Corn and Zucchini Fritters

Summer squashes (Curcurbita pepo) are as versatile as they are prolific. Two varieties in particular, zucchini and crookneck—the latter also simply called “summer squash”— are particularly adaptable.  And for most recipes they are interchangeable. A bit like johnny cakes, these fritters make a nice accompaniment to a wide range of dishes. For a lighter version, reduce or omit the cheese.  

Makes 4 fritters

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini or summer squash

100 grams (½ cup) corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1 egg

30 milliliters (2 Tablespoons) olive oil

10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) dried basil or twice as much fresh

100 grams (½ cup) shredded cheddar

 90 grams (¾ cup) flour

Salt and pepper

Water or stock, as needed

Oil or butter for cooking

Method

Grate the squash, put into a colander, and toss with a generous amount of kosher salt. Set aside.

Steam or microwave the corn kernels until barely cooked. Set aside to cool a bit.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg with the olive oil then stir in the basil.

Rinse the squash well then roll in a kitchen towel and squeeze out as much water as possible. Add to the bowl along with the corn and cheese and mix to combine. Fold in the flour, a bit at a time, adding water if needed to get a thick batter. Season with salt and pepper, bearing in mind that the squash may retain some salt.   

Brush a griddle or large skillet, preferably non-stick, with oil or butter and heat until nearly smoking. Portion the batter with a large spoon or scoop, forming into neat fritters. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes per side until golden.

Pollo Saltado

Many of us in the United States see the cuisine of Latin America through the lens of our southern neighbor, Mexico. Even there, we are often unaware of the rich variety that lies beyond the border states of Chihuahua and Sonora whence our familiar Tex-Mex and Cal-Mex dishes. In reality, the entirety of the Americas is a melting pot of French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, African, Indians, Poles, English, Irish, Chinese, Japanese, and, of course, the indigenous First Nations people. Peruvian cuisine has a particularly strong Chinese influence blended into its Incan and Spanish foods. Saltado is a stir fry in the Chinese tradition, most often of beef but sometimes, as here, chicken. And, perhaps to the surprise of North Americans, it incorporates the Incas great gift to humanity: potatoes. This is a great way to use up leftover French fries.

Two servings

Ingredients

15 milliliters (1 Tablespoon) vinegar

15 milliliters (1 Tablespoon) soy sauce

15 milliliters (1 Tablespoon) hoisin sauce (or half that amount of honey)

5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) ground cumin

5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) sweet paprika

15 milliliters (1 Tablespoon) aji amarillo paste or diced fresh chile pepper, or to taste

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, sliced into 2-inch strips

75 grams (about 1 cup) French fries, frozen or freshly cooked and cooled.

Salt and pepper to taste

Canola or other light oil as needed, divided use

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

Steamed rice, to serve

Method

Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, cumin, paprika, and chili paste in a bowl. Add the chicken and mix to coat. Set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

If the French fries are fully cooked, simple set them aside to thaw. Otherwise, fry them in a bit of hot oil or in an air fryer and set aside to cool. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil then brown the chicken quickly. In the same pan, stir-fry the garlic and onion for a minute or two then add the red pepper. Continue to stir-fry until the vegetables are softened and the chicken is cooked through. Turn the heat down a bit and add the marinade making sure to cook it thoroughly. Add in the French fries and toss to heat through.   

Risotto with Radish Greens and Anchovies

To my mind, risotto is not a dish unto itself but a palate awaiting whatever flavors and textures a cook cares to bring it. This unusual combination highlights the way that ingredients meld in a risotto yielding unexpected harmony. Do not be afraid of the anchovies. In this dish they are not even identifiable as fish but rather bring a touch of umami that enhances the whole. In place of radish greens you can use any spicy leaves such as arugula or mustard greens. And you can use any flavorful stock you have on hand. Yes, I know, as does anyone who watches Chopped on the Food Network, Italians never use cheese and fish in the same dish. Well, I’m not Italian.

INGREDIENTS

Stock – 750 milliliters (3 cups)

Olive oil – 15 milliliters (1 Tablespoon)              

Onion, chopped – 1 medium, about 100 grams

Garlic, minced  – 3 cloves, about 16 grams

Dry vermouth or white wine – 75 milliliters (¼ cup)

Anchovies in oil, coarsely chopped – 5 or so, about 28 grams

Arborio rice – 250 grams (scant cup)

Radish greens, coarsely chopped – 50 grams (1 cup)

Butter- 15 grams (1 Tablespoon)

Parmesan, grated – 30 grams (¼ cup)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Capers, rinsed and drained – 15 milliliters (1 Tablespoon)

Thinly sliced radish for garnish, optional

Method

Bring the stock to a boil then reduce heat and maintain at a simmer while preparing the risotto.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until soft and translucent but not browned, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the anchovies to the pan and cook for a minute then add the rice. Stir to coat the grains with oil and fry for about 2 minutes or until they lose their chalky appearance. Add the vermouth and deglaze the bottom of the pan.

Ladle in about one quarter cup of stock and stir until the rice has nearly absorbed it. Add more stock a couple ounces at a time, stirring until nearly absorbed before the next addition. After having added about two cups of the stock begin checking the rice for doneness after each addition. It is done when the grains have lost their crunch but still retain a bit of “tooth.”

When the rice is nearly done, add the greens and cook for a couple minutes, stirring, until wilted. Fold in the butter and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and black pepper then stir in the capers, garnish with radish sliced if using, and serve immediately.

(Not the same old) Bœuf Bourguignon

Enter bœuf bourguignon into an English-language search engine and you will find many minor variations of Julia Child’s classic from her Mastering the Art of French Cooking (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1961) 315-317. But type the same term into a French-language search engine and you will find a much richer variety of recipes. One that I found especially intriguing was Joue de Bœuf Bourguignon, beef cheeks, which strikes me as likely to be the original version of what is clearly a peasant dish. And the wine would likely have been equally modest, probably some that had passed beyond drinkability. The recipe here is one with a Québécois flair that I translated and adapted from the web site Femmes Québec (you can find the original here). Their introduction to the recipe sums up the dish perfectly: “This tasty dish is one of the most famous in French cuisine. You can prepare it in advance and keep in the refrigerator for a day or two before serving: it will never be better. Or you can freeze it in individual portions for a good month. Serve it with boiled potatoes, noodles, or rice as you wish.” Oh, and in case anyone asks, this is technically not a stew but a braise because it is cooked in the oven.

Ingredients

3 rashers of bacon, about 2 ounces, cut crosswise into matchstick-sized pieces

Olive oil

2 pounds lean beef, cut into 1 to 2-inch cubes, I use sirloin tip

2 medium onions, about ½ pound, cut into ½-inch dice

2 carrots, about 4 ounces, cut into ½-inch rounds 

½ pound mushrooms, quartered

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup flour, I use white rice flour

2 cups dry red wine

1 cup beef stock

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

3 or 4 cloves garlic, crushed

½ tsp. dried thyme

2 bay leaves

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced, or 1 Tbsp. dried

Method

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels; they will not brown properly unless they are completely dry.

Film the bottom of an enameled Dutch oven with a bit of olive oil and set over medium-high heat. When hot add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered out and it begins to crisp, about 4 or 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove the bacon, leaving as much fat as possible in the pot, and set aside.

Working in batches so that the beef cubes are in one layer and not crowded, brown the meat well on all sides, about 5 minutes, adding a bit of olive oil between batches if needed. Remove each batch to a bowl. Do not be tempted to rush this step; thorough browning ensures the best flavor.

Turn the heat down to medium and adjust the oil in the pan. Sweat the onions and carrots for 3 minutes then add the mushrooms and salt. Sauté, stirring often, for another 5 minutes or until the mushrooms become fragrant and begin to give up their liquid. Remove the vegetables and mushrooms to bowl and set aside.

Turn off the heat and return the beef cubes to the pot. Sprinkle on the flour and mix with a wooden spoon to coat the meat evenly. Pour on the wine and stock. They should just cover the meat. Turn the heat to medium-high and stir, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, thyme, and black pepper. Return the mushrooms and vegetables to the pot along with the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover, and place in bottom of the oven for 2 hours. Add the parsley before serving. If using dried parsley let it sit in the broth for about 10 minutes to rehydrate.

Gratin of Haddock and Zucchini

One benefit of being bilingual is that one’s universe of recipes online is doubled. This recipe adapted from a website in Bordeaux, France is an example of a simple dish with distinct French flair. It is readily adaptable to whatever you have on hand: sharp cheddar or Asiago can replace the gruyere and milk can fill in for the fumet but you might wish to cut down a bit on the cheese. The recipe works well with summer squash instead of zucchini and any fish white fish can replace the haddock. The original calls for the dish to be accompanied by parsleyed red bell pepper julienne but any colorful vegetable will do nicely, or you can simply serve it with a salad.

Serves two generously

Ingredients

Butter or oil – 1½ Tablespoons

Shallot, minced – 1

Flour – 1 ½ Tablespoons

Dry white wine – 3 Tablespoons

Fumet de poisson (fish stock) – 340 milliliters (3 cups)

Dill, preferably fresh, chopped – 2 teaspoons

Zucchini, sliced crosswise 3 millimeters (⅛ inch) thick – 250 grams (½ pound)

Olive oil – 3 Tablespoons

Salt and pepper – to taste

Haddock filets – 1 or 2 depending on size, about 150 grams (5 ounces) per serving

Gruyère or other cheese, shredded – 40 grams (½ cup)

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook the shallots until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix well with a whisk.

Pour in the wine and boil down for 1 minute. Gradually add the stock, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and reduce for 15 minutes. Stir in the dill and set aside.

Heat 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Season with the zucchini slices with salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes, turning once. Transfer to an oven-proof baking dish large enough to hold the fish in one layer, arranging them to cover the bottom. Set aside.

In the same frying pan, heat the remaining olive oil and cook the fish for 1 minute on each side. Place the fish on top of the zucchini, pour on the reserved sauce, and cover with the cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Instant Pot™ Carnitas

Carnitas, literally “little meats,” are said to have originated in the Mexican state of Michoacán. Traditionally, chunks of pork were braised in salted water with a bit of citrus juice added until the liquid had boiled away and the meat fried in its own rendered fat. Done correctly, the process would take several hours.

Ingredients

1 kilogram (2¼ pounds) pork shoulder, cut into 3 cm (1¼-inch) cubes

4 large garlic cloves about 15 grams

10 grams (1 Tablespoon) kosher salt

¾ teaspoon dried oregano

¾ teaspoon ground coriander

¾ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne (optional)

30 milliliters (2 Tablespoons) lime juice

Method

Place pork, jalapenos, garlic, salt, oregano, pepper, coriander, and cumin in Instant Pot. Toss with your hands until well combined. Seal lid and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.

Release pressure manually. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pork to a large bowl; fish out jalapefios and garlic and discard. Shred meat with two forks or your hands. Pour cooking liquid over meat and toss to combine.

Working in batches, transfer shredded pork to a large nonstick skillet set over high heat and cook, undisturbed, until underside is well browned, about 5 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until some of the edges are caramelized and crisp, 5—7 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Cover with foil to keep warm and moist.

Serve carnitas with tortillas and taco toppings alongside (if using).

Do Ahead: Carnitas (without crisping) can be made 3 days ahead. Shred, toss with cooking liquid, and let cool; cover and chill. Crisp just before serving.

Cretons

Resembling the French rillettes from which they are certainly derived, cretons are a potted pork forcemeat spread traditionally eaten on toast at breakfast. Sometimes called gorton, especially in New England, they are widely commercially available in heavily Franco-American areas of the Northeast and, of course, in Québec. Today, most recipes call for minced pork shoulder or loin sometimes with veal. It is my contention, based on nothing more than a familiarity with our native frugality, that in the old days they would have been made from scraps, most likely the cracklings left over from rendering lard. If I have made stock with a pork bone, I add in the meat that is left when I strain it. Cloves are the most common seasoning, but some people add allspice and/or cinnamon. Some recipes call for cream, others for milk, some also add white wine and stock. I used skim milk mostly because I do not generally have liquid milk on hand. Finally, while most recipes call for breadcrumbs, some use oatmeal. Either is fine.

Ingredients

1 medium onion

1 clove garlic

15 grams (1 Tablespoon) butter, duck fat, or olive oil

500 grams (1 pound) pork cracklings and/or other scraps

350 milliliters (1½ cups) milk, whole or skim

100 grams (1 cup) breadcrumbs

Ground cloves, allspice, cinnamon to taste (see introduction)

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Finely mince the onion and garlic—I use a food processor—and in a skillet sauté in the fat until soft but not colored.

Finely chop the pork—again, I use a food processor—and add it to the pan with the onion and garlic.

Pour in the milk and stir to combine then mix in the breadcrumbs and the spices. Simmer gently until the mixture thickens, 20 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn the mixture out into a terrine or ramekins. Cover and chill for several hours before serving.

Cream Of Parsnip and Carrot Soup

One of the joys of autumn is the harvest of root vegetables: most commonly potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips. In cold climes they are valued for their ability to be stored for the winter and to feed both humans and livestock. Of these, parsnips, related to carrots and parsley, seem to be the least appreciated in American cooking. That is a shame because this root is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. As in this recipe, they go well with their carrot cousins to make a warming soup for the shortening days as the snow begins to fly.

One can make this soup with whatever stock in on hand. Chicken is traditional; I like to use duck when I have it. And I often use duck fat or chicken schmaltz in place of the butter. It can even be made vegan by sautéing the vegetables in oil and omitting the cream altogether, although the soup will be a bit less rich.

Note: this recipe requires the use of a blender, a stick blender being preferable

Ingredients

15 grams (1 tablespoon) butter or other fat

125 grams (1 medium) onion, chopped

60 grams (1 medium stalk) celery, chopped

1 bay leaf

10 grams (2 cloves) garlic, coarsely minced

340 grams (2 medium) parsnips, peeled and diced

150 grams (2 medium) carrots, peeled and diced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 liter (1 quart) stock, chicken or alternative

30 milliliters (2 Tablespoons) heavy cream, or a bit more to taste

Method

Note: I make this in my Instant Pot® for convenience rather than speed. Its being electric I can just set it up and forget it while I would have to watch a pot on a flame. If you do not have one, just make the soup in a large pot simmering it over low heat for about 45 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft.

Melt the butter in the Instant Pot® on the Sauté setting at medium heat and cook the onions and celery, stiring often, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bay leaf and garlic.

Add the parsnips and carrots seasoning them with salt and pepper then pour on the stock. Be careful with the salt, especially if you are using store-bought stock that often has quite a bit of salt in it.

Set the Instant Pot® to Soup/Broth at high pressure and the timer to 30 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, let the pressure release naturally. (I turn off the Keep Warm function.)

Fish out and discard the bay leaf then, using a hand-held blender, purée soup until smooth. Stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve garnished with snipped chives if you wish.

Leek and Potato Soup

There are many versions of leek and potato soup of which the best known are the Welsh Cawl Cennin a Thatws and the French Potage Parmentière, usually called Vichyssoise when served cold. In the British Isles the soup usually contains meat, often unsmoked bacon but sometime lamb or beef. French preparations are generally meatless. Both traditionally use chicken stock. In this recipe, I split difference between France and Wales by making it meatless but using ham stock. It is also very good with vegetable stock. In fact, there is so much flavor from the leeks that one could make it with plain water and still have a nice soup.

Ingredients

Leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned and diced ― 400 grams (a scant pound)

Onion, diced ― 150 grams (1 medium)

Celery, diced ― 60 grams (1 medium stalk)

Butter ― 30 grams (2 Tablespoons)

Potatoes, peeled and diced ― 450 grams (1 pound)

Parsley, chopped ― 10 grams (about 2 Tablespoons)

Stock (see above) ―1 liter (1 quart)

Heavy cream (36%) ― 125 milliliters (½ cup)

Salt and pepper

Snipped chives

Method

Note: while I describe making this in an Instant Pot®, making it on the stovetop is the same.  

Melt the butter in the Instant Pot® using the sauté setting on low. Stir in the leeks, onions, and celery to coat them with the butter and sweat, covered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The vegetables should become soft without coloring. If they start to brown, switch to the custom heat setting and reduce the temperature. (The glass lid is handy for this recipe.)

Add potatoes and parsley to the pot along with the stock. Bring to a boil with the sauté setting on high, then switch to the slow cook setting on high and simmer for an hour.

Let the soup cool a bit the, using a stick blender or in a food processor, puree the soup. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cream.

Serve hot or cold garnished with snipped chives.

Cassoulet

This rich bean dish is a regional specialty of the Languedoc region of Southern France. Although some sources date its origin to the 14^th century I suspect, granted without any real evidence, that is several centuries older and was taken to the north of France by Normans returning from the Crusades whose descendants brought it to the New World where it evolved into the baked beans erroneously attributed to Boston. In any case, the dish was clearly influenced by the Columbia Exchange, replacing Old‑World beans with large white phaseolous beans from the New World and incorporating tomatoes. It likely was a simple peasant dish that has, in the best French culinary tradition, been endlessly complicated to where it has become a 2-day project. This recipe, pre-cooking the beans in a pressure cooker, reduces preparation time to a couple of hours.

Cassoulet always contains large white beans and a breadcrumb crust but otherwise there is quite a bit of leeway as to what is in it. The classic cassoulet of Toulouse contains pork, pork skin, duck and/or goose, sometimes mutton, and Saucisses de Toulouse, a mild garlic sausage. I use homemade duck leg confit and pickled pork, a leaner version of salt pork–one could substitute chicken thigh and pork loin or shoulder—and whatever sausage I happen to have on hand, Andouille or Portuguese linguiça work well. Incidentally, the word “cassoulet” comes from “casserole,” the vessel in which it is traditionally baked. I make mine in an enameled cast iron pot.  

 Ingredients

225 grams, 8 ounces, large white beans such as great northern

Water as needed

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

½ teaspoon salt

120 grams, about 4 ounces, sausage, sliced

150 grams, about 5 ounces, pickled pork

Olive oil or duck fat from the confit, as needed

1 large onion, diced

4 (or more to taste) cloves garlic, minced

3 plum tomatoes coarsely chopped or one half of a 14.5-ounce canned diced tomatoes

½ teaspoon each dried thyme, savory, parsley, and marjoram

250 milliliters, 1 cup, dry white wine

2 cooked duck legs (confit), shredded

Duck or chicken stock as needed, about 2 cups

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup breadcrumbs

Method

Rinse the beans well and pick over to remove any discolored ones or small stones. Place in a pressure cooker and cover with water by about an inch. Cook for 20 minutes at high pressure. Release the pressure according to manufacturer’s instructions and drain the beans. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Put a bit of olive oil or duck fat into a small Dutch oven over medium heat and brown the sausage to render out some of its fat. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour off any excess fat and repeat with the pickled pork.

Adjust the fat in the pot as needed then return to medium-low heat and cook the onion until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and tomato and continue cooking, stirring from time to time, until somewhat dry. Pour in the wine and add the herbs. Bring to a boil and cook gently for a few minutes to concentrate the flavors.

Add the beans, sausage, bacon, and duck to the base in the pot. Stir to combine. Pour on enough stock to just cover the beans and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the cassoulet, pressing down gently with the back of a large spoon so that the juices moisten them. Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes or until a crust forms. (Traditionally the crust is supposed to be broken and allowed to reform 7 times!) Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.