Panko Crusted Salmon

January 21, 2016 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Each week I follow along with Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) and attempt to recreate one of her dishes in my tiny New York City kitchen. The catch? This is my version of cooking school and today I’m making Panko Crusted Salmon for the first time. I’ll share both my successes and um, challenges, along the way and we’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Miguel While You Were Out”

The Set-up: Miguel is visiting from New York to take pictures of Ina’s garden, so she’s treating him to a home-cooked dinner.

The Menu: Panko Crusted Salmon, Warm French Lentils, Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Stock, All-American Cheese Board

0:52 – We’re starting today with Miguel’s favorite Chicken Noodle Soup which Ina is planning to send with him in a thermos when he leaves. How sweet!

1:20 – Naturally this starts with homemade Chicken Stock. We get a quick overview on the process, which is involves a 20 quart stock pot. That’s not a typo – twenty quarts.

2:56 – A brief check-in with Miguel as he snaps some shots in the garden. I bet it’s heaven out there on a late spring day.

3:23 – Ina has declared that egg noodles are really the only appropriate noodle for chicken noodle soup. True. It honestly wouldn’t be the same with bowties or linguini.

4:34 – Ina has roasted two chicken breasts to help the meat retain its flavor in a way that it doesn’t when you boil it. Boiled chicken frankly sounds incredibly unappetizing.

5:51 – It’s so freezing today and I am officially now craving chicken noodle soup. Do you think Ina would send an extra thermos for me…?

6:47 – I love that Ina actually tastes her food and adjusts the seasonings if they need it. Pro Tip #1: Salt is the key to making chicken soup taste really delicious.

9:32 – Moving on to Panko Crusted Salmon. Ina says she assembles it ahead so it’s ready to cook when company arrives. My one qualm is that salmon is so ‘fragrant’ that I hesitate to cook it for company.

10:14 – Interesting technique, the mustard is used for flavor but also to help adhere the panko and seasonings to the fish.

11:29 – Out to Miguel raiding the garden. He’s taking clippings for some project of his own mysterious devising. What is he up to?

12:06 – All will be revealed I suppose. In the meantime: Warm French Lentils. I’ve make Ina’s other recipe a ton (and it’s incredible) but this is a different version.

13:45 – She says the two secret and fairly random ingredients are an onion stuck with whole cloves and a turnip, which season the water the lentils cook in. Presumably both will be removed before the dish is served.

14:38 – Ah yes, the vegetables have been removed and now the drained lentils go in with sautéed carrots and leeks. Again, this recipe diverges from the other with the addition of a mustard vinaigrette.

19:17 – Ina has arrived at a little cheese shop called Lucy’s Whey at the Amagansett Farmer’s Market (awesome name) to select some options for her All-American Cheese Board.

20:30 Ina often suggests that one creamy/soft, one hard, and one blue option give a nice variety for a small cheese board. Lucy recommends Moses Sleeper, Vermont Shepherd, Bailey Hazen Blue all from Vermont.

21:41 – Now that the cheeses are settled, it’s time to pick up a few jams, crackers, and dried fruit to round out the board. PS: Ina has an account at the shop, such a charming small-town!

22:55 – Now for a little cheese board-arranging lesson. Step 1: layer the cutting board with a flat green leaf (fig, hydrangea, etc.), Step 2: give the board some height with a nice pile of green grapes.

23:02 – Step 3: place the wedges of cheese; Step 4: fill in with big blocks of crackers, dried fruit, and a small dish of jam.

27:19 – It’s time to cook the prepped Panko Crusted Salmon first by searing the skin side in a hot pan on the stove-top then finishing the cooking in the oven.

28:54 – Ahh, as promised the surprise has been revealed: Miguel set the table on the porch and arranged it with flowers from the garden. Perfect timing because dinner is ready!

29:43 – It turns out that great minds think alike – the center piece and the All-American Cheese Board both feature a fig leaf back drop. Hilarity ensues when Ina shows Miguel his to-go thermos of Chicken Noodle Soup.

Final Thoughts:
Just when I think Ina has developed the perfect recipe, she transforms it into something else entirely.

Ina’s seafood cooking techniques are so spot on.

I suppose a gift of Chicken Noodle Soup is sort of odd, but how endearing!

Lessons Learned:
I’ve made versions of salmon in the past, but never anything ‘crusted’ so Panko Crusted Salmon was a new adventure and one I’m happy to say is practically fool proof.

Panko Topping – this really is the place for either plain or whole wheat panko crumbs, as opposed to traditional bread crumbs. Their rougher texture provides more little nooks and crannies to catch hold of the lemon zest and other seasonings, as well as places for toasting and crisping to take place.

Mustard – One to two teaspoons of Dijon mustard might seem like a lot for one piece of fish, but I urge you not to skip it. The flavor is excellent with the salmon, which can totally stand up to it’s robust spice, and it serves a dual purpose by also giving the panko a place to adhere. No point in putting a crispy coating on something if it’s just going to fall off the minute you move the food.

Cooking Time & Resting – I found the cooking + resting time to be spot on for a perfectly cooked piece of salmon. One recommendation though: loosely cover the cooked fish with foil so that some of the heat can escape. Formerly crunchy bread crumbs gone soggy with steam is not a good look.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, 100%. I needed a 10 inch oven-proof sauté pan, a small mixing bowl, small cutting board, chef’s knife, measuring cups, measuring spoons, a microplane zester, and a fish spatula. That’s all!

The Verdict:
Ina is an absolute wizard with cooking fish and her Panko Crusted Salmon is no different. The fish emerges from the oven perfectly cooked, tender and moist with the crispy, crunchy panko for contrast. As always, the flavors are spot on and elevate anything you’d like to serve along side. I recommend a base of crisp, leafy spinach or baby kale, preferably topped with the Avocado and Grapefruit Salad from last week. A fresh and light dinner that’s still grounded by the salmon.

Chicken Chili Verde

January 19, 2016 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

When it’s freezing out there’s nothing more comforting than a pot of something delicious simmering away and chili is one of those easy, satisfying meals that just gets better and better the longer the ingredients hang out together. I love my classic Spicy Red Chili with bell peppers and ground beef in a tomato base, but I wanted to mix it up a little and develop a recipe that delivers that same comforting meal, but with a different set of flavors.

This recipe takes the cool greens of poblano peppers, jalapeños and tomatillos as inspiration with chicken broth as the base to make a lighter, brighter chili. In case it isn’t obvious I’ve been on a bit of a citrus kick lately and my mind is constantly whirring with ways to incorporate all the wonderful varieties that are available now. It’s amazing what a difference a bit of acid in a dish makes – the edge of lime here cuts through heavier texture of the white beans and wakes up the spice of the jalapeno.

Chicken Chili Verde with Lime (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:
2-2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast
2 cups (1 large) chopped Vidalia onion
2 1/2 tablespoons (4-5 cloves) minced garlic
2 teaspoons (1 small) minced jalapeño pepper
3 cups (12 ounces) diced tomatillos
8 ounces (2 small cans) diced green chilies
3 (15 ounce) cans Great Northern or Cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper

For garnish: lime wedges, cilantro leaves, minced jalapeño

Instructions:
Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet and lightly coat with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Roast at 350 degrees F. for 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. on an instant read thermometer. Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside to cool and rest. Reduce the oven to 200 degrees F.

While the chicken cooks, prep the vegetables.

Notes on Prep: for milder heat remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño. Tomatillos grow in a papery husk and have a slightly sticky coating. Remove the husk and rinse the fruit before de-stemming, similar to a tomato.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed, oven-proof pot. Saute the chopped onion for 5-7 minutes until the pieces begin to turn translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally to keep the garlic from burning.

Next, add the minced jalapeño, the canned diced chilies and their liquid, as well as the diced tomatillos. Stir in the ground cumin and kosher salt. Continue to cook for 4-5 minutes to soften the tomatillos and form a thick sauce.

Stir in the drained, rinsed white beans, the chicken stock, and the bay leaf. Raise the temperature to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pot and place in the oven. Cook for 1- 1/2 hours at 200 degrees F. to allow the flavors time to combine.

If the chili is too thin in consistency, puree 1-2 cups of the chili in a food processor or blender and then return the puree to the pot.

Finally, remove the skin from the chicken and pull the meat into bite sized shreds. Add the chicken to the pot and stir. Bring the chili back up to temperature and serve with cilantro leaves, minced jalapeño and lime wedges.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, totally. I used a 5.5 qt French oven, a medium cutting board, chef’s knife, baking sheet, medium fine mesh sieve, wooden spatula, a liquid measuring cup, measuring cups and spoons. A food processor or blender will be helpful if you’d like a thicker chili.

The Verdict:
I initially worried as I developed this recipe that a chicken chili would be a pale imitation not worthy of the title. As it turns out I think we might even, just possibly prefer the bright, slightly sharp flavor of the tomatillos with the consoling warmth of the chicken and broth. I highly recommend serving it with a good squeeze of lime and a few leaves of fresh cilantro. Perfect for a cold winter’s day.

Lemon Mascarpone Gnocchi with Thyme Butter Sauce

January 07, 2016 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Lemon Mascarpone Gnocchi | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Lemon Mascarpone Gnocchi** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Each week I follow along with Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) and attempt to recreate one of her dishes in my tiny New York City kitchen. The catch? This is my version of cooking school and I’m making these recipes for the first time. I’ll share both my successes and um, challenges, along the way and we’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Barefoot and Friends – Cooking with Giada DeLaurentiis”

The Set-up: Ina and Giada have been talking about a cooking date for ages and today’s the day!

The Menu: Lobster Potato Salad, Lemon Mascarpone Gnocchi, Chocolate Cassis Cake

0:47 – It’s a two-for-one deal - Giada is coming to cook with Ina today! Before she arrives, Ina is making lunch for them: Lobster Potato Salad.

1:20 – Pro Tip #1: To get perfectly cooked potatoes, after straining the boiled potatoes cover the colander with a kitchen towel to trap the steam.

2:32 – The inclusion of lobster in the potato salad is a nod to the last time Giada visited and they went to Montauk for lobster rolls. A new tradition in the making?

3:18 – Pro Tip #2: Buy pre-cooked lobster from the fish counter and avoid the messy (and traumatic?) process of boiling your own. Word.

5:14 – Giada, managing the most Italian errand ever, stops by Cavaniola’s Cheese Shop in a Fiat to pick up mascarpone, parmigiano and pecorino for gnocchi.

6:29 – As they’re sitting down to lunch it’s revealed that Ina makes lobster-something almost every time they get together, which G (may I call you G?) interprets as “I’m so happy to see you” special occasion food. Lucky girl, it could be worse!

7:55 – It’s decided that first they will make dessert and then move on to the gnocchi, which seems like an easy sell for both.

9:23 – They’re in the pantry gathering ingredients for the Chocolate Cassis Cake, which is right up Giada’s alley.

10:36 – Crème de Cassis for those not in the know (me) is black currant liqueur, which Ina says brings out the flavor in the raspberries that she’s serving with the cake.

11:21 – Ina asks Giada whether she considers herself a “cook” or a “baker" and learns that when G started she was more of a baker, due to her love of dessert, but now she’s both. Huh, never knew…

12:44 – Ina’s next question is whether Giada lines her cake pans with parchment paper. The answer: she knows she should, but she’s lazy. Love it.

13:05 – While the cake is in the oven, Ina and Giada take a tour of the gardens. G by her own description is the “world’s worst gardener” but does recognize the fresh thyme growing in the kitchen garden and gets permission to snip some stems for their gnocchi.

14:42 – Back in the kitchen to melt chocolate for the ganache that will cover the cake with Giada acting as sous chef taking direction from chef Ina.

15:39 – The parchment paper has done its work and the cake is released from the springform pan without incident. Ganache time!!!

16:50 – To her credit, I think Giada has licked every chocolate coated bowl and spatula in the kitchen. A girl after my own heart.

19:13 – Onward to the Lemon Mascarpone Gnocchi which will be Ina’s first attempt at gnocchi. I've never made gnocchi either, we can be twins!

20:48 – Giada says that these are non-traditional gnocchi because the mascarpone cheese and flour take the place of the potatoes. Works for me!

21:24 – Now that the gnocchi dough is made it’s time to form them using two small table spoons. Ina wonders how many she has to make before she becomes Italian.

22:17 – The little golden gnocchi are into the salted boiling water to cook – only 4 minutes per batch!

23:12 – In a bit of garden-to-table action Ina is put in charge of making a butter sauce with the thyme they picked earlier. (They agree that thyme + lemon is heavenly match.)

24:30 – Just so we’re clear, a cheese based dumpling/pasta, has been covered in butter sauce, and then sprinkled in more cheese. Giada and Ina laugh at their own wicked ingenuity.

27:29 – I suppose it’s dinner time by now, so they sit down to a gnocchi dinner while Giada agitate s for dinner to be served.

28:35 – Back to finish off the Chocolate Cassis Cake with some berries marinated in sugar and MOAR cassis, which they joke they’ve been getting into over the afternoon.

29:51 – Giada is literally jumping up and down a la a small child on a sugar high with excitement over the chance to eat some cake. Looks like someone is going to be in a boozy dessert coma….

Final Thoughts:
I love that Ina’s recipes are so adaptable. Lobster, salmon, tuna – any of them work.

Flourless chocolate cake. That is all.

I wonder if it’s awkward when two famous people in the same field socialize for the first time? What do they talk about?

Lessons Learned:
I’m just dipping my toe into fresh pasta making and know just enough to be dangerous when it comes to bread dough – both of which made trying Giada’s unconventional Lemon Mascarpone Gnocchi (no potatoes involved!) intriguing. I naturally learned a ton…

Mixing – I was a little unsure about the texture of the gnocchi dough but upon closely observing Giada’s I was convinced that I had it right. Strangely it closely resembles a cross between buttercream frosting (fluffy) and scone dough (sticky).

Forming the Gnocchi – This does take some time, but thankfully there’s no special equipment needed just two teaspoons from your silverware drawer. Giada suggests the “quenelle” shape, which is made by scraping a teaspoon of dough back and forth between the two spoons until it forms an oblong oval. Without weighing the dough it’s tough to be sure that they’re all the same size but do your best to eyeball it so that they’ll cook at a similar rate. Use a light touch when rolling the final shape like forming the most delicate meatball.

Storage – I wasn’t quite ready to cook the gnocchi once I was done forming them, so I was thankful to discover that the can be stored in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic on a sheet tray. I just left them on the floured one I used when I was forming them.

Cooking – I used a 3 quart sauce pan and put between 4-5 gnocchi in at a time so they’d have plenty of space and wouldn’t drop the water temperature too much. The recipe calls for waiting until the gnocchi begin to float, then start timing (5 minutes only, 6 is too long). It’s easy to over cook gnocchi and I found the best results were to start timing as soon as the gnocchi just began their ascent, otherwise the pasta began to deteriorate. Not good!

Serving Size – I was able to form about 28 gnocchi with the dough, which would serve two to three very generously or four people as a smaller portion. These are quite rich and puff up when cooked, so a little goes a long way. I’d recommend serving these as a small starter course and or as a main balanced with a nice bright green salad or light vegetable side.

Flavors – I made one very small change to the butter sauce to lighten it up – cheese, plus cheese, plus butter seemed a little much – adding the juice of 1 lemon (2-3 tablespoons). I also didn’t allow it to brown since I thought the nuttiness would overwhelm the delicate flavors in the gnocchi. I think my way is perfect, but I leave it up to your moods and preference.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Fairly, yes. I needed a large mixing bowl, electric hand mixer, microplane grater, rubber spatula, measuring cups, two teaspoons, a rimmed baking sheet, large sauce pan, medium sauté pan and a utility knife.

The Verdict:
I’m fairly obsessed with anything bright and lemony, especially pasta and Giada's Lemon Mascarpone Gnocchi has lemon in spades, even more so with my tweaks. I handled the gnocchi as gently as I could to keep them from becoming tough and they came out light as a feather and beautifully tender. Somewhat surprising given the amount of cheese involved. This is a rich dish, not for the counter of calories, and would be perfect as a first course in small portions or as the most elegant of comfort food dishes when only something decadent will do and the summer feels far away.

Provençal Lavender and Lemon Roast Chicken

January 05, 2016 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

Provençal Lavender and Lemon Chicken | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Provençal Lavender and Lemon Chicken** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

One of the reasons I love reading cookbooks and watching cooking shows is for inspiration. I’m continually amazed at the creativity I see and it’s an opportunity to learn something new. I recently saw an episode of Rachel Khoo’s Little Paris Kitchen where she made a roast chicken with dried lavender and was I intrigued by the use of lavender in cooking.

In Provence lavender is a staple of the kitchen spice rack and it seems like the bakers on the Great British Bake-Off are constantly infusing things with it, but I was having trouble wrapping my head around an ingredient I associate with linen closets. So, I decided to give it a shot and take a little culinary adventure to southern France with Rachel’s recipe as my guide.

Lavender has a strong herbal flavor that when combined with lemon zest and thyme reminded me of rosemary - a little astringent, a hint piney, but not at all reminiscent of a sachet, unless that sachet is full of herbs de Provence. Since it is powerful, a little goes a long way and I particularly liked it with the balancing sweetness of the wildflower honey, which also has a delicate floral note.

This recipe is so simple and takes just a few minutes to assemble, but the unique flavor elements make it feel special all the same. Perfect with some pureed potatoes or sautéed asparagus.

Provençal Lavender and Lemon Chicken (serves 4)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender buds
2 lemons, zest and juice
3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup wildflower honey
4 pieces of bone-in, skin-on chicken, either breast or leg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions:
Place the lavender in a large ziptop bag and lightly crush using a rolling pin. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, honey, thyme leaves, lemon zest and juice. Pour into the zip top bag with the lavender then add the chicken pieces. Seal the bag pressing out the air and turn a few times to coat all sides of the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours).

Preheat oven to 400°F. Put chicken and marinade into roasting pan with the skin side down and sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast chicken for 45 minutes, turning pieces over halfway.

Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F or when thickest part is pierced with a skewer and the juices run clear (not red or pink). Serve the chicken with cooking juices spooned over the top.

Rewritten and slightly adapted from Rachel Khoo’s Poulet au Citron et Lavande via PopSugar.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Absolutely. All I needed for this recipe was a gallon sized zip top bag, a small cuutin board, chef’s knife, microplane zester, liquid measuring cup, measuring spoons and a medium baking dish (2 qt.)

The Verdict:
I really didn’t know what to expect since I’ve never made a Rachel Khoo recipe before – that requires trust! – but I have to give credit where credit is due, this is really, really good. The lavender is subtle and in combination with the lemon and thyme it brings a beautifully summery flavor to the chicken, like the toasted warmth of a golden hay field in August and so simple to put together at a moment’s notice. Just the thing now that freezing temperatures have taken hold in New York and we need a taste of summer to see us through.