In the Hands of a Chef (43 page)
Read In the Hands of a Chef Online
Authors: Jody Adams
T
he most difficult part of
this recipe, other than assembling the ingredients, is marshaling the patience to wait while the chutney rests in the refrigerator. The chutney will keep for 2 weeks, as long as it’s covered and refrigerated.
MAKES 2 TO 3 CUPS
2 ripe Bosc pears, peeled and cut in half
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 small red onion, cut into ½-inch slices
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons currants
3 tablespoons golden raisins
½ cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 cup diced mango (optional)
1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2.
Toss the pears with the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the cinnamon, and cloves. Coat a sheet pan with half the vegetable oil. Set the pears cut side down on the pan. Brush the pears with the remaining oil. Roast until caramelized and tender, 40 to 50 minutes, depending on the degree of ripeness. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
3.
While the pears are roasting, bring the remaining ingredients to a boil in a nonreactive saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
4.
Using a small spoon or a melon bailer, scoop out the cores of the cooked pears. Cut the pears into ½-inch slices.
5.
Combine the pears and the onion mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 day before serving.
T
his recipe matches the intensely
nutty flavor of pumpkin seeds with the flavors of hot pepper, anise, and paprika in the marinade. The pork is seared in a grill pan, then finished in the oven. Given the willingness of various European regional cuisines to crush and mash seeds and nuts into sauces or condiments (pesto comes to mind, as do various Catalan condiments), it seems downright strange that no one hit on the idea of doing the same with pumpkin seeds, especially since pumpkin seed sauce is quite popular in Mexican cooking. Judge for yourself—the seeds make a great sauce.
Supermarkets sometimes put whole pork loins on sale, a good time to consider using this recipe for a much larger group of people. Double, triple, or even quadruple the ingredients and cook the pork in a covered grill.
MAKES 4 ENTRÉE SERVINGS
MARINADE
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon anise seeds
1 tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1½ pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed of all fat and silver skin
SAUCE
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ small white onion, chopped into ¼-inch dice
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped serrano pepper
½ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted and coarsely chopped
1¼ cups Chicken Stock (page 31) or 2½ cups high-quality canned low-sodium chicken broth reduced to 1¼ cups (see page 32)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
GARNISH
½ lime, cut into 4 wedges
4 sprigs cilantro
DO AHEAD:
Marinate the pork in the garlic and spice mixture for at least 12 hours; longer is fine.
1.
To make the marinade, toast the coriander, cumin, and anise seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Remove
from the heat. Grind the seeds in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.
2.
In a small bowl, mix the ground spices with the paprika and cayenne pepper. Set aside 1 teaspoon of the mixture for the sauce.
3.
Stir the garlic, vegetable oil, and brown sugar into the remaining spice mix. Rub the pork all over with the spice marinade, cover, and allow to marinate for 12 hours in the refrigerator.
4.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
5.
Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté, stirring periodically, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the serrano pepper and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the pumpkin seeds, chicken stock, and the 1 teaspoon of reserved spice mixture from the marinade. Cook for 20 more minutes, or until thickened, then remove from the heat. Purée the mixture in a blender or with an immersion blender, then set aside while you cook the pork.
6.
Season the pork with salt. Rub a large ovenproof grill pan with the vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat. (Or heat the oil in a large overproof skillet or sauté pan.) Put the pork tenderloin in the pan when the oil starts to smoke. Sear the pork, turning occasionally, until it has a nice crust on all sides, about 5 minutes.
7.
Transfer to the oven and roast until done, about 5 more minutes. The internal temperature of the pork should read no more than 140°F (see page 273). Allow the pork to repose for 10 minutes before slicing. During this time, the temperature will come up to about 150°F.
8.
Reheat the sauce in a small saucepan while the pork reposes. Add the lime juice and cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Slice the meat across the grain on a diagonal. Arrange the slices on a warm platter. Drizzle with the sauce and garnish with the lime wedges and cilantro sprigs. Serve immediately.
D
uring a trip to Spain,
I kept encountering a combination of saffron and garlic used to flavor various lamb dishes. In this country, saffron is more often associated with seafood than with meat and my Spanish experience was like discovering a new color in the crayon box. I’ve played with the formula by introducing basil, another herb not often associated with lamb, and using roasted garlic rather than fresh. Roasting the garlic changes the flavor from sharp to mellow, and using the whole cloves helps to thicken the sauce, so less butter is needed.
MAKES 4 ENTRÉE SERVINGS
MARINADE
¼ cup Roasted Garlic (page 119)
½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Thai basil (substitute Italian basil if Thai basil is unavailable)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Eight 5-ounce loin lamb chops
¼ cup vegetable oil
Kosher salt
SAUCE
½ cup dry white wine
Pinch of saffron
2 cups Chicken Stock (page 31) or 4 cups highquality canned low-sodium chicken broth, reduced to 2 cups (see page 32)
2 tablespoons Roasted Garlic (page 119)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt
1.
Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Add the chops and turn to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in each of two large sauté pans over medium-high heat. Season the lamb chops evenly with salt. (Don’t scrape off the marinade.) When the oil is hot, put 4 chops in each pan. Sear on both sides, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the chops to a plate.
3.
Set aside one of the pans. To make the sauce, deglaze the remaining pan with the wine, using a wooden spoon to make sure the crispy bits dissolve completely, and add the saffron. Reduce the wine to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and continue cooking until the liquid in the pan has reduced to ¾ cup, about 15 minutes. Do not overreduce.
4.
Off the heat, whisk in the roasted garlic and butter. Add the lemon juice and parsley; season with salt.
5.
Put 2 chops on each of four plates, sauce each portion at once, and serve immediately.
L
amb steaks are cut from
the sirloin end of the leg. Meaty, chewier than sirloin chops, they’re an ideal cut for searing or grilling, especially if you marinate them first. Just be sure to buy them at least ¾ inch thick, or they’ll dry out during cooking. After marinating in a highly seasoned purée of roasted red peppers, the steaks are seared for a few minutes on each side. Then the marinade is briefly reduced over high heat to thicken it into a sauce and poured over the meat just before serving. Primal ingredients, primal flavors.
Leftovers will keep for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Rather than trying to reheat the steaks whole, slice them into thin strips, simmer briefly in tomato sauce, and toss with pasta.
MAKES 4 ENTRÉE SERVINGS
MARINADE
4 large red peppers, roasted (see page 99), peeled, stemmed, and seeded
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon anise seeds
1 celery stalk, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch dice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 lamb blade steaks, 1 inch thick (10 to 12 ounces each)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
DO AHEAD:
The lamb needs to marinate for at least 3 hours; 12 would be ideal.
1.
Purée the red peppers in a blender or food processor. You should end up with about a cup of purée. Combine the purée with the remaining marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Put the steaks in the bowl and turn to coat evenly on both sides with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, ideally, 12 hours.
2.
Remove the steaks from the marinade. Scrape the marinade off the lamb back into the bowl; reserve.
3.
Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook, turning once, until done, about
5
minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the lamb steaks to a platter.
4.
Lower the heat to medium. Wipe out the pan if there are any burned bits. Add the marinade to the pan and cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbling. Spoon over the lamb and serve at once.
U
sually you cut a pocket
into a piece of meat and stuff it with herbs when you’re going to roast the meat, but I’ve adapted the technique for this dish of braised lamb shanks. This recipe is also unusual in that its accompanying ingredients are cooked separately. Ordinarily a braised meat recipe would include all the vegetables in the braising pot, rather than cooking them individually, but roasted fennel is so appealing in its own right that it seems a shame to lose its distinct flavor in the braise. Why not let it stand as a complement to the rosemary-infused lamb?
Braised lamb shanks are exquisite right out of the pot, but letting them rest in their braising juices for a day or two allows the other flavors to penetrate the meat more deeply. Reheat them, covered, in a 375°F oven for 40 minutes. If you have leftovers, cut the meat off the bone (discard the bones) before refrigerating the meat in the sauce. Reheating is quicker that way, making it a simple step to serve the meat and sauce over fresh pappardelle noodles (see page 144) or rice.
MAKES 4 ENTRÉE SERVINGS
LAMB
Four 1-pound lamb shanks (from the back leg—it’s meatier)
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (use any left over in the braise)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
1 medium onion, sliced ½ inch thick
1 celery stalk, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 cups dry white wine
1 cup chopped drained canned tomatoes
2 cups Chicken Stock (page 31) or high-quality canned low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
6 anchovies, rinsed and chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
8 allspice berries 1 cup chopped fresh basil
ROASTED VEGETABLES
1 fennel bulb, trimmed of stalks and tough outer layers, cut lengthwise into quarters, and cored
1 large red onion, cut into quarters
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Pernod
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
DO AHEAD:
Stuff the lamb shanks with the rosemary at least 6 hours, and preferably 12, before braising. The lamb can be braised up to 3 days ahead of time as long as it's kept tightly covered and refrigerated. This has the added advantage of making it easy to remove the fat, which, when chilled, forms a layer at the top of the dish. Roast the fennel and red onion on the day of serving.
1.
Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, make 12 small incisions,
¾
inch deep, in each shank. Push a couple of rosemary leaves into each incision. (Save any remaining rosemary.) Wrap the shanks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or, preferably, overnight.
2.
Unwrap the shanks and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep braising pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to smoke, sear the shanks until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Set the shanks aside.
3.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Lower the heat to medium, add the carrot, onion, celery, and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until the vegetables begin to brown, about 10 minutes; set aside the vegetables. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and continue cooking until it reduces by half, 6 to 8 minutes.
4.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
5.
Add all the remaining braising ingredients except the basil (including any remaining rosemary) to the pan. Take note of how high the liquid reaches up the sides of the pan, and cook until it has reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Return the shanks to the pan, along with half the basil. The liquid should reach one-third of the way up the shanks. If not, add enough water to make up the difference. Cover the shanks tightly with a piece of aluminum foil, pressing it down into the pan, then place a lid on the pan.
6.
Put the pan in the oven. Braise until the meat is very tender, about 2½ to 3 hours, checking the level of liquid every 30 minutes and adding water as necessary to keep the braising juice one-third of the way up the shanks. After 1½ hours, flip the shanks.
7.
Meanwhile, after the lamb has braised for 30 minutes, toss the fennel and onion quarters with the olive oil and Pernod in a small roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Put the vegetables in the oven. Roast until tender and golden, about 2 hours. If by some chance the lamb finishes cooking before the vegetables, remove the shanks from the oven, increase the oven temperature to 400°F and continue roasting until done.
8.
After the lamb has finished cooking, remove the shanks from the pan and keep warm. Strain the braising vegetables out of the juices. Purée them in a blender or food processor with the remaining basil and return them to the juices to make a sauce.
9.
Place a lamb shank, a piece of fennel, and a piece of onion on each plate. Ladle some sauce over all, including the fennel and onion, and serve immediately. Offer the extra sauce on the side.
Grilled Rosemary-Stuffed Lamb Shanks
A spectacular variation on this recipe is to braise the shanks and refrigerate them, then grill them a day or two later. The shanks acquire all the rich flavor of braising, with the wonderful addition of a smoky, crusty exterior. The technique can be applied to just about any braised meat that is either still on the bone or in large chunks.
1.
Braise the shanks exactly as in the recipe, but save the basil for later. Don’t roast the fennel or onion—they’ll be grilled too.
2.
Prepare a medium fire in a grill (see page 265 if you’re unfamiliar with how to do this). You should be able to hold your hand near the grilling surface for 4 seconds before you have to pull it away.
3.
While the grill is heating, remove the shanks from their braising juices and pat dry. Reheat the juices, adding the basil. If the braising juice is too thin for a sauce, boil it for a few minutes until it reaches the desired consistency. Set aside. Reheat before serving.
4.
Sprinkle the shanks liberally with salt and pepper and brush with oil. Grill on all sides until heated through and lightly charred. Push the shanks to the edge of the grill to keep warm while you grill the vegetables.
5.
Toss the fennel and onions with 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper (no Pernod in this variation). Grill until lightly charred and tender. It may be necessary to move the vegetables off to the side (off the direct heat of the coals) to cook them through without burning.
6.
To serve, arrange the grilled shanks, fennel, and onions on a large platter. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Serve immediately.