What We Eat When We Eat Alone - Deborah Madison [39]
JUICE OF 1 LARGE LEMON, ABOUT 3 TABLESPOONS
SALT AND PEPPER
1⁄2 POUND CRIMINI MUSHROOMS OR OTHER FRESH MUSHROOMS
OLIVE OIL, AS NEEDED
1 SHALLOT, FINELY DICED
1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED PARSLEY
3 PIECES THIN OR 2 PIECES THICK BACON
1 LARGE BUNCH SPINACH, STEMS REMOVED AND LEAVES WASHED BUT NOT DRIED
1 CUP GRATED GRUYÈRE OR JARLSBURG CHEESE
1. Ask your butcher to run the steak through a tenderizer. It really does make it tender, even if it looks a little lacy. Though now not necessary, you can still put the perforated meat in a dish with the fresh lemon juice, salt, and freshly ground pepper, and set it aside while you get all the fillings together. (If the meat wasn’t tenderized, a stay of an hour or more in the marinade is needed to help make the meat tender.)
2. Rinse the mushrooms quickly in a bowl of water, then pulse them 6 or 7 times in a food processor to break them up so that they’re finely chopped. Heat the oil in a wide skillet, add the mushrooms and shallot, and cook over high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms have released most of their liquid, after about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Fry the bacon until crisp, then crumble up thin pieces or, if thick, chop it. Wilt the spinach in a wide skillet until it’s tender and bright green, after just a few minutes. Put it in a strainer and press out as much liquid as you can, then chop it coarsely.
4. To assemble the dish, lay the steak on a work surface. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper if it hasn’t been seasoned already. Spread the mushrooms over the meat, followed by the bacon, spinach, and finally, the cheese. Roll it up and tie with kitchen string to keep the fillings intact, or skewer with toothpicks. Refrigerate until an hour before you are ready to grill, bringing it to room temperature before grilling.
5. To cook, preheat a gas grill on high until hot. Brush the meat with olive oil, then put on the grill, turning it every few minutes until the whole surface has been seared. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes if the meat was put through a tenderizer, up to 30 minutes if it wasn’t, or until a meat thermometer reads 125 degrees F. Remove to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before snipping the string and slicing the meat into rounds.
Chicken Soup Almost
Why almost? Because the point wasn’t to make enough broth for a soup, but to end up with a sauce to moisten the chicken and vegetables. This is a straightforward, practical, and rather comforting dish you can eat from for days—and not always in the same way. But choose a small bird so that you don’t get tired of it. Three pounds is plenty. This is a somewhat improvisational dish, so you can use different vegetables and more or less of them. You can also use chicken parts rather than a whole bird; and if you’re not one to eat off a dish for days, you can simply make a smaller version.
1 WHOLE SMALL CHICKEN OR 6 CHICKEN PARTS
SALT AND PEPPER
OLIVE OIL FOR FRYING AND FINISHING
4 TO 6 MEDIUM-SIZE CARROTS, PEELED
1 FENNEL BULB, OR 1CELERY HEART, QUARTERED
1 LARGE ONION, ROOT END INTACT, HALVED AND QUARTERED
5 GARLIC CLOVES, PEELED
1 BAY LEAF
2 PINCHES DRIED THYME
1 LEMON, QUARTERED
2 CUPS CHICKEN STOCK
SOFT POLENTA
CHOPPED PARSLEY, MARJORAM, OR OREGANO TO FINISH
1. Rinse, then pat dry the chicken and season it with salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a deep pot, such as a Dutch oven, and brown the chicken over medium heat until golden. Since this will take about 15 minutes, you’ll have plenty of time to peel carrots, quarter the fennel and onion, and peel the garlic.
2. Tuck the vegetables, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and lemon quarters around the chicken, then pour in the chicken stock. (It will not cover the bird, but if you cover the pot, it won’t dry out.) Bring just to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pot, and cook gently until the chicken is done,