Winning Chefs Choose Lean, Lighter Dishes

Each October, the Who’s Who of Cooking in America gather at the invitation of Cook’s Magazine to celebrate the election of the year’s winners. I’m proud to say that this time, I was one of them.

Many of the 1986 winners had, like me, roots outside the United States. However, when I polled half a dozen for the dish they would most enjoy for the holidays, ideas were surprisingly in tune. All the cooks looked for light, fresh ingredients. They avoided rich sauces, cooking with oil rather than butter and cream, and all kept a close eye on the clock. Together, the Who’s Who favorites add up to a lively holiday buffet.

True to the spirit of his 60-Minute Gourmet column, Pierre Franey suggests a quick scallop salad in which bay scallops are lightly poached, then marinated in dressing. A Mexican spicing of cumin and jalapeno chiles belie Franey’s French background. “A cook must always be open to new ideas,” declares Franey, whose “The Seafood Cookbook” (co-authored with Bryan Miller) has just been published by Times Books.

George Lang’s Recipe for Snails

From New York restaurateur George Lang comes a recipe for snails. (Squid, poached in court bouillon and sliced, are a handy substitute.) Escaping from the traditional garlic butter, the snails are cooked with a “zestfully different” blend of onions, prosciutto and herbs. Lang’s native Hungary is recalled by the pumpernickel bread on which the snails are served. “Be sure it is thinly sliced and crisply toasted,” he cautions.

Meat for the feast comes from Giuliano Bugialli, who contributes some unusual Sicilian pastries filled with ground lamb flavored with garlic and Pecorino cheese. The rich yeast dough in which the lamb is wrapped forms a substantial crust, one I long to try with a French-style molded pate, or even with beef filet en croute. Bugialli does not mention preparing ahead, but I baked the pastries and reheated them the next day with success.

Two seasonal accompaniments, colored festively red and green, are contributed by Paula Wolfert and Jacques Pepin. Wolfert has recently been immersed in a new book project, on the cooking of the Mediterranean islands, and this recipe is a result. Onion slices are slowly baked so they caramelize in their own juices, then they are left to marinate in a vinaigrette dressing spiced with red pepper.

Teacher, chef and French to the core, Pepin suggests a two-cabbage salad from his book, “Everyday Cooking With Jacques Pepin” (Harper & Row: 1982). “The advantage of cabbage,” remarks the practical Pepin, “is that it does not wilt as fast as lettuce, so it can be prepared an hour or so ahead.” Indeed, I found the salad improved when left for several hours, although perhaps Pepin would not approve.

Finale to the feast comes from one of the grand dames of cuisine, Simone “Simca” Beck. From her villa in Provence, France, she sent this Christmas dessert, “an apple tart from my native Normandy,” she said. Simca’s Tarte Tatin is a heartwarming combination of apples cooked in caramel, then turned upside down so the pastry crust is topped with apples coated with a golden glaze. “Be sure to use firm apples like Golden Delicious so the pastry keeps crisp,” adds Simca. “And don’t forget to serve it with cream.”

WHO’S WHO BUFFET MENU FOR 15

Pierre Franey’s Scallop Salad With Cumin Dressing

George Lang’s Snails With Prosciutto and Wilted Onion

Giuliano Bugialli’s Sicilian Lamb Pastries (Pastiere Siciliane)

Paula Wolfert’s Baked Onion Slices

Jacques Pepin’s Red and White Cabbage Salad

Simca’s Tarte Tatin

Suggested Wines: Offer choice of refreshingly tart Chablis, or light red Beaujolais or young Cabernet Sauvignon

Each dish can be prepared in its own time, with no last-minute flurry.

Up to two days ahead, bake the lamb pastries, then refrigerate. Chill the wine.

Up to 12 hours ahead, make the scallop salad, then chill. Prepare vegetables for cooking the snails, then refrigerate. Bake the onion slices, then marinate in the refrigerator. Set the table.

Up to four hours ahead, bake the tarte Tatin.

One hour before serving, make the cabbage salad and leave at room temperature. Let onion slices come to room temperature on buffet table.

Twenty minutes before serving, reheat lamb pastries in oven. Warm the tarte.

Fifteen minutes before serving, arrange the scallop salad in a dish with lettuce and place on the table.

Ten minutes before serving, cook the snails and transfer to heat-proof serving dish. Keep warm on table. Unmold the tarte and add glaze.

Just before serving, transfer hot pastries and tarte to table. PIERRE FRANEY’S SCALLOP SALAD WITH CUMIN DRESSING

1/4 cup Sherry or red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly ground cumin seeds

Salt, freshly ground black pepper

1 cup olive oil

2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and finely chopped

2 quarts water

2 1/2 cups dry white wine

2 tablespoons thyme

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

3 pounds bay scallops

10 green onions, chopped

3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

3 heads bibb lettuce or radicchio

Whisk together vinegar, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Gradually whisk in olive oil so dressing emulsifies and thickens slightly. Stir in jalapeno chiles.

Combine water, wine, thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns in 4-quart pot. Season generously with salt. Bring to boil. Add scallops and poach 1 minute. Drain scallops and let cool.

Combine scallops with green onions and tomatoes. Toss with dressing. Salad may be prepared up to 12 hours ahead and refrigerated. Serve chilled in large bowl on bed of lettuce. Makes 15 servings.

Note: More or less jalapeno chile may be added to taste. GEORGE LANG’S SNAILS WITH PROSCIUTTO AND WILTED ONION

1/2 pound unsalted butter

1/2 cup olive oil

8 dozen canned snails, rinsed and drained

1 pound onions, very thinly sliced

4 large cloves garlic, chopped

Pepper

1/2 pound prosciutto, cut julienne

3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

3 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Sliced, well-toasted pumpernickel bread, crusts removed

Heat half of butter and half of oil in large saute pan until very hot. Add half of snails and saute, stirring, 2 minutes. Add half of garlic and toss.

Add half of onions. Reduce heat and saute slowly 4 to 6 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent. Season to taste with pepper. Add half of prosciutto, half of parsley and half of chives, tossing well. Repeat procedure to saute remaining snails.

Snails are best served at once, but may be cooked up to 1 hour ahead and quickly reheated on top of stove, stirring constantly. Keep snails warm on plate warmer or in chafing dish. To serve, spoon snails onto slices of pumpernickel bread. Makes 15 servings. GIULIANO BUGIALLI’S PASTIERE SICILIANE (Sicilian Lamb Pastries)

6 cups unbleached flour

Salt

1 ounce cake yeast or 1/2 ounce dry yeast

2 cups lukewarm water

3 pounds lamb chops

Coarse salt

15 sprigs Italian parsley

4 large cloves garlic

3 ounces grated fresh Sicilian Pecorino cheese with peppercorns

4 eggs

Unsalted butter, at room temperature

Pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Place 4 cups flour with dash salt in large mixing bowl. Make well in center. Crumble or sprinkle yeast over lukewarm water and set aside 5 minutes until dissolved. Pour yeast mixture into well. Stir with wooden spoon to incorporate flour gradually. Cover bowl with wet cloth and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, cut lamb from bones, reserving bones. Meat should weigh 1 1/2 pounds. Bring 1 quart water seasoned with coarse salt to boil. Add bones and simmer 10 minutes. Discard bones. Add meat to liquid and simmer 5 minutes. Drain meat and cool.

Finely chop parsley and garlic. Mix with cheese, eggs and 3 tablespoons butter in large bowl. Coarsely grind lamb and add to bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly. Fry small ball of mixture for tasting. Adjust seasoning of remaining stuffing, if necessary.

Spread remaining 2 cups flour on work surface. Place yeast dough on top and add 1/2 cup butter. Knead dough in folding motion 5 minutes or until almost all flour is incorporated and dough is smooth and elastic. Heavily oil 2 baking sheets.

Cut dough into 16 pieces. With rolling pin, roll each piece to 5-inch round. Place 3 to 4 tablespoons stuffing mixture in center of each round and pull up sides of dough to stuffing level. Pinch edges of dough together to make small container. Transfer pastieres, seam-sides-down, to baking sheets, being careful they do not touch. Cover with cloth and let rise 30 minutes.

Bake pastiere at 400 degrees 30 to 35 minutes or until browned and skewer inserted in center is hot to touch when withdrawn. Pastiere can be baked up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat in 350-degree oven. Makes 15 servings.

Note: Plain Pecorino cheese may be substituted. These pastries also are excellent made with veal. PAULA WOLFERT’S BAKED ONION SLICES

15 large onions (about 6 pounds)

1 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

1/3 cup water

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Cut onions in 3/4-inch rounds, discarding top and root, but leaving skin attached. Oil two heavy baking sheets. Add onion slices and brush lightly with oil. Bake at 300 degrees 1 hour. Turn slices and continue baking 30 minutes more or until onions are caramelized but not burned.

Discard onion skins and any dried-out rings. Transfer onions with spatula to wide, shallow serving dish. Whisk remaining oil with garlic, red pepper flakes, parsley, water, pepper to taste, vinegar and salt. Spoon over onions. Cover and marinate at least 1 hour at room temperature or up to 12 hours in refrigerator. Serve at room temperature. Makes 15 servings. JACQUES PEPIN’S RED AND WHITE CABBAGE SALAD

1 small head white cabbage

1 small head red cabbage

8 to 10 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

4 ounces canned anchovy fillets

2 tablespoons wine vinegar

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup olive or vegetable oil

Parsley sprigs

Tomato rose, optional

Cut cabbages in halves and remove cores. Using long knife, cut cabbages across into 1/4-inch slices. There should be about 2 quarts of each type cabbage.

Crush and chop garlic and anchovy filets into puree. Stir puree into vinegar with pepper and salt. Gradually whisk in oil so dressing emulsifies and thickens slightly. (Do not use food processor or dressing will thicken too much.) Mix half of dressing with red cabbage and half with white cabbage.

Place red cabbage in attractive glass or crystal bowl. Make well in center and mound white cabbage inside red cabbage. Decorate edges with small sprigs parsley and set tomato rose in center. Makes 15 servings.

Note: Salad may be made with any crunchy, slightly tough salad greens such as escarole or curly endive. Salad must be served when dressing is added. SIMONE BECK’S TARTE TATIN

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup cold unsalted butter

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup cold water, about

10 pounds Golden Delicious apples

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 cups unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

Place flour and salt in food processor and blend 2 to 3 seconds. Cut cold butter into 1 tablespoon chunks. Add to flour and process 8 to 10 seconds or until thoroughly blended.

Beat egg, egg yolk and cold water until mixed. With food processor running, add egg mixture to flour through feed tube. Mixture should mass together after a few seconds into lightly damp ball. If any dry mixture is left in bottom of bowl, beat in few more drops water.

Turn dough onto lightly floured board. Knead 10 to 15 seconds with heel of hand, pressing bits of pastry along work surface to complete blending. Wrap dough and chill 1 hour until firm.

Meanwhile, peel and core apples. Cut in 1/2- to 2/3-inch dice and toss with lemon juice. Melt half of butter in heavy 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add half of sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Cook mixture until syrup caramelizes to deep golden. (When mixture starts to color, it will darken quickly.)

Add half of apples all at once to pan. Cook over very high heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned and just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain apples in strainer, reserving syrup. Caramelize remaining apples in same way. Boil syrup to consistency of light cream and set aside.

Divide apples between two ungreased 12-inch cast-iron skillets. Distribute so apple layer is level. Divide pastry dough in half. Roll each portion to 13-inch round. Cover apples with dough, tucking edges of dough inside skillet. Chill tarts 15 minutes.

Bake tarts at 400 degrees until pastry is browned and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes before unmolding onto platters. Tarts may be baked up to 4 hours ahead and left in skillets.

If necessary, warm tarts in low oven. Unmold onto platters. Warm caramel syrup until melted and pour over tartes to glaze evenly. Makes 15 servings.