Winter Gatherings
Page 5
¼ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes, or more to taste
Salt
3 cooked and cracked Dungeness crabs (see Cracked Crab with Green Goddess Dip, Chapter 3), about 2 pounds each
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
* * *
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and fennel. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and increase the heat to high. Boil until the wine is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and their puree, the tomato sauce, clam juice, oregano, basil, fennel seed, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until lightly thickened, about 1 hour. Season with salt to taste and more pepper flakes, if you wish.
3. Add the cracked crab to the pot and cover. Cook just until the until the crab is heated through, about 3 minutes.
4. Using a ladle and tongs, transfer the cioppino to deep soup bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot. Tell your guests that it is perfectly fine (if not imperative) to pick up the crab with their fingers.
Variation
Crabmeat Cioppino: I admit that eating classic crab cioppino in the shell is a little sloppy. For a more elegant presentation, substitute shelled crabmeat for the cracked crab. If using fresh crab, remove the crabmeat from the three cooked crabs, and stir the shelled crabmeat into the cioppino broth. Or use 1 pound of cooked lump crabmeat (preferably not pasteurized), picked over for shells and cartilage.
Cracked Crab with Green Goddess Dip
Makes 4 servings
One of the best meals I ever had was at a prewedding dinner for my friends Roseanne and George Dobbins. It was in San Francisco, and all we ate was a mountain of sweet, cracked Dungeness crab with this dip, sourdough bread, and a modest green salad, downed with bottles of Chardonnay. Live Dungeness crabs used to be available only on the West Coast during their winter season, but they are now sold all over the country at many supermarkets and Asian grocers. While you can easily buy freshly cooked and cracked crab from Seattle to San Diego, outside of that region, you may have to cook the crabs yourself. Here’s how, and it is the method to use if you are making the cioppino on Chapter 3.
* * *
GREEN GODDESS DIP
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1½ cups mayonnaise
3 tablespoons nonpareil capers, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
Freshly ground black pepper
4 live Dungeness crabs, about 2 pounds each
* * *
1. To make the dip, whisk together the lemon zest and juice with the anchovy paste in a medium bowl to dissolve the anchovy paste. Add the mayonnaise, capers, parsley, chives, and tarragon. Season with pepper to taste. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (The dip can be made up to 3 days ahead.)
2. Bring a very large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Using tongs, add 1 crab to the pot and cover. Cook for 3 minutes, then set the lid ajar. Continue cooking until the crab is deep red-orange, about 20 minutes (or about 15 minutes for smaller crabs). Using tongs, transfer the crab to a large bowl of cold water, and let stand until easy to handle. Repeat with the remaining crabs, adding more boiling water to the pot as needed. (See Note.)
3. To clean and crack the crabs, work with 1 crab at a time. Turn the crab upside down. Locate and pull off the small triangular “apron” in the lower center of the crab. Pull off the small flippers at the front of the crab. Pull off the top shell in one piece, discarding the shell and any liquid in it. Discard the reddish membrane and any viscera in the body. (Some people save the yellow “fat,” but there isn’t much and it isn’t worth it, in my opinion.) Rinse the body under cold running water. Remove the legs and claws. Using a flat meat cleaver, crack the shells of the legs and claws. Using a heavy knife, cut the body into quarters. Transfer all of the crab pieces to a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 and up to 12 hours.
4. Serve chilled, with nutcrackers, shellfish forks, and bowls for the shells, as well as individual bowls of the dip.
Note
Even if you have a huge pot, it is most efficient to cook the crabs one at a time. The water should be boiling furiously when the crab is added, which will hasten its final dispatching. Two pots of water will speed things up.
Rib Roast with Blue Cheese Crust
Makes 6 servings
To many cooks, a large, impressive rib roast is the main course of choice for a winter holiday feast. No matter how many other options present themselves, I usually fall back on good old rib roast myself. In an effort to make it different than the straightforward version I’ve offered in the past, here is a glorious roast with a delicious crust to accent the lush meat. I like this roast just as it is, but you can serve a sauceboat of homemade beef stock alongside to make it “au jus.”
* * *
One 3½-pound rib roast
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
½ cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese (see Note)
* * *
1. Trim excess fat from the surface of the roast. Season the roast all over with the salt and pepper. Let the roast stand at room temperature for at least 1 and up to 2 hours.
2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F. Stand the roast, bone side down, in a roasting pan. Roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Continue roasting for 1 hour more.
3. Remove the roast in the pan from the oven. Spread the mustard over the top of the roast. Mix the bread crumbs and blue cheese together in a small bowl. Press the crumb mixture in a layer over the mustard. Return to the oven and roast until the crust is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the meat registers 130°F for medium-rare meat. (If the crust has browned before the roast is cooked to the desired temperature, tent the roast with aluminum foil.)
4. Carefully transfer the roast to a carving board and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Carve the roast and serve hot.
Note
For a truly luxurious version, use Roquefort cheese. However, I have used less expensive Maytag Blue and Danish Blue with great success.
Roast Eye of Round with Dijon-Caper Sauce
Makes 6 servings
If there isn’t room in the budget for prime rib, don’t give up on roast beef. There are other flavorful, and less expensive, cuts of beef, too. For the best results, eye of round should be cooked no more than medium-rare, and sliced thin. Serve it with the Root Vegetables Anna (Chapter 5) and a simple green vegetable, such as steamed green beans.
* * *
ROAST BEEF
One 3-pound eye of round beef roast
Salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
DIJON-CAPER SAUCE
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups beef stock, preferably homemade, or use canned low-sodium broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons nonpareil capers, drained and rinsed
* * *
1. To prepare the beef, trim off extraneous fat and sinew. Season all over with salt. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting.
2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, tu
rning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a carving board. Mix the thyme, basil, and pepper together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the herb mixture all over the beef. Transfer the beef to a roasting rack in a roasting pan.
3. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the roast reads 130°F, about 45 minutes. Transfer the beef to a carving board. Let stand about 15 minutes while making the sauce.
4. To make the sauce, place the roasting pan over medium heat. Add the butter to the pan drippings in the pan and melt. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the stock and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking often, until reduced to 1¼ cups, about 6 minutes. Whisk in the mustard and capers. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a sauceboat.
5. Carve the beef into thin slices and serve hot with the sauce.
Braised Short Ribs with Dark Beer and Root Vegetables
Makes 6 servings
It really breaks my heart to see boneless cuts of meat taking over the butcher case at the market. Every good cook knows that stews made with bone-in cuts give flavor to the braising liquid, and also add body as they give off their gelatin into the simmering sauce. Here is a fine braise, chock-full of meaty short ribs (look for the ones that are cut into individual bones, and not the cross-cut flanken) and earthy root vegetables. Make plenty of mashed potatoes to serve alongside.
* * *
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
5 pounds short ribs, cut into 3-inch lengths
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 medium carrots, 1 finely chopped and 2 cut into 1-inch chunks
1 small celery rib with leaves, finely chopped
½ cup coarsely chopped shallots
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
Two 12-ounce bottles dark beer
2 cups beef stock, preferably homemade, or use canned low-sodium broth
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 medium parsnips, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 large red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
* * *
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300°F.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a very large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the short ribs with the salt and pepper. In batches, add the short ribs to the Dutch oven and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the Dutch oven. Add the finely chopped carrot and celery, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring up the browned bits in the Dutch oven with a wooden spatula, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the shallots and cook until they soften, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the butter and melt. Sprinkle in the flour and let bubble for 1 minute. Whisk in the beer, then the stock, brown sugar, mustard, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat. Return the short ribs to the Dutch oven, meaty sides down.
5. Cover and bake for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and stir in the parsnips, potatoes, and remaining carrots. Return to the oven and continue baking until the vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes longer. Skim off any fat on the surface, and serve hot, garnished with the parsley.
Sauerbraten
Makes 6 servings
My cousin Judy and I love to swap recipes, especially those that remind us of our family’s Austrian (actually Liechtensteiner!) heritage. She asked if I had a good recipe for the marinated spiced pot roast sauerbraten, and by coincidence, I had just developed this recipe a few days before. The trick for using balsamic vinegar comes from my German-born friend Erna Zahn, and as far as cooking is concerned, what she says goes. Remember: the beef needs to marinate for at least 2 days before braising. And, if you’re going to make sauerbraten, you may as well serve Mom’s Red Cabbage (Chapter 5) and Homemade Spaetzle with Herb Butter (Chapter 4), too.
* * *
MARINADE
1½ cups hearty red wine, such as Shiraz
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
4 quarter-sized slices fresh ginger
1 teaspoon allspice berries
½ teaspoon whole cloves
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
½ teaspoon yellow mustard seed
One 3-inch cinnamon stick
3 bay leaves
One 3-pound beef rump roast
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 bacon strips, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more as needed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 cups beef stock, preferably homemade, or use low-sodium canned broth
½ cup crushed gingersnap cookies
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* * *
1. At least 3 days before cooking, make the marinade. Mix all of the ingredients with 1 cup water in a large, deep, nonreactive bowl. Add the rump roast and cover. Refrigerate, turning occasionally in the marinade, for at least 2 and up to 3 days.
2. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. Season with the salt and pepper. Strain the marinade and reserve 2 cups.
3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F.
4. Cook the bacon and oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the bacon is crisp and browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour the fat into a small heatproof bowl.
5. Return 2 tablespoons of the fat to the Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes, adding more vegetable oil as needed. Transfer to a plate.
6. Add the remaining bacon fat to the Dutch oven and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved marinade and stock, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the beef and reserved bacon, and return to the boil.
7. Cover tightly and bake, turning the meat occasionally in the liquid, until fork-tender, about 3½ hours. Transfer the meat to a platter and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.
8. Skim off the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to about 2 cups, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the gingersnaps and cook until lightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Slice the sauerbraten across the grain. Spoon the sauce on top and serve hot.