Pureed Watercress Food

LOIN OF BEEF WITH WATERCRESS PUREE

Steps:

• First, make the sauce. Put a pan of salted water on to boil. Push in all the watercress and boil for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for another minute or so until wilted. Drain in a colander. Press with the back of a ladle to extract as much moisture as possible.
• Put the leaves in a food processor and blend to a fine puree, scraping down the sides occasionally. Pour 1/4 cup of the cream through the processor funnel and keep the blades whirling for what seems like an eternity. You will eventually get a sauce with a texture like silk. It will be so smooth, you will not need to pass it through a sieve. If you want a pouring sauce, add the remaining cream. Check the seasoning, and pour into a small saucepan for reheating.
• Cut the beef loin into 4 even steaks and rub each side using 1 tablespoon oil. Heat a heavy, non-stick frying pan until you can feel a good heat rising. Lay in your steaks-they should give a good hiss as they hit the hot pan. Season the tops and cook for about 3 minutes, then flip over and cook the other side for 2 minutes. Slip the butter into the pan at this stage and season the second side. Remove the steaks from the pan and leave to rest while you cook the mushrooms.
• Saute the mushrooms with the garlic in the remaining oil. Season and mix with the parsley.
• Reheat the watercress puree. Place the steaks on warmed plates (sliced first if you like), trickle any pan juices over, and spoon on the mushrooms. If your watercress puree is firm, shape it into quenelles. If it is a sauce, spoon some over the steaks and pass the rest separately. Serve whatever accompaniment you like to eat steak with. Fries are great, or why not try slices of really fresh baguette?

PUREED WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water & salt to a boil. Add potato. Boil until very soft, about 20 minutes.
• Add watercres. When the water comes back to a boil, cook 1 minute.
• Drain & press down to get all the liquid out. puree in a food processor, add butter, puree again. Season to taste.

SAUTéED WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook pine nuts with 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a small bowl.
• Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet, then sauté garlic, coriander, red-pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper over medium-high heat until spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add watercress and sauté, turning with tongs, until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with pine nuts.

PURéE OF PEAS AND WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the peas and return to a boil. Turn off the heat. Add the watercress tops to the peas and cover the saucepan. Let sit for 5 minutes so that the watercress wilts.
• Drain the peas and watercress and transfer to a food processor. Add the butter, pepper and salt and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Spoon into a serving dish and serve.

PEA AND WATERCRESS PURéE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan combine the peas, the watercress, and the water and boil the mixture, covered, for 5 minutes, or until the peas and watercress are tender. Transfer the mixture to a food processor, add the butter and salt and pepper to taste, and purée the mixture.

TAMARIND-BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH TRUFFLE SUNCHOKE PURéE, WATERCRESS PURéE, AND GLAZED CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Braise the short ribs:
• Season the short ribs generously on all sides with salt and pepper.
• In a large skillet over moderately high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the short ribs and sear until browned on all sides. Transfer short ribs to a plate and set aside.
• In a large saucepan over moderate heat, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until hot but not smoking. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeño, bay leaves, peppercorns, and cloves and sauté, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 5 minutes.
• Add the vinegar, tamarind paste, molasses, and anchovies and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about 1/3. Add the beef stock and demi-glace. Add the seared short ribs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and simmer until the meat is fork-tender, about 3 hours. Transfer the short ribs to a plate. Pour the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl and discard the solids. Return the strained braising liquid and the short ribs to the large saucepan, cover, and keep warm until ready to serve.
• Make the truffle sunchoke purée:
• In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, combine the sunchokes, cream, and butter and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and continue simmering until the sunchokes are tender. Transfer the sunchokes, reserving the cooking liquid, to a blender or food processor, and process, adding the liquid as necessary, until completely smooth. Transfer the to a bowl, stir in the truffles, and season with salt and pepper.
• Make the watercress purée:
• Reserve a couple of watercress leaves for garnish.
• In a medium pot of boiling water, blanch the remaining watercress. Transfer to a blender or food processor, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and process until smooth. With the blender or food processor on low, slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and continue to process until smooth and fully incorporated. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the lemon zest.
• Make the butter-glazed chanterelle mushrooms:
• In a large skillet over high heat, warm the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes. Add the butter and let it melt, stirring occasionally. Add the vegetable stock and simmer, stirring occasionally, to glaze the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
• To serve:
• Divide the sunchoke purée among 4 large plates. Top each with 1 short rib then divide the mushrooms among the plates, arranging them around the short ribs. Drizzle the plate with the braising liquid and the watercress purée and garnish with the reserved watercress leaves.