Best Juan Canary Granite Recipes

SWAN LAKE

Steps:

• To make the granite, combine water and Chartreuse and pour onto a jellyroll pan. Place in freezer until frozen, about 45 minutes.
• To make the profiteroles, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place water, butter, salt and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in flour. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture dries out and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 1 minute. Place in a bowl for an electric mixer. With mixer running, add eggs 1 at a time. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix until smooth. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the dough in a pastry bag, using a No. 0 tip. Make the swan's neck and head by piping out an arc about 2 inches long. Make a small oval at one end for the head and a 1/4-inch tail coming off of the point where the head joins the neck. Make 7 more of these, spacing them 2 inches apart.
• Transfer dough to a second bag, using a No. 4B tip. To make the swan's body, pipe out a teardrop shape, beginning with the rounded part and gradually using less pressure so the dough tapers to a point. The teardrop should be about 2 1/4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches at the widest part. Pipe out 7 more of these. Bake on baking sheet until light brown. Watch carefully and remove the necks from the baking sheet as soon as they are done, about 5 minutes; the bodies will take a few more minutes. Set aside to cool.
• To make the pastry cream, place the milk and the vanilla bean in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch and egg. Whisk the milk vigorously into the egg mixture. Place the mixture in the saucepan. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and cooks for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Whisk in Chartreuse until mixture is very smooth. In separate bowl whip cream until stiff peaks form. Whisk 1/2 of the whipped cream into the cooked mixture. Fold in the remaining cream. Chill until cold. Dessert can be made several hours ahead up to this point.
• Using a serrated knife, cut the swans' bodies in half horizontally. Cut each top in half lengthwise. Place the pastry cream in a pastry bag, using a No. 4B tip. Pipe it into the bottom half of each swan so that it mounds over the top. Place a neck down into the cream at the rounded edge of each body. Perch the halved tops on each side of the swan's body to look like wings. Remove the granite from the freezer. Use a spoon to scrape up the mixture into an icy slush. Spoon some of the granite onto the center of each of 4 plates. Place 2 swans on each plate, on top of the granite. Garnish the pastry cream at the back of each swan with a few of the orange slices. Lightly sprinkle with sugar. Serve immediately.

CHINESE-STYLE BARBECUED DUCK

Steps:

• Prick the skin of the duck all over with a fork, particularly around the breast. Combine the hoisin, soy sauce, mirin, honey, sesame oil, chili oil, garlic and ginger in a small saucepan over low heat. Simmer slowly for 5 minutes. Place the duck in a shallow dish, add half of the hoisin mixture and turn to coat well. Marinate several hours or overnight, turning the duck frequently.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the duck on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil. Discard the marinade from the duck. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and prick the duck again.
• Continue roasting, uncovered, until the juices run slightly pink when pricked in the thickest part of the thigh, about 30 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir the orange juice into the remaining hoisin mixture. Carve the duck and serve, passing the sauce for dipping.

SHRIMP WITH GARLIC (CAMARONES AL MOJO DE AJO)

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it just begins to turn golden. Add the shrimp, then immediately add lime, Tabasco and salt. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately with French bread.

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.

ROASTED GARLIC JAM

Steps:

• Chop the garlic with a knife until it forms a paste. Place in a bowl and stir in the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir in the parsley. Use for bruschetta, pizza or grilled meats.

PROSCIUTTO TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• In large pot over medium heat, soften garlic and onion in olive oil until onion is translucent. Add prosciutto and cook five minutes. Use hands or fork to break up tomatoes and add; if using canned, also add juice. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes.
• Add basil, parsley, wine and pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer one hour. Remove sauce from heat. Whisk in butter.

SWEDISH NUT BALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, cream together butter and 3/4 cup of the powdered sugar. Add the flour, vanilla and ground pecans. Stir to combine.
• Shape dough into balls, using a slightly rounded teaspoon for each. Place 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake until the edges turn gold, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer cookies to a rack to cool. Cookies can be frozen in an airtight container, with wax paper between each layer for up to 6 months. Defrost 30 minutes. Just before serving, place the remaining cup of powdered sugar in a plastic bag. Add several cookies and shake gently to dust with sugar. Repeat with remaining cookies.

CORN JUICE

Steps:

• Husk the corn and pull out the silk. Cut the kernels off of the cob. Pass the corn through a juice extractor.

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.

COD SMOTHERED WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons of parsley and mushroom broth. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
• Season the cod with 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Place the fillets in the skillet, spooning the mushroom liquid over the top. Reduce the heat to medium-low and braise until the fish is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Place 1 cod fillet on each of 4 plates and spoon the mushroom sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve immediately.