Cuisine Focus- Modern European

Clearly, Modern European cuisine has taken its rightful place these days. Many places offer menus derived from said cuisine, coming up with their own version of specialties and mouth-watering dishes. From the dining areas of the Metro to the quaint tourist destinations in Italy or France, many restaurants manage to own and serve what they claim as ‘Modern European.’

Many restaurants in London, for instance, serve Modern European cuisine thus making it readily available to both tourists and locals. It is also noticeable how this cuisine constitutes a huge portion in terms of dining places serving and accommodating guests in said capital. In the short run, it is no longer impossible to be served and have a taste of modern European food due to its prevalence in present time.

It has been said that Modern European cooking is all about mixing the old with the new, that no hard and fast rules are being considered thus making it a fusion relying either on themes or associations. With Europe being a culinary heaven of sort, inspirations also vary and a bounty of structures can be formed.

Modern European food reveals a number of inspired and delightful dishes, giving satisfaction to almost any discrete diner. The kind of consistency or even texture felt in each dish bears the quality of distinction making the cuisine more exciting.

As many revel in the art of making this cuisine, choices as per location tend to be different. With the Modern European cuisine at the helm, choices likely to broaden as methods and techniques are being tried upon and tested. The influences as inspired by Europe give much precedence in terms of cookery and food preparation. Slowly, many cooks and known chefs adopt their style and incorporate such with ideas coming from many countries or origins and the result of which is the indefinable Modern European cuisine.

Selection of ingredients is coupled with changes as well. Ideas are neither specific nor certain as ingredients used and preparations are becoming less restrictive. On the other hand, it is also important to note how a number of ingredients are said to be bases coming from early Modern European cuisine namely

Grains- rice, wheat, oats, maize

Vegetables- potato

Meats

Dairy products- eggs

Fats- olive oil, butter and lard

Fresh herbs and spices

With one innovative twist and with the availability of other food choices, modern day chefs can easily come up with personalized and tasty dishes. It is no surprise that Modern European cuisine became increasingly popular due to one apparent reason.

This is because changes worked it up a notch higher re defining every available method and re inventing every known taste.

Authentic European Recipes

Apricot Almond Linzertorte

Recipe and Image Credit: Epicurious

Ingredients

For pastry:

* 2 cups whole almonds with skins (10 ounces), toasted and cooled completely

* 3/4 cup sugar

* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

* 2 large egg yolks

* 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

* 1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract

* 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

* 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

For filling:

* 1 cup water

* 2/3 cup sugar

* 1/3 cup brandy

* 8 ounces dried Pacific apricots

* Confectioners sugar for dusting

* Equipment: a 10-inch springform pan

Preparation

Make pastry:

Pulse toasted almonds and sugar in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves into a bowl, then add to ground nuts in processor and pulse to combine.

Lightly beat yolks, extracts, and zest in a small bowl with a fork. Add to food processor along with butter, then pulse until dough forms a ball. Form one third of dough into a disk, then roll out between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a 10-inch round. Transfer to a baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes. Roll out remaining dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a 12-inch round, then transfer to another baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes.

Make filling:

Simmer water, sugar, brandy, and apricots in a small saucepan, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until apricots are tender and liquid is syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer mixture to cleaned food processor and pulse until almost smooth. Spread mixture onto a plate and chill 15 minutes.

Bake torte:

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Remove bottom of springform pan and invert, then lock on side. Remove larger dough round from refrigerator and peel off top layer of plastic wrap, then invert round into pan (pastry will break in spots). Press dough evenly onto bottom, then discard plastic. Fold in edge of dough and press 1/2 inch up side of pan (side will be thicker than bottom). Press gently to close any cracks.

Bake pastry until lightly browned, about 20 minutes, then cool completely on a rack, about 30 minutes. (Dough will puff up as it bakes but will settle as it cools.)

Spread filling into crust with an offset spatula or back of a spoon.

Peel top layer of plastic wrap from smaller dough round, then cut round into 1/2-inch-wide strips. (Chill strips again if necessary.) Arrange half of strips over filling about 1 inch apart, pressing ends onto edge of torte. Arrange remaining strips across first strips to form a simple lattice. Press edges together with your fingertips.

Bake until top is browned, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

Before serving, remove side of pan and dust edge of torte with confectioners sugar.

Note: For measurement conversions visit this page.

Paprika Veal Shanks

Recipe and Image Credit: Epicurious

Ingredients

* 2 large onions, chopped (3 cups)

* 1 pound Cubanelle peppers (Italian green frying peppers; 4 large), coarsely chopped

* 3/4 cup vegetable oil, divided

* 2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California

* 1 (14- to 15-ounce) can plum tomatoes in juice

* 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian or regular paprika (not hot)

* 3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (28 fl ounces)

* 8 meaty cross-cut veal shanks (ossobuco; 7 to 7 1/2 pounds total), tied

* 2 cups dry white wine

* 1 (16-ounces) container sour cream

* 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* Equipment: a 15-by 13-by 3-inch flameproof heavy roasting pan
* Accompaniment: tiny dumplings with dill

Preparation

Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then cook onions and peppers in 1/4 cup oil with bay leaves and 1 teaspoon salt over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, breaking them up with a spoon, and cook, stirring, until liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle paprika over tomato mixture and stir just to combine, then immediately stir in broth. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Pat shanks dry and season all over with 2 teaspoon salt. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until it shimmers, then add 4 shanks and brown, turning once, about 8 minutes total. Add shanks to tomato mixture in roasting pan. Pour off fat from skillet and wipe clean. Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil and brown remaining 4 shanks in same manner, transferring to roasting pan. Pour off fat from skillet, then add wine to skillet and boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, 15 to 20 seconds. Pour into roasting pan. Bring to a boil, then cover tightly with heavy-duty foil and braise in oven until very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours (depending on size).

Transfer shanks with a slotted spoon to a platter and keep warm, loosely covered with foil. Skim off any fat from braising liquid.

Whisk together sour cream and flour in a medium bowl. Whisk about 1 cup hot braising liquid into sour-cream mixture, then add mixture to remaining braising liquid in roasting pan and simmer (straddled across 2 burners) over low heat, whisking occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

Return shanks to sauce along with any meat juices from platter, and simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves.

Note: For measurement conversions visit this page.