Posts filed under 'Recipe Postings'
This is a very green and super seasonal pasta. And it’s very easy to make. I love the balance of the heat with the ricotta salata and the sweetness of the freshly shelled English peas. This dish simply exudes summer despite not having any tomatoes.
INGREDIENTS (serves 4-6 as a first course):
-2 pounds English peas, shelled (I love the peas available from Iacopi Farms at the Saturday Ferry Plaza farmer’s market)
-6 large bunches of mint, leaves removed
-4 medium to large bunches of basil, leaves removed
-1/2 tablespoon hot Controne pepper or other Italian chili flakes (you may need to increase the amount based on how much heat your pepper has)
-Ricotta salata for grating
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Salt
-2 cloves of Spring garlic or regular garlic, finely sliced
-1 pound lumaconi pasta (if you cannot find lumaconi you can use a good quality rigatoni)
In a large sauté pan heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sweat until translucent (1 minute). Add the peas and turn down the heat to medium-low. Cook the peas in the olive oil, stirring occasionally, until warmed through (about 3-4 minutes). Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large blender or food processor add all of the mint and basil leaves (if your blender is small you may need to work in batches). Add a healthy pinch of salt and about 1/4 cup of olive oil. Start your blender or food processor and drizzle in more olive oil until the mixture begins to blend and emulsify. Turn off blender and taste. Add more salt if needed and blend again and taste.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add 3 tablespoons of salt and drop your pasta. Cook according to the package instructions but check for doneness at least 1 minute prior. While the pasta is cooking bring the pan with the peas back up to temperature over medium-high heat. Pour the mixture from the blender into the pan and stir through. Once bubbling, add the hot Controne pepper and stir through. Taste and make any necessary adjustments to the heat by adding more pepper if needed. Once the pasta is al dente (try and remove 30 seconds before becoming fully al dente) and drain in a colander. Add the pasta to the pan with the sauce and toss for 1 minute over high heat. Serve immediately in bowls with freshly grated ricotta salata over the top.
Buon apetito!
July 21st, 2010
This is absolutely one of my favorite comfort dishes. I take free-range organic chicken legs, brown them very well and then slowly cook them in white wine with prunes soaked in grappa & leeks. I finish the dish by adding small potatoes and–at the very end–wilting in Swiss chard with lemon juice.
INGREDIENTS (serves 4):
-4 free-range, organic chicken legs
-1/2 bottle dry white wine
-3 large leeks, cleaned, sliced down the center and finely chopped
-1/2 cup prunes, soaked in grappa or vodka for 1 hour
-2 bunches Swiss chard, bottom stems removed and chopped coarsely
-1/2 pound potatoes, chopped into 2 inch pieces
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Juice from 1 lemon
Place the chicken legs onto a platter and salt liberally on both sides. In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Place the chicken legs into the pot skin-side down and brown well on the one side. Once deep, dark golden brown remove to the platter. Reduce heat and discard any extra fat, reserving any nicely browned bits. Add 3 tablespoons of fresh olive oil and add the leeks to the pot. Salt the leeks so they begin to break down. Sweat them (do not brown) for 6-8 minutes until soft.
Place the chicken legs back into the pot, skin-side up. Increase heat to high. Pour in the prunes along with the grappa in which they soaked. Pour in enough white wine to almost cover the chicken legs taking care to allow the browned skin to remain above the liquid.
Bring to a boil and turn down the heat. Allow the alcohol to burn off (4-5 minutes). Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer on the stove top for 1 hour. After 1 hour add the potatoes to the pot and push them down into the liquid. If necessary add a bit of water. Simmer until soft (15 minutes). Add all of the Swiss chard and lemon juice. Allow to “wilt” into the sauce. Use tongs to incorporate into the liquid. After 10 minutes the dish should be ready.
To plate place 1 chicken leg on each plate. Place a bit of chard and potatoes along with a piece of prune. Spoon sauce over plate and serve immediately with crusty bread.
Buon apetito!
March 25th, 2010
This is a fun dish to do for a large group. You take the shoulder, stuff it with herbs and roll and tie it. It looks massive and impressive. I like to take it out on a platter to show everyone before I carve it. It definitely makes a statement.
INGREDIENTS (serves 8-12):
-6 pounds of wild boar shoulder, bone-out
-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
-1 large yellow onion, chopped
-4 large carrots, chopped
-3 celery stalks, finely chopped
-1 bottle dry white wine
-salt & pepper
-extra virgin olive oil
-1/2 cup pine nuts
-1/2 cup currants
-1 tablespoon bittersweet chocolate
-2 pounds broccoli Romanesco
-butcher’s twine
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Begin by salting your boar inside and out aggressively. Take 2 of the rosemary sprigs and pull off their leaves. Place into the middle of the boar. Carefully roll the boar shoulder up with the rosemary leaves in the middle. Take care to fold in any extra flaps of meat. The goal is to make a cylindrical log that will keep its shape when cooking. Start in the middle and go around with your butchers twine and tie a knot. Repeat all the way down on each side until you have one single piece that will not open when being handled.
In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot add 5-6 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. When almost smoking add the tied boar shoulder and brown on all sides (10-15 minutes). Remove to a platter to rest. Drain off any excess fat but be sure to keep all the lovely browned bits at the bottom of the pot.
Add fresh olive oil and over medium-high heat add the onions, carrots & celery. Salt them so they begin to break down. Use a wooden spoon to stir them around and also to dislodge as many of the browned bits as possible. Once soft and translucent (6-8 minutes) add the boar back into the pot along with any juices from the platter upon which it was resting. Turn the heat up to high. Deglaze the pot with the white wine. Add water to almost cover the boar. Bring to a boil and allow the alcohol to burn off (5-6 minutes).
Throw in the 2 full sprigs of rosemary and put the lid on the Dutch oven. Place into the oven and braise for 5-6 hours or until the boar is fork tender. Every hour or so check the pot to ensure there is enough liquid. Rotate the boar occasionally to ensure even cooking.
Once cooked until completely tender remove the boar to a cutting board to rest. Place the Dutch oven on top of the stove and boil the sauce hard for 10-15 minutes to reduce and thicken. To finish the sauce reduce to a simmer and add the currants, pine nuts & chocolate. Stir through. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.
To serve place a piece of broccoli Romanesco (see below for preparation details) onto each plate. Carve the boar roast into serving slices. Place onto each plate and spoon the warmed sauce over the top. Serve immediately. Buon apetito!
FOR THE ROMANESCO
Cut into serving size pieces. In a steamer or pot with a small amount of water steam the Romanesco until al dente. Remove and keep warm until serving. Just before serving drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
March 3rd, 2010
There’s nothing like a good pork shoulder from a healthy, happy and humanely raised pig. The shoulder in particular has so much fat and sinew that–when cooked properly–yields amazing flavor. This is a great dish for large groups and is not difficult to prepare so long as your ingredients are pristine and you take the time to do the small upfront tasks correctly and with care.
INGREDIENTS (serves 8-12):
-Best quality heritage pork shoulder (6-7 pounds) off the bone, skin removed
-3-4 bulbs of fennel, cut into large chunks (seek out the female or more “bulbous” fennel as it has more flavor than the male)
-1 tablespoon organic tomato paste
-1 large yellow onion, coarsely diced
-5-6 carrots, coarsely chopped
-2 tablespoons of fresh oregano or marjoram
-Salt & pepper
-Extra virgin olive oil
-1 bottle of dry white wine
-3 bunches of Swiss chard, washed, de-stemmed and coarsely chopped
-Juice from 1 lemon
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut your pork shoulder into 2-3 inch pieces. Remove any excess pieces of fat but leave the majority as the fat will melt into the braise and give the dish incredible flavor. Salt the pieces on all sides.
In a large Dutch oven heat 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot sear the pork on both sides until deep dark golden brown. Remove to a platter to rest.
Add the fennel pieces to the smoking hot oil and brown/caramelize on both sides. Remove to a bowl for later use. Turn off the heat and let the oil and fat cool down a bit. Dump and discard the liquid in the Dutch oven which now contains a lot of fat but be sure to leave all the tasty brown bits which are left behind.
Turn the heat up to medium high and add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add the onion, carrots & herbs to the pot. Season with salt so that they begin to break down. Using a wooden spoon stir the mixture and scrape up as many brown bits as possible. These will greatly flavor the sauce. Once the vegetable are soft (6-8 minutes) add the tomato paste and allow to almost “rust” for 2-3 minutes before stirring through the vegetables. Add the fennel back into the pot.
Place the pieces of pork on top of the vegetable mixture, adding any juices from the platter on which they were resting. Turn up the heat to high. Pour in enough wine to just cover the pork. If 1 bottle is not enough add water on top to cover. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer gently for 4-5 minutes or until most of the alcohol has burned off.
Place the lid onto the pot and place into the 350 degree oven and braise for 3-4 hours or until the pork is cooked through and very tender. Once per hour remove from the oven and give everything a stir and check to see there is enough liquid. If too dry add a bit of water. I like to leave the lid off the last 30 minutes to further reduce and brown the meat.
When ready remove from the oven and keep at a steady simmer on a medium flame. Add the chard on top and allow to “wilt” into the sauce. Add the lemon juice on top. Use tongs to help incorporate into the sauce. Once cooked (4-5 minutes) you are ready to plate the dish. Place a bit of chard onto each plate. Add a bit of pork on top and then ladle over the sauce. Be sure that everyone gets a bit of carrot and fennel. Serve immediately.
Buon apetito!
February 18th, 2010
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 Fall when squash and radicchio are 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 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
-1 bunch of green radicchio (with the long leaves)
-1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (or 2 shallots)
-8-10 cups vegetable stock (see below for preparation)
-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 butternut squash and cook until soft (8-10 minutes). 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 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.
Add the butter and stir through. Season the rice with salt, stir and taste. Adjust accordingly, knowing the the cheese has its own salinity. Add the Parmigiano Reggiano and stir through. Taste again. Serve immediately. Buon apetito!
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. Fill with cold water, bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook for 90 minutes until you have a nice stock.
November 4th, 2009
As I’ve said many times before I love mushrooms. This is a classic Italian pasta done in the style of the “boscaiolo” or “mushroom hunter.” It’s simple, rustic & incredibly rich and satisfying, particularly for a dish which does not contain any meat.
INGREDIENTS (serves 6-8):
-1/2 pound of brown button mushrooms, chopped into 1/2 inch slices
-1 pound best quality dry spaghetti such as Rustichello di Abruzzo
-1 can (28 ounces) of whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
-1 tablespoon of chili flakes or hot Controne pepper
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Fine sea salt
-1 clove of garlic, coarsely chopped
-1 cup of fresh mint, coarsely chopped
In a large saute pan heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. When almost smoking add the mushrooms and saute for 5-7 minutes or until slightly brown and caramelized. Salt the mushrooms with 1/2 tablespoon of sea salt and continue cooking. Turn down the heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and sweat until translucent–not browned–for 30 seconds.
Pour in the tomatoes and stir through. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Salt the sauce with 1 tablespoon of salt. Stir through and turn down the heat to medium low to a gently simmer. Continue cooking, salting once more with 1 tablespoon of salt, until the sauce has come together, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm on the stove top.
Bring a pot of water to the boil and salt aggressively (4-6 tablespoons). Drop your pasta and cook until “al dente,” removing the pasta from the pot about 30 seconds before done. A minute or two before removing the pasta from the water bring your sauce back to a boil. Add the red pepper flakes and stir through. Drain the pasta. Add the mint to the sauce and stir through.
Add the pasta to the saute pan and toss through over high heat for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat. Continue tossing. Using tongs plate the pasta. Spoon a bit of sauce (be sure to include the mushrooms) onto the top of each plate. Serve immediately.
Buon appetito!
October 20th, 2009
I love mushrooms, especially in the Fall and Winter months. This is a dish you can do year round as we always have beautiful brown button or “crimini” mushrooms available. In the winter months, however, feel free to mix in a few beautiful Chanterelles or even Porcinis.
INGREDIENTS (serves 6-8 as an appetizer)
-1 pound brown button mushrooms, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
-1/2 pound Shitakes, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
-1 small bunch of tarragon
-1 teaspoon hot chili flakes or Controne hot pepper
-1/4 cup best quality Champagne vinegar
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Fine sea salt
-6-8 pieces of good crusty bread, sliced 1 inch thick
-1 clove of garlic, peeled
In a large saute pan (use 2 pans if necessary to avoid over crowding) heat 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over high heat. When almost smoking add in your mushrooms. Stir once to settle the mushrooms with the oil. Saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly brown and caramelized (if too dry add a drizzle of olive oil along the way). Season with a tablespoon or so of salt. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Pour in the Champagne vinegar around the perimeter of the pan. Sprinkle over the hot pepper. Tear the tarragon with your fingers and drop on top. You only need about a tablespoon total of the fresh tarragon. Stir to combine and let rest on the stove top, off the heat.
Place your bread under the broiler or in your toaster oven. The idea is to slightly toast it. Place a piece of bread on each plate. Rub the raw garlic clove over each piece of bread. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on each piece of bread. Spoon the mushrooms over each piece of bread and plate. Garnish with a touch more fresh tarragon and serve immediately.
Buon appetito!
October 19th, 2009
This is a classic seafood paella originating from Valencia, Spain. We start by making our soffrito or flavor base and then slowly add the other components, based on cooking time, to create an amazing almost dry rice stew that is one of the most festive dishes you will ever see. The bomba rice from Spain is critical as its short, fat grains are able to absorb an extraordinary amount of liquid while remaining firm to the bite. Please note that this dish can be done with rabbit instead of chicken.
INGREDIENTS (serves 8-12)
-1 paellera (18 to 20 inches in diameter) or similar size cast iron pan (see Latienda.com for sources)
-Good extra virgin olive oil (ideally from Spain)
-4 tablespoons of pimenton dulce (sweet Spanish paprika)
-1 large white onion, finely chopped
-1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
-4 quarts of home-made chicken stock (see below for preparation details)
-10-12 chicken thighs, lightly salted & skin removed (just pull it off with your hands)
-1 tablespoon saffron threads
-Sherry vinegar from Spain
-1 pound Romano or green beans cut into 2 inch pieces
-1/2 pound cured Spanish chorizo, cut into 1 inch round pieces
-2 lemons, thinly sliced for garnish
-2 cups early girl tomatoes, chopped into wedges or canned Spanish or San Marzano tomatoes (crushed by hand)
-3.5 cups of “bomba” Spanish rice from Valencia
Heat your paella pan over high heat until almost smoking (assemble across 2 burners if necessary, if you have a French flat top use that, heating the flat top 30 minutes prior). Add in 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chicken pieces and brown on both sides (8-10 minutes). Remove chicken to a plate for later use.
SOFFRITO
Add the chicken thighs back to the pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brown over medium high heat. When deep dark golden brown, move to one side of the pan (stack if necessary).
Add the onions and garlic with a generous pinch of salt and sautee. If the onions start to burn turn down the heat and drizzle in more olive oil. Once soft and translucent (1-2 minutes) add tomatoes followed by the pimenton, saffron and 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar. Salt the tomatoes. Stir to combine and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat back up to high.
Pour in all of the rice and stir through the pan. Allow the rice to absorb the flavors of the chicken and soffrito for 2-3 minutes. Add the stock to just cover the chicken and bring to a boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the green beans.
Continue cooking until almost all the liquid is absorbed and the rice begins to look a bit “sticky.” Be sure to taste occasionally and add salt if needed. Turn off the heat and allow to rest for a few minutes. Garnish with thinly sliced lemon pieces. Serve the entire pan at the table family style. If you’ve cooked this dish well you will discover nice browned bits on the bottom of the pan. This is called the “socorrat” and is absolutely delicious and full of flavor.
Buen provecho!
FOR THE CHICKEN STOCK
INGREDIENTS
-2 uncooked chicken legs, skin on
-2 carrots chopped in half
-2 stalks of celery chopped in half
-1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped in half
-1 garlic clove, peeled
-1 bay leaf
-Water
Put all of the ingredients into a large pot and fill with water. Bring to barely a boil and turn down the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for at least 1 hour or up to 3 until the liquid has reduced by about 30%. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface and discard. Pass through a fine mesh sieve and pour into a clean pot. Your stock is ready for use.
October 2nd, 2009
Gazpacho is a cold tomato-based soup made with bread and raw vegetables. Originating in Andalusia (southern Spain) gazpacho is consumed all over Spain, Portugal and parts of Latin America. It is especially popular and refreshing during the summer months. Here is how Victoria puts her dish together:
INGREDIENTS (serves 8 - 12)
-2 pounds heirloom “beef steak” tomatoes (though not essential these dark almost purple heirlooms have the best flavor and consistency for our gazpacho. You can also use early girls but seek out ones that do not have overly thick skin), coarsely chopped
-2 pounds cucumbers, peeled and chopped into 2 inch pieces
-1.5 pounds red gypsy peppers (these are sweet red peppers that have the same shape as a large carrot. If you cannot find the red Gypsy peppers then use standard red bell peppers), seeded and cut into chunks
-1/2 red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
-1 clove whole garlic, peeled
-1/2 baguette, chopped into small 1 inch pieces
-Salt
-Best quality extra virgin olive oil for finishing
-Best quality Spanish sherry vinegar
In a large blender or food processor assemble all of the ingredients and blend until well-mixed (20-30 seconds). Add 2 tablespoons of salt. Add 1/2 cup water. Add 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar. Blend for 20 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Serve immediately in small bowls, garnish with croutons and a drizzle of olive oil. Or refrigerate for up to one day and serve very cold.
FOR THE CROUTONS
Heat your oven to 250 degrees. Place your bread “croutons” onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Allow to stay in oven until nicely dry but not toasted, 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Buen provecho!
October 2nd, 2009
This is a classic seafood paella originating from Valencia, Spain. We start by making our soffrito or flavor base and then slowly add the other components, based on cooking time, to create an amazing almost dry rice stew that is one of the most festive dishes you will ever see. The bomba rice from Spain is critical as its short, fat grains are able to absorb an extraordinary amount of liquid while remaining firm to the bite.
INGREDIENTS (serves 8-12)
-1 paellera (18 to 20 inches in diameter) or similar size cast iron pan (see Latienda.com for sources)
-Good extra virgin olive oil (ideally from Spain)
-4 tablespoons of pimenton dulce (sweet Spanish paprika)
-1 large white onion, finely chopped
-4 quarts of fish stock (see below for preparation details)
-1 pound squid, cleaned and chopped into 1 inch rings (you can have your fishmonger clean them for you to save time)
-1 pound small clams
-1 pound head-on medium prawns
-1 tablespoon saffron threads
-1 pound Romano or green beans (optional) cut into 2 inch pieces
-2 lemons, thinly sliced for garnish
-2 cups pureed tomatoes from Spain (available in jars at specialty stores) or just buy a can of whole San Marzano tomatoes from Italy and crush in a bowl by hand)
-3.5 cups of “bomba” Spanish rice from Valencia
Heat your paella pan over high heat until almost smoking (assemble across 2 burners if necessary, if you have a French flat top use that, heating the flat top 30 minutes prior). Add in 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions with a generous pinch of salt and sautee. If the onions start to burn turn down the heat and drizzle in more olive oil. Once soft and translucent (1-2 minutes) add tomato puree followed by the pimenton and saffron. Salt the tomato puree. Stir to combine and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat back up to high.
Add the squid the stir through. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the squid begins to become more firm. Add enough fish stock to almost come up to the edge of the paella pan. Bring to an aggressive boil. Pour in all of the rice and stir once to evenly incorporate. Cook–without stirring–until half of the broth has been absorbed.
Add the whole, unpeeled, shrimps to the pan. Using tongs push them under the broth as much as possible so that they are mostly covered. Continue cooking (after adding the broth total cooking time is between 20 and 30 minutes) until more liquid has been absorbed (4-8 minutes). Add the optional green beans. Add the clams to the pan. As they begin to open submerge them into the broth to keep them moist.
Continue cooking until almost all the liquid is absorbed and the rice begins to look a bit “sticky.” Turn off the heat and allow to rest for a few minutes. Be sure to taste occasionally and add salt if needed. Garnish with thinly sliced lemon pieces. Serve the entire pan at the table family style. If you’ve cooked this dish well you will discover nice browned bits on the bottom of the pan. This is called the “socorrat” and is absolutely delicious and full of flavor.
Buen provecho!
FOR THE FISH STOCK
INGREDIENTS
-1 whole red snapper or similar non-oily fish, scaled and gutted
-5 or 6 raw heads taken from the prawns used in the paella
-2 carrots chopped in half
-1 stalk of celery chopped in half
-1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped in half
-1 bay leaf
-Water
Put all of the ingredients into a large pot and fill with water. Bring to barely a boil and turn down the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for at least 1 hour or up to 3 until the liquid has reduced by about 30%. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface and discard. Pass through a fine mesh sieve and pour into a clean pot. Your stock is ready for use.
October 2nd, 2009
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