03.03.08
Posted in home cooking, food at 12:02 am by wingerz
The leftovers from this (not the actual dish, prepared on Valentine’s Day) were proclaimed “best chicken ever” by Jen, which is the best compliment anyone has ever given me about my cooking. I’m pretty much addicted to cooking things in my stainless steel skillet. The nonstick pans are probably also worried because I’ve been thinking of using our cast iron skillet more.
This recipe involves cooking the chicken in the oven. It helpfully points out that the pan should be removed from the oven using [a] potholder or oven mitt to protect hands from hot skillet handle, but it doesn’t say anything about protecting your hands once the pan is back on the stove - consequently I suffered my most painful cooking-induced burn ever.
Pan-roasted chicken
From America’s Test Kitchen’s The New Best Recipe
Chicken
1 1/2 cups kosher salt or 3/4 cup table salt
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces, discard wings, and trim excess fat
Ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Shallot and Vermouth Sauce
1 large shallot , minced (about 4 tablespoons)
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry vermouth
2 sprigs fresh thyme
3 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 3 pieces
Table salt and ground black pepper
1. Dissolve salt in 2 1/2 quarts cold tap water in large container or bowl; submerge chicken pieces in brine and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 30 minutes. Rinse chicken pieces under running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season chicken with pepper.
2. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
3. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke, about 3 minutes; swirl skillet to coat evenly with oil. Brown chicken pieces skin-side down until deep golden, about 5 minutes; turn chicken pieces, and brown until golden on second side, about 4 minutes longer. Turn chicken skin-side down and place skillet in oven. Roast until juices run clear when chicken is cut with paring knife, or thickest part of breast registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and thickest part of thighs and drumsticks registers about 175 degrees, about 10 minutes longer. Using potholder or oven mitt to protect hands from hot skillet handle, remove pan from oven. Transfer chicken skin-side up to platter, and let rest while making sauce. (If not making sauce, let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.)
4. Still using potholder or oven mitt, pour off most of fat from skillet, add shallot, then set skillet over medium-high heat; cook, stirring frequently, until shallot softens, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add chicken broth, vermouth, and thyme; increase heat to high and simmer rapidly, scraping skillet bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Simmer until slightly thickened and reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 6 minutes. Pour accumulated chicken juices into skillet, discard thyme, and whisk in butter one piece at a time. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Return chicken pieces skin-side up to skillet; simmer to heat through, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
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02.24.08
Posted in home cooking, food at 10:51 pm by wingerz
When you don’t have a great Valentine’s Day gift prepared, you’re pretty much at the mercy of your loved one to give you a way out of the predicament. Jen ordered these along with a home-cooked dinner. Be sure to not leave them in the oven for too long - when they come out the middles are not fully cooked so it’s tempting to leave them in for longer. One of the nice things about this recipe is that it calls for melted butter, which requires less patience than room-temperature butter.
Thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies
From America’s Test Kitchen’s The New Best Recipe
2 1/8 cups bleached all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark), 7 ounces
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1–2 cups chocolate chips or chunks (semi or bittersweet)
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips.
3. Form 1/4 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball using fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. Rotate halves ninety degrees and, with jagged surfaces exposed, join halves together at their base, again forming a single cookie, being careful not to smooth dough’s uneven surface. Place formed dough onto one of two parchment paper-lined 20-by-14-inch lipless cookie sheets, about nine dough balls per sheet. Smaller cookie sheets can be used, but fewer cookies can be baked at one time and baking time may need to be adjusted. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month—shaped or not.)
4. Bake, reversing cookie sheets’ positions halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes). (Frozen dough requires an extra 1 to 2 minutes baking time.) Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.
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02.17.08
Posted in home cooking, food at 1:26 am by wingerz
As far as desserts go, layer cakes are impressive but quite labor intensive. Saw this one on TV and felt compelled to make it. I really liked it because none of the components (lemon curd, cake, frosting) are overwhelmingly rich or sweet. The lemon curd is fun to make and wonderful to eat on its own - be careful to monitor it closely while preparing it because it does undergo a pretty sudden transformation into a more solid substance around the 170 degree mark.
The frosting is a 7-minute frosting (mostly egg whites). I didn’t have any corn syrup so I substituted 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar.
Lemon Layer Cake
from America’s Test Kitchen
Lemon Curd Filling
1 cup fresh lemon juice from about 6 lemons
1 teaspoon gelatin (powdered)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon table salt
4 large eggs
6 large egg yolks (reserve egg whites for cake)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes and frozen
Cake
2 1/4 cups cake flour (9 ounces), plus extra for pans
1 cup whole milk , room temperature
6 large egg whites , room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (12 1/4 ounces)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces, softened but still cool
Fluffy White Icing
2 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1. For the filling: Measure 1 tablespoon lemon juice into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over top. Heat remaining lemon juice, sugar, and salt in medium nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot but not boiling. Whisk eggs and yolks in large nonreactive bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot lemon-sugar mixture into eggs, then return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with heatproof spatula, until mixture registers 170 degrees on instant-read thermometer and is thick enough to leave trail when spatula is scraped along pan bottom, 4 to 6 minutes. Immediately remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Stir in frozen butter until incorporated. Pour filling through fine-mesh strainer into nonreactive bowl (you should have 3 cups). Cover surface directly with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm enough to spread, at least 4 hours.
2. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch-wide by 2-inch-high round cake pans and line with parchment paper. In 2-cup liquid measure or medium bowl, whisk together milk, egg whites, and vanilla.
3. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt at low speed. With mixer running at low speed, add butter one piece at a time; continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs with no visible butter chunks. Add all but 1/2 cup milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed until mixture is pale and fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. With mixer running at low speed, add remaining 1/2 cup milk mixture; increase speed to medium and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium speed and beat 20 seconds longer. Divide batter evenly between cake pans; using rubber spatula, spread batter to pan walls and smooth tops.
4. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes. Loosen cakes from sides of pans with small knife, cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto greased wire rack; peel off parchment. Invert cakes again; cool completely on rack, about 1 1/2 hours.
5. TO ASSEMBLE: Following illustrations below, use serrated knife to cut each cake into 2 even layers. Place bottom layer of 1 cake on cardboard round or cake plate. Using icing spatula, spread 1 cup lemon filling evenly on cake, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge; using cardboard round, gently replace top layer. Spread 1 cup filling on top. Using cardboard round, gently slide bottom half of second cake into place. Spread remaining cup filling on top. Using cardboard round, place top layer of second cake. Smooth out any filling that has leaked from sides of cake; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making icing.
6. For the frosting: Combine all ingredients in bowl of standing mixer or large heatproof bowl and set over medium saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water (do not let bowl touch water). Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and transfer mixture to standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until mixture has cooled to room temperature and stiff peaks form, 5 minutes longer. Using icing spatula, spread frosting on cake. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 1 day before serving.)
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02.11.08
Posted in home cooking, food at 12:01 am by wingerz
I rediscovered Capone’s about a month ago. Maybe it has to do with the cold weather, but the place smells wonderful in the wintertime - mainly a mixture of garlic and cheese. I’ve prepared 4 pounds of fresh pasta and 1 pound of gnocchi over the past few weeks, using this sauce to dress both. It’s got a very nice, rich tomato flavor, and I was happy to be able to use some recently acquired kitchen toys: a stainless steel skillet (which I love) and hand blender.
Pasta with Marinara Sauce
from America’s Test Kitchen
2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes , packed in juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/3 cup dry red wine , such as Chianti or Merlot
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Table salt and ground black pepper
1–2 teaspoons sugar , as needed
1. Pour tomatoes and juice into strainer set over large bowl. Open tomatoes with hands and remove and discard fibrous cores; let tomatoes drain excess liquid, about 5 minutes. Remove 3/4 cup tomatoes from strainer and set aside. Reserve 2 1/2 cups tomato juice and discard remainder.
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden around edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add tomatoes from strainer and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring every minute, until liquid has evaporated and tomatoes begin to stick to bottom of pan and brown fond forms around pan edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Add wine and cook until thick and syrupy, about 1 minute. Add reserved tomato juice and bring to simmer; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally and loosening browned bits, until sauce is thick, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Transfer sauce to food processor (or transfer to saucepan and insert immersion blender) and add reserved tomatoes; process until slightly chunky, about eight 2-second pulses. Return sauce to skillet and add basil and extra-virgin olive oil and salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.
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01.19.08
Posted in home cooking, food at 2:21 pm by wingerz
My rendition of this turned out to be two chickens with 60 cloves of garlic. This was a fantastic, pungent meal. I spared my work buddies by buying lunch for two days instead of bringing the leftovers in.
This was the first time I cut up a whole raw chicken. I feel like a more competent home chef now that I’ve done it. I had some trouble finding a few of the joints and working around them with my cleaver - maybe that’s enough of an excuse to buy a boning knife.
The only mistake I made while preparing this was trying to cram too many pieces of chicken into the dutch oven while browning, not leaving enough room for steam to escape. The piece shown here was prepared in a much smaller batch so it’s got a beautiful golden hue.
Served with a baguette, roast potatoes, and asparagus.
Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic
From America’s Test Kitchen’s The New Best Recipe
table salt
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces (4 breast pieces, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks) and trimmed of excess fat.
Ground black pepper
3 large heads garlic (about 8 ounces), outer papery skins removed, cloves separated and unpeeled
2 medium shallots , peeled and quartered pole to pole
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Dissolve 1/4-cup salt in 2 quarts cold tap water in large container or bowl; submerge chicken pieces in brine and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 30 minutes. Rinse chicken pieces under running water and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides of chicken pieces with pepper.
2. Meanwhile, toss garlic and shallots with 2 teaspoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste in 9-inch pie plate; cover tightly with foil and roast until softened and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes, shaking pan once to toss contents after 15 minutes (foil can be left on during tossing). Uncover, stir, and continue to roast, uncovered, until browned and fully tender, 10 minutes longer, stirring once or twice. Remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.
3. Using kitchen twine, tie together thyme, rosemary, and bay; set aside. Heat remaining 1-teaspoon oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke; swirl to coat pan with oil. Brown chicken pieces skin-side down until deep golden, about 5 minutes; using tongs, turn chicken pieces and brown until golden on second side, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to large plate and discard fat; off heat, add vermouth, chicken broth, and herbs, scraping bottom of skillet with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Set skillet over medium heat, add garlic/shallot mixture to pan, then return chicken, skin-side up, to pan, nestling pieces on top of and between garlic cloves.
4. Place skillet in oven and roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers about 160 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes. If desired, increase heat to broil and broil to crisp skin, 3 to 5 minutes. Using potholders or oven mitts, remove skillet from oven and transfer chicken to serving dish. Remove 10 to 12 garlic cloves to mesh sieve and reserve; using slotted spoon, scatter remaining garlic cloves and shallots around chicken and discard herbs. With rubber spatula push reserved garlic cloves through sieve and into bowl; discard skins. Add garlic paste to skillet. Bring liquid to simmer over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally to incorporate garlic; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in butter; pour sauce into sauceboat and serve.
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01.13.08
Posted in equipment, home cooking, food at 10:59 pm by wingerz
Several of my friends got dutch ovens over the holidays. We’ve had ours for nearly three years, and it has produced many tasty braises and stews. A few other accessories that can help a lot:
Wooden spatula: With a flat edge, for scraping up the bits from the bottom of the dutch oven after the meat has been browned.
Splatter screen: Hot oil can splatter everywhere, so protect yourself and everything around the stove.
Tongs: Makes flipping things over a lot easier.
Two oven mitts: The handles can get really hot.
And a few cooking tips:
Pick the right cut of meat. Some (with high collagen content) are better for braising than others.
Salt liberally before browning. This draws moisture to the surface, giving you a better crust.
Leave space. When browning smaller pieces of meat, be sure to leave space in between. Do an extra batch if you need to.
Monitor heat. Especially when you’re working with multiple batches don’t it get too hot or else you may get some charring. There shouldn’t be too much smoke when you’re browning meat.
Be careful. The pot is really heavy and gets very hot.
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01.02.08
Posted in home cooking, food at 3:50 am by wingerz
Jen, Wing Ning, and I made this for my parents last night for our New Year’s Eve dinner. It’s hearty, though not overly heavy (but Jen discovered one of the secrets to cooking when she spied the small block of butter being melted into the sauce at the very end). The pasta was also great at lunch today. Served with salad and garlic bread.
Pasta with Chicken, Broccoli, and Sun-dried Tomatoes
from America’s Test Kitchen
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of fat and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
1 small onion , chopped fine (about 2/3 cup)
Table salt
6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds), florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups), stems discarded
1/2 pound penne pasta , ziti, cavatappi, or campanelle
2 ounces grated Asiago cheese (1 cup), plus extra for serving
1 jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (7 to 8 1/2 ounces), rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 1/4-inch strips (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
Ground black pepper
1 lemon , cut into wedges (optional)
1. Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil, covered, in stockpot.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add chicken in single layer; cook for 1 minute without stirring, then stir chicken and continue to cook until most, but not all, of pink color has disappeared and chicken is lightly browned around the edges, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to clean bowl; set aside.
3. Return skillet to high heat and add 1 tablespoon butter; add onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned about edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, and flour; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and chicken broth; bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened slightly and reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 15 minutes.
4. While sauce simmers, add 1 tablespoon salt and broccoli to boiling water; cook until broccoli is tender but still crisp at center, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to large paper towel-lined plate. Return water to boil; stir in pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water; return pasta to pot.
5. Stir remaining 2 tablespoons butter, Asiago, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, and chicken into sauce in skillet; cook until chicken is hot and cooked through, about 1 minute. Off heat, season to taste with pepper. Pour chicken/sauce mixture over pasta and add broccoli; toss gently to combine, adding pasta cooking water as needed to adjust sauce consistency. Serve immediately, passing additional Asiago and the lemon wedges (if using) separately.
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12.16.07
Posted in home cooking, food at 10:03 pm by wingerz
There’s nothing like waking up to a stack of freshly made pancakes on a weekend morning! So Jen tells me, at least. These pancakes are very good - when I made them they had a slight crisp to them, which I really liked. I’ve made these several times, sometimes with chocolate chips and sometimes with blueberries. If you’re going to add these, the ATK recommendation is to sprinkle them onto the discs of batter once they’ve been dropped onto the pan.
Pancakes
From America’s Test Kitchen’s The New Best Recipe
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
2 cups milk
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1. Whisk the lemon juice and milk together; set aside to thicken while preparing the other ingredients (Alternatively, use 2 cups of butter milk in place of the milk and lemon juice mixture). Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to combine.
2. Whisk the egg and melted butter into the milk until combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients in the bowl; pour in the milk mixture and whisk very gently until just combined (a few lumps should remain). Do not overmix.
3. Heat a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes; add 1 teaspoon oil and brush to coat the skillet bottom evenly. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto 3 spots on the skillet. Cook the pancakes until large bubbles begin to appear, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Using a thin, wide spatula, flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the second side, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes longer. Serve immediately. Repeat with the remaining batter, using the remaining vegetable oil only if necessary.
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11.23.07
Posted in home cooking, food at 1:33 pm by wingerz
This has become my favorite dessert recipe to make for company. The shell is delicate, flaky, buttery, and sweet. Working with thin phyllo sheets takes a lot of patience, but the result is well worth the effort. My only regret is not trying this recipe earlier, when I had access to the wonderful crispy apples from the farmer’s market.
Easy Apple Strudel
from America’s Test Kitchen
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons apple cider
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick)
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs , plain
10 ounces Golden Delicious apples (about 2 small), peeled, cored, and cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
10 ounces McIntosh apples (about 2 medium), peeled, cored, and cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup granulated sugar , plus 2 tablespoons
1/3 cup chopped walnuts , toasted (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
5 sheets phyllo , defrosted (18″x14″ preferred)
1 1/2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 475 degrees. Combine raisins and cider in small microwave-safe bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high until simmering, about 1 minute. Let stand, covered, until needed.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in small skillet over medium heat; when foaming subsides, add bread crumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer bread crumbs to small bowl and set aside.
3. Drain off and discard any remaining liquid from raisins. Toss apples, raisins, bread crumbs, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, walnuts (if using), cinnamon, salt, and lemon juice in large bowl to combine.
4. Melt remaining 5 tablespoons of butter. Place sheet of parchment paper slightly larger than phyllo on work surface, long side toward you. Place phyllo sheet on parchment. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar, then place the next layer on top. Repeat until you have 5 layers of phyllo. Arrange (about half of) the apples in a horizontal strip about 3″ wide, 2 1/2″ from the edge of the sheet closest to you and leaving about 2″ on both sides. Fold the sides of the phyllo in, over the filling. Fold the edge of the phyllo closer to you up over the filling. Roll the strudel away from you, being careful not to roll it too tightly. Place the strudel on a baking sheet, seam side down. Brush top and sides with butter. Make four slits across the top of the strudel to allow steam to escape. Bake until golden brown, 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack until warm, about 40 minutes.
5. Place confectioners’ sugar in metal strainer and dust strudel. Using 2 large metal spatulas, transfer strudel to platter or cutting board, cut into slices with serrated knife, and serve with Lightly Sweetened Crème Fraiche or whipped cream, if desired.
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11.05.07
Posted in home cooking, food at 1:00 am by wingerz
As the temperatures outside have been dropping, I’ve been able to go back to cooking with my Dutch oven (it just doesn’t feel right to use it during the summer). Was thinking about making a stew when this pot roast caught my eye. It was amazingly good, and (not surprisingly) kept well for a few days. The last bits of it made it into a cold sandwich and even in that state is was tender. Would definitely make this one again - the sauce, enriched by a bottle of wine and gelatin, is very tasty.
French-style pot roast
from Cook’s Illustrated, 11-12/2007
1 boneless chuck-eye roast (4-5 pounds), pulled apart into 2 pieces and fat trimmed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 bottle medium-bodied red wine
10 sprigs fresh parsley plus 2 tablespoons minced leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Ground black pepper
4 ounces bacon, preferably thick-cut, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped fine
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut on bias into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups frozen pearl onions
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup water, plus 1/4 cup cold water to bloom gelatin
10 ounces white mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed, halved if small and quartered if large
Table salt
1 tablespoon powdered unflavored gelatin
1. Season meat with kosher salt, place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet, and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour
2. Meanwhile, bring wine to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Using kitchen twine, tie parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves into bundle.
3. Pat beef dry with paper towels and season generously with pepper. Tie three pieces of kitchen twine around each piece of meat to keep it from falling apart.
4. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat to 300 degrees. Cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6-8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate and reserve. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat; return Dutch oven to medium-high heat and heat until fat begins to smoke. Add beef to pot and brown on all sides, 8-10 minutes total. Transfer beef to large plate and set aside.
5. Reduce heat to medium; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, 2-4 minutes. Add garlic, flour, and reserved bacon; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add reduced wine, broth, and herb bundle, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Return roast and any accumulated juices to pot; increase heat to high and bring liquid to simmer, then place large sheet of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Set pot in oven and cook, using tongs to turn beef every hour, until dinner fork flips in and out of meat, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, adding carrots to pot after 2 hours.
6. While meat cooks, bring pearl onions, butter, sugar, and 1/2 cup water to boil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until onions are tender, 5-8 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until all liquid evaporates, 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon table salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and glazed, 8-12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Place 1/4 cup cold water in small bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top.
7. Transfer beef to cutting board; tent with foil to keep warm. Allow braising liquid to settle about 5 minutes; then, using wide, shallow spoon, skim fat off surface. Remove herb bundle and stir in onion-mushroom mixture. Bring liquid to simmer over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is slightly thickened and reduced to 3 1/4 cups, 20-30 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Add softened gelatin and stir until completely dissolved.
8. Remove kitchen twine from meat and discard. Using chef’s or carving knife, cut meat against grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Divide meat among warmed bowls or transfer to platter; arrange vegetables around meat, pour sauce on top, and sprinkle minced parsley. Serve immediately
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