Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes

I've been trying to make more interesting side dishes to accompany my entrees.  While I will spend hours perfecting the perfect main course, by the time I get to the side dishes, I seem to run out of momentum.  This recipe for a ridiculously easy potato dish is courtesy of Fine Cooking Magazine.  With only three ingredients and a little prior planning this dish comes together quickly.  (Plus smashing the potatoes is a lot of fun!). I served the potatoes with sour cream and chives to go along with grilled chicken.  I'm now thinking that I could easily dress the potatoes up for a more formal dinner or even serve them with a dipping sauce as a part of a buffet table.  Regardless of how I make them in the future, this dish is a keeper.

CRISPY SMASHED ROASTED POTATOES

12 to 15 baby red potatoes

2 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 cup olive oil

Boil the potatoes:

1)  Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with at least one inch of water.  Add 2 teaspoons of

     salt to the water.  Bring the water to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook the potatoes

     until they are completely tender and can easily be pierced with a skewer.  Make sure they are

     cooked through but don't over cook.  The total cooking time will be 30-35 minutes.

2)  While the potatoes are cooking, set up a double layer of clean dish towels on the counter top.  As
      the potatoes finish cooking, remove them individually from the water, and let them drain and sit for
      just a minute or two on the dishtowels.

Flatten and cool the potatoes:

3)  Fold another dishtowel into quarters, and using it as a cover, gently press down on one potato with

    the palm of your hand to flatten it a thickness of about 1/2 inch.  Repeat with all of the potatoes.

    Don't worry if some break apart a bit; you can still use them.

4)  Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; place a piece of parchment on top of the 

     foil.  Transfer the flattened potatoes to the baking sheet and let them cool completely to room

     temperature.

Roast the potatoes:

5)  Heat the oven to 450 degrees.  Sprinkle the potatoes with about 3/4 teaspoon of salt and pour the

     olive oil over them.  Lift the potatoes gently to make sure some of the oil goes underneath them and

     they are well coated on both sides.  Roast the potatoes until they are crispy and deep brown around

     the edges, about 30 to 40 minutes, turning over once gently with a spatula half way through

     cooking.

6)  Serve hot.

Gouda Bread Pudding

I'm always on the lookout for new side dishes.  All too often I jump in with gusto with the entree but by the time it comes to planning and actually cooking the accompaniments, I run out of steam.  Seriously, there are only so many times I can serve risotto or scalloped potatoes for dinner. Looking for inspiration, I recently dug through the enormous cookbook collection that I had insisted on bringing with us to Albania (despite it's pushing us towards the upper limit of our weight allowance I assured Glenn that I would indeed use all of the books).  As a member of a cookbook of the month club I have a lot of books that have arrived simply because I forgot to tell them not to send the  month's selection.  When this happens I usually scan through the book, mark interesting recipes for future use, and cram it onto a shelf along with previous month's surprise arrivals.  High on this shelf I found Paula Lambert's Cheese, Glorious Cheese, a book dedicated to you guessed it, cheese.  I had indeed marked several recipes but as far as I could tell, had never tried any of them.  

We had British guests coming for a family style dinner and I was looking for something easy to accompany the steaks we were planning on grilling.  When I saw the Gouda Bread Pudding recipe I knew it was just the thing.  Easy, fast, and tasty.  I served it from the table in a large souffle dish but it could just as easily be served in individual dishes for a more elegant presentation.  The Gouda was good but I plan on trying out other cheese combinations in the future.....Swiss, cheddar, bleu, pepper jack.......the possibilities are endless.

GOUDA BREAD PUDDING

4 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 baguette

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups shredded sharp, aged Gouda

1)  Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl.  Add the milk, creme fraiche or sour cream, salt, and 

     pepper and whisk until well combined.

2)  Cut the baguette in half, then cut it into quarters and finally into 1-inch cubes.  Add the bread to the

     egg mixture and toss to combine.  Leave to soak up the liquid at least 10 minutes.

3)  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Generously butter an 8-inch to 10-inch casserole or souffle dish.

4)  Transfer 1/3 or the soaked bread to the casserole and sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese on top.  Repeat

      layering the bread and cheese until the casserole is filled.  You should have 3 or 4 layers of bread

      and cheese.  

5)  Pour any remaining egg mixture over the bread.  Finish by sprinkling the remaining cheese in a

     thick layer on top.

6)  Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the bread pudding has puffed up in the
      center and the top is crusty and golden brown.   Serve hot.

Bacon and Herb Risotto

I love risotto.  Unfortunately this tasty rice dish has developed the reputation for being time consuming and difficult to make.  It really isn't. You can serve a basic white risotto as an accompaniment to a saucy dish, dress it up with sophisticated add-ins as a fancy side dish or pair it with a green salad and serve it alone as an entree for a quick weeknight dinner.  Rice is the perfect palliate to build off of and I think all home cooks should have a good risotto recipe in their repertoire.  

I no longer use a written recipe when I make my risotto; rather I use a standard formula of liquid to rice and add in whatever ingredients sound good or I have on hand at the time.  For the intimidated or new risotto maker, Maxine Clark's Risotto is a great primer for learning about the importance of choosing the correct rice (yes, this does make a difference) and the role each component plays in completing the dish.  Her recipes can provide inspiration for flavor combinations to get you started.  I find that homemade broth is best.  Whenever I don't have the time to make my own (which is usually the case) a low sodium store bought version will work.  Full sodium versions tend to be too salty and you want to be able to taste your ingredients, and not the salt.  

BACON AND HERB RISOTTO

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

4 to 4 1/2 cups hot vegetable broth

6 slices bacon, diced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup finely chopped herbs (I used thyme and sage)

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground pepper

1)  Place the bacon in a heavy sauce pan, place over medium high heat and cook until crisp, stirring

     occasionally.  

2)  Reduce the heat to medium.  Add the onion and saute until soft, 5-7 minutes.

3)  Add the rice and stir. Cook until the rice is translucent, 1-2 minutes.

4)  Add the wine and cook until absorbed, 1-2 minutes.

5)  Gradually add the hot broth a 1/2 cup at a time.  Stir regularly, but not constantly, until broth is
     almost absorbed.  Add broth as needed and continue to cook until rice is al dente--or to your
     individual liking.   The risotto should be moist and have some liquids in it since it will continue to
     thicken as it sits.  You may not use all of the broth.

6)  Off the heat.  Add the chopped herbs and ground pepper and stir to combine.

7)  Stir in the cheese and stir until it is completely combined and melted.

8)  Serve immediately with more freshly grated cheese as desired.

Pancetta Braised Brussels Sprouts

Growing up I never liked Brussels sprouts.  They were always overcooked gray-green lumps sitting on my plate and taunting me to eat them.  Others might sing their praises but try as I might I just couldn't see the attraction.  Somehow I managed to avoid them for most of my adult life and I was just fine with that.  Then all of a sudden they seemed to become a trendy vegetable and they were everywhere;  all of my cooking magazines profiled the bright green piles of mini-cabbage like vegetables (in Albanian they are called little cabbages) as if they were the greatest thing around.  As I paid more attention to the recipes I was intrigued.

However, I could never seem to find a recipe that completely enthralled me so I developed my own.  What I came up with was good.  Crisp to the bite with subtle flavors of lemon, thyme and bacon (yes, everything is better with bacon) dinner guests rave about them.  Even non - Brussels sprouts eaters (a.k.a. Glenn) eat them.  As an added bonus, this dish is easy and can be made ahead of time.  I've served them both hot and at room temperature and have even been known to eat the leftovers cold right from the refrigerator.  And did I mention that they are easy to make?

PANCETTA BRAISED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 ounces pancetta, diced

1 small onion, diced in 1/4 inch cubes

2 medium carrots, diced in 1/4 inch cubes

2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, minced

Zest from one lemon

1/4 Teaspoon red chili pepper flakes- or more to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

1)  Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat.  Add the pancetta and stir 

     frequently continuing to cook until the meat begins to brown on all sides 5-7 minutes.

Pancetta, onions, and carrots cooking

2)  Add the onion and carrots and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

3)  Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan and stir to combine.  Reduce heat to medium and continue to

      cook for 15 to 20 minutes stirring frequently to prevent the sprouts from sticking.  Add additional

      olive oil in one teaspoon increments if necessary to prevent scorching.  

4)  Cook until the Brussels sprouts are to your preferred level of doneness. They will turn a bright green

     as they continue to cook and will brown slightly on their cut sides.  I prefer mine crisp to the bite and

     a total of 20 to 25 minutes of cooking usually does the trick.

5)  Remove from the heat.  Add the thyme, lemon zest and chili pepper flakes and season with salt and 

     pepper.  Enjoy!

Ready to eat

Chestnut, Pear, Cherry and Sage Dressing

For some Thanksgiving is all about the turkey; for me, it is all about the side dishes.  Don't get me wrong.  I love a nice juicy slice of turkey but it is everything that gets piled on the plate along with the meat that gets me the most excited.  The hardest part about living in Albania is my inability to access some of my traditional Thanksgiving (and Christmas) standbys- fresh cranberries and sweet potatoes are not available here and due to their perishability, it is not possible to get them shipped in through the pouch.  (I'm sure at some point someone has tried this but I haven't done it yet. Maybe next year........).

There are still plenty of delicious side dishes that I can make and this recipe for Chestnut, Pear, and Sage Dressing based on a recipe from Williams-Sonoma is just the first of several that I will highlight over the coming weeks.  Not only does this dish bring together some of the tasty and plentiful ingredients that are found here in Albania but it also makes good use of the roasted chestnuts I prepared earlier this week.  The original recipe calls for the inclusion of breakfast sausage.  I omit this since many of our guests do not eat pork.  I also double the recipe since leftover dressing is a vital part of any post-Thanksgiving Day turkey sandwich.

CHESTNUT, PEAR, CHERRY, AND SAGE DRESSING

1-pound loaf of rustic bread, torn into 1/2 inch pieces

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/2 inch dice

1 large carrot, cut into 1/2 inch dice

3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch dice

2 small pears, cored and cut int 1/2 inch dice

1 cup peeled and chopped roasted chestnuts
1 cup dried sour cherries, chopped

1/3 cup finely chapped fresh sage

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 cups turkey or chicken stock
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1)  Spread the bread out on a baking sheet and let dry overnight.  Alternatively, toast in a 300 degree F
     oven for 30 minutes making sure the cubes do not burn.

2)  Preheat an oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a large, shallow baking dish.

3)  In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tablespoon butter and add the onion, carrot, celery
     and pear.

Ready for the pan

4)  Saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, 7 to 8 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

Melding flavors

Yummy additions

5)   Add the chestnuts, dried cherries, sage, melted butter, stock and salt and pepper and stir to mix.
      Add the bread and stir to combine.

Before the addition of the bread

4)  Transfer the dressing to the prepared baking dish and dot with butter.  Bake until golden and crispy,
      about 1 hour.

Into the oven it goes

Serves 10-12 people.


Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the finished dressing in all of its golden goodness.  Our guests dug into the dish immediately and there weren't any leftovers. I guess this is a sign of a good dish.  I'll have to make it again and remember to get a picture next time.