5 Add the stock and bring it to a boil. Turn off the burner, arrange the 4 shanks in the middle of the pan and surround with the fingerling potatoes. Sprinkle a pinch more salt and black pepper over the potatoes. Cover the pan and put it in the oven for about 3½ hours. When the meat peels away from the bone, the lamb is ready!
How to Cut on the Bias
“On the bias” means cutting on a slight angle. Lay the vegetable horizontally on the cutting board and, with your non-knife-wielding hand, hold it down close to the end where you’ll begin cutting. Curl your fingers so that the tips are tucked under and the knuckles point outward—in the chef world, this is called the “claw grip.” Hold the blade of your chef’s knife against the vegetable at a 45-degree angle. Begin slicing slowly toward your holding hand, making sure to keep your fingers tucked in. Reposition your “claw grip” to make sure it doesn’t wind up a few fingers too short!
6 Present this right in the roasting pan. Garnish with lots of chopped parsley, and place it in the center of the table.
Chefology
LAMB SHANK Cut from the arm of shoulder, lamb shank contains the leg bone and part of the round shoulder bone and is covered by a thin layer of fat and fell (a paperlike covering). Lamb shank is usually prepared by braising or by cooking in liquid.
When the Saints
Come Marchin’ In Gumbo
Serves 8
All good Cajun cooking begins with its very own holy trinity: onion, celery, and bell pepper. You can buy the vegetables pre-diced and use peeled and de-veined shrimp to save on preparation and clean up time. Everything gets thrown into the same pot, so there’s no mess in your Crappy Little Kitchen.
½ cup butter or bacon fat
½ cup all-purpose flour
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, large dice
2 stalks celery, large dice
1 medium green bell pepper, large dice
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
12 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf (preferably fresh, but can substitute dried in equal portion)
15 ounces diced tomato, canned
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Tabasco
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
8 ounces fresh okra, sliced thin
1 pound select crabmeat
1 pound raw, peeled, and de-veined shrimp (medium size, about
30–35 shrimp)
1½ teaspoons gumbo filé
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus more for garnish
1 recipe steamed white rice (p. 176)
1 Warm the butter or fat over low heat in your 12-quart stockpot. Lightly sprinkle in the flour while whisking it all together. Allow the flour to brown over a low heat, stirring often, until it is the shade of peanut butter. This may take about 45 minutes but is very important to the flavor of your roux or base.
Did You Know This Crap?
Okra comes from a plant by the same name that produces an edible pod. It originated in Africa and was brought to America by slaves. Buy brightly colored pods less than four inches long that are not bruised or soft. Okra with a very sticky texture means it is too ripe.
2 Add the garlic, onion, celery, and bell pepper, allowing them to cook and soften for 10 minutes, releasing flavor into your roux. Season lightly with salt and pepper to help sweat the vegetables.
3 While whisking, slowly add the chicken stock. Keep whisking to incorporate all of the roux and liquid together so you won’t have lumps.
4 Now add the bay leaf, tomato, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and cayenne pepper, and bring to a simmer. Simmer slowly uncovered for about an hour, stirring often.
5 At this point, season to taste with the salt and pepper. Then add the thyme, okra, crab, and shrimp. Continue to simmer for about 20 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked.
6 Add the gumbo filé and parsley, and remove the pot from the heat. Taste the gumbo, if you want it kicked up a notch, add a little more cayenne pepper. Put a tall pile of rice in the center of your serving bowls and ladle the warm gumbo around the outside, creating a bright white island. Garnish each island with a pinch of chopped parsley.
Chefology
GUMBO FILÉ
Gumbo filé is the powdered dried leaves of the sassafras tree. It tastes similar to root beer.An essential flavoring and thickening ingredient of gumbo and other Créole dishes, it becomes stringy with cooking. That’s why we add it when the cooking process is complete.
Swap It
If you have guests who are allergic to shellfish or would simply prefer chicken, substitute two pounds of diced, boneless chicken thighs for the crab and shrimp.
The Best Paella
You’ll Ever Eat
Serves 6
Paella is named after the large flat pan that it is traditionally cooked in, but don’t buy a special pan that you’ll have to store in your Crappy Little Kitchen! I find my 12-inch sauté pan works perfectly, but mine has very deep sides. If yours doesn’t, you can use your Dutch oven.
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
8 ounces shrimp, raw, peeled, and deveined (21 to 25 per pound)
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
2 cups small dice yellow onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup small dice poblano pepper
2 red chili peppers, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon saffron threads
2 cups medium-grain rice
½ cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock
8 ounces diced tomatoes, canned
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pound littleneck clams, cleaned (see How to Clean Mussels p. 115, skipping the step to remove the mussel beard since clams are beardless)
1 pound mussels, cleaned (see p. 115)
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Lemon wedges for garnish
1 In your 12-inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Dice the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Season the chicken and shrimp with salt and pepper. Using your tongs, brown the chicken on all sides. After the chicken is golden brown, add the shrimp and sauté until they just begin to curl and change color. Remove them both, and put them on a clean plate.
2 Turn the heat down to medium and add the onion, garlic, poblano, red chili, and half the saffron. Cover the pan and allow the vegetables to sweat for 5 minutes. Add the rice and sauté it all together for 10 minutes. Season it lightly with salt and pepper.
3 Sprinkle the rest of the saffron threads into the white wine while you sauté the rice. Then pour the wine and saffron into the sauté pan. Allow the wine to cook and reduce until it is almost gone.
4 Add the chicken stock, tomato, and thyme. Stir gently and bring to a simmer, then carefully season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the clams and mussels on top of the simmering liquid and cover tightly. Keep covered until the shellfish open completely and the rice is tender and forming a crispy crust on the bottom, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and discard any clams or mussels that didn’t open.
5 Generously sprinkle the dish with parsley, and decorate with the lemon. Serve directly out of the pan.
Swap It
I recommend Spanish Bomba or American CalRiso rice for paella, but you will also have good results with Italian Carnaroli and Japanese sushi rice. Do not use long-grain or parboiled varieties, which do not absorb as much liquid as short- or medium-grain rice.
Wreck-Proof Spinach Risotto
Serves 6
There is just no way to rush risotto without negatively affecting your final product. The constant stirring of the cooking rice is what develops the starches to create that deliciously creamy consistency. This glowing example of a one-pot wonder was probably invented in a Crappy Little Kitchen.
; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup minced yellow onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
2 cups Arborio rice
cup dry white wine
6 cups vegetable stock
½ cup heavy cream
1 pound baby spinach
2 teaspoons lemon zest
cup freshly grated pecorino Toscano cheese
1 In your 12-quart stockpot, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Stir, season lightly with salt and pepper, and allow them to soften but not brown. This should take about 6 minutes.
2 Stir in the rice and continue stirring until the edges of the rice become translucent; this will take 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and continue stirring until it evaporates.
Did You Know This Crap?
Arborio rice is a high-starch, short-grained type of rice that is the traditional choice for making classic Italian risotto.
3 Season lightly at this point with salt and pepper, and add just enough stock to cover the rice. Bring the temperature up to a high simmer, and stir constantly until all the liquid has been absorbed. Continue cooking, adding just enough stock each time to cover the rice and never stop stirring, or your starch will not develop. This should take about 30 to 45 minutes. When the rice is almost completely cooked or al dente (it will be translucent on the outside with a tiny pearl of white in the middle), stir in the heavy cream, spinach (saving 10 spinach leaves for garnish), and lemon zest, and continue stirring until all of the spinach has softened into the rice.
4 Remove from the heat, stir in the last 2 tablespoons of butter, and ½ of the Pecorino cheese. Taste, and if necessary, add salt and pepper. Stack the 10 spinach leaves and roll them into a thin cigar. Slice it thinly, making long skinny strips, which are called chiffonade in chef-speak. Pile the risotto high in the center of a serving platter, or put oval-shaped scoops in the center of individual plates. Garnish with Pecorino and the chiffonade of spinach and serve immediately.
Chefology
PECORINO TOSCANO CHEESE
Pecorino Toscano, a sheep’s milk cheese that is considerably milder than pecorino Romano, is made throughout Tuscany, though production is concentrated in the craggy hills of the Maremma, the wild area that extends from Siena on down to the coast.
Island Hopping Seafood Risotto
Serves 6
This is the most memorable meal I had in Italy on the Isle of Capri. Even a Crappy Little Kitchen can transport you to the crystal blue waters of the Italian coast.
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound shrimp, raw, peeled, and deveined (21 to 25 per pound)
2 ounces bay scallops
8 ounces calamari, sliced into rings
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup white part only, sliced and cleaned leeks (save ¼ cup of the dark greens for later)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cups Arborio rice
cup dry white wine
6 cups fish or vegetable stock
cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 In your 12-quart stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the shrimp, scallops, and calamari with salt and pepper. Once the pot is very hot, carefully use your tongs to brown the seafood on all sides. Don’t let them cook all the way through, just brown, and then remove them from the pot, and place on 2Add a clean plate.
2 tablespoons of butter to the stockpot and allow it to melt. Toss in the white leeks and garlic. Stir, season lightly with salt and pepper, and allow them to soften but not brown, for about 6 minutes. Stir in the rice and continue stirring until the edges of the rice become translucent; this will take 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and continue stirring until the wine evaporates.
3 Season lightly at this point with salt and pepper, and add just enough stock to cover the rice. Bring the temperature up to a high simmer, and stir constantly until all the liquid has been absorbed. Continue cooking, adding just enough stock each time to cover the rice and never stop stirring or your starch will not develop. This should take about 25 to 30 minutes. When the rice is almost completely cooked, or al dente (it will be translucent on the outside with a tiny pearl of white in the middle), add the last bit of stock and remove from the heat.
4 Stir in the cooked seafood, the last 2 tablespoons of butter, and half of the Parmesan cheese. Taste and, if necessary, add salt and pepper. Either pile it high in the center of a serving platter, or put oval shaped scoops in the center of individual plates. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and the thinly shaved leek greens and serve immediately.
Eat Your Vegetables Risotto
Serves 6
This is a truly perfect meal for any vegetarian friends or family coming for dinner. It’s flavorful, colorful, and extremely impressive. Baby artichokes don’t need to be boiled separately, which is why this dish represents an outstanding one-pot wonder!
6 baby artichokes, small and tender
2 lemons
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup white and green parts, sliced and cleaned leeks
1 cup small dice carrots
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1½ cups sliced cremini mushrooms
2 cups Arborio rice
cup dry white wine
6 cups vegetable stock
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
cup freshly grated pecorino Toscano cheese
1 Pull your trash can over to your cutting board area, because you’re going to have to work fast to prevent the baby artichokes from turning brown. Slice the lemon in half. Go through the entire pile of baby artichokes slicing off the bottom stem (in a large artichoke this is edible, but not so in the baby) and then chopping off the top half-inch of the pointy leaves. Rub the cut ends of the artichokes with the lemon; the juice will keep them from oxidizing and turning brown. Squeeze the rest of the lemon juice into a medium-size bowl.
2 Now stand over the trash can and, just as if you were shucking corn, peel off the dark, coarse outer leaves. When you reach the tender and pale greenish-yellow leaves, move to the next artichoke. If there are any tough, dark green spots on what’s left of the stem, trim it off with your knife. Cut each of the artichokes into quarters lengthwise, and put them into the lemon juice. Add enough cool water to the bowl to cover the artichokes and set them aside.
3 In your 8-quart stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and add the leeks, carrots, and garlic. Stir, season lightly with salt and pepper, and allow them to soften but not brown. This should take about 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cover for 5 minutes to sweat them.
How to Clean Leeks
Because they grow in sandy soil, leeks are difficult to clean. Cut off the very dark green top and the rootlet at the bottom, and the slice the leek in half lengthwise. Thinly slice the leeks and put them directly into a container of water large enough to hold the leeks while covered with water. Stir them around in the water and then allow the leeks to float to the top. The sand will float to the bottom and you can skim your fresh and clean leeks right off the top.
4 Uncover, stir in the rice, and continue stirring until the edges of the rice become translucent, which will take 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and continue stirring until it evaporates. Drain the lemon water off your baby artichokes and add them to the rice.
5 Add just enough stock to cover the rice. Bring the temperature up to a high simmer, and stir constantly until all the liquid has been absorbed. Continue cooking, adding just enough stock each time to cover the rice, and never stop stirring or your starch will not develop. This should take about 25 to 30 minutes. When the rice is
almost completely cooked or al dente (it will be translucent on the outside with a tiny pearl of white in the middle), add the peas and the last bit of stock. Remove from the heat when the last of the stock is absorbed.
6 Stir in the butter and half of the pecorino cheese. Taste and, if necessary, add salt and pepper. Either pile the risotto high in the center of a serving platter with the baby artichokes arranged around the outside, or put tall scoops in the center of individual plates with three baby artichokes fanned over the top. Garnish with pecorino and serve immediately.
Lasagna Love Affair
to Remember
Serves 6
We are using fresh pasta and vegetables, which have so much natural water, that there’s no need to preboil the pasta. That saves us a pot on our Crappy Little stove! If you can’t find fresh lasagna noodles, just substitute with dry pasta that you boiled in supersaturated salt water (to prevent sticky noodles), and follow the cooking time on the package.
2 cups Spicy Pomodoro Sauce (p. 211)
2 pounds fresh lasagna noodles
2 pounds fresh whole milk ricotta
2 pounds fresh baby spinach
1 pound zucchini squash, ½-inch quarters (cut ½-inch disks and then cut those into quarters)
1 pound eggplant, cut in ½-inch cubes
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
10 basil leaves
1 Preheat oven to 350°. In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, (a disposable baking dish is fine) spread a thin layer of Pomodoro, and lay down the first layer of pasta. Cut it to size if it doesn’t fit. Spread ¼ cup of the Pomodoro over the layer of pasta. Next, spoon ¼ of the ricotta into dots over the sauce and layer with ¼ of the spinach, zucchini, and eggplant. Lightly season the layer with salt and pepper.
2 Repeat the layers of pasta, sauce, ricotta, and vegetables (with light salt and pepper) 3 more times. End with a fifth layer of pasta and a little more sauce. Arrange your thin slices of mozzarella and basil leaves over the top of the lasagna.
Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens Page 13
