Simple Art of Cooking

High Class Comfort Food for Cozy Dinners, Big Feasts

by Silvia Lehrer

Home for the holidays has a familiar lyrical ring and it's where I most love to be.

Home is the East End, where the smells, sights and sounds of the holidays pervade the clean, clear, fresh air we breath. Or home is anywhere you want it to be, with family and friends you most want to share the holidays with. Though some of us may or may not be planning an elaborate feast, whether its economic doldrums or simply the practical way one entertains, most of us will want to celebrate the season with good food and good cheer. Some of my favorite entrees are long, slow braised dishes that won't break the bank yet will please the most discerning palates. They include: beef carbonnade, Provencal chicken with garlic or a seafood stew.

As the quote reads in MFK Fisher's Serve it Forth, "When shall we live, if not now?"

BEEF CARBONNADE

Recipe, adapted from Light Cooking magazine,
is hearty and yes light!
Serves 6-8

1. Sauté diced bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon, reserving drippings in pan. Set bacon aside. Add beef, salt and pepper to taste to pan drippings; sauté about five minutes, turning cubes as they brown. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds or so. Remove beef from pan with slotted spoon; set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Put onions in pan, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When onions are tender, add flour and stir for two minutes. Add vinegar and the next five ingredients, and bring to edge of boil. Return bacon and beef to pan. Cover and bake in preheated oven for two to two-and-a-half hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Can be done ahead, reheated and serve over noodles.

CHICKEN PROVENCAL

There are several recipes for this Provencal classic.
This is my simplified home cooked adaptation.
Serves 6

1. Rinse and dry chicken parts well, then season with salt and pepper and dust with flour to coat. Heat the combined oils in a large skillet with a cover. Put in three to four pieces at a time, starting with the dark meat, and sauté for about three to four minutes on each side until golden brown. Don't crowd the pan. Transfer chicken pieces as they are done to a colander and drain excess oil. Sauté remaining chicken pieces until golden brown and drain as above.

2. Pour excess oil from skillet leaving about two tablespoons. Put in onion and celery and sauté for six to eight minutes, stirring occasionally until onion is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange chicken pieces over onions and sprinkle parsley and thyme sprigs over the chicken. Pour the lemon juice and chicken stock over the chicken and bring to a brisk simmer. Bury cloves of garlic in and around chicken parts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and simmer with cover ajar for 20 minutes for the white meat and five minutes longer for the dark meat. Serve warm with juices poured over it and baguette slices spread with softened cloves of garlic.

SEAFOOD STEW WITH PASTA

This simple fish stew is made with marinara
sauce, store bought or your own.
Serves 6-8

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil, add garlic and sauté, stirring frequently for 40-50 seconds. Add salt, red pepper and oregano. Stir in wine, bring to a boil, and then add marinara sauce and basil. Simmer over low heat for four to five minutes. Add capers and stir to mix.

2. Meanwhile, cook the linguine according to package directions or until al dente. Before draining, add 1/4 cup pasta water to the sauce.

3. Add shrimp, clams and cut up fish to the sauce three minutes before the pasta is done and cook until shrimp is pink and firm. Drain pasta and transfer to a large warm bowl or platter. Ladle sauce over pasta and toss to mix. Serve in warm pasta bowls, dividing fish and shellfish equally. Drizzle each serving with olive oil and parsley.

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