Souffle on the barbecue

Our oven has been out of service for a few weeks while we wait for a new relay to replace the one that burned out.  This really isn't a problem since we have other ways to cook, but sometimes we want baked dishes.  For example, I had some chard that needed to be used and a hankering for a chard tart.  Aaron sometimes roasts meat on the barbecue using a roasting pan (as opposed to grilling directly over the flame), and we started speculating about whether it was possible to bake a tart the same way.   We have a fairly large gas barbecue that can accommodate pans, so of course, we had to try using it as an oven.  I made a pie crust and a quiche-like egg/onion/chard filling.    Aaron preheated the barbecue like an oven, then turned off the middle row of heat so there were only flames on the side to keep the cavity hot, avoiding heat directly under the pan.  He then baked the tart with the barbecue lid closed to simulate an oven.  It came out perfectly.

We tried a squash gratin next.  Actually, Aaron did all the work, but since I participated in the eating, I use the collective pronoun here.  He nuked spaghetti squash, mixed it with vegetables and topped it with an oregano-spiced bechamel.  Again, he preheated the barbecue chamber and then baked the gratin over indirect heat.  It came out bubbling and browned with lot of nice crusty bits around the edge, and tasted even better than if it had been baked in the oven.  This was a real winner.

So, about a week later, we were standing in the produce aisle at the grocery store at 5 pm on a rainy afternoon, tired from working all day and feeling unimaginative, trying to figure out what to make for dinner.  We soon alit on the idea of spinach souffle, a go-to dish when we have no imagination.   It sounded great to both of us.  Then, we remembered that the oven didn't work, so we started speculating (still standing in the produce section) on whether we could make souffle on the barbecue.  Souffle is easy enough to make, but is a touchy dish to bake.  We decided that the worst outcome was that we would have frittata rather than souffle for dinner.  And really, once the idea was lodged in our brains, needed to learn if it was possible to bake souffle on a barbecue.

Once home, Aaron settled in to cook while I went back to work, and sure enough, he pulled it off.  He didn't alter the standard souffle recipe, but did take the time to find the oven thermometer hiding in one of our kitchen-gadget drawers and set the temperature at a steady 375.  He just made a souffle, put it on the grill (in a souffle pan, of course), and closed the lid.  And it worked.  The souffle was light and lifted, delicate brown on the outside, and tender on the inside. 

We still have a broken oven.

Recipe: Asparagus shitake rolls with yuba

When we were in Japan we ate yuba served in several different forms: wet (barely formed), dry, rolled into tubes and seasoned, in soup, and as a wrapper.  Yuba is the skin created when making tofu, similar to the way a skin forms on top of custard as it cools.  The tofu maker skims the delicate sheets of tofu off the cooking liquid and often lets it dry, similar to pasta.  It's much tastier than it sounds, and makes a great low-carb substitute for pasta or for wonton wrappers.   I've only had it in the dry pasta-like form, tossed in the salads sold by Hodo Soy Beanery at our local farmers' market, so was pleased to sample more varieties by the masters of tofu, the Japanese.  And, of course, I was inspired to use it in cooking.  This is a simple, tasty dish, inspired by the spring asparagus in the markets right now.

Asparagus and mushroom rolls

Yuba sheets (sold by Hodo Soy Beanery at farmers markets in the Bay Area, and probably available at good Asian markets)
Shitake mushrooms, 2 cups chopped
Shallot
Clove garlic
1.5 tsp miso
Asparagus


Sauce:
3T soy or tamari
2T seasoned rice vinegar
1t Chinese or Japanese mustard
1t sesame oil

1.  Snap off the bottoms of the asparagus.  Blanch in salted water until they're crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes.  Shock in cold water to stop the cooking, then set aside on a towel to dry.

2. Saute the mushrooms, shallot and garlic in a bit of olive or peanut oil.  When the mushrooms are cooked, transfer to the food processor and add the miso.  (Or, hand chop if you like.)  Make a fine chop, not a paste, but spreadable.  Taste for salt and pepper, and add just a touch if it needs it.

3. While the mushrooms are cooking, make the sauce.  Taste and correct the balance of soy and vinegar, if needed.  Pour into small serving bowls, one per person.

4.  Cut the yuba sheets into squares about 4x4 inches.

5. Spread 1T of the mushroom mixture down one side of the yuba sheet.  Place an asparagus spear on top of the mushrooms.  It's okay if the ends hang over.  Roll the yuba into a tube around the filling, just like rolling sushi or a burrito.

6.  Heat just a bit of peanut or olive oil in a wide pan.  Working in batches, brown the yuba rolls, about one minute per side, turning to cover the sides.  Set on towels to catch any clinging oil. 

7. Cut carefully into quarters (bite sized) and serve with the dipping sauce.