Lasagna ai Carciofi (Lasagna with artichokes)

This is luxury on a plate.  When preparing this dish, you must get by the thought of caloric intake and savor every moment.  Remember, moderation is key in everything in life,  so why not indulge?

 

Artichokes are so misunderstood, especially in the Southern, United States,  where you more than likely going to see it used as a decoration rather than in a recipe.  I order mine by mail here in Tupelo, MS.   On occassion, they do show up locally.  Look for small, firm artichokes in your local market.  Baby varieties are showing up now.  This is a great time to try this fantastic recipe.

Here is a Northern, Italian Classic you will be making time after time.  I normally use fresh pasta sheets, but did not have time to make them.  A good, quality, box variety is key to a good result.  You want a firm texture on the plate.  

Ingredients:

9 medium, baby, seasonal  artichokes, cut, cleaned, center removed

2 teaspoons salt

One fresh lemon sliced

several liters of fresh water

Cut and clean your artichokes.  Remove your green parts until you begin to see some lighter yellow leaves.  Cut the tips off.  With a sharp knife, remove the center thistle.  Split in half and place in lemon water.  This will help retain the artichokes color.

Bring several liters of water to a boil.  Add salt and bring to a boil.

Add your artichokes and  a tablespoon of butter.  Boil your artichokes for about 30 minutes on simmer. 

 Test the artichokes pieces by poking with a fork.   Do not worry if they fall apart some while they cook. They should be nice and soft.   Drain, reserving your water.  The water has great artichoke flavor.    Add some additional  cold water and place the pot  on the fire to boil.  I like to use some of the artichoke water as it will give the pasta additional flavor and some interesting color.  Add a tablespoon of salt.  Be sure and  use the same pot, without rinsing it, just be sure its large enough to boil your lasagna sheets.

Cook your lasagna sheets until almost done.  Drain in a colander and separate your sheets to cool.   You will need a small, deep, baking dish about an  8x11.

3/4 of a pound lasagna sheets.

2 cups of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated

Additional pieces of butter for the top of your baking dish

Parsley to garnishf

This recipe will serve 6 portions.

While your water is coming up to boil, prepare your Bechamel.  Bechamel is a white cream sauce, made up of whole milk, flour and butter. 

Ingredients:

3 cups of milk

5 tablespoons of unsalted butter

pinch of salt

pinch of nutmeg

4 tablespoons flour

Method:  You will need a wide, flat skillet for the bechamel.  The sauce needs to aerate. (Thank you, Marcella Hazan).  Do not use a deep pan.  I have made this mistake one to many times.  A simple adjustment made all the difference.   A wide open skillet,  like a frying pan will do nicely.   This takes a little practice. Heat your milk until warm to the touch and slight bubbles are forming around the edges.  Turn the heat off under your milk.   Heat your butter on low until melted.  Add your flour a little at a time incorporating it into the butter.  You do not want to darken your flour.

  You just want it golden, soaking up your butter. 

After you have added all of your flour, begin incorporating your warmed milk a little at a time.  Add a large pinch of salt (about a teaspoon of each),  and your nutmeg.  Keep mixed until smooth and you have used up all of your warmed milk.  Your result should be a very smooth consistency.

At this point butter your baking dish and set it aside.   Into a bowl combine your artichokes, one cup of Parmigiano cheese and one cup of Bechamel.   Gently fold your fixture.  You can cut your artichokes into smaller pieces if you like.   Take about a tablespoon of Bechamel and coat the bottom of your baking dish lightly.  Add your first sheet layer.  Smother your artichoke mixture, a couple of additional tablespoons of bechamel and some additional Parmigiano.  Keep going until you get to the top.  Place additional pieces of butter on top.  Bake in a preheated, 375 degree oven for 15 minutes until your top is golden.   Let rest for 5 minutes and serve immediately.

Special Note:  You can make it a day ahead by covering it with plastic wrap and placing it in your refrigerator.  Remove it from the refrigerator approximately one hour before placing it in the hot oven.   Buon Appetito. 

My variation adapted from Marcella Hazan's Book, "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking."   A fabulous cookbook, everyone who cooks and even if you don't,  should live by.   Thank you to Marcella Hazan for her wise words  and always wonderful advice.  I now can consider myself an expert in making Bechamel.  Who knew a pan and some determination could make such a difference? 

Stuffed fillet of Sole

In all the years of cooking, I do not remember stuffing fillets. I have always stuffed a whole fish.  I gave it a try this past Friday night and it worked.  Remember, simple ingredients can yield a great result.  I picked up some Sole fillets in Memphis while on my shopping trip.  Look for fresh, thin fillets.  They work best as they hold together raw.  Once cooked, they hold their shape too.

Ingredients:  4 Servings

4 fillets of Sole or any thin, (pliable) Fish fillet (Cod, for example,  will not work, the fillets are to thick).

one teaspoon salt (for the fish)

One teaspoon pepper

One large egg

2 tablespoons olive oil (for the stuffing)

2 tablespoons of butter divided into pats of butter set aside

One cup of bread crumbs (plain)

1/2 cup diced parsley

2 cloves of garlic diced

Additional sprigs of Parsley to garnish

2 tablespoons, good salty capers.  Be sure and give them a quick rinse.  Same rule applies if capers are under Vinegar

1/2 cup pitted black olives

A squeeze of fresh lemon over each fillet.

1/2 cup of white wine

 About 8 Shrimp/ cooked (I blanched them quickly as they will continue to cook in the oven).  4 with tales on, 4 with tales removed

Method:  Place the egg, bread crumbs, garlic,  capers, olives, parsley and olive oil into the food processor.  Give it a pulse or two until the bread crumbs hold together.  Add your white wine a little at a time to your mixture.  You can add more bread crumbs if you like. It will become somewhat pasty.  Add your Shrimp and give it a mix.  You do not want your shrimp ground to fine. It's OK to see some pieces.  You can also dice the shrimp and add it in a bowl with your breadcrumb mixture and set aside.  Set aside your 4 remaining Shrimp.  You will use them to decorate later.

Butter your baking dish with one tablespoon butter.  Lay your fillets flat and with your hands insert about 2 tablespoons of stuffing in the middle of your fillet.  Roll your fillets and turn them over.  You want the seam to be ont he bottom of your fillet.  Place a pat of butter over your fillet or you can brush them with melted butter.  Continue this process and discard any left over stuffing. 

As you can see, I had some extra olives so I added them to the dish.   (The shrimp on top  is for the purpose of this photo. You  can add them later.  They are already in the stuffing).

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.   This cooks up very quickly and you might have to take it out at the 12 minute mark.  Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.   Decorate with your extra shrimp on top and a few sprigs of fresh Parsley.  A little lemon would do nicely too.  Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top. Serve with a light Pinot Grigio or Vinho Verde. Buon Appetito.

Special note:  I added my shrimp to my Baking dish at the 12 minute mark.  3 minutes later, they were slightly golden on the tips and firm.  I served fried Asparagus and some Horseradish cream as a side dish.

For the Fried Asparagus:  3 each/ 12 sprigs cleaned and trimmed at the bottom

One egg

One cup of cornmeal

These Asparagus were very thin.  It was not necessary to blanch.  Dip your Asparagus in egg and roll.  Add a pinch of salt.  You want the Asparagus well coated.  Dip in cornmeal.  Repeat egg and Cornmeal a second time.  Fry in Sunflower oil until golden. It just takes a minute or two.  Lay on paper towels until serving time.  

For the horseradish cream: 

 One tablespoon horseradish, one teaspoon hot pepper sauce, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise.   I just had a craving.  I normally would just steam some Asparagus. Enjoy!

Pizzaiola alla Mamma

It's the perfect sauce on an evening where you are just to tired to stand in the kitchen.  Traditionally prepared during the Summer months in Italy, this meal might make you prepare  it during the cooler months too.   My mother used Minute steaks.  These thin sirloin beef cuts cooked up in a hurry.  The stewing in the sauce tenderized these cuts of meat.  Today, I use thin, rib-eyes.  Have the Butcher cut them nice and thin without falling apart.  A little, goes a long way. 

Ingredients: Serves 4 hearty portions

12 oz of Penne Pasta

4 thin beef steaks (about 1 pound)

3 cloves of garlic, split in half (you will be removing them later so leave them large enough to find in your pan)

Sprigs of fresh basil

2 teaspoons salt

One of pepper

2 1/2 cups of tomato sauce *unsalted (make salt adjustments to your liking)

1/2 cup of white wine

pinch of sugar, optional

3-4 tablespoons of olive oil

One large skillet (enough to accommodate your sauce and steaks)

One pasta pot with 8 quarts water and 1 plus 1/2 tablespoon salt

Method:  Heat your oil in a large skillet to medium.  Heat your garlic until fragrant and golden,  remove from the pan.  Quickly add your beef steaks.  Cook on each side for about 1 minute.  Add one teaspoon salt and pepper.  You want them browned some on each side.  Set them aside to cool.  Do not worry as they juices from them will run in the plate.  This is normal.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and heat.  Add your garlic back to the pan.  Mix until heated again and fragrant, remove from the pan.  Add your tomatoes, wine and cook.  Let reduce about 1/2.   This will take approximately 10-12 minutes.  When you see a ring around the pan, add your beefsteaks back to the pan  with all their liquid.  Add your wine (add your optional pinch of sugar here). Submerge them under the sauce.  Cook for 10-12 minutes more on Simmer until a complete ring forms around the pan.

In the meantime, cook your pasta until al dente.  Remove your Beef Steaks from the pan and serve as a second dish.  I cut them in half and served them in the pasta bowl.  My mother would never hear of such a thing as it was always served separately,  in all it's glory and goodness.  Don't forget the Crusty bread!  Buon Appetito!

(I will be adding more photo's soon).

Porchetta style Pork Roast (Maiale alla Porchetta)

Ingredients:  One, 6-8 pound, bone-in Pork end Roast or half picnic Roast.  

2 bunches (about 4 cups Rosemary, left whole)

One handful of fresh sage (about 2 cups)

3-4 cloves garlic, diced

2 teaspoons Sea Salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

4 pieces of  heavy duty foil, enough to cover the roast tightly and securely

One cup of white wine

 

Preheat your oven to 250 bake.

 

Take your meat out of the package and give it a rinse.  Pat your meat dry with paper towels. Place your meat in a Ziploc bag with your wine for several hours or even over night. The longer the better. If you wish, you can skip this step entirely and add your wine at the last minute.  Drain, pat dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place on a foil lined baking sheet.   

Make some holes around the top of our Roast and insert some garlic pieces right into the roast.  Do not worry if some of the garlic falls to the bottom of the baking sheet.  Lay your Rosemary and sage across the top of your Roast.  It is not necessary to add any additional fat.   Wrap up your roast using additional pieces of foil.  You need a good, tight fit. This will ensure even cooking, as well as air entrapment.  That is what you want to have happen.

Cook in a low oven, 250 degrees, for approximately 6-7 hours.  Check your Roast at the 6 1/2 hour mark.  You will notice that your package may have deflated by almost half.  Use the back of a wooden spoon to slightly, pat down on your package.  If your package is very soft, it's ready.    You will also notice that the liquid (fat) has now escaped  to the bottom of your pan, but your package looks intact.  

 Cut open your package across the top of the roast. Remove your Rosemary and sage that has wilted from the steam.  Open your package across the top.  Expose the top entirely.  (Add our wine here, if you haven't in the beginning).  Broil for 10-12 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Remove from oven and let rest at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve with several fresh sprigs of Rosemary and Sage.  Buon Appetito!

Special Note:  Make adjustments for convection cooking.  I usually use the 50 minutes per pound calculation based on this cut of meat and the low cooking temperature.