Recipe, interrupted

Recipe: Pan-Roasted Anchovy Potatoes

Pommes Persillade with anchovies. Simple and delicious with a fried egg.

Secret flavor shortcut: anchovies

My floral whiz kid friend recently let me in on her favorite quick go-to meal ideas. Like me, she often turns to roasted veggies and pasta. Her key addition, though, was one that I hadn’t been giving enough attention to lately: anchovies. (I haven't been giving enough attention to a lot of ingredients lately; more on my kitchen renovation soon.) Many people are turned off by the idea of their strong, salty flavor. But when anchovies are used as a seasoning (rather than as a main ingredient) and allowed to melt away into a dish, most of those people wouldn’t even recognize where this extra deliciousness came from. Anchovies add a wallop of umami flavor and a mellow sweetness when they mingle over heat with other ingredients.

And good for you, too

Before even getting to the flavor, there’s a lot to be said about the nutritional value of anchovies. Loaded with Omega 3s and protein and also a good source of calcium, iron, and selenium, they are good for you too. It’s true, they are quite salty, so cooking with anchovies is important to ease up on additional salt, especially if you are watching your sodium intake.

Potatoes, Provence-style

That’s what I did the other day with these simple pan-roasted red potatoes. Basically, they’re the French bistro classic, pommes persillade, or little cubed potatoes, pan-roasted and tossed with parsley and minced garlic. With anchovies added to the mix, the dish takes on a more Provencale flavor. Perfect with roast chicken, lamb chops, or a steak, it is equally delicious in more humble pairings. Like what I made last night with ingredients from my almost-bare fridge: cabbage and onions and fried eggs.

“How’d you get these potatoes so sweet?” is what my husband asked. I had to wave him off until my kids took their first bites to tell him the secret was in the anchovies. “You’ve been using those a lot lately, haven’t you?” was his response. It’s true, and why wouldn’t I? By the way, try a dab of anchovy paste or half a fillet of preserved anchovy in basil pesto…heaven.

Parsnips, A little secret for extra sweetness

Finally, to be fair, I have to credit an added parsnip for some of the sweetness. Another oft under-appreciated food, a small amount of parsnip can really round out the flavor of a dish that is dominated by a neutral-tasting ingredient like potatoes. And I think it works especially well with the anchovy, highlighting some of its sweetness.

 

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

 

2 pounds red or gold potatoes, scrubbed and with skin on, cut into ¼- to ½-inch cubes (optional: add a peeled and cubed parsnip – or maybe a carrot? – in with the potatoes for a total of 2 pounds of root vegetables)

about 4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt, generous pinch

6 cloves of garlic, minced fine or passed through a garlic press

4 fillets of anchovies, preserved in oil, plus some of their oil

3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

1. Heat a large cast iron or enameled skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir in the potatoes (and parsnip, if using) to coat them in oil and spread them out in the skillet. Let them soften and brown slightly for a few minutes, turning them once with a spatula and then add the salt.
   Ready for salt
    
2. Reduce heat to medium. Continue to turn them for even browning. When they are tender and nicely browned, after about 15 minutes (longer if your cubes are on the larger side), clear a spot on the skillet and heat the remaining olive oil in it.Add the garlic and anchovies to the oil, stirring to encourage the anchovies to break down.
   
3. After 1-2 minutes, when the garlic is fragrant, add the parsley and toss gently to incorporate all the ingredients together.
    
4. Serve immediately. 

 

Recipe: Soft Crab and Corn Tortillas

This spring a mom visited my daughter’s class for a cooking project. She made corn tortillas with them, using a tortilla press. I heard the kids had a great time with it and, not wanting to be left out of the fun, I had to try it for myself.

Immediately I could see the appeal. The dough comes together like play dough – no wonder the kindergarteners took to it so readily. And because there’s no gluten in the flour, you don’t have to worry about over- or under-working the dough. The flour is masa, which is made of lime-treated corn (like the hominy used in grits). It’s really very easy. I just followed the directions on the bag of flour (which I am basically repeating below). I’m sure that using a tortilla press to flatten the dough down makes the project even more of a Play-Doh Fun Factory. Alas, I don’t have a tortilla press but I did just fine with a rolling pin. And the extra work was rewarded when I got to build a colorful stack of my favorite fresh summer ingredients on top of the tortilla.

Instead of the traditional cotija cheese, I used ricotta salata. I love adding this cheese to salads and some pasta dishes too. It has a clean, milky flavor, with just enough tang and salt to add flavor without being overpowering.

Makes 8 tortillas

Preparation time: 45 minutes

 

For corn-tomato salad:

3 ears fresh corn, cooked

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons minced red onion

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

1 small sweet green or bell pepper, diced

juice of about ½ lime

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt, to taste

For tortillas:

1 cup corn masa flour (such as Maseca brand)

2/3 cup water

1/8 teaspoon salt

For crab:

2 cups fresh fully cooked crabmeat (you can also defrost frozen crabmeat, which I did but it’s just not the same)

1 teaspoon minced fresh chives

½ lime, quartered (use the other half of the lime for the salad)

 

Other fillings:

Guacamole, see recipe

8 small butter lettuce leaves, washed and dried well

½ cup crumbled ricotta salata

 

1. Prepare the tomato corn salad: Remove the kernels from the cob by holding the cob vertically on a cutting board or into a steady bowl and slicing the kernels off in strips with several downward motions of a chef’s knife. Toss vegetables together. Dress with lime juice, olive oil, and salt to taste. Refrigerate the salad while you prepare tortillas.
   
   
   
2. Prepare tortillas: Mix together tortilla ingredients until they come together as a soft dough similar in texture to play dough. If the dough is somewhat dry or crumbly when you try to roll a portion of it, stir in another tablespoon or so of water. Roll dough into 8 balls.
   
   
3. If you have a tortilla press, you can use it to press the balls into 6-inch tortillas. Otherwise, roll out the tortilla between two sheets of wax paper or silicone liner. If you want the tortilla to be perfectly circular, use the rim of a cereal bowl to cut out circles. Keep both the unrolled balls and the rolled-out tortillas moist by covering them with a damp towel while you work.
   
   
4. Heat a comal, griddle, crepe pan, or cast iron skillet with low sides over medium-high heat. Cook tortillas for about 1 minute on each side. When they are done, they should have a dry appearance on the surface but still be tender and pliable. Place tortillas in a dish covered with a napkin to keep warm and soft.
   
   
5. Serve crab and other fillings: Put the crab in a serving dish and garnish with chives. Serve the lime wedges alongside. Serve guacamole, lettuce, and cheese in small dishes so that each person can assemble their tortilla as they like.
   

 

Recipe: Spaghetti with Tomato, Fennel, and Tuna

This recipe was inspired by Julia, who was looking for a way to use fennel stalks, and by Serena, whom I ran into at the Food Coop and who prodded me to buy pasta of the quality that she was accustomed to in Italy. “It’s worth it,” she promised as she tucked a super long package of spaghetti into my cart. Thank you, my friends! I love that there’s always something new to try in the kitchen.

A shorter pasta with nooks and crannies to hold the chunkier bits in the sauce would be the more classic choice, but this pasta was quite sturdy and held up fine. And Serena was right, the difference was worth the 3 dollars I would have saved if I had bought a more mass market brand. The pasta was paler than what I’d expect from semolina, but had small specks that gave it a very faint whole grain appearance. It also had a very light nuttiness.

Serves Four

Preparation time: 25 minutes

 

2-3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as dressing if necessary

1 medium onion, chopped

Stalks of one medium fennel bulb, fibrous ends removed and lower tender portions chopped (of course, you can also use the bulb itself but I had only the stalks left and wanted to put them to use)

Kosher salt, to taste

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 small anchovy fillets or about 1 teaspoon anchovy paste

Freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces light canned tuna, drained and loosened up into large flakes. (If possible, use tuna packed in oil. If it’s packed in water, drain very well and dress with olive oil while flaking. Note: Skipjack and light albacore tuna are generally lower in mercury and less vulnerable to overfishing than many other varieties of tuna.)

2 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned

¾ cup white wine

1 tablespoon finely chopped mint

1 tablespoon capers, lightly rinsed

Optional: 3 tablespoons minced fennel fronds

¼ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 pound dry spaghetti pasta

 

1. Bring a large stockpot filled with water to a boil while you prepare the sauce.
   
2. Heat a wide saucepan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is hot, add onion, fennel, and a pinch of salt. Give it a few stirs to coat the vegetables with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent browning, until onion and fennel are softened, about 5 minutes. 
   
3. Stir in garlic, anchovies, and about 3 twists of pepper from a peppermill. Add another tablespoon of olive oil if mixture appears dry. Cook 3 minutes until anchovy has broken down and garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally.
   
   
4. Stir in tuna, tomatoes, wine, and another pinch or so of salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. 
   
5. Add mint, capers, fennel fronds (if using), and parsley. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for another 5 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice. Salt to taste.
   
6. Cook the pasta until just al dente. Drain immediately and toss with sauce. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, if desired. Serve in shallow bowls while hot. 
   

 

Recipe: Salad of Mizuna, Fennel, Farro, and Smoked Oysters

Smoked Oysters… I buy them intending to use them right away, but what tends to happen is they sit in the purgatory of my pantry until I remember them. Fortunately I did remember them and they turned out to be just the right thing the other day for a fresh and bright salad that I wanted to top with a flavorful, smoky protein – ideally one that didn’t need any preparation.

Slices of apple are beautiful in this salad. They weren’t part of my original creation, but I’d recommend putting them in. To turn the salad into a more substantial main course, you can also add roasted potato and boiled egg.

 

Serves 4

Preparation time: 35 minutes

 

1 cup uncooked farro

Kosher salt, to taste

¼ cup parsley

Juice of 1 lemon

About 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

4-5 cups mizuna leaves, coarsely chopped

1 small fennel bulb, shaved or cut very finely lengthwise

1 three-ounce tin smoked oysters, drained

1 apple cut into thin slices

optional: roasted or boiled potatoes, boiled eggs, sliced

 

1. Farro cooking instructions vary depending on the variety; cook according to the packaging directions of your farro. I cooked mine by bringing them to a simmer in a saucepan with 2 cups of water and a generous pinch of salt, reducing heat to low, covering and cooking for 25 minutes, until al dente. Then I allowed the farro to steam for about 5 minutes, covered and off the heat.
   
   
2. Drain any excess liquid from the farro and toss with parsley, juice of about ½ lemon, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt to taste.
3. Toss the mizuna and fennel together with the additional lemon juice, olive oil, and salt, all to taste.
   
4. Arrange the greens on a salad plate. Top with farro. Garnish with oysters and apple slices.
   
5. Serve immediately.

 

Recipe: Sake- and Dashi-Poached Cod

This fish came from Blue Moon Fish who sell their locally caught fish every weekend at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket in Brooklyn. Cod cooks very quickly and has a tenderness and slight sweetness that goes very nicely with the sake- and dashi-based poaching liquid. You can use other fleshy white fish fillets. I’ve even used tilapia, which takes a little longer to poach.

To complement the sweet, umami-rich flavors of the fish and broth, I like to garnish the dish with a bitter green and add a few drops of chili and roasted sesame oils. Pictured here are daikon radish greens. Mustard greens or broccoli rabe would also work well. The katsuoboshi on top add a final touch of rich, slightly smoky flavor, plus the way the delicate flakes flutter brings this dish to life.

 

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 30 minutes

 

1 batch dashi broth (see recipe), about 3 cups

¾ cup sake

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

4 six-ounce cuts of line-caught cod fish fillet (or other sustainably caught white fish)

3-4 cups chopped bitter greens, such as daikon greens

Juice of 1 lime, or as needed

1 teaspoon chili oil

1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil

¼ cup katsuoboshi (dried bonito flakes)

 

1. In a sauté pan with straight sides, combine the dashi, sake, soy sauce and sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
   
2. You will probably need to shallow poach the fish in two batches: set aside half of the heated poaching liquid for the second batch. Place the first two fillets in the remaining liquid and poach gently over medium-low heat until the edges just begin to become opaque, about 2 minutes. The poaching liquid should just barely bubble. Turn and cook the second side. The fish is done with it is opaque and tender and can be easily flaked, but not falling apart. Thick fillets – an inch or thicker – will need more time.
   
   
   
3. Transfer fish into warmed shallow bowls. Increase heat to medium-high, add half of the bitter greens (if working in two batches) to poaching liquid. Cook until tender, but still bright green, about 3-4 minutes.
   
4. Ladle poaching liquid over the fish. Garnish with bitter greens.
   
5. Prepare the second batch.
   
6. Squeeze lime juice over fish and broth. Drizzle with chili oil and roasted sesame oil. Top with a large pinch of katsuoboshi and serve. 

 

Eat Your Greens: Chickweed

This tangle of a green totally grabbed me today at the Food Coop. First of all, there's the name. I chuckled to myself imagining that this was something Cheech and Chong might smoke to attract women. I never met a leafy green I didn't like, so I filled up a bag and brought it home. 

I guess I was expecting something bitter like watercress – the chickweed tasted mild and very green, like the smell of freshly cut grass. The little seeds that fell out of the buds had a little bite to them and the thicker stems were pretty fibrous. Trimmed, they would make a great salad with just a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkling of olive oil, maybe a crumbling of cheese, too. But since I am working on a post about pesto for Serious Eats, I immediately set to work imagining possible ingredients to throw in the food processor along with the chickweed. 

What I came up with was toasted walnuts, Parmigiano Reggiano, lemon zest and juice, a few ramps, a small handful of flat-leaf parsley, olive oil, salt, pepper, and of course, the chickweed. I was impatient, so I didn't get rid of as many of the tougher stems as I should have, but the result was still delicious. With a much lighter flavor than a garlicky pesto, it could be be treated more as a vegetable puree, less as a dressing, and thus used in more generous amounts. I quickly smeared it on top of trout, though it would have looked prettier as a bed for the fish to rest on. But everyone in the family, including sister and 14-month-old nephew, approved of the dish. The chickweed pesto was also really good with the steamed new potatoes that we ate with the fish.

 
 

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Recipe: Miso-Glazed Salmon and Grilled Ponzu Vegetables

The miso glaze and the grilling method distinguish this dish from typical weeknight fare. And it can be thrown together in under 20 minutes, mostly with items you can store over the long-term in your pantry or fridge. (Take that, 30-Minute Meals!) The only thing you may need to shop for is the salmon. Or, you can defrost salmon fillets from your freezer in a bath of lukewarm water; they'll be ready to cook in about 15 minutes. 

I love the way these vegetables are prepared. They are grilled on a hot, dry skillet and develop a slight charring on the outside, while retaining a bit of fresh bite in the middle. I use whatever vegetables I have on hand along with the scallions and garlic – sweet potato, eggplant, snow peas, broccoli – it doesn't need to be carrots. 

I usually serve this with steamed rice. 

Serves four

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

For the salmon:

3 tablespoons white miso

1 tablespoon mirin

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

4 4-ounce pieces wild Alaskan salmon fillets

For the vegetables:

4 carrots, sliced on the bias

4 scallions, sliced on the bias

1 teaspoon grape seed or peanut oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

splash of ponzu, or soy sauce and lemon juice

1. Stir together miso, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger. Brush onto the tops of the salmon fillets.

   click to enlarge

2. Place fillets on a broiling rack and broil about 4 inches away from broiler for about 5 minutes, or until center of fillets are easily pierced with a thin paring knife but not yet opaque. Rest for a couple of minutes before serving.
3. While the salmon fillets are broiling, heat up a cast iron skillet over high heat, until very hot. Add the sliced vegetables in a thin layer. Do not move them for 2-3 minutes, until they become well-browned or slightly blackened in spots. Turn them over to sear the other sides.

   ^{_{click to enlarge}} 
   

    Move some vegetables to the side to make room for the oil and garlic. Pour oil into pan in the empty spot and allow it to heat up for a few moments before adding the garlic. Cook the garlic for one minute.
4. Stir the vegetables and the garlic together. Toss in a splash of ponzu, or soy sauce and lemon juice. Serve immediately with the salmon.

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