Day 22 - Page 210 - Momofuku Shortcakes, Page 102 - Bacon Dashi w/ Potatoes & Clams

The first strawberries of the season are now available in the markets and I couldn't resist. These are from Watsonville and not truly local. They are merely a lead into the West Marin season of delicious berries that starts in May and continues into fall but tonight they were the topping for Momofuku shortcakes.

My go-to shortcake recipe is the one from Chez Panisse Desserts. It's biscuit-like dough is what I always think of when think of shortcake. So reading through the Momofuku recipe was like analyzing a foreign grammar and in spite of my strong resistance, I forged ahead with Chang's instructions. It was also my first time making shortcakes with a mixer since I have always used my hands in order to keep the dough crumbly and light. The initial blend of butter and lard (I substituted pork lard for the shortening) and flour was fine but when I poured in the cream I could see that right away the mixer was going to make a sticky dough and so I opted to use a spatula. I knew that, above all else, I wanted my shortcakes to be flaky and the mixer was going to over beat the dough. 

The dough must be thoroughly chilled before it can be handled and formed into balls, rolled in powdered sugar, and baked. These have a high sugar content and are like puffy, cakey cookies.

And put together with the berries and whipped cream, they're another outstanding Momofuku treat. This was my first attempt at a dessert from the cookbook and now I'm hooked. I just wish that there were more desserts in the book.

Today John jumped in and contributed Clams in Bacon Dashi. He got the clams from Tomales Bay Oyster Company, our favorite source for bivalves. We thought it was like Chang's version of clam chowder, deconstructed and put back together in his own unique fashion.