The Essential James Beard Cookbook (52 page)

Melt the butter in a large skillet, add the drained lettuce, and reheat in the butter for a minute or two. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the braised lettuce to a heated serving dish and spoon some of the butter over it.

PHILIP BROWN’S ROMAINE SOUFFLÉ

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

This new and different way to cook crunchy romaine was originated by my friend Philip Brown at one of his California cooking classes. The soufflé has an unusual flavor and the little bits of chopped romaine give a pleasant crunchiness. Serve it with roast lamb or beef or a chicken casserole and you will need no green vegetable, starch, or salad to complete the meal, it stands in for all three. Another nice thing about this dish is that you can make the base and fold in the egg whites an hour before you need to bake it, then leave it in the refrigerator until it is time to pop it into the oven.

1 large head of romaine

4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter

3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk, heated

4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Tabasco

Softened butter, for the soufflé dish

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cut off the coarse bottom of the romaine stalk. Wash the lettuce thoroughly and chop coarsely. Put in a heavy saucepan with a little water and cook over high heat until wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain well and chop finely.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the scallions until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the romaine and cook, stirring, until the excess moisture evaporates. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over low heat, whisk in the flour, and cook without browning for 2 minutes, whisking often. Whisk in the milk and cook until simmering and thickened. Remove from the heat. Beat the yolks into the sauce, one at a time, then whisk in the Cheddar cheese. Return to low heat and cook just until thickened a bit more without simmering. Stir in the romaine mixture until well blended. Season with salt, Worcestershire, and Tabasco.

Lavishly butter a 1½-quart soufflé dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, coating the bottom and sides. Shake out the excess cheese and reserve. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry; stir one-third into the romaine mixture, blending thoroughly. Fold in the remaining whites lightly. Pour into the soufflé dish; sprinkle with the reserved Parmesan cheese. Put in a preheated 400°F oven. Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake 25 to 35 minutes, according to how you like your soufflé. At 25 minutes it will still be a little runny in the center.

Editor: Philip Brown was the husband of
Helen Evans Brown
. He sometimes taught tandem cooking classes with Beard.

ONIONS MONÉGASQUE

MAKES 10 TO 12 APPETIZER SERVINGS

Editor: A specialty of Monaco, these glazed onions are wonderful on a buffet table as a rich salad, or as a side dish to grilled pork or chicken. Beard considers the tomato paste optional, but it is a good addition.

To peel the onions: Drop the onions into a large saucepan of boiling water and cook until the skins loosen, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Trim the tops and bottoms from the onions, and peel.

36 to 40 small white boiling onions, peeled

²
⁄
₃
cup dry white wine

½ cup water

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 bay leaf

1 fresh fennel sprig (optional) or a few fennel seeds

1 cup dried currants or golden raisins

Pinch of saffron threads

Place the onions in a large skillet (not cast iron) with the wine, water, oil, tomato paste (if using), sugar, thyme, salt and bay leaf. Add the fennel, if using. Bring to a simmer and cover with the lid ajar. Cook until the onions are just crisply tender, about 10 minutes. Add the currants and saffron, turn up the heat, and boil, uncovered, until the liquid reduces by half, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a serving bowl. Boil the cooking liquid until it forms a thick sauce, about 2 minutes more. Pour over the onions. Let cool. Serve cold.

FRENCH-FRIED ONION RINGS

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Editor: Nibble on these as a snack, or serve them as the ultimate accompaniment to steaks or burgers.

3 large yellow onions, peeled

Ice water

For the Batter

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon plain salt

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Slice the onions about ¼ inch thick, separate them into rings, and soak in ice water for 3 hours. Drain and dry thoroughly on paper towels.

To make the batter: Whisk the buttermilk and egg in a medium bowl. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add to the buttermilk mixture and whisk just until smooth.

Heat the fat to 375°F in a deep fryer. Working in batches, dip the onion rings into the batter and fry in the hot fat, a few at a time, until brown and crisp, about 2½ minutes. Drain well on paper towels. Keep warm in a 200°F oven. Reheat the oil to 375°F before frying the remaining onions. Serve hot.

FRENCH-FRIED PARSNIPS

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

For the life of me, I cannot understand why so many people dislike parsnips, which are one of our most delicious winter vegetables, if properly treated. There is a good deal of waste on parsnips, because the cores tend to be quite woody. Look for those that are fat around the top, not the long skinny ones. They aren’t the easiest of vegetables to peel, so I often cook them in the skins and peel them afterward.

8 parsnips, unpeeled

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Peanut or vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Cook the parsnips in a good amount of boiling salted water for 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the age and size of the vegetables. They are done when easily pierceable with a skewer or the point of a small knife. Plunge the cooked parsnips into cold water and, when cool enough to handle, peel, discarding the tough ends. Cut into fingers 2 inches long by ¼ inch wide.

Put the flour in a shallow bowl, the eggs in another shallow bowl, and the bread crumbs in a third bowl. Dip the parsnip fingers in the flour, then in the beaten egg, and roll in the fresh bread crumbs. Working in batches, deep-fry in a deep fryer or saucepan of deep hot oil (380°F) for about 3 minutes, until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Keep warm in a 200°F oven while frying the remaining parsnips. Serve at once.

NEW PEAS

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Editor: New peas are the very first peas of the season. Lacking a garden, you’ll find them at your local farmers’ market. You can use any fresh peas, adjusting the cooking time as needed until they are tender.

3 pounds new peas

2 to 3 cups water

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted

Select the freshest, youngest peas you can buy, and store in the refrigerator until ready for shelling. Do not soak them in water after shelling. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add the peas—do not worry if the water does not entirely cover peas. Cook, uncovered, until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, season with salt and pepper, and toss with the melted butter.

ROASTED SWEET PEPPERS WITH ANCHOVIES

MAKES 12 APPETIZER SERVINGS

12 red bell peppers

½ cup olive oil

1 to 2 tablespoons wine vinegar or sherry wine vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 dozen anchovy fillets in oil, drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Roast the peppers under a hot broiler, turning them occasionally, until the skins are blackened and blistered, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then remove the skins and seeds. Cut the peppers into halves or quarters. Arrange them in a flat serving dish.

Make a dressing with the oil and vinegar and season with salt (remember the anchovies are salty), and black pepper. Pour this over the roasted peppers and let them marinate several hours.

Remove from marinade, add the anchovies, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Or serve in the dish with the marinade and pass the anchovies and parsley separately.

STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

8 green bell peppers

2½ cups (½-inch) cubes of day-old white bread

¾ cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ cup pine nuts

½ cup dried currants

16 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons dry vermouth

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Softened butter, for the baking dish

Blanch the peppers in a large pot of lightly salted water for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Drain, rinse under cold water, and remove the tops and the seeds.

Sauté the croutons in ¼ cup of oil with the garlic in a skillet over medium-high heat until just golden. Add the pine nuts, currants, anchovies, parsley, and vermouth. Season with salt and black pepper (remember, the anchovies contain a good deal of salt). Stuff the blanched peppers with the bread mixture and place them in a buttered baking dish. Top each pepper with 1 tablespoon oil. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 minutes.

POTATOES ANNA

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Potatoes Anna, a French dish that has become quite the vogue in this country, represents yet another way of baking potatoes. Sliced thinly and well lubricated with butter, they form a kind of cake, crustily brown on the outside and meltingly tender inside. Serve Potatoes Anna with steak, roast meats, or chicken.

6 baking potatoes

About 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel the potatoes and slice them into very thin, even rounds,
¹
⁄
₈
inch thick. You can do this more easily if you use a mandoline or vegetable slicer with an adjustable blade. As the potatoes are sliced, drop them into a large bowl of salted ice water until ready to use.

The best thing to use for baking the potatoes is a heavy 8-inch, cast-iron skillet, 2 inches deep. Lacking this, use a deep 8-inch round pie dish or baking dish of the same dimensions. Brush the bottom and sides of the skillet heavily with melted butter. Drain the potatoes and dry them thoroughly on clean cloth or paper towels. They must be completely dry, as excess moisture would ruin the dish. Arrange a layer of potatoes in the bottom of the skillet: put one slice in the center and arrange overlapping circles of potatoes around it, from center to sides (this will be the top when unmolded). Sprinkle the potatoes very lightly with salt and pepper and spoon a tablespoon or two of melted butter over them.