Spice (65 page)

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Trim the top and bottom of each tomato so that it sits on a cutting surface without rolling. Cut the tomatoes into ½-inch slices. Each tomato should yield about 4–5 slices, depending on the size of the tomato, and the slices should lie flat.

3.
Lay the tomato slices out on a cutting surface and sprinkle each generously with salt and pepper.

4.
Set up 3 trays or medium mixing bowls, as follows. Add the flour to one and season with salt and pepper. Add the beaten eggs to another and season with salt and pepper. Add the bread crumbs to the last bowl.

5.
Dredge a slice of tomato in the flour bowl and shake off any excess. Drop it into the bowl with the beaten egg to coat it, and shake off any excess. Coat each side of the tomato in bread crumbs and set it aside. Bread the rest of the sliced tomatoes in the same fashion.

6.
After all the tomatoes are breaded, heat ¼ cup olive oil in a heavy, large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Brown the breaded tomatoes for about 3 minutes on one side. Add another ¼ cup olive oil to the pan and turn the tomatoes over, cooking for 3 to 4 more minutes, to brown the other side. Remove the tomatoes from the pan and place them on a baking sheet, lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat the browning process, until all the tomatoes are fried.

7.
Place a layer of fried green tomatoes in a large, heavy baking or casserole dish in an even layer, slightly overlapped. Use 8 to 10 slices or about half the tomatoes.

8.
Top this layer with half of the slices of sliced mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

9.
Stir the oregano into the tomato sauce. Spoon 2 cups of the sauce over the tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

10.
Place the final layer of green tomatoes on top and then top this with the remaining mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper.

11.
Top the casserole with the remaining 2 cups of tomato sauce and sprinkle it with the Parmesan cheese.

12.
Place the casserole dish on a heavy baking pan or tray to capture any juices that bubble over during baking. Bake the casserole for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the casserole is hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Cod with Truffled Leek Sauceand Sweet Potater Tots

This dish was inspired by ingredients from the south of France, but I added a twist: the shredded potatoes are like the tater tots I ate as a kid, and they’re remarkably easy to make. It’s a special late fall or winter recipe when expensive black truffles are in season and leeks are good.

Cod is caught in both the Atlantic and Pacific, and so it’s readily available on both U.S. coasts. Ask your fishmonger for cod cut from the thick, head end of the fish, so that you can cut it into 2-inch-thick fillets.

I smother the cod fillets with sautéed leeks and black truffles, and then wrap it all up in parchment paper before cooking. The little paper packages steam the cod and collect the juices of the fish that will melt into the leeks.

All the fresh herbs mentioned in this chapter pair with the leeks and cod, but thyme and sage work particularly well with truffles. If fresh black truffles (see Resources, page 358) are not available, jarred truffle shavings will do and so will the infused oils that are more widely available.

A light red wine is delightful with this dish, despite the notion that you should only drink white wine with fish. Try a Valpolicella from Italy, or, if you prefer white, a French chardonnay works very well.

S
ERVES
4

Four 6-ounce portions cod, cut from the thick, head end

Salt and pepper to taste

4 leeks, white part only, root end trimmed

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme or sage or a combination of both

4 sheets parchment paper

4 tablespoons winter black truffle shavings (fresh or jarred) or 2 teaspoons black truffle oil

1 sweet potato, peeled and halved

1 large baking potato, peeled and halved

3 tablespoons cornstarch

Pinch of sugar

2 teaspoons salt

4 cups canola or vegetable oil for frying

1.
Sprinkle each piece of cod on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside.

2.
Cut the leeks into ¼-inch slices and wash them well. Drain the leeks in a colander and pat themas dry as possible with a paper towel.

3.
In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the olive oil until the butter just begins to brown. Add the leeks and sauté them, reducing the heat to medium if they start to brown. Cook the leeks for about 6 minutes, until they are soft and tender but not mushy.

4.
Add the wine, salt and pepper, and 1 tablespoonof the herbs.

5.
Cook for 4 more minutes, until the wine has almost evaporated and its sugars have slightly glazed the leeks. Remove from the heat and set aside.

6.
Cut 4 squares of parchment paper, roughly 12 × 12 inches.

7.
Place a piece of cod on the top quarter of each square. Top each piece of fish with 2 tablespoons of the leek mixture and a tablespoon of black truffle shavings or ½ teaspoon of black truffle oil.

8.
Fold the bottom of the parchment paper overthe cod so that the ends of the paper line upand the cod is at the bottom of the fold. Starting from one end of folded parchment paper, pinch the corner and start folding the paper in toward the fish in a rollover motion, ending at the other corner of parchment paper and enclosing the cod in a tight, shell-shaped package. Set the cod packages on a heavy baking sheet and keep them refrigerated while preparing the tater tots.

9.
Place both of the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover them with at least an inch of water. Turn on the heat to high and bring them to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer the potatoes for about 12 minutes, until al dente: they should feel slightly firm when pierced with a knife. Run cold water over both potatoes to cool them through. Don’t drain the potatoes; let them cool down slowly in the cold water so that they stay intact. This will take about 8 minutes. Then drain the potatoes well.

10.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

11.
Grate the potatoes using the large holes of abox grater.

12.
Place the potatoes in a medium mixing bowl and combine them with the cornstarch, sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

13.
Take up about 2 tablespoons of potato mixture in your hand and crunch it into a tater tot shape. Continue this process until all the potato mixture is gone. Set the tater tots aside.

14.
About 20 minutes before serving, place the fish in the oven and roast for about 12–14 minutes. The bags should be full of air and touching the underside; the fish should feel firm. Let fish rest in bag for 5–10 minutes.

15.
Meanwhile, heat the canola oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. The temperature should reach 350°F: hot enough so that when you drop a tater tot in, it sizzles. Fry each tater tot, stirring them after about 30 seconds of frying with a pair of long tongs to keep them from sticking to the bottom, for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

16.
Using scissors, cut open the cod packages by making crisscross incisions on the uncrimped, flat part of the package. Be careful not to get burned from the escaping steam. Pull the cut bag open with your fingers. Serve the cod in the paper—telling guests not to eat the paper even though it is truffle-rich and tempting—with tater tots on the side.

JUST-DUG POTATOES

I’ve been asked many times what my favorite food is. My answer is always the same: just-dug potatoes. My first just-dug potato experience was during a visit to the Farm School in Athol, Massachusetts, where children and adults learn about farming in two separate programs. The Farm School invites kids from different backgrounds and schools to stay in their bunk house and work on the farm for a few days. Depending on the time of year and the ages of the students, kids can gather eggs from the chickens, feed the pigs, clear the woods, build a shed, harvest vegetables, weed, or plow—all as part of their field trip experience.