A Buckwheat Pita

My gripe with many commercial pitas is they lack both flavor and texture.  In my opinion, additives in bread to improve their shelf life really take a toll on flavor.  I had fresh baked pitas two weeks ago as part of my school curriculum and they were a marked improvement both in flavor and texture.

This weekend as I was looking for a weekend project, I happened upon a package of Buckwheat flour hiding on my cupboard shelf.  I love the sweet, nutty, earthiness Buckwheat adds to things.  I was already underway on a fresh batch of Baba Ganouj and Hummus so I needed something to go with them.  Instead of making a trip to the store and choking down another commercial imposter of a pita I decided to make Buckwheat Pitas!

Buckwheat pitas with Hummus and Baba Ganouj

This is a first run attempt so I was nervous about how much buckwheat flour to use.  In looking at other recipes, percentages and ratios were all over the board.  I settled on a simple recipe, trusted my instincts and replaced a full third of the AP flour weight with buckwheat flour.  The results weren't perfect, but looked and tasted great!  These are very soft "pocket" pitas with a pronounced Buckwheat flavor.  The robust nutty flavor stands well against the strong flavors of Hummus and Baba Ganouj.

Yields 8 pitas


Ingredients:
~
2.25t active dry yeast
0.25C warm water
a drop of honey

~
10oz AP Flour (plus more as "kneaded")
5oz buckwheat flour
1T granulated sugar
1.5t kosher salt
~
2T olive oil
1.25C-1.5C water (room temp)

Method:

1. Activate the yeast:  Dissolve yeast in warm water and add a drop of honey.  Let sit at room temperature for about 10 min.  When a head of bubbles forms over the water - the yeast is active.
2. Combine: Sift together flours and sugar into a mixing bowl.  Add kosher salt and stir to distribute evenly.  Form a well in the center.  Add the yeast mixture, olive oil, and about half the water.  Use a bowl scraper or wooden spoon to combine the ingredients.  The amount of water will vary (you may not need to incorporate all the water.  or you may need to add more).  Combine all ingredients adjusting water content as needed until the dough forms a ball.
3. Knead: On a floured surface knead the dough about 10 min (use ap flour).   Keep adding a dusting of ap flour to the kneading surface and hands to prevent sticking.  Finished dough should be monolithic, smooth, and only slightly sticky. 
4. Fermentation:  Coat a bowl with spray oil or olive oil.  Form the dough into a ball.  Set dough in oiled bowl and turn over to coat all sides of dough.  Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise to about double. 
5. Preheat oven and cooking surface to 400F.  Some day...I'll have a stone...until then, I use an inverted aluminum baking sheet. The cooking surface should always be preheated.  These pitas hold so much moisture that I did not "steam" the oven before hand.  If you want to go for it!
6. Form, proof, bake:  Divide the dough into eight equal portions (mine were each 3.6oz).  Form each portion into a ball and roll out into circles on a floured surface using a floured rolling-pin to a thickness of about 1/8 or 1/4 inch.  to proof, let dough rest in a warm place until tacky (about 5 min - I use the top of my warm stove).  In my oven I do two at a time.  Place proofed pita on hot surface in hot oven and bake until puffy (about 5 min.).  I like my pitas soft so if you prefer crisp just leave them in a bit longer.
7. Let them cool on a wire rack or eat them hot.  To store, let them cool completely and store in parchment (plastic will make them gluey).

Notes:
The pockets formed but aren't as uniform as I had hoped.  One of my gripes on commercial pitas is they have a tendency to be tough...these are almost too soft.  Flavor and texture wise they are a real pleasure for dipping and they smell GREAT when they cook.  I'm considering adding 1/8t baking soda in hopes of enhancing the formation of the "pocket".  Also in the next batch I think I'll try reducing buckwheat to 4oz and using 11oz AP flour.

Tacos Al Pastor - Gringo style

Portland is renown for it's food trucks.  I've sampled many of their offerings...some good...some not so good.  Ever since I've moved to the Northwest I've been disappointed with the offerings of "Mexican" establishments be it food truck or sit-down restaurant.  I can't really blame the vendors.  Portland is a LONG way from the sunny climate of Mexican origin.  Access to sun-ripened fresh ingredients is challenging at any time of year - especially now in the middle of winter.  Taco offerings in Portland are in desperate need of improvement.  I have yet to be impressed with any of the street food offerings of this Mexican classic.

One of my favorite preparations when it comes tacos is the Al Pastor style.  My Northwest climate simply is NOT conducive to producing the robust flavored chiles used in this dish.  Instead, I have to rely on re-hydrating dried chiles, canned products, and "fresh" pineapples from far far away.  Alas, this is one dish I can't source close to home.  One of my main gripes with what I've eaten from vendors is the texture of the pork.  Al Pastor should never be tough - it should be silky soft.  Lately, my geographic location has been experiencing a stretch of sunny weather.  I am itchy for the spicy flavors of Mexico.  I want to taste the sun.  Meanwhile, everything around me is dormant.  This rendition of Tacos al Pastor is as good as this poor gringo can do under the circumstances.

Tacos Al Pastor

 Ingredients:
    ~Marinade/Salsa:
1ea dried guajillo pepper
1ea bay leaf
1ea fresh jalapeno pepper
0.25ea fresh pineapple (chopped)
1ea canned chipotle pepper
1T adobo sauce
0.5 ea yellow onion (diced)
4ea cloves garlic (minced)
1.5t ground cinnamon
0.5t dried marjoram
0.5t paprika
0.5t coriander seeds (toasted and crushed)
0.5t black peppercorns (toasted and crushed)
1T kosher salt
1T red wine vinegar
   ~Preparation:
1# Pork tenderloin

Method:

1. In small saucepan place dried pepper and bay leaf in enough water to cover.  Bring to boil and cook until soft and fragrant.  Drain water, remove seeds and stems from pepper.  Transfer to food processor
2. Process re-hydrated pepper and bay leaf with remaining marinade ingredients.  Process until smooth.  This makes quite a bit more than 1# of pork needs to marinade.  Try it!  it also makes a pretty great tomatoless salsa.
3. Cut 3/4" wide strips into the tenderloin, but don't cut all the way through.  Stuff these cuts full of marinade and coat the outside of the loin completely.  To even out cooking, tie the roast back together with butcher-twine.  Let this roast marinade no more than 45 min. in the refrigerator.  Pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain which breaks down collagen fibers in meat.  In a soft cut like the tenderloin - it doesn't take much time for it to turn to mush.  Coarser cuts of pork can marinate a bit longer.
4. Roast at 375F until internal temp registers 137F.  Remove from oven, cover with foil and rest.  Internal temperature will continue to rise to somewhere around 145F.
5. Cut into bite-size pieces and finish in a saute pan with a little oil if more caramelization is desired.
6. Serve in warm corn tortillas with fresh chopped white onion, cilantro, sour cream, and lime wedges.

Potatoes Dauphinoise

As an Idaho boy, I like to think I know a thing or two about potatoes.  I've got to tip my hat to the French on this one as it is quite possibly the best Au Gratin dish I've ever had. Subtlety is what drives the flavor in this wonderful side dish.  Spend the time to get a good infusion on the milk mixture and play around with the flavorings. Use the best Gruyere you can afford. I picked up a French cave-aged on sale at a local purveyor. I did this up in about a 10-11" gratin dish.  Individual serving ramekins would be great too.  A dish with a larger surface area is a little easier to get right.

Potatoes Dauphinoise

Ingredients:
2 large russet potatoes (peeled and cut into VERY thin slices, you need enough to make at least two layers)
12 oz milk
4 oz heavy cream
1 pinch nutmeg
~~~Boquet Garni:

1 pc leek green
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic (smashed)
1 julienne celery stick
3-5 parsley stems
~~~

4 oz. Gruyere cheese shredded
butter (for dish)
salt and white pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350F

Method:

1. Prepare Gratin dish by coating generously with butter. Refrigerate dish until ready.

2. In a small saucepan add milk, cream, nutmeg, and Boquet Garni. Season lightly with salt and white pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil then remove it from heat and let the flavors infuse 5 min.

3. In prepared gratin dish, arrange potato slices overlapping around perimeter and spiral inward. Season this layer with salt and white pepper. Repeat to create another layer of potatoes spiraling the other direction (This help things hold together better when you cut it later). Repeat if needed.

4. strain hot milk mixture over potatoes (remove the aromatics). The amount of liquid given isn't exact and fool proof...you have to take into consideration the dish you are using and they type of potato used. Many recipes I saw for this use waxy potatoes. My russets held up just fine. Fill the dish up about half way. If you overfill it may make for messy clean up and the potatoes may be over done. Top with shredded cheese.

5. Bake: Cover the gratin with a buttered parchment lids cut to cover your dish. It should fit inside and come up the edges slightly. Bake at 350 for about 45 min. and then remove the parchment lid. Depending on the dish and potatoes, it may take another 15-25 min to get a nice browned bubbly top and make sure the potatoes are done. Take it out of the oven and let it rest 5 min. before cutting. Most of the liquid should have migrated into the potatoes.

Tip:

I strongly suggest baking this on a sheet pan covered in foil.  This can easily bubble over and make a mess in your oven - doing it on a sheet pan makes cleanup a snap.

Shirred Eggs

Eggs are a component of all of my favorite Breakfast dishes.  In France this dish is named Oefs en Cocotte.  I got turned on to Shirred Eggs through my classwork.  This method takes soft, smooth, creamy eggs one step further by combining small amounts of savory goodness and pinch of elegance.  One great thing about doing eggs this way is you can to all of the prep in advance.  Do them up the night before, seal them up, and then pop them in the oven in the morning.  It makes a great dish if you are cooking a romantic brunch or feeding a group.  I like to serve it with toast sticks for dunking.  Flavor combinations are limited only by your imagination.

Shirred Eggs with Bacon, Mushroom, Shallot & Thyme served with Toast Sticks

Ingredients:
butter (enough to coat ramekin)
2T cream
2ea large eggs
1ea strip bacon (cut small and browned)
2ea crimini mushrooms (fine chop)
1t shallot (very fine chop)
1ea sprig fresh thyme (leaves only)
1/2t parsmesan cheese (finely shredded)
salt & pepper (to taste)
     ~Garnish:
green onion (sifflet)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Butter ramekin. Pour cream into ramekin and then break eggs into cream mixture.  Set aside.
3. Crisp bacon to desired finish and drain on paper towel.  Cook mushrooms in bacon fat until they begin to release moisture - drain and set aside.
4. Combine cooked bacon and mushrooms with raw shallot.  Evenly distribute this mixture over the top of the eggs and whites.  Top with thyme, cheese, salt & pepper.
5. Bake at 375F for approx. 12-14 minutes or until done.  Garnish and serve.

Yield:
One serving

Notes:

• The trick to custards like this is knowing your oven.  Cook times will vary.  A good custard should jiggle when shaken.  There will be some residual cooking from the ramekin after you remove it from the oven so I recommend taking it out when there is a good amount of jiggle.  If I were doing these for multiples, I'd consider doing them in a water bath to even out the baking temperature.

Mushroom Stock

I've got people.  These people supply me with great components that others would simply put in the compost pile.  I'm talking about 2 pounds of Shiitake mushroom stems!  They are fibrous and inedible, so what on earth can you do with them?  When cooked down with other aromatics into a stock it forms an earthy backdrop for one of my favorite winter soups... Dream of Mushroom Soup (separate post).  I highly recommend making a huge batch of this stock - especially if you follow a vegetarian diet.  The stock can be used in other veggie dishes and makes a fantastic cooking liquid.  I freeze some of it in ice-cube trays to make storage and portioning easier.

Ingredients:

2T olive oil

1ea medium yellow onion, rough diced

2ea garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1ea large carrot, peeled, rough diced

1ea parsnip, peeled, rough diced

2ea celery ribs, rough diced

1/2ea sweet red pepper, rough diced

2# shiitake mushroom stems

1 tsp salt

6 branches fresh thyme (stems and all)

6 branches fresh parsley (stems and all)

2-3 branches fresh sage (stems and all)

2 ea dry bay leaves

3-4ea dry cloves

16C cold water 

Method:

• In a large stock pot heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic, stirring and cook til translucent.  Add carrot, parsnip, celery, red pepper, mushroom stems, and salt.  Stir and cook until vegetables start to release liquids.  Add herbs and water.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a fast simmer and cook for 45-60 min.
• Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer and return it to a large stock pot.  Reduce liquids to desired intensity (approx. another 45-60min.) 

Yields approximately 10 Cups of stock.