Cook Like James

Weekend Golden Puff Pancakes

When I was growing up, the mother of a good friend used to make this every weekend, mostly because of our collective pleading. She would throw it together in minutes and shortly later pull out the most impressive golden brown, billowy pancake that seemed scientifically impossible. There are lots of similar recipes – Dutch Baby (usually with served lemon juice and powdered sugar), German Pancakes, a Bismarck, or Swedish Puffs. This one is the most basic and generally uses ¼ flour and ¼ milk per egg – so feel free to double the recipe and use 9x13 pan for baking.

 

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

 

1. Place a 10” cast iron skillet on the center rack of oven and preheat to 450° F. (about 15 minutes)

2. In a bowl, beat the eggs, flour, milk, and salt together with a whisk – about 1 minute

3. Toss the butter into the hot skillet and let it melt. Quickly pour the batter into the skillet and return it to the oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the pancake is puffed and golden brown. Cut in half and serve immediately (the pancake will deflate quickly) with warm maple syrup and fresh berries.

Pan Grilled Spring Asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette

This is the perfect time of year to serve fresh asparagus and one great method for cooking is an indoor grill pan. I generally prefer the thin stalks for steaming and fat stalks for grilling, but use whatever you want – fat, thin, green or white. Choose bunches with tightly closed tips and no flowering.  Delicious asparagus depends on freshness and proper preparation. Pan grilling gives you slightly charred stalks with delicious brown spots that you get from roasting or barbecuing without having to heat up your oven or grill. The lemon vinaigrette enhances the dish perfectly and adds to the bright fresh flavor of the asparagus.

Download Pan Grilled Spring Asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette recipe

2 pounds asparagus spears (2 bunches), tough ends trimmed

1-2 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Lemon Vinaigrette:

1 large shallot , minced (about 2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper

1. Warm a grill pan over medium-high heat (4-5 minutes).

2.  Wash and trim the ends of the asparagus, dry with paper towels.

3. Toss the asparagus lightly with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Grill asparagus 5 minutes, then flip and grill until slightly blackened on both sides, about 4 minutes more. Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter.

5. Whisk shallot, lemon juice and zest, thyme, mustard, and olive oil in small bowl (or shake well in jar with tight lid); season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle over asparagus and serve immediately.

 

My Favorite Parisian Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron)

When I was a student living in Paris, one of my favorite rituals was to treat myself to a tiny lemon tart at a local patisserie after class. There were dozens of shops to choose from along my walk from the Sorbonne to my small apartment near the Place des Victoires. If I was feeling extravagant I would stop by Fauchon near the Place de la Madeleine, and leave with a lemon tart boxed in their trademark hot pink packaging and black and white bag; otherwise, there were plenty of other neighborhood shops that offered tasty tarts at a more reasonable price. I still love a lemony dessert, especially at the end of a great meal. This is one of my favorite recipes - very lemony, but with a rich creamy filling. It’s from Luscious Lemon Desserts by Lori Longbotham and is the best version I’ve had outside of Paris – the zest in the filling and in the crust gives it a great burst of lemon flavor. Paul Bocuse’s “Simple French Recipes for the Home Chef” calls for crème fraiche, but I find the heavy cream works just as well. This is the perfect finish to a great dinner.

Download Parisian Lemon Tart recipe

 

1 stick unsalted butter

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

1¾ cup flour

1¼ cup sugar, divided

2 pinches salt

6 large eggs

1 cup fresh lemon juice

½ cup of heavy cream

1. Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Have ready an 11” tart pan.

2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon of the zest and let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Whisk together flour, ¼ cup sugar and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Pour the butter mixture in a fine stream, stirring with a fork, and continue stirring just until the dough comes together. Transfer the dough to the pan and press into sides and across the bottom. Bake tart for 20 minutes, or until the crust is a light golden brown. Let cool while making the filling.

4. Process the remaining cup of sugar with the remaining 1 tablespoon of zest and process until zest is finely ground. 

5. Whisk together eggs, zest mixture, lemon juice and pinch of salt in a medium bowl until smooth.

6. Beat the cream with an electric mixer until it forms soft peaks. Whisk the cream into the egg mixture just until blended. 

7. Place a baking sheet in the oven, place the crust on the sheet and pour the filling into the still warm crust. Bake 25-30 minutes or until filling is just set in the center.

8. Cool completely and dust with confectioners’ sugar. 

Carrot Spiked Mashed Potatoes

Although they’re often a favorite side dish staple, sometimes mashed potatoes need a little inspiration. Root vegetables make a perfect addition to potatoes, and I particularly like the sweet flavor of carrots in this recipe, but parsnips, rutabagas, turnips, and celery root will work just as well.. Yukon Gold potatoes are a great choice because of their rich, creamy flavor. It’s important to rinse the potatoes will, to remove excess starch which can make the mixture gluey.

Download Carrot Spiked Mashed Potatoes recipe

 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 medium carrots (about 8 ounces) cut in half lengthwise, and sliced into ¼” thick pieces

1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices; rinsed well in cold water and drained

1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Kosher salt

2/3 cup half-and-half, warmed

3 tablespoons minced fresh chives or scallion greens

Ground black pepper

 

1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add root vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until butter is browned and vegetables are dark brown and caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes. (If after 4 minutes vegetables have not started to brown, increase heat to medium-high.)

2. Add potatoes, broth, and 3/4 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Cook, covered, over low heat (broth should simmer gently; do not boil), stirring occasionally, until potatoes fall apart easily when poked with fork and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes. (If liquid does not gently simmer after a few minutes, increase heat to medium-low.) Remove pan from heat; remove lid and allow steam to escape for 2 minutes.

3. Gently mash potatoes and root vegetables in saucepan with potato masher (do not mash vigorously). Gently fold in warm half-and-half and chives (or scallion greens). Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve immediately.

Individual Pavlovas With Lemon Cream and Mixed Berries

Apparently the origin of this meringue-based dessert is somewhat unclear, but seems to have been created in honor of Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. The nationality of its creator has been a source of argument between the two nations for many years, but according to Helen Leach’s research in her book, The Pavlova Story: A Slice of New Zealand's Culinary History, New Zealand is the source of the ethereal dessert. It’s a fairly easy recipe to master, and although the cloudlike meringue shells are somewhat delicate, they are easy to make in large batches, and will keep for a few days in an airtight container. They are usually served with fruit and whipped cream, but I prefer this version that incorporates lemon curd. Because you can make the shells ahead, it’s a great dessert for entertaining, and they can be assembled in minutes. Store-bought Lemon Curd is fine to use in this recipe – look for Wilkin and Sons Tiptree Lemon Curd or Dickinson's. Pavlovas are light and refreshing, making them an elegant Spring dessert, perfect for Easter.

Download Individual Pavlovas With Lemon Cream and Mixed Berries recipe

Serves 12. 

Meringue Shells

4 large egg whites (about 1/2 cup), at room temperature

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch of salt

1 cup (7 ounces) sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon white vinegar

Mixed Berries

2cups (10 ounces) raspberries

2cups (10 ounces) blueberries

1 tablespoon sugar

Lemon Cream Filling

1 cup (1 pint) heavy cream, chilled

1 ½ cups Lemon Curd, store-bought or homemade

Powdered Sugar and Mint leaves, for garnish, optional

 

FOR THE MERINGUES:

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites at medium-low speed until they are opaque and foamy, about 30 seconds. Add the cream of tartar and salt, increase the speed to medium-high, and, watching carefully, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, about 90 seconds. Slowly sprinkle in ½ cup of the sugar and then the vanilla and vinegar and continue to beat until incorporated, about 60 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and sprinkle in the remaining ½ cup sugar and fold in just until incorporated. Using a ¼-cup dry measuring cup and a soupspoon, place 6 heaping ¼-cup dollops of meringue about 1 inch apart on each sheet. Gently press the back of the soupspoon into the center of the mounds to create hollows. Bake for 1½ hours or until the meringues have smooth, dry, and firm exteriors. Turn the oven off and allow the meringues to cool in the oven for two hours. Once cool, store the meringues in an airtight container, where they will keep for 3-4 days, until ready to use.

FOR THE FRUIT:

1. Combine raspberries and blueberries in a medium bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over the fruit, and using a rubber spatula, stir gently to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature until the berries begins to exude their juices, about 30 minutes.

 

FOR THE LEMON CREAM:

1. Just before serving, beat the cream in a chilled bowl of an electric mixer on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium; continue beating until the beaters leave a trail, about 30 seconds more. Increase the speed to high; continue beating until the cream is smooth, thick, and nearly doubled in volume, about 60 seconds for stiff peaks.  Beat in the Lemon Curd just until well combined.

TO ASSEMBLE THE PAVLOVAS:

1. Place a meringue shell on a dessert plate. Top with ½ cup lemon cream. Spoon ½ cup of fruit over the lemon cream. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and mint.  Repeat with the remaining meringue shells, lemon cream, and fruit. Serve immediately.