Beyond Chopped Liver: Gigi’s Chicken Liver Pâté
The other day I took a drive out to Gigi’s Market at Greig Farm, which is tucked away half a mile off Route 9 in Red Hook. For lunch, I ordered the Bianca Skizza, a flatbread “pizza” that’s an intoxicating combination of figs, Coach Farm goat cheese, arugula and white truffle oil ($10.50). Paired with a salad dressed in gossamer sherry shallot vinaigrette, it’s a great lunch for two. Everything was so delicious that I decided to buy some prepared food to take home, and the lasagna Bolognese and Tuscan style Minestrone were both superb, savory and satisfying. But it was the Chicken Liver Pâté that was a revelation—creamy, tangy with a hint of fruit. I expected a refined version of the chopped liver from the Jewish delis of my childhood, but Gigi’s version tastes like it’s made by an Italian grandmother instead of a Kosher one. When I asked for the recipe, I discovered the three secret ingredients (which were not used back in the shtetls of Eastern Europe) that make this pâté so divine: heavy cream, orange zest, and truffle oil. For those of us who don’t live close enough to shop regularly at Gigi’s, this recipe is truly a prize.
Make the pate ahead as the flavors will only get better, about 2 days and up until 2 weeks. Serve spread onto croutes with cornichons.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium shallot, chopped
1 lb chicken livers, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup white wine such as a dry Riesling, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
1 cup heavy cream
1 navel orange
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon truffle oil, optional
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Heat olive oil in large skillet over moderately high heat, until hot but not smoking and cook shallots, stirring, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add chicken livers, with thyme and cook, stirring, 4 minutes. Add wine and simmer, until reduced by two-thirds, about 8 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and simmer until reduced by half, about 10 minutes more (chicken livers will be cooked through at this point).
• Transfer mixture to a food processor and finely grate the zest of the orange with a micro plane or with the small holes of a hand held grater into the processor. Blend chicken liver mixture with lemon juice and truffle oil until smooth.
• Strain mixture through a fine sieve set over a bowl and season pate with salt and pepper to taste. Chill pate until cooled and thickened.
• Transfer pate to a serving bowl or spread on croutes and serve with cornichons.
Makes about 3 cups
Tell-a-FriendPosted by Dan Shaw on 04/22/08 at 02:22 PM (1) Comments • Permalink
Sweet William’s Orange Marmalade Linzer Cookies
Jason Young of Sweet William’s Bakery in Falls Village, whose cookies are sold at his tiny shop and stores like Guido’s and the Co-op, would never part with the recipe for his signature ginger cookies. But anyone who knows Jason knows he is generous, so he agreed to share his new recipe for linzer cookies. He’s lightened the traditional version by using orange marmalade instead of raspberry jam and adding lemon zest to the dough. “I think it is really nice cookie for spring,” he says.
Equipment note: You will need a three-inch and a one-inch round cookie cutter to make these.
1 ¼ cups butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
2 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 ¼ cups finely ground almonds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon salt
zest of 1 lemon
1 jar orange marmalade (use the thick, not runny, variety)
Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and vanilla. Stir together flour, almonds, cinnamon, cloves, salt and lemon zest. Stir into butter mixture.
Divide dough and flatten into two disks, wrap and chill until firm. Roll one disk to 1/8” thickness, cut 3” circles using biscuit or large cookie cutter. Place circles on parchment lined baking pan. Spoon 1 teaspoon orange marmalade in center of dough circle, use back of spoon to spread a small amount toward edge. Roll second disk of dough to 1/4” thickness, cut 3” circles using same cookie cutter, then cut 1” circles in center. Position circle with center hole over marmalade, pushing lightly to seal.
Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Dust with confectioner’s sugar after cooling.
Sweet William’s Bakery
100 Main Street, Falls Village CT; 860-824-8180
Posted by Dan Shaw on 03/26/08 at 10:48 AM (0) Comments • Permalink
Chaseo’s Pork Medallions with Apples and Onions
Carl Berman
2 pork tenderloins
2 T. chopped rosemary leaves (optional)
1/4 c. olive oil
2 T. butter
2 onions, sliced medium-thick
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut in eighths
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. demi-glaze (or 1 beef bouillon cube, crushed)
Splash of brandy
Season the tenderloins with salt, pepper and chopped rosemary, if using. Heat the olive oil and butter in a saute pan until sizzling. Add the tenderloins and brown on all sides. Set aside. (They will still be raw in the center.)
Add the onion slices to the saute pan and cook until lightly colored. Add the apples and continue cooking for less than 1 minute. When the apples are hot, add the brown sugar, the demi-glaze or crushed bouillon cube, and the brandy. Toss to mix. (Can be made ahead to this point. Reheat before proceeding.)
Just before serving, slice the tenderloins into 3/4” thick medallions. Add to the pan of hot apples and onions and cook until the alcohol in the brandy has evaporated (it will no longer taste bitter), and the pork is cooked, but still pink.
Place a mound of mashed potatoes in the center of each plate and surround it with pork, apples, and onions. Serves 6.
Tell-a-FriendPosted by Marilyn Bethany on 02/01/08 at 03:41 PM (0) Comments • Permalink
Herb butter
Apart from chives, herbs don’t freeze successfully unless they are suspended in fat (consider pesto). This recipe is adapted from one by chef Waldy Malouf that appeared in New York Magazine, November 1, 1999. He suggested whipping up a cup of it on Thanksgiving morning to baste the bird. We suggest making it by the pound and freezing it whenever there’s a bumper crop of herbs in the garden or the refrigerator. Slice off chunks and defrost as needed to baste a bird, smear across a grilled steak or chop, or melt and mix with flour to make the roux for a pot pie sauce. It makes any savory dish that calls for butter taste better.
4 small shallots (or, if they’re big, two shallots)
4 cloves garlic
1 c. packed fresh parsley leaves
12 stalks fresh chives
12 fresh sage leaves
¼ c. packed fresh thyme leaves
1 T + 1 tsp. packed fresh tarragon leaves
In a Cuisinart, chop above ingredients until fine. Then add the following ingredients and mix until blended with the herbs.
1 lb. softened butter
1 cup olive oil
2 T lemon juice
Scrape the herb butter onto a sheet of waxed paper. Form into a fat tube and freeze. Cut off chunks as needed and defrost. Use about about a cup for a 12-lb turkey. (To pipe it under the breast skin, use a pastry bag.)
Tell-a-FriendPosted by Marilyn Bethany on 01/02/08 at 02:02 PM (0) Comments • Permalink
