Cook Like a Rock Star - Anne Burrell [69]
2 Remove the pot from the heat and season the water with salt. TASTE it to make sure it is well seasoned. Let the lentils sit in the salty water for 10 to 15 minutes.
3 Ladle out ½ cup of the lentil cooking water and reserve. Strain the lentils. Remove all the veggies and aromatics and discard.
TO FINISH THE LENTILS
1 Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan lightly with olive oil, add the bacon, and bring to medium heat.
2 When the bacon has rendered a lot of fat and become brown and crispy, 5 to 6 minutes, add the diced onion. Season with salt and cook until soft and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes.
3 Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring frequently.
4 Add the carrot and celery and continue to cook until soft and aromatic, another 2 to 3 minutes.
5 Add the cooked lentils and the reserved lentil cooking water. Cook until most of the liquid has reduced. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. Toss in the chives and serve hot or at room temperature.
Lentils and bacon, lentils and bacon, lentils and bacon, oh my!
SERVES: 4 • TIME: ABOUT 2 HOURS
I’m a huge fan of potatoes! Which is why I love this dish. It’s the perfect base for poached eggs at brunch, to sop up the juices of a big rib eye steak , to complement my fabulous brined pork chops, or just for lunch. When this was on the menu at my restaurant and I was craving something porky, cheesy, and delicious, I’d have one of the line cooks fry up one of these lovelies for me to eat while I worked. Yum!
MISE EN PLACE
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
Kosher salt
¼ cup heavy cream
¾ cup freshly grated Fontina cheese
½ cup prosciutto, cut into ¼-inch dice
2 large eggs
Extra virgin olive oil
These lovely cakes need to chill for at least an hour before cooking so if you want to really streamline the operation, make the cakes ahead (even the day before) and stick them in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
1 Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water; season the water generously with salt.
2 Bring the water to a boil (BTB) and reduce to a simmer (RTS). Cook the potatoes for 25 to 30 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes well.
3 In a small saucepan, heat the cream.
4 While the potatoes are still hot, mash with a potato masher, leaving them a little bit lumpy; stir in the hot cream.
5 Mix in the Fontina, prosciutto, and eggs and stir well to combine. Taste and add salt if you need to—you probably will.
6 Form the potato mixture into cakes about 2½ inches wide and ¾ to 1 inch thick. Put them on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
7 Preheat the oven to 375°F.
8 Coat a large nonstick sauté pan with olive oil and bring to high heat. Working in batches, brown the cakes on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Place the browned cakes on a baking sheet and transfer them to the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until heated through.
You say potato—I say potato cake!
Pommes Chef Anne
SERVES: 4 TO 6 • TIME: ABOUT 1½ HOURS
This is my interpretation of the French classic, pommes Anna. It’s just as elegant as the traditional version, but I’ve added Parm for a cheesy little twist. What’s beautiful about this dish is how the outside gets a delicious crispy crust while the inside has a wonderfully delicate texture, thanks to the layers of thinly sliced potatoes. I also love that you can make one cake and then just cut it into individual portions—super-cinchy!
MISE EN PLACE
3 russet potatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano
Kosher salt
1 Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2 Working one potato at a time, use a mandoline to cut the potatoes into slices about ⅛ inch thick, or as thinly as you can. (Contrary to what you might have heard, you don’t want to put the potatoes in water because