Category Archives: Kitchen basics

January 11, 2013 · 7:10 pm

My favorite way to roast a chicken

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One of my favorite food memories is the first time I roasted and butchered a chicken on my own. I was 24 and working part time at a magazine for chefs while I attended culinary school three night a week. See culinary student Marge with a giant immersion blender, below.

Culinary student Marge

Young chef Marge

During an intro to meat cooking class, we learned how to roast a chicken, then butcher it in eight parts, using various joints, bones and lines of fat as natural guides in the process.

“Chickens were made to help us cut them up without creating too much waste,” the chef-instructor said. I always loved that sentiment.

The day after chicken-roasting class, I bought my very first whole chicken at the supermarket on my way home from work. I rubbed it with butter, salt and pepper and roasted it for 50 minutes in my $19.99 grocery store roasting pan. After pulling the bird out of the oven, I broke it down into eight less-than-perfect parts, then stood at the kitchen counter tearing off bits of crispy skin and thigh meat with my fingers and eating it. I’d never been more proud of a meal in my life.

Several years and many roasted chickens later, I’ve discovered that my favorite method for roasting chicken is in a cast-iron skillet. I learned this technique from one of my favorite cooks and food writers, Mark Bittman. Unbelievably simple and basically foolproof, it always results in crispy skin and moist meat.

Besides the chicken, salt, pepper and oil, all you need are a cast-iron skillet and instant-read digital thermometer. You should invest in both of these tools if you haven’t already. Cast iron is great for conducting heat, meaning you get even cooking throughout and a beautiful crust on the outside of whatever you’re cooking. Not to mention a cast-iron skillet will last you a lifetime with good care.

Instant-read thermometers are wonderful when you get into that anxious, “is it done yet?” territory between minutes 45 and 60 of roasting a chicken. Because of that unfortunate paranoia for undercooked chicken we Americans all seem to share, that 15 minutes could quickly turn dinner into sawdust. This is where the thermometer comes in. Stick it into the meaty part of the thigh, and if it reads anything between 155F and 165F, the bird can come out.

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Cast-iron-skillet roast chicken
adapted from Mark Bittman

    1 whole cage-free chicken, 3 to 4 pounds
    1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    Salt and pepper

Method: Put a cast-iron skillet on a low rack in the oven and heat the oven to 500F. Trim the chicken of excess fat and rub it all over with the oil. Sprinkle it generously with salt and pepper.

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When the oven and skillet are hot, carefully put the chicken in the skillet, breast side up. Roast for 15 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 350F. Continue roasting until the bird is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh reads 155F to 165F. (Start checking after 45 minutes or so.)

Tip the pan to let the juices flow from the chicken’s cavity into the pan. Transfer the chicken to a platter and let it rest for at least 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

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June 13, 2012 · 6:52 am

What’s so funny about churning butter?

Homemade herb butter

I have a wonderful friend named Jacob who has a gift for homemade things. He made the veil “hat” I wore on my wedding day, after sizing my head using plastic bags and a fair amount of duct tape. He then carefully cut and appliquéd Alençon lace onto a delicate piece of netting as we sat at the table sipping beer and listening to Dolly Parton.

He also quilts, sews, reupholsters furniture, and fearlessly preserves everything from cucumbers to bell peppers to asparagus to fruit preserves and Bloody Mary mix. He rarely visits without bringing along a homemade gift for the host (“I quilted you a sleeve for your coffee!”), a unique little greeting card or jar of preserves.

So when I asked him to bring ingredients to make herb butter last weekend for bread-making day, it came as no surprise that he showed up with a carton of whipping cream, a small mason jar and a single sprig of rosemary he’d plucked from a friend’s garden.

“Where’s the butter?” I asked. “Have you never made butter from scratch before?” he gasped. “It’s so easy.” And so, he poured the cream into the jar, along with a little salt and a sprinkling of fresh rosemary and chives. Then he, my friend Maggie, my mom, husband and I took turns shaking the dickens out of the cream for the next 15 minutes until the buttermilk and solids separated. (Yes, it took that many of us to churn less than a pint of cream.) And then there it was: fresh herb butter, with a side of herb buttermilk!

Something inexplicable happens to you when you shake a jar of cream as hard as you can. You start smiling…

and giggling…

until you can’t stop.

I’m not sure why this is, but try to make a sad face while you’re shaking cream to make butter. It’s almost impossible.

“Oh my god, I can see the butter in there!” Maggie shrieked.

“Oooh, my turn to shake!” I cried, giggling maniacally.

All in all, it was a perfect slow Sunday, filled with butter-shaking and foccacia bread-making, laughing too loudly and enjoying the deck in the early summer sun. Friends and family dropped in here and there, all under the watchful eye of Penny–between naps, of course. The best part of the day was it ended with tearing off hunks of freshly baked focaccia and smearing them with homemade butter that melted the second it hit the bread. I couldn’t even spread it without smiling.

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May 29, 2012 · 6:54 pm

Basic roasted pork shoulder

Roasted pork shoulder, with a small bite stolen out of sheer lack of self-control

Just a quick post for you today on how to roast a bone-in pork shoulder. This is a wonderful recipe to have in your back pocket. Roasted pork is delish served all by itself served with braised spring vegetables (hint, hint) and potatoes. Or you could enhance it with a simple spice rub or marinade. Roasted pork also provides a great foundation for dishes like pork fried rice, Cuban sandwiches or BBQ pulled pork.

When roasting I prefer the bone-in pork because the bone makes the end product more flavorful and juicy, but you can also prepare this with boneless pork shoulder. Just be sure you cut back on the cooking time.

Simple roasted pork shoulder

    1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
    3 tablespoons chopped garlic
    1 bone-in pork shoulder with the cap left on, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method: Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Brush the pork shoulder generously with the olive oil, and then season well with salt and black pepper. Massage the salt, pepper and garlic into the pork on all sides until well coated.

Set the pork on a rack in a roasting pan, skin side up. (If you don’t have a rack, just place the pork in a large oven-proof pot.) Roast it for about 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F. Note: I like to leave the cap on when I roast pork shoulder. As it roasts, the fat melts down into the meat and does the basting work for you!

Cook for another 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 185°F when inserted into the thickest part of the pork.

Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes, until it’s cool enough to handle. If you’re serving it, pull the meat from the bone, remove any fatty pieces or gristle and slice it.

To shred it, use two forks or your fingers, checking for any gristle as you go. This recipe yields a little less than 2 pounds of meat.

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May 24, 2012 · 6:35 pm

So I bought a pork tenderloin

I bought a pork tenderloin last week without any plan for how I’d prepare it. I don’t usually cook the leaner cuts of pork, much to the detriment of any hypothetical dieting intentions. My preferred cuts are the fattier ones because I think they’re tastier–like shoulder, rib chops and belly. But the tenderloin looked particularly good and the price looked even better so I thought I’d give it a try. Full disclosure: the pork tenderloin purchase also came about because one of my life goals is to butcher a side of pig. But before I can do that, I have to first get comfortable cooking with the whole pig–even the lean parts.

One of your best weapons when it comes to cooking leaner cuts of meat is a good marinade or brine. It injects a little moisture and flavor into the meat, since it can’t rely much on fat to provide juiciness and flavor as it cooks.

Magic sauce

I found this marinade from the infallible Alton Brown. I like the combination of sweet, smoky and acidic flavors. For the tastiest, juiciest results, give the pork at least 6 hours (and up to 24) to bathe in the marinade. You only need half of the marinade for the pork–keep the rest of it for drizzling over the top just before serving.

When cooking any thick piece of meat like this, it’s best to use an instant-read digital thermometer. You’ll know the pork is done once the thermometer reaches 140°F when inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin. Note: Take the meat off the grill before checking the internal temperature to get the most accurate read.

Grilled pork tenderloin with sweet chipotle lime sauce
Recipe from Alton Brown

    1 whole pork tenderloin, approximately 1 pound
    1 lime, zest finely grated
    1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
    1/4 cup honey
    1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
    1/2 teaspoon pepper
    1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    2 chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon of the sauce
    1 teaspoon vegetable oil
    2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Method: Trim the pork of excess fat and silver skin.

In a bowl, whisk together the lime zest, juice, honey, salt, pepper, garlic powder, chiles and oil. Pour about half of the marinade into a 1-gallon resealable bag. Add the pork, seal the bag, and massage the marinade into the pork.

Put in the refrigerator to marinade for 6-24 hours. Remove the tenderloin from the bag and allow it to sit at room temperature while heating the grill. Remove the reserved marinade from the refrigerator.

Heat the grill to medium heat, and brush it with canola or vegetable oil. Place the pork in the center of the grill and discard the marinade. Close the lid and cook the pork for about 15 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until the thickest part of the tenderloin reaches 140°F.

Take the tenderloin off the grill, cover with foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.

To serve, slice the pork and fan out the slices on a platter. Drizzle the pork with some of the reserved marinade, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serves 4.

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April 28, 2012 · 10:06 am

Taking a chance on ramps

The first time I bought ramps was last spring. Before then, I had only known them as a side dish that would show up on restaurant menus in March and April.

I had just been offered a job as an editor at Modern Baking magazine, and I was reeling from the excitement (and the frustration of not being able to publicly celebrate, since I hadn’t yet told my boss). It was one of those chilly yet blindingly sunny early spring days, when it feels as though it must be 30 degrees colder in the shade. Sean was out of town, so I called my friend Katie, told her the good news and asked if she and her boyfriend Paul would like to come for dinner.

“Whatchya makin’, Marge?” she prodded.

“Something with fresh shelled peas!” I cried. I had been thinking about peas all day.

An hour later, I clambered off the bus at Whole Foods and headed straight for the produce department, only to find that there wasn’t a fresh pea in sight. But wedged somewhere between the green onions and radishes was a massive stack of ramps. Not entirely sure what my plan was but feeling up for a challenge, I grabbed two big bunches and headed home. I did a quick online search and found a recipe for ramp pesto. Since I didn’t have any pine nuts or walnuts, I decided I’d change it up a bit. I briefly boiled the ramps and shocked them in ice water to soften them slightly. Then I cooked spaghetti in the same water I’d used for the ramps. I puréed the ramps with olive oil, butter, a little lemon juice, Parmesan cheese and some of the starchy pasta water.

We toasted my new gig and ate the bright, spring-inspired pasta dish in the waning evening light. I was happy I’d taken a chance on ramps that day. And after months of writing articles about marketing campaigns for supermarkets, I was ready to get back into food writing full time.

The next morning, I called my boss and told him I’d accepted a position at a magazine for bakery owners. He was quiet for a minute, and my heart started to race.

“I’m never eating a cupcake again,” he said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

This ramp pesto recipe is much more of a straightforward pesto than my improvised pasta sauce above. I rough chopped the ramps and ground them in a food processor with toasted pine nuts. I then streamed in olive oil and lemon juice, then seasoned with salty Parmesan, a little salt and lots of black pepper. Some people swear by quickly boiling (or blanching) the ramps first to sustain their vibrant green color and cut a bit of their sharpness, but I think this sauce tastes best when the ramps are left raw. Their mild, slightly grassy onion flavor lends itself well to a pesto-type preparation, and allows you to omit the garlic.

You can certainly switch out the ramps for basil, arugula or roasted bell peppers, but I like to use ramps while they’re in season. Much like dream jobs, ramps are available only briefly before someone else scoops them up.

Ramp pesto

    2 bunches ramps, cleaned, stems trimmed and outer or bruised leaves removed
    1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
    Juice of 1/2 lemon
    1/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
    1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
    Salt and pepper, to taste

Method: Roughly chop the ramps. Add them to a food processor along with the pine nuts, and blend on low until they form a coarse purée. You might have to scrape down the sides a few times with a spatula to get everything chopped up.

Add the lemon juice, and with the food processor running on low, slowly stream in the olive oil and blend until it forms a paste.

Remove the blade, and fold in the Parmesan cheese to taste. Add salt, if needed, and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

This recipe makes enough for pesto pasta for 4. You can also fold it into scrambled eggs, drizzle it on grilled meat, fish or vegetables, stir a little into vegetable soup just before serving, or smear it on a sandwich.

To store the pesto, place in an airtight container and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. It should keep for about 1 week.

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April 16, 2012 · 2:37 pm

My go-to pie crust

I never thought I’d make enough pie crusts to warrant a go-to recipe. Pie crust always seemed far too scary to become something I’d make on a regular basis. But here I am, makin’ pie crust in my sleep and bloggin’ about it.

One thing that always intimidated me when I first started making pie crust was when cookbooks and recipe sites gave vague directions like “don’t overmix the dough” without even explaining what that meant! Even when I started writing up this recipe last week, I had a line in there that said: “Be careful not to overmix the dough.” Shame on me.

So here’s what overmixing does to pie dough , and a few other mysteries of pie crust explained (with help from Gail Sokol’s Professional Baking):

Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat products. When that protein comes into contact with water and is mixed, the gluten starts to develop, which helps give structure to baked products. Overhandling the dough causes the gluten strands to tighten like a rubber band that’s been stretched too far, resulting in a tough dough instead of a tender and flaky one, as pie crust should be. That’s one reason many pastry crusts call for all-purpose flour–it contains fewer proteins and develops less gluten as a result. It is also why water should be sprinkled in a tablespoon at a time instead of poured in all at once. Because the gluten doesn’t develop until the protein comes into contact with water, the less water that’s added, the more tender the end product will be.

So when a recipe for pie crust tells you not to overmix, that basically means you should mix the ingredients just until they come together into a ball.

Here are a few other explanations of the mysteries of making pie crust:

1. Why should the butter (or other fat) be cold?

It prevents it from melting too quickly in the oven and increases flakiness in the crust. Freeze the cubed butter for 1 hour before adding them to the food processor, and less time if you’re adding it by hand (20 minutes).

2. Why should the water be cold?

Using ice water prevents the pieces of fat from warming up and melting into the dough before baking.

3. Why rest the dough before rolling it out?

Resting the dough helps relax the gluten, making the dough easier to roll out. It also firms up the fat so it doesn’t melt into the dough before baking.

To sum up, the reason it’s worthwhile to bother with all these fussy techniques like chilling butter and not overmixing is they help us achieve buttery, flaky pie crust. And is there anything better than that?

Go-to pie crust

    2 sticks butter, cold
    2 1/2 cups AP flour, plus more for dusting
    1 teaspoon salt
    5-6 tablespoons ice water

Method: With a very sharp paring knife, cut the butter into roughly 1/4-inch cubes. Put the butter cubes in the freezer right away to chill them, and keep them in there until you’re ready to make the crust.

In a food processor pulse together the flour and salt 4 or 5 times. Add the butter, and pulse 10-12 times until the butter is the size of small pebbles, with a few pea-size pieces throughout.

Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing in between, just until the dough starts to form a ball.

Plop the dough onto the counter after lightly dusting it with flour. Quickly form the dough into a cylinder.

Note: I like this step. You could just pack the dough into any old shape, but the idea here is to form the dough into the shape you ultimately want it to be when you roll it out. Since I’m making a pie, I want the crust to be round, so I formed it into a cylinder.

Tightly wrap it in plastic wrap, put it in the fridge and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the counter with flour and place the dough on it. Working from the center out, roll out the dough until it’s 1/4-inch thick. I like to flip it a few times so it doesn’t stick. A helpful tool to use here is a plastic dough or bowl scraper, because it helps you gingerly scrape the dough off the work surface.

Brush off any clumps of flour that may have formed on the surface of the dough. To transfer the dough to the pie shell, place the rolling pin over the edge of the dough. Lift up the end and lightly start wrapping it around your rolling pin. Don’t press down on the dough, or it will stick. Keep doing this until the dough is all rolled up.

Place the end of the rolled dough over the pie shell, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of overhang, and carefully unravel it over the pie shell. You might have to shift it around a bit to center it.

Carefully push the dough into the corners and sides of the pie shell, smoothing out any ripples. Trim the dough overhang down to about 1 inch all around with a pair of scissors or sharp paring knife.

Working your way around, tuck the dough overhang back on itself, pressing lightly; then pinch a little dough between two fingers to crimp it, leaving about 1 inch between each crimp.

This pie dough is great for all kinds of sweet and savory applications, from sweet fruit and cream pies to pot pie and quiche. If you want to sweeten it up a bit, add a scant 2 teaspoons sugar to the above recipe. Add it at the same time as your salt.

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