Basque Chicken Ragout with Sausages & Sweet Peppers

Last night I just couldn’t decide what to make. I didn’t have much in the fridge, so I knew I’d have to go to the store regardless. Then I found this little ditty in the Jimtown Store Cookbook (my FAVORITE cookbook). And I knew right away it was a “make-again” recipe. It’s perfect for a chilly night – comforting, easy to make, a tad spicy. And this is a one-pot dish, making clean up a breeze.

It calls for 6 cups of Jimtown All-Purpose Shredded Roast Chicken (another recipe in the book) but instead I bought a ready to eat rotisserie chicken. Saved lots of time and it was still delicious. I also cut the recipe in half since I was just feeding myself. But leftovers are great!

The cookbook suggests serving this with rustic, crusty bread and a green salad tossed with vinaigrette and Basque smoked sheep’s milk cheese called Idiazabal. I bought a sheep’s milk cheese that is similar to manchego and it was quite good. Also, suggested to have this with chilled hard cider (it’s gooood). Instead of crusty bread, I served this with rice.

Basque Chicken Ragout with Sausages & Sweet Peppers
serves 8
total time: about 35-40 minutes

1/4 cup fruity, good-quality Spanish olive oil
1 pound cooked spicy sausage, such as Spanish chorizo or andouille (cut on the diagonal into 1/4 inch slices or if ground, simply left ground)
1 medium-large yellow onion, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 1/2 pounds (6 to 8 ) large sweet peppers, mix of red and yellow, stemmed, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch wide strips
1 cup dry white wine (or substitute chicken broth)
1 (28-oz) can plum tomatoes with their juices
Kosher salt
2 t hot Spanish pimenton or Hungarian paprika
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t sugar
6 cups Jimtown All-Purpose Shredded Roast Chicken (or 1 ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken)
2 T finely chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Directions

1. In a large deep skillet, over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove and reserve. Do not discard the oil or clean the skillet. While the sausage browns, cut up the onions, garlic and peppers.

2. Set the skillet over low heat. Add the oinon and garlic and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and are beginning to brown, about 10 minutes – make sure to watch them so they don’t burn (if your heat is too high, they will start to burn).

3. Add the peppers, raise the heat to high, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the peppers begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Start shredding the chicken as the onions, garlic and peppers cook. Just pull off the bone and pull it apart with your fingers.

4. Stir in the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping the browned deposits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the tomatoes and their juice, thoroughly breaking the tomatoes up with the side of a metal spoon. Stir in 2 t salt, the pimenton, black pepper, and sugar, then the chicken and chorizo, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Adjust the seasoning.

*The ragout can be prepared up to one day ahead. Cool, cover, and refridgerate, rewarming it over low heat until steaming.

Grilled BBQ Rubbed Pork Chops

These might be my favorite way to cook pork chops. I’ve made these several times this summer, and the recipe is always delicious. It’s a great recipe when camping because it’s so easy (just make the rub ahead of time and take it with). We made these at our Creative Retreat this summer and they were delicious.

You can make these in the oven too, if you don’t have a grill. Bake in a shallow baking dish rubbed with a little oil in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes, turning halfway.

Grilled BBQ rubbed Pork Chops
serves 8

2T ancho chile powder
2t salt
1t cumin
1/4t pepper
pinch of cayenne
pinch of allspice
pinch of cinnamon
8 thick cut hormone-free pork loin chops

Heat your grill to medium high heat.

Prepare the rub by combining all the above ingredients except for the pork chops. Rub each side of the chops with the rub.

Grill the chops until desired doneness (I prefer mine medium to medium well). For cooked through, plan on approx 5-6 minutes on a side. Flip halfway through.

*Note: if you aren’t cooking for 8 right away, make the rub and just use as much as you need. You can store the extra rub for at least a month.

Wine Pairing Suggestion
These chops go well with a bold, fruity red wine like a syrah or zinfandel. If you prefer white wine, a nice French style chardonnay works (something not oaky) or a Gewurtzeminer if you want to balance the spiciness.

Gourmet Club: April 12, 2008

After the brilliant success of our first Gourmet Club meeting back in January, I immediately went home and started scavenging the internet for braised short rib recipes – because it doesn’t get much better than that. And man oh man….it doesn’t.

Nicole and I were serving the main course this time, which also meant we would be hosting it at my house. I first thought an Asian inspired short rib recipe would be exactly what I was looking for. Until I found this recipe: Brasato al Barolo (Braised Short Ribs with Pumpkin Orzo and Horseradish Gremolata). YUM.

Then I thought…wait a second, this is from Mario Batali’s restaurant Babbo cookbook…hmmm…why does that sound familiar? Then it dawned on me! I finished a book at the end of November titled “Heat” – which is now one of my favorite books – about Bill Buford working for Mario Batali and traveling through Italy. Well, this dish is mentioned in great detail. I looked it up, laughed at the descriptions (it’s violently vulgar), and said “sign me up! this is the dish!”

I read some more about the region this dish comes from – Emilia Romagna in northern Italy and discovered this from wikipedia:

The city of Bologna is famous for its superb cuisine. Perhaps less well known is the fact that it lies at the heart of Emilia Romagna, a region celebrated both in Italy and abroad for the range and quality of its culinary delights. From the Adriatic coast of Ravenna and Forlì to the inland plains and river vallleys of Parma, Piacenza, and Modena, Emila Romagna is richly blessed with prime produce and ingenious cooks.

We preordered short ribs (not flank style but the cut with one bone per rib) and picked them up early that Saturday along with all the other ingredients, then went back to my place to get everything prepped. Have you ever grated fresh horseradish? It is STRONG. And it’s fleshy and weird – it kind of creeped me out a bit.

Either way, the dish was hands down the best dish I’ve ever made. It was simple enough to do again, although somewhat time intensive as it requires a long time in the oven. Although the recipe says to braise at 375 for 2 hours, the next time I would braise at 350 for 3 hours.

The table setting had an Italian theme with reds, greens, and yellows.

Here is the menu:

First Course
Antipasto platter of assorted meats, cheeses, olives, and breads
Paired with: Tommasi Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo, Maremma Tuscana, 2004

Second Course
Tagliatelle with Mussels, Clams and Pesto
Paired with: Tamellini Soave, 2005 (excellent wine)

Third Course
Braised Short Ribs with Pumpkin Orzo and Horseradish Gremolata
Paired with: Josetta Saffirio Barolo, 2002
*A special note about the wine: there is this fellow who suggests wine at the place I love to go (Hennepin Lake Liquors in Uptown – their selection and prices are unbeatable) who, in the past, has had a very low success rate at suggesting wines for me. My strategy for Sat? Avoid him AT ALL COSTS. Well…that unfortunately didn’t happen as another worker pointed me directly to him and there was no one else in the store. F*****ck. He ended up suggesting this wine and it was excellent. Thank god. It was $40/bottle and we bought 2. Josetta Saffirio learned how to make wine from her mom and dad, who are both professors of winemaking in Italy. This is her second or third vintage and only makes 3,000 cases a year.

Fourth Course
Various Cheeses: Taleggio served with honeycomb, Pecorino ginepro served with balsamic reduction and olive oil, Sottocenere al Tartufo, Blu del Moncenisio with fig pear spread, Valsesia Toma with fig pear spread, La Tur with honeycomb
Paired with: Ruvei Barbera d’Alba, 2005

Fifth Course
Panna Cotta with fresh strawberries and blackberries
Paired with: Felsina vin Santo Chianti Classico, 1999

recipes after the jump

Gourmet Club: Take 1

It seems like my friends and I have been talking forever about starting a gourmet club. You get a group of people together, everyone cooks, you drink wine, and have a great time. I know, it sounds like every weekend with my friends. But honestly, this is different!

Last fall we finally got our shit together and decided to schedule the first one in January. Ten people decided to join, which includes 4 couples and 2 singles so we paired up into groups of 2. Nicole’s boyfriend wasn’t interested, so she and I got paired up.

The idea is that whoever hosts that night chooses the theme and main course. January was the month of Gascony, France. Home to luxurious ingredients like foie gras and duck confit, as well as fishing, wine making and brandy distilling. The host decided to make duck confit and sent us info on Gascony.

I was responsible for the third course and it turned out that would be salad for the evening. First course was hors d’oeuvres, second course was garlic soup (YUM!) and the last course was dessert.

So the evening turned out pretty nice. Until the oven broke. Hahahah. I know we’ll look back in a couple years and say, “Remember our first gourmet club and Molly’s oven broke? And we had to use her upstairs neighbor’s? Ha!”

We went through plenty of wine and plenty of food…

First Course
Radishes with chive butter
Warm olives with rosemary, garlic and lemon
Escargot in herbed cream served on crostini
Paired with Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Champagne 2004

Second Course
Garlic Soup with truffle oil (yeah, forgot the truffle oil, woops!)
Paired with Chateau Grande Cassagne Rose – Costieres de Nimes 2006 (I’ve had this rose many times and it tasted absolutely scrumptious with this soup!)

Third Course
Baked Goat Cheese Salad
Paired with Villa Burdigala Bordeaux Millesime 2004

Fourth Course
Duck confit with cinnamon sauteed apples and carrots
Paired with 100% Cab Franc – Chinon Les Petites Roches 2006

Fifth Course
Apple Brandy Tatin
Paired with Larressingle Armagnac and Dow’s 10 Year Tawny Port

recipes after the jump

Curried Cranberry Wontons

These are really good for throwing an informal get together at your house. I remember growing up and my mom making crab wontons when friends would be coming over for dinner. My sisters and I would always sneak a couple off the tray before anyone showed up so we could sample them too.

My friend and I created this variation a couple years ago for her annual holiday party. It combines some of our favorite flavors into a pretty tasty appetizer.

You can keep them warm in a 200/warm oven or just serve them right away (they’re best if they’re warm but we’ve also served them at room temp for an hour or so – they usually don’t last that long anyway). They’re good with sweet and sour sauce or hot mustard.

Curried Cranberry Wontons
makes approx 40

8 oz cream cheese, at room temp
4 oz chevre goat cheese
2 scallions, sliced green and white parts
1 T red curry paste
1/3 c dried cranberries (try to avoid Craisins as they’re overly sweet – I like the organic ones from my local coop that I can buy in bulk – but if Craisins are all you can buy, go for it)
1 jalapeno, diced (use the seeds if you want the wontons spicy)
wonton skins
water
oil for frying

Combine the cream cheese, goat cheese, scallions, curry paste, cranberries, and jalapeno, in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.

In a heavy skillet heat 1/4″ of oil until hot. While the oil is heating up, put some water in a little dish and lay out wonton skins on a working surface. Place about 1 1/2 t of mixture on each of the wontons. Using your finger or a pastry brush, wet two sides of a wonton and then fold over into a triangle. The water should seal each side.

You may stop at this point with triangles or you may go one step further and wet the two long ends of the triangle and fold into the middle to form a little pouch. This is a great way to mark whether or not they’re are spicy or not spicy if making a double batch.

Continue folding wontons until they are all put together. (This is a great way to get helpers involved too.)

Test to make sure the oil is hot enough by placing one wonton in the oil. It should make popping and sizzling sounds right away. If it’s hot enough, fry 4-6 wontons at a time. Fry them until slightly brown on each side (they will continue to cook once out of the oil) – and make sure you turn them once. When done, place them on a paper towel-lined tray.

Serve when ready.

If you’re looking for a beverage to serve this with, sake is always a good choice or a nice Gewurtzeminer would go well with it too.

Roast Chicken with Proscuitto and Sage

I made this awhile ago, but my sister’s friend keeps asking about it, so here’s the recipe:

Roast chicken with proscuitto and sage

1 roasting chicken (3-4 pounds)
3 oz proscuitto, torn
fresh sage leaves, chiffonaded
3 cloves garlic
1/2 lemon
1 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 425. Loosen the skin from the chicken around the legs, thighs and breasts.  Place pieces of proscuitto and sage underneath the skin and inside the cavity. Add the garlic and the lemon in the cavity. Rub the olive oil on the outside of the chicken.

Place chicken in a roasting pan and cook until the thickest part of the thigh reads 180 and juices run clear (about 1 hour 20 min).

Let it rest for about 5 minutes, then carve.

I think this would be good with a nice pinot noir or even a lighter chianti.

Roasted Halibut with Pineapple Ginger Sauce

I made this the other night for a friend (on an electric stove no less- yikes!) and it was a huge success and quite tasty. I think this could be a contender for the menu for my someday restaurant. There is enough sauce for 4 servings. I served this with Spicy Green Beans and coconut rice w/cilantro (just cook the rice with coconut milk instead of water and add chopped cilantro at the end = yummy).

A friend recently turned me on to a new Spanish white wine- Albarino. We had that with this dinner and I thought it went quite well together. Although, I think a Gewurtzeminer would work too.

Roasted Halibut with Pineapple Ginger Sauce

1/3 c dry white wine
1/3 c orange juice
2 T tamari
1# halibut fillet

*mix the first 3 ingredients and marinate the halibut for 30min – 2hours. reserve the marinade

1/3c dry white wine
1T sesame oil
1T rice wine vinegar
2T tamari
1/3c orange juice
1 jalapeno, minced
2T minced fresh ginger
zest from 1 orange
zest from 2 limes
1 small red onion, sliced
2 cups diced pineapple
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2T chopped cilantro
2T sesame seeds

*preheat the oven to 400. heat a large skillet over high heat with a little bit of oil. when the pan is very hot, add the halibut. sear each side of the halibut for about 1-2 minutes. (this will help keep the fish moist and tender.) put the halibut in a roasting pan with a little bit of marinade (about 1/3) and place in the oven. the halibut will take about 20 minutes to cook – make sure you cook halibut all the way through.

*NOTE: if you’re making rice, this is a good time to get it started if you’re making Thai jasmine which takes about 15-20 minutes. brown rice takes about 40 minutes so make sure you allow plenty of time. (Joy of Cooking is always an excellent resource for cooking time for all the varieties of rice)

*in the same skillet, add the remaining marinade, the additional wine, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, tamari, orange juice, jalapeno, ginger and zest. let this gently boil for about 5 minutes then add the red onion. the sauce should start to reduce. once it gets thicker, add the pineapple and bell pepper.

*NOTE: the Spicy Green Beans take about 8-10 minutes so start these just before the fish is done.
*when the halibut is done, remove from the oven. place rice and beans on a plate, place the halibut on top, then put some of the pineapple ginger sauce over the fish. garnish with fresh cilantro and sesame seeds.

My Valentine’s Dinner

This was the most memorable Valentine’s Day. In fact, I could only remember what I did last year after thinking about it for a while so my record isn’t that great. Maybe what I mean to say is that I’ll remember this Valentine’s Day.

My boyfriend made a fabulous meal for me last night. We had basil egglplant soup which was unbelievably yummy. In fact I don’t really care for eggplant that much, but this pureed version with carrots and pesto was very good.

He also made grilled red snapper with  an avocado paprika wine sauce. The sauce had a little oregano and and sour cream in it too. He rounded the meal out nicely with a bottle of Sonoma Cutrer which was perfectly buttery to match the avocado sauce and the basil soup.

This was definitely the best meal he’s made and it was better than any meal we could have had last night at any restaurant.

It just goes to show how a home cooked meal is one of the most enjoyable aspects of life.

Steamed Pork Dumplings

This is one of my favorite appetizers to make. It’s easy, healthy, and delicious.

Steamed Pork Dumplings

1/2# ground pork
1 1/2 t grated fresh ginger root
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small carrot, grated
1/2 c grated purple cabbage
1 T tamari
1 1/2 t sesame oil
1 egg beaten
salt + pepper
optional spicy version: add 1/2 t Sriracha
40 wonton skins

Boil water in a large pot with a bamboo steamer on top.

Mix together pork through salt + pepper. Put some warm water in a small dish. Lay out wonton skins on flat surface. Spoon about 1-2 t of pork mixture onto wonton skin. Wet your finger and run it along the edges of the wonton. Grab two opposite ends of the wonton and pull them up and connect them (the water will bind it together). Then grab the other two ends and pull them up and bind them with the other 2 sides. It will create a sqaure with a fluted top.

Place prepared dumplings onto bamboo steamer. Steam for about 12-15 minutes.

Serve with a teriyaki or sesame/ginger/soy dipping sauce.

If you’re looking to pair this with wine, try a Gewurtzaminer or Riesling. Those wines match very well with Asian foods.

Review: Chambers Kitchen, Minneapolis

Where better to spend my birthday than at Chambers Kitchen in the new Chambers Hotel in downtown Minneapolis? Apparently there is nowhere better to go. The new restaurant leaves much to be desired at other Minneapolis restaurants. The scene is alive with art, people, and exceptional food. Chambers Kitchen is without a doubt one of the best (if not the best) restaurants in Minneapolis.

We made our reservation weeks in advance, which I recommend everyone to do. Our server, Michael, said something about Friday and Saturday nights being booked up until New Year’s Eve. So if you haven’t been, go to Open Table to reserve now!

We were seated promptly at 6:30 – the dining room was filling up as we sat down. We loved our table, even though at first I was a little concerned. It was a 2 top right beneath the stairs. Very low traffic and quiet. The only *surprise* was that clearly no one working there has ever sat at that table. If they had, the hostesses would not be wearing such short dresses/skirts (yes, we could see straight up their skirts). We ignored it, but I hope they do something about that. It’s the only aspect of the restaurant that didn’t seem intentional.

As for the rest of the dining experience, we were treated like royalty from the moment we sat down. It appeared that everone working there helps each other out in a way that you never see at a restaurant that has only been open for 3 or fewer months.

We opted for the 6 course tasting menu since we were having an impossible time choosing anything on the menu. They also offer a 7 course tasting menu, in case you’re feeling even hungrier. The tasting menu is not always available on Friday and Saturday nights since the kitchen gets very busy. Try going early on a weeknight if you’re interested – I highly recommend it.

Each course is delicious and intentional. The sauces complete every dish and bring it to the next level. They stand up to the contemporary art throughout the hotel, certainly functional art. And each course is served on beautiful plates that remind me of an oyster shell.

We started with the Rice Cracker Crusted Tuna. The tuna was excellent, a perfect way to start the night. The Asian seasonings were simple enough and the Siracha-Citrus Emulsion paired very nicely to give it a bit of a zing. Michael served the Taittinger “La Francaise” Brut with this dish – a nice pairing, crisp and dry but fruity enough to highlight the citrus flavors.

Next, we had the King Oyster Mushroom and Avocado Carpaccio. Before ordering the tasting menu, Michael said this was one of his favorite dishes. The texture was incredible – the mushrooms and the avocadoes were a symphony in my mouth with the jalapeno oil and lime sauce creating a bright spicy finish. We had the Sherwood Estate Sauvignon Blanc with this dish. They were nice together. The grapefruit in this New Zealand white really popped out the flavors of the jalapeno and avocado.

We then had the Smoked Bacon Wrapped Shrimp served with passion fruit mustard and cumin honey. Whoa! This was my favorite dish of the night. The smoky flavor from the bacon and the punch of the mustard in the sauce was unlike anything I’ve had. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and the bacon was not too overpowering. Also, I was surprised that the passion fruit in the sauce did not bother me – usually I don’t care for its perfumey and piney flavor. However, the sauce could not have been more perfect. We had Mas Carlot “Les Enfant Terribles” with this dish – a mouvedre/syrah rose from the Southwest tip of France. I also enjoyed this pairing. It was a little dry with a touch of berry.

We next moved on to Jean-Georges’ signature dish: Sea Bass Crusted in Spice with sweet and sour broth. Unfortunately I think this was the dish I enjoyed the least. There were aspects that I really liked and others I didn’t care for. The fish itself was delicious, but the crust had too much pepper in it and that was all I could taste. The broth was very nice, but I wish the fennel had a more pronounced flavor. The sauce was made with Banyuls vinegar, an expensive and exceptional French vinegar. Our wine pairing brought out too much of this acidity, and I hoped for a wine with a lot less acidity – next time. I believe we had the Paul Blanck Pinot Blanc. Perhaps the reisling would have been better.

Our last entree was the Black Pepper Sirloin with steakfrites. Those of you who know me may be wondering why I had a steak since I don’t care for it – well, sometimes (when it’s your birthday or you’re at an excellent restaurant or both) we all do things a little out of character. This time I was happy I did. The steak was excellent, but the carrot-lime puree served with the steak made me speechless. That part of the dish was so good that I wanted an entire bowl of it. I wonder if I can get the recipe? It tasted like sherbet, but there was no dairy in it. The carrot flavor was mild but present. And to eat the steak with this carrot-lime puree is heaven. The fries were fine, but nothing special. We had the Beaucanon Cabernet Sauvignon with this dish. Another pleasant pairing recommended by our server.

For dessert, Michael brought out a sample of three for us served with wonderful dessert wines. My favorite was the Passion Fruit Souffle served with Chocolate Sorbet. This may in fact be the best dessert I’ve ever had. I really enjoyed it, and the wine pairing smoothed out the whole experience. We had the Lamonth Guignard Sauternes with the souffle.

The Warm Chocolate Cake served with vanilla ice cream is found on almost every fine dining restaurant’s menu. It was good, but I hoped for something a little more exciting. (I prefer the chocolate mole cake at JP’s Bistro.) We had this dessert with a Hungarian wedding wine – Tokaji “Red Label.” It was yummy and went very nicely with the chocolate dessert.

We also had a little Chinese take out box filled with Passion Fruit sorbet. Again, I’m not a fan of passion fruit, but the 2 previous dishes with that flavor were incredible, so I tried it. Unfortunately I did not care for it.

I can’t wait to go back to the Chamber Kitchen for an equally impressive meal. There are many things on the menu that I didn’t get to try and would like to: I saw at least 1 Junmai Ginjo sake that piqued my interest, the mozzarella sald with grilled figs, the sashimi, the lobster…pretty much everything sounds delicious.

I also have to extend a warm thank you to our server, Micheal. He was intelligent, pleasant, and friendly. It’s a pleasure to find a server who does not automatically assume the worst when seated diners under the age of 30. Thanks again, Micheal.

Chambers Kitchen
901 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55403
612.767.6900