Entrees

Bouchon’s Parisienne Gnocchi

March 30, 2010 By Steve Dunn 15 Comments

Alright, let’s just get this over with, shall we?

Here it is, the last Keller recipe in the pipe-line. Not that any of you have been complaining, in fact, over the past few days I’ve received more than a few requests from readers to “Keep Cooking Keller”, but in an effort to offer you all a better balanced and wide ranging selection of recipes to cook with your kids, this will be the last we see of our friend for a while…..I’m all verklempt.

I don’t know about you, but I do find that I’ll roll with a particular chef, a new cookbook, or even a style of cooking for some period of time in order to really pull a lot from the experience. I do think it helps to spend some unhurried time with a chef, or perhaps a “regional” style of cooking to really come to understand him/it, and so I have enjoyed finally cooking some of Keller’s fab food, and I hope you have too. I’m sure we’ll get back to his great food some day in the not too distant future, like maybe if someone buys me his new book “Ad Hoc at Home” for my birthday this year….anyone….anyone?

Anise, Basil and Vanilla Marinara Sauce

March 23, 2010 By Steve Dunn 10 Comments

I know what you’re thinking….because when I first heard of this sauce (or I should say, the recipe that inspired this sauce), I thought the same thing too.

WHO IS THE FREAK THAT THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO PUT VANILLA AND STAR ANISE INTO AN ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE?

I’m right, yes? This IS what you are thinking, and I was right there with you until I stopped for a moment to further reflect on this seemingly odd combination. The fact is, many varieties of basil (which is part of the mint family) exhibit a mild licorice flavor similar to anise to begin with, and in fact there exists a variety of basil called Anise Basil that contains an even higher level than most of anethol, the same chemical that makes anise smell like licorice.

HMMM…PERHAPS THIS DUDE ISN’T ENTIRELY NUTS AFTER ALL.

I then recalled having had a number of desserts over the years that featured tomato confit flavored with vanilla, the most memorable of which was a roasted tomato tarte tatin, which to be honest was sublime.

So…..the anise is a natural compliment to the basil, and the vanilla-tomato combination has been shown to totally rock.

OK….OK….I’M LISTENING.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

March 19, 2010 By Steve Dunn 16 Comments

Peyton and I whipped up these burgers a few nights ago to critical acclaim from EVERYONE in the family, and I have to be honest with you, that almost NEVER happens, especially with a dish that is being tried for the first time. This recipe is our adaptation of one that I found in the latest edition of Bon Appetit magazine, and it is absolutely a keeper.

In the photo, I show the burger served sans bun, more like a salad with a little marinara drizzled to the side. My wife ate hers this way, I had mine between two toasted slices of a great, rustic pain francese from Iggy’s Bread in Cambridge, and the kids all chose to have theirs on whole wheat hamburger buns. Regardless of how we each prepared ours, we found the patties to be a delicious, moist and healthy alternative to a standard beef burger.

It was nice to be able to serve “burgers” without firing up the outdoor grill that night, especially since it was pouring rain and howling winds at around 50 MPH the night we cooked these….Ugh.

Black Bean Soup with Lime-Cilantro Cream

March 16, 2010 By Steve Dunn 4 Comments

Inspired by my friend Devaki at “Weave a Thousand Flavors” who recently posted about Mark Miller’s Black Bean Soup, I decided to dust off this old favorite of mine to cook a few weekends ago. Active time in cooking this dish is quite low, but you must plan in advance because the black beans require soaking overnight before cooking, and about 2 hours to cook once in the pot. I like using chorizo or andouille sausages in this soup as I feel they are more in keeping with the southwest flavors here, but it would also be delicious with hot italians, some merguez (spicy lamb), or even a more delicate duck sausage if you have access to any.

I like this soup a little on the “creamy” side, so just before service, I give it a quick blast with a stick blender to break up some of the beans, if you prefer a “cleaner” soup, you can certainly skip this step. Whatever you do, don’t skip the dollop of the lime-cilantro sour cream on top, it makes all the difference. If you are counting fat grams and calories, substitute some greek style yogurt for the sour cream, but don’t eliminate the garnish entirely, the brightness of the cilantro and citrus really elevates the dish.

Beef Bourguignon

March 9, 2010 By Steve Dunn 19 Comments

This is a dish that I’ve been making for years, in fact, it is one of the first recipes I learned when I started to get into cooking, and certainly played a part in drawing me to want to study French cuisine more seriously. It has become a staple of our winter recipe rotation, and each year when we make it we always make a double batch (sometimes a triple) so that we have plenty to freeze, and I would encourage you to do the same.

Few things in life give me greater joy than to see the bottom pull-out drawer of our freezer packed with nice, flat vacuum-sealed bags of this bourguignon, some chili, a bolognese, and a variety of soups. I love knowing that a delicious meal is ours for the making with nothing more than reheating required, or can be tossed into a cooler and brought north to feed us after a long day on the slopes. All this joy can be yours too with hardly any additional work on your part. If you have the freezer space, you’d be crazy not to double this recipe and put aside some for a rainy (or snowy) day.

A Frenchman’s Chili?

February 11, 2010 By Steve Dunn 14 Comments

By the time they finish reading this post, I expect that a few of my old friends from Houston will be packing a box of shells, securing rifles in their gun-racks, and starting the long journey north to have a word with me. They will undoubtedly think that I have lost all my marbles, and am in desperate need of a little “Come to Jesus” parley (that’s more or less an intervention for those of us that speak plain English). Having just read the words “Frenchman” and “Chili” in the same phrase will have left them just this side of insanity, and I suspect that once they’ve recovered from their apoplexia, they’ll be feelin’ the need to set me straight. If you never hear from me again, then you’ll know they found me.

Why, you must be asking, am I willing to take such a risk by sharing this recipe? Because the Frenchman I am referring to is Chef Daniel Boulud, and his chili is the best I’ve ever had!

I know…I know, I am as surprised as the rest of you (well, maybe not you Texans), but the texture, depth of flavor, and spice of this chili will make a believer out of you in short order. Yes, this king of French cuisine does know a thing or two about chili, and I’d wager that this thoughtful and simple recipe will have you singing “La Marseillaise” every time you have a bowl.

Our kids love this dish as well, and there is plenty of chopping, mixing and measuring to keep yours busy in the kitchen with you while you’re making it. If any of you are sensitive to spice you’ll want to scale back on the chili powder a bit. This is not a hell-fire hot chili, but it does pack a punch, as any good chili should.

Smoky Beef Chili:

by: adapted from: Braise: A Journey Through International Cuisine by Daniel Boulud and Melissa Clark

notes: The recipe is best when using Boulud's homemade chili powder (recipe below), but it also delicious if you use freshly bought pre-made powder. I recently made it with store bought powder (1/2 ancho chili powder, 1/2 plain chili powder) and it was terrific!

yield:

Cooking Mode Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 limes
2 tablespoons masa harina (fine corn meal)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pounds beef chuck roast: 2½ pounds cut into ½-inch cubes; 1½ pounds ground (ask your butcher to do this) finely chopped
¼ pound slab bacon, cut into large chunks
1 large onion, peeled and cut into large cubes
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried regular oregano or Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
¼ cup homemade chili powder *
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
5 large tomatoes, roughly chopped (or 1- 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes, roughly chopped with juices)
1 bay leaf
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Homemade Chili Powder:

4 dried ancho chili peppers
4 dried pasilla chili peppers
4 dried guajillo chili peppers
2 dried chilies de árbol
2 dried pequin chili peppers
1 small dried habanero chili pepper

Instructions

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F.
Grate the zest of the limes, then juice both limes. In a large bowl, combine 3 cups water, the masa harina, and the lime zest and juice.
Heat the olive oil in a medium cast-iron pot over high heat. Add the beef cubes and ground beef and sear until golden brown on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate and wipe the inside of the pot clean with paper towels.
Lower the temperature to medium-high. Add the bacon to the pot and cook until it renders its fat, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt and cook until the onions are softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the chili powder, stir to combine, and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes. Stir in the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Return the beef cubes and ground meat to the pot and add the tomatoes, bay leaf, and masa harina mixture. Bring to a simmer.
Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven to braise for 2 hours, stirring once or twice. Sprinkle with the cilantro leaves right before serving.

Homemade chilli powder:

In a dry skillet over medium heat peppers on all sides for 5 to 7 minutes, making sure that they are lightly toasted, but not burned. Transfer them to a plate to cool. Remove and discard the seeds from the peppers. Blend the peppers in a spice grinder to a fine powder.

Habanero Chili on Foodista Habanero Chili

Fabulous Roast Chicken

February 8, 2010 By Steve Dunn 16 Comments

Roast Chicken.

It’s hard to think of two other words that fit so perfectly together, isn’t it?

To my mind, a well cooked roast chicken is about as fine a meal as you can eat. There is just something about it….the tender juicy meat, the crispy, well seasoned skin, and please don’t get me started about the aroma that fills the house while it cooks……it is absolutely intoxicating.

Why is it then that so few people I know actually make roast chicken on a regular basis? I know plenty of people who cook chicken regularly, either by cooking “parts” on the grill, or by sautéing cutlets indoors. I know people that frequently make Buffalo Wings, Coq au Vin, or Chicken Fricasee, but never seem to get around to roasting a whole bird. Why is that?

Penne with Asparagus, Lemon and Proscuitto

February 4, 2010 By Steve Dunn 14 Comments

This dish is our interpretation of a recipe from the fabulous “Al Forno” restaurant in Providence, RI. Their original can be found in the terrific cookbook Cucina Simpatica: Robust Trattoria Cooking From Al Forno written by the restaurant’s owners, Johanne Killeen and George Germon.

The key to it’s success comes from baking it in a large enough pan to hold all the pasta in a very thin layer. This allows the pasta to cook to al dente, and the asparagus to just cook through in a short amount of time in a very hot oven. The flavors of the lemon, tarragon, proscuitto and asparagus marry perfectly….don’t expect any left-overs.

It is an easy dish to make on a weeknight, requiring just a few minutes to slice the asparagus and par boil the pasta before tossing it into a large baking dish (or roasting pan) and placing it into the oven. For those of you who have been with us a while, you may notice the breadcrumbs we use as a topping here are the same ones from our Macaroni and Cheese with Ham recipe. If you haven’t already, make yourself a batch of these and toss them in your freezer, you’ll reach for them frequently to top pasta, fish, salads, you name it.

There is plenty of slicing and grating to keep idle young hands busy while making this dish, so by all means, grab one of your kids by the ear and drag them along to help. This one became an instant classic in our household, I’m sure it will in yours as well. Cheers – S.

Penne with Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Lemon

by: Inspired by a dish from: Al Forno's "Cucina Simpatica"

yield:

Cooking Mode Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound Penne Rigate
3/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup rich chicken stock (2 cups good quality low-sodium stock, reduced by half)
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh tarragon
1 bunch asparagus, washed, dried and root ends trimmed
3 tablespoons butter, melted
5 ounces thinly sliced imported prosciutto, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and a few grinds of white pepper
1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 500 ℉
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta
For the breadcrumbs - in a saute pan heat 2 tablespoons EVOO over medium heat and toast 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until golden brown. Spread on a plate to cool. (Keep for 2 days in the fridge, or a long time in the freezer)
In a large bowl, combine the cream, reduced stock, lemon zest, cheeses, salt and pepper
Slice the asparagus on an extreme bias, about 1/8-1/4” thick and toss into a small bowl with the melted butter, mix to coat
Boil the pasta for 4 minutes, then drain and toss into the bowl with the cream and other ingredients, mix well
Pour the pasta into a large baking dish or roasting pan so that it fits comfortably in a thin layer no more than 1” deep. Sprinkle the sliced asparagus and chopped prosciutto on top and toss it into the oven for 10-12 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling, and the pasta is just starting to take on color.
Remove from the oven and serve, passing breadcrumbs and grated parmesan to sprinkle on top if desired.

Chicken with Fontina, Proscuitto and Sage

February 1, 2010 By Steve Dunn 11 Comments

This is my adaptation of a dish I saw Jamie Oliver prepare on Mark Bittman’s “Minimalist” web show. It is absolutely delicious, quick to throw together, and fun for the kids to help with.

Grab a youngster that has a little anger to vent, hand them a heavy pan or meat mallet, and let ’em go to town smacking down the split chicken breasts to a nice, thin paillard (cutlet). We used fontina, sage and proscuitto as toppings for these lovelies because that’s what we had in our fridge, but by all means, substitute different herbs, cheeses, or cured hams as you wish. Have a little iberico, or jambon de bayonne hanging around….they’ll be perfect. Shave some parmesan, romano, or grate some cheddar or gruyere, as long as your cheese melts well, it will work. For the herbs, thyme, rosemary, marjoram….you name it, have some fun with this dish.

Asian Meatloaf

January 26, 2010 By Steve Dunn 13 Comments

Let me start this post with a sad confession, and that is this. It is REALLY hard to make meatloaf look good in a photograph. Sorry.

I mean I tried…..I really did. I tried to make this meatloaf look as good as it tastes, and give you all a shot that would leave you saying….”OMG, that looks awesome, I can’t wait to try this recipe!” Sadly, that was not to be, and I am here to tell you that this meatloaf and my camera have a hate-hate relationship.

So….If you are here looking for a GREAT meatloaf recipe, then by all means, please hang in with me and read on. If on the other hand you are here for a little taste of food porn, you are best advised to avert your eyes and run away.

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Entrees

Smoky Beef Chili:

Ingredients

Homemade Chili Powder:

Instructions

Homemade chilli powder:

Penne with Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Lemon

Ingredients

Instructions

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