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His men had followed his orders and shadowed Chastelleyn as he took the French King's child back to England. The dark-haired girl was the same age as Agnes, and a part of him wished she had died instead of his daughter. Wished that he had slain John the Good at Poitiers; had forsaken the promise made to Jean de Harcourt to revenge him; had never answered the summons from a Queen and had not slain a German knight's brother at Crécy. The memories of regret tumbled through him as a growling thunder warned of an impending storm. The curse had finally caught up with Blackstone. When he hanged the dwarf in Italy he had taken it upon himself. And now God's displeasure had been visited on him.
*
'And now, Thomas?' asked Killbere as Blackstone rode to the head of his men. 'What's this with Bertrand? Chastelleyn's scouts found him on the road south and brought him in. He's covered in blood and he's asked for sanctuary with the King's men.'
Blackstone watched as a hundred paces away Chastelleyn's men-at-arms formed a barrier between them.
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'Father?' said Henry, who rode behind Jacob. 'What has happened?'
Blackstone saw the look of anguish on the boy's face. 'Perinne, take Henry to the rear.'
The stocky Frenchman nudged his horse towards Henry Blackstone.
'Father? Are we to fight?' the boy asked, suspecting that his role would be only to stay with the horses.
'Do as I say, Henry,' Blackstone told him. The cold, unemotional command had the desired effect. The boy had never heard such a frightening tone in his father's voice. He obediently rode with Perinne and once out of earshot Blackstone faced Killbere. He spoke coldly. 'Bertrand's the assassin. He killed Christiana and Agnes, and Fra Caprini who tried to save them.'
Killbere and John Jacob looked as though the most impossible act in God's creation had been committed. They were speechless for as long as it took the words to lodge inside them. Blackstone might as well have rammed a barbed broadhead into their ribs.
'Sweet merciful Christ, Thomas,' said John Jacob, the shock of it slumping his shoulders, the back of his hand pressed to his mouth.
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'There is no mercy left in this world, John,' said Blackstone.
Killbere could not suppress his bitterness. 'Fuck Chastelleyn, Thomas. We'll take him and we'll flay the bastard. I want to hear him scream.'
Blackstone nodded. 'Wait here,' he said and urged his horse forward to where Chastelleyn sat behind the line of his men. He was expecting trouble. Bertrand sat on his horse a few paces behind the King's knight as Chastelleyn raised his arm.
'Close enough, Sir Thomas.'
Blackstone pulled up. Behind him Killbere had readied the men. Will Longdon's archers waited, war bows braced, arrows rammed in the dirt at their feet. Meulon and Gaillard held either flank, with Killbere in front, ready to order the assault.
Chastelleyn came forward. 'He has sought sanctuary under the King's protection.'
'Do you know what he has done?' said Blackstone.
'I do not. Only that he says that you wish him harm.'
'I am going to kill him slowly, my lord. He has murdered my wife and daughter in a brutal manner and slain a Knight of the Tau, a good man of God, who tried to protect them.'
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Chastelleyn's expression changed. The doubt creased his face. He crossed himself. 'There's evidence of this?' he said, gathering his composure.
'The blood on him is theirs.'
Chastelleyn said nothing, but turned in his saddle so he could look at the monk. Blackstone watched Bertrand's face. It was different than he had seen before. There was no longer the idiot smile. His eyes were alert, startling in their glare. It was the face of a man who had shed the subservient role of a lascivious underling, a man who would take a kick and a taunt as part of his service so that he could slither into their midst and strike when none suspected.
He sat confidently in the saddle, upright. A different man. Untouchable.
Chastelleyn's shoulder arched with indecision. But then he shook his head. 'Sir Thomas. I cannot give him to you,' he said. 'You know I cannot. He professes to be of holy orders. He claims Benefit of Clergy.'
Blackstone searched for the violent fury that would hurl him through the English ranks and beat the murderer to death with his bare hands. But it would not appear. A winter god clutched his heart.
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'He's an assassin,' repeated Blackstone with a chilling calmness. 'I will have him.'
Chastelleyn looked past Blackstone at the gathered men. Blackstone could raise a hand and his archers would loose their arrows with enough skill to miss their sworn lord and cut down his men. 'It must be proved otherwise,' he insisted. 'I am the King's knight, and he must be taken to the bishop to be tried by the Church. We have no jurisdiction other than to grant him that.'
Bertrand had not turned his face away. It was the final taunt that he wanted to see Blackstone humiliated or killed by the King's men. How far had Blackstone been broken?
Blackstone lowered his eyes and nodded his acceptance.
Bertrand smiled. Completely broken.
Chastelleyn had faced men's savage faces in battle but he felt discomfort under Blackstone's gaze. Whatever lay behind those eyes, Chastelleyn could not fathom, but he felt a ripple of ice water through his chest. Merciful Christ, Blackstone was intent on slaughter.
'God bless my King,' said Blackstone quietly, and turned his horse away, letting it amble back to his men.
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Killbere waited for Blackstone's orders, sword in hand, ready like the other men to discard the King of England's goodwill and pardon.
Blackstone dismounted. 'Gilbert,' he said, 'we must not raise our hand against the King or his men. That's a promise I made a long time ago.'
Killbere said nothing as he watched the men-at-arms turn away to make their slow withdrawal. Bertrand was surrounded by Chastelleyn and a half-dozen knights in a protective shield.
Across the undulating plain, the heavy black cloud on the horizon speared the sky with a ragged lightning. Blackstone wished he could rage against the storm that threatened, but he could not: there was no rage in him; it was a steel-cold grief that caged his chest. He handed the reins to an uncertain Will Longdon, and took the bow from his hand. He chose a bodkin-tipped arrow whose goose-feather fletching offered the best flight, then walked forward a half-dozen paces. It was not impossible for a bent arm to hold a war bow; it could ease the immense pressure from the draw weight, but to use it was to tolerate the pain that came with it. His muscles had changed, bunched and knotted for sword and shield, but strength had never deserted him. Nor had the archer's instinctive skill of finding his target.
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For the first time since he was brought down on the battlefield at Crécy, he nocked a yard-long arrow, felt the tension and pain in his left arm as he arched his back and drew the cord to him. His arm protested, but he held his curled fist vice-like, instinctively adjusting his body to compensate. A hundred and forty-seven paces from him, Chastelleyn eased his men aside, leaving the unsuspecting Bertrand exposed. The King's knight must have said something, perhaps a vitriolic curse, because Bertrand suddenly faltered, turned the horse and faced the distant Englishman who stood to the front of his men. Blackstone loosed the arrow, heard its whisper, felt the bow cord vibrate against his unbraced arm and watched as it arced and fell. Bertrand raised a hand, shielding his eyes, trying to see its fall. It pierced his thigh, pinning him to his saddle.
The monk screamed as his body contorted, eyes glaring in unbelieving horror at what had happened, mouth gaping in a desperate attempt to draw air into the pain that savaged him. The arrow shaft snapped in his thigh as the horse bolted and Bertrand crashed to the ground. The unassailable assassin had become a feeble puppet whose strings had been cut. He lay twisted, one arm thrown above his head, legs contorted unnaturally beneath him, his eyes blinking as life clung on within him. He made a feeble plea for help from Chastelleyn, who stared down at him, watched the twitching fingers of the crippled man a moment longer and then, with a final glance towards Blackstone, led his men away.
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Blackstone handed back the bow to Longdon and remounted. No words passed between them. Thomas Blackstone was still an archer despite what had happened to him all those years before at Crécy. He rode slowly forward and halted as he reached the stricken assassin. His eyes sought Blackstone's.
'Sweet Mother of God, Sir Thomas... I... swear I killed them quickly... The child... she knew nothing...' Bertrand squirmed, trying to put distance between him and the man who gazed down at him. Blood oozed, soaking his habit, which rode up exposing the wound and the shattered bone. Its ugly rent was still pierced with the broken arrow shaft, the goose feathers a dark, soaking mass. Bertrand begged for a knife across the throat to defeat the pain.
'There is more agony yet to be inflicted,' said Blackstone. 'Your journey to hell will take a thousand deaths. You will scream and vomit because of it – but I will break every part of you and your slime will be sucked into the underworld.'
Blackstone let the bastard horse nudge Bertrand's broken thigh bone with the edge of its hoof.
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Bertrand screamed, stomach muscles crunching him into a protective ball, but the shattered leg resisted and he flailed, tears and spittle mingling in his mouth, which made an incoherent choking sound.
He sucked in air, shook his head, perhaps realizing what Blackstone intended. 'No... I beg you... let... it end... now.'
Blackstone nudged the great war horse slowly over his body, breaking his bones, starting at his ankles, hearing them crack, then moving upward to his shins. Bertrand's screams went beyond human agony as his body splintered beneath the iron-shod hooves. Blackstone never took his eyes from the tortured man, drinking in his terror, feeling nothing other than the cold satisfaction of the brutality he inflicted.
Bertrand's life lingered in a hell imposed by vengeance as Blackstone kept the horse's weight bearing down on pelvis and spine. His mouth gaped, spluttering blood as his ribs cracked. He could no longer squirm. His mind was beyond prayer.
When all that was left was the gasping, smashed body, Blackstone dismounted and knelt with one knee on the dying man's chest. Dark matter bubbled between Bertrand's teeth as his eyes held his tormentor's unrelenting gaze.
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A desperate, whispered plea escaped from his lips. 'I... beg you... mercy... Finish me...'
Blackstone waited a moment, then stood and gazed down at the killer. 'No,' he said, and led the war horse's weight across him.
And so did every man and his horse who followed.
The storm rolled its grey veil of rain ever closer, pushed by an angry wind that carried Bertrand's final, pitiful cries across the bleak land. As death dragged the Viper's child to its lair the sky broke to soak the hard earth and wash away what torn and crushed flesh remained.
Blackstone bathed Christiana and Agnes, then packed their bodies with salt and swaddled them in linen. Killbere kept Henry away from the ritual and his father's wrenching sobs. Neither would be appropriate for the boy to witness. The sombre mood held the men and they kept their silence while their sworn lord stayed locked in the castle's rooms. Meulon and Gaillard did as Killbere instructed and prepared the slain Caprini for burial. He would be honoured as Blackstone had insisted.
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When seven days had passed and a priest was found to offer prayers, Blackstone took Christiana and Agnes to the place that was once their home in Normandy and buried them there, as he did the good knight, Fra Caprini, who had tried to save them.
'I should have stayed with them, Father,' Henry eventually said, breaking a long-held silence.
'Their murder was not your doing, Henry, no fault lies at your door. How could it?' Blackstone answered, wishing only to reach for the boy and hold him, but there was a distance between them, a place he could not breach – the boy's will denied him that comfort.
'Father, I cannot kill like you. I have no wish to do so. I killed a woman to save Mother, and I would have fought to keep Bertrand from her and Agnes had I been there. But now...' He fearlessly raised his eyes to Blackstone. 'Now, I wish to do what Mother always wanted for me. I will study and become a learned man, and forsake this way of life.'
The boy turned away.
Killbere, who waited close by, shook his head. 'He's Christiana's child, Thomas. As stubborn as you and determined as her. Give him time. Let his blood settle. He'll find a place of learning brings no joy to a lad who's fought for life.'
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Blackstone pressed a hand to the mound of dirt that now held the woman he had loved since first seeing her those dozen years before. She had shared danger with him and dared to marry an Englishman. An English archer.
'God turned his back on her, Gilbert. He has punished her instead of me.'
Killbere looked away, raising his eyes to an uncertain sky that threatened rain. 'I find no sense in it, Thomas. There is none. Your pagan goddess protects you better than a shield wall. Christiana and Agnes had their own angels at their shoulders. Who's to say when heaven needs them?' He waited a moment longer, leaving Blackstone to feel the dirt beneath his palm. 'There are no words,' said Sir Gilbert. 'But your son is alive. That counts for something. More than something. Let the grief settle, Thomas. And whatever anger lies buried let it find its way into your sword.'
Killbere turned away to where the men waited.
'Gilbert,' Blackstone said.
Killbere looked back.
'See to it that the boy does as his heart wishes. I'll not challenge or force him otherwise. Do that. For me.'
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Killbere was uncertain what was meant, but he nodded anyway. 'I will.'
*
Blackstone kept his promise to Christiana. He and Henry sought out the bastard child. It was barely a year old, with a shock of black hair and dark eyes. It could easily have been his own infant. But he knew it was not. He paid the convent to raise and name him and then made his desolate way back to England.
Blackstone dwelt in a fog as dense as that which smothered the boat on its way home. A slow, nudging journey broken only by the creak and splash of the oars as the small craft was pulled through the glassy sea. A sailor stood watch holding a lantern, calling the depth, subduing his fear at the fog's sudden onset. Hours later, when others slept and the welcome sound of a church bell guided them onshore, Blackstone laid Wolf Sword, its scabbard wrapped in its belt, next to his sleeping son. Christiana's half of the silver penny now nestled below Blackstone's on the sword's pommel; the coin's ragged seam joined the two halves.
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And then he slipped silently over the side.
*
There was no sign of his body and those who knew him swore he had swum ashore. Killbere and John Jacob searched fishing villages and towns trying to find their friend on the King's command while Meulon and Gaillard held the men together outside Calais, paid from the King's purse, waiting for news of him being found – but as months passed they feared for his life. Thomas Blackstone had disappeared as if embraced by that spectral mist.
Will Longdon searched the taverns, high and low, in riverside inns and city whorehouses, while Killbere and John Jacob scoured the countryside among the monasteries and religious houses where a man might disappear with his misery and search for the remnants of a lost God and son.
Queen Isabella the Fair enquired about her defiant knight before she took the heavy draught of medicine from which she never awoke. Blackstone never heard the pealing bells that signalled the death of the extraordinary Queen, or witnessed the solemn funeral cortège that carried her body from Hertford, dressed in the simple garments of the Poor Clares, to the Franciscans in London, where it was clothed for her funeral in the tunic and mantle of red silk in which she had been married fifty years before. When this era ended Blackstone lay, unkempt, in a dank, rat-infested room, unknown to those about him.
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Winter came and went; no ransom for the French King was paid after Edward and King John signed the peace treaty. The Dauphin had inflicted his revenge on the leaders in Paris who had supported the uprising and had reclaimed the city, forcing Charles of Navarre to retreat and change sides yet again. The Dauphin granted remissions to others for their part in the terror and proved remarkably resistant to handing over vast swathes of France to Edward, as agreed by his father in the Treaty of London. When Isabella died Edward knew that her influence with the French had died with her.
He grieved and planned.
Clerks travelled around the ports commandeering merchant ships; fletchers and bowmakers had their stocks stripped and stored in the Tower of London, hauled there by carts and wagons seized from monasteries. Edward's commissioners of array ordered the recruitment of archers from all the southern counties and knights from their manors. The great lords of England gathered and the Church and Parliament came to an understanding that it was a just cause for Edward to pursue his right to the French crown by force.
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Word reached those who searched for Blackstone that there was a mason who worked on a great bridge, cutting stone from a quarry, and that this mason kept to himself, labouring long hours until darkness and drink claimed him each night. No one would approach the scar-faced man and risk his sudden, unpredictable acts of violence. By the time Will Longdon and the others reached the quarry one cold dawn the man had left and made his way to London.
The crowded streets groaned from the passage of heavy carts, laden with supplies, as their iron-rimmed wheels gouged the dirt lanes and soldiers' tramping feet muffled the clanking harness of wagons carrying forges and bundles of white-painted war bows in their thousands. They jostled past cursing pikemen as hobelars forced aside the street sellers, and beggars and mendicant monks rattled their bowls and called on God and his angels to punish their King's transgressors.
Jack Halfpenny and Robert Thurgood shouldered their way through the crowds with an urgency that earned curses from those pushed aside, curses that soon died when it was realized that they were archers and the badge on their jupons identified whom they served. The Fletcher's Inn was down a narrow alley into which daylight barely reached, a rat-hole of a kind common enough in London. The leaning façade was close to the butcher's yard, rank with offal and loud with the groaning of beasts as they sensed the violence about to be inflicted upon them.
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Halfpenny lifted the wooden latch and stepped into the gloom. A tallow lamp threw its dull yellow glow across the room. The stench of barley ale and stale cooked food mingled with that of dog excrement and men's rancid sweat. The inn's cur dog whimpered and ducked away as Thurgood kicked aside a stool, ignoring the alehouse woman's admonitions. Rumour had reached them of a man who paid good money to hide. Outlaw or fugitive, there was always someone ready to betray a secret when a reward was offered. Up the stairs Halfpenny pushed open the door of a back room and saw a bearded, crumpled figure, soaked in ale and wine, who knew not what day it was, nor cared if the sky was light or dark. Tattered clothes exposed scarred, lean muscles wrought from hard work and battle and a silver necklace of a pagan goddess. Money had bought him secrecy for a time in this room above the foul streets of the city. Halfpenny kept guard on the door until Thurgood found Will Longdon, and he in turn sent them to find Killbere and John Jacob. Longdon waited outside the dank room's door like a mother waiting for a sick child to heal. He muttered a prayer or two and cursed the devil for snatching his friend's heart, and then cursed God for allowing it.
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Killbere grunted with effort as he mounted the stairs. Will Longdon was grateful to see the flint-hearted knight, as pleased as a man could be who had stood at his side in the great conflicts.
Killbere pushed into the room and stood for a moment over Blackstone's slumped figure. 'Thomas?' he said gruffly. 'Enough of this.'
He hesitated, wondering if his words had been heard. Blackstone sat propped against the wall, remnants of food and drink around him, oblivious to the scuttling vermin that snatched at crusts.
'Your friends are here,' said Killbere more kindly and leaned towards Blackstone. A sudden lunge with a knife made him quickly step back. Drunk he might have been, but an animal instinct still lurked within Blackstone. Killbere bent forward again and waited for another knife thrust. It came quickly and between them Killbere and John Jacob disarmed Blackstone. He offered little resistance, his eyes glaring at the men who pressed close to him in a mirror of time. Killbere laughed and seized his face, turning it towards his own as John Jacob bent to help lift his great frame.
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'You stink like a dog's arse,' said Killbere as they heaved Blackstone to his feet and took his weight. 'Thomas, look here, man, your boy comes for you.'
Blackstone stared towards the gloom-laden doorway where Henry Blackstone stood wearing a jupon bearing his father's coat of arms.
A spark flared in Blackstone's eyes – the boy seemed taller, stronger even, and he looked at his father with an unwavering gaze. Killbere beckoned the lad, who held a sword and scabbard. The old knight took them from him and thrust Wolf Sword against Blackstone's chest, forcing him to grasp it tightly. 'You're needed. By the King's command,' he said and grunted with pleasure. 'We're going to war.'
~
We hope you enjoyed this book.
The next gripping instalment in the Master of War series will be released in winter 2016
For more information, click one of the links below:
Historical Notes
Acknowledgements
About David Gilman
About the Master of War Series
Also by David Gilman
An invitation from the publisher
Historical Notes
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The opening attack on the hilltop town of Santa Marina reflected an historical event in northern Italy in 1358 when a large mercenary force – known as routiers to the French and condottieri to the Italians – was defeated by peasant militia. The mercenaries had passed near the town of Maradi and promised to pay for supplies – which they did not. It was unheard-of for unarmed countryfolk who might, at best, call themselves a local militia, to take on professional soldiers, but the villagers of Maradi in the central Apennines did just that. In that summer they sought revenge for Konrad von Landau's mercenaries – and they won by trapping them in the mountain passes and wearing down the soldiers' defences.
Following the great battle of Poitiers in 1356 thousands of soldiers were released from duty and, doing what they did best, they joined others as military professionals. The place to ply their trade at that time was Italy. In the Middle Ages Italy was not the unified country we know today but a number of independent states and princedoms. City-states were self-governing and hired mostly outsiders to fight their wars and protect their cities. Florence, Pisa, Rome, Milan, Genoa and other great city-states who offered a condotta, a contract for hire, had strict rules of employment for these men. Accounts were kept, food and weapons were supplied, but the soldiers were not allowed to reside within the city walls because they were inclined to commit acts of violence and theft against the civilians who were their paymasters. The English, in particular, were prized for their martial skills – as were the Germans – but the English and Welsh had by 1358 the greatest reputation as fighting men.
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The Via Francigena is the commonly known route for pilgrims travelling between Rome and Canterbury. Several mountain passes could be used to connect with 'Francia', and the term 'Via Francigena' was used for different roads through these various passes that connected Italy and France. The so-called 'Lombard Way' became the Iter Francorum, or the 'Frankish Route' in the Itinerarium sancti Willibaldi of AD 725. The 'Via Francigena' is first mentioned in the Actum Clusio, a parchment in the abbey of San Salvatore al Monte Amiata (Tuscany), in AD 876. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle tells us that in AD 990 the Saxon Sigeric was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury and went to Rome to collect the pallium or the investiture mantle from the hands of the Pope, as was customary for that period. Sigeric's journey back from Rome after his investiture is recorded in a manuscript in the British Library, rediscovered in the 1980s by Italian researchers. The Archbishop's descriptions of places along the route have been shown to be very accurate though the tenth-century place names listed differ in many instances from their modern counterparts. This discovery has generated academic research, tourism promotion and, in some cases, restoration of the actual route for modern walkers. I used Sigeric's chronicle of distances between each landmark to gauge Blackstone's travel time in his return to England.
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I walked for a couple of days along the beginning of such a journey – before it became too arduous – and I have published some photographs of the countryside. I have also included on this page some of my research photographs of Lucca: <http://bit.ly/1j7V0XN>. Of the many routes followed by pilgrims I used the area around the Maddalena Pass that connects Barcelonnette in France with Cuneo in Italy. It meant Blackstone travelling across the 2,000-metre range in winter. Historically it was also the pass through which Hannibal led his Carthaginian army towards Rome in 218 BC.
The character Fra Stefano Caprini, a Knight of the Tau, otherwise known as the Order of Saint James of Altopascio – was a member of a hospitaller order who offered protection to pilgrims and also had their own hospitals. The brethren were knights and priests. During my research for this book in the wonderful city of Lucca the character had not yet been conceived, but as I walked the streets I saw a large fresco above one of the city gates showing two men of striking appearance. My guide explained they were Knights of the Tau and the role they played. I knew immediately I had to have such a man at Thomas Blackstone's side.
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The Italian town of Pistoia, north of Lucca, was famous for its extremely sharp and deadly daggers. For centuries Pistoia supplied Europe's assassins with their weapon of choice. I had my anonymous assassin work in the Ceppo Hospital of Pistoia, founded in 1277, one of the oldest continuously operating hospitals in the world, which has underground passageways that extend for several hundred metres. This allowed my assassin to 'disappear' and find his master knife maker.
The Lords of Milan – Galeazzo II and Bernabò Visconti – murdered their brother Matteo in 1355 and divided his inheritance between them. These ruthless men let nothing stand in their way of gaining power and Bernabò's cruelty is well documented. He was declared a heretic in 1360 by Pope Innocent VI. Needless to say, the Visconti fought the Papal States – and Florence – for many years. Galeazzo was the more remarkable of the two brothers and was a patron of the Italian poet and chronicler Petrarch and also founded the University of Pavia. He was also known for the quaresima, a particularly sadistic form of torture that lasted forty days, alternating one day of excrutiating torment with one of rest.
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Thomas Blackstone had to return to England in time for the great tournament at Windsor on St George's Day. The tournament was at the heart of chivalric culture and for the contest in 1358 the King had given safe passage to any European knight who wished to attend. I wrote that there was to be jousting by night during this tournament, but this is not historically accurate. I took this idea from a previous tournament held by the King at Bristol, and liked the imagery it conjured.
Juliet Barker in her book The Tournament in England 1100–1400 claims, like other authors, that a knight's hand was protected on his lance by a vamplate, the inverted cone on the shaft that fits snugly over his gauntlet. However, Ewart Oakeshott, considered to be one of the world's leading authorities on the arms and armour of the medieval period, claims in his book A Knight and His Weapons (2nd edition) that this device did not come into practice until after 1425. He states that a lance had something that looked more like a sword's crossguard to protect a knight's hand. Oakeshott also mentions that the tilt, the long barrier of wood between two horsemen during the contest, also only began being used in the fifteenth century, quite some time after the St George's Day tournament in 1358 at Windsor. To show the danger posed by two charging horses rather suited my story. And although this was not a fight to the death, I chose to arm the Prince of Wales and Blackstone without the benefit of blunted swords.
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When it came to the fight to the death at Meaux between Thomas Blackstone and the skilled knight, Werner von Lienhard, I took the ritual of prayer from The Last Duel by Eric Jager, who recorded the trial by combat of two knights in medieval France in the late fourteenth century. I chose von Lienhard's banner of a Harpy, or Harpie as it is also spelt, wanting it to elicit fear in the eyes of the beholder. In classical mythology the harpies were the spirits of the wind when it was especially destructive. Three were named Aello (storm), Celeno (blackness), and Ocypete (rapidity). Homer mentions only one of them, Hesiod two of them, and medieval writers describe them as very fierce, gaunt and loathsome, dwelling in filth and stench, contaminating everything within their reach. Greek mythology cast them as messengers of divine vengeance.
I am aware of the subjugation of women in the Middle Ages, and that those times dictated that they were controlled by men. But there were women of strength and character who, despite their 'subservient' role, ran vast estates, bore their children and at times went to war. I have written about Countess Blanche de Harcourt et Ponthieu in Master of War and Defiant unto Death: a woman who raised a band of mercenaries to revenge her husband slain by King John II of France. And Blackstone's wife, Christiana, who deserted her husband because of her sense of betrayal, but who fights for her children's survival during the Jacquerie uprising in Gate of the Dead. The women of these times were complex characters driven by fear, joy, desires and loyalty, and they had to find the strength to survive by any means that were open to them. It is too easy to see medieval women as downtrodden and abused caricatures. What about King Edward's mother, Queen Isabella, possibly one of the greatest women in English – and for that matter, French – history. She had guile and courage and was used as a negotiator between the French and English Crowns. She had a wide-ranging library that suggested a cultured woman. She owned religious books, furnished her chapel richly, gave alms and made pilgrimages; but if she did take the habit of Franciscan Poor Clares as reputed, it was only on her deathbed. She journeyed from Hertford Castle to the great tournament of 23 April 1358 at Windsor Castle to sit alongside her son and it seems obvious from chronicles that she and her son were not as estranged as some have suggested. During that great spectacle she was gloriously attired and enjoyed the public affection of the King. She had been ill for some time and died on 23 August, but records show that prior to her death payment had been made to a messenger going on several occasions to Canterbury for medicines and for the hire of a horse for Master Lawrence, the physician. On 1 August, payment was made to Nicholas Thomasyer, apothecary, of London, for spices and ointments supplied for the Queen's use. Among other entries is a payment to Master Lawrence of forty shillings for attendance on the Queen at Hertford, for an entire month.
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Research reveals that Isabella – known many years later as the She-Wolf of France – always loved the husband she was supposed to have betrayed. She insisted prior to her death that she be clothed in the same gown in which she had been married.
The quest that Blackstone undertakes across France to rescue his family, and the life of the French King's daughter, meant he had to travel through a land of turmoil and violence. The Jacquerie was predominantly an uprising by peasants – who were commonly and contemptuously called Jacques by the nobility – but lesser lords and knights also threw in their lot with them and even provided some military leadership. Old scores could be settled while the Jacques tore the land apart, looting and killing. After the English had captured the French King at Poitiers two years earlier, the French nobility were discredited. France became virtually ungovernable. The Dauphin struggled to establish control while Étienne Marcel, the Provost of Merchants in Paris, seized control. Under their captain general, Guillaume Cale, the Jacquerie joined forces with Parisian rebels under Marcel. When the hordes reached Meaux, a city to the east of Paris where the French King's daughter and other ladies and children of the nobility had sought sanctuary under the protection of Lord de Hangest, a loyal supporter of the French Crown, the peasant army were let into the city by Mayor Jehan de Soulez. It was thanks to Jean de Grailly, the Captal de Buch, and his cousin Gaston Phoebus, Count of Foix, who had returned from a crusade in Prussia, that the women were saved. Naturally, Thomas Blackstone was going to be there.
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David Gilman
Devonshire, 2015
I always welcome comments and can be contacted via my website: www.davidgilman.com; or on my author's Facebook page: <https://www.facebook.com/davidgilman.author>; and for those who are more fleet of foot: <https://twitter.com/davidgilmanuk>.
Acknowledgements
My thanks to Antonella Marcucci, professional guide, who gave me a personal tour around Lucca. Her knowledge was very helpful in the writing of this book and she kindly answered my ongoing questions once I returned home. Her enthusiasm and interest never wavered. Should anyone wish to gain an understanding of this wonderful city's rich history she can be booked at www.guidelucca.it. I am indebted to Dr Nelli Sergio and his staff at the Archivio di Stato, Lucca, for their assistance and for allowing me access to the early fifteenth-century manuscript Le croniche di Giovanni Sercambi. Maurizio Vanni, curator of the Living Museum, was very generous in opening the museum to me when he had a private function and photo shoot in progress, allowing me to explore the museum's basement where the original walls of the city are located and where I was able to place Thomas Blackstone in the medieval brothel – which is what these cellars were in the fourteenth century.
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During the writing of Gate of the Dead I participated in a CLIC Sargent charity auction event. The auction raised funds for children with cancer and the highest bid would have a character in the book named after them. Neil Cracknell was the successful bidder and asked that his grandson Samuel Cracknell's name be nominated. By coincidence I learnt that Samuel's great-grandfather was Brigadier General Sir John Jacob Cracknell, and as readers of the Master of War novels will know, I have an existing character named John Jacob. A nice touch of synchronicity.
Much appreciation, as always, to my literary agent Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency for her unflagging enthusiasm and keen eye that improved the initial drafts of this novel. Thanks to Nic Cheetham and the whole team at Head of Zeus for their passion and belief in the Master of War series; without their dedication to the project we would founder. I am grateful to my copy-editors and proofreaders, unsung heroes who diligently right the wrongs and to the art/design department for these wonderful book covers. My heartfelt thanks go to my editor Richenda Todd. Her suggestions always make a sentence more eloquent. She patiently and with much grace refused to let me get away with anything she thought to be questionable. Needless to say the liberties I eventually did manage to sneak past her are my responsibility alone. Thanks also for the efforts of my international publishers and editors who embrace translation and marketing with such commitment. Finally, my love and gratitude go to my wife, Suzy, whose support and understanding make the whole thing possible.
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About Gate of the Dead
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TUSCANY, 1358
Thomas Blackstone has built a formidable reputation in exile, fighting as a mercenary amid the ceaseless internecine warring of Italy's City States. Success has bred many enemies, who will seize any opportunity to destroy the man they cannot overcome on the field.
When a dying man delivers a message recalling Blackstone to England, it seems almost certain to be a trap. Yet Blackstone cannot decline – the summons is apparently from the Queen.
Blackstone will brave the terrors of the High Alps in winter, face the Black Prince in Tournament in Windsor, confront the bloody anarchy of a popular revolt in northern France and submit to trial by combat with a man he knows could kill him.
And every step of the way, he will be shadowed by a notorious assassin, a killer who has been instructed to inflict the maximum pain on his target before he despatches him to hell.
Reviews
"Page-turning and gritty."
Daily Mail
"Gilman does heart-pounding action superlatively."
The Times
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"The 100 Years' War is the new Rome for historical adventure novels"
Ben Kane
About David Gilman
DAVID GILMAN enjoyed many careers, including firefighter, soldier and photographer before turning to writing full time. He is an award-winning author and screenwriter.
Visit his website: www.davidgilman.com
Like him on Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidgilman.author
About the Master of War Series
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I – Master of War
ENGLAND, 1346
Amid the carnage of the 100 Years' War – the bloodiest conflict in medieval history – a young English archer confronts his destiny.
For Thomas Blackstone the choice is easy – dance on the end of a rope for a murder he did not commit, or take up his war bow and join the king's invasion.
Vastly outnumbered, Edward III's army will finally confront the armoured might of the French nobility on the field of Crécy.
It is a battle that will change the history of warfare, a battle that will forge a legend.
Master of War is available here.
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II – Defiant Unto Death
FRANCE, 1356
Ten years ago, the greatest army in Christendom was slaughtered at Crécy when Thomas Blackstone and his fellow archers stood their ground and rained death on the steel-clad might of French chivalry. Blackstone left that squalid field a knight.
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Now, Blackstone commands a war band and has carved out a small fiefdom in northern France. But the wound of war still bleed and a traitor has given the King of France the means to destroy first his family, and then the English knight himself.
As the traitor's net tightens, so the French King's army draws in. Blackstone will stand and fight – in pitched battle and in single combat. He will defy his friends, his family and his king. He may yet defy death, but he can't defy his destiny:
Blackstone,
Master of War.
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III – Gate of the Dead
TUSCANY, 1358
Thomas Blackstone has built a formidable reputation in exile, fighting as a mercenary amid the ceaseless internecine warring of Italy's City States. Success has bred many enemies, who will seize any opportunity to destroy the man they cannot overcome on the field.
When a dying man delivers a message recalling Blackstone to England, it seems almost certain to be a trap. Yet Blackstone cannot decline – the summons is apparently from the Queen.
Blackstone will brave the terrors of the High Alps in winter, face the Black Prince in Tournament in Windsor, confront the bloody anarchy of a popular revolt in northern France and submit to trial by combat with a man he knows could kill him.
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And every step of the way, he will be shadowed by a notorious assassin, a killer who has been instructed to inflict the maximum pain on his target before he despatches him to hell.
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IV – Viper's Blood
Provoked by the Dauphin's refusal to honour the terms of his father's surrender, Edward III has invaded France with the greatest army England has ever assembled. But the English lion's attempts to claw the French crown from its master are futile. After defeats at Crecy and Poitiers, the Dauphin will no longer meet the English in the field.
Mired down in costly sieges and facing a stalemate, Edward's great army is forced to argee a treaty. But peace comes at a price. The French request that Blackstone escort their King's daughter to Italy to see her married to one of the two brothers who rule Milan – the same brothers who killed Blackstone's family to revenge the defeats they suffered at his hand.
Blackstone, the French are certain, will never leave Milan alive...
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V – Scourge of Wolves
WINTER, 1361
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After two decades of conflict, Edward III has finally agreed a treaty with the captive French King, John II. In return for his freedom, John has ceeded vast tracts of territory to the English. But for five long years mercenary bands and belligerent lords have fought over the carcass of his kingdom. They will not give up their hard-won spoils to honour a defeated king's promises.
If the English want their prize, they'll have to fight for it... Thomas Blackstone will have to fight for it.
As he battles to enforce Edward's claim, Thomas Blackstone will see his name blackened, his men slaughtered, his family hunted. He will be betrayed and, once again, he'll face the might of the French army on the field. But this time there will be no English army at his back. He'll face the French alone.
Also by David Gilman
Find out more
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Find out more
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An Invitation from the Publisher
We hope you enjoyed this book. We are an independent publisher dedicated to discovering brilliant books, new authors and great storytelling. Please join us at www.headofzeus.com and become part of our community of book-lovers.
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The story starts here.First published in the UK as an eBook in 2015 by Head of Zeus Ltd.
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Giovannina Bellino - Cooking with Flavor Bombs (2017)
COOKING WITH FLAVOR BOMBS™
PREP IT + FREEZE IT + DROP IT = TRANSFORM DINNER!
GIOVANNINA BELLINO
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION 1. WHAT ARE FLAVOR BOMBS? 1. Components of a Successful Flavor Bomb 2. Types of Flavor Bombs 3. Tools of the Trade 4. How to Use Flavor Bombs 5. No More Waste! 2. HERB PESTO FLAVOR BOMBS 1. BASIL FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Spaghetti Frittata 2. > Linguini with Clam Sauce 3. > Stuffed Mushrooms 4. > Quinoa Balls 2. ROSEMARY FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Rosemary Focaccia 2. > Roasted Rack of Lamb 3. > Rosemary Roasted Potatoes 3. SAGE FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Roasted Pork Loin 2. > Fried Catfish Fillets 3. > Baked Chicken Breasts 4. THAI FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Shrimp and Sugar Snap Pea Stir-Fry 2. > Thai Chicken Noodle Soup 5. TEX-MEX FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Texas Toast Panini 2. > Tex-Mex Lasagna 3. > Tex-Mex Slow Cooker Beans 6. CHIMICHURRI FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Chicken Scarpariello 2. > Grilled Rib-Eye Steak 3. VEGETABLE-BLEND FLAVOR BOMBS 1. SUPPENGRÜN FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Colcannon 2. > Kielbasa with Braised Cabbage 3. > Pot Pie with Guinness Stout and Cheddar 2. UMAMI FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Umami Tagliatelle Pasta 2. > Polenta with Mushroom Ragu 3. > Chicken Sorrentino with Marsala Sauce 4. > Beef Wellington 3. SPANISH SOFRITO FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Slow-Cooked Pork Shoulder 2. > Fried Pork Chops 3. > Spanish Chicken with Cashew Purée 4. HOLY TRINITY FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Shrimp Po' Boys with Trinity Slaw 2. > Shrimp Creole 3. > Andouille Sausage and Chicken Gumbo 5. INDIAN CURRY FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Cauliflower, Peas, and Potato Curry 2. > Chicken Tikka Masala 3. > Stuffed Cabbage with Lamb and Rice 6. MIREPOIX FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Roasted Butternut Squash Soup 7. ITALIAN SOFFRITTO FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Turkey Meatloaf or Meatballs 2. > Mema's Veal Stew 3. > Stuffed Peppers and Zucchini 4. STOCK AND SAUCE FLAVOR BOMBS 1. BÉCHAMEL FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Potato Leek Gratin 2. > Cheese Sauce 3. > Shrimp Tartlets 4. > Sausage Gravy 2. BEEF STOCK FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Sirloin Steaks with Cognac Pan Sauce 2. > Filet Mignon with Red Wine Reduction 3. > Beef Bourguignon 3. CHICKEN STOCK FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Stracciatella (Roman Egg Drop Soup) 2. > Chicken and Dumplings 3. > Chicken Piccata 4. > Chicken Cutlets with Suppengrün Pan Sauce 4. VEGETABLE STOCK FLAVOR BOMB 1. > Malfatti Gnocchi with Vegetable Stock Glaze 2. > Braised Bok Choy 3. > Italian-Style Baked Escarole 5. INDEX 6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 7. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Guide
1. Cover 2. Start of Content 3. Contents
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152.
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INTRODUCTION
GARDENERS KNOW FLAVOR BOMBS. CHEFS KNOW FLAVOR BOMBS. AND NOW IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO KNOW FLAVOR BOMBS!
I've never been one to spend an entire day cooking meals for the week. The thought of that much shopping, prepping, cooking, and storing of meals is overwhelming to me. I mean, it would feel like holiday cooking every week. I do, however, spend an hour or two making a few batches of Flavor Bombs. The time spent on doing this sets my family up for quick and easy meals for the next month, if not two months. When I can eliminate the tedious chores of peeling, washing, chopping, and sautéing the herbs and aromatics for flavor bases every time I cook—now that's time well spent.
So if you find yourself grabbing the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and any other veggies and fresh herbs to prep day after day, night after night, meal after meal, it's time to prep it, freeze it, and drop the "F Bomb."
Finally, if you enjoy cooking at all, it's such a great feeling of accomplishment when you start seeing (and tasting) your dishes reaching a new level of flavor. You will also begin using less salt and dried, packaged, or jarred spice mixes full of preservatives and start loving the full, deep flavors that YOU are creating.
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—Giovannina Bellino
WHAT ARE FLAVOR BOMBS?
Flavor Bombs are combinations of savory, sautéed aromatics, fresh herbs, or sauce reductions blended together and frozen in ice cube trays, small containers, small bowls, or even just spooned onto a tray lined with wax paper. They are also a great way to reuse plastic containers, such as small sauce containers with lids and egg cartons. Once they're frozen, you transfer them to an airtight container or resealable freezer bag and they're ready to add a flavor explosion to your meals.
The ingredients are chopped by hand, in a food processor, or even pounded with a mortar and pestle, depending on how rustic or refined you want your Flavor Bomb blends to be. Fresh ingredients may be preferable but using pre-prepped, chopped vegetables in containers or even frozen vegetables will produce very similar results. The herbs, however, should always be fresh.
Making Flavor Bombs is an excellent way to take advantage of specials in your market's produce department. Stock up, chop up, and free up time and money! Go that extra mile when you buy that pricey batch of herbs or exotic vegetable, make enough for leftovers, and then make a Bomb out of it.
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COMPONENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL FLAVOR BOMB
A successful flavor bomb includes the five basic tastes: sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, and umami. Along with the other ingredients in your dish, you may detect these flavors now more than ever since you are creating the background or building block of the dish with Flavor Bombs. By the way, spicy is not a taste, it hits the pain receptors, not the taste buds—so go as spicy as you dare!
SWEETNESS: Found in "sweet" vegetables, such as onions and carrots, sugars are drawn out when these vegetables are caramelized.
SOURNESS: Found in vinegar and lemon, sourness brings a brightness to the tongue, which contrasts nicely with rich, savory flavors and can help cut through fattiness.
BITTERNESS: Different than sourness, bitterness can be considered unpleasant but yet rounds out richness and adds another dimension of taste to dishes. It is found in citrus peel, herbs, and leafy greens.
SALTINESS: Identified with foods containing sodium, such as soy sauce, miso paste, and even celery, salt harmonizes and brings out the flavors of foods when used in moderation. It shares some characteristics with umami.
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UMAMI: This Japanese word means "yummy" or "delicious" (and it is). Umami has a meaty, savory taste that is found in miso paste, soy sauce, tomato paste, and dried mushrooms.
TYPES OF FLAVOR BOMBS
I have included three types of Flavor Bombs in this book—Herb Pesto, Vegetable Blend, and Stock and Sauce—that represent flavors from around the world. I have also included recipes with all of the Bombs to get you started, but feel free to experiment with your own blends.
HERB PESTO FLAVOR BOMBS
The word "pesto" derives from the Italian verb _pestare_ , which means to pound the ingredients in a mortar and pestle to create a "paste." In this section, you'll find your classic Italian basil pesto to Mediterranean, Thai, Tex-Mex, and Latin American versions. What do all of the pestos have in common? Fresh herbs, sautéed aromatics, and extra-virgin olive oil. Some of them call for the addition of flat leaf (Italian) parsley, which gives a bright green color and rounds out the flavor.
Pesto recipes can be easily customized to your own tastes. If nut or cheese sensitivity is an issue, just eliminate them. You can make your pesto denser, looser, greener, nuttier, or with extra garlic. Here are some basic cooking uses for Herb Pesto Flavor Bombs:
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• As a marinade or salad dressing thinned with oil or broth
• As a rub or crust for roasting
• In stuffing and bread crumbs
• In ravioli or other stuffed pasta filling
• For herb butters, dipping oils, or dips
• As a braising base for stovetop cooking
• In slow cooker recipes
• In omelets, batters, and quiche
• As a bruschetta topping
• As a sandwich spread blended with mayo, mustard, or oil
You may also want to give these pesto combinations a try:
• Gremolata (lemon zest, garlic, and parsley)
• Arugula, garlic, and walnuts
• Swiss chard, garlic, and pignoli
• Broccoli rabe, garlic, and raisins
• Olives, red peppers, and parsley or basil
• Mint, peas, and shallots
• Creamed spinach pesto
Here is the quickest and easiest method for making multiple Herb Pesto Flavor Bombs at the same time. See the Herb Pesto Flavor Bomb recipes for specific ingredients and more detailed instruction once you have your ingredients prepped.
TOAST THE NUTS
Lightly toast the nuts, one type at a time, in a dry large sauté pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside in separate bowls.
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SAUTÉ THE AROMATICS
Peel and roughly chop the garlic (at least 3 bulbs), shallot (about 5 bulbs), and onion (about 4 bulbs), keeping them separate. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the same large sauté pan that the nuts were toasted in, then lightly sauté each aromatic, separately, until fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside in separate bowls.
STEM AND WASH THE HERBS
Parsley, sage, cilantro, and basil: Cut as much of the stems off the bunch as possible and then pick the leaves off into a large bowl. Swish the leaves around in cold water, let sit for a couple of minutes for grit to fall to the bottom of the bowl, and then scoop into a colander and repeat. Shake in the colander, use a salad spinner, or lay on paper towels to dry—the herbs don't have to be totally dry, just not dripping wet. Rosemary and oregano: Hold the "branch" in one hand, using the other hand to "strip" it in the opposite direction of the leaf growth. Because oregano is more delicate, you will also have to pick off leaves from the "branch." Wash and dry using the same method as for parsley, sage, cilantro, and basil, but use a mesh strainer instead of a colander, so you don't lose the needle-like leaves down the drain.
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A good size bunch of parsley, cilantro, or sage will yield approximately 3 cups (120 to 180 g) of leaves per bunch; basil will yield approximately 2 cups (80 g) of leaves per bunch; and rosemary or oregano will yield approximately 1 1/2 cups (40 g) of leaves per bunch (rosemary is pungent so even a cup may be sufficient for your recipe).
VEGETABLE-BLEND FLAVOR BOMBS
Soffritto, sofrito, mirepoix, holy trinity, suppengrün . . . these international terms all basically mean the same thing: a blend of sautéed vegetables used as flavor bases. The word _soffritto_ roughly translates to "slowly fry" in Italian; the Spanish version, _sofrito_ , always contains tomatoes.
Most cuisines have a traditional combination of aromatics. Aromatics are herbs, spices, and vegetables, such as onions, garlic, and shallots, that are cooked in oil as a base for the flavor of a dish. Cooking them in butter and/or oil helps to release their flavors and aromas, creating a deep flavor foundation for soups, stews, sauces, meat fillings, and more.
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In French cooking, the combination is the classic _mirepoix_ , which is called the "holy trinity" in Creole/Cajun cuisine. Both are a blend of onions and celery with either carrots (French) or green peppers (Cajun) that are sautéed in butter and/or oil, and are the base of so many dishes. Mirepoix mixes perfectly in any grain as a side dish or stuffing, tosses with any vegetable to give it extra flavor and color, or mixes into a tuna, chicken, or other salad for a savory burst of flavor. Meanwhile, German cooks use _suppengrün_ , which typically consists of carrots, celery root, and leeks.
I have also included an Indian Curry Flavor Bomb and an Umami Flavor Bomb in this section to bring in some Asian flavors.
Here are some basic cooking uses for Vegetable-Blend Flavor Bombs:
• To mix into any grain or pasta for a side dish
• To mix into a homemade stuffing
• To give any vegetable extra flavor and color
• To mix into a tuna, chicken, or other salad for a savory burst of flavor
• As a base for soups, stews, and slow-cooked dishes
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• In stir-fry dishes, omelets, quiche, and sandwiches and panini
STOCK AND SAUCE FLAVOR BOMBS
In this section, I have included just a few of the many basic components of cooking that a chef learns to master: a béchamel sauce (or white sauce) and beef, chicken, and vegetable stocks. A home cook should know how to make these essentials, too. I believe that if you can make a great sauce, then more than half the battle is won in that fight to get a delicious meal onto the table.
Today it is often called a "bone broth," but it is really just a stock. Don't let the long cooking times of the Stock Flavor Bombs scare you. One of the easiest things to make is a stock. It can simmer at a low temperature while you go about your day and give it the occasional stir—you can even run a quick errand or take a walk. Some recipes say to leave it simmering overnight, but I have to admit that I'm hesitant to do that. I'd rather start at the crack of dawn and put it to rest when I do.
If you reduce a stock even longer, by half, it becomes a _demi glace_. The concept behind the Stock Flavor Bombs is to have units of stock on hand to make a demi glace, and then the perfect pan sauce, without having to use overly salty and fatty store-bought versions. If you buy a top-quality demi glace, it can be quite expensive, so making your own will also save money. The long cooking time brings out the gelatin in the bones; that's why it solidifies when it's chilled. Your sauces will have a great mouthfeel since it acts like a natural thickening agent.
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Here are some basic cooking uses for Stock and Sauce Flavor Bombs:
• As a braising liquid
• As a base for pan sauces and gravies
• As a liquid to cook rice and grains
• As a soup base or just for sipping as a broth
• As a marinade, mixed with herbs and spices
• As a thickener (Bechamel Flavor Bomb)
• To add body to a soup or stew (stocks)
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
Along with the basic kitchen tools you most likely already have in your kitchen—saucepans, stock pots, cutting boards, knives, etc.—here are some additional tools and appliances that are helpful in making, freezing, and storing your homemade Flavor Bombs.
MAKING
FOOD PROCESSOR: a small or large one will come in handy, especially when making Herb Pesto Flavor Bombs. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a mortar and pestle, the original food processor—it's wonderful for making small amounts of aromatic "pastes" of a coarse consistency or for grinding spices.
KITCHEN SCALE (OPTIONAL): For a more serious cook, it's always good to own a kitchen scale for precision (and to become more familiar with weight measurements), especially when baking.
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MEASURING SPOONS: This kitchen mainstay is essential for when you may want to increase or decrease the spice amounts in your Flavor Bombs to your taste.
MESH STRAINER: This is a must-have for straining the Stock Flavor Bombs.
STRAINER AND LARGE BOWL: These two items work hand in hand and are crucial for washing, rinsing, and drying herbs and vegetables, which are at the core of these Flavor Bombs.
FREEZING
ICE CUBE TRAYS: Standard ice cube trays have 14 cubes that are each 1 ounce (28 g). I also use some of the newer silicone trays that are 3 ounces (85 g) per cube and even 1/2 ounce (14 g) per cube.
PLASTIC EGG CARTONS: The indentations are usually 1 ounce (28 g) in size, just like a standard ice cube tray. An egg carton is perfect for oily or pungent Bombs so that you can just toss it out after using, without the hassle of soaking or washing to get rid of the scent.
PLASTIC TAKE-OUT CONTAINERS: Stockpile the small cups with lids (these usually hold soy sauce, ketchup, etc.) as they are 1 ounce (28 g) in size—the perfect size for a Flavor Bomb.
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WAX PAPER: If the above options are unavailable to you, you can always spoon dollops of your mixtures onto this for freezing.
STORING
Once your Bombs are frozen, transfer them to either an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag for storage in your freezer for up to a year. Also, label your containers and bags!
HOW TO USE FLAVOR BOMBS
When following the Bomb recipes, a total ounce (gram) size is given for the yield. When following the dish recipes, the Bomb is listed in the ingredients list as, for example, 1 Sage Flavor Bomb or 4 Chicken Stock Bombs. Here's what you need to remember: 1 Bomb = 1 ounce (28 g). So if 4 Bombs are called for, that means 4 Bombs = 4 ounces (112 g). A nice little perk of making Flavor Bombs is that you get really savvy with knowing your measurements and can eyeball an ounce (28 g) or two (56 g) easily—this is a great cooking skill to develop!
Flavor Bombs are somewhat condensed, caramelized, or reduced blends of ingredients, so a little can go a long way. You can use your Flavor Bombs for the simplest preparation or in the most complex recipes. Here's how they work:
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• A quick 30 seconds in the microwave will defrost your Bombs for blending with other ingredients, or dropped in a pot of soup, stew, or sauce while the Bomb is still frozen will do the trick!
• Dropping one in a dish that's just about finished yet needs "something" is one of the best ways to use them.
• Instead of salt and/or a fat, "drop a Bomb."
NO MORE WASTE!
Having ready-made elements in your freezer will make cooking future dishes a snap. It will also encourage you to start experimenting with mixing flavors. And why not have starters on hand to build a new dish re-created from a dish you already love? Once you are in the habit of preserving your excess produce and saving leftovers, you will develop a stockpile of essences in your freezer that will save you time and money (and the environment). You are basically creating your own Flavor Bombs! And remember to reuse your plastic containers for freezing your Bombs, such as those little sauce containers with lids and egg cartons.
EXCESS PRODUCE
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I started making Flavor Bombs from the bounty of my vegetable garden, so if you get overzealous at the farmers' market, or have an abundant garden, all of that produce doesn't have to go to waste. Here are some useful tips:
• Wash, rinse, and dry herbs; mince in a food processor; lay on a baking sheet; and freeze. Use a spatula to transfer to container when frozen. Sprinkle in your cooking.
• Caramelize chopped onions, garlic, or shallots and then freeze.
• For sauce and stewed tomatoes, simmer overripe tomatoes for 45 minutes in salted water, let cool, squish by hand, reduce the liquid, and freeze. For homemade tomato paste, purée before freezing.
• Chop, wash, and freeze leeks (even the green parts), and then sauté with oil or butter to serve, or add to soups and stews.
• A cauliflower head goes a long way: chop and freeze; mince some (raw) in a food processor for "rice" without the carbs, freeze, and then steam to serve; or slice cauliflower "steaks," freeze, and then brush with oil, season, and grill to serve.
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• Sauté mushrooms—mince some, slice some—and freeze.
• Save some herb stems, broccoli stalks, celery leaves, and carrot peels and simmer in water to make a quick veggie broth. Strain, and then freeze the broth in ice cube trays.
• Make a vegetable concentrate by using your food processor to turn your extra veggies into a paste. Combine them with soy sauce, tomato paste, and/or salt; freeze in ice cube trays or in dollops on wax paper; and add to your cooking for a flavor boost.
LEFTOVERS
Get in the habit of freezing bits of meals! What I mean by that is saving small amounts of that fabulous gravy on your meatloaf, skimming the chicken fat (schmaltz) from your soup, and reserving some of that bacon grease, rub, marinade, or herb blend. Saving small amounts of stuffing or vegetables will also provide you with a savory mixture to either purée for a sauce or reuse as a breading.
• Shrimp and lobster shells can be simmered with oil, a carrot, a celery stalk, and some parsley for lovely shellfish oil.
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• Sauté shrimp and lobster shells in butter and simmer with water and vegetables for a stock. Strain into an ice cube tray.
• Never throw bread away. Tear it and toss it in the food processor for homemade bread crumbs. Season with grated Parmesan, herbs, salt, and pepper, or other flavor variations.
• Make a quick chicken broth using a rotisserie chicken's bones.
• Always spoon out and freeze some of your homemade tomato sauce. Use in meatballs and meatloaf or add it to brown pan sauces for depth of flavor.
HERB PESTO FLAVOR BOMBS
◁ BASIL FLAVOR BOMB
MAKES 14 OUNCES (392 G)
> 1/2 cup (68 g) pignoli (pine nuts)
> 1/2 to 3/4 cup (120 to 180 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
> 1/2 to 3/4 cup (70 to 100 g) roughly chopped garlic
> 2 cups (40 g) basil, stemmed and packed
> 1 cup (60 g) flat leaf parsley, stemmed and packed
> 1/2 cup (50 g) grated Pecorino Romano
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
1. Lightly toast the pignoli in a dry medium sauté pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
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2. Heat half the olive oil in the same pan, then lightly sauté the garlic over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Pulse the basil and parsley in a food processor to roughly chop, then add the cheese, pignoli, garlic, remaining olive oil, and salt and pepper to the food processor. Pulse again to the desired consistency. Do not purée.
4. Spoon the pesto into ice cube trays or small containers, or onto a wax paper–lined baking sheet or tray, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer the Flavor Bombs to an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag.
BASIL FLAVOR BOMB ◁ SPAGHETTI FRITTATA
SERVES 4 TO 6
> 1/2 box (1/2 pound/228 g) spaghetti, linguini, or capellini (or leftover cooked noodles, unsauced)
> 6 eggs
> 2 tablespoons (30 ml) half-and-half
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
> 1 Basil Flavor Bomb
> 1/2 cup (50 g) grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
> 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
> 1/2 cup (40 g) chopped pancetta, prosciutto, or dried sausage
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> 1/4 cup (34 g) pignoli (pine nuts)
1. Boil and drain the spaghetti and set aside.
2. In a bowl, beat the eggs with half-and-half, salt, and pepper, and then blend in the Basil Flavor Bomb and 1/4 cup (25 g) grated cheese. Set aside.
3. In a large, nonstick, ovenproof frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil over medium heat and quickly sauté the pancetta and pignoli for a little golden color. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).
5. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil to the frying pan. Add the spaghetti to the pan, spreading it out. Let it sizzle for a minute or two to get a little color on the bottom.
6. Pour the egg mixture over the spaghetti, using a spatula to make sure it completely covers it and gets in between and underneath the spaghetti. Let the eggs cook, rotating the pan and using the spatula to lift edges, letting the uncooked egg underneath cook (as if making an omelet).
7. When the eggs are set, sprinkle the pancetta, pignoli, and remaining 1/4 cup (25 g) grated cheese on the top, spreading it around to evenly distribute. Put the pan in the oven and let the frittata bake until the eggs are cooked and the top is golden brown, about 10 minutes.
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BASIL FLAVOR BOMB LINGUINI WITH CLAM SAUCE
SERVES 4
> 18 littleneck clams
> 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
> 1 pound (454 g) shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
> 1 Basil Flavor Bomb
> 8-ounce (235 ml) bottle clam juice
> 6 1/2-ounce (184 g) can chopped clams (optional)
> 1-pound (454 g) box linguini
1. Submerge the clams in a bowl of water, scrub them with a brush, and rinse.
2. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. If using the shrimp, add a swirl of the olive oil and sauté the shrimp for a minute on each side. Season with salt and pepper, remove the shrimp from the pan, and set aside.
3. Add the remaining olive oil, the Basil Flavor Bomb, and the clam juice to the pan. Simmer for 1 minute, stirring to combine. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the linguini.
4. Add the scrubbed clams to the saucepan. Cover the pan (if you have a glass lid, you can watch!) and steam the clams until they open, about 5 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open.
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5. As soon as the clams are open, remove them from the pan and set aside; clams overcook very quickly and get rubbery. (Incidentally, the clams are delicious right now with a little pan sauce!)
6. Add the chopped clams (if using) to the sauce, and gently simmer for 2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the saucepan.
7. Boil the linguini until al dente. Drain and place in a pasta serving bowl.
8. Spoon the sauce over the linguini and toss. Add the clams to the bowl, spooning some sauce over them. (Alternatively, you can remove the clams from their shells and add them to the sauce right before serving.) Serve immediately.
RECIPE VARIATION
If you'd like a red clam sauce, add a 15-ounce (425 g) can of crushed tomatoes to the sauce and simmer with the chopped clams for about 20 minutes.
BASIL FLAVOR BOMB STUFFED MUSHROOMS
SERVES 4 TO 6
> 1 pound (454 g) white mushrooms (at least 24 large mushrooms)
> 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
> 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter
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> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
> 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
> 1 Basil Flavor Bomb
> 2 cups (120 g) fresh bread crumbs
> 1/2 cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
> 2 tablespoons (31 g) part-skim ricotta cheese (full-fat is fine, too)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).
2. Remove the mushroom caps from the stems. To avoid broken mushrooms, gently use your thumb to push the stem to the side while cupping the mushroom in your other palm.
3. Trim the ends of the mushroom stems, rinse the stems, and finely chop them by hand or in a food processor.
4. Rinse, brush, and paper towel dry the mushroom caps. Place on a rimmed baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil, and bake for about 8 minutes. They will shrink a bit and release their juices. Set aside, reserving the juices. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5).
5. Heat the butter and 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems, salt, and pepper, and sauté until lightly browned. Then add the soy sauce, about a tablespoon (15 ml) of the reserved mushroom juice, and the Basil Flavor Bomb. Reduce the heat to medium and continue sautéing until the juice is reduced and the mixture is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
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6. Remove the sauté pan from the heat. Add the bread crumbs and grated Parmesan and blend. Add the ricotta and blend, adding more mushroom juice and the remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil as you mix, so the stuffing is not dry. Taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper if needed.
7. Stuff the mushroom caps and drizzle them with olive oil. Bake the stuffed mushrooms for 5 minutes, or until lightly brown on top.
BASIL FLAVOR BOMB ◁ QUINOA BALLS
MAKES 8 BALLS
> 1 cup (170 g) quinoa
> 2 cups (475 ml) water or chicken broth (for denser quinoa, use 1 3/4 cups/425 ml)
> 1 Basil Flavor Bomb
> 8 ounces (225 g) fontina cheese
> 1 egg, beaten
> 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose unbleached flour, for dredging
> 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1. Rinse the quinoa in a mesh strainer. Put the quinoa in a medium saucepan with the water or broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Stir in the Basil Flavor Bomb. Let the quinoa sit until cool enough to handle.
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3. Shape the quinoa into 8 balls, each about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) in diameter.
4. Cut the fontina into 8 cubes. Make an indent in each quinoa ball with your finger, insert a fontina cube in the middle, and roll it to cover the cheese.
5. Dip the quinoa balls in the beaten egg and dredge in the flour.
6. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium to medium-high heat and cook the balls until golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning often to color all sides. Serve immediately.
◁ ROSEMARY FLAVOR BOMB
MAKES 14 OUNCES (392 G)
> 2 lemons
> 1/2 cup (68 g) pignoli (pine nuts)
> 3/4 cup (180 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
> 1/2 cup (75 g) roughly chopped garlic
> 1 1/2 cups (40 g) fresh rosemary, stemmed and packed
> 1 cup (60 g) parsley, stemmed and packed
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
1. Zest the lemons onto wax paper, and then squeeze the lemons for juice. You should have 2 tablespoons (12 g) grated lemon zest and 1/2 cup (120 ml) lemon juice. Set aside.
2. Lightly toast the pignoli in a dry medium sauté pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
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3. Add 6 tablespoons (90 ml) olive oil to the same pan and lightly sauté the garlic over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Pulse the rosemary and parsley in a food processor to roughly chop, then add the lemon zest and juice, pignoli, garlic, remaining 6 tablespoons (90 ml) olive oil, and salt and pepper to the food processor. Pulse again to the desired consistency. Do not purée.
5. Spoon the pesto into ice cube trays or small containers, or onto a wax paper–lined baking sheet or tray, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer the Flavor Bombs to an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag.
ROSEMARY FLAVOR BOMB ◁ ROSEMARY FOCACCIA
SERVES 4 TO 6
> 1 cup (150 g) grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes (about 12 tomatoes)
> 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing, thinning, and drizzling
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
> 1-pound (454 g) package prepared pizza dough, at room temperature (if frozen, defrost according to package instructions)
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> 1 Rosemary Flavor Bomb
> 12 Kalamata olives or other oil-cured pitted olives, halved
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5).
2. Rinse and dry the tomatoes, and cut in half. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss, and spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, or until browned and sizzling.
3. Grease an approximately 10 × 12-inch (25 × 30 cm) baking sheet with olive oil and spread the pizza dough out on it with your fingertips. Don't give up if it retracts when stretched; it will stay spread eventually. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
4. Thin the Rosemary Flavor Bomb with enough extra-virgin olive oil to be pourable.
5. Punch dents in the pizza dough with your fingertips. Brush it with the Rosemary Flavor Bomb–oil mixture; dot it all over with olives and tomatoes; drizzle on more olive oil; and let it rise for 30 more minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C, or gas mark 8).
7. Sprinkle the pizza with salt and pepper, and bake for 10 minutes. Then, lower the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4) and bake for 10 more minutes, or until golden brown. Cool the pizza on a wire rack, so the bottom dries and crisps.
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ROSEMARY FLAVOR BOMB ROASTED RACK OF LAMB
SERVES 3 TO 4
> 2 racks (1 1/2 pounds/680 g) of lamb
> 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
> 1 cup (60 g) fresh bread crumbs
> 1 Rosemary Flavor Bomb
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C, or gas mark 7).
2. Brush the racks of lamb with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sear the racks in a large frying pan over medium-high heat for about 1 minute on each side, until brown.
3. In a small bowl, blend together the bread crumbs, the Rosemary Flavor Bomb, and the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Coat the racks of lamb with the rosemary bread crumb mixture, patting it on to stick. Place in a roasting pan.
5. Roast lamb for 15 to 20 minutes, crust side up, or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F (55°C) for medium rare (cook longer for more well-done meat). Let the racks rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
ROSEMARY FLAVOR BOMB ROSEMARY ROASTED POTATOES
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SERVES 4
> 1 Rosemary Flavor Bomb
> 1/2 to 3/4 cup (120 to 175 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
> 2 to 3 pounds (1 to 1.5 kg) fresh or frozen potato wedges
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6).
2. In a measuring cup, blend the Rosemary Flavor Bomb with the olive oil.
3. If using fresh potatoes, slice them in half and then into thirds or quarters for even-sized wedges. Microwave them on high power for 8 to 10 minutes to tenderize, and then spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. If using frozen potatoes, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and allow to defrost at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
4. Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss with the Rosemary Flavor Bomb mixture, salt, and pepper, and then return to the oven for 30 to 40 minutes longer, turning the pan halfway, until the exteriors of the potatoes are browned and the interiors are tender.
CHEF'S TIP
For extra crunch, toss the potatoes in a frying pan for 1 to 2 minutes before serving.
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◁ SAGE FLAVOR BOMB
MAKES 14 OUNCES (392 G)
> 1/2 cup (50 g) pecans
> 3/4 to 1 cup (180 to 235 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
> 3/4 cup (106 g) roughly chopped shallots
> 2 cups (80 g) sage, stemmed and packed
> 1 cup (60 g) parsley, stemmed and packed
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
1. Lightly toast the pecans in a dry medium sauté pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and roughly chop by hand or by pulsing in a food processor. Set aside.
2. Add half of the olive oil to the same pan and lightly sauté the shallots over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Pulse the sage and parsley in a food processor to roughly chop. Add the pecans, shallots, remaining olive oil, and salt and pepper to the food processor. Pulse again to the desired consistency. Do not purée.
4. Spoon the pesto into ice cube trays or small containers, or onto a wax paper–lined baking sheet or tray, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer the Flavor Bombs to an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag.
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SAGE FLAVOR BOMB ◁ ROASTED PORK LOIN
SERVES 4 TO 6
> 2 1/2 to 3 pounds (1 to 1.5 kg) boneless pork loin roast
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
> 1 Sage Flavor Bomb
> 1 cup (225 g) mayonnaise
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C, or gas mark 3).
2. Season the roast with salt and pepper. Blend the Sage Flavor Bomb with the mayonnaise, and slather the mixture all over the roast.
3. Place the roast in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the middle of the roast reads 145 to 150°F (63 to 66°C). It will continue cooking while resting.
4. Let the roast rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
CHEF'S TIP
This is a pork LOIN roast, not a TENDERLOIN, which is the center of this roast. The loin is a little fattier and therefore juicier and more flavorful. A tenderloin is better for grilling.
SAGE FLAVOR BOMB FRIED CATFISH FILLETS
SERVES 2 TO 4
> 2 fillets catfish (8 to 10 ounces/227 to 283 g each)
> 1 Sage Flavor Bomb
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
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> 4 cups (240 g) fresh bread crumbs (or a mixture of panko and dried bread crumbs)
> 2 eggs
> 2 tablespoons (30 ml) half-and-half
> 1/2 cup (120 ml) canola or vegetable oil
> 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/60 g) unsalted butter
1. Rinse the catfish fillets and pat dry.
2. Mix half the Sage Flavor Bomb, salt and pepper, and the bread crumbs in a shallow plate (suitable for breading the fillets).
3. Mix the other half of the Sage Flavor Bomb with the eggs, half-and-half, and salt and pepper in a bowl large enough to fit the fillets. Put the fillets in the bowl to marinate. Using a fork, pierce the fillets all around while in the egg batter, as if to tenderize them, turning them over to coat all sides.
4. Transfer one fillet at a time to the bread crumbs and coat evenly, pressing the breading firmly onto the fish. You want a nice thick breading. Transfer the breaded fillets to a tray.
5. In a large, nonstick frying pan, heat the canola or vegetable oil and butter over medium-high heat until a bread crumb sizzles when dropped in. Don't let the oil smoke.
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6. Fry the fillets for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Use two spatulas to turn the fillets over gently; they are large, and you don't want them dropping and splattering hot oil.
7. Place the fried fillets on a platter and sprinkle with salt. Portion at the table.
CHEF'S TIP
Catfish is often served in small, cut strips that are overcooked and dry. Keeping the fillets whole retains the juiciness, and the crunch you get from the fresh bread crumbs is incomparable.
SAGE FLAVOR BOMB BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS
SERVES 3 TO 4
> 1 Sage Flavor Bomb
> 1 Mirepoix Flavor Bomb
> 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil or 1/2 cup (1 stick/ 120 g) butter, softened
> 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces/170 g each)
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C, or gas mark 3).
2. In a small bowl, mix the Sage Flavor Bomb and the Mirepoix Flavor Bomb with the olive oil or softened butter.
3. Trim the chicken breasts of any fat or cartilage, rinse, and pat dry. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a baking pan.
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4. Slather the Flavor Bomb mixture over the chicken to coat evenly. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C), turning the pan at the halfway point. Remove the foil from the pan and bake for an additional 10 minutes to brown the chicken.
LEFTOVERS?
Use baked chicken to make a great chicken salad. To make a chicken pot pie or chicken à la king, cube the chicken, mix it with 2Béchamel Flavor Bombs, and simmer it with the chicken's pan juices and 1/2 cup (120 ml) half-and-half. Serve with noodles for chicken à la king, or add cooked or canned carrots and potatoes and spoon into a prebaked pastry crust for pot pie (bake for 10 minutes).
◁ THAI FLAVOR BOMB
MAKES 14 OUNCES (392 G)
> 3/4 cup (180 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
> 1/2 cup (70 g) roughly chopped garlic
> 2 cups (40 g) Thai basil (or Italian basil), stemmed and packed
> 1 cup (60 g) cilantro, stemmed and packed
> 1/2 cup (120 ml) coconut milk
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> 1/2 cup (50 g) sliced lemongrass
> 1/4 cup (60 ml) lime juice (juice of 1 lime with some pulp)
> 3 tablespoons (18 g) peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger
> 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce
> 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
> 2 tablespoons (32 g) peanut butter
> 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
> 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
1. Heat 6 tablespoons (90 ml) olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and then lightly sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Pulse the basil and cilantro in a food processor to roughly chop, and then add all the other ingredients, including the garlic and remaining 6 tablespoons (90 ml) olive oil. Pulse again to the desired consistency. Do not purée.
3. Spoon the pesto into ice cube trays or small containers, or onto a wax paper–lined baking sheet or tray, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer the Flavor Bombs to an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag.
CHEF'S TIP
To prep lemongrass, trim the top and base of the stalk. Cut off enough of the bottom until the purple rings are visible. You want to use only the bottom 4 inches (10 cm) or so. Then peel off any dry or tough outer layers before slicing into thin rings for the food processor.
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THAI FLAVOR BOMB ◁ SHRIMP & SUGAR SNAP PEA STIR-FRY
SERVES 4
> 1 pound (454 g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined (16 count are nice)
> 1 pound (454 g) large sea scallops
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
> 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
> 1 Thai Flavor Bomb
> 1 tablespoon (15 ml) coconut milk
> 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce
> 1/2 teaspoon cumin
> 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
> 1-pound (454 g) bag frozen sugar snap peas, defrosted (or fresh)
> 1-pound (454 g) bag frozen red peppers, defrosted (or fresh)
1. Rinse and dry the shrimp and scallops, keeping them separate. Season both with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and sear the scallops for 2 minutes on each side. They should get a nice golden brown crust. Remove from the pan and set aside on a platter.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil to the pan. Sauté the shrimp until they develop some color, about 1 minute on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside on the platter with the scallops.
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4. The shrimp and scallops will release some juices onto the platter. Add the juices to the pan with the Thai Flavor Bomb, coconut milk, soy sauce, cumin, and curry powder. Let this pan sauce simmer to reduce a bit, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Add the sugar snap peas and red peppers to the pan, and toss with the sauce. Add fresh cracked pepper and taste for salt, adding more if needed.
6. Return the shrimp and scallops to the pan, and toss them to coat with pan sauce and mix with the vegetables. Serve the stir-fry on the platter.
LEFTOVERS?
Add a can of water chestnuts, chop up the stir-fry, and mix in a tablespoon (16 g) of peanut butter. Then stuff into lettuce leaves, wonton wrappers, or spring-roll wrappers.
THAI FLAVOR BOMB THAI CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
SERVES 2 TO 4
> 1 pound (454 g) skinless chicken thighs
> 2 Thai Flavor Bombs
> 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil (or extra-virgin olive, coconut, or canola oil)
> 6 cups (1.4 L) water
> 14 1/2-ounce (430 ml) can low-sodium chicken broth
> 1 cup (235 ml) coconut milk
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> 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce
> 1-pound (454 g) bag frozen Asian-style vegetables (defrosted)
> 6 ounces (170 g) tofu (silken), diced
> 8-ounce (225 g) bag soba noodles (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
> Sliced scallions, grated fresh ginger, or lime juice, for garnish
1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, sauté the chicken thighs with the Thai Flavor Bombs and oil for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the water, chicken broth, coconut milk, and soy sauce to the pot. Reduce the heat to low and simmer soup for about 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove the chicken from the broth with a slotted spoon. Let the chicken sit until cool enough to handle, and then shred or chop into small pieces. Set aside.
4. Add the vegetables and diced tofu to the broth and continue simmering.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the soba noodles for 5 minutes and then drain. Add the noodles and chopped chicken to the soup.
6. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper if needed. Garnish the soup with sliced scallions, grated ginger, or a squeeze of lime juice.
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◁ TEX-MEX FLAVOR BOMB
MAKES 14 OUNCES (392 G)
> 1 cup (130 g) chopped cashews
> 3/4 cup (180 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
> 3/4 cup (120 g) roughly chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
> 2 cups (120 g) cilantro, stemmed and packed
> 1 cup (60 g) flat leaf parsley, stemmed and packed
> 1 small jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped (keep seeds for extra heat)
> 1/2 cup (120 ml) lime juice (juice of 2 limes with some pulp)
> 1 teaspoon chili powder
> 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
1. Lightly toast the cashews in a dry medium sauté pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Heat 6 tablespoons (90 ml) olive oil in the same pan over medium heat, and then sauté the onion until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Pulse the parsley and cilantro in a food processor to roughly chop, and then add all the other ingredients, including the cashews, onions, and remaining 6 tablespoons (90 ml) olive oil. Pulse again to the desired consistency. Do not purée.
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4. Spoon the pesto into ice cube trays or small containers, or onto a wax paper–lined baking sheet or tray, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer the Flavor Bombs to an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag.
TEX-MEX FLAVOR BOMB ◁ TEXAS TOAST PANINI
MAKES 4 PANINI
> 1 filet mignon steak (6 ounces/170 g), sliced into about 12 slices
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
> 1 Tex-Mex Flavor Bomb, divided
> 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
> 1-pound (454 g) bag frozen multicolor peppers
> 2 to 4 tablespoons (15 to 30 g) chipotle peppers in adobo (depending on the heat you want)
> 4 1/4-ounce (127 g) can diced green chiles
> 8 slices Texas Toast bread (available in the grocery freezer case, already buttered)
> 8 slices pepper Jack cheese
1. Sprinkle the filet slices with salt and pepper.
2. Blend half of the Tex-Mex Flavor Bomb with the olive oil. Marinate the filet in the oil for at least 1 hour.
3. Defrost the peppers. Drain any liquid and mix them with the chipotle, chiles, and the remaining half of the Tex-Mex Heat Flavor Bomb.
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4. Sear the filet slices in a large frying pan over medium to medium-high heat until browned but still rare to medium-rare.
5. Assemble the panini. On a slice of Texas Toast, start with a slice of cheese, then the filet, then the pepper mixture, then another slice of cheese, and then a top bread slice. Repeat for four panini.
6. Heat a grill pan, if you have one (it makes awesome-looking grill marks on the bread). If not, use a nonstick frying pan. The pan should be hot enough to brown the bread, but don't let the panini burn! Place each sandwich on the hot grill pan or nonstick frying pan, and brown each side for 1 minute or so, using a bacon press or small frying pan to flatten and press down the sandwich.
CHEF'S TIP
I like filet mignon for this recipe because it's the most tender cut of steak for a sandwich. Plus, one filet steak goes a long way in this recipe. Slightly freeze the raw steak for easier slicing.
TEX-MEX FLAVOR BOMB TEX-MEX LASAGNA
SERVES 4
> 2 pounds (1 kg) ground beef
> 1 teaspoon baking soda
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> 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
> 6 tablespoons (90 ml) water, divided
> 1 Umami Flavor Bomb or 1 teaspoon soy sauce
> 2 Tex-Mex Flavor Bombs
> 1/2 cup (120 ml) beef broth
> 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
> 1/2 teaspoon cumin
> 1/2 teaspoon paprika
> Pepper, to taste
> 28-ounce (794 g) can crushed tomatoes
> 12-ounce (340 g) bag wide egg noodles
> 4 Béchamel Flavor Bombs or 1/2 cup (120 ml) Béchamel Sauce
> 1/4 cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese
> 8-ounce (225 g) bag shredded Mexican cheese blend
1. In a bowl, toss the ground beef with the baking soda, salt, and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes.
2. Brown the ground beef in a large, deep skillet over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces.
3. Add the Umami and Tex-Mex Flavor Bombs, beef broth, cayenne, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Bring to a simmer for a few minutes, stirring often, to reduce a bit and infuse flavors.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 1 hour, with the lid ajar, stirring frequently. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons (60 ml) water to the sauce gradually as it simmers and reduces. The sauce will be thick, so adding some liquid as it cooks is necessary to keep it sauce-like.
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5. Boil the noodles in a large pot of salted water for about 8 minutes, or until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup (60 ml) noodle water, then drain. Return the noodles to the pot, and toss with the Béchamel Flavor Bombs and Parmesan cheese to coat noodles. Add the reserved noodle water to smooth the white sauce.
6. Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C, or gas mark 3).
7. Lightly grease a 10 × 12-inch (25 × 30 cm) baking dish. Starting with the noodles, then the beef sauce, and then the shredded cheese, make layers in the baking dish. Top with the shredded cheese and a drizzle of sauce.
8. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil greased with canola oil or cooking spray (so the cheese doesn't stick), and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until bubbling.
TEX-MEX FLAVOR BOMB TEX-MEX SLOW COOKER BEANS
SERVES 4 TO 6
> 1 pound (454 g) dried beans (pinto and navy bean mix), soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed
> 1 Tex-Mex Flavor Bomb
> 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup
> 1/4 cup (60 g) brown sugar
> 2 Mirepoix Flavor Bombs (optional)
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> 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil or bacon grease
> 2 tablespoons (30 g) ketchup
> 1 tablespoon (16 g) tomato paste
> 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce
> 1 tablespoon (16 g) Dijon mustard
> 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
> 1 cup (235 ml) water, divided
> 3 or 4 slices cooked maple bacon, crumbled
1. Put all the ingredients (except the maple bacon) and 1/2 cup (120 ml) water in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours.
2. Turn the slow cooker to low, and cook an additional 10 hours, stirring occasionally and adding the remaining water gradually, as needed.
3. Serve garnished with the crumbled maple bacon.
CHEF'S TIP
To speed things up, after soaking the beans overnight, bring them to a boil, cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 2 hours. Doing this cuts the cooking time in half, to 6 hours. Or you can use canned beans and cut the cooking time down to 2 to 3 hours—just don't expect the same rich flavor.
◁ CHIMICHURRI FLAVOR BOMB
MAKES 14 OUNCES (392 G)
> 3/4 cup (175 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
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> 1/2 cup (75 g) roughly chopped garlic
> 1/2 cup (75 g) roughly chopped shallots
> 2 cups (120 g) cilantro, stemmed and packed
> 1 cup (60 g) flat-leaf parsley, stemmed and packed
> 1/2 cup (32 g) minced fresh or 1/4 cup (12 g) dried oregano leaves
> 1/3 cup (80 ml) red wine vinegar
> 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
1. Heat 6 tablespoons (90 ml) olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and then lightly sauté the garlic and shallots until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Pulse the cilantro, parsley, and oregano in a food processor to roughly chop, and then add all the other ingredients, including the garlic and shallots and remaining 6 tablespoons (90 ml) olive oil to the food processor. Pulse again to the desired consistency. Do not purée.
3. Spoon the pesto into ice cube trays or small containers, or onto a wax paper–lined baking sheet or tray, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer the Flavor Bombs to an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag.
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CHIMICHURRI FLAVOR BOMB ◁ CHICKEN SCARPARIELLO
SERVES 4 TO 6
> 1 pound (454 g) new red potatoes, cut in half
> 3/4 cup (175 ml) extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil, divided
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
> 1 ring (1 pound/454 g) sweet sausage (parsley and cheese flavor)
> 1 ring (1 pound/454 g) hot sausage
> 4 pounds (1.8 kg) chicken legs and thighs, cut in half (have your butcher do this), or 2 whole fryers, cut into 12 pieces each (leaving most skin on)
> 8 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
> 2 Chimichurri Flavor Bombs (use 3 for a stronger flavor)
> 1/4 cup (60 ml) chicken broth
> 1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice
> 2 to 4 tablespoons (30 to 60 ml) white wine or vermouth (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6).
2. Toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5).
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3. Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add both sausage rings and brown them on each side, trying not to break them. Do not fully cook the sausage. Once they're browned, remove them from the skillet and set aside in a large baking pan.
4. Add 2 more tablespoons (30 ml) of oil to the skillet and brown the chicken over medium heat, turning often, until browned all over. Work in batches if necessary, and don't fully cook the chicken. Transfer the chicken from the skillet to the baking pan with the sausage.
5. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons (90 ml) oil and garlic cloves to the small pieces of chicken skin that are stuck to the skillet to create "cracklins." Sauté the chicken skin over medium heat until dark golden brown and crunchy, stirring often with a large metal spatula and scraping up the fond (a browned layer) and bits.
6. Add the Chimichurri Flavor Bombs, chicken broth, lemon juice, and white wine or vermouth (if using) to the skillet. Simmer for a few minutes to reduce to a glaze, adding more broth if necessary to have enough sauce. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust if needed.
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7. Break the sausage rings into 2- or 3-inch (5 to 7.5 cm) pieces. Some of the cheese filling should be spilling out.
8. Add the potatoes to the baking pan with the chicken and sausage. Bake for 10 minutes.
9. Pour the pan sauce all over the baking pan and toss everything together. Return the baking pan to the oven for about 15 minutes, or until you hear it sizzle.
CHIMICHURRI FLAVOR BOMB GRILLED RIB-EYE STEAK
SERVES 2
> 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cornstarch
> 1 tablespoon (15 ml) kosher salt
> 2 boneless rib-eye steaks (10 ounces/284 g each), about 1/2 inch (13 mm) thick
> 1/2 cup (120 ml) water or beef broth
> 1 or 2 Chimichurri Flavor Bombs
1. Mix the cornstarch and salt together and rub on both sides of the steaks. Chill the steaks in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
2. Sear the steaks in a large, hot pan, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, depending on how rare you prefer them.
3. Remove the steaks from the pan and let them rest uncovered while you make the sauce.
4. Using the same pan over medium to medium-high heat, combine the water or beef broth and the Chimichurri Flavor Bomb(s). Stir and simmer to reduce, 3 to 5 minutes.
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5. Spoon the sauce over the steaks and serve immediately.
CHEF'S TIP
If your steaks are thick, bake them in a 275°F (140°C, or gas mark 1) oven for 20 minutes (rare) or 30 minutes (medium) instead. Then sear each side for a minute or two.
VEGETABLE-BLEND FLAVOR BOMBS
◁ SUPPENGRÜN FLAVOR BOMB
MAKES 36 OUNCES (1 KG)
> 3/4 pound (340 g) carrots (about 6 medium-sized carrots), peeled
> 1/2 pound (225 g) celery root, peeled
> 14 1/2-ounce (430 ml) can low-sodium beef, chicken, or vegetable broth (I use beef), divided
> 1 pound (454 g) leeks (about 5 leeks)
> 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick/90 g) unsalted butter, divided
> 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
> 3/4 pound (340 g) green cabbage
> 1/4 cup (16 g) minced fresh dill
> 2 tablespoons (14 g) caraway seeds
> 1/2 cup (120 ml) water, if needed
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
1. Chop the carrots and celery root into a uniform 1/2-inch (13 mm) dice. Microwave in a microwave-safe bowl with a little less than 1/4 cup (60 ml) broth for 5 minutes, and let sit, covered, to tenderize while you prepare the leeks.
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2. Remove and discard the outer leaves of the leeks, slice the leeks into 1/2-inch (13 mm) rings, and soak them in a large bowl of water to remove the dirt. Drain and rinse as needed. In a large, deep skillet, sauté the leeks in 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter and the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add 1 cup (235 ml) broth to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and braise the leeks for 15 minutes, or until caramelized, stirring often.
3. Slice the cabbage and chop the inner portion, saving the outer wedges for the Kielbasa with Braised Cabbage.
4. Add the cabbage, carrots, and celery root with the broth, and the remaining broth and 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter to the pan with the leeks. Over low heat, simmer and braise the vegetables, covered, stirring often, for 30 minutes, or until very tender.
5. Uncover the pan, and add the dill and caraway. Raise the heat to medium and reduce the liquid until it becomes a glaze. Add some water if necessary (if the liquid reduces too quickly or the mixture seems dry). Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust if needed. Remove from the heat and set aside.
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6. Let the mixture cool, and then spoon it into ice cube trays or small containers, or onto a wax paper–lined baking sheet or tray, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer the Flavor Bombs to an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag.
SUPPENGRÜN FLAVOR BOMB ◁ COLCANNON
SERVES 4 TO 6
> 2 pounds (1 kg) Yukon Gold potatoes, skins on
> 3/4 cup (175 ml) heavy cream or milk
> 1/2 cup (1 stick/120 g) unsalted butter, divided
> 6 Suppengrün Flavor Bombs
1. Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water by about 1 inch (2.5 cm), and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender (the tines of a fork should easily pierce them). Drain the potatoes into a colander.
2. Wearing gloves so you don't burn your fingers, peel the potatoes; the skins should come off very easily. Put the potatoes through a ricer into a serving bowl.
3. In a small saucepan or the microwave, heat the heavy cream or milk and 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/60 g) butter. Fold into the potatoes using a whisk.
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4. In a small saucepan or the microwave, warm the Suppengrün Flavor Bombs with the remaining 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/60 g) butter. Pour over the potatoes and serve immediately.
DID YOU KNOW?
This is a traditional Irish dish usually served on Halloween, but you'll want to eat it every night!
SUPPENGRÜN FLAVOR BOMB KIELBASA WITH BRAISED CABBAGE
SERVES 4 TO 6
> 1 pound (454 g) kielbasa
> 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick/ 90 g) unsalted butter or rendered bacon fat, divided
> 6 tablespoons (90 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
> 3 large Yukon Gold potatoes
> 8 Suppengrün Flavor Bombs, divided
> 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) green cabbage
> 14 1/2-ounce (430 ml) can beef, chicken, or vegetable broth
> Water, as needed
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
1. Slice the kielbasa on the diagonal so there is plenty of interior meat surface to sear. In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons (30 g) of butter and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil. Sear the kielbasa slices for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden. Remove the kielbasa from the pan and set aside.
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2. Peel and dice the potatoes. Add 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil to the pan and fry the potatoes over medium heat until crisp and golden, about 15 minutes, turning often with a spatula. Add 4 Suppengrün Flavor Bombs to the pan the last 5 minutes of the potatoes' cooking time. Remove the potatoes from the pan and set aside with the kielbasa.
3. Core the cabbage and chop the leaves into approximately 3-inch (7.5 cm) pieces. Add the cabbage, the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter, remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, and remaining 4 Flavor Bombs to the pan. Cook the cabbage over medium-low heat, turning often, to get some color on it.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5).
5. Add the broth to the pan with the cabbage. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-high heat, deglazing the pan with a spatula as the cabbage cooks and the broth reduces, 15 to 20 minutes. Add water if necessary, and lower the heat if the liquid reduces too quickly. The broth should turn to a glaze-like consistency. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust if needed.
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6. When the cabbage is tender, transfer it to a roasting pan, leaving the broth in the pan. Put the kielbasa and potatoes on top. Pour the broth reduction over, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
SUPPENGRÜN FLAVOR BOMB POT PIE WITH GUINNESS STOUT & CHEDDAR
SERVES 4
> 1/2 pound (225 g) white button mushrooms
> 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/60 g) unsalted butter
> 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) ground beef, pork, and veal meatloaf mix
> 3 tablespoons (24 g) all-purpose unbleached flour
> 2 cups (475 ml) beef broth
> 2 cups (475 ml) Guinness stout
> 4 Suppengrün Flavor Bombs
> 1 Umami Flavor Bomb (optional)
> 1/4 cup (60 ml) mushroom broth (optional, see steps 1 to 3 of Umami Flavor Bomb)
> 1 1/2 cups (225 g) fresh or frozen peas
> 8 ounces (225 g) shredded Cheddar, divided
> 1 prepared pie crust sheet (see recipe or use store-bought, not puff pastry)
> 1 egg yolk, beaten
1. Rinse, slice, and trim the mushrooms. Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high to high heat. Sauté the mushrooms for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until browned and the liquid is evaporated. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.
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2. Add the ground meat to the pan and sauté over medium heat until cooked through, approximately 7 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the meat with the flour, and stir until blended. Add the broth and stout, and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and becomes silky. Add the Suppengrün Flavor Bombs and optional Bombs, if using, and stir.
4. Microwave the peas for about 5 minutes, and then add to the meat mixture. Add the mushrooms to the meat mixture and continue simmering. Fold half the Cheddar into the meat mixture.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).
6. Pour the meat mixture into an 8 × 8-inch (20 × 20 cm) glass baking dish. Scatter the remaining cheese on top. Lay the pie crust across the top, and crimp the edges to seal. Gently make slight slashes in the pie crust and brush with the beaten egg yolk.
7. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown.
PIE CRUST
SERVES 4 TO 6
> 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose unbleached flour
> 1/2 teaspoon salt
> 1/2 cup (1 stick/120 g) frozen unsalted butter, cut into cubes
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> 1/4 cup (52 g) very cold vegetable shortening (Crisco)
> 3 tablespoons (45 ml) very cold vodka
> 3 tablespoons (45 ml) ice water
1. Pulse the flour and salt in a food processor to combine, two or three pulses.
2. Add the butter and shortening and process until clumps of dough just start to form. Scrape down the sides of the processor and pulse four more times. Transfer the dough to a large bowl.
3. Sprinkle the vodka and water over the dough, and fold it in with a spatula. Mix until the dough is tacky and holds together.
4. Transfer the dough to a countertop. Divide it into two equal-sized balls and flatten into 5-inch (12 cm) disks.
5. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The dough can stay in the refrigerator for a day or two.
6. To roll out the crust, place the chilled dough on a lightly floured countertop. Roll the dough outward from the center to the edge, using even, fairly firm pressure.
7. Using a dough scraper, lift the dough and turn it 90 degrees. Roll the dough outward again from the center. (Lightly flour underneath the dough as needed to prevent sticking.)
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8. Repeat the process until the dough is about 3 inches (7.5 cm) wider than the pie plate.
9. To transfer the dough to the pie plate, lift and flip the edge of the dough onto the rolling pin and then turn it once or twice to loosely drape the dough around the pin.
10. Unroll the dough over the pie plate. Lift it around the edges and press into the corners of the plate, letting the excess dough hang over the edge. Trim the dough if necessary. Roll up the dough edge and crimp around the pie plate.
11. For a double-crust pie, repeat the rolling process with the second disk of dough. Roll the dough over the filled pie, press the edges together firmly to seal, and cut vents into the top. Bake according to the recipe instructions.
RECIPE VARIATION
You can also use this recipe for a dessert pie crust. Just add in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of sugar with the flour and salt in step 1.
◁ UMAMI FLAVOR BOMB
MAKES 36 OUNCES (1 KG)
> 3 ounces (85 g) dried mushrooms
> 3 cups (710 ml) boiling water
> 6 garlic cloves
> 1 large shallot
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> 1/2 cup (1 stick/120 g) unsalted butter
> 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
> 1 pound (454 g) white button mushrooms
> 1/4 teaspoon salt
> 1/4 teaspoon pepper
> 2 tablespoons (32 g) low-sodium miso paste (I use red miso)
> 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
1. Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with the boiling water, pushing them down with a spatula. Let soak for 30 minutes.
2. Chop the garlic and shallot in a food processor. Sauté them in a large frying pan with the butter and olive oil for 5 minutes over medium-low heat.
3. Strain the soaked mushrooms, reserving the mushroom broth. Strain the mushroom broth through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside. Chop the mushrooms in a food processor and add to the pan with the garlic-shallot mixture.
4. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the salt and pepper, and sauté the mixture for 30 minutes. Add the reserved mushroom liquid as needed, stirring often. Whisk together the miso and soy sauce with 1/4 cup (60 ml) mushroom broth, and add it to the pan gradually as the mixture reduces, lowering the heat if necessary. Remove from the heat and set aside.
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5. Let the mixture cool, and then spoon it into ice cube trays or small containers, or onto a wax paper–lined baking sheet or tray, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer the Flavor Bombs to an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag. Freeze any extra mushroom broth, too.
RECIPE VARIATION
To make a mushroom ragu, instead of chopping all of the mushrooms and combining them with the garlic and shallot in step 3, slice 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups (105 to 175 g) of the mushrooms and place into a separate medium pan. Add a scoop of the garlic-shallot mixture and sauté over medium heat for approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
UMAMI FLAVOR BOMB ◁ UMAMI TAGLIATELLE PASTA
SERVES 2
> 1/2 pound (225 g) fresh or dried tagliatelle pasta
> 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
> 4 Umami Flavor Bombs
> 2 Béchamel Flavor Bombs or 1/4 cup (60 ml) Béchamel Sauce
> 1/4 cup (25 g) grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta, according to package instructions, until al dente, reserving at least 1/2 cup (120 ml) pasta water before draining the pasta into a colander.
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2. Add the olive oil, the Umami Flavor Bombs, and the Béchamel Flavor Bombs or Béchamel Sauce to the hot pasta pot. Stir to combine, adding a little pasta water to thin. Stir over low heat to create a thick sauce.
3. Return the pasta to the pot. Toss with the grated cheese and the sauce to coat, adding more pasta water if needed.
4. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with a little grated cheese, and serve immediately.
BÉCHAMEL SAUCE
MAKES 3 CUPS (705 ML)
> 1/2 cup (1 stick/120 g) unsalted butter
> 1 cup (120 g) seasoned flour (see Chef's Tip below)
> 2 cups (475 ml) 1% milk (or milk of your choice)
> 1 cup (235 ml) fat-free half-and-half
> 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper to taste
1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, whisking constantly, and cook for about 3 minutes.
2. Add the milk and half-and-half a cup (235 ml) at a time, whisking constantly, until all liquid is used.
3. Reduce the heat and let simmer, whisking constantly, for 3 to 5 more minutes. If the sauce seems too thick, add more milk as necessary.
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4. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and stir.
5. The Béchamel Sauce is now ready to use. You may have more sauce than you need depending on the recipe; let the extra sauce cool and spoon it into ice cube trays or small containers and freeze.
CHEF'S TIP
I keep a batch of seasoned flour in my pantry at all times. This is the basic recipe, but I sometimes add lemon pepper, curry powder, cayenne, nutmeg, or any other dry spice, to my own taste, to change things up. Think of it as a "Flour Bomb."
> 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
> 1 teaspoon salt
> 1 teaspoon black pepper
> 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Mix ingredients together in a bowl and store in a container in your pantry, refrigerator, or freezer.
For gluten-free cooking, use garbanzo (chickpea), rice, or coconut flour.
UMAMI FLAVOR BOMB POLENTA WITH MUSHROOM RAGU
SERVES 2 TO 4
> 2 cups (475 ml) water
> 14 1/2-ounce (430 ml) can low-sodium chicken broth
> 1 cup (163 g) polenta (you can substitute quick-cooking durum wheat semolina or traditional-style coarse yellow cornmeal)
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> 1/4 teaspoon salt
> 1/4 cup (25 g) grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)
> 6 to 8 ounces (170 to 225 g) mushroom ragu (see Umami Flavor Bomb)
> Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
1. Combine the water and chicken broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Gradually add the polenta, whisking constantly.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer the polenta for 5 minutes (if using quick-cooking polenta) or up to 30 minutes (for traditional polenta), stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Add the salt and grated cheese, if using, to the polenta.
3. Heat the mushroom ragu on the stovetop or in the microwave. Spoon the polenta onto a serving platter, and top with the mushroom ragu. Drizzle with olive oil, if desired. Serve immediately.
UMAMI FLAVOR BOMB CHICKEN SORRENTINO WITH MARSALA SAUCE
SERVES 4 TO 6
> 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces/170 g each)
> Salt, to taste, plus additional for salting the eggplant
> Pepper, to taste
> 1 cup (120 g) seasoned flour (see Chef's Tip), divided
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> 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick/90 g) unsalted butter, divided
> 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
> 1 pound (454 g) white button mushrooms, sliced
> 1/2 cup (120 ml) Marsala wine
> 14 1/2-ounce (430 ml) can low-sodium chicken broth
> 2 tablespoons (32 g) tomato paste
> 4 Umami flavor Bombs
> 1 large eggplant, peeled
> 1/3 pound (150 g) thinly sliced prosciutto
> 8 ounces (225 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
1. Trim, rinse, and pat dry the chicken breasts. Lay each chicken breast between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with the flat side of a meat tenderizer. Pound the thickest parts of each breast until they are of even thickness. If the cutlets seem too large, slice them in half.
2. Sprinkle the cutlets with salt and pepper. Dredge the cutlets in 1/2 cup (60 g) of the seasoned flour.
3. Heat 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/60 g) butter and 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat until shimmering.
4. Working in batches, place the cutlets in the frying pan and cook for about 2 minutes per side, until all are nicely golden brown. (If the beginning batches of cutlets aren't as brown as the later ones, return them to the frying pan to coat with some of the browned flour just to get more color on them, about 20 seconds or so. All the cutlets should have a flavorful golden color.) Remove the cutlets from the pan and set them aside, covered, in a baking dish.
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5. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter to the frying pan. Sauté the mushrooms over high heat until tender and golden, 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Add the Marsala wine to the pan and stir to deglaze the pan. Add the chicken broth, tomato paste, and Umami Flavor Bombs. Simmer until the sauce thickens, at least 5 minutes.
7. Slice the eggplant into 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick ovals, and lay on a rack in the sink. Sprinkle each eggplant slice with 1/4 teaspoon salt and let sit for about 30 minutes.
8. Rinse the eggplant with the sink sprayer; you will see the brown, bitter eggplant liquid being sprayed away with the salt. Immediately dredge the eggplant slices in the remaining 1/2 cup (60 ml) seasoned flour.
9. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the eggplant slices for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until lightly golden brown. Place the eggplant on a paper towel–lined tray.
10. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5).
11. To assemble the Sorrentino, arrange the chicken cutlets in a single layer in the baking dish. Put a slice of eggplant on top of each cutlet, and then a spoon of sauce on top of the eggplant. Place a slice of prosciutto on top. Sprinkle handfuls of shredded mozzarella on top of the prosciutto, and then spoon the sauce and mushrooms over.
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12. Bake the cutlets, tightly covered with aluminum foil, for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
RECIPE VARIATION
Leave out the eggplant, prosciutto, and mozzarella for chicken Marsala. To make chicken Marsala, stop after step 6. Pour the sauce over the chicken cutlets and bake at 375° (190°C, or gas mark 5) for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling.
UMAMI FLAVOR BOMB ◁ BEEF WELLINGTON
SERVES 4
> 2 1/2 pounds (1 kg) beef tenderloin roast, at room temperature
> 1/4 teaspoon salt
> 1/4 teaspoon pepper
> 1 tablespoon (15 g) unsalted butter
> 8 Umami Flavor Bombs
> 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
> 1 egg yolk, beaten
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6).
2. Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, and sear the meat for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the tenderloin from the pan and let cool to room temperature.
3. Use the Umami Flavor Bombs to coat the tenderloin top and sides.
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4. Use a rolling pin to roll out the puff pastry sheet large enough to wrap around the tenderloin. Lay the pastry sheet over the tenderloin, on top of the Umami Flavor Bomb coating, and tuck it underneath. Carefully lift the tenderloin with a spatula and pinch the pastry dough underneath to overlap and seal the pastry. Make sure the dough is smooth all around the tenderloin.
5. Transfer the tenderloin to a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg. Make six 1-inch (2.5 cm) slits across the top with a sharp knife so steam can escape.
6. For a medium-rare tenderloin, bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 135°F (57°C), approximately 40 minutes. Remove the tenderloin from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes, loosely tented with aluminum foil, before slicing. Serve cut into 3/4-inch (2 cm) thick slices.
CHEF'S TIP
This is a truly a luxurious dish and not as difficult to make as you may think.
◁ SPANISH SOFRITO FLAVOR BOMB
MAKES 32 OUNCES (896 G)
> 1 garlic bulb, trimmed and peeled
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