TIP OF THE DAY: Get A Food Ring

August 5, 2014 at 8:06 am · Filed under Fish-Seafood-Caviar, Kitchenware-Tabletop, Recipes, Tip Of The Day

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This fancy first course is not that hard to
make. Photo courtesy The Heathman |
Portland, Oregon.

It isn’t hard to make fancy appetizers like the one in the photo. All you need is a food ring. It is also called a ring mold, although that term can also refer to a multi-serving container like the type used for gelatin molds.

We admit to a fondness for molded, layered recipes, like this crab, mango and avocado stack served at The Heathman Restaurant and Bar in Portland, Oregon. Thanks to executive chef Michael Stanton for sharing his recipe, below.

Chef Stanton tops his dish with wild arugula. In the northwest and elsewhere, wild arugula is often found growing in streams, there for the picking. You can substitute cultivated arugula from the market. More substitutions are offered below.

In fact, part of the fun of cooking is taking the recipe in a different direction, with a substitution. No mango? How about fresh pineapple? No avocado? How about tuna tartare?

RECIPE: DUNGENESS CRAB MANGO SALAD

Ingredients Per Serving

1/2 cup mango, chopped

1 avocado, chopped

1 cup Dungeness or other crab meat

Chive oil or other herb-infused olive oil (basil, rosemary)

1 cup wild or cultivated arugula

Fresh press olive oil (to taste)

Food ring

Garnishes: citrus vinaigrette (recipe below) and chive oil*

*If you don’t have/can’t find chive oil, use basil oil or rosemary oil.

RECIPE: CITRUS VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients

3 tablespoons fresh citrus juice (lemon and/or orange, lime or yuzu)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

8 leaves fresh basil, minced

Salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

Preparation

1. WHISK ingredients together until well-blended.

The only food ring you’ll need: This one can be adjusted to different diameters. Photo courtesy HIC Brands.

Assembly

1. MOLD the chopped avocado in 2-3 inch ring atop the serving plate. Place the mango on top, followed by the crab.

2. REMOVE the ring mold, swirl the vinaigrette and chive oil around the plate. Toss wild arugula in fresh olive oil and place on top.

MORE AT THE HEATHMAN

If you’re in Portland, stop by for afternoon tea. It’s served in the hotel’s historic Tea Court Lounge; reservations are required.

The traditional tea menu, created by pastry chef John Gayer, includes Smoked Salmon Napoleon, Paté Maison, John’s Famous Lanai Banana Bread and Parisian Opera Cake, along with a wide selection of teas from Fonté Coffee and Tea Company, a Northwest micro roaster based in Seattle.
The children’s Peter Rabbit Tea for Little Sippers sports Ants On A Log, Snickerdoodle Cookie, Devil’s Food Chocolate Cupcake and Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich.

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