Ad Hoc Dinner

Well, we finally got settled in enough to have a bunch of people around, what, with our big new table and all. The guests included new, recent and old friends, and was a good mix of folks. The theme for the evening's menu was home cooking and everything came out of the Ad Hoc cookbook by Thomas Keller. Readers of the blog have heard me rave on and on about what an excellent chef he is, but you must know that this book contains AMAZING recipes that aren't too hard (a bit time-consuming perhaps) but DELICIOUS.

The clam chowder, I will go on record as saying, is the best I have ever tasted. A few other people told me this, too, so it HAS to be true. I think the key was the bacon. Oh, and a lot of cream and some butter. If you love chowder, you OWE it to yourself to make it.

The chicken and sausage dish was great, with lots of bold, springy flavors with good Italian sausage thrown in. The dish itself had MANY components, but was well worth it in the end. If you have never brined a chicken, I must tell you that the result is wonderful; juicy and flavorful.

We never actually got around to eating dessert, as things ran a little late. The next day Vanessa turned it into some ice cream (with an assist from some peach brandy) and we happy hoarded it for ourselves.

Clam Chowder with Bacon (Sorry no photo! We were too busy eating it!)

CHOWDER INGREDIENTS
8 ounces slab applewood-smoked bacon
canola oil
2 cups leek, coarsely chopped
2 cups onion, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic
kosher salt
2 pounds Yukon Gold potato, 1/2 inch dice
1 SACHET (1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs thyme, 10 black peppercorns, 1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled - all wrapped in cheesecloth and tied up)

CLAMS
4 pounds littleneck or Manila clams
1 ¼ cups kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup shallot, chopped
2 sprigs thyme
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

SOUP LIQUID
4 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup flour
3 cups whole milk
3 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons chives, finely chopped

Cut the bacon into lardons that measure 1 x 1/2".

Heat some canola oil in an 8x10 quart stock pot over medium heat. Add the bacon, reduce the heat to low, and let the fat render for 20-25 minutes, stirring from time to time; the bacon should color but not crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pan.

Add the leeks, onions and garlic to the pan and stir to coat with the bacon fat. Sprinkle with salt, cover with a parchment lid and cook very slowly for 30-35 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Remove and discard the parchment lid.

Put the potatoes, sachet and 2 teaspoons salt in a large saucepan, add cold water to cover, bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are just tender, 10 minutes. Drain and spread on a tray to cool; discard the sachet.

Use a clean souring pad to scrub any sand from the shells of the clams. Put the clams in a large bowl. Mix 8 cups of water and salt in another bowl, stirring to dissolve the salt. Pour enough of the water over the clams to cover, and soak for about 5 minutes, to purge them of any sand.

Lift the clams from the water, drain the water, and repeat the soaking one more time. Drain the clams and rinse under cold water.

When the vegetables are tender, increase the heat to medium and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, stir in the flour to coat the vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes to take away the raw flour taste. Whisk in the milk and cream, season to taste with salt and pepper and bring to a very low simmer.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Ad the shallots and thyme sprigs, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring for about 1 minute, until the shallots are tender. Add the wine, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes to evaporate some of the alcohol. Add the clams, cover the pan and cook for about 4 minutes, removing the clams as they open. Strain all of the clam liquid through a fine-mesh conical strainer into a bowl.

Shell the clams and set aside.

Gently stir the clam liquid to taste into the soup (avoid any sand that may have settled in the bottom of the bowl). Season the chowder with salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in the potatoes, and add about 2/3 of the clams.

Spread the bacon in a small frying pan and crisp over medium-high heat.

Garnish the soup with the bacon, the remaining clams, and the chives.

The Chicken Dish (and all of it's parts - in the order you should make it)

Chicken Brine (enough for 10 pounds of chicken)

5 lemons, halved
24 bay leaf
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch thyme
½ cup clover honey
1 head garlic, halved through the equator
¼ cup black peppercorns
2 cups kosher salt
2 gallons water

Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot, cover and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then chill before using. The brine can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. (Note: the chicken for this recipe brines for 12 hours. While it is brining, you can easily complete the rest of the steps)

Soffritto

3 cups Spanish onion, finely diced
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
1 pound plum tomato
½ teaspoon garlic, minced

Combine the onions, oil and a pinch of salt in an 8-9" wide saucepan and set over medium heat. As soon as the oil starts to simmer, reduce the heat to low and set the saucepan over a diffuser (such as a Flame-Tamer) to maintain an even low heat. The onions should stew slowly but eventually caramelize; adjust the heat as necessary so that the oil continues to bubble gently. As the onions release their liquid, the oil will become cloudy, but once the moisture has evaporated, the oil will clear. Cook for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the onions are a rich golden brown (a shade darken than a golden raisin) and the oil is perfectly clear. Check the pan often; if any onions have caramelized against the side of the pan, scrape them back into the oil.

Meanwhile, for a quick tomato puree, cut the tomatoes lengthwise in half. Gently squeeze the seeds out and discard. Hold the cut side of each half against the large holes of a box grater and grate the tomato flesh; discard the skin. You will have about 1 cup of tomato puree.

Add the tomatoes to the caramelized onions and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours longer, or until the onions and tomatoes begin to fry in the oil; the mixture will sizzle and small bubbles with cover the entire surface. Gently stir the mixture - the tomatoes and onions will separate from the clear oil. Turn off the heat, add another pinch of salt and the garlic, and let the soffritto cool in the pan.

The soffritto with keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Drain it before using. The oil can be used to start another soffritto.

Peperonata Rustica

6 yellow bell pepper
6 red bell pepper
canola oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces piquillo peppers, drained, peeled and seeded
½ cup SOFFRITTO (from above)
1 ⅓ cups CHICKEN STOCK or VEGETABLE STOCK
¾ teaspoon piment d'Espelette
1 tablespoon chives, minced

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut the bell peppers lengthwise in half to remove the stems and seeds. toss the peppers in oil to coat and salt pepper to taste. Arrange the peppers cut side down on the baking sheets, the red peppers on one, the yellow peppers on the other.

Roast the peppers until the skin is blistering, 30-35 minutes for the red and 35-40 minutes for the yellow; do not allow the edges to blacken. Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, or put in an airtight container with a lid.

When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel them. Tear them lengthwise into strips about 3/4 inch wide. Tear the piquillos into strips the same way.

Combine all the peppers, the soffritto, stock and espelette in a medium saucepan over medium heat, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, to soften the peppers completely an meld the flavors.

Transfer to a bowl or platter, sprinkle with chives and serve.

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Sausage and Peppers

2 x 3 pound chickens
CHICKEN BRINE (from above), cold
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
canola oil
3 sweet Italian sausage
1 recipe PEPERONATA RUSTICA, (from above)
extra-virgin olive oil
fleur de sel
¼ cup parsley

Cut the chickens into 8 pieces each: 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breast halves and 2 wings.

Pour the brine into a container large enough to hold the chicken, add the chicken, and refrigerate for 12 hours (no longer or the chicken may become too salty).

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse under cold water, removing and herbs or spices sticking to the skin. Pat dry with paper towels, or let air-dry. Season the thighs and drumsticks with salt and pepper.

Heat some canola oil in a large ovenproof saute pan or Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add the chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin side down and cook for 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until the chicken is golden and the sausage is brown and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes (it won't be fully cooked); once the chicken is browned, turn the pieces over and sear the other side for 1 minute. Transfer the individual pieces and sausages to a plate as they are ready.

Season the chicken wings and breasts with salt and pepper, place skin-side down in the saute pan, and cook until the skin is crisp and golden and the chicken is almost cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Drain any remaining oil from the pan and return to the heat. Add the peperonata to the pan, bring to a simmer, and add the chicken, tucking it into the peppers. Cut the sausages in half and nestle them in the pan. Transfer to the oven and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Drizzle the chicken with olive oil, sprinkle with fleur de sel and top with parsley leaves. Serve directly from the pan.

Peaches and Cream

MASCARPONE CREAM
4 large eggs, separated
½ cup sugar
½ cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream

PEACHES
2 pounds ripe peaches, preferably freestone
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Tondo balsamic

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a bowl. (It is not necessary to wash the bowl or the whisk.)

Add the egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar to the mixer bowl and whisk until pale and thick. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese. Transfer to a large bowl.

Wash the bowl and whisk, using cold water to chill them. Dry and return to the mixer stand. Add the heavy cream and whisk until medium peaks form. Fold one-third of the cream into the yolk mixture to lighten it, then fold in another third and then the remaining cream. Fold in the whites one-third at a time just until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2hours, or for up to 1 day.

Just before serving, slice each peach in half, twist the halves to separate, and remove and discard the pits. Cut each peach half into 4 or 5 slices. Put in a bowl and toss with the lemon zest, lemon juice and balsamic.

Spoon some of the cream into a serving bowl. Top with the peaches and garnish the top with more cream. Serve the remaining cream on the side.

(NOTE: This is how is was SUPPOSED to be served. But we turned it into ice cream. Make the cream as shown above. Cut up the paches into chunks and cook them down in 1/4 cup of sugar syrup and a splash of peach brandy. Let it cook down for 10 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered. Put the cream in the ice cream maker and when the cream hits the 'soft-serve' stage, dump the peaches and liquid in and let it churn until done. I dare you not to have some.)