Poole's: Recipes and Stories from a Modern Diner [A Cookbook] - Hardcover

Christensen, Ashley; Goalen, Kaitlyn

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1607746875 ISBN 13: 9781607746874

Publisher: Ten Speed Press, 2016

Synopsis

From the James Beard Award–winning chef Ashley Christensen comes a bold and revelatory reinvention of Southern food, as told through the recipes and stories from her iconic and beloved restaurant, Poole’s Diner. 

Ashley Christensen is the new face of Southern cooking, and her debut cookbook, Poole’s, honors the traditions of this celebrated cuisine, while introducing a new vernacular—elevated simple side dishes spiked with complex vinaigrettes, meatless mains showcasing vibrant vegetables, and intensified flavors through a cadre of back-pocket recipes that will become indispensable in your kitchen. Recipes like Turnip Green Fritters with Whipped Tahini; Heirloom Tomatoes with Crushed Olives, Crispy Quinoa, and White Anchovy Dressing; and Warm Broccoli Salad with Cheddar and Bacon Vinaigrette share the menu with the definitive recipe for Pimento Cheese, a show-stopping Macaroni au Gratin, and crave-worthy Challah Bread Pudding with Whiskey Apples and Creme Fraiche, all redefining what comfort food can be.

Poole’s is also the story of how Christensen opened a restaurant, and in the process energized Raleigh’s downtown. By fostering a network of farmers, cooks, and guests, and taking care of her people by feeding them well, she built a powerful community around the restaurant. The cookbook is infused with Christensen’s generous spirit and belief that great cooking is fundamental to good living.

With abundant, dramatically beautiful photography and a luxe presentation, Poole’s is a landmark addition to the cookbook canon, a collection from which readers will cook and find inspiration, and pass down for generations to come.

About this title

About the Author

ASHLEY CHRISTENSEN is the chef and owner of seven restaurants—Poole’s Diner, Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, Chuck’s, Fox Liquor Bar, Joule Coffee & Table, Death & Taxes, and Bridge Club—all located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Ashley’s cooking and her philosophy of bright, fresh flavors and locally grown, seasonal ingredients have garnered local and national acclaim. Ashley is involved in a number of charities, including the Frankie Lemmon Foundation, the Southern Foodways Alliance, and Share Our Strength. In 2014, Ashley was awarded the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Welcome. 

Diners are an American fixture. They’re a piece of every town, and usually they’re not much to look at: worn countertops, free refills on coffee, an everyman’s clientele. Typically the genre doesn’t offer much in the way of memorable cuisine, but it delivers a sense of dependability. It seems like everybody I know has a soft spot for some diner, somewhere. Perhaps it provided refuge on a late-night road trip, or it has the only breakfast that will cure your hangover. Maybe it’s the place you went on Sundays with your grandparents. As one of the most accessible forms of restaurant, diners are places where strangers can find familiarity through food, whether it’s meatloaf and mashed potatoes,  a straightforward burger, or chicken potpie. 

This is the story of one such diner and of the people and food that belong to it. 
Oyster Stew with Twice-Fried Saltines and Charred Turnip Relish

The secret to this rich, indulgent stew is only partially in the cream. Oysters are pureed into the base, which connects their briny salinity to the rest of the ingredients and naturally thickens the soup. It builds an undeniably oystery backbone. The turnips provide a sharp, wasabi-like heat that brings the luxurious richness of the soup back into balance. I’ve always loved the oyster crackers that come alongside a bowl of chowder. The fried saltines operate along the same principle, but are even more delicious.
SERVES 8

CHARRED TURNIP RELISH
1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil
4 ounces turnip greens
Sea salt
1 tablespoon minced shallot
Zest of 1⁄2 lemon
3⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil

OYSTER STEW
3 cups shucked oysters in their liquid (about 30 oysters)
2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (about 1 medium onion)
2 cups thinly sliced fennel (about 1 bulb)
2 cups diced turnip (about 2 small turnips)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
A large sachet 
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 cup white wine
1 cup dry vermouth
6 cups heavy cream
1 cup Dijon mustard

TWICE-FRIED SALTINES
Neutral vegetable oil, for frying
1 sleeve saltines

To make the relish, add the oil to a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the greens and cook, flipping the leaves occasionally, until they have a nice sear on them, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and transfer to a cutting board or baking sheet to cool. Once cool, finely chop the greens and place in a medium bowl. Fold in the shallot and lemon zest, then mix in the olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Place the oysters in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and drain well.

Place a large saucepot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onions, fennel, turnip, and garlic. Reduce the heat and sweat until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the sachet and salt. Stir until you can smell the herbs in the sachet.

Add the white wine and vermouth and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower to a simmer and reduce the liquid by half. Add 1 cup of the drained oysters, the juice that has collected in the bowl, the cream, and the mustard. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 10 minutes. Discard the sachet.

While the stew is simmering, make the saltines. Line a plate with paper towels. Heat 1⁄2 inch of oil in a skillet over high heat. When the oil reaches 325°F on a deep-fry thermometer, add the saltines in batches of 6 crackers and fry, turning frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes, until tanned. Transfer to the plate and reserve.

Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the stew mixture until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and return the liquid to the pot. (You can prepare the stew up to this step up to 1 day before.) Place over medium heat; add the remaining drained oysters and stir, cooking for just 1 or 2 minutes more to warm the oysters. Ladle into bowls and serve with the twice-fried saltines broken up over the top and a dollop of relish.

Edition details

• Publisher: Ten Speed Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1607746875
• ISBN 13: 9781607746874
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 304