Fall

Rustic Pear Tart /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Rustic Pear Tart

Yield: 1 (10-inch) Tart, 6 - 8 servings

This is a rustic dessert perfect for any occasion, especially because it's easy to make and looks super impressive. I made this last minute for a photoshoot and only had about 90 minutes to make it. I kept the ingredients and steps simple. It's perfect for the holidays when there's never enough time to prepare for a last minute dinner party. If you have pre-prepared pie dough in the freezer, that's a big time saver. You can easily substitute the pears for any seasonal fruit, although I'm partial to these Starkrimson pears. If vibrant fruit isn't available, finish the baked galette with a dusting of powdered sugar for a pretty presentation.

INGREDIENTS

Single crust pie dough, such as Buttermilk Pie Dough

1 /2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

3-4 Starkrimson or red Anjou pears

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

DIRECTIONS

  1. Prepare the pie crust recipe, which can be made in advance. Line 10-inch tart pan with parchment paper, leave over hang (see photo for reference) to make it easier to remove later. Set aside.

  2. Before rolling, let the pie dough come to room temperature, about 5 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out round disk to thickness between 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch. Keep dough moving and apply just enough flour to prevent it from sticking. Gently fold into quarters and transfer onto parchment lined tart pan. Gently push the pastry into the corners of the tart pan. Trim pastry with scissors or a sharp paring knife, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Fold excess pastry backwards into the tart pan and press into the sides, it will make a nice imprint from the crimped edge. Chill tart pan in freezer or refrigerator.

  3. Place oven rack in the middle fitted with a Baking Steel or a pizza stone and preheat oven to 375°F. I like that it ensures a crispy bottom.

  4. Prepare pears by cutting around the core into four pieces. Cut vertically parallel to the core and continue around all sides. Carefully slice the pears thinly about 1/4-inch. I recommend a mandoline, used with a protective cut resistant glove, or cut by hand. Keep the slices in groups.

  5. Dust bottom of prepared pastry evenly with cinnamon. (I like using OXO’s Bakers Dusting Wand because it gives great control). I prefer dusting the bottom so you don't cover up the beautiful color of the pears. Arrange pear slices in slightly fanned out groups by keeping one of the pointy ends slightly together (see photo for reference). Alternate directions of the pears until the tart pan is filled. Use more pears for a denser filling. Sprinkle sea salt and sugar evenly all over the pears. Finish with pieces of frozen butter.

  6. Place the tart pan on rimmed half sheet pan and bake directly on the Baking Steel. Bake until golden brown, for about 1 hour. Rotate midway if needed for even browning.

  7. Transfer to a cooling rack. After cooled, lift the pastry out of the pan by holding the parchment. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Flaky Cheddar and Scallion Biscuits /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Flaky Cheddar and Scallion Biscuits

Yield: 8 to 10,  2 1/2-inch biscuits or 24, 1 1/2-inch biscuits

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, extra for rolling

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled

1 cup grated white cheddar

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven 425°F. Prepare rimmed half sheet or baking dish with parchment paper, set aside.

  2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Add butter to flour mixture and break it up using your hands or a pastry cutter. I prefer using my hands to create flattened shards of butter. Add cheese and scallions; toss together using your hands until they are all well coated in flour. Make a well in the flour mixture and slowly pour in buttermilk in 2 to 3 batches, mix together using a wooden spoon completely before adding more buttermilk. Switch to your hands when it begins to form a ball of dough; do not overmix. The dough will be slightly sticky. If it's too dry, add a few drops of buttermilk.

  3. Lightly flour a rolling pin and turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Don't add too much flour at once or the dough will dry out, but add flour if the dough becomes too sticky. Roll until dough is about 1-inch thick and fold into thirds. Gently roll dough into rectangular shape. Repeat the folding process 2 to 3 times to create more layers, ending with 1 ½-inch thick dough.

  4. Use biscuit cutter of your choice. Dip biscuit cutter in flour and cut dough with straight down motion; avoid twisting. Cut biscuits as close together as possible to avoid wasting dough. Instead of rolling out remaining scraps together to form one or two last biscuits, try cutting the remaining dough with a smaller biscuit cutter and bake off remaining bits in their odd shapes. They are the perfect snack and will remain tender if they are not re-rolled.

  5. Place biscuits on sheet pan or baking dish. The dough should be touching, it helps ensure even rising. If you have smaller biscuits and scraps, place them on a separate small sheet pan or a mini cast iron pan; the smaller shapes will take less baking time. Lightly brush tops with egg wash, avoid brushing the edges. Optional: skip the egg wash, the cheese will still give it a golden crust.

  6. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on size of the biscuit. Scraps will take less time, about 10 minutes. Rotate if necessary for even browning, otherwise avoid opening oven during baking.

  7. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Apple Cardamom Cable Knit Pie /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Apple Cardamom Cable Knit Pie

Yield: 1 (9-inch) Pie

This cable knit design was inspired by Aran Irish Sweaters, something I learned about during my first job as a design assistant at Ralph Lauren when I worked in Men’s sweaters. Not surprising as we used to make knit downs of cable knit designs all day long, always looking for new combinations. I use a similar approach when designing this pie crust.

INGREDIENTS

1 egg

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 double crust, buttermilk pie crust recipe

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling pastry

2 meyer lemons, zested and juiced

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 (about 3 1/2 pounds) medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced on mandolin

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes and frozen

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place Baking Steel on the middle rack of your oven. Preheat oven 425°F. The pizza stone ensures a crispy bottom crust. Preferably preheat oven for 30 to 60 minutes. In a small bowl beat egg with heavy cream; set aside.

  2. Prepare the buttermilk pie crust recipe, cut into one third and two thirds ratio, wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Shape smaller piece into a flat round disk and shape other half into a narrow flat rectangle. Let dough rest 20 minutes or overnight in refrigerator. Note: This dough makes more dough than average recipes, great for decorative pie crusts.

  3. Let the dough come to room temperature for 5 minutes before rolling out to prevent cracking. On a lightly floured surface, roll out round disk to thickness between 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch. Keep dough moving and apply flour as needed to prevent it from sticking. Gently roll onto rolling pin and transfer to pie dish. Trim with scissors or a knife along the rim leaving a 1/2-inch border. Note: Be careful not to stretch the dough or it will shrink back. 

  4. Cut second rectangular pie dough in half lengthwise. Roll one half (Dough A) to 9-inches in length and 1/4-inch thick. Roll remaining dough (Dough B) to 9-inches in length and 1/8-inch thickness. Work quickly to prevent the dough from getting warm. If needed, place them in the fridge to firm up during the process.

  5. Dough A: Use a ruler to cut long even strips. For a square edge braid, cut into 1/4-inch strips with a sharp paring knife. Braid together keeping both ends loose; transfer to a sheet pan. For rounded edge braid, cut dough into six 1/4-inch strips and roll against floured board to round edges. Repeat braiding technique and transfer to the sheet pan, keep in the fridge while you roll the remaining dough. Separate layers with parchment if needed. Dough B: Cut four 1-inch strips. Loosely twist 2 pieces together to create a cable knit effect and repeat; transfer to the same sheet pan. Cut three diamonds from any leftover dough and score with a knife in a diagonal direction. Roll four balls of dough and flatten slightly to create 4 small buttons; score with a curved fork to mimic a leather football button. (Fashion is clearly still in me). Transfer sheet pan back to the fridge. NOTE: If you are having trouble with the dough breaking while braiding, the butter pieces may be too large or the dough is too warm. For decorative pies, I formulated a pie crust that is ideal and hopefully breakage won’t be an issue.

  6. In a large mixing bowl, combine zest of 2 Meyer lemons, 3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice, sugar, sea salt, cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Fold in apples until well coated; sprinkle 3 tablespoons flour and toss again. Transfer apple mixture into pie dish, try to keep the mixture even. Scatter frozen butter cubes evenly all over the apples.

  7. Remove sheet pan with pastry from the fridge. Start in the middle and place cable knit pieces tightly next to each other. Try to avoid large gaps between pastry. Trim pieces to fit within the pie dish. Fold edge of pie inward neatly and crimp together by pinching. Chill in freezer or fridge for 15 minutes.

  8. Brush evenly with light coating of egg wash and cover loosely with foil. Adjust oven to 425°F, gently place pie dish directly onto Baking Steel or pizza stone and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375°F, remove foil and bake until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown, about 1 hour more. If necessary, rotate the pie for even baking. For best results, let pie cool for 4 to 6 hours before serving.

Note:

You can use leftover dough for decorative cut outs. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Dip pie cutters or cookie cutters in flour and cut out shapes. Lay them evenly on a quarter sheet pan and layer using parchment paper. I didn't use any cut outs for this cable knit design, but you can keep these in the freezer for a future use. Suggestion: Bake and add them to a bowl of ice cream or berries and cream.

 

Roast Chicken Breast with Meyer Lemon Jus /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Roast Chicken Breast with Meyer Lemon Jus

Yield: 4 servings

This is the ultimate comfort food, simple roast chicken. Which is great all year round, but when Meyer lemons are available I cannot resist. Meyer lemons and blood oranges are my weakness in the Fall and Winter months. If they are out of season, regular lemons are still great. The lemony jus is my favorite part of this dish, save it for dipping! And if you like cold leftover chicken like me, make extra.

Pro tip: Save the chicken bones and freeze them in a zip lock bag until you have enough to make bone broth. Don’t forget to mark the date. The bones are great for chicken bone broth or add them while making beef bone broth for extra richness and flavor.

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken breasts bone-in, excess fat trimmed

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 meyer lemon, zested and juiced

Flaky sea salt for finishing

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled

¼ cup finely chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse chicken and pat dry thoroughly. Drizzle with olive oil; season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Arrange chicken in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan, skin side up and roast until it start to brown, about 25 minutes.

  2. Turn oven to broil and cook until skin is crisp and deep golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate to rest.

  3. Set sheet pan on the stove over medium heat; add 1 tablespoon meyer lemon juice or more to taste and 1 teaspoon of zest. Scrape bottom of pan and simmer for 1 minute. Season with flaky sea salt and add splash of chicken stock if you want more sauce. Stir in cold butter until emulsified. Pour jus and crispy bits into a small bowl or into a serving platter.

  4. Finish chicken with flaky sea salt, more meyer lemon zest and parsley. Serve with jus.

Kombu Ramen /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Kombu Ramen 

Yield: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

32 ounces low-sodium chicken stock (4 cups)

1 cup water          

2 pieces dried kombu

¼ cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon mirin

2 6-minute soft boiled eggs

1 package ramen noodles

DIRECTIONS

  1. In medium pot, add chicken stock, water, kombu, soy sauce and mirin. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour. Or until reduced about 25%. Set aside and keep warm. This step can be made in advance.

  2. Place 2 cold eggs carefully into medium pot filled with boiling water. Keep water at a low boil to prevent eggs from cracking. Cook for 6 minutes and remove eggs and place into ice water to stop cooking. Peel eggs while slightly warm, they can be more difficult to peel when cold.

  3. Use leftover boiling water to cook ramen noodles. Follow package directions for cooking time.

  4. Optional toppings such as bok choy split in half, carrots cut into match sticks or enoki mushrooms can be cooked in the ramen broth for a few minutes to make tender.

  5. While the noodles are cooking, pour ramen broth into big bowls and add hot noodles. It can be simple with just the 6-minute egg and chopped scallions. Or add any of the optional garnishes.

Optional toppings that can be cooked in ramen broth for a few minutes until tender: bok choy, carrots, enoki mushrooms / Optional garnishes: cilantro, kimchi, scallions, radishes, lemon wheel and black sesame seeds.

Jook / Congee /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Jook / Congee

Yield: 4-6 servings

When I was a little girl, my Mom would make this for me when I wasn't feeling well. Imagine a large pot simmering gently on the stove, the white rice creates a subtle fragrance that perfumes the air. The rice breaks down and creates this beautiful glossy sheen. Surprisingly even after the rice turns into a porridge, it still maintains a texture and even lends a slightly nutty flavor. For extra flavor, my Mom would often cook leftover rice in a dry non stick pan. It would create a toasted pancake of dehydrated rice. You can store it in a container and then use it to make Jook at anytime. The toasted rice gives it an incredible flavor. It takes extra effort, but trust me, it's worth it.

In Korean culture, Jook is often served as breakfast or when one is sick. In either case, it is ideal as it is very easy to digest. It's very similar to Congee. Living in the Chinatown area, there are loads of places to get delicious take away Congee often that comes in 4 or 5 varieties. In my opinion, Congee tends to be richer and more flavorful than traditional Jook. In most cases, Jook is made with just rice and water, but Congee has many aromatics and made with different kind of meats. This is my version that is a simple cross between the two. There is simply no wrong way to make this. In fact, while writing this recipe, it almost resulted in one over simplified sentence: Soak rice and cook with boat loads of water and simmer forever. But I came to my senses.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cooked white rice (or 1 cup uncooked short-grain white rice, well rinsed)

3 cups Progresso cooking stock, no sodium chicken stock (or 6 cups stock if making with uncooked rice)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into 4 thin strips

2 cloves of garlic, smashed

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large heavy pot, combine cooked rice, stock, 2 cups of water and salt. Wrap ginger and garlic in a cheese cloth and tie with butchers twine and add to the pot.

  2. Bring pot to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes up to 1 hour. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. If you have more time, I would suggest to cook this for as long as you can. If the porridge is too thick, add additional water while it's simmering.

  3. Remove ginger and garlic pouch. Serve immediately.

Suggested optional garnishes: chopped scallions, kimchi, shredded chicken or beef.

*If you do not have leftover cooked rice, use the same directions, but simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until it has a porridge like consistency. Most likely it will require an additional 1 to 2 cups of water.

 

recipe modified 2.6.16