Portugese Egg Custard Tarts

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When my favorite youtuber Babish released an egg tart video, I knew I had to make these. But unusually for me, I decided to go with the simpler approach of using store bought puff pastry rather than making my own puff (something I have tried and failed at in the past). These seemed to be delightful morsels of buttery crust with a jelly like custard interior and everyone online kept using superlatives to describe them. So instead of going to Portugal or actually finding a Portuguese bakery, we took these on as a snowy day weekend project inspired by this Melissa Clark NYT recipe. I also watched and re-watched cupcake Jemma make these, because she is lovely and soothing.  The trick seems to be keeping the pastry cold and using an extremely hot oven to develop a shatteringly crisp crust. These would be good with any filling – I plan to try lemon curd next.

Makes 24 small tarts- start 2 days before you actually wish to consume the pasteis de nata

Step 1: Buy some all butter puff pastry (I used Trader joes) and buy a mini muffin pan ( I used Sur La Table where I also spent an unnecessary amount of money buying cooking tchotchkes)

Step 2: Roll out half your puff pastry (about 7-8 oz) into a 13×13 inch square or an 18×9 inch rectangle. Start rolling into a log from the larger side- so you should have an 18 inch log about an inch in diameter. Wrap in parchment and chill for several hours (or overnight)

Step 3- divide pastry log into half and then quarters and then thirds to get 24 pieces, Press the flat discs down and then along the side of the mini muffin pan. Cover with cling film and chill

Step 4- make the custard

Step 4a: read the instructions multiple times so you don’t goof up and have to throw away your first 2 attempts- hey, eggs are cheap, it’s ok. In retrospect- I should have made this in the blender- notes for next time.

Step 4b: There are 3 parts to this custard- assemble the 3 parts first. A cinnamon syrup ( 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 a cinnamon stick and 1/3 cup water- heat till sugar dissolves- take off heat, discard cinnamon), 3 egg yolks and a flour paste (start with 1/4 cup of all purpose flour and 3 tbsp of milk- whisk in 1/2 cup of scalding whole milk-  heated till bubbles just form- this is tougher than it looks and requires quite a lot of upper body strength)

Step 4c: Add sugar syrup to the flour mixture and return to the heat- Whisk continuously for 5 minutes till mixture is thickened and paste like without any lumps

Step 4d: add some of the flour mixture to the egg yolks whisking continuously- then add more gradually till both are combined. If you do this correctly- you will NOT have scrambled eggs but a smooth custard. If any custard calls for straining- it is this one- strain it.

Step 5- You remembered to heat your oven to 500F right? and the cookie sheet is on the bottom 1/3rd- good!. Add custard to the tart shells and bake for 15-20 minutes till custard is puffed up and lovely with some char and the pastry is crisp

So this recipe is tough! I have made many custards from scratch and this one was difficult! Was it worth it? Yes! Did we finish 24 tarts in one sitting? Of course we did!

Marathi Ukad

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When a maharashtrian child is sick, mother makes ukad – it’s a spicy version of baby food and in the same class of comforting chewy rice flour dishes as mochi and rice balls and kadbu but simpler

Step 1: whisk 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/2 cup sour yogurt and 2 cups of water today

Step 2: to 1 tbsp of oil, sputter 1 tsp mustard seeds, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 2 pinches asaefoetida, 2-3 curry leaves and 1-2 dried red chilies

Step 3: add rice flour mixture, chopped cilantro and 1 chopped jalapeño

Cover and steam on low heat for 10-15 min

Bibimbap

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A rice dish that is mixed up with veggies and other protein – this dish feels so right to my Indian palate – as does most “vegan Korean” cuisine (I know that’s an oxymoron). But this is how I do bibimbap

Rice: in a non stick pan, heat 2 tbsp butter and 1 team sesame oil, add 1 tbsp garlic and 1 tbsp soy sauce- add cooked rice (made from 1 cup of uncooked rice). Mix well and then leave alone for 4-5 min till the bottom rice grains gets toasted

Carrots: roast with olive oil, salt, pepper at 400 F for 10-15 min

Potato wedges: roast potato wedges with oil, salt, pepper, 1 tbsp of corn flour at 400F for 20-25 min

Onions, pepper and tomatoes: from the shakshuka recipe at brunch. Cook 1 diced onion and 1 diced pepper in oil with 1 tbsp cumin seeds till they get brown. Add a 14 oz can of tomatoes, 1 tsp each cumin and coriander powders and gochujang and 1 tsp soy sauce. Heat for 10 min or so and finish with 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar.

Protein: I used some spiced tofu nuggets that I fried up with a tiny bit of oil

Sauce: 2 tbsp gochujang, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 1 tbsp water, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp minced garlic and 1 tsp rice wine vinegar

Another sauce (for your annoying 10 year old who doesn’t eat spice): 2 tbsp soy sauce,2 tsp toasted sesame seeds, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil and 1/2 tsp minced garlic

Top with chopped scallions, avocado, a fried egg if you wish and chopped vegan kimchi if you have it (I didn’t today)

Sauce recipes from this websitehttps://mykoreankitchen.com/bibimbap-sauce/

This one makes great leftovers too

Shakshuka dosa

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I combined my 2 favorite brunch items today and they were delicious together

Deconstructed shakshuka : this is how I like to make shakshuka – with a fried egg rather than poached (it’s easier and less messy and I like the crispy fried edges of the egg)

Sauce: 1 tbsp olive oil – add 1 tbsp cumin seeds and heat till they sputter and turn color. Add 1 diced onion and 1 diced red pepper. Cook over medium to high heat till onions brown. Add 1 14 oz can of tomatoes with 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1tbsp gochuang paste (not essential but delicious), 1 tsp soya sauce and cook for 10 min. Add salt and chilli powder to taste (about 1 tsp of each). Finish with 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Top onion, tomato, pepper mixture with fried egg when ready to serve.

Serve with dosa in place of bread

Chickpea stew

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This is a really good Persian stew. Well possibly, I don’t know any Persian people but the flavor seems to be Persian , it’s got nearly a cup of parsley and dried lemon. In any case it is very very good. I got the dried lemon on amazon after ottolenghi praised it (of course)

Caramelize 1 onion with 1 tbsp cumin seeds and 2 dried red chilies and salt in 4 tbsp butter (yes the quantities are right- this will take 30 min on mild- mod heat)

Add 1-2 tbsp chopped garlic, chickpeas (1 cup dried- soaked overnight and pressure cooked for 15 min), 1 can of tomatoes puréed and 4 cups of veg broth (I used better than bouillon) and 1 tsp cumin and 1 tsp coriander powder and 1 dried lemon.

Simmer for 45 min

Add 1.5 cups pasta – cook for 12-15 min

Add about a cup of chopped parsley – fish out the lemon

Very delicious

Tomato Risotto with fire roasted corn

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I read a recent recipe for risotto with garlic broth, also I had some left over wine, which led to the development of this recipe. Adding flavor to the broth really appealed to me- so I decided to do a spicy tomato garlic broth- something delicious enough to drink as a soup and then make a risotto with it. I added some fire roasted corn – I used frozen (it is November in the mid west) but feel free to grill some corn and remove the kernels or regular boiled corn kernels would work as well but wihtout the smoky flavor that goes so well with the spicy broth. This is a superlative fall dish, the flavors are well developed and harmonious- a dish worthy of a thanksgiving table.

Broth: 1 tbsp of oil, add 7-8 cloves of garlic till they barely start getting color, add 1 small can of tomatoes (14 oz) blitzed through the blender with 4 cups of vegetable stock (I used better than boullion vegetable base). Add 1 tsp of dried thyme and 1 tsp of red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and then simmer. Taste and adjust flavorings if needed- it should be delicious enough to drink as a brothy soup.

Risotto: Meanwhile- to 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter- add half a large onion (about 1 cup diced) and some salt and pepper- cook till golden – about 5-6 minutes. Add 1.5 cups of arborio rice unrinsed. Cook in the fat and onions for 2-3 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of white wine, cook for 2-3 minutes till the wine is mostly evaporated. Add ladlefuls of hot broth and stir every 5 mintues. You can add a lot of broth at once- the stirring is unfortunately non-negotiable (the rice sticks to the botton of your pan if you don’t stir) . After 20-25 minutes, you should have risotto. Add the corn and 1 tbsp of butter on top. Season with salt- the broths often have a fair bit of salt, so wait till the end. Add 1/2 cup of parmesan and stir.

 

Cannellini beans with beurre blanc

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This post should be titled- an homage to brown food which is so delicious and so nourishing yet so un-instagrammable that it isn’t even funny 🙂

This is modified from a  recipe that Tejal Rao wrote about in the NYT from a brilliant English chef called Jack Monroe who has a ton of vegan recipes on his website.

Using a rich french sauce to liven up an everyday beans and pasta dish- it is brilliant

Boil 1 15 oz can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans with 4 and half cups of vegetable stock for 15-20 minutes (I used better than bouillon base) . Add 1.5 cups of any small pasta and cook till pasta is slightly more than al dente – this is comfort food, you don’t want super chewy pasta

Meanwhile- make the beurre blanc. Add half white wine and half white vinegar enough to make up 3/4 of a cup. Add to a small saucepan with 5 tbsp butter and 1/2 an onion diced fine (about 3/4 cup). Cook on gentle heat for 15 minutes or so till the onions have softened.

Add to beans, top with copious amounts of black pepper, red pepper flakes and parmesan. This ia comfort food at its finest

Sheet Pan Fried Rice

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Without the necessary BTUs- I have found it impossible to achieve the fried rice of my dreams. Wok-kissed, each grain glistening with fat and flavor- the kind of fried rice served in Chinatowns everywhere.

Until I found this recipe! Fried rice in the oven- with high heat from all side- it is a brilliant idea and works like a charm.

Rice: I cooked 1.5 cups of white rice in the rice cooker and then cooled the rice on a baking sheet

Vegetables: I used a blend of frozen peas, corn and beans – defrosted in the microwave

Protein: I used trader joes meatless meatballs- heated in a pan with some oil for 5-10 minutes

Sauce: 1 tbsp gochuang (from whole foods), 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oil

Technique- mix all- set in oven at 450 F for 10-15 minutes till rice grains get slightly charred on top- add salt if needed

Top with sliced scallions and some chilles in vinegar ( chillies sliced, vingegar, salt, sugar)

This one is a weeknight keeper- total prep time is less than 10 minutes (slice scallion while defrosting stuff). The NYT recipe has fresh veggies in it- which I’m sure will also be delicious.

 

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Mochi balls with puran

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My favorite sweet in the world is puran poli- the maharashtrian roti stuffed with sweetened chana dal. When I saw a Tasty video on sesame mochi balls with red bean paste inside- I knew I wanted to replicate the recipe with puran inside the mochi. Kadbu (a dish from Karnataka is after-all just puran inside steamed rice dough). Also I have an appe pan which is exactly the same as a takoyaki pan. It seems as though the stars were aligned.

Mochi is made from glutinous rice, an entirely different species of rice flour from what is commonly used in India. This has to be ordered off Amazon or bought from an Asian grocery store. I ordered the Mochiko flour brand.

Puran: Pressure cook 1 cup of washed chana dal for 15 minutes. Drain. Mash with 1/4 cup jaggery and 2-3 tbsp sugar. Add 1 tsp of cardamon powder and any dry fruits you wish ( I added chopped up dried apricots). Make balls of puran.

Mochi: Make a soft dough from 1 cup of glutinous rice flour with 1/2 a cup of warm water and 1/2 tsp of salt. Flatten a ball of mochi and fold around a smaller ball of puran. Roll the whole thing in sesame seeds. Repeat.

Cook the mochi gently in a takayoki pan or an appe patra or an abelskeiver pan (all freely availalbe on Amazon) for 5-7 minutes with a little oil. Rotate till all the sesame seeds are golden brown.

The mochi is super gelatinous when hot but becomes deliciously less sticky as it cools. This is a truly fabulous treat.

 

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Creme Caramel

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Sometimes- you need a good vanilla pudding to end the day. This recipe for creme caramel hits the spot every single time

Make caramel: My favorite way is to use a non-stick pan and a small silicone spatula. Heat 1/2 cup of sugar till it starts to melt- then stir gently till the sugar reaches a beautiful amber brown. Pour into your serving ramekins or baking dish and swirl it around the sides. Careful- that stuff is hot

Make custard: Beat 1 cup of whole milk, 1/2 cup of cream, 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk with 1/3 cup of sugar and 1 tsp of good vanilla (chanelling my inner Ina Garten) till smooth. Pour into prepared pan/ramekins

Bake custard: Bake in a waterbath at 375 for 35-45 minutes. I personally do let the top brown just a little bit. There is nothing worse than unmolding a flan to have the center still liquid.

Cool custard for 2-3 hours, unmold (run a knife along the edges)

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