Chestnut Tagliatelle with Wild Mushrooms, Leeks and Prosciutto

I came across some Chestnut flour recently and made both chestnut crepes and fresh chestnut pasta dough. I made the crepes two ways one was a sweet desert version and the other was a savory crepe filled with the same mixture I used as the "sauce" for the Tagliatelle. The crepes are made with 100% chestnut flour and the chestnut pasta is made with a small addition of the chestnut flour to 00 Italian flour. More on the crepes later.
This fresh pasta dish is a really delicious recipe, the chestnut flavor compliments the wild mushrooms and the leeks and prosciutto tie in the flavors superbly. I love this dish. Try it.


Ingredients:

For the dough
14 oz 00 Flour (use all purpose if you can't find the 00)
3.5 oz of chestnut flour
4 eggs plus 4 yokes
3 tablespoons of olive oil
pinch of salt


















For the sauce
3 different types of wild mushroom - Trumpet, shitake and oyster. Crimini or other types also work well
2 leeks -washed trimmed and sliced
3 thick slices of prosciutto - cut into small pieces
2 Tablespoons of shallot and garlic - finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
1 cup of white wine
Olive oil
Fresh Italian parsley - chopped fine
Parmigiano Cheese
Butter

Method:

For the dough:
Sift and mix the flours together. Place on a clean surface or use an extra large mixing bowl, form a well in the middle of the flour. Break the eggs into the well, mix up the eggs with a fork, add the olive oil and salt, gradually incorporate the flour with the eggs and oil. Gently kneed the dough for about 8 minutes or until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest for at least 20 minutes, an hour is even better.
After resting the dough use a pasta machine to make the tagliatelle or if you do not have a pasta machine roll out the dough into a very thin sheet and then cut into strips. You will be making Pappardelle with this method and that is fine. May even be better. Let the cut pasta dry out a little by placing on a dry clean dish towel.

Now for the sauce.
Use two pans. One is for the mushrooms and the other for everything else. Cook the mushrooms in a little olive oil over a moderate heat till they turn slightly brown and set aside. In another pan melt a couple Tablespoons of butter in a Tablespoon or so of olive oil. Saute the prosciutto for a few minutes and then add the garlic, shallot and leeks cook for several minutes without browning. Add the mushroom mixture to the leek mixture, then add the wine and continue cooking for about 5 more
minutes. Sprinkle with some parsley.


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for doneness. Add a few tablespoons of the pasta water to the mushroom mixture and then drain the pasta. Toss it all together with some grated Parmigiano cheese. Serve immediately.

Risotto Milanese

Before it gets to warm out and I would rather eat a salad than Risotto, I made this classic dish from Milan. Came out great.
Making risotto is all about technique and there are several techniques you can use. I always use the constant stir method adding small amounts of broth as the rice cooks. Another important step is to "toast" the rice a bit in the olive oil and onions before adding the first incorporation of broth. I use chicken broth but you can also use beef, vegetable broth or a combination of broths. Here we go.

You will need:

4 cups of chicken broth
1 1/4 cup of Arborio or Carnaroli rice (I prefer Carnaroli)
1/2 cup of finely diced onion
1/2 cup of white wine
1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 Tablespoons of finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 teaspoon of saffron threads- chopped
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese ( Reggiano parmigano)
4 tablespoons of butter
Olive oil


METHOD
Keep the broth at a simmer next to the the pan for the risotto Use a heavy bottom saute pan over a medium heat to make the risotto. Melt a couple Tablespoons of butter along with a Tablespoon of olive oil, add the onions and cook until soft without browning. Add the rice and stir for several minutes to toast the rice. Add a ladel full of broth and continue to stir until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. The next incorporation of liquid is half of the wine. Add the saffron. You will notice that the threads will dissolve as you continue to cook the rice. Continue the method of adding the broth a little at a time, while constantly stirring as you go. You will be able to see a little "wave" appear as you stir the rice and broth. If you add to much liquid in one incorporation you will not see the wave. Add the rest of the wine before the last incorporation of broth. Taste for doneness. The rice should still be firm after you have used almost all of the liquid. (you may still have some broth left when the rice has reached the "al Dente" state. Now off heat stir in the butter and cream. Stir for several minutes and then add the Parm cheese and stir some more. Feel free to adjust the amount of cream. Sprinkle in the parsley. SERVE IMMEDIATELY.




Of course there are about a million variations, but this recipe is the standard classic. Feel free to add just about anything you can think of. Some other favorites are mushrooms, asparagus, prosciutto, shrimp, use your imagination or what you have available in the fridge. When using mushrooms I use a combination of beef and chicken broth and also use red wine not white. Soak some dried mushrooms in water and incorporate the soaking juice.

I made a Lamb Chop to go with it.

Asparagus and Spaghetti with Prosciutto - Risotto Style

I adapted this recipe from Chef Walter Citterio's Green Cauliflower Soup recipe. Walter is so inspiring I was ready to make his soup recipe but decided to adapt it using what I had in the fridge. It came out great. Prosciutto goes so well with asparagus it was a perfect addition. This is simple and fast. The entire time from start to eating was about 30 minutes or less.

I have been using Swanson's Organic Chicken Broth and I must say it is very good. But use whatever chicken stock, broth, bullion or base you have. If you want to make this vegetarian omit the prosciutto and use a vegetable stock. Works out really great this way as well.

This recipe is enough for two.

Ingredients:

1 Bunch of Asparagus

1 Leek -washed and sliced thinly

1/2 of a medium onion - peeled and sliced thinly

3 - 1/4 inch slices of prosciutto cut into Juliane strips

4 cups of chicken broth

1/2 lb. of dry spaghetti broken into pieces

2 Tablespoons of butter

Parm. Cheese

Olive oil

Black pepper

Hot pepper flakes - optional

Method:

Wash the asparagus and trim the bottoms about a third of the way down. Put the bottom sections into the broth and allow the asparagus flavor to meld with the broth. When the asparagus is very soft discard. Cut the tops off the asparagus and then cut the stalks in a diagonal cut about an inch long. Separate the stalk pieces from the tops. They have different cooking times and are added to the pan at different times.

OK now that you have everything prepped, its time to make the dish. At this point it will only take about 12 minutes or so.

Saute the prosciutto in a little olive oil until a bit crispy, add the leeks and onions and continue to cook for several minutes, add the stalk pieces of asparagus and cook for a couple minutes and then add the broken pieces of spaghetti. Stir around and then add most of the broth, reserve a little of the broth as you may need to add it in. Stir well, let all this cook for several minutes and then add the tops, add a little more broth if needed. Continue cooking till the spaghetti is very al dente. Six to eight minutes or so. Take away from the heat and add the butter, stir really well until everything is incorporated. Add the hot pepper if you like.

Sprinkle with a generous amount of Parm Cheese and a bit of black pepper.

Plate a large portion, you will save a trip for seconds.

As always your comments are welcomed.

Spicy Mixed Roasted Potatoes with Onion

I can't resist crispy roasted potatoes. They go so well with just about anything. Most varieties of potato roast well, I like to mix it up a little and add carrots, onions, parsnips, any of the root vegetables or even things like cranberries, fresh (hot or sweet) peppers, small little chunks of pork belly (bacon) or pancetta. I always use dried hot pepper flakes, as I did in this recipe which is a combination of sweet potato, red bliss, russet and onion. The important thing about achieving a crispy potato crust is to not overcrowd the pan, use enough oil, have the right heat and anybody can achieve perfect Roast Potatoes.

You certainly don't have to limit yourself to the varieties of potato that I used in this recipe. I happened to use this selection purely by what I had on hand in the house. I often will mix up the 2, 3 or more varieties I still have hanging around. Not having enough of one type to do much with, I mix them together regardless of the variety (how frugal of me.) I would have added carrots if I wasn't using sweet potatoes, they always add to the flavor so well. Fresh Rosemary is an option.

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato or yam- peeled and chopped into bite size pieces

1 large Russet potato- peeled and chopped into bite size pieces

several Red Bliss - cut into half if small 1/4's if bigger

1 onion - sliced into 1/8ths

red pepper flakes

4 Tablespoons or maybe more - Olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425. Place the potatoes and onion in a large mixing bowl, Add the salt, pepper and hot pepper to your liking. Coat well with olive oil and transfer to a large enough roasting pan with out overcrowding. Roast for about 35 minutes, then test for doneness, depending on the size, how brown they are and how crispy you want them, you may end up roasting for more time. Sprinkle with some more salt while still hot. Serve immediately.

Celery Root Soup

Such an ugly root and yet it makes such a beautiful soup.

Celery root is combined with bacon, leeks, onion and rosemary to make this creamy delicious soup. Use chicken broth, vegetable broth or a combination of both. Its fast, easy and great for a cold day.

Ingredients:

4 cups of broth

1 bulb celery root - peeled and cut into pieces

1 leek- washed and sliced into small pieces

1 small onion - chopped

2 slices of bacon

a sprig of rosemary

Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Method:

Slice down the bacon into small pieces and saute till browned. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add the sliced leeks and chopped onion. Add a piece of the rosemary. Saute for a few minutes but do not let the onions and leeks get to browned. Add the celery root and saute a couple minutes then add the broth. Let the whole thing come to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Remove the rosemary. Cook until the celery root is very soft. About 40 minutes. Use an immersion blender or a food processor to puree the soup. Return to the pan to keep warm. Sprinkle a little grated cheese and drizzle a little olive oil to finish. Garnish with a piece of rosemary or celery leaf. You may want to get creative with garnishes, try some thinly sliced apple or pear.

A white Trebbiano would go nice. Add a green salad and a good piece of bread and you got a real nice dinner.

Rolled Stuffed Loin of Pork

I made this to be served cold for a luncheon. Makes a great sandwich. You can also make this with other meats and a whole variety of fillings. If you have some prosciutto on hand put a layer down over the meat and then the stuffing on that.

Ingredients:

Small center cut loin of pork

1 cup plain panko bread crumbs

3 eggs

2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley - finely chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 garlic clove - minced

2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Olive oil

Method for the pork:

When you are selecting your roast be sure to find one that is short and wide. This will help accommodate the stuffing and the whole thing will roll better. Heres the fun part. The cutting

The idea is to end up with a flat piece of meat with even thickness. This will be the surface that you will spread the stuffing mixture on to. Butchers call this a "roll cut"

Now with a sharp knife slice along a 1/4 of the way into one side of the roast. Slice down into the roast and as you get near the bottom stop when the amount remaining at the bottom is the same thickness as the side you just created by slicing downward. Make sense so far? Good. Continue slicing the meat at the bottom of the roast and stop again when the thickness on the other side is the same as what you already have cut. Still with me? Spread the meat out into a flat piece as you go. Now just continue till you have a nice flat piece of meat. A meat pounder will help even everything out. Be sure to cover the meat in wax paper if you take this step.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Method for the stuffing:

Place the plain panko breadcrumbs in a medium size bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley, minced garlic, grated cheese and cranberries. Mix well. Add the well beaten

eggs. Mix well and spread and even layer of the stuffing on top of the flat piece of pork. If the mixture is to liquidy add some more breadcrumbs.

Roll. At this point you can tie it with twine.

Cover the roast with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.

Roast at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes per pound.

Can be served hot, room temp or cold in a sandwich.

Fried Scallops over Herb and Garlic Infused Bean Puree

What a quick, easy and flavorful dinner! Lent is here and this recipe meets the lent requirements for a meatless meal. I love this puree of beans infused with a little garlic and herbs. Just about anything can go over it, meat, shellfish or roasted fish. I often make this with seared scallops but tonight did the breadcrumb coated fried scallops. Don't want to be to healthy! Hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients for the bean puree:

1 Can chick peas or other bean- drained

1 cup of vegetable stock

1 tablespoon of chopped mixed herbs. Fresh Thyme also works

1 clove of garlic - chopped

Ingredients for the fried scallops:

1 lb of scallops

1 beaten egg with a touch of salt and olive oil

flour

breadcrumbs

oil for frying

In a small to medium saucepan heat the stock to a boil, add the drained beans along with the garlic, cover and let simmer for several minutes. Transfer the beans to a food processor and puree till smooth. Mix in the chopped fresh herbs. Return to the pan, cover and keep warm.

Set up three bowls to prepare the scallops. One for the flour one for the beaten egg and one for the breadcrumbs. Working in batches, pass the washed and dried scallops thru the flour and then the egg and then the crumbs. In a saute pan large enough to fit all the scallops without overcrowding, heat some vegetable or light olive oil. Fry all together or in batches using a slotted spoon to move them around. This takes but a few minutes. When the scallops are browned, they are done. Remove to a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Spoon out the puree into a shallow bowl and place the cooked scallops over the puree. Drizzle a touch of really good Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the whole dish.

You can serve this with a piece of lemon.

This recipe serves two.

A crisp white wine will go great with this.