Buttermilk Scallion Skillet Corn Bread
1 stick unsalted butter
6 scallions
2 cups stoneground yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable shortening or rendered bacon fat
4 large eggs
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter and cool. Finely chop scallions. Into a bowl, sift together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Heat a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet in middle of oven for 10 minutes. Put shortening or bacon fat in skillet and heat 5 minutes (was too long for me! only did a minute or two). Swish skillet to coat.
While skillet is heating, make batter: separate eggs. In large bowl with an electric mixer, beat yolks until pale and beat in butter and buttermilk. In bowl with cleaned beaters, beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Stir flour mixture into yolk mixture and fold in egg whites and scallions gently but thoroughly. Pour batter into hot skillet and, working quickly, spread evenly.
Bake corn bread in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
I made ahh-mazing ragu with things mom had sent in a care package. I highly recommend this recipe, for there's nothing better than a thick hearty meat sauce to go on top of some good ol' pasta.
Ragù con Porcini e Pinoli alla Ligure
Ragù with Porcini and Pine Nuts in the Style of Liguria
1/2 cup (30g) dried porcini*
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, very finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/4 pounds fresh or canned drained plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
*subsitute 1/4 pounds fresh porcini, chanterelles, cremini, or shiitake mushrooms for the dried porcini
Soak the dried porcini in 3/4 cup of warm water for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Squeeze out the excess water and then chop the porcini. Strain the liquid through paper towels and reserve.
Warm the oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft, 3-4 minutes.
Add the ground beef and salt, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat and turn it so that it browns evenly. Saute until light brown on the surface but still pinkish inside, about 5 minutes.
Pour in the wine and allow it to evaporate, about 2 minutes. Add the porcini, pine nuts, rosemary, bay leaf, and tomato paste. Stir, then add the porcini soaking liquor (substitue with 3/4 cup broth). Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes and simmer, partially covered, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick and aromatic, about 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Check for salt and add pepper.
Some time ago, Jesse had a craving for roasted chicken, so I found a recipe for him to do. Well, I did all the prep work and he cooked the chicken. I'll still pass it off as his work ;) Don't mind the sauteed zucchini, squash, and shrooms in the picture. Just something I whipped up with leftovers!
Roasted Chicken with Herb Butter
3-4 pounds organic free-range chicken
1 medium onion, unpeeled and cut lengthwise into sections
4 tbsp dry white wine (didn't have any, so we used beer)
6 tbsp butter, room temperature
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp finely snipped chives or finely chopped scallion
1 tsp finely chopped fresh tarragon or thyme leaves
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
First, make the herb butter. Put the butter in a bowl and beat it with a wooden spoon to soften it. Add the chopped herbs, scallion if using, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Stir the ingredients together, then beat them vigorously until combined. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare the chicken*, putting two onion sections in the cavity of the bird before tying the legs with string. Put the remaining onion in the roasting pan.
Put the rack in the pan and place the bird on the rack. Spread the herb butter liberally all over the bird (I stuffed some of the butter under the breast skin), then spoon the white wine into the pan.
Turn the chicken upside down (on its boob) and roast for about 20 minutes or until browned, then turn it over so that it is breasy side up and baste it with the buttery cooking juices.
Return the chicken to the oven and roast for 55-70 minutes more, or until the thickest part registers 160 degrees when probe of instant-read thermometer is inserted.
Wrap the chicken in a large sheet of foil, then let it rest for about 15 minutes. Remove the rack and onion from the pan and make the gravy**
*Preparing a chicken:
With your fingers, pull off the excess white fat on both sides of the opening at the tail end of the bird.
Wipe the cavity with paper towels, then use a fresh piece to wipe the skin. The skin crisps better if dry.
Turn the bird breast side down and pull the neck skin over the neck cavity. If you like, cut off the excess skin with scissors to neaten it.
Twist the wings around so the tips come up and over the skin to secure it. Turn the bird breast side up and tie the legs together with string.
**Making gravy:
Tilt the roasting pan so the juices settle in one corner, then spoon off most of the fat, leaving the dark juices in the pan. Discard the surplus fat. Put the roasting pan on the burner, over medium heat.
Sprinkle 2 tsp all-purpose flour over the juices in the pan and whisk with a coil whisk over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the flour browns a little.
Pour in 1 1/4 cups hot stock and bring to boil, whisking all the time. If you like, add 4 tbsp white or red wine; whisk to mix. Simmer for 2 minutes then check for seasoning.
Keys to success:
Defrost a frozen bird thoroughly before you prepare it, or it will not cook thoroughly. Pierce the wrapping, then stand the bird on paper towels in a container. Let stand in refrigerator for 36 hours until no ice crystals remain in the cavity.
For the skin to be crisp, it must be completely dry before cooking, so wipe it well with paper towels (do before rubbing on butter). This is especially important if the bird has been frozen, because it is often quite wet after defrosting.
If the breast skin shows signs of overbrowning during roasting, remove the chicken from oven, cover it with a "tent" of foil, and then return to oven.
For some time, I actually could afford going to the Farmer's Market [gasps]and was on a big late summer / fall vegetables kick.
There was an article full of heart-warming pictures of Chef Ramsey cooking with his daughter (aw man I'm so jealous of that little sweetheart! I mean, g'damn Ramsey's her dad!!) and there was a recipe for..
Sauteed Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, and Basil
six servings
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 cups small cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup halved pitted Kalamata olives
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, garlic, and rosemary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until zucchini is just tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and olives. Saute until tomatoes just begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Mix in basil and vinegar. Season vegetables to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.
..which I paired with
Potato-Onion Gratin (not pictured)
six servings
3 tbsp olive oil, divided + more for brushing
4 cups thinly sliced onions
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 pounds Yukon Gold, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
Heat 2 tbsp oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until onions are golden, about 8 minutes. Add thyme and rosemary; saute two minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish with oil. Arrange 1/3 of potatoes in dish. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Top potatoes with half of the onion mixture. Repeat; finish top layer with potatoes. Pour broth over and drizzle with 1 tbsp oil.
Cover dish with foil. Bake potatoes 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until potatoes are tender and top is golden, about 25 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.
Simple and delicious! I can't remember if I cooked meat to go with that, or if I did a vegetarian dinner. Humm good both ways!
Here, is a sort of pad-thai thing. Sliced carrots and zucchini sauteed until softened, organic packaged udon noodles added to the mix, and then covered in a sauce of peanut butter, coconut milk, teriyaki sauce, curry paste, and garlic. Sauteed until sauce's thick and coats the noodles. Pretty darn good, and easy! Add marinated baked tofu or chicken to the mix if ya wish.
