By: centraljersey.com
I didn’t use to care much for vanilla. It was too Plain Jane for me. Not that I didn’t occasionally appreciate a good vanilla bean ice cream, but overall I went for bigger bolder flavors, and went on that way for years.
Then something changed. An informative few minutes at the Nielsen-Massey booth at the Fancy Food Show several years ago, where I sampled different varieties of vanilla, piqued my interest, and the subtleness and muskiness of the spice started to appeal to me in all sorts of ways. Now I’m a convert.
But there was another vanilla awakening in store for me: the idea of using vanilla in savory dishes. Who first added vanilla to Thomas Keller’s famous Butter Poached Lobster? Now the pairing of those flavors has gone viral, with vanilla showing up in all sorts of lobster and scallop dishes, plus duck, veal, and more.
The Blue Bottle Cafe in Hopewell makes an citrusy salad dressing accented by vanilla and pink peppercorns. The Brothers Moon down the street combines vanilla with lavender for a salad dressing too. And Chef Bobby Trigg (Ferry House/BT Bistro) has been known to substitute vanilla-scented Tuaca liqueur for the Triple Sec in his Crab Margarita appetizer, to good effect.
Organic and artisanal vanillas (and other extracts) are gaining in popularity, with new producers entering the marketplace. But my hands-down favorite vanilla extract product is Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste, which is syrupy and full of vanilla seeds. I find it is much easier to measure out without spilling, so I tend to throw just a smidge in all sorts of dishes.
In the recipes below, vanilla plays a starring role in the entree itself. And if you think that’s unusual, sometimes vanilla even straddles sweet and savory, such as in a medieval-sounding recipe for fried eggplant and chocolate sauce recently sent to me by www.cooking-vacations.com.
PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ROASTED PLUMS & ROSEMARY Adapted from www.eatingwell.com
1 pound black or red plums, pitted and cut into eighths (6-7 plums)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar, divided
10 black peppercorns, crushed
1 vanilla bean, split (or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract)
Pork
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place plums and 2 rosemary sprigs in an 8-inch-square baking dish. Whisk water, vinegar, 4 tablespoons sugar and peppercorns in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; add the seeds and bean to the vinegar mixture. Pour the mixture over the plums. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
Roast plums, uncovered, until tender and beginning to break down, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard rosemary and vanilla bean. Transfer the plums to a serving platter and cover with foil.
Strain the roasting liquid into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour the sauce over the plums; keep warm.
To prepare pork, heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with pepper and salt. Add to skillet and brown on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer pan to oven; bake at 400 degrees until instant-read thermometer registers 155 degrees and pork has just a hint of pink in the center, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes, while internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Cut pork into thin slices and serve with roasted plums.
ROAST CHICKEN WITH OLIVE AND VANILLA SAUCE Adapted from "Simple to Spectacular," Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman, Broadway (2000)
1/2 cup kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 cup sugar
1 3-pound chicken
1 head garlic, cut in half
5 sprigs thyme
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
3 vanilla beans
1 cup pitted black olives (Kalamata or Nieoise), finely chopped or pureed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 cup any stock, or a little more
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mint leaves
Combine the 1/2 cup salt and sugar in a large container with 4 cups cold water and stir to dissolve. Add chicken and soak 1-2 hours at room temperature (if weather is hot, refrigerate).
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drain chicken and pat dry. Put garlic, thyme, and 2 tablespoons of the butter in chicken cavity, season bird with salt and pepper, and truss it.
Combine remaining butter with oil in large ovenproof skillet or roasting pan and turn heat to medium-high. When butter melts, brown the chicken about 5 minutes on each side, coloring one leg and half the breast at a time. Move chicken occasionally to prevent sticking, and regulate heat so skin browns but does not burn. Split one vanilla bean; scrape out seeds and spread them on chicken breast, and insert the pod into the cavity. Put chicken on its back and put pan in oven.
Roast 35-45 minutes, basting occasionally with pan juices, until bird is nicely browned and reaches 155 degrees.
Meanwhile, for olive sauce, combine olives, cumin, cardamom, coriander, and stock in small saucepan. Split remaining 2 vanilla beans and add them, bring to a boil turn of the heat, and keep warm; if the sauce becomes too thick, thin with a little more stock. Season to taste just before serving.
For yogurt sauce, combine yogurt and mint in blender and puree. Season with salt and pepper.
When chicken is done, remove from oven, let rest for a couple of minutes, carve, and serve with the two sauces.
For Nielson-Massey’s Spa Salad recipe, and Cooking-Vacation’s eggplant recipe, visit Faith Bahadurian’s blog at www.packetinsider.com/blog/njspice.
Celebrating elements
elements in Princeton turns 2 this month and is hosting a month-long birthday celebration. Throughout October, Chef Scott Anderson will take diners on a seven-course tasting gastronomic journey, featuring some of the most popular dishes of the year thus far. The menu will rotate throughout the month, reflecting Chef Anderson’s passion for fresh ingredients and focus on interpretive American cuisine.
Some of the noteworthy and innovative dishes created for the celebration include Squash Soup with an intriguing combination of caraway ice cream, corned beef, and cabbage and Local Skate with a mouth-watering melange of pumpkin, raisin, curry, cauliflower, and almond. Diners are also invited to toast to elements’ success with a complimentary glass of bubbly.
The tasting menu is available all month at $85 per person; for an extra $40, you will be treated to expert wine pairings designed to seamlessly meld with the intricate flavors of each dish.
elements is located at 163 Bayard Lane, Princeton. Phone: 609-924-0078. On the Web: www.elementsprinceton.com.

