Bottega - Michael Chiarello [75]
You can make the sections longer than 6 inches if you like, but you’re limited to the size of your pans and your oven. If you manage to cook a whole branch, e-mail or Facebook me and show me the pic!
1 branch Brussels sprouts, carefully cut into 6-inch-long sections
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Fennel Spice Blend
In a pot large enough to hold your branch sections, bring salted water to a boil. Gently lower the sections into the water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or just until a Brussels sprout is crisp-tender (drop any heads that have come loose into the water and use those as your test subjects to decide when the branch is ready). Carefully remove the sections from the water and set them aside.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over high heat and cook for 1 minute until it just begins to turn brown. Stir in the spice blend and remove from the heat. Put the branch sections in a roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle the butter mixture over them. Slide the pan into the oven and roast until the outer leaves of the heads just begin to show some browning, about 8 minutes. The outer leaves should be brown and crisp. Carefully transfer the sections to a platter. If you like, prop the sections into a tepee for a super-dramatic presentation. Have guests snap the heads off the branch to add to their plates—or just pop in their mouths.
CHEF’S NOTE: This can be flavored with many different spices. Try adding sage leaves to the browned butter instead of fennel spice, or use a blood-orange olive oil instead of butter. The sky’s the limit.
Zucchini Spaghettini
SERVES 6
We serve a lot of this. You can cut the zucchini on the bias into shorter lengths, but then you lose the spaghettiness of the presentation, which is a big part of its charm. Cutting the zucchini goes by quickly if you use a mandoline and cut each veggie lengthwise. You can do this by hand if you’re really, really good with a knife and have some time to kill.
Having a very large sauté pan (14 inches) in your cupboard is a confidence builder. If you don’t have a chef-size sauté pan, you can use a big roasting pan (yep, like the one you use to roast a turkey). Set it right on the stove and cook in it. It works great for this dish.
In my book, this is a wonderful way to use a lot of zucchini or any summer squash when you have a bumper crop.
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 pounds zucchini or other summer squash, cut into long, thin spaghetti-like strips
1½ cups Tomato Passata (see Note)
½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
Heat a 14-inch sauté pan or a roasting pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, and heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and sauté over medium heat until light golden in color. Add all of the squash and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes before turning with tongs. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Add the passata and basil. Continue cooking until the squash is tender, about 5 minutes.
Pile onto a large serving platter to serve family style or use tongs to serve as a side dish for grilled fish, chicken, or meat.
CHEF’S NOTE: You can also make this into a zucchini gratin. Spoon it into a buttered dish, top it with fresh or dried bread crumbs and grated Parmesan, then bake in a preheated 425°F oven for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Carrot, Onion, and Eggplant Caponata
SERVES 6
Caponata—eggplant preserved with vinegar and a touch of sugar—is thought to be an old-style fishing-village dish that treats sailors to a few more days of veggies after the boat has sailed away from land. Serve this as a side dish for roast lamb, or spooned onto bruschetta.
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely