James Beards Pureed Parsnips Recipes

JAMES BEARD'S PUREED PARSNIPS

Steps:

• Place parsnips in a large saucepan; add enough water to cover. Generously salt water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer; simmer until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Puree parsnips in a food processor or food mill. If using a processor, take care not to overprocess or they will become gluey.
• Transfer pureed parsnips to a large bowl; whisk in salt, sugar, melted butter, heavy cream, and Madeira.
• Spoon parsnip mixture into a 1-quart baking dish. Dot top with butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs or chopped nuts. Bake 20 to 30 minutes. Serve.

JAMES BEARD'S PUREED PARSNIPS

Steps:

• Peel cooked parsnips and puree them in a food processor or by putting them through a food mill.
• Combine the puree with the salt, sugar, melted butter, cream and Madeira, and whip together well with a spatula or whisk.
• Spoon the puree into a one-quart baking dish, dot with butter and sprinkle with the crumbs or chopped nuts. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

PARSNIP PUREE

Steps:

• Put parsnips in a pot, season with salt and cover with milk and cream. Add garlic, bay and thyme then place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook until tender, the tip of a paring knife should easily go through without resistance - about 12 to 15 minutes.
• Place parsnips in a food processor with butter and pour in enough of the milk mixture to puree the parsnips and achieve the texture of whipped cream. Season with salt and pepper then finish with a sprinkle of parsley.

BLACK BEAN PUREE WITH CILANTRO

Steps:

• Simmer the beans in water to cover with the onion, celery, carrot, tomatoes, garlic, chili, cumin and pepper for one hour. Season to taste with salt. Add more water if necessary and cook until tender.
• Puree the beans in two batches with their liquid in a food processor, adding enough of the chicken stock to make a smooth puree. Correct seasoning. Before serving, sprinkle the puree with cilantro.

PUREED PARSNIPS

Steps:

• Steam parsnips and garlic until tender, about 10 minutes. Puree in a food processor with olive oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

JAMES BEARD'S PLEASANT PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until just tender. While pasta cooks, combine peas and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and stir until peas are thoroughly heated. Drain and set aside.
• Drain pasta, return to pot and toss with butter. Add peas, prosciutto and cream. Toss to mix well and to separate prosciutto strips. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add Parmesan to taste, and toss again. Serve piping hot, passing more Parmesan separately at the table.

PARSNIP AND POTATO PUREE

Steps:

• Peel and core the parsnips. Cut them in one-and-a-half-inch pieces and simmer in boiling water until tender.
• Peel the potatoes and cook until tender. Drain and mash together with the parsnips. Heat the cream with the butter and add. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

JACQUES'S SKILLET DUCK WITH PARSNIPS AND SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Separating the duck:
• Cut off most of the fatty flap of neck skin and reserve. Insert a sharp knife into 1 breast near the shoulder joint and slice - in a semicircle - around the wishbone. Slide your finger in back of wishbone and pry it out.
• To remove the legs, lift the duck by one leg and cut through the skin all around the thigh, including the meaty piece along the backbone, called the "oyster." Grasp the leg at the knee and pull back the thigh, to expose the joint. Cut through it and pull the leg off the carcass in 1 piece. Repeat to remove the other leg. Cut the drumsticks from the thigh pieces.
• To remove the breast halves, slice along both sides of the breastbone. Lay the duck on its side, and cut through the upper shoulder joint. Hold the carcass down by the neck with one hand, grasp the shoulder section with the other, and pull off the entire breast half, in 1 piece. Repeat on the other side. Pull out the 2 slim meaty filets that remain on either side of the breastbone.
• Chop off the wing tips. Cut around the wing on 1 breast piece to free it from the breastbone; separate the largest wing joint from the other 2. Repeat on the other side.
• You should now have 12 pieces to put in the pan: 2 large breast pieces, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 small breast filets, and 4 wing pieces.
• Finally, trim any loose, fatty flaps of skin from the carcass, the breast, or the leg pieces.
• Frying the duck:
• Set the pan over moderate heat. Slice the reserved neck skin into 3 or 4 strips and put them in the pan to begin rendering fat. Season the duck pieces with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper. When there's enough fat to film the pan bottom, lay in all the pieces, skin side down (you can push aside the strips of neck skin, but leave them in the pan).
• Raise the heat to medium-high, and cook skin side down and uncovered. The duck skin will shrink and color, and lots of fat will accumulate in the pan. Check the underside of the pieces once or twice t make sure they are not burning; lower the heat slightly if necessary. Fry until the skin on all the pieces is well browned and quite crisp; the whole process should take 20 to 25 minutes.
• Turn the heat down to low. Leave the duck pieces on their skin - they should be half submerged in fat - and strew the parsnip pieces, shallots, and garlic cloves all around them in the pan. Add the rosemary and bay leaves, and sprinkle over 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cover the pan, turn down the heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure that the duck is gently steaming; adjust the heat as necessary.
• When the duck and vegetables are tender - pierce with a sharp knife to check - turn off the heat. Immediately lift the duck and vegetable pieces from the pan with the spoon or skimmer, allowing the fat to drain, and arrange on a serving platter.
• Pour off the clear duck fat from the pan - you will have 1 1/2 cups or so - and save for other uses. Add 1 cup of water to the pan, bring to a boil, scraping with a wooden spatula to melt all the solidified juice, and pour over the duck. Scatter chopped parsley over and serve.
• A Côtes du Rhône, Syrah, or Grenache-type wine would be good with this duck.

JAMES BEARD'S BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Sift flour into mixing bowl with baking powder and salt.
• Using fingers, two knives, or a heavy fork, blend butter and flour into very fine particles. (Don't beat any longer than you absolutely must!).
• Add milk and stir just enough to ake particles cling together -- it will be a very soft dough.
• (You may have to add up to another 1/4 cup of milk, for a total of 1 cup of milk in the biscuit dough.) Turn on to floured surface and knead for about 1 minute.
• Drop dough by large spoonfuls on to a baking sheet spritzed with baking spray.
• Bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes.

JAMES BEARD'S

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Rub lamb with salt and pepper and place on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Surround with the bones, onions,carrots and 4 to 5 garlic cloves.
• Pour the olive oil over the bones and vegetables.
• Roast at 400°F for 30 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 350°F and roast for 30 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 200°F.
• Transfer lamb to baking pan or casserole dish.
• Add remaining garlic, 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper, tomatoes and bones and vegetables from the roasting pan.
• Rinse roasting pan with the red wine and pour wine over lamb.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast in a 200°F oven for 6 hours.
• Transfer lamb to a platter and remove the strings.
• Discard bones and bay leaf.
• Remove the cloves from the onions and puree or blend all the vegetables.
• Combine with the pan juices.
• Serve meat and sauce with cooked white beans seasoned with salt and pepper garlic and basil.