You’re guaranteed a richer and more even color this way .
Use Dry Scallops
Ask your fishmonger for dry scallops. A good fish market will carry only this kind. Sometimes lesser markets will sell sea scallops injected with water or saline to plump them up, making them more expensive per pound. These scallops won’t brown well, as the water will release during cooking and cause the scallops to steam. Also, avoid using milky-looking scallops. During spring months, scallops start to spawn; it is during this time that they sometimes produce a cloudy liquid that makes them difficult to brown. I prefer not to wash scallops; however, if they are sandy, you must. Dry them well before cooking .
Rice Cakes
I love the sticky crust of a baked pilaf. I got frustrated that when I made pilaf in a big pot, there was never enough sticky crust to go around, so I came up with this recipe. By making individual rice cakes, everyone gets just the right amount of crust.
Yogurt and egg bind the rice in these little cakes. I sear them on the bottom side only so that they get golden and crispy, but the top stays soft.
M AKES 10 TO 12 MEDIUM RICE CAKES TO SERVE 5 TO 12
2 cups long-grain rice, such as jasmine or basmati
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
3 eggs
½ cup whole-milk plain yogurt, preferably Greek style
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon butter
1. Soak the rice for 20 minutes in warm water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt to remove some of the starch.
2. Bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil over high heat.
3. Drain the rice and sprinkle it into the boiling water, little by little. Stir well.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the rice, stirring from time to time, for 6 minutes, until tender.
5. Drain the rice and allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
7. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the yogurt until smooth and combined. Stir in the rice and season with salt to taste.
8. Heat a medium nonstick, ovenproof sauté pan over high heat, and add the oil and butter. When the butter browns, drop in four to six ½-cup scoops of rice and cook over medium heat until the bottoms brown, about 6 minutes. Repeat the process until all the rice cakes are cooked.
9. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. The bottoms of the rice cakes should have a beautiful crust and the tops should be soft. Serve immediately, with the crust side up, side by side with the Seared Sea Scallops (page 62).
Braised Beef Short Ribs with Vanilla-Glazed Carrots
These short ribs are a signature dish at Oleana. I created this recipe at Casablanca, the restaurant in Harvard Square where I cooked for five years before opening my own. I loved the ribs so much that I brought the recipe with me to Oleana The ribs are like a decadent pot roast: they’re soft, sweet, and tart from the tamarind, a Middle Eastern and Asian fruit that brightens a slowly braised dish.
With this dish, try a Carmenère from Chile, which is a sweet/savory wine with dark fruit, spicy flavors, and round tannins.
S ERVES 8
8 beef short ribs, weighing about 6 to 8 pounds
4 tablespoons kosher salt
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 whole carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup medium-bodied, non-oaky white wine, such as a dry Riesling (see page 61)
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
2 tablespoons tamarind paste (available in the Asian or Indian section of some grocery stores) 4 medium carrots, peeled
2 tablespoons butter
½ vanilla bean
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Season each of the short ribs generously with the kosher salt. Lay them side by side in a large, heavy roasting pan.
3. Scatter the onion, chopped carrot, and the bay leaf over the ribs.
4. Combine the vinegar, wine, brown sugar, and garlic in a small
Use Dry Scallops
Ask your fishmonger for dry scallops. A good fish market will carry only this kind. Sometimes lesser markets will sell sea scallops injected with water or saline to plump them up, making them more expensive per pound. These scallops won’t brown well, as the water will release during cooking and cause the scallops to steam. Also, avoid using milky-looking scallops. During spring months, scallops start to spawn; it is during this time that they sometimes produce a cloudy liquid that makes them difficult to brown. I prefer not to wash scallops; however, if they are sandy, you must. Dry them well before cooking .
Rice Cakes
I love the sticky crust of a baked pilaf. I got frustrated that when I made pilaf in a big pot, there was never enough sticky crust to go around, so I came up with this recipe. By making individual rice cakes, everyone gets just the right amount of crust.
Yogurt and egg bind the rice in these little cakes. I sear them on the bottom side only so that they get golden and crispy, but the top stays soft.
M AKES 10 TO 12 MEDIUM RICE CAKES TO SERVE 5 TO 12
2 cups long-grain rice, such as jasmine or basmati
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
3 eggs
½ cup whole-milk plain yogurt, preferably Greek style
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon butter
1. Soak the rice for 20 minutes in warm water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt to remove some of the starch.
2. Bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil over high heat.
3. Drain the rice and sprinkle it into the boiling water, little by little. Stir well.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the rice, stirring from time to time, for 6 minutes, until tender.
5. Drain the rice and allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
7. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the yogurt until smooth and combined. Stir in the rice and season with salt to taste.
8. Heat a medium nonstick, ovenproof sauté pan over high heat, and add the oil and butter. When the butter browns, drop in four to six ½-cup scoops of rice and cook over medium heat until the bottoms brown, about 6 minutes. Repeat the process until all the rice cakes are cooked.
9. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. The bottoms of the rice cakes should have a beautiful crust and the tops should be soft. Serve immediately, with the crust side up, side by side with the Seared Sea Scallops (page 62).
Braised Beef Short Ribs with Vanilla-Glazed Carrots
These short ribs are a signature dish at Oleana. I created this recipe at Casablanca, the restaurant in Harvard Square where I cooked for five years before opening my own. I loved the ribs so much that I brought the recipe with me to Oleana The ribs are like a decadent pot roast: they’re soft, sweet, and tart from the tamarind, a Middle Eastern and Asian fruit that brightens a slowly braised dish.
With this dish, try a Carmenère from Chile, which is a sweet/savory wine with dark fruit, spicy flavors, and round tannins.
S ERVES 8
8 beef short ribs, weighing about 6 to 8 pounds
4 tablespoons kosher salt
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 whole carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup medium-bodied, non-oaky white wine, such as a dry Riesling (see page 61)
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
2 tablespoons tamarind paste (available in the Asian or Indian section of some grocery stores) 4 medium carrots, peeled
2 tablespoons butter
½ vanilla bean
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Season each of the short ribs generously with the kosher salt. Lay them side by side in a large, heavy roasting pan.
3. Scatter the onion, chopped carrot, and the bay leaf over the ribs.
4. Combine the vinegar, wine, brown sugar, and garlic in a small
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