Butter
15 medium turnips, trimmed and peeled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 F. Generously butter a 9″ glass pie dish. Thinly slice turnips and layer slices in dish, slightly overlapping. Season with salt and pepper.
Weight turnips with another 9″ glass pie dish. Bake until golden, 1–1 1/2 hours. Uncover and invert onto a large plate.
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2″ x 1/3″ batons
Vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 pinches turmeric
1/2 pound medium shrimp, legs and tail shell removed
Leaves from 1 head leaf lettuce
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 bunch green perilla leaves
1 bunch purple perilla
Add 3 cups cold water to sweet potatoes in a large bowl and soak for 4 hours. Drain and set aside.
Pour oil into a large wide, heavy pot to a depth of 1 1/2″ and heat over medium heat until temperature reaches 350 F on a candy thermometer. Meanwhile, combine all-purpose and rice flours, salt, and turmeric in a large bowl. Gradually add 1 cup water, stirring until batter is smooth. Add sweet potatoes and mix to coat well.
Working in batches and using 2 large metal spoons, scoop about 1/4 cup of the batter into one of the spoons and flatten with back of second spoon. Arrange 3 shrimp on top, gently pressing them into batter, then lower spoon into oil and use second spoon to slide fritter off spoon. Fry fritters, turning once, until shrimp shells are golden and potatoes are cooked through, 5–10 minutes per batch. Transfer fritters to a rack set over a baking sheet to drain. Cut each fritter into quarters.
Arrange fritters, lettuce, cilantro, and perilla leaves on a serving platter. At the table, wrap a piece of fritter in a lettuce leaf with some cilantro and perilla leaves tucked inside and serve with nu’ó’c chắm for dipping.
Serves 4 to 6
Look for perilla leaves in Asian markets; if you can’t find them, fresh mint makes a good substitute.
The traditional version of this recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon slaked lime paste. If you can find lime paste in an Asian market near you, first dissolve the paste in 3 cups cold water, then add in the raw sweet potatoes to soak.
1 pound fresh shrimp
3 Meyer lemons
2 large navel oranges
1 cup mixed small sweet tomatoes, halved lengthwise
6 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 green onion, sliced thin
Pinch cayenne pepper
Peel, devein, and chop shrimp into bite-sized pieces. Juice lemons and oranges and mix with the shrimp. Add green onions, salt, pepper, cilantro, and cayenne and and cover. Let sit in the refrigerator until shrimp begins to turn opaque, approximately 45 minutes. Once shrimp is mostly opaque and white, drain off most of the citrus juices and add in the tomatoes. The mixture will still be moist, but not soupy.
Serves 4 to 6
If using shrimp, prepare the ceviche about an hour before intending to serve it. If they sit too long in the acidic mixture, they will become tough and rubbery.
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided
Coarse kosher salt
Cracked black pepper
4 Tablespoons orange juice
1 1/2 pounds brussel sprouts, trimmed
1 cup water
Pinch cayenne pepper
Halve brussel sprouts lengthwise. Cut lengthwise into thin (1/8-inch) slices. Melt 3 Tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprouts; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until brown at edges, 4-6 minutes. Add orange juice and sauté another 2 minutes. Add 1 cup water. Sauté until most of the water evaporates and sprouts are tender but still bright green, 3 minutes. Turn off heat and add remaining butter to sprouts; swirl to melt and incorporate.
Serves 8 to 10
Reserving some of the butter for the end of the cooking process allows the full flavor of the butter to remain intact, and enriches the mouthfeel of the dish overall.
1 pound fresh turnips, peeled and sliced thin
4 large navel oranges, segmented
3 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 Tablespoon honey
3 healthy sprigs orange mint, shredded
1 teaspoon salt
With a sharp knife, cut a slice from top and bottom of each orange to expose flesh and arrange cut-side down on a cutting board. Cutting from the top to the bottom, remove peel and pith. Cut between membranes, angling knife inward, to remove segment meat. Squeeze juice from remaining orange core and set aside.
Sprinkle salt over turnip slices in a bowl and toss lightly to coat. Add orange segments, juice, honey, and mint and mix.
Salad can be served right away but is best if allowed to sit, refrigerated, for several hours so the flavors can meld together.
Serves 8 to 10
1/2 cup creole cream cheese
1 ounce orange juice
1 ounce Meyer lemon juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and julienned
1/2 cup celery, julienned
1/2 cup apple, julienned
2 cups shredded cabbage
In a medium bowl, mix together the creole cream cheese, juices, zests, dill, salt, and pepper.
Stir in carrots, celery, apple, and cabbage. Toss to coat evenly.
The slaw is most flavorful if left to rest in the refrigerator for a few hours before eating.
fromThe New Irish Table by Margaret M. Johnson
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 large leek (about 1 pound), white and light green parts only, washed and sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
5 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
2 1/2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
2 Tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Pinch ground nutmeg
Salt and ground white pepper to taste
1/2 cup buttermilk or half-and-half
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the vegetables, cover, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the stock or brother, 1/2 cup of the milk, the bay leaf, parsley, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat.
Discard the bay leaf and let the soup cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or blender in batches and process until smooth. (To make ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.)
Return the purée to the soup pot. Stir in the remaining 2 cups milk. Cook over medium heat and heat through. Ladle the soup into bowls, swirl 1 Tablespoon half-and-half or buttermilk into each serving, and sprinkle with the chives.
Serves 8
fromThe New Irish Table by Margaret M. Johnson
1 pound cabbage, cored, quartered, and shredded
2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 small leeks, including white and green parts, washed and sliced
1 cup milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus 2 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
In separate saucepans, cook the cabbage and potatoes in salted boiling water for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain the cabbage and chop. Drain the potatoes and mash.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the leeks and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the leeks are tender. Add the poatoes, salt, pepper, and mace to the pan and stir over low heat until well blended. Add the cabbage and 8 Tablespoons butter and stir again until blended. Dot with the 2 Tablespoons butter. Serve at once.
Serves 4 to 6
Since mace is from the same plant as nutmeg, the two can be used interchangeably. Just use half the amount of nutmeg if substituting it for mace.
