Warm Sweetbread Salad With Haricots Verts Wild Mushrooms And Hazelnut Vinaigrette Recipe Courtesy Of The Dean And Deluca Cookbook

Steps:

• Soak the sweetbreads in a large bowl of cold water for 3 hours, changing the water several times. Then remove the sweetbreads from the water and gently pull away as much of the outer membrane as you can, being careful not to tear the flesh. Soak the sweetbreads again for 1 hour, this time in a large bowl of cold water with 1 teaspoon of coarse salt. Remove from the water and peel away more of the membrane. Separate the sweetbreads into its 2 lobes.
• Fill a medium saucepan with 5 cups cold water, 1 teaspoon coarse salt and the white wine vinegar. Place the sweetbreads in the pan and slowly bring the water to a simmer over moderate heat (this should take about 10 minutes). Allow the water to simmer very gently for another 5 minutes. (The sweetbreads should be firm on the outside, but still give a little when squeezed). Remove sweetbreads and place them in ice water for 10 minutes to stop the cooking.
• Dry sweetbreads and place in a heavy loaf pan or a terrine lined with plastic wrap. Cover with another layer of plastic wrap. Place another heavy loaf pan or terrine on top to weigh down the sweetbreads, and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
• When ready to cook, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and cook haricots verts until they are crisp but slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Remove and reserve at room temperature.
• In a small bowl combine the lemon juice with the balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the shallots. Slowly whisk in the hazelnut oil. Season to taste with salt and the additional black pepper. Reserve.
• Place 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add remaining shallots and saute, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, making sure the pan is not overcrowded. (It may be necessary to saute the mushrooms in 2 batches). Saute with a big pinch of salt, shaking the pan occasionally, until mushrooms are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove mushrooms from skillet and reserve. If there is liquid in the pan that the mushrooms have given off, boil it until it is reduced to 1 to 2 tablespoons and pour over the mushrooms.
• With a very sharp knife, cut the weighted sweetbreads into broad slices that are about 1/4 inch thick. Combine the flour, the remaining 2 teaspoons of coarse salt, and the 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper on a plate and mix well. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the skillet in which the mushrooms cooked, and place over high heat. Dredge sweetbread slices in the seasoned flour on both sides and add to hot oil. Saute, turning, until sweetbreads are browned and crispy on the outside, about 3 minutes. Remove.
• Toss reserved haricots verts and mushrooms together. Toss mixture with about half the hazelnut vinaigrette. Place one-fourth of the mixture on each of 4 plates. Nestle pieces of the crispy sweetbread slices among the haricots verts/ mushroom mixture, and drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the sweetbread slices. Garnish with chervil.
• Suggested drink: Domaine Laroche Chablis Premier Crus, Les Fourchaumes 1987.

Steps:

• The stems and caps of the mushrooms are used for different parts of the recipe, so separating them is the first step. Take a knife and cut the stems from the caps of all the different mushroom varieties, put the caps in one bowl, and the stems in another. Next we make a stock by placing all the mushroom stems into a pot, along with the bay leaves, white peppercorns, teaspoon of salt and water. Bring that to a heavy boil, and let reduce. All of this needs to reduce to 1/4 of a cup of finished stock, so patience is needed. After about 15 to 20 minutes on high heat, take the stock and pour through a fine strainer, if 1/4 cup of liquid is left, discard the pulp and save the liquid off to one side. Take the mushroom caps, and slice them. Add the sliced mushroom caps and saute in butter until tender. Then add in the shallots and garlic, and only saute for about another minute, or until the shallots and garlic are translucent. Pull the saute pan off the stove, and add the curry powder, fresh herbs, red bell peppers, oils, rice vinegar, pinch of salt and pepper, and mushroom stock. Pour this mixture into a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let sit in a warm place for 1 hour, to allow all the flavors and aromas of the stock to infuse into the mushrooms. Strain this salad, and serve the mushrooms on one plate, and save the stock as a dressing.

Steps:

• Place the onion in a small bowl. Cover with cold water and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry with clean kitchen towels; set aside.
• Prepare an ice water bath; set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt and the haricots verts. Cook until bright green, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to the ice water bath to stop cooking. Drain, shaking off excess liquid; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the haricots verts and toss to combine. Gently toss in tomatoes and onion slices. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with ricotta salata.

Steps:

• Place currants in a small dish, add red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon warm water, and set aside. Heat broiler. Place pine nuts in small baking dish, and toast under broiler until very lightly colored. Set aside.
• Cut bread into three or four large chunks. Closely trim off most of the crust and reserve, if desired, to toast and use for bread crumbs or to float in soup. Brush bread all over with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Briefly broil bread chunks, turning until crisp and golden on surface. Remove from oven, trim off any charred tips, and tear chunks into irregular pieces, from 2-inch wads to large crumbs. You should have 4 cups. Place in wide metal, glass or ceramic salad bowl.
• Whisk 1/4 cup olive oil with 1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of this dressing over bread and toss.
• Place one tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet. Add garlic and scallions, and cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until softened but not colored. Add to bread and fold in. Drain currants and fold in. Add pine nuts and fold in. Drizzle salad with stock or water, and fold in. Taste a couple of pieces of bread. Add a little more vinegar, salt and pepper if necessary. Toss well, and transfer to a 4-cup baking dish. Tent lightly with foil. Do not wash salad bowl. Set salad aside until about 30 minutes before serving time.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place bread salad in oven, turn off heat, and leave for 15 minutes. Return salad to bowl. Add greens, remaining vinaigrette, and enough of remaining olive oil so bread is not dry. Toss again. Serve with grilled or roasted meat.

Steps:

• Chop beet greens. Peel and cut beets into matchsticks. Saute greens with garlic and red pepper flakes. Remove from pan and saute beets until tender; squeeze half an orange over top. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and more orange juice.

Steps:

• Melt 1/4 cup butter in large pot over high heat. Add shallots and thyme; sauté until shallots begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Add all mushrooms; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until juices evaporate, about 10 minutes. Add Madeira; toss until evaporated, about 1 minute. Set aside.
• Cook haricots verts in medium pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Let stand until ready to use, up to 2 hours.
• Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to mushrooms in pot. Add haricots verts. Toss over medium-high heat until butter melts and vegetables are heated through, adding broth by tablespoonfuls if mixture is dry, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer vegetables to bowl and serve.

Steps:

• Combine vinegar, 2 tsp oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
• Cook beans in boiling water 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge beans into ice water. Drain.
• Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms to pan. Sauté 7 minutes or until liquid evaporates.
• Add onions, sauté 1 minute. Add beans, sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Add vinegar mixture and hazelnuts, toss to coat.