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Chicken Alla Pitocca

Chicken Alla Pitocca

Chicken Alla Pitocca

 

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 C. onion cut in 1-inch chunks

1 C. carrot cut in 1-inch chunks

1 C. celery cut in 1-inch chunks

2 plump garlic cloves, peeled

1/3 C. extra-virgin olive oil

1 T. kosher salt

1 fresh bay leaf

1 C. dry white wine

5 C. hot chicken or turkey stock, plus more if needed

2 C. Italian short-grain rice, such as arborio, carnaroli, or vialone nano for finishing

2 T. butter, cut in pieces

3 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/2 C. grated grana padano, plus more for passing

 

Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Using a food processor, mince the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic into a fine-textured pestata. Pour the olive oil in the saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the pestata, and season with 1 tsp. of the salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pestata has dried and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. Toss in the chicken pieces and the bay leaf, and sprinkle over it the remaining 2 tsp. salt. Tumble and stir the chicken in the pan until browned and caramelized all over, about 4 minutes. Raise the heat, pour in the white wine, and cook, stirring and scraping up the browned bits in the pan, until the wine has almost completely evaporated. Pour in the hot stock, stirring, then all the rice. Bring to the boil over high heat, cover the pan, and reduce the heat to keep the rice bubbling gently. Cook for about 14 minutes, or until both the rice and the chicken chunks are fully cooked and the consistency is creamy. Turn off the heat, drop in the butter pieces, and stir vigorously until thoroughly amalgamated, then stir in the parsley and 1/2 C. of grated cheese. Spoon the rice into warm pasta bowls and serve immediately, passing additional grated cheese at the table.

Confiture d’Olives et Citron (Sweet Olive Jam with Lemon)

Confiture d’Olives et Citron (Sweet Olive Jam with Lemon)

Confiture d’Olives et Citron (Sweet Olive Jam with Lemon)

 

Note that while you don’t have to break the bank on olives, they should be of reasonably good quality to make a full-flavored jam (i.e. no canned California olives!). Your best bet is probably going to be a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern shop that sells olives in bulk.

 

2 cups (ca. 300g) drained and pitted Kalamata olives (packed)

1 cup (ca. 150g) drained and pitted high-quality green olives (packed)

1 1/3 cup (270g) sugar

1 1/3 cup (325ml) water

1 medium organic lemon

1 large green apple, peeled, cored and diced

1/3 cup (80ml) mild honey

 

Put all the olives in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for one minute. Drain completely. Repeat this process two more times – this should take enough salt out of the olives so that they’re only mildly salty. Set the olives aside and rinse out the saucepan. Add the sugar and 1 1/3 cups water to the saucepan and swirl to combine. Cut a couple of strips of zest from the lemon and drop them in the sugar water. Slice the lemon up very thinly (don’t worry about the seeds), and add the slices to the pan as well. Bring this to a simmer over medium heat and let it cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until it’s reduced to about a cup of liquid. Pour this through a strainer into a bowl, pressing on the lemon solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return the liquid to the pan, adding the diced apple, honey and olives. Bring to a simmer once again and cook, stirring occasionally, just until the apples are soft and everything is very thick – about another 10 to 15 minutes (you can add a bit of water if it seems to be getting too thick). Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. With an immersion blender or a normal blender, process the entire mixture until it is velvety-smooth. It should be quite a jammy consistency already; if it’s runny you can continue to cook it a little bit more, but keep in mind it will thicken as it cools. Transfer to jars and refrigerate. I haven’t tested how long this keeps, but mine is a week and a half old and still going strong. Of course you can also sterilize a couple of small canning jars and can them for shelf storage.

 

And how to use this miraculous substance? I love this jam with cheese, particularly with hard pungent cheeses like Manchego or Pecorino or an aged farmhouse cheddar. In Scotland nice restaurants will often serve a cheese selection with oat biscuits and a homemade chutney – it would be perfect for that. I’ve also fallen in love with it on sandwiches with Italian dry salami and Emmenthal or Gruyere cheese and a bit of peppery arugula.

Chorizo and Chestnut Soup

Chorizo and Chestnut Soup

Chorizo and Chestnut Soup

 

Did you know chestnuts have the least fat of any nut at only 10%, and that nutritionally they resemble brown rice?

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

1 celery stick, chopped

4-8 oz (120-250g) Spanish cooking chorizo (Portuguese choriço would also be fine, or in a pinch substitute any garlicky smoked sausage), cut into 1/2-inch (1cm) cubes

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or cayenne pepper (or to taste)

2-3 canned plum tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped

1 lb (500g) shelled chestnuts, fresh or vacuum-packed, roughly chopped

pinch (about 20) saffron threads, crumbled

4 cups (1l) water

about 1 lb. (450g) fresh chard or kale, tough stalks removed, washed and cut into ribbons (optional)

salt and black pepper

 

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, chorizo and a generous pinch of salt and fry gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the whole thing caramelizes and turns a fragrant golden brown. Now, add the garlic, cumin, thyme and chilli and cook for a minute more, then add the tomato and, after a couple more minutes, the chestnuts. Give everything a good stir and then add the saffron, water, and chard or kale if using, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until everything is soft. Remove the pot from the heat and with a potato masher, gently mash until the chestnuts have broken down and the soup seems quite thick. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot with whole-grain bread.

ATK Spanish Tortilla with Garlic Mayonnaise

ATK Spanish Tortilla with Garlic Mayonnaise

ATK Spanish Tortilla with Garlic Mayonnaise

2 large egg yolks

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

¾ C. vegetable oil

1 T. water

½ tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1.4 C. extra-virgin olive oil

 

1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced  crosswise 1/8 inch thick

1 small onion, halved and sliced thin

6 T. plus 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

8 large eggs

1/2 C. jarred roasted red peppers, rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 1/2-inch 2 pieces

1/2 C. frozen peas, thawed

 

FOR THE GARLIC MAYONNAISE: Process egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, and garlic in food processor until combined, about 10 seconds. With processor running, slowly drizzle in vegetable oil, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and whisk in water, salt, and pepper. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in olive oil. (Mayonnaise can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Makes 1 1/4 cups.) FOR THE TORTILLA: Toss potatoes, onion, 1/4 C. oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in large bowl. Heat 2 T. oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add potato mixture and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 22 to 28 minutes. In now-empty bowl, whisk eggs with 1/2 tsp. salt. Fold in hot potatoes, roasted red peppers, and peas. Heat remaining 1 tsp. oil in now-empty7 skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add egg-potato mixture and cook, shaking pan and folding mixture constantly, for 15 seconds. Smooth top of mixture and reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook, gently shaking pan every 30 seconds, until bottom is golden brown, and top is lightly set, about 2 minutes. Using rubber spatula, loosen tortilla from pan. Shake pan gently until tortilla slides around freely, then slide tortilla onto large plate. Invert tortilla onto second large plate, then slide back into skillet, browned side up. Tuck in tortilla edges and continue to cook over medium heat, gently shaking often, until second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Slide tortilla onto cutting board and let cool for 15 minutes. (Tortilla can be held at room temperature for up to 4 hours.) Cut into wedges or squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Tacos

Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Tacos

instant pot beef barbacoa tacos

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2  tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

3  cloves garlic, minced

1   chipotle chile in adobo, minced

2  teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1   teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2  tablespoons vegetable oil

2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of most fat and cut into large chunks

1/2 cup reduced-salt chicken broth or All-Purpose Chicken Stock

2 bay leaves

Small (6-inch) corn tortillas, for serving

Salsa or pico de gallo, for serving

Cotija cheese, for serving

 

Whisk together the vinegar, lime juice, garlic, chipotle, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and cloves in a medium bowl. Set aside. Press Sauté and use the Sauté or Adjust button to select the highest temperature (“More”). Place the vegetable oil in the inner pot. Wait until the display reads “Hot,” about 5 minutes, then add the beef. Cook with the lid off, turning the beef every 2 minutes, until the beef is browned on most sides, about 8 minutes. Add the vinegar sauce and the chicken broth (be careful steam may whoosh up!), and then the bay leaves. Stir to combine. Close and lock the lid. Set the valve to Sealing. Press Cancel, then press Manual or Pressure Cook and use the Pressure or Pressure Level button to select High Pressure. Use the – or + button to set the time to 30 minutes. When the cooking cycle ends, press Cancel. Allow the appliance to cool and release pressure naturally, about 20 minutes. (The pressure is released when the small metal float valve next to the pressure-release valve sinks back into the lid and the lid is no longer locked. Remove the lid. Discard the bay leaves. Use tongs or a large spoon to remove the beef from the inner pot and place it on a cutting board. Shred the beef using two forks: Use one fork to pull off a chunk and then use two forks to shred that piece, holding down the meat with one fork and pulling at it with the other. Repeat with the remaining beef. Serve the beef hot, piled into corn tortillas and topped with salsa and a sprinkling of Cotija cheese, if desired.

Bright and Sunny Ceviche de Mango

Bright and Sunny Ceviche de Mango

Bright and Sunny Ceviche de Mango

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

2 large ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cut into 3/4-inch / 2-cm dice

Juice of 4 limes

1/4 tsp salt

1 limo chile, seeded and finely chopped

Leaves from 2 cilantro sprigs, finely chopped

 

Put the red onion in iced water for 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.  Place the diced mangoes in a bowl and add half the lime juice and salt. Taste for balance and add more of both if necessary; you don’t want it to taste too sour. Add the chile, then drain the onion and add it along with the cilantro leaves.  Stir everything gently to combine and then leave in the fridge for 5 minutes to chill and marinate. Serve in individual large glasses or bowls.

Couve  (Brazilian Style Kale)

Couve  (Brazilian Style Kale)

Couve  (Brazilian Style Kale)

2 bunches Kale, rinsed, tough stems removed

4 cloves Garlic, minced

3 T. Olive Oil

Salt

 

Tightly roll the collard greens into the shape of a cigar and thinly cut across the rib of the greens. Fry the garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add the greens and sauté for 5 minutes over medium heat. Season with salt to taste. Serve with carne seca or feijoada completa.

Caipirinha

Caipirinha

Caipirinha

Caipirinha is Brazil’s national cocktail, made with cachaça, sugar and lime. Cachaça, also known as caninha, or any one of a multitude of traditional names, is Brazil’s most common distilled alcoholic beverage.

8 oz Cachaça.

4 Large seedless limes, halved

½ cup Sugar, refined

Crushed ice as needed

4 Lime wedges

OPTIONAL (Instead of limes, use any of the following):

1 C. Passion fruit pulp, with seeds

1 C. Pineapple, skin removed, roughly diced

1 C. Kiwi, skin removed, roughly diced

1 C. Cashew fruit pulp, roughly diced

1 C. Strawberries, stems removed, diced

½ cup Lemon grass, green leaves, finely diced

 

Using a knife, remove the pithy midsection from the limes and quarter. Divide the limes and sugar between 4 cocktail glasses. Using a wooden muller, mull the sugar and limes until the sugar dissolves.  Add 2 ounces of cachaça to each glass. Fill each glass with ice and top with a cocktail shaker. Vigorously shake each cocktail individually for several seconds and return to the glasses. 5. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve immediately.

Coxinhas (Brazilian Chicken Croquettes)

Coxinhas (Brazilian Chicken Croquettes)

Coxinhas (Brazilian Chicken Croquettes)

1.5lbs chicken

2 medium onions, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 T. poultry seasoning

½ cup chopped parsley

1 package of cream cheese (room temperature)  (catupiry cheese would be traditional but finding it?)

3 T. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

 

1 large potato

2.5 C. of the chicken broth

1 cube of chicken bouillon

2 T. salted butter

2.5 C. of all purpose flour

Breadcrumbs

Bowl of almost freezing water

Vegetable oil for frying

 

Cook the chicken and the potato in 8 C. of water and 1 cube of chicken bouillon. Once the potato and the chicken are fork tender, take them out and reserve 2.5 C. of the broth for the dough. Mash the potato and reserve. In a food processor, shred the chicken. Reserve. Bring the broth back to the pot and add the mashed potatoes and the butter. When it boils, add the flour a little at a time, stirring constantly, until it forms a dough. Knead the dough while it’s still warm, until silky and smooth. To make the filling, sauté the onions and garlic until translucent and the add the chicken, poultry seasoning and the parsley. Mix everything together and season with salt and pepper. Add the cream cheese and cook until the cream cheese is melted and everything is incorporated. To make your coxinhas, take a little piece of the dough and form a ping pong sized ball. Flatten it into a disc, hollowing up the middle for the filling. Spoon a tablespoon of the filling into the middle of dough.

Press the dough closed around the filling, shaping it like a teardrop. Continue until you run out of dough. To coat your coxinhas with breadcrumbs, first wet one of your hands with cold water and pass it on the coxinha. Then, coat the coxinha with breadcrumbs. Set it aside in a baking sheet and continue to coat all your coxinhas. Fill a saucepan with enough vegetable oil to cover the coxinhas.

Heat the oil and fry your coxinhas in batches, until they’re golden brown. Place the fried coxinhas on a plate covered with paper towels so the paper towels absorb the excess of oil. Serve your coxinhas warm with some hot sauce, accompanied by some ice cold beer. NOTES – You can use catupiry cheese instead of the cream cheese, if you can find it.

Bolinhos de Chuva (Brazilian Cinnamon Raindrop Doughnuts)

Bolinhos de Chuva (Brazilian Cinnamon Raindrop Doughnuts)

Bolinhos de Chuva (Brazilian Cinnamon Raindrop Doughnuts)

2 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 to 1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Vegetable oil for frying

 

In a deep fryer or skillet, heat several inches of vegetable oil to 360 degrees (F). In a small bowl, stir the cinnamon into the 1/2 cup sugar and set aside. Mix the flour, salt and 3 tablespoons sugar in a bowl. Stir in the eggs and 1/2 cup buttermilk with a wooden spoon. Add more buttermilk, slowly, until mixture has the consistency of a very thick cake batter. Stir in the baking powder. Using 2 teaspoons (or a small cookie scoop), scoop a generous teaspoon of batter and carefully drop it into the oil, using the second spoon to help scrape the dough off the first one. Repeat with several more teaspoons, but do not overcrowd the doughnuts or they will stick together.  Cook the doughnuts, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides. Remove doughnuts from the oil with a slotted spoon, and drain briefly on paper towels. Roll the doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar while still hot. Cook the rest of the doughnuts in batches. Doughnuts are best served warm and can be reheated or kept warm in the oven.

Romeu e Julieta (Brazilian Romeo and Juliet)

Romeu e Julieta (Brazilian Romeo and Juliet)

Romeu e Julieta (Brazilian Romeo and Juliet)

1block guava paste

1block  queijo minas or queijo mineiro (queso fresco or canastra may be substituted)

 

Slice guava paste and cheese in thin, even slices. Layer 2-4 per toothpick, alternating colors. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Sopa Castellana or Sopa de Ajo con Huevos (Castilian Soup)

Sopa Castellana or Sopa de Ajo con Huevos (Castilian Soup)

Sopa Castellana or Sopa de Ajo con Huevos (Castilian Soup)

1/2 C. olive oil

2 ½ oz day old bread, sliced in 1 ½ cubes (Hogaza or whole grain bread)

3 cloves garlic

1 1/2 ounces Spanish serrano ham or prosciutto, diced

½ T. onion, chopped

½ tsp Spanish paprika

3 ¼ C. of chicken stock, boiling hot

1 T. Tomato Paste

1 sprig fresh parsley, chopped

3 eggs

Salt

 

Preheat oven to 350º. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and add bread cubes when hot.

Fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Remove all but 2 T. of oil and fry garlic, chopped until golden but not too crunchy; remove and reserve, leaving oil in the pan.  Add the ham to the pan and fry a bit until crunchy edges.  Now add the onions and cook on medium low stirring occasionally until the onions are soft. Crush fried garlic in mortar with paprika. Place the fried bread in an oven proof casserole pan that can be used on the stove and pour onion mixture over the top. Pour in the boiling chicken stock.  Stir in tomato paste, add parsley and the garlic, season with salt, and stir well. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer the casserole to the oven and bake for 7 minutes until a crust forms. Remove from the oven and crack 3 eggs onto crust. Return to the oven and bake until the whites are just set. Serve immediately.

Taco Bake

Taco Bake

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
¾ C. water
1 package (1 3/4 ounces) taco seasoning
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce OR 2 cans (8 ounce each) tomato sauce
1 package (8 ounce) shell macaroni, uncooked
1 can (4 ounce) mild chopped green chilies
2 C. mild shredded cheese

In a skillet, brown ground beef and onions, drain fat. Add the water, taco seasoning and tomato sauce; mix. Simmer for 20 minutes. Transfer to crock pot. Stir in macaroni and chopped green chilies. Cover and cook on Low for 6 – 8 hours or on High for 3 – 4 hours. In the last 30 minutes of cooking top with shredded cheddar cheese. Serves 6 to 8

Flamenquines

Flamenquines

Flamenquines

1 pound of 1/2-inch thick boneless pork loin chops (about 5 pork chops)

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Thin slices of prosciutto ham

2 eggs

1 T. whole milk

11/4 C. almond flour

Olive oil for frying

Mayonnaise for serving

 

Trim excess loose fat from pork chops. Working with 1 pork chop at a time, place between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound into a 1/4-inch thick cutlet. Arrange the cutlets on a work surface and season with salt on one side, and pepper lightly on both sides. Cover each cutlet with a slice of prosciutto and roll lengthwise into a cylinder. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs with the milk. Dip the pork rolls in the egg mixture, then in the almond flour, pressing on them lightly. Transfer to a plate until ready to cook. In a cast iron skillet, heat 1/4-inch of olive oil until shimmering. Test the heat of the oil by dropping a few bits of almond flour into the pan. If it fries up quickly without burning, you are ready to go. Add the pork rolls and fry over moderate heat, rotating every few minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 1550, about 5-8 minutes. Transfer the rolls to paper towels, cut once in the center on the diagonal. Serve hot, with a dollop of mayonnaise on the side.

Well Stocked Mexican Pantry

Well Stocked Mexican Pantry

Well Stocked Mexican Pantry

Masa Harina

Mexican Lard

Black Beans

Pinto Beans

Fideos

Pepitos

Guajillo Chiles

Chipotle Chiles

Ancho Chiles

Pasilla Chiles

Achiote

Mexican Oregano

Canela Cinnamon

Anise seeds

Chili powder

Crushed red pepper and cayenne

Cumin (seeds and ground)

Garlic

Ground allspice

Ground ancho chile pepper

Ground coriander

Tamarind

Agave

Mexican Chocolate

Piloncillo

Crema

Queso Cojita

Queso Oaxaca

Limes

Poblanos

Epazote

Cilantro

Ina Garten’s Spanish Tapas Peppers

Ina Garten’s Spanish Tapas Peppers

Ina Garten’s Spanish Tapas Peppers

 

1/2 cup cream sherry

1/2 cup golden raisins

3 medium red bell peppers

2 medium yellow bell peppers

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

3/4 cup chopped green pitted olives (4 to 6 ounces with pits)

8 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained and minced

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

1 scant teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled

2/3 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs from a baguette (crusts removed)

1/3 cup good olive oil

Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Combine the sherry and raisins in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Drain the excess liquid and set the raisins aside. Meanwhile, cut each pepper in half through the core and remove the ribs and seeds. Cut each half lengthwise into 3 wedges and arrange them cut-side up in a single layer in two large shallow oven-to-table baking dishes. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. In a medium bowl, combine the steeped raisins, garlic, olives, anchovies, tomato, saffron, breadcrumbs, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Spread about a tablespoon of the mixture on each pepper wedge. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the filling is a little crisp on top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.