Surely a time traveler transported forward 500 years from the late 15th Century to our own time would be astounded by much that astounds us about contemporary life. He or she also would react to certain everyday things we take for granted, among them the easy availability and lavish use of pepper in our homes and restaurants.
Pepper, historians acknowledge, is the seasoning that made the late Middle Ages so lively. More dear in cost and more important in cooking than today’s ultra-chic truffles, pungent pepper was counted out corn by corn or grain by grain and exchanged for gold after traveling over the spice route from Asia to Venice. To break the Venetian stranglehold on the pepper trade, explorers from other European nations and city-states traveled by land and sea in search of alternate routes and founded colonial empires en route.
The dried black peppercorns Vasco da Gama found in India are available now in great quantity. In addition, we may also choose mild and pale white pepper (berries with the outer skin soaked off), tangy and aromatic green peppercorns (under- ripe berries packed in brine or vinegar) or freeze-dried and mildly toxic dried pink peppercorns (an impostor from Africa grown in profusion on Reunion Island).
Each form can brighten a sauce or soup, enliven ground meat or fish, decorate and add appeal to vegetables. Remember, however, a warning passed down through history. Pepper’s flavor is fleeting once it has been ground. Use a pepper mill.
PEPPER-COATED PORK CHOPS
Two servings
2 pork chops, 6 to 8 ounces each
1 teaspoon sweet paprika, Hungarian preferred
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil, plus 1 to 2 teaspoons
1. Pat the pork chops dry. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, pepper and salt. Rub over both sides of each chop and set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Heat a heavy skillet, cast iron if possible, on a stove-top burner. Add the 1 tablespoon of oil and rub the remainder over the chops. Saute the chops over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Turn, sear the second side for 1 minute, then add 1/4 cup water, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Cook 4 to 5 minutes more.
3. Serve with yellow tomato coulis (recipe follows).
YELLOW TOMATO COULIS
Makes about one cup
1 large shallot, minced (3 to 4 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons minced celery
1 teaspoon freeze-dried green peppercorns
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound small yellow tomatoes,peeled, seeded and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
Salt to taste and 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Pinch sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar, sherry vinegar preferred
1. In a small saucepan, saute minced shallot, celery and peppercorns in the olive oil over medium heat until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. (There should be about 1 cup.)
2. Season with salt, white pepper, sugar and vinegar, then adjust seasoning to taste. Simmer briefly, then serve warm or at room temperature with pork or grilled meaty fish such as tuna, swordfish or salmon.
ROAST DUCK WITH GREEN PEPPERCORNS
Two to four servings
1 duck, about 5 pounds, thawed, rinsed and dried
1 large sliced onion
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, or 4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 or 5 sprigs parsley
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or stock
1/2 cup white wine or dry vermouth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup brandy
1 1/2 tablespoons green peppercorns (or more to taste), rinsed and lightly crushed
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1. Make a stock by placing duck gizzards and neck (but not the liver) in a saucepan with onion, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, broth, wine and several grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, remove surface scum, and simmer, partially covered, 40 to 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375 degrees. Season the duck, inside and out, with salt and pepper, then place it, breast side up, on a lightly oiled rack set in a roasting pan. Cook for 20 minutes.
3. Remove duck from the oven and pour off the fat. Raise the temperature to 400 degrees, return duck to the oven and cook an additional 30 minutes.
4. Remove pan; turn duck breast side down, return it to oven and raise the temperature to 425 degrees. Cook for 20 minutes.
5. Remove duck, pour off fat, reverse the bird so breast side is up. Raise the temperature to 450 degrees, return duck to the oven and cook an additional 30 minutes.
6. Remove duck (and rack) from the pan and keep warm on a cutting board. Pour off fat and place roasting pan over a stove-top burner. Add brandy to the pan, heat, flame and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze the meat drippings. Pour and scrape into a saucepan. Strain stock into the saucepan and add juices from the duck. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the peppercorns. Taste, adjust seasoning if desired.
7. Carve the duck into slices or pieces and place on warm plates. Whisk butter into the sauce and spoon over the duck. Serve at once with a potato gratin or rice.
