Coq au vin

Tonight in cooking class we made the classic French dish Coq au vin, which is essentially chicken cooked in wine. This was by far my favourite of all the things we've made in the course and I couldn't resist digging into it after getting home.



I'll try to detail what I did because it really did turn out well, thanks as always to Chef Marty's wisdom and expert tips.

Coq au vin

3 lb chicken, cut into six pieces*
250mL white or red wine (I used red but it gives the chicken a purple-ish tinge)
250mL chicken stock
1 cup button mushrooms, left whole
1 cup pearl onions, peeled
1/4 cup vegetable oil, approx.
1/4 cup butter, approx.
1/4 cup flour, approx.
4 rashers of bacon, sliced into lardons
3 garlic cloves, left whole, crushed a bit to help release juices
A few sprigs of thyme, save some leaves for chopping up and adding at the end.
2 dried bay leaves
A few tablespoons of chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400F.

Heat two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. While it's heating up, rub a bit of vegetable oil, salt and pepper over the chicken pieces.

When the pan is very hot, add the chicken pieces skin side down (or "presentation side" down, as Chef Marty noted). Shake the pan a bit to ensure chicken doesn't stick. After a couple minutes, when skin has turned golden, flip the pieces over and cook for another couple minutes, again, shaking to make sure the pieces don't stick. Once well seared on both sides, remove the chicken to a plate.

Drain the chicken fat into a small side pot (you will use some of it later to deglaze). Wipe out the skillet and add a tablespoon more oil, then tip in the sliced bacon. Saute it for a couple minutes until it's cooked, then add the pearl onions to the pan. Cook those until they've begun to brown, then add the garlic. Saute that for 30 seconds, then add the mushrooms. Once those have browned up (a few minutes), deglaze the pan with water and/or a bit of the chicken fat, scraping up any browned bits.

Add the wine and chicken stock to the skillet, as well as some salt and pepper, then add the chicken pieces back in along with the herbs (a few whole thyme sprigs and the bay leaves). Turn the chicken in the sauce to coat well. Reduce the sauce a bit, then cover the pan and put it in the oven for 20-30 minutes to cook. Remove the lid for the last few minutes of cooking time to help the chicken develop its golden brown crust.

While the chicken is cooking in the oven make a beurre manie -- roll a hunk of butter into a golf ball sized piece using your hands, then roll it around in a bowl of flour, incorporating the flour into the butter. Keep incorporating the flour into the butter until when you press into the ball your finger doesn't feel buttery anymore. It should feel almost like a ball of dough. You will use this later to thicken the sauce.

Once the chicken is cooked through, take the pan out of the oven. Set aside the chicken pieces and remove the herbs (these can be thrown away). Set the skillet over high heat again and reduce the cooking liquid. Take a few spoonfuls of the liquid and put it into a bowl, add your beurre manie and whisk until your butter-flour ball has dissolved into the liquid. Now add that back into the skillet and whisk it quickly back in. Adding the flour and butter together separately helps prevent lumps from forming, and it also helps prevent the sauce from breaking.

Once you're happy with the thickness of the sauce add the chicken back in, along with some fresh chopped parsley and thyme, turn the pieces to coat in the sauce, and you're done! A great dish to serve up family-style.

*I left the legs attached to the thighs but if you want you can separate them, making eight pieces in total, two each of breasts, wings, legs, and thighs.


Salut!

Suzanne

Email comments to suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com

Who doesn't love peanut butter?

I'm a peanut butter-aholic. Smooth, chunky, mixed into salad dressings or smoothies, baked into cookies and cakes, or just thickly spread on a cracker or a piece of toast. I always have one or two jars on hand, usually one all-natural variety, one naughty variety. Currently in my cupboard I have a big jar of Skippy smooth and a nearly-finished jar of Plantation Super Creme that a friend brought back from Georgia (not the factory connected to the salmonella outbreak).

Photo courtesy Piccolo Namek

Peanut butter lovers like me will love this, a collection of top PBs on Saveur, plus a bit about the history of the popular spread. Click and prepare to drool. Sadly, for us Canadians, the only one I'm familiar with is Peanut Butter and Co. -- the others may only be available in the U.S.

That's okay though, we have some pretty fine peanut butters to choose from here. I quite like the good old fashioned Kraft Peanut Butter, with the bears on the front. Not fancy, but a good peanutty taste. Also love the aforementioned Skippy for its creaminess -- I often bake with it. MaraNatha makes an organic roasted peanut butter, and Paris, Ont. based Nuts To You Nut Butter puts out a variety of nut butters, including peanut, hazelnut, cashew and almond. I do enjoy almond butter from time to time, it's particularly wonderful for dipping apple slices into.

However nothing will replace good old fashioned PB -- just ask The New York Times, which devoted an article to it last month.

Do you have a favourite brand I failed to mention? Let me know!

Salut!

Suzanne

Email comments to suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com

Desperately seeking homemade artisan crisps

The word 'artisan' is a little like the word 'wedding' -- attach it to something and expect to pay twice or three times the price. And when I say 'artisan', I'm referring of course to food. Artisanal cheeses, artisanal bread, artisan crackers. I know why it's all so expensive -- you're paying for choice ingredients like organic flours and milk, and fancy additions such as figs and pepitas.


And I usually go in for this stuff -- those gorgeous oval loaves studded with cranberries, walnuts and flaxseed get me every time. But there's one item I just can't get my head around: the artisan crisp. Don't get me wrong, these things are addictive. Flavours such as Rosemary Raisin Pecan, Cranberry Hazelnut, Date and Walnut -- such a perfect little snack food, and much more interesting than a water cracker or a piece of Melba toast. But a box costs anywhere from $5 to $7 depending on where you look.

So, I wondered if I could make my own artisan crisps. What first got me thinking about this was a recent recipe for a Nut and Seed Biscotti on the fantastic food blog 101 Cookbooks. Packed with hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and pistachio seeds, they were sliced thin and looked like a perfect stand-in for the crisp. I tried my own version, using ingredients I had on hand including walnuts, slivered almonds, and dried apricots. So how did it turn out? Well, it was still a bit more like a biscuit than a crisp. That said, I could picture using it in a number of places -- on the side of a salad, for instance, or as an afternoon snack with some goat cheese on top (as the 101 Cookbooks author suggests), or even in the more typical way, as a morning treat with a coffee.


So, the search for the homemade crisp continues, although I do recommend trying this biscotti recipe. One thing to note though, if you decide to have a go at this, be aware that if you're using fruit, be careful not to let it burn in the second half of the baking process. Some of my apricots were a little over-done.

Apricot, Almond and Walnut Biscotti

2/3 cup dried apricots
2/3 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
2/3 cup walnuts, lightly toasted
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 300F. Grease loaf pan and line with parchment.

Slice apricots into four lengthwise. Toast walnuts and almonds on a baking sheet for a few minutes.

Mix together flour, sea salt, apricots, and toasted nuts.

Whisk together sugar and eggs. Mix dry ingredients into sugar-egg mixture and stir until incorporated. Mixture will be thick. Spoon it into the loaf pan and press down evenly with fingers.

Bake in oven for 45-50 minutes until cooked all the way through (check with a toothpick).

Once done, remove from oven and turn it up to 425F.

Slide a knife around the edges and turn biscotti out onto cutting board. Using a serrated knife slice the biscotti crosswise into 1/4 inch-thick pieces. Lay pieces flat on baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and bake in oven for 3-4 minutes. Remove from oven, flip the biscotti, and return to oven for another 5-6 minutes until both sides are golden and crisp. Repeat with remaining biscotti.

Makes 20-24 biscotti.

Modified from Nut and Seed Biscotti, 101 Cookbooks, March 2009.

If anyone has a recipe for artisan crisps, please email me at suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com -- with your permission I'd like to try it, and perhaps feature it on this blog.

Salut!

Suzanne

Vietnamese beef and noodle soup

It was a grey, rainy day today, and I couldn't decide what to make for dinner except that I wanted comfort food that wasn't overly heavy. I finally settled on pho, that spicy, savoury Vietnamese beef and noodle soup I love to order in Chinatown, but have never made myself. I figured there was a reason -- with all those ingredients it must be terribly complicated and time-consuming, right? Actually, no!


I will say right off the bat that you should leave yourself at least an hour, hour and a half of prep and cooking time if you decide to make pho from scratch. But to me, that's not unreasonable considering the delicious end result. Besides, most of that is time spent waiting for spices to infuse the broth, and allowing the beef to soak up its marinade. The actual active prep time in this recipe is pretty minimal. Aside from the ginger and garlic there's nothing to chop, and the beef is so tender it's a breeze to slice.

Though I have a cookbook devoted purely to Vietnamese cooking, this recipe is actually one of Gordon Ramsay's. Whether or not it's traditional pho, it's absolutely divine, and the heady mix of spices -- star anise, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon -- made my kitchen smell incredibly exotic.

A couple notes here, before I share the recipe. If you find the broth overpowering, dilute it a bit with water. Also, though it seems like not enough time, 30 seconds in the boiling broth is plenty to allow the beef slices to cook. You want them to remain pink in the middle. And thirdly, though the recipe suggests side dishes of hoisin and chili sauce for dipping, I dolloped a spoonful of each right on top of the pho with the other garnishes, before stirring them into the broth. Both added bursts of flavour, as well as a bit of heat from the chili.

Vietnamese beef and noodle soup

1 lb (500g) beef filet (beef tenderloin)
1-inch (2.5cm) piece of gingerroot, peeled and finely grated
1 large garlic clove, peeled and finely crushed
sea salt and black pepper
1 tbsp (15ml) sesame oil, plus extra to toss
7oz (200g) dried thin rice noodles
5oz (150g) bean sprouts
2-3 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
small bunch of cilantro, leaves only
small bunch of mint or Thai sweet basil, leaves only

Broth:

6 cups (1.5 litres) beef stock
1 1/2-inch (4cm) piece of gingerroot, peeled and thinly sliced
4 star anise
3 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cardamom pod, lightly crushed
2 tsp (10ml) superfine sugar, or to taste
3 tbsp (45ml) fish sauce

To serve:

lime wedges
hoisin sauce
Vietnamese chili sauce

Trim the beef of any sinew, then slice as thinly as possible. Place in a bowl and add the grated ginger, garlic, some pepper, and the sesame oil. Toss to mix, cover, and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 to 40 minutes.

For the broth, pour the beef stock into a large pot and add the rest of the ingredients with a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Strain the broth into a clean pot or a big bowl, discarding the ginger and spices. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Add the rice noodles to a large pan of boiling, salted water and cook according to hte package directions until tender, but still retaining a bite. Drain in a colander and immediately toss the noodles with a little sesame oil to prevent them from sticking.

Bring the broth to a boil and tip in the beef and bean sprouts. Simmer for just 30 seconds, then remove from the heat.

Divide the noodles among warm bowls and ladle the hot broth over them, dividing the beef and bean sprouts equally. Sprinkle over the green onions, cilantro, and mint. Serve immediately, with lime wedges and little individual dishes of hoisin and Vietnamese chili sauces for dipping.

Serves 4.

Courtesy Healthy Appetite, Gordon Ramsay, Key Porter, 2009.

A few gulps of this spicy and satisfying soup and you'll be transported to Southeast Asia!

Salut!

Suzanne

Email comments to suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com

Cookbook Friday: Everyday Italian

I'm starting a new feature on Plum Tart: Cookbook Friday!

Each Friday I'm going to highlight a different cookbook, whether it's something from my extensive collection, a new release, or a recommendation from a friend. Where possible I'll provide a recipe for you to try, one I've had the opportunity to test myself.


I'm kicking things off with the cookbook I used most recently: Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis.

When I first saw Giada De Laurentiis's show, also called Everyday Italian, on Food Network Canada I was skeptical. I thought she was just another pretty face in the Food Network world, with no real experience or knowledge. Then I took note of what she was cooking -- hearty fare with traditional ingredients that looked delicious and not overly complicated. After watching a few shows, and finding out that she schooled at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, my opinion of GDL changed. She genuinely knew what she was talking about, plus had a deep appreciation for her family's recipes passed down through the generations.

I received Everyday Italian as a Christmas present from my mom two years ago and it's become one of my go-to cookbooks. It's broken down into sections, among them Antipasti, Sauces, Pasta, Polenta and Risotto, and Dolci (sweets).

There are further subsections for some of the basics, such as making homemade pesto and roasting peppers, as well as a handy list of pantry staples. The recipes are straightforward, the instructions clear and easy to follow. And the photos are beautiful. I don't require photos in a cookbook but they certainly make flipping through it a more pleasurable experience.

Among the recipes I've tried from GDL's Everyday Italian: White Bean and Tuna Salad, Prosciutto Purses, Marinara Sauce, Simple Bolognese, Seared Rib-Eye Steak with Arugula-Roasted Pepper Salad, Chicken Cacciatore, and Chocolate Amaretti Cake. That last recipe went over very well with the friends I made it for -- it has a texture somewhere between a cake and a cookie, is very chocolatey, but at the same time not sickeningly sweet.

The other night I made one of the first recipes I saw Giada cook on her show -- Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe (pictured). I've reprinted her recipe as it is in the book, but if you're looking to lighten it up feel free to sub in spiced turkey sausage for the pork sausage. That's what I did and it was delicious.

Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Salt
2 bunches of broccoli rabe, stalks trimmed and quartered crosswise
12 ounces dried orecchiette pasta or other small shaped pasta, such as farfalle or penne
3 tbsp olive oil
1 pound pork sausage, casings removed
3 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli rabe and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Strain the broccoli rabe, reserving all the cooking liquid. Set the broccoli rabe aside. Cook the orecchiette in the same pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until the sausage is brown and juices form, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli rabe and toss to coat. Add the pasta and enough reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten. Stir the Parmesan cheese, salt to taste, and pepper into the pasta mixture. Transfer to pasta bowls and serve.

Makes 4 main-course servings.

Courtesy Everyday Italian, Giada De Laurentiis, Clarkson Potter, 2005.

Stay tuned for more cookbook reviews each Friday. Thanks to Erin for the brilliant idea! What's your favourite cookbook? Email me at suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com with your suggestions and perhaps I'll feature one of them in the weeks to com.

Salut!

Suzanne

Comments on this blog? Email suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com

Spring Means Citrus

I mentioned yesterday that with spring just weeks away, and the weather already warming up, I'm craving fresh, bright flavours, especially citrus. Well it appears I'm not the only one.

Image courtesy André Karwath

Saveur magazine just put together a lovely photo gallery of dishes featuring citrus flavours, with links to the recipes of course. Candied Orange Peels, Roasted Ham With Orange Glaze, Lemon and Coriander Marinated Olives, just to name a few. Yum!

I'm thinking of trying a few -- in particular the Orange and Radish Salad, and the Lemon Tart.

Bring on spring, and the citrus!

Salut!

Suzanne

Email your comments to suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com

Lime Coconut Rum Pie

I've made dozens of desserts, including countless cookies, over the years, but if I had to point to the one I'm proudest of, it's the Lime Coconut Rum Pie I made for my parents when they were visiting for dinner one evening.



Taken from the Summer 2007 issue of Food and Drink, a fabulous free resource for home cooks, the recipe is similar to a Key Lime Pie only ever so slightly more decadent with the addition of dark rum to the whipped topping.

I made it back in 2007, when the issue came out, and I haven't tried it since -- in part because I don't know that any follow-up attempt would match up to my original effort. The buttery graham crumb base, the smooth, tart lime filling, the rum-spiked cream, and even the oven-toasted flaked coconut on top -- all the flavours melded together perfectly and the texture was light and creamy. There were so many opportunities for things to go wrong, but nothing did.

With spring on the way, my cravings are shifting from savoury and salty to fresh, sweet, and bright, which is why citrus flavours immediately pop to mind. I'm thinking this is the year to have another go at this sublime lime dessert. Who knows, maybe it'll even be better the second time around!

Lime Coconut Rum Pie

Crust
1 cup (250 mL) graham crumbs
1/2 cup (125 mL) ground almonds, toasted
3 tbsp (45 mL) sugar
1/3 cup (75 mL) butter, melted

Filling
1 cup (250 mL) sugar
5 tbsp (75 mL) cornstarch
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) milk
4 large egg yolks
1 tbsp (15 mL) unsalted butter
Finely grated zest of two limes
1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Topping
1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream
2 tbsp (25 mL) dark rum
1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar
2 tbsp (25 mL) flaked coconut, toasted
Lime for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).

Place the crumbs, almonds and sugar in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and mix until well blended. Tip the mixture into a buttered nine-inch (23 cm) pie dish and press evenly over the bottom and sides. Bake the pie shell for 10 minutes, then let cool.

In a heavy saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually whisk in 1 cup (250 mL) water and the milk, whisking until cornstarch is dissolved. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, whisking until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat.

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and then gradually whisk in about 1 cup (250 mL) of the milk mixture. Whisk this milk and yolk mixture back into the pan and then return the pan to the heat. Simmer, whisking often, for 3 minutes. The mixture will be very thick.

Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter. Add the lime zest and the juice and whisk into the mixture until butter is melted. Pour the lime-egg mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, pressing onto the surface of the mixture, and let cool slightly. Spread the mixture into the baked pie shell, smoothing the top. Cover the filling with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Pour the whipping cream into a bowl and add the rum and sugar. Whip the cream until stiff and spoon onto the pie, swirl and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Garnish with lime zest if desired.

Courtesy Food and Drink, Summer 2007, LCBO


This dessert is fantastic if you're having family and/or friends over, and it's especially good in the warmer months -- which thankfully aren't that far away!

Salut!

Suzanne

Comments? Email suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com

Susur In The City

Short blog post tonight -- just wanted to share a cool Q&A with famed Toronto chef Susur Lee, who recently relocated to NYC to open a restaurant, Shang, in the impossibly hip Lower East Side.

Susur ran his two restaurants, Susur, and more recently Lee, in Toronto for decades and he has been arguably the most influential single chef in Hogtown, inspiring a whole new generation of chefs.

The interview offers a glimpse into the culinary mastermind's views on success, the restaurant biz, Toronto vs NYC cuisine, famous faces who've dined at Shang, and what he misses about T.O.

Here's hoping he does well in his new venture, even though we miss him too.

Salut!

Suzanne

Comments, email suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com

Cincinnati chili, sort of

Craving some red meat, I made chili on the weekend. But not just any chili -- Cincinnati chili. What is Cincinnati chili? Well, according to Cooks Illustrated's 2009 Soups and Stews issue, it's a beefy chili that's spiced, but not spicy, if that makes sense. It doesn't bowl you over with heat, you're not running to the fridge every 30 seconds to get more water, it's full of subtle but definite spices such as cinnamon and allspice, as well as other ingredients such as cider vinegar and brown sugar to round out the flavour. This was exactly the kind of dish I was looking for, so I gave it a whirl.



Though I stuck pretty close to the Cooks Illustrated recipe -- they do all the trial and error so you don't have to -- when it came to serving up the chili I made a few modifications. Traditional Cincinnati chili calls for everything to be served separately. The chili is typically served over spaghetti, as if it were a super thick Bolognese sauce, and then topped with condiments from grated cheddar to diced raw onion to kidney beans. I tend to enjoy my chili best with everything, except for the cheese, mixed right in, so I cooked some short pasta (elbow macaroni) and drained and rinsed a can of kidney beans to incorporate toward the end of the cooking process.



If you like chili, but not the overpowering heat, this recipe's for you.

Cincinnati Chili

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups canned tomato sauce (not spaghetti sauce)
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp dark brown sugar
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pkg elbow macaroni (optional)
Cheddar cheese, grated, for garnish
Green onions, diced, for garnish

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onions until soft and browned around edges, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and allspice and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Stir in broth, tomato sauce, vinegar, and sugar.

Add beef and stir to break up meat. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chili is deep brown and slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. If adding beans directly to mixture, add them in the last 6-8 minutes of cooking. If adding cooked pasta, add in the last minute of cooking and stir into chili mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls with shredded cheddar cheese and diced green onions on top.

Modified from: Cooks Illustrated Soups & Stews, Winter 2009, Boston Common Press Limited Partnership

Salut!

Suzanne

Comments? Email suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com

Cheap eats in Toronto

I have to admit I haven't been dining out much lately -- for a couple of reasons. One, I'm trying to hone my cooking skills at home and the best way to do that is practice, practice, practice (helps that I love it). Two, it's just too expensive! However, everyone needs a night off from kitchen duty once in a while and I was pleased to see this collection of Toronto's top mains for under $15 from NOW Magazine.

I've been to Foxley and can attest to the quality of their dishes (didn't have the beef cheeks but had some delectable sticky-sweet short ribs). Ditto Torito -- one of my favourite summer spots, and they make a wonderful ceviche. I've also tried Le Petit Dejeuner, but for brunch (excellent Belgian waffles), not dinner.

Have to say I'm anxious to try a few of these dishes out, especially the Pho from Pho Pasteur and the mac and cheese from Weezie's. The root vegetable ragout from Big Mamma's Boy looks particularly inspired as well.

If you have any recommendations for cheap eats in the city, leave a comment below or email me.

Salut!

Suzanne

Comments? Email suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com