Christmas Archives - CIA Foodies

Lobster Ravioli with Corn Sauce

Mike — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 20:10:05 +0000

Makes 5 or 6 servings

Striping the pasta is really fun, but also takes some time. You may want to batch it out and save some of the dough for later. When you make this, you may want to prepare extra ravioli and freeze them. The sauce will also freeze well if you don’t add the heavy cream until reheating and serving. The sauce should taste like a buttered ear of corn.

Ingredients

Saffron Pasta Dough

1 lb “00” or all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk

Squid Ink Pasta Dough

8 oz “00” or all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon squid ink or squid ink powder

Lobster Filling

1 lobster
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 shallots, finely chopped
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg

Corn Sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, sliced
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 cups Vegetable Broth or Chicken Broth, warmed
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup heavy cream

Directions

To make the saffron pasta: Put the flour in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.
Warm the water and saffron threads in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds and let sit for 5 minutes until bright orange.Add the eggs, egg yolk, and saffron water to the flour all at once. Pulse the mixture in the processor until it forms a ball.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead it into a ball. Cover it with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before rolling.
To make the squid ink pasta: Place the flour in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the eggs and squid ink all at once. Pulse the mixture until it forms a ball.
Place the dough on a work surface and knead it into a ball. Cover it with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before rolling.
To make the lobster filling: Cook the lobster in a large pot of simmering water for 5 minutes. Let it cool and then remove the claw and knuckles and the tail. Crack the shells with a lobster cracker and remove the meat from the shell. (You could also buy a precooked lobster from your fishmonger.) After removing the meat from the shell, cut it into medium dice.
In a sauté pan, melt the butter, add the shallots, and cook slowly over low heat until translucent.Add the corn and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the diced lobster; season with salt and pepper. Cool the mixture.
In a bowl, fold the lobster-corn mixture into the ricotta. Mix in the egg and chill until ready to use.
Roll out the saffron pasta into a large rectangle with a thickness of approximately 1/8 inch. Roll out the squid ink pasta in the same manner.
Run the squid ink pasta through a fettuccine cutter so that you have long thin strips of pasta. The strips and the saffron sheet should be the same length. You may have to do this several times until you use up all of the pasta.
Brush the squid ink pasta with a little water and lay the strips on top of the saffron pasta approximately the same width apart as the strips are wide. You will now have evenly stripped pasta with raised black strips. Increase the number on the pasta roller to two settings thicker than you originally rolled out the pasta. Roll through so that the strips flatten out into the saffron base; this usually takes an additional two rolls.
Roll out the striped pasta to the desired thickness. Cut the dough in half so that you have two pieces of pasta that are equal in length. Place 1 tablespoon of filling at 2 1/2-inch intervals down one piece of pasta. Brush the exposed pasta lightly with water.
Place the second piece of pasta over the piece with the filling, making sure to line up the edges.
Press down gently around the mounds of filling to seal the pasta around the filling. Cut out the ravioli using a 2-inch cutter, making sure that the filling is in the center of the ravioli. Place the ravioli on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and reserve the ravioli, covered with plastic wrap, until needed.
To make the corn sauce: Melt the butter over moderate heat in a 2-quart saucepan, add the shallots, and cook slowly until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
Add the corn and cook slowly until it starts to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Skim off the foam that rises to the surface and continue to simmer until the corn is soft, about 5 minutes.
Place the corn mixture in a blender and blend until very smooth. Pass through a fine mesh sieve to remove the corn skins. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Reserve warm until needed.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the ravioli, and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and finish the sauce.
Lightly whip the cream to soft peaks. Whisk the whipped cream into the corn sauce, toss with the pasta, and serve immediately.

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Pecan Diamonds

Mike — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 17:30:21 +0000

The Iconic Pecan Diamond

Are they a cookie? A dessert? A bite-size pecan pie? Craig Claiborne of The New York Times called them the “sweet hallmark” of CIA, and they are. Pecan Diamonds have been a CIA tradition for nearly six decades.

They were offered to guests with coffee at the original CIA restaurant, the Escoffier Room, and over the years, have been given to friends as an offering of gratitude for their support.

The recipe for these decadent sweets was brought to CIA by Pastry Chef-Instructor George Metropolis ’51, who first tasted them while vacationing at the Americana Hotel in Miami. The hotel’s Pastry Chef Dominique D’Ermo, developed many pecan recipes utilizing the abundant surplus of pecans harvested in the southern states after World War II.

Chef Metropolis returned to New Haven, CT—CIA’s original home on the Yale campus—and refined the recipe for this perfect treat that became the signature of CIA hospitality.

Among many changes and expansions, most notably the move from New Haven to Hyde Park, NY, CIA has never stopped making pecan diamonds. The recipe is featured in our textbooks, baked by our students, and, in true CIA fashion, shared around the world by our alumni and friends.

Makes four dozen 2-inch or eight dozen 1-inch diamonds

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 2/3 cups cake flour, sifted

Filling

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup honey
1/2 cup heavy cream
7 1/2 cups pecans, chopped

Directions

For the cookie dough, cream together butter and sugar in a mixer bowl with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth and light, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually incorporate egg and vanilla, stopping mixer and scraping bowl as necessary.
Add flour and mix on low speed until just blended, about 30 seconds. Do not over-mix.
Place dough onto parchment paper or a lightly floured surface and shape into a flat square. Wrap dough well with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F and line the bottom of a 15-inch by 10-inch baking sheet with parchment.
Roll dough out to a rectangle 17 inches by 12 inches by 1⁄8-inch thick. Transfer the rolled dough to the baking pan, gently pressing it to the pan. Trim the edges with a paring knife, and prick the bottom of the dough with the prongs of a fork to prevent bubbling during baking.
Bake until dough is firm but has no color, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool dough while you make the filling.
For the pecan filling, place the butter, sugars, honey, and cream into a heavy-bottom saucepot. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove pot from the heat, add pecans, and stir until fully incorporated. Immediately pour into the pre-baked crust and spread into an even layer.
Bake in 350°F oven until the filling bubbles evenly across the surface and the crust is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool thoroughly before cutting.
Remove from pan using a knife to release the edges and invert the slab onto the back of a sheet pan. Transfer to a cutting board by flipping it over so it is right side up. Trim off the edges and cut into 1-inch or 2-inch diamonds.
The bars store well at room temperature, but can also be refrigerated or frozen as long as wrapped airtight.

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Potatoes au Gratin

Thu, 04 Oct 2018 18:13:22 +0000

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1 3/4 lb russet potatoes
5 garlic cloves
2 cups whole milk
Freshly grated nutmeg, as needed
Salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
Scrub, peel, and thinly slice the potatoes using a mandoline or chef’s knife.
Combine the garlic with the milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Season the milk with nutmeg, salt, and pepper and add the sliced potatoes.
Bring the milk mixture to a simmer and cook the potatoes for 10 to 12 minutes, taking care that the milk does not boil over. Remove the saucepan from the heat and discard the garlic cloves.
Transfer the potatoes and milk to the prepared baking pan, pour the cream over the top, and dot with the butter.
Bake until golden brown and the milk has been absorbed, about 45 minutes.
Allow the potatoes to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

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Roast Turkey with Chestnut Dressing and Pan Gravy

Mike — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 18:31:46 +0000

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients

1 turkey (about 15 lb)
1 apple, quartered
1 bay leaf
1 large sprig thyme
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
1 to 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

Chestnut Dressing

Ingredients

1/2 cup (8 tablespoons/1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup minced yellow onion
1 1/2 lb day-old bread, cubed
1 cup chicken stock, warm
1 egg
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped sage
2 1/4 cups shelled, peeled and roasted chestnuts, chopped (about 8 oz)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pan Gravy

Ingredients

3/4 cup small-dice yellow onion
1/2 cup small-dice carrot
1/2 cup small-dice celery
5 cups chicken broth
Cornstarch slurry: 1/3 cup cornstarch combined with 1/3 cup cold water
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Stuff the turkey with the apple, bay leaf, thyme, and parsley. Rub the lemon juice over the entire surface of the bird and season with salt and pepper.
Place the turkey, breast side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack. Transfer to the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Roast, basting occasionally with the drippings that accumulate in the bottom of the pan, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 180°F, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
Meanwhile, to prepare the chestnut dressing, melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
Combine the bread cubes, stock, and egg and add to the pan with the onion. Add the parsley, sage, chestnuts, salt, and pepper and mix well.
Transfer the dressing to a buttered baking dish and cover with parchment paper. Bake until browned and heated through, about 45 minutes. Reserve in a warm place until ready to serve.
Remove the turkey and the rack from the roasting pan, cover the bird with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest for 45 minutes.
While the turkey is resting, make the pan gravy: Skim the fat from the top of the pan drippings, and combine the pan drippings with the onion, carrot, and celery in a saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of the broth to the roasting pan and stir to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add to the saucepan along with the remaining 4 1/2 cups broth. Simmer over medium heat until flavorful and slightly reduced, skimming away any fat that rises to the surface, 20 to 25 minutes. Gradually add the slurry to the simmering broth, whisking constantly, until the gravy has a sauce-like consistency. Simmer for 2 minutes more and then strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Remove and discard the apple, bay leaf, thyme, and parsley from inside the turkey. Carve the turkey and serve with the pan gravy and dressing.

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The CIA Apple Pie

info@matemedia.com — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 18:12:14 +0000

Makes one 9-inch pie

They say if you love somebody, you give them diamonds—but we think if you truly love someone, you bake them a pie. This classic apple pie is a crowd-pleaser no matter what table it lands on, and friends and family will taste the love in each bite.

Ingredients

All-Butter Pie Dough, double-crust
6 to 8 apples, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Egg wash (1 egg and 1 tablespoon milk, beaten)
Coarse sugar, as needed

Directions

Prepare crust using the all butter double-crust, bottom crust fitted in pie pan and chilled, top crust rolled out into a 11-inch round.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and set the rack in the lowest position.
Using a pastry wheel, cut twelve 1-inch wide strips of dough from the top crust. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Toss to combine. Immediately layer the apples in the prepared bottom crust, arranging and pressing them to eliminate gaps and air pockets.
Brush the edge of the bottom crust with water and gently weave and arrange the dough strips on top of the filling to create a lattice top. Trim the edges flush with the edge of the bottom crust and press them to seal. Turn the edge under and decoratively crimp the edges as desired. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle liberally with coarse sugar.
Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate the pie and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Continue baking until bubbly, 60 to 70 minutes more. Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Let cool for 2 to 3 hours. The filling will continue to thicken and set as the pie cools.

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Torta Della Nonna Con Pignoli (Grandma’s Cake with Pine Nuts)

Mike — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 14:17:28 +0000

Makes 1 cake, serves 8

Filling

Ingredients

6 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 teaspoons sifted all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Dough

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons almond flour (finely ground almonds)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon water, as needed, plus 1 tablespoon

Toppings

Ingredients

1/2 cup pine nuts or as needed to cover the cake
Confectioners’ sugar, for serving

Filling

Directions

To make the filling, whisk together the yolks, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Add the flour.
In a saucepan, heat the milk, and then gradually add the milk to the egg-flour mixture, making sure it is well incorporated. Transfer the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture comes to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, and remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest. Cool the cream on top of a bed of ice or in the refrigerator, covering the top directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.

Dough

Directions

To make the dough, use a pastry cutter or two table knives to cut the butter into the flour, sugar, almond flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest, working just until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Blend in 2 of the eggs and the vanilla, and knead gently until a workable dough forms; if necessary, add the 1 teaspoon water. Divide the dough into 3 pieces (two should be about 16 ounces each, and the third should be 12 ounces; reserve one of the 16-ounce pieces in the refrigerator or freezer for cookies or a tart).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 10- or 11-inch round springform pan. Press or roll one of the 16-ounce pieces of dough to fit into the pan. Spoon the filling into the tart shell, leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edges.
On a floured surface, roll out the remaining dough piece into an 11- to 12-inch circle. Lay this over the filling and pinch the edges of the dough together to seal.
Make an egg wash by beating the remaining egg with the remaining 1 tablespoon water. Brush the surface of the dough with the egg wash. Use a fork to make several slits on the top. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top and bake until golden and the center is set, 35 to 40 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack before dusting with confectioners’ sugar, slicing, and serving.

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