Recipe: Israeli Couscous Infused with Chanterelles....

A follow-up of a related post:
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2008/09/affair-with-chanterelles.html

~ Israeli Couscous Infused with Chanterelles.... ~

by Blanche IP

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups Israeli couscous*
1 ½ cups water or chicken broth
2 tbs unsalted butter
6 ounces Golden Chanterelles or other types of mushrooms
3 tbs herb infused extra virgin olive oil**
½ lb boneless chicken thighs – with or without skin, cut into bite size pieces
2 tbs soy sauce
1 ts sugar
1 tbs rice wine (optional)
1 ½ cup shelled edamame beans – frozen***

Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese to serve (optional)

Instructions:

1. Marinate chicken thigh pieces in soy sauce, sugar and rice wine for 30 mins.

2. Clean chanterelles by lightly wiping them with a damp paper towel. Hand tear chanterelles into bite size pieces.

3. In an iron skillet or pan, dry sauté chanterelle without oil in high heat until the mushrooms begin to brown lightly and sweat. Set them aside in a bowl.

4. In the same skillet over high heat, add 1 tbs of butter with 1 tbs herb infused olive oil. Sauté the chicken pieces until brown on all sides and fully cooked (if skin is left on, sauté skin side down first – will keep chicken more juicy and flavourful). Remove from skillet and set pieces aside in a bowl. Keep the skillet un-washed as the brown bits aka ‘fond’ will be one of the flavouring agents for the dish.

5. In a 2 quart pot over high heat, add remaining butter and toast the Israeli couscous for 5 minutes. Add the water or broth and stir. Cover pan with lid until the content comes to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and allow it to simmer for 30-40 mins or until al-dente with pot partly covered. Stir occasionally.

6. Place edamame in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until steaming. Add them along with chicken pieces and remaining herb infused olive oil into pot with cooked couscous. Stir gently, and add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Heat the skillet with fond over high heat. Gently fold chanterelles into the couscous and transfer mixture into the hot skillet. Allow the mixture to stand in hot skillet for 5 minutes before serving.

8. Present it with sprig of rosemary or thyme, and serve with grated Pecorino Romano cheese and a lightly dressed arugula salad....

* If you have a Trader Joes near by, their Harvest Grains Blend is an excellent substitution. It is a mixture of Israeli couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa. This savoury deliciousness can be cooked in 15 minutes.

** My Herb Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil consists of garlic (finely chopped and sauté in oil till brown and crisp), mixture of dried herbs (any kind to your liking), and lots of chopped sun-dried tomato. The herb mixture is allowed to infuse in extra virgin olive oil for at least 2 weeks prior use. Both the oil and the herb mixture were used in this recipe.

*** For the best results, package of frozen salted edamame pod
s should be used. The package should first be defrosted and pods would then be shelled to retrieve the plump edamame beans within.

....and of course, nothing gets better than a meal that has a bittersweet ending....though my dear friend and I decided to begin with one....an excellent Canadian Vidal ice wine and crème brûlée....

....

Mambo Jambo....MAMONCILLO! A little tangy taste from the tropics....

Haymarket has done it again....discovered another species of fruit, foreign to most, but friends to Central and South Americans....introducing the Mamoncillo....


I was not intrigue by them at first, since they have a strong resemblance to the green olive *something I have yet to learn to appreciate after many trials....which included the dirty martini of course....heh....but after having seen them in 2 consecutive visits to Haymarket, my reservation was overrun by my curiosity. I observed and picked the worker whom appeared to be most approachable....from my shopping experience at Haymarket, sometimes that's a necessity for a successful inquiry =P


And indeed, it was a success! I was granted a brief description and a public demonstration on how to savour this treat. With the free demo, he earned his business....half pound of it....and without hesitation, I withdrew a single emerald gem from my bag. The feeling of its skin on mine was oddly familiar. It was very much like a Longan....a fruit from Southeast Asia....only softer and more waxy. My instinct was to peel the mamoncillo like a longan (Southeast Asians out there should know what I mean), and the creamy orange plump flesh slipped out without an effort. I popped it into my mouth and attempted to take a bite....it didn't take long for me to realise that I was supposed to suck the pulp that encased the stone of the fruit. Don't let the fullness of the flesh fool you....the stone itself practically occupied ~95% of the volume within its shell, and the slippery pulp was a challenge for my tongue to undress....but I was not easy discourage, as it was simply delicious! The tangy, juicy membrane was refreshing, followed by the intense sweetness with floral accent, and unlike other fruits, it had a long finishing. Although this fruit is genetically related to the lychee, it took me a while before I can brainstorm a food that masks the textual experience....it was yet another fruit from Asia, 黄皮, or the Clausena lansium.


Enough said, I will leave you with an interesting fact. According to Caribbean folk wisdom (especially in Jamaica), girls learn the art of kissing by eating the sweet flesh of this fruit, also it is said that if a girl finds two seeds then they'll have twins!

An affair with Chanterelles....

I often head to the farmer's market at Copley Square here in Boston, and with a rare find of chanterelles, what is more delightful than experiment with it, and share your fruit of labour with your friends....or should I put it, having your dear friends to be your guinea pigs for your experimental treats....teehee....


I was never a great fan of traditional couscous....the crumbly texture like sable, and the miniscule granules are a challenge for my palate. Couscous or kuskus is a pasta from the Maghreb of Berber origin. It consists of spherical granules made by rolling and shaping moistened semolina wheat and then coating them with finely ground wheat flour. The finished grains are about 1 mm in diameter before cooking. Traditional couscous requires considerable preparation time and is usually steamed. In many places, a more processed quick-cook couscous is available and is particularly valued for its short preparation time.



Roaming around Boston, I have found a few Middle-Eastern markets hidden within Haymarket. It was not difficult to loiter within one of them, the experience was an eye opener....the display of numerous cuts of meats, the delectable collection fruit spreads *figs....hmmm...., and isle after isle of various grains. Out of fields and fields of yellow cousin, I came across this couscous....white like pearls, and in the size of white peppercorns....it was my first introduction to the Israeli Couscous. With my curiosity in food and ingredients, it was not possible for me not to trade for a bag with my pocket change.

Israeli Couscous, also known as maftoul or pearl couscous, is made of hard wheat instead of semolina in traditional couscous, which gives it the white pearlish colour. Israeli couscous is a version of North African Berkukes, introduced by immigrants from various parts of North Africa in the early 1950s, and Levantine Maghrebiyya (from the Maghreb) common in Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Israeli couscous was meant to provide a rice substitute for those immigrants from eastern Arab countries and from Persia, where rice was the staple grain. Unlike North African couscous, it is not semolina at all, but rather a toasted mixture of bulgur and flour.

In order to take in the natural flavour and texture of the couscous, I lightly toasted the Israeli couscous in a saucier with a little bit of olive oil, then boiled it with water and a generous pinch of NaCl. The delicate scent and flavour of wheat, and the al dente texture, make Israeli couscous an excellent palette for pairing with other ingredients. The couscous came out just slightly on the sticky side, due to the leaching of starch from the grain in the process of cooking, maybe a little herb infused oil would loosen it up, as well as a vehicle for adding flavour.

And with a handful of chanterelles ready, I couldn't wait to test out ideas within my imaginations....still working on putting the recipe in writing, so stay tune....

A little taste of Hokkaido - Nouvelle Pâtisserie Japonaise Kitakaro 北菓楼

Nouvelle Pâtisserie Japonaise Kitakaro 北菓楼

One of the notable pâtisseries from my southern Hokkaido trip....and being situated in Otaru 小樽, the history and hospitality of the location only made Kitakaro that much more memorable. This gem hides within a gray stone complex, and if it wasn't for the honey floral aroma that disbursed from within, I would have mistaken it for a historical Japanese bathhouse, grand but eccentric....


As I walk inside the tunnel that spanned the broad walls, the welcoming lights emerged into sight, followed by elegant displays of their signature sweets. The aroma intensified....unique combination of fragrance from honey, eggs and flour could only be the results of on-premise baking! With a few broken Japanese phrases, and a little squeezing through the immense crowd waiting to exchange their gold for the delectable, I have arrived to the kitchen for the demonstration of their most priced item - Baumkuchen 妖精の森, which translates to "The Fairy Forest"....the tree-ring pattern of the cake represents the forest, whereas the golden sheen on the cake, the inviting aroma, and the exquisite flavour of this signature piece could certainly live up to the enchanted beauty of fairies.

With just one tasting, I was sold....the delicate flavour of maple and honey balanced well with the sweetness and buttery richness of the cake. It was moist yet light in texture....delightful with a cup of Earl Grey and lemon *will speak more about my devotion to Earl Grey as an ingredient later....

The Japanese are known to have intricate inspirations for their machinery designs....and they have done it again....a special oven just to achieve the perfection of 妖精の森....words alone wouldn't do justice here....heh....please check out the video featuring the making~!