Roman Holiday
Ingredients
2 shallots
2 cans sweet corn
250 milliliters vegetable broth
250 milliliters milk
250 milliliters cream
2 egg yolk
1 egg
salt
pepper
nutmeg
blanched fennel
yellow beans
mushrooms
chopped parsley
butter
Directions
Chop finely the shallots and cook in a little oil in a saucepan.
Add the sweet corn, vegetable stock and milk and cook for 10 mins.
Blend and pass through a chinois and leave to cool.
Add the cream, the egg yolks and then the egg, the nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Place the sweet corn flan in the centre of a plate and arrange the mushrooms,
yellow beans and fennel around the sides.
Ingredients
1 pound asparagus, tough stems removed and lower part peeled
3 cups hot chicken broth
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, white part only, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 1/4 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 ounces smoked provola or other smoked semi-soft cheese cut into very thin
slices.
freshly ground pepper
Directions
In a large skillet, bring enough water to cover asparagus and boil until tender,
about out 5 minutes.
Remove the asparagus from cooking water. Simmer the water to evaporate it to 1/2
cup and add to broth.
Cut of asparagus tips and set aside. In a food processor, puree the asparagus
stalks until creamy.
Keep the broth warm over low heat,
In a skillet, melt a tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil under low heat.
Increase heat to medium add the leeks and shallots until softened, about 5
minutes.
Add the rice and sauté for several minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until
almost all liquid has been absorbed. Stir in a ladleful of hot broth
Reduce the heat to low. When liquid is nearly all absorbed into the rice, add
another ladle of hot broth.
Continue in this manner of adding broth after the liquid has been absorbed.
Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan.
After the last ladle of liquid is added stir in the puréed asparagus.
Remove off the heat and stir in asparagus tips and the remaining 2 tablespoons
butter and the 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound chicken thighs
3 ounces pancetta
2 large clove garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 each red and yellow bell pepper, seeded, de-ribbed, and diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups seeded and chopped plum tomatoes, drained (juice reserved)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram or 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup water
Directions
Put the flour on a sheet of waxed paper. Mix in the black pepper
In a large skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Lightly flour the
chicken and slip them into the pan.
Brown pieces for about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter and set
aside.
Stir in the pancetta and saute for about 5 minutes until golden. reduce the heat
to medium-low and add the garlic and onion. Saute until the onion is softened
about a minute.
Add the peppers, and saute until the bell peppers soften, about 8 minutes.
Remove half of the mixture and reserve.
Return chicken to the pan and toss. Add wine and cook for 3 minutes to allow
alcohol to evaporate. Add the tomatoes, marjoram, salt, and black pepper to
taste
Stir in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially
cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to
coat the spoon, about 40 minutes.
Return the reserved bell pepper mixture to pan during the last 5 minutes.
Ingredients
2 1/4 pounds flank steak, trimmed
1 cup dry red wine
1 small carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
6 whole cloves
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram
2 ounces pancetta, sliced paper thin
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes in puree, drained (puree reserved), seeded,
and chopped
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup water
Directions
Using a meat mallet,pound the meat to flatten it enough to roll easily.
Place flat in a large, shallow baking dish. Pour wine over the meat, cover the
dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours or as long as
overnight
Remove the meat from the dish. Pour off and reserve the wine.
In a small bowl, combine the carrot, garlic, onion, celery, and parsley. Lay
meat flat on a work surface and insert the whole cloves evenly into one side of
the meat. then sprinkle the meat very lightly with salt and pepper.
Turn the meat over and rub 1/2 cup of the vegetable mixture over it. Sprinkle
with the marjoram and lay the pancetta slices on top. Season very lightly with
salt and pepper
Roll up the meat and tie closed every 2 inches with kitchen twine. If necessary,
use strong toothpicks to help close the meat. Set aside the meat rolls.
In a large Durch oven warm the olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add
the meat and brown it evenly on all sides, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate
and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium-low add remaining vegetable mixture to the pan,
partially cover, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato
paste.
Return the meat and any juices. Add reserved wine. Simmer, uncovered to
evaporate the alcohol, about 3 minutes, turning the meat in the pan to coat
evenly.
Add the tomatoes, their puree, and the nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Immediately
reduce the heat to very low, partially cover, and simmer stirring occasionally
and turning the meat several times, 1 to 11/2 hours.
The stew is ready when the meat is throughly tender but not falling apart, and
the sauce has thickened
Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Remove the strings or any toothpicks and
the cloves from the meat.
Puree the sauce, ideally by passing it through a food mill or food processor.
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter -- cold and cut into bits
1 egg -- separated
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sour cream
Jam
1 cup peeled -- finely chopped cooking apples, such as Granny Smith
1/2 cup apple or orange juice
1/3 cup honey
6 ounces raspberries
6 ounces blackberries
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1. Line a baking sheet with foil and crimp the edges up, in case filling oozes
out of any racks in the dough. Coat with cooking spray.
2. To make the crust: Mix the 2 flours and salt together in a bowl. Cut the
butter in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center
and add the egg yolk, honey, and sour cream. Stir to combine and fold into the
flour just until combined. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and
refrigerate for an hour or up to 24 hours.
3. To make the jam: Bring the apple, juice, and honey to a boil. Keep on a low
boil for 20 minutes. Watch carefully--do not let all the liquid boil away! Add
the berries and cinnamon and continue to cook for another 15 minutes. Turn the
jam into a wide-bottom bowl and allow to cool. This part may be made up to one
day in advance. Bring the jam to room temperature before baking.
4. To bake the crostata: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to
400F.
5. Roll the dough out to 11" in diameter. Place it on the baking sheet and brush
the entire surface with the egg white. Spread the jam evenly in the center of
the dough. Fold and crimp the crust over, making a slightly higher barrier of
the crust to prevent the jam from bubbling over. After folding, the crostata
should measure about 7" in diameter.
6. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden
brown.
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