Juan Canary Granite Food

WALNUT FRANGIPANI

Steps:

• In a food processor, finely grind the walnuts and the granulated sugar. Set aside. With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the brown sugar and the butter until light and fluffy. Add the ground nut mixture, cinnamon and rum or vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Lower the mixer to the lowest speed and stir in the flour mixture until just absorbed. Use as a filling for tarts, pastries and other baked goods. It will keep refrigerated, tightly sealed, for 3 days or frozen for up to 6 months.

JUAN CANARY GRANITE

Steps:

• Crack the coriander seeds by pressing on them with the bottom of a cast-iron skillet. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, almond extract, the fresh coriander and the seeds. Add the melon and stir thoroughly. Macerate for 1 hour, refrigerated.
• Pass the melon and juice through a food mill, or puree in a food processor and then pass through a mesh sieve. Discard the solids.
• Add the remaining teaspoon of minced coriander to the liquid and stir. Pour the liquid into 2 pie dishes and place in the freezer for 4 hours. Using a fork, scrape the ice out of the pan, mashing large chunks as necessary. Mound a spoonful on each of 4 plates, garnish with a leaf or two of coriander and serve.

APPLE-WALNUT UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• For the topping, melt 1 teaspoon of the butter in a medium-size cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and saute until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and the brown sugar in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until melted and well blended. Butter a 10-inch pan with 3-inch sides and spread the brown- sugar mixture in the bottom. Arrange the apple slices in the pan in concentric circles. Set aside.
• For the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until light. Mix in the vanilla. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and walnuts. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just to combine. Spread the batter evenly over the apples. Bake until the cake springs back when touched in the center, about 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes and invert onto a cake plate. Let cool. Serve slightly warm.

HONEY-THYME ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan and add the thyme. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Strain and return the mixture to the saucepan.
• Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly pour in the cream mixture a little bit at a time, whisking constantly. After adding a cup, whisk in the honey and add the rest of the cream. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, cook over low heat and stir constantly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; do not let the mixture simmer. Cool.
• Refrigerate until cold. Freeze in an ice-cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions.

TUNA TARTAR

Steps:

• Dice the tuna as finely as possible, or put it through a meat grinder using the largest disk. Transfer to a small bowl and add the cilantro, shallot, ginger, oil, salt and pepper. Mix until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours.
• When ready to serve, mix the lime juice into the tuna. Divide the tuna between 4 small plates, mounding it in the center of the plates. Divide the onion, cucumbers, caper berries and toast points between the plates and serve immediately.

TOMATO-AND-CUCUMBER SALAD WITH TARRAGON-AND-CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, shallot, salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion and chives and toss to coat. Add the tarragon and mint and toss again. Line a serving bowl with the lettuce leaves and transfer the salad to it. Serve immediately.

LOBSTER CLUB SANDWICHES WITH TARRAGON MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• To make the mayonnaise, place the egg, mustard, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce in a blender and process to combine. With the machine running, add the oil in a slow steady stream, blending until mixture is emulsified. Add the tarragon and salt and blend until combined. (Mayonnaise can be made a few hours ahead, covered and refrigerated.)
• Spread mayonnaise over the bottom of each roll. Top with a piece of lettuce, then the lobster meat and bacon. Cover with the roll tops and serve.

SALT-BAKED WHOLE POMPANO WITH PARSLEY OIL

Steps:

• To make the parsley oil, bring a saucepan 1/4 full of water to a boil and add the parsley. Cook just until the leaves turn bright green, about 30 seconds. Immediately drain and plunge the leaves into cold water to stop the cooking.
• Drain the leaves again and wring out as much water as possible. Transfer parsley to a blender and add the olive oil. Blend until pureed. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much oil as possible. Discard solids and refrigerate the oil.
• To make the fish, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and pat the pompano dry and season it inside and out with pepper. Place the rosemary and garlic inside the cavity. Place the salt in a large bowl. Whisk the egg whites together with 1/4cup water and pour it over the salt. Using your hands, distribute the liquid evenly through the salt.
• Choose a baking dish just slightly larger than the fish and pour a half-inch layer of the salt into the bottom. Place the fish over it and pour the remainder of the salt over and around it, making sure that a good layer covers the fish on all sides. Bake the fish for 35 minutes.
• Remove the fish from the oven. Wrap the head of a hammer in cloth and use the flat side to break the salt. Pull the salt away to expose the fish and gently lift it from the salt, brushing away any that adheres to the skin. Place the fish on a platter and peel back and discard the skin. Pour parsley oil over the fish, surround it with lemon slices and serve.

INDIAN-SPICED POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized, about 30 minutes. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, turmeric, cayenne, salt and pepper. Stir in the garlic.
• Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish. Layer half of the potatoes in the dish, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle with half of the spice mixture. Cover with the onions. Layer the remaining potatoes over the onions. Sprinkle with the remaining spice mixture, and pour the cream over the top.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the potatoes are tender, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly, cut into rectangles and serve. (The potatoes can be made ahead and reheated in a low oven, covered with aluminum foil.)