Aftertaste - Meredith Mileti [176]
SECONDI: Jake’s “Tastes like Love” Cassoulet
This Italian take on a French classic incorporates fennel and roasted peppers. It can be prepared in advance and tastes even better the next day.
Ingredients
½ loaf day-old baguette (or
substitute 1 cup bread-
crumbs)
Olive oil
1 large sweet white onion,
diced
1 fennel bulb, sliced
2 leeks, white and light
green parts only, cleaned
and sliced
2 carrots, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, diced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons each fresh thyme
and oregano, chopped
Kosher salt and pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 slices bacon
2 pork tenderloins, cut into
2-inch cubes
1 pound wild boar sausage (or
substitute a not-too-spicy
Italian sausage). If sausages
are longer than 6 inches, cut
into 6-inch segments.
2 cups red wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
3 cans white cannellini beans,
drained and rinsed
½ jar roasted red peppers
(approximately 2 whole
peppers)
cup freshly grated
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Chopped parsley
Cut baguette into 1-inch cubes, drizzle with olive oil, and toast in 400-degree oven for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Substitute bread crumbs for baguette if you prefer to skip this step.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan. Sauté onion, fennel, leeks, and carrot until softened. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and diced red pepper. Sauté for a minute or two more. Add paprika, thyme, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add tomato paste and sauté until the paste begins to brown. Remove from heat.
Dice bacon. In large, ceramic-lined Dutch oven, sauté bacon over medium high heat until fat renders and begins to crisp.
Add pork tenderloin and sauté until golden brown. Do not crowd the pan—you may have to do it in batches (if meat sticks to pan, add a bit of olive oil). Remove browned meat to separate plate and repeat with sausage until golden brown.
Deglaze pan with 1 cup of red wine, scraping up all brown bits. Add remaining wine, chicken stock, and canned tomatoes to Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Add back the browned meat and vegetable mixture.
Bake covered casserole in 350-degree oven for approximately 1 hour, or until meat is fork tender.
Add two cans of beans and stir. Purée remaining can of beans with roasted peppers and add to casserole.
Grind bread cubes or crumbs in food processor with remaining clove of garlic and pulse until finely ground. Add grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and moisten with tablespoon of olive oil.
Distribute crumb mixture over top of casserole and bake uncovered for 45 minutes, until crust is browned and casserole is bubbling.
Garnish with chopped parsley, and share with eight people you love.
CONTORNI: Mixed Green Salad with Basic Vinaigrette
No meal in my family is complete without a salad, preferably served Italian style—after the main course. I make this salad dressing by the cup, and it lasts us all week. I like escarole and romaine, mixed with a little radicchio for color, but use your favorite combination of mixed greens.
Vinaigrette Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Juice of two lemons (or as
many lemons as will yield
cup lemon juice)
cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Slice garlic and sprinkle with kosher salt. Mince, scraping knife back and forth over mixture to abrade the garlic, and form a paste.
Squeeze lemons to generate cup juice. Add olive oil and whisk to combine. Add garlic paste, a few grinds of black pepper, and Dijon mustard. Whisk until dressing is emulsified. Store refrigerated.
Coat wooden salad bowl with dressing and top with washed greens. Salad can be made in advance and tossed just before serving.
DOLCE: Mira’s Cacao Nib Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
powder
1 teaspoon instant