Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens (23 page)

2
Add the whole egg, egg yolk, ricotta, lemon juice, heavy cream, salt, and chives to the bowl of seafood. Fold together until evenly mixed. Divide the mixture amongst the six dishes and cover each one with a piece of foil.

3
Arrange the covered cups in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish , and place it on the middle rack of the oven. Carefully pull the rack out a few inches, and pour the hot water that has been heating in your saucepan into the bottom of the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the side of the cups.

4
Bake the timbales for 35 minutes, and then use your tongs to carefully remove one cup from the baking dish. You'll really look like a gourmet chef when you do this! Carefully lift off the foil, and, if the timbale has shrunk from the sides and is firm to the touch, it is done. If the timbale has not set, return it to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until firm. Remove the entire pan from the oven, uncover each cup, and allow them to cool slightly. Drain away any liquid that has formed around the timbale, and then turn them out onto a clean plate. To serve as a single course, place the timbale in the center of a salad plate and top with two tablespoons of They Call Me Mellow Yellow Sauce (p. 190 ), allowing the sauce to drizzle down the sides.

Kick-Your-Caboose
Saffron Couscous

Serves 4 to 6

Couscous can be made in a matter of minutes and only requires one pot, making it exceptionally CLK friendly.

1¾ cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ orange, juiced

6 saffron threads

1½ cups couscous

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup natural sliced almonds, toasted

1
Put your 1-quart saucepot over medium heat and add the stock, sea salt, and freshly squeezed orange juice. When the liquid is hot and has begun to steam, add the saffron threads, allowing them to “bloom” or dissolve into the stock.

2
Once the water begins to simmer, add the couscous and the butter; cover, and remove from heat. Allow this to stand for 10 minutes, and then open the lid and fluff the couscous with a fork.

3
Taste the couscous at this point to see if it needs more salt, then stir in the parsley. For a restaurant style plating, take a small can (like a tuna can) and wash it thoroughly. Line it with plastic wrap (in case the couscous doesn't want to release), and then pack the can very tightly with the couscous. Turn over and tap lightly in the center of the plate. A perfect cylinder of golden couscous should be left behind. Garnish with the toasted almonds.

Saucy Sauces

It has been said that the British have three sauces

and 360 religions, whereas the French have three religions and 360 sauces. The number of religions aside, five “mother sauces” serve as the basis for the hundreds of sauces that can be developed. They are espagnole, béchamel, velouté, hollandaise, and tomato. I've covered all of them in one form or another in this chapter. Regardless of the state of your Crappy Little Kitchen, with a little practice you will attain new heights as an accomplished CLK chef with your ability to create and master these magnificent sauces.

Not only are sauces the cornerstone of delectable gourmet meals, but they also qualify as genuine one-pot wonders!

They Call Me
Mellow Yellow Sauce

Yields 1½cups

This sauce pairs beautifully with absolutely any seafood including mussels, scallops, white fish, or lobster but will also marry well with any number of grains such as couscous, quinoa, or pasta.

4 threads saffron

¾ cup chicken stock, warm

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

½ cup heavy cream

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

1
First, add the saffron threads to the chicken stock, allowing the saffron to “bloom” or dissolve into the stock. Put your 1-quart saucepot over medium heat and melt the butter. Once it has become foamy, add the flour and stir constantly while the light roux cooks for 3 minutes.

2
Gradually stir in the saffron infused stock until it forms brilliant gravy, and then drizzle in the heavy cream. When fully combined, turn the heat down to low, and season with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Taste to see if it needs more seasoning, and stir in the chopped chives. Serve warm.

Gorgonzola and Walnut Sauce

Yields 2½cups

This sauce is perfect for pastas and grilled flank steak, and it is delicious drizzled over the Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin (p. 118).

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup roughly chopped walnut pieces

½ cup vegetable stock

½ cup heavy cream

4 ounces gorgonzola cheese

½ cup grated pecorino cheese

2 tablespoons honey

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, freshly cracked, to taste

1
Melt the butter in your 1-quart sauce pot over medium heat, and add the walnut pieces. Toast the walnuts in the butter for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2
Add the vegetable stock and heavy cream, and raise the temperature slightly, bringing the mixture to a simmer. Simmer slowly for 3 to 5 minutes, and then stir in the gorgonzola, pecorino, and honey.

3
Gorgonzola cheeses will vary in salty flavor, so be sure to taste the sauce before you season it with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Serve warm.

Low-Maintenance
Lemon Tarragon Sauce

Yields 3¼cups

One of the chefs I used to work for always sings the praises of tarragon cream sauce with chicken and pasta. Try it, and you'll agree. This sauce requires very little chopping and therefore, very few crappy dirty dishes. I think the addition of lemon gives the flavor profile a blast of sunshine that is well deserved.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2½ cups chicken stock

¼ cup half-and-half

Sea salt, to taste

1 lemon, zested and juiced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

¼ cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons brandy

Black pepper, to taste

1
Heat your 1-quart saucepot over medium heat, and melt the butter. Once it has become foamy, add the flour and stir constantly while the light roux cooks for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the stock until it forms a thick sauce, and then drizzle in the half-and-half. Season the sauce at this point to taste with sea salt, and then leave it on low heat. This is called a velouté sauce and will be added later.

2
Combine the lemon zest with the chopped tarragon, and set them aside. Heat your 8-quart stockpot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the chopped shallot to the heated olive oil, season lightly with salt, and allow it to soften for 3 minutes. When it becomes translucent, add the white wine and simmer until it has reduced by half.

3
Stir in the lemon zest and tarragon, the lemon juice, and gradually drizzle in the Velouté. Add the cream and brandy. Turn the heat down to low and allow the sauce to infuse with the tarragon and lemon for about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve warm.

Apple Cider Beurre Blanc

Yields 2 cups

The very first Christmas dinner I hosted in my home included this sauce served over seared duck breast. A true beurre blanc would not have cream as an ingredient, but this addition makes the sauce more stable (meaning less likely to curdle), and therefore CLK friendly. An incredibly rich sauce, it is best paired with something mild yet able to stand up to the velvety sauce, such as the Hunka Hunka Monkfish (p. 104).

½ cup apple cider

½ cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup dry white wine

2 shallots, sliced

1 garlic clove, smashed

6 black peppercorns

½ cup heavy cream

1 pound unsalted butter

Sea salt, to taste

1
Place your 1-quart saucepot over medium-high heat and add the cider, vinegar, and wine. Allow the liquid to simmer and add the shallot, garlic, and peppercorns. This should simmer away for 10 to 15 minutes as it reduces to a syrup. Once it has reduced to a few tablespoons of liquid, whisk in the heavy cream. Lower the heat to medium, and continue reducing for 10 more minutes. Once large bubbles begin to form, the cream has also thickened to syrup.

2
Lower your heat again to medium-low, and begin whisking the reduction to disperse some of the heat. Drop in 1 tablespoon of butter at a time, whisking to integrate each pad of butter into the sauce; don't add the next tablespoon of butter until the last is completely incorporated. As you continue to add butter, piece by piece, you'll notice the sauce begin to emulsify and the color will lighten slightly. Once all the butter is incorporated, remove it from the heat.

3
Season to taste with sea salt, and run it through your strainer to remove the shallot, garlic, and peppercorns. If you need to keep it warm for a significant amount of time before you serve it, heat 2 cups of water in a small saucepot over low heat, pour the sauce into a heat resistant bowl, and place the bowl over the warm water. Turn the burner off and stir occasionally. If you leave the beurre blanc on direct heat, the butter will separate from the sauce, which would be crappy.

Easy Cheesy Cheddar
and Fontina Sauce

Yields 6 cups

This sauce guarantees kids will enjoy their broccoli or Brussels sprouts, and will help adults rediscover macaroni and cheese. Pour it on steamed vegetables or stir it into cooked pasta. Easy cheesy! Everyone loves it.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

1 bay leaf, fresh

2 cups shredded aged

Cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded

Fontina cheese

1 pinch ground nutmeg

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

1
Melt the butter in your 12-quart saucepot over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the melted butter and allow it to cook slowly for 8 minutes, whisking occasionally. Slowly drizzle in the milk while whisking constantly to keep the sauce from becoming lumpy, and add the bay leaf. Allow this mixture to simmer, whisking often, until it becomes thick and smooth, about 10 minutes.

2
Remove from the heat and stir in the Cheddar, Fontina, and nutmeg. Stir until the cheese is melted, and strain to remove the bay leaf and any lumps. Use a heat resistant spatula to push the sauce through your strainer if it needs any help, but this step will make your sauce velvety smooth. Season to taste with sea salt and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. Serve warm.

Béarnaise Sauce

Yields 1 cup

A very traditional herb butter sauce, béarnaise brilliantly allows meat and vegetables to stand out while simply adding a hint of sophistication. This sauce whisks to fluffy perfection in 5 minutes. It's even delicious on French fries!

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1 shallot, minced

¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves

6 black peppercorns

2 egg yolks

½ cup unsalted butter, cubed

1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon