Angelina's Bachelors
Page 12
“Really?”
“Now that your aunt Dottie works nights, your uncle, Mr. Cupertino, has his breakfast and dinner over here, six days a week.”
Guy laughed in sudden realization. “Have you tasted Aunt Dottie’s minestrone?”
Angelina laughed, too, a little guiltily. “Anyway, it’s very affordable. I’ve been cooking for some of the gentlemen in the neighborhood—you know, to make ends meet, since my husband … he … passed away. He died.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Guy.
Angelina flashed to a time a couple of years earlier, when Frank had arrived home unexpectedly for dinner with two guests in tow, his cousin Nick and an older man named Carlos, who was one of Nick’s bosses, in an office or something. Frank left to pick up a couple of bottles of wine, and Angelina remembered having a lovely chat with Nick and Carlos in the kitchen over coffee while she made … what had she made? Caesar salad, manicotti, and … raspberry parfaits.
She imagined for a moment that Frank had unexpectedly brought Guy and Mr. Pettibone home for dinner and had only gone around the corner to the state store for a couple of bottles of wine. These would be just the kind of guys he wouldn’t at all have minded having over for dinner.
“My condolences,” said Mr. Pettibone.
“Thanks,” said Angelina quietly. Then she pointed the tip of her knife at him. “While I’m on the subject, Mr. Pettibone … ,” she said playfully.
“A supper club?” he said without a second’s hesitation. “Splendid! I’d love to join you.”
“Good.” She turned toward Guy. “How about you?”
Guy swirled the end of his coffee. “I’d like that,” he said with a tip of his cup. “If it’s good enough for Uncle Basil …”
“Perfect,” said Angelina, then half to herself, “now I’ve got a full table.”
There was a heavy knock on the back door.
Through the screen, Angelina saw a beefy guy in a deliveryman’s shirt standing on the step, next to four large, white boxes on a hand truck.
“How ya doin’, ma’am? Meat delivery.”
Angelina put down her knife and opened the screen door. He wheeled the boxes straight into the kitchen and consulted the clipboard in his oversize paws.
“What’s all this?” she asked.
“I just need you to sign for your meat, miss,” he said matter-of-factly.
“What meat?” Angelina leaned over the clipboard to get a peek.
The delivery guy read down the list. “I got some pork roasts, beef roasts, a couple of hams, sausages, some bacon, ground beef, pork chops, some veal shanks, veal chops, some whole chickens. And he said to get ya’ a nice box of steaks.”
“You’ve got the wrong address. I didn’t order any meat.” Angelina double-checked his list. “And even if I did, where on earth would I put it?”
The screen door slammed open and two more guys struggled through the door at either end of an enormous cardboard box. They had a lot of forward momentum and were nearly all the way in before Angelina could say a word. They dropped the box with a whump!
“Sorry, didn’t mean to bang your door, ma’am,” said the sweaty, littler guy bringing up the rear. “Meat locker in the basement?”
The blood started to rise into Angelina’s cheeks. “The what?” she cried.
“Put your meat in the basement, miss?” asked the beefy guy.
The front doorbell rang.
“Oh, my God, now what?” said Angelina.
She turned, then stopped and spread her arms wide, like a boxing referee holding back two fighters at the end of a round.
“Please. Nobody move.”
She marched through the living room with Guy close behind and flung open the door.
Don Eddie stood on the front stoop, glowing. He jauntily whipped off his fedora and handed it to Phil, who was standing just behind him. The Don strutted in past Angelina, rubbing his kid-gloved hands together in gleeful anticipation.
“Everything get here okay?” he called to Angelina, clearly delighted to have arrived in time for the big reveal.
By the time Angelina had closed the door behind Phil, Don Eddie was in the kitchen, greeting the meat guys like long-lost buddies who’d just gotten back from the war. As he was shaking hands with Guy and Pettibone as if he were running for mayor, Angelina appeared in the kitchen doorway, arms crossed, tapping her foot, and fixed Don Eddie with as icy a stare as she could manufacture on such short notice.
A scene flickered in Angelina’s mind of a big box marked “APPLIANCE,” falling off of the back of a truck.
“What did you do?” she demanded, her voice tinged with mild accusation.
The Don looked to all of his comrades-in-arms assembled around him now, confident in their support.
“What?” he said, the picture of earthly innocence. “I got you some free meat, is all.”
“And the freezer?”
“Hey, where you going to keep all this meat? Angelina, this is a lot of meat,” he said as if she might not have noticed.
Angelina’s foot stopped tapping, but her arms remained sternly folded.
The Don threw himself on the mercy of the court. “Please, accept it as my gift, Angelina, bought and paid for, I promise. A gift for your new business. Okay?”
She pursed her lips, then gave in and gave him a daughterly hug. “Okay. Thank you.”
“All rii-ight,” said the Don, “now we’re talking. How about a cup of coffee?”
Making himself right at home, Mr. Pettibone fetched some cups and the pot and starting pouring coffee for Eddie, while Phil obligingly offered to take the deliverymen down to the basement to find a place for the freezer.
Angelina turned and noticed Guy leaning against the refrigerator with a big grin on his face.
“Well? What?” she asked, ready to take him on, too.
He shrugged and she had no choice but to grin back.
“Hey,” said Guy philosophically, “you never turn down a box of steaks.”
Lavender-Spiced Leg of Lamb and Ratatouille Frittata
* * *
serves 6
INGREDIENTS FOR THE LAMB
3-to-4-pound boneless leg of lamb, silver membrane removed
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon fresh culinary lavender or rosemary, very finely minced
2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THE LAMB
2 yards of butcher’s string or natural-fiber kitchen twine
2 to 3 disposable thin bamboo skewers (to secure the meat)
INGREDIENTS FOR THE RATATOUILLE FRITTATA
3 tablespoons canola or olive oil (1 tablespoon to sauté the onion and garlic and 2 tablespoons for the squash)
1 large red onion, diced medium
2 large garlic cloves, lightly crushed and minced
1 small zucchini squash, sliced into ⅛-inch-thick pieces
1 small yellow squash, sliced into ⅛-inch-thick pieces
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced 1 teaspoon dried savory, ground to a powder with a mortar and pestle
12 eggs, beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced with a cheese plane
6 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
6 small fresh basil sprigs
6 squash blossoms (optional)
INGREDIENTS FOR THE WHITE SHALLOT SAUCE
4 shallot cloves, peeled and quartered
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
⅛ cup dry white rice
1 cup beef stock
¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
¾ cup small-curd cottage cheese
METHOD FOR THE LAMB
Soak the lamb for 15 minutes in a bowl of cold water mixed with 1 tablespoon
salt to remove residue, and pat it dry with paper towels. Combine the salt, pepper, and allspice and rub the mixture well into the outside surface of the lamb leg. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Distribute the lavender evenly over the inside surface of the meat, rubbing it well into the flesh. Tie the leg meat back together with the butcher’s string, and, if needed, use skewers to secure any errant flaps of meat. Keep count of the number of skewers you use so you are sure to retrieve them all before service, breaking them flush with the outside of the roast so you can easily sear the lamb.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan with an oven-safe handle. When the oil begins to shimmer, brown the exterior of the rubbed meat on all sides, leaving each side undisturbed for 2 to 4 minutes to let the seasonings integrate into the surface of the meat.
Transfer the lamb to the oven to finish. If you wish the meat to be rare, roast to an internal temperature of 130°F, about 25 minutes per pound. For medium, roast to an internal temperature of 145°F, about 30 minutes per pound. For well-done, roast until an internal temperature of 160°F is reached, approximately 35 minutes per pound.
(Begin the frittata about 45 minutes before you expect the lamb to be finished. Begin the sauce about 30 minutes before service.)
Remove the lamb from the oven and let rest 5 minutes. Cut away the string and remove all the skewers before slicing.
METHOD FOR THE FRITTATA
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a 10-inch skillet with a lid, reserving the rest of the oil for the vegetables. When it begins to shimmer, add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion turns translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Transfer the cooked onion and garlic briefly to a small plate.
In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil over low heat, making sure the entire inside surface of the pan is coated. Quickly layer alternating slices of zucchini and yellow squash, in concentric circles with the edges overlapping. Distribute the sautéed onion and garlic over the surface of the squash and sprinkle with cilantro and savory. Cover the pan and increase the heat to medium. Cook until the squash begins to soften, about 10 minutes. (Be careful not to disturb the arrangement of the squash when checking on its progress.)
Pour the beaten eggs over the squash and season the surface of the eggs with salt and pepper. Cover and let cook undisturbed for about 5 to 10 minutes to allow the eggs to set up. Then, remove the lid and loosen the edges of the frittata carefully with a thin spatula. Place the uncovered skillet of eggs and squash in the oven (with the lamb) for about 10 minutes to allow the eggs to tighten up.
Remove the pan from the oven and top with the sliced Gruyère. Cover to keep warm and to melt the cheese a bit.
METHOD FOR THE WHITE SHALLOT SAUCE
Bring the shallots, salt, pepper, thyme, rice, beef stock, and ¾ cup water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer covered for 25 minutes. Pour into a blender with the cap to the feed opening removed and, while holding a clean kitchen towel firmly over the opening to allow the steam to vent, purée the sauce with the poultry seasoning and cottage cheese.
Reheat the sauce over low heat before service.
PRESENTATION
Slice the lamb into uniform ½-inch- or ¾-inch-thick slices. Cut the frittata into 6 wedges. Arrange slices of lamb and frittata on serving plates. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of sauce over the lamb. Top each wedge of the frittata with a tablespoon of crème fraîche and sprinkle with fresh basil. Garnish with squash blossoms.
* * *
CHAPTER NINE
Fortune’s Fool
AS TIME AND cleaned plates went by, and as the men grew more comfortable with each other, Angelina’s supper club started to feel more like a family. The daily routine loosened up, and not all of them made it to the table every single night (though none of them would ever miss without giving her notice, so that Angelina always knew how many she’d be cooking for). Guy and Mr. Pettibone fit in seamlessly. Basil not only enjoyed spending time with his nephew and having another man around the house, but clearly relished hearing Pettibone’s dissertations on Angelina’s cooking, a subject upon which the gentleman spoke with great authority and in knowledgeable detail.
When November arrived, Angelina steeled herself for the coming wave of holidays—Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Frank’s birthday, her own. All firsts without Frank. All of which she looked forward to with premonitions of depression and dread. There was no help for it but to pray and hope for the best. And cook.
Angelina’s kitchen became a culinary workshop. She’d started making her own stocks, usually a daylong process, and spent her free time developing and testing new sauces and recipes in small batches before serving them for dinner. She’d ask Pettibone or Basil to taste the day before, then adjust the seasoning to perfect the flavor in time for dinner the following evening.
Sometimes it felt as if she were cooking around the clock. She liked it that way. Angelina moved like a shark in a tank in her kitchen—stirring, chopping, tasting, washing; keeping her recipe book up-to-date, meticulously recording the results of her experiments with scientific precision; darting busily from stove to sink to table. Keeping busy helped distract her from the lingering ghost of grief, the shadow of which was never far from her mind.
November and the impending arrival of winter meant braising for Angelina, the long, unhurried, soul-satisfying cooking of tough but beautifully marbled cuts in flavorful broths and stocks until the meat finally surrendered and slipped off the bone to mingle luxuriously in its own penetrating liquids.
Osso buco had been one of Frank’s favorites, but was too expensive for them to have had often. Sure, she was making it now for a tableful of paying guests, but cooking one of Frank’s favorites when he couldn’t be there to enjoy it, she couldn’t help feeling a little disloyal.
She dismissed the thought, though, when she reminded herself that Frank would never have begrudged anyone the kind of meal she was planning. He would have liked these guys and would have wanted them to taste all of Angelina’s best dishes. She decided that she would put on the best spread she could tonight, in Frank’s honor.
But since he couldn’t be there to have any, she wouldn’t either, in solidarity.
Angelina simmered the veal shanks all afternoon in homemade chicken stock and vermouth, with shallots, garlic, and dried herbs. She made fresh egg noodles and an antipasto of spicy pickled vegetables she had put up herself the week before. When the veal had fully imparted its subtle but unmistakable flavor to the braising liquid, and the meat was beginning to bid a fond farewell to the bones, Angelina retrieved and strained the pan juices, reducing them before carefully adding eggs and cream for a thick and lustrous sauce that she brightened with a squeeze of lemon before she ladled it all over big platters of egg noodles and garnished the dishes generously with parsley and capers.
Osso Buco with Egg Noodles and Capers
* * *
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
Eight 6-to-8-ounce pieces osso-buco-cut veal (cross section of shank cut into 1½-inch-thick pieces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon nutmeg, approximately, as needed to sprinkle on veal
3 tablespoons canola or olive oil (not extra-virgin)
2 shallot cloves, minced
1 large garlic clove, lightly crushed and minced
1 cup dry vermouth
1 quart chicken stock
12 peppercorns
4 large sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 fresh sage leaves
1 large carrot, peeled and diced small
2 tablespoons butter
4 egg yolks
1 pound egg noodles or fettuccine
½ cup heavy cream
1 fresh lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon mi
nced fresh dill leaves
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, minced
METHOD
Rinse the veal to remove residue and pat the meat dry with paper towels. Season each piece on both sides with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan, and sear the veal leaving undisturbed for about 2 to 4 minutes to allow the seasonings to integrate into the surface of the meat and to prevent tearing of the flesh. Add a second tablespoon of oil to the pan, flip the veal, and sear the other side in the same way, then remove to a utility platter. To the same pan, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and, over medium heat, cook the shallot cloves and garlic until the shallots turn translucent, stirring frequently to prevent burning, about 1 to 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vermouth and allow most of the liquid to evaporate, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and return the veal to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and add the peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves, and sage leaves. Cover the pan and let cook over low heat until fork tender, about 2 hours.
Sauté the carrots over medium low heat in the butter until tender, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, cover, and set aside until needed.
When the veal is tender, begin boiling the water for the egg noodles.
Carefully remove the veal to a platter keeping the osso buco pieces intact, and cover to keep warm. Strain the cooking liquids into a small bowl, wipe out the pan, and return the liquid to the pan to make the sauce. Increase the heat to medium high and allow the liquids to reduce to 1 cup, about 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks until no streaks remain and they turn light yellow in color.
Meanwhile begin boiling the egg noodles until al dente.
When the pan juices have reduced, reduce the heat to medium low and whisk in the heavy cream to heat through. Remove the pan from the heat and, 1 tablespoon at a time, add the liquid to the bowl of egg yolks, whisking between additions. (This liaison will equalize the temperatures so the eggs don’t coagulate.) When half of the cream mixture from the pan has been added to the egg yolks, pour the entire contents of the small bowl into the pan and whisk thoroughly to combine well. Add the lemon juice and capers, set the heat to medium low, and stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken slightly and it reaches a temperature of 165°F as measured with a candy thermometer, 5 to 7 minutes.