Delicious no-meat recipes for your holiday table.
When the celebrated chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten turned 50, he decided it was time to start enjoying weekends again. Four years later, the chef and owner of several restaurants says he has also rediscovered the joy of cooking at home.
“Now my wife and I cook together on the weekend,’’ he said. “We have fun in the kitchen. The house is always full, and we’re always cooking – outside, inside, for six, eight, a dozen, 20 people.’’
But he quickly discovered that his high-end cooking style, made famous in restaurants like Jean Georges and Vong, had to be reimagined for the home table. He opted for simple, flavorful recipes with foods from local suppliers near his cottage in Westchester County, north of New York City, and he focuses on simplicity and casual presentation that inspires a convivial atmosphere.
“At the restaurant, everything is plated,’’ he said. “At home I try to put everything in the middle of the table and have everybody dig in.’’
Mr. Vongerichten’s adventures in home cooking are the basis of his new cookbook, “Home Cooking With Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes,” published this week by Clarkson Potter. Unlike many cookbooks from top chefs, “Home Cooking” is filled with flavorful recipes simple enough for a new cook but sophisticated enough to inspire experienced home chefs.
For this year’s Vegetarian Thanksgiving series, Mr. Vongerichten has offered three favorite recipes: a creamy onion tart, a carrot and avocado dish inspired by his travels in Morocco and a simple green bean and almond recipe that bursts with fresh flavor. (Go to the interactive recipe collection to see all the dishes in the series so far.)
Home Cooking With Jean-Georges
Creamy Onion Tart
For four generations, the Vongerichten family has been turning out this tart, which is like a quiche but creamier. Chef Jean-Georges says, “My grandmother taught me how to make the basic pâte brise pastry crust when I was young. The one thing I learned simply by eating her endless variations on delicious tarts for dinner every night is that this dough can be used for just about anything — sweet or savory.”
For the tart:
1 large white onion, very thinly sliced
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole milk, warmed
1/3 cup heavy cream, warmed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1/2 recipe pâte brise (below), blind-baked
Pâte brise (enough for 2 8-inch crusts):
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, preferably cultured, cut up and chilled
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening, chilled
1 large egg
To prepare the crust:
1. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, salt, butter and shortening on low speed until crumbly. With the machine running, add 2 tablespoons cold water and the egg. Beat just until the dough comes together in large clumps.
2. Divide the dough in half and press each half into a 1-inch-thick round disc. Wrap each tightly in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 3 days; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling. Alternatively, the dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
3. For each crust, on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece of dough into a 10-inch round. Carefully transfer the dough to an 8-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing the dough gently against the bottom and up the sides. If necessary, trim the edges against the rim.
4. Line the dough with foil, then fill with dried beans or pie weights. Freeze overnight, or until very hard.
5. To blind-bake a tart shell, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
6. Bake the frozen crust until the edges are set, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans. Poke holes all over the bottom of the crust with a fork, then return to the oven. Bake until the bottom is set and the crust is blond, about 8 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack.
To make the tart:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet, combine the onion, 2 tablespoons of the butter and a generous pinch of salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until very tender and pale gold, about 25 minutes.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cream in a slow, steady stream. Still whisking, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, whisking occasionally.
3. Whisk in the eggs, a little at a time, until well incorporated and smooth. Stir in the onion, then season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Transfer the mixture to the tart shell, spreading it in an even layer.
4. Bake until the tart is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Unmold and serve warm.
Yield: 6 servings.
Home Cooking With Jean-Georges
Carrot and Avocado Salad With Crunchy Seeds
This is easily one of my favorite fall salads. The creaminess of avocado and sour cream is amazing with the spiced zing of the carrots and the toasted, nutty seeds.
For the salad:
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
Cumin and Citrus Roasted Carrots (see below)
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and cut into thin wedges
4 cups sprouts, preferably a mix of radish and beet
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sour cream
Edible flowers, for garnish, optional
Cumin and Citrus Roasted Carrots
1 pound medium carrots, peeled
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 oranges
2 lemons, halved
To prepare the carrots:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a wide pot of water to a boil. Add the carrots and cook until a knife pierces them easily, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, cumin, thyme, chili flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper until crushed and pasty. Add the vinegar and 1/4 cup of the oil and continue pounding until well mixed. Alternatively, pulse in a food processor or blender until pasty.
4. Drain the carrots and arrange in a medium roasting pan in a single layer. Spoon the cumin mixture over. Cut the whole orange in half. Arrange the orange halves and 2 of the lemon halves over the carrots, cut sides down. Roast for 25 minutes, or until the carrots are golden brown. Transfer the carrots to a platter.
5. When citrus is cool enough to handle, squeeze 2 tablespoons juice each from the roasted orange and lemon into a small bowl. Squeeze in 2 tablespoons orange juice from the remaining orange half as well as 2 tablespoons lemon juice from the remaining lemon. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the carrots.
To make the salad:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted and golden, but not golden brown, about 7 minutes. Cool completely.
2. Arrange the carrots on a serving platter, reserving the accompanying sauce. Put the avocado and then the sprouts on top. Drizzle with the reserved sauce.
3. Dollop the sour cream over the top, then sprinkle with the seeds. Garnish with flowers if desired. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings.
Home Cooking With Jean-Georges
Pan-Roasted Green Beans With Golden Almonds
This simple almond-shallot topping goes with just about any simply cooked vegetable, but it tastes best with green beans. Instead of simply blanching the beans, I char them until they develop a smoky richness.
Kosher salt
8 ounces green and/or wax beans, trimmed
1/4 cup blanched whole almonds, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, thinly sliced
1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add salt (a teaspoon or so, or to taste). Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until bright green but still firm, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to the ice water. When cool, drain again. Pat dry with paper towels until completely dry.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the almonds and the oil, adding more oil if needed to just cover the almonds. Cook over medium heat until the almonds are golden, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the shallot. It will cook in the residual heat.
3. Coat a large skillet with oil. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the beans and season with salt. Cook, tossing frequently, until beans are charred dark brown in spots and tender-crisp, about 7 minutes.
4. Top with the almond mixture, then the parsley. Grate the zest from a quarter of the lemon directly over the beans, then cut the lemon into wedges for serving. Season with pepper and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.
