Cast Iron Skillet Big Flavors (15 page)

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

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  Preheat the oven to 350°F.

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  To prepare the roasted vegetable topping, combine the eggplant, peppers, garlic, and onions with the olive oil. Spoon into a 10-inch cast iron skillet and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven.

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  Briefly process the canned tomatoes in a food processor. Add to the roasted vegetables along with the chicken broth and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

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  To prepare the lamb, heat the olive oil in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the lamb shanks, sprinkle with rosemary, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, turning often to brown evenly. Drain off all the fat and discard. Cover the browned lamb shanks with the roasted vegetable topping. Loosely place a piece of aluminum foil over the top; don’t seal tightly or the vegetables will become mushy. Bake until the meat starts to pull away from the bone, about 2 hours. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. To serve, garnish with parsley and lemon zest. Serve with Brown Butter Spaetzle.

ROASTED VEGETABLE TOPPING

1 medium eggplant, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced into ¼-inch pieces

½ green bell pepper, seeded and diced into ¼-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

¾ cup chopped sweet onion

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

½ cup chicken broth

¼ cup red wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

SEARED LAMB SHANKS

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 lamb shanks

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

1 teaspoon lemon zest, for garnish

Brown Butter Spaetzle (recipe follows), for serving

 brown butter spaetzle 

This is a delicious accompaniment to meats, chicken, and sausages. Spaetzle can be made ahead of time, then sautéed in the brown butter just before serving. Sprinkle with a little parsley and serve.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

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  In a large bowl, stir together the flour, eggs, milk, and 1 teaspoon salt until the mixture comes together and forms a sticky dough.

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  In a large pot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt.

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  Use a spaetzle maker or a potato ricer (with a ⅜-inch disk) to create the noodles. Add ½ cup batter at a time to the utensil, pressing into the boiling water. As dough comes through the hold, use a dinner knife to release the dough from the extruder. When the noodles are cooked they will rise to the surface. Use a strainer or slotted spoon to transfer the cooked spaetzle to a large bowl. If the spaetzle starts to stick together, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

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  Heat a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat, and add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Cook until butter begins to lightly brown, about 3 minutes. Add half of the cooked spaetzle and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium serving bowl. Add the remaining butter to the skillet, brown, and then cook the remaining spaetzle. Gently toss the noodles, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parsley, and serve.

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

⅓ cup 2% or whole milk

Salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

jasmine tea–smoked salmon with apple-bay sauce

The original idea for tea-smoking came from Barbara Tropp, a good friend and a fantastic chef. Her recipe was for tea-smoked black cod; smoking works very well with this fish, due to its high oil content. Salmon works well too, because it is also oily, and the smoke gives it great flavor. We use jasmine tea for its floral aroma and taste, and star anise to give the dish a bit of a fennel taste. The apple-bay sauce finishes this dish nicely and balances the smokiness of the fish. Serve with a nice watercress or parsley salad.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

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  To prepare the salmon, combine the white wine, water, sugar, salt, and ginger in a medium bowl. Add the salmon fillets, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

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  Line the bottom of a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet with aluminum foil. In the center put the rice, sugar, and tea, spreading it out slightly. Put the star anise on top. Place a metal steamer basket on top of the rice mixture. Take the salmon from the marinade and pat dry. Lightly oil the steamer basket. Place the salmon fillets in a single layer in the steamer basket.

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  Cut 2 large sheets of aluminum foil, each bigger than the skillet diameter, to make a generously overlapping cover for the skillet. Overlap the edges in the middle by about 4 inches and fold over tightly twice to seal. Then crimp down the outer edges of the foil all around the sides of the skillet so the center creates a “tent” to contain the rising smoke. Put the tightly sealed skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove the salmon from the heat and allow it to smoke off the heat for 5 minutes. Place the salmon back on the burner over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, then remove it from the heat again for 5 minutes. Repeat this process two more times for a total of 20 minutes on and off the heat. When you remove the tent the salmon should be just slightly pink in the center, and a bit of the white protein (albumin) should be showing. If the salmon is too pink for your liking, place it in the oven at 325°F for 5 minutes.

SALMON

½ cup white wine

½ cup water

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons salt

4 thin slices ginger

1½ pounds fresh salmon fillet, skin removed, cut into 4 fillets

SMOKING THE SALMON

1 cup long-grain rice

⅔ cup sugar

⅔ cup loose jasmine or oolong tea leaves

3 star anise (optional)

Apple-Bay Sauce (recipe follows)

2 tablespoons fresh chervil or parsley, for garnish

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  To serve, place each portion of salmon on an individual plate with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the Apple-Bay Sauce. Sprinkle each fillet with chervil.

 apple-bay sauce 

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS

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  Combine the shallot, white wine, lemon juice, and bay leaves in a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced to 2 tablespoons, 3 to 5 minutes. When the reduction begins to bubble, add the cream and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the butter, one cube at a time, whisking in on and off of the heat. Continue whisking butter into the reduction until the mixture starts to thicken. To avoid the sauce separating, do not overheat. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the apple. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

1 shallot, finely chopped

6 to 8 ounces white wine

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon heavy cream

¾ cup (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

1 firm, juicy apple, such as Jonagold, Gala, or Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, and finely chopped

steak and guinness pie

After a long day skiing or playing outside, we crave a warm, hearty meal. Steak and Guinness Pie is the perfect meal to warm the soul. And the best accompaniment is, of course, a glass of Guinness! If you love puff pastry as our family does, bake an extra sheet, cut into squares and place it on the bottom of the bowl, and then continue with the dish assembly.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

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  Preheat the oven to 425°F.

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  Take the puff pastry from the freezer and allow to lightly thaw (to not quite room temperature).

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  Gently roll out the puff pastry to smooth any creases. Combine the egg and water in a small bowl. Place the puff pastry on a baking sheet and brush with the egg wash. Bake on the middle rack until the puff pastry is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cut the puff pastry into 4-by-4-inch squares and set aside.