Chef Johns Horchata Food

CHEF JOHN'S HORCHATA

Steps:

• Place rice, almonds, cinnamon stick, and sugar in a blender. Pour in about 4 cups of the water. Pulse on and off to start. Then blend on high speed until ingredients have been chopped up into very small pieces, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 3 cups cold, fresh water. Let mixture sit at room temperature about 4 hours. (Or you can refrigerate it overnight.) Stir occasionally.n
• Strain through several layers of cheesecloth into a pitcher. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Serve topped with a dusting of cinnamon.n

CHEF JOHN'S HORCHATA

Steps:

• Place rice, almonds, cinnamon stick, and sugar in a blender. Pour in about 4 cups of the water. Pulse on and off to start. Then blend on high speed until ingredients have been chopped up into very small pieces, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 3 cups cold, fresh water. Let mixture sit at room temperature about 4 hours. (Or you can refrigerate it overnight.) Stir occasionally.n
• Strain through several layers of cheesecloth into a pitcher. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Serve topped with a dusting of cinnamon.n

CHEF JOHN'S QUICK CHICKEN PICCATA

Steps:

• Place chicken breasts between 2 layers of plastic wrap and pound to about 1/2 inch thick. If you don't have a meat mallet, you can use a small frying pan.
• Season both sides of chicken breasts with cayenne, salt and black pepper, to taste; dredge lightly with flour and shake off excess. Alternatively, the flour can be put in a tea strainer and shaken over each side of the chicken.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side; remove to a plate.
• Add the capers to the remaining oil in the pan, smashing them slightly to release brine, until warmed through, about 30 seconds.
• Pour white wine into skillet. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon (or other appropriate tool). Cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
• Stir lemon juice, water (or stock), and butter in to the reduced wine mixture; cook and stir continuously to form a thick sauce, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir parsley though the sauce.
• Return chicken breasts to pan, cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Serve with sauce spooned over the top.

CHEF JOHN'S HORCHATA

Steps:

• Place rice, almonds, cinnamon stick, and sugar in a blender. Pour in about 4 cups of the water. Pulse on and off to start. Then blend on high speed until ingredients have been chopped up into very small pieces, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 3 cups cold, fresh water. Let mixture sit at room temperature about 4 hours. (Or you can refrigerate it overnight.) Stir occasionally.n
• Strain through several layers of cheesecloth into a pitcher. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Serve topped with a dusting of cinnamon.n

CHEF JOHN'S CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Brush bottom and sides of 2 (5-ounce) ramekins lightly with 1 teaspoon melted butter; cover bottom and sides right up to the rim. Add 1 tablespoon white sugar to ramekins. Rotate ramekins until sugar coats all surfaces. Pour off extra sugar.
• Place chocolate pieces in a metal mixing bowl. Place bowl over a pan of about 3 cups hot water over low heat. Do not let water boil or come to a simmer.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour. Whisk until flour is incorporated into butter and mixture thickens, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in cold milk until mixture becomes smooth and thickens, 2 or 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Transfer mixture to bowl with melted chocolate.
• Add salt and very small pinch of cayenne pepper. Mix together thoroughly. Add egg yolk and mix to combine. Leave bowl above the hot (not simmering) water to keep chocolate warm while you whip the egg whites.
• Place 2 egg whites in a mixing bowl; add cream of tartar. Whisk until mixture begins to thicken and a drizzle from the whisk stays on the surface about 1 second before disappearing into the mix, 2 or 3 minutes. Add 1/3 of sugar and whisk inches Whisk in a bit more sugar about 15 seconds; whisk in the rest of the sugar. Continue whisking until mixture is about as thick as shaving cream and holds soft peaks, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer a little less than half of egg whites to chocolate. Mix until egg whites are thoroughly incorporated into the chocolate, 1 or 2 minutes. Add the rest of the egg whites; gently fold into the chocolate with a spatula, lifting from the bottom and folding over. Stop mixing after the egg white disappears. Divide mixture between 2 prepared ramekins. Place ramekins on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until scuffles are puffed and have risen above the top of the rims, 12 to 15 minutes.

CHEF JOHN'S HORCHATA

Steps:

• Place rice, almonds, cinnamon stick, and sugar in a blender. Pour in about 4 cups of the water. Pulse on and off to start. Then blend on high speed until ingredients have been chopped up into very small pieces, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 3 cups cold, fresh water. Let mixture sit at room temperature about 4 hours. (Or you can refrigerate it overnight.) Stir occasionally.n
• Strain through several layers of cheesecloth into a pitcher. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Serve topped with a dusting of cinnamon.n