Seared Scallops on Celery Root Puree

This comes from a recipe in Barbara Lynch's Stir cookbook.  I was cooking for the three of us, so I seared the scallops in two batches.  I plated the first batch for Tess and Lisa. Before the second batch was done, they were sitting behind empty plates with big smiles on their faces.

1 pound sea scallops, muscle removed
1 tsp sea salt
2 small celery roots ( 1/2 pound) peeled and roughly chopped.
1 cup whole milk
3 1/2 T unsalted butter
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup panko
2 T vegetable oil
1 T chopped chives

Toss the scallops with the sea salt, rinse, then pat dry.

Cook the celery root in the milk until tender, about 20 minutes.  Pass the celery root through a strainer and combine with the milk.  Whisk in 1 1/2 T butter and 1 tsp kosher salt.  Keep warm.

Melt 2 T butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the panko and stir, coating the panko evenly with the butter.  Fry until nicely browned.  Transfer to a bowl.

Sear the scallops in two batches.  Warm a plate.  Heat 1 T vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Place half the scallops in the skillet and cook undisturbed until brown and carmelized, about 2 minutes.  Turn, and cook another minute or so.  Transfer to the warmed plate and cook the second batch.

Spoon the celery root puree onto four plates.  Top with the scallops, then sprinkle on the panko.  Top with chives and serve.

Potato Sopes with Salsa, Greens and Queso Añejo

This is a Rick Bayless recipe from his Mexico One Plate At Time cookbook.  The potato in the masa dough make the sopes taste kind of like thick potato chips––really good potato chips.  I topped them with some bay lettuce leaves and red chile-tomatillo salsa.  These little guys are incredibly tasty.  The recipe can be found here.

Mock Porchetta

For Christmas dinner this year, I roasted a couple of whole, boned pork shoulders using Judy Rogers' Mock Porchetta recipe in her The Zuni Cafe Cookbook.  I froze the leftovers, and inspired by the Porchetta Sandwich I had at Salumi Artisan Cured Meats in Seattle this past summer, I slow cooked a hunk of the leftover meat in a bit of chicken stock with carrots and celery.  The result was meltingly tender pork with which I stuffed Village Bakery rolls.  A side of boiled Kale made for a satisfying dinner on a cold winter night.

Mock Porchetta (adapted from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook):

3 pound boneless pork shoulder roast
Salt
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and dried
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3 garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
12 sage leaves, chopped
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
2 tsp crushed fennel seeds
1-1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 pounds of prepared vegetables: potatoes, carrots, garlic, etc., cut into chunks
olive oil
2/3 cup chicken stock

Trim, season and tie up the pork (1 to 3 days in advance):

Trim off all but 1/4" of the fat from the pork.  Locate a long seam between the muscles of the pork.  Using a small sharp knife, separate the muscles along the seam exposing more seams as you go.  Continue until you have butterflied the pork.  Salt the pork evenly using about 1-1/2 tsp salt.

Combine the capers, lemon zest, sage, rosemary, fennel and black pepper.  Sprinkle this mixture all over the exposed face of the pork making sure to stuff it into any of the nooks and crannies you have created.  Reform the pork into a roast and tie up the roast.  Use 4 or 5 strings to close the roast and another couple around the length of the roast.  Rub any remaining herbs on the outside of the roast.  Cover the pork and loosely refrigerate so that it dries out a bit.

Roasting the porchetta:

Preheat the oven to 350 °.  Remove the pork roast from the refrigerator.  The colder the roast is, the longer it will take to cook.

Toss the vegetables in a small amount of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and toss again.

Heat an ovenproof skillet large enough to barely contain the vegetables and the pork.  When very hot, add the pork roast.  Surround with vegetables and place in the oven.  After one hour, turn the roast over and roll the vegetables around in the rendered fat.  Repeat after another hour and add 1/3 cup chicken stock.  Roast until the internal temperature reaches 185°.

Transfer the roast to a plate and tent with foil.  Let rest at least 15 minutes before carving.

Smoked Salmon Roesti

Hachis Parmentier

As I was driving to the grocery store to buy the ingredients for this dish, I turned on the radio and listened to Dorie Greenspan describe the making of the dish to Michele Norris on NPR.  That was a little weird...

My recipe is adapted from a version in Dorie's must-have new cookbook Around My French Table.  The book is filled with recipes begging to be cooked.  Hachis Parmentier is kind of a French Shepard's Pie.  Dorie's version calls for the potato crust to be topped with Gruyere, Comte, or Emmenthal.  I used a sharp cheddar because the last time I used Gruyere, my 11 year-old thought it was a little "skunky".  She appreciated my substitution and really enjoyed the finished dish.

Hachis Parmentier

For the Beef and Broth:
1 pound beef chuck, cut into 3/4" pieces
1 onion
1 carrot, cut into 1" pieces
1 rib celery, cut into 1"pieces
2 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed
2 sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
6 cups water

Place all of the ingredients in a heavy pot and bring to a boil.  Skim the scum off the surface, turn the heat down to low, and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours.

Pick the meat out of the pot and set aside to cool.  Strain the broth but reserve the carrot pieces.

When the meat is cool, chop into small pieces and set aside.  Chop the carrot into small pieces.

For the Filling:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing
1 tsp tomato paste
salt and pepper

Butter a 2-quart oven safe casserole.

Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces.  Cook until it is just pink.  Add the reserved beef and the tomato paste and give it a stir.  Add 1 cup of the broth and bring to a boil.  Taste for salt and pepper.  Add the carrot to the pan, mix it in, then put the filling in the casserole.

For the Topping:
2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
1/4 cup cream, warmed
3 T butter, softened
3/4 cup sharp cheddar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Add the potatoes to a pot of salty water.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.  Drain the potatoes then run them through a ricer into a bowl.  Whisk in the butter, milk and cream.  Season with salt.

Spread the potatoes over the filling making sure to reach the edges of the casserole.  Top with the cheese and place on a center rack in the oven.  Cook for 35 minutes or until the cheese melts and the crust begins to brown.  Serve.

Pork Chops with Capers and Potato and Cauliflower Salad

Both of these dishes came from Lidia Bastiancich's Lidia Cooks From the Heart of Italy.  I used boneless, thick cut pork loin chops and I brined them for an hour or so before cooking them.  Both the chops and potato salad were delicious.

Pork Chops with Capers (Costate di Maiale con Capperi)

adapted from Lidia Cooks From the Heart of Italy

Brine

1 1/2 cups kosher salt

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 quarts water

Combine the salt, sugar and 2 cups of the water in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and dissolve the sugar and salt. Place in a large bowl.  Add ice to the remaining water.  When it is cold, measure out 1 1/2 quarts and add to the bowl with the salt and sugar.  Add the pork chops and refrigerate for and hour or so.

Chops

4 thick cut, boneless pork loin chops

2 T butter

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled

1/2 cup flour for dredging

1 large lemon, sliced into thin rounds

4 whole peperoncini

3 T capers, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 T lemon juice

2 T chopped parsley

Remove the chops from the brine and pat dry.  Pour the flour on a plate or in a shallow bowl and dredge the chops in the flour.  Shake off the excess flour.  Put the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  When the butter melts and begins to bubble, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.  Add the chops to the pan in a single layer.

Strew the lemon slices on top of the chops then drop the peperoncini between them.  Cook the chops slowly for about 20 minutes turning every 5 minutes.

When the chops are lightly browned, add the capers to the pan.  Give the pan a shake, then add the wine and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil and taste the sauce for salt.  Cook for about 10 more minutes turning the chops occasionally.  Sprinkle the parsley all over, turn the chops one last time.  Serve the chops with some of the sauce poured on top.

Cauliflower and Potato Salad (Insalata di Cavolfiori e Patate)

adapted from Lidia Cooks From the Heart of Italy

I small head cauliflower

4 small russet potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds) washed but not peeled

1 1/2 bunches green onions, white and some of the green, sliced in half lengthwise, then chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

2 tsp kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup cider vinegar

5 T extra-virgin olive oil

4 hard cooked eggs, quartered

Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot.  

Cut the cauliflower int 1-inch florets.  Add to the boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender.  Lift from the water and drain well in a colander.  When cool, place in a wide deep bowl.

Return the water to a boil and add the potatoes.  Cook for about 25 minutes until a sharp knife easily pierces the center.  Drain and peel while still warm.  Cut into 1 inch cubes and add to the cauliflower along with the scallions.  Season with 1 tsp of the salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Toss.

Whisk the vinegar with the remaining 1 tsp salt in a small bowl.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil.  Pour about 3/4 of the dressing over the vegetables and taste.  Add more dressing as necessary.  Scatter the eggs over the vegetables and gently toss.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Thai Chicken Biryani (Khao Mok Gai)

This is Andrea Nguyen's recipe for Thai Chicken Biryani from her Viet World Kitchen blog.  She warns that the recipe is somewhat time consuming and it is.  But the results are worth it.  This was terrific.  I made both the mint sauce and the sweet chile sauce.