Dayrecipe Food Community

This impressive dessert is the sum of many parts that can each be made several days in advance. Assemble
the trifle the day before serving to allow the cake to absorb the custard and the flavors to fully develop.

Active time: 2 1/2 hr Start to finish: 13 hr

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• for cake layers
• 12large egg yolks
• 21/4cups sugar
• 6tablespoons whole milk
• 1 1/2teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4teaspoon salt
• 6large egg whites
  for assembling trifle
• cranberry jam (recipe follows)
• cognac syrup (recipe this page)
• rich custard (page 181)
  for cream topping
• 1 1/3cups chilled heavy cream
• 1/4cup confectioners sugar
• 2tablespoons cognacor other brandy
• 1/4teaspoon vanillagarnish: sugared cranberriesand mint leaves special equipment: 3 (15- by 10- by 1/2-inch) baking pans and a 31/2-quart straight-sided glass trifle or soufflé dish

DIRECTIONS Make cake layers: Preheat oven to 350°F and butter pans. Line bottom of each pan with wax or parchment paper and butter paper. Dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.

Whisk together yolks, 1 1/2 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl until combined well, then whisk in flour and salt until smooth. (Batter will be thick.)

Beat whites with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. With mixer at low speed, gradually beat in remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks.

Fold about one third of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter among pans and spread evenly. Rap pans against a work surface to release any air bubbles. Bake, 1 pan at a time, in middle ofoven until cake is pale golden and beginning to shrink around edges,10 to 11 minutes per pan. Coollayers completely in pans on racks.

Assemble trifle: Loosen edges of 1 cake layer with a knife. Place a sheet of wax or parchment paper on top of layer and invert onto a rack. Carefully peel paper from cake. Place a new sheet of waxor parchment paper on inverted cake and reinvert onto work surface, peeling off paper that is now on top. Repeat with remaining 2 layers.

With long side of layers toward you, halve layers vertically with a serrated knife. Spread 1 half of each layer(3 of 6 halves) with cranberry jam,
then top with remaining plain halves.

Put each “sandwich” crosswise into 10 (71/2- by 3/4-inch) strips. Arrange1 strip vertically in trifle dish with acut side against glass (see photo below), then trim strip flush with top of dish. Using trimmed piece as a guide, cut remaining strips to fit dish, reserving trimmings. Brush strips on all sides with Cognac syrup and fit strips tightly all around edge of dish. (If your dish is slightly smaller on bottom than on top, cut a few strips in half diagonally to fill any gaps.)

Brush trimmings with syrup and arrange one fourth of them in 1 layer in bottom of dish. Pour in 1 cup custard. Repeat layering of trimmings and custard to fill dish, ending with custard. (You may have a small amount of custard left over.) Brush top ofstrips around edge with syrup. Cover trifle with plastic wrap and chill atleast 8 hours.

Make topping: Beat heavy cream with confectioners sugar, Cognac, and vanilla with an electric mixer until it holds soft peaks.Remove plastic wrap from trifle and mound cream on top.

Cooks’ notes:

• Resist the temptation to bake more than 1 cake layer at a time; layers will bake extremely unevenly.

• Cake layers can be baked 2 days aheadof assembling and chilled, wrapped well, or frozen up to 1 month.

• Trifle can be assembled (before topping with cream) up to 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Jamie Oliver calls this “another great pan-baked recipe that is perfect for coping with lots of people without a huge deal of effort.” Oliver uses plaice, a popular flatfish in England favored over flounder, but lemon sole is a good substitute.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2garlic cloves, sliced
• 5tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2cup chardonnay or other dry white wine
• 1(28- or 32-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice
• fine sea salt to taste
• 1/2cup brine-cured black olives (3 oz), pitted
• 1/4cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1flat anchovy fillet
• 4(7-oz) lemon sole fillets
• 5oz baby spinach

DIRECTIONS Make sauce:
Cook garlic in 2 tablespoons oil in a 2-quart flameproof gratin dish over moderate heat (on stovetop), stirring until softened (but with no change in color), 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, breaking them up with a spoon, and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Add sea salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.

Prepare fish while sauce simmers:
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Pulse olives, basil, and anchovy to a coarse paste in a food processor (or finely chop with a knife). Add 2 tablespoons oil and pulse to combine.

Lay fish fillets, skinned sides down, on a work surface and season with pepper. Divide olive paste among fillets and spread evenly. Beginning at narrow end, roll up each fillet.

Bake fish:
Arrange fish rolls, seam sides down, on tomato sauce in gratin dish. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil and bake, uncovered, in middle of oven, until fish is just cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Transfer fish to 4 heated plates. Heat tomato sauce in gratin dish over moderate heat (on stovetop), then add spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 1 minute. Spoon sauce with spinach alongside fish.

Piperade, a saucy tomato and pepper mixture from the Basque regions of France and Spain, is often paired with eggs.

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 45 min

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1large onion, chopped
• 2red bell peppers, chopped
• 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2teaspoon hot paprika
• 1teaspoon minced garlic
• 2(14- to 15-oz) cans diced tomatoes, including juice
• 8large eggs
• 3oz crumbled feta (3/4 cup)

DIRECTIONS Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.

Cook onion and bell peppers in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet, covered, over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Add paprika and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice and cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, 5 to 9 minutes.

Warm eggs (still in shell) in a bowl of hot water 5 minutes, then drain.

Transfer vegetables to a 3-quart shallow baking or gratin dish and make 8 indentations in mixture with back of a large spoon. Crack an egg into each indentation and season with salt and pepper. Bake until egg whites are set but yolks are still slightly runny, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with feta and serve immediately.

Cooks’ note:
The yolks in this recipe are not fully cooked. If salmonella is a problem in your area, bake until yolks are completely set.

A vacherin includes layers of meringue with a creamy filling; its name derives from its resemblance to the rich, round French and Swiss cheeses of the same name. Begin preparing this lovely dessert at least one day before you plan to serve it. Once assembled, the torte can be frozen for up to four days.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• meringues
• nonstick vegetable oil spray6large egg whites
• 1/4teaspoon cream of tartar
• pinch of salt
• 1cup sugar
• 1/2teaspoon vanilla extractrhubarb cream
• 2cups 1/2-inch pieces fresh rhubarb(from about 1 pound)
• 3/4cup halved hulled strawberries
• 1/2cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4cup water
• 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice5large egg yolks
• 1cup chilled whipping cream
• 1/2teaspoon vanilla extractsweetened strawberries (optional)

DIRECTIONS For meringues:
Position racks in top third and center of oven and preheat to 250°F. Using 8-inch-diameter bowl or plate as guide, firmly trace 2 circles onto 1 sheet of parchment paper and 1 circle onto second sheet of parchment. Place papers, marked side down, on 2 baking sheets. Spray paper with nonstick spray.

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until frothy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, then beat until whites are stiff and glossy. Beat in vanilla. Working in batches,spoon meringue into large pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip. Starting in center of each traced circle and holding tip just above paper, pipe meringue in spirals to fill circles, forming 3 rounds.

Bake meringues until firm, dry, and pale golden, about 2 hours. Turn off oven; leave meringues in oven with door closed at least 4 hours or overnight.

For rhubarb cream:
Combine rhubarb, strawberries, 1/2 cup sugar, water, and lemon juice in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer until rhubarb is very tender, about 15 minutes. Puree mixture in processor. Chill until cold, about 1 hour.

Whisk yolks and 1/3 cup sugar in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water). Whisk until mixture thickens and instant-read thermometer registers 140°F for 3 minutes, about 7 minutes total. Chill mixture until cool, about 15 minutes. Gently fold rhubarb mixture into yolk mixture. Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream and vanilla in another large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold cream into rhubarb mixture in 2 additions.

Place 1 meringue disk in 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Spread 1/3 of rhubarb cream (about 1 1/2 cups) over meringue, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Top with second meringue disk, then 1/3 of rhubarb cream. Top with remaining meringue disk and rhubarb cream (cream will not spread to sides of pan). Freeze until cream is firm, about 6 hours. (Can be made 4 days ahead. Cover with foil; keep frozen.)

Release cake pan sides. Serve torte with sweetened strawberries, if desired.

Chef Susan Goss says that the secret here is in her cast-iron skillet. Nonstick pans produce anemic, soft corn bread. This recipe also works well with corn-stick or muffin molds, as long as they’re well-seasoned cast iron. If your pan is hot enough, the batter will immediately rise and start to cook around the edges. (The restaurant’s skillets rarely leave
the oven.)

At Zinfandel, the corn bread is served with a wonderful spread. To make it, combine 1 stick of softened unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons buckwheat honey (another honey or pure maple syrup can be substituted).

Serves 8.

INGREDIENTS