The Epicurious Cookbook (57 page)

Authors: Tanya Steel

BOOK: The Epicurious Cookbook

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3.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil along with the onions and garlic to the Dutch oven and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the black pepper along with the remaining 1 tablespoon chili powder and the remaining 1 teaspoon cumin and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their liquid, chicken stock, black beans, barley, chiles, and tomato paste and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to moderately low, cover, and simmer until the barley is tender, about 45 minutes.

4.
Cut or tear the chicken into bite-size pieces. Once the barley is tender, stir the chicken into the soup along with the corn, and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

mahogany chicken

This sweet, sour, and salty chicken gets its name from the rich, dark soy sauce. It’s quick to prepare, and the one-pan prep makes it easy to clean up. “Using a splatter screen (or a large, inverted strainer/colander) is helpful for reducing the mess when browning the chicken,” says Epicurious member
Joy Vaughns.
Serve the chicken with steamed rice and a crunchy green vegetable.

YIELD: MAKES 4 SERVINGS

⅓ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons mirin, sweet sherry, or white wine

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon cornstarch

8 bone-in skin-on (5-ounce) chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 green onions (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced on the diagonal

1.
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, ginger, garlic, and cornstarch.

2.
Pat the chicken dry and season with freshly ground black pepper.

3.
In a large nonstick skillet over moderate heat, heat the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the chicken skin side down, and cook until the skin is crisp and deep golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until the other side is browned and the meat is thoroughly cooked, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and drain the fat from the pan.

4.
Add the soy sauce mixture to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the skillet and turn to coat in the sauce. Simmer the chicken, skin side up, until the sauce is thick and glossy, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter, spoon the sauce over the top, sprinkle with the sliced onions, and serve.

smoked chicken chowder

In this comforting chowder, heavy cream, flour, and potatoes provide rich, velvety texture, while the smoky flavor of chipotle chile in adobo sauce adds heat. The recipe calls for about a pound of smoked chicken, which is available at some butcher shops and specialty food stores, but you can also use (unsmoked) chicken breasts.

YIELD: MAKES 4 SERVINGS

3 medium onions, chopped (about 2½ cups)

½ cup vegetable oil

1 large russet (baking) potato, peeled and diced (¼ inch)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 fresh jalapeño chile, seeded and minced fine (wear rubber gloves)

¼ cup all-purpose flour

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1 cup)

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 4 ounces)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely minced (about 1 teaspoon)

1½ whole boneless smoked chicken breasts (about 1 pound), skin and fat removed and meat cut into ½-inch dice

1.
In a 6-quart heavy pot, cook the onions in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add the potato, garlic, and jalapeño and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in the flour, and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, for 2 minutes.

2.
Whisk in 2 cups broth and the heavy cream, and bring to a boil, stirring. Add the tomatoes, corn, cheese, parsley, chipotle, and chicken, and simmer, stirring occasionally and adding enough of the remaining cup of broth to thin soup to desired consistency, 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

“We did alter the recipe slightly by increasing the quantity of potatoes and omitting flour (using the potato to thicken the recipe instead). This would be a good option for those on a wheat-free diet.”

A cook, Wellington, New Zealand

pork roast
with winter fruits and port sauce

Inside this beautiful pork roast is a sweet and savory fruit surprise: apricots, prunes, and apples. A coat of bacon keeps the meat moist as it cooks. Stuff and wrap the pork a day ahead to let the flavors marinate. The port sauce not only provides a lovely glaze for the meat but is also a great topper for side dishes like mashed potatoes and green beans.

YIELD: MAKES 8 SERVINGS

FOR STUFFING

¼ pound California dried apricots, cut into ½-inch pieces

¼ pound pitted prunes, cut into ½-inch pieces

⅔ cup ruby port wine

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 small shallot, finely chopped

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tart apple such as Granny Smith, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

FOR ROAST AND SAUCE

1 (6-pound) bone-in pork loin roast (about 10 ribs), frenched, at room temperature 1 hour

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

9 or 10 bacon slices

½ cup ruby port wine

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1½ cups water

2 teaspoons arrowroot

MAKE STUFFING

1.
Simmer the apricots, prunes, and wine in a small heavy saucepan, covered, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes.

2.
Cook the onion and shallot in the butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the apple and salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until apple is just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the apricot mixture and cool.

STUFF AND ROAST PORK

1.
Preheat the oven to 500°F, with the rack in the middle.

2.
Make a pocket in the center of the roast by cutting a horizontal 1½-inch-wide slit into one end with a long thin knife and repeating from the opposite end so a pocket runs all the way through. Make a vertical cut through the center (forming a cross) to widen the pocket. Push about 1 cup stuffing into the pocket using a long-handled wooden spoon (you may need to stuff from both sides if roast is long). Reserve the remaining stuffing for the sauce.

3.
Season the roast with salt and pepper and put in a large flameproof roasting pan. Wrap with the bacon between rib bones, tucking the ends under the roast. Roast the pork 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 325°F and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into the center (do not touch bone or stuffing) registers 155°F, 1¼ to 1½ hours total.

4.
Transfer the roast to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 to 20 minutes. (Temperature of the meat will rise to about 160°F; meat will be slightly pink.)

MAKE SAUCE

1.
Skim the fat from the pan drippings and reserve 1½ tablespoons fat. Straddle the pan across 2 burners and add port to drippings, then deglaze by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up browned bits, 1 minute. Strain the pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding the solids.

2.
Cook the shallot in the reserved fat in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the pan juices, 1¼ cups water, and any reserved fruit stuffing and bring to a simmer. Whisk together the arrowroot and remaining ¼ cup water until smooth, then whisk into the sauce along with any juices from the cutting board. Simmer the sauce, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3.
Carve the roast into chops by cutting between ribs, then serve with the sauce.

“I used a ribless roast, so the cook time was very fast. I also used cranberries because I did not have apricots on hand. Even with the substitution, this recipe is delicious!”

Marybee88, Chicago, Illinois

do ahead:

The
STUFFING
can be made 2 days ahead and chilled. The
UNCOOKED ROAST
improves in flavor if stuffed, seasoned, and wrapped with bacon 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before roasting.

red wine–braised duck legs

These slow-cooked duck legs take several hours to braise, but the hardest thing about this recipe is waiting for the tender meat to finish cooking. Make this inexpensive yet elegant dish for a dinner party and watch as guests break into a smile after the first bite. Dried fruits and a hearty dry red give the sauce its rich appeal. Serve with buttered noodles, mashed potatoes, or fluffy quinoa.

YIELD: MAKES 6 SERVINGS

6 large whole duck legs (about 4½ pounds total), trimmed of excess fat

½ cup dry red wine

2 heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled

8 sprigs fresh thyme

1 cup mixed dried fruit, such as sour cherries, chopped apricots, chopped pitted prunes, and raisins

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Accompaniment: buttered noodles or roasted and mashed potatoes

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. and season the duck legs with salt and pepper.

2.
In a heavy pot just large enough to hold legs in one layer, cook the legs over moderately high heat 10 to 15 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and mahogany colored, removing fat from the pot as it is rendered with a metal bulb baster (or very carefully tilting the pot and spooning off). Turn the legs over and cook until browned all over, about 2 minutes, transferring to a plate.

3.
Pour off the fat and deglaze with the wine, scraping up browned bits. Boil the wine until reduced to a syrup and add the garlic, thyme, and ½ cup dried fruit. Return the duck legs and add the broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and braise, uncovered, in the oven 2 hours, or until legs are very tender. Transfer the legs to a platter and keep warm.

4.
Pour the braising mixture into a 1-quart measuring cup and let stand until the fat rises to the top. Skim off the fat and pour the liquid through a sieve into a saucepan, pressing hard on the solids. Boil until reduced by about one-third and slightly thickened, then add the remaining ½ cup dried fruit. Simmer the sauce until the fruit is softened, about 5 minutes, and season with salt and pepper.

5.
Serve duck legs with sauce and noodles or roasted and mashed potatoes.

“I made this recipe using chicken legs and thighs, which are such a bargain. A great recipe for a low-cost meat!”

A cook, Gatlinburg, Tennessee

moroccan slow-cooked lamb

Get a taste of North Africa with this lamb slow-cooked with stewed apricots, tomatoes, cinnamon, ginger, and lemon. To complete the Moroccan theme, serve the winter stew atop couscous. Alternatively, pair it with crusty bread for a heartier meal. Just be sure to save some leftovers, as the meat will be even tastier the following day.

YIELD: MAKES 6 SERVINGS

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2½ pounds trimmed boned lamb shoulder, cut into 1½- to 2-inch pieces

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth