Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking: Meat and Seafood Recipe Reviews

[redwood2bay]

September 2006 Cookbook of the Month: Please post your reviews of meat and seafood recipes from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking here. Please mention the name of the recipe you are reviewing as well as any modifications you made to the recipe.

A reminder that the verbatim copying of recipes to the boards is violation of the copyright of the original author. Posts with copied recipes will be removed.

[Sushiqueen36]

I understand that this thread is 5 years old but since I know a lot of CH'rs use Essentials, I assume that others might be looking for new recipes to try out of the cookbook like I am.
I haven't seen mentioned my two favorite recipes from Essentials:

Clam Soup (p.121) - not what I would really consider a soup actually but an amazing steamed clam recipe. I always use Manila clams (the smaller the better) and don't even think of making this without having some great bread (personally love Ciabatta) to soak up the sauce. I have also found that I like this prepared with Chardonnay best. The wine will make a huge difference in flavor.

Fried Tidbits of Swordfish or Other Fish (p.294) - I've never used swordfish as it's not something my husband catches. It's fabulous with Sea Bass and Lingcod or other similar fish. The recipe is amazingly simple and absolutely fabulous. I almost always forget the parsley. Doesn't matter.

[Breadcrumbs]

Veal Scaloppine with Lemon - p. 362

First use of this recipe as I continue in my commitment to try some of MH's recipes (I've had this book on my shelves for years but have only recently started cooking from it.)

That said, this is a very common dish that I've been making with and without a recipe forever it seems. That said, Marcella's cooking process differs from those I've seen in the past in that she browns the veal, removes it from the pan, makes the sauce then returns it to the pan to to warm the pieces before serving. Such a simple step that makes total sense. I'll be doing that from now on. My lemons were quite bitter so I used less juice than MC calls for. A solid recipe for a tasty, classic dish. Sorry, no photo, just back from a mini vacation and totally forgot!!

[Breadcrumbs]

Sauteed Snapper with Mushrooms – p. 296 – Fish & Shellfish

I have to admit that even though mr bc and I are tremendous fans of Italian food, I haven’t done a ton of cooking from Marcella’s books. Given that she keeps coming up as a COTM contender I’m going to make a concerted effort to make some dishes from her books so I have something to contribute to the nomination debate. That said, earlier this week I turned to Marcella for inspiration in preparing some snapper filets.

I should note that Marcella intends that this dish be prepared w whole, gutted and scaled fish but since the fish are not stuffed, there was nothing in the preparation process that precluded making the dish w filets.

The dish combines two recipes from the book; this one for the fish and the “Mushroom” component is the “Sauteed Mushrooms with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Parsley – Method 1” from p. 509 in the Vegetables section. Here’s a link to my review of that portion of the dish:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/3257...

Prep for the fish is quick and simple. Garlic, onions, carrot and parsley are chopped. An anchovy is chopped then mashed to a pulp. A bay leaf is crumbled.

Onion is cooked in olive oil until it’s translucent at which point the carrot is added and cooked for 2 mins then the garlic is stirred in until golden then the parsley, bay leaf, wine and anchovy are added in. Once the wine has evaporated by half, the fish is added and the pan is partially covered to allow the fish to cook, after 8 mins the fish is turned and the process is repeated for 5 additional minutes before adding in the mushrooms to cook through. I reduced my cooking time as the filets cooked much quicker than the whole fish would.

In the end this produced a flavourful, hearty dish. We especially enjoyed the subtle flavour that the anchovy imparts and felt it somehow brought out the earthiness of the mushrooms. I garnished this w fresh chives to reinforce the onion flavours in the dish. We really enjoyed this and I’d make it again.

[beetlebug]

Pork Sausages with Red Cabbage (pg. 428)

This was a winner dish. Perfect for a winter's evening and fast and easy. As Michael Scott would say, win, win, win.

Essentially, you saute chopped red cabbage with olive oil and garlic. You stir it down and cook it at medium heat for about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, you brown the sausages and then place the sausages in the shrunken cabbage and cook (lid on) for another 20 minutes. The resulting cabbage was just so silky and smooth. It had an incredible mouth feel, yet it didn't tasted overcooked at all.

So, here a few minimal changes that I made and some observations:

1) I used 4 chicken sausages instead of pork. 2 were chicken herb and the other 2 were spicy. Marcella calls for mild pork sausages and I agree with mild flavored sausages. The spicy ones just clashed with the beautiful cabbage taste.

2) Before browning the sausages, Marcella says to prick holes in the casings and the sausages will brown in their own fat. Well, I didn't think that chicken sausages would have that much fat so I browned them in olive oil. I didn't prick them. Also, I poured the resulting juices from the sausage pan into the cabbage pan.

3) I used the requisite 1.5 lbs of cabbage. I didn't think it was enough. Next time, I would probably use double the amount of cabbage. C and I were scrapping the bottom of the pan, fighting for the last shreds of cabbage. It was that good.

I forgot how simple Marcella's recipes are. And, when I say simple, I mean that there aren't a lot of ingredients but the techniques causes the flavors to subtly come out. This is definitely a keeper recipe.

[jackie de]

Even tho it was Oct. 1st, I decided since it was such a beautiful day here in the midwest to grill outdoors. Since I still have Essentials,(from Library) I decided to try one last recipe. All have been winners so far and these fish recipes are wonderful too. This was a great book and one I will cook from many times. Grilled Fish, Romagna Style---I used fish fillets, but other than that followed recipe exactly. The fish was moist, juicy and flavorful. Terrific recipe and very simple. I also made the grilled shrimp skewers. They too, were juicy and tender. If your still able to grill in your area, I highly rec. these.

[JoanN]

Okay. I had said I was going to make “My Father’s Fish Soup” from Essentials, and I finally got around to it yesterday.

The recipe calls for 3 or 4 pounds of firm, white-fleshed fish including at least three fish heads. Well, I got to Citarella early in the morning, and they didn’t have any heads yet so, after all my research on exactly what fish are “firm” and “white-fleshed”, I threw myself on their mercy and ended up with 2 butterfish and 3 sea bream, all with heads. It came to about 31⁄2 pounds. And I bought cockles instead of littlenecks, because I thought they looked cute (and I knew I was going to leave them in their shells, which is not what the instructions call for).

Did my mise en place. (Was just reading in I’m Just Here for the Food to stack the mise dishes—I use custard cups—with the one you’ll need first on top, last on the bottom; super idea.)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/damselfish/Mise.jpg

Followed instructions, except for leaving the cockles and mussels in their shells. Used the crushed red pepper option.

Cooked the fish heads as instructed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/damselfish/Heads.jpg

I was a bit apprehensive about getting the meat off the heads. She says it’s messy. But, although perhaps not for the really squeamish, it wasn’t anywhere near as bad I thought it might be. Put what remained through the food mill. The resulting puree is clearly critical to both the flavor and the texture of the dish. In fact, now that I’ve tried it, I may well use that technique on other fish soups and stews.

So, how did it come out?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v73...

First, it’s definitely not a soup, it’s a very thick stew. We never reached for spoons. It had somewhat more bones than I would have liked, but that may well have been because I used the wrong fish. And, even though I cooked it a few minutes longer than called for, I still had to put some of the fish pieces back in the pot for about another five minutes to make sure they were cooked.

It was good, very good, but not great. Although, as seems to be a recurring refrain with all Hazan’s recipes, we did mop up every little bit of sauce with a great Pain Pugliese. And I suspect that if we’d been eating this in on a hillside overlooking the Mediterranean we’d have thought more highly of it. Glad I tried it. I’ve wanted to for a long time. But I’ll still be looking for my ultimate fish soup. This just wasn’t quite it.

[NYchowcook]

Nice post, thanks. I've long wanted to make fish stock but the idea of cooking the heads and then (egads!) putting them through the food mill really puts me off. Did the heads squish? And the eyes stayed where? I'd like encouragement to try it.

[JoanN]

Yeah, it was the eyes part that had me little tentative, too. LOL! But the instructions specifically say you should remove as much bone as possible before putting the remaining meat in the food mill and it was really quite easy to get all the meat off the bone around the eyes without having to touch them. They just sort of stayed attached to the bone and got thrown out with it. Nothing squished. That part of the process was a whole lot less icky than I was afraid it might be. In fact, not really icky at all. Go for it. You'll be pleased with the results.

[Rubee]

Veal Cutlets Milanese (p. 375)

Pounded veal, dipped in egg, then bread crumbs. I did them as the variation she calls "Sicilian Style with Garlic and Rosemary" - flavoring the butter/oil with smashed garlic cloves and sprinkling the cutlets with minced fresh rosemary after dipping in egg. Great classic recipe. Side dish was "Sauteed Green Beans with Parmesan Cheese" (p. 472).

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47...

[MMRuth]

Link to Candy's Osso Bucco Bianco Report:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[MMRuth]

Osso Bucco Milanese

Decided to make this for Sunday night dinner - I've never eaten osso bucco, though it is one of my DH's favorite dishes. The recipe is for 6-8, and calls for 8 pieces of veal shank. I cooked four for the two of us but for everything else I followed the recipe - my DH loves sauce. We ate all the marrow, but the meat from two of them is left. I made it in the morning and it took about an hour to get it ready to go in the oven, and then another two hours. I think I was impatient and didn't let the oil get hot enough before I put the shanks in the pan to brown, but did get a lovely deep (but not dark) brown crust on them. I found it a pain to brown the sides and spent a lot of time holding pieces with tongs to get the sides brown. Realized at the end that a better method would be to perhaps first put all of them in "wide side" down, then when that side is done, turn two over to the other side, and then fiddle with getting the short sides brown on two of them, and then reverse. The recipe said to "stand" the shanks in the pot, but since I just had four of them, I "sat" them in the pot. I managed to forget to add salt and pepper, which I only realized when I removed the pot from the oven and tasted a piece of meat. Since I was going to be reheating it, I added some salt and pepper at that point and stirred up the still hot contents - I'm sure it would have been better if I'd not forgotten this step, but I don't think it suffered.

The meat was incredibly tender and flavorful, and the marrow was out of this world. I served it with Risotto Milanese and sauteed green beans. The dog got his first bone last night and was in seventh heaven - even insisted on taking it out for his evening walk, but as soon as he saw another dog, he turned around and trotted home with his bone! I look forward to trying the other osso bucco recipes as well.

My first pics:

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k161/MMRuth/R0070.jpg (the compulsive part of me has to say that usually I would have wiped off the drops of sauce on the side of the plate but by that point I was quite annoyed with my DH for writing emails (necessary though they were) when the risotto was on the table, so I didn't bother!
)http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k161/MMRuth/R0075.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k161/MMRuth/R0069.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k16...

[redwood2bay]

That looks positively yummy! And LOL about the dog taking the bone as his new companion.

I've made the osso bucco recipe before, and though it turned out well, I don't think I had the best cut of veal shank for it (had trouble finding the hind shank with the larger bones). I was hoping to make it again this month but don't know if I'll get around to it. Your photos certainly make me long for the dish, though!

[faijay]

I have made it often, as well as the recipe from Biba (her recipes are also great, and delicious). I do not buy Provimi veal, especially for osso buco. It is to delicate and to me lacks flavour. I use a cheaper osso buco that has more fat and taste.

[JasmineG]

I made the Osso Bucco tonight, and wanted to add to this thread to rave about it. I made it as a birthday meal for my mom (it's one of her favorite things), and it was really pretty incredible. I had two very large shanks for the two of us, but I kept all of the other amounts the same -- I've had problems in the past with cutting the braising liquid when I'm cutting recipes and it not turning out well enough, so I just kept everything the same this time, and I think that was definitely a good decision, especially since the sauce was so flavorful and tasty. I didn't try to brown the sides of the shanks (it didn't even occur to me to do so), and it was still fine. This was a really easy dish to put together, and the results were excellent. I cooked it in the oven for the directed two hours, but at a slightly lower temperature than Marcella called for, since I knew that I was going to be reheating it later on, and that worked out very well. I served this with mashed potatoes (my mom doesn't like either risotto or polenta, which would have been my first choices) and a good baguette, which was a must to scoop up the incredible sauce, and to use to smear the marrow on. This might be my new favorite braised meat dish, because of the ease of preparation and the great result. The veal shanks were a little pricey, though, which would make me hesitate to make this for a crowd, unless they were people that I *really* like!

I can see how your dog loved the bone, MMRuth, and your note about that made me sniff a little that I don't have a dog anymore to give the bone to.

[Carb Lover]

Pork Sausages w/ smothered onions and tomatoes (p. 429)

I chose this recipe because I had 4 sausage links and lots of fresh tomatoes to use up. I really appreciate Marcella's low ingredient list recipes because it's very easy to spontaneously make a dish based on what's on hand.

The recipe couldn't be easier. Basically, you saute about 2 c. of thinly-sliced onion in a few TB of veg oil over med. heat. Cover and let onion wilt, about 5-10 min. I also added a little kosher salt. Uncover pan, turn up heat to med-high, and cook onion til it's brown and golden. Should get very soft. Then add 1 c. canned chopped tomatoes (I used about 1.5 c. fresh that were peeled first), S&P and cook uncovered for about 20 min. I cheated and only did this for 10 min.

Skin one yellow or red bell pepper (I left skin on) and cut into thin strips. Add to tomato-onion sauce. Put in 1 lb. of pork sausage (she recs mild, but I used a German Weisswurst and French wine) that have been punctured w/ fork several times. Cover and cook over medium for about 20 min., turning sausages and stirring sauce now and then. She instructs to spoon off any fat, but mine didn't render too much so I didn't worry about it. I served w/ some sauteed carrots, mushrooms, and peas in a light butter-wine-tarragon sauce.

Overall the tomato sauce was really delicious. Similar to her tomato sauce w/ onions and butter, except it didn't have the silky mouthfeel and flavor of dairy. Her minimal (or lack of) use of strong seasonings in the recipes I've tried has been enlightening. In general, her style has really won me over. Hope to try my hand at something a little more interesting (not just tomato sauce based) soon...

Photo of sausages nestled together in pan:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/btdoan/IMG_5682.jpg

Photo of my plate:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/...

[free sample addict aka Tracy L]

How funny, I made the same dish last night. I had everything on hand so it was super easy to put together. I agree, you can't beat the simplicity of this recipe. Instead of fresh tomatoes I used Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes and I used a pretty basic mild Italian sausage. All of the other indgredients were the same as the recipe requirements. I used my electric skillet so the sauce and the sausages ended up having a carmelized aspect to it, not very saucey. Since I love carmelized anything it was a nice surprise, very tasty. I particularily liked how the sausages tasted like they had be braised for a long time. I served soft polenta along side and a nice green salad with some heirloom tomatoes and radishes from my CSA box. We also had a old vine Zinfandel from Ravenswood, Lodi. Overall an excellent meal.

[Splendid Spatula]

I particularly love the way the bay leaves perfume this dish

[Babette]

I made braised pork chops with sage and tomatoes, using fresh organic farmers market heirlooms, organic pork loin chops, sage from the garden--every ingredient top notch, anticipating a home run. I used more than the required amount of chopped tomatoes, and I'm glad I did, as the sauce was exceptionally delicious. The chops combined well with the mashed potatoes bolonese style and accompanying braised carrots with parmesan, (brief review posted in the appropriate thread). Small quibble, the chops were a little chewy, not as meltingly tender as when braised in milk, and other than the extra tomatoes, I followed the recipe exactly. The amazing sauce compensated. Big compliments from the family.

[AppleSister]

I have a question about this dish. I made it last night, and the sauce really was delicious, but my sage burned really quickly when I put it in to brown the chops, as instructed. I didn't want to have a burnt taste to my sauce, so I took out all the charred leaves. I used sage from my container garden, so the leaves were smaller than usual, and I only did two pork chops not 4. Could that have made the sage cook faster and burn?

[Babette]

If I remember correctly, I added the tomatoes pretty quickly after browning the chops, because the sage was cooking very rapidly, but it didn't burn. Plus I used extra tomatoes, and the sauce cooked down quite a bit anyway--but it was so good! I would just wait longer before putting in the sage. Did your chops come out very tender? If they did, I wonder why mine weren't more so.

[AppleSister]

No, mine weren't very tender either. I bought organic pork at the farmers' market and assumed they would be less dry than supermarket lean pork, and was sad that they weren't meltingly tender. But my friend was also 30 minutes late for dinner, and I was reluctant to turn the stove off completely, so I may have just overcooked.

[faijay]

If you can get Berkshire Pork in your area it is worth the search and cost. It is much fatter than the modern breeds and twenty times tastier. I hate to quote Emeril, but, "Pork fat rules".

[queenie]

This is a standard in our house that I make quite often in the winter as it is so simple & easy. I've always made it with at least 4 chops. The first couple of times I stood there watching the sage leaves and yes, many did seem to burn while the chops were browning but I just shrugged and went ahead and did not notice any burnt taste in the sauce. I'm not sure how you could avoid it really since she calls for you to quickly brown the chops at a medium/high heat and throw the leaves in at the same time with the chops. I've made it so many times now I don't pay so much attention but I would say many of the leaves always tend to get very dark in color - even bordering on blackish (depending on how fast I'm browning the chops & how high the heat is) but I no longer pay much attention since it doesn't negatively impact the finished dish. One modification I make to this I'm almost embarrassed to admit but I think the recipe calls for 6 to 8 fresh sage leaves and I probably use somewhere around 20 (large & small leaves). I do tend to be excessive but I always ask my SO and whoever else might be eating with us if it has too much sage and the answer has always ben negative...

[AppleSister]

Thanks for your thoughts! Glad to hear the dark sage leaves don't taste burnt. The sauce was so delicious, I will definitely try again.

[Westminstress]

I've made this dish a few times now, and I just love it. I make it with 2 thick Berkshire pork chops and add extra sage leaves (20-25 leaves). In future I will also add extra tomato as the sauce is so incredibly delicious and there is never enough of it. The preparation could not be easier: brown floured pork chops w sage leaves in mix of olive oil and butter, add s&p and tomatoes, cover and braise over low heat for 45-60 minutes. The pork does not dry out despite the long cooking time. I like to serve this dish with polenta but mashed potatoes would work well too. Yet another hit from this wonderful book.

[hyperbowler]

I made this dish about a decade ago and remembered it having a delicious sauce, but being very dry. I made it again tonight with the same results. This time, I used thicker and higher quality chops. By 45 minutes, the chops felt like rocks. I let the meat rest for 10 minutes out of the pan and it was dry and saved only by the sauce.

Are people who've made this successfully using bone-in or boneless chops (we used boneless), and have they done it successfully with only two chops as we did? Any other tips would be appreciated!

[EclecticEater]

Having worked my way through a lot of recipes in Marcella's two main books on Italian Cusine, I can say without a doubt that every recipe turned out the way she stated it would. No bad recipes. Period. She is a wonder and if she ever reads this (Ithink she's still with us) my felicitations to her for her wonderful work!

[NYchowcook]

I think we're seeing a theme w/ marcella's reliance on porcinis as the flavor vehicle. They are good, and a very good technique indeed to reduce the porcini soaking liquid and then pour that into sauteed fresh musrooms to soak in the flavor.

[redwood2bay]

Chicken Fricassee with Porcini Mushrooms, White Wine, and Tomatoes

Made this tonight-- chicken was good, but the sauce was outstanding. Amazing what those porcinis, the reserved soaking water, wine, and tomatoes cook into after an hour. I used four leg quarters instead of a whole chicken but otherwise followed the recipe pretty faithfully. Paired with mashed potatoes and yellow wax beans-- wish we'd had more potatoes to soak up the gravy from the chicken.

[KMERC]

Iìve made that receipe and it comes out great. You need to use a thick pork chop, and it needs to be a real pork chop with a little fat in it, and not one of these new supermarkey fat free pieces of pork. Obviously this is not a low cal dish, so in for a penny.....

I love this cookbook, and have never made anything that didn't come out great.
Favorites include roast chicken with two lemons, pasta with clams (alhtough I've always made it here in Rome using real vongole veraci) and the Milk braised pork loin.

[rabaja]

I am thinking of making Braised Pork Chops with Tomatoes, Cream and Porcini tonight, anyone ever made this? Sounds pretty simple, but she calls for browning both sides of a 3/4" chop, and then cooking it for 45 minutes. That obviously is the braising part, but it seems like such a long time for a chop.
I will try to follow the recipe, but I hate dry pork, and I hate when I ruin my own dinner more!

[MMRuth]

I don't think I've made that, but I think I have cooked another braised pork chop recipe that called for cooking it for a long time and the meat turned out very tender and juicy.

[josh L]

i would use a thich chop and braise it very slowly. also, try and use pork thats not too lean like berkshire.

[NYchowcook]

did you make this pork dish? I'm thinking of making it tonight, and would welcome suggestions for sides. Also, can't figure out if brining would be helpful or a bad idea.
I've made long-braised pork chops (w/ apples, cider & sweet potatoes) that came out fab, so I made a third time!

[rabaja]

Yes, I made the dish last night and it was very good. Much more rich than most things I cook, but good none the less, and I can definitely see making it for a dinner date.
I tried to follow the recipe, but in the end, modified just a little. I used a small Staub dutch oven rather than a saute pan, and I halved the recipe, so the meat fit in the pan well.
The only ingredients I didn't halve were the dried porcinis, I used a full ounce and threw in two dried morels too(these were part of the one ounce). Someone mentioned not getting a lot of mushroom flavor in a different MH recipe, so I figured why not? Plus, I love mushrooms.
I seared the meat on both sides, added the other ingredients as instructed, and it was basically done. This is a very simple dish to make, it goes very fast, the last 45 minutes of cooking are largely unattended.
I should fess up though, once the dish had been simmering 25 minutes very gently with the lid ajar, I turned it off and went to the gym! When I got home, I gently rewarmed it and served it with whole wheat orzo and brocollini. The meat was indeed tender, and the sauce was very flavorful. Probably would have been even better if I'd done it as instructed, though.
I thought about brining or salting the meat, and eventually did salt the pork lightly about an hour before searing it off, definitely needed more salt. As others have mentioned, salting a little earlier than the recipe suggests is the way to go. I was worried a wet brine would do wierd things to the sauce, but I would be more liberal with the salt and pepper on the meat next time.
The tomato product I used was homemade roasted tomatoes, without the skins, these melted down nicely in the sauce.
Thanks for the suggestions I got re; this dish, I had a pretty thick chop (1 1/2" I think), with a nice amount of fat on the outside.

[NYchowcook]

made braised pork chops w/ tomatoes cream & porcini. It came out great. followed the recipe, though I used fresh plum tomatoes (peeled & seeded) rather than canned.
Made w/ Marcella's long braised cabbage, and roasted fingerling potatoes w/ thyme, oil & garlic. yum!

[rabaja]

Did you brine, salt or deviate at all?

[NYchowcook]

I pretty much adhered to the recipe for braised pork chops, tomatoes, cream porcini, except that I used fresh plum tomatoes rather than canned. Did not brine; after contemplating I thought: well, unlike grilling, braising should keep the pork moist. And it did. A fine recipe, a good dish, but not one I'm eager to return to. I'm not wild about the cream base for the braised pork -- much of the mushroom flavor was lost. I prefer the juniper/bay flavor route (sans cream) or apples -- I have a simple recipe for pork chops braised w/ apples, cider and sweet potatoes which I stick in the oven (Marcella uses the Italian technique it seems exclusively of stove-top braising). The apple enhances the pork; I think cream does not.
The 1-1/2 hr cabbage was not a good choice for a side -- something more springy in texture rather than wilted would better suit braised meat. Roasted fingerling potatoes were excellent (though Chez Panisse recipe, not Marcella)

[faijay]

Well the best laid plans! I forgot to order the Berkshire Pork so I made aquacotta (soup thread) and cauliflower gratin (vegetable thread) I took a Pork shoulder out of the freezer today and will try the drunken pork roast this weekend and report.

[Rubee]

Too many Chowhound dinners and other food-centric plans coming up, but I'll make the Drunken Pork Roast by the end of the month - great suggestion!

[faijay]

This weekend I am making Drunken Pork Roast. I hope some of you will join me.

[Rubee]

Tuscan Meat Roll with White Wine and Porcini Mushrooms

I also made this over the weekend (along with the braised carrots and Bolognese potatoes), and it came out delicious. The combination was excellent, and I'll post reviews of the side dishes on the vegetable board. In fact, I think my husband had a superlative comment for the meal every other bite (including his second helping). I used some of the tips that YumYum had given me - I used the mini-chop to chop the onion, and pancetta finely, which gave the roll a wonderful flavor as it really integrated into the meat. I also prepped and chilled it ahead of time. We both thought it was a great meal, and I would definitely make this again. I used an oval Le Creuset to cook, and two spatulas to turn. I agree with YY about the sauce - it thickens up nicely and is so delicious with all the juices from the meat, the porcini, white wine, and tomatoes. The only modification I made was a tablespoon of black truffle butter (from D'Artagnan that I had in the freezer) to finish the sauce, and I also used 1-1/2 pounds of ground beef, upping other ingredients slightly. I had no problem with dryness - browned it and then cooked it for exactly an hour. I did baste it often. It's interesting that Gretchen mentions in the "Classics" Marcella suggests lean meat, and in "Essentials" she calls for ground chuck.

Picture:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47...

[NYchowcook]

what page are the bolognese potatoes? can't find.

[Rubee]

p. 384 in "Classics" (without nutmeg), p.518 in "Essentials".

[yumyum]

I think this is where I post my results from last night's Tuscan meat roll. Fantastic recipe as written. I was a little worried about the amount for my guests so i upped the amounts by a half -- ie: one and a half pounds of beef and the corresponding increases in everything else. I also added some italian flat leaf parsley because I had it in the fridge. I chilled the roll for a couple of hours before cooking to try to firm it up / hold it together while browning. No other modifications.

The only dodgy part was turning the roll -- a couple of times it did look like it would fall apart but as it cooks it firms up and it becomes easier to turn. I basted it more in the begining and turned it more toward the end. The pancetta / prociutto (I used a little of both) sort of disappears into the meat mixture and you can't taste it though it imparted some richness to the meat. The sauce is incredible -- it thickens up beautifully and the porcini white wine and tomatoes make a great tangy deep combination. My only quibble is the meat itself came out a little dry but I also left it in the pan for an extra 30 minutes because we were too busy eating buratta and drinking wine to sit down immediately.

There were a few leftovers and I did NOT offer them to my guests to take home because I want it all for me.

[GretchenS]

Interesting. I made this too over the weekend (using the recipe from Classics (1973) which I think is the same except it uses 2 T tomato paste instead of chopped tomatoes) and I was under-impressed. I agree that the sauce is incredible, but I found the meat dry and firm to the point of almost being rubbery and somewhat underseasonsed. I diagnosed this as a combination of not enough fat (in Classics she says to get a lean piece of beef, trim all visible fat, then grind it; I used 93% ground sirloin), all beef w/o any veal for lightness and seasoning amounts typical of 30+ year old recipes. If I made it again, I would sub at least half ground veal for the beef, increase the amount of chopped pancetta/prosciutto, increase other seasonings and likely add parsley as you did, and probably increase the amount of sauce since it was truly the highlight. Alternatively, I might just make the sauce to go over my standard meatloaf.

[yumyum]

The Essentials version calls for gound chuck (80/20), with added pancetta or prociutto. I used both and also seasoned quite assertively with salt and pepper garlic and onions as the recipe calls for. I found chopping the onions really fine (in the mini-prep) boosted the flavor. Wonder if others had the dry meat issue?

[GretchenS]

Well, ground chuck would certainly be an improvement. I had reservations about the lean meat instruction (I normally use chuck in meatloaf) and wish I had listened to them.... Based on reviews by you and Rubee (and since I still have a bunch of porcini) I will try this again.

[mielimato]

TUSCAN MEAT ROLL

I made for Sunday lunch for a few friends and was reasonably satisfied with the results. I followed the Essentials recipe so I used a fattier cut of meat. As a result, the meat was very juicy and tender. Sometime meat loafs recipe calls for too much bread or fillings and the result ends up tasting less of meat and more of bread. This was not the case. My meat load was very meaty, juicy and tasty.

Things to consider:
1) Some suggested using food processor to finely cut the onions and prosciutto. I did not do this but wish I had. In addition to evening out the flavors, there are practical reasons as well. I left my onions chunky but this created air bubbles which made it more difficult to turn the loaf without it breaking apart. In the end, my meat roll stayed in tact but there were some tense moments in the kitchen.
2) I agree that the meat roll would have benefited from some additional spices or herbs. Rubee's idea of adding truffle butter sound amazing. The addition of parsley (by yumyum) is also a great idea. I would do this in the future.
3) I would have thought the porcini's would have been tastier. When I mentioned this, one of my guest said, "there were mushrooms in the sauce?" Maybe next time I'll but more in? Maybe I put too many tomatoes which over-powered the porcinis? I don't know what I did wrong here.
4) The book says that this recipe feed 4-6. I made this for 4 people along side the braised carrots, a side of steamed rice and a pretty elaborate first course and I thought that was barely enough. Everyone was full but I didn't have any leftovers. If I were to do this again, I would have increased the amount by 1.5 for 4 people.

Overall, I thought the meat roll was juicy and tasty. Pretty easy to make. But I also agree that the recipe needs to be tweaked (e.g. adding parsely or truffles) for additional flavor.

[faijay]

I assume you used dried porcini. Sometimes, they are just too old and have lost their oomph. I also find that the dried porcinis from Italy, especially if purchased there are a little more reliable. When you open the package you should get a good whiff of the earth, foresty aroma of the mushrooms. That said, I have had good luck with the very reasonably priced dried mushrooms from Costco. They should be in the stores soon. I divide them into small packets and freeze to keep them fresher.

[mielimato]

Thanks for the suggestions! I did use dried porcinis. When I reconstituted them, I did not pay much attention to the amount of water I used. Maybe I put in too much and diluted the mushroom water which was later added to the dish. I ended up with quiet a bit of leftover water which I did not use. I think that may have contributed to the problem. Oh well, practice makes perfect!

[Rubee]

A couple of the tips she also suggests are to look for the packages that have large, light-colored pieces (those with the most flavor are "predominantly creamy") and to reconsitute 3/4-1 ounce of porcini with 2 cups of water. When I made it, the porcini flavor really came through.

[Aromatherapy]

Yeah, never waste water from dried mushrooms. If there's too much, reduce it.

[llinza]

I also made the Tuscan Meat Roll this weekend. We were quite happy with it, the sauce is lovely and this would be suitable for company. I mostly followed the recipe except 1) completely omitted the bread soaked in milk (made it after work on a Monday and just blanked on it) 2) used dry vermouth in place of white wine .

I had no problem with the roll staying in tact but I did make sure to brown it well on all sides. I also did a considerable amount of patting and tapping when forming the roll.

Things I would do next time:
- Definitely use parsley in the roll and added to the sauce at the end.
- Decrease tomatoes slightly or perhaps use tomato paste - the sauce was really tasty but I found it a bit too acidic/tomatoey.
- Increase mushrooms as Mielimato noted, they were barely noticeable.
- I love Rubbee's idea to swirl in some truffle butter!

I do have leftovers and I'm looking forward to seeing how they held up.

[beetlebug]

Questions on the Tuscan Meat Roll.

And, I know this is really silly. The 2x2 slice of white bread... Did you buy a whole loaf just for the one slice? Has anyone subbed the white part of a baguette? I know, silly, but I don't want to buy a loaf of bread for one slice and there isn't enough room in my freezer for it.

Has anyone rolled the meat in panko bread crumbs v. regular bread crumbs?

How long and tall was the meat roll? I don't have an oval or rectangle pan and am trying to visualize what this thing will look like. I just keep picturing a meat shaped baguette.

Any assistance would be appreciated. I am making the meat roll this weekend. I am also being completely unoriginal and using Rubee's sides.

Thanks.

[mielimato]

I think substituting the white part of the baguette is fine. I doubt that it would make any noticeable difference.

I forgot to mention in my write up that I did not have bread crumbs at home so I just omitted it completely. I think it worked out fine.

I did not have an oval or rectangle pan so I just used a medium sized, round saucepan and shaped by loaf so that it would fit. My loaf was about 2.5-3 inches in diameter and about a foot long.

The only tricky part about making the dish is when you have to turn the loaf around. I used 2 spatulas and need my husband's assistance. It is the most delicate when it is uncooked but over time it firms up nicely. But in the end, if it breaks, who cares? It will taste great anyways!!

Good luck!

[beetlebug]

Thanks mielimato and Rubee. I'll post results early next week - so long as I don't lose the thread. I can't wait.

[Rubee]

I actually bought a loaf of unsliced bread - but only because I planned on using the rest for bread crumbs. I figured I'd freeze them and then I'm all set for any other recipes we do this winter.

[beetlebug]

Tuscan Meat Roll

I made this last night and it was a hit. As I joked with my guests, Tuscan Meat Roll was a fancy term for meatloaf with tomato sauce. Four of us had this along with the braised carrots and mashed potatoes (on the veggies board).

Like yumyum, I was concerned with the portions so I upped the meat ratio. I used 1.5 lbs of meat and I had about 2 slices left over. I increased the other ingredients proportionately. I ended up using two egg yolks (because I wasn't about to split one in half) and I used the insides of 4 french rolls (from Iggy's) instead of the slice of white bread. I don't think I added enough milk to the bread, but it didn't matter. Also, when mixed the meat with the other ingredients, the bread tended to clump with the meat so that there was noticeable bread clumps. But, all in all, it didn't matter. The last substitution was that I used panko bread crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs. I meant to add parsley to the mix but I totally spaced and forgot it.

After I assembled the log, I chilled it for a couple of hours until I was ready to cook it. I think this made rolling it easier. What also helped was that I had to cut the meat roll in half. I didn't have a pan large enough to hold the roll. I used a cast iron skillet that held the two halves perfectly.

I didn't encounter any dryness issue, but I also took the meat roll out after an hour. The sauce was runnier than I liked, so I turned the heat up and reduced the sauce. The porcini mushrooms with the tomatoes were outstanding. The sauce was definitely the high point. We were all scooping it up. It tasted especially delicious with the potatoes.

Thanks for all the tips. It's a high maintenance meatloaf recipe, but well worth repeating.

[kitchensalli]

Fricasseed Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon Juice (pg 334)

Made this tonight and it was fantastic!!
Wouldn’t change a thing.

[Westminstress]

Fricasseed chicken with rosemary and lemon juice

This is one of my very favorite cookbooks and every so often I like to delve into it and try something new. This is one of those wonderful recipes in which a very few ingredients are combined to add up to much more than the sum of their parts. To make, chicken pieces (I used legs and thighs) are browned in a mixture of butter and olive oil. Three whole garlic cloves and a sprig of rosemary are added to the pan, followed by a bit of white wine. The chicken is simmered, partially covered, until fully cooked. Remove chicken to a plate, spoon off most of the fat, and add lemon juice and zest to the juices in the pan. Reduce a bit, pour the sauce over the chicken, and serve. This is a fantastic dish! Succulent chicken, bright from the lemon, and the garlic and rosemary shine through. Plus it couldn't be easier to prep as the only work is peeling three garlic cloves! I love recipes like this. Highly recommended.

[Breadcrumbs]

Your post describes this dish in such an enticing way Westminstress. I have to admit that while I love cooking Italian, I didn't learn of Marcella until joining CH in late 2010. That said, I've likely only cooked a couple of dishes from this book.

You've made me want to make this one. Quick question, you mentioned the garlic flavour...did you mash the cloves into the sauce or remove them?

[Westminstress]

I didn't mash the garlic into the sauce but that's not a bad idea! I think it would be good that way too.

[Dommy]

Amazing picture Rubee!! Sorry to be a copy cat, but as I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve had Zuni Chicken and Bread Salad on the brain recently so I HAD to try the Two Lemon Chicken and Panzanella, or Bread Salad recipes for this special project! :)

I admit, I’ve always been afraid of cooking whole chicken. I once had one in the Freezer for gosh knows how many months because I couldn’t even remember when I bought it, because I would never BUY a whole Chicken (I did bake it rosemary style and it was okay). After a trip to Zuni (Where I wanted to suck every last bone of that chicken) and after reading the raves and how easy this recipe would be, I was eager to get back on the horse.

As Rubee said this recipe is SOOO easy... probably the hardest part was getting the two chickens stuffed in there!

http://members.aol.com/pmgon/Chowhound/AllDressedUp.jpg

I checked the chicken at the time the recipe said it should be done and saw that it DID get nice and puffy (especially around the legs!!) !!! I check the temp and it was still a little low inside, so I poped her back in, hoping the chicken would get all nice and crispy like the Zuni Chicken...

http://members.aol.com/pmgon/Chowhound/Puffy.jpg

When my temp alarm went off a few minutes later, the Skin had gotten crisper, but not nearly as caremely as the Zuni Chicken. Ah well, I rather had moist chicken than crispy skin anways, so I carved up and served it along side the bread salad.

http://members.aol.com/pmgon/Chowhound/suppah.jpg

Overall, it made for a GREAT dinner. As you can see, the skin did have a slight crisp edge, but it was still to flabby at bits for me to really enjoy it. The chicken was done PERFECT. I used a Kosher Chicken from TJs. The bread salad was a great accompaniment with it too. The flavors of tomatoes and sharpness of the dressing really helped amp up the chickeny flavor.

No, it wasn’t as mind blowing as the Zuni Combo though, also, while the aroma of Lemon was astounding, it really did not impart that much lemony flavor to the chicken. Ah well... I would defiantly do it again because it was so easy, quick and yummy! :

)

Recipe:
http://www.wchstv.com/gmarecipes/roas...

--Dommy!

[Rubee]

I agree - it doesn't get as crispy as the Zuni (which I think is cooked at 475 the whole time), but I find I make the lemon chicken more often since it's so easy and so juicy and delicious. I actually find a nice lemony taste to mine, but I really soften the lemon and poke it 20-30 times. At least you did the experimenting for the bread salad combo - if I'm craving that, looks like Zuni is the way to go!

[Carb Lover]

Thanks for your report, Dommy! I'm glad you're starting to conquer your fear of roasting a whole chicken at home. It is really easy, and Marcella's recipe is esp. good for a beginner. I'm impressed that you even trussed yours; I think I rigged mine shut w/ a sturdy toothpick.

The chicken gets very juicy and fragrant. I love lemony flavor, so I carefully sliced the hot lemons in half and squeezed some directly onto the cut chicken. Here's a previous post to add:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

(And I'm glad you liked the Zuni chicken. No other recipe gets the skin as perfectly crisp and caramelized!)

[Caitlin McGrath]

We always squeeze the lemons over the carved chicken, too (even though Marcella warns you not to), and we don't even cut them in half first, we just carefully (and slowly) squeeze the juice out through the holes we've skewered in with a pair of tongs. We've never been squirted with hot juice.

[cheryl_h]

I made this two days ago too. I'm still not sure how much I like it. I wet-brined the chicken beforehand which Marcella does not specify, but I wouldn't cook chicken that wasn't brined, it makes such a big difference.

I found the chicken very moist, the skin a little leathery and not crisp. The aroma of lemons was intoxicating but the chicken had little lemon flavor. I'm not sure what the point of the lemons is - can someone enlighten me?

Of the 3 recipes I've tested recently for roast chicken - ATK, Zuni and Marcella I still rate ATK the highest for producing very crisp skin with juicy chicken meat. I think I'd rate Marcella's recipe higher than the Zuni method because I found the Zuni chicken way too dry for my taste, although the crisp skin is wonderful. But I absolutely love Zuni bread salad. I think for ease, Marcella's recipe is great. I'll try squeezing the lemon juice over the chicken as other posters have said. It would add to the flavor of the nicely moist meat. But overall if I want killer roast chicken, I'll do ATK's method with root vegetables under the chicken, then put the chicken pieces over bread salad a la Zuni. This gives me the best parts of both recipes.

I roasted the chicken over a bed of root vegetables - potatoes, sweet potatoes, fennel, parsnips - which were beautifully caramelized and tasty from the chicken drippings.

[Carb Lover]

Thanks for reporting back. Doesn't sound like you were very impressed w/ this recipe. Did you poke lots of holes in the lemons? I used a skewer and poked at least 20-30 holes per lemon. Even w/o squeezing the lemon juice onto the chicken at the table, it had a lovely lemoness streaming through it.

I chose to dry brine and wonder if the wet brining contributed to the leathery skin since it's cooked on lower heat? My skin wasn't super crisp, but it was beautifully golden and tasty enough.

Funny how rankings can differ; mine is the exact opposite of yours! Zuni, Marcella, ATK. Ah, the roast chicken debate continues... :-)

For something new, I'm planning on making another of Marcella's chicken recipes tonight...most likely the cacciatora (old version). I want to dry brine badly (I'm an addict), but I'm forcing myself to follow the recipe...or I may go sprinkle on some salt before I leave for work...

[cheryl_h]

I did poke lots of holes, the lemons were dripping when I put them into the chicken. The part of the chicken around the cavity was lemony, but nowhere else. So breast meat was nicely perfumed but wings and drumsticks not. When I took the lemons out and they cooled down, they were quite soft so I think they lost a fair amount of juice.

I don't know if the moistness of the chicken meat was due to the lemon or not. I've roasted chickens similar to this recipe before (no lemons) and not had such good results. So perhaps having the lemons in the cavity is the reason? I don't know. To me having juicy meat is the most important part of roast chicken, followed by the crispness of the skin. So I like this recipe, but it could stand some tweaking.

I'm also puzzled by the skin texture. The only other times I've had this is when I've smoked poultry at low temps for long times. The first turkey (unbrined) I did in our smoker (6 hours at 200 F) had skin like shoe leather, it was completely impenetrable even though the meat was moist and tasty. But I've never experienced it with chicken brined or unbrined.

I think Marcella's chicken might be improved with higher heat at the end to get crispier skin. It's such an easy recipe I might do it just to see what happens. Or I might take my blowtorch to it - that's always such a blast.

[Carb Lover]

The lemons do add to the moistness and juiciness, in my experience. My mom always adds citrus (either lemon or orange) inside her turkey cavities since she swears it keeps the flesh moist.

Did you see JoanN's post where she used a Marcella prep/Zuni high heat method? May need to scroll down thread.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[JoanN]

"Did you see JoanN's post where she used a Marcella prep/Zuni high heat method? May need to scroll down thread."

Did you know, Carb Lover, that if you click on that little doohickey that sits just to the left of "X days ago X whatever" you can go directly to a specific post rather than just to the thread that contains the post? For example,
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[Robert Lauriston]

If you brine the chicken, it won't pick up nearly as much flavor from the lemons.

[cheryl_h]

Interesting point. I might try it without brining to see if it makes much difference. We squeezed lemon over some of the leftover roast chicken which obviously gave it a lot of lemon flavor.

[Splendid Spatula]

I agree that the brine would get in the way of the lemons, and really isn't necessary for this prep. That's the point of the holes in the lemons, is to add juice from within, so to speak. I've made this a billion times and it is never ever dry.

[pilotgirl210]

Oh my Gosh, Dommy. Your bird looks really, really tasty. You said dinner is at your house tonight at what time? tee hee. I've also been intimidated by whole birds, too. But I'm gonna try this......and soon.

[Dommy]

I usually don't respond to my own posts, but two worlds of mine came into a massive collision course this afternoon.

On my lipgloss board, one of the girls just got engadged. Someone made a joke about the "Engadgement Chicken" working. Well, we were all curious about what that meant and then someone posted the recipe...

http://www.recipezaar.com/83772

Supposedly this recipe was in an issue of Glamour and since then, they've gotten lots of letters saying that it works. So not only has Marcella created a recipe that is easy and tasty, but also can land you some bling... LOL!!! :

)

--Dommy!

[Rubee]

Roast Chicken with Lemons

I was planning on trying the roast chicken with garlic and rosemary because I've made the justly famous chicken and lemons so many times, but it's hard for me to try a new recipe when that one is SO good and SO easy. If you're not familiar, there are only three ingredients in this recipe - the chicken, lemons, and salt and pepper. Basically you poke two small lemons all over with a skewer, put them in the cavity, close the opening up, and roast the chicken, turning once. It's always fantastic, juicy, with a flavorful tangy sauce, as many Marcella Hazan fans will tell you. The only difference I did was to dry-brine it a la Zuni. Also, mine never puffs up, I wonder if it's because I never buy small lemons and always end up using one large one. Any thoughts?

Anyways - I tried to get a pic that shows how golden and juicy it ends up:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47...

[King of Northern Blvd]

I have only had it puff up once. I think it was because I started separating the skin from the flesh to put some rosemary sprigs under there. I opened the oven to check on it and it was all puffed up, but when it was time to take it out it deflated. So I guess I really haven't helped you at all. I made this last night as well, no puffing....

[Rubee]

Hmm. I'll try separating the skin. Thanks, that was helpful!

[Chas]

Minestrone - I know!!! It sounds lame that vegetables in broth can be something to rave about. But I can tell you that following her directions exactly make what I can only say is the best Minestrone I've ever eaten.

[Splendid Spatula]

Plus one on the minestrone. I think it is the combination of her meat broth, and the parm rind.

[knuckles]

Recipe: Chicken Cacciatore new version.

I've owned this cookbook for many years, it was probably the first book that transformed me from the one who cooks dinner in the family to one who thinks about what to cook for most of the day. Anywho, up until now I have had wonderful results with every recipe I've tried, and I've tried almost all of them. But tonight I tried a new one. I've made the chicken cacciatore many , many times before and it is fantastic, but tonight I tried the new version for the first time. When I read the recipe first, I was worried that the onions would get too dark before the chicken could crisp up, if at all. And this is exactly what happened.

[Carb Lover]

Thanks for posting. I'm confused though...from which book does the new version come from and how about the old?

[knuckles]

both are in Essentials

[Carb Lover]

Chicken Fricassee, Cacciatora Style (p. 330)
Online recipe here:
http://www.recipelink.com/mf/31/12030

Made this a couple nights ago and thought it was pretty good, but it didn't have me swooning. The recipe was simple to follow, and the ingredients were all things that would be easy to buy or staples that I'd have on hand.

Pan-frying the lightly floured chicken made it beautifully golden and helped to cultivate good bits of fond (even though some flour looks burnt, the final dish didn't taste burnt):
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/btdoan/IMG_5641.jpg

One pot meals such as this make life easy. It's almost done simmering:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/btdoan/IMG_5645.jpg

Finished dish which I paired w/ roasted veggies on hand, but would have been ideal w/ soft polenta:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/...

Ultimately, I can't really get into chicken skin that is sogged over from sauce. The flour gave the sauce a nice consistency, but I thought it made the chicken skin taste a bit gluey.

I restrained myself from dry-brining the pieces in advance to follow Marcella's exact instructions, but I will do that in the future. I don't quite understand why this recipe seasons the chicken AFTER pan-frying. I feel like more and well-timed salt additions would have released every bit of flavor and made the dish sing. I would make it again but w/ my own modifications.

In general, I've noticed that Marcella doesn't really emphasize salting, so I think cooks should take liberties to salt when appropriate.

[Rubee]

Well, on the "News and Guidelines" post, Redwood mentions that they were hoping "that folks would be able to discuss recipes before making them, and then perhaps small groups of people could decide to try the same recipe together".

Because of this thread,

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

I decided to try this recipe this weekend, but wantged to mention it if anyone else wants to make it also, and we could compare notes. In the Essentials book, it's "Tuscan Meat Roll" with white wine and porcini. Would also love to hear any tips if you've made it before. Thanks!

[mielimato]

Hi Rubee,
I was also hoping to join a small group of people to cook the same dish and compare notes. Thank you Rubee for taking the initiative! So Tuscan Meat Roll it is!

Can we get anyone else to join? If you are interested but don't have access to the Essentials recipe (pg. 403 in my version), I'd be happy to post a paraphrased version.

[mielimato]

Hi Rubee,
I just noticed that Redwood posted a new topic specifically intended for menu planning and for people to discuss recipes before making them. I will re-post in that section.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[AppleSister]

Can I make a suggestion? Could people start making comments about one dish per reply, rather than listing everything you've made at once? Then other people who have made that dish can add to that thread.

That said, my contribution is Baked Bluefish Fillets with Potatoes in the Genoese style. The potatoes are thinly sliced and tossed with garlic, olive oil, parsley, salt & pepper. That's it. Then baked half-way before the bluefish fillets are added. The potatoes end up with delicious crispy bits and the bluefish have an intense flavor with a buttery texture. The combination of the strong-flavored fish with the potatoes is perfecto. I was extremely proud of myself, as it was the kind of fish dish I would be thrilled to eat in a restaurant. It was also extremely easy, making it a perfect impressive dinner party dish.

Unfortunately, bluefish has extremely high levels of mercury--unknown to me until after I consumed a pound of it--but I imagine that mackerel and other similarly flavored fish would make good substitutes.

[Rubee]

That sounds delicious - adding it to my list to try. Thanks!

[NYchowcook]

I made this dish tonight, though w/ cod rather than blue fish. It worked pretty well.
Have to say that had it not been for the cookbook of the month project, I probably would have gone to a more standard non-Marcella (Bittman?) technique. So I'm appreciative of the impetus to search out a Marcella technique for what I had to cook with.
The potatoes are sliced very thin (I used thin setting on food processor), tossed w/ Marcella's usual OO, parsley & garlic, and the fish, ditto. Not any drippings available for basting, so I used more olive oil! Worked well overall. DH liked the potatoes; not a big fish fan. I like both! Served w/ swiss chard sauteed w/ garlic. I would probably return when I want some potatoes w/ my baked fish. That Marcella, she's nothing if not dependable!

[Splendid Spatula]

We make this regularly, it is terrific, one of our fave bluefish preps

[heidipie]

Grilled Shrimp Skewers: maybe my favorite dish in the book. So very much more than the sum of its parts.

Fricasseed Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon Juice: wonderful.

Spareribs Pan-Roasted with Sage and White Wine, Treviso Style: it still makes my mouth water just to type the title of the dish, but when I made it, it was simply swimming in fat.

[JoanN]

Just reading the title "Pan Roasted Spareribs" makes my mouth water. ;-) LOVE that recipe! Yes, it is swimming in fat. But such great tasting fat! Although the recipe doesn't call for it, I usually pour off most of the fat and degalze the pan with either water or white wine. We love that sauce so much, I always serve plain white rice with the spareribs just to have some way of sopping up the juices.

[candace]

Eek. Just realized I have mushed together various parts of the meal in one post. Ok, will start resorting. Apologies.

[candace]

My contribution, plus a question: what are people thinking abbout the Silver Spoon cookbook?

Salmon Foam - not so good

Broccoli and Anchovy Sauce - Excellent, a standard in our house, but I use rabe

Sauteed Snapper or Bass w/ Finocchio, Sicilian Style - good, but stint on the oil

Pan Broiled Steak w/ Marsala and Chili Pepper - You can substitute rib steaks for the sirloin and madeira for the marsala, and it's quite nice. Use a milder chili, e.g one serrano/steak is too much (and I LOVE chilis).

Stewed Pork w/ Porcini Mushorroms and Juniper - This is GOOD. I grind the juniper berries and the bay leaves, and just add them to the whole mess. If you have rib trim (e.g. you were BBQing the night or two before), it works fine in lieu of shoulder. You may not want all of the mushroom soak water. Boosting the amount of anchovies, onions, and marjoram is, to your taste, a good thing.

Eggplant Parmesan - THE BEST. But triple or quadruple the amount of basil, also I usually use a homemade garlicy tomato sauce rather than just tomato. I also use a mandoline to slice the eggplant thin.

Diplomatico - Yummy, and I do NOT like chocolate

[faijay]

Just a query. I have always thought that bay leaf could be harmful if eaten and always remove them from my dish. Is it all right to eat it ground. I have heard a person can choke.

[MMRuth]

Pan Broiled Steak w/ Marsala and Chili Pepper (Essentials, p. 386)

I made this dish over the weekend - delicious. I didn't have fresh chili pepper, so I added dry. I loved the subtle, interesting flavor that the fennel seed added. This dish is listed in her menu suggestions at the back of the book and I followed that menu, serving spaghetti with butter/rosemary sauce first, then the beef with asparagus (dressed with olive oil and shaved parmesan), followed by fennel salad. The sirloins I bought were huge - a pound each, so we had a lot left over which I sliced and heated up with the remaining sauce the next day. I only used two sirloins, but made the full sauce recipe as my DH is a sauce lover. Also, I found that the cooking time for the meat cooked the meat more to medium rare, than rare, though that may also have been my use of an electric stovetop with which I am unfamiliar.

[NYchowcook]

Veal scallopine w/ marsala & cream. Mmm, mmm.
Beef stew w/ red wine and vegetables. Very, very good. Simple and easy too!

[NYchowcook]

Roast chicken w/ lemons. Excellent.
Chicken cacciatora. Ditto.