Leite's Culinaria» appetizers

Port and Paprika Chicken Bites

Kate Heyhoe — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:00:41 +0000

Great Bar Food at Home | John Wiley & Sons, 2007 | Serves 4 as tapas

Portuguese and Spanish ingredients—inimitable port wine, paprika, cilantro, and olive oil—flavor this tapas-style dish. Set out cocktail picks, or toothpicks, for nibbling on these delicious little bites. To cook these bites once and enjoy them twice, double the recipe, omitting the cilantro, and freeze half the batch. Then just thaw them in the fridge and reheat them in in a skillet, adding fresh cilantro before serving.–Kate Heyhoe

LC Hah! Note: If you’re anything like us, you may as well forget satisfying your and three other appetites with this tapas, as suggested by the number of servings above. Hah! Just can’t be done, not when it’s so tricky to stop tossing back small bites of warmly spiced chicken. Perhaps cconsider it an entree instead, for two not four, spooning the chicken over rice to soak up every last drop of that sauce.

Active time: 20 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes

Port and Paprika Chicken Bites Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

2 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons port (ruby or tawny)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size chunks (about 1-inch dice)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup finely diced onion

Directions

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1. Grind the garlic and bay leaves together in the work bowl of a hand blender or mini chopper. (Alternatively, chop the garlic by hand and finely crumble the bay leaves and combine.) Add the port, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the vinegar, paprika, and salt and pulse until well combined.
2. Pour the mixture over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
3. Just before cooking, chop enough cilantro to make 1/2 cup. Scatter the cilantro on a serving plate.
4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat in a wok or large skillet. With a slotted spoon, scoop the chicken pieces out of the marinade and into the hot oil, arranging the chicken in a single layer and discarding the marinade. Cook until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes, then stir-fry until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Scoop the chicken out of the pan, leaving any excess oil behind, and place the chicken on the cilantro.
5. Add the onion to the oil in the hot pan, return it to medium-high heat, and cook, stirring, until the onion is browned at the edges, about 2 minutes. Scoop the onion out of the oil and strew it over the chicken.
6. Serve the plate of chicken bites hot or at room temperature, sprinkled with a touch of salt and with cocktail picks or toothpicks for handling.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Panko Crusted Chicken Bites with Apricot Mustard Sauce from We are Not Martha
Maple Glazed Apple Chicken Sausage Bites from Noble Pig
Chicken Fingers from Leite's Culinaria
Grilled Saffron Chicken Skewers from Leite's Culinaria

Burrata with Asparagus, Pine Nuts, and Golden Raisins

Chester Hastings — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:00:43 +0000

The Cheesemonger’s Kitchen | Chronicle, 2011 | Serves 4

A thin slice of prosciutto di Parma would be a welcome addition to this dish, simply served alongside or draped over the top, hiding the jewel of a salad hidden beneath.–Chester Hastings

LC Burrata Bling Note: If you’ve stepped inside a cheese shop lately, chances are you’ve witnessed burrata–and America’s crush on it. Those of you who’ve actually had the pleasure of tasting the ridiculously rich, unthinkably creamy kin to fresh mozzarella can understand why we’re crushing. Words can’t quite describe it, you’ll just have to try it. And if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to indulge in some go-weak-in-the-knees burrata bling before we succumb to the ain’t-got-no-burrata blues.

Active time: 30 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes

Burrata with Asparagus, Pine Nuts, and Golden Raisins Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

2 tablespoons golden raisins or sultanas
8 ounces slender spring asparagus
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 cup best-quality extra-virgin olive oil
6 saffron threads (optional)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 balls (roughly 6 ounces each) burrata cheese

Directions

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1. Soak the golden raisins or sultanas in enough warm water to cover for at least 5 minutes. Drain the plumped fruit and pat dry.
2. Cut the woody ends off the asparagus spears and discard. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water. Bring a pot filled with plenty of salted water to a boil. Plunge the asparagus into the boiling water and cook just until the spears are tender and barely beginning to give when pinched where the tip begins, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears. Be careful to not overcook the asparagus. Plunge the asparagus into the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain the asparagus and pat thoroughly dry. Cut the asparagus on the angle into pieces roughly resembling penne pasta.
3. In a large, dry skillet over low heat, warm the pine nuts until lightly toasted and fragrant, shaking the pan occasionally. Transfer the pine nuts to a plate to cool.
4. Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and cook, shaking the pan vigorously, until the crumbs are light golden and crisp, about 1 minute. Transfer the crisped bread crumbs to a plate to cool.
5. In a large bowl, combine the drained plumped fruit, the asparagus, pine nuts, saffron, if using, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
6. Cut each burrata ball in half and place one half on each of 4 plates, cut side down. Strew the asparagus mixture on top of the burrata, sprinkle with the crisped bread crumbs, and drizzle with the remaining extra-virgin olive oil. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Pasta with Corn, Burrata, Pancetta, and Chilies from Gastronomy
Squash Blossom and Burrata Pizza from Turntable Kitchen
Torn Figs and Burrata Cheese from Leite's Culinaria
Asparagus and Pecorino Salad from Leite's Culinaria

Pupu Platter

Rick Rodgers — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:57:50 +0000

The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Sixties Cookbook | Running Press, 2012 | Serves 6 to 8

Pupu platters originated in America in the 1930s at California restaurants, and they’re still on the menu in many Chinese restaurants. While the food is meant to be an amalgam of Polynesian flavors, it generally consists of Americanized Cantonese and Japanese food. Surely nothing like crab Rangoon ever existed in Burma or even Polynesia.

Once a mainstay of the pupu platter, crab Rangoon isn’t as popular as it used to be, perhaps because it must be deep-fried to appreciate it in its crispy-creamy-crabby glory. And newer, baked versions just aren’t the same. Same goes for golden brown coconut shrimp, in that there’s only one way they can be made: deep-fried.

Any compartmentalized appetizer server would do the trick, although a pupu platter–a wooden bowl with compartments for the separate appetizers, from the Hawaiian word pupu, which means a relish or appetizer–will add some ’60s sass to your party. The platter usually has a hole in the center to hold a small hibachi grill, though not all pupu recipes require tableside cooking. Ideally, the pupu platter should be served around an assortment of tiki statues.–Rick Rodgers and Heather Maclean

LC Pupu Platter Potential Note: “It was the height of chic to have pupu platters in the ’60s,” David said recently, a note of giddy nostalgia in his voice. “Still is.” While David was regaling us with tales of ordering pupu platters almost every week with his friends, it occurred to us that there’s a plethora of recipes with pupu platter potential. Yet when we think of that groovy ’60s staple, we’re hard-pressed to come up with more than just two recipes, classics through and through: Crab Rangoon and Coconut Shrimp.

As for what to sip on the side, may we suggest something equally inspired by the ’60, whether the Mai Tai or the Blue Hawaiian. Should you prefer something sans paper cocktail umbrella, there’s always the classic Manhattan.

Active time: 50 minutes | Total time: 1 hour, not including chilling

Pupu Platter Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

For the crab rangoon
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 scallion, white and green parts, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 ounces crabmeat, picked over and cartilage or shells removed
Hot red pepper sauce, to taste
Cornstarch, for dusting
24 wonton squares (half a 12-ounce package)
1 large egg white, beaten with a pinch of salt until foamy
Vegetable oil, for frying
For the coconut shrimp
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup club soda
Vegetable oil, for frying
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/4 cups unsweetened desiccated coconut (a word of warning: don’t try to use sweetened flaked coconut as its sugary coating burns quickly in hot oil)
For the pupu platter
Duck sauce, in packets from your local Chinese joint or in a jar from an Asian grocery store
Hot Chinese mustard, in packets from your local Chinese joint or homemade (recipe follows)

Directions

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Make the crab rangoon
1. Mash the cream cheese, soy sauce, scallion, and garlic together in a bowl with a rubber spatula. Stir in the crabmeat and season with the hot red pepper sauce.
2. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and lightly dust it with cornstarch. Place a wonton in front of you, rotating it so it’s shaped like a diamond. Place a teaspoon of the filling in the center of the lower half of the wonton, brush the edges of the wonton with a little egg white, then fold the top of the wonton down over the filling to form a triangle. Press the center of the wonton gently to flatten the filling slightly, then press the edges of the wonton to seal. Hold the triangle in your hands. Bring the lower two tips of the triangle across the bulge in the center of the rangoon to meet, overlapping the tips slightly, sort of as if the rangoon was wrapping its arms around itself and giving itself a hug. Seal the tips with a dab of egg white. Place the rangoon on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filling and wontons. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to fry (or up to 2 hours).
3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C).
4. Pour enough oil into a deep, heavy saucepan to fill it halfway up the sides. Place the pan over medium-high heat and wait until the oil registers 350°F (176°C) on a deep-frying thermometer. Line a baking sheet with a brown paper bag cut open. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add a few of the wontons to the oil and deep-fry, turning them as needed, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Using a wire spider or a slotted spoon, transfer the rangoons to the brown paper-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you repeat with the remaining rangoons.
Make the coconut shrimp
5. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and egg together in a medium bowl. Whisk in the club soda. Let stand for 10 minutes.
6. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Line a second baking sheet with a brown paper bag
7. Pour enough oil into a deep, heavy saucepan to fill it halfway up the sides. Heat over high heat to 350°F (176°C) on a deep-frying thermometer. (If the oil from the rangoons is clear and not flecked with burnt wonton bits, you can re-use it for the shrimp.) Spread the coconut on a plate.
8. Working with one shrimp at a time, hold it by the tail and dip it into the batter, letting any excess batter drip into the bowl. Roll the shrimp in the coconut until it’s completely coated. Place the shrimp on the waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
9. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add some of the shrimp to the hot oil and deep-fry until golden brown, about 2 1⁄2 minutes. Using a wire spider or a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to the brown paper-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while frying the remaining shrimp.
Assemble the pupu platter
10. Transfer the rangoons and shrimp to a serving platter and serve warm with little dishes (or little packets) of duck sauce and hot Chinese mustard on the side.

Hot Chinese Mustard

To make the hot mustard, dump 1/2 cup mustard powder, such as Colman’s, in a small bowl and whisk to break up any lumps. Whisk in as much boiling water as needed to achieve the desired consistency, starting with about 1/3 cup and adding more hot water as needed in tablespoon increments. Let stand, uncovered, for at least 1 hour before serving. (The mustard can be refrigerated in a resealable container for up to 5 days.)

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Opakapaka in Haitian Court-Bouillon from Kahakai Kitchen
Chicken Lollipops from Appetite for China
Sausage and Chutney Picnic Puffs from Leite's Culinaria
Trio of Deviled Eggs from Leite's Culinaria

Red Chili and Cheddar Crackers

Chester Hastings — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:58:09 +0000

The Cheesemonger’s Kitchen | Chronicle, 2011 | Makes 100 or so crackers

The spicy kick in these little bites is perfectly balanced with a deep, rich Cheddar flavor. The key to these diamonds is to use the very best aged Cheddar possible. My dear friend Dean insists on calling them “Jeez-its” because, he says, “Christ, they’re good!”–Chester Hastings

LC Jeez-Its Note: Doesn’t really matter what faith you are–or aren’t. You can still appreciate the sentiment expressed above regarding Jeez-Its’ addictive nature. And you thought a box of Cheez-Its was hard to put down.

Active time: 20 minutes | Total time: 2 hours

Red Chili and Cheddar Crackers Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and diced
8 ounces best-quality aged Cheddar cheese, grated
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

Directions

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1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and chilies. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the cheese and pulse to combine.
2. Add 3 tablespoons of the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until the mixture comes together in a ball. Pulse in an additional tablespoon of water if needed to get the dough to hold together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
4. Roll the dough out to a 1/8-inch thickness directly onto a baking sheet. (If the dough seems sticky, sprinkle the surface ever so lightly with flour.) Try to be as accurate as you can about the thickness of the dough, as the crackers won’t puff up nicely if the dough is too thin, nor will they be crispy enough if the dough is too thick. Using a cookie or biscuit cutter, a sharp knife, or a fluted pasta cutter, trim the dough into ½-inch diamonds (or any shape you prefer).
5. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. (If you, like us, don’t have 3 baking sheets—well, 4, actually, counting the one you’re already using–simply line 1 or 2 or however many baking sheets you have and bake the crackers in batches, allowing the sheets to cool between uses.) Place the dough on the parchment-lined sheets, giving them just enough room so that they are not touching. Bake until the crackers are deep golden brown and crunchy, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of your crackers. Watch the crackers carefully as they go from almost done to a little too done quite quickly. Transfer the crackers to wire rack and let cool completely before serving. (The crackers can stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week, although they are best the first couple of days.)

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Olive and Rosemary Crackers from The Purple Foodie
Sesame Crackers from Elana's Pantry
Pistachio-Orange Cocktail Cookies from Leite's Culinaria
Cheddar Parmesan Crackers from Leite's Culinaria

Broiled Buffalo Wings

Ellie Krieger — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:55:37 +0000

Comfort Food Fix | Wiley, 2011 | Serves 4

I knew I was onto something when my husband, one of the world’s most critical, and perhaps most experienced, Buffalo wing eaters, reviewed these as “Excellent wings!” That’s just the response I was going for and it is especially meaningful when you see how their numbers stack up against the ones he’s used to eating. The secret to keeping them crispy and flavorful without the saturated fat and calories is to par-boil, then broil the chicken instead of frying it, and use a touch of oil and broth in the tongue-tingling sauce in place of the usual load of butter.–Ellie Krieger

LC Little White Lies of Omission Note: Shhhh. No one needs to know these this broiled Buffalo wings recipe contains no butter. (Yes, we realize low-fat wings is sort of an oxymoron, although you may not miss the butter, as the results still draw on the requisite hot sauce and an über cheesy, über easy blue cheese dip.) Whatever you do, whether tell the truth or commit a little white lie of omission, don’t forget the beer.

Active time: 25 minutes | Total time: 40 minutes

Broiled Buffalo Wings Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

2 pounds chicken wings, split at the joint
1/4 cup cayenne pepper sauce, preferably Frank’s Red Hot, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
3 large ribs celery, cut into sticks
1 recipe Blue Cheese Dip

Directions

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1. Preheat the broiler. Place the wings in a large pot and fill the pot with water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then continue to boil for 10 minutes. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cayenne pepper sauce, lemon juice, and broth.
3. Transfer the wings to a broiler pan and broil 5 to 6 inches from the flame, until the skin begins to blister and brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the wings over and broil until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes more.
4. Transfer the wings to a baking sheet, drizzle with the reserved sauce, and toss well to coat. Place the baking sheet under the broiler for 1 minute to heat the wings and sauce together.
5. Serve the broiled Buffalo wings with extra hot sauce on the side, celery sticks, and the blue cheese dip.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Spicy Sticky Chicken Wings from Christine's Recipes
Oven Baked Chicken Wings from Dine and Dish
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Wings from Leite's Culinaria
Mahogany Wings from Leite's Culinaria

Blue Cheese Dip

Ellie Krieger — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:54:15 +0000

Comfort Food Fix | Wiley, 2011 | Makes about 3/4 cup

Why settle for a blue cheese dip recipe that practically requires a search party to find the few bits of cheese swimming around in the mayo? Especially when you can have this one, chock-full of pungent blue cheese –thick, tangy, decadent, and so much better for you.–Ellie Krieger

LC Ample Applications Note: This indulgent blue cheese dip recipe has ample applications–as a dip for crudites, as a smear on steak, as an accompaniment to all manner of things. Although the most expected, inspired, impassioned, and perhaps enticing application has to be as an accompaniment to–you guessed it–wings.

Active time: 5 minutes | Total time: 5 minutes

Blue Cheese Dip Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

1/4 cup plain Greek-style nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

Directions

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1. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, and blue cheese. Mash any very large chunks of blue cheese with the back of a spoon to integrate it into the dip.
2. You can make the dip up to 3 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you want to serve it, allow it to come to room temperature before serving. A gentle suggestion: Make plenty because this goes fast.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Baked Crab and Artichoke Dip from Confections of a Foodie
Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus from Family Fresh Cooking
Portuguese Green Olive Dip from Leite's Culinaria
Roasted Eggplant Dip from Leite's Culinaria

Mussels Marinara | Cozze alla Marinara

The Editors of Phaidon Press — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:00:14 +0000

The Silver Spoon | Phaidon, 2011 | Serves 4

These mollusks have several different names in Italian–cozze, muscoli, peoci, and mitili. Nowadays, most commercially available mussles are farmed, which guarantees a high level of cleanliness. However, they should still be thoroughly scrubbed under cold, running water, but not left to soak in water. Pull off the beards with the healp of a short, sharp knife and knock off any barnacles from the shells with the knife handle. Discard any mussels with broken shells or those that do not shut immediately when sharply tapped. Their tender, tasty flesh is very easy to digest and their cooking juices are a delicious addition to soups, sauces, and risottos.–Editors of The Silver Spoon

LC What Else is for Supper, Honey? Note: Uh, we can think of nothing else we need for this mussels marinara recipe aside from a generous pour of a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or, when we’re in the mood to go all Belgian, a white ale and a heaping mound of quick frites.

Active time: 5 minutes | Total time: 25 minutes

Mussels Marinara Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

3 1/4 pounds mussels, scrubbed
Freshly cracked pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions

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1. Place the mussels in a large pan or pot over high heat with plenty of pepper but no water. Cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. Discard any that remain closed.
2. Drain the mussels, reserving the cooking liquid left in the pan that exuded from the mollusks during cooking. Place the mussels in a deep serving dish. Strain the cooking liquid through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into a small bowl. Stir in the parsley, pour the mixture over the mussels, and serve.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Drunken Mussels from Food 52
Spaghetti w/ Mussels and Red Wine Marinara Sauce from Eclectic Recipes
Baked Mussels with Crisp Bread Crumbs from Leite's Culinaria
Saffron Mussel Stew from Leite's Culinaria

Bibb Wedges, Radicchio, Endive, and Blue Cheese Dressing

Sara Foster — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:59:56 +0000

Sara Foster | Sara Foster’s Casual Cooking | Clarkson Potter, 2007 | Serves 4

Like most people, I grew up on the classic iceberg wedge salad. I still think it’s one of the great side dishes, especially with a few new touches–like using more unusual and flavorful lettuces. I start with tender Bibb lettuce and add endive and radicchio for their crunchy texture and slightly bitter flavor. Prepare this in advance because the lettuce needs time to chill and crisp in the refrigerator.–Sara Foster

LC Inching Away from Iceberg Note: Remember those pale wedges of iceberg? The ones with the rust marks along the edges that were barely discernible beneath blobs of bottled blue cheese dressing? Yeah, us too. Not that this lovely little salad plate will remind you of it. Not at all.

Active time: 20 minutes | Total time: 20 minutes (not including time for chilling).

Bibb Wedges, Radicchio, Endive, and Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

For the wedge salad

1 head Bibb lettuce 
1 head radicchio 
1 Belgian endive 
1 ounce crumbled blue cheese (about 1/4 cup)

For the blue cheese dressing

3/4 cup mayonnaise 
2 ounces crumbled blue cheese (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup buttermilk, from a well-shaken carton
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Make the wedge salad

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1. Cut the lettuce, radicchio, and endive into quarters through the stem ends, leaving the cores intact. Soak them in a large bowl of cold water to clean them thoroughly. Drain well and wrap the quarters, a few at a time, in paper towels to dry completely. Place the wrapped quarters in plastic bags and refrigerate for at least several hours or up to overnight to chill and crisp. Chill 4 salad plates in the refrigerator.

Make the blue cheese dressing

2. Place the mayonnaise, blue cheese, buttermilk, and vinegar in a blender and pulse several times, until the dressing is partially pureed with some chunks of cheese remaining. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. To serve, remove the lettuce, radicchio, endive, and salad plates from the refrigerator. Cut the cores from the lettuce, radicchio, and endive wedges, leaving the leaves of the wedges intact; discard the cores. Place one lettuce wedge, one radicchio wedge, and one endive wedge on each plate. Drizzle the blue cheese dressing over the salad, top with the blue cheese, season with additional salt and pepper if desired, and serve chilled.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Bacon and Blue Cheese Wedge Salad from Ezra Pound Cake
Boston Bibb Salad with Pecans, Blue Cheese, and Warm Bacon Vinaigrette from The Bacon Show
Salad with Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds, Pears, and Pomegranate from Leite’s Culinaria
Butter Lettuce and Fresh Herbs with Maytag Blue Cheese from Leite’s Culinaria

Duck Prosciutto

Geila Hocherman | Arthur Boehm — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:00:41 +0000

Geila Hocherman and Arthur Boehm | Kosher Revolution | Kyle Books, 2011 | Serves 4

This duck prosciutto recipe began with my realization that what makes ham taste like itself has less to do with the meat than its cure. My quest for kosher prosciutto—nothing less!—led me first to smoked turkey leg, which is hammy all right, but hardly like the Italian specialty. I went to work, and, happily, scored a triple bull’s-eye by giving duck breast a really easy salt cure—just fifteen minutes of prep followed by a “set-it-and-forget-it” refrigerator stay. The resulting “prosciutto” is so much like the real thing, but with a special character all its own, you’ll be amazed. Try it draped atop sliced melon, wrapped around asparagus spears, or diced and sautéed as a salad garnish.–Geila Hocherman and Arthur Boehm

LC Ducking Duct Tape Note: Glance at this unassuming duck prosciutto recipe, and you may notice something rather unusual, aside from the fact that it calls for making prosciutto out of duck rather than pig. Yup. It relies on that handy dandy, every man’s favorite tool kit mainstay, duct tape. Not as an ingredient, as a means of hoisting the duck from the top of the refrigerator where it needs to dangle for a couple of weeks. If you’re not the duck, er, duct tape type, you can follow the inspired lead of one of our recipe testers, Jo Ann Brown. When Brown was getting ready to hang the meat in the fridge, she sent her husband out to find, in her words, “a super duper suction cup with a hook to hang the meat from.” Not only did he find what she wanted, he brought back two. What a keeper!

Special Equipment: Cheesecloth and duct tape.

Active time: 15 minutes | Total time: 15 minutes, not including curing.

Duck Prosciutto Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

One 6 or 8 ounce duck breast
4 cups kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 medium cantaloupe, galia or honeydew melon, rind removed, sliced 1-inch thick (optional)

Directions

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1. To make the duck prosciutto, rinse the breast and dry it with paper towels. Scrounge through your cupboards until you find a dish just large enough to hold the duck breast. Make a 1-inch bed of salt on said dish. Place the breast on the salt and cover it with another inch of salt. Cover the entire situation with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

2. In a small bowl, combine the coriander, fennel, and pepper. Unwrap the duck breast and, holding it over the sink, rinse it with the vinegar to remove the salt and then rinse it under cold running water. Pat the duck breast completely dry and then rub it all over with the spice mixture.

3. Wrap the breast in cheesecloth and knot the cloth at both ends. Using sturdy household tape (duct tape works well), attach one end of the cheesecloth to the top of the refrigerator interior or hang the breast from a high refrigerator shelf. Place a small rimmed plate or dish beneath it. Let the duck cure until it feels firm but not dry, about 2 weeks. Thinner or smaller breasts will take less time. Start checking after a week or so.

4. Using a sharp carving knife, slice the duck prosciutto paper thin or as thin as possible. Drape ribbons of the prosciutto onto a plate and serve. (The very ends of the cured breast will be quite dry. Save them for flavoring soup.)

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Lamb Prosciutto from Wright Food
Duck Jerky from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
Cheese-Stuffed Dates with Prosciutto from Leite’s Culinaria
Grilled Asparagus, Prosciutto, Fried Bread, And Poached Egg from Leite’s Culinaria

Sauteed Chicken Liver on Toast

Aurora Baccheschi Berti — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:00:32 +0000

Aurora Baccheschi Berti | My Tuscan Kitchen | Rizzoli, 2011 | Serves 8

This chicken liver recipe, called Crostini di Fegatini in Italian, is totally Tuscan. The cooked livers keep well for several days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.–Aurora Baccheschi Berti

LC That Other Tuscan Tradition Note: The author notes that this recipe is a Tuscan tradition. Huh. Who knew? Although we guess it should come as no surprise to learn that a splash of wine, that other Tuscan tradition, enhances the character of this chicken liver sauté.

Active time: 30 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes.

Sauteed Chicken Liver Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

1 stick unsalted butter
1 onion, minced
3 bay leaves
1 1/4 pounds chicken livers (about 12 large livers), rinsed, cut into 4 pieces each
1 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons chicken stock, or as needed
6 anchovies
2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed well (optional)
8 slices country-style bread, toasted

Directions

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1. Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bay leaves and, when the onion begins to take on color, add the livers. The livers may exude a lot of liquid; if they do, allow a little additional time to simmer off the excess. Then cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to turn golden brownish, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the wine and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until it evaporates. Then add the stock, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any of the livers that have stuck. Transfer the livers to a cutting board and let cool.

3. Add the anchovies and capers, if using, to the cutting board and mince everything. Transfer the mince to the skillet with the remaining butter and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. You want to simply warm the mixture; don’t let it get too hot.

4. Drizzle the toast with a little of the liquid from the livers and then spread the livers over the toast.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Foie Gras Terrine from Rosa’s Yummy Yums
Chinese Goose Liver Sausage Steamed Over Rice from 80 Breakfasts
French Country Pâté from Leite’s Culinaria
Seared Foie Gras with a Late-Harvest Chardonnay-Grapefruit Reduction from Leite’s Culinaria