Basics

INDEX

-- B --
Brine, poultry


-- C --
Chicken Stock
Crab Stock
Croutons, garlic

-- O --
Olive Oil

-- P --
Pasta, Fresh (no-egg dough)

-- R --
Rice, Saffron

-- T --
Tomato Sauce, Basic




The Basics


-- B --

Brine for poultry

• 2 quarts cold water
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1/8 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic or apple cider vinegar (optional)
• sprig fresh thyme, bruised (optional)
• sprig fresh rosemary, bruised (optional)
• 10 black peppercorns (optional)

Dissolve sugar and salt in water. Sometimes I use some hot water then add ice. Add any of the optional ingredients. Place chicken in the brine for 6 - 10 hours in the refrigerator. You can go longer if you are brining a whole chicken, but it isn't recommended to brine for longer than 10 when using chicken breast.



-- C --


Chicken Stock

• 4 - 5 lbs Chicken bones, carcasses, wings, or meat
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt to taste
• 7 quarts water
• 20 peppercorns, whole (optional, but do use whole because if you grind it your stock will be speckled)
• 1 onion, quartered (optional)
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped (optional)
• 4 stalks celery, roughly chopped (optional)

Preheat Oven to 425º F Season the chicken pieces with salt. Oil a large ovenproof pot or roasting pan and place the chicken in the pan spread out as much as possible. Bake in the oven for about 35 - 45 minutes so the chicken gets some nice browning. You may want to turn the pieces after about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven. If you baked it in the pot then you can make the stock in that pot, but if you baked it in a roasting pan you'll need to de-glaze with some of the water. Place the roasted chicken pieces in the stock pot. To de-glaze the roasting pan pour in some of the water while the pan is still hot. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape off as much of the browned bits as possible. After getting as much of the browned bits up pour that in your stock pot. Put the stock pot on the burner over medium-high heat and add the water. Bring the water to a simmer, do not allow the water to boil vigorously. Skim any foam or fat that floats to the top with a spoon or ladle. Turn the heat down to low and keep the pot at a simmer uncovered (just bubbling). Do NOT stir the pot. Stirring will make your stock cloudy, which is fine, but doesn't look as nice. You may flip the pieces twice while they are simmering to make sure that all parts have equal contact with the water. Simmer the chicken for 5 - 7 hours. If you want to add the vegetables wait until about an hour before you want the stock to come off the stove. I find that adding the vegetables at the beginning cooks away most of their flavor, so I like to add them at the end. Your stock should have reduced by a little over half during the cooking time. Let the stock cool to a manageable temperature and carefully remove any large pieces taking care not to stir up the pot too much. Strain the stock through a cheesecloth or old clean cotton tshirt. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Notes: The only salt in this recipe is what you used to season the chicken to aid in browning. You may need to add more salt to recipes that call for chicken stock because this recipe is quite low in salt. Making your own chicken stock is super easy and it's a good thing to do when you are stuck in a cold house all day anyway. I buy whole chickens and cut the pieces up for cooking. I save the carcasses in the freezer until I have enough to make stock with.


Crab Stock

• 8 cups water (use same water used for boiling if you cooked crabs yourself)
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 4 ribs celery, roughly chopped
• 1 medium white onion, quartered
• 5 black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• shells ans scraps from 2 Dungeness Crabs (do not use the gills/lungs and other pulpy parts)

Put 8 cups of water in a stock pot along with the carrots,  celery,  onion, salt, and crab shells. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once the pot reaches a boil lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and strain the stock through a cheese cloth or mesh strainer. Allow the stock to cool before refrigerating. Refrigerate for 2 days or freeze for up to 4 months.

Garlic Croutons

• 2 cups good Italian bread cut or torn to desired size
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed (use a garlic press)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine bread, garlic, olive oil, and salt in a mixing bowl. Toss the ingredients until the bread is well coated with oil, but not soaked. Add more oil if necessary. Empty the bread on to a baking sheet and bake in a 425º F oven for 5 minutes. Stir and rotate the bread and bake for 5 minutes longer. Check to make sure the bread is not burning. Depending on the size of the bread pieces it may take a little longer in the oven. When the bread is toasted and golden brown or browned remove from oven and allow to cool. Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

-- O --

Olive Oil
When I talk about olive oil or list it in the ingredients of a recipe I am always referring to Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I don't think I have ever seen anything but Extra Virgin Olive Oil for sale in the markets, but that is not to say there isn't a huge difference between olive oils. As a general rule I keep at least two olive oils in my pantry. One oil I buy in large quantities and it is the highest quality oil I can afford to cook with regularly. I keep away from the inexpensive oils that you find on most of the big name supermarket shelves. I find their flavors are often bitter, too spicy, and generally lack freshness. The olive is a fruit and the oil should taste like it came from something living. I use olive oil, while many would argue its health benefits, because of the flavor it adds to food. Think of olive oil as an ingredient. Everything you add to a dish plays a role in the final flavor.

-- P --

Pasta, Fresh (no-egg dough)

• 2 cups semolina flour
• 2 cups '00' flour (double zero flour)
• 1 - 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water

To make the pasta place the ingredients on a clean and flat work surface. Make a little well in the center and add about 2/3 the water. Stir the water in the well incorporating more and more of the sides so the slurry becomes thick. Add the remaining water and stir with a fork until it becomes more of a paste. The use your hands to incorporate as much of the flour as possible. Kneed the dough until it becomes firm and smooth, about 10 - 15 minutes. Wrap the dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes. You can prepare the dough up to 2 days ahead of time.

 Cut off a piece of dough and roll it in flour. Following the instructions on your pasta machine roll the dough out to the desired thickness. Sprinkle the sheet with a little more flour and feed it through the fettuccine attachment. If you have a hand crank type like mine it's a lot easier if you have a friend crank while you feed the dough. Lightly dust the cut noodles and lay them on a towel and cover with another towel. Repeat the process until you have enough pasta.

Bring 6 - 7 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Drop in the pasta and cook until softened, but not soggy, about 2 - 3 minutes.


-- R --

Rice, Saffron

• 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
•  3 1/2 cups water or light chicken stock
  
• 20 threads saffron
• 4 tablespoons butter
• salt
• 1 can whole pealed tomatoes and juices (preferably San Marzano)
• salt to taste

Rinse the rice well. Add all ingredients to the pot. Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 18 minutes. Check to see the rice is done. Turn off heat and let the rice sit covered for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and re-cover for 5 minutes before serving.

-- T --

Tomato Sauce, Basic

• 2 cloves garlice, sliced thin
• 1 medium shallot, diced fine
• 1/2 - 3/4 small carrot, grated
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme or 3/4 tablespoons dry thyme
• 1 can whole pealed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)

Heat a 3 - 4 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil, shallots, and garlic. Saute until light golden brown, about 7 - 8 minutes. Add the carrot and thyme and saute until carrot is soft, about 4 - 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Season with salt.