Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (70 page)

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Season the roast liberally with salt and pepper. Once you see a ripple in the oil, add the roast to the pan and brown on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the roast to a plate and add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, and tomato paste to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are just on the verge of becoming tender. Add the wine and stir to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the prunes, then return the browned roast to the pot, nestling it down into the veggies. Add enough chicken stock to come halfway up the side of the roast and bring up to a bubble over medium-high heat. Cover the pot with the lid and transfer to the middle of the oven. Cook the roast, turning it every 30 to 40 minutes, for about 3½ hours or until a roasting fork inserted into the meat is easily pulled out. (Try doing this about an hour into the roasting so that when it is ready you really understand the difference.)

Remove the roast to a cutting board and cover with foil to keep warm. Discard the bay leaves. Place the Dutch oven over medium-high heat and simmer the juices until they are just slightly thickened. Stir in the lemon juice along with the parsley to freshen the flavor.

Remove the strings from the roast, slice the meat, and arrange on a platter. Cover with some of the sauce and pass the remainder in a gravy boat.

SERVES 8

Preheat the oven to 200°F.

Heat each package of spinach in the microwave for 5 minutes on high to defrost. Squeeze the defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel to remove as much liquid as possible. Transfer the squeezed-out spinach to a bowl and break it up thoroughly so it will mix well with the rest of the ingredients. Add the potato, onion, garlic, eggs, and matzo meal and season liberally with salt and pepper and a little nutmeg. Mix until combined.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once you see a light ripple in the oil, working in batches, add the potato mixture in mounds of 2 heaping tablespoons each, flattening each mound a bit with the back of a spoon. Cook the cakes until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a rack set over a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining batches. Continue until all the potato mixture is used; you should have 16 cakes in all.

SERVES 6 TO 8

In a salad bowl, whisk together the mustard and vinegar. Pour in the EVOO in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly, and season with some salt and pepper. Just before serving, add the greens and toss to coat with the dressing.

EASY SPRING MENU FOR FOUR

• SKILLET ROSEMARY-LEMON LAMB CHOPS WITH ROASTED TOMATO CHUTNEY

• SPRING PEA AND ASPARAGUS RISOTTO WITH CRISPY PROSCIUTTO CHIPS AND BABY ARUGULA

• STORE-BOUGHT DESSERT, SUCH AS SORBETS AND FRESH BERRIES WITH MINT OR A FRUIT TART AND CRÈME FRAÎCHE

This is a new take on a leg of lamb dinner for smaller gatherings. Whether it's a mini-Easter celebration or Mother's Day, this is a festive, elegant menu for four guests. It's not much work for such a big-meal feeling: it can be made in about an hour or less. You can marinate the lamb the day before, but definitely give it at least 45 minutes in the marinade. Make and serve the risotto, roast the tomatoes, and then, just before you're ready to serve, cook the chops.

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a resealable plastic bag, combine about 3 tablespoons of the EVOO, the rosemary, half of the garlic, the lemon zest, and lots of coarse black pepper. Add the chops, turn to coat, and refrigerate.

Arrange the tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the EVOO, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and are taking on a little brown color.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, the remaining garlic, the honey, thyme, and a little salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are tender and brown, about 10 minutes. Add the sherry vinegar, stir, then stir in the chicken stock. Bring to a bubble and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes more. Stir in the roasted tomatoes and the parsley.

Preheat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the marinated lamb chops with some salt and place in the hot skillet; you may need to work in batches, depending on how big your skillet is. Brown the chops on each side for about 2 minutes. Once all of the chops have been browned, return them all to the skillet, squeeze the juice of the lemon over them, and transfer to the oven to roast for about 5 minutes for medium-rare. Serve 2 chops per person in a pool of the tomato chutney.

4 SERVINGS

Pour the stock into a sauce pot and bring up to a bubble over high heat. Place the asparagus pieces in a sieve or small colander with a handle and dunk the asparagus into the boiling stock, submerging it completely. Cook for 1 minute, then remove. (If you don't have a sieve or small colander that will fit, simply drop the asparagus into the boiling stock for a minute and fish the pieces out with tongs or a slotted spoon.) Turn the heat down to low and keep the stock warm for use in the risotto. Chop the asparagus into bite-size pieces.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the EVOO in a large skillet with high sides over medium-high heat. Working with a couple of slices of prosciutto at a time, lay the slices in the hot skillet, browning and crisping them up on both sides. As they get crisp, remove the slices to a paper-towel-lined plate and reserve. Repeat until you have crisped up all the prosciutto.

To the same skillet add the remaining tablespoon of EVOO, then add the shallots, garlic, and thyme and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the rice and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes more. Add the wine and cook until it has been fully absorbed. Add a couple of ladles of the hot stock, just enough to cover the rice, and continue to cook and stir, adding more hot stock once the rice has soaked up the last batch you added. Continue until you have used up all but the last ladle of stock. Add the peas, asparagus, and butter along with the last of the stock, stirring to combine, and cook for another minute or so. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated Parmigiano. The total cooking time for the risotto is 18 minutes.

Once the risotto is done, dress the arugula with the balsamic and a drizzle of EVOO, and season with some salt and pepper.

Divide the risotto among 4 shallow serving bowls. Break each crispy prosciutto slice into a couple of pieces and distribute them among the risotto bowls, piling some of the dressed arugula on top. Serve immediately.

Oscar Night Menu

OSCAR NIGHT MENU

•
WILD MUSHROOM BEEF SLIDERS

• ASIAN TUNA SLIDERS

• PROSCIUTTO AND ARUGULA PIZZA

• CARAMELIZED ONION PIZZA

• FLAVORED POPCORNS

• GOLDEN ICE CREAM CAKES

MAKES 16 PATTIES