Dinner the Modernist Way: Squash Soup, Flat Iron Steak and Roasted Potatoes

Cooking

Well, this whole Modernist Cuisine thing has got me hooked. At first it looks like a lot of effort, especially if you come to it by way of Thomas Keller and Ferran Adrià. But in reality a lot of things require less effort than their conventional counterparts. This meal is a good example - the hardest part is peeling the squash - everything else is "set and forget".

Squash Soup

Recipe Adapted From Modernist Cuisine At Home

Ingredients

• 500 grams Butternut Squash, peeled and diced
• 18 grams Lemongrass, sliced thin
• 113 grams Unsalted Butter
• 30 grams Water
• 5 grams Salt
• 2.5 grams Baking Soda
• Coconut Milk

Cooking Directions

1. Over medium heat melt the butter in the pressure cooker.
2. Combine the water, salt and baking soda in a small bowl.
3. Add the squash, lemongrass, and salt mixture to the pressure cooker. Mix well.
4. Seal the pressure cooker and cook at 15 psi for 20 minutes. If you're using an electric pressure cooker like mine, cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
5. Carefully shake the pressure cooker two or three times while cooking to prevent sticking.





Cooked Squash



6. When the cooking time has elapsed, carefully release the pressure and transfer the contents to a blender.
7. Blend at high speed, adding enough coconut milk to produce a smooth creamy soup.
8. Strain through a fine sieve (this removes any woody bits of the lemon grass) and serve hot.

Perfect Steak

Sous Vide Flat Iron Steak

Recipe by Michael Callahan

Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

• 1 Flat Iron steak, about 1.25 lb
• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tbs Garlic Powder
• 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp Mustard powder

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat your water bath to 130 F.
2. Carefully trim the steak, removing excess fat and connective tissue.
3. Combine the vinegar, garlic powder, olive oil and mustard in a container large enough to hold the steak.
4. Add the steak and turn to coat it with the marinade.
5. Allow steak to marinate 30 minutes.
6. Vacuum seal the steak.
7. Cook in the water bath for 3 hours
8. Remove the steak from the cooking bag and wipe it dry.
9. Quickly sear the steak, about 30 seconds on each side.
10. Slice thin across the grain and serve hot.

Roasted Potatoes

Recipe by William Colsher

Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients

• 8-10 Small "new" potatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Fresh Rosemary, chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil

Cooking Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F
2. Halve or quarter the potatoes.
3. Combine salt, pepper, rosemary, and olive oil in a bowl large enough to hold the potatoes.
4. Add the potatoes to the bowl and toss to coat with oil and seasonings.





5. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are browned and tender.
6. Serve hot.

Notes:

Pressure Cooker: 1) Modernist recipes typically specify 15 PSI for pressure cooking. However, most electric pressure cookers (like mine) only come up to 11 PSI on their "high" setting. They work perfectly but do require a little extra time. I cooked the squash in this recipe for 30 minutes with excellent results.  2) You cannot make this recipe in an old fashioned "jiggler weight" cooker. You'll lose too much steam and the squash will burn.

Butternut Squash: 500 grams is about half a typical butternut squash. The extra can be frozen.

Coconut Milk: How much you need will depend on how moist the squash is. I ended up using almost the whole 12 oz can.

Flat Iron Steak: A typical flat iron steak is about 1.25 - 1.75 pounds. Because very little weight is lost when cooking sous vide you can get 4 "normal" servings from a single steak. After the cooking is complete you can just toss half in the freezer with the left over squash.

Vacation Guy Part 4: Steak And Polenta

Steak And Polenta

Recipe by Bill C

Beth and Frances are still in Las Vegas. While I was sweating in the yard pulling weeds and mowing the lawn they were enjoying a spa day complete with massages, facials, body scrubs, and champagne at the Hard Rock Hotel's Reliquary Spa.

So I decided to restore the balance of my precious bodily fluids with one of the most savory and simple steak recipes I know.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Flat Iron Steak
• 1/2 Cup Corn Meal
• 1.75 Cup Water or Chicken Broth
• 1/4 Cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 Tbs Butter
• Salt and Pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Let the steak come up to room temperature. From my 'fridge this took almost an hour.This is extremely important - it's what lets you make a succulent rare steak in six minutes.

2. Pat the steak dry and gently score both sides to help reduce twisting and shrinkage during cooking. That picture shows scoring that's a little too deep.
3. Lightly season the steak with salt and pepper. Use less salt if you're using chicken broth instead of water for the polenta.
4. Lightly oil a grill pan and heat on medium high until smoking.

5. Carefully place the steak in the grill pan and cook for three minutes, turn and cook another three minutes.
6. Remove the steak to a plate and tent with aluminum foil.
7. Make the polenta: Place the water in a small saucepan and add the cornmeal in a stream, whisking. Ensure there are no lumps.
8. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat and whisk frequently to check it's progress and prevent sticking.

9. When the polenta reaches the "blopping" stage, add the Parmigiano and butter and whisk to combine. Taste and correct seasoning.
10. Take the polenta off heat and cover.

11. Place the steak on a cutting board and slice as thin as possible at an acute angle. 
12. Divide the polenta between two serving dishes and place half the steak on each. Or, if you're cooking for one like me, just pop the second serving in an airtight container for tomorrow's lunch.
13. Drizzle the juices from the plate and cutting board over the meat and polenta and serve immediately.