Soma Sengupta Passover Recipes Carciofi Alla Giudia Fried Arti Food

ROMAN-JEWISH FRIED ARTICHOKES (CARCIOFI ALLA GIUDIA) RECIPE

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with water; halve and squeeze 2 lemons into it. Trim artichokes following Roman-Jewish artichoke guidelines shown here : Remove tough dark green outer leaves to expose more tender light-green leaves within, then, using a paring knife, cut off top half of each leaf and trim base and stem. Trimmed artichokes will look like a closed rosebud. Transfer the peeled artichokes to the bowl of lemon water as you work, covering them with a clean kitchen towel to keep them completely submerged.
• In a large saucepan, heat 2 to 3 inches of oil to 280°F (130°C). Add artichokes (they should produce a steady but non-violent stream of bubbles) and cook until tender (you should be able to pierce their hearts easily with a fork), adjusting heat to maintain a steady bubble, about 10 minutes for baby artichokes and 15 minutes for larger ones. Turn larger artichokes frequently for even cooking.
• Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer artichokes to a paper towel-lined plate. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Using your hands, gently pull open each artichoke "bud" so that it resembles an open flower. If using large artichokes, remove and discard the hair "choke" in the center of the artichoke. Increase oil temperature to 350°F (177°C).
• Fry artichokes until browned and crisp, 2 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Season immediately with salt. Transfer to plates and serve right away with wedges of remaining lemon.

SOMA SENGUPTA PASSOVER RECIPES: CARCIOFI ALLA GIUDIA (FRIED ARTI

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with water and add lemon juice. Set aside.
• Using a sharp paring knife, shave off the tough outer leaves of artichokes until you reach the tender pale green or yellow leaves. Cut off at least an inch of the thorny top. Trim the stem near the heart, peeling off the outer green fiber and leaving about 2 inches of stem if possible. Using a spoon, scoop out the furry center of the choke. If you wish to serve the artichoke as finger food, cut into 4 wedges. Otherwise, leave whole. As you trim. immediately put each artichoke in the lemon water to prevent browning.
• Heat oil to 280 degrees.
• While oil is heating, remove the artichokes from the water and dry thoroughly. Salt the chokes, and beat them against one another so that the leaves start to open.
• Fry the artichokes until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain a gentle bubble. You should be able to easily pierce the center with a fork. Turn larger artichokes frequently for even cooking. Reserve oil.
• Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer artichokes to a paper towel-lined plate. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Then, using your hands, gently pull open each artichoke "bud" so that it resembles an open flower. You don't need to do this if you are using wedges.
• Shortly before serving, heat reserved oil to 375 degrees. Fry artichokes until crisp, 2-5 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt & serve with the lemon wedges.

SOMA SENGUPTA PASSOVER RECIPES: THE BEST EVER MELTINGLY DELICIOU

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat the oil. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Add them to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until browned and crusty, about 18 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a shallow baking dish in a single layer.
• Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the skillet and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the wine and herbs and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour the hot marinade over the ribs and let cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning the ribs once.
• Preheat the oven to 350°. Transfer the ribs and marinade to a large casserole, preferably cast-iron. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook in the lower third of the oven for 1 1/2 hours, until the meat is tender but not falling apart. Uncover and braise for 45 minutes longer, turning the ribs once or twice, until the sauce is reduced by about half and the meat is very tender.
• With a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the meat to a clean shallow baking dish, discarding the bones as they fall off. Strain the sauce into a heatproof measuring cup and skim off as much fat as possible. Pour the sauce over the meat; there should be about 2 cups. Keep warm in a saucepan over the lowest possible heat.
• Preheat the broiler. Broil the meat, turning once or twice, until glazed and sizzling, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to plates, spoon the sauce on top and serve.
• Note: You can complete this dish through all steps up to broiling 2 days in advance. Cover well and refrigerate. Bring to room temp before broiling.

SOMA SENGUPTA EASTER RECIPES: SPRING PEA SOUP! A GREAT START TO

Steps:

• Place cream, parsley and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and set aside.
• In a medium soup pot or casserole, cook the bacon over moderate heat until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate. Pour off the fat in the pot.
• In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, celery, onion, leek and sugar snap peas and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock, 4 slices of the cooked bacon and the salt and white pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes and then add the thawed baby peas. Continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes total. Discard the bacon.
• Remove the rosemary sprigs and bring the cream and parsley leaves to a boil. Add the rosemary-infused cream to the soup and boil hard for a further 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Using a hand blender if you have one, liquefy the soup. Otherwise, carefully transfer to a blender and blend only until smooth, in batches if you need to. Adjust seasonings.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with extra cream, or a few drops of olive or other scented oil. Crumble the remaining 4 slices of bacon into each bowl and serve.

SOMA SENGUPTA EASTER RECIPES- HONEY GLAZED HAM

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the lower third. Remove any packaging or netting from the ham. Trim away any excess fat, leaving about a 1/4-inch layer all over. Set the ham aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Place the ham, cut side down, on the baking sheet and cover it with a piece of parchment paper. Tightly cover the ham and parchment paper with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the brown sugar has completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Set aside and let cool to lukewarm (the glaze should be the consistency of room-temperature honey).
• When the ham is ready, remove it from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425°F. Discard the foil and parchment paper and, using a sharp knife, score a 1-inch-wide diamond pattern (don't cut more than 1/4 inch deep) over the entire ham.
• Brush the ham with a quarter of the glaze, return it to the oven, and bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush with another quarter of the glaze, and repeat every 15 minutes until all of the glaze has been used and a dark golden-brown crust has formed, about 60 to 75 minutes total. Let the ham rest 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.