My Tomato Salad

Now, as they are in season, vendors are almost giving away tomatoes.  Take advantage of this largess and try my tomato salad recipe:

Peel three or four large dead-ripe tomatoes (this is important ... try dipping them in boiling water for a few seconds to loosen the skin) and cut them into bit-sized pieces.  Put this into a large bowl.  Clean and dice a small bunch of scallions and add them.  Chop a good four or five sprigs of Italian parsley and add to the bowl.  If you want, you can also add chopped fresh basil and oregano (I often don't.)  Add a good five-finger pinch of salt and about six grinds of fresh black pepper.  Squeeze in a half a juicy lemon through your fingers to catch the seeds.  Add about four dollops of good olive oil and about three of a good (but not great) balsamic vinegar.  Mix well and refrigerate until cold.  (I know, I know, you are not supposed to refrigerate tomatoes ... but trust me on this.)

If you can keep from eating this all yourself, serve what is left to your good friends and family ... with a good crusty bread to soak up the juices. 

Catch a Tory

I've never cooked chicken cacciatore before ... but tonight I tackled it (without benefit of a recipe) ... and it turned out pretty well.  Today I bought four chicken thighs for $4.35 and decided to try my hand at this dish.  Here's how it went:

Rinse the chicken thighs and dry them thoroughly.  Salt and pepper them liberally on both sides.  Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat.  Add a good olive oil (I actually used peanut oil tonight ... I couldn't find the olive oil) and heat until smoking.  Add the chicken thighs and cook them until well browned.  Remove the thighs to a plate and add one well chopped onion ($0.30), three slivered garlic cloves ($0.25) and one well diced Italian pepper ($0.50).  Then add a good sprinkling of red pepper flakes and some fennel seeds to taste (I like a lot of them).  Put a big can of good whole tomatoes ($1.69) in a big bowl and squeeze them to a pulp and then add them to the frying pan.  Add a good pinch of salt and some more black pepper grinds, a palm-full of dried parsley flakes, a bay leaf, and a good pinch of oregano.

Cook this sauce for about ten minutes and then return the chicken thighs to the pan along with a can of drained artichoke hearts ($1.89) or just artichoke heart bottoms and any juices from the thighs.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook another fifteen minutes or until the chicken is real tender.  (A few things I could have added but didn't -- some chopped-up sun-dried tomatoes and a good splash of red wine.)  In a separate pot boil a good quantity of salted water and cook some cappellini ($1.29).  Serve the chicken cacciatori over the pasta with a liberal sprinkling of Romano cheese.  Enjoy.  (You pick the side entrees ... maybe oil and garlic broccolini and a balsamic-vinegar tomato salad, see: My Tomato Salad.)

So, for around ten dollars I main-course fed very generously three people (with enough left for my lunch tomorrow.)  We all said it was delicious.  Not bad for a chicken-cacciatore tyro.

Brussels Sprouts

I despised Brussels sprouts until at least the age of forty. Now I love them. (I suspect that it was they way people had cooked them for me.) Here is a recipe that may make you love them as much as I do now:

Buy a tub of Brussels sprouts and rinse them in cold water in a colander. Now clean them by removing any discolored outer leaves, cutting off the darkened stem end down about ¼ inch, and notching the fresh-cut stem end with a ½ inch deep cross. Place them all, cleaned, in a pot of cold salted water to cover. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for about five minutes or so until softened. Return them to the colander and rinse in cold water. Now cut them all into half-moons through one slit in the stem end. Heat a large frying pan with about two tablespoons of butter and the juice of half of a lemon. Add the Brussels sprouts and four grinds of fresh black pepper and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Now stir and sauté them until they are dark brown all around. (It’s alright if a few appeared blackened … they are the best tasting.) Sample one and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve piping hot (important!)

Lily Livered

Not many people like liver.  I love it and, if you follow these dictates, you might like it too.  The process is quite simple and in three steps:

1) Cook some nice bacon until crisp in a large cast-iron frying pan.  Drain on paper towels and wipe out the pan with more paper towels.
2) Saute a thinly sliced onion or two in sufficient butter until golden brown but not burnt.  Salt and pepper and remove to a warm plate. (Optional)
3) It is important to prepare the calf's liver by removing the outside membrane and any large internal veins.  (The calf's liver should be very pale and fresh ... not gamey ... otherwise forget it.  Beef liver is what has ruined most people's taste for this dish.)  Add more butter to the frying pan and a good dollop of peanut oil.  Heat until wisps of smoke appear.  Salt and pepper the liver liberally, lightly flour it, and add to the frying pan.  Sear quickly until you get a brown crust on both sides but the inside is still a little pink.  Remove to a serving dish. Add a little white wine or water to the frying pan to make the au jus. Top with the fried onions and/or the crisp bacon. 

Serve with mashed or escalloped potatoes (see: Escalloped Potatoes) ... topped with the au jus and sided with maybe sauteed Brussels sprouts (see: Brussels Sprouts).  Enjoy!  (And you know it is very good for you too!)

On the Cheap

For those who like veal and don't want to spring for expensive veal leg meat, you can often find veal stew meat at a considerable discount at your local supermarket.  This is frequently shoulder meat but, sometimes, better cuts are remaindered as stew meat at about one third the price of leg meat.  When you find such a deal, first make sure that it is fresh and, second, that it is pale ... almost white.  Buy about a half a pound per person since it will lose some bulk both in trimming and cooking.  Also acquire a package of tiny baby carrots, some tiny red, white, or fingerling potatoes (or pick the smallest ones out yourself), a package of frozen pearl onions, and a package of small white button mushrooms.

To prepare this stew give yourself at least two hours.  Start by trimming the stew meat of all gristle and unnecessary fat ... and cutting it into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces (I like it smaller to match the size of the other ingredients).  Then salt, pepper and flour the meat liberally.  Heat some canola oil in a large stainless steel frying pan and brown the veal well on all sides.  Then add a good tablespoon of butter and the cleaned mushrooms that have been cut to the size of the veal chunks.  Saute them until they take on good color.  Add the baby carrots and two cups of chicken or veal stock ... not beef stock as we are trying to keep this dish pale in color and delicate in flavor.  For herbs, may I suggest about a teaspoon of fresh chervil or half a teaspoon of dried.  Lacking this herb, substitute the same amount of tarragon.  Also add a large bay leaf and, maybe a bouquet garni if you have one..  Cover and simmer for about an hour.

Uncover and add the pearl onions and potatoes ... halved if too big ... and simmer for another 20 minutes adding liquid or water as required.  (Note: if you don't include potatoes here, serve this veal stew over cooked white or wild rice.)  When ready, if the stew is not the texture of tomato soup, add a roux made with a tablespoon each of butter and flour or, better yet, arrowroot. Adjust the salt and pepper levels if required and simmer for another five minutes.  Remove the bay leaf and the bouquet garni.  Serve with a nice cold dry white wine (Chenin Blanc), a nice tart green salad (dandelion greens dressed with a vinaigrette ... see Recipe), and a crusty baguette.  Enjoy.