If you’re looking for a good, recession-friendly source of inexpensive protein, you could do worse than to try quinoa, a grain that is high in protein and iron, gluten-free and low in fat. The most evolved quinoa cookery comes from the Andes: There, quinoa is used in everything, including soups and desserts.
It can be served on the brothy side, but I prefer my quinoa to be dry and fluffy, so I cook it like a pilaf: I sweat onions and garlic in a little fat, coat the quinoa in this fat, add water, cover the pan tightly, then allow the quinoa to absorb the water.
At the restaurant, we use this recipe as a stuffing for steamed cabbage, which we serve with a miso dressing and pickled vegetables, but the recipe can be a meal in itself.
The other night, hoping to impress my wife with my meticulousness in the kitchen, I bragged to her that I’d made one of my chefs clean the quinoa by spreading it on a sheet tray and picking out the tiny rocks with her pinkie. My wife, who is half-Peruvian (Peru produces a good portion of the world’s supply of quinoa), looked at me and smiled. I could see she was thinking, here’s another American chef trying to reinvent the wheel!
No, she insisted, the best way to clean the quinoa is to do it the way her grandmother taught her. She showed me her technique, which is similar to gold panning.
Take two bowls. Fill up the first one with the quinoa and cover it with about twice its volume in water. Tilt the first bowl over the second bowl while shaking it in a vigorous but controlled side-to-side motion, allowing most of the water and about a fifth of the quinoa to fall into the second bowl. Leave the clean quinoa in the second bowl, pouring the water back into the first bowl. Repeat this four more times until you’re left with a little quinoa and all your dirt and pebbles in the first bowl and perfectly clean quinoa in the second.
John Broening cooks at Duo Restaurant, .
Quinoa Pilaf
Makes about 8 cups, serves 4-6.
Ingredients
2 cups quinoa
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 tablespoon sliced garlic
2 cups (1 quart) water
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
Directions
Clean quinoa as directed at right.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil and butter. Add the onion and cook until tender but not colored, about 10 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute without coloring.
Add the quinoa and stir to coat in the oil and butter. Add the water, a little more salt and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover immediately; turn the heat down to low and cook 18 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit 5 minutes. Immediately turn the quinoa onto a sheet tray and fluff with two forks. Adjust seasoning.
Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
1 recipe cooked quinoa, above
2 cups cooked diced shiitakes (about 1 pounds)
3/4 cup scallions, cut on bias
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame chili oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Freshly ground pepper
Directions
Combine all ingredients.
