ONE-POT COOKING
"They were the quintessential New England cookery, perfect for the settlers who had one pot and who didn't have lots of time. And perfect for people today who don't have time. One-dish meals are something you can put together with not a lot of fuss, not using every pot in the kitchen, that you can cook it and let it go."
Some recipes, like Lamb and Pumpkin Couscous, have many ingredients to prep.
- Does one-dish cooking really save time?
"In the end it saves time because when you do a one dish meal, you make enough for more than one meal. Like my like my grandmother used to do - she'd make a pot a of soup, enough for several days."
- What about leftovers?
"Some of these things actually taste better after they've sat for a few days. It's interesting to see the flavors develop. A lot of the dishes in this book are dishes I teach in my class. I always have the class save some so they can taste the difference the next day."
Casseroles got a bad rap in the 1950s, with the cream of mushroom soup craze. But you've included several in the cookbook.
"Casserole has a bad rep but if you say I had cassoulet for dinner last night, well now you're talking. Or say coq au vin, instead of chicken in wine sauce. It's all about perception and presentation!"
"Lasagna is a form of casserole, or a good homemade mac and cheese - I think they're great. (The difference is) today people are getting adventurous, adding different ingredients. You can make them and set them in the fridge or even freeze some of them."
- What about pot pies?
"Timeless, not going away. We have a recipe for Chicken Pot Pie. Or you can substitute lobster and make a lobster pot pie. Take a classic and tweak it a bit and see what you come up with."
- Is it OK to use canned broth to make soups and stews?
"I think it is. Use a good quality. Broths are now sold in those cardboard cartons - they generally have a nice clean flavor. If you're cooking something with prepared broth, be careful about reduction, because of the salt content. If it reduces too much, may want to thin it out with bit of water."
- What's your favorite soup recipe in the cookbook?
"I love the minestrone."
- Braising is traditionally a way to tenderize tough meats, cheaper cuts. Why did you include a recipe for braising veal in asti spumante?
"It's a shoulder, not a real tender cut. Even veal has cuts that are not so tender."
- What's your favorite braising liquid?
"We do a lot of braising in veal stock. You can mix in wine, balsamic vinegars - adds a lot of depth. Also add fresh herbs for depth. I used to make a dish at my restaurant, braised short ribs in balsamic vinegar, and I'd tie up rosemary stems and hang them in the pot. If there are herbs in a dish, tying up the stems or putting them in a bag and submerging them in the liquid adds lots of flavor."
CHICKEN POT PIE
3 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken broth
Salt, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced celery
2 cups red or Yukon Gold potatoes
4 cups cooked chicken meat, diced
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Two 9-inch prepared pie crusts or puff pastry sheets
Yields 4 to 6 servings.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat butter or oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic and saute until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until pasty and thick, about 2 minutes. Add broth, whisking well to work out any lumps. Bring to a boil and then immediately reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until thick, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add carrot, celery and potatoes, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add chicken and peas and remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in chopped parsley. Spoon filling into individual crocks or a baking dish.
Cut piecrust or puff pastry dough to appropriate size and shape and cover filling. Cut vents in crust and press edges of dough onto baking dish or crocks to seal. Bake pot pie until piecrust or puff pastry is golden and flaky, about 45 minutes for a large pot pie or 25 minutes for individual crocks. Serve immediately.
VEAL BRAISED IN ASTI SPUMANTE
3 pounds boneless veal roast or veal breast, rolled and tied
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups sliced white mushrooms
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1 1/2 cups Asti spumante
2 cups beef broth, as needed
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
Yields 6 servings.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Season veal roast to taste with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over high heat until it shimmers. Sear veal in hot oil, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to pan and keep warm.
Reduce heat to medium, add onions to pan, and cook slowly until tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and continue to saute until moisture they release cooks away, about 10 minutes. Add Asti spumante and stir well to dissolve drippings. Simmer over high heat until the Asti spumante reduces by 1/2.
Return veal to Dutch oven and add enough broth to come about halfway up sides of veal. Cover Dutch oven and braise veal in oven, turning as necessary to keep veal evenly moistened, until it is tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Add grapes to sauce and continue to simmer until grapes are hot and veal is fork-tender, about 30 minutes.
Transfer meat to a warm pan or plate, coat with some braising liquid, and set aside to stay warm. Return Dutch oven to medium-high heat and simmer sauce, skimming as necessary, until it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Slice veal and serve with sauce.
LAMB AND PUMPKIN COUSCOUS
1/4 cup olive oil, or as needed
2 cups yellow onions, diced small
3 pounds boneless lamb leg, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, lightly crushed
8 cups chicken broth, as needed
3 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, drained
2 cups pumpkin or Hubbard squash, diced large
1 cup carrots, diced large
1 cup quartered purple-top turnips
Hoshaf, to taste (recipe follows)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Makes 8 servings.
Heat oil in bottom of Dutch oven over high heat until it shimmers. Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Season lamb with salt and pepper and add to onion. Continue to saute, stirring frequently, until lamb and onion have a deep brown color, about 10 minutes.
Add ginger, turmeric and saffron and continue to saute until they have a toasted aroma, about 1 minute. Add broth, adding enough to cover lamb. Cover casserole and simmer gently over low heat, stirring from time to time, until lamb is nearly tender, about 45 minutes.
Add chickpeas, pumpkin, carrots and turnips and continue simmering until lamb and vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes (If desired, add couscous to top of couscousiere or a colander and steam over stew as directed on package). Add more broth or water if necessary to keep ingredients covered as they stew.
Serve in heated plates, topped with Hoshaf and chopped cilantro.
HOSHAF
24 medium-size dried apricots
6 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
Soak apricots in water overnight. The next day, transfer apricots and their soaking liquid to saucepan and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add sugar, stirring slowly until sugar is dissolved, and simmer until thickened, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Chop apricots coarsely.
MINESTRONE
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 slice pancetta (or 2 strips bacon), chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped green cabbage
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced carrot
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup peeled, diced potato
1 (3-inch) parmesan cheese rind
3/4 cup vermicelli or angel hair pasta, broken into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped plum tomatoes
1/4 cup canned chickpeas, drained
1/3 cup canned kidney beans, drained
1/3 cup pesto
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Freshly grated parmesan cheese, to taste
Heat oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until fat melts, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown. Add cabbage, onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add broth, potato and parmesan cheese rind. Bring to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Cook vermicelli according to package directions; drain, add to soup, along with tomatoes, chickpeas and kidney beans. Cook just until heated through. Discard parmesan rind.
Add pesto. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in heated bowls sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
From "The Culinary Institute of America One Dish Meals"
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