After a long break - another Last Supper: #19 Mario Batali

Four months until Christmas and I already have one thing on my list. Melanie Dunea is publishing a sequel to My Last Supper. A few years ago, my boss gave me a copy for Christmas which inspired me to start Project Last Supper. Sadly, it went by the wayside. But recently, my husband asked me what ever happened to my little pet project. An innocent question turned into my new personal challenge: bring life back to project last supper... and maybe, just maybe, start a sequel when the new book comes out.

I flipped though my notes from what I'd done and what chefs I had left. Could it be that I had neglected to prepare the last supper of Mario Batali?? His wish list numbered 8 items - I chose 3 to make it a reasonable meal. I did his very own recipe for mozzarella en carozza, his grilled lobster with limoncello vinaigrette and this one: Flat pasta with shrimp and zucchini. It's as pretty as it is tasty. I took advantage of the season and used yellow zucchini from my local farmer's market and purple basil from my own yard. Add the green of the basil in the pasta and the gorgeous pink shrimp and this dish is a beauty.

We'll see if I can keep making progress. If I do, perhaps a copy of Dunea's new book should be my reward (smile!)





Flat pasta with shrimp and zucchini
Adapted from Molto Italiano by Mario Batali

DOUGH
2 bunches basil
4 cups cake flour
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese

CONDIMENT
Salt
10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick half-moons (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
2 cups dry white wine
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound rock shrimp, or medium shrimp, peeled
1/4 cup fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
Freshly ground black pepper


MAKE THE DOUGH
Bring a pot of water to a boil and fill a bowl with ice cubes and water. Blanch the basil in the boiling water for 10 seconds, then refresh in the ice water. Drain and chop finely; you should have 1/4 cup. Make a mound of the flour, then make a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well, pour the milk over and add the basil. Using a fork, stir the egg mixture slowly into the four ingredients to form a wet dough. Add the grated cheese and, working now with your hands, bring the dough together and knead for 8 to 10 minutes to form a smooth dough. Allow to rest for 15 minutes covered with plastic wrap.

Set up a pasta rolling machine and cut off a piece of pasta dough the size of a tennis ball. Roll the pasta through the rollers on the widest setting, then fold it in thirds and run it through again on the same setting. Repeat this three times, being careful to add very little flour, as it will dry out the pasta. Run the pasta through the next two thinner settings. It should be quite thick.

Lay a sheet of pasta onto a floured cutting board and use a knife to cut crosswise into 1/3-inch strips. Lay the cut noodles on a kitchen towel and cover with another towel. Roll and cut the remaining pasta the same way.

MAKE THE CONDIMENT
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. In a 12- to 14-inch sauté pan, heat 6 tablespoons of the oil and the garlic over medium heat until the garlic is light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the zucchini pieces and cook until just soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pepper flakes, wine and butter, then bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and remove from the heat.
Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until tender, yet al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain and toss into the pan with the shrimp and cook over high heat until the shrimp are just done, about 1 minute, and pasta and sauce are well combined. Add the parsley and toss in the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil. Pour into a heated bowl and serve with plenty of freshly ground pepper.

Rizogalo: Greek rice pudding

I love Greek food, so I was naturally excited when our new team intern at the office instituted a monthly international lunch and the theme for the inaugural event was Greek. The concept was simple: each month we'd designate a cuisine and everyone would bring in a dish representative of that cuisine to share for a team lunch. I immediately thought of about a dozen dishes, but then cold, stark reality set in. See, many of my teammates do not share my willingness to try just about anything you set in front of me (cross off grilled baby octopus salad). In fact, we have 2 vegetarians (cross off chicken souvlaki), and some other limitations as well. Plus, the lunch was on a Friday and I had a late meeting the evening before...
Oh and perhaps the most limiting: the only means of heating food in the office is a MICROWAVE!?!

I mean, come on, spanikopita in a microwave? (Somebody's little Greek grandmother just turned over in her grave at the very mention of it.)

So I needed something new... something I could make with ingredients I already had, in a limited amount of time and that would not need reheating... Thus, my quest led me to Rizogalo, or Greek rice pudding. I made a modified version of a recipe I found on Food for the Thoughtless. I scanned the ingredients and yes, I had all of them!

I don't really like rice pudding - or at least I thought I didn't, but this is GOOD. Sprinkled with a little cinnamon and a few toasted almonds. Delish!

The lunch was a hit - we had stuffed grape leaves, lots of hummus, a couple of Greek salads, olives, cheeses... and rice pudding for dessert!

Next month we've chosen Italian... So we'll have to see what I come up with for that one... In the meantime, give this a whirl and leave a comment to let me know what you think.

Rizogalo: Greek rice pudidng

Ingredients:
4 ½ cups whole milk
3/4 cups arborio rice
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or more to taste)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Cinnamon  and toasted almonds for garnish

Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a boil, then let simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add rice and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently (think of it as a very loose risotto– you want to release the rice starch).

Temper the egg yolks with some of the hot milk, then add the yolk/milk mixture to the simmering rice. Stir in sugar. Continue to cook, stirring frequently (almost constantly) until you can draw a line in the custardy sauce on the back of a wooden spoon.  Add Vanilla extract. If you like your rice pudding loose and very creamy, stop cooking now. If you like it firmer and drier, continue to cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Pour out into a large bowl to cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, garnish with cinnamon and toasted almonds.

Steamed Lobster in Gingered Lime and Scallion Broth with Baby Bok Choy

My little eclair has gone mobile. No, no cell phone yet - not that kind of mobile. She started crawling (and is quickly bumping and bruising her way to walking). So when did this all begin? Oh, round about the time of my last post. (Moms reading this post are smiling right now with a note of recognition.) So instead of cooking and blogging, I've been chasing - and what fun it is. I simply adore that little tush crawling around the house - right through anything in her way.

It's taken awhile, but we're adjusting. Cabinets are locked, gates abound. She recently discovered that the handle on the oven makes a fabulous monkey bar. (Off I went to Babies R Us for an oven lock). But the kitchen's heating up as everything else settles down.

As is usually the case at this time of year in the Northeast, lobster prices are right about the same level as deli meat. So we had our share of steamed lobster and then I ventured out to try a few new recipes... This one is pretty simple to prepare and tastes great. We added more cayenne and salt and I switched the original shitake mushrooms to oyster mushrooms (hubby hates shitakes). The original calls for 6 lobsters, but I cut it down to two and kept the broth proportions about the same - that likely accounts for the lack of saltiness...

Ah and word to the wise - the veg stock used here is made from fennel, celery and onion with parsley and thyme. So don't think you can skate through with store bought stock...

Steamed Lobster in Gingered Lime and Scallion Broth with Baby Bok Choy
adapted from Fresh from the Market by Laurent Tourondel



2 live lobsters, 2 pounds each
1/2 cup Chablis or another dry white wine
3 cups Vegetable Stock (see below)
6-8 oyster mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons matchstick-size strips peeled fresh ginger
11/2 tablespoons ginger juice (see below)
6 baby bok choy
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Zest of 2 limes
Pinch of cayenne pepper

To make the ginger juice, grate a 5-inch piece of fresh, peeled ginger onto a piece of cheese cloth, then squeeze the juice into a small dish.

Vegetable stock
1 onion, thinly sliced

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced
5 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bunch parsley stems
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Directions
Combine the onion, celery, fennel, thyme, parsley stems, and peppercorns in a medium pot along with 2 tablespoons water and place over medium heat. Sweat the vegetables just until they begin to wilt, making sure they do not develop any color. Add 6 cups of cold water and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming the top as necessary with a ladle or spoon.

Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl set over a bowl of ice water to cool. Discard the solids. Once the stock has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container. The stock will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or several weeks in the freezer.


Prepare the broth
Holding the lobster body in 1 hand and the tail in the other hand, twist the lobster until the body and tail separate. Repeat with the remaining lobster. Using the back of a chef’s knife, crack the claws off the lobster bodies just below the knuckles. Reserve the bodies for making lobster stock or freeze them for another use.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the lobster claws and cook until the shells become bright red and the claw meat is just barely cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer the claws to a bowl of ice water.

Once cool, remove the claw meat from the shells.

Using a chef’s knife, cut the lobster tails in half lengthwise and discard any intestines that may be clinging to the tail.

Leave the meat in the shells. Bring the Chablis to boil in a large saucepan. Add the lobster tails, flesh side down, and the vegetable stock. Cover and cook until the lobster meat is just barely cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Remove the tails from the broth.
Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the broth into a clean medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add the shitake mushrooms, ginger, and ginger juice to the broth and simmer until the ginger is soft, about 3 minutes. Strain the broth again through a fine-mesh strainer and into a large saucepan, reserving the mushrooms and ginger.

Finish the broth
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the bok choy and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
Immediately transfer the bok choy to a bowl of ice water and allow to cool.

Using an immersion blender, blend the cold butter into the strained broth until emulsified.

Return the reserved mushrooms and ginger, lobster claw meat, and blanched bok choy to the broth along with the scallions, cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, and cayenne and continue to cook over low heat for 2 minutes.

To serve
Divide the lobster tails among 6 large shallow bowls. Arrange the claw meat and 1 bok choy over each lobster tail. Spoon the sauce and vegetables over the lobster tails and claws and serve.

Halibut a la Barigoule

Each year, we host Mother's Day dinner at our house. Last year, 7 months pregnant, I decided on a Greek menu because it's nice and easy. This year, with a 10-month-old, I picked another easy menu: steaks, grilled veggies, a couple appetizers... nothing fancy. Mom was bringing a tray of her famous manicotti. Perfect - and simple enough to let me enjoy the day with my tiny one. But instead of hosting a party, I was a mom.

A few days before Mother's Day, little one's school informed us that Coxsackie Virus was making its way around the baby room... I arrived for the Mother's Day tea to find a baby with a fever. She awoke the next day with a few of the tell-tale spots that accompany the virus so I quickly rang Grandma to cancel the festivities. Even though she was sick with little spots all over her precious face and hands, she was still the best part of Mother's Day. We had a picnic in the park and played all day. It might not have been what we'd planned, but it was perfect all the same.

Aside from spending time with her, I wanted a nice meal. Halibut happens to be my all-time favorite fish and this particular recipe is fantastic. Lots of basil, artichokes, beans with a hint of bacon. So this was my Mother's Day dinner. It's great for a special occasion - it would also be goosd for a dinner party: you can make the barigoule ahead of time and just stir in the basil at the end and cook the fish. Don't forget to soak the beans a day ahead!



Halibut a la Barigoule
adapted from the Balthazar Cookbook by Keith McNally

2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
½ pint pearl onions, peeled
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch half-moons
12 baby artichokes, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 cup white wine
5 cups chicken stock
1 cup white beans (recipe follows)
6 halibut fillets
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Prepare the Basil Purée:
Prepare an ice-water bath in a medium bowl and bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the basil and blanch for 1 minute. Strain, plunge the leaves into the ice bath, and reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water. Remove the leaves from the ice water and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible. Place in the work bowl of a food processor along with the reserved ¼ cup of liquid and process until smooth, green, and bright. Refrigerate until needed.

Cook the Artichokes:
Wrap the coriander seeds, peppercorns, and bay leaf in cheesecloth to make a sachet. Set aside. Heat ¼ cup of olive oil in a large sauté pan over a medium flame. Add the onions and garlic along with 1 teaspoon of salt and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and herb sachet and cook for 5 minutes.

When the carrots have softened, add the sliced artichokes and the wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce the liquid by half, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the cooked white beans, if using, and keep warm over a low flame while the halibut is cooked.
Cook the Fish:
Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Dry the halibut fillets and season with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and the ¼ teaspoon white pepper.
Use 2 large sauté pans to cook the fish or, if using 1 pan, cook the fish in 2 batches. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the sauté pan until the oil smokes. Place 3 of the fillets in the pan and cook for 2 minutes per side. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven to finish cooking for 5 minutes, or until the fish just begins to flake around the edges.
Just before serving, remove the spice sachet from the broth, add the basil puree, and add the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil. Stir well to combine, and spoon the warm barigoule sauce into 6 shallow bowls, with a halibut fillet in the center.

Serves 6. To adapt it for two, I made the beans as shown, but reserved some for another use. I halved everything else and used just 2 halibut filets.

White Beans
adapted from the Balthazar Cookbook by Keith McNally

1/2 pound dried white beans
1 leek
2 cups chicken stock
1 carrot, peeled and cut into thirds
1 celery stalk, cut into thirds
1 medium onion, halved
half a head of garlic, cut through the equator
1 Tbsp. coarse salt (less if your stock is salty)
3 thick slices smoked bacon, cut into lardons
Bouquet garni made with 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp. black peppercorns, 6 sprigs parsley and 3 springs thyme

Put the beans in a large bowl, cover with cold water and soak overnight.

The next day, drain the beans in a colander and rince with cold water. Transfer to a pot and cover with water. bring to a boil over high heat. When the foam subsides, drain and rinse the beans again.

Return the beans to the pot with the remaining ingredients. (Careful with the salt - your stock and bacon will also add saltiness). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim off any foam that rises to the top. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the beans are cooked. Taste them often to be sure you get the right consistency.

Chocolate Pots de Creme

For those of you wondering where I've been, I have an excuse. And I think it's a good excuse. I've been occupied with wagon rides, story time (Dr. Suess's A-B-C is our current fave), outings in our rainbow tent, and more. As a matter fact, just this evening, we had our very first dance party. Mind you, mom and dad are not exactly great dancers so I'm doubting my little one will have a future in it, but tonight, while Cookie Monster crooned away about all things cookie, my family was dancing and grooving.

Our little not-quite-10-month-old has recently figured out how to pull herself to standing. So tonight she pulled herself up and started bopping to the music, grinning from ear to ear. I tried to get a video but apparently my iPhone doesn't like to run the video camera AND Pandora at the same time... I'll be better prepared next time because the wee one was either really, really proud of herself or laughing at mom and dad's awful dance moves... I'm sure if the neighbors could see us they got quite a chuckle as well...

But more about dance parties another time. Bottom line, being a mom is just plain great and seems to get better all the time... I don't have as much time to cook, but every now and again, I get ambitious. These Pots de Creme are easy - I put them in the oven while Dad fed the baby and they were set and chilled by the time we finished dinner.

What are Pots de Creme? My husband asked me the same thing. I described it as kind of like mousse, but when he tasted it, we agreed it was denser and richer. (and yummier).



Chocolate Pots de Creme
adapted from Good Food by Neil Perry

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk (I used 1%)
2 1/2 oz. good quality dark chocolate
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. Caster or superfine sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Makes 4

Place the cream and milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring almost to a boil, then remove from heat. Add the chocolate and stir until the chocolate has completely melted.

Preheat the oven to 325F. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together in a bowl. Temper the eggs by adding a little of the chocolate mixture to the eggs and whisk. Add the remaining chocolate mixture to the eggs and whisk until well combined.

Pour evenly into 4 mugs or ramekins. Place in a roasting pan and pour boiling water around them about halfway up the sides of the dishes. Place in the lower third of the oven and bake until just set, about 25 minutes. Remove the cups to a wire rack to cool, then chill before serving.

Serve with whipped cream or berries if desired.

Burrata with speck, peas and mint

Burrata is one of those things I've heard about and read about but had never actually tasted. It turns up again and again in cookbooks, especially my two new favorites: Harvest to Heat and Fresh from the Market. So when I was in Kings Supermarket in Garwood a couple weeks ago and saw it on the shelf, I had to have it. I bought one and decided to figure out what to with it it later... (much like the D'Artagnan rabbit I bought on the same trip - he will make his appearance here soon!)

I saw this recipe and loved its simplicity. It became the first course of a Sunday dinner Jeff and I had. The verdict on burrata: my oh my. It's rich, luxurious and one of the tastiets things I've ever had the pleasure of consuming. No kidding. We both actually felt the speck overpowered it just a tad. I'll make the same recipe again but try it with regular prosciutto... Either way, it's elegant and divine. If you can find burrata, give it a go. The rest is easy.



Burrata with speck, peas and mint
adapted from Harvest to Heat  by Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer

3/4 cup fresh peas
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, julienned
1/2 to 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 slices speck
1 8-oz. piece fresh burrata, sliced just before serving

Heat a small saucepan of water over high heat. Add the peas and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and cool under running water.

In a small bowl, combine the peas, mint, lemon juice to taste, olive oil, 2 Tbsp. Parmigiano-Reggiano, and salt and pepper. Stir well but gently to combine.

Arrange 4 slices of speck on each of two plates. Arrange half the burrata over the speck on each plate. Top with a mound of the pea mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Chicken tagine with harissa, artichokes and grapes

New combinations of foods I love are always welcome in my kitchen. I'm definitely skeptical about some (for example grilled cucumber). But for the most part, I tend to like the way things turn out. This recipe is one of those. If you've visited Ladyberd's Kitchen before, no doubt you know how I adore tagines. This one is light and healthy - it uses boneless, skinless chicken breasts, very little fat, and plenty of fresh vegetables. The grapes, though, left me a little wary. But the first bite I popped in my mouth laid my worries to rest - they're a bright little burst of sweetness against the spice of the harissa.

This is also a great recipe for weeknights - I tossed the chicken in the marinade in the morning and the dish comes togetehr in no time at all. Love those. Serve it with some simple quick-cooking couscous or flatbread and you're good to go.

Chicken tagine with harissa, artichokes and grapes
adapted from Tagine by Ghillie Basan

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 preserved lemon, thinly sliced
2 onions, sliced
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. harissa (or more to taste)
2 tsp. tomato paste
1 1/4 cups chicken stock or water
1 can artichokes hearts in water, drained and quartered
16 green grapes, halved
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the marinade
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground turmeric
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. olive oil

First, make the marinade. In a bowl, mix together the garlic, turmeric, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss the chicken in the mixture, then cover and leave in refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours.


Heat the oil in a tagine or heavy-based casserole dish. Stir in the onions, preserved lemon, and the sugar and saute for 2-3 minutes, until slightly caramelized. Toss in the marinated chicken, then add the harissa and tomato paste. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover with lid and cook gently for 15 minutes.

Toss in the artichokes, cover with lid again, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the grapes with some of the cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro to serve.