Duck is one of my favorite meats. Darker than chicken and slightly more “gamey” duck has incredible flavor and versatility. I like to slow-braise the legs and serve them with the breast seared medium rare along with some roasted potatoes & braised greens.
Ingredients (serves 4):
-4 Muscovy or Liberty duck legs
-2 Muscovy or Liberty duck breasts
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Salt and pepper
-1 bay leaf
-1 medium white or Spring onion, diced
-1 bottle dry white wine
-1 tablespoon or tomato paste
-1 tablespoon of fresh thyme or oregano
-1 cup green Casteltrevano olives (optional)
-2 pieces of orange peel
-Juice from one lemon
-2 bunches of dandelion or other favorite braising green
-1/2 pound of new potatoes, rinsed and cut into small pieces
-1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
-1 tablespoon herbs from O&Company (optional) for the potatoes
THE LEGS
Lay the legs onto a cutting board and carefully cut off any excess fat. Reserve the fat for rendering or discard. Salt the legs on both sides. Let sit for 30 minutes to come to room temperature. In a Dutch oven heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. When almost smoking insert the duck legs, skin side down. Sear without moving until deep, dark golden brown (2-3 minutes). Turn over and cook for 10 seconds. Remove to a plate to rest. Pour off any excess fat from the Dutch oven. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lower the heat to medium and add the onion and bay leaf. Salt the onion so that it begins to break down. Be sure to sweat the onion. If it starts to brown add more olive oil and turn down the heat to low.
Add the tomato paste and allow to cook for 1 minute. Stir through the onions. Add the thyme, orange peel and olives. Stir through. Turn the heat back to medium high and insert the ducks legs, skin side up. Pour in the wine. Add enough to almost cover the top of the legs. Bring to a boil and allow the alcohol to burn off (5 minutes or so). Lower the heat to a simmer and put the top on the Dutch oven. Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. When the duck legs are done, turn off the heat and set aside. Turn your oven on to 375 (we will finish the legs in the oven and slightly brown them before serving).
Meanwhile, take a large saute pan and add the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the potatoes in a single layer. Saute over medium high for 2-3 minutes and lower the heat to medium low. Add the herbed salt from O&Co (optional) or just add a bit of regular sea salt and some herbs de provence. The herbs from O&Co already have salt so no need to add more. Continue cooking until the potatoes are brown on one side. If you happen to have any extra rendered duck fat lying around feel free to spoon in a small amount. It will give the potatoes even more flavor. Using tongs flip each one over and saute until brown on the other side. Set aside and keep warm.
Now take the duck breasts (be sure to take them out of the fridge half an hour prior so they come to room temperature) and salt them on both sides. Take a sharp knife and “score” the skin side of the breasts. Make a small incision all the way down the breast in a nice row. Repeat the other way so that you have a cris-cross along all the skin. This will allow the breast to remain flat while we sear it.
Now place your duck legs into the oven with the lid off. This will allow them to be re-heated and also brown the skin a bit. Leave them in for 20-30 minutes. When done they should look similar to this:
THE BREASTS
Place a cast iron pan (if you don’t have cast iron use a non-stick stainless steel pan) over high heat and allow to become smoking hot (do not add any oil to it). Pour a tiny bit of olive oil over your duck breasts and rub through on both sides. Once the pan is smoking hot place each breast skin side down into the pan. Saute over high heat until much of the fat has rendered off (4-6 minutes). Occasionally check with tongs to ensure you do not burn the skin. It should turn a nice dark golden brown. Flip and cook through on the other side (3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the breasts). If you are concerned about over cooking the breasts use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. The inside should read about 120-125 for medium rare. Once it’s at that temperature remove from the pan and let rest on a cutting board as it will continue cooking.
It’s important that the breasts rest for at least 10 minutes as they have just undergone high stress cooking over very high heat and we want them to be tender and juicy.
While the breasts are resting get another saute pan (or wok if you have one) going over high heat. Add a bit of olive oil and add your braising greens. Cook over high heat until cooked through. If things get too hot/smokey pour a bit of water into the pan. The dandelion greens cook very quickly but if you are doing something like collard greens you may wish to add more water and cover them to cook completely through. Add salt and the juice from one lemon at the very end.
TO PLATE
Carefully slice the breasts across the grain into pieces and arrange onto plates. Place one leg on each plate and spoon over the juices and sauce from the Dutch oven with the green olives, etc. Place a few potatoes and greens on each plate. Spoon over more sauce to your liking and serve immediately.
Buon appetito!
June 30th, 2009
This beautiful and simple dish hails from Sardegna. Unlike potato gnocchi it’s made only with semolina and regular flour and is sauced with a rustic sugo of sweet Italian sausage, San Marzano tomatoes, white wine & a pinch of saffron.
Ingredients (serves 4-6):
-1.2 cups of semolina flour
-3/4 cup of all purpose flour
-3/4 cup of water
-1 cup of dry white wine
-1 can (28 ounces) of San Marzano tomatoes
-1 pinch of saffron
-2 sweet Italian sausages, removed from their casings
-1 medium white or Spring onion, diced
-1 bay leaf
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Salt & pepper
-Pecorino Sardo or Pecorino Romano
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and bay leaf. Add a bit of salt so that the onion begins to break down. Sweat for 2-3 minutes (do not brown). Add the sausages (removed from their casings) and break up using a wooden fork. Cook for 8-10 minutes over a medium flame until the meat is nicely broken up and uniform. Add the white wine and saffron and cook for another 10 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by 20%. Add the can of San Marzano tomatoes and break up using a wooden spoon. Lower the heat and simmer for an hour or until the sauce completely comes together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To make the dough pour the semolina and regular flour into a large bowl around the edges, creating a well in the middle. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Pour the water into the center and–using a fork–begin to incorporate the flour. Once you have added all of the water begin kneading the dough by hand. Bring it all together, fold it over and push down and repeat. Once you have a cohesive mass continue kneading the dough on a lightly floured surface for another 3-4 minutes. Wrap in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
To roll the dough out simply cut off a long piece at a time and roll into a cylinder. Cut each roll with a knife into small pieces and lay onto a plate lined with parchment or wax paper. After you have rolled and cut up all of the gnocchi take a fork dusted with flour and roll each piece of gnocchi off the fork to create small indentations. This allows the sauce to adhere to each piece of gnocchi.
Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil. Add 3-4 tablespoons of salt. Add the gnocchi and cook until they all rise to the surface (4-5 minutes). Using a slotted spoon transfer the gnocchi to the pot with the sauce. Toss over high heat for 1 minute. Spoon on to plates and grate with Pecorino Sardo. Serve immediately.
Buon appetito!
June 30th, 2009
I absolutely adore Branzino or seabass. While we have fairly good seabass in California I think the best comes straight from the Mediterranean. This is one of those cases where I opt for not shopping locally if I can find a fish monger who has flown these beauties into the country. Here is how I like to prepare them very simply.
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
-4 branzini, cleaned and gutted (have your fish monger do this)
-4 lemons, thinly sliced
-1 bunch of herbs such as majoram or oregano (steer clear of stronger herbs such as rosemary)
-Salt
-Extra virgin olive oil
-1 pound of potatoes
-Chard, spinach, beet greens or any kind of green that can be braised or steamed (optional)
Lightly salt the branzini on both the outside and inside. Arrange them in a single layer in a roasting pan. Gently stuff them with some torn herbs and slices of lemon. Arrange additional slices on top of the fish and drizzle a healthy amount of olive oil on top.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch your potatoes until they are partially cooked but still al dente (approximately 6 minutes). If the potatoes are large first cut them into smaller, uniform pieces. Allow to cool.
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Once up to temperature place the potatoes into the roasting pan, drizzle with a little more olive oil and a good splash (1/2 cup) of white wine and place into the oven. Roast until cooked through on one side, about 8-10 minutes. Check for donesness using a sharp knife. Remove pan from oven and–using a spatula–carefully flip the fish over. Continue cooking until cooked through, about another 5 minutes.
I like to serve the fish whole on the plate and have each guest skin their own fish. However, if you are serving this as a smaller course (1 fish for 2 people) then remove the fish to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife go down the middle of one side and cut. Using the knife push the skin off to each side and using tongs begin to remove the fleshy meat of the fish. Turn over and repeat. On the second side you will see how easy it is to remove the entire skeleton.
Place the fish fillets on a plate and spoon over the sauce from the roasting pan with the lemons and potatoes. I like to also serve some nice braised or steamed greens.
Buon apetito!
June 13th, 2009
Sauteing prawns in olive oil until just cooked through and then de-glazing the pan with limoncello is not only incredibly delicious but very Italian. I like to buy the medium to large prawns for this dish. Be sure you know where your seafood is coming from as much shrimp today is treated with chemicals. You want to be sure you are buying sustainably caught prawns from clean waters. See CleanFish for sources. I like to buy my seafood from Sun Phat Seafood Company in San Francisco.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-2 pounds best quality medium to large prawns (roughly 3 per person)
-Limoncello (house-made or bought from an Italian deli)
-Olive oil
-Salt
-1 fennel bulb with fronds
Many prawns have a vein on the top side that needs to be removed. Take a sharp paring knife and–starting at the top–run the blade down the back of the prawn to make a slit. Using the tip of the knife remove the black vein and discard.
Rinse your prawns and pat dry with a clean towel. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side. Flip and continue cooking. Once flipped the side facing you should be a nice red color. Season with a bit of salt. Once cooked through lower the heat and de-glaze the pan with approximately 1/2 cup of limoncello. Allow the alcohol to burn off (1 minute). Sprinkle with fennel fronds and take off the heat.
Serve simply on a plate with a bit of the lemoncello sauce or serve over grilled bread with a bit of garlic and olive oil.
Buon apetito!
June 11th, 2009
This is the kind of dish that requires a very long cooking time but holds great rewards for those with enough patience. I like to use brisket (beef from the lower breast or chest of the cow). It typically has a lot of sinew and–when cooked for many hours at a low temperature in some sort of braising liquid–comes out with an incredible depth of flavor. Here is how I like to put mine together:
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-4 pounds of best quality brisket (I love Prather Ranch)
-1 large onion, diced
-2 medium carrots, chopped
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Salt and pepper
-16 ounces (1/2 28 ounce can) of San Marzano tomatoes
-1 bottle of dry white wine
-2 sprigs of oregano
-2 sprigs of rosemary
Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Take your meat out of refrigeration and place onto a large plate. Salt the meat aggressively and allow to come to room temperature (1 hour). In a large Dutch oven heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Place your meat into the Dutch oven and sear until deep dark golden brown (approximately 6 minutes per side) on both sides. Remove your meat to rest. Discard any excess fat from the Dutch oven.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and scrape up any brown bits using a wooden spoon. Add the carrots, onion and oregano. Salt the aromatics so that they begin to break down. Cook until the carrots and onions are soft and translucent (not brown), approximately 3-4 minutes. Add the meat back in. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Pour in the San Marzano tomatoes. Salt the tomatoes so that they too begin to break down. Boil for 4-5 minutes or until most of the alcohol has burned off. Add the sprigs of rosemary, cover and insert into the oven. Cook at 375 for one hour. Pull out the Dutch oven, check the braise to ensure there is enough liquid (if not, add water), stir and flip the meat.
Continue cooking for another 2 hours, checking and turning the meat each hour. After 3 hours remove the lid and cook for an additional 30 minutes until the meat is slightly browned and completely falling apart. Skim and remove any additional fat.
Remove the meat to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice into 1/2 fillets and serve with your favorite braised greens or vegetables. Spoon a bit of sauce over the meat and serve immediately.
Buon appetito!
June 4th, 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
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