Cooking for Two (23 page)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 small onion, chopped 6 large eggs, at room temperature 2 tablespoons milk (regular, low-fat, or nonfat) ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper | 4 ounces smoked trout, skinned and roughly chopped 2 ounces cream cheese (regular, low-fat, ornonfat), cut into ¼-inch pieces Dill Sauce (recipe follows) |
1.
Melt the butter in an ovenproof 10-inch skillet, preferably cast-iron or nonstick, over low heat. Stir in the onion and cook for about 6 minutes, or until soft and golden, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, milk, and pepper in a medium bowl.
2.
Once the onion is golden, pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Gently pull back the edges of the egg mixture with a heat-safe rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, allowing more raw egg to come into contact with the hot skillet. Sprinkle the top with the smoked trout and cream cheese. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or just until the frittata is set. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.
3.
When the frittata is set, place the skillet 4 to 6 inches below the broiler. Cook for 30 seconds, just until the top is lightly browned. Loosen the frittata from the pan with a heat-safe rubber spatula or any
spatula safe for a nonstick pan. Slip it onto a serving platter. To serve, drizzle the dill sauce over the frittata, or serve it on the side.
1½ tablespoons rice vinegar (see page 12) 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried dill ¼ teaspoon sugar | ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup olive oil, preferably extra-virgin olive oil |
Whisk the vinegar and mustard in a small bowl until uniform. Stir in the dill, sugar, and pepper, then add the olive oil by drizzling it into the mixture in a thin stream while whisking constantly; continue whisking until the sauce is emulsified.
and
Duck
More often than not, when you’re cooking for two, chicken’s what’s for dinner. So here are some small dishes that are big on flavor and convenience—some easy sautés, a couple of stir-fries, even a recipe for quick and delicious duck breasts. You’ll also find two of the classics—baked chicken and turkey with dressing—reinvented so you can enjoy them when you’re cooking in small batches.
AUTÉED
C
HICKEN WITH
R
ADISHES
makes2 servings
F
or too long, radishes have been relegated to the relish tray. Cooked, they turn sweet with a little spicy kick. For this simple sauté, look for whole, bright red radishes, preferably ones still attached to their greens—an assurance that they’ve been recently picked, rather than stored in a warehouse. Serve this dish with mashed potatoes and steamed green beans with slivered almonds, or steamed broccoli with pine nuts, or wash the radish greens, toss them with ½ teaspoon sugar and ½ teaspoon salt, and steam briefly for an interesting side dish.
Two 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1½ tablespoons olive oil 4 large radishes, washed for sand and thinly sliced | ¼ cup dry vermouth 2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar, or white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature |
1.
Place a sheet of plastic wrap on your work surface, lay the two chicken breasts on top with about 4 inches between them, and cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap. Pound the breasts to a ¼-inch thickness, using the smooth side of a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy saucepan. Remove from the plastic wrap, season the breasts with salt and pepper, and set aside.
2.
Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Swirl in the oil, then slip the seasoned breasts into the pan. Sauté for 3 minutes, then turn and sauté for 3 more minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer to two dinner plates with tongs or a slotted spoon, tent the plates loosely with foil to keep the breasts warm, and return the pan to medium heat without removing any of the pan’s residual fat.
3.
Stir in the sliced radishes and sauté for about 2 minutes, or until they begin to go limp and are very fragrant. Pour in the vermouth and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring the vermouth to a simmer, cook for about 15 seconds, just until slightly reduced, then pour in the vinegar. Stir once or twice, then swirl in the butter and take the pan off the heat. Keep stirring until the butter is melted and incorporated into the sauce. Remove the foil from the breasts and pour this sauce evenly over each of them, spooning radishes onto the plates as well. Serve at once.
EMON
C
HICKEN
S
AUTÉ
makes2 servings
N
othing complicated or unusual here—just a satisfying dinner in no time. Buy the best black olives you can find, preferably the small ones from Nyons or other varieties from Provence. Serve this meal with rice or roasted new potatoes, and finish it off with strawberry sorbet.
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Two 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded thin (see step 1 of Sautéed Chicken with Radishes, page 148) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature (see Note) | 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 ½ tablespoons chopped pitted black olives ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest ¼ cup dry vermouth 3 tablespoons lemon juice (juice from 1 medium lemon) |
1.
Mix the flour, salt, and pepper together on a large dinner plate. Dredge the breasts in the flour mixture, coating both sides. Knock off any excess flour, then set them aside.
2.
Melt the butter with the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the prepared chicken breasts and cook for 3 minutes. Turn and cook for about 3 more minutes, until browned and cooked through. Transfer the breasts to two dinner plates, tent them with foil to keep warm, and return the pan to medium heat without removing any of the pan’s residual fat.
3.
Stir in the olives and lemon zest and cook for about 20 seconds, just until sizzling. Pour in the vermouth and lemon juice, raise the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Boil for 1 minute, or until slightly reduced, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the
pan. Remove the foil from the breasts and pour this sauce evenly over them, dotting them with black olives. Serve immediately.
NOTE:
You can use 2 tablespoons olive oil, rather than a mixture of butter and olive oil. Or you can use 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, provided you lower the heat so that the butter doesn’t burn. The chicken breasts may then take a minute or two longer to cook through. Once you add the vermouth, raise the heat to high as indicated.
AKED
C
HICKEN WITH
S
QUASH AND
C
HARD
makes2 servings
W
ith a whole, bone-in chicken breast (two breasts still attached by the center bone), you can make a baked chicken dinner for two any night of the week. Here, the whole breast is set over a bed of greens and squash, but there are endless variations.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon rubbed sage ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 whole bone-in chicken breast (1½to 1¾ pounds), ribs removed 1 small onion, minced 1 small delicata or kabocha squash (about ¾ pound), peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch cubes, or 1 cup peeled and seeded butternut squash, cut into ½-inch cubes | 1 small bunch red or yellow Swiss chard (about 8 ounces), stalks and thick veins removed, the leaves roughly chopped ¼ cup dry vermouth 2 tablespoons maple syrup ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon |
1.
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix 1 tablespoon of the butter, 1 teaspoon of the fresh sage or ½ teaspoon of the rubbed sage, the salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth and pastelike. Rub this mixture over the chicken breast, particularly coating the skin and any exposed meat. If you wish, gently pull the skin up by starting at the thin end of the breast and slipping your finger between the skin and the meat; massage some of this paste directly onto the meat under the skin before pressing the skin back down onto the meat. Set aside.
2.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet or sauté pan set over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook for 3 minutes, or
until golden, stirring occasionally. Scoop in the cubed squash and cook for about 4 minutes, or until slightly softened, stirring often. Add the chard. There will be quite a lot of greens, so use tongs or two wooden spoons to gently turn the mixture until the onions and squash are evenly distributed throughout the chard leaves. Pour the vermouth over the greens, cover, and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the chard wilts.
3.
Stir in the maple syrup, the remaining sage, and the cinnamon. Cook, uncovered, for about 4 minutes, or until the liquid in the pan has reduced to a glaze, stirring frequently.
4.
Mound this vegetable mixture on a 10-inch pie plate. Nestle the prepared chicken breast into the vegetables, mounding them up into the hollow of the ribs. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is browned and cooked through, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the flesh registers 160°F. Remove from the oven, tent with foil, and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. To serve, either carve the breast as you would a whole roast chicken or split it in half down its center (i.e., along the breastbone) with poultry shears. Serve with the roasted vegetable mixture on the side.
Replace the squash with equivalent amounts of yellow beets, turnips, or rutabagas. Replace the Swiss chard with mustard greens, spinach, or beet greens. You can also stir 1 tablespoon pine nuts, 1 tablespoon pecan pieces, or 1 tablespoon sliced blanched almonds into the vegetable mixture before mounding it in the pie plate and baking it.
TUFFED
C
HICKEN
B
REASTS
makes2 stuffed breasts