepare Black Forest ham, freshly picked elderflower, and garden cress for decoration.
  • After 12 minutes, put risotto on medium heat and stir steadily while gradually adding the remaining wild garlic blanching water and butter.
  • As soon as the risotto becomes creamy add the buttermilk mixture and part of the sunflower seeds - stir heavily.
  • Add the middle segments of the wild garlic leaves and fold in, season with salt.
  • Arrange risotto on a plate, arrange Black Forest ham on top and decorate with fresh cut elderflower, young wild garlic, sunflower seeds and garden cress.







Mahlzeit!

Stay tuned for the next recipe coming up next week, and have fun cooking!

And don't forget to keep it FRESH!