Sometimes, you just get more. Here are three extra recipes from my small plates class at chefshop.com. Enjoy!
Easiest Pork Rillettes
- 1 can Henaff Pork Rillettes, room temperature
- 5-8 pieces brown bread, cocktail sized (about 3.5”square)
- 1-2 tablespoons Fallot Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3-4 cornichons sliced in half lengthwise section without cutting throuth the top
- Maldon sea salt, to garnish
To create a “fan” with the cornichon, slice it lengthwise two or three times without cutting through the stem. Set aside. Spread the brown bread with butter. Cut the pieces in half diagonally. Smear them with mustard, then top with a dollop of rillettes. Fan the cornichon out on top of the meat, then follow with a sprinkling of sea salt. Serves 2-6 people.
Mushroom, Lentil and Walnut Pâté
- 3 tablespoons rice bran oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1.5 teaspoons shoyu
- 1.5 lb. crimini mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1-1/2 cups pardina, Shasta or sunrise lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 5 cups water
- 2 tablespoons Trapani or sel noirmoutier salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black tellicherry pepper
- 1-1/2 cups toasted walnut pieces
Preheat oven to 425 F. Whisk the oil, vinegar and soy sauce in a large bowl. Toss the chokes, garlic and onion in the bowl and mix to combine. Spread the mixture out on a baking sheet and put them in the oven to cook for 25-35 minutes, or until the chokes are soft and the garlic and onions are dark brown.
In the meantime, bring the water, seasoned with the bay, salt and pepper to a boil with the lentils. Cook lentils, covered, until they are very soft. Strain any extra liquid if necessary.
In a large-capacity food processor, purée the roasted vegetables together. Add the lentils and walnuts and puree until smooth. Scrape the bowl down occasionally as needed.
Serve immediately or form into a loaf with the following directions:
Transfer the purée into a square loaf pan or pate form lined with plastic wrap or fine cheesecloth. Wrap well and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. For a very dense texture, place a similar sized loaf pan or form on top of the pate and fill it with dried beans, pie weights or anything that will press the surface down.
To serve, unmold onto a plate or serving platter and garnish with fresh herbs. Serve with bread, crackers or vegetables. Makes about 5 cups.
Quick Ricotta
Based on a recipe from Serious Eats
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Makes about ½ cup
Whisk all ingredients together. Heat milk in a 1-quart, microwavable container in microwave at full power for 3-4 minutes, or until milk reaches 160 F. and bubbles begin to form around the surface’s perimeter. Remove from microwave and stir for 30 seconds; curds will form at the top of the mixture and the whey will remain beneath. If you don’t see this separation, put your mixture back in the microwave for 30 to 45 more seconds and reheat until you see it begin to separate. Gently spoon out the curds with a slotted spoon into a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Let the liquid drain from the curds for a few minutes, and then remove from strainer, gently squeeze the cheesecloth and turn the cheese curds out into a bowl. Add salt and pepper as desired.