Victoria -- the Second Round of Plates
The second round of tapas platters prepared for my friend in Victoria, British Columbia consisted of Beef. I’m always surprised how many people really do like and eat beef. Personally, I cannot think of anything as elegant as a well-prepared and well-presented piece of beef. And, for the group of young entrepreneurs that my friend, Christina, had invited to her home, I knew that casual, chic and upscale food would suit the mood and complement the company.
The first plate was inspired from a cookbook I picked up on my last visit to Victoria called Pacific Flavours, Recipes from the Best Chefs on Canada’s West Coast, by Virginia Lee. The Thai Curry Beef with Ginger Aioli on Hearts of Romaine is a recipe from Vancouver’s Oritalia restaurant and Executive Chef Julian Bond. The bold flavors and textures on this plate are attractive and addictive. The curry sauce is sweet and spicy, the aïoli is infused with hot red chili, and the romaine and burnoise of red pepper and cucumber are cold and crunchy. The best part is that the extra curry sauce and aïoli can go another round the next day with grilled chicken or fish, and cooked vegetables. When we decided to pair the Thai Curry Beef with something as distinctive as Beef Carpaccio with Orange-Olive Salsa, I knew that we had really raised the barre in terms of flavor. The guests were in for a real treat.
I chose to serve the Beef Carpaccio on skewers rather than plate it, keeping the theme of the party tapas, light bites and cocktails. The best part about this recipe is that it’s fully prepared ahead of time, which makes service effortless.
The counter-point to each of these was a little a colorful antipasto of sautéed black olives with tomatoes and herb-flavored almonds.
Christina’s oversized coffee table was alive with color, flavor and hands reaching for that next flavorful bite. Or, the wonderful wines that we were treated to. But that’s another post. First, these recipes:
Thai Curry Beef with Ginger Aïoli on Hearts of Romaine
Adapted from Pacific Flavours and Chef Julian Bond, Oritalia, Vancouver, B.C.
2 hearts romaine lettuce
½ cup finely diced sweet red pepper
½ cup finely diced peeled seeded cucumber
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon butter
1 pound tenderloin, premium, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup Curry Sauce (recipe follows)
Ginger Aïoli (recipe follows)
Wash romaine hearts and separate leaves; pat dry and set aside. In small bowl, combine red pepper and cucumber to make a burnoise; set aside.
In a medium size skillet, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat; briefly sear tenderloin cubes. Add Curry Sauce, stirring to combine. Remove from heat and keep warm.
To Serve: Arrange romaine leaves attractively around three-quarters of a large platter. Drizzle the leaves with Ginger Aïoli ; top with the burnoise of red pepper and cucumber. Place the warm beef in curry sauce into an attractive bowl and place on the platter with the dressed romaine leaves. Invite guests to top leaves with the beef and curry sauce.
Curry Sauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
¾ cup diced onion
1 teaspoon red curry paste
1 15 ounce can coconut milk (NOT cream of coconut)
1/3 cup liquid honey
1 tablespoon fish sauce
In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat; sauté onion and curry paste for 4 to 5 minutes or until onion is slightly softened. Add cream from top of coconut milk; cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until mixture splits and caramelizes. Whisk in honey and remaining coconut milk; reduce by half. Stir in fish sauce and reduce slightly.
Makes 1 ½ cups.
Note: For this recipe make sure you purchase coconut milk and not cream of coconut which is used mainly for drinks and desserts. When you open the tin of coconut milk, you will find the cream (about ¾ of can) at the top and the water milk beneath.
Ginger Aïoli
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons minced gingerroot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (a curry paste of chilies, brown sugar and salt found in Asian markets; if you cannot find it, just substitute ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of brown sugar)
¾ cup peanut oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
In food processor, combine egg and egg yolk, gingerroot, garlic and sambal oelek; process until blended. With machine running, add half of the peanut oil in a thin steady stream. When mixture begins to thicken, add lemon juice, sugar and salt; process until blended. With machine running, add remaining peanut oil, increasing the flow as the mixture becomes pale. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Makes 2 cups.
Beef Carpaccio With Orange-Olive Salsa
Adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2003
Orange-Olive Salsa
2 large navel oranges
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Carpaccio
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1-pound trimmed beef tenderloin
2 cups lightly packed fresh arugula
1 2-ounce wedge aged Gouda cheese, shaved using vegetable peeler
For salsa:
Using small sharp knife, cut off peel and white pith from oranges. Working over medium bowl, cut between membranes to release sections. Cut each section crosswise into 4 pieces and add to bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients. Cover; chill at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
For carpaccio:
Combine first 4 ingredients.
Rub 1 tablespoon oil over beef, then coat beef with spice mixture. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add beef and sear on all sides, turning every 2 minutes, about 12 minutes total (beef will be rare in center). (If you prefer your beef cooked more, continue to pan sear or place in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes until internal temperature reaches 120 degrees (beef will be rare instead of raw in the center).) Chill until cold, then wrap in plastic and freeze 1 hour.
Slice meat as thinly as possible and skewer with wooden skewers. Toss arugula with juices from salsa and mound on platter. Top with salsa. Surround with meat skewers and garnish with cheese.
Sautéed Black Olives with Tomatoes
© 1997 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, as first appeared in Martha Stewart Living, October 1997.
1 cup (6 ounces) nicoise or Kalamata olives
3 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped in to 3/4–inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Rinse and drain olives; you can pit them or not, whichever you prefer. Combine tomatoes and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, add garlic, and cook over medium-low heat until just starting to brown, 2 to 5 minutes.
- Add olives and thyme. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, cook over medium heat until juices thicken a bit and flavors are combined, 5 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with pepper. Just before serving, stir in the parsley.
Herb-Flavored Almonds
Adapted from The Food Lover’s Companion to the Napa Valley: Where to Eat, Cook, and Shop in the Wine Country, Plus 50 Irresistible Recipes, © 2003 by Lori Lyn Narlock; (Chronicle Books)
A savory nibble adapted from the Robert Sinskey Vineyards in Napa Valley. Easy to prepare, these make a delicious (and appetite curbing) pre-dinner snack.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (cold pressed)
- 2 cups raw (whole, blanched) Marcona Almonds
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, washed, completely dried, then chopped
- 1/4 cup combination any fresh herb leaves such as sage, rosemary, thyme or tarragon, washed, completely dried, then chopped
- 1 teaspoon fleur de sel (sea salt)
Method:
- Heat oil in a medium sauté pan or high-sided skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until the surface shimmers. Add the almonds and increase the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring constantly, until the almonds begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the herbs (if they are not completely dry the oil will sputter and splatter). Reduce the heat to medium low. Cook until the herbs are crisp, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer the almonds and herbs with a slotted spoon to a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl to drain completely. Save the oil for another use, if desired.
- Transfer the almond and herbs to paper towels to absorb any extra oil. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and let cool. Serve or store in an airtight container lined with a paper towel for up to 2 weeks.
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