Marinated Vegetables: Verdure in Scapece
Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy)
Champignons Sautés Au Beurre (sauteed mushrooms)
Oignons Glacés À Brun (Brown-braised Onions)
Spice glazed Pecans
Marinated Vegetables: Verdure in Scapece
Recipe
copyright Mario Batali, 2002. All rights reserved
Ingredients
- 2 Italian eggplants, about 1 pound, cut into 1/2-inch slices lengthwise
- Salt
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more, for brushing vegetables
- 2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch wide strips
- 2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch wide strips
- 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch wide slices lengthwise
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 12 black olives cut in half (canned)
- 2 salt packed anchovy fillets, chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oregano or mint, chopped
Directions
Sprinkle the eggplant slices and zucchini slices with salt and arrange in a single layer. Cover with kitchen weights or weighted plates and let sit for 2 hours.
Preheat the grill or broiler. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and grill for 10 minutes on each side or until dark brown. Brush the pepper slices with olive oil and cook skin side down for 5 to 6 minutes, or until blackened and blistered. Brush the zucchini slices with olive oil and grill for 5 minutes on each side or until grilled and cooked through.
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, the vinegar, garlic, anchovies, olives and herbs, and mix well. Pour the mixture over the hot vegetables and cover immediately with aluminum foil. Marinate overnight, covered but at room temperature. Serve at room temperature.
boeuf bourguignon
As is the
case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good
boeuf
bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of
the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man, and can well be the main course
Ingredients:
Kitchen Supplies:
- 9- to
10-inch, fireproof casserole dish, 3 inches deep, or any ovenproof pan with a lid.
- Slotted spoon
Boeuf Bourguignon:
- 6 ounces
bacon - most modern bacon will not have a rind. The original recipe was done with salt pork.
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil
- 3 pounds
lean stewing beef , cut into 2-inch cubes (chuck roast is a good choice - remove the fat)
- 1 sliced carrot
- 1 sliced onion
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 3 cups
full-bodied, young red wine , such as a Burgundy, Bordeaux, Chianti etc.
- 2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 cloves mashed garlic
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- Crumbled bay leaf
- Blanched bacon and rind
- *18 to 24
small white onions , brown-braised in stock (see below for instructions)
- *1 pound
quartered fresh mushrooms , sautéed in butter (see below for instructions)
- Parsley sprigs
Directions:
Remove rind from bacon, and cut bacon into
lardons
(sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10
minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3
minutes to brown lightly - I prefer the bacon a bit more crisped . Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set
casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.
Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if
it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat
until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the
sautéing fat.
Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the
salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef
lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated
oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This
browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and
turn oven down to 325 degrees.
Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the
meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind.
Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower
third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers
very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a
fork pierces it easily.
While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.
Set them aside until needed.
When the melt is tender, pour the contents of the casserole
into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef
and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.
Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two,
skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of
sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly.
If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste
carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Recipe
may be completed in advance to this point.
For immediate serving: Covet the casserole and simmer
for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several
times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with
potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley. I also cook carrots sliced on the diagonal (1/2 inch) to add a bit of color to the platter..
For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate.
About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer
very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with
the sauce.
Champignons Sautés Au
Beurre (sauteed mushrooms)
Double Recipe for boeuf bourguignon
Ingredients:
- ½ pound fresh mushrooms (washed, well drained, let whole if small or
quartered if big)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
As soon as butter and oil start to foam on the hot pan add mushrooms. Do not crowd the mushrooms or they will steam
instead of brown. Toss and shake the pan for about 5 minutes. Wait till the
mushrooms will begin to brown. Turn them so they can brown evenly. As soon as
the have browned lightly, remove from the heat. Put aside - they are ready.
Optional:
- 1 to 2 TBS chopped shallots or spring onions
Toss the shallots or spring onions with the mushrooms. Saute over a moderate
heat for 2 minutes.
Sauteed mushrooms may be cooked in advance, then reheated when needed. Season
them to taste just before serving.
Oignons Glacés À Brun (Brown-braised Onions)
Ingredients:
18 to 24 peeled white pearl onions, about 1 inch in diameter (drop in boiling water for one minute before peeling)
1 1/2 Tb butter
1 1/2 Tb oil
1/2 cup beef stock
salt and pepper to taste
An herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp thyme tied in cheesecloth
Directions
Step 1: When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and saute over moderate heat for about 10 minutes. Roll the onions around to brown them as evenly as possible, and try not to break their skins.
Step 2: Pour in the liquid, season to taste and add herb bouquet. Cover and simmer for 40 to 20 minutes or until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet. Serve them as they are, or add them to the beef burgandy or use in another dish.
Spiced Glazed Pecans
Ingredients
Makes 1 pound
- 1 pound unsalted pecans
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 5 tablespoons pure maple
syrup or (Agave syrup, honey, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon light-brown sugar (add 1 to 1 ½ teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Spread nut
mixture in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a nonstick
baking mat. Bake, stirring frequently, until browned, 12 to 15 minutes;
let cool. Pecans can be stored at room temperature in an airtight
container up one week. If nuts are "too" sticky wait until they are completely cooled, return to a 170 to 200 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.