Strawberry pudding cake

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 servings

• 4tablespoons/57 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the skillet
• 1lemon
• 12ounces fresh strawberries (preferably small to medium), hulled and cut into halves or quarters
• ¾cup/151 grams granulated sugar
• Fine sea salt
• ¾cup/96 grams all-purpose flour
• 2teaspoons baking powder
• ⅓cup/80 milliliters whole milk
• 1¼cups/300 milliliters boiling water
• Confectioners’ sugar or sweetened whipped cream, for serving

PREPARATION

1. Step 1

   Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 9- to 10-inch skillet, about 2 inches deep (preferably cast iron).

2. Step 2

   From the lemon, finely grate 2 teaspoons zest into the melted butter and set aside. Squeeze 1 tablespoon lemon juice into a medium bowl and add strawberries, ¼ cup granulated sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt; toss until the sugar has started to become syrupy, coating the berries. (Using a hand to toss here helps the sugar melt faster.) Set aside.

3. Step 3

   In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, remaining ½ cup granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix the milk into the melted butter. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients while stirring with a spatula or spoon until just combined. The batter will be thick but spreadable.

4. Step 4

   Transfer batter to the buttered skillet and spread in an even layer. Arrange the strawberries in the batter, cut sides down, pressing them slightly. Pour their syrup over the top, then carefully pour the boiling water over the top.

5. Step 5

   Bake on the middle rack of the oven until the cake is golden brown and a warm, pudding-like sauce has formed below the strawberries, 25 to 27 minutes.

6. Step 6

   Dust with confectioners’ sugar or serve with sweetened whipped cream, if desired. Serve warm. As the pudding cake sits, the pudding will eventually soak into the cake, so is best enjoyed sooner rather than later. (To reheat, heat at 300 degrees, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes.)

TIP

• With a convection fan-equipped oven, this cake can also achieve a crisp and browned topping in a round or square glass baking dish at 400 degrees. Baking time will most likely be a little less than in Step 4, so look for the visual cues for doneness.

Japanese Potato Salad With Mentaiko

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 to 6 servings

• 1pound russet potatoes (about 2 whole large potatoes), peeled and cut into large chunks
• Salt
• 2eggs
• 1tablespoon rice vinegar, plus more to taste
• 2teaspoons sugar
• 1small Japanese or Persian cucumber, or ½ an English cucumber (about 4 ounces), quartered lengthwise, seeds removed and discarded, and thinly sliced
• 1small carrot (2 to 3 ounces), quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
• ½cup thawed frozen corn kernels or briefly boiled fresh corn kernels (optional)
• ¼cup chopped radish (about 2 radishes; optional)
• 2scallions, thinly sliced
• 5tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise (see Tip), plus more to taste
• 1whole sac mentaiko or tarako (about 2 ounces)
• 1teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

1. Step 1

   In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water by at least 1 inch. Add a few big pinches of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Gently lower the eggs into the pot. Cover, reduce to a bare simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender and show no resistance when pierced with a knife or cake tester, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and spread in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with vinegar and sugar. Set aside until completely cool, at least 15 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and peel when completely cool.

2. Step 2

   Meanwhile, toss the cucumber with a big pinch of salt in the bottom of a large bowl and set aside until the potatoes are cool.

3. Step 3

   When the potatoes are cool, add them to the bowl with the cucumber and lightly mash with the back of a fork until some bite-size chunks still remain.

4. Step 4

   Add carrot, corn, radish, scallion, mayonnaise, mentaiko, lemon zest and juice. Squeeze the hard-boiled eggs through your clean fingers to break them up, or chop them with a knife and add them to the salad. Stir together and season with pepper, more salt, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice or mayonnaise, or a combination, to taste.

TIP

• Kewpie is a Japanese brand of mayonnaise with a thicker texture, and tangier, more umami flavor, though any mayonnaise you prefer will work in this recipe