Tag: Parm

Bâtons + Soft Boiled Egg

On By lukephillaryhIn Hillary's Dishes1 Comment
Soft Boiled Egg with batons Buvette
In action!

In college, a classic dining hall meal was breakfast for dinner. Freshman year brinner was an occasion. What could be better than eggs, pancakes, and a giant platter of bacon? Unsurprisingly, brinner always turned out to be a little lackluster.  Watery eggs, chewy pancakes.  And though the bacon was actually perfectly crispy, a self-respecting person can only allow themselves to consume so much bacon. After freshman year I moved out of the dorms and said goodbye to dining hall food, but not to brinner. Because making breakfast for dinner allowed for some cheap, quick, and very satisfying meals. And because breakfast food is delicious. When we’re feeling lazy about making a weekday dinner, Luke and I will whip up some bacon, cheesy eggs, wrap em up in a tortilla, squirt some sriracha on top and voilà – dinner! This recipe is a bit more special. It comes from the Buvette cookbook (fav brunch spot for all the NYC betches) and puts a little fancy flair on a breakfast meal that I imagine many cute French children enjoying. Dip these crunchy bâtons into a gooey soft boiled egg and enjoy! A delicious dinner (or brunch) without the 2 hour wait.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 rustic loaf of bread (boule) ~ making 16 bâtons
  • 2 TBS olive oil
  • handful grated parm
  • 1-2 tsp fresh (or dried) thyme *it using dried, use closer to 1 tsp
  • 8 slices prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise
  • as many eggs as you like!! (serves 4-6)
  • salt & pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Making the bâtons: Cut your bread loaf into 4 slices, cutting from the middle of the bread to have wider, evenly sized slices.  Cut each slice into 4 long bâtons, aim for about middle finger size, 1/2 inch thickness.  Place bâtons on a baking sheet in one layer and bake 5-10 minutes, turning once or twice to ensure all sides are golden brown.
  3. Adding the flare: Remove baking sheet from the oven, drizzle bâtons with oil olive to evenly cover and scatter with parm and thyme.  Wrap each bâton with a strip of prosciutto and then place back on the baking sheet.  Bake for another 5-10 minutes.
  4. Eggs: Meanwhile, boil a pot of water (enough to cover however many eggs you’d like to boil).  Once boiling, add the eggs *gently* and cook for 3 1/2 minutes.  Remove (again, gently!) and run over with cold water.
  5. Get your egg set up in its stand, crank and peel the egg shell and puncture! Dip your bâton to soak up all that yolk-y goodness!  This is an action packed meal.

Details: As mentioned in the ingredients, this recipe can serve up to six (doing the math, that’s about 3 bâtons per person) but Luke and I could easily eat up to 8 bâtons each.  They’re addicting!!

Some notes:

  • This meal is excellent with a simple side salad of greens, tossed with a vinaigrette dressing.
  • If you don’t have egg stands, as they are a somewhat unusual and niche kitchen accessory, you can peel the shell of the egg as you would with a hard boiled egg.  It’s a bit tricky, but doable.  Arrange 4 or so bâtons on a plate and place your unpeeled soft boiled egg on top and then break.  You can use your bâtons to soak up the yolk-y mess.
  • Deb also has a delicious looking bâtons recipe  on Smitten Kitchen. YUM.

To print the recipe, click here: Bâtons + Soft Boiled Egg

Chicken Caesar Salad

On By lukephillaryhIn ClassicoLeave a comment
Chicken Caesar Salad dressing
Emily Gilmore would approve

This recipe reminded Hillary of a lesser known, but quintessential exchange between Emily Gilmore and Luke Danes of Gilmore Girls.  The scene’s setting is none other than Luke’s diner, of course:

Emily: How is your Caesar salad prepared?

Luke: I’d have to call Paul Newman and ask him

This dressing is not inspired by Mr. Newman’s and we think would definitely meet Emily’s standards in both safety and taste.

Ingredients – dressing:

  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 5 anchovy fillets
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 TBS red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 egg – coddled
  • 5 TBS olive oil

Ingredients – chicken:

  • 1 – 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (obvi)
  • 2 TBS salt **for brine!
  • 2 cups water **for brine!
  • Seasoning: salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (a dash), squeeze of lemon

Directions:

  1. Brine Chicken: Dissolve 2 TBS salt in 2 cups water in a medium size container or big ziploc bag.  Submerge chicken breasts, cover or seal, and let sit for at least 30 minutes.  You can do this a couple hours ahead.  Refrigerate if brining over 30 minutes.  When finished brining, pat dry.
  2. Prep chicken: Cut into thin slices, moving from top to bottom.  Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
  3. Cook: Warm 1-2 TBS olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add chicken.  Cook for 5-6 minutes making sure to flip chicken pieces at least one.  Finish with a squeeze of lemon then set aside to cool.
  4. Dressing / anchovies + garlic: Dice up anchovies and garlic then chop and mash together, either in a mortar and pestle or on a cutting board with the edge and blade of your knife.*
  5. Dressing / acids: Transfer anchovy and garlic to a bowl and add vinegar, dijon, and lemon juice. Whisk.
  6. Dressing / coddle egg: Get some water boiling (just enough to cover an egg).  While waiting, with a pin poke a hole in the broad side of the egg.  Carefully drop the egg into the boiling water and let cook for 60-90 seconds.*  Remove from boiling water and run cold water over to cool.  Then crack the egg into bowl with mix.  Make sure to scrap out everything – all the white bits!  Whisk.
  7. Dressing / olive oil: Slowly add olive oil to the bowl, either vigorously whisking or blending.
  8. Chill dressing for 5 minutes.  It can keep for about 3 days.
  9. Combine! Combine dressing and chicken with romaine (or kale, though kale requires extra dressing, you’ll have enough), plenty of parm, cracked pepper, and croutons too if you like!

Details: Serves 2-4, add more chicken to feed extra people!

*Note 1: A mortar and pestle can be used to make dressing in its entirety.  You can also mix in a food processor, with a whisk, or hand blender.

*Note 2: In the printable recipe coddling time is written as 30 seconds – this is incorrect!  60-90 is recommended.

To print the recipe, click here: Chicken Caesar Salad

~ Classico ~ Spaghetti + Meatballs

On By lukephillaryhIn Classico2 Comments
Spaghetti Meatballs homemade
The Meatballs

Hillary says, “if you’re not using at least two kinds of meats in your balls, your balls aren’t the best they can be!”

Ingredients – meatballs:

  • 1 1/2-2 lbs ground meat > recommended: 1 lb pork, 1/2 lb beef, 1/4 lb ground lamb or veal
  • 1/4 cup lard
  • 1 cup white bread crumbs
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped and cooked 10-15 minutes (semi caramelized)
  • Approximately 1/3 cup grated parmesan
  • 3 TBS finely chopped parsley
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 tsp toasted fennel seeds, ground
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 eggs, beaten

Ingredients – sauce:

  • olive oil – to coat pan
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 cup red wine
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup water
  • spices: salt, pepper, 1 1/2 tsp

Directions:

  1. Meatballs: Mix all the ingredients, except the eggs, which should be beaten separately. Then add to mixture and combine.  Cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes while working on sauce.  Can also chill up to 2 days in the fridge.
  2.  Sauce: Heat a cast iron skillet, dutch oven, etc. over medium heat and add olive oil and then onions.  Stirring often, cook 4-5 minutes.  Then add red pepper flakes and garlic, cooking 1-2 minutes more.  Add wine and reduce to a glaze, 2-4 minutes more.  Add water and tomatoes, season, bring to a boil and then lower or turn off heat.  Keep warm and return to meatballs.
  3. Preheat oven to 375ºF.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or use nonstick sheets).  Make balls, aiming for golf ball size, and place on baking sheets.  Bake in oven till brown, 10-12 minutes, flipping the meatballs halfway through cooking.
  4. Transfer meatballs to sauce and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes.  Prepare spaghetti while meatballs and sauce are simmering.

Serve with lots of parm!! (Hillary’s suggestion)

Details: Makes 20-25 meatballs (approx. 3 days worth of leftovers)

To print the recipe, click here: ~ Classico ~ Spaghetti + Meatballs