LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2018

an affair to remember from page 56

VIETNAMESE COFFEE CRÈME BRÛLÉE

1 Gently score a cross-hatch pattern into cut sides of each mushroom half. Combine oil, fish sauce, ginger, vinegar and sambal oelek. Brush over the mushrooms. Preheat grill over high heat. Grill mushrooms, turning occasionally, until tender and charred in spots, 6 to 8 min- utes. Cool. Cut mushrooms halves into quar- ters, each mushroom will now be in 4. Reserve. 2 Place vermicelli noodles in a wide, heatproof dish. Cover with boiling water and soak until tender, about 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain well. Reserve. 3 Cover a section of your countertop with plas- tic wrap. Working with 1 piece at a time, soak rice paper wrappers in cool water until they are just pliable, about 30 seconds, then lay on plas- tic wrap. 4 Arrange 2 mushroom pieces, 2 mint leaves, 2 basil leaves, 2 sprigs coriander, 2 chives, 1 cucumber spear, noodles, sprouts and lettuce along bottom third of rice paper. Lift rice paper edge nearest you around filling. Fold in sides, then continue rolling to form a tight log. Cut in half and place on platter. Repeat with remain- ing ingredients. If making ahead, don’t cut in half but wrap in a damp tea towel and refriger- ate until needed. Cut when needed. 5 Combine water and sugar in a pot to make dipping sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Boil for 2 minutes or until slightly syrupy. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. 6 Place red pepper, garlic and chili sauce with ¼ cup (60 mL) of sugar syrup in a food proces- sor or blender and purée. Add fish sauce and lime juice. Taste for seasonings, adding more syrup to thin it down if needed. 7 Serve rolls with sauce. Makes 8 rolls WHAT TO SERVE New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has a savoury character that aligns well with vegetable dishes, and its wide­ spread appeal makes it a good choice for entertaining. The iconic Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc ( VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 304469, $35.95) was the genesis of New Zealand’s world reputation for excitingly flavourful white wines. Vibrant citrus and herbal notes echo the roll’s herbal flavours. France’s Sancerre region is also renowned for Sauvi­ gnon Blanc—expect a little more restraint in the de­ livery of fruit, and an emphasis on minerality. Henri Bourgeois Les Baronnes Sancerre ( VINTAGES ESSEN­ TIALS 542548, $28.95) brims with citrus and floral notes, making it an inspired pairing for appetizers and vege­ table dishes.

Laced with sweetened condensed milk, Viet- namese coffee is almost a dessert itself. It’s not too much of a stretch to see it as the base of an excellent crème brûlée. Served in small por- tions, it’s very easy to make ahead. And while welding a blowtorch in the kitchen makes for excellent theatre, if you don’t feel like making the sugar crust just leave them as is and call them pots de crème . 1 cup (250 mL) dark roast coffee beans 2¾ cups (675 mL) 10% cream (half & half) 1 can (300 mL) sweetened condensed milk 1 Coarsely chop coffee beans using either a mini food processor or by placing them in a plastic bag and crushing them with a roll- ing pin. Transfer to a medium pot, add cream and sweetened condensed milk, then heat over medium-low, stirring to incorporate sweet- ened condensed milk. Bring mixture just to a simmer. Remove from heat. Cover pot and let stand 1 hour to infuse. 2 Heat oven to 300°F (150°C). 3 Return pot to medium-low heat and warm just until bubbles appear at the edges. Strain out coffee beans. 4 Whisk egg yolks and salt together in a me- dium bowl. Whisking constantly, add cream mixture a little at a time to keep eggs from curdling. Pour mixture through a fine strainer into a large measuring cup. 5 Arrange 10 small canning jars (½cup/125mL) or ramekins in a roasting pan and divide cus- tard between them. 6 Bring a kettle to a boil and add enough boil- ing water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the jars. Cover roasting pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until set with a slight wiggle in the middle. Remove from water bath and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days before serving. 7 When ready to serve, remove custards from refrigerator. Working with 1 at a time, sprinkle each with about 1½ tsp (7 mL) sugar. Using a kitchen blowtorch, move it over the sugar, tilt- ing the dish as you go until sugar is melted and caramelized and covers the top of the custard. Makes 10 servings 5 large egg yolks ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt 5 tbsp (75 mL) sugar

WI LD MUSHROOM SUMMER ROLLS

These rolls are all about the dipping sauce and the freshness of the vegetables. You can add carrots, bean sprouts, green onions and radishes including daikon, and they all add something different to the roll. Brown rice vermicelli has more flavour than white but either works. Sambal oelek is an Asian chili paste that is spicy but rounded in flavour. You could use sriracha instead. Use a medium rice paper wrapper, about 8½ inches (21 cm) in size. Rolls can be made 4 hours ahead and kept well wrapped. Longer means they dry out slightly. 4 large king oyster mushrooms, halved lengthwise 2 tbsp (30 mL) oil 2 tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce 1 tbsp (15 mL) grated ginger 2 tsp (10 mL) seasoned rice vinegar ½ tsp (2 mL) sambal oelek 2 oz (55) brown or white rice vermicelli 8 rice paper wrappers ¼ cup (60 mL) mint leaves ¼ cup (60 mL) basil leaves ¼ cup (60 mL) coriander sprigs 16 chives 2 Persian or small cucumbers, cut into 4 spears each 1 cup (250 mL) radish sprouts 1 cup (250 mL) sliced tender lettuce, such as Boston or bibb DIPPING SAUCE 2 tbsp (30 mL) water ¼ cup (60 mL) sugar ½ sweet red pepper, stem removed, chopped 1 tsp (5 mL) minced garlic 1 tsp (5 mL) Asian chili sauce such as sambal oelek (or more to taste)

3 tbsp (45 mL) fish sauce ¼ cup (60 mL) lime juice

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138  FOOD & DRI NK AUTUMN 2018