THE BOARD SESSIONS | VOL.5
OUR CULINARY HEARTBEAT.
At the Stove
On the stove
JOHANNES, LISA & JOSEPH
HASSELBACK squash WITH PILAF RICE,
Offenbach meatballs AND SAFFRON SAUCE
"Hasselback" squash & saffron sauce
// Christmassy, sweet, fragrant.
A vegetarian roast. Christmassy, sweet, fragrant, with almonds and oranges, accompanied by fresh Turkish figs, goat cheese, and a creamy saffron sauce.
Please follow the preparation order:
1. Prepare the squash completely so it only needs to go into the oven
2. Shape the meatballs and set aside
3. Finish the rice completely and cover with a kitchen towel
4. Put the squash in the oven
5. 15 minutes later, place the meatballs in the pan
6. Set the table
Preparation: approx. 30 minutes / Cooking time: 20-35 minutes
- THE BOARD SESSIONS | VOL.5
- THE HASSELBACK SQUASH
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- 2-3 butternut squashes
- Saffron
- 2 packs of butter
- 100 ml maple syrup
- 3 organic oranges
- Fennel and coriander seeds
- Cumin, cinnamon
- 150g chopped almonds
- Figs
- Goat cheese
- Some fresh thyme
PREPARATION
1 - We use the Hasselback cutting technique to rub or stud the pumpkin with spiced butter, maple syrup, and orange slices. To do this, peel the pumpkins and halve them lengthwise, remove the seeds, and place them on the cutting board.
2 - Then place “cutting guides” (e.g., chopsticks) on both sides of the pumpkin to prevent accidentally cutting too deep. Then, using a sharp, wide knife, cut down in 2 mm intervals up to the chopsticks, so the pumpkin remains intact at chopstick depth. This creates “fanned” pumpkin backs, which you place side by side on baking sheets.
3 - Cut the oranges into thin slices and insert about 3-4 slices per half pumpkin at even intervals into the cut wedges. Also tuck fresh thyme sprigs into the wedges.
4 - Crush the spices in a mortar and knead together with the almonds, some salt, and 150-200 g butter. The amount depends somewhat on the size of the pumpkin – we want to rub the pumpkins completely with the butter, so better too much than too little. Spread the butter by hand on the pumpkin and rub it in completely.
5 - Finally, drizzle some maple syrup lengthwise over the pumpkin back to add a little sugar kick.
6 - Put the pumpkin in the oven at 180° for 20–35 minutes. The cooking time varies somewhat depending on the size of the pumpkin. Please keep an eye on the doneness with a fork, your nose, and a critical eye.
7 - Cut the figs into wedges and crumble the cheese. Both will be used later to decorate the finished pumpkin.
SAFFRON SAUCE
8 - The saffron sauce was actually just insanely delicious. Please note: saffron comes in very different qualities, which is reflected in the taste and, of course, also in the price. Here in Offenbach, you can find a good selection at every Arab vegetable vendor. Feel free to try the most expensive one – it usually isn’t that expensive because you only need a little – and it makes a big difference in flavor.
9 - Grind the saffron threads (approx. 0.4 g) with 1 tbsp sugar in a spice grinder or mortar. Heat 200 g butter once until hot and melted, then remove from heat and only then stir in the saffron.
10 - Then bring about 200 ml of water to a boil. Mix 3 tbsp rice starch with some cold water until lump-free. Then gradually add the mixture to the boiling water, letting it come to a boil between portions. Starch only thickens when boiling, so it’s important to proceed step by step to achieve the desired consistency. The target consistency is roughly like wall paint.
11 - The “wall paint” is now mixed into the butter to make it a bit lighter and frothier in fat content. Finally, add 1 tbsp lemon juice and some salt to taste. The result should be a bright yellow, creamy, and homogeneous sauce that you can pour over the pumpkin. Spectacular. This is probably also an excellent base for a dessert. We will try that.
NOTES
Offenbach meat patties
// aka Köfte
- THE BOARD SESSIONS | VOL.5
- “KÖFTE"
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- 2 kg ground meat (real or vegan)
- 2 large onions, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 250 g bulgur
- 4 eggs
- Salt
- Pine nuts
- 150 g mint, chopped
- 200 g parsley with stems, finely chopped
- 5 tbsp sweet paprika powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp ground allspice
- 1 tbsp ground pepper
- 1 tbsp ground caraway
- 1 tbsp chili flakes
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
PREPARATION
1 - Pour 500 ml of hot water or broth over the bulgur, stir, and let it soak. Put all other ingredients in a large bowl, reserving some parsley and mint. Season to taste. Form into balls and finish frying in a pan with oil over medium heat.
2 - After frying, layer on a platter, herbs on top, and serve at the table.
NOTES
Pilaf Rice
// Turkish rice with browned Risi noodles
For this rice dish, we took inspiration from the wonderful Turkish rice with browned Risi noodles and lots of butter. A classic side for Döner-on-a-plate and really delicious when done well. Served with blanched rapa, wild broccoli. A rather unknown vegetable with a great natural flavor. It’s usually only available at wholesalers and the mentioned Arab or Turkish greengrocers. Also barberries as an acidity highlight, salty pistachios, fried shallots, and finally a fragrant caraway butter on top. Very fine. Here’s how:
- THE BOARD SESSIONS | VOL.5
- “Pilaf Rice"
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- 500 g rice noodles
- Sushi rice
- 2 medium onions, diced
- ½ garlic bulb, unpeeled, cloves just lightly crushed with a knife
- 1-2 liters water
- 2 bunches rapa, stems thinly sliced, leaves picked off
- Shallots, cut lengthwise into thin rings
- Barberries
- Caraway butter (caraway + 150-200 g butter)
- Pistachios
- 80 g dill, finely chopped
STEPS
1 - Sauté the rice noodles with the diced onions and garlic cloves in a large shallow pot in some vegetable oil over medium heat until they turn nicely golden. Meanwhile, wash the sushi rice thoroughly. When the rice noodles are nicely browned, add the drained rice to the pot and sauté a little more.
2 - Then, as with risotto, gradually add hot water so that the rice is always slightly covered. Stir regularly to prevent burning. Cook this way until the rice is delicious. Then add some salt.
3 - Meanwhile, bring water with quite a bit of salt and sugar to a boil in another pot. Have a container with ice water ready for cooling.
4 - Blanch the rapa stems in portions for about 1.5 minutes in the water and immediately cool them down. Then blanch the leaves for about 30 seconds and cool them down. Set aside for later.
5 - Fry the shallots in hot fat (about 160°) until they are completely brown and fully fried. Remove with a slotted spoon, spread on paper towels, and lightly salt.
6 - Roast the pistachios in a dry pan without fat, then deglaze with a splash of salted water, toss, and continue roasting until the water has evaporated.
7 - Finally, prepare the caraway butter: melt the butter, lightly crush the caraway seeds in a mortar, then add them to the butter, remove the pot from the heat, and let it steep for 10 minutes. Reserve some pistachios and barberries.
8 - Put the cooked rice, rapa, dill, pistachios, and barberries together in a large bowl, pour the caraway butter over it, and mix everything thoroughly.
9 - Put everything on a suitable plate or in a bowl and pile it up nicely. On top, add the fried onions and the remaining pistachios and barberries.
NOTES
