“If you don't feel like roasting your own peppers, buy the best jarred peppers you can and you can make this salad in two seconds,” says songwriter Benny Blanco of his caprese salad recipe.
“Make sure you add the truffle oil. I promise you it's worth it. It's the best dressing I've ever had in my life. You will want to lick the plate when the salad is gone.”
Caprese with roasted peppers and burrata
It serves: 8
Ingredients:
2 red or orange bell peppers, seeded and cut in half
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
½ teaspoon truffle oil
1 quart cherry tomatoes, cut in half 2 balls (6 to 8 ounces) fresh burrata or mozzarella, crumbled
Fresh basil leaves, to decorate.
Method:
1. Preheat your broiler with the rack in the upper third of the oven. Place the peppers, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until well charred. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic. Let them steam for about 10 to 20 minutes until softened and cool enough to handle. Discard the skin by rubbing it with a paper towel. You don't need to remove the skin, but it feels a little better to eat it if you do. Cut into strips and reserve.
2. In a small bowl, combine the Dijon, balsamic, honey, mayonnaise, and truffle oil. Beat until well combined. Spread on the bottom of a plate or fountain.
3. Prepare the salad on top of the dressing, sprinkling with peppers and tomatoes until the plate is full. Place the shredded burrata on top of the vegetables. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with basil leaves.
Cabbage rolls
According to Benny Blanco, this is the perfect “make ahead and freeze” recipe.
He says, “I make 50 at a time, reheat them later, and give them a new home in my stomach.”
It serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
1 large or 2 medium green cabbages, about 3 pounds
2 onions chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds ground beef (80% fat)
¾ cup raw white rice
2 eggs
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup of water
½ cup chopped golden raisins
1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for baking
½ cup tomato sauce
3 lemons, squeezed
1 orange, juiced
½ cup sauerkraut
½ cup white wine vinegar
½ tablespoon of cinnamon
Method:
1. Remove the core from the cabbage and separate it into leaves. Blanch a few at a time in boiling salted water until pliable, one to two minutes per batch. When cool enough to handle, use a knife to remove the ribs. Chop a cup of cabbage and reserve for later.
2. Cook the onions and garlic in two tablespoons of butter and a large pinch of salt over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Combine beef, rice, eggs, and half of the sautéed onion mixture. Season with a tablespoon of salt and some fresh pepper.
Add a small handful of the mixture to each cabbage leaf and carefully roll it up like a small burrito, folding the sides to create a small package.
4. To make the sauce, combine the remaining onion mixture, crushed tomatoes, water, raisins, sugar, ketchup, lemon juice, orange juice, chopped cabbage, sauerkraut, vinegar and cinnamon. Spice with salt and pepper.
5. Place a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan. Pack the cabbage rolls tightly into the pan and then add the remaining sauce. You want them to be swimming.
6. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar.
7. Place a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack to catch drips. Bake the cabbage on the center rack at 350°F (177°C) until the meat is falling apart and the rice is cooked, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil if it gets too dark.
baklava
“I love pistachios,” says Blanco.
“The pistachios and the combination of flaky filo pastry and honey make me a sticky sweet guy.”
Brands: 36
Ingredients:
3 cups toasted walnut halves
1 cup pistachios, peeled and toasted, plus ¼ cup finely ground
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1¾ cups sugar
Pinch of salt
1 lemon, grated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup of honey
3 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
28 sheets of filo dough
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
2. In a food processor, pulse the walnuts, one cup of pistachios, the cinnamon, half a cup of sugar and a pinch of salt until finely ground. If you don't have a food processor, chop the nuts by hand or put them in a ziplock bag and mash them with a frying pan.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine one cup of water, one and a quarter cups of sugar, and the zest of one lemon and heat over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and stir until sugar has dissolved, about two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and honey until combined. Let cool while the baklava bakes.
4. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter. Carefully place seven sheets of phyllo dough in the pan, spreading butter between each layer as you build. Sprinkle a third of the nut mixture on top. Repeat two more times, then place seven more phyllo sheets on top of the last layer of nut mixture, spreading butter between each layer.
5. Spread the top layer with lots of butter (half a cup). Cut the baklava lengthwise three times to create four equal strips. Then, make diagonal cuts at a 45-degree angle about nine times to create thirty-six diamond-shaped pieces.
6. Bake until deep golden brown, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully pour the syrup over the baklava. Sprinkle with pistachio powder and let cool before serving.
'Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends' by Benny Blanco (Dey Street Books, £25).
