Archives for April 2008
Get thee to the farmers’ market and a how to for pan sauce
That’s right my fellow Madisonians and Middletonians…today marks the start of the blessed farmeres’ market season. So if you’re reading this on Saturday as you drink a cup of coffee and ponder what to do with your day, get up and go…they’re selling until 1:00 so you’ve got time.
I was at the Westside Community Market this morning, at around 7:00. I forgot my camera but I can tell you what I bought:
- Brats, breakfast sausage, pork chops, and bacon from my good friends at Jordandal Farm
- Salsify, beets, spinach, scallions, and cippolini onions from Primrose Community Farm
- Eggs and goat cheese from Diana at Dreamfarm
- A 6 year aged cheddar and an Avondale Truckle from Brunkow
- Pain au chocolat from Madison Sourdough
- Maple popcorn and little sausages from Geoff King from Sunnyhill Acres
- Cinnamon roll from Stella’s Bakery
- Milk and cream from Blue Marble
- Sourcream and strawberry yogurt from Sugar River
Next week I’ll remember my camera and I’ll have photos to share. In the meantime, I’m still working on pan sauces and to that end I roasted a chicken yesterday and served it alongside some lentils with a pan sauce…it was fabulous.
How to make a pan sauce
- Roast chicken on a bed of onion, carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary, sage, and parsley.
- In a small saucepan simmer the chicken neck, gizzard, wing tip, and heart in water.
- In a sauté pan cook shallots in butter over a low flame for 15 minutes with lid on, 15 minutes with the lid off.
- Soak dry porcinis in a bowl with some of the hot stock you are making with the chicken parts.
- Add some cognac or wine to the shallots.
- Add the drained porcinis to the shallots.
- Remove the chicken from the oven. Place the chicken on a plate. Deglaze the roasting pan with some of the stock.
- Strain the deglazed pan juices into the sauté pan. Stir and adjust heat to reduce.
- Add more stock as needed to the sauté pan. Adjust seasoning.
My favorite snack this week was Madison Sour Dough baquette with excellent butter and sea salt plus radishes with butter and salt….mmmm so good and perfect with a glass of vin rouge.
That cruet and small bottle are full of excellent olive oil and pistachio oil from Vom Fass on University (same strip-mall as Penzeys) but I’ll write more about them next week.
Berry my heart in a galette
There is so much to be said for simple food. This scrumptious galette took no more than 20 minutes to make, not counting the time I left it in the refrigerator to rest. The crust is crisp, flaky, and of course, buttery, and the berrys are tender, succulent, and sweet.
I think I started making this pie about 8 years ago and I’ve not changed my recipe at all, though I have changed my technique. Before I owned a food processor I used my mixer to create the dough. It did a good job but once I switched to the food processor I realized it was a much better machine for the task. Its quick, sharp bade cuts the cold butter better and the results are flakier and butterier. The recipe came from Baking with Julia, by Julia Child and Dorie Greenspan and it is perfection. I do enjoy a typical american pie with a top and bottom crust cooked in a pie pan but the crust is usually soggy, at least on the bottom. Since you only have one crust to roll out it is so much quicker and because it bakes on a cookie sheet it gets that toothsome, delicious crust I always crave. Right before I put it in the oven I brush it down with cold water and sprinkle it with sugar…I love sugar.
Here’s the recipe for an apple galette.
Balsamic chicken with porcini and lentilles de Puy
I made the balsamic chicken that I read about over at Cooking and Eating in the Windy City and while I didn’t follow the recipe, I did come up with an excellent meal that satisfied and soothed. Stove top braises are satisfying because you can hover about the kitchen, occasionally peeking under the lid, spooning sauce over the chicken, tasting, adjusting, adding more of this or that. When I have the time I love to cook that way.
I used boneless skinless breasts and thighs for the chicken and that helped to reduce prep and cooking time although I’m sure it would be even more delicious with a whole local chicken. The porcinis came from my pantry’s stash of dried mushrooms and they were a tasty and splendid addition to the pan sauce. But I have to admit that it was a stroke of genius on my part (but of course!) to serve it with the little green, peppery french lentils…they were an apt foil to the rich, tangy chicken. The side salad was maché and frisée with a dijon vinaigrette. I think this is my favorite meal that I’ve made in awhile…let me know if you like it.
Balsamic chicken with porcini mushrooms and lentilles de Puy
inspired by Erin from Cooking and Eating In The Windy City
printer-friendly recipe
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, seasoned with salt and pepper
3 slices of good thick bacon, diced
3 shallots, peeled and sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 cup of water
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup dried porcinis, rehydrated with the liquid discarded
Put a large skillet or chef’s pan (that has a lid) on a burner over medium heat. Add the diced bacon once the pan is hot and then cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Stir occasionally and cook low and slow until crispy. Remove the bacon, turn up the heat to medium and add the chicken, cooking to brown it on all sides. Once it is browned, remove it from the pan and add the shallots, give them a toss or two in the pan juices then reduce the heat to medium low and cover the pan. Let them cook like this for 10 minutes. Remove the lid of the pan, add the garlic, and let them cook another 10 minutes over medium low heat, stirring occasionally.
Add 1 cup of water and stir to mix it all together and dislodge any good bits stuck to the sides or bottom. Add the chicken, bacon, and porcini mushrooms back to the pan and let them cook for 5 minutes or so with the lid off. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir the sauce. Spoon it over the chicken and let it cook for no more than 10 minutes or so, turning the chicken in the sauce at least once. Make sure you serve it before all your pan juices disappear.
If you’re going to serve this with the lentils you’ll want to start them right after you put the shallots in the pan…that way they get about 30 minutes to cook and that should be perfect. Rinse them first and then put them in a heavy sauce pan, cover them with water and place the pan on a burner over medium high heat. Once they boil, skim the foam off, reduce the heat to medium low, and cover the pan.
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