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“If you don’t feel like roasting your own peppers, buy the best jarred peppers you can, and this salad can be made in two seconds,” songwriter Benny Blanco says of his Caprese salad recipe.
“Make sure to add the truffle oil. It’s worth it. It’s the best dressing you’ll ever have in your life. You’ll want to lick the plate when the salad is gone.”
Roasted Pepper and Burrata Caprese
Serve: 8
material:
2 red or orange bell peppers (seeded and halved)
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon truffle oil
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved 2 (6-8 ounce) bags of burrata or fresh mozzarella, torn
Fresh basil leaves (for garnish)
Method:
1. Place grill in top third of oven and preheat grill. Place peppers skin side up on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until browned. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Steam for about 10 to 20 minutes, until tender and cool enough to handle. Remove skin by rubbing with paper towels. It’s not necessary to remove the skin, but it makes it a little easier to eat if you do. Cut into strips and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Dijon, balsamic, honey, mayonnaise and truffle oil. Spread on the bottom of a plate or platter.
3. Place the salad on top of the dressing, sprinkle with the peppers and tomatoes and top off the plate. Place the torn burrata between the vegetables. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with basil leaves.
Cabbage rolls
According to Benny Blanco, this is a great recipe to “make ahead and freeze.”
He says, “I’ll make 50 at a time and reheat them later to make new room in my stomach.”
Serve: 6-8
material:
1 large or 2 medium cabbages, about 3 pounds
2 onions, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds ground beef (80% fat)
¾ cup uncooked white rice
2 eggs
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
3 lemons (juice)
1 orange juice
1/2 cup sauerkraut
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
Method:
1. Remove the core of the cabbage and separate the leaves. Cook a few at a time in salted boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes at a time until tender. When cool enough to handle, use a knife to remove the core. Chop 1 cup of the cabbage and reserve for later.
2. Sauté the onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of the butter and a pinch of salt over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Mix the beef, rice, egg, and half of the sautéed onion. Season with 1 tablespoon salt and a little pepper.
Add a little of the mixture to the cabbage leaves and carefully roll them up like little burritos, folding up the sides to create little packets.
4. To make the sauce, combine the remaining onion mixture, crushed tomatoes, water, raisins, sugar, ketchup, lemon juice, orange juice, shredded cabbage, sauerkraut, vinegar, and cinnamon. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan. Pack the cabbage rolls tightly into the pan and add the remaining sauce, enough so that the cabbage rolls float.
6. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.
7. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil on the bottom rack to catch drippings. Place the cabbage on the center rack and bake at 350F (177C) for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is shredded and the rice is cooked through. Cover with aluminum foil if it’s browning too much.
Baklava
“I love pistachios,” Blanco says.
“The combination of pistachios, crispy phyllo dough and honey makes me a sweet, sticky boy.”
make: 36
material:
3 cups toasted walnut halves
1 cup shelled, roasted pistachios and 1/4 cup finely ground
2 teaspoons of cinnamon powder
1¾ cups sugar
A pinch of salt
1 lemon (zest grated)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
3 sticks unsalted butter (melted and chilled)
28 sheets of phyllo dough
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
2. In a food processor, finely chop the walnuts, 1 cup pistachios, cinnamon, 1/2 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt. If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop the nuts by hand or place them in a Ziploc bag and crush them in a skillet.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup water, 1 1/4 cups sugar, and the zest of 1 lemon over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and stir for 2 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and honey. Allow to cool while the baklava cooks.
4. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan. Carefully layer 7 phyllo sheets onto the pan, spreading butter between layers after each layer. Sprinkle one-third of the nut mix on top. Repeat this two more times, placing 7 more phyllo sheets on top of the final layer of nut mix, spreading butter between layers.
5. Spread a generous amount of butter (half a cup) on the top layer. Cut the baklava lengthwise 3 times to create 4 even strips. Then cut diagonally at 45 degree angles about 9 times to create 36 diamond shaped pieces.
6. Bake for approximately 35 minutes, until deep golden brown. Remove from oven and carefully pour the syrup over the baklava. Sprinkle with pistachio powder and allow to cool before serving.
Open Wide: A Cookbook For Friends by Benny Blanco (Dey Street Books, £25).
