Spaghetti and Meatballs

|
By
|
4 comments

Who doesn’t love a big pile of spaghetti and meatballs? It’s always been a favorite in our home, and for good reason. It’s a comfort food meal that can be prepared in less than an hour, and there’s usually always leftovers which make for great submarine sandwiches later in the week. It’s pretty much your standard meatball recipe…well, except for the addition of powdered gelatin.

I know what you’re probably thinking – gelatin? In ground beef? No thanks! But, hear me out. I don’t like using ground pork or veal in my meatballs, and that’s where the gelatin comes in. It mimics the natural gelatinous goodness that is usually found in veal; giving it that smooth, velvety quality – without, you know, eating infant cows. I use it in my meatloaf too. A tip I picked up from Cook’s Illustrated years ago. Just love them!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

For the meatballs:
1.5 pounds ground sirloin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 slices of bread, pulsed to crumbs in food processor
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon powdered gelatin
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
vegetable oil, for pan frying

For the sauce and pasta:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves , minced
Table salt
Ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
Parmesan cheese fresh, grated

In a large bowl, combine the egg and milk. Sprinkle the powdered gelatin on top, and let sit (or “bloom”) for 5 minutes. Add in remaining ingredients and mix gently with your hands until combined. Working with about 2 tablespoons at a time (I use a small cookie scoop), roll meat into 1″ balls and set aside.

Pour vegetable oil into 10- or 11-inch sauté pan to depth of ¼ inch. Turn flame to medium-high. After several minutes, test oil with edge of meatball. When oil sizzles, add meatballs in single layer. Fry, turning several times, until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Regulate heat as needed to keep oil sizzling but not smoking. Transfer browned meatballs to plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in large pot for pasta.

For the sauce, discard oil in pan, leaving behind any browned bits. Add olive oil along with garlic; sauté, scraping up any browned bits, just until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, bring to boil, and simmer gently until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil; add salt and pepper to taste. Add meatballs and simmer, turning them occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Keep warm over low flame.

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente, drain, and return to pot. Ladle several large spoonfuls of tomato sauce (without meatballs) over spaghetti and toss until noodles are well coated. Divide pasta among individual bowls and top each with a little more tomato sauce and 2 to 3 meatballs. Serve immediately with grated cheese passed separately.

Adapted from: Cook’s Illustrated, January 1998

Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp Gumbo

|
By
|
13 comments

Gumbo. What’s not to love? I actually have a funny story involving gumbo, so spare me a minute.  The year was 2005, and we were flying down to see my husband’s (actually, we weren’t even engaged yet. He bought the ring on the trip!) mother in Texas. Since Norfolk’s airport has very  few direct flights, we had a layover in Charlotte, NC. There were horrible storms over Texas, so it was delaying our final leg of the stretch. We waited for hours, finally loaded onto the plain at 1 AM, only to discover that the plane was having mechanical problems and the flight was finally canceled and rescheduled for the morning.

In all the waiting and delays, we struck up conversation with a very nice gentleman whom had been to visit his mother, and was heading home. He carried with him a plastic bag, filled with 2 containers of gumbo that had been frozen in order to transport back to Texas. By 1 in the morning, it had been thawed out for hours, and the poor guy reluctantly threw it in the trash. I remember feeling bad for him, but not really understanding what all the fuss was about in the first place.

“Gumbo Guy”, I can now say that I feel your pain. A couple of months ago, I finally broke down and made this Cajun staple. I thought it would be something I’d make for the boys, but that I wouldn’t really enjoy. So wrong. The roux  is the backbone of gumbo, and adds so much depth of flavor. I’ve made this a couple of time now, once with fresh okra, and once with frozen and didn’t notice much of a difference. Some folks use okra as a thickening agent, and others use filé (ground sassafrass ro0t). But, apparently it’s a cardinal sin to use both! So, I stuck with the okra. I have some filé in my spice cabinet though, so I think I might try that next time around to see if it lends different flavor. If you’re looking for a dish to celebrate Mardi Gras, look no further. This makes enough to feed an army, and it virtually takes care of itself on the stove. Can’t beat it with a stick!

Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp Gumbo

2 lbs. chicken legs or thighs, bone-in and skin-on
Salt
1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced (or spicy Italian sausage, crumbled)
½ cup + 2 tbsp peanut or other vegetable oil
1 cup flour
2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. Cajun spice mix
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
½-1 lb. okra, sliced into discs
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 green onions, chopped
Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp oil and heat until shimmering.Set the chicken pieces skin side down to brown.  Season the side facing up with salt.  Cook 4-5 minutes without moving.  Flip the chicken pieces over and brown on the opposite side.  Remove the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.  Add the sausage to the pan and cook until well browned.  Remove to the plate with the chicken.

The amount of fat remaining in the pot should be about ½ cup.  Add the additional peanut or vegetable oil to the pot.  After the oil has heated for a minute or two, stir in the flour.  Stir this mixture together almost constantly for the first few minutes, then every couple of minutes or so thereafter.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the roux until it becomes fairly dark, about the color of coffee with a bit of cream mixed in.

While the roux is cooking, combine the chicken stock and water in a separate pot and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and maintain at a simmer.

When the roux has reached the appropriate color, stir in the diced green pepper, celery and onion.  Mix well.  Let cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes.  Mix in the tomato paste.

Using a large ladle, gradually add the hot chicken stock mixture to the pot.  It will sizzle and seize as the roux absorbs the liquid.  Continue adding the stock, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot.  You may not need the full amount of liquid but add enough so that it is slightly more watery than you want the final product to be since the mixture will cook down over several hours.  Stir in the Cajun spice mix and add more to taste.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and return the chicken pieces to the pot.  Let simmer gently until the chicken meat falls easily away from the bones, about 90 minutes.  Remove the chicken pieces and let cool slightly.  Return the sausage to the pot with the gumbo, and stir in the sliced okra.  Shred the cooked chicken meat, discarding the skin and bones (or saving for a later use).  Add the shredded chicken pieces back to the gumbo.  Cook the gumbo for an additional hour or more, until the gumbo has reached your desired final consistency. During the last five minutes of cooking, stir in the uncooked shrimp. Season to taste with salt.

Before serving, stir in the green onions and sprinkle with the parsley.  Serve over rice or with crusty bread.

Source: adapted from Hank Shaw of Simply Recipes; via Annie’s Eats

Black Bean Soup

|
By
|
4 comments

We don’t go out to eat that often, but when we do, we usually go to the local Mexican joint down the road. Our favorite place closed last year. The friendliest family ran it. They were always so great with Andrew, the food was always good – we just loved them. They moved on to another part of the country to start a new venture, and left me with no Mexican eats locally (outside of my home, of course) for about 6 months. In desperation one day, I browsed Mexican restaurants in our vicinity on Yelp. To my surprise, one turned up in a town nearby – a nice 30 minute drive on the back roads. I must admit I was leery, as Crisfield is known primarily for it’s seafood (blue crabs, oysters, etc). I wondered how good could this place be? I’d never heard of it. But, like I said, I was desperate. So, one night, we ventured up.

We were blown away with the dinner we got at that little hole in the wall place. The proprietor/chef hails from South America, so there are lots of great Latin options – as well as traditional Tex Mex fair. While a new place has opened up closer by, we still try to make the trip to Mi Pueblito whenever we can. My favorite thing on the menu is the black bean soup. So simple, yet so flavorful and filling. Nice and smoky from the ham hock, and rich silkiness that only black beans can lend.I always devour the whole bowl, then have very little room for dinner. I made a batch last weekend at home in an effort to recreate their version, and it is right on point. As with other soups, it was even better the second day for lunch. The pico de gallo on top is optional, but highly recommended. It adds a great pop of color and flavor!

Black Bean Soup

1 pound dried black beans, soaked in 4 quarts of water overnight, drained
1 pound smoked ham hock or shank (1 large bone)
2 bay leaves
8 cups water
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon salt
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder
juice of 1 lime
Sour cream
pico de gallo (for garnish)

Heat olive oil in large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, and saute until starting to brown on the edges, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beans and ham hock to the pot, followed by 8 cups water, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and let cook at least 3 hours, until beans are tender. Remove bay leaves and ham hock from the pot. Add cumin and chili powder, and stir to combine. Cook for another hour on low.

Remove 4 cups of the soup (about half of it) to a blender. Purée until smooth and return to the pot of soup. Or, if you have an immersion blender, feel free to use that to achieve the desired consistency. I wanted mine nice and smooth. Add lime juice, stir to combine. Season with salt to taste. Top with a dollop of sour cream and pico de gallo.

Source: adapted from Simply Recipes

Chicken and Dumplings

|
By
|
30 comments

Here, on the Eastern Shore, chicken & dumplings might as well be a food group. My mom made chicken or turkey and dumplings as I was growing up, but she made drop dumplings. Tender, biscuit-like little pillows. Fluffy dumplings. While they were delicious, they were never my favorite. My first “slick” dumpling was at the local Chincoteague Fire Department Pony Penning dinner. The Ladies Auxiliary sells tickets for a chicken & dumpling dinner, served immediately following the saltwater cowboy’s return to the carnival grounds with the wild horses that have made the swim. It’s really more like lunch, considering it’s served at around noon – but, here on the shore lunch is “dinner”, and dinner is “supper”.

After my first bite at the fair grounds, I was sold on rolled dumplings. Thick, chewy pieces of eggless pasta – swimming in a rich chicken broth, with lots of tender pieces of chicken. Comfort food at it’s finest! Once I married a man from the island, I knew I had to get my chicken & dumps recipe straight. Like I said before, for a Chincoteaguer, it’s almost a food group. For a couple of years I used dumplings I found in the freezer section, which is well and good. But, I knew I’d really take pride in making them from scratch. Flour, milk, and salt is all you need to make them happen. I usually do a double batch of the dumplings, as I’ve found this recipe doesn’t produce as many as I like. Homemade chicken stock is always your best bet, but a low-sodium store-bought stock is okay in a pinch. I’ll usually just pull the meat off a roasted chicken and refrigerate, make the stock from the carcass, and use the reserved chicken to combine with the dumplings.  A favorite dish in our home, it doesn’t get more comforting than this!

Chicken & Slick Dumplings

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus about 1 cup for rolling
11 ounces milk
1½ teaspoons baking powder
4 quarts chicken stock or broth
Meat from 1 roasted or rotisserie chicken
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
kosher salt
fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Place flour, milk, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir just until the dough beings to come together. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.

Place broth in a large dutch oven  over medium heat and bring to a rolling boil.

Lay down 2 large pieces of parchment or freezer paper and tape them to the counter (I have quartz countertops, and usually skip this step. Also, a pastry mat would be great too). Generously sprinkle the surface with flour, about 1/2 cup. Divide the dough in half. Roll one half of the dough 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, generously sprinkling more flour onto the dough so that it is well coated. Slice the dough into 1-inch-wide strips and then into 1-inch squares. Set the dumplings aside on a sheet pan. Repeat with the second half of the dough.

When all of the dumplings are cut, gently drop them into the boiling broth, a handful at a time. Once all of the dumplings have been added, cook for 35 minutes at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. After the sauce has thickened well, add the chicken and pepper and stir to combine. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, or just until the meat is heated through.

Source: adapted from Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run