Downtime

Blurring the line between everyday and special occasion cooking, Nadine Levy Redzepi elevates simple comfort food flavors to elegant new heights in Downtime . When you’re married to Noma’s Rene Redzepi you never know who might drop by for dinner…So Nadine Redzepi has developed a stripped-down repertoire of starters, mains, and desserts that can always accommodate a few more at the table, presenting them in a stylish yet relaxed way that makes guests feel like family--and makes family feel special every single day. Gone are the days when the cook is expected to labor alone in the kitchen while family or guests wait for their meal. In the Redzepi home everyone gravitates toward the kitchen to socialize, help, or graze on tasty bites while dinner is prepared, and Nadine wouldn’t have it any other way. Her culinary mantra – pair the very best ingredients with restaurant-inflected techniques that make the most of out their inherent flavors -- puts deliciousness at home well within reach for cooks of all levels. In Nadine’s confident hands, weeknight mainstays like tomato bruschetta, pan-seared pork chops, slow-roasted salmon, or dark, fudgy brownies feel new again. Each recipe is studded with tips to help cooks build confidence and expertise as they cook, as well as restaurant-ready techniques that contribute precision, flavor, and plate appeal to even down-to-earth preparations. With a newfound mastery of essential building blocks like homemade mayonnaise and beurre blanc, a flavorful tomato sauce, or a genius do-it-all cake batter that can be reinvented in a myriad of ways, creating showstoppers like White Asparagus with Truffle Sauce; Rotini with Spicy Chicken Liver Sauce; or a decadent Giant Macaron Cake – just as Nadine does on a daily basis--soon becomes second nature. Downtime is a celebration of the joys of cooking well –and making it look easy while you do it, an aspirational guide for any cook ready to take their home cooking to the next level without sacrificing ease or enjoyment in the process....

ldquo;Now people can see that maybe the best cook in the Redzepi household isn't René but Nadine! She cooks beautiful nourishing food that is simply delicious. This book is packed with the tips and secrets that make Nadine's cooking so special."
—David Chang

"This book is full of ideas, enthusiasm, flavour - and heart."
—Nigella Lawson

"A wonderful collection of everyday home-cooked meals."
—Jamie Oliver

"Obviously the Redzepi family takes their food seriously, but Nadine is in charge at home, and keeping it delicious and simple is her metier.  Her collection of recipes makes home cooking thoughtful, tasty, wholesome,  and satisfying. Most of all, they are accessible and easy enough to make on a weeknight when you want to get dinner on the table and still have time to chill.  Nearly all of the recipes in this book are simple enough for a Wednesday dinner, but are also erudite enough to make it look like I may have spent a whole Sunday putting them together.  From potato chips to Portuguese pork chops, from gyoza to Jerusalem artichokes, the message is CONGRATULATIONS—you can make this at home!  This book will soon have the tattered and dripped-on pages from many uses that are the true badges of courage in my home kitchen library."
—Mario Batali

"This is great family cooking: inviting, achievable and simply delicious." 
—Nigel Slater
 
"Nadine's first cookbook is both beautiful and smart; full of recipes to delight and helpful words on cooking better at home. It inspires me to cook, and I promise it will inspire you as well!"
—Neil Perry 

"This book is more than a collection of delicious recipes, beautiful images and smart ideas. Nadine's warmth and generosity are a reminder of what is important about cooking, how it binds us together with the people we love."
—Daniel Patterson

Auteur

Nadine Levy Redzepi; foreword by Rene Redzepi

Échantillon de lecture
CHEESE RAVIOLI WITH BROWN-BUTTER EGG YOLKS, PARMESAN, AND SAGE
 
Serves 4
 
For a pantry meal, this has a lot of plate appeal. You can trace its roots back to a dish that was served at Noma featuring an egg yolk cured in beef juice. I found I could approximate the creamy, unctuous quality in a way that was more practical for a home kitchen by bathing the yolk in brown butter. I got the idea of pairing the yolk with ravioli one night when we had unexpected dinner guests and not a lot in the fridge. Fortunately, the combination turned out to be fantastic, and if you have good-quality cheese ravioli in the freezer (get the oversized ones if possible), this comes together quickly in a rather impressive way. It’s quite rich, so I serve it as an entrée rather than a starter, with just a simple salad.
 
Large egg yolks | 4
Salted butter | ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks; 165 grams)
Coarse sea salt
Large cheese ravioli | 16
Fresh sage sprigs | 2 or 3
Extra-virgin olive oil | For serving
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese | 1 (6-ounce/170-g) chunk
 

1. Separate the eggs, dropping each yolk into its own small bowl. Cut the butter into tablespoons and place in a medium saucepan. Melt the butter over medium heat until foamy. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the butter smells nutty and the milk solids at the bottom turn light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately remove the brown butter from the heat. Carefully divide the butter among the 4 bowls, pouring it down the sides of the bowl, to cover the yolks entirely. Set aside for about 20 minutes.
   Do not pour the butter directly onto the fragile yolks or they may break.
    
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a tablespoon or so of salt. Add the ravioli and cook according to the package directions until they float to the top of the water and are tender. Cut the sage leaves into thin shreds.
    
3. Drain the ravioli well and arrange 4 on each plate. Gently slip an egg yolk onto the center of each portion and drizzle the brown butter over all. Sprinkle with the basil and sage. Grate as much Parmigiano as you like on top. Serve immediately, offering olive oil at the table for drizzling.

CONGRATULATIONS: YOU CAN MAKE BROWN BUTTER
Brown butter will keep, tightly covered in the fridge, for about a week, so if you are making some for this sauce, it’s easy to make a double batch and store half in a glass jar. The brown sediment will settle to the bottom of the jar, so before you use it, let it come to room temperature, stir to recombine, then:
• Make the roasted celery root on page 201.
• Smear it on a piece of bread.
• Drizzle it onto soup as a garnish.
• Serve it with fried or baked fish.
• Toss it with hot boiled potatoes and chopped dill or other herbs.
 
You can also cut the chilled brown butter into small cubes and use it to flavor vanilla ice cream, which is spectacular. Add it just before the ice cream is fully frozen, letting the paddle incorporate the bits into the custard.