The day before
30 mins

In a large pot, combine ¼ cup (60g) minced shallots, 30ml olive oil, and a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat until the shallots are translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add 455g borage (or kale, nettles, or spinach if you couldn’t find any. If using the nettles blanch them first!), season with salt, and cook until all the natural liquid cooks out, about 30 minutes. Cool on a baking sheet. Once cool, squeeze out as much liquid as possible and discard the liquid. Transfer to a chopping board and chop very finely. Taste and season with more salt if needed then wrap in cheesecloth. Squeeze any remaining juice and leave in a sieve set over a bowl to drain overnight in the fridge. Meanwhile, drain 800g ricotta in the same way.

Mise en place
1 hour 30 mins

Clean the mushrooms.

Rinse the herbs and store them between paper towels.

For the vadouvan butter: Thinly slice 145g shallots and 2 garlic cloves with the germ removed, and ½ thumb fresh ginger. In a bowl, assemble your spices: 1 tsp madras curry powder, 1 tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp black cardamom seeds, 1 tsp brown mustard seeds, 1 tsp black peppercorns, ⅛ tsp chili flakes, ⅛ tsp ground mace, ⅛ tsp whole cloves. Add the peel of one orange with the pith removed.

For the calabrian chili butter: Finely chop 200g garlic and 200g shallots. Remove the seeds and ribs from calabrian chili peppers (save them!) and finely chop them to make 120g. Chop 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and 1 tbsp oregano.

For the carrot purée: Peel 460g carrots (reserve the peels for stock) and cut the carrots into rough 1-inch cubes.

For the black olive caramel: Pit and puree 113g black olives or you can use premade black olive tapenade but drain the oil.

For the Fox spice blend: In a bowl assemble your spices: 2½ black peppercorns, 2 tbsp ground mace, 1 tbsp + 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp whole cloves.

Start cooking
3.5 hours

Start the vadouvan butter
Make sure you’re using a pot that’s at least twice the size of the ingredients you’re putting inside. When the butter browns, it will foam and double in size. Place 225g butter in the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle in the shallots, garlic, ginger, orange peel, and the spices you prepared on top of the butter. This way the butter will melt before the spices hit the pan. Set the pot over medium heat and cook the butter slowly for about 3 hours. Keep an eye on it while you’re doing the rest of your prep and make sure not to let it burn. Stir occasionally so that the shallots and garlic and milk solids don’t stick. Keep it at a simmer.

Start the mushroom stock
Preheat the oven to 375˚F/180˚C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss 500g cremini mushrooms with ¼ tbsp kosher salt and ½ tsp grapeseed oil. Arrange on the baking sheet and roast until the mushrooms take on a nice colour, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a stockpot. Add 1 garlic clove, 1 celery stalk, and a quarter of a medium white onion, 3 stems of thyme, and 1 bay leaf. Cover with 350ml of water and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes.

Make the borage and ricotta dumplings
Set the drained ricotta in a large bowl. Add 48g finely grated parmigiano, ½ cup or 63g “00” flour, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 8 twists of black pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Mix well to combine, then add the borage leaves. Gently whisk one egg minus half the white and add to the ricotta/borage mix. Use your hands to thoroughly mix the dough. The result should be like a pasta dough—it shouldn’t be sticking to your hands. If it’s too dry, add a small amount of water. If it’s too wet, add more flour. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl with a piece of plastic wrap gently pressed over the top. Refrigerate and let rest for at least 2 hours.

Make the panisse
Lightly grease a 8 inch square pan with olive oil. In a medium saucepan, whisk together 104g chickpea flour, 33g fine cornmeal, ¾ tbsps kosher salt, ½ tbsp grated garlic with the germ removed, and ½ tbsp olive oil with 475ml cool water. Set the saucepan over a medium-high heat and gently whisk the batter as it cooks. The batter is ready when it starts to pull away from the sides of the saucepan. Remove from the heat, stir in 10g chopped flat-leaf parsley, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add the batter to the greased pan, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula. Cover the panisse with parchment and place another pan of the same size on top. Place 1-2 pounds of weight in the pan and refrigerate overnight. You’re trying to compress the panisse so if you haven’t got this kind of pan setup, macgyver something to achieve the same end. For example, my husband put a piece of parchment, a paperback novel, and then a cast iron muffin pan.

Make the calabrian chili butter
In a large saute pan, warm 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallots, and chilies to the pan and cook until just fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely. In a food processor, combine ½ pound or 130g butter with the parsley, oregano, ¼ tbsp yellow mustard powder, ¼ tbsp smoked paprika, and the zest of half a lemon and blend until completely combined and whipped. Transfer to a bowl and add the shallot-garlic-chili mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Store the butter in a deli container.

Start the carrot purée
In a bowl, toss the carrots with 2 tbsp grapeseed oil and 1 tbsp kosher salt and set aside for 10 minutes (stir the vadouvan butter!!). Transfer to a food processor and blend until broken up. Transfer to a saucepot or a large saute pan. Cover and cook on medium-low undisturbed for 40-45 minutes. It’s ready when you can smear it with a spoon and there is no grainy texture.

Make the salsa verde
In a bowl combine the reserved chopped carrot and fennel tops, 120ml olive oil, 2 garlic cloves with the germ removed and finely chopped, and the finely grated zest of 2 lemons. Whisk thoroughly until combined. Store in the fridge.

Make the Fox spice blend
Add all the spices to a wide saute pan. Toast over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a spice blender and grind to a fine powder. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Strain the mushroom stock
Strain and store the mushroom stock.

Start the pine nut pudding
Set the oven to 300˚F/150˚C. Spread 85g raw pine nuts on a baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally, until intense golden brown and aromatic, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a few inches of water to a simmer in the bottom of a double boiler. Transfer the toasted pine nuts to the bowl on the top of the double boiler and add 120ml whole milk and ½ tsp kosher salt. Wrap the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture steep over the simmering water for 30 minutes.

Roast the peppers
Roast 500g red peppers over an open flame or under a broiler. When they’re black and charred all over, put them in a bowl and cover in clingfilm to steam them. Once they’re cool, peel, stem and seed them while reserving all the juices (red pepper tears) and the flesh. You can store or freeze the flesh. Or, you can make a romanesco. I don’t have another recipe for them in this meal plan so use your imagination.

Shape the dough for dumplings
Remove the dough from the the fridge and place on a work surface. Divide into 3 pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the others covered with plastic wrap while you work. Lightly dust the work surface with semolina flour then, using your hands, roll the dough into a long log, just under 1 inch in diameter. If you have the space, repeat until all the dough pieces have been formed into long longs. Cut the logs crosswise into 1½ inch dumplings and set them onto semolina-dusted baking sheets. Refrigerate, uncovered, for up to 24 hours.

Blend the carrot purée
When the carrots are done cooking, transfer them to a blender and blend on a low speed, then gradually increase to a high speed while drizzling in 4 tbsp grapeseed oil. Blend to the consistency of mayonnaise. Season to task with salt and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Rinse the blender and set aside for the black olive caramel.

Finish the pine nut pudding
Transfer the nut-milk mixture to a blender and start to puree. With the blender running, slowly pour in 2 tbsp olive oil in a steady stream. The pudding should have a mousse like consistency. If it seems too stiff, add a bit more olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Pour the pudding into a bowl and place plastic wrap directly over the surface. Cool at room temperature and then transfer to an airtight container and store for up to 3 to 5 days.

Finish the vadouvan butter
When the shallots and garlic look almost candied, not crispy, and the butter looks coloured by the spices and has a deep nutty flavour, remove it from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Blend well with a hand blender until it’s smooth and fully incorporated. Move it into an airtight container (I actually cooled it, and formed it into a log in wax paper) and let it cool completely before putting the lid on. If the butter doesn’t fill the container to the brim, seal it with parchment or wax paper to get as much air as possible out of it. You can keep the butter in the fridge for up to 4 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Make the cavatelli dough
In a food processor, blend together 265g “00” flour and ½ tsp salt. With the machine running, pour in ½ cup or 120ml carrot juice (you may not need all of it). Be careful not to overwork the dough. The dough should be crumbly but come together when you pinch it. It shouldn’t stick to your fingers. Adjust the consistency with small amounts of flour and carrot juice. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Cook the potatoes

Bring a medium pot of aggressively salted water to a boil. Add 8-10 fingerling potatoes, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes or until they’re easily pierced with a knife. Cool and store in the fridge.

Make the black olive caramel
In a stainless steel saute pan, combine ½ cup + 1 tbsp (113g) granulated sugar and 1 tbsp water. Set it over medium-high heat and let the mixture begin to caramelize. It will take on the texture of wet sand but don’t stir it. Don’t worry if it starts to crystallize because you’re going to puree it. If you notice certain areas not caramelizing you can tilt the pan a bit. Once it’s an amber colour (about 3-5 minutes) remove it from the heat and add the olive paste you made. It will splatter a bit. While it sizzles, shake the pan in a circular motion to make sure it is well incorporated. Let the caramel cool to room temperature and then puree in a blender until smoother. Refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Dehydrate the carrot pulp
Spread 2 cups of carrot pulp (I just blended fresh carrots that I had left over) evenly on a dehydrator tray at 125˚ to 135˚F for at least 8 hours, or until completely dry. In the morning, transfer the pulp to a mortar and pestle and grind until you have the rustic texture of a fine breadcrumb. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the 2 tsp granulated sugar, 1½ tsp fox spice, 1 tsp kosher salt. You can store this at room temperature indefinitely. When you’re ready to use, stir in up to 2 tbsp olive oil.

Dehydrate the chili seeds and ribs
Place the reserved seeds and ribs on a tray of your dehydrator and dehydrate overnight with the carrot pulp (make sure to weight them first to make sure you have the right ratio to salt). Transfer to a mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder. Toss with 65g kosher salt per 95g original weight of the chili peppers. This will last you indefinitely.

Drain the yoghurt for labneh
Put 1 cup of yoghurt in a sieve lined with cheesecloth over a bowl and drain in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Discard the liquid. This stores in the fridge for up to a week.

Brassicas

Brassicas a la catalan

Trim 225g florets from assorted brassicas. I used brocollini and cauliflower here. You wants nice bite-sized pieces with a bunch of little rice so trim by taking larger florets and splitting them down the stem up to the leafy part and then pulling the pieces apart.*

In a bowl, toss the brassicas with a tablespoon of olive oil. Season aggressively with salt.

To serve, spoon 15ml pine nut pudding on one side of each of 2 bowls, and lay the brassicas on top. Sprinkle with ½ tbsp of golden raisins on each, followed ¼ tbsp of pine nuts, and garnish with some mint leaves. Finally, gently pour 30ml of red pepper tears on the opposite side of the bowl from the pudding.

*Fox talks about how he loves raw brassicas. I don’t. So, I blanched the florets for one minute before chilling and tossing with olive oil.

Brocolli di cicco, garlic, lemon and burrata

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add one bunch of broccolini. Blanch only until the colour changes to bright green. Remove and chill in an ice bath. Heat a pan on a medium high heat for a couple of minutes and then add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Put the broccoli in the pan to heat up and get a little bit of colour. Remove from the heat and add one finely diced garlic clove and a squeeze of lemon. Split the broccoli between 2 plates surrounding half a ball of burrata each. I drizzled with good olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. I also added some jalapenos my friend pickled from his garden on top.

Cauliflower in a cast-iron pot

Preheat the oven to 400˚F/200˚C.

Stir 60ml vadouvan butter so the spices that have settled mix back into the liquid. Toss 450g of cauliflower florets with 1½ tbsp of the butter and ½ tsp of salt. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until they’re tender and slightly charred, 12 to 15 minutes. Once cool, chop the florets into bite sized pieces and transfer to a bowl. Finely grate the lemon zest of half a lemon and season with lemon juice to taste.

Coarsley chop another 250g of cauliflower and add to a pot with another half a lemon’s worth of lemon zest, 30 ml whole milk, 30ml cream, and a pinch of salt. Simmer until soft (about 30 minutes). Transfer to a blender with the cooking liquid and purée until smooth.

Spread a thin layer of the cauliflower purée in the bottom of each of 2-1 cup cast-iron pots. Divide the roasted cauliflower pieces evenly among them and top with the remaining puree. Bake in the oven until just bubbling (5-8 minutes).

Serve drizzled with the remaining vadouvan butter and garnish with orange segments and flowering cilantro (not pictured). Serve with bread brushed with vadouvan butter and toasted.

Borage & ricotta dumplings in mushroom broth

In a saucepot, warm 180ml of mushroom stock over medium heat until hot. Season to taste with salt and set aside. Right before serving, rewarm the stock and whisk in 1 tbsp of unsalted butter.

Bring a large pot of water to a lively simmer and season with enough salt for it to taste seasoned. Cook the dumplings in the simmering water until they float to the surface, 2-3 minutes. Using a sieve, fish them out of the water, making sure to drain them well before you plate them. Divide the dumplings across 2 bowls and then ladle the mushroom broth over them. Finish with a few drops of olive oil and garnish with something appropriate. Fox says borage flowers but another edible flower would be beautiful! You could shave some parm, or a couple fennel fronts (not enough to add flavour, just colour).

Carrot juice cavatelli, tops salsa & spiced pulp crumble

About 1 hour before you plan to make the pasta, let the dough come to room temp. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Lightly flour a work surface. Working with one piece at a time and keeping the rest of the dough covered—roll the dough into a log thin rope, about ⅛ inch in diameter. Cut the rope crosswise into ¼-inch pieces.

Using a cavatelli board or the tines of a fork, gently but confidently roll the dough pieces against it. Here is a great tutorial with photos but there are also a ton of youtube videos.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt so that it tastes like the sea. While the pasta water is heating up, gently warm 90ml carrot puree in a small pan over low heat and keep it warm until serving. Add the cavatelli to the boiling water (not the puree!) and cook until they rise to the surface.

Go through your fridge and find something pickled (pickles! or capers, etc.). Mix ½ tbsp of the pickling liquid into the 45ml salsa verde mix you prepped. Mix the carrot crumble you already made with just enough olive oil to form a crumble .

Using a sieve, scoop out the pasta and put in a large bowl. Immediately dress them with the salsa verde and toss to combine. Ladle in some of the starchy, seasoned pasta water, a little at a time to open up the flavours and create a very light sauce that will coat the cavatelli. Don’t add too much water or it will dilute the sauce.

Place dollops of the puree on 2 warmed plates. Spoon the cavatelli on top and sprinkle the carrot crumble over top of the pasta. Shave ribbons of Gouda over the top and serve immediately.

Tandoori carrots, labneh, vadouvan

Preheat the oven to 500˚F/260˚C.

In a bowl, toss 225g young round carrots with 1½ tbsp yoghurt, 1tbsp olive oil, and salt to taste.

Line a roasting pan with parchment and add the carrots in a single layer. Bake until charred and wrinkled on the outside and soft on the inside, 25-40 minutes. Shake the pan halfway through cooking.

Meanwhile , in a small pan, warm 30ml Vadouvan Butter gently over a low heat. Don’t burn or overcook the spices. In another pan, gently warm 50ml Carrot Purée.

To serve, divide the purée in dollops across 2 plates. Top with roasted carrots and spoon the butter on top. Garnish with a dollop of labneh and some flowering cilantro (not pictured).

Sunchokes, burrata, grapefuit, fennel

Segment 2 ruby red grapefruits. Finely slice ½ fennel bulb with the stalks trimmed (I used a mandoline). Reserve the fennel fronds for garnish. Cut 340g sunchokes (jerusalem artichokes) into irregular 1 inch pieces and flush in a bowl under cold, running water, agitating with your hands as you go to remove as much starch as possible. Drain on paper towels and blot with more towels until they are completely dry.

In a heavy bottomed pan that fits the sunchokes in one layer, heat ¼ cup grapeseed oil. Add the sunchokes and cook on the first side for 3-4 minutes until caramelized and brown. Flip them, lower the heat, and cook for 12-14 minutes until brown all over and soft in the middle. Remove to a paper lined plates and sprinkle with sea salt.

To serve, spoon a few dollops of burrata on each of 2 plates. Add the sunchokes and top with grapefruit segments, fennel, and fronds.

Cucumber, potato, olive, pine nut, parmesan

Cut up ½ pound of mixed cucumbers (persian, english, mini ones, whatever you can find). Cut some in chunks, some in half moons, slice some on a mandoline. You want to get a nice variety of shapes and textures. Put all the cucumbers in a bowl. Season will olive oil, salt, and fresh lemon.

Use the flat side of a cleaver or chef’s knife to flatten the potatoes you made earlier. Heat about an inch or more of frying oil (canola, grapeseed) in a skillet to 350˚F. Fry the potatoes so both sides are brown and crispy. Drain on kitchen towel and season immediately with salt.

To plate, arrange the cucumbers on the plate. Curl and/or twist the mandolined pieces into rolls and ribbons. Dot 30ml of Pine Nut Pudding and 15ml of Black Olive Caramel around the plate. Fox uses a squeeze bottle but all of mine are in use so I just spooned dollops. Scatter the crispy potatoes on top and using a vegetable peeler, grate ribbons of Parmigiano over the potatoes.

Fennel confit, kumquat, feta, chili, oregano

Notes:
This meal takes 1-1½ hours pre-assemblage to confit the fennel.
Don’t toss your olive oil after the confit. You can drain it and use it to dress salad or anything else that needs that fennel kick.
I couldn’t find kumquats even though I know a place that usually has them. You can replace with another sour ingredient like kiwi slices or preserved lemon rind (as I did).

Preheat the oven to 275˚F/135˚C. Trim 2 fennel bulbs at the root and remove any discolored bits. Cut the bulbs vertically through the core into slices, 1 inch thick. Lightly salt the fennel and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Place the fennel in a single layer on a baking dish that just holds them, cover them with 1½ cups of olive oil and cover with foil. Bake for 1 to 1½ hours, until the fennel is completely tender and spreadable but still holds its shape.

In a saute pan, melt 60g Calabrian Chili Butter over medium-high heat and cook about 3 minutes. It will bubble and clarify a bit so let it do its thing, but don’t burn it.

To serve, split the melted chili butter between two deep plates. Carefully place the fennel on top, trying your best to let it hold its shape. Dot the fennel with ½ tbsp Black Olive Caramel each plate. Drizzle with ¾ tbsp of salsa verde and top with 30g feta crumbled on each plate. Thinly slice 60g kumquats and split those between the plates as well. Sprinkle with ¼ tbsp fresh oregano leaves each.

Chickpea panisse, celery, olive & manchego

In a large pot, heat 1l frying oil until it registers 180˚C. Dress ¾ cup chopped celery (the inner, pale, thin stalks and leaves) with ½ tbsp olive oil, the juice of ½ a lemon, and salt to taste. Cut the panisse into 4 planks, and gently lower 2 of the planks into the hot oil. Fry until they are browned and crispy. Use a sieve or skimmer to pull it out and set them on a wire wrack or paper towel to drain. Season immediately with salt and divide them among 2 plates. Top them with ½ tbsp of Black Olive Caramel in little dots, the dressed celery, and shavings of manchego cheese (I used pecorino because we had it on hand. You could use parm too if you have that).