cia – Page 198 – Writing With My Mouth Full

Chicken with Prosciutto and Sage

Ingredients:
4 chicken cutlets
4 fresh whole sage leaves, plus 4 others, minced
8 slices of prosciutto
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp butter
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. Lay 1 sage leaf lengthwise on each chicken cutlet, then wrap two prosciutto slices around each cutlet, encasing the sage. Set aside.
2. In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper and use to coat each cutlet.
3. In a large skillet with hot oil over medium-high heat, cook cutlets through until golden brown, about 4 minutes each side. Remove from skillet and set aside.
4. Add wine and broth to skillet. Cook over high heat until reduced. Remove from heat and let cool for about 1 minute. Then add minced sage and butter. Stir until butter is melted. Spoon sauce over cutlets and serve with slices of French bread.

Related post/s:
Good ol’ chicken stock

Ratatouille

RatatouÃ®a, also known as ratatouille, is a traditional French vegetable stew of tomatoes, eggplant and bell peppers.

Ingredients:
1 medium-sized eggplant, peeled and diced
2 zucchinis, green and yellow, diced
2 bell peppers, red and yellow, seeded and chopped
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried thyme or herbes de Provence
fresh basil leaves
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. SautÃ© onions, garlic, eggplant and zucchini.
2. Add 3/4 cup of water. Simmer. Stir in peppers and let it boil for five minutes. Stir in tomatoes and thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook in low fire for about 20 minutes. Turn off fire when vegetables are tender and add basil.

Related post/s:
Another dish using herbes de Provence

Portobello with Leeks, Spinach and Goat Cheese

I love serving this salad because it’s so different from just a lazy bowl of mixed greens.

Ingredients:
3 fresh portobello mushrooms, brushed off dirt using paper towel
1 leek, roughly chopped and thoroughly washed minus the hard green leaves
a handful of baby spinach, roughly chopped
goat cheese
balsamic vinegar
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. Preheat oven at 450Âº. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil onto the pleat side of the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake them for about 17 minutes, pleats up.
2. Top with chopped leeks and spinach. Bake for about 10 more minutes until leeks are soft. Top with goat cheese during the last 3 minutes.

Makimono

101 Second Avenue off 6th Street
212/253.7848
about $125 for two, with two drinks, without tip
♥ ♥ ♥

Updated, 2006: Makimono is now closed

I love my sushi and I’ve had my fair share from New York City’s finest, but at the end of the day, otoro is still otoro and whether $12 a piece is worth it, a restaurant has to be able to support that price with other items as enticing. At Makimono, the tuna belly melted like butter and awakened the back of my throat. The uni was divine and so were the mackerel, the fluke and even the fishier sardine. The trio tartare of salmon, yellowfin and big eye tuna were all delicious and delicate even with the fried lotus root. The restaurant’s makimonos, rolls named after the traditional Japanese hand scrolls given as gifts, were ironically the least interesting of all, even with avocados and snow crabs.

Roasted White Potatoes

You can use olive oil to roast these potatoes but they would just be more evil if you use duck fat. Sometimes, potatoes call out to be more evil.

Ingredients:
1 bag of small white potatoes, rinsed thoroughly, halved
duck fat
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
salt, pepper

1. Put potatoes on roasting pan. Drizzle with duck fat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and parsley. Bake for about 30 minutes.

Related post/s:
Even better if you use duck fat