Showing posts with label Grain. Show all posts

Whole Hominy: trendy??

in , on Wednesday, July 11, 2012


In the past few weeks, I've found hominy on my plate at two local restaurants. Hominy you ask? Yes, but not the way you'd expect.
The first was at Michael's Genuine in Miami. (Michael was just awarded the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef of the Year, South. If you're ever down this way, don't miss his amazing food.) A group of us went for lunch and on the appetizer menu was a dish called "Crispy Hominy with Chile and Lime". Intriguing. Well, we were a table of southerners, so we ordered it along with some others goodies to share. When the dish arrived, we expected some form of grits, probably panfried patties. But no, this starter arrived in a small bowl and was whole hominy, deep dried. You just popped them in your mouth like popcorn. Deelish. Completely addicting!

Less than a week later, my son and I went to Cut 432 in Delray Beach, one of his favorite places to eat. I ordered salmon and it arrived served over....you guessed it....whole hominy!  It had been browned with something like scallions and perhaps finely chopped celery and red pepper. Simple, unusual and quite tasty. I am so accustomed to hominy in grits form, or as posole in Southwest-flavored soups that I was completely surprised by these two dishes using whole hominy, one as an appetizer (for which I have since found a Mark Bittman recipe and will attempt soon) and then as a side dish. Have you had it served to you anyplace? What do you think...a new fad?  

Hominy is hulled corn kernels that have been stripped of their bran and germ. It's served both whole or ground. And even ground, there are degrees of texture. Finely ground, it can be used to make tamale and tortilla dough. And slightly less finely ground, you have grits, that lovely old southern dish that most northerners don't understand. Everyone in the south has a great family recipe for grits...my personal favorite being cheese grits.


Coarsely ground hominy was called samp. Samp is of Native American origin, coming from the Narragansett word "nasàump." New Englanders since early colonial times have referred to cornmeal mush or cereal as "samp." Like hominy, samp is prepared from dehulled kernels of maize, but the two are produced by different processes. If the word "samp" dropped out of modern English, "hominy" hung in there,  eventually joined with the word "grits" in the American South.

In the Southwest, big (or whole) hominy is called posole (or pozole) and is used to make hearty stews of hominy, chile peppers, and pork. (Heidi at 101 Cookbooks has a lovely recipe made with posole.)  And it was "big hominy" that I was served in both restaurants.
Of course it comes canned, but don't go that route, please. Hominy seems to be gaining in popularity primarily due to the intensity of the flavor that is not available from canned hominy. So start with the dried.


I discovered you treat whole hominy like dried beans: soak them overnight and simmer with a chopped onion for about about 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until it is puffed and tender, but not broken down. You will have to keep checking on the water content throughout this process as more water may need to be added. Plan on 1/3 cup uncooked hominy for each serving. After the initial soaking and cooking, the kernels should be drained well, then cooled. They can also be refrigerated until ready for use.
And how should you use them? Aside from Heidi's recipe above, try making a hominy stir fry flavored with sesame oil and fresh crisp vegetables; or fry hominy in brown butter and herbs as a side dish; or how about The Pioneer Woman's Hominy Casserole? And here's a change of pace: hominy and coconut pudding.  

And lastly, here's what I came up with:

Grilled Salmon over Fried Hominy

 
 
Ingredients:
1 cup white corn hominy
1/2 onion
water
4 scallions, sliced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
Olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter

Notes:
*The hominy would be heavenly fried with some bacon too. (Naughty me!)
*Because this post is all about hominy, there's no recipe for the salmon here; use your favorite fish and your favorite way to prepare it.

Method:
Bring a pot of water to boil, add some salt, the 1/2 onion and the hominy. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. I found two hours was too long; the hominy starts to break down. Take a piece to test; it should be similar to the texture of a lima bean. Drain and remove the onion. You can cool at this point and refrigerate.
Add some olive oil and a little butter to a frying pan. Add the hominy, the green onions, the garlic and red pepper. Lower the heat and fry until everything is golden brown. Serve under fish or meat.
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Farro, Two Ways

in , on Saturday, May 12, 2012

Once upon a time there was a grain called emmer wheat. It was the original grain from which all other grains derive. It was the primary wheat grown in Asia, Africa and Europe through the first 5000 years of recorded agriculture, feeding the Mediterranean and Near Eastern populations for thousands of years. It was the standard ration of the Roman Legions and, ground up, it was also the primary ingredient in polenta which was eaten for centuries by the Roman poor.

However, farro (the Italian name for emmer wheat) was a low-yield crop and by the beginning of the 20th century, higher-yielding wheat strains had replaced farro almost everywhere, except in parts of Europe and Ethiopia. My tale might have ended here except- isn’t this a familiar refrain?- some savvy French farmers began to supply it to elegant restaurants and those chefs began to use the grain in soups and other hearty dishes. Their success sparked renewed interest in farro and now the grain is enjoying a resurgence in popularity especially among trendy health-conscious cooks.

Farro is a barley shaped grain and has a chewy texture and nutty flavor. You can usually find it at Whole Foods or other health food suppliers and, surprisingly, at Amazon. I buy mine at Blue Bird Grain Farms.


If you've never tried farro before (or haven't even heard of it), this familiar salad is an excellent way to be introduced. Understandably, farro is very popular in Italy which certainly explains the origins of this particular recipe. You might be thinking: boiled grains? But the olive oil and creamy mozzarella make it rich and the tomatoes provide a fresh and juicy contrast. Besides, the very texture of farro lends itself well to salads; it travels well to picnics and it can be mixed with many ingredients to create a lot of flavor options. In this recipe, I simply combined cooked (and slightly warm so the mozzarella softened) farro with sweet cherry tomatoes, chunks of fresh mozzarella, chopped fresh basil and dressed it lightly with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. It is a perfect lunch: delicious, hearty and healthy.

Caprese Farro Salad
(Adapted from Blue Bird Grain Farm's recipe)

Ingredients:
1 cup farro
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped shallot
2 medium tomatoes (or halve several cherry type tomatoes)
2 tablespoons slivered fresh basil
4 ounces fresh mozzarella
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:
Place the farro, water and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for 35 to 45 minutes. (Do not overcook, you want the farro to be tender, but chewy.) Drain excess water. This should make 2 cups cooked farro.

Place the warm cooked farro in a large mixing bowl and add the olive oil and balsamic, stir to mix well. Add chopped shallot, basil, salt and pepper and stir to combine all ingredients. Top with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Flavors are best when served warm or at room temperature



Simply because I became intrigued with farro and continued to search, I found this next scrumptious recipe in a cookbook called Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way by Lorna Sass. Served with a piece of grilled salmon it was a fabulous dinner. Fish seems to go beautifully with this hearty farro/mushroom dish, but I can see steak here as well.


Surprise your friends and family; they will be really impressed at this creative alternative for rice or potatoes- I can't begin to tell you how delicious it is- good for you too.

Farro with Mushrooms
(Adapted from Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way by Lorna Sass)

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup diced shallots
24 ounces Crimini mushrooms (Baby Bella), stems cut in half lengthwise and caps sliced in 1/2 inch slices
pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup basalmic vinegar mixed with 1 tablespoon Marsala wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3 cups cooked farro (see above salad recipe for directions)

Method:
In a large skillet, heat the oil and add the onion and garlic. Saute until they begin to soften, remove the garlic and then add the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute until mushrooms have released their liquid and are well browned.


Stir in the balsamic vinegar mixture and cook until liquid is mostly evaporated. Add cooked farro and heat for about 2-3 minutes, stirring gently. Add the fresh thyme, correct the seasoning and serve warm.
Serves 4-6.
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Millet and Lemon Chicken

in , on Tuesday, February 14, 2012


Dinner in under 30 minutes? Check. Inexpensive? Check. Delicious? Check. A healthy grain? Check. Family friendly? Absolutely. All you need is a green vegetable and dinner is on the table. You know that show called "5 Ingredient Fix?" This dish beats it. Four basic ingredients: chicken, lemons, crème fraiche and millet. 

This recipe for Lemon Chicken has already made the blog rounds,  so please be patient with me. It's the idea of serving it over millet that intrigued me; I've heard of millet, but never tried it. I'm sold. It's brilliant. And here you thought it was bird seed. Well, actually it IS bird seed...but you're going to love it anyway. Better than couscous, I promise. You may know all about it, but if you don't or want to learn more, check here.

As far as this recipe is concerned, Lemon Chicken served on TOP of millet is on my favorite dinner hit list right now. Thank you Amanda Hesser for the fabulously simple and elegant Lemon Chicken recipe. Thank you Luisa for suggesting millet, albeit for an entirely different chicken recipe, but still.... I just combined Amanda Hesser's Lemon Chicken with Luisa's millet idea and came up with this. There's a lovely gravy and I should have put more on the chicken before I took the photo. Oh well. If you're one of the four people who hasn't made this chicken yet :)...you should, or make it again and serve it over millet, my dears.

Bench notes: When cooking millet, keep a couple things in mind: The flavor of millet is enhanced by lightly roasting the grains in a dry pan before cooking; stir constantly for approximately three minutes or until a mild, nutty aroma is detected and then add your cooking liquid. I used chicken stock. The grain has a fluffier texture when less water is used and is very moist and dense when cooked with extra water. I liked the fluffy version.


Amanda Hesser's Lemon Chicken 



Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 whole chicken legs (thighs attached)
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup crème fraiche

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. After 3 minutes, add the butter and oil. Season the chicken generously with salt and very generously with pepper. Place the chicken, skin side down, in the skillet and brown well on both sides, turning once. 

Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a knife. (Yes, I know 15 minutes doesn't sound like enough time, but if you browned it well, it's perfect. At least mine was. Use your instant-read thermometer. It should read 165. Check for clear juices just in case though.)

Return the skillet to the stovetop. Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep warm. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet. Place over medium heat, add the lemon juice, and stir to scrape up any pan drippings. Simmer for 1 minute, then add the crème fraiche and stir until melted and bubbling. If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of water. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with lemon zest and additional pepper. Serve hot. 
Serves 4.


Spiced and Herbed Millet
From The New York Times, March 1, 2006

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2½ cups millet
½ teaspoon ground cumin (omit for this particular recipe)
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
Juice of half a lemon
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. 

Method:
Place olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add millet and stir until glossy. Add cumin and broth and stir.
Raise heat and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently just until millet has absorbed all the broth, about 25 minutes.
Remove from heat and add lemon juice, parsley and extra virgin olive oil. Work them into the millet using a fork, fluffing mixture. Transfer to a warmed bowl and serve.
6 servings.
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