Pillars Cookbook
Delicious and Original Recipes to Expand your Kitchen Horizons
BY
Nadia Santa
Copyright 2021 Nadia Santa
License Notes
This book may not be reproduced in part or whole without the express written permission from the author. Whether for commercial or personal use, possession and distribution of this book by any means without permission are prohibited by law.
The content of this material is strictly for entertainment purposes and the reader accepts all responsibility for any damages caused by following the content.
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Table of Contents
Recipes to Regale - A foreword on the dishes ahead
Many of the recipes written on the pages of this cookbook were born from my memories of cooking for family and friends.
Those that I have cooked for have all been part of a culinary project, whether they knew it at the time or not. Im sure that I wouldnt be in the minority to say that the pleasure of entertaining and regaling loved ones with delicious food is nothing short of a pillar itself.
I have therefore broken down the cookbook into starters, mains and desserts. There remains an emphasis on the mains, but I hope you can draw upon all three of the sections to try something new, to impress, or to simply deploy a steadfast recipe for a midweek meal.
As I sat down to write the cookbook, there were a couple of assumptions I made about what you, the reader, would have to hand in your kitchen.
I usually cook with rapeseed oil as a standard. Its my neutral oil of choice and can be utilised in every cuisine. If youd prefer to use olive oil or another variant when frying, greasing or coating, then be my guest.
Naturally, the recipes also assume you have salt and black pepper grinders on seasoning-standby at all times.
As for kitchen equipment, the only items Id say that stray anywhere near specialist are a hand blender, a thermometer and baking beads .
Ive also denoted any of the vegan recipes with a simple (Vg) .
Finally, dont forget to taste as you go. If your palate is telling you that a stock or sauce needs more salt, then adjust accordingly.
The palate never lies.
Artichoke Rosti, Confit Egg Yolk, Crispy Sage
I originally made this dish as a main, but have since come to realise that with a crispy and buttery artichoke rosti as its focus, it also makes an impressive starter.
To boot, the components can all be prepared well in advance.
The confit egg yolk is really less complex than it sounds. It is, in essence, just egg yolks cooked slowly. It is nonetheless a useful pillar, as it also partners well with both meat and fish to add fat to the balance of the dish.
Serves: 4
Cooking time: 1 hours
Ingredients
Artichoe rosti:
Jerusalem artichokes (peeled) x 14oz/400g
Garlic cloves (minced) x 2
Large white onion (very finely chopped) x
English mustard powder x tsp
Bay leaf x 1
Zest of 1 lemon
Fresh basil (finely chopped) x 1 large handful
Sage leaves x 20 (roughly)
Small knob of butter x 2
Confit egg yolk:
Method
Start with the confit egg yolks by bringing a pan of cold water up to 149F/65C , whilst using a thermometer to make sure it drops no lower than 140F/60C degrees.
Place the unbroken eggs in the tepid water and leave for 45 minutes. This will require your presence and attention in the kitchen for the duration, but you can just put some music on and get started on chopping the vegetables in the meantime.
Take the eggs out after 45 minutes and leave to cool for an hour before carefully peeling away the shells and whites from around the intact yolks. Whisk the yolks together in a small bowl with a pinch of salt and set aside.
Fry the sage leaves in a small knob of butter with a pinch of salt until crispy. This shouldnt take much more than five minutes over low heat.
To make the rosti, simply boil the artichokes and bay leaf in some well-salted water for 15 minutes. Remove from the water and allow to steam dry for 20 minutes before grating into a mixing bowl. At the same time, gently fry the onion with the garlic in a glug of oil for 10 minutes or until soft. Season well and then add to your mixing bowl.
Add the lemon zest, basil leaves and mustard powder. Using your hands, mix together and form four even patties.
Add a glug of oil alongside the other small knob of butter in a large frying pan. Heat over low heat. Once hot, add the rosti and cook over medium heat for five minutes on each side.
They should now be golden brown on each side and ready to be served straight away with a smearing of your egg yolk and a scattering of your crispy sage leaves.
Spiced Trout Croquettes, Beetroot Aioli, Pickled Fennel
I once attempted to get back on my bike after many hours sitting in the sun eating croquettes and drinking beer at a caf in the Dutch city of Leiden. The boys with me could only collapse with laughter as the attempt ended with me toppling to the ground, the sound of bikes crashing to the floor like dominos reverberating around the busy street.
Still to the day, I cant figure out if it was the mountains of croquettes that had me off balance or if it was the pints of Heineken
Anyway, if youve never sampled Dutch croquettes, then you have my deepest sympathies.
Whether youre seated at a small roadside caf, a quaint city centre restaurant or beach bar, three things that you can bet on encountering in Holland are blonde hair, bikes and, of course, croquettes.
These croquettes are a close relative of those made with potato. They are, however, instead based on a bchamel filling to provide a quite incredible oozing centre. The process to achieve them was eye-opening to say the least, but once mastered, it can be used with other fillings of your choice.