Pasta with Fried Lemons

PASTA WITH FRIED LEMONSPasta with Fried Lemons

This is adapted from a Melissa Clark recipe in the New York Times. No garlic or onion – the lemon acts as an aromatic for this simple sauce.
PASTA WITH FRIED LEMONS
Ingredients:
  • 1 lb. linguini
  • 3 lemons
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper
  • A pinch of sugar
  • 3 tbsp. butter
  • Red pepper flakes to taste
  • ½ cup chopped parsley
  • 2/3 cup of grated Parmigiano cheese
Start a large pot of salted water for the pasta.
Finely zest one of the lemons and set aside. Cut the tops and bottoms off the remaining two lemons and stand on end. Cut them into four quarters and thinly slice each quarter into triangles. Blanch the lemon slices for two minutes in a small pot of boiling water. Set them aside on paper towels and blot dry.PASTA WITH FRIED LEMONS

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the dry lemon slices. Add salt, black pepper and a pinch of sugar. Cook for a few minutes until the edges brown and remove them.PASTA WITH FRIED LEMONS

Add the butter, lemon zest, red pepper and a half cup of pasta water to the pan. Mix in the drained pasta and coat with the sauce. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley, lemon wedges and cheese. Serve with additional cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
PASTA WITH FRIED LEMONS

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Pan Roasted Filet with Cherry Tomatoes

Pan Roasted Filet with Cherry Tomatoes

I adapted this Lidey Heuck recipe from last Sunday’s New York Times. It’s one pan, simple ingredients and easy to put together. I’m using barramundi but any mild white fish will work.
Pan Roasted Filet with Cherry TomatoesIngredients:
  1. 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  2. ½ cup thinly sliced shallots
  3. 1 garlic clove, minced
  4. 2 tbsp. olive oil
  5. 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  6. 1 tsp. honey
  7. 1 tsp. kosher salt
  8. ½ tsp, black pepper
  9. 1 white fish filet
  10. 1 tsp. lemon zest
  11. Chopped fresh basil and mint for serving
Pre-heat the oven to 400o.
Place the first 8 ingredients in a bowl and toss until everything is mixed. Arrange it in a single layer in a small sheet pan and roast for 15 minutes.Pan Roasted Filet with Cherry Tomatoes
In the meantime, pat the filet dry, coat with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper.Pan Roasted Filet with Cherry Tomatoes
Remove the tomatoes from the oven and clear a spot in the pan for the filet. Place the pan back in the oven with the filet and tomato mixture and roast for 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle the entire dish with the zest, basil, and mint and serve.

Pan Roasted Filet with Cherry Tomatoes

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Umami

Umami

Everyone knows about the basic tastes – sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. There’s one you might not be familiar with – umami (oo ma me). In Japanese, that means ‘deliciousness.’ Even though it doesn’t necessarily contain meat, it’s savory and deepens the flavor of whatever you’re cooking by adding a meatiness to it. It comes in various forms and can be added to recipes in various ways. Umami occurs naturally in many different foods, including meat, fish, and vegetables.
 

Fish SauceUmami

Fish sauce, made from salted, fermented fish, comes in varied forms. There’s Vietnamese nước mắm pha and Italian coloratura di alici, which is based on the ancient Roman garum. It can be very intense but used judiciously, it adds complexity to many dishes.
 

AnchoviesUmami

Anchovies aren’t everyone’s favorite. Eating then straight can be too intense for some. But adding one or two to browning onions for beef stew or to the garlic and olive oil base for pasta sauce adds layers of flavor and no fishy taste.
 

Parmigiana CheeseUmami

Almost all cheeses are rich in umami, but Parmigiana is at the top of the list. You can grate it on a salad or various pasta and vegetable dishes, and some people even put the rind to soups, sauces, or stews to add complexity.
 

Beef StockUmami

Beef stock has a powerful umami flavor, and it gets that flavor from bones. It’s intense and is sometimes diluted. In a milder form, beef broth is good when served cold and mixed with vodka in a Bull Shot.
 

Soy SauceUmami

Soy sauce is standard umami for Asian cooking. It’s made from fermented and aged soybeans and grain. Keep in mind that it’s not just for Asian recipes.
 

Worcestershire SauceUmami

Lea and Perrins is the only brand of Worcestershire, and it’s been around since the 1800s. It’s made from malt vinegar, molasses, and some other secret ingredients. Worcestershire works perfectly with lots of seafood dishes, and you can’t make a Bloody Mary without it.
 

OlivesUmami

Olives have a meaty texture and flavor that work great in adding umami to meatless dishes like Puttanesca.
 

Tomato PasteUmami

Tomatoes, in general, add savoriness to foods, so imagine what super concentrated tomato paste can do. Of course, it’s excellent in tomato sauce but try adding a tablespoon or two the next time you sauté onions.

 

MushroomsUmami

All mushrooms contain umami, but dried mushrooms deliver a bigger punch because they’re concentrated. They can make a plain tomato sauce taste as hearty as meat sauce.

 

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Grilled Broccoli

Grilled Broccoli

 

I got this grilled broccoli recipe from Julia and Bridget on America’s Test Kitchen. They came up with it for an outdoor grill, but it works just as well indoors. We live in an apartment building in Manhattan so no outdoor grill for us but a grill pan over two burners on a gas stove does the job.
Grilled Broccoli
Ingredients:
  • 2 heads broccoli
  • Salt & black pepper to taste
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves finely minced garlic
  • 1  lemon cut in half
Pre-heat the over to 375o.
Wash the broccoli and trim its stems. Put it in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with minced garlic, juice of ½ lemon and olive oil. Toss the broccoli until it’s thoroughly coated. Grilled Broccoli

Place the broccoli on a large sheet of aluminum foil, fold the sides up and add a ½ cup of water. Completely wrap the broccoli in the foil and tightly seal the edges. Reseal it in another piece of foil. Grilled Broccoli
Place it in the oven  for 30 minutes.

Place the ½ lemon cut side down on the grill alongside the broccoli on a grill and cook until the broccoli begins to sear. Grilled Broccoli

Place it in a serving dish and squeeze the grilled lemon half over it and serve. Grilled Broccoli

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