Parisienne Bistro Crudité Plate Food

CRUDITE PLATTER

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Fill a large bowl with ice water and salt generously. Drop the beans into the boiling water and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Scoop them out of the water and immediately plunge the beans into the ice water, to stop their cooking and set the color. Cool, remove them from the ice bath, and pat dry. Repeat with the broccoli and asparagus. (The asparagus may take a minute less, depending on their size.)
• Attractively arrange all the vegetables on a large serving platter and serve with the dip of your choice.
• Drain the yogurt in a coffee filter or cheese cloth-lined sieve, set over a bowl, until thickened to about 1 cup, about 2 hours.
• Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the curry and cook, stirring, until fragrant about 30 seconds more. Set aside to cool.
• In a bowl, combine the drained yogurt, curry mixture, mayonnaise, chutney, scallion, hot sauce, lime juice, and coriander. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Yield: about 2 cups
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a roasting pan, rub the 2 onions in their skins with the 2 tablespoons oil. Bake until squishy soft, turning them once, about 45 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. Peel the onions and set aside.
• Meanwhile, finely dice the remaining onion. Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 cup oil and heat until hot. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally until they just begin to lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 18 minutes more. Strain the onions through a sieve over a bowl. Transfer the onions to a paper towel-lined plate and spread them into a single layer. Reserve 1/4 cup of the onion oil and let it cool completely. (Reserve the remaining oil for dressings or marinades.)
• Puree the roasted onions in a food processor. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, and salt, and pulse until smooth. While the motor is running, drizzle in the 1/4 cup of reserved onion oil until incorporated. Season with pepper and hot sauce, to taste. Transfer the onion dip to a serving bowl and stir in the scallion. Refrigerate until very thick, about 3 hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve top with the fried onions.
• Yield: about 4 cups

PARISIENNE BISTRO CRUDITé PLATE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• For baby beets, slice the tops off 1/2 inch above the stem and place on a baking pan. Toss beets with just enough olive oil to evenly coat; add a little water to the bottom of the pan. Cover and bake for about 25 minutes, then test the beets by inserting a paring knife into the center of one. The knife should slip out easily when you pick it up. If not, continue to cook for 5-10 more minutes. Cool, then rub the skins off with a paper towel.
• For larger beets, slice off the tops 1/2 inch above the stem and roast on a baking pan in the oven without covering and without water for about 40 minutes. Test doneness in the same manner. When they are cool enough to handle, peel with a sharp paring knife.
• Place sliced or diced beets in a bowl and toss to coat with dressing. Let marinate for 10 minutes. Serve the beets simply dressed or with sliced red onion, arugula or spinach, and crumbled goat cheese or shaved ricotta salata for a more substantial salad.
• Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.
• Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and mustard.
• There are generally two ways to prepare celery root for remoulade. Some people like it grated (in a food processor or by hand) and tossed raw with the dressing. But you can also use a Japanese mandolin to slice the celery root into matchsticks, and then blanch them. The grated way is good raw, because I think it gets a little moister. The blanched matchsticks are appealing because the cooking process brings out the flavor more. If you choose to blanch the root, cover the matchsticks with acidulated water (water with the juice of 1 lemon and a pinch of salt) as you do your slicing, to avoid discoloration. When you're done slicing, place the matchsticks and the water over high heat, bring to a boil, then drain. Rinse them briefly with cold water, then dry thoroughly. When cool, toss the celery root with the dressing and season with salt and pepper.
• Toss the carrots, lemon juice, and walnut oil together in a bowl. Season with salt. Taste, adding more lemon juice or salt as needed.
• Split the cucumbers in half and use a melon baller or teaspoon to scoop out the seeds. Thinly slice cucumber and place in a medium bowl with the onion, sour cream, dill, and vinegar. Use a rubber spatula to combine well. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and add salt or vinegar, as needed.