Lobster Thermidor

An exclusive from Niloufer's Kitchen

We are currently running a fundraiser to help World Central Kitchen. Please join in if you can

Lobster  Thermidor

Another revelation of the past, it has been a tradition for us since our arrival to Canada  to indulge on every father’s day in this amazing masterpiece.

Use small lobsters, the tail will give you the most meat. Most stores steam the fresh lobsters and sell it to you.

You can add scallop and meaty white fish and fresh crab to make this into a seafood bake.

Find crab shells to serve it in. Grill it to make it au gratin it looks great and you can have portions shared to each one.

You can buy au gratin dishes, or even try and save the lobster shells, tough if you are removing the meat yourself. Count on one small lobster per person as a main course.

Interesting trivia. "Thermidor" is the name of the 11th month of the French Republican calendar. Stemming from the words thermal meaning heat (it hardly relates to lobsters or the weather!) But like with other fame there is always a good story attached.
In the 1890's A play was named Thermidor, relating to the history of that moment in time performing at the Comedy Theater in Paris. To honour the opening night Marie's, a restaurant of great repute and located next door to the theater,  created this culinary masterpiece. It continues to be prepared for just special occasions since - thanks to the work involved!

Lobster Thermidor served in a tail au gratin.

4 Lobsters

Remove lobster, cut it into chunky pieces and season with salt and peppercorns, and squeeze fresh lemon or lime over it.

In a large pot make the bechamel sauce.

Melt 4 tbsp salted butter 
add 4 tbsp plain flour

Make a roux, and add

2 cups whole milk

Keep stirring with a whisk to keep it smooth and bring it to a boil till thickens.

Add to this

Seasoning; salt and mixed peppercorns freshly cracked.

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1 large sauteed onion; very finely chopped

2 soft boiled eggs; diced and seasoned a dash of cream

A dash of chili sauce like Tabasco
1 tsp made mustard

Add the chunks of lobster meat

When ready to serve pour into 4 gratin dishes, sprinkle a mix of  grated cheese, bread crumbs  and butter on top  and grill under a broiler till bubbly and golden. Serve warm.

             
Tips
Add a few tablespoons of cream to make it richer.
If using mustard powder instead of made mustard use just 1/2 tsp and not the whole.
Use a favourite strong cheddar if you cannot find Gruyere. 
Add 2 tbsps of dry sherry or rum to your bechamel if you enjoy liquor in your food; originally cognac was added to this French dish! 



To read about an ancient cuisine you can purchase my cookbooks called The World of Parsi Cooking; Food Across Borders and The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine.  



For more recipes click 
Niloufer's Kitchen : French Bistro

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J2KMB4C

Readers Comments
4th September 2017

Manini Lalbhai Badlani I tried your recipe with prawns since we can't get lobsters here. It turned out awesome. Thank you

Like

Like

Love

Haha

Wow

Sad

Angry

 · Reply · 

1

 · 8 hrs

Photo credit Sheriar Hirjikaka

Pignoli

Pignoli

Literal translation? Pine nut.
Yet the most amazing macaroon is also called Pignoli. Its origins from the heart of Sicily. 
They are chewy and dense but can me made crispy if preferred. Simple to make; Sicilians definitely win the best cookie prize hands down!

Teaching an Italian cuisine cooking class to the students at a local High School was one of the most rewarding moments in my career. The beaming faces chewing these freshly baked Pignolis was like a thousand words of praise!  I was their "Culinary Tour of Italy" having just made an Italian flag lasagne, Chicken Cacciatore  and the Pignolis in their local backyard.
Some comments from this class can be read at http://www.nilouferskitchen.com/p/my-scrap-book.html

Freshly baked Pignolis

Ingredients
3/4 + 1/2 cup pine nuts
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup almond paste; crumbled
1 1/2 tsp grated fresh lemon zest
3/4 tsp vanilla
3 large egg whites
1 1/3 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt



Using the pulse button of your food processor simply turn on and off until a crumbly mixture forms,
3/4th cup pine nuts, the sugar, almond paste, zest and vanilla.


Add this to the egg whites and mix until just smooth. Now add the flour salt and baking powder and using the pulse button once again turn it off and on until just mixed.

Drop a tbsp at a time on the prepared two baking sheets lined with parchment. Press the tops of each pignoli with the remaining pine nuts. Should make about 28 cookies. If you want to make them with your hands wet your palms before rolling the balls, this dough is rather sticky.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes 350F/180C.

For more recipes click on
Niloufer's Kitchen: Winter
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G2US0EK

Whisky Cake

Simple and festive

Whisky Fruit Cake

Growing up this cake was traditionally baked every year the New Years Day Annual Family Pot-Luck at home this cake particularly brings back a flood of good memories. Being such a favourite it was also prepared for my wedding by my own mother; one of the many requests we made off her!!
I also remember helping my mum prepare this a couple of times before that for her best friends children's wedding! 
It really is a variation of a  traditional fruit cake, a rather light one. It will come out golden coloured, has less fruit than most and has the texture of a tea cake.
Using a good Scotch Whisky is key to the end result.
Soaking prior to baking and brushing after are both very necessary steps. 

Last week one of my talented readers requested to teach her a good fruit cake. She posted these pictures on face book which started a stream of requests to share the recipe and so here it goes!!

All dressed up!

Two round 9 inch /27cms freshly baked cakes

Weigh all the dry ingredients

Soak overnight  in 1 cup whisky

6 ozs/170gms walnuts

8 ozs/225gms raisins

8 ozs/225gms red glace cherries

In a pan cream together until light and fluffy

10 ozs/285gms butter, salted

2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Add one egg a time while the machine is running.

7 eggs

Now sift together and beat into the above mixture. Keep the speed of the machine at its very lowest. Do not over beat. Just allow it all to fold together.

14 oz/395gm sifted all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Add in all the soaked fruits also with the machine running on slow.

Fold in once or twice with a spatula before pouring into the prepared pan.

This quantity will make one large cake in a 12 cup bundt pan or two loaf pans or two 9 inch/27cm round deep pans.

Bake at 350F/180C degrees for 75 minutes for the large bundt pan and 45 for the others. Checking the cake with a tester a bit earlier prevents it from drying out or over baking. 

Cool completely and then soak your muslin with 3/4^th cup of whisky and wrap it all up. Then tightly cover with a foil and place in fridge. One week maturity gives it an amazing flavour.

Alternately ice with marzipan while chilled so it is easy to handle and will cover well.

Eat at room temperature.

To prepare the pan you will need 3 layers of brown paper at the bottom and butter the top one and the sides and flour the sides too. If your baking pans are nice and thick you do not need paper on the side. 

Photo Courtesy Kainaaz R Patell and Niloufer Mavalvala.

Readers Comments

Kainaaz R. Patell‎Niloufer's Kitchen

Yesterday at 12:41am ·

Thank you, Niloufer Mavalvala for your lovely XMAS cake recipe! Everyone enjoyed it. The cake turned out soft and irresistible, and the colours were marvellous. Can't wait to bake it again!

Meher Mirza Thx Nilufer Niloufer Mavalvala for ur recipe. my family is enjoying it they did not allow me to mature it also.
Meher Mirza It tastes yummy better then  a rum cake

Paneer

Paneer/Panir

Fresh cheese

 

Parsi homes often serve fresh paneer as a tea time treat.

 

The word paneer or panir comes from the word "peynir", which means cheese-both in Farsi and Turkish. Although generally considered as typically Indian-northern to be precise-it was the Persians and Afghans who introduced it to the region as far back as the 16th century. While the inhabitants of the mountainous terrain traditionally prepared this cheese from sheep and goat milk, the paneer of India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan is now traditionally prepared from buffalo or cow’s milk.

 

Paneer, pronounced Puh-nir, is a simple home-made cheese where the curds are separated from the whey. No additives or preservatives are added to prepare this. Warm, soft, creamy, and silky, its texture is dependent on the amount of liquid squeezed out of it and whether it is served freshly prepared or chilled.

 

Eaten on its own, warm when fresh or chilled the next day, it is also used in a variety of recipes. Most commonly, it is diced and fried to be added to vegetarian dishes like curries and stews. I often use it in my samosa fillings, in quiches, and even in baked cheesecakes. It can be prepared with the addition of other flavours like nuts, herbs, and spices and eaten cut into pieces or as a dip.

Serves 6 

Makes 1 wheel of paneer of 500 g/ 1.1 lb

4 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cup yoghurt
1 1/2 tsp salt

Optional: 1/2 a tablespoon of vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

For the paneer, bring the milk to a boil and continue to boil for 10 minutes—keep stirring to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. 

Gently beat the yoghurt with the salt. Add the yoghurt to the boiling milk and lower the heat to a simmer. Wait for the milk to separate. At the first sign of the milk separating, turn the stove off and allow the separation to continue until you can see the whey clearly. In the meantime, prepare a sieve lined with muslin or cheesecloth. Overturn the paneer mixture over the sieve and allow it to drain, hanging the muslin very lightly for a soft cheese and pressing it down with weight to make the texture firmer. 

Turn the paneer on to a plate, garnish, and serve. 

Tips

The addition of an acidic liquid like vinegar or lemon juice is optional and speeds up the separation of the curds and whey. 

Dips and cheesecakes are best prepared from soft paneer. 

If you like a creamier texture, increase the yoghurt amount to 2 cups.

The choices to flavour your paneer with are endless. Try any of these delightful fresh herbs: coriander, parsley, mint, basil, oregano, chives, tarragon. For a tangy flavour, add olives—pickled vegetables, capers, and cornichons all pair well. Spices like cracked peppercorns, zaatar, sumac, ancho chili, togarashi, and jalapeno are a perfect pairing when pressed onto the paneer and give it a nice zing. A sprinkle of specialty salts—seaweed, saffron, black, pink, or simple rock salt—all impart their unique flavours to the paneer. 

Serve with sweet red chilli jam or spicy chilli oil on a charcuterie board. Fig jam, tapenade, and pesto also combine deliciously with this versatile dish. 

Special utensils to drain out the paneer and create the round wheel shape are available at specialty stores.

The three parts of the utensil to make a perfect paneer 

Pressed Paneer; chilled overnight

An assembled Paneer pan !

For more recipes from the Parsi Cuisine and its origins read the cookbooks The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders and
The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine.


Also check out my e-cookbook Niloufer's Kitchen Quick: and Easy Menu
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HBSBLI4

Photo credit Sheriar Hirjikaka

Parsi Se`v

Parsi Sagun ni Se`v

 

Vermicelli, thin fine noodles made of roasted whole wheat, also referred to as seviyan, Dry vermicelli in a packet is available at all sub-continental grocery stores.

Parsi Sev is generally served in combination with sweetened yoghurt on most festive occasions. The contrasting textures, flavours, and temperatures (warm, crunch-topped sev, smooth, cool yoghurt) complement each other perfectly. The two seem to be synonymous; many of us actually refer to the duo as one word, "sev-dahi" in conversation! 

Rose water, cardamom, and nutmeg fragrances and flavours familiar to most sweet delights of Parsi cuisine—topped with roasted or fried plump, golden raisins and slivered almonds or other nuts—complete this delicious dish.

Sev topped with raisins and almonds

sev -dahi

Serves 10

 

1 tsp butter

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup slivered almonds

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup water + 1/2 cup if needed

1 1/2 tbsp oil or ghee or a mixture of both

200 g/ 7 ½ oz vermicelli

A pinch of salt

1/4 cup rose water

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp cardamom powder

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp butter
85 g/ 3 oz raisins

85 g/ 3 oz slivered almonds

 

 

In a pan, fry the raisins and almonds in one teaspoon of butter for one minute. Remove it and keep it aside on a kitchen paper towel to drain the oil.

 

In a pan, dissolve the sugar in cold water over a low flame. Do not allow it to boil. Keep aside.

 

In a flat, large pan, melt the ghee or heat the oil. Add all of the vermicelli, tossing it frequently until it is a caramel golden brown. Do not overcook or it will burn.

 

Add the sugar water to cover the vermicelli, pressing it down with the back of a spatula. Cover the pan tightly with a lid and let it simmer over a very low flame until the water has evaporated, about 15-20 minutes. Fluff the vermicelli with a fork and test if it has cooked through. If it has a bite but is still not soft, add another few teaspoons of water, cover and cook for an extra 5 minutes. Now add the salt, rosewater, vanilla, cardamom, and nutmeg. Set aside for 3 minutes to steam after tossing with a fork. Serve it sprinkled with the raisins and almonds.

 

Tips

 

The colour of your final dish will depend on the initial roasting. 

To avoid a mess, break the long strands of vermicelli before opening the packaging.

You can use any combination of oil and ghee or even use butter. I personally prefer using at least half oil as this prevents it from burning easily as well as from congealing once cool. 

Traditionally, sev does not include vanilla, but it does add a lovely fragrance and flavour to the dish. 

If preparing ahead of time, reheat covered in a low preheated oven.

An alternate cooking method is steaming. After adding the sugar water, put the pan in an oven for 25 minutes, starting at 180 °C | 350 °F and reducing it to
120 °C | 250 °F halfway. Remember to toss the sev with a fork at this point, checking if it is soft and moist on its own or needs a sprinkle of water to continue cooking. Pick a pan that seals well enough to steam. 

 

 

Read more about Parsi Food history and origins in my cookbook 

The Art of Parsi Cooking;reviving an ancient cuisine.

Also download 

Niloufer's Kitchen: Quick and Easy for a classic Parsi Recipes.