Archive for May, 2009
Risotto is one of those dishes that–while not hard to make–requires the full attention of the cook. Almost all risottos start out the same way and the technique of adding a bit of liquid every few minutes during the cooking period is the traditional method. Here is how I like to make risotto in the Spring when beautiful baby lamb is readily available.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-2 cups best quality Carnaroli rice from Italy (it’s important that it’s “Carnaroli”)
-Salt
-Extra virgin olive oil
-1 generous pinch of saffron threads (not powder)
-1 small bunch of Spring onions, finely chopped (or 1 shallot)
-1 small bunch of Spring garlic, finely chopped (or 2 cloves of regular garlic)
-8-10 cups chicken stock (see below for instructions)
-Parmigiano Reggiano
-2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
-1 cup of dry white wine
-6 milk-fed Spring lamb shanks
-1 bunch of fresh oregano or marjoram
In a large heavy bottomed sauce pan add 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. Add the onions or shallots to the pot. Salt the onions and lower the heat and sweat them for 1 minute (add more oil if they start to brown). Add the rice to the pot and stir through for 20-30 seconds. Add the wine and saffron threads and turn up the heat to medium high.
Stir the risotto occasionally, every 20-30 seconds, never taking your eyes from it completely. Once the white wine has mostly evaporated begin adding–one ladle at a time–the chicken broth (see below instructions for creating your simple chicken stock). Keep the risotto moist and just covered with liquid. Continue stirring and ladling until the risotto is cooked through and al dente, approximately 20-25 minutes. When your shanks are done (see below) add in the butter, salt to taste and Parmigiano Reggiano.
CHICKEN STOCK
In a large sauce pan add a couple of carrots (chopped in half), an onion (chopped in half) 2 celery stalks (chopped in half), 1 whole garlic clove and 1 chicken leg. Fill with cold water, bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook for 90 minutes until you have a nice stock. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface.
LAMB SHANKS
To prepare the lamb lay them on a platter and allow them to come to room temperature for one hour. Salt them aggressively on both sides. In a large Dutch oven heat 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive over high heat until almost smoking. Brown the shanks in batches on both sides until deep dark golden brown. Set aside on a platter.
Discard any excess fat from the Dutch oven–leaving all the browned bits–and add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add your onions, garlic, & oregano/marjoram (or whatever fresh herbs you have laying around) to the pan. Salt and sweat for 3-4 minutes or until translucent. Add the lamb shanks back in and add the wine. Bring to a boil and allow the wine to mostly burn off (5-7 minutes).
Cover and insert into a 350 degree oven for 2 hours. Turn the shanks at least once during this time and ensure there is enough liquid in the pot.
To serve plate the risotto first and then place a lamb shank on each plate. Garnish with fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
Buon apetito!
May 13th, 2009
Risotto is one of those dishes that–while not hard to make–requires the full attention of the cook. Almost all risottos start out the same way and the technique of adding a bit of liquid every few minutes during the cooking period is the traditional method. Here is how I like to make risotto in the Spring when asparagus is growing in abundance.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-2 cups best quality Carnaroli rice from Italy (it’s important that it’s “Carnaroli”)
-Salt
-Extra virgin olive oil
-1 large bunch of jumbo asparagus (the jumbos are the youngest and most flavorful)
-1 small bunch of Spring onions, finely chopped (or 1 shallot)
-8-10 cups vegetable stock
-Parmigiano Reggiano
-2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
-1 cup of dry white wine
In a large heavy bottomed sauce pan add 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. Add the onions or shallots to the pot. Salt the onions and lower the heat and sweat them for 1 minute (add more oil if they start to brown). Add the rice to the pot and stir through for 20-30 seconds. Add the wine and turn up the heat to medium high.
Stir the risotto occasionally, every 20-30 seconds, never taking your eyes from it completely. Once the white wine has mostly evaporated begin adding–one ladle at a time–the vegetable broth (see below instructions for creating your asparagus vegetable stock). Keep the risotto moist and just covered with liquid. Continue stirring and ladling until the risotto is cooked through and al dente, approximately 20-25 minutes.
VEGETABLE STOCK
In a large sauce pan add a couple of carrots (chopped in half), an onion (chopped in half) 2 celery stalks (chopped in half), 1 whole garlic clove and 6-7 asparagus bottoms. Fill with cold water, bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook for 90 minutes until you have a nice stock.
ASPARAGUS
To prepare the asparagus break off the bottoms by taking each sprig and bending the bottom piece until it breaks naturally. Save the bottoms for the vegetable stock. Using a vegetable peeler trim the outer skin of the bottom half of the asparagus. Cut the stems in half and then in half again vertically. In a saute pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add the asparagus. Saute for 3-4 minutes until brown on one side. Season with salt and perhaps some herbs de Provence. Flip sides and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over them and take off the heat.
When the risotto is just right add the asparagus and then incorporate the butter, salt to taste and a healthy grating of Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve immediately.
Buon apetito!
May 13th, 2009
I love this dessert. It’s not too sweet and it has saffron, one of my favorite spices. The trick is to add the right amount of gelatin so that the panna cotta sets but is not overly firm or gummy. Here’s how I put it together. This can be made a day in advance and refrigerated.
Ingredients (serves 8-12):
-3 cups heavy cream
-1 cup milk
-1 pinch of saffron threads (not powder) equal to about 1 teaspoon
-1.5 ounces (42 grams) of unflavored gelatin
-Zest of one lemon
-3/4 cup of sugar
In a large, heavy sauce pan add the cream, sugar, saffron and lemon zest. Stir well over high heat and bring to a boil. Once the mixture boils, turn off the heat, give it a good stir and let it rest for 10 minutes.
At this point we need to incorporate the gelatin and it’s critical to add just the right amount. I typically use the little packages of unflavored from the super market. They come with 4 envelopes in each box. I use exactly one and a half envelopes for this recipe. Each envelope has 1 ounce or approximately 28 grams in it. So the total here is 1.5 ounces or about 42 grams.
Using a large whisk pour in the package and a half of gelatin. Whisk well, taking care to scrape the bottom of the pan and ensure the gelatin is well integrated. Once you are sure everything is well mixed pour the whole mixture through a fine mesh sieve or strainer (something like this one with a very fine mesh). Add the milk and stir together.
Using a ladle pour your mixture into serving containers such as small ramekins or little wide cups. Though you can later remove the panna cotta and carefully pour onto a plate (by taking a warm knife and going around the bowl and dropping each one out) I like to make it easy and just serve it straight from the refrigerator in a nice serving dish.
Carefully place your panna cotta uncovered into the regfrigerator and let set for about 3 hours. To serve remove from the refrigerator and garnish with your favorite seasonal fruit. In this case I used strawberries and finished with some very good balsamic vinegar and a hint of mint. You could also just take some lemon zest and go over the top or serve them as is.
Buon apetito!
May 12th, 2009
Marsala wine hails from Sicily and is made in region surrounding the town of Marsala. Originally the wine was fortified to ensure it would endure long ocean voyages. All Marsala that is exported is indeed still fortified (much like port) as it became very popular in foreign markets.
The Sicilians typically cook chicken or pork with Marsala and mushrooms to create a delicious and slightly sweet sauce. Here is my version of Chicken Marsala. I choose to use chicken legs instead of breasts as I think they have a lot more flavor and they also hold up better to braising. Also, the incorporation of Swiss Chard is not Sicilian but this is my California touch. I love to fold in the super fresh chard at the last five minutes of cooking.
Ingredients (serves 6):
-6 free range chicken legs
-1 bottle of Marsala wine
-2 cups of button mushrooms, sliced
-Bunch of fresh oregano
-Flour
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Salt
-2 bunch of Swiss Chard, de-veined and rinsed
-Juice of 1 lemon
-1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Salt your chicken and allow it to come to room temperature. In a large Dutch oven heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat to almost smoking. Dip your chicken legs into flour and shake to remove any excess. Brown the chicken legs skin-side down until deep dark golden brown. Flip and lightly toast the under-side. Do in batches to ensure good browning. Remove the legs to a platter.
Pour out any excess fat from the Dutch oven. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot and the butter. Melt over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and stir around. Then allow them to cook undisturbed for several minutes. Now salt them so they release their liquids. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned. Add a few sprigs of oregano and the juice of half a lemon.
Place the legs back into the pot skin-side up. Pour in the Marsala until the legs are almost covered and the skin is still poking out. Bring to a boil for several minutes or until most of the intense alcohol flavor has burned off. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook on the stove top (or in a 350 degree oven) for about 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through the moist. Remove the lid and fold in the chard. Season the chard with salt and the juice of the 1/2 lemon. Put the top back on and let it stream for 5-6 minutes.
To plate place a chicken leg on each plate and ladle over sauce with the mushrooms. Place a bit of the chard on the plate as well. Garnish with a fresh sprig of oregano. Serve immediately.
Buon appetito!
May 7th, 2009
Legend has it that the whores in and around Naples made this dish to lure in hungry men to their lairs. It’s interesting because in the 1950s the prostitution houses were all run by the state. They were required to keep their shutters closed so as not to offend the general populace. Here is how I like to prepare this delicious and slightly spicy & sweet/sour dish.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-1 can San Marzano whole tomatoes (28 ounces), crushed by hand in a large bowl
-1 cup of currants
-1/2 cup salt packed capers (rinsed and dried)
-1 cup oil-cured black olives
-1/2 cup pine nuts
-1 cup dry white wine
-Salt & pepper
-Extra virgin olive oil
-1-2 tablespoons of hot pepper or chili flakes
-3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
-1 pound best quality linguine or spaghetti such as Rustichella
The first thing we need to do is to prepare our basic tomato sauce. In a large saute pan heat 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic cloves and saute until soft but not brown (1-2 minutes). Add the crushed San Marzano tomatoes and stir everything together. Let come to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 25-30 minutes, adding salt and pepper along the way. Stir at least every 5 minutes. When done season to taste and set aside.
In another large saute pan heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. Add the capers, pine nuts, olives and currants. Saute over high heat for 1 minute. Add the chili flakes and stir through. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Cook the wine off for 1 minute. Add the reserved basic tomato sauce and stir all the components together. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
Drop your pasta into a large pot of boiling, salted water. Cook until al dente, remembering that the pasta will continue to cook while it is drained and dressed. Pour the pasta into a large bowl and ladle in the sauce a little at a time. Use tongs to incorporate the sauce and dress the pasta much like a salad. Reserve a little extra sauce to ladle over each plate. Serve immediately.
Buon appetito!
May 6th, 2009
Who doesn’t love a good Bolognese pasta? There are many variations on this classic dish, many of which change from house to house. That is really the beauty of Italian cooking. The ingredients for a traditional Bolognese are very simple: ground beef, pork and often veal, celery, carrots, onion, tomato paste, white wine, milk and salt. Here’s how to put it together.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-Extra virgin olive oil
-1/2 pound ground pork
-1/2 pound ground beef
-1/2 pound ground veal (optional)
-2 tablespoons tomato paste
-1 pound fresh tagliatelle or good quality store bought such as Rustichella
-2 large carrots grated with a box grater
-2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
-1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
-Whole milk
-Dry white wine
-Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
In a large sauce pan or Dutch oven heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the carrots, onion and celery. Lightly salt to help the vegetables break down. Cook for 5-6 minutes (do not brown). Add the tomato paste and stir through.
Add the meats and break apart with a wooden spoon. Let the meat lightly brown on both sides. Cook for 5-6 minutes and stir through once the meat begins to break apart. Add 2 cups of wine. Add a cup and a half of milk. Stir through and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring every 10-15 minutes. Add salt to taste.
If the liquid begins to evaporate too quickly add a little milk or water and lower the flame. Once everything is nicely cooked and well incorporated drop your pasta. Cook until al dente. I like to pour the pasta into a large bowl and then ladle the Bolognese sauce over it. Remember that pasta should be dressed much like a salad without too much sauce in proportion to the noodles. After plating I will sometime ladle a little extra over the top of each plate. Finish the dish by grating Parmigiano Reggiano over the top of each. Buon apetito!
May 1st, 2009
