Category: Dave’s Blog

  • Pork Scallopini

    Pork Scallopini

    So last night, I asked my wife “Do you want to stay up and watch the ball drop Saturday night?” She said, “Honey, I’ve been watching them drop for years.” Happy New Year to you and yours.
     
    Pork Scallopini
     
    4 (6 ounce) boneless pork loin chops
    1⁄2cup all-purpose flour
    Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
    3tablespoons vegetable oil
    2tablespoons unsalted butter
    1⁄2lb portobello mushroom, thinly sliced
    1⁄4cup marsala
    ¼ cup capers, drained
    1 1⁄2cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
    2tablespoons sour cream
    2tablespoons fresh chives, snipped
     
    Sprinkle a small amount of water on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Place 2 of the steaks on top of the plastic and sprinkle again with water. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and pound with a rolling pin or meat pounder until about 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining 2 steaks.
     
    Mix the flour with the salt and pepper in a shallow pie plate. Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Working in 2 batches, place half the pork in the flour mixture and turn to coat on all sides. Shake off the excess flour and add to the skillet. Cook until lightly browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate or platter and cover loosely with foil. Repeat with the remaining oil and pork.
     
    Add the butter to the skillet and heat until melted and foamy. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until almost all the liquid that the mushrooms give off has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Pour in the Marsala, increase the heat to high, and cook, stirring, until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Add the capers. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 3 minutes. Return the pork to the skillet and simmer, turning often, until the pork is warmed through and the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Transfer the scaloppini to warm serving plates. Stir the sour cream and chives into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and spoon over the pork.
  • Tagliatelle Bolognese

    Tagliatelle Bolognese

    Last night, I caught a little grief for splattering cacciatore sauce all over the stove. I said, “I’m never cooking again” Well, that didn’t last long. What’s For Dinner Tonight?
     
    Tagliatelle Bolognese
    2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms, wiped of grit
     
    1/4-pound pancetta or slab bacon, finely chopped
    1 medium onion, finely chopped
    2 celery stalks, finely chopped
    2 carrots, finely chopped
    5 garlic cloves, minced
    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
    2 bay leaves
    2 sprigs rosemary
    1 1/2-pounds ground pork
    1 1/2-pounds ground beef
    2 cups milk
    1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
    2 cups dry red wine
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    1-pound dry tagliatelle pasta
    Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
    Fresh basil leaves
    Fresh ricotta cheese
     
    Reconstitute the mushrooms in boiling water for 20 minutes until tender, drain and coarsely chop.
    Puree the mushrooms, pancetta, onion, celery stalks, carrots, garlic, together in a blender.
    In a heavy-bottomed pot add olive oil, bay leaves, herbs and cook gently until fragrant, then add vegetable puree and continue to cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes.
    Raise the heat a bit and add the ground pork and beef; brown until the meat is no longer pink, breaking up the clumps with a wooden spoon. Add the milk and simmer until the liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes. Carefully pour in the tomatoes, and wine and season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and cover. Slowly simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring now and then, until the sauce is very thick. If it’s too thick for your liking, add some of the pasta water until you get it to where you want. Taste again for salt and pepper.
    When you are ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender, but with a bite (as they say in Italian “al dente”). Drain the pasta well and toss with the Bolognese sauce.
    Serve with a good scoop of fresh ricotta cheese and garnish with some torn basil, grated Parmigiano and a drizzle of olive oil.
  • Spicy Fried Shrimp

    Spicy Fried Shrimp

    Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
    Here’s wishing you a wonderful weekend and may there be many HO-HO-HOES in your holiday!
     
    Spicy Fried Shrimp
     
    For the Sauce:
    1/2 cup mayonnaise
    1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce
    2 teaspoons honey
    Kosher salt
     
    For the Shrimp:
    Vegetable oil, for frying
    2 large eggs
    3/4 cup all-purpose flour
    1/2 cup cornstarch
    Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
    1 1/4 pounds small shrimp, peeled and deveined
    Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
     
    Make the sauce: Mix the mayonnaise, chili sauce, honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon water in a large bowl; set aside.
     
    Prepare the shrimp: Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl. Whisk the flour, cornstarch and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper in another shallow bowl.
    Working in batches, dredge the shrimp in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess, dip in the beaten eggs, then return to the flour mixture, turning to form a thick crust. Fry the shrimp in the hot oil until lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain the oil temperature. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon.
    Toss the shrimp with the prepared sauce. Arrange the shrimp in a shallow serving bowl or on individual plates and garnish with scallions.
  • Stuffed Lobster Tails

    Stuffed Lobster Tails

    If you have seafood for the holidays, try this recipe I made a few years ago for a dinner party I catered. It’s a little pricey. Good thing I didn’t have to pay for it!
     
    Stuffed Lobster Tails
     
    4 (1 1/4-pound) lobsters, cooked
    1 lb. Lump crab meat, cooked
    2 cups crushed Ritz crackers
    2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
    1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
    3 tablespoons fresh Parmesan cheese
    2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
    2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    4 lemon wedges
     
    Preheat broiler.
    Remove the meat from the cooked lobster tail. Remove the claws; chop meat. Set lobster tail shells aside. Combine the lobster, crab and crackers and the next 6 ingredients (crackers through Worcestershire sauce) in a large bowl. Stuff the tails with the lobster/crab mixture evenly among tail shells. Broil the stuffed lobster tails 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with lemon wedges.
    You can also use 6 frozen lobster tails, cooked, for this recipe, reserving just 4 of the tails to stuff.
  • Mussels In White Wine with Sopressata & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

    Mussels In White Wine with Sopressata & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

    If you ain’t makin’ seafood for the Holidays, you ain’t doin’ it right. This is a recipe I got from an old Italian fisherman, named Luigi Hookatesticali. He died shortly after a nasty accident while casting his line.
     
    Mussels In White Wine with Sopressata & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
     
    4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
    2 Teaspoon Butter
    8 Ounces Sopressata Sausage, or any good quality Italian Sausage, Finely Chopped
    2/3 Cup Finely Chopped Oil Packed Sun-Dried Tomatoes
    8 Cloves of Garlic, Peeled & Minced
    Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
    2 Cups Dry White Wine
    4 Pounds Fresh Mussels Scrubbed
    2/3 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
    Good, crusty Italian bread, for sopping
     
    Heat the oil and butter in a large bottomed saucepan.
    Once hot, add the Sopressata, tomatoes, pepper flakes, and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
    Add the white wine and bring to a boil.
    Add the mussels, cover with a lid, and cook over high heat for 5 minutes.
    Shake the pan and cook another 5 minutes or until all the mussels have opened.
    Add the parsley and scoop the mussels and broth into individual bowls and serve with bread.
  • Chicken Thighs and Mushrooms in Butter, Wine, Garlic and Lemon

    Chicken Thighs and Mushrooms in Butter, Wine, Garlic and Lemon

    Food quote of the day, from Dolly Parton:

    “My weaknesses have always been food and men—in that order.”

    Chicken Thighs and Mushrooms in Butter, Wine, Garlic and Lemon

    1 stick butter, divided

    Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

    8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on

    6-10 cloves garlic, diced

    1 lb. cremini mushrooms stems removed and wiped clean

    1 cup chicken stock

    1 cup dry, white wine

    Red pepper flakes to taste

    Chopped cilantro, for garnish

    Fresh lemon juice from 2 lemons, remove seeds

    1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

    Heat a large, high sided heavy skillet on medium high until very hot.

    Add butter, swirl around pan, and let melt.

    When butter is foamy and melted, add chicken thighs.

    Lightly salt chicken thighs

    Cook chicken thighs 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

    When chicken thighs are well browned, remove from pan – do not drain pan grease.

    Add garlic to pan, stir well.

    Add mushrooms to pan, stirring occasionally to keep mushrooms and garlic from burning.

    Add second half of butter to pan, let melt.

    Let garlic and mushrooms brown – about 4-6 minutes. Do not let garlic burn, reduce heat if needed.

    Add red pepper flakes when mushrooms are cooked through.

    Add stock, lemon juice, and cheese.

    Stir well, being sure to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan.

    Bring to a boil, let reduce and thicken slightly for 2 minutes.

    Add chicken thighs back to pan, let sauce reduce another 5-8 minutes, flipping chicken occasionally, until thick and chicken thighs are 165 internal temp.

    Garnish with cilantro, remove from pan and serve immediately!

  • Caramelized Onion, Spinach and Gruyere Strata with Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes

    Caramelized Onion, Spinach and Gruyere Strata with Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes

    Last week, when I was filling in for Billy Pilgrim, someone asked me to post a breakfast recipe. My recipes are so dis-organized, it took me until this morning to find what I was looking for. 2023…organize these damn recipes.
    Caramelized Onion, Spinach and Gruyere Strata with Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes
    6 cups cubed day-old French bread
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
    1 tablespoon canola oil
    2 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
    1 teaspoon sugar
    Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
    1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
    10 large eggs
    3 cups whole milk
    1 cup heavy cream
    2 cups grated aged Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces)
    2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
    1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
    Freshly grated nutmeg
    For the tomatoes:
    3 tablespoons canola oil
    2 pints cherry tomatoes
    3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
    Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Put the bread on a baking sheet and toast until lightly golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.
    Meanwhile, heat the butter and canola oil in a large saute pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and toss to coat, then add the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
    In a large bowl, combine the toasted bread, caramelized onions and spinach. In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, heavy cream, 1 1/2 cups cheese, the mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the thyme and nutmeg. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add the bread mixture to the baking dish, then pour the egg mixture over the bread and press down to make sure it is totally submerged.
    Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake the strata, uncovered, until it is golden brown on top, puffed slightly and doesn’t shimmy with uncooked custard when you shake the pan, 50 minutes to 1 hour; sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese during the last 10 minutes of baking. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
    Meanwhile, prepare the tomatoes: Heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the cherry tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chives and remove from the heat. Serve the strata with the sauteed tomatoes.
  • Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Bake

    Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Bake

  • Sausage, White Bean and Tortellini Soup

    Sausage, White Bean and Tortellini Soup

  • Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with Blue Cheese-Ranch Dressing

    Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with Blue Cheese-Ranch Dressing