BBP

Gazpacho with Spicy Seared Scallops

2 large cloves of garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 slice day-old bread, torn into small pieces
1/2 bunch watercress, or 2 outer romaine leaves
1/4 cup rice wine or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 large fresh basil leaves
1 can beef or vegetable broth
6 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 cups V8 juice
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
12 fresh sea scallops, cleaned and blotted dry
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 (10-inch long) bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes, then drained
Vegetable oil for brushing
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Gazpacho:

In food processor or blender, puree the garlic, sugar, cayenne and bread.

Trim away any tough watercress stems or remove the tick spines of the romaine leaves.

Add watercress or romaine to the work bowl.

Add the vinegar, oil, basil, and beef or vegetable broth.

Process until pureed.

Transfer to another bowl and stir in tomatoes and V8 juices.

Add salt and pepper to taste

Cover and chill.

Scallops:

Prepare a medium-hot fire ..

In bowl, toss the scallops with olive oil and a little salt and pepper

Set aside for 15 minutes, then thread 4 scallops onto each skewer or cook directly on the grill.

Brush grill grate w/ veggie oil.

Grill for 2 minutes on each side.

Slide them off skewers and top them with gazpacho.

*Dressed To Grill

Lemon Mousse Cake

Serves 12
When we entertain guests from Thailand at the restaurant. I always serve lemon mousse cake for dessert. Although there is nothing Thai about it, the delightful and refreshing taste of this dessert makes a Lemon Grass meal even more memorable. This recipe is rather involved, so have patience and make it ahead of time. The cake is easier to handle and cut if it sits overnight.

CAKE
2 eggs, brought to room temperature
1 egg yolk, brought to room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons butter, melted

LEMON CURD
5 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sweet butter
zest of 3 lemons, finely minced

MOUSSE
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup wter
4 egg whites, brought to room temperature
1 1/2 tespoons unflavored gelatin
2 cups lemon curd (see above)
zest of 1 lemon, finely minced

ICING
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup lemon curd (see above)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease, line, and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
To make the cake place the eggs, egg yolk, and sugar in saucepan and heat over low heat just long enough to dissolve the sugar, at about 110 degrees. Using a mixer or by hand, whip egg mixture until very light and thick. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Gently fold the melted butter and flour into the egg mixture. Pour the batter into prepared springform pan. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven. Let cool for 20 minutes, then remove and transfer to a plate. Cover and set aside.
To make the lemon curd, whip together the eggs, egg yolk, and sugar in a noncorrosive saucepan for 1 to 2 minutes, Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring mixture to simmer and stir constantly to prevent sticking. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Place plastic wrap on the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
To make the mousse, heat the corn syrup and the water in a small saucepan over moderate heat until large bubbles start to form, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat and keep warm. whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. (Use an electruc mixer if you have one. If not, get someone to whip the egg whites while you add the other ingredients.) While still whipping. carefully add the warm corn syrup in a thin stream. Make sure the syrup does not solidify on the bowl or beaters. Whip until cooled. In a small bowl, soften the gelatin in2 tablespoons warm water. Stir to dissolve. Fold the gelatin. 2 cups lemon curd, and lemon zest into the whipped egg white mixture and set aside.
To assemble the cake, line the springform pan with plastic wrap and, leaving about 2 inches around the edges, pour in the mousse. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 3 hours.
Spread about 1/2 cup of the remaining lemon curd on the mousse. Place the cake on top and invert onto a flat serving platter. Carefully unmold the mousse by lifting the pan while holding down the edges of the plastic wrap. Remove and discard the plastic wrap. One hour before serving, whip the heavy cream until stiff, then stir in the lemon curd. Ice the cake and then chill and serve.

SIDENOTE
For best results, let the cake and mousse set overnight before assembling them. For a more attractive presentation, sprinkle fresh lemon zest on top of the icing.

*Mai Pham: The Best of Vietnamese & Thai Cooking: Favorite Recipes from Lemon Grass Restaurant and Cafe

Vietnamese Noodle Soup With Beef

Serves 6 to 10
In Vietnam, beef knuckle bones are used to make the broth. However, because they are quite awkward for home use, I have modified the recipe to include items that are easily available and handled. By the way, this soup really cannot be made in small quantities-it won't taste as good, trust me. So invite some friends over or save the leftovers for the following day. The secret to great 'pho' is to serve it in very large, heated soup bowls with lots of broth.

BROTH
4 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 3 to 4 pieces
6 quarts of water
3 tablespoons of salt
2 (5 inch) pieces fresh ginger, unpeeled
2 yellow onions, peeled
10 whole star anise
8 whole cloves
1/4 cup fish sauce
5 tablespoons sugar

NOODLES
1 pound dried small rice sticks, soaked in hot water 20 minutes then drained.

ACCOMPANIMENTS
1/4 pound top sirloin (optional)
1 yellow onion, sliced paper-thin
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 pound bean sprouts
24 fresh thai basil sprigs
1 dozen sprigs fresh saw-leaf herb (optional)
2 limes, cut into wedges
3 resh red or green chilies, sliced
fish sauce

Fill a very large stockpot with water and bring to a boil. Add the beef chuck pieces and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain off the water to discard impurities. Return the beef to the pot and fill with the 6 quarts of fresh water. Add salt and bring to a boil . Reduce heat to simmer and skim the surface ocassionally to remove impurtiies.
While the stock is cooking, dry-roast the ginger and 2 oniions by placing them in a fry pan over high heat. Turn so the skins are evenly charred but not cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and add to the soup stock. Then add the star anis, cloves , fish sauce , and sugar, continue to simmer until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove 1 piece of chuck form the pot and set it aside to cool. Continue to simmer the other 2 or 3 pieces to create a rich beef broth, about 30 minutes more. (Don't be alarmed if the broth seems salty. Once the noodle and condiments are added, the seasonings will balance.)
Meanwhile, arrange the accompaniments on a platter and set aside. Cut the reserved piece of chuck roast into thin slices. If using the rare beef topping, slice the sirloin into very thin strips and arrange on platter.
You may continue to let the broth simmer, but remove the spices and onions from the broth. The ginger can remain. (Cooking the spices too long will make the broth dark and too pungent. ) If the meat looks like it's going to fall apart in the broth, remove it and discard, or save for another use.
Just before serving, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place a handful of noodles in a sieve with a handle and lower into the boiling water. Using a fork or chop sticks, stir the noodles often and cook until just done, about 2 minutes. Remove the sieve and shake a bit to drain well. You may cook 2 to 3 portions of noodles at a time. Transfer noodles to large warmed soup bowls.
To serve, place a few slices of chuck roast and sirloin on the noodles. Top with about a talespoon each of sliced yellow onions, green onion, and cilantro. Ladle a generous amount of boiling beef broth on top. (To enjoy 'pho' correctly, it is critical that the bowl be large enough to hold about 1 part noodles and 4 parts soup.) Serve with the accompaniments, allowing each guest to top the soup with bean sprouts, herbs, chillies, a squeeze of lime , and more fish sauce if desired.

SIDENOTE
Considered the Vietnamese national soup, 'pho bo' is served around the clock.

*Mai Pham: The Best of Vietnamese & Thai Cooking: Favorite Recipes from Lemon Grass Restaurant and Cafe

Crispy Spring Rolls

Makes About 25 Pieces
'Cha gio' are considered culinary treasures, delighting everone who's tried them. Light and crispy, spring rolls are traditionally wrapped with rice paper. At Lemon Grass, however, we use a more durable type of spring roll wrapper made from wheat flour also used for Fillipino-style lumptas, they are marketed under the Menio brand and stocked in the frozen food department of Asian grocery stores. These 8x8-inch wrappers seal the filling so well that no oil can seep through during frying: this is not the case with rice paper.

FILLING
1 ounce driedbean thread noodles, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, drained and cut into 1/2-inch pieces with a scissors (about 2/3 cup)
1 tablespoon dried tree ear mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes drained, andstems trimmed and chopped with scissors
2/3 cup finely minced yelow onion
2 carrots, grated
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 eggs
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound ground pork

ASSEMBLING AND FRYING
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water
25 thin spring roll wrappers such as menlo brand
oil for frying.

ACCOMPANIMENTS
Table Salad (Page 53)
Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Page 32) *
*Ruth used Sweet Chili Sauce

Combine the bean thread noodles, mushrooms, onion, carrots, and green onions in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the fish sauce, garlic, salt, sugar, and black pepper. Add the chicken and pork and using a fork, break up the meat, so it is thoroughly mixed with the seasonings. Add the noodle mixture and mix well. Set aside.
Combine the cornstarch and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over low heat and stir often to prevent sticking . If mixture seems too thick, add more water. This will be the "glue" to seal the edges of the wrapper.
Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling on the bottom area of the square. Using your fingers, mold the filling into a cylinder about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. Fold the two pointed ends of the wrapper in and roll to enclose. Dab a little cornstarch mixture along the edges (do not use too much "glue") and seal the roll. Set aside while you finish making the remaining rolls. do not stack them.
To fry, preheat a large wok or fry pan. when hot, pour enough oil in to completely cover the spring rolls. Heat to about 325 degrees. Carefully place the rolls into the oil. do not crowd the pan or place the rolls on top of each other. Fry the spring rolls until filling is cooked, about 5 to 6 minutes on each side, turning often until they are nicely brown and crisp. If they brown too quickly, reduce the heat as the oil is too hot. Remove the cooked spring rolls from the pan and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with dipping sauce and table salad.

SIDENOTE:
If you're entertaining, just cook the spring rolls halfway and bake at 250 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. The skin stays nicely crisped. To serve as hors d'oeuvres, cut the rolls in half diagonally. To freeze, cook halfway, then cool before freezing. To use, thaw and bake until thoroughly hot and crispy. Spring rolls will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

*Mai Pham: The Best of Vietnamese & Thai Cooking: Favorite Recipes from Lemon Grass Restaurant and Cafe