Fish Soup with Fennel and Baby Potatoes

Bon Appétit calls this dish a Fish Stew with Fennel and Baby Potatoes, a perfectly acceptable name except that this fish concoction seemed at odds with the description “stew” especially after I had toyed with it and custom-made it to fit my wishes.  In the end, it turned out to be a gloriously light and meaty fish and broth mélange, something that nestled comfortably between a soup and a chowder.  Rachael Ray might name this fish soup a choup, meaning that it’s thicker than a soup but not quite a chowder, but I’ll simply call it a Fish Soup with Fennel and Baby Potatoes. 

Whatever you decide to call it, make sure you try this recipe!  It’s super easy and fast to whip up and the result is deliciously refined.  I first made this soup a couple of days after I laid my eyes on it in the April issue of Bon Appétit and more than half a dozen times since.  But the best part about this simple yet flavor-complex fish soup is that it instantly brings me back to Westport, MA and The Bayside Restaurant where I used to religiously devour their legendary Rhode Island style chowders (and the ridiculously stuffed lobster roll) on our regular trips to the beach every summer when we lived in Boston.  

Overall, this dish is so refreshing and summery, piled up with subtle flavors and silky fish.  The crème fraȋche gives the soup a pleasant richness while still keeping a thin and light broth.  The corn and potatoes add a tad of sweetness and that extra level of texture, the dill brings freshness and color, whereas the highly encouraged squeeze of lemon before serving brightens up the symphony of aromas.  It is so good, you’ll make this soup all summer long!    

Fish Soup with Fennel and Baby Potatoes

Adapted from Bon Appétit (April 2014)

Makes: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

·         ¼ cup olive oil

·         ½ lb. small waxy potatoes (such as baby Yukon Gold), scrubbed, sliced ¼” thick

·         ½ medium fennel bulb, finely chopped

·         2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

·         Salt

·         Freshly ground black pepper

·         ¼ cup dry white wine

·         1 cup frozen corn

·         Heaped ¼ cup crème fraȋche

·         1 ½ lb. skinless flounder or fluke fillet, cut into 2” pieces

·         2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

·         Lemon wedges (for serving)

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the potatoes and cook them, tossing occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.  Add the fennel and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is soft, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 4 minutes.  

Add the corn and 6 cups of water to the pot, season with salt, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes.  Stir in the crème fraȋche.  Add the flounder and 2 more cups of water, cover the pot, and reduce the heat.  Simmer until the fish is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.  

Stir the dill into the soup; season with more salt and pepper if necessary.  Serve with lemon wedges.    

  

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Maple Sweet Potato Cake

I love sweet potatoes, but generally I only love them for Thanksgiving or similar occasions.  They’re hardly ever on my weekly menu.  Naturally, I made sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving; I just couldn’t neglect them.  But here’s the catch; when you go Thanksgiving shopping you always tend to buy way more than you actually need for that special turkey meal.  I was no exception.  The sweet potato recipe I used this year called for 5 pounds of sweet potatoes.  I only used half that amount but the damage had already been done; the shopping was over and the pantry was still overflowing with potatoes.  So, what do you do with those extra sweet potatoes staring at you?  You make Maple Sweet Potato Cake.  Best decision ever! 

I was flicking trough the November issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray when I stumbled upon this gorgeous cake.  At first, it didn’t jump off the page to greet me and it didn’t really speak to me either.  But I desperately wanted to use those extra sweet potatoes, so this recipe looked like the perfect candidate.  I didn’t expect the final result to be so utterly sublime.  It was probably because of all those drunken golden raisins.

The color of this cake is simply stunning.  That vibrant orangey hue reminds me of summer; but the sweet potato flavor, the smokiness and warmth of the amber maple syrup, and the dust of white sugar on top make it so festive, elegant and wintery.  I love how dense and moist this cake is with small chunks of sweet potatoes spread throughout.  It’s also sweet, though not overly sugary that you can’t stop gulping gallons of water after just one bite.  

And then there’s that faint booziness from, well, all those rum infused golden raisins.  I’m a fan of any recipe that requires soaking dried fruit in alcohol because it brings them back to life.  That’s why I doused a decent amount of golden raisins in a pool of rum and they thanked me for it.  They became plump, full of life and full of – wait for it – rum.  I urge you to try it, too; you’ll thank me later.  Simply put, this cake is bold, beautiful and bursting with seasonal spices and flavors and, of course, rum.  Enjoy!       

Maple Sweet Potato Cake

Adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray (November 2012)

Makes: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients:

·         2 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes)

·         ½ cup golden raisins

·         ¾ cup rum

·         2 cups flour

·         2 teaspoons baking powder

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature

·         ¾ cup (packed) light brown sugar

·         ¾ cup pure maple syrup

·         1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

·         3 large eggs, at room temperature

·         Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Instructions:

Generously grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan.  In a small bowl, add the raisins and rum; let sit.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork and place on a baking sheet.  Bake until very tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.  Cut the sweet potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh until you have 1 cup.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt.  In a separate bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar using an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth.  On low speed, mix in the maple syrup and vanilla extract.  Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl.  Mix in the sweet potatoes, then the flour mixture ½ cup at a time until incorporated.  Drain the raisins; add them to the batter using a spatula.  Pour into the pan, smoothing the top. 

Bake the cake until springy in the center and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.  Transfer to a rack; let cool for 30 minutes.  Remove the sides of the pan, transfer the cake to a plate and dust with confectioners’ sugar.   

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)     

Baked potatoes and Creamed corn

Potatoes don’t make me jump out of my seat with excitement.  I like them as much as everyone else, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t wake up in the morning thinking that “today, I’m in the mood for potatoes”.  When I think of potatoes I usually shrug my shoulders and see them as the bleak starch component on my plate.  I never give them much thought.  There’s nothing glitzy or fancy about potatoes in their natural state; they’re rarely the focus of a meal unless you’re talking about potato salad.  And so far I haven’t come across any potato dish that would constitute a full satisfying meal in itself (if you have, please report); for me, potatoes fall into the side dish category.  That’s why they need help or a partner of some sorts to really impress.  Perhaps I should just give them some credit. 

Sometimes, I do think that you could write volumes if you consider the thousands of varieties of potatoes out there; just their infinite color palette is worth novels.  Perhaps someone has already taken care of that (I’d have to check).  Bottom line, on their own, potatoes don’t bring much to the party, and most of the time I just wonder how I should cook them and make them shine.        

I was contemplating this very question when I stumbled upon David Rocco’s superb Patate al Forno recipe.  There are few good potato recipes, and even fewer truly fantastic ones.  But this one definitely makes the cut.  So, as you’ve been anticipating, potatoes are taking center stage today, and with Thanksgiving around the corner this recipe might make it onto your holiday table; it will surely make it onto mine!      

These potatoes are something special.  The spectacle of flavors is lip-smacking.  To tell you the truth, you couldn’t expect less from a hefty amount of thinly sliced starchy potatoes, showered with fresh, pungent herbs and garlic, and bathed in olive oil.  Once out of the oven, they are brown and crispy on the edges where they touched the pan dangerously resembling homemade chips, glossy, golden and tender throughout and speckled with herbs and garlic.  And let’s not forget that the heady aromas of rosemary and sage seep into every corner of the house.  One last thing about these scrumptious potatoes – I will not wait until Thanksgiving to make them again!

Baked Potatoes with Garlic and Fresh Herbs

Adapted from Patate al Forno by David Rocco

Serves:  4-6 servings

Ingredients:

·         2 pounds (1 kg) Yukon gold potatoes, washed, peeled, and thinly sliced

·         1 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

·         1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

·         1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

·         Optional: 1 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

·         2 cloves of garlic, chopped

·         1 teaspoon kosher salt

·         ½ teaspoon black pepper

·         ½ cup (125 ml) olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat the oven at 400°F (200°C). 

Place the potatoes in a roasting pan.  Mix together the herbs and garlic, and sprinkle the mixture on the potatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.

 

Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and put the roasting pan in the oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown and tender. 

And since we’re looking at this perfect trio, let me tell you more about this gorgeous, glossy, golden corn coated in butter, flecked with a palm full of fresh parsley (to brighten things up), and drowned in a sea of cream.  I know it sounds kind of scary, “drowned in a sea of cream” (and some milk…).  I know, I know; it’s not your go to diet meal but it’s creamed corn after all, comfort food at its best, and trust me this one will steal the show.  It’s savory and sweet, bright, fresh and pleasantly creamy.  And guess what, roasted potatoes, creamed corn and schnitzel belong together.  Enjoy!

Creamed Corn

Adapted from Creamed Corn by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves:  4-6 servings

Ingredients:

·         3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

·         1 pound frozen corn, thawed

·         Salt and pepper

·         1 Tablespoon flour

·         ¾ cup heavy cream

·         ¼ cup whole milk

·         2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat.  Add the corn and season with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.  Add the cream and simmer until the mixture thickens, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the milk and parsley and stir well.  Season with more salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.   

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)     

The potato spectrum

It’s official!  Thanksgiving is just one week away.  The countdown has started.  I feel like I’m on a roller coaster ride, my head is spinning out of control, and I still haven’t decided what to bring to the Thanksgiving feast.  Not a good feeling, I can tell you that!  Hopefully, this week will give me some good ideas. 

We are talking about potatoes, again.  I told you before that I hate boiling potatoes.  However, the best part of overcooked potatoes is that I always end up with mashed potatoes, which I happen to adore!  They are rich, buttery and the perfect starch component of a dish.  I’m a devoted fan of the simple, creamy mashed potatoes with a hint of fresh parsley in the mix, which my grandma Vicki makes.  Yet, over time I’ve learned to play around with my potatoes and to add various ingredients and flavors to make them more fun, colorful and interesting; and trust me, there is a lot you can do with mashed potatoes!  

By the way, did you know that, according to Food Network Magazine (November 2011), one Russet potato has more potassium than a banana and is packed with vitamins C and B6, iron, magnesium and fiber?  In addition, there is an immense variety of potatoes and colorful potatoes for that matter, from sweet potatoes and cranberry red potatoes, to purple fiesta or purple majesty potatoes and all-blue potatoes; and they are all packed with antioxidants and vitamins, such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, iron, anthocyanins and lutein.  I guess… I’ll keep eating my potatoes. 

These mashed potatoes are creamy and cheesy, while the mixed herbs add freshness, balance out the flavors, and cut though the richness.  Mashed potatoes are essential on the Thanksgiving table, so don’t miss out on this recipe!  

Mashed Potatoes with Cheddar Cheese and Mixed Herbs

Adapted from Food Network Magazine (November 2011)

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

·         2 pounds whole russet or Yukon gold potatoes

·         Kosher salt and black pepper

·         1 stick softened butter

·         1 cup whole milk

·         2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

·         2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

·         2 Tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

·         1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Put the potatoes in a saucepan.  Cover with cold water and add 2 Tablespoons salt.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 45 minutes.  Drain the potatoes and let sit until just cool enough to handle, then peel and transfer to a bowl. 

Add the butter to the potatoes.  Add the milk, 2 teaspoons of salt, and pepper to taste.  Mash with a potato masher.  Stir the parsley, dill and chives into the potatoes.  Fold in the cheese.  Spoon the mashed potatoes into a serving dish and enjoy responsibly!