Category: lunch

Oyster Mushroom Salad

16 May 2024

A few weeks ago, we posted a recipe for a salad with fried and marinated white button mushrooms. A rich, velvety salad with some acidity and lots of umami. This mushroom salad combines raw oyster mushrooms with radishes, sesame oil, mirin and cilantro. It’s both colourful and flavourful!
In general eating raw mushrooms is not a good idea. Some mushrooms contain mycotoxin that could be carcinogenic to humans. If you want to be 100% sure, it’s best to cook your mushrooms (and forget about this delicious salad!).
The variety we used is the Golden Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus Citrinopileatus) and its colour makes the salad even more vibrant. This mushroom is native to China, Japan and Russia. The ones we bought are cultivated. Compared to the more common grey oyster mushroom the caps are smaller in size and their taste is sweeter.
Another colourful oyster mushroom is pink (Pleurotus Djamor). Its taste is somewhat bitter. Perhaps not the best choice for a salad. If cooked well, it is supposed to taste like bacon, but by then it has lost all its colour.
Cultivated oyster mushrooms can be eaten raw. If you’re not sure, ask your greengrocer.

Wine Pairing

The salad comes with a range of flavours and obviously some acidity, which is important when choosing your wine. Perhaps a white wine with even more acidity? Or a wine that adds flavours or aromas to the dish? We decided to drink a glass of Vinho Verde with our salad, produced by Adega De Monção. This Portuguese white wine is made from Alvarinho and Trajadura grapes. Some citrus, slightly tropical, with notes of apples and pear. Tasty, elegant and refreshing. In general, you’re looking for a refreshing, easy to drink wine that has some acidity and flavours that make you think of apple, apricot or peach.

What You Need
  • 100 grams Golden Oyster Mushrooms
  • (Coloured) Radishes
  • For the Dressing
    • Excellent Olive Oil
    • Rice Vinegar
    • Mirin
    • Light Soy Sauce (we used Tsuyu)
    • Sesame Oil
  • Cilantro
What You Do

Wash the radishes and slice vertically in eight or six, depending on the size. Make the dressing. Add the sesame oil as the last ingredient because it’s very present. Combine the radishes with the dressing and the thinly sliced cilantro. Leave for a few minutes. Combine with the golden oyster mushrooms and serve immediately.

Golden Oyster Mushrooms ©cadwu
Coloured Radishes ©cadwu
Golden Oyster Mushrooms
Oyster Mushroom Salad ©cadwu

Charlotte Aux Asperges

9 May 2024

May is our peak season for white asparagus: great quality and reasonable prices. Which is very helpful because for this relatively small Charlotte you need lots of very tasty asparagus. Our Charlotte has a 16-centimetre diameter, and it requires 18 asparagus. The Charlotte has four components: the bottom made from potatoes and seasoned with nutmeg, the filling made from an asparagus mousse with ham, the side, made from halved asparagus tips and the decoration. The combination of fried potatoes, asparagus (soft in the mousse and with a gentle crunch in the tips) and egg is delicious. 

Wine Pairing

We enjoyed a glass of Pinot Blanc from the German Mosel region made by Dr. Loosen. The wine is dry and fresh with some acidity and minerality. Notes of pear, apple and citrus. It worked very well with the Charlotte. In general you’re looking for a subtle white wine, given the delicate flavors of the Charlotte.

What You Need
  • For the Filling
    • 50 grams Cream
    • 50 grams Ham
    • 13 grams of Gelatine
    • 18 asparagus
  • For the Bottom
    • 1 large Potato
    • Nutmeg
    • Butter
    • Salt
  • For the Decoration
    • Two eggs
    • Parsley
    • Black Pepper
What You Do
  1. The recipe is for a springform with a diameter of 16 cm
  2. The bottom of the Charlotte is a Paillasson de Pomme de Terre. See our post about Alain Passard
  3. Peel and grate the potato
  4. Add salt and nutmeg
  5. Bake in a heavy iron skillet with lots of butter for 15+10 minutes until golden
  6. From time to time you may need to add extra butter. Do this by slipping small dots of butter down the sides of the pan
  7. In parallel peel the asparagus and cut of the tips
  8. Steam the tips for 10 minutes
  9. Steam the eggs for 12 minutes
  10. Allow the tips to cool
  11. Peel the eggs and set aside
  12. Quarter the remainder of the asparagus and cook in water for at least 20 minutes or until very well done
  13. Blender the asparagus chunks with some of the cooking liquid until very smooth. You will need approximately 400 grams of this mixture
  14. Use the back of a spoon to pass the asparagus mixture through a sieve
  15. Transfer the potato to the bottom of the springform
  16. Coat the side of the form with neutral oil
  17. Halve the tips and add these to the form, with the cut to the outside. See picture
  18. Follow the instructions of the gelatine
  19. Whip the cream until thick
  20. Finely chop the ham
  21. Heat some of the asparagus liquid, when warm, add the gelatine
  22. Now it’s time to combine cream, ham and asparagus mixture
  23. Cool the mixture and add gently to the springform
  24. Allow to cool for at least 2 hours
  25. Just before serving make mimosa of egg with parsley and black pepper.
Slice of Charlotte aux Asperges ©cadwu
Charlotte aux Asperges ©cadwu
Bottom and Side of Charlotte aux Asperges ©cadwu

Mushroom Salad

2 May 2024

White Button Mushrooms and Cremini can be eaten raw, but we think they are tastier when fried or marinated, which is exactly what we do for this salad. A tasty accompaniment that will bring umami and depth to your dish. We combined the salad with carrots prepared in butter, lemon and lamb chops. The meat was fried in olive oil and seasoned with chopped thyme and black pepper. A delicious and light combination.

Wine Pairing

The salad comes with some acidity, but not too much. The main aspects in the dish are the sweetness and the velvety coating of the carrots, the aromatic lemon and thyme, the deepness of the salad and the richness of the lamb. We decided to open a bottle of Macon, a red wine from East-Central France. The region is well known for its white wines, Pouilly-Fuissé for instance. Most white wines in this region are made from Chardonnay grapes. This red wine is made from Gamay grapes. The wine has a beautiful ruby red colour, and it comes with aromas of black cherries and strawberries. A balanced wine with a touch of spiciness and nice tannins. Not too difficult and great with the various aspects of the dish. In general, we would suggest a red wine with fruit, freshness and character but not too complex. 

What You Need
  • 250 grams of Button Mushrooms or Cremini
  • Olive Oil
  • White Wine Vinegar
  • Parsley
  • Garlic Clove
  • Black Pepper
What You Do
  1. Clean the mushrooms with kitchen paper
  2. Slice the mushrooms, heat a heavy iron skillet and fry the mushrooms for a few minutes
  3. Leave to cool
  4. Combine excellent olive oil and white wine vinegar
  5. Chop some parsley
  6. Finely chop a garlic clove
  7. Combine the mushrooms, the dressing, the parsley and the garlic
  8. Add some black pepper
  9. Leave in your refrigerator for 24 hours. Feel free to stir a few times.
Mushroom Salad ©cadwu
Mushroom Salad ©cadwu

Asparagus!

11 April 2024

End of March, Mid April, depending on the weather, hurray!, it’s the beginning of the white asparagus season in the Netherlands (and many other countries). We simple love them!

One of the classic ways of serving white asparagus is with melted butter, boiled eggs, ham and parsley. Enjoying them this way, allows you to taste the slight bitterness and sweetness of the asparagus. The butter and egg bring a velvety feeling to your pallet, and the parsley and white pepper give a touch of sharpness to the dish. In this case we prefer a dry Muscat from the Alsace. A delicate, slightly sweet but dry taste, the smell of fresh fruit.

Combining white asparagus with scrambled eggs makes a lot of sense, especially if you add just a handful of shrimps. The salty, intense taste in balance with the very rich eggs and the asparagus is a very clever idea. The chives in the scrambled eggs lift the dish to a higher level. Enjoy with a Pinot Blanc from the Alsace.

Sauce Gribiche is made with capers, cornichons, and chives. The freshness works very well with the taste of the asparagus. A dish that requires a bit of work, but the result is delicious. Enjoy with a glass of Macon. The wine, made with 100% chardonnay grapes should bring gentle acidity, fruitiness and a floral aroma.

Another exciting combination was created by Johnny Acton and Nick Sandler and is included in their classic book Mushrooms (published by Kyle Books and still available via for instance Amazon and other channels). It’s about three seasonal products: asparagus, morels and wild garlic. To be enjoyed with a full-bodied white wine with a fine acidity.

White Asparagus with Summer Truffle
White Asparagus with Scrambled Eggs and Shrimps © cadwu
White Asparagus with Morels and Ramson © cadwu
grilled asparagus ©cadwu
Classic white Asparagus ©cadwu
Asparagus Soup (Blended) ©cadwu
Salad of White Asparagus and Chervil © cadwu
White Asparagus with Kimizu ©cadwu
White Asparagus with Ham, Egg, Potatoes and Parsley ©cadwu
Asparagus a la Flamande ©cadwu
White Asparagus, Chives, Shrimps and Eggs © cadwu

Wild Garlic

21 March 2024

From February to June, you can find Wild Garlic (Ramson(s) Daslook, Bear Leek, Ail des Ours, Bärlauch). It’s a shade-loving plant with beautiful white flowers that you can forage for in the woods or grow in your garden or on your balcony. If you decide to pick wild garlic, be careful not to pick its lookalike: the poisonous Lily of the Valley. Check if it’s wild garlic by grinding your fingers on the leaf. If you smell garlic and onion, you should be fine. If in doubt, don’t use it.
Wild garlic is much loved in Germany, Austria, France and other parts of Europe. The leaves and the flowers are edible (and so are the bulbs, but we haven’t tried these yet). Some sources mention that you should only eat the leaves before the plant starts flowering. But then you can’t combine the leaves and the tasty flowers in your dish, so we suggest ignoring that idea. The flowers are a touch sweet because of the honey. We suggest tasting the leaves and the flowers well before using. Adjust the quantities accordingly.
The taste is a bit like a combination of onion and garlic, but much greener, longer lasting and with a touch of bitterness at the end.  Works very well as a pesto, but equally nice with potatoes or gnocchi. You can also add the leaves and the flowers to a salad, but we feel the taste benefits from some warmth. Be very careful when cooking wild garlic because the flavour deteriorates quickly and at its best becomes unpleasant and onion-like. However, it’s possible to prepare a very tasty wild garlic soup.

We use wild garlic in four dishes. One is Farfalle with a wild garlic-based pesto, the second is a soup and the third is with white asparagus with morels and is published in the excellent book Mushrooms by Johnny Acton and Nick Sandler.

The cheese we use on our potato-wild-garlic-mash is Vacherin Fribourgeois. It originates from the region around the Swiss city Fribourg. It’s a semi-hard, creamy cheese made with raw cow milk. It matures for some 10 weeks in a damp cellar. Its taste is aromatic, floral, full-bodied and lasting, with a touch of sweetness, bitterness and umami. Ideal to combine with gnocchi or an omelette. Unfortunately, it’s not a widely available cheese. We bought it at one of our favourite cheese shops. You could replace it with Gruyère or perhaps Emmenthaler.

We combined out potato-wild-garlic-mash with a nice steak, but you could also serve it with an excellent organic sausage, perhaps one with sage?

Wine Pairing

The combination of the rich and flavourful mash and the red meat suggests a red wine with sufficient acidity, structure and tannins. We decided to enjoy a glass of Le Jardin de Queyron Pindefleurs 2018, Saint-Emilion, made from 78% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It’s an elegant wine with aromas of dark fruit, liquorice and toast. The wine was a perfect balance with the various flavours in the dish.

What You Need
  • Floury (Starchy) Potatoes
  • Milk or Cream
  • Butter
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Cheese
  • Wild Garlic
What You Do
  1. Bring a pan of water with a pinch of salt to the boil
  2. Add the potatoes and cook until tender
  3. Transfer to a colander and drain
  4. Return to the pan (on low heat) and allow to dry
  5. Mash the potatoes using a fork or a potato masher
  6. Add hot milk, or cream and (melted) butter
  7. A few minutes before you serve the mash, coarsely chop the leaves and grate the cheese
  8. Quickly add the cheese, mix, taste, adjust, perhaps some more, perhaps some black pepper and then add the chopped leaves
  9. A few seconds later the mash is ready
PS

Watch this video (in English) about a communal garden in a park in Amsterdam, featuring Lynn and her beloved daslook.

Wild Garlic and Potato Mash ©cadwu
Fresh Wild Garlic ©cadwu

Small Artichokes (Carciofo Violetto)

14 March 2024

The season of artichokes depends on the variety and where you are based. In Italy it’s from mid-winter until early spring, in other countries from March to June, or September and October.
An artichoke should feel heavy, look fresh and the leaves should be closed. If the leaves are wide open, the artichoke is older and it could be dry with lots of choke (the hairs) and dry inner leaves.
The artichokes we use in this recipe are special. Not only are they vibrant purple, they are also small with hardly any choke. In Italy they are called Carciofo Violetto. Tasty as you would expect from an artichoke and easy to eat because the texture of the leaves is not stringy.

Wine Pairing

It’s not straightforward to pair artichokes with wine. According to various researchers this is due to cynarin, a chemical especially found in the leaves of the artichoke. When the wine and the cynarin meet in your mouth, the natural sweetness of the wine is enhanced, making it taste too sweet. Pair artichokes with a bone-dry, crisp, unoaked white wine with clear, present acidity. For instance, Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner or Albariño.
The Carciofo Violetto artichoke in combination with the olive oil, Parmesan cheese and browned garlic (bitter, nutty) is less demanding when it comes to wine. We enjoyed it with a nice glass of Côtes de Provence rosé.

What You Need
  • Small purple Artichokes
  • Olive Oil
  • 2 Cloves of Garlic
  • Parmesan Cheese
What You Do
  1. Preheat your oven to 180 °C or 355 °F
  2. Cook the artichokes for 5 minutes in boiling water.
  3. Allow to cool and remove the outer leaves. Be generous, it’s better to remove too many!
  4. Halve the artichokes and place them in a shallow oven dish
  5. Drizzle with olive oil
  6. Transfer to the oven for 5 minutes
  7. In the meantime, grate Parmesan cheese, chop the garlic and mix
  8. Spread the mixture on top of the artichokes
  9. Wait for the cheese and the garlic to colour, perhaps 5 minutes
  10. Serve immediately.
PS

Other recipes with artichokes you may like:

Small Artichokes (Carciofo Violetto) ©cadwu
Small Artichokes (Carciofo Violetto) with Parmesan and Garlic ©cadwu

Flammkuchen

15 February 2024

We continue our series of very simple, tasty dishes by preparing Flammkuchen (Tarte Flambée in France, Feuerfleck in Austria). The dish originates from the Alsace. The first part of the name refers to fire and flames. The story is that bakers baked bread in wood fired ovens. The oven would initially become too hot, and the bakers had to wait for the oven to cool and reach the right temperature. The Flammkuchen would be the indicator. If it was ready within two minutes or so, then the temperature was right. If it would burn, the oven was too hot, but nothing was wasted. 

The dough of Flammkuchen is extremely simple, but also a bit puzzling. In all cases it’s flour, salt, olive oil and water. Some suggest adding egg yolks, others yeast. Adding yeast makes it into a bread dough. Doesn’t it seem obvious that the bakers would use the already prepared dough? Adding egg yolks seems odd too us. Why make a more expensive dough for a product that was to be used as an indicator only?

Back to yeast or no yeast. Which brings us to the question: isn’t Flammkuchen a kind of pizza? They do look very similar, and both are baked in a hot oven, but there are differences. Traditionally Flammkuchen are covered with crème fraîche, lardons and thinly sliced onions. The Flammkuchen should be very thin and very crispy. We think the bakers didn’t use their bread dough but made a quick, simple dough with the sole aim to test the temperature of the oven. Perhaps only water and flour?

Another difference is that Flammkuchen were not on the menu of restaurants until the 1960’s. Probably you would buy them at the local bakery or make them at home. Thanks to the global popularity of pizza, Flammkuchen have gained some visibility.

Drink Pairing

Flammkuchen are tasty, crispy, flavourful and not complex. Enjoy with a glass of white wine, with a beer, or your favourite drink.

What You Need
  • For the Dough
    • 250 grams of Flour
    • 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
    • 125 ml Water
    • Pinch of Salt
  • Crème Fraîche
  • Black Pepper
  • Mushrooms (we used Trompettes de la Mort)
  • Red Onion
What You Do
  1. Pass the flour through a sieve
  2. Add a pinch of salt and mix
  3. Add water and olive oil and quickly turn the mixture into a dough using your hands
  4. Don’t kneed too long
  5. Leave on room temperature for an hour
  6. Pre-heat your oven to 220 °C or 430 °F
  7. Roll out until very thin, 2 millimetre is perfect.
  8. Add black pepper to the crème fraîche and mix
  9. Place the dough on baking or parchment paper in a baking tray, cover with a layer of crème fraîche, add mushrooms and sliced onion
  10. Bake for 10-12 minutes or so and serve immediately.

Baking Flammkuchen on a higher temperature is preferred, but then you can’t use baking or parchment paper. Best is to use a pizza stone. The baking time will be 3 to 5 minutes on 300 °C or 570 °F.

Flammkuchen ©cadwu
Flammkuchen ©cadwu

The Art of Sauces: Ravigote

28 December 2023

A classic, French sauce, traditionally served with Tête de Veau, but in general great with cold meat and cold, poached fish. A very simple, easy to make sauce with just the right acidity to brighten up your cold starter. The warm version is made with a broth, the cold one with oil, vinegar and mustard, as you would prepare a vinaigrette.
No eggs?
Indeed, no eggs. If you look at the list of ingredients, you could think of Remoulade or Tartare Sauce (both mayonnaise based) or Gribiche (made with hard boiled eggs). Ravigote is different, it’s light and uplifting. Just give it a try next time you serve cold meat or fish as a starter. Forget about the mayonnaise and enjoy this delicious, flavourful sauce.
We served our Ravigote with Pâté de Tête Persillé and crusted bread.

Wine Pairing

We enjoyed a glass of white Pontificis, made with Viognier and Chardonnay grapes by Badet- Clément. This is an oaked dry wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region in France. It is elegant, with some oak, clear acidity and some bitterness. Creamy, with some vanilla, butter and perhaps tropical fruit. In general you’re looking for a white wine with clear acidity, oak and balance.

What You Need

  • Coarse Mustard (Moutarde à l’Ancienne) 
  • White Wine Vinegar
  • Oil (Sunflower, Avocado)
  • 3 Cornichons
  • 8 Capers
  • 1 Shallot
  • Parsley
  • Tarragon
  • Chervil
  • Black Pepper

What You Do

  1. Finely chop the shallot, slice the cornichons, halve the capers
  2. Chop the herbs
  3. Combine a spoonful of mustard with the same amount of vinegar
  4. Slowly add the oil until you have the right consistency and flavour
  5. Add more vinegar to get the right acidity
  6. Happy? Add shallot, cornichons and capers
  7. Mix
  8. Add a generous amount of parsley, tarragon and chervil
  9. Finish the sauce with black pepper.

PS

The amount of tarragon depends on the type of tarragon and your personal preference. There are actually three types: French tarragon (intense and aromatic, the one to use in the kitchen), Russian tarragon (limited flavour, no complexity) and Mexican (a touch of anise, but not even close to French tarragon). 

Sauce Ravigote ©cadwu

Pork with Enoki

21 December 2023

It’s nearly the end of the mushroom season in Europe. It’s hard to find chanterelle (girolle), and nearly impossible to buy fresh cèpes. The black winter truffle (Tuber melanosporum) is an exception. It’s available until March, but the price may be prohibitive. Better to focus on cultivated mushrooms, such as enoki, available at your local Asian supermarket. A delicious mushroom with a pleasant texture and aroma. Its flavour is mild, a bit sweet and fruity. You can use it raw in a salad, in a soup or combine it with soba noodles. A few weeks ago, we wrote about an omelette with enoki and a light soy sauce. The result is a lovely sweet, rich and intriguing dish.
Combining enoki with pork is also a great idea. Feel free to adjust the recipe and make the sauce spicier or sweeter or thicker. The result will be tasty given all three elements in the dish bring some kind of sweetness.

Wine Pairing

You could emphasize the Asian influence by serving a glass of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chenin Blanc or perhaps Soave. In general you’re looking for a light or medium bodied, unoaked, dry white wine with nice acidity. Benefits are minerality and florality. A glass of Côtes de Provence rosé will also be a good choice.
If you want to focus on the flavours of the pork, we suggest a glass of Beaujolais or a glass of wine made with Grenache (France) or Garnacha (Spain) grapes.

What You Need

  • Organic Pork Tenderloin
  • 100 grams of (Golden) Enoki
  • Soy Sauce
  • Light Soy Sauce (we used Tentsuyu)
  • Stock
  • Oyster Sauce
  • Black Bean Sauce (optional)
  • Red Chili Paste (optional)
  • Olive Oil

What You Do

Fry the pork in olive oil until pink. Turn on a regular basis. Remove the stem (bottom) of the enoki. Fry in olive oil for maximum one minute. Add some (vegetable stock), soy sauce, oyster sauce, black bean sauce and red chili paste and create a not overly sweet, intense sauce. We like some spiciness, hence the chili paste. Serve the meat on top of the enoki mixture.

Enoki with Eggs and Soy Sauce

1 December 2023

Enoki is one of the most popular mushrooms. It’s been cultivated for many years (or better: centuries) and it is available in Asian supermarkets as enokitake. The cultivated enoki grows in the dark, hence it being white, and needle shaped with a small cap. Wild enoki benefits from the exposure to light and becomes brown and its shape is more mushroom-like. The golden enoki we use is also cultivated. 

Enoki has a pleasant texture and aroma. Its flavour is mild, a bit sweet and fruity. You can use it raw in a salad, in a soup or combine it with soba noodles. Combining it with pork is also a great idea. We decided to prepare an omelette with a light soy sauce. The result is a lovely sweet, rich and intriguing omelette.
We’re not sure if it’s an appetizer in its own right or that is should be served alongside other dishes. Suggestions welcome!

Wine Pairing

We enjoyed our golden enoki with a very special wine: Sint Catharinadal Norbertus 2022. The wine is made in the Netherlands by the sisters of the Norbetine convent, founded in 1271. For centuries the sisters used the grounds for cattle and corn. Since 2017 they also produce wine, with the help of many volunteers and experts. Their motto is I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  Amongst the grapes are Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Auxerrois and Gamay. We would suggest opening a bottle of their white wine. It has subtle aromas (apple, pear, melon), some acidity and its taste is very pleasant (fruit, touch of almonds).
More information (in Dutch only) on their website. The wine can be bought via Les Généreux.

What You Need

  • 100 grams of (Golden) Enoki
  • 2 Eggs
  • Light Soy Sauce (we used Tsuyu)
  • 3 cloves of Garlic
  • ½ red Chilli Pepper
  • 2 Spring Onions (Scallions)
  • Olive Oil

What You Do

Remove the stem (bottom) of the enoki. Blanch the mushrooms for 60 seconds in very hot water. Remove and pat dry using kitchen paper. Start making a sauce with soy sauce, garlic, pepper and spring onions. Reduce. Fry the mushrooms in oil, just to remove excess water. Reduce temperature. Beat the eggs and add the mixture to the pan. Allow to become a moist omelette on very low heat. Remember not to fry it! The egg should set and become baveuse. Transfer the omelette to a plate, use a spoon to cover the omelette with the liquid and decorate with a mixture of garlic, spring onion and chilli pepper.

Enoki with Eggs and Soy Sauce ©cadwu
Golden Enoki ©cadwu