Did you ever taste something so good that you ate it with everything? Something that tasted so delectable that you imagined all the ways that you would eat it next time? A food so perfect that you couldn't imagine life without it? A concoction so delicious you would try to get some of it through security at the airport if you knew it wasn't available once you arrived at your destination?
We experienced that on Saturday night. With my friend still in town and spending her last night with us, I wanted to make a sending-off dinner. She had brought a bottle of Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (CA), which was full of black currant, black cherry, chocolate and the vanilla finish that comes with barrel-aging in oak. My friend prefers red wines and I wanted to make a dinner that would play to the wine.
I had a lovely fillet of wild sockeye salmon, some fresh broccoli, fresh spinach and a packet of Lundberg Wild Blend, which is a rice mixture of long grain brown rice, sweet brown rice, wild rice, whole grain Wehani rice, and whole grain black Japonica rice. It's nutty, chewy, wonderfully wholesome. It's also wonderfully expensive, but my rationale is that nothing is too expensive when I'm cooking for people I love. The rice blend was cooked with browned butter, garlic and shallots, the broccoli was roasted with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, and the spinach was simply sauteed with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and drizzled with a little cream at the end for flourish. I roasted the salmon simply with Murray River Apricot Salt, a beautiful, pale peach-colored salt that is delicate and mildly briny, and lots of cracked black pepper.
So what's the big deal, you say? She's gotten us all worked up into a lather about a meal full of pedestrian and predictable omega 3's, overpriced whole grains, and dark green vegetables full of vitamins A and C??? So???
So, it was the sauce. As soon as my friend suggested we pair her red wine with fish, I thought "Salmon Fillet with Sauce Choron." I adore Sauce Choron, which is basically a ramped-up, piquant bearnaise sauce. I have been known to lick my plate after eating something with Sauce Choron. I want to put Sauce Choron on everything. That night at the dinner table, we did put Sauce Choron on everything. And in no time, my friend began listing all the things she would want to eat with Sauce Choron in the future. She liberally dressed her salmon with it, then her broccoli, then another helping of broccoli, and then put another spoonful of sauce on her plate after all the food was gone, and ate that too. My husband did much the same thing, and I couldn't stop with the superlatives because it was just so darn good. I think you will react much the same too. Here's the recipe. Make lots. You'll need it for eggs, pork, chicken, shrimp, vegetable, toast, pasta, potatoes...and the occasional piece of shoe leather.
Sauce Choron
If you go by the book (Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I, that is), or by other classic recipes, this sauce should be strained of the shallots and tarragon and should also be very smooth. I prefer a more rustic version, which you can always put in the blender if you want a smoother sauce after it cools a bit. The recipe I settled on was Emeril Lagasse's, a variation of the one found in MAFC. Except, as you may know because it's Emeril, there's a lot more butter. BAM!
3 Tbs. white wine vinegar
3 Tbs. dry white wine
10 peppercorns, crushed
2 Tbs. finely chopped shallots
1 Tbs. finely chopped tarragon
1 Tbs. tomato paste
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, white wine, peppercorns, shallots, tarragon and tomato paste.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce liquid to 2 Tbs.
3. Lower the heat and add the egg yolks, whisking over low heat until frothy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. In a slow, steady stream, add the melted butter and whisk until the sauce thickens.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain sauce if desired, or cool and put into the blender to incorporate the flavors, or serve as is. Makes about 1 cup.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Warm fire, fennel-roasted pork, lovely wine
A friend that I haven't seen in almost a decade contacted me earlier in the week and said she'd like to visit for a few days on her way to Arizona. She's been driving around the country for several months, having left California in order to help take care of a very ill friend. She's been visiting friends and points of interest along the way and just came from New Orleans, which we both agree is a stupendously magical place for so many reasons. She arrived, road-weary and tired, Friday evening.
There is (finally) an appropriate November chill in the air. And it is time for the warmth and comfort of a cheery fire. We had our first fire of the season in our fireplace last night and it was lovely. My husband built the fire after we migrated in from outdoors, having enjoyed some celebratory bubbly and a few appetizers. As my friend and I sat, sipping, nibbling and reconnecting we were startled by heavy clattering and footsteps above our heads. I stuck my head outside to see our aluminum extension ladder propped up against the side of the house and my husband on the roof with a pole trimmer, sawing off tree limbs.
I had called the county sheriff's office earlier that day to make sure that, in the midst of the burn ban, we could still have a indoor fire. But my husband was taking no chances. Even though the Labor Day wildfires were extinguished, the emotional pain and trauma of the destruction was not. My husband trimmed back every limb that was even remotely close to the chimney so that any embers managing to escape from the flue and out from under the chimney cap would have no easy time of it. I was grateful that he was being so conscientious. Lord knows I wouldn't have been the one climbing up on that roof!
Earlier that morning, I had started to slow-roast a pork roast and had come home mid-afternoon to the aroma of fennel, lemon and garlic. I had quite a few fennel stalks left over from last weekend's event and will often use them in the bottom of a roasting pan as a sort of roasting rack. So I found a recipe for pork rubbed with fennel, garlic and red chile and adapted it to use the fennel stalks. Of course, you can make this recipe without the fennel "roasting rack" and it will be just as good, or if you have whole fennel bulbs with stalks, slice the bulbs thinly and roast them separately in a shallow pan with olive oil, salt, pepper and a little Parmesan cheese.
The secret to a perfect pork roast is in the slow roasting process, which produces a very moist, succulent slice of meat on your plate with a lovely pan sauce. As an accompaniment, I also roasted parsnips, carrots, rutabaga and potatoes with smoked paprika and some of my beloved duck fat in a separate pan. And of course, what meal would be complete without my favorite: roasted kale done simply with olive oil, salt pepper and a little garlic.
After seeking advice from one of my wine guys, I looked for a bright, acidic red that was fermented and aged in stainless steel. I found Tormaresca Neprica 2009 (Italy), a blend of three grapes: Negroamaro, Primitivo and Cabernet Sauvignon. The tasting notes indicated that it had a balanced acidity with notes of dark chocolate, fruit and hints of licorice. It ended up being a perfect choice with the fennel-braised pork roast and the acidity balanced the richness of the pork beautifully. This wine is about $10 a bottle, so it's well within reach for a Friday night dinner.
For the pork, I adapted a recipe by James Martin, host of Saturday Kitchen on the BBC network. The original recipe is here, but I thought that more garlic, less fennel seed and no finishing pesto would work well. It did. Here the recipe I developed:
Slow-Roasted Pork with Garlic, Fennel and Chiles
several fennel stalks, with fronds (optional)
3 to 5 lb. bone-in Boston butt pork roast
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs. fennel seed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 to 2 tsp. crushed dried red chiles
olive oil, to taste
5 lemons, juiced
3 Tbs. olive oil
1. Wash fennel stalks and trim away discolored edges, if using. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
3. Score pork roast on all sides with a sharp knife, about 1/4 inch or more deep. Place in a large roasting pan.
4. With a mortar and pestle, make a paste of the garlic, fennel, salt, pepper and chile flakes. Add enough olive oil to make ingredients adhere to each other.
5. Rub the pork roast all over the with garlic and fennel paste.
6. Roast the pork for 30 minutes, until the surface begins to crisp and brown, turning roast to brown all sides.
7. Remove pork from oven and place optional fennel stalks under pork roast to make a roasting rack.
8. Pour half of the lemon juice over the pork and drizzle with 2 Tbs. olive oil.
9. Turn down oven to 225 degrees and tent the roast loosely with foil.
10. Roast the pork overnight, or all day long, 8 to 24 hours, basting occasionally with the remaining lemon juice and olive oil.
11. The roast is ready when the meat falls away from the bone. Slice thinly, deglaze the pan with additional lemon juice, if desired, and serve with the roast and any side dishes you might want. Serves 6.
May your tastebuds dance!
There is (finally) an appropriate November chill in the air. And it is time for the warmth and comfort of a cheery fire. We had our first fire of the season in our fireplace last night and it was lovely. My husband built the fire after we migrated in from outdoors, having enjoyed some celebratory bubbly and a few appetizers. As my friend and I sat, sipping, nibbling and reconnecting we were startled by heavy clattering and footsteps above our heads. I stuck my head outside to see our aluminum extension ladder propped up against the side of the house and my husband on the roof with a pole trimmer, sawing off tree limbs.
I had called the county sheriff's office earlier that day to make sure that, in the midst of the burn ban, we could still have a indoor fire. But my husband was taking no chances. Even though the Labor Day wildfires were extinguished, the emotional pain and trauma of the destruction was not. My husband trimmed back every limb that was even remotely close to the chimney so that any embers managing to escape from the flue and out from under the chimney cap would have no easy time of it. I was grateful that he was being so conscientious. Lord knows I wouldn't have been the one climbing up on that roof!
Earlier that morning, I had started to slow-roast a pork roast and had come home mid-afternoon to the aroma of fennel, lemon and garlic. I had quite a few fennel stalks left over from last weekend's event and will often use them in the bottom of a roasting pan as a sort of roasting rack. So I found a recipe for pork rubbed with fennel, garlic and red chile and adapted it to use the fennel stalks. Of course, you can make this recipe without the fennel "roasting rack" and it will be just as good, or if you have whole fennel bulbs with stalks, slice the bulbs thinly and roast them separately in a shallow pan with olive oil, salt, pepper and a little Parmesan cheese.
The secret to a perfect pork roast is in the slow roasting process, which produces a very moist, succulent slice of meat on your plate with a lovely pan sauce. As an accompaniment, I also roasted parsnips, carrots, rutabaga and potatoes with smoked paprika and some of my beloved duck fat in a separate pan. And of course, what meal would be complete without my favorite: roasted kale done simply with olive oil, salt pepper and a little garlic.
After seeking advice from one of my wine guys, I looked for a bright, acidic red that was fermented and aged in stainless steel. I found Tormaresca Neprica 2009 (Italy), a blend of three grapes: Negroamaro, Primitivo and Cabernet Sauvignon. The tasting notes indicated that it had a balanced acidity with notes of dark chocolate, fruit and hints of licorice. It ended up being a perfect choice with the fennel-braised pork roast and the acidity balanced the richness of the pork beautifully. This wine is about $10 a bottle, so it's well within reach for a Friday night dinner.
For the pork, I adapted a recipe by James Martin, host of Saturday Kitchen on the BBC network. The original recipe is here, but I thought that more garlic, less fennel seed and no finishing pesto would work well. It did. Here the recipe I developed:
Slow-Roasted Pork with Garlic, Fennel and Chiles
several fennel stalks, with fronds (optional)
3 to 5 lb. bone-in Boston butt pork roast
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs. fennel seed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 to 2 tsp. crushed dried red chiles
olive oil, to taste
5 lemons, juiced
3 Tbs. olive oil
1. Wash fennel stalks and trim away discolored edges, if using. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
3. Score pork roast on all sides with a sharp knife, about 1/4 inch or more deep. Place in a large roasting pan.
4. With a mortar and pestle, make a paste of the garlic, fennel, salt, pepper and chile flakes. Add enough olive oil to make ingredients adhere to each other.
5. Rub the pork roast all over the with garlic and fennel paste.
6. Roast the pork for 30 minutes, until the surface begins to crisp and brown, turning roast to brown all sides.
7. Remove pork from oven and place optional fennel stalks under pork roast to make a roasting rack.
8. Pour half of the lemon juice over the pork and drizzle with 2 Tbs. olive oil.
9. Turn down oven to 225 degrees and tent the roast loosely with foil.
10. Roast the pork overnight, or all day long, 8 to 24 hours, basting occasionally with the remaining lemon juice and olive oil.
11. The roast is ready when the meat falls away from the bone. Slice thinly, deglaze the pan with additional lemon juice, if desired, and serve with the roast and any side dishes you might want. Serves 6.
May your tastebuds dance!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Voluptuous Table goes beyond virtual reality
This past Saturday night, something very special happened. I experienced the realization of a long-time dream. I launched The Voluptuous Table as a prix fixe dinner venture with a premier event featuring a dinner buffet of rustic French cuisine for 30 people.
It was a perfect day, weather-wise. The house looked great, the back yard looked stupendous (thanks to my husband), and the menu was full of rich, fall flavors. Wine flowed like the river Loire. And there were charming tables and seating areas everywhere, both inside and out. Candles twinkled, Edith Piaf warbled, incredible aromas emanated from the kitchen. I was running a French bistro for the night! Where were the black-turtlenecked existentialists with their sour looks? They must have stayed in Paris.
There were many memorable moments and I enjoyed my guests--many familiar to me and several not. One of the highlights of the evening was that some friends of mine have a lovely 14 year old daughter who sang for us beautifully in Italian, French and English. She brought the house down with her rendition of "The Lady is a Tramp." End-of-the-evening entertainment is always one of those little surprises that I like to arrange for specific gatherings and my guests were both surprised and delighted.
If the appetites of my guests are any indication, I'm going to have a very successful business. They ate almost everything. Every toast point (with plenty of pate and handmade goat cheese loaded on top), every spoonful of rich, silky cassoulet, every slice of the five pounds (and five varieties) of artisanal breads I baked, most of the homemade butter, practically all of the two salads served and every last dainty slice of the banana cake with caramel frosting. All washed down with countless glasses of wine and pots of coffee. Bon appetit!
Wines served: Jean-Luc Colombo Cotes du Rhone 2010 (France), a lemony, floral, medium-bodied white suggested to accompany the goat cheese appetizer; Domaine Sarcin Cotes du Rhone 2009 (France), a medium-bodied red with earthy herbal notes, dark red fruit and wild strawberry suggested to accompany the pate; Chateau Tuilerie Pages Bordeaux 2007 (France), with mild tannins and good, firmly structured red fruit to accompany the main course of cassoulet, artisanal breads and salads.
Here's what I cooked and the recipes:
Lemon Goat Cheese with Lemon Oil, Herbes de Provence and Nicoise Olives
For the cheese:
Follow procedure for making homemade goat cheese here, or purchase 16 oz. chevre or montrachet. Whether you make your own or buy it, knead in about 1 tsp. fresh lemon zest. Form into a ball and chill until ready to serve.
For the lemon oil:
Heat one cup of the lightest olive oil you can find slowly and gently. Add the zest of one lemon and steep for at least one hour. Strain, cool and set aside until ready to use.
To present the cheese:
Place cheese on serving plate. Drizzle generously with lemon oil. Sprinkle with about 1 tsp. herbes de Provence. Scatter about 1/2 cup pitted nicoise olives around the cheese. Garnish with Prince Edward pansies, violets or other small flowers and small sprigs of parsley. Serve with toast points. Serves 12.
Rustic Pate
This pate recipe sets up into a creamy and rich finished product. Don't be alarmed by how loose it is before it chills down. Superb flavor and beautiful on the plate with the pistachio garnish. Adapted from http://larry-ervin.suite101.com/how-to-make-two-easy-chicken-liver-pate-recipes-a43473.
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
8 oz chicken livers, chopped
1 tsp chopped fresh sage
1/4 cup marsala (or sherry or Madeira)
2 anchovy filets, drained and coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp capers, drained
1/4 cup shelled pistachios plus 2 Tbsp chopped for garnish
Freshly ground pepper
Artisanal Breads
I've run this recipe before under my first blog entry in February of this year. You can do it as you like and add chopped scallions, herbs, raisins, orange peel, chopped olives or anything you like. It's great bread and very versatile. This recipe made five one-pound loaves.
Homemade Compound Butter
Homemade butter is ridiculously easy if you have the right equipment. Pour a quart of heavy cream and about 2 tsp. kosher salt into the bowl of your food processor, blender or stand mixer. Turn on the machine and let 'er rip. Let it go beyond the proper stage for whipped cream and when the whey splatters out of the bowl, it's done. Squeeze all the whey out with your hands and form into balls. At this stage, you can flavor your butter with fresh herbs, garlic, spices, etc. Press into ramekins or form into logs wrapped in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Chill until ready to serve. Makes about 2 cups.
Peppery Green Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Mustard Vinaigrette
Combine 12 cups mixed greens such as arugula, watercress endive, spinach and/or romaine in a large salad bowl. Toss with several tablespoons of Mustard Vinaigrette (recipe below) until leaves are coated lightly. Do not overdress! Scatter with about 1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces. Serves 12.
Celery, Fennel and Apple Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette
Cassoulet Toulousain
This cassoulet recipe (affectionately and forevermore known as French Beanie Weenies in my circle of friends) has enough richness, meat, pork fat and duck fat to, as one of my friends says, give a small child a coronary after the first bite. It is, by far, the best cassoulet I have ever made in my cooking career. I will warn you: the preparation is very labor intensive and long and if you don't like to cook, then get a plate of cassoulet at Justine's instead. But if you do like to cook, if you covet the aromas of the French countryside in your kitchen and if you're looking for good, hearty peasant fare on a blustery day, then do make the effort and try this dish.
You can take a shortcut and purchase rendered duck fat and prepared duck confit, but it is very expensive to do so. It was almost as expensive to buy a pound tub of rendered duck fat and a fresh duck, but I thought it a very satisfying venture to make my own. You can see an excellent procedure for making duck confit here. Start this procedure at least 7 days before you plan to make the cassoulet. Duck confit and duck fat keeps for up to 2 months. And since you can use the duck fat to again confit another duck (or to make duck fat-roasted potatoes or duck fat fries), it is truly the gift that keeps on giving. And...you can use duck confit in so many other ways...
Gateau de Banane with Caramel and Toasted Pecans
This banana sheet cake is exceptionally moist and is delectable with the caramel icing and toasted pecans. I literally cannot make this anymore without seriously overeating it. It is beautiful when you cut it into diamonds before serving on large, frilly pastry papers (I got mine at Hobby Lobby). Serves 20 to 24.
Banana Cake recipe. Use butter, not margarine--it really does make a difference. Cool the cake until ready to frost.
Caramel Frosting recipe. I use half and half in place of the milk for a creamier, richer frosting. Use frosting while it's still quite warm; it will be easier to spread.
Garnish with toasted pecans if desired.
It was a perfect day, weather-wise. The house looked great, the back yard looked stupendous (thanks to my husband), and the menu was full of rich, fall flavors. Wine flowed like the river Loire. And there were charming tables and seating areas everywhere, both inside and out. Candles twinkled, Edith Piaf warbled, incredible aromas emanated from the kitchen. I was running a French bistro for the night! Where were the black-turtlenecked existentialists with their sour looks? They must have stayed in Paris.
There were many memorable moments and I enjoyed my guests--many familiar to me and several not. One of the highlights of the evening was that some friends of mine have a lovely 14 year old daughter who sang for us beautifully in Italian, French and English. She brought the house down with her rendition of "The Lady is a Tramp." End-of-the-evening entertainment is always one of those little surprises that I like to arrange for specific gatherings and my guests were both surprised and delighted.
If the appetites of my guests are any indication, I'm going to have a very successful business. They ate almost everything. Every toast point (with plenty of pate and handmade goat cheese loaded on top), every spoonful of rich, silky cassoulet, every slice of the five pounds (and five varieties) of artisanal breads I baked, most of the homemade butter, practically all of the two salads served and every last dainty slice of the banana cake with caramel frosting. All washed down with countless glasses of wine and pots of coffee. Bon appetit!
Wines served: Jean-Luc Colombo Cotes du Rhone 2010 (France), a lemony, floral, medium-bodied white suggested to accompany the goat cheese appetizer; Domaine Sarcin Cotes du Rhone 2009 (France), a medium-bodied red with earthy herbal notes, dark red fruit and wild strawberry suggested to accompany the pate; Chateau Tuilerie Pages Bordeaux 2007 (France), with mild tannins and good, firmly structured red fruit to accompany the main course of cassoulet, artisanal breads and salads.
Here's what I cooked and the recipes:
Lemon Goat Cheese with Lemon Oil, Herbes de Provence and Nicoise Olives
For the cheese:
Follow procedure for making homemade goat cheese here, or purchase 16 oz. chevre or montrachet. Whether you make your own or buy it, knead in about 1 tsp. fresh lemon zest. Form into a ball and chill until ready to serve.
For the lemon oil:
Heat one cup of the lightest olive oil you can find slowly and gently. Add the zest of one lemon and steep for at least one hour. Strain, cool and set aside until ready to use.
To present the cheese:
Place cheese on serving plate. Drizzle generously with lemon oil. Sprinkle with about 1 tsp. herbes de Provence. Scatter about 1/2 cup pitted nicoise olives around the cheese. Garnish with Prince Edward pansies, violets or other small flowers and small sprigs of parsley. Serve with toast points. Serves 12.
Rustic Pate
This pate recipe sets up into a creamy and rich finished product. Don't be alarmed by how loose it is before it chills down. Superb flavor and beautiful on the plate with the pistachio garnish. Adapted from http://larry-ervin.suite101.com/how-to-make-two-easy-chicken-liver-pate-recipes-a43473.
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
8 oz chicken livers, chopped
1 tsp chopped fresh sage
1/4 cup marsala (or sherry or Madeira)
2 anchovy filets, drained and coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp capers, drained
1/4 cup shelled pistachios plus 2 Tbsp chopped for garnish
Freshly ground pepper
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the celery and garlic and cook two minutes.
- Turn the flame up to high and add the chicken livers. Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the livers are crisp outside but still a bit pink inside, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the sage and deglaze briefly with the marsala. Transfer all to the bowl of your food processor.
- Add the anchovies, capers and whole pistachios. Process until fairly smooth, but not puréed. Taste and adjust the seasoning. The anchovies are salty enough that you should not need to add more salt.
- Transfer to your serving dish and serve warm or at room temperature. You can also chill this pate in a mold and serve it slightly cold. It is highly seasoned enough for the flavors to come through. Serve with thin slices of toasted baguette or dress it up by using it to fill individual endive leaves. Garnish with the chopped pistachios and strands of fresh chives. Serves 12.
Artisanal Breads
I've run this recipe before under my first blog entry in February of this year. You can do it as you like and add chopped scallions, herbs, raisins, orange peel, chopped olives or anything you like. It's great bread and very versatile. This recipe made five one-pound loaves.
Homemade Compound Butter
Homemade butter is ridiculously easy if you have the right equipment. Pour a quart of heavy cream and about 2 tsp. kosher salt into the bowl of your food processor, blender or stand mixer. Turn on the machine and let 'er rip. Let it go beyond the proper stage for whipped cream and when the whey splatters out of the bowl, it's done. Squeeze all the whey out with your hands and form into balls. At this stage, you can flavor your butter with fresh herbs, garlic, spices, etc. Press into ramekins or form into logs wrapped in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Chill until ready to serve. Makes about 2 cups.
Peppery Green Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Mustard Vinaigrette
Combine 12 cups mixed greens such as arugula, watercress endive, spinach and/or romaine in a large salad bowl. Toss with several tablespoons of Mustard Vinaigrette (recipe below) until leaves are coated lightly. Do not overdress! Scatter with about 1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces. Serves 12.
An Excellent Mustard Vinaigrette
¾ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and emulsify. Makes about 1 cup. This is wonderful on bitter greens with toasted walnuts, bleu cheese and pickled onions. Yummm! Enjoy…
Note: I like to experiment with different vinegars (like tarragon and champagne vinegar) and also like to use white Worcestershire instead of the regular kind for variety.
Celery, Fennel and Apple Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette
Cassoulet Toulousain
This cassoulet recipe (affectionately and forevermore known as French Beanie Weenies in my circle of friends) has enough richness, meat, pork fat and duck fat to, as one of my friends says, give a small child a coronary after the first bite. It is, by far, the best cassoulet I have ever made in my cooking career. I will warn you: the preparation is very labor intensive and long and if you don't like to cook, then get a plate of cassoulet at Justine's instead. But if you do like to cook, if you covet the aromas of the French countryside in your kitchen and if you're looking for good, hearty peasant fare on a blustery day, then do make the effort and try this dish.
You can take a shortcut and purchase rendered duck fat and prepared duck confit, but it is very expensive to do so. It was almost as expensive to buy a pound tub of rendered duck fat and a fresh duck, but I thought it a very satisfying venture to make my own. You can see an excellent procedure for making duck confit here. Start this procedure at least 7 days before you plan to make the cassoulet. Duck confit and duck fat keeps for up to 2 months. And since you can use the duck fat to again confit another duck (or to make duck fat-roasted potatoes or duck fat fries), it is truly the gift that keeps on giving. And...you can use duck confit in so many other ways...
Gateau de Banane with Caramel and Toasted Pecans
This banana sheet cake is exceptionally moist and is delectable with the caramel icing and toasted pecans. I literally cannot make this anymore without seriously overeating it. It is beautiful when you cut it into diamonds before serving on large, frilly pastry papers (I got mine at Hobby Lobby). Serves 20 to 24.
Banana Cake recipe. Use butter, not margarine--it really does make a difference. Cool the cake until ready to frost.
Caramel Frosting recipe. I use half and half in place of the milk for a creamier, richer frosting. Use frosting while it's still quite warm; it will be easier to spread.
Garnish with toasted pecans if desired.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Involtini a la rustica al fresco
By the way, my brother, who is still here for several days, actually rode his Harley from Virginia to Texas, something I neglected to mention in my list of superlatives about him and his cooking the other night. He has also managed to repair several things I didn't even know were in need of repair. Is this guy a Renaissance Man or what? Sorry ladies, he's taken. But this should be encouraging to you: there are still nice men out there that your mother would approve of. Those nice men will also climb up on your roof and clean out your gutters. Those nice men will also sit at your dinner table and eat your prissily elegant food without so much as a wimper. And they will ask for seconds.
Thursday's weather was beyond sublime, perfect picnic weather. Cloudless, piercingly bright and a luscious temperature of 78 degrees. During our evening meal, we dined al fresco on a beautiful rustic table (one of the projects my brother completed for me), shared a bottle of Petronius Chianti Classico 2007 (Italy), and plates of eggplant and zucchini involtini with a simple mixed salad on the side. The Petronius has lots of fruit with a medium range of tannins and good structure to complement the marinara that formed the base for the involtini. I also think that a lighter red, like a soft, not-too-assertive zinfandel or a rounder, richer pinot noir would have been good accompaniment.
The involtini are relatively simple and I've used some shortcuts which don't compromise quality, but this dish does involve a longer process than you might think, so I've written out the recipe to indicate where you could make them ahead and then finish the final steps when you're ready to cook and serve them. They are fabulously light and flavorful, and impressively beautiful on the plate in their pool of marinara sauce. I garnished them with fresh basil leaves and they made a very elegant supper indeed. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.
Involtini a la rustica
1 large zucchini
2 medium eggplant
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
32 oz. ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (reserve 2 Tbs. for finishing)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped arugula, spinach or parsley (or a combination)
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups panko (reserve 2 Tbs. for finishing)
1 Tbs. finely minced parsley (or 1 tsp. dried)
3 cups good-quality marinara sauce (or make your own)
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
basil leaves for garnish
1. Wash and trim the stem-ends of the eggplant and the zucchini.
2. Cut both vegetables lengthwise into long slabs about 1/4 wide. Don't worry if your cuts are imperfect; you can piece slices together later.
3. Brush both sides of the vegetable slices generously with olive oil and place on baking sheets. Season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Roast in oven at 375 degrees until softened and slightly caramelized, about 20 minutes. Do not let the slices get crispy--they must stay pliable.
5. Set aside vegetable slices to cool while you prepare the filling: combine ricotta, parmesan (less 2 Tbs.), eggs, nutmeg, onion powder and garlic powder.
6. Mix well and then season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
7. Lay a cooled vegetable slice vertically on a flat surface. Put about 2 Tbs. filling at the widest end and roll vegetable slice up around the filling, placing seam-side down in a well-oiled baking dish. Continue with remaining vegetable slices, piecing together as necessary.
You can prepare this dish ahead to this point, then cover and chill the involtini until you are ready to finish and serve them. Prepare up to 24 hours ahead if you'd like.
8. Measure the panko into a shallow dish, setting aside 2 Tbs. for finishing.
9. Roll each involtini in the panko and replace in baking dish.
10. Combine reserved parmesan, reserved panko, and minced parsley. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper.
11. Sprinkle panko/parmesan mixture over involtini.
12. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until tops of involtini are lightly golden and crisped.
13. Meanwhile, gently heat marinara sauce.
14. To serve: place a pool of warm marinara on a plate or shallow dish. Arrange involtini on top of the marinara. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with basil leaves. Serves 6.
Thursday's weather was beyond sublime, perfect picnic weather. Cloudless, piercingly bright and a luscious temperature of 78 degrees. During our evening meal, we dined al fresco on a beautiful rustic table (one of the projects my brother completed for me), shared a bottle of Petronius Chianti Classico 2007 (Italy), and plates of eggplant and zucchini involtini with a simple mixed salad on the side. The Petronius has lots of fruit with a medium range of tannins and good structure to complement the marinara that formed the base for the involtini. I also think that a lighter red, like a soft, not-too-assertive zinfandel or a rounder, richer pinot noir would have been good accompaniment.
The involtini are relatively simple and I've used some shortcuts which don't compromise quality, but this dish does involve a longer process than you might think, so I've written out the recipe to indicate where you could make them ahead and then finish the final steps when you're ready to cook and serve them. They are fabulously light and flavorful, and impressively beautiful on the plate in their pool of marinara sauce. I garnished them with fresh basil leaves and they made a very elegant supper indeed. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.
Involtini a la rustica
1 large zucchini
2 medium eggplant
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
32 oz. ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (reserve 2 Tbs. for finishing)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped arugula, spinach or parsley (or a combination)
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups panko (reserve 2 Tbs. for finishing)
1 Tbs. finely minced parsley (or 1 tsp. dried)
3 cups good-quality marinara sauce (or make your own)
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
basil leaves for garnish
1. Wash and trim the stem-ends of the eggplant and the zucchini.
2. Cut both vegetables lengthwise into long slabs about 1/4 wide. Don't worry if your cuts are imperfect; you can piece slices together later.
3. Brush both sides of the vegetable slices generously with olive oil and place on baking sheets. Season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Roast in oven at 375 degrees until softened and slightly caramelized, about 20 minutes. Do not let the slices get crispy--they must stay pliable.
5. Set aside vegetable slices to cool while you prepare the filling: combine ricotta, parmesan (less 2 Tbs.), eggs, nutmeg, onion powder and garlic powder.
6. Mix well and then season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
7. Lay a cooled vegetable slice vertically on a flat surface. Put about 2 Tbs. filling at the widest end and roll vegetable slice up around the filling, placing seam-side down in a well-oiled baking dish. Continue with remaining vegetable slices, piecing together as necessary.
You can prepare this dish ahead to this point, then cover and chill the involtini until you are ready to finish and serve them. Prepare up to 24 hours ahead if you'd like.
8. Measure the panko into a shallow dish, setting aside 2 Tbs. for finishing.
9. Roll each involtini in the panko and replace in baking dish.
10. Combine reserved parmesan, reserved panko, and minced parsley. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper.
11. Sprinkle panko/parmesan mixture over involtini.
12. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until tops of involtini are lightly golden and crisped.
13. Meanwhile, gently heat marinara sauce.
14. To serve: place a pool of warm marinara on a plate or shallow dish. Arrange involtini on top of the marinara. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with basil leaves. Serves 6.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
And tonight's guest is...
...my brother, who, bless his little pea-pickin' heart, drove almost 1400 miles in 3 days from Virginia to see his sister. And, on top of all the honey-do's he did today (hey, he asked for it), he even cooked dinner for us tonight. I swear, I have not heard my husband make so many appreciative noises in quite some time. Clearly, the honeymoon is over. I'm not jealous--no, not one little bit. Really. It was a wonderful thing to walk into the house just after 7 p.m. and smell something incredibly delicious, pour a glass of wine and then visit about our mutual days until dinner was on the table.
What we ate was absolutely stunning. Garlic Peppercorn Pork Brisket, Roasted Jumbo Sweet Potatoes with Ancho Chile, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Butter, Roasted Tuscan Kale and Flash Fried Spinach with Garlic and Nutmeg. And to drink along with: Talmadge Pinot Noir 2008 (CA), rich with spice and cherry-berry flavors, light enough for pork and just enough body to hold its own against the rich peppercorn and mushroom sauce that accompanied the brisket. A lovely combination. Do try it.
Garlic Peppercorn Pork Brisket
This recipe is a keeper. The only thing I would do differently is add more beef broth to the pan gravy, since I like a thinner sauce. If you like a thick, rich sauce that clings, however, then leave things as they are.
Roasted Jumbo Sweet Potatoes with Ancho Chile, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Butter
Roast jumbo sweet potatoes, either in foil or just in their jackets at 375 degrees for at least one hour. Meanwhile, combine 4 Tbs. butter with 1 tsp. ground ancho chiles, 1 tsp. cinnamon and 2 Tbs. dark brown sugar. Use the chile/cinnamon butter to season the potatoes. Oh, yeah. Seriously yummy.
Roasted Tuscan Kale
OK, I admit that I'm having a secret love affair with Tuscan kale. If you can find this variety, with its beautiful deep green spear-shaped leaves that have the texture of fine pigskin leather, then you are in luck. Wash it, trim the stem ends, then toss the whole leaves with EVOO, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast on a baking sheet, using tongs to turn a few times, at 375 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until it reaches the desired state of crispiness. I will eat this on the astral plane long after I leave this world.
Flash-Fried Spinach with Garlic and Nutmeg
Make your saute pan screaming hot, add a little EVOO and then quickly add about 8 oz. baby spinach leaves. Add a few thin slices of garlic and some kosher salt. Toss and stir fry quickly. Remove from heat and grate a little nutmeg over the top. Serve immediately.
May your tastebuds dance!
What we ate was absolutely stunning. Garlic Peppercorn Pork Brisket, Roasted Jumbo Sweet Potatoes with Ancho Chile, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Butter, Roasted Tuscan Kale and Flash Fried Spinach with Garlic and Nutmeg. And to drink along with: Talmadge Pinot Noir 2008 (CA), rich with spice and cherry-berry flavors, light enough for pork and just enough body to hold its own against the rich peppercorn and mushroom sauce that accompanied the brisket. A lovely combination. Do try it.
Garlic Peppercorn Pork Brisket
This recipe is a keeper. The only thing I would do differently is add more beef broth to the pan gravy, since I like a thinner sauce. If you like a thick, rich sauce that clings, however, then leave things as they are.
Roasted Jumbo Sweet Potatoes with Ancho Chile, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Butter
Roast jumbo sweet potatoes, either in foil or just in their jackets at 375 degrees for at least one hour. Meanwhile, combine 4 Tbs. butter with 1 tsp. ground ancho chiles, 1 tsp. cinnamon and 2 Tbs. dark brown sugar. Use the chile/cinnamon butter to season the potatoes. Oh, yeah. Seriously yummy.
Roasted Tuscan Kale
OK, I admit that I'm having a secret love affair with Tuscan kale. If you can find this variety, with its beautiful deep green spear-shaped leaves that have the texture of fine pigskin leather, then you are in luck. Wash it, trim the stem ends, then toss the whole leaves with EVOO, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast on a baking sheet, using tongs to turn a few times, at 375 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until it reaches the desired state of crispiness. I will eat this on the astral plane long after I leave this world.
Flash-Fried Spinach with Garlic and Nutmeg
Make your saute pan screaming hot, add a little EVOO and then quickly add about 8 oz. baby spinach leaves. Add a few thin slices of garlic and some kosher salt. Toss and stir fry quickly. Remove from heat and grate a little nutmeg over the top. Serve immediately.
May your tastebuds dance!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
How to stuff almost anything
I love gifts. And a friend whose husband has a garden recently gifted me with a large bag of fresh squashes, peppers, and eggplant. The eggplant: long, elegant Japanese eggplant, will be transformed into a side dish for tonight's dinner (and that dinner is a long-anticipated dinner with friends where we'll be learning how to play Four Winds Mahjong). But meanwhile, let me tell you what I've done with the squashes and peppers!
The squashes were fairly large, pale-skinned and soft, similar to the kinds of tatuma squashes you see in local grocery stores during the summer. I thought about hollowing out and stuffing those squashes, something I love to do with all kinds of larger, gourd-shaped vegetables. For those of you who are Mollie Katzen fans, then you will likely have a beloved and heavily-stained copy of Moosewood Cookbook, and you will have likely tried Mollie's recipe for stuffed eggplant (and there are three versions!). When you have the time, do look up this cookbook at a local bookstore and at least glance through it. It is completely vegetarian and entirely charming for its hand-printed recipes and whimsical line drawings.
I ended up stuffing all kinds of things during the week because I made a lot of stuffing which was a riff on Mollie Katzen's idea. Only my stuffing wasn't vegetarian. It had brown rice, aromatic vegetables, hot Italian sausage, fire roasted tomatoes and raisins. And I made a really rich, really lovely four-cheese bechamel sauce to adorn everything after it came out of the oven. My husband liked the stuffed miniature bell peppers, but I liked the squash the best. I also stuffed some cabbage leaves, but they were a bit disappointing since I think I was really looking for my grandmother's holupki. And this was not my grandmother's holupki.
The stuffing recipe follows. If you stuff squash or eggplant, you need to cut them first lengthwise and grill or bake them until partially softened. I've been known to bake my eggplant in a shallow bath of dry sherry and water in a steep-sided pan that I've covered with foil. Now, that is some seriously good eggplant to stuff. After the stuffing vessel is cooked and softened, scoop out the seeds (if it's a squash), and mash down the insides with a spoon. Then you're ready to fill your lovely edible vessel with stuffing. You can use a winter squash for stuffing as well, but make sure that it is well-softened before filling since winter squashes take a lot longer to cook.
Sausage and Brown Rice Stuffing
Make this recipe your own by substituting quinoa or Israeli couscous for the rice, or use white rice if that's what you have on hand. Sometimes I add toasted pine nuts for extra richness.
4 links spicy or mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup diced onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, stemmed and minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
1/2 cup diced fire roasted tomatoes, drained and juice reserved
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup toasted pinenuts (optional)
1 medium/large cooked or grilled halved squash or eggplant, or halved, seeded and stemmed
red, orange, yellow or green peppers (or a combination)
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup juice from tomatoes
1/4 cup dry sherry
Four Cheese Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)
chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish
1. Brown the sausage in a skillet, breaking it up as it cooks.
2. Add onion, jalapeno and garlic to sausage and reduce heat, sauteing until onion is slightly caramelized.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add hot rice, fire-roasted tomatoes, raisins, and pinenuts, if using.
5. Mix well and combine. Set aside.
6. In a sided baking pan, combine beef broth, tomato juice and sherry.
7. If using squash or eggplant, place skin-side down in pan, then fill with sausage stuffing. If using peppers, fill then place in pan, nestling against each other to stabilize them.
8. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more.
9. Serve hot, adorned with Four Cheese Bechamel Sauce and garnish with chopped parsley. Serves 2 to 4 generously.
2 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. butter
salt to taste
1 cup milk, heated
1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
1 cup grated/shredded cheese, any combination
white pepper to taste
scant 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1. Combine flour and butter in a small saucepan.
2. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted and flour is incorporated.
3. Salt to taste.
4. Add heated milk slowly, stirring with whisk until no lumps remain.
5. Cook until thickened and just starting to boil.
6. Stir in cream and shredded cheese, stirring well until cheese melts.
7. Add white pepper and nutmeg.
8. Keep covered and warm until ready to serve. Makes about 2 cups sauce.
The squashes were fairly large, pale-skinned and soft, similar to the kinds of tatuma squashes you see in local grocery stores during the summer. I thought about hollowing out and stuffing those squashes, something I love to do with all kinds of larger, gourd-shaped vegetables. For those of you who are Mollie Katzen fans, then you will likely have a beloved and heavily-stained copy of Moosewood Cookbook, and you will have likely tried Mollie's recipe for stuffed eggplant (and there are three versions!). When you have the time, do look up this cookbook at a local bookstore and at least glance through it. It is completely vegetarian and entirely charming for its hand-printed recipes and whimsical line drawings.
I ended up stuffing all kinds of things during the week because I made a lot of stuffing which was a riff on Mollie Katzen's idea. Only my stuffing wasn't vegetarian. It had brown rice, aromatic vegetables, hot Italian sausage, fire roasted tomatoes and raisins. And I made a really rich, really lovely four-cheese bechamel sauce to adorn everything after it came out of the oven. My husband liked the stuffed miniature bell peppers, but I liked the squash the best. I also stuffed some cabbage leaves, but they were a bit disappointing since I think I was really looking for my grandmother's holupki. And this was not my grandmother's holupki.
The stuffing recipe follows. If you stuff squash or eggplant, you need to cut them first lengthwise and grill or bake them until partially softened. I've been known to bake my eggplant in a shallow bath of dry sherry and water in a steep-sided pan that I've covered with foil. Now, that is some seriously good eggplant to stuff. After the stuffing vessel is cooked and softened, scoop out the seeds (if it's a squash), and mash down the insides with a spoon. Then you're ready to fill your lovely edible vessel with stuffing. You can use a winter squash for stuffing as well, but make sure that it is well-softened before filling since winter squashes take a lot longer to cook.
Sausage and Brown Rice Stuffing
Make this recipe your own by substituting quinoa or Israeli couscous for the rice, or use white rice if that's what you have on hand. Sometimes I add toasted pine nuts for extra richness.
4 links spicy or mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup diced onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, stemmed and minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
1/2 cup diced fire roasted tomatoes, drained and juice reserved
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup toasted pinenuts (optional)
1 medium/large cooked or grilled halved squash or eggplant, or halved, seeded and stemmed
red, orange, yellow or green peppers (or a combination)
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup juice from tomatoes
1/4 cup dry sherry
Four Cheese Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)
chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish
1. Brown the sausage in a skillet, breaking it up as it cooks.
2. Add onion, jalapeno and garlic to sausage and reduce heat, sauteing until onion is slightly caramelized.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add hot rice, fire-roasted tomatoes, raisins, and pinenuts, if using.
5. Mix well and combine. Set aside.
6. In a sided baking pan, combine beef broth, tomato juice and sherry.
7. If using squash or eggplant, place skin-side down in pan, then fill with sausage stuffing. If using peppers, fill then place in pan, nestling against each other to stabilize them.
8. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more.
9. Serve hot, adorned with Four Cheese Bechamel Sauce and garnish with chopped parsley. Serves 2 to 4 generously.
Four Cheese Bechamel Sauce
I used Monterey Jack, Parmesan, Manchego and Pecorino Romano for this sauce, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
2 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. butter
salt to taste
1 cup milk, heated
1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
1 cup grated/shredded cheese, any combination
white pepper to taste
scant 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1. Combine flour and butter in a small saucepan.
2. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted and flour is incorporated.
3. Salt to taste.
4. Add heated milk slowly, stirring with whisk until no lumps remain.
5. Cook until thickened and just starting to boil.
6. Stir in cream and shredded cheese, stirring well until cheese melts.
7. Add white pepper and nutmeg.
8. Keep covered and warm until ready to serve. Makes about 2 cups sauce.
Monday, October 3, 2011
The devil made me do it
The weather yesterday was heavenly. Not at all the kind of weather that devils relish. No unbearable heat, no hailing brimstone, no whiffs of sulpher. Most importantly, no fires out of control. Just pure, angelic sunshine, accompanied by nothing but blessed zephyrs.
Cooler, softer, kinder weather is finally here. The days are crystalline and cloudless with a sun that has traded its relentless oppression for a slow, distant warmth. The nights are heading in a deliciously bracing direction. It's getting darker earlier, and I can see a sliver of moon through the tree canopy in my back yard, just after the sun falls below the tree line and that rich, intense Maxfield Parrish blue coats the sky like a bolt of luxurious liquid velvet.
We want to be outdoors again in the late afternoon and especially the evenings because the weather is just too enjoyable to be missed. Last evening, with an elusive breeze just barely rustling the leaves overhead, I wanted to prolong being outdoors as long as possible. I had a crisp glass of sauvignon blanc in hand, and the latest copy of Food and Wine. I was relaxed. I was in my element. I was content.
Dinner was in the works. Earlier that day, I had been leafing through Marcella Hazan's The Classic Italian Cook Book (New York, A. Knopf 1980). I had found the recipe for pollo alla diavola--charbroiled chicken marinated in pepper, oil, and lemon. I thought about the clarity of the day. And I thought about the clean simplicity of lemon, pepper, olive oil and chicken prepared on a grill. I thought of that wonderful grilled Caesar salad I had wanted to try. And I thought of a deconstructed, grilled ratatouille, enriched with olive oil, brightened with fresh herbs and finish with fresh lemon juice.
Wait. Back up the truck! Yes, I just mentioned "pepper" in the previous paragraph. I know that some of you doubt whether or not I can be trusted with pepper after my recent paroxysmal pepper parody. I am happy to say that, on this particularly balmy evening in early October, I was on my very best behavior where piper nigrum was concerned. And I was very careful about how much pepper got into the food. Hopefully, you will all believe that I have now redeemed myself.
We dined late last evening, outside, under the canopy of trees and stars. The air was seductively cool and gorgeous and the food was "very satisfying to an outdoor appetite," as Marcella Hazan states in the introduction to her recipe. Here's what we ate:
Grilled Caesar Salad
My suggestions for revisions to the original epicurious.com recipe: use two egg yolks instead of 1 whole egg in the dressing. And yes, use the anchovies. Caesar salad is not Caesar salad without them. Also, after cutting your hearts of romaine in half, brush cut surfaces with olive oil before grilling. Follow the suggested grill time to retain crispness, and you will still have a little caramelization on the romaine.
Pollo alla diavola
As Marcella says, don't skimp on the pepper, or your chicken won't be alla diavola, "hot as the devil." You can butterfly a whole chicken and flatten it if you're familiar with this technique (or follow the instructions here), or you can use chicken leg quarters as I did. I also added a whole lemon, sliced, with the marinade for extra punch.
1 2-lb broiling chicken, butterflied (or 4 leg quarters)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 whole lemon, sliced
1 Tbs. crushed peppercorns
4 Tbs. olive oil
2 or more tsp. salt
1. Butterfly the chicken if preparing a whole one.
2. Put chicken or leg quarters in a large zip-top plastic bag.
3. Pour in lemon juice and add lemon slices, crush pepper and olive oil.
4. Close bag securely and massage chicken a little, distributing marinade well.
5. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours, turning bag over from time to time. I like to use a pan or large bowl to hold the bag just in case it leaks.
6. Prepare a fire and position grill about 5 inches above the charcoal. I used a gas grill and threw some lump hardwood charcoal on the lava rocks for great flavor.
7. When the fire is ready, sprinkle chicken generously with salt and place skin-side down on the grill, laying a few lemon slices over the chicken and broil until skin is brown and blistered.
8. Turn chicken and baste with marinade. Salt generously and place remaining lemon slices on chicken.
9. Turn after about 10 minutes and continue to cook again on each side, or until thigh meat is tender when pierced with a fork**, basting with marinade from time to time. If you run out of marinade, use olive oil.
10. Season with additional crushed pepper and salt before serving. Serves 4.
**I turned the gas grill to the lowest setting I could and still have flame, covered the grill, and completed cooking the chicken this way. The entire process takes about 45 minutes.
Grilled Deconstructed Ratatouille
1 small eggplant, cut in half and each half cut into quarters
3 Roma tomatoes, cut in half
1 medium green pepper, cored, seeded and cut into quarters
1/2 white onion, cut into thick rings
1 large clove of garlic, skin on
olive oil
kosher salt for sprinkling
extra olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
8 fresh basil leaves
1 tsp. fresh marjoram leaves
fresh lemon juice, to taste
lemon wedges, for serving
1. Lay the eggplant wedges, the tomato halves, green pepper quarters, onion rings and garlic clove on a baking sheet and drizzle generously with olive oil; sprinkle generously with salt.
2. Grill vegetables on medium-low flame until slightly charred and eggplant is soft, about 20 minutes.
3. Roughly chop vegetables and squeeze garlic from its skin when they have cooled enough to handle and toss into a medium-sized bowl with a little extra olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Tear basil leaves over grilled vegetables and add marjoram leaves. You can substitute 1 tsp. dried basil and 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram if you don't have fresh herbs available.
5. Season to taste with small drizzles of fresh lemon juice.
6. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4.
Wine notes: You want a crisp, bright white such as sauvignon blanc or pinot gris with this menu. A lighter red, such as a beaujolais, a spare zinfandel, or even a Cotes du Rhone would be good choices. Ask your wine experts at Spec's for help.
Cooler, softer, kinder weather is finally here. The days are crystalline and cloudless with a sun that has traded its relentless oppression for a slow, distant warmth. The nights are heading in a deliciously bracing direction. It's getting darker earlier, and I can see a sliver of moon through the tree canopy in my back yard, just after the sun falls below the tree line and that rich, intense Maxfield Parrish blue coats the sky like a bolt of luxurious liquid velvet.
We want to be outdoors again in the late afternoon and especially the evenings because the weather is just too enjoyable to be missed. Last evening, with an elusive breeze just barely rustling the leaves overhead, I wanted to prolong being outdoors as long as possible. I had a crisp glass of sauvignon blanc in hand, and the latest copy of Food and Wine. I was relaxed. I was in my element. I was content.
Dinner was in the works. Earlier that day, I had been leafing through Marcella Hazan's The Classic Italian Cook Book (New York, A. Knopf 1980). I had found the recipe for pollo alla diavola--charbroiled chicken marinated in pepper, oil, and lemon. I thought about the clarity of the day. And I thought about the clean simplicity of lemon, pepper, olive oil and chicken prepared on a grill. I thought of that wonderful grilled Caesar salad I had wanted to try. And I thought of a deconstructed, grilled ratatouille, enriched with olive oil, brightened with fresh herbs and finish with fresh lemon juice.
Wait. Back up the truck! Yes, I just mentioned "pepper" in the previous paragraph. I know that some of you doubt whether or not I can be trusted with pepper after my recent paroxysmal pepper parody. I am happy to say that, on this particularly balmy evening in early October, I was on my very best behavior where piper nigrum was concerned. And I was very careful about how much pepper got into the food. Hopefully, you will all believe that I have now redeemed myself.
We dined late last evening, outside, under the canopy of trees and stars. The air was seductively cool and gorgeous and the food was "very satisfying to an outdoor appetite," as Marcella Hazan states in the introduction to her recipe. Here's what we ate:
Grilled Caesar Salad
My suggestions for revisions to the original epicurious.com recipe: use two egg yolks instead of 1 whole egg in the dressing. And yes, use the anchovies. Caesar salad is not Caesar salad without them. Also, after cutting your hearts of romaine in half, brush cut surfaces with olive oil before grilling. Follow the suggested grill time to retain crispness, and you will still have a little caramelization on the romaine.
Pollo alla diavola
As Marcella says, don't skimp on the pepper, or your chicken won't be alla diavola, "hot as the devil." You can butterfly a whole chicken and flatten it if you're familiar with this technique (or follow the instructions here), or you can use chicken leg quarters as I did. I also added a whole lemon, sliced, with the marinade for extra punch.
1 2-lb broiling chicken, butterflied (or 4 leg quarters)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 whole lemon, sliced
1 Tbs. crushed peppercorns
4 Tbs. olive oil
2 or more tsp. salt
1. Butterfly the chicken if preparing a whole one.
2. Put chicken or leg quarters in a large zip-top plastic bag.
3. Pour in lemon juice and add lemon slices, crush pepper and olive oil.
4. Close bag securely and massage chicken a little, distributing marinade well.
5. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours, turning bag over from time to time. I like to use a pan or large bowl to hold the bag just in case it leaks.
6. Prepare a fire and position grill about 5 inches above the charcoal. I used a gas grill and threw some lump hardwood charcoal on the lava rocks for great flavor.
7. When the fire is ready, sprinkle chicken generously with salt and place skin-side down on the grill, laying a few lemon slices over the chicken and broil until skin is brown and blistered.
8. Turn chicken and baste with marinade. Salt generously and place remaining lemon slices on chicken.
9. Turn after about 10 minutes and continue to cook again on each side, or until thigh meat is tender when pierced with a fork**, basting with marinade from time to time. If you run out of marinade, use olive oil.
10. Season with additional crushed pepper and salt before serving. Serves 4.
**I turned the gas grill to the lowest setting I could and still have flame, covered the grill, and completed cooking the chicken this way. The entire process takes about 45 minutes.
Grilled Deconstructed Ratatouille
1 small eggplant, cut in half and each half cut into quarters
3 Roma tomatoes, cut in half
1 medium green pepper, cored, seeded and cut into quarters
1/2 white onion, cut into thick rings
1 large clove of garlic, skin on
olive oil
kosher salt for sprinkling
extra olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
8 fresh basil leaves
1 tsp. fresh marjoram leaves
fresh lemon juice, to taste
lemon wedges, for serving
1. Lay the eggplant wedges, the tomato halves, green pepper quarters, onion rings and garlic clove on a baking sheet and drizzle generously with olive oil; sprinkle generously with salt.
2. Grill vegetables on medium-low flame until slightly charred and eggplant is soft, about 20 minutes.
3. Roughly chop vegetables and squeeze garlic from its skin when they have cooled enough to handle and toss into a medium-sized bowl with a little extra olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Tear basil leaves over grilled vegetables and add marjoram leaves. You can substitute 1 tsp. dried basil and 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram if you don't have fresh herbs available.
5. Season to taste with small drizzles of fresh lemon juice.
6. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4.
Wine notes: You want a crisp, bright white such as sauvignon blanc or pinot gris with this menu. A lighter red, such as a beaujolais, a spare zinfandel, or even a Cotes du Rhone would be good choices. Ask your wine experts at Spec's for help.
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