Ingredients

• 4 smoked ham hocks
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
• 12 scallions
• 1 1/4 pounds fideos or angel hair pasta, broken into 1-inch lengths
• 1 pound large shrimp
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 pound abalone or oyster mushrooms—stems trimmed, caps sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup Spanish green olives, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 cup dry sherry, such as fino
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 dozen Manila or littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Preparation

In a large pot, cover the ham hocks with water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the hocks to a large bowl. Strain the broth into a very large glass measuring cup and skim off the fat; you should have about 6 cups of broth. Crumble the saffron threads into the broth and reserve. When the ham hocks are cool enough to handle, remove the meat and coarsely chop it; discard the hocks.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Grill the scallions over high heat until lightly charred all over, about 2 minutes. Coarsely chop the scallions. Spread the fideos on 2 large rimmed baking sheets and bake in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for about 10 minutes, until browned.

Using scissors, cut down the back shell of each shrimp. Remove the dark intestinal veins, leaving the shells intact.

Heat 2 large skillets and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to each. Add half of the mushrooms to each skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillets. Add the garlic and shallots to the skillets and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes; stir in the chopped ham, olives and crushed red pepper, then stir in the fideos. Add the sherry to the skillets and cook over moderately high heat until reduced by three-quarters, about 2 minutes. Stir in the ham hock broth and the lemon juice, then add 1 cup of hot water to each skillet. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

Add the shrimp and clams to the skillets and simmer over moderately high heat, turning the seafood a few times, until the fideos have absorbed most of the liquid, the shrimp are cooked and the clams have opened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the grilled scallions and sprinkle with the cilantro. Drizzle the fideos with olive oil and serve right away.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be prepared through Step 3 up to two days in advance. Refrigerate the ham hock broth, chopped ham, scallions and shrimp separately. Store the toasted fideos in an airtight container at room temperature. Warm the ham hock broth before using.

Food & Wine

Ingredients

• Oil (vegetable, peanut, canola or olive, anything will work well)
• 2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 large or 2 small onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 2 pints stout beer (recommended: Guinness)
• 1 small bunch marjoram, tied together with string
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

Coat a wide, large heavy-bottomed pot with oil and heat over high heat. Toss 1/2 of the lamb cubes generously with salt and half of the flour. Add immediately to the hot oil and brown well on all sides. When the lamb is really brown on all sides, remove it from the pot and reserve. If the oil begins to smoke, lower the heat and continue. Repeat this process with the remaining lamb and flour. Put all the browned lamb on a plate.

Remove the excess oil from the pot, add a little fresh oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the onions and celery and season with salt. Cook until the onions start to soften and are very aromatic, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the turnips, stir to combine and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Return the lamb to the pan and add the tomato puree, stout, marjoram, and bay leaves. Stir to combine, taste for seasoning and adjust, if needed. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat it to a simmer. Cover the pot halfway with a lid and simmer the stew for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, checking and stirring occasionally. Remove the lid during the last 15 to 20 minutes of the cooking time to allow the liquid to reduce and thicken. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed (it probably will). When it’s done, the lamb will be tender and full-flavored but not falling apart or stringy. Discard the bay leaves and transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Anne Burrell

Ingredients

For the flans:

• 6 oz soft fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 c. heavy cream or half and half, at room temperature
• large pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• salt and white pepper

For the croutons:

• olive oil
• sourdough baguette or bread, thinly sliced
• split garlic cloves
• finely chopped parsley, chives, rosemary, and thyme
• salt and white pepper

For the salad:

• mixed salad greens
• olive oil
• sherry vinegar
• grated aged goat cheese
• salt and white pepper

Preparation

For the flans:

1. Center rack in oven and preheat to 300. Grease or spray six four-ounce (or vice-versa) custard cups, and place them in a small baking pan.

2. Whisk (or hand-mixer mix) together the goat cheese and eggs until smooth. Whisk in (just to combine) cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

3. Pour into cups. Add hot water to halfway up the cups. Cover tightly with foil. Poke two holes in the opposite corners of the pan. Bake for 50 minutes – if you tap the cups gently, the flan shouldn’t jiggle.

4. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes, covered. (If not serving immediately, refrigerate and reheat in a water bath on top of the stove, or a microwave on low.)

For the croutons:

Toast the bread in the olive oil in a skillet. Rub with garlic, sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper.

To finish:

Make salad. Run a knife around the edge of the flans, and invert on a serving plate. Add a mound of salad, two croutons, and grate more cheese over all.

Serve as-is, or in the middle of a bowl of soup (like barley-mushroom, or tomato).

Daniel Boulud

Ingredients

• 8 cups water
• 3 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 pound dried brown lentils, rinsed, drained
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons ground cumin, divided
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Combine 8 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Add lentils; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well; rinse with cold water and drain again. Place in large bowl.

Whisk 1 cup olive oil, vinegar, 2 tablespoons cumin, 2 tablespoons chili powder, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt in large measuring cup. Pour 1 cup dressing over warm lentils and toss. Cool.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over high heat. Add onion; sauté until dark brown and soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken; sauté 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powder, and cinnamon. Sauté until chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.

Arrange lentils on large platter. Place sliced chicken atop lentils. Drizzle with remaining dressing and sprinkle with parsley. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Bon Appetit, January 2004

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg. (~1 lb.) dried yellow potatoes (amber in color)
• 3 tbsp. butter or oil
• 1 red onion, chopped finely
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic
• pepper (to taste)
• cumin (to taste)
• 1/2 kg. (~1 lb.) pork (shoulder or belly), cubed
• 1/2 kg. (~1 lb.) chicken, cubed
• 2 tbsp. aji panca paste (or much less of rocoto paste)
• 1 tbsp. aji amarillo paste
• 2 small cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tbsp. port
• 2 tbsp. Pisco [CP: can sub tequila, in a pinch]
• 1/2 c. unsalted, roasted peanuts, ground medium-fine in a spice grinder
• 1 c. chicken broth
• 6 butter or vanilla cookies, crushed
• 1 piece dark chocolate (or drinking chocolate), grated

If you don’t have aji panca paste, it is much milder than either aji amarillo or rocoto; for instance, a good replacement for 1 tbsp. aji amarillo + 2 tbsp. aji panca is around 1 1/2 tbsp. aji amarillo, or perhaps 2 tbsp. for a spicier dish. (I haven’t tried the rocoto substitution yet.)

Preparation

Wipe off the dried potatoes with a damp cloth, and toast them in a pan without oil for several minutes until they change to a dark golden color. Cover them with water and let stand overnight (or at least two hours). Drain, and wash them several times, until the water runs clear.

Fry the red onion in the oil/butter, until it is almost golden. Add the garlic, pepper, cumin, pork, chicken, aji pastes, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Let all brown and then cover with water and cook for around 10 minutes. Add the drained dried potatoes and boil until the potatoes are almost tender, about 40-60 minutes.

Add the port, Pisco, peanuts, broth, and butter/vanilla cookies (in pieces small enough that they dissolve when cooked). Cook for 15 or 20 minutes over a low heat. Stir occasionally until the potatoes are cooked. Add the chocolate, and let stand before serving. Serve with white rice.

Translated by me from Bibliotecas Virtuales

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or legs
• 1 pound beef bones, or a cut of beef with a lot of bone in it (like short ribs), optional
• 1 medium onion, quartered (leave the skin on)
• 1 head garlic, halved across the equator (leave the skin on)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, or more as needed
• 6 corn tortillas
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons canned chipotle chilies in adobo, or to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 avocados, pitted, peeled and cubed
• 4 to 8 ounces plain melting cheese, like mozzarella (not fresh), Oaxaca or Jack, shredded or cubed
• Lime wedges for serving, optional

Preparation

1. Put the chicken, the beef bones if you’re using them, 3 of the onion quarters and the garlic in a large pot. Add water just to cover (about 10 cups) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the liquid bubbles gently. Cook, skimming the foam off the surface every now and then, until the chicken is very tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, put the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, fry 2 of the tortillas (one at a time if necessary), turning once, until crisp and golden, 2 to 3 minutes per tortilla. Drain on paper towels. Cut the 4 remaining tortillas into strips, add them to the skillet and fry, stirring to separate them, until crisp and golden, another 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt while they’re still warm.

3. When the chicken is tender, transfer it to a plate or cutting board with tongs or a slotted spoon (or put it in the fridge or freezer so it cools faster). When it’s cool enough to handle, shred the meat with your fingers, discarding the bones and the skin. (If you used beef, discard it or save it for another use.)

4. While the chicken is cooling, strain the stock and discard the solids. Peel the remaining quarter of an onion and put it in a blender with the chipotle, 1/4 cup of the cilantro and a sprinkle of salt. Crumble in the two whole fried tortillas and add enough stock to fill the blender a little more than halfway. Purée until the mixture is as smooth as possible.

5. Pour the purée and remaining stock back into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the mixture bubbles gently and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken, taste and add more salt if necessary. Divide the avocados, the cheese and the remaining 1/4 cup cilantro among 4 to 6 bowls. Ladle the soup into the bowls and garnish with the fried tortilla strips. Serve immediately with lime wedges if you like.

Rose Garden Restaurant, via Mark Bittman, NYT

Ingredients

• 3 lb. chicken wings, wing tips removed and cut into 2 pieces
• 2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
• 4 small dried red chiles
• 2 whole star anise
• one 3" cinnamon stick
• 1/3 c. soy sauce
• 1/3 c. sake [or sherry]
• 3 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 3 tbsp. mirin
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• lime wedges for garnish

Preparation

In a very large nonstick skillet (or in batches), cook the chicken wings over moderate heat, turning once, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the giner, chiles, star anise, and cinnamon and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, sake, oyster sauce, mirin, sugar, and 1/3 c. of water and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the wings are cooked through and the sauce has reduced to a thick glaze, about 8 minutes [CP: this may/will be longer, Don’t Panic.]. Discard the chiles, star anise, and cinnamon. Transfer the chicken wings to a platter, scatter the scallions on top and serve with lime wedges.

Andrew Zimmern, via Austin-American Statesman

Ingredients

• 2 lb. italian sausage
• 12 small mozzarella balls
• 1 large (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1 container store bought pesto
• 1/4 cup white wine
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• fresh basil (optional)
• 1 lb. whole wheat pasta

Preparation

Divide sausage into 12 parts, wrap it around the cheese balls. Cover a baking sheet with olive oil. Bake meatballs at 350 for 45 minutes (or so) – keep an eye on them, you’re looking for browned but not overcooked. Heat tomatoes w/ pesto, wine, red pepper flakes, heat through and cook gently for a while. Gently blend the whole thing with an immersion blender to break up the big chunks. Optionally top with a little chopped fresh basil. Serve the whole thing with whole wheat pasta. Oven-roasted broccoli is great on the side, as are fresh greens.

Mom

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 6 anchovy fillets, minced
• 1 fresh red chile, minced
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups soft, fresh, coarsely ground brioche bread crumbs
• 4 large skinless trout fillets (8 ounces each) [CP: any thin/medium white fish fillet]
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325°. In a bowl, blend the butter, anchovies, chile, shallot and lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.

In a large, shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Put the bread crumbs in another large shallow bowl. Season the trout with salt and pepper and dip each fillet in the egg, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the trout in the bread crumbs, pressing to help them adhere.

Set a plate lined with paper towels and a baking sheet with a rack near the stove. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil until shimmering. Add 2 of the trout fillets and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned and crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side; reduce the heat to moderate if the fillets brown too quickly. Drain the trout on the paper towels, transfer the fillets to the rack and keep warm in the oven. Using a slotted spoon, discard any dark crumbs in the skillet and add more oil if needed to fry the remaining 2 trout fillets. Serve the trout with the lemon-chile butter and lemon wedges.

Food and Wine, January 2012

Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatoes, diced
• 3/4 pound cucumbers (1 European or 4 Persian), diced
• 1 green pepper, preferably a long green Italian frying pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup (loosely packed) coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Turkish or Aleppo pepper
• Salt to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 to 2 ounces feta, crumbled (1/4 to 1/2 cup) (optional)
• Black olives as desired (optional)
• Romaine lettuce leaves and pita bread for serving (optional)

Preparation

Combine all of the ingredients except the olives and romaine in a large bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes toss together, taste and adjust seasonings. Garnish with olives and serve, with pita bread and romaine lettuce if desired.

Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times