Garlic Custards

Ingredients

• 1 whole head garlic
• Olive oil

Custard:

• 2 tablespoons roasted garlic
• 1 jalapeno chile, minced very fine
• 2 cups cream
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 whole eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Vinaigrette, recipe follows
• Herbed Hazelnuts, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degree F.

Brush a whole garlic head with olive oil. Wrap it in foil and bake for 2 hours. Let garlic cool enough to handle, then cut off the top of the garlic head and squeeze the soft cloves out onto a cutting board. Using the side of a broad knife, mash the cloves slightly. (This may be done up to a week in advance. Refrigerate roasted garlic.)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Butter 8 (4-ounce) ramekins. Blend the custard ingredients together thoroughly. Pour into the ramekins and place them in a baking pan. Place the pan in the oven and carefully add hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, but you may leave the custards in the water bath to keep warm for up to 20 minutes. You may wish to prepare the Salsa Fresca and the Vinaigrette while the custards bake, and the Herbed Hazelnuts while the custards stay warm after baking.

To serve, turn the custards out of their ramekins onto plates. Spoon warm Vinaigrette over each one and sprinkle with warm Herbed Hazelnuts.

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup Salsa Fresca, recipe follows

Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small saucepan and heat gently. Set aside to keep warm.

Herbed Hazelnuts:

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup hazelnuts (filberts), toasted

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled

Pinch cayenne

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a skillet and saute the hazelnuts with their seasonings until the nuts are well coated. Chop coarsely.

Yield: 1 cup

Salsa Fresca:

1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 jalapeno or serrano chile, seeded, deveined, and finely chopped

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix all the ingredients together. For best results, let salsa stand at least half an hour before serving or incorporating into recipe. Use within 24 hours. (The Vinaigrette calls for 1 cup. Enjoy the remaining 2 cups in Tortilla Soup or just with chips.)

Yield: 3 cups