Bottega - Michael Chiarello [28]
In a large bowl, combine the meat, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the 1/3 cup vegetable purée. Add the wine-soaked raisins and mix until well incorporated. Shape about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture into a small torpedo around one end of a skewer; season with salt and pepper.
Cook the meat skewer gently on the grill or under the broiler for about 4 minutes, turning to cook about 1 minute on each of the four sides; this is your test skewer. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the meat mixture if necessary. Shape the remain-ing 10 spiedini, drizzle each with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Gently grill all the spiedini on all four sides, about 1 minute per side.
FOR THE WATERCRESS SALAD: Whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice and toss with the watercress sprigs. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon some of the purée off-center on each plate. Rest 2 skewers on top, just touching the purée. Nestle some of the watercress salad to one side.
CHEF’S NOTE: Exceptional watercress can be hard to come by. At Bottega, we use Sausalito Springs watercress (see Resources).
Ancient-Grain Polenta “Under Glass,” with Mushrooms and Balsamic Sauce
SERVES 6
When we first opened Bottega, there was a group of women dining one night, spanning a few generations. (I happen to find that incredibly sexy: a group of strong, beautiful women of all ages.) I brought them this polenta just to taste; they each took a bite, then they looked at each other and ordered three more.
“Why polenta under glass?” one of the women asked. A glass dome used to be one way to glorify rare, costly dishes, like pheasant under glass. To me, polenta—that most peasant of all peasant foods—is just as glorious. This recipe gives polenta its due. This is creamy like you’ve never known creamy—it’s almost like a warm, savory, textured crème brûlée with a light, thin crust of cheese instead of sweetness. Add caramelized wild mushrooms and a dark, deep sauce and you have a sexy, sexy combination. . . but still no match for that group of women. (Note to self: If I could make a dish that sexy, I’d really have my game on.)
Instead of a fancy glass dome, I serve this in a glass canning jar because it reminds me of the skill and resourcefulness of all the women in my life who’ve made royalty-worthy food from simple backyard ingredients.
The polenta is best made an hour or two before you plan to serve it; cover it with a sheet of waxed paper smoothed onto the surface. If you’d like to make it the day before, you might need to add some liquid when you heat it. Definitely make the balsamic sauce the day before, so you can chill it overnight and lift off the fat; then rewarm it and add a final touch of butter just before serving. The Parm crostini can be made a day or two ahead of time as well.
Wine Pairing: Sangiovese
BALSAMIC SAUCE
2 cups balsamic vinegar
1 shallot, chopped
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups coarsely chopped yellow onions
1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
2 bay leaves
3 cups dry red wine
8 cups Roasted Chicken Stock, or veal or rabbit stock
6 black peppercorns
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
ANCIENT-GRAIN POLENTA
1½ cups heavy cream
3 cups cold water
Pinch of sea salt, preferably gray salt
1 cup fine-ground polenta
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup shredded fontina cheese
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
MUSHROOMS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
10 ounces cultivated or wild mushrooms such as shiitakes, chanterelles, and morels, cleaned and trimmed (stem shiitakes)
Pinch of sea salt, preferably gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
PARM CROSTINI
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
FOR THE BALSAMIC SAUCE: In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar and shallot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.