A Very Updated Vegetable Chartreuse Food

A VERY UPDATED VEGETABLE CHARTREUSE

Steps:

• Cut the cabbage core/stem end. Separate off 12-13 leaves (several will be extra), choosing the biggest, most beautiful. Boil a pot of water, and salt until it tastes like pleasant seawater. Cook separated leaves in two batches, 3-4 minutes each, removing when they are pliable with a sieve or tongs to a baking tray lined with cloths or a large colander. Let them drain until very dry.
• From the remaining cabbage, very finely slice two cups of leaves, leaving the thick central stem behind (save/freeze for vegetable soup). Add the 1 1/2 cups julienne celery and leaves and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well, and leave sitting at room temperature for at least an hour and up to 2 hours, mixing occasionally.
• Combine 3 tablespoons butter and 1 of olive oil in a very large pan. Once butter is melted, add chopped onion, garlic, remaining celery and combined sage, rosemary and thyme, and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until onion is just translucent. If it starts to brown or stick, add a few drops of water. Add all diced mushrooms, and stir occasionally, cooking 15-25 minutes until the mushrooms' liquid has all emerged and evaporated. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Mix through, add white wine and cook for another minute. Turn off heat. Add parsley/celery leaves and crème fraîche, and mix through. Remove to a bowl, and refrigerate.
• Rinse spinach in a large colander. Put a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook spinach in batches with only the water clinging to the leaves until they are completely wilted. Remove to a colander to cool. Put the spinach in a strong clean kitchen cloth, and squeeze well, until completely dry. Put leaves through a food processor until very well chopped (or chop finely by hand). In a small pan, heat 5 tablespoons butter in 1 tablespoon olive oil until butter has just begun to brown. Add chopped spinach and nutmeg. Add 1 teaspoon sea salt, then sherry. Cook a few moments, until sherry is absorbed. Turn off heat. Add Parmesan and mix.
• Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter a 6- or 7-inch springform pan. Make sure the cabbage leaves are very dry. Put the prettiest cabbage leaf in the bottom of the pan, spreading it into a single layer. Trim any stem/central vein that overhangs. Use 5-7 more leaves to line the sides, pressing some of each leaf carefully into the bottom of the pan and the rest up the pan's side. There should be some leaf remaining overhanging the top. Continue, lightly overlapping the leaves, until sides are covered. Put a third of the mushroom mixture into the food processor, and blend to semi-smooth. Mix back into the rest of the mushrooms. Spread half the mushroom mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan, over the cabbage. Cover with an even layer of half the spinach. Drain the cabbage-celery slaw very well, pressing all the liquid. Spread the very dry slaw over the cabbage. Repeat with the remaining spinach, and then the remaining mushrooms. Cover the mushrooms with 1-3 more cabbage leaves, in a very thin layer, trimming to fit if necessary. Fold overhanging leaves to cover the bottom. Dot with remaining butter, divided. Put into the middle of the oven. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and let sit to cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Put a large plate over the cake pan. Invert the pan, and release the springform sides. Carefully remove the sides and top. Let the finished dish cool a few minutes more, then cut with a very sharp knife. Serve immediately, alone, or with a dollop of crème fraîche or ricotta on each serving.

JULIENNE OF CARROTS WITH SNOW PEAS

Steps:

• Slice the carrots into julienne strips about 1 1/2 inches long.
• Place the carrots in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer 4 minutes. Add the snow peas, bring to a boil, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Drain.
• Heat the oil in a skillet and add the carrots, snow peas, garlic, soy sauce, scallions and pepper. Stir and cook 1 minute. Serve.

NEW CRAB LOUIS

Steps:

• Wash the lettuce, and dry in a salad spinner and on dish towels. Chill.
• Peel the cucumber skin in stripes, then halve lengthwise, and seed with a spoon. Cut into bite-size pieces. Drizzle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and the sherry or vinegar, and leave to marinate.
• Bring 4 eggs to a boil, covered, in cold water. Once the water boils, turn off the heat, and leave the eggs sitting covered, 5 to 6 minutes, depending on egg size, for them to just set with the tiniest softness in the middle. Drain immediately, and leave in very cold water for a few minutes. Peel.
• Make a damp dish towel into a ring on the kitchen table. Set a medium, round bottomed mixing bowl in it. Separate the final egg yolk. (Reserve the egg white to add to an omelet.) Whisk together the yolk, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt and lemon juice well. After about 5 seconds of whisking, begin to add the oil, drop by drop. Once the mayonnaise begins to thicken, start adding oil more quickly. Whisk in all of the oil, adding drops of water, if needed, to get it to a consistency just looser than store-bought mayonnaise.
• In a small bowl, drizzle chopped shallot with a little lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Using a mortar and pestle or the side of a large chef's knife, pound garlic to a paste with the last ¼ teaspoon salt. Add to mayonnaise. Add chopped pickles and capers. Add the reserved shallots. Mix well, and taste for salt. Refrigerate, covered, if not using immediately.
• Lay leaves of lettuce in a lightly piled layer on dinner plates. Drain the cucumbers, and divide between plates. Halve or quarter eggs, and divide among plates, salting each lightly. Divide crab among salads. Shake hot sauce directly over the crab on each plate, as liberally as you like. Dollop each salad with dressing, mostly on crab, but allowed to cascade. Finish with a little crunchy salt, if using, and chopped chives or chive blossoms. Add any additional vegetables before the crab. Serve any remaining dressing on the side. Eat cold.

CHICKEN FRICASSEE WITH VERMOUTH

Steps:

• Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat the butter in a skillet and add the chicken pieces skin side down. Cook over moderate heat about one minute without browning.
• Scatter the onion over all and cook 30 seconds. Add the garlic and stir it around. Cook the chicken about four minutes, turning the pieces often in the butter.
• Sprinkle the flour over all, turning the pieces so that they are evenly coated. Add the vermouth, chicken broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover and cook over moderate heat about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring two batches of water to the boil for the carrots and leeks. Drop the carrots into one batch, the leeks in the other. Let the carrots simmer about one minute and drain. Let the leeks simmer about four minutes.
• When the chicken has cooked for a total of 30 minutes (start to finish), add the carrots, leeks and cream. Let simmer about two minutes. Serve with rice.