Chicken Scaloppine with Wilted Parsley and Lemon

This is a variation of a recipe in the April, 2011 issue of Food & Wine (my favorite magazine, by the way): http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/veal-scaloppine-with-wilted-parsley-lemon-and-sesame

I made it with chicken breast instead of veal (I pounded it to about 1/4" thick), and I didn't have sesame seeds, and it was still amazing.  I never had parsley prepared in a way I liked better than this. I used a combo of canola and olive oil to fry the chicken, just a splash of the olive oil adds so much flavor. Lastly, I don't think I will use so much butter next time, I think half the recommended amount would be more than adequate.  The Precious Angel is into spinach lately, so I sauteed some in olive oil and added lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic powder and salt.  If you are thinking that two wilted leafy vegetables on one plate is a culinary faux pas, you are horribly wrong.

Simple Roast Leg of Lamb with Mint Sauce

Make things easy on yourself, buy a 5-6 lb. boneless leg of lamb at Costco with the elastic netting around it.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Pat the lamb dry with paper towels and stab (!) it all over with a paring knife.  Slice about six garlic cloves very thin and stuff the slivers into the holes, and also in the cavity where the bone was.  Take a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and stuff them in the cavity, too, then take fresh rosemary leaves and stuff the holes that don't have garlic in them.  Rub the lamb with olive oil and season with Kosher salt.  Place fat side up on a roasting rack in a roasting pan with enough water in it so that it is just below the lamb.  Cook for about half an hour then reduce the tempearture to 375.  Use a meat thermometer to determine when it is done -- I go with about 135 for rare.  Should take about an hour and a half, but check it.  Also, you may need to add more water as it roasts.  The steam keeps everything very moist and also makes cleaning the pan easier.  The fat should get a bit crispy.  Let the lamb rest under foil for about fifteen minutes before slicing.  You are going to love it, I promise.

Now, for the mint sauce, this is a simplified variation of something I read in F&W or Epicurious at some point.  Soak about 3/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves and a minced shallot in a quarter cup of vinegar, with a teaspoon of sugar dissolved in it, for a few hours.  Place on high heat and add two cups of low sodium beef broth, bring to a boil, then simmer until reduced by half.  Strain the sauce and place over high heat.  Dissolve a teaspoon of corn starch in two teaspoons of water and whisk that into the sauce, which will thicken quickly.  Add water if it gets too thick.  Remove from the heat and stir in about 1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves.  Put the sauce in a gravy boat and pour a little over the lamb when you serve it.

We enjoyed the lamb with plain white rice and spinach sauteed in garlic and butter with a squeeze of lemon juice (oh, I put some lemon zest in the spinach, too).

New York restaurant recommendations for my friend going to New York soon (April 2011)

Barney Greengrass, Upper West Side.  Jewish Deli breakfast.  Simply the best smoked fish anywhere, ever.  Expensive (for breakfast, at least).  http://www.barneygreengrass.com/restMenu.php?list=all&cID=12

BLT Market, Central Park South: market fresh New American sometimes w/Asian flourishes.  Menu changes with the season but I had amazing cucumber wrapped peekytoe crab, hamachi w/avocado puree, pistachio crusted venison loin, Dover sole w/marcona almond ragout.  Expensive.   http://www.bltmarket.com/

Bouley, Tribeca: New American/French.  Ate at original location years ago and it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had.  Chilled asparagus soup w/lump crab meat, lamb chops w/fennel, duck breast w/honey, warm chocolate brioche w/maple, Armagnac, chocolate fudge ice cream.  Very expensive.  http://www.davidbouley.com/

Corton, Tribeca:  whimsical, meticulous, inventive, delicious “modern French” cuisine, in a most elegant setting.  Menu changes often but I had unforgettable foie gras w/hibiscus-beet gelee, so expect things like that.  Very expensive.  http://www.cortonnyc.com/

Dominick’s, Arthur Avenue, The Bronx.  Italian.  Cash only, no menu.  They tell you what’s good and you eat it.  And you like it.  Eventually the bill comes, handwritten on a post-it, and you pay it.  Worth the trip.  Moderate.  http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/dominicks-restaurant/

Great New York Noodletown, Chinatown.  Great Chinese food.  Baby bok choy, bbq baby pig, roast duck.  Inexpensive.  http://www.yelp.com/biz/great-ny-noodle-town-new-york

Johnny’s Pizzeria, Mount Vernon.  Pizza.  Not in NYC, but one of my favorite thin-crust pizzas.  There, I said it.  http://www.yelp.com/biz/johnnys-pizzeria-mount-vernon

Louie and Ernie’s Pizza, The Bronx.  Pizza.  My favorite pizza in the Bronx.  That being said, if you make one pilgrimage to the Bronx it should be to Dominick’s (see above).  http://www.yelp.com/biz/louie-and-ernies-pizza-bronx-2

Katz’s Deli, on Houston Street.  Jewish Deli lunch.  The best corned beef sandwich on the planet.  Inexpensive.  http://www.katzdeli.com/

Kefi, Upper West Side:  stellar Greek tavern food.  Grilled octopus w/bean salad, meatballs, selection of spreads w/pita, grilled branzino.  Moderate.   http://www.kefirestaurant.com/

Osteria Morini, Tribeca: Emilia-Romagna Italian.  Enjoyed fegatini (duck liver mousse), fresh creste pasta, mare salad, brodetto.  Moderate-Expensive.  http://osteriamorini.com/

Pylos, East Village: amazing “rustic Greek home cooking.”  Haloumi, giant bean puree, grilled octopus, honey-braised lamb shank.  Moderate.  http://www.pylosrestaurant.com/

Sakagura, Midtown East:  fantastic Japanese tapas.  Grilled eggplant with three sauces, agedashi tofu, fried chicken.  Moderate-Expensive.  http://www.sakagura.com/

I hope this takes care of some of your eating needs for this trip.  For breakfast, aside from Barney Greengrass, any Greek diner should suffice.

Portuguese lamb stew

We went to Portugal in 2010 and it was awesome.  Please visit and help their struggling economy, it will be worth your while.  Anyway, this recipe is based on lamb stew(s) I had in Estremoz and Evora.  I'm just winging it based on what I remember.  Simple and delicious.  Go buy about three pounds of lamb (well, you should have three after you trim some fat off whatever cuts you buy).  I recommend throwing in some shoulder, shank, and boneless leg.  Put a little canola and olive oil in a Dutch oven and heat it up good on the stove.  Season the lamb chunks with salt, brown them thoroughly, then put them in a bowl on the side.  Take a large white onion, chop the hell out of it in a food processor, and saute it in the lamb juices (add some more olive oil if necessary).  While the onion is cooking, take eight garlic cloves (I ain't lyin') and chop the hell out of them in a food processor.  When the onion is very soft stir in the garlic and saute for a couple of minutes, then add a quarter cup of red wine.  Stir it around until the wine is rather reduced, then add two cups of water and two tablespoons of beef bullion (or two cups of beef stock -- don't bother using the low-salt variety, this dish requires salt).  Stir that up and add a quarter teaspoon of ground cloves.  You can add half a teaspoon, but a little cloves go a long way and the Darling is averse to over-cloving.  What can I do?  Now bring everything to a boil, stir up the bullion so it is all mixed in, then add the lamb and simmer for a couple of hours, uncovering as needed to thicken the liquid.  Add about three pounds of peeled Russet potatoes cut into 2" chunks, stir them in nicely, put the cover on tight and keep simmering until the potatoes are tender.  Do not freak out if you have a lot of gravy, the idea is to serve this atop a thick slice of peasant bread.  The Portuguese give the French and Italians a run for their money when it comes to bread, but Portuguese bread will be hard to come by stateside.  I suggest Pugliese.  You will enjoy this.

Barbecued chicken a la Jeff

My friend Jeff is the barbecue Obi-Wan Kenobi to my Luke Skywalker. Here's his simple barbecued chicken recipe that will dazzle and amaze you. Go to Costco and get yourself an enormous package of chicken thighs and a case of beer. Head home and drink beer until the chicken defrosts. Add like a cup of paprika and a cup of brown sugar to a giant bowl and blend thoroughly with your hands. If you're feeling adventurous you could add garlic powder and even cayenne pepper to the mix, but it's not necessary, it's just my way of asserting my independence. Hopefully you have a large gas grill outside with multiple burners. Go out and turn every burner up to 11. When it's all nice and hot scrape the grill clean and turn half the burners off and the others to medium-high. Go inside and pat the thighs with paper towels so they're not wet, then dredge each piece in the spice mixture until fully coated. Place skin side up on the grill, but over the burners that are not on. Cook covered with indirect heat until some of the spice mixture starts to melt/stick together on the skin. Then turn pieces over and cook through. The sugar on the skin will carmelize, making a "built-in" sauce. When the chicken is almost done turn all the burners on and crisp up the skin, making sure you and the chicken don't catch fire. This whole process could take over an hour, but that's what the beer is for. Also, you could be grilling other things at the same time.  Best...chicken...ever.

Asparagus with balsamic vinegar and savory

Wash some fresh asparagus spears then cut off the bottoms of the stalks. "Shave" the remaining lower stalks with a vegetable peeler.  Saute the asparagus in a little olive oil until just tender. Shake in a generous amount of balsamic vinegar. Then sprinkle on crushed dried savory as if it is salt, add some freshly ground pepper, and Kosher salt, and a stir it all around until done. It's pretty good, savory is underrated and seems to go quite well with asparagus.  Just sayin'. 

Oven fried potatoes

This is a riff on a recipe from my favorite magazine, Food & Wine.  Or it could be the same recipe.  I don't know, I've had a lot of Alentejo wine.  Dice a bunch of peeled Russett potatoes (yeah, the baking potatoes, don't get freaked out, it's not all about Yukon Gold) into small (1/4"?) dice. Rub all over with a little extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with fresh or dried thyme and fresh or dried rosemary leaves, ground fennel seeds or ground caraway seeds (you need a mortar and pestle, sucker!) and plenty of Kosher salt. Bake on a baking sheet in a 425 degree oven until crispy/golden brown.  You will never eat french fries again.  For realsies.  You can also do this recipe with curry powder instead of aforementioned ingredients and it will be equally awesome.

Instant paella

Go to Valencia (Spain) and get yourself some saffron. It's much cheaper over there. Pack your saffron in your suitcase and go out for some paella at a non-touristy restaurant. It will be amazing. Return home to the US and have some paella at a local Spanish restaurant. It may be excellent, but it won't be nearly as good as what you had in Valencia. Buy a paella pan and the proper kind of rice and cook paella in your house using a recipe from a book about Spanish cooking. It may be excellent, but it will take a long time and won't be nearly as good as what you had in Valencia. That's why I came up with this recipe I call "instant paella." It's much easier to make than real paella and it's pretty good, as long as you accept the fact that it won't be nearly as good as what you had in Valencia, or as good as real paella. So here goes. (Purists should shut down their computers immediately.)

Put a couple of cups of rice in a good rice cooker. Instead of water, use chicken stock or shrimp stock, preferably low sodium. Then sprinkle in about half a teaspoon of saffron threads, stir it all around, and cook the rice. When it is done add a bunch of frozen, pre-cooked shrimp and peas and stir it around. Keep the rice cooker plugged in on "warm" until the shrimp heat through. Meanwhile, cook some sausages - lamb sausages are good, and chicken or turkey links work well, too. I'm not a big fan of sage-heavy sausages in this recipe. You could also saute some boneless, skinless chicken breasts in olive oil. Put the rice/shrimp mixure in a big bowl and stir in the sausage and chicken. If you really want to go crazy get a lobster steamed and cleaned at the market and throw in some lobster meat. Serve with warm bread. Think of all the money you saved by buying saffron in Spain.

Chicken with yummy sauce

The Precious Angel loves this dish.  Pat some boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry. Sprinkle with pepper (no salt) and fry in a skillet with a bit of olive oil until golden. Put in an oven-safe pot or pyrex-type dish. Add enough red wine to reach the halfway mark on the chicken breasts. Take a medium yellow onion and slice off the bottom root. Chop into quarters, keeping enough of the top to maintain the integrity of the quarters. Plop them into the pot. Smash and peel four garlic cloves, throw them in the pot. Add about six sprigs of fresh thyme or a teaspoon of ground thyme. Add a half cup or so of chicken stock (if you're using bullion that's why you don't need salt on the chicken breasts, if you're using very low sodium or homemade stock, add salt to taste above). The stock should just cover the chicken. Cook in a 350 degree oven for a couple of hours. Strain out liquid and reduce by half in sauce pan, then thicken with corn starch. Plate and pour generous amount of sauce on chicken. You can cook this longer for more tender chicken, or cut the chicken into smaller pieces.

Baked filet of sole with fennel

My grandmother made the best filet of sole. She dipped the filets in egg, dredged them in breadcrumbs and salt, then fried them in butter. Served with lemon wedges. Perfection. However, I'm trying to avoid fried foods, so I used a new cooking method the other night that I thought turned out pretty good. The Darling hated it, because she said the fish tasted funky. I disagreed. The Precious Angel had about five bites and said, "Oh, Daddy, that's yummy." I don't think she was lying to make me feel better, but who knows. Hopefully if you do this recipe with a decent piece of fish both you and your spouse or significant other and children will enjoy it immensely. So, preheat the oven to 450. Take the filets (I used about a pound and had to layer a couple of pieces) and just lay them down in a large, shallow pyrex-type baking dish. Sprinkle with a generous amount of sea salt and a little fresh pepper. Crush some fennel seeds in a mortar until the lovely aroma is released (each seed should be in a few pieces but not totally demolished). I probably used about a teaspoon after crushing. Sprinkle that onto the fish. Then melt yourself about a tablespoon of butter, add a shot or two of white wine, then the juice of one lemon. Simmer for a minute and pour over the fish and place in the oven, uncovered, for 15 minutes. You can't really overcook the fish because it's kinda getting poached so it'll stay moist, but make sure you don't undercook it because then you might poison everyone. Rumor has it that the flake test tells you when it's cooked, i.e. the fish flakes easily with a fork and looks pleasantly pearly inside. I served it with my oven fried potatoes and some salad and it worked out quite nicely, at least for me and the Precious Angel.

Fennel and mint salad with mustard shallot vinaigrette

Take two large fennel bulbs, cut off the stems and cut out the cores, cut each bulb in half lengthwise then slice very thin.  Place the sliced fennel in an adequately sized bowl.  Add washed and chopped mint leaves from one of those organic herb packages they sell at the market.  Add the zest of one lemon.  Mix all that up.  Take the juice of the lemon and pour it into a small bowl.  Add a finely chopped medium shallot, a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (I like Spanish olive oil best), and a heaping teaspoon of Grey Poupon mustard.  Mix all that up to form a delightful emulsion.  Let the flavors mingle for a while then toss the dressing with the salad.  Sprinkle on salt to taste and enjoy.