Archive for April, 2009
I grew up around the fertile Salinas Valley eating fresh artichokes almost every day. Artichokes are a member of the thistle family and are absolutely delicious, very healthy and can be prepared in a variety of ways. The Italians–particularly the Romans–are also crazy for them. In Italy there are over 18 different varieties of artichokes in all sizes. Here are 2 recipes that I like for preparing large globe artichokes and the smaller baby artichokes. When picking artichokes the leaves should be tightly closed and the chokes should weigh more than one thinks as they retain a lot of water. If the choke has loose brown leaves or is very light in weight it’s a sign it may be old.
GLOBE ARTICHOKES POACHED IN OLIVE OIL AND WATER
Ingredients (serves 2 or 4 if you cut the artichokes in half after cooking):
-2 large artichokes
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Coarse sea salt such as fleur de sel
-Water
-Lemon aioli (see below for recipe)
Cut the very top of the stem of the artichoke, leaving at least 2 inches intact. Using a bread knife cut the top part of the artichoke, about 1 inch. Don’t cut too much as we want to retain as many leaves as possible to enjoy with our aioli.
Fill a sauce pan with enough cold water (3 inches or so) to partially cover the artichokes. The chokes should be slightly less than half covered with water. Bring the water to a boil. Place the artichokes into the pan stem side down. Drizzle some extra virgin olive over them and sprinkle with some good coarse sea salt. Lower the heat to medium, cover and simmer the artichokes for about 20 minutes. The cooking time varies according to the size of the chokes. If the chokes are standing straight up in the pan there is no need to turn or flip them. However, if the chokes are slightly down on one side then flip using tongs after 20 minutes. Continue cooking and check for doneness at 30 minutes by piercing the stem with a sharp knife. The knife should go through with just a little resistance. I like my artichokes slightly al dente.
Once fully cooked remove from the pan using tongs. Squeeze any excess water from the bottom of the chokes. Place onto plates and cover with foil to keep warm or serve immediately with some house-made lemon aioli.
HOUSE-MADE LEMON AIOLI
Ingredients:
-Sunflower or Safflower oil
-1 best quality egg
-Pinch of salt
-Squeeze of lemon juice
While you can make aioli by hand it’s hard work and requires adding the oil very slowly whilst whisking vigorously the egg in a copper bowl. I recommend investing in a Breville hand-blender (see Brevilleusa.com for info) or you can just use a regular blender.
Take your egg at room temperature and crack it into a bowl or into your blender. Add the pinch of salt followed by the squeeze of lemon juice. Pour 1/4 cup of the sunflower oil into the bowl or blender. Begin emulsifying the egg with either your blender or hand-held device. Slowly pour in approximately 3/4 cup more oil or until the emulsion comes together and the aioli is nice and thick. Pour into a bowl and serve immediately or cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to use. Aioli keeps for about 2 days in the refrigerator.
BRAISED BABY ARTICHOKES WITH ROASTED POTATOES
This is a great dish to make for vegetarians and can also be paired with the globe artichokes for a complete meal. I love baby artichokes as most of them are young enough to not have a choke. This means you can eat the entire choke without worrying about choking on any thistles.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-3 pounds of baby artichokes
-Sea salt
-Herbs de Provence. I like the mix of dried herbs from O & Company
-Extra virgin olive oil
-1 cup dry white wine
-1 bowl of accidulated water (Fill a bowl with water with the juice of 3 lemons. Leave the lemons themselves in the water as well. This will keep the chokes from rusting and turning brown while you are working).
Using your fingers peel the outer leaves of each choke until no more leaves easily come off. You will be left with a small choke with very young leaves. Cut off the bottom quarter of the choke and discard. Using a paring knife peel away the outer layer of the stem. Take care to preserve the stem for aesthetics. Cut the choke in half, length-wise and place into your bowl of accidualted water.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Remove your chokes from the water and pat dry with paper towels. Saute over high heat for 5-6 minutes. Once in the pan sprinkle a little fleur de sel and herbs de Provence. If using the mix from O & Company omit the salt as the mix already contains sea salt. Toss the artichokes until they are slightly carmelized.
Season with a bit more of the herb mix. Turn down the heat and pour in the white wine. Simmer on low for 4-5 minutes or until the chokes are cooked through. Serve on their own or with roasted potatoes to make an artichoke stew.
April 30th, 2009
I love this pasta on a cold, foggy San Francisco night. It’s easy to make and is extremely comforting and satisfying.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-1 pound of best quality dried Rigatoni such as the Rustichella brand
-1 28 ounce can of whole San Marzano tomatoes
-2 cloves of garlic, coarsely sliced
-1 cup of heavy cream
-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
-1 tablespoon of hot pepper flakes or powder
-Salt and pepper
-Parmigiano Reggiano for grating
Pour 3/4 of the canned tomatoes (reserve the remaining portion for another use) into a bowl and gently crush with your hands. In a large saute pan heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and sweat for 2 minutes or until translucent but not brown. Add the crushed tomatoes into the pan and stir through. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and stir through. Cook for approximately 20-30 minutes or until the mixture has a nice sheen to it and has come together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with 3-4 tablespoons of Kosher salt. Drop your pasta and stir around. Be sure to drain your pasta at least 45 seconds prior to being al dente as the pasta will continue to cook. While the pasta is boiling bring your tomatoes to a boil. Pour in the heavy cream and stir through. Cook over high heat for approximately 4-5 minutes or until the mixture comes to together. Add the hot pepper and stir through.
Drain the pasta well and add into the pan with the sauce. Stir/toss over high heat for 1 minute. Serve on warmed plates and grate with Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve immediately.
For a video of me making this dish please go here.
Buon apetito!
April 1st, 2009
This dish is my take on the French Beef Bourguignon. However, I keep mine a bit lighter by not using bacon or flour or butter. I also add a bit of hot pepper and sweet Hungarian paprika at the end. In fact, it’s very similar to the way they prepare beef stews in Eastern Europe, particularly Hungary.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-2 pounds of best quality stewing meat such as chuck roast, cut into cubes. For this dish I used organic grass-fed beef.
-2 Spring onions (if in season) or 1 large yellow onion, cut into a medium dice
-2 medium carrots, cut into medium dice
-1/2 pound young potatoes such as fingerlings, cut into bit-size pieces
-2 large sweet white carrots (or organic orange carrots), cut into bite-size pieces
-1 bottle of dry red table wine
-1 tablespoon of organic tomato paste
-Extra virgin olive oil for searing the meat
-Hot pepper (powder or pepper flakes) for finishing
-Sweet Hungarian paprika for finishing
-A few pieces of freshly torn herbs such as oregano or marjoram or parsley
Remove your meat from the refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Season meat aggressively with salt on all sides. Do not add pepper as the pepper will burn when searing. In a large cast iron pot or Dutch oven bring 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the point of almost smoking. Brown the meat in batches, taking care to not over-crowd the pan. Make sure to leave the meat long enough to develop that deep, dark golden brown color. Remove your meat to a platter.
Pour out any excess oil and fat from the pot. Add a tablespoon or two of fresh olive oil. Scrape up any brown bits with a wooden spoon as this will add flavor to the sauce. Adjust heat to medium high and add the diced carrots and onions. Season with salt so that the carrots and onion begin to break down. Sweat (do not brown) the carrots and onion for 6-8 minutes or until soft. Add the tomato paste and stir through. Add the meat back in on top of your “sofrito”, including any juices the meat gave up on the platter. Turn up the heat to high and add the bottle of red wine to just cover the meat.
Allow everything to come to a boil and wait about 5 minutes for the alcohol to burn off. Cover your pot and lower the heat to low and cook until tender, about 2 hours. Check the meat every 30-40 minutes and stir the mixture around to ensure even cooking. The liquid should be just bubbling. If the liquid evaporates too quickly add a little water.
When the meat is completely tender add your potatoes and white carrots. Cover and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything through. To serve garnish the meat with a bit of hot pepper and sweet paprika. Throw in a bit of roughly torn herbs. I like to take the entire Dutch oven to the table and serve everyone up with a large spoon. The aroma coming from this dish is wonderful and is always appreciated at the table.
Buon apetito!
April 1st, 2009
I love the crispness and acidity from this salad. It is especially delicious after enjoying rich dishes such as my Pork Saltimbocca or Potato Gnocchi with butter & sage. The addition of the roasted sunchokes (also called Jerusalem artichokes) adds texture to the dish and means it can even be enjoyed as a main course or lunch on its own.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-2 heads of escarole
-2 heads of purple or Treviso radicchio
-Medium grind sea salt such as a Fleur de Sel
-Freshly ground black pepper
-Best quality extra virgin olive oil (try to find recently harvested olio nuovo)
-Best quality champagne or white wine vinegar
-1 Meyer lemon
-1 pound sunchokes, cleansed of any dirt and chopped into bite-size pieces
-2 oranges cut into segments, pith removed
Trim off the outer leaves of the radicchio and escarole and cut into bite-size pieces. Wash in cold water and if possible dry using a salad spinner. If you don’t have a salad spinner then lay the lettuces out on paper towels and pat dry. Or if you would like to use an old-fashioned method wrap all lettuces in a large cloth towel. Grab the bottom of the towel and step outside. Hold the towel behind your back and vigorously sling forward as if you are going to launch the towel in front of you. Repeat until all the water has come off the lettuces.
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the sunchokes onto a skillet or roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and any good fresh or dried herbs you have around. I like to use Herbs de Provence or anything similar. Roast in oven for approximately 20 minutes or until the sunchokes are brown on all sides.
Put the lettuces & orange into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle approximately 1 tablespoon of the sea salt on top of the lettuces. Crack a few good rounds of black pepper. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of the champagne vinegar over everything. The vinegar will cause the salt to break down. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over everything. Drizzle a healthy amount of the extra virgin olive oil, approximately 3 tablespoons. With your hands carefully mix the salad well. Taste a lettuce. Is there enough saltiness and most importantly acidity? If not, add more vinegar and toss again and taste.
Pour in the warm sunchokes into your now perfectly seasoned salad. Toss again and serve immediately.
I like a lot of acidity in my salads so feel free to adjust this to your taste and to those of your guests. Enjoy!
April 1st, 2009
