Tag: Potato

Stromboli crust

Natalie Hanson

This is the crust from the Rosemary & Prosciutto Stromboli recipe in The Healing Kitchen, by Alaena Haber & Sarah Ballantyne. I use it to make a flexible flatbread crust.

1 cup of cooked and mashed white sweet potato (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp bacon fat (to brush on the crust while baking), or another fat of your choice

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a food processor, combine the mashed sweet potato with 1/4 cup of the tapioca starch at a time.
  • Season with the salt and rosemary; I also add half the bacon fat to the batter, which helps create a uniform texture.
  • Process until smooth.
  • Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and use your hands to spread it into a rectangle about 1/4 inch sheet.
  • At this point you can fill and roll, or cook as-is to create a flatbread.
  • Brush with half the bacon fat and bake for 30 minutes.
  • If a crispy texture is desired, broil for 2-3 minutes per side.
  • Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining bacon fat.

Matelote de pêcheur

Natalie Hanson

From Yves Parent.

1 lb of salmon fillet (cut in chunks)
1 lb of cod fillet (cut in chunks)
1 lb of swordfish (cut in chunks)
1 Tbsp of olive oil
1 big onion, sliced
1 leek
3 or 4 red potatoes, cut in small cubes
1 cup of fish stock (optional)
1 bouquet garni
1 Tbsp of chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
1 quart of white mushrooms
1 carrot
1 cup of dry white wine (Sauvignon is preferred)
1 Tbsp of sour cream

  • Chop the onion, the scallions and the leek.
  • Peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes.
  • In  a large saucepan, sweat the onion in the olive oil, but do not let it brown.
  • Add the leek and continue cooking gently for a minute.
  • Add the potatoes and bouquet garni, the chopped parsley, and one cup of fish stock (if you don’t have fish stock simply add water).
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook gently while adding the chopped mushrooms and chopped scallions.
  • Slice the carrot with the vegetable peeler and drop into the liquid as well.
  • Add the white wine.
  • Cook until the potatoes are tender.
  • The liquid must not reduce too much.
  • It should cover the vegetables.
  • First add the salmon, then add the swordfish.
  • Bring the liquid back to a boil, then add the cod, which cooks very quickly.
  • Stop the heat and let rest for about 4 minutes.
  • Before serving in hot soup plates or bowls, add the sour cream

Fish stock

2 lb of heads and bones of fresh white fish
2 Tbsp of olive oil
1 large onion and one carrot, peeled and sliced
4 fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup of dry white wine
5 cups of water or enough to cover
bouquet garni

  • In a large casserole brown the onion in the oil.
  • Add the fish and water.
  • Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Skim off the scum that rises to the surface.
  • Add the mushrooms, carrot, bouquet garni and wine.
  • Simmer slowly, partially covered, for 1/2 hour.
  • Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing lightly on the bones and vegetables to extract all the liquid.

Bouillabaisse

Natalie Hanson

For 10 to 12 people.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery, and 1 leek, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley)
Pinch of fennel seeds or branch of fennel
2 lb fish heads and backbones
3 quarts of water
4 cups of crushed tomatoes (about 2 lb)
2 Tbsp of sun dried tomato paste
2 cups of white wine
pinch of saffron/ salt and pepper

Marinate for 2 hours in 1/4  cup of olive oil and 2 Tbsp of Pernod, cut everything in 2 inch chunks:

1 lb of flavorful fish (sea bass, snapper, cod, haddock, or halibut)
1 lb of delicate fish (whiting, perch, sole)
1/2 lb of scallops, 1/2 lb of shrimps
1 lb of monk fish or lobster pieces

For the stock

  • In a large saucepan heat the oil.
  • Add onion, celery, carrots, leek, bouquet garni, fennel.
  • Cook for 5 minutes and add water.
  • Bring to a boil, add the fish bones and simmer for 40 minutes.
  • Pass through a sieve forcing as much liquid as you can from the vegetable mixture.
  • Reduce to concentrate the flavors if necessary.
  • Reserve 1 cup of stock for the rouille.

For the Bouillabaisse

  • To the above stock add the tomatoes, wine, saffron, salt and pepper.
  • Add the marinate juices.
  • Simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Bring to a boil before adding the monk fish or lobster.
  • Boil briskly 5 minutes.
  • Add the delicate fish and boil again 5 minutes.
  • Finally, add the scallops and shrimp and boil 3 minutes.
  • (Optional) cook the shrimp separately with garlic and parsley, peel them and deglaze the pan with some wine (use the shell of the shrimp in the wine).

Rouille

1 dried hot chili
1 potato, sliced thin
1 cup fish stock, reduced
1/4 cup roasted red pepper
4 cloves garlic and  few leaves of fresh basil
1/2 cup olive oil

  • Cook chili pepper and potato in fish stock until tender.
  • Pour into food processor with roasted pepper, garlic and basil.
  • Blend until smooth then add olive oil bit by bit.

Croûtes

  • Preheat oven 325°F.
  • Cut about 24 slices of French bread and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Lightly coat both sides of bread with olive oil.
  • Turn and bake for another 15 minutes.
  • Rub each slice with garlic.

Porc braisé sauce Madère

Natalie Hanson

For about 6 people.  A good vegetable dish to accompany this pork recipe is peas and carrots parisian style (below).

2 tenderloin pork roast
2 Tbsp of vegetable oil
3 Tbsp of butter
1 large onion
2 carrots
1 Tb of herbes de Provence
1/2 cup of Madeira wine
Stock, about a cup (chicken or veal)

  • In a large skillet, brown the pork well on all sides.
  • Discard the oil.
  • Reduce the heat.
  • Put the roast back in the skillet with 3 Tbsp of butter.
  • Slightly brown one large onion, sliced, around the meat.
  • Add 2 carrots, thinly cut, and sprinkle the Herbes de Provence on top of it all.
  • Add 1/2 cup of Madeira wine and 1/2 cup of stock to the pan.
  • Cook gently, on top of the stove, for about 1/2 hour adding some stock as needed.

It was established as far back as 1919 that trichina are killed at a meat temperature of 131°F (137°F for official purposes).  In view of this fact there is no reason whatsoever for overcooking pork until it’s dry and lifeless. Pork develops its best flavor and texture when it is cooked to an interior temperature of 170 to 180°F and the center of the meat is slightly pink. This is particularly true for the tenderloin. Another clue: cook for about 1/2 hour per pound of unchilled meat. or until the juices run clear when pricked with a fork.

Peas and carrots parisian style

1 onion, coarsely chopped
olive oil
2 packages of frozen early peas
6 carrots, sliced and steamed (for 6 minutes)
garlic and parsley
a few lettuce leaves

  • Cook the onion in the olive oil until tender and slightly brown.
  • Add the carrots and peas, the lettuce and the garlic and parsley.
  • Correct seasonings and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Just before serving add a bit of butter.

A very simple dish of roasted potatoes

5 potatoes (peeled and cut in 2 inch chunks)
5 cloves of garlic, unpeeled

  • Oil a large roasting pan and spread the potatoes at the bottom without crowding.
  • Cook until golden brown at 400°F.

Bouillabaisse de poulet

Natalie Hanson

To serve 6.

It was just a matter of time before someone had the good idea to use the flavors of all the ingredients in a bouillabaisse and replace the fish with chicken. So here goes the mixture of onions, garlic, tomatoes, fennel and saffron. To make it into a real casserole, the vegetable of choice here is the fennel bulbs.

4 large tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded and chopped
2 large onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 large fennel bulbs with feathery leaves attached, chopped
3 Tbsp of olive oil
1/3 cup of licorice-flavored aperitif such as Ricard or Pernod
1 generous pinch of saffron
2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 2 tsp of dry thyme
4 imported bay leaves
salt and pepper
6 chicken legs with the skin removed
1 lb of boiling potatoes peeled and quartered
2 cups of chicken broth (preferably homemade) 

  • The day before you plan to serve the dish, combine the tomatoes, onions, garlic, fennel, olive oil, aperitif, saffron, herbs and seasonings in a large covered casserole.
  • Stir to blend.
  • Add the chicken legs and stir to coat the chicken.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
  • At least 1 hour before cooking the casserole, remove it from the refrigerator.
  • Stew the chicken in its marinade, partially covered to avoid boiling over medium heat for about half an hour.
  • Add the potatoes and chicken stock and simmer for an additional 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
  • Taste for seasoning.
  • Serve in warm shallow soup bowls.

Pot au feu

Natalie Hanson

Provides a good beef stock that can be reduced and then frozen or reduced even further and clarified to become a glace de viande (meat glaze).

8 short ribs shank  (meat bone in)
1 large onion sliced
1 small onion pricked with 2 cloves
8 carrots
2 leeks
2 celery stalks
2 cloves of garlic
bouquet garni (bay leaf, parsley, thyme)
12 small potatoes

  • Brown the sliced onion in one tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Add the meat then the water to cover.
  • Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 5 minutes, skimming off the scum.
  • Add bouquet garni, garlic, and onion with cloves.
  • Simmer covered for 2 hours.
  • Add water if necessary.
  • Put a minimum of salt.
  • Add carrots, leeks, and celery stalks and cook for another hour.

To serve:

  • Strain the broth and reserve the meat and vegetables.
  • Keep warm.
  • Reduce the broth by boiling it quickly.
  • Then add salt and pepper as needed.
  • In the meantime, cut thin slices of the meat and arrange on a serving platter surrounded by the vegetables.

How to use the broth:

  • Serve the broth in a bowl with toasted French bread covered with grated cheese.
  • Make glace de viande:
  • First the stock (about 1 quart) must be perfectly degreased to be clarified.
  • This clarification process is accomplished by beating egg whites into cold stock, heating it to just below the simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Strain the liquid very gently.
  • Reduce to a syrup that becomes hard jelly when cold.
  • 1 quart of stock will reduce to 1/2 cup.

It can keep for weeks under refrigeration or can be frozen.

Daube d’agneau provençale

Natalie Hanson

This is a very simple and inexpensive stew which is better done at least a day ahead.

2 Tbsp of olive oil
2 onions, sliced
3 lb of lamb shoulder cut in large pieces
10 carrots, sliced
4 potatoes, sliced
1 can of italian tomatoes
1 cup of white wine
1 Tbsp of Herbes de Provence
Salt and pepper
Garlic and parsley
Green olives (optional)
2  10 ounce packages of mushrooms

  • In a large covered casserole heat the oil and sweat the onions.
  • In the meantime, brown the pieces of meat in a large skillet.
  • Add the meat to the casserole and deglaze the skillet with the white wine.
  • Add the resulting liquid to the casserole as well. Sprinkle the Herbes de Provence on the meat.
  • Add the carrots, potatoes, herbs, garlic and parsley.
  • Cover with the tomatoes.
  • Cook for 1 hour without stirring.
  • In the meantime, cook the mushrooms.
  • Season and reserve.
  • After 1 hour of cooking, add the mushrooms (and the green olives).
  • Cook for another 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.

Yugoslavian vegetable dish

Natalie Hanson

From Ruth Wessels.

Can be made several days ahead (without the cheese on top) and frozen after cooking.  Then return the casserole to the oven, to reheat 30 minutes.  Spread the cheese and brown just before serving.

1 potato, diced
1 medium zucchini, unpeeled and diced
1 medium eggplant, unpeeled and diced
2 green peppers, diced
2 small carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1 inch strips
1 Bermuda onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup of shelled fresh peas
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp Tabasco (or soy) sauce                
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
5 large tomatoes, sliced
1/3 cup raw rice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese 

  • Combine potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, green peppers, onion, carrots, peas, and parsley with 1/3 cup of olive oil, salt, Tabasco, and pepper.
  • Line an oiled 9 x11 inch (deep) baking dish with half of the vegetable mixture.
  • Layer with half the tomato slices, sprinkle with rice, and add the other half of the vegetable mixture.
  • Top with remaining tomato slices.
  • Mix the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil with vinegar and pour over casserole.
  • Bake, covered at 350°F for 1-3/4 hours.
  • Sprinkle with cheese and place under broiler until cheese is melted.

Pommes Anna

Natalie Hanson

1/2 lb unsalted butter
3 lbs of potatoes
Salt, pepper 

  • Preheat oven to 450°F.
  • Set one rack in very bottom level, and another just above it.
  • Clarify the butter: melt it, skim off scum, and spoon the clear liquid butter off the milky residue.
  • Peel the potatoes, trim into cylinders to have uniform slices. Do not wash potatoes after peeling.
  • Slice cylinders into even rounds 1/8 inch thick (about 8 cups).
  • Dry thoroughly in paper towels.
  • Pour 1/4 inch of clarified butter into the pan and set over moderate heat.
  • When hot, start rapidly arranging the first layer of potatoes in the bottom of the pan.
  • Starting with one potato slice at the center of the pan, overlap a circle of potato slices around it.
  • Overlapping in the other direction, arrange a second circle around the first, and so on until you reach the edge of the pan.
  • Pour on a spoonful of clarified butter, salt and pepper.
  • Starting at the circumference of pan and reversing direction again, arrange another layer of potato all the way to the center.
  • Continue filling the pan in that fashion, filling completely and allowing the potatoes to form a 1/4 to 1/2 inch dome in the center.
  • You should have enough butter so that it bubbles up the sides of the pan.
  • Butter the bottom of a heavy saucepan and press it hard on the potatoes, forcing the layers together.
  • Butter the underside of a cover, place it on the pan of potatoes and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.  Put a pan under the potato pan to catch any dripping butter.
  • After 20 minutes, uncover, press the potatoes down hard again and continue baking 20 to 25 minutes more, uncovered.
  • Press down hard again just before the end of cooking.
  • Gently draw an edge of the potatoes  away from side of dish to verify that it is brown and crusty. Bake more if necessary.
  • Drain out excess butter.
  • Shake pan gently to make sure potatoes are not stuck to bottom, run a spatula gently to loosen them if necessary.
  • Invert a serving dish over the potato pan, reverse the two, and potatoes will fall into the dish.
  • They should look like a brown cake.
  • To keep the cake for at least half hour before serving time, cover loosely with foil and set in 120°F oven.

Gratin dauphinois

Natalie Hanson1 Comment

Ingredients to serve 8 people:

3 lb of potatoes (about 8 or 9 large potatoes)
2 cups of milk
Salt, pepper and nutmeg
2 Tbsp of butter
3 cloves of garlic crushed
Bouquet garnis (bay leaf, thyme, parsley)
1 cup of crème fraîche
1 cup Swiss cheese

  • Peel and clean the potatoes.
  • Cut them into thick slices.
  • In a large pan melt the butter and slightly cook the garlic in it.
  • Add the potatoes.
  • Put in the bouquet garnis, salt, and pepper.
  • Cover and cook gently for 5 to 10 minutes
  • In the meantime heat the milk and add a pinch of nutmeg.
  • Pour the hot milk on the potatoes and cook slowly for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are barely tender.
  • Discard the bouquet garnis.
  • Take 2 oven-proof dishes and put 1/4 cup of crême fraiche at the bottom of each dish.
  • With a slotted spoon divide the potatoes between the 2 dishes.
  • Divide the remaining milk between the two dishes.
  • Divide the rest of the crème fraîche on top of each dish and sprinkle the cheese on both.
  • Put in the oven at 375°F until brown on top (about 15 to 20 minutes).