Sweet Merciful Scampi
Serves 6
Perfect for summer entertaining, toss this with some Sautéed Vegetables (p. 170) and fresh pasta (p. 172), and serve it with a dry white wine. Buying your shrimp already peeled and deveined not only saves precious time but precious space, dishes, and frustration—making this dish a breeze to prepare.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced shallots
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
½ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons chopped flat leaf parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 Place your 8-inch nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, and add the olive oil. When it heats up, add the garlic and shallots, season them lightly with salt and pepper, and allow them to soften for about 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup of the white wine, raise the heat to medium-high, and allow it to reduce by half. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and continue boiling until almost all of the liquid is gone. Transfer to a medium bowl and allow it to cool 10 minutes.
Did You Know This Crap?
True scampi are actually a small species of lobster that are a delicacy in the Mediterranean. In the United States, scampi usually refers to a shrimp recipe that includes a sauce made from garlic butter and white wine.
2 Place your 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat and add the butter and half of the seasoned mixture that you made. When the butter has completely melted, toss in the shrimp. Arrange them evenly in the pan and cook on one side for 2 minutes. Turn them over and add the rest of the white wine and lemon juice. Bring this up to a simmer and add the fresh herbs to steep for 1 minute.
3 Use your spider or slotted spoon to remove the shrimp scampi and place them piled high in the center of a serving platter. Then add the remaining seasoned mixture to the pan. Whisk the butter and the mixture together, and taste it to see if it needs more salt or pepper. Pour it over your shrimp and serve immediately.
Make-You-Want-to-Marry-Me
Mussels Marinara
Serves 6
With the high quality of canned plum tomatoes, you can whip up a spectacular marinara sauce in almost the amount of time it takes to open a jar of inferior prepared sauce. Not to mention the mussels steam open inside the sauce, making it a one-pot wonder!
5 pounds Prince Edward Sound mussels
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
35-ounce can crushed plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1 Discard any mussels that remain open when you lightly tap them against the counter or sink.
2 Put your 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. Allow it to heat for a few seconds and add the garlic. Brown it for less than 10 seconds (if it gets too crispy, garlic will have a bitter taste) and add the tomatoes and red pepper.
3 Add all of the mussels to the pan. When the sauce begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium and cover to cook for 10 minutes.
4 Then remove the lid, and allow the tomatoes to cook down for 5 to 10 minutes while you inspect the mussels. Using your tongs, remove and discard any unopened mussels.
5 Add the basil, season to taste with salt and pepper, and then toss the mussels through the sauce. Pour the entire dish into a serving bowl, garnish with the chopped parsley, and serve immediately.
How to Clean Mussels
Purchase mussels with unchipped shells that are tightly closed. Unwrap and store them in a bowl in the refrigerator so they can breathe until you are ready to prepare them. Before cooking, soak the mussels in fresh water for about 20 minutes. As the mussels breathe, they filter water and expel sand stored inside of their shells. Use your hands to lift the mussels out of the dirty water.
Remove the beard by grasping it with a dry towel and yanking it out toward the hinge end of the mussel, which will prevent the mussel from dying. Scrub the mussels to remove any additional sand or barnacles, then rinse them under cool tap water, and set aside. Dry with a towel before cooking.
Pad Thai Perfection
Serves 4
Quite foolproof and bursting with flavor, make this recipe a regular part of your gourmet cooking rotation.
8 ounces dried wide rice noodles
¼ cup fish sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons cane sugar (may substitute light brown sugar)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced red Thai chili pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, diced
6 cups thinly sliced
Napa cabbage
1 bunch fresh cilantro
½ cup toasted and chopped unsalted peanuts
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 Put the rice noodles in a large bowl, and pour over enough boiling water to cover them and soften for about 20 minutes. Put the noodles into your steamer basket and allow them to drain. In a small bowl, whisk the fish sauce, vinegar, and cane sugar until the sugar dissolves, and set it aside.
2 Place your 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the ginger, chili, and garlic, sautéing for 1 minute. Add the diced chicken and sauté until completely cooked, about 2 minutes. Add the cabbage, half of the cilantro, half of the peanuts, and the fish sauce mixture. Sauté for 2 minutes or until the cabbage begins to wilt.
3 Add the noodles, and toss together until they are warm and coated with sauce.
Serve immediately. For individual plates, use tongs to twist high piles of the noodles in the center of soup bowls and garnish by pushing a small “bush” of cilantro into the side of each pile of noodles, a lime wedge to the side of that, and an even sprinkling of peanuts over the entire top. The exact same presentation will work for a large platter.
Superlative Stuffed Chicken Breast
Serves 4
This recipe is quick and easy to prepare with a small list of ingredients that takes you to gourmet heaven even if you think you’re living in CLK hell!
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces French goat cheese
4 airline chicken breasts
4 slices Prosciutto, paper thin
8 sage leaves, large
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Chefology
AIRLINE CHICKEN BREAST
This chicken is a fabulous restaurant secret that looks beautiful on the table. It’s a large breast with the bone, wing, and skin attached, which add flavor and moisture.
1 Preheat oven to 350°. Place your 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Cut the goat cheese into fourths. Carefully lift the skin on each breast (just be careful not to remove the skin entirely. You want one side to remain attached) and insert a piece of goat cheese. Top the goat cheese with a slice of Prosciutto and 2 sage leaves, and press the skin back down.
2 Season the top and bottom of each breast with salt and pepper. Carefully lay the chicken pieces skin side down in the sauté pan. Allow the skin to brown for 3 minutes, then turn each breast.
3 Place the entire sauté pan into the oven and cook the chicken for about 15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165°. Check its temperature by inserting the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, which should be near the bone that attaches to the breast. Serve immediately alongside just about anything, with no disappointment, but I would recommend a tall, soft pile o
f the Mashed Magnificence (p. 174) for the breast to lean up against with the wing high in the air, and some braised purple kale tucked into the side.
Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin
Serves 4
Cutting through the savory outside crust reveals a moist apricot filling making this a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds. Serve it with Roasted Vegetables (p. 171) and Espagnole Sauce (p. 204) for a standing ovation from even a crappy audience.
¼ cup minced fresh thyme
¼ cup minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
1 whole pork tenderloin, about a pound
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1 pound dried apricots, quartered
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Preheat oven to 350°. Toss the thyme, rosemary, and sage together in a small bowl, set aside. Season the pork with salt and pepper. In another bowl, combine the apricots with the minced garlic and parsley. Place the pork on the cutting board. Insert your bread knife into the short end of the tenderloin. Hold the pork steady with one hand lying flat on top of it, and carefully slice through the center of the pork lengthwise, creating a tunnel of sorts.
2 Stuff the garlicky apricot pieces into one end of the tenderloin tunnel until they start coming out the other side. Store any leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the fridge, and it will stay good for a week. Completely cover the outside of the pork with the herb mixture.
3 Place your 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat (any higher and you will burn your herbs) and add the olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, carefully place the tenderloin in the pan. Allow it to brown for 1 minute, and then turn it slightly. Repeat this until the tenderloin is brown all the way around, and then place it in the oven to finish cooking for 15 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°.
4 Carefully remove the tenderloin from the pan and place it on a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Then cut the tenderloin into ¼-inch disks. Pile the Roasted Vegetables (p. 171) high in the center of four dinner plates. Lean and fan out five disks of pork against the veggies. Drizzle the Espagnole Sauce (p. 204) over the pork, and serve immediately.
Did You Know This Crap?
It’s best to let meat “rest” after cooking. Don’t worry, the meat isn’t tired, it just needs a chance for its juices to redistribute, which will help the meat retain its moisture and flavor when sliced.
Rum-Infused,
Carmelized Pork Chops
Serves 4
I like to use a thick cut, bone-in, French-trimmed pork chop. French trimmed means the butcher has already scraped the bone ends clean for you, making an attractive gourmet display. Now you don’t have to French the pork chop yourself.
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon water
¼ cup rum
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 bone-in French-trimmed pork chops,
10 ounces each
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 banana, cut into
¼-inch slices
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 Preheat oven to 350°. In your 1-quart saucepot, whisk the sugar into the water until it is moist. Place this over medium heat and allow it to simmer. Once the bubbles have begun to get very large and the sugar turns a golden brown color, pull the pot away from the heat and pour in the rum. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and return the pot to cook down for about 10 minutes. Give it a good stir to make sure the caramel has come together (it should be thick and uniform at this point), and again remove it from the heat.
2 Place your 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Season each side of all four pork chops with salt and pepper. Once the pan has begun to smoke, carefully lay each pork chop into the pan to brown for 5 minutes on this side. Then turn them over, and place the entire pan into the oven to cook for 12 minutes.
3 Take the pan out of the oven and place the chops onto a serving platter. Return the pan to a burner set to medium-high heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted and foamy, add the slices of banana. Cook them for 2 minutes and then turn them over. Add the caramel sauce and heavy cream and again bring the sauce to a simmer. Keep the bananas intact by stirring gently around them.
4 Pour the sauce evenly over the pork chops, placing one banana slice on top of each chop, and serve immediately! Family style presentation is easy to plate and works well with a dramatic meal like this. With the pork chops plattered and ready to go, have another platter of roasted brussel sprouts and baby red potatoes (Roasted Vegetables p. 171) that you’ve sprinkled with red pepper flake to add a spicy contrast to the chop.
Daylight Come and Me
Want Pork Stew
Serves 10 to 12
Everything in this dish requires only a rough chop as opposed to a dice, making the preparation a snap, and if you utilize the leftover rice from the night before, it becomes a one-pot wonder.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ pounds boneless pork loin, cubed
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
30 ounces black beans, canned and rinsed
2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes (about 3 to 4)
1 cup chopped cherry or red peppers
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 plantain, sliced (don’t substitute bananas, they won’t hold up in this dish)
16 cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock
6 cups cooked jasmine rice (p. 176)
Red pepper flakes, as needed
1 Place your 12-quart stockpot on medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When it begins to smoke, add the pork to brown for 2 minutes while seasoning lightly with salt and pepper. Then turn each piece to brown all over. Add the beans, vegetables, and spices to the pork and sauté for 5 minutes.
2 Toss the plantain slices into the pork mixture and then add the stock. Raise the temperature to high, bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to medium. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the plantains are soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3 For individual servings, place 1 cup of cooked rice into the center of each bowl and then ladle the stew over the top. Garnish with a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Cherry Cassis Lamb Skewers
Serves 10
This recipe employs prepared veal demi-glace, which you can find in the freezer section of your gourmet market. By dressing up the demi-glace with shallots, garlic, dried cherries, and crème de cassis, no one will ever guess the base of the sauce is store-bought.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup crème de cassis (black currant liquor)
½ cup dried cherries
1 cup prepared veal demi-glace
2 pounds lamb top round
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
36 wooden skewers,
6 inches long
Swap It
Make this exact recipe using duck breast instead of lamb for an equally impressive result.
1 Preheat the oven to 400°. Place your 1-quart saucepot over medium-heat and add the butter. Once it is melted, add the shallots and garlic, and sauté until the garlic is soft and the shallots are translucent. Pour in the crème de cassis, raise the temperature to high, and allow it to reduce by half. Then stir in the dried cherries and the demi-glace and reduce to a simmer. Allow this to thicken while you make the skewers.
2 Using a very sharp chef’s knife, slice your lamb into ¼-inch thick strips that are about 4-inches long by 1-inch wide. Season the lam
b lightly with sea salt and black pepper. Tightly lay the seasoned strips in a single layer on a sheet tray. Place the sheet of lamb into the oven for 6 minutes or until golden brown, and remove them to cool slightly.
3 When cool enough to handle, weave each piece of lamb onto its own skewer. Taste your cassis sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Then use a pastry brush to paint each skewer heavily with sauce. Serve immediately. These tasty morsels also make a great party appetizer.
Braised Short Ribs
Long on Taste
Serves 4
Hope your guests are ready to get their hands dirty! This finger-licking, one-pot wonder is the perfect gourmet dish for hungry company.
¼ cup olive oil
6 pounds English-style beef short ribs
Sea salt, as needed
Black pepper, as needed
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups large dice yellow onion
1 cup large dice carrot
1 cup large dice celery
¼ cup minced garlic
½ cup fresh brewed coffee
1 cup red wine
3 cups beef stock
8 ounces canned, crushed tomatoes
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 Preheat oven to 400°. Put a Dutch oven or braising pan on the stovetop, heat to medium-high heat, and add the olive oil.
2 Season the short ribs heavily with salt and pepper, then dredge each piece lightly in flour.
3 When the pan begins to smoke, lay one rib on its side into the oil. Let it brown for about 5 minutes, and then turn it slightly to begin browning the other side. Once it is dark on all sides, remove from the pan and begin again. Repeat this for all the ribs, and feel free to brown more than one at a time.
Swap It
IF YOU PREFER more of a barbeque flavor to the traditional braise, substitute a tablespoon of chipotle and ¼ cup of honey for the coffee.
4 Reduce the heat to medium, and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Move the vegetables around in the pan using your heat resistant spatula to make them cook more evenly. When they have begun to soften and caramelize slightly, add the garlic and coffee.
Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens Page 10