Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (22 page)

Place the potatoes in a large pot with water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Salt the water and cook the potatoes for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, get the corn chowder gravy started. Heat ½ tablespoon of the EVOO in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions, celery, and sprigs of thyme and sauté the veggies with the bacon until they become almost tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the bell pepper and corn and season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the chicken stock and milk. Cook until thickened to a gravy-like consistency, a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of the EVOO for the fish.

While the gravy is thickening, check the potatoes. If they have finished cooking, drain them, and then pop them back into the hot pot. Add the sour cream, chives, salt, and pepper and mash them well with a potato masher. Cover to keep warm.

Season the halibut fillets with salt and pepper and add them to the preheated skillet. Let them get crispy and golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip them over and cook them for 2 minutes more, or until just cooked through.

Serve the halibut alongside the potatoes and top all with the corn chowder gravy. Garnish with the parsley.

This meal is based on family favorites of my friend Vicki. Balsamic butter is a balance of nutty and sweet flavors, while the pasta balances smoky and sweet flavors. This one is dedicated to her mom, Gilda. She was a wonderful cook and obviously a terrific mom as well; she did a great job with Vick.

SERVES 4

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the EVOO in a deep large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 3 to 4 minutes to crisp. Add the onions and mushrooms to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender but not browned, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crushing them up with a wooden spoon, and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Dust the fish with flour and shake off the excess. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the fish for 4 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove the fish from the skillet to a platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

While the fish cooks, salt the boiling water and add the pasta. Cook to al dente.

Stir the peas into the sauce. Bring it back to a bubble and stir in the mascarpone cheese. Adjust the seasoning.

Add the butter to the pan the fish cooked in. Brown the butter over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in the balsamic vinegar and simmer for a minute or two to reduce by half. Pour the brown butter sauce over the fish.

Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce, and wilt the basil into the pasta. Serve the fish with the pasta alongside.

Portuguese-Style Roasted Cod with Tomatoes, Stovetop Potatoes, and Cut Green Beans

There are hundreds of Portuguese recipes for codfish, as
baccalau
is the national dish. This is a translation of my favorite cod dinner on my first visit to Lisbon, which I made earlier this year.

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 425°F and place a cast-iron pan or other heavy, oven-safe dish in the oven to preheat.

While the oven and pan preheat, place a sauce pot over medium heat and soften the onions and garlic in about 2 tablespoons of the EVOO for 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the tomatoes, and stir.

When the pan has heated for 10 minutes, rinse the fish and pat dry. Drizzle the fillets with EVOO and set into the hot dish. Roast the fish for 7 to 8 minutes, then remove the dish from the oven. Top each fillet with some of the tomatoes. Place a half ham slice on top of the tomato sauce on each fillet. Return to the oven for another 8 to 10 minutes to finish cooking the fish. The ham will crisp and darken as the fish cooks.

Once the fish goes into the oven, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of EVOO over medium to medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the potatoes and cook, turning occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender and browned. Season with salt.

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a pan with a lid. While it heats, cut the green beans on an angle. Salt the water, add the beans, and cook for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.

Make a bed of beans on 4 dinner plates and top each with a cod fillet, sauce, and ham. Serve the potatoes alongside and pass the bread for mopping up the sauce.

My-Oh-Mahi! That's a Good Fish Taco

My friend Charlie told me about his special fish tacos, and now they are mine, too. They are like a double-decker taco, with a soft flour tortilla wrapped around a crispy corn taco shell, giving them a crazy texture.

SERVES 4

Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the jalapeño, finely chopped red onion, and garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the beans and cumin and mash together. Season the beans with salt and pepper and fold in the chutney. Reduce the heat to low to keep warm, stirring now and then to keep them from burning. If the beans dry out before you are ready to use them, add a splash of water.

Zest one of the limes and set aside. Combine the juice of both limes, the hot sauce, honey, 2 tablespoons of the canola oil, salt, and pepper with the sliced onions, cilantro, and shredded cabbage. Toss to combine.

Heat an outdoor grill to medium or preheat the broiler. Season the fish with the remaining tablespoon of oil, 2 teaspoons of lime zest, and the grill seasoning. Cook the fish on the grill with the lid closed or under the broiler for 8 minutes total, until cooked through, turning once.