Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook Read online

  ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

  4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into bits

  Paprika

  1. Bring a large saucepan of salted spring water to a boil. Peel the potatoes and lower them into the water. Cook until tender, 40 to 45 minutes.

  2. In a very large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the ground beef, onions, and celery and cook until the beef is browned and the vegetables are limp. Add the flour and stir until the mixture begins to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add the chicken stock. Stir until completely combined, then stir in the thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until the mixture is bubbling and thickened. Stir in the peas and corn and set aside.

  3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the half-and-half until it is steaming, but not boiling.

  4. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter two 9-inch deep-dish pie plates. Grease a large baking sheet or line it with a silicone baking mat. (This makes for easier clean-up.)

  5. Drain the potatoes and place them in a large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat the potatoes on low speed, slowly adding the hot half-and-half, the cheeses, and salt and pepper to taste, until the ingredients are well mixed.

  6. Place half the beef mixture in each of the two pie plates. Dividing evenly, top the beef mixture with the mashed potatoes. Scatter the butter bits on top of each potato mixture. Sprinkle generously with paprika.

  7. Place the pies on the baking sheet and put them in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are browned and the pies are completely heated through.

  Makes 8 large servings

  Goldy’s Garlic Lamb Chops

  —CRUNCH TIME—

  I’ve worked on preparing lamb chops numerous ways over the years, and finally came up with this dish that the family liked best. Since it’s somewhat mild, it’s also the one that I take to neighbors who’ve had surgery, are sick, or just need cheering up. I always serve these with mint jelly.

  2 racks baby lamb rib chops (about 1¾ pounds each)

  2 tablespoons pressed garlic

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

  ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

  1. Allow the lamb chops to come to room temperature before beginning to prepare the dish.

  2. Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Lightly oil the rack on a roasting pan.

  3. Pat the chops dry and place them on a cutting board. Using a very sharp knife, carefully trim a ¼-inch layer of fat from the area above the meat. Set this fat aside.

  4. Still using the sharp knife, cut 7 evenly spaced, deep pockets in the meat of each rack, between the chops. Stuff the pockets with the garlic. If you have garlic left over, spread it across the top of the meat.

  5. Pour enough olive oil over the lamb racks to evenly coat. Sprinkle the racks with the salt and pepper, then place the reserved layers of fat lengthwise, over the chops and the pockets of garlic. Place the chops on the prepared rack of the roasting pan. Carefully insert a meat thermometer into the meat, so as not to touch the bone.

  6. Roast until the meat thermometer reads 145˚F. Remove the lamb from the oven and tent a piece of foil over the racks. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard the extra pieces of fat that you placed lengthwise over the meat. Serve carved into 2 to 3 chops per person.

  Makes 6 to 8 servings

  Grilled Chicken à l’Orange

  —THE GRILLING SEASON—

  One of the tricks I learned in the catering business is to pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts to an even thickness between sheets of plastic wrap. This makes for easier stovetop cooking and grilling, because the chicken can cook through without becoming overcooked. Jim and I had enjoyed my own version of “Orange Chicken” for years before I decided to see if it would work as a grilled dish. We were all pleased with the results.

  Marinade:

  Grated zest and juice (about ⅓ cup) of 1 medium orange

  1 teaspoon mustard powder

  Tiny pinch of ground cumin (optional)

  2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each)

  Sauce:

  2 tablespoons butter

  2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  1½ tablespoons sugar

  ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  ¼ teaspoon mustard powder

  2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  1½ cups orange juice

  For the marinade:

  1. In a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish, make the marinade by combining the orange zest, juice, mustard, cumin (if using), and vinegar. Whisk in the olive oil.

  2. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken breasts to an even ½-inch thickness. Remove the plastic wrap and place the chicken breasts in the marinade. Cover, place in the refrigerator, and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

  3. When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the grill.

  For the sauce:

  1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over low heat and stir in the flour. Cook over low heat until it bubbles, a minute or two. Add the sugar, cinnamon, mustard powder, and vinegar and stir until well combined. Whisk in the orange juice, increase the heat to medium, and stir until thickened. Reduce the heat and cover the pan to keep the sauce hot while you grill the chicken.

  2. Discard the marinade and pat the chicken dry. Grill the chicken just until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Do not overcook the chicken.

  3. To serve, place the grilled chicken on a heated platter, pour some of the sauce over it, and pass the rest of the sauce at the table.

  Makes 4 servings

  André’s Coq au Vin

  —PRIME CUT—

  Before working on this dish, I’d followed cookbook recipes for coq au vin, only to be disappointed that the chicken would overcook before the sauce was done. The solution was to flip the order of preparation. This sauce is made and simmered first; then the chicken is quickly sautéed and added to the sauce.

  3 tablespoons butter

  1 carrot, diced

  1 medium onion, chopped

  2 garlic cloves, crushed through a press

  3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

  1 cup best-quality dry red wine

  ½ cup beef stock or bouillon

  1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup

  1 tablespoon cornstarch

  4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each)

  1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add the carrot, onion, garlic, and parsley and cook slowly, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent, 10 to 20 minutes. Add the wine, stock, and tomato paste or ketchup. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes. Stir 2 tablespoons spring water into the cornstarch until smooth. Mix into the wine mixture and stir until the sauce is thick and clear. Set aside, covered, over very low heat, while you prepare the chicken.

  2. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken breasts to an even ½-inch thickness. In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper, and dredge the chicken breasts in this mixture.

  3. In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook until almost cooked through, about 1½ minutes per side.

  4. Transfer the chicken breasts to the skillet with the wine mixture, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and no pink remains in the center, another 6 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
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br />   Makes 4 servings

  Trudy’s Mediterranean Chicken

  —DOUBLE SHOT—

  Since Trudy, Goldy’s next-door neighbor, had managed to stay alive and unheralded through all of the books up to Double Shot, I decided to name a recipe after her. As with André’s Coq au Vin (here), I realized that preparing the sauce first, then sautéing the chicken, was the way to go.

  Sauce:

  ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  3 medium onions, thinly sliced

  6 garlic cloves, crushed through a press

  2 cups tomato juice

  ½ cup dry sherry

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon best-quality paprika, preferably imported

  Chicken:

  4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)

  ½ cup all-purpose flour

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ¼ teaspoon best-quality paprika

  ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  For the sauce:

  In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onions and immediately reduce the heat to low. Stir and cook the onions for 1 minute, then add the garlic. Stir and cook over low heat until the onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato juice, sherry, salt, and paprika. Stir and cook until the mixture bubbles. Cover and keep over low heat while you prepare the chicken breasts.

  For the chicken:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish.

  2. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken breasts to an even ½-inch thickness. Remove the plastic wrap.

  3. On a large plate, whisk together the flour, salt, and paprika. Dip the chicken breasts one at a time into the mixture, until they are completely dusted.

  4. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, just until it shimmers. Place the chicken in the pan and cook until seared on each side, about 1½ minutes per side. Place the chicken in the baking dish. Pour the hot sauce over it. Place in the oven and cook just until the chicken is done, about 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into one of the pieces of chicken reads 160˚F. Serve immediately.

  Makes 4 servings

  Chicken Piccata Supreme

  —DARK TORT—

  Assuming you pound the chicken in advance and assemble all your ingredients, chicken piccata is a delicious dish that works well for company. For reasons I have never understood, recipes including pressed, chopped, or minced garlic often say you should sauté it. Sauter literally means “to jump,” and if the oil in your sauté pan is hot enough to make the garlic jump, you’re just going to end up with burnt garlic. In my opinion, garlic should never be sautéed, but should be cooked gently and thoroughly without browning (the technical term is “sweated”) over low heat. Again, the most important aspect of this or any other chicken dish is not to overcook it. Finally, traditional chicken piccata usually calls for lemon juice, but repeated testings made the family say they liked lime better. Up to you.

  4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each)

  ½ cup all-purpose flour, for dredging

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  2 teaspoons pressed garlic (crushed through a press)

  ½ cup finely chopped scallions (including tops)

  1 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice

  ¼ cup dry white vermouth

  6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter

  1. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken breasts to an even ½-inch thickness. In a shallow plate, whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the pounded chicken breasts in the seasoned flour and set aside.

  2. In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, put in two of the chicken breasts and sauté for about 1½ minutes per side, until the outside is nicely browned but the interior of the chicken is still very slightly pink. Remove the pieces to a plate and repeat with the other two chicken breasts and another tablespoon of oil. Set aside.

  3. Reduce the heat under the sauté pan to low. When the heat is low, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the garlic. Cook the garlic very gently (“sweating” it) for several minutes, until it is very soft and cooked through. Do not burn the garlic.

  4. Add the scallions, lime juice, vermouth, and butter to the pan. Increase the heat to medium, stirring constantly. Once the butter is melted, continue to cook and stir for a bit longer to reduce the sauce slightly. Keeping the heat up, return the chicken to the pan and cook until the chicken has just cooked through (check that there is no pink, uncooked center by cutting into one piece), 2 or 3 more minutes.

  5. Place the chicken on a heated serving platter. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

  Makes 4 servings

  Portobello Mushroom Stuffed with Grilled Chicken, Pesto, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

  —THE LAST SUPPERS—

  Like Chilean sea bass and balsamic vinegar, portobello mushrooms are an ingredient that swept into this country about twenty years ago, a fabulous blessing.

  Chicken and marinade:

  1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 8 equal pieces

  ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

  Mushrooms and marinade:

  4 large portobello mushrooms (about 4 ounces each)

  5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  5 tablespoons best-quality dry sherry

  4 tablespoons prepared pesto

  2 tablespoons finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and blotted with paper towels

  For marinating the chicken:

  Place the chicken in a 9 x 13-inch glass pan. Mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and garlic and pour over the chicken pieces. Cover and set aside to marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. When you are ready to prepare the dish, remove the chicken from the refrigerator.

  For marinating the mushrooms:

  1. Carefully clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel and trim the ends of the stems. Remove and chop the stems. Place the mushroom caps, tops down, as well as the chopped stems, in another 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish. Pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the sherry over the gill side of each mushroom cap. Pour the remaining 4 tablespoons each olive oil and sherry over the stems. Cover and set aside to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.

  2. Preheat a grill. Grill the chicken quickly, 1 to 2 minutes per side (they will be cooked further).

  3. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

  4. Carefully spread 1 tablespoon pesto over the gill side of each mushroom cap. Sprinkle 1½ teaspoons sun-dried tomatoes on top of the pesto. Evenly distribute the marinated mushroom stems on top of the sun-dried tomatoes. Place 2 slices of chicken on top.

  5. Place the stuffed mushrooms in the baking pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is done and the mushrooms are heated through. Serve immediately.

  Makes 4 servings

  Stir-Fry Chicken with Asparagus

  —THE MAIN CORPSE—

  It was a great day when I discovered the magic of fermented black beans, used here in the form of black bean sauce.

  1 egg white, from a large egg

  1 tablespoon cornstarch

  1 tablespoon dry sherry

  1 tablespoon soy sauce

  1 small onion (6 ounces), halved and thinly sliced

  1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

 
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch-thick, bite-size pieces

  2 tablespoons peanut, canola, or other vegetable oil

  1 pound fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces

  ½ cup canned water chestnuts, drained and sliced

  ½ cup black bean sauce (see Note)

  Freshly ground black pepper

  About 4 cups freshly cooked medium-grain rice

  1. In a glass pie plate, thoroughly mix the egg white, cornstarch, sherry, soy sauce, onion, and garlic. Place the chicken pieces in this mixture, cover, and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. When you are ready to prepare the dish, remove the chicken from the refrigerator.

  2. In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry for several minutes, until it is just done. Do not overcook the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

  3. Reheat the pan over high heat and add ½ cup spring water. Quickly stir up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then add the asparagus, water chestnuts, and black bean sauce. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat until the asparagus is bright green but still crunchy, 2 to 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and stir over medium-high heat until the mixture is heated through. Season to taste with pepper. Serve immediately over hot rice.

  Makes 4 servings

  Note: If you cannot find black bean sauce in the Asian foods section of your local grocery store, the grocery manager should be able to order it for you. The brand I use is Ka-Me. I ceased being frustrated by its frequent unavailability at my local store once I started ordering it by the case. Order forms are usually available at the customer service desk; the order generally takes about two weeks to a month to fill. Ordering by the case usually means you will receive a discount.