The Essential James Beard Cookbook (23 page)

8 large or 12 medium-size veal scallops, pounded until thin

½ to ¾ cup all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, preferably clarified

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

8 or 12 thin slices of lemon

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Lightly flour the scallops, shaking off any excess flour. Heat the butter and oil in 2 large heavy skillets over medium-high heat until the foaming stops. Add the scallops, a few at a time (do not crowd the pan). Sauté them quickly, about 1 minute per side, until lightly browned, seasoning with salt and pepper. Divide the lemon juice, lemon slices, and parsley among the pans. Transfer the scallops to a warm platter and pour the pan juices over them.

SAUTÉED CALF’S LIVER WITH BACON

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Editor: Beard’s basic recipe is simplicity itself, but he also offers some interesting variations. You can substitute lamb, baby beef, or pork liver for the common calves’ liver. He liked to serve liver with boiled new potatoes.

8 to 12 slices bacon

1½ to 2 pounds calf’s liver, sliced ½ inch thick (about 3 slices per serving)

½ cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Be sure that the butcher has removed the membrane covering the liver. If not, peel it off.

Working in batches, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning once, until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour out the bacon fat. Wipe the skillet clean.

Lightly flour the liver slices and shake off any excess flour. Melt the butter and oil together in the skillet over medium-high heat until it is very hot and the butter foam subsides. Add the liver and brown quickly on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Never overcook liver; it should be pink inside. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the bacon.

VARIATIONS

SAUTÉED LIVER WITH ONION:
Before cooking the liver, sauté 2 yellow onions, sliced, in 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until lightly colored and soft, about 10 minutes. Add 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on top of the sautéed liver, with or without the bacon.

SAUTÉED LIVER WITH SHALLOTS AND MADEIRA:
Sauté ¼ cup finely chopped shallots in the butter and oil until limp. Add the floured liver and sauté. Season; add ¼ cup Madeira and ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. Turn the liver once in the sauce. Transfer the liver to a platter and pour the sauce over it. You may choose to omit the bacon.

SAUTÉED LIVER WITH MUSTARD SAUCE:
After removing the liver, deglaze the skillet with ¼ cup dry white wine. Blend in 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard. Remove from the heat and add ½ cup plain low-fat or whole-milk yogurt, stirring until warmed throughout, but do not boil. Pour the sauce over the liver. Omit the bacon.

SWEETBREADS PANNÉ

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

One of the simplest and best ways to prepare sweetbreads is to pannè them—which means they are coated with flour, egg, and bread crumbs, then sautéed. [
Editor:
Panné
is derived from
pain,
the French word for bread.
]

2 pairs sweetbreads

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1½ cups fresh bread crumbs, made in a food processor or blender from day-old bread

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and lemon wedges, for garnish

Put the sweetbreads in a large skillet and add cold water to cover. Bring just to a boil over high heat. Carefully drain and rinse the sweetbreads under cold running water. Transfer the sweetbreads to a bowl of ice water and chill for 10 minutes or so. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Peel the membrane from the sweetbreads, and trim any veins, gristle, or hard parts.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel. Place the sweetbreads in a single layer on the towel and cover with waxed paper, put a board on top, and weigh down with cans. Refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 24 hours. (This flattens the sweetbreads for even cooking.) Cut into serving-size pieces just before cooking.

Put the flour on a plate, beat the eggs in a shallow bowl, and put the bread crumbs on another plate. Coat the pieces lightly with flour, then dip in the egg, and then roll in the bread crumbs. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sweetbreads, and sauté until nicely browned on both sides, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as they sauté. Remove to a hot platter. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve with the lemon wedges.

PORK

Glazed Ham

Marbleized Fresh Ham

Crown Roast of Pork

Red-Cooked Pork Shoulder

Roast Pork Loin

Roast Smoked Loin of Pork

Cold Barbecued Loin of Pork

Cassoulet

Choucroute Garnie

Baked Spareribs with Sauerkraut, Apples, and Potatoes

Salt and Pepper Spareribs

Roast Suckling Pig with Pistachio-Rice Stuffing

GLAZED HAM

A WHOLE HAM MAKES 16 TO 20 SERVINGS; A HALF HAM 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

The smoked hams sold in supermarkets are usually labeled “cook before eating,” “fully cooked,” or “ready-to-eat”—the last two mean the same thing. According to USDA inspection regulations, hams must be heated to a certain internal temperature during the smoking process. The “ready-to-eat” have been heated to a higher temperature (around 160°F) than the “cook before eating” and are perfectly safe to eat cold, but I find that in order to be really palatable they need a certain amount of cooking and flavoring and are much tastier if basted with sherry, Madeira, dry (hard) cider, wine, or ginger ale during baking. Ready-to-eat or fully cooked hams need only to be baked until they reach an internal temperature of 130°F, just sufficient to heat them through, but a cook-before-eating ham should be boiled or baked to an internal temperature of 160° to 165°F.

A whole ham can weigh from 10 to 20 pounds, but if that is just too much meat for you, you can buy half of a ham, either the meatier butt end or the less expensive but equally tasty shank end. Allow about ½ pound of ham per person, or ¾ to 1 pound for a shank end with a lot of bone. If you want an even smaller ham, buy the smoked butt or smoked picnic shoulder—these come from the foreleg and are fattier but less expensive than hams from the hind legs.

With hot ham, serve
Spinach with Cream and Nutmeg
, and
Mustard Hollandaise
, or Cumberland Sauce (see Box,
here
). [
Editor: Beard recommends potato and semolina gnocchi as a side dish, too, but that is not included in this collection.
Cornmeal Gnocchi
would be just fine.
]

With cold ham, serve a salad of white beans and tiny bits of chopped tomato, cucumber, and green bell pepper, tossed with well-flavored vinaigrette sauce and garnished with thinly sliced red onions. A hot corn or spinach soufflé (
Philip Brown’s Romaine Soufflé
, would also be good) is a nice accompaniment to a cold ham, with a selection of French or German mustards. Champagne or a very fruity Alsatian white wine or rosé wine goes well with either hot or cold ham.

One 10- to 12-pound ready-to-eat (fully cooked) ham, or a 6- to 8-pound half ham

2 cups dry sherry, Madeira, or dry white wine

1 to 1½ cups dried bread crumbs

1 tablespoon dry mustard

½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Put the ham, skin and fat side down, in a large deep roasting pan with the wine. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven approximately 12 minutes per pound for a whole ham, or about 16 minutes per pound for a half ham, basting from time to time with the liquid. When tested with a meat thermometer, inserted in the thickest part but not touching a bone, the internal temperature should register 130°F.

Remove the ham from the oven and trim off the skin or rind and all but about ¼ inch of the fat. Mix together the bread crumbs and dry mustard, and rub the mixture into the fat with your hand. Press the brown sugar into the crumbs and dot all over with Dijon mustard. To glaze the ham (that is, to melt the sugar and give the fat a glossy brown finish), put the ham under the broiler, if it is deep enough, about 10 inches from the heat, and watch carefully to see that the mixture does not scorch—the sugar should melt into the crumbs and leave a nice glaze. Otherwise, turn up the heat to 450°F and bake the ham 15 to 20 minutes more, until nicely glazed. Let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

MARBLEIZED FRESH HAM

MAKES 16 TO 20 SERVINGS

The fresh ham or leg of pork is a most satisfactory roast for a large number of people, and equally good hot or cold. I find that my Italian pork store in New York always handles fresh hams, and is well acquainted with boning and stuffing them with herbed and other mixtures that make them particularly succulent. The English and sometimes the Italians leave the scored skin on and roast it to a crisp, chewy perfection. I find this delicious, but most people prefer to have the skin removed. This rather elaborate dish is best served cold. Roast it early in the morning and let it cool until evening, without refrigerating, if possible. This is a good choice for a buffet party.