How to Roast a Lamb_ New Greek Classic Cooking - Michael Psilakis [49]
Remove the rabbit pieces, pick the meat off the bones, and return it to the sauce. Fish out the whole herb sprigs and cinnamon sticks.
For the Hilopites Pasta dough, follow the first 2 steps for the pasta on page 76. Dust a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet very generously with flour and semolina. Cut 5 or 6 rectangles of parchment paper to fit the pan; you will be layering the finished noodles between the sheets as you work, scattering with more flour and semolina for each layer.
Starting with the largest setting, put the dough through a pasta machine and continue feeding, lowering the settings by two after each pass, until it’s about the thickness of fettucine, no. 6 or no. 7. Scatter with flour only if the dough threatens to stick. Keep rolling until the dough is silky and flexible and, again, not at all tacky.
With a pizza cutter or a long knife, trim the edges of the dough straight and even. Cut lengthwise into 2 very long, 2-inch-wide strips. Cut these crosswise into rustic and slightly uneven domino-sized rectangles. As you work, place the shapes onto the flour-dusted parchment in single layers.
Cook and drain the pasta: for the fresh hilopites, boil 1 to 2 minutes, depending on how long it has dried. For dried pasta, cook according to the package instructions. Toss with the braised rabbit and sauce to make a rustic, hearty dish.
Fresh pasta is usually used right away, but you can open-freeze a single layer of the rectangles on parchment-lined baking sheets, then layer the frozen shapes between sheets of plastic wrap and place inside zipper-lock bags for up to 1 month. The frozen pasta will take slightly longer to cook.
PHEASANT WITH SPAGHETTI
PHASIANOS ME MAKARONIA
SERVES 4 TO 8 FAMILY-STYLE
In all my restaurants, I constantly observe the plates returning from the dining room. A clean plate is the only acceptable result. To me, the definition of food greatness is when a dish is so good that you want to continue eating it after you have become satiated. It’s so European in mentality, but it means that you just can’t stop because you don’t know if you’ll ever find that food bliss again. If plates come back unfinished, then we failed to reach that greatness.
This dish says “home” to me; it’s home-style Greek cooking at its very best. Serve up a platter, and your friends won’t be able to keep their hands off it. You can also make this dish with chicken or any other poultry or game bird.
1 pheasant, 2½ to 3¾ pounds, cut into breast-wing and leg-thigh pieces; backbone cut into 3 pieces
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons blended oil (90 percent canola, 10 percent extra-virgin olive)
4 cloves garlic, smashed
½ Spanish or sweet onion, roughly chopped
1 small carrot, roughly chopped
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup red wine
4 large sprigs thyme
2 large sprigs sage
1 large sprig rosemary
1 cinnamon stick
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dry Greek oregano
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2½ cups water
1 pound dried spaghetti
12 dried dates, pitted and quartered lengthwise
cup yellow raisins
cup pine nuts
¼ cup torn fresh herbs, such as dill, mint, and/or parsley
Extra-virgin olive oil
Rinse the pheasant pieces in cold water and pat dry. Season all sides liberally with kosher salt and pepper. In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, warm the blended oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, add and sear the pheasant pieces, without crowding, until golden on all sides. Transfer to a platter and discard most of the oil. Add all the vegetables and sweat for 3 to 5 minutes, without browning. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and let it reduce completely.
Return the seared pheasant pieces to the pot and add the thyme, sage, rosemary, cinnamon, vinegar, oregano, mustard, water, 1 tablespoon salt, and a generous