Healthy Vegan |Green Asparagus With Parmesan Shavings

Ingredients:

36 green asparagus
1/4 cup coarse salt
Coarse sea salt and coarse-ground black pepper
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons aged red-wine vinegar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
11/2-ounce block Parmesan

Instructions:
Peel the asparagus. Divide into 3 equal bundles and tie with string. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the coarse salt. Place the asparagus bundles in the boiling water, and cook for about 5 minutes, depending on thickness -- the asparagus should remain firm. Drain the spears in a colander, and immediately run them under very cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and place on a cloth.

Prepare the vinaigrette in a salad bowl starting with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the shallot and wine vinegar to the bowl, then stir in the oil until combined. Shave the Parmesan, using a mandoline or a potato peeler, and season.

Reheat the asparagus for a few seconds in boiling water. Strain and place on a kitchen towel. Divide the asparagus among 6 plates, drizzle with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle with the Parmesan shavings and a little coarse-ground black pepper and coarse sea salt.

(ADucasse | Published 2001)

Quick and Easy | Vegetarian/Vegan |Alan Ducasse

Black-Truffle Crushed Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 ounces fresh black truffle
Approximately 8 cups sea salt
4 large Idaho potatoes, washed, dried, and pierced with a fork
1 1/2 tablespoons black-truffle butter
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons black-truffle oil
Coarse salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fleur de sel
Instructions
(1) Preheat oven to 425. Scrub the truffles with a toothbrush to remove any dirt. Make a 1-inch layer of sea salt in a large baking dish. Nestle the potatoes into the salt, and bake for approximately 1 hour, until centers are tender. Remove from oven and cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and place it in a shallow mixing bowl, discarding skins. (2) Lightly crush the potatoes with a fork. Add truffle butter and unsalted butter, continuing to crush until almost smooth. Add truffle oil and mix well. (3) Season with salt and pepper, and, using a truffle slicer, thinly shave the fresh truffle over four equal portions of the hot potato; sprinkle with fleur de sel. Serve immediately. (2005)

note: Black Truffles (Tuber Melanosporum) have been prized for centuries. With a black exterior and grey colored flesh, they have a delicate but distinctive aroma. Harvested from November to March, black truffles are typically used in pasta sauces, eggs, potatoes, rice or meat dishes. 

• wikipedia
  

Ducasse's Baba

Ducasse's baba with the rum of your choice

Ingredients for about 15 babas

Baba
200g flour
Teaspoon of salt
70g butter
8.5g yeast
8.5g honey
250g eggs

Syrup
500ml water
250g sugar
orange, zested
lemon, zested
scraped vanilla bean and seeds

Garnish
14g apricot glaze
Old rum, to taste
Vanilla whipped cream
500ml double cream
100g granulated sugar
Seeds from ¼ vanilla bean

Making the baba dough

Mix the flour with salt, butter and yeast. Knead in an electric mixer with a dough hook. Add the eggs one by one. Gradually the dough should become smooth, and should stop sticking to the sides of the bowl.

Allow the dough to sit on an oiled surface for five minutes. The dough should be elastic, but firm.

Divide up the dough into (30g) portions and place in cylinder-shaped moulds. Let it rise at room temperature until the dough reaches the top of the mould.

Bake at 180ºC (356ºF) until browned (usually about 25 minutes). Turn the baking sheet halfway through baking.

Allow to cool and set aside in a dry place.

Preparing the syrup and vanilla cream

Mix together all the syrup ingredients. Bring to the boil, and allow them to steep slowly. Plunge the babas into hot, but not boiling, syrup. Use a skimmer to turn them in the syrup, until they are thoroughly soaked. Drain on a rack. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape it out and collect the seeds. Mix the contents thoroughly into the cream. Beat it together with the granulated sugar until the cream is semi-firm.

Finish and presentation

Place the baba on a plate and cover with the apricot glaze. Cut the baba in half when serving and drizzle with old rum of your choice. Serve with vanilla cream.