What We Eat When We Eat Alone - Deborah Madison [22]
1 BUNCH GREEN ONIONS, INCLUDING A LITTLE GREEN, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
1 LARGE GARLIC CLOVE
HANDFUL OF CILANTRO, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
SALT
3 CUPS WATER OR CHICKEN BROTH
SUNFLOWER SEED OR VEGETABLE OIL
1. Remove the tomatillo husks and rinse the fruits. Put them in a skillet or on a sheet pan; broil until charred in places, about 10 to 15 minutes in all. Give the pan a shake every 4 minutes or so, making sure that the tomatillos brown and blister in places.
2. Throw the tomatillos in a blender with the jalapeños, green onions, garlic, cilantro, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and the water or broth. Purée until smooth.
3. Our solo cook stopped at this point and stashed his sauce in the refrigerator, but you can take the raw edge off the garlic and onions by briefly cooking the sauce: heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a pot or skillet, add the sauce and cook at a slow boil while stirring for five minutes. Let cool, then taste for salt.
Chilaquiles Berdes
Chilaquiles, a soul-satisfying dish, is assembled on the stove within minutes once you have your tomatillo salsa. Amounts of cheese and sour cream and all of that are entirely up to you, and if you like, you can top it all with a fried egg. The most important thing is to not let the chips stay in the sauce so long that they get soggy, so you’ll want to have everything grated, crumbled, and chopped, plus a warm plate.
1 TO 1-1⁄2 CUPS TOMATILLO SALSA
2 HANDFULS TORTILLA CHIPS, PREFERABLY THICK MEXICAN-STYLE CHIPS
A HANDFUL GRATED MONTEREY JACK
A LITTLE CRUMBLED CHEESE FOR SHARPNESS, SUCH AS COTIJA, FETA, OR PARMESAN
COOKED CHORIZO SAUSAGE (OPTIONAL)
SOUR CREAM OR MEXICAN CREMA, LOOSENED WITH A FORK
CILANTRO LEAVES, THINLY SLICED WHITE ONION, OR PICKLED ONION RINGS FOR GARNISH
Choose a skillet that’s large enough to hold everything comfortably, such as an 8-inch cast-iron or nonstick pan. Bring the sauce to a boil in the pan, then add the chips and stir them into the sauce with a rubber spatula. Get them well coated and, at the most, just slightly softened. Scrape everything onto a heated plate, scatter the cheeses and sausage (if using) over the top, then drizzle over sour cream and finish with a flourish of cilantro and sliced onion. Enjoy without a moment’s hesitation.
Dan’s Spicy Tapenade
Makes 1 heaping cup
This is the ingredient that has guided so much of Dan Welch’s cooking, whether for himself alone or for others. If you like tapenade too, you’ll find many places to use it. Some suggestions are given below. It keeps for at least a week or two in the refrigerator.
1⁄2 POUND MIXED BLACK OLIVES (ABOUT 11⁄2 CUPS)
1⁄4 CUP CAPERS, BRIEFLY RINSED
4 ANCHOVIES (UNLESS YOU’RE A VEGETARIAN)
1⁄4 CUP GOOD OLIVE OIL OR MORE, AS NEEDED TO LOOSEN THE MIXTURE
2 SMALL GARLIC CLOVES, FINELY CHOPPED
GRATED ZEST AND JUICE OF 1 LARGE LEMON
1 TEASPOON RED PEPPER FLAKES OR A FEW TWISTS OF BLACK PEPPER
1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED PARSLEY
Remove the pits from the olives if they aren’t already pitted. You should end up with about a cup. Chop them by hand or in a food processor, leaving the olives a bit coarse. Add the rest of the ingredients except the parsley, and pulse, leaving some texture; you don’t want mush. You might need to add a little additional olive oil to loosen the mixture. Stir in the parsley and you’re ready to go.
Uses for Tapenade
Spread on crackers with white bean purée, goat cheese, or nothing at all. Slather on bread in a grilled cheese sandwich or just about any panini. Serve with hard-boiled eggs and little tomatoes. Toss with egg pasta, using extra oil or some of the hot pasta water. Serve with raw vegetables. Serve with the seared tuna.
Open-Faced Melted Cheese Sandwich with Tapenade
The grilled cheese sandwich changes form here, becoming open faced and including, along with the cheese, a thick layer of tapenade, sliced tomatoes, and cucumbers, all piled on old-world levain bread. It’s too messy to hold, so you might want to add a second slice