Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan [220]
Braised Sunchokes and Scallions
For 6 servings
1 pound sunchokes
8 bunches scallions
3 tablespoons butter
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
1. Skin the sunchokes with a paring knife or a swiveling-blade peeler, wash them in cold water, and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Cut them into very thin slices, preferably no more than ¼ inch thick.
2. Trim away the scallions’ roots and any blemished leaves, but do not remove the green tops. Wash in cold water, pat dry, and make 2 short pieces out of each scallion, cutting it across in half. If some have thick bulbs, split them lengthwise in half.
3. Put the butter in a saute pan and turn on the heat to medium high. When the butter has melted and is foaming, put in the scallions, turn them to coat them well, lower the heat to medium, and add ½ cup water. Cook until all the water evaporates, turning the scallions from time to time.
4. Add the sunchoke slices, salt, and pepper, and turn them over thoroughly to coat them well. Add another ½ cup water, and cook at a steady, but gentle simmer until the water evaporates completely, turning the scallions and sunchokes from time to time. Check the sunchokes with a fork while they cook. If very fresh, they may become tender before all the water evaporates. Should this happen, turn the heat up to high and boil away the liquid quickly. If, on the other hand, the water has evaporated and they are not yet fully tender, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of water and continue cooking. In most cases, the sunchokes will be done within 20 or 25 minutes. Taste and correct for salt and serve at once.
Fried Sunchoke Chips
For 4 servings
1 pound sunchokes
Vegetable oil
Salt
1. Skin the sunchokes with a paring knife or a swiveling-blade peeler, and cut them into the thinnest possible slices. Wash them in several changes of cold water to rinse away traces of soil and some of the starch. Pat thoroughly dry with paper towels.
2. Pour enough oil in a skillet to come a little more than ¼ inch up the sides, and turn the heat on to high. When the oil is hot, slip in as many of the sunchoke slices as will fit loosely, without crowding the pan. When they become colored a nice russet brown on one side, turn them and do the other side. Transfer them with a slotted spoon or spatula to a wire cooling rack to drain or to a platter lined with paper towels. Put in the next batch and repeat the procedure until all the sunchokes are done. Sprinkle with salt and serve at once.
ASPARAGUS
How to buy The first thing to look at is the tip of the spear or the bud. It should be tightly closed and erect, not open and droopy. The hue of green asparagus should be fresh, bright, and with no hint of yellow. White asparagus should be a clear, even, creamy color. The stalk should feel firm and the overall look should be dewy. Although asparagus, like nearly everything else, is now marketed through most of the year, it is freshest in the spring, from April to early June. A thick spear of asparagus is not necessarily better than a skinny one, but it is usually more expensive. If you will be cutting up asparagus for a pasta sauce, or a risotto, or a frittata, you certainly don’t need to pay a premium for size. If you are serving the asparagus whole, however, a meatier stalk may sometimes be more satisfying.
How to keep Ideally, asparagus should go from the market into the pot, but hours or even a day may elapse during which you’ll want to keep it as fresh as possible. Bunch the asparagus if loose, and stand it with its butts in a container with 1 or 2 inches of cold water. You can store it thus in a cool place, unrefrigerated, for up to a day or a day and a half.
How to prepare for cooking All but a small woody portion at the bottom of the stalk can be made edible, if the asparagus is properly prepared. Begin by slicing off about 1 inch at the thick butt end. If you find that the end of the stalk you exposed is parched and stringy, slice off