A Citrus Party! February 26, 2015
For February, that stupidly cold month when everyone is just over winter already, Diva N invited the Divas to a citrus party, inspired, in part, by this example. The idea was to banish winter with bright, colorful, fresh dishes that highlighted all the citrus flavors, and it was all the more necessary when the dinner date rolled around on a cold and snowy day. The Divas had a fresh, fruitful, fun evening, while discussing wearing pants under their pants to combat the cold.
BRIE WITH CARDAMOM-SCENTED CLEMENTINE CHUTNEY
(From Whole Foods)
Note: Use REALLY sweet clementines!
Ingredients:
Method:
Zest clementines, reserving zest in a bowl. Peel and separate into segments and then cut into 1/2-inch pieces, discarding seeds as you go. Transfer to the bowl with zest and set aside.
Heat oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar and cook 1 minute more. Add fruit and zest, cardamom, salt and pepper and cook, stirring gently once or twice, until juicy, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. Top each cracker with a wedge of Brie and then a dollop of chutney.
(From Whole Foods)
Note: Use REALLY sweet clementines!
Ingredients:
- 4 clementines
- 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 24 water crackers
- 1 350-gram wheel French Brie, cut into 24 wedges
Method:
Zest clementines, reserving zest in a bowl. Peel and separate into segments and then cut into 1/2-inch pieces, discarding seeds as you go. Transfer to the bowl with zest and set aside.
Heat oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar and cook 1 minute more. Add fruit and zest, cardamom, salt and pepper and cook, stirring gently once or twice, until juicy, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. Top each cracker with a wedge of Brie and then a dollop of chutney.
Crisp Pork Cutlets with Citrus Salsa Verde
Recipe Courtesy of Food52
Serves 2 to 3 (easily doubled)
I doubled the salsa verde recipe, used blood orange-infused olive oil where olive oil was called for, and skipped the butter in frying up the pork cutlets (in favor of the blood orange olive oil). Otherwise, I followed everything as written. -N
For the Citrus Salsa Verde
For Crisp Pork Cutlets
Recipe Courtesy of Food52
Serves 2 to 3 (easily doubled)
I doubled the salsa verde recipe, used blood orange-infused olive oil where olive oil was called for, and skipped the butter in frying up the pork cutlets (in favor of the blood orange olive oil). Otherwise, I followed everything as written. -N
For the Citrus Salsa Verde
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 anchovy fillet, chopped
- 6 Lucques olives, pitted, chopped
- 1/2 cup packed flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup packed sweet basil leaves
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon blood orange juice
- 1 teaspoon blood orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar
- Squeeze of 1 wedge of Meyer lemon (1 tablespoon)
- Sea salt to taste (start with just a tiny pinch)
- In a small bowl, combine garlic, anchovy, olives, and parsley.
- Cut basil into chiffonade by stacking, rolling and thinly slicing. Add to bowl, immediately followed by olive oil to prevent basil from oxidizing.
- Add blood orange juice, zest, sherry vinegar, lemon juice and sea salt to taste. Stir to combine, and adjust seasonings if necessary. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, pressing wrap down to touch surface of mixture. Set aside to allow flavors to meld.
For Crisp Pork Cutlets
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, sliced at a slight diagonal into ¾ inch medallions
- 1/3 cup flour, plus more if necessary
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon blood orange zest
- 1/2 cup panko, plus more if necessary
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Using a meat mallet, flatten medallions evenly until about ¼ inch thick.
- Set up a breading station with three pie pans or rimmed plates. In the first pie plate, add the flour, plus a pinch of salt and ½ t of pepper. In the second pie plate, add your zest and the egg, beating until well combined. In the third pie plate, add the panko.
- Heat a large (at least 12-inch) deep skillet or chef pan over medium heat. Add tablespoon of unsalted butter and tablespoon of olive oil.
- While the pan is heating, bread your medallions by dipping pieces in flour, egg, and then panko, shaking off excess after each. Repeat until all medallions are coated.
- Add medallions to heated pan, and cook about 4-5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. When finished, if your cutlets are especially greasy, allow to drain on a paper towel before arranging on serving platter.
- Spoon citrus salsa verde over hot cutlets and serve immediately, passing extra sauce.
Lemon Pudding Cake (from Pastry Affair)
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
2-3 fresh lemons, zested and juiced (about 1 tablespoon zest and 1/2 cup juice)
3 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 quarts boiling water (approx.)
Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9-inch round glass/ceramic baking dish or soufflé dish
In a large bowl, beat together the butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolks one at a time, beating between each addition. Mix in the flour, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the lemon juice and milk. The batter will be very runny. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add in the cream of tartar and remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Mix 1/3 of the egg whites into the cake batter until completely mixed. Fold in the remaining egg whites. (I used a whisk to do both of these steps, and it worked well.)
Transfer batter into the prepared baking dish (the cake will not rise so it is okay to fill the dish to the top, if necessary). Place the baking dish into a larger baking or roasting dish and add boiling water in the large dish until it reaches halfway up the outside of the batter-filled pan. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top becomes golden and the middle of the cake barely jiggles when shaken. (I used a soufflé dish, and I had to bake this a lot longer--about 90 minutes or more.)
Cool the cake for 45 minutes to 1 hour before serving to allow the cake to set. Serve with blackberries and mint whipped cream.
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
2-3 fresh lemons, zested and juiced (about 1 tablespoon zest and 1/2 cup juice)
3 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 quarts boiling water (approx.)
Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9-inch round glass/ceramic baking dish or soufflé dish
In a large bowl, beat together the butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolks one at a time, beating between each addition. Mix in the flour, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the lemon juice and milk. The batter will be very runny. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add in the cream of tartar and remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Mix 1/3 of the egg whites into the cake batter until completely mixed. Fold in the remaining egg whites. (I used a whisk to do both of these steps, and it worked well.)
Transfer batter into the prepared baking dish (the cake will not rise so it is okay to fill the dish to the top, if necessary). Place the baking dish into a larger baking or roasting dish and add boiling water in the large dish until it reaches halfway up the outside of the batter-filled pan. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top becomes golden and the middle of the cake barely jiggles when shaken. (I used a soufflé dish, and I had to bake this a lot longer--about 90 minutes or more.)
Cool the cake for 45 minutes to 1 hour before serving to allow the cake to set. Serve with blackberries and mint whipped cream.