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Misc NY Times

Pork Chops in Lemon-Caper Sauce

  • YIELD 4 servings
  • TIME 35 minutes

Sarah Anne Ward for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Paola Andrea. Heres my favorite recipe in Toni Tipton-Martins excellent and invaluable Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries of African-American Cooking (2019). Its a remix of one that the chef Nathaniel Burton collected into his 1978 opus, Creole Feast: Fifteen Master Chefs of New Orleans Reveal Their Secrets, and one that Tipton-Martin glossed-up with lemon zest, juice and extra butter, a technique she learned from the restaurateur B. Smiths 2009 collection of recipes, B. Smith Cooks Southern-Style. Its a dish of smothered pork chops, essentially, made into something glorious and elegant. The food history of blacks in America has been a story of the food of survival, she told me in an interview. We need to start celebrating the food they made at work."

Ingredients

  • 4 bone-in pork chops (about 8 ounces each)
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
  • teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 very small shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cups chicken stock, homemade or low-sodium, if store-bought
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons juice

Preparation

  1. Dry the chops with paper towels, and season aggressively with salt, pepper and the thyme. Swirl the olive oil into a large skillet, and heat over medium until the oil begins to shimmer. Add chops, and cook until well browned on each side and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chops to a plate, and cover to keep warm.

  2. Drain the fat from the skillet, then melt 2 tablespoons of butter in it over medium heat until sizzling. Add the shallot and garlic, and saut until the aromatics soften, reducing the heat if necessary, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the wine and chicken stock, raise heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by half, 7 to 10 minutes.

  3. Stir in the capers, parsley, lemon zest and juice and hot sauce to taste (if youre using it), and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter until its melted and the sauce looks smooth. Nestle the pork chops into the sauce, and allow them to warm up for a couple of minutes, then serve, pouring sauce over each pork chop to taste. Garnish with more fresh parsley.

Huli Huli Chicken

  • YIELD: 4 to 6 servings
  • TIME: 45 minutes, plus 8 hours marinating

In 1955, Ernest Morgado, a Honolulu businessman, served a group of farmers grilled chicken that had been marinated in his mothers teriyaki-style sauce. It was such a hit that he decided to market it with the name huli huli. Huli means turn in Hawaiian and refers to how its prepared: grilled between two racks and turned halfway through cooking. This simplified version calls for chicken pieces and a standard grill. The original recipe is a trade secret, but you can find many slightly different variations on the internet, typically including ginger, garlic, soy sauce, something sweet (honey, brown sugar or maple syrup) and something acidic (vinegar, white wine, lime juice or pineapple juice). This recipe is adapted from Aloha Kitchen: Recipes from Hawaii by Alana Kysar (Ten Speed, March 2019). It also works beautifully with boneless chicken thighs, but adjust your cooking time accordingly.

Ingredients

  • cup ketchup
  • cup soy sauce
  • cup packed light or dark brown sugar
  • cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
  • 3 to 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
  • Grapeseed or canola oil, for brushing the grill grate

Preparation

  1. In a large bowl or a gallon-size resealable plastic bag, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger and garlic, and stir or shake until combined.
  2. Reserve and refrigerate 1/2 cup of the mixture for basting the chicken later.
  3. Add the chicken to the remaining mixture, and stir or shake until evenly coated. If using a bowl, cover with plastic wrap.
  4. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours, turning the chicken at least once.
  5. When youre ready to cook, oil your grill grates well. Heat the grill to medium (for charcoal, the grill is ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 5 to 7 seconds).
  6. Add the chicken to the grill, cover, and cook 25 to 35 minutes, turning every 5 minutes to keep the chicken from burning, and basting it with the reserved marinade after you turn it, until cooked through. (Cook times will vary depending on sizes and cuts of chicken pieces, so be sure to check for doneness: Meat should not be pink and the juices should run clear.)
  7. Serve immediately.

Southern Macaroni and Cheese

  • YIELD 8 to 10 servings
  • TIME 35 minutes, plus cooling

There is macaroni and cheese, and then there is special occasion macaroni and cheese like this one. Unlike most recipes, which start with a roux, this one begins with a milk-and-egg base, which gives the dish an incredibly rich, silky taste. Its adapted from Millie Peartree, the owner of Millie Peartree Fish Fry & Soul Food restaurant in the Bronx, who has been making this dish since she was a little girl growing up in Georgia. The recipe was passed down in her family for generations, but because of the generous amount of cheese used, the dish was only made for events like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Extra-sharp Cheddar adds tartness and a layer of Colby Jack creates a gooey, molten center. If you cant find a Colby Jack blend, shredded mozzarella or a Mexican-style blend will work in its place.

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar (about 16 ounces)
  • cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
  • 2 cups shredded Colby Jack (about 8 ounces)

Preparation

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions until a little under al dente, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk milk and eggs. Add cooked macaroni, 2 cups extra-sharp Cheddar, melted butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and stir until well combined.
  3. Add half the macaroni mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish in an even layer. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups Colby Jack evenly on top. Spread the remaining macaroni mixture on top in an even layer. Cover with aluminum foil, transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven. Carefully remove and discard the aluminum foil. Top the macaroni mixture with the remaining 2 cups Cheddar and 1/2 cup Colby Jack. Broil on top rack until cheese is browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. (The broiled cheese can go from golden to burnt fairly quickly, so keep a close eye on it.)
  5. Remove from oven and let cool until the macaroni and cheese is fully set, 10 to 15 minutes. (The mixture may first appear jiggly, but it will firm up as it cools.) Serve warm.

One-Pot Pasta With Ricotta and Lemon

  • YIELD 4 servings
  • TIME 15 minutes

This elegant, bright pasta dish comes together in about the same amount of time it takes to boil noodles and heat up a jar of store-bought marinara. The no-cook sauce is a 50-50 mix of ricotta and Parmesan, with the zest and juice of one lemon thrown in. Thats it. To make it more filling, add peas, asparagus or spinach in the last few minutes of the pasta boiling, or stir in fresh arugula or watercress with the sauce in Step 3. Its a weeknight and for-company keeper any way you stir it.

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt
  • 1 pound short, ribbed pasta, like gemelli or penne
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta (8 ounces)
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino (2 ounces), plus more for serving
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest plus 1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
  • Black pepper
  • Red-pepper flakes, for serving
  • cup thinly sliced or torn basil leaves, for serving (optional)

Preparation

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
  2. In the same pot, make the sauce: Add the ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir until well combined.
  3. Add 1/2 cup pasta water to the sauce and stir until smooth. Add the pasta and continue to stir vigorously until the noodles are well coated. Add more pasta water as needed for a smooth sauce.
  4. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with some of the sauce thats pooled at the bottom of the pot. Garnish with grated Parmesan, black pepper, red-pepper flakes and basil, if using.

Crisp Gnocchi With Brussels Sprouts and Brown Butter

  • YIELD 4 servings
  • TIME 20 minutes

For a fantastic meal that can be ready in 20 minutes, toss together seared gnocchi and sauted brussels sprouts with lemon zest, red-pepper flakes and brown butter. The key to this recipe is how you cook the store-bought gnocchi: No need to boil. Just sear them until they are crisp and golden on the outside, and their insides will stay chewy. The resulting texture is reminiscent of fried dough. Shelf-stable and refrigerated gnocchi will both work here, but the shelf-stable ones do crisp up a bit better.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound brussels sprouts
  • 1 lemon
  • cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 1 (18-ounce) package shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced into 6 pieces
  • teaspoon honey
  • Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Preparation

  1. Trim and halve the brussels sprouts. Using a vegetable peeler, peel thick strips of lemon zest, then coarsely chop. (You should have about 2 teaspoons chopped zest.)
  2. In a large (preferably 12-inch) skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add the brussels sprouts, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, then arrange the brussels sprouts in an even layer, cut-side down. Scatter the lemon zest over the top and cook, undisturbed, until the brussels sprouts are well browned underneath, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the red-pepper flakes, stir and cook until the brussels sprouts are crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
  3. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high. Break up any gnocchi that are stuck together, add them to the pan and cook, covered and undisturbed, until golden brown on one side, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the butter and honey, season with salt and a generous amount of black pepper, and cook, stirring, until the butter is golden, nutty smelling and foaming, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the brussels sprouts until warmed through. Serve with grated Parmesan.

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Source: NY Times

Recipe category: Entree