Chicken Tetrazzini

Rosemary Bread sticks ready to go out.

Chicken Tetrazzini.  It isn't the first thing that comes to mind when menu planning.  I have yet to be tempted to put it on a client's menu or our own.   For me, it has connotations of gloopy gloppy canned cream of something mixed with frozen bits of something and slopped up. It sounds pretty gross and I'm not sure where this peculiar vision came from, but it is what I think of when the words chicken tetrazzini pass my way.  When it was requested by a favorite client who loves to entertain, who am I to say no?  I said yes, of course! For 30 people?  Sure. Why not?
 

Cheese Platter prep

The crowd was pretty casual and were all friends, a group of avid bicyclists as a matter of fact (I guess they bike off all the pasta and bechamel calories or something because these people can seriously eat.).  Last year, I cooked for the same gathering and provided a gi-normous 50 lb white lasagna so full of cheese and butter that I'm still not completely over the ordeal.

Prep for tetrazzini recipe x 5.  That's a lot of tetrazzini!

In recipe research I learned that there are gloopy gloppy versions of chicken tetrazzini that are sort of 'instant' where you mix together some cans of stuff and boil chicken, but there are also some 'from scratch' recipes that involved fresh veggies sauteed, pan-cooked chicken breasts in butter, fresh parsley, and bakery bread crumbs.  It's a little more (okay, a lot more) work, but, in my humble opinion, totally worth it.  I choose bechamel any day over a can of pasty gelatinous 'stuff'.  I served a huge Boston and Red leaf lettuce salad, a big vegetable saute, assorted fresh bakery rolls, as well as a serious appetizer/cocktail hour and dessert from The Little Red Hen Bakery on the upper east side (chocolate layer cake and ice cream for this crowd).

It all went off without a hitch and everyone had a good time.  The recipe I ended up using was one from Giada de Laurenttiis, who tends to make very decadent 'Italian' food.  I trust her when it comes to something like this, since she doesn't head for the canned goods shelf in the pantry every time she cooks.  She does it right, and for this chicken tetrazzini, so did I.  I multiplied her recipe times five for this crowd (which hilariously brought the first ingredient to 45 tablespoons of butter.).  Here is the recipe with some changes and additions, as I deemed necessary.  I added the chopped roasted red peppers and changed just a bit of procedure.

...and there it is.  This one wins the award for biggest tetrazzini

I just had a flash!  This would be the perfect answer to all of those turkey leftovers you just don't know what to do with!  Turkey tetrazzini a few days after Thanksgiving to kick off the holiday season?  I don't know...it could be a new tradition...

Chicken Tetrazzini

recipe adapted from one by Giada De Laurentiis

9 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 pound white mushrooms
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 cups chopped fire-roasted red peppers, medium dice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk, room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 ounces linguini
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
1/4 cup bakery breadcrumbs


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Spread 1 tablespoon of butter over a 13x9 baking dish.  Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a deep large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.  Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly.  Coarsely shred the chicken in to bite-size pieces and into a large bowl.

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to the same pan.  Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until the liquid from the mushorooms evaporates and the mushrooms become golden, about 12 minutes.  Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.  Add the roasted peppers and wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes,  Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chicken.

Melt 3 more tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium-low heat.  Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes.  Whisk in the milk, cream, broth, nutmeg, remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper.  Increase the heat to high.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but stilll firm the to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes.  Drain.  Add the linguine, sauce, peas, and parsley to the chicken mixture.  Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well-blended.

Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish.  Stir the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend.  Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta.  Dot with the remaining 3 tablespoons butter.  Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes.

Moo Shu and Pancakes, yes, it's true.

I Moo Shu.  Do you?

I did a trial/tasting day for a new family on Monday.  I had had a long (very long) day before I even showed up to their house, but once I was there, I was sure things would go smoothly.  They are a really nice family with an absolutely gorgeous kitchen, great kids, and cute pets.  What could go wrong?

Like any trial/tasting day, I wanted to show my best work, yet stay relaxed and not be uptight.  For some reason, I always end up planning a menu that is easy in my mind, but something always happens that sends the day in the other direction.  Whether it is a crucial specialty ingredient that is nowhere to be found or some sort of kitchen disaster, an easy trial day is often anything but.  In the last decade I have been bitten by dogs, broken full, expensive bottles of olive oil on marble countertops, been 2 hours late due to NYC traffic, had to re-vamp an entire menu due to Chilean Sea Bass shortage, have been presented with broken stoves, been to homes without saute pans, accidentally de-koshered precisely 2 kitchens,and almost sliced my finger off and so spent the workday holding my right hand up in the air trying to stop the throbbing. Ohhhh, trial meals.

So what happened Monday?  The garbage disposal backed up.  It didn't just clog, it bubbled and gurgled and gross food bits swirled around as the level rose up and down.  It looked as disgusting as a clogged toilet that someone threw up in.

It doesn't sound like a huge deal except it had, apparently, never happened before.  AND the plunger wouldn't budge the clog.    AND they live in an historic building that doesn't technically allow garbage disposals so they didn't want to ask the super to help because he would find out that they had one.  AND they had to call in an outside plumber that made a huge mess that lasted through dinner.  The plumbers were still there and working amidst blackish-blue greasy sludge all throughout dinner and were still busy when I left (almost 2 hours later than planned.).  AND I couldn't properly clean up because I had no sink.  AND she was so nice about it.  When I return, I better make it good, that's all I can say.

So, what, you may wonder, did I make for this kind and appreciative family?  I had planned a menu by request--Moo Shu Chicken and Tofu, Scallion Pancakes, and Steamed Dumplings.  Also, a batch of blueberry muffins just for fun.  Well, the Moo Shu is something I have made a thousand times, the muffins were a new recipe, but straightforward, but the pancakes?  I usually buy them frozen and fry them up, as needed.  Guess what.  Whole Foods no longer carries them.  I learned this the hard way.  In a time crunch.

Good thing my Moo Shu recipe has a Mandarin Pancake recipe adjacent to it.  Never read it.  Never made it before.  Why not try it in a kitchen I have never cooked in before and serve it to a family that I just met?

I made them amidst the disposal debacle and must say that they are delicious.  Not just pretty good, but excellent.  The frozen kind and take-out version (likely one and the same) are greasy and heavy, but still taste good.  At least they did.  Now, I know that flour, boiling water, sesame oil and my addition of scallion is all it takes.  Try these because they will become a family favorite. The Moo Shu is my own simplified version.  The pancakes are based on a Moosewood recipe.  The results are overwhelmingly YUM. 

Make the Moo Shu whatever you like.  It can be chicken, veggie, tofu, shrimp, beef, pork.  I like to do a combo of two or three different things for a deluxe Moo Shu experience.

Moo Shu

Sauce:

1 cup Hoisin Sauce (Kikkoman makes an msg-free version now)
1/2-1 cup rice wine for cooking
a little tamari
a little Sriracha

Canola or Sunflower oil for stir-frying

1 T ginger, grated on a microplane
1-2 T garlic, grated on a microplane
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 cups thinly shredded cabbage
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thinly into 2"strips
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks or grated
1 cup mung bean sprouts (opt. only use if you can find them really fresh)
2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 bunch scallions, washed and thinly sliced at an angle

CHOOSE 1-3 options below to equal about 3-5 cups or omit and just do veggies
(opt.) 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced into 1/2" strips and marinated in a dash of soy sauce & ginger
(opt.) 1 lb cleaned shrimp, marinated like above chicken
(opt.) 1 package baked sesame tofu or plain tofu (marinated like above chicken)
(opt.) 1 lb strip steak, sliced into thin strips and marinated like above chicken
(opt.) 1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced into thin strips and marinated like above chicken


1 recipe Scallion Pancakes (below)

Prep ingredients by chopping as instructed above and transferring ingredients to separate small prep bowls.

Heat a large wok or frying pan.  Add a quick splash of high-heat oil (canola or sunflower) to coat the wok.

Stir fry in batches on high, adding a splash of fresh oil as needed and de-glazing each batch with a little rice wine, a dollop of hoisin, and a little tamari and a little Sriracha sauce to taste.  Cook each batch until veggies are tender and beginning to brown with sauce, mixing combos of veggies with ginger, garlic, and onion.  Make sure batches of chicken have been cooked through and don't come in contact with the veggies or other stuff until cooked.  Try to be conscious of the beef and pork, as well.

As you stir-fry, transfer each batch to a large oven-safe serving dish.  Toss together when all is stir-fried and reheat in an oven, if needed.  Serve wrapped in Scallion Pancakes.

Scallion Pancakes

4 cups unbleached white flour+ extra for rolling
1 1/2 cups boiling water
3 large minced scallions
toasted sesame oil

Beginning to stack the pancakes!

 Measure flour out into a large mixing bowl.  Pour in boiling water gradually and mix with a spatula, adding scallions as well.  Mix the rest of the way with clean hands and knead until uniform.  Continue kneading 4-5 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.  Cover with a damp towel and rest for about 30 minutes.

On a floured surface, knead dough about 50 times.  Divide dough in half and shape into two cylinders.  Cut each cylinder into 12 equal pieces.  Flatten each piece into a little circle and roll out into a circle about 5-6 inches in diameter.  Repeat with a second piece.  Brush each with a bit of sesame oil and place one circle atop the other with oiled surfaces facing in/facing each other.  Roll them out with a rolling pin together, making sure surface is well-floured--the oil can make things sticky.  When you have roughly a circle about 8-10" in diameter, it is ready to cook.  Set aside.  Repeat with remaining pieces.

Heat a cast iron pan till very hot and turn on an exhaust fan.  Spray a little high-heat oil on the pan.  Cook each pancake about 3 minutes on each side, or until browned and bubbly looking.  Transfer to a plate.  Continue till all are cooked.  These can be covered and reheated or served immediately.

Serve on their own or with Moo Shu like above.

Baby Vegetable Fricassee

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adorable baby leeks

Well, spring has officially sprung! All the adorable cute mini versions of vegetables are here! Check your regular supermarket, the farmer's markets, and the health food store and you are sure to come across some beauties! I served this alongside three-grain croquettes yesterday and offered it with shrimp skewers the night before. It is versatile and a crowd-pleaser!

If you find some baby veggies I haven't suggested below, get them and toss them in, too! I added fresh peas and a handful of snow peas here because I couldn't locate any baby zucchini quite yet. This is perfect for a spring-time side dish!

fresh baby corn outshines the canned stuff by a million!!

Baby Vegetable Fricassee

Inspired by a recipe from Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights: Recipes for Every Season, Mood, and Appetite 

1 Tbsp+2 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 baby leeks or Texas onions with the green tops, washed well and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp+1/4 tsp sea salt
dash of white pepper
2 cups baby carrots, halved (or quartered, if they are huge)
1 1/2 cups fresh English peas
10-15 ears fresh baby corn, husked
1/4 cup+ 1 cup vegetable broth

handful of snow peas, trimmed at the ends

1 bunch enoki mushrooms, cut from main root/stem and gently rinsed

2 Tbsp unbleached white flour

dash of fresh lemon zest (literally just a quick grate or two)

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp snipped chives

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large pan. Add leeks and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and white pepper.

2. Add carrots, peas, and baby corn. Cook 5 minutes and add 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water. Cook partially covered for about 10 minutes, or until carrots and corn are tender. Add snow peas and enoki mushrooms. Toss and remove from heat.

3. In a separate small pot, melt remaining butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour to make a roux. Drizzle in 1 cup broth to make a thick sauce, whisking the whole time.

4. Pour sauce over vegetables in large pan. Stir. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, stir again, and taste for seasoning.

5. Serve warm with snipped chives on top.

Guinness Stew

GUINNESS: Sent from the heavens? Quite possibly.

Not only is today the last holiday of the winter, but this week is the last week of winter! By the calendar and also by the weather and the air. It's really turning into spring out there! The birds are chirping a different tune when I head out early. The breeze has a bit of warmth to it that it didn't have just a week ago. If you are paying attention, it really happens fast. So, this week I am posting all the remaining recipes I wanted to share before this long and snowy winter is officially over this Saturday.

On this fine St. Patty's day, here is an idea that doesn't take too long. I should have posted last night to give all ye Irishmen (and Irishwomen) a chance to shop or start putting this together, but, alas, I didn't. It takes about two hours so if you can get home and get the stuff in the pot, you can sit back and enjoy a Guinness while your stew stews.

The way I got this recipe was by combining a few different ones that I found and I think it will turn out great (if you are a kitchen improviser or have the luck o' the Irish). Just kidding--I just wanted to say that. It will turn out great for sure! Here is the beef version, but if you prefer veggies, replace the beef chunks with about a pound of assorted mushrooms roughly chopped. They carry the hearty Guinness flavor well.

Guinness Stew

2 lb lean stewing meat or 1-1 1/2 lb assorted mushrooms (roughly chopped)
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Pinch of cayenne
2 lg onions, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 lg parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks
1 1/2 lb potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 bottle of Guinness

Trim the beef (or mushrooms) and brown in a large pot for about 7-9 minutes. Set aside.

In the large pot, now melt butter on low heat and whisk in flour to make a roux. Cook for 8 minutes or so until it takes on a bit of color.

Add the onions, garlic, carrot, parsnip, and potatoes and turn heat up until everything is hot and beginning to sizzle. Add meat and brown sugar. Toss together 1 minute, then slowly add the bottle of Guinness. Add enough water to just cover everything and bring to a boil for a minute. Reduce heat to medium-low and partially cover.
Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Cook for 2 hours with beef or 1 hour with mushrooms.

Serve with an ice cold Guinness!

Braised Fish, Italian Style

Upper West Side Citarella--my favorite fish market in NYC!

Here is one of my favorite tried and true fish recipes. It's hearty and healthy and makes a great meal all by itself with the artichokes, mushrooms, and carrots. You only dirty one pan and end up with a fabulous dinner--just serve on a bed of arugula. I like using tilapia, halibut, or cod with this one.

Braised Fish, Italian Style

Adapted from James McNair’s Fish Cookbook

2 lb very fresh petite artichokes (or 1 can)
5 T fruity extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz fresh porcini mushrooms (or assorted mixed)
Sea salt

1 c finely chopped yellow onion
¼ c finely chopped carrot
2 T coarsely chopped garlic
1 cup dry white wine
2 lb fish (salmon, tilapia are good here)
2 anchovy fillets
1 T minced fresh thyme
Lemon wedges
½ cup pinenuts

½ cup basil chiffonade

fresh, fresh, fresh porcini mushrooms!

Steam artichokes or drain can.

Heat oil to medium in large, deep sauté pan, or braising pan. Cook mushrooms for 5 minutes and season with sea salt.

Add onion, carrot, garlic, and wine to the pan. Cook 3 more minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Reheat pan, adding a bit of oil, if needed. Sear fish, 2 minutes each side. Transfer mushroom mixture back in. Add artichokes, anchovies, and thyme. Bring to a medium simmer. Cook for 4 -5 minutes, until fish is cooked.

Squeeze lemon wedges over finished fish, add pine nuts, and sprinkle basil on top. Serve.

Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon

Julia on the left, Meryl Streep portraying her on the right in Julie & Julia

I did it! On Friday, I printed out a copy of Julia's famous version of the timeless French recipe and off I went to the market to pick up the ingredients for Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon! Since seeing Julie and Julia, I have been dying to make it, so I talked a client into it and tacked it onto Friday's menu.

My style of cooking is typically an improvisational game consisting of flavor balancing, adapting the new to the old, and generally just feeling my way through the ingredients, while inspired by traditional flavors and technique. When I do follow a recipe to the number, it is usually what I focus on in the beginning of the cooking day and I just get through it, so I can jump back into an inventive groove and get back to "my" cuisine. Little did I know, Julia was about to keep me in check and hold me in the recipe game for hours...I mean all day.

The recipe is actually not complicated, but like most French food, technique, timing, and following instructions count--big time. This recipe requires attention in the first 20 or so steps, that's right, the first 20 steps. After the stew is put in the oven to cook for 3 or 4 hours, you are not finished. There are other steps to prepare, not complicated ones, but they are steps nonetheless. Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon is not a recipe to just tack on to an already varied and complex menu. I could have spent all day savoring each step and smelling this fragrant dish as it came together. Alas, that wasn't my day. I made it through, though, preparing the entire menu, and managing to enjoy myself despite occasionally nearing a kitchen meltdown. I think Julia would have been proud. Here it is. Remember, pat the meat dry. If any of you make it or have made it, I would love to hear any comments or reflections about your experience.

Boeuf Bourguignon a La Julia Child
adapted from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"

For the Stew

6 ounces bacon, solid chunk
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 carrot, peeled and sliced

1 onion, peeled and sliced

1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups red wine (a full bodied wine like Bordeaux, Burgundy, or Chianti)
2-3 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, mashed (you may choose to add more)
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf

For the braised onions

18-24 white pearl onions, peeled
1 1 /2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup beef stock
salt and fresh ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
2 sprigs parsley

For the sauteed mushrooms

1 lb mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. First prepare the bacon: cut off the rind and reserve.
2. Cut the bacon into lardons about 1/4" thick and 1 1/2" long.
3. Simmer the rind and the lardons for ten minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water.
4. Drain and dry the lardons and rind and reserve.
5. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
6. Put the tablesoon of olive oil in a large (9"-10"wide, 3"deep) fireproof casserole and warm over moderate heat.
7. Saute the lardons for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly.
8. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.
9. Dry off the pieces of beef and saute them, a few at at a time in the hot oil/bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides.
10. Once browned, remove to the side plate with the bacon.
11. In the same oil/fat, saute the onion and the carrot until softened.
12. Pour off the fat and return the lardons and the beef to the casserole with the carrots and onion.
13. Toss the contents of the casserole with the salt and pepper and sprinkle with the flour.
14. Set the uncovered casserole in the oven for four minutes.
15. Toss the contents of the casserole again and return to the hot oven for 4 more minutes.
16. Now, lower the heat to 325 degrees and remove the casserole from the oven.
17. Add the wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered.
18. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs and the bacon rind.
19. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.
20. Cover and place in the oven, adjusting the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly for three to four hours.
21. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
22. While the meat is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms and set them aside till needed.
23. For the onion, if using frozen, make sure they are defrosted and drained.
24. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet.
25. Saute over medium heat for about ten minutes, rolling the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible, without breaking apart.
26. Pour in the stock, season to taste, add the herbs, and cover.
27. Simmer over low heat for about 40-50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
28. Remove the herbs and set the onions aside.
29. For the mushrooms, heat the butter and oil over high heat in a large skillet.
30. As soon as the foam begins to subside, add athe mushrooms and toss and shake the pan for about five minutes.
31. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.
32.To Finish the Stew:
33. When the meat is tender, remove the casserole from the oven and empty it's contents into a sieve set over a saucepan.
34. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it (discarding the bits of carrot and onion and herbs which remain in the sieve).
35. Distribute the mushrooms and onions over the meat.
36. Skim the fat off the surface an simmer it for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat which rises to the surface.
37. You should be left with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.
38. If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock.
39. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency.
40.Taste for seasoning.
41. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
42. If you are serving immediately, place the covered casserole over medium low heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
43. Serve in the casserole or on a warm platter surrounded by noodles, potatoes, or rice and garnished with fresh parsley.
44. If serving later or the next day, allow the casserole to cool and place cold, covered casserole in the refrigerator.
45. 20 minutes prior to serving, place over medium low heat and simmer very slowly for ten minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.