Lemon Pudding with Blueberry Compote

A craving for something sweet came over me the other night. I could've reached for one of the boxes of Girl Scout cookies we have tucked away in the freezer (the ones I try to pretend don't exist), but I was looking for something a bit more comforting. I looked in the fridge to find just a handful of ingredients: a few cups of milk, a half dozen eggs, and a pint of blueberries. There must be something I could do with these? And that's when I decided to research pudding recipes. I found a vanilla pudding that came together quickly, which I served with a blueberry compote. While rich and creamy in texture, the pudding remained a bit too soupy, even after hours of cooling. So, of course, I needed to try another batch to see if I could reach the perfect consistency.  I figured there were a few solutions to this problem. The first was to lower the amount of milk. Less liquid, thicker pudding. The other was to include more egg yolks. These two modifications did the trick. 

Having found a solid base to work with, I was ready to get playful. Lemon seemed the right direction, especially when paired with blueberries. Some zest and juice give it just the right amount of citrus flavor, without making it too zingy. 

LEMON PUDDING WITH BLUEBERRY COMPOTE 

SERVINGS
Serves 4

SPECIAL TOOLS
Zester

INGREDIENTS
For the lemon pudding
2 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
2 ounces lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the blueberry compote
1 pint blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves

DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks to break them up.

2. Put milk and cornstarch mixture into a medium saucepan. Set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. 

3. While whisking, slowly and carefully pour some of the hot milk mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks. Once half of the milk is whisked in, return the pot to the stove and stir in the egg mixture, along with the lemon juice and lemon zest. 

4. Set pot over low heat and simmer, stirring consistently, until the pudding thickens. Once it reaches the desired consistency, stir in butter. Remove from heat. 

5. Strain mixture into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve. Once cooled, transfer pudding to a container fitted with a lid and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.

6. Prepare the compote by transferring the blueberries to a medium saucepan. Pour sugar over blueberries and set pot over medium heat. Once the blueberries start to release their juices, give the pot a stir to mix in the sugar.

7. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. At the end, stir in lemon zest and thyme leaves. Let cool.

8. To serve, divide pudding into ramekins. Top with a spoonful of compote. 

Silent Sunday: North Square Oyster

Click here to view more Silent Sunday posts! And to see more of my food and beverage photography, head on over to my portfolio site. 

NORTH SQUARE OYSTER
5 NORTH SQUARE, BOSTON MA
www.northsquareoyster.com

Grilled Swordfish Kabobs with Garlic Yogurt Sauce

It felt so good uncovering the grill this afternoon; a turning point in the season. It's been particularly wet and chilly here these last few weeks. The rain we needed. The cold temps, not so much. But now everything is blooming and the sun is shining bright. Despite my love of all things cooked over an open flame, I can count on one hand the number of times I've used a grill. Which is why Eric seemed so surprised last night when I asked him if the propane tank was full. Immediately, he wanted to know what I was planning. I tried to appear hurt, as if it were offensive for him to think that I was incapable of using the grill. "I want to make something for the blog. Thinking kabobs." He gave me a skeptical look and informed me that the tank was actually empty and I'd have to go get that filled. So today became all about getting this grill working. Once I got the propane, I went shopping, and then prepped, cooked and photographed these skewers. And now I'm writing all about it. Ok, this post is getting a bit meta. 

I've always been a fan of swordfish, especially when a craving for chicken comes over me. It holds up beautifully on the grill and only takes a few minutes of cooking time. Let's take a moment for the veggies, shall we? I was tempted to go with cherry tomatoes, but sweet red pepper and charred red onion were what I was feeling, so that's where I went. And the sauce? So simple, so delicious. It may leave you with garlic breath for a little bit, but it's totally worth it.

GRILLED SWORDFISH KABOBS WITH GARLIC YOGURT SAUCE 

SERVINGS
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
For the kabobs
2 lbs swordfish, skinned and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 red pepper, seeds removed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 red onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp garam masala
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 tsp salt

For the yogurt sauce
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Put the swordfish, red pepper, zucchini, and red onion in a large, non-reactive mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon and lime zest, lime juice, minced garlic, garam masala, salt and olive oil.  Pour the marinade over the swordfish and vegetables and toss to combine. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 8 hours.

2. In a bowl, add the ingredients for the sauce and whisk until combined. Season with salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Preheat the grill to 450 degrees. 

4. Thread the swordfish and vegetables onto metal skewers (for wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes before using them), rotating between the fish and the vegetables.

5. Place the skewers on the preheated grill and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. 

6. Serve with lemon wedges and yogurt garlic sauce.