Lavender pork fillet

Spring is here and so is fresh, tender arugula...a great pairing to many proteins.

To me, when it comes to mea, nothing scream "SPRIIING" like this little pork number...

Sorry...this time I couldn't wait....

Very easy: Place equal amounts of lavender seeds and sea salt in a mortar and grind.
Use the "lavender salt" to rub your room temperature pork fillet ( I like to use the points, or tips, called solomillo in Spanish ).
Heat a skillet, preferibly cast iron, and drizzle with just a few drops of vegetable oil.
When it's HOT, sear the meat on every side and finish in the oven till pale pink ( 145° ) if you " dare" or 165° if you like to "play it safe".
Even faster: sliice the pork in one inch thick medallions and skip the oven part...
As the meat is ready, slice it in medallions and place it over a bed of tender spring arugula and drizzle with the very best olive oil you can put your hands on..  ; )
Same more sea salt and perhaps a tiny squeeze of lemon and I¿you'll thank me.
Another great side for this would be a pretty clean and simple cauliflower puree ( you'll find it somewhere in the blog, looking for the label...).
The wine...I'd say a lighter, crispier red or white like a good Traminer would cut it really really well....
Cheers!

Just a little note on the temp: Trichinosis is today pretty much absent from US and Canada pork.
More info here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichinosis

Pan seared snook fillet with roasted turnip & lavender and sweet pepper & fennel

Down here in Baja Sur we have plenty of snook... which also makes for a great fishery. The catches are few and apart, specially with a fly, but they're BIG.

If you don't have snook handy, halibut, bass, striped bass, grouper will do as well, just leave the skin on.

Start by wrapping peeled and cubed turnips in a piece of foil along with a sprinkle of lavender seeds, S&P and a splash of olive oil. Place them in a medium hot oven until soft( around 25 minutes).

In a skillet saute in olive oil 1 measure each of thinly sliced bell peppers and fennel bulb and 1 measure of diced onion. Add a bit of garlic, a few fennel seeds to boost the flavour and season with S&P .
Once everything is nice and tender, blend the life out of it and add just enough sugar to balance the flavours. Check for salt and reserve.

Once the turnips are tender, in bowl, mash them like they were potatoes,add a liberal amount of room temperature butter (how much? Think Paula Deen....) and whip them nice and fluffy.

Season the fish fillet with S&P, rub a bit of vegetable oil on the skin and place it SKIN SIDE DOWN in a HOT skillet and leave it there undisturbed until you'll see the sides turn milky white.
At this point, flip the fillet over, shut the heat off and let the residual heat in the pan finish the cooking... for a 1 inch thick piece allow around 1 minute for medium... tough to say, so keep your eyes on the fish.
You're done! Assemble it like in the pic, if you like, and maybe serve a little fennel salad next to it

Recipe to come next...

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         Buon Appetito!

Lavender and sea salt shortbread cookies

As promised, here's the recipe for these incredible cookies.

For once I'll use measurements, because it's quite important respect the ratio between fat and dry ingredients.

Let's get started:
1 and 1/2 cups flout
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter @ room temp.
1/4 cup + 3 tbsp sugar ( confectioners' would be better)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tsp lavender seeds, lightly smashed

Here's how you do it:
Preheat oven at 325°
Beat all ingredients BUT the flour until pale and fluffy and slowly incorporate the flour, working it till just combined.
Roll it out  (1cm thick) and cut in any shape you like and transfer cookies onto a buttered baking sheet.
With a toothpick lightly pierce the cookies all over, sprinkle  a few salt crystals on top and bake till lightly golden at the edges - around 20 minutes, BUT start checking at 12....  ; )

Remove delicately and let cool on a grill.

This is like I like to serve them, stacked with a tiny bit of bitter chocolate and chile pudding and raspberries... BUT they're awesome on their own  as weel.

Enjoy!

Pork filet with lavender butter, mashed sweet potatoes and ginger green beans

Here's a cute little thing that will put you in touch with your feminine side...   ; )

Great one dish meal for the Holiday season.

Let's get started:

Begin with placing the sweet potatoes in a hot oven, skin and all and leave them untill soft and the skin gets all wrinkled.

Lightly blench the green beans and reserve.

Prepare the lavender butter (make more than you'll need, because it makes for some terrific shortbread cookies!) : coarsely grind lavender seeds and place them in a thick bottom sauce pan or shillet, along with 1 measure of butter; over low heat melt the butter. Make sure it won't fry. Let cool a bit and mix it with 3 more parts of room temperature butter. Pour the the butter over wax paper or foil and shape like a salame. Place in the cooler and reserve.You'll take it out when you start searing the pork.

By now the sweet potatoes should be ready; squueze them out of the skin and whip them up with butter, S&P and a bit of brown sugar or maple syrup to taste. Reserve warm.

The beans : in a hot skillet pou the smallest amount of vegetable oil, grated fresh ginger and a touch of garlic. Sautee until fragrant and add the green beans. Coat well and add some sugar.
Let caramelize a bit, stir well and reserve warm.

The OINK : cut medallions, sprinkle with S&P and sear in some of the lavender butter and olive oil. Cook to the temperature you like. Do not be afraid to eat your pork PINK, it's safe and so, oh so much better.

Plate like in the pic, if you like, with a slice of room temperature lavender butter on top of the  the meat.

Honestly I wouldn't know what to suggest for a wine pairing...I'll leave it up to you and, please, feel free to let me know on the blog.

Ciao and enjoy!