Bobby Flay's Throwdown! (18 page)

1.
To make the crust,
mix the flour, salt, and sugar together in a medium bowl. Cut the shortening into pieces and then cut into the dry ingredients until the mixture is sandy, with only a few larger pieces remaining. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the butter into the mixture. Add ¼ cup ice-cold water, and mix with the dough. Continue to add water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough sticks together and forms a ball. Divide the dough into 2 equal balls, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate while you make the filling.

2.
Preheat the oven to 450°F.

3.
To make the filling,
gently toss the berries with the flour in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, tapioca, and lemon juice.

4.
Put a large piece of plastic wrap (larger than the pie plate) on the counter and sprinkle it with flour. Set one of the dough balls in the center of the plastic wrap and cover with a second piece of plastic wrap. Roll the dough between the plastic wrap until it forms a round about 13 inches in diameter. Remove the top piece of plastic wrap and flip the dough into a 9½-inch deep-dish pie plate. Repeat the rolling process with the top crust, making it about 12 inches in diameter.

5.
Put the filling in the bottom crust. Scatter the butter on top. Put the top crust over the filling. Roll the edge of the top crust under the bottom crust, pinch to seal the pie, and flute the edges. Make several small slits in the top crust for steam to escape.

6.
Set the pie plate on a baking sheet and cover the edges of the pie with strips of foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Then lower the oven temperature to 425°F, and bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is just bubbling through the slits, 45 to 50 minutes. (If the edge of the crust is not browning well, remove the foil for the last 10 minutes or so of the baking time.)

7.
Let cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before serving.

Demo version limitation

Name: Mike Maroni
Establishment: Maroni Cuisine
Hometown: Northport, New York
Website:
www.maronicuisine.com
Phone: (631) 757-4500

I head to Long Island’s Northport to take on Italian superstar Mike Maroni and his award-winning meatballs. Mike’s recipe was handed down to him from his grandmother.
My
grandmother’s specialty was sauerbrauten. I may just need the luck of the Irish to win this Throwdown….

Mike thinks that he is being filmed as a part of an upcoming Food Network special entitled “The Family Table.” He’s invited our crew to join his Italian dinner party where he’ll be serving up his outstanding spaghetti and meatballs. Looks like he’ll need to pull out an extra chair at the table, because look who’s coming to dinner!

Luckily, our host is well versed in hospitality. Maroni’s, which opened in 2001, has its loyal customers to thank for this claim to fame: it regularly scores the highest Zagat ratings possible. Maroni’s is obviously doing things right across the board, but it’s their meatballs that get people talking. In fact, their meatballs are so popular, fanatic customers buy pots of them—500 to 600 pots of meatballs a week of takeout alone!—to bring home to their own tables. Now that’s a lot of meatball love. Mike’s beloved meatballs are made with ground beef, lots of garlic, bread crumbs, onions, and eggs to bind the mixture together. He roasts them in the oven and serves them in a red sauce based on canned plum tomatoes and garlic.

It turns out we do have some Italian heritage of our own in the test kitchen; Stephanie’s mother, Rose (also known as Rosa Pizzapella), and her family’s recipe for meatballs may just be our best defense. I stop in Ottomanelli & Sons, where my friend butcher Frank Ottomanelli helps me out with what I hope is a winning combination of ground meat: beef for rich flavor, pork for fat and moisture, and light-flavored veal for balance. Like Mike, we flavor our meat with garlic and bread crumbs, but I prefer a lighter texture and use only one egg per pound of meat where Mike uses three. Stephanie’s mom comes to the rescue with our sauce. She always adds a touch of red pepper flakes and a cubanelle pepper for a little heat and a lovely herbaceous flavor. Italian parsley and basil finish off Rosa Pizzapella’s sauce. I brown the meatballs in a sauté pan with olive oil and serve them with the sauce atop al dente spaghetti. A sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan, and Long Island, here we come!

I rolled up at Mike Maroni’s party at his Long Island home and my challenge for a Throwdown was met with confidence. This is a man who believes in his meatball. Friends and family chose their favorites on the meatball marathon, but the final call goes to judges Richard Jay Scholem, a former
New York Times
food writer, and Julie Vegari, whose family owns Raphael Vineyard on Long Island. Scholem is looking for a rustic, peasant-like meatball with a rich sauce while Vegari prefers a softly textured, richly flavored meatball with a well-rounded sauce. Mike’s meatball is judged to have great flavor and a more refined texture, while mine is deemed the more rustic, rich with garlic flavor. We could have a tie on our hands, but after much deliberation—and a bit of arguing—the winner is announced. Mike Maroni it is, and his reign as the meatball master of Long Island goes on.

SERVES 4 TO 6

1.
To make the meatballs,
heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, about 1½ minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

2.
Whisk the eggs, 3 tablespoons cold water, and the parsley together in a large bowl. Add the garlic, beef, veal, pork, cheese, and salt and pepper and gently mix together until combined. Add the bread crumbs, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture just holds together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.

3.
Form the meat mixture into 1½-inch balls. Heat the remaining 1 cup oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the meatballs and fry until golden brown on all sides. Drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

4.
To make the sauce,
heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and cook until the onion is soft and the garlic is lightly golden brown on both sides, 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the pureed tomatoes. Make a slit in the side of the cubanelle chile with a paring knife, and add it and the parsley sprigs to the sauce. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.