Bottega - Michael Chiarello [26]
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated pecorino cheese, preferably Fulvi
3 large egg yolks
RAPINI
2 bunches rapini (broccoli rabe), about 2 pounds, the bottom 3 to 4 inches trimmed
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Calabrian chile paste, or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Juice of ½ lemon
BRUSCHETTA
Six 3/4-inch-thick slices country-style bread
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE BUDINI: Butter six 4-ounce soufflé cups. Have ready a roasting pan in which you can fit the soufflé cups. Put the bread cubes in a bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and cream and bring to a boil over medium heat. Whisk in the grated cheese. Strain through a coarse-mesh sieve into the bowl of bread cubes. Let the bread rest in the cream mixture until it comes to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 280°F. Using an immersion blender or in a regular blender, blend the bread and cream. While blending, add the egg yolks one at a time, blending after each. Pour into the buttered soufflé cups. Set the cups in the roasting pan and pour in hot water to come halfway up the sides. Bake until the budini are set and just beginning to puff, 30 to 35 minutes. Siphon some of the hot water out of the pan, then remove it from the oven. Carefully take the soufflé cups from the water and allow the budini to cool for 15 minutes. These are best served warm; if made earlier, reheat by pouring boiling water into the roasting pan; place the soufflé cups in the hot water and heat in a 300°F oven for about 20 minutes.
FOR THE RAPINI: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water. Add the rapini and cook for 4 minutes; stop while it’s still crunchy. Drain and squeeze out the excess water with tongs. Spread the rapini out on a sheet pan to cool.
Heat a large ovenproof sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Pour in the oil and, when it’s hot, sauté the garlic just until golden. Stir in the chile paste and red pepper flakes, then add the rapini to the pan. With tongs, turn the rapini to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes. If too dry, add 1 teaspoon water. Serve the rapini at room temperature, or heat in the oven before serving. Give it a squeeze of lemon juice just before you eat it.
FOR THE BRUSCHETTA: On a grill or under your broiler, toast the bread slices on both sides. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Carefully run a knife around the edge of each soufflé cup to loosen the budini. Place a plate over the top and turn over swiftly. Gently shake the cup if the budino doesn’t slide right out. Serve with the bruschetta and rapini on the side.
Cooking as a Team Sport
The kitchen at Bottega is small, and in a way that’s a good thing, because there’s a close bond within a restaurant crew that makes me glad to come to work. Is there yelling? Yes, sometimes. Is there laughter? Yes, every day. In the nine years since leaving Tra Vigne and coming to Bottega, this is what I missed the most: a camaraderie, a shared goal of making sure that the people sitting at our tables this evening want to be here and nowhere else on the planet. This is not an easy thing to pull off, but when you come to Bottega and see the warmth and the dedication of the Bottega team, you will understand why I am so proud of them.
Bring camaraderie into your kitchen, too. The rainy afternoons I spent sitting at the table talking to my mom stay with me even though she is no longer here. Pull friends and family into the kitchen with you; the time will fly and the food will be fantastic.
Grilled Lamb Spiedini Agrodolce
MAKES 10 SPIEDINI PLUS 1 TEST FOR THE COOK; SERVES 4 TO 6
The flavors in these spiedini are intense and beautiful. This is one of my favorite dishes, inspired by Francis Mallmann,