Part 13 (2/2)

Lobster, Littleneck Clam, and Andouille Sausage Stew The Iberian tradition of thickening seafood soups with toasted noodles inspired this dish. Catalan variations call for seafood soups with toasted noodles inspired this dish. Catalan variations call for fideus fideus, a dried thin short noodle, to be toasted in oil in a deep pan on top of the stove. The cook adds stock, various fish, sh.e.l.lfish, and sausage; the noodles soak up the stock, transforming the dish into something closer to stew than soup. If you have 3 cups of homemade Lobster Stock (page 34) sitting around, you can use it here, but the recipe includes instructions for a quick lobster stock (30 minutes), a technique worth learning and taking almost no time at all.

Reheated seafood stew loses much of its original texture. The noodles overcook and become soft; the clams and lobster can turn rubbery. If you won't be serving all the stew the first night, prepare the recipe as indicated, but stop just short of adding the capellini. Figure out how much stew you want to eat today, and how much tomorrow. Divide the mixture of onions, peppers, and tomatoes in the ca.s.serole and set tomorrow's aside. Only a.s.semble as much of the dish as you intend to serve, reducing the proportion of the other ingredients accordingly. Refrigerate tomorrow's onion, tomato, and pepper mixture, stock, lobster, clams, and basil and parsley. Reheat the stock the next day, and finish the stew by repeating the final steps of the recipe.

MAKES 4 ENTReE SERVINGS.

LOBSTER AND STOCK.

Kosher salt Two 1-pound lobsters 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil small white onion, thinly sliced celery stalk, thinly sliced 1 cup dry white wine teaspoon fennel seeds 1 strip orange zest ( inch wide and 3 inches long) 2 bay leaves Pinch of saffron (optional)

pound capellini, broken in half 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 red pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into -inch-wide strips Freshly ground black pepper 4 garlic cloves, chopped 6 ripe plum tomatoes, each cut into 8 chunks 12 littleneck clams, scrubbed Juice of 1 orange 1 cup cooked chickpeas (see page 230), or rinsed canned chickpeas pound andouille sausage, cut into -inch-thick slices cup coa.r.s.ely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley cup coa.r.s.ely chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes (optional) DO AHEAD: All of the major features of the stew-cooking the lobster, making the lobster stock, toasting the pasta-can be done a day ahead, leaving only the cooking of the pasta and a.s.sembling the stew. All of the major features of the stew-cooking the lobster, making the lobster stock, toasting the pasta-can be done a day ahead, leaving only the cooking of the pasta and a.s.sembling the stew.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt per quart of water. Add the lobsters, bring the water back to a boil, and cook for 7 minutes. Drain and cool the lobsters. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt per quart of water. Add the lobsters, bring the water back to a boil, and cook for 7 minutes. Drain and cool the lobsters.

2. Separate the tails, claws, and knuckles from the bodies of the lobsters. Set the bodies aside for making the stock. Remove the lobster tails from the sh.e.l.ls, cut the tails in half lengthwise, and remove the vein-like digestive tracts. Cover and refrigerate the lobster meat. Separate the tails, claws, and knuckles from the bodies of the lobsters. Set the bodies aside for making the stock. Remove the lobster tails from the sh.e.l.ls, cut the tails in half lengthwise, and remove the vein-like digestive tracts. Cover and refrigerate the lobster meat.

3. To make the stock, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Break each lobster body into 3 or 4 pieces, add to the oil, and sear all over, turning frequently. Add the sliced half onion and celery and sear as well. Add the white wine and enough water to just cover the sh.e.l.ls. Add the fennel seeds, orange zest, and bay leaves and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the stock and discard the solids. (You should end up with 3 cups of liquid.) Add the optional pinch of saffron. To make the stock, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Break each lobster body into 3 or 4 pieces, add to the oil, and sear all over, turning frequently. Add the sliced half onion and celery and sear as well. Add the white wine and enough water to just cover the sh.e.l.ls. Add the fennel seeds, orange zest, and bay leaves and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the stock and discard the solids. (You should end up with 3 cups of liquid.) Add the optional pinch of saffron.

4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F.

5. Toss the capellini with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, then spread it evenly over a sheet pan. Bake until the pasta is golden and toasted, about 20 minutes. Toss the pasta several times during baking to ensure it toasts evenly. Set aside. Toss the capellini with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, then spread it evenly over a sheet pan. Bake until the pasta is golden and toasted, about 20 minutes. Toss the pasta several times during baking to ensure it toasts evenly. Set aside.

6. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or braising pan over medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the lobster broth, littlenecks, and orange juice and cook until the clams just begin to open, about 10 minutes. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or braising pan over medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the lobster broth, littlenecks, and orange juice and cook until the clams just begin to open, about 10 minutes.

7. Add the chickpeas, andouille, and pasta. After 5 minutes, the pasta should be cooked and all the clams should have opened. Remove and discard any unopened clams. Add the lobster, parsley, and basil, and just heat through. Add the chickpeas, andouille, and pasta. After 5 minutes, the pasta should be cooked and all the clams should have opened. Remove and discard any unopened clams. Add the lobster, parsley, and basil, and just heat through.

8. Fill four warm bowls with the stew, making sure that each portion contains lobster, clams, and sausage. Serve immediately, accompanied by the optional red pepper flakes. Fill four warm bowls with the stew, making sure that each portion contains lobster, clams, and sausage. Serve immediately, accompanied by the optional red pepper flakes.

Poultry Poultry is like a huge family with two different branches. The members of one branch-chicken-are respectable, reliable ... and boring. The members of the second branch are like a band of crazy interlopers whom no one invited to the reunion-duck, quail, and geese. They're wild, they're messy, and they never clean up after themselves. The first group is bland, and the challenge is to figure out how to put some pizzazz back into their character. The quail-duck-and-geese branch has the opposite problem: they come packed with flavor, but how do you cook them, especially without having to hire a cleaning crew to come in after you're finished? family with two different branches. The members of one branch-chicken-are respectable, reliable ... and boring. The members of the second branch are like a band of crazy interlopers whom no one invited to the reunion-duck, quail, and geese. They're wild, they're messy, and they never clean up after themselves. The first group is bland, and the challenge is to figure out how to put some pizzazz back into their character. The quail-duck-and-geese branch has the opposite problem: they come packed with flavor, but how do you cook them, especially without having to hire a cleaning crew to come in after you're finished?

This chapter tells you how to deal with both branches of the family.

You don't have to be a culinary romantic to deduce that chickens used to be better. A simple comparison of a roasted organic, free-range chicken with its factory-bred counterpart demonstrates the depth of decline. The meaty flavor of the former tastes as distinctly and immediately of itself as duck or goose; the latter tastes ..., no, feels pleasant enough, but without much flavor. pleasant enough, but without much flavor.

The simplest way to improve the taste of the poultry you cook then is to buy organic, free-range chickens. Their flavor more than compensates for their premium price, especially in dishes that call for chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Finding organic chicken pieces can be a trial, however, and I often resort to ordinary legs and thighs; everything else being equal, dark meat always offers deeper flavor than light.

The second strategy is to bring strong flavors to bear on chicken, by seasoning it with spicy rubs or marinades, or by braising, grilling, or smoking the meat. With chicken, you want as many of the external flavors as possible to penetrate the meat. All of these strategies, alone or in combination, are put to good use in the following pages.

Duck, quail, and geese are the tastiest partic.i.p.ants in any discussion about poultry, and the most neglected by home cooks. There's really no excuse for this with quail; it's the bird I recommend for red-meat lovers. Easily grilled or sauteed, quail involves none of the mess people a.s.sociate with other dark-meat fowl and has great flavor. Duck and geese, on the other hand, require strategic know-how. The problem with traditional recipes is that they tend to smoke up your kitchen with burning fat. This chapter offers you a foolproof method for producing a duck with crisp skin and moist, tender meat cooked completely on top of the stove. (Fans of duck and goose will find additional recipes for these birds in ”A Mile in a Chef's Shoes, ” page 297.) If you've prepared duck in the past and decided it was too much of a ha.s.sle, then you may find this recipe a relief.

As always, an instant-read digital thermometer takes some of the guesswork out of telling whether a bird is properly cooked; also, nonstick cooking racks and roasting pans are indispensable when it comes to roasting poultry. Their very minor extra cost will seem trivial during cleanup after roasting a chicken or turkey, let alone a goose.

Sauteed Boneless Chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s with Brown Bay b.u.t.ter For years, I automatically added bay leaves to soups and stocks without much consideration of their effect on flavor. Laura Brennan, my sous-chef at Michela's, and bay leaves to soups and stocks without much consideration of their effect on flavor. Laura Brennan, my sous-chef at Michela's, and I I began experimenting with steeping bay leaves in a variety of liquids-melted b.u.t.ter, white wine for poaching fish, extra virgin olive oil for grilling lamb and dressing salads, even the sweet wine Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise used to poach pears. We made a simple discovery: when used in large quant.i.ties, bay leaves produce an extraordinary combination of b.u.t.terscotch and eucalyptus that you'd never suspect from their subtler application. Chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s, the culinary equivalent of a blank sheet of paper, take well to a bay-infused b.u.t.ter sauce. This is an extremely easy dish to prepare, with a flavor far out of proportion to the effort involved. began experimenting with steeping bay leaves in a variety of liquids-melted b.u.t.ter, white wine for poaching fish, extra virgin olive oil for grilling lamb and dressing salads, even the sweet wine Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise used to poach pears. We made a simple discovery: when used in large quant.i.ties, bay leaves produce an extraordinary combination of b.u.t.terscotch and eucalyptus that you'd never suspect from their subtler application. Chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s, the culinary equivalent of a blank sheet of paper, take well to a bay-infused b.u.t.ter sauce. This is an extremely easy dish to prepare, with a flavor far out of proportion to the effort involved.

MAKES 4 ENTReE SERVINGS.

CHICKEN.

4 boned chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s (approximately pound each), skin on, split in half to make 8 half-breast cutlets 2 shallots, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh savory 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest 6 tablespoons vegetable oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper SAUCE.

2 cups Chicken Stock (page 31) or 4 cups high-quality canned low-sodium chicken broth, reduced to 2 cups (see page 32) 4 tablespoons unsalted b.u.t.ter 4 bay leaves 1 tablespoon high-quality sherry vinegar 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper DO AHEAD: Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours; longer won't hurt. Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours; longer won't hurt.

1. Toss the chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s in a large bowl with the shallots, savory, thyme, lemon zest, and 4 tablespoons vegetable oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

2. Since the cutlets will cook so quickly, it's a good idea to make the sauce first. Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan and let it cook until there's only cup left.

3. While the stock is reducing, melt the b.u.t.ter with the bay leaves in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until the b.u.t.ter just turns brown, 4 to 5 minutes; take care that it doesn't burn. Remove from the heat and let steep for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.

4. Combine the bay b.u.t.ter and reduced stock in a blender and blend until they're completely mixed. Transfer to a small saucepan and add the vinegar and capers and season with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm.

5. Preheat the oven to 200F.

6. Remove the chicken cutlets from the marinade; do not sc.r.a.pe off the marinade. Set the bowl aside. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large saute pan (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat. If you have the good fortune to have two large saute pans, heat a second one with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. If you're using only one pan, you'll have to cook the cutlets in two batches. When the oil is hot, add 4 cutlets to each pan, skin side down, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the cutlets and cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until cooked through. If some of the cutlets are smaller or thinner and cook faster, remove them from the pan and put them on a platter in the oven. If you're relying on a digital thermometer, it should read 160F when inserted into the center of the meat when it's done. Remove the chicken, sc.r.a.pe any leftover shallots out of the marinade bowl into the pan, and cook until caramelized. Sprinkle over the chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

7. Serve immediately, with the warm bay b.u.t.ter.

Roasted Chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s Stuffed with Herbed Ricotta I'm always searching for ways to jazz up chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s. One summer, after I'd finished making a batch of chicken and ricotta ravioli, it occurred to me that there had to be an easier way of bringing chicken and herbed ricotta together. Why not just stuff chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s with a ricotta filling and dispense with the pasta altogether? Roasting split b.r.e.a.s.t.s on the bone proved to be the simplest way of preparing this dish. The stuffing goes under the skin. Leaving the bones in helps keep the skin anch.o.r.ed in place, and the meat stays juicier. to jazz up chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s. One summer, after I'd finished making a batch of chicken and ricotta ravioli, it occurred to me that there had to be an easier way of bringing chicken and herbed ricotta together. Why not just stuff chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s with a ricotta filling and dispense with the pasta altogether? Roasting split b.r.e.a.s.t.s on the bone proved to be the simplest way of preparing this dish. The stuffing goes under the skin. Leaving the bones in helps keep the skin anch.o.r.ed in place, and the meat stays juicier.

If you have access to different brands of fresh ricotta, use the firmest you can find; the less moisture in the filling, the better it will stay in the chicken. Because the cheese stuffing comes into contact with the raw chicken, this dish should never be prepared ahead. Stuff the b.r.e.a.s.t.s, coat them with the marinade, and roast them right away.

Cooked b.r.e.a.s.t.s will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Cut the cold chicken off the bone and slice crosswise into medallions. Sprinkle the medallions with any leftover crumbled ricotta stuffing and drizzle with a squeeze of fresh lemon and extra virgin olive oil.

MAKES 4 ENTReE SERVINGS.

STUFFING.

1 cup ricotta cup freshly grated Parmesan 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 4 large bone-in chicken half-b.r.e.a.s.t.s (approximately 10 ounces each) MARINADE.

2 shallots, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme 2 tablespoons minced lemon zest cup vegetable oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges 1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. Combine all of the stuffing ingredients, mixing well. Combine all of the stuffing ingredients, mixing well.

3. Gently insert your fingers into the end of one of the chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s to make an opening between the skin and the breast meat, keeping as much of the edges of the skin attached to the meat as possible. Spoon one-quarter of the herbed ricotta into the opening. Gently squeeze and knead the mixture evenly over the breast between the meat and skin. Repeat with the remaining b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Gently insert your fingers into the end of one of the chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s to make an opening between the skin and the breast meat, keeping as much of the edges of the skin attached to the meat as possible. Spoon one-quarter of the herbed ricotta into the opening. Gently squeeze and knead the mixture evenly over the breast between the meat and skin. Repeat with the remaining b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

4. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Carefully toss the stuffed b.r.e.a.s.t.s in the marinade to coat on all sides. Sprinkle each coated breast with salt and pepper and set skin side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Carefully toss the stuffed b.r.e.a.s.t.s in the marinade to coat on all sides. Sprinkle each coated breast with salt and pepper and set skin side up on a rack in a roasting pan.

5. Roast the chicken for Roast the chicken for 25 to 35 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the b.r.e.a.s.t.s. The internal temperature of the breast should read 155F. It's all right if some of the cheese mixture leaks out from under the skin as the chicken roasts. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. The temperature will come up another 5 degrees or so as the b.r.e.a.s.t.s repose. minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the b.r.e.a.s.t.s. The internal temperature of the breast should read 155F. It's all right if some of the cheese mixture leaks out from under the skin as the chicken roasts. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. The temperature will come up another 5 degrees or so as the b.r.e.a.s.t.s repose.

6. If you prefer crispier skin, run the chicken under the broiler for a minute or two before serving. Serve with the lemon wedges. If you prefer crispier skin, run the chicken under the broiler for a minute or two before serving. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Roasted Rock Cornish Game Hens with North African Flavors If I don't have access to free-range chickens, my second choice is Rock Cornish game hens. One-pound birds, if you can find them, make ideal generous single portions, but sometimes the selection runs between 1 and 2 pounds. Instead of serving each person an individual bird, I simply carve the larger birds into b.r.e.a.s.t.s and leg-thigh pieces and serve them family-style on a platter. to free-range chickens, my second choice is Rock Cornish game hens. One-pound birds, if you can find them, make ideal generous single portions, but sometimes the selection runs between 1 and 2 pounds. Instead of serving each person an individual bird, I simply carve the larger birds into b.r.e.a.s.t.s and leg-thigh pieces and serve them family-style on a platter.

We roast and grill game hens year-round at my house, but by December we begin looking for alternatives to the usual lemon-garlic-thyme-rosemary-extra-virgin-olive-oil we've been rubbing into them. The saffron, cinnamon, c.u.min, and ginger in this recipe s.h.i.+ft the flavor into a Moroccan key, a welcome change in the cold-weather months. Onions, chickpeas, and tomatoes roast beneath the hens, catch their drippings, and turn into a wonderfully rich mash. Be careful not to use more than a pinch of saffron, or it will overpower all the other spices (and the hens and anything else you're eating).

MAKES 4 ENTREE SERVINGS.

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