Best Watercress Buttermilk Cooler Recipes

Watercress-Apple Relish image

Provided by Greg Lofts

Time 25m

Yield Makes 3 cups

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 large lemon (or 2 small)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch watercress, cut into 1-inch pieces (3 packed cups)
1 Pink Lady apple, cored and cut into a 1/2-inch dice (1 cup)
1/2 small fennel bulb, cored and cut into a 1/2-inch dice (3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons capers, drained (rinsed first, if salt-packed)

Steps:

Slice peel and pith from lemon with a sharp paring knife, removing as little flesh as possible; reserve peel. Working over a large bowl (to catch any juices), cut away segments from between membranes. Cut supremes into thirds and reserve in a small bowl; tip any juices on cutting board into large bowl. Squeeze membrane and peel over large bowl to extract juices.
Whisk Dijon into 2 tablespoons lemon juice in large bowl; season generously with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil. Add watercress, apple, and fennel, tossing to evenly coat. Stir in capers and lemon pieces. Relish is best served the day it's made, but can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 day.

Cold Cream of Watercress Soup image

Provided by Food Network

Categories dessert

Time 45m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

6 tablespoons olive oil
4 leeks, white parts only, thoroughly washed and chopped
3 bunches watercress, thoroughly washed, leaves separated from stems, stems chopped
6 cups chicken stock
5 medium baking potatoes, peeled and sliced
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup creme fraiche or 1/2 cup each heavy cream and sour cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Steps:

Heat a large saucepan with olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and the watercress stems only and saute until wilted, about 10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare an ice water bath by partially filling your largest mixing bowl with ice cubes and water.
In batches to avoid overfilling and splattering, ladle the soup into a blender or food processor, adding some of the creme fraiche and watercress leaves with each batch and reserving about 2 dozen whole leaves for a garnish. Puree each batch and transfer to a fine-meshed strainer held over a large mixing bowl that fits inside the ice water bath, using a rubber spatula to press the puree through the strainer. Taste the puree, adjust the seasonings, if necessary, with more salt and pepper, and stir in the lemon juice.
Place the bowl of soup inside the ice water bath and chill it until cool, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Remove the bowl of soup from the ice water bath, dry its underside, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Before serving, taste the soup. If it is too thick, thin it with a little cold milk, chicken stock, or water, to a thick, creamy consistency. Adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Ladle into chilled bowls and decoratively garnish each serving with a few of the reserved watercress leaves.

Herb-Crumbed Roasted Chicken With Watercress image

Provided by Molly O'Neill

Time 2h

Yield Four servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

2 cups buttermilk
2 chicken breasts, split in half, and 2 chicken legs, separated at the joint, skinned
2 cups bread crumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Olive oil spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 bunches watercress, thick stems removed, washed but not dried
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 chicken legs, separated at the joint, skinned

Steps:

Place the buttermilk in a large, shallow dish. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. In a shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, rosemary, thyme, parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 2 baking sheets lightly with the olive oil. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and coat each piece with flour. Dip each piece back into the buttermilk and then coat with the bread-crumb mixture.
Place the chicken on the baking sheets, spacing pieces as far apart as possible. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the crust is crisp, about 45 minutes.
In a large saucepan heated over medium heat, toss the watercress until just wilted. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, remaining salt and pepper to taste. Divide the chicken and the watercress among 4 plates and serve immediately.

Buttermilk Vichyssoise with Watercress image

Yield serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 8

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and then thinly sliced into half-moons, washed well and drained
3 large white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 1/2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
3 cups cleaned watercress leaves, loosely packed
Coarse salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup buttermilk

Steps:

Melt the butter in a stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, and cook, covered, until tender, about 15 minutes.
Add the potatoes, stock, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Cool completely; stir in 2 cups of the watercress.
Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Transfer the pureed soup to a large bowl. Season with salt and white pepper. Stir in the half-and-half; chill at least 1 hour. Add the buttermilk just before serving. Adjust seasoning; if necessary, thin the soup with a bit more chicken stock or water to achieve the desired consistency. Garnish with the remaining cup watercress leaves.