EASY ESCARGOTS

Easy Escargots (snails) Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 as a starter


Escargots, a big red Burgundy, an electrical storm, and very loud Beethoven at 3:30 in the afternoon. That was the setting in which I first made this dish. Sometimes a new recipe must first be tried in private (I had the place to myself for two days). The inspiration, of course, came from France. It was so successful that I simply had to include it in this collection.


Don't get me wrong. I realize that escargots are not everyone’s cup of tea. Eating snails is simply a non-starter for most of the population of North America. So this recipe is for two groups of people: 1) those of you who have loved eating escargots in French restaurants and would like to prepare them in a simple successful method; and 2) those adventurous souls who recognize the example of the French and would like to advance their palates into scrumptious new territory.


You don’t need special serving equipment. Don’t bother with the shells. They're only for show anyway unless you are actually cooking live snails. Instead, this recipe calls for a small baking dish.


MUSIC: Beethoven changed symphonic music forever with his 3rd Symphony, that’s what I was told, so I was trying to learn about that when I put it on. Consider listening to the killer first movement. Or try the 9th symphony which also blew humanity out of the water. In a different vein, Coltrane changed jazz, James Brown changed R&B, Jaco Pastorius changed bass playing, the list goes on and on, so find a musical visionary and play that music. Play it loudly.*


HERE’S ALL YOU NEED:


1. Snails, one can of 24 to 36
2. Ceramic baking dish or Ramekin: medium size
3. Butter, unsalted, ½ stick (¼ Cup)
4. Garlic, 1 clove
5. Parsley (Italian), a handful, chopped (¼ Cup approximately)
6. Red wine, a small dollop or two (2 tablespoons maximum)
7. Kosher salt, one medium pinch (less than ¼ teaspoon)


HERE’S WHAT TO DO:


· Pre-heat oven to 450º to 500º.
· Melt butter in the ceramic dish (microwave or oven).
· Rinse, drain escargots and add to melted butter.
· Chop garlic and add to dish
· Finely chop parsley and add to dish
· Add salt and red wine
· Stir gently to mix
· Heat in oven until bubbling and sizzling nicely, about 10 minutes usually. Use extreme caution removing from oven.


CADENZA: Escargots are best served with French baguette. Any bread will suffice however. I prefer slices, partially toasted, crunchy on the outside, soft and warm in the middle.


WINE: This dish is based on the Burgundian recipe, so a Burgundy style pinot noir is best, and red goes very well with the big flavors of the garlic, butter, and parsley. A white Burgundy would always be fine as well (or Chablis, Chardonnay).


About escargots. Snails come in a can unless you buy fresh at an outdoor market. I prefer the smaller size snails, 36 to a can, but the larger (24 to a can) are fine too.


About parsley: Italian (flat leaf) is best. The crinkly parsley would work in a pinch but try for Italian.


*About loud music. Not everyone enjoys music so loud you must shout to have a conversation. In my ‘old days’, shouting over Miles or Coltrane was just fine during a meal. But on the subject of loud music, I can't help being reminded of the landlord I once had in Boston who lived on the top floor of an old house and rented out the flats on the first and second floors. He was large, had a tetra-syllabic Italian name, taught Italian 'litrature', and smoked big cigars. Evenings, he would blast Italian opera through the floor to our apartment. My girlfriend and I had little knowledge of opera at the time, but on more than one occasion, the music provided ample accompaniment for what we were doing on the sofa, and we learned to like it. Loud has its place.

FEGATO (CALF'S LIVER MARSALA)

                                                Prep time: 30 minutes

                                                Cooking time: 10 min

                                                Serves: 2

            This recipe is about LIVER.

            “Eeew,” my daughters would say. The thought of liver sends shivers of disgust down the spines of thousands, even many card-carrying carnivores. What happened? Did their mothers cook beef liver for them in the 1950s??

            Here’s the story. When prepared well, veal (calf’s) liver is a real treat, delicate in flavor, and tender. Many restaurants do an acceptable job, but even they could do better. You cannot simply buy liver, throw it in a pan, and expect to eat well. Some care is required.

            The inspiration for this dish came from a restaurant in Florence, Italy, called Sabatini. I ordered ‘fegato’ (pronounced like mega-toe), not knowing what kind of liver it would be. I was served the most wonderful tender bite size strips of light tan colored milk-fed calves liver. No gristle, nothing to cut. Only tiny morsels of heaven.

            So try this recipe. It’s not difficult but requires a bit more care than most of the others in this book.

MUSIC: You need at least 30 minutes. Try Shostakovich’s Quintet for Piano and Strings, Op 57, especially the Intermezzo movement; or Sting: MERCURY FALLING or IT’S A BRAND NEW DAY.

HERE’S ALL YOU  NEED:

1. Liver: ¾ to 1 pound of milk-fed veal (calf) liver, firm in texture, cappuccino in color.
2. Flour, white, a handful for dusting liver
3. Butter, unsalted, about 3 Tablespoons
4. Garlic, 1 medium to large clove, chopped
5. Marsala, dry (not sweet), ¼ to ½ Cup

6. Kosher salt, pepper

HERE’S WHAT TO DO:

• Cut liver into strips 2 inches long, ¼ to ⅓ inch wide. There should be NO sign of veins or other gristle. This requires discarding as much as ⅓ of the bulk of the liver.
• Toss liver strips in a bowl with the flour until evenly coated.   
• Heat butter in 8 to 10 inch skillet on medium-high heat until bubbling (hot but not burning or smoking)
• Add liver strips (not the excess flour)
• Add garlic
• Allow the liver to brown a little but don’t overcook (one or two minutes, max).  
• Salt with healthy pinch of kosher salt, and 4 or 5 twists of a pepper mill.
• Add Marsala which will sizzle at first and then meld with the juices and flour to create a nice sauce. Mix once, gently.
• Serve immediately

CADENZA: Excellent with some plain buttered noodles or potatoes au gratin, carrots, broccoli. Goes very well with polenta, grilled Portobello mushrooms, and grilled asparagus.

WINE: This dish needs a big red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, big Italian such as Brunello or Super Tuscan (Tignanello, Sassicaia), or an Australian Shiraz. White wine would be lost on this recipe.

About liver: Milk-fed calf (veal) liver is essential. Beef liver is incompatible with this dish or any high quality eating, though it is good for iron deficiency!

            A slice of veal liver is usually about ½ inch thick. You can see all the veins and connective strands. Get rid of these. Cut them out. Use only the flawless middle sections with no gristle when making strips.

About flour coating: Please, no measuring allowed. Throw some flour on a platter or bowl and toss the liver pieces until coated, OR sprinkle liberally directly onto the meat. Any excess flour will fall off when you transfer the meat to the pan. You can also use a sieve after you have tossed the liver pieces in flour.

Leeks sauté, the easy way

                           

                                                Prep time: 15 minutes

                                                Cook time: 30 minutes

            Leeks are indispensible as an alternative to the standard green vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, and green beans. The subtle sweetness of leeks, combined with their hint of onion flavor make for a delicious side dish to accompany meat, fish, or other vegetables.

            Sybil introduced me to leeks. She once said that if you want to blend into rural French life, just have some leeks protruding from your grocery bag. Everyone will think you are French! That the French are big on leeks says something about how good they are. More and more, beautiful leeks are on the shelves in grocery stores and farmers’ markets all over North America.

            Many home cooks are intimidated by leeks because of fancy presentations they have tried at restaurants. This recipe, like most in this book, is simple. Use it for a dinner at home or for entertaining. The standard quantity easily serves four but could be stretched to six with slightly smaller portions.    

IN ESSENCE: Chopping eliminates the stringiness that happens if you try to cook whole leaves. The low heat sauté, covered mostly, allows them to steam and soften in their own juices.

MUSIC: Bob Dylan (Lay Lady Lay, or Spirit on the Water); or Joni Mitchell. I usually don’t go for folk music, but good memories were made one time when I prepared this dish while listening to Bob Dylan. If you don’t do folk music, try Pat Metheney, the LETTER FROM HOME album, or Tuck Andress, exquisite solo jazz guitar from the RECKLESS album.

HERE’S ALL YOU NEED:

1. Leeks, 3 or 4 whole stalks                                                  
2. Butter, 1 tablespoon,
3. Salt and pepper
4. (optional: Cream (10% to 30% butter fat), ¼ Cup)
5. (optional: Nutmeg, ground, about ¼ teaspoon)

HERE’S WHAT TO DO:

• Clean the leeks. The white part grows so tightly that it is usually grit-free, but dirt invariably gets into the base of the green part. If you plan on using the green part of the stalk (which you should, except when making vichyssoise), you must wash each leaf carefully to get all the dirt off.
• Chop the leeks. I recommend a fairly fine chop. Pieces about the size of postage stamps are perfect.  This requires a large chopping board and a long French chopping knife or Chinese style vegetable cleaver.
• Place chopped leeks and butter into any large sauce pan or skillet that can be covered. I usually use a 10 inch, 3 quart saucepan.
• Cook at medium low heat, being careful to avoid sticking or burning, for about 30 minutes. You could use cooking oil or olive oil instead of butter, but butter enhances the leek flavor nicely. You may need add a little water during the cooking, usually no more than a few tablespoons.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• See VARIATIONS below.

CADENZA: This dish accompanies pork tenderloin medallions beautifully. Also good with a white fish such as sole, cod, or halibut. Or serve with roasted red peppers, potatoes, or sweet potatoes for a purely vegetarian delight.

VARIATIONS ON A THEME: Add some cream at the end. Leeks and cream are an unbeatable combination. About ¼ cup of table cream (18% butter fat), or heavy cream (35% butter fat) should suffice. Add nutmeg, ¼ to ½ teaspoon for a real treat, especially if serving with fish. Delicious.

WINE: With the leeks themselves, a French Chablis or white Burgundy are splendid. If you are serving with pork, a Beaujolais or Pinot noir go very well.

Sunday morning pancakes

                                              

                                                Total time: 15 to 20 minutes

                                                Serves: 2 - 4

           

            Like everything, when it comes to pancakes, personal tastes are all over the map. Some people are under the impression they like the discus-sized cakes one gets served at a diner, stacked high on the plate, ready to absorb a pint and a half of artificial syrup. These individuals are sadly mistaken. They just haven’t sampled anything better.

            This recipe is about small and moist cakes, delicate and spongy, maybe a little crispy at the edges. It features the rich sweet flavor of bran, not too much, but just enough.

            It is also about approximate quantities. Each new batch is a little different from the last one. The basics of this recipe were inspired years ago by my friend Charlie Walters. He used the palm of his hand to measure out the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. After seeing him do that, I never went back to measuring spoons. With a little practice, you can gauge quantities quite well, and the hands-on approach adds a certain intimacy to food preparation. Once you get comfortable you can throw the recipe together automatically, half asleep, or while recovering from the worst of Sunday morning hangovers.

MUSIC: Rachmaninoff’s Vespers or Faure’s Requiem (both under Robert Shaw’s direction). Be gentle. This is not a Kurt Cobain breakfast.

HERE’S ALL YOU NEED:

1. Flour, about ½ Cup, all purpose white, or whole wheat if you like.
2. Wheat bran: about ¼ Cup
3. 1 large or 2 small eggs
4. Baking soda: ½ teaspoon approximately. (put ½ teaspoon of baking soda into the palm of your hand to learn the volume for future measuring).
5. Baking powder: ½ teaspoon approximately.
6. Salt: ¼ teaspoon approximately.
7. Yogurt (plain!), or buttermilk or part sour cream: about ½ Cup
8. Milk: to dilute batter to right consistency: usually about ½ Cup (see below)
9. Cooking oil (vegetable oil, safflower, canola, etc): 1 Tablespoon in batter, 1 Tablespoon in pan for first batch (melted butter is fine as alternative).

           

HERE’S WHAT TO DO:

• Put all dry ingredients, egg, yogurt, and oil into a bowl.
• Add milk (usually about ½ Cup) and mix (with hand whisk or spoon). Use enough milk to achieve correct consistency: somewhat thick, a little jiggly. Let sit for five minutes for the leavening soda/powder to go to work.
• Heat skillet to low to medium, until a splash of water bounces around in little beads.
• Add 1 Tablespoon of oil to the hot pan and spread evenly. Pour off some oil if it looks like too much.
• Ladle batter in tablespoon size (four to a 10 inch skillet). Flip when firm enough and golden brown. Serve directly when done, or transfer to warm platter. Serve on warm plates with one of the toppings below.

VARIATIONS ON THE THEME (and TOPPINGS):

1. A word about maple syrup. Don’t make this recipe if you plan to use artificial commercial maple syrups. Use only authentic maple syrup. Real maple syrup comes in light, medium, and ‘standard’ (the darkest). The finest, most delicate flavor is the light variety. The others can be overpowering. If you have never had real maple syrup, the flavor may surprise you, but it usually doesn’t take long to convert even the most resistant.
2. Apple/pear sauce: This is fantastic as an accompaniment to pancakes, with or without maple syrup. Peel and cut into coarse chunks: 2 pears (Anjou or Comice are best, but any will work beautifully) and 2 large apples, into a 1 or 2 quart sauce pan. Heat on medium heat with 10 - 15 raisins, covered, with a splash of water to prevent sticking. When soft (5 to 10 minutes usually), stir or mash into a coarse sauce. Add a little sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon carefully, to taste.
3. Heated blackberry sauce. Heat fresh or frozen blackberries with splash of water until softened, add sugar and a dollop of Cointreau and cook for 2 minutes. Don’t use maple syrup with this one; put berries directly on the pancakes.
4. If you like banana, a small quantity of mashed banana can be added to the batter, but not too much or the cakes remain too wet. Even better is to use coarsely chopped banana as a topping. Great with maple syrup.

About the eggs: for more fluff, separate the egg and beat the whites, then fold into the batter. It is wonderful now and then. Beaten egg whites yield bouncier batter and very light pancakes.

About yogurt, milk and buttermilk. The best pancakes contain some fat. Non-fat pancakes are so unsatisfying and thin in flavor. Yogurt goes from non-fat to over 10% or higher in the Balkan or Greek styles. I often use 3% yogurt and dilute the batter with skim milk. Buttermilk is usually non-fat, so add yogurt, sour cream or whole milk for body. Any combinations of the above ingredients work well.

Shrimp sauté with orzo and roasted tomatoes

                                                Prep time: 30 to 45 minutes

                                                Cook time: 30 minutes

                                                Serves: up to 4

           

            This recipe is from Sybil originally (see introduction, 1st post). The flavors accompany each other beautifully. It is a menu for all seasons and does not require fresh shrimp although I usually prefer fresh, peeled shrimp over frozen bags of shrimp. If you use frozen, make sure they are the uncooked variety (gray, not pink).

            This recipe was scrumptious from the first time, and I’ve prepared it on many occasions, each time with great success. It can also be expanded easily into a party menu for 6, 8, or more guests if you have the equipment.

MUSIC: You have at least 60 minutes to play with. If alone in the kitchen, I’d put on Weather Report’s album SPORTING LIFE, with its dynamite-but-tender version of What’s Going On. I’d also consider Alfred Schnittke’s Requiem, a monster powerhouse of a piece, but it’s a little challenging for the uninitiated. To tone it down, I’d fall back on some of Michael McDonald’s tunes during the Doobie Brothers MINUTE BY MINUTE era and shortly after, like Losin’ End. 

HERE’S ALL YOU NEED:

For the Shrimp sauté:

1. Shrimp, 1 pound of fresh medium-sized shrimp or uncooked frozen, peeled, thawed, rinsed
2. Olive oil, 2 Tablespoons
3. Kosher salt, large pinch
4. Freshly ground pepper

For the tomatoes:

1. Tomatoes, 4 medium
2. Thyme, several pinches to sprinkle on tomatoes, about 1 teaspoon
3. Salt and pepper

For the Orzo:

1. Orzo, ½ pound to 1 pound
2. Butter, 3 to 4 tablespoons
3. Parmesan cheese, grated, ½ Cup
4. Parsley (Italian best, but curly okay), chopped, for garnish

For the sauce:

1. Garlic, 2 or 3 cloves, chopped into bits
2. Sherry wine, dry, ¼ Cup
3. Red wine vinegar, ¼ Cup
4. Olive oil, ¼ Cup

HERE’S WHAT TO DO:

            Prepare the tomatoes:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut tomatoes in half and place in baking pan
• Drizzle with olive oil
• Sprinkle with a pinch of Kosher salt, some twists of pepper, and a pinch of thyme.
• Cook for 15 minutes, just enough to heat thoroughly and soften, then turn down heat to low to keep warm.

           

            Prepare the sauce:

• In a small sauce pan, add chopped garlic to ¼ Cup olive oil and heat on medium heat, enough so the garlic bubbles and browns slightly after 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add Sherry and vinegar, bring back to a boil, then reduce heat and keep warm

            Prepare Orzo:

• In a 4 quart pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil
• Add Orzo and stir occasionally while returning to a boil
• Reduce heat to prevent overflow, and cook until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes
• Drain off excess water, but keep the orzo wet in the pot.
• Stir in butter
• Stir in parmesan cheese gradually
• Salt to taste (remember, parmesan is salty so don’t oversalt)
• Cover and keep warm

            Prepare shrimp:

• In a 10 inch to 12 inch skillet, heat ¼ Cup olive oil to moderately high
• While olive oil is heating, plate the tomatoes and orzo on individual warmed plates
• Add shrimp to skillet and sauté until they blush pink, just done, about 3 minutes. Cut into a shrimp to determine doneness if uncertain.
• Add a pinch of kosher salt during cooking.
• Serve shrimp onto bed of orzo
• Spoon 2 or 3 tablespoons of hot sherry-garlic sauce onto shrimp, orzo, and tomatoes.
• Garnish with chopped parsley

CADENZA: Serve with fresh Italian or French bread and follow with a simple mixed green salad.

WINE: This dish goes well with a robust white or a bright red. I prefer red, such as Dolcetto d’Alba, Rioja, Chianti. White Burgundy or Chablis are also be excellent.