#thenewjamesbeard

[classiccookbooks]

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic 

Source: The New James Beard 1989

A Provençal recipe I taught for years in my classes-and which never failed to astonish the students. They couldn't believe we would use forty garlic cloves, but the slow braising softens the garlic to a lovely buttery consistency and delicate flavor, like the garlic purée on page 534.

Makes 8 servings 

2/3 cups oil

8 chicken drumsticks and thighs (or use 16 drumsticks or 16 thighs)

4 ribs celery, cut in long strips

2 medium-size onions, chopped

6 sprigs parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

(or 1 teaspoon dried)

1/2 cup dry vermouth

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Grated nutmeg

40 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Put the oil in a shallow dish, add the chicken pieces, and turn them to coat all sides evenly with the oil. Cover the bottom of a heavy 6-quart casserole with a mixture of the celery and onion, add the parsley and tarragon, and lay the chicken pieces on top. Pour the vermouth over them, sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and a dash or two of nutmeg, and tuck the garlic cloves around and between the chicken pieces. Cover the top of the casserole tightly with aluminum foil and then the lid (this creates an airtight seal removing the cover. so the steam does not escape). Bake in a 375° oven for 1 1/2 hours, without removing the lid. 

Serve the chicken, pan juices, and whole garlic cloves with thin slices of heated French bread or hot toast. The garlic should be squeezed from the root end of its papery husk onto the bread or toast, spread like butter, and eaten with the chicken.

[classiccookbooks]

Ginger Cakes

Source: The New James Beard 1989

The smooth texture of these cookies with a hot overtone of ginger is rather like a ginger shortbread. Use the shortbread technique of pressing the mixture into the pan with your fingers.

Makes about 50 cookies

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 pound (1 cup) unsalted butter

Mix the flour, sugar, ginger, and baking soda thoroughly, then combine with the butter, cut into small pieces, until the mixture is well blended and crumbly. Place a 1/2-inch thickness of the mixture in square 8-inch layer- cake pans, pressing it down in the pan with your fingers. Bake in a 325° oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until lightly browned. While the cake is still warm, cut it into finger-shaped pieces about 1 inch wide. Remove the pieces with a spatula and, when cool, store in covered tins.

[classiccookbooks]

Brioche Bread

Source: The New James Beard 1989

Makes 2 loaves

1 1⁄2 packages (12 tablespoons) active dry yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1⁄2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 eggs

Egg wash (1 egg yolk beaten with 1/4 cup light cream or evaporated milk)

Combine the yeast, sugar, and water in a cup measure and allow to proof (it is proofed when it begins to swell and bubble). Mix the melted butter and salt. Combine the flour, eggs, melted butter, and yeast mixture in a large bowl and beat with your hand until well combined and smooth. Butter a second large bowl, put the dough in it and turn it around so the surface is lightly coated with butter. Cover with a dish towel and put in a warm, draft-free place to rise until light and doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours. Punch down the risen dough with your fist and divide it in half. Butter two 8-by-4-by-2-inch loaf pans. Form the dough into loaves and put in the pans. Cover with a towel and let rise a second time until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400°. Brush the risen loaves with the egg wash. Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the loaves are a deep golden brown and, when removed from the pans, sound hollow when rapped on the bottom with the knuckles. If not quite ready, return loaves to the pans and bake another few minutes. Cool on a rack.

[classiccookbooks]

Gougères

Source: The New James Beard 1989

These wonderfully cheesy little puffs of pâte à choux-cream puff pastry- are easy to make and terribly popular at a party-so make lots!

1 cup water

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 medium-size eggs

Makes 26 to 30 puffs

3/4 to 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Grated Parmesan or Gruyère cheese or small cubes of Gruyère for garnish Combine water, butter, salt, and pepper in a medium-size saucepan and cook over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the flour all at once and stir the mixture vigorously and constantly, still over medium heat, with a wooden spoon or spatula until it is very firm and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Off the heat, add the eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously after each addition until completely incorporated. The dough should be smooth and glossy. Add the 3/4 to 1 cup grated cheese, mustard, and cayenne, and blend thoroughly. Drop the mixture by small spoonfuls onto a lightly buttered baking sheet, or if you want to be a little fancier, pipe small puffs of the mixture through a plain-tipped pastry bag. Sprinkle the tops with additional grated Gruyère or Parmesan cheese or place 2 or 3 small pieces of Gruyère on top of each puff. Bake the gougères in a preheated 375° oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and make a crosswise slash in the bottom of each to allow excess steam to escape. Return the gougères to the warm oven for a few minutes to dry them. Serve hot or at room temperature.

[classiccookbooks]

Ratatouille

Source: The New James Beard 1989

This has become an all-time favorite with roast lamb or beef.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 or 2 large onions, sliced

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

2 green peppers, peeled and slivered

1 large eggplant, diced

4 or 5 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices

8 to 10 very ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 2 to 3 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes

1 tablespoon shredded fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried

1/2 teaspoons salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Sauté the onions and garlic in the oil in a deep saucepan with a heavy bottom. When the onions are just translucent, add the peppers, eggplant, and zucchini, and mix together well. Reduce the heat, cover the pan tightly, and simmer for 10 minutes, shaking the pan or tossing the vegetables 2 or 3 times so they cook evenly. Add the tomatoes and the seasonings and continue simmering for another 10 or 12 minutes. Uncover the pan and allow the mixture to cook down and the liquid to reduce, stirring frequently. The vegetables should be somewhat intact, well mixed and blended but not mushy and liquid. Taste and correct the seasoning.

[classiccookbooks]

Baked Tomatoes Stuffed with Mozzarella

Source: The New James Beard 1989

A versatile and attractive little dish I like to serve as a first course, with veal scaloppine, or as a light luncheon entrée. Dieters who live in parts of the country where fresh mozzarella is made should look out for the cheese made with skim milk and no salt.

Makes 4 to 6 servings 

4 to 6 large, ripe, firm tomatoes

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt, freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 to 1/2 pound mozzarella cheese (amount depends on size of tomatoes)

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons dried basil

Cut a slice from the top of each tomato. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the pulp and seeds. Turn the tomato shells upside down on a platter and allow them to drain for about 15 minutes. Use some of the oil to brush a baking dish just large enough to hold the tomatoes. Place them in the dish. Season each tomato cavity with salt and pepper, and drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil into each one. Chop the mozzarella fine and mix it with the basil. Stuff the tomatoes with this mixture. With a pastry brush, brush the out- side skin of the tomatoes with the remaining olive oil. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for about 20 minutes, or until the mozzarella has melted. Serve hot.