2018 is the year to make your cuisine as worldly as your bucket list. International flavors are hot on menus across the country with ingredients that span the globe. Topping the list is Za’atar (a traditional Middle Eastern spice blend of flavors including sumac and thyme), Kampot pepper (an elusive spice found only in the Kampot Province of Cambodia) and Vadouvan (the French interpretation of Indian curry).
Want to try one of these trends for yourself? Here are 3 of our Executive Chef’s favorite Vadouvan recipes.
VADOUVAN CURRIED CARROTS (serves 2)
From Executive Chef Shawn Applin – Outlier (Seattle, WA)
Ingredients:
For the roasted carrots:
- 20 baby carrots, assorted colors
- 7 tbsp. Vadouvan curry spice
- 2 tsp. salt
- 4 tbsp. butter
For the date purée:
- 1 lb. pitted medjool dates
- 1/2 c. water
- 1 tsp. salt
For the carrot purée:
- 1 lb. jumbo carrots
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 tsp. salt
Additional ingredients:
- 1/2 c. Greek yogurt
- 8 oz. smoked feta cheese (substitute regular feta if smoked feta is unavailable)
- 1/4 c. toasted, finely chopped pistachios
- cilantro
Directions:
- Over medium heat, roast the baby carrots with the Vadouvan curry spice, salt and butter in a sauté pan until slightly browned and cooked thru just until tender.
- Make the date purée: Put the dates in a pot with the water and salt, and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat. Strain the dates, saving the liquid. Puree in a blender adding just enough of the water to turn the dates into a fine paste. Hold at room temperature.
- Make the carrot purée: Steam the jumbo carrots until they are fall apart tender. Blend steamed carrots, butter and salt until it’s a smooth purée. Keep warm.
- Cut the feta cheese into a 1-inch thick slab. Place cheese on a rack on a tray and smoke at very low heat for about 1 hour. (The cheese should be slightly brown on the outside.) Cool. Shave with a vegetable peeler into long strands.
- To assemble, spread carrot purée onto a plate in a decorative fashion with an offset spatula. Arrange roasted baby carrots on top of the purée. Garnish the plate with a couple dollops of the Greek yogurt and the date purée. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios, the smoked feta cheese and cilantro.
SCALLOPS WITH VADAUVAN CURRIED EINKORN BERRIES (serves 2)
From Executive Chef Scott Hines – B&O American Brasserie (Baltimore, MD)
Ingredients:
- 6 oz. rapini (blanched & chopped)
- 4 oz. delicata squash
- 2 tsp. minced garlic
- 2 tsp. minced shallots
- 2 oz. white wine
- 2 c. curried einkorn berries (see recipe below)
- 6 oz. coconut milk
- 6 scallops
- Micro basil
Directions:
- Sauté rapini and squash with minced garlic and shallots.
- Deglaze pan with white wine before adding curried einkorn berries and coconut milk. Simmer until thick.
- While simmering, heat sauté pan on high heat. Add oil til glistening.
- Season scallops with salt and pepper then add to pan, searing on one side (about 1 minute) before flipping and basting with butter off heat.
- To assemble, place einkorn berries in the bottom of a two bowls. Top with scallops and garnish with micro basil.
For the Curried Einkorn Berries:
Place 1 qt. water, 1 qt. coconut milk, 1. qt wheatberries, 3 kafir lime leaves, 5 lemongrass leaves, 1/2 cup Vadouvan curry spice, and salt (to taste) in a pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
VADOUVAN CURRY CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH (serves 8)
From Executive Chef Scott Hines – B&O American Brasserie (Baltimore, MD)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 c. mayonnaise
- 1/4 c. greek yogurt
- 3/4 c. celery, diced small
- 1/4 c. red onion, diced small
- 1/4 c. gold raisins
- 1/4 c. Vadouvan curry spice
- 1/2 c. mango chutney
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 12 smoked chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
- Sliced tomatoes
- Leaves of lettuce
- One loaf multigrain bread
Directions:
- Combine first nine ingredients, through salt.
- Shred or chop chicken & combine with mixture. Add salt to taste.
- Place chicken salad on toasted bread. Top with tomato & lettuce.
