Masa Ball Soup
1.Ingredients
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup seltzer or water
• 1/4 cup lard, schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) or neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil (see note)
• 1 cup masa harina para tamales (see note)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 quarts homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 medium carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 rib celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 3/4 cup 1/4-inch diced butternut squash
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1 jalapeño or Serrano pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 lime cut into wedges, for serving
2.Directions
1.In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs with seltzer and schmaltz or oil. In a small bowl, stir together masa harina with baking powder, salt, and pepper. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly. Refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes.
2.Meanwhile, divide stock evenly between two pots, season both to taste with salt, and bring to a simmer. Add diced carrots, celery, and squash to one pot and simmer until just tender. Set aside.
3.Using wet hands, and re-wetting hands as necessary, form masa mixture into 1- to 1 1/2-inch balls, and add to simmering pot of stock that doesn’t have the vegetables (the mixture may feel a little soft, but should form balls easily enough). When all masa balls are added, cover and simmer until cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes. Cooked masa balls can be kept warm in their broth until ready to serve.
4.Reheat both the vegetable pot and the masa-ball pot. Using a slotted spoon, transfer masa balls to serving bowls (you should have at least 3 per bowl); strain masa ball cooking broth with a fine mesh strainer into the pot with the remaining broth and vegetables. Ladle hot broth with vegetables into each bowl and garnish with cilantro and jalapeño or Serrano peppers. Serve, passing lime wedges at the table.
Oyster stew
1.Ingredients
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, 1 pint oysters with their liquor, jarred or freshly shucked, about 2 dozen*
1/4 cup flour, 2 celery stalks, minced
1 medium yellow or white onion, minced
1 3/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup cream (can use all milk if you want)
Splash of Tabasco, Crystal, or other hot sauce, Salt
Freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 cup parsley, minced
2.Directions
- Strain and reserve the oyster juice, rinse oysters: Strain the oyster juice through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl to remove any grit. Reserve the juices. Rinse the oysters well, under cold water. Put them in a bowl.
- Make a roux: Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the mixture for a few minutes, stirring often.
- Add celery and onions: When the roux turns the color of coffee-with-cream, stir in the celery and onions. Increase the heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add oyster juices, milk, cream, hot sauce: Add the oyster juice and any juices the oysters in the bowl have released. The flour in the roux will absorb the liquid and turn into a paste. Slowly add the milk and cream, stirring to incorporate as you pour them in. Add a healthy splash or two of hot sauce, to taste.
- Heat soup until steamy: Heat the soup to steamy, but below a simmer, over low heat, cook for 15 minutes. (Do not let the soup boil!)
- Add oysters: If you are working with large oysters, you may want to chop them into bite-sized pieces. Add the oysters and cook for another 2 minutes, or until the edges of the oysters just begin to curl.
Perfect Summer Fruit Salad
1.Ingredients
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups cubed fresh pineapple
2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
3 bananas,
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
2 cups blueberries
2.Directions
1.In a bowl add the orange juice, lemon juice,, orange zest, and lemon zest to a boil. Whisk to combine.
2.Layer the fruit in a large, clear glass bowl in this order: pineapple, strawberries, bananas, oranges, and blueberries. Pour the cooled sauce over the fruit. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before serving.