Amanda Haas, Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen Manager, on Juicing for Flavor

Juicing for weight loss and nutrition is common practice, but more and more, professional chefs are now using fresh fruit and vegetable juices for their amazing flavors. Incorporating fresh juices into your cooking can open a new world of culinary possibilities, so we asked our Test Kitchen Manager Amanda Haas for some tips on trying it at home. Read what she had to say in the Q&A below, then try a couple of her favorite recipes starring fresh juice.

 

What are the benefits of using fresh juice in cooking?

Compared to broths, wine, or packaged sauces, fresh juice typically has more vitamins,  fewer calories, and less sodium. Plus, the flavor is unmistakable. If you’ve ever had a risotto or soup that has fresh juice added to it, the flavor is unreal!

 

What are your favorite juices to cook with?

Beet, carrot, apple, orange, and my secret green combination.

 

What are some of your favorite things to make with fresh juice?

I like to make risottos, pan sauces — like a reduction sauce made with apple juice for pork roasts and chicken — soups, vinaigrettes, popsicles, and let’s not forget cocktails!

 

Are there any substitutions that you can recommend, such as a green juice for a vegetable stock?

When using juices to replace stock, I like to start by substituting half of  your liquid with juice. For example, when making risottos, I’ll do a 50/50 mix of stock and beet or carrot juice. With soups, it completely depends on the flavor profile, but I start with 1 cup of fresh juice to 3 cups of stock, then as I become more accustomed to the flavors, I add more and more.

 

What are some of the most interesting uses of juice in cooking that you’ve seen?

There are some really talented chefs out there using fresh juices for everything! I like when you see people using it in really unexpected ways, like poaching fish or reducing vegetable juices for really potent glazes and finishing sauces. My all-time favorite? My friend roasted carrots in a combination of reduced carrot juice and honey. They tasted as if they were glazed in butter.

 

Below, Amanda has adapted two of her favorite recipes from her cookbook, Real Family Food, to incorporate fresh juice.

 

Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese and Thyme

 

Juicing red beets creates a stunning, ruby-red risotto.  If your beets came with the tops still attached, wash and coarsely chop them before sautéing them in a little olive oil.  They’re a delicious garnish.

 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Tags: GF, Vegetarian, Easy Entertaining

 

2 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth

2 cups fresh red beet juice

2 tablespoons butter, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ¼ cups chopped onion

1 cup uncooked Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

 

Bring the broth and beet juice to a simmer in a medium saucepan.  Do not boil.  Keep warm over low heat.

 

Heat a deep 10-inch skillet or saucier over medium heat.  Melt 1 tablespoon butter with the olive oil in the pan.  Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until tender.  Add the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add the wine.  Cook 30 seconds or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.  Add remaining broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 14 minutes).  Remove from the heat, stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and the thyme.  Taste, adding salt and pepper as needed.  Cover and let stand 2 minutes.

 

Spoon the risotto onto plates and sprinkle with the goat cheese.  Serve immediately. Serves 4.

 

Adapted from Real Family Food by Amanda Haas, Oxmoor House, 2012.

 

Spiced Carrot Soup

 

Adding fresh carrot juice in addition to stock is an excellent way to add more vitamins and nutrients to soup.   For a more classic rendition, substitute lemon juice for the lime juice, omit the curry powder, and use fresh thyme or mint in the place of cilantro.

 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Tags: GF, Make Ahead, Easy Entertaining

 

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

5 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups fresh carrot juice

4 cups diced carrot, about 1 ½ lbs.

1 cup dry white wine

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

¼ tsp. curry powder

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

 

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat.  Melt the butter with the olive oil in the pan; cook 2 minutes or until the butter melts.  Add the onion and garlic. Cook 10 minutes or until onion is soft, stirring occasionally.

 

Stir in broth, carrot juice, carrots, and wine.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

 

Place half of the carrot mixture in a blender.  Remove center piece of blender lid to allow steam to escape.  Secure blender lid on blender.  Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters).  Blend until smooth and pour into a bowl.  Repeat procedure with the  remaining carrot mixture.  Stir in lime juice, curry powder, and pepper.

 

Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the cilantro. Serves 8.

 

Adapted from Real Family Food by Amanda Haas, Oxmoor House, 2012.